中文导读
杰弗里约 1136 年完成的拉丁语叙事，从不列颠建国的布鲁图斯（特洛伊埃涅阿斯之曾孙）讲起，历经近百位国王——包括辛白林、莉奥吉娜（莎士比亚《李尔王》原型）、沃提根、尤瑟·潘德拉贡——到七世纪最后一位不列颠国王卡德瓦拉德退位为止。
全书叙事核心是亚瑟王段落（第 9-11 卷）。在杰弗里笔下，亚瑟不是一个浪漫化的骑士，而是一位横扫欧洲的不列颠征服者：击败撒克逊人、征服苏格兰、入侵爱尔兰、冰岛、挪威、高卢，最终向罗马皇帝卢修斯·提比略宣战。梅林在这里是政治策士而非白发巫师，桂妮薇儿（Guanhumara）只是被简略提及的王后。
杰弗里声称材料来自"一本极古老的英文书"——此书从未被找到，多半是他编造的权威来源。他把比德、吉尔达斯、威尔士口传传说揉成一部连贯的拉丁史诗，创造了亚瑟王传统、李尔王故事和"不列颠特洛伊起源"神话。现存超过 200 部中世纪抄本，是 12 世纪流传最广的世俗拉丁叙事之一。
以下段落选自 J. A. Giles 1848 年公版英译（Project Gutenberg #1157）。
Book VIII: Merlin and the Giants' Dance
Chapters 10–12: Uther's War against the Saxons; Merlin's Counsel
The king, upon the approach of the feast of Christmas, assembled his bishops and abbots, and ordered them to prepare for solemn and devout service, that Christ and his faithful people might join in solemnity together. But the Saxons, upon notice of the king's design, laid an ambush to intercept him in his passage to the cathedral; but he, having intelligence of it, would not proceed to church, but turned with his company another way. The enemy missing him, followed after, and engaged him; but after a sharp encounter, they were put to flight, and most of them slain.
Merlin had foretold these events. He now advised Uther to change the direction of his campaign: rather than pursue the Saxons in the field, he should attack them by night, when their vigilance was relaxed. Uther followed this counsel and gained a complete victory. Yet the cost was great: in the battle, Uther's brother was slain, and the king himself fell mortally ill from drinking water poisoned by the Saxons.
Upon Uther's death, the kingdom fell into confusion. The archbishop of London summoned the clergy and nobles to a council, where Merlin at last revealed the sign by which the rightful heir should be known:
Chapter 15: The Sword in the Stone
Merlin, perceiving that the nobility were divided and that no consensus could be reached, went to the archbishop and said: "Cause all the lords to assemble in the greatest church of the city on the forthcoming feast of Christmas, and there, by the providence of God, the true heir to the crown shall be made known." ...
Accordingly, on the appointed day, the lords came together to the church, and as they were going to the service, they saw in the churchyard a great stone, and in the stone a sword stuck fast, with these words written in gold letters on the hilt: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England."
Book IX: The Reign of Arthur
Chapter 1: Arthur's Coronation
After the death of Uther Pendragon, the nobility of the kingdom assembled at Silchester, where they unanimously crowned Arthur king. He was then fifteen years old, of a courage and generosity beyond his years, and endowed with such innate goodness that he seemed rather divinely appointed than chosen by men. As soon as he was crowned, he showed himself worthy of the sovereignty: he applied himself to the restoration of peace and order throughout his realm, and to the defence of the borders against the enemies who had taken advantage of the late troubles to make incursions upon the country.
Chapter 11: Arthur's Conquests
Arthur, having subdued the Saxons, turned his arms against the Scots and Picts, whom he reduced to subjection. He then sailed to Ireland, which he conquered without much difficulty; from thence he proceeded to Iceland, which also submitted to his power. The fame of his valour spreading abroad, the kings of the adjacent islands and countries came and did him homage. His court was now become the resort of all the most valiant and accomplished knights of the age, and the pattern of all the virtues that become a gentleman.
Chapter 16: The Round Table
At that time, the fame of Arthur's liberality and valour having spread through all the nations of the world, there resorted to his court so great a number of the most noble and illustrious knights, that he prepared for them a most magnificent entertainment on the feast of Pentecost. For this purpose he ordered a round table to be made, at which he might entertain his knights in common, without distinction, that none might claim precedency over another. At this table there were seated, besides the king himself, five hundred and forty knights.
Book X: The War against Rome
Chapter 3: Arthur's Oration before the Roman War
When Arthur had convened all his forces at the port of Barfleur, he addressed them in these terms:
"Since the pride of the Romans has driven us to take up arms, let us go on boldly to the field. Remember that you are fighting for your liberty and your country, against an enemy that seeks to impose a foreign yoke upon you. The same courage that subdued the Saxons, the Scots, and the Picts, will enable you to defeat the Roman legions. March forward, then, with alacrity, and let us show them that the Britons are not degenerated from their ancestors, who were once the terror of the world."
The whole army answered with a loud shout, declaring themselves ready to follow him to the extremity of the world. The signal was given; they embarked, and landed safely at the mouth of the river Barba.
Book XI: The Passing of Arthur
Chapters 1–2: The Betrayal of Mordred; The Battle of Camlann
While Arthur was employed in the war against the Romans, he received intelligence that his nephew Mordred, whom he had left regent of Britain, had usurped the crown, and treacherously married Guanhumara the queen. Arthur, upon hearing this, immediately desisted from his enterprise against the Romans, and returned with his army into Britain.
The news of his arrival being spread, Mordred drew out his forces to meet him. A battle ensued, in which the rebels were defeated; but Mordred, escaping, fled to Winchester, and there rallied his forces. Arthur pursued him, and another battle was fought, in which the rebels were again defeated with great slaughter. Guanhumara, upon hearing the issue of this battle, fled from York to the monastery of Julius the Martyr, near the city of Caerleon, where she took the veil among the nuns, and passed the remainder of her life in penitence.
The decisive battle was fought at the river Camlann. Here Mordred was slain; but Arthur also received wounds of which he was destined soon after to die. He was carried to the Isle of Avalon, that his wounds might be healed. In the year 542, he gave up the crown of Britain to his kinsman Constantine, the son of Cador, duke of Cornwall.