Authority forgets a dying king, Laid widow’d of the power in his eye That bow’d the will.

Answer: These lines have been derived from an exquisite narrative poem, “Morte D’Arthur” composed by Lord Alfred Tennyson who is called the representative poet of the Victorian Period. King Arthur has made this comment when he bids Sir Bedivere go to the lake and throw Excalibur into it for the third time.

In the battle with Modred, King Arthur is deadly wounded. He is carried to a lake by Sir Bedivere who is the favorite knight of the king. He orders him to throw his magical sword, Excalibur into the lake. But the knight fails to throw it for its special value. So he is ordered to cast it for the third time. He tells a lie to the King twice. He wants to restore this sword for the future generation. But Arthur is able to discover the truth and takes his knight to the task. His words are pathetic. He says that Sir Bedivere does not obey him because he is going to die. A king who is about to die loses his power and authority. He is not obeyed as before. Actually, King Arthur means to say that dying kings cannot punish disobedient subjects. Hence Sir Bedivere might disobey them without the fear of punishment. While he was in power, his very loom would inspire fear in others. But now he is laid widowed of his power. His eyes are deprived of the power of looking. Now he is helpless.

However, the understanding of King Arthur is true not only of himself but of all persons in authority. A critic has pointed out that the lines are almost Shakespearean. The first line of the extract becomes proverbial.