King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
ladies. So they went again to battle, and wounded each other full sore,
and paused, and breathed again, and then again began the fight; and this
for many times they did, till all the ground was red with blood. And by
now, each had full grievously wounded the other with seven great wounds,
the least of which might have destroyed the mightiest giant in the
world. But still they rose against each other, although their hauberks
now were all unnailed, and they smiting at each other's naked bodies
with their sharp swords. At the last, Sir Balan, the younger brother,
withdrew a little space and laid him down.
Then said Sir Balin le Savage, "What knight art thou? for never before
have I found a knight to match me thus."
"My name," said he, all faintly, "is Balan, brother to the good knight
Sir Balin."
"Ah, God!" cried Balin, "that ever I should see this day!" and therewith
fell down backwards in a swoon.
Then Sir Balan crept with pain upon his feet and hands, and put his
brother's helmet off his head, but could not know him by his face, it
was so hewed and bloody. But presently, when Sir Balin came to, he
said, "Oh! Balan, mine own brother, thou hast slain me, and I thee! All
the wide world saw never greater grief!"
"Alas!" said Sir Balan, "that I ever saw this day; and through mishap
alone I knew thee not, for when I saw thy two swords, if it had not been
for thy strange shield, I should have known thee for my brother."
"Alas!" said Balin, "all this sorrow lieth at the door of one unhappy
knight within the castle, who made me change my shield. If I might live,
I would destroy that castle and its evil customs."
"It were well done," said Balan, "for since I first came hither I have
never been able to depart, for here they made me fight with one who kept
this island, whom I slew, and by enchantment I might never quit it more;
nor couldst thou, brother, hadst thou slain me, and escaped with thine
own life."
Anon came the lady of the castle, and when she heard their talk, and saw
their evil case, she wrung her hands and wept bitterly. So Sir Balan
prayed the lady of her gentleness that, for his true service, she would
bury them both together in that place. This she granted, weeping full
sore, and said it should be done right solemnly and richly, and in the
noblest manner possible. Then did they send for a priest, and received
the holy sacrament at his hands. And Balin said, "Write over us upon our
tomb, that here two brethren slew each other; then shall never good
knight or pilgrim pass this way but he will pray for both our souls."
And anon Sir Balan died, but Sir Balin died not till the midnight after;
and then they both were buried.
On the morrow of their death came Merlin, and took Sir Balin's sword and
fixed on it a new pommel, and set it in a mighty stone, which then, by
magic, he made float upon the water. And so, for many years, it floated
to and fro around the island, till it swam down the river to Camelot,
where young Sir Galahad achieved it, as shall be told hereafter.
VI
THE MARRIAGE OF ARTHUR AND GUINEVERE AND THE FOUNDING OF THE ROUND TABLE
It befell upon a certain day, that King Arthur said to Merlin, "My lords
and knights do daily pray me now to take a wife; but I will have none
without thy counsel, for thou hast ever helped me since I came first to
this crown."
"It is well," said Merlin, "that thou shouldst take a wife, for no man
of bounteous and noble nature should live without one; but is there any
lady whom thou lovest better than another?"
"Yea," said King Arthur, "I love Guinevere, the daughter of King
Leodegrance, of Camelgard, who also holdeth in his house the Round Table
that he had from my father Uther; and as I think, that damsel is the
gentlest and the fairest lady living."
"Sir," answered Merlin, "as for her beauty, she is one of the fairest
that do live; but if ye had not loved her as ye do, I would fain have
had ye choose some other who was both fair and good. But where a man's
heart is set, he will be loth to leave." This Merlin said, knowing the
misery that should hereafter happen from this marriage.
Then King Arthur sent word to King Leodegrance that he mightily desired
to wed his daughter, and how that he had loved her since he saw her
first, when with Kings Ban and Bors he rescued Leodegrance from King
Ryence of North Wales.
When King Leodegrance heard the message, he cried out, "These be the
best tidings I have heard in all my life--so great and worshipful a
prince to seek my daughter for his wife! I would fain give him half my
lands with her straightway, but that he needeth none--and better will it
please him that I send him the Round Table of King Uther, his father,
with a hundred good knights towards the furnishing of it with guests,
for he will soon find means to gather more, and make the table full."
Then King Leodegrance delivered his daughter Guinevere to the messengers
of King Arthur, and also the Round Table with the hundred knights.
So they rode royally and freshly, sometimes by water and sometimes by
land, towards Camelot. And as they rode along in the spring weather,
they made full many sports and pastimes. And, in all those sports and
games, a young knight lately come to Arthur's, court, Sir Lancelot by
name, was passing strong, and won praise from all, being full of grace
and hardihood; and Guinevere also ever looked on him with joy. And
always in the eventide, when the tents were set beside some stream or
forest, many minstrels came and sang before the knights and ladies as
they sat in the tent-doors, and many knights would tell adventures; and
still Sir Lancelot was foremost, and told the knightliest tales, and
sang the goodliest songs, of all the company.
And when they came to Camelot, King Arthur made great joy, and all the
city with him; and riding forth with a great retinue he met Guinevere
and her company, and led her through the streets all filled with people,
and in the midst of all their shoutings and the ringing of church bells,
to a palace hard by his own.
Then, in all haste, the king commanded to prepare the marriage and the
coronation with the stateliest and most honorable pomp that could be
made. And when the day was come, the archbishops led the king to the
cathedral, whereto he walked, clad in his royal robes, and having four
kings, bearing four golden swords, before him; a choir of passing sweet
music going also with him.
In another part, was the queen dressed in her richest ornaments, and led
by archbishops and bishops to the Chapel of the Virgins, the four queens
also of the four kings last mentioned walked before her, bearing four
white doves, according to ancient custom; and after her there followed
many damsels, singing and making every sign of joy.
And when the two processions were come to the churches, so wondrous was
the music and the singing, that all the knights and barons who were
there pressed on each other, as in the crowd of battle, to hear and see
the most they might.
When the king was crowned, he called together all the knights that came
with the Round Table from Camelgard, and twenty-eight others, great and
valiant men, chosen by Merlin out of all the realm, towards making up
the full number of the table. Then the Archbishop of Canterbury blessed
the seats of all the knights, and when they rose again therefrom to pay
their homage to King Arthur, there was found upon the back of each
knight's seat his name, written in letters of gold. But upon one seat
was found written, "This is the Siege Perilous, wherein if any man shall
sit save him whom Heaven hath chosen, he shall be devoured by fire."
Anon came young Gawain, the king's nephew, praying to be made a knight,
whom the king knighted then and there. Soon after came a poor man,
leading with him a tall fair lad of eighteen years of age, riding on a
lean mare. And falling at the king's feet, the poor man said, "Lord, it
was told me, that at this time of thy marriage thou wouldst give to any
man the gift he asked for, so it were not unreasonable."
"That is the truth," replied King Arthur, "and I will make it good."
"Thou sayest graciously and nobly," said the poor man. "Lord, I ask
nothing else but that thou wilt make my son here a knight."
"It is a great thing that thou askest," said the king. "What is thy
name?"
"Aries, the cowherd," answered he.
"Cometh this prayer from thee or from thy son?" inquired King Arthur.
"Nay, lord, not from myself," said he, "but from him only, for I have
thirteen other sons, and all of them will fall to any labor that I put
them to. But this one will do no such work for anything that I or my
wife may do, but is for ever shooting or fighting, and running to see
knights and joustings, and torments me both night and day that he be
made a knight."
"What is thy name?" said the king to the young man.
"My name is Tor," said he.
Then the king, looking at him steadfastly, was well pleased with his
face and figure, and with his look of nobleness and strength.
"Fetch all thy other sons before me," said the king to Aries. But when
he brought them, none of them resembled Tor in size or shape or feature.
Then the king knighted Tor, saying, "Be thou to thy life's end a good
knight and a true, as I pray God thou mayest be; and if thou provest
worthy, and of prowess, one day thou shalt be counted in the Round
Table." Then turning to Merlin, Arthur said, "Prophesy now, O Merlin,
shall Sir Tor become a worthy knight, or not?"
"Yea, lord," said Merlin, "so he ought to be, for he is the son of that
King Pellinore whom thou hast met, and proved to be one of the best
knights living. He is no cowherd's son."
Presently after came in King Pellinore, and when he saw Sir Tor he knew
him for his son, and was more pleased than words can tell to find him
knighted by the king. And Pellinore did homage to King Arthur, and was
gladly and graciously accepted of the king; and then was led by Merlin
to a high seat at the Table Round, near to the Perilous Seat.
But Sir Gawain was full of anger at the honor done King Pellinore, and
said to his brother Gaheris, "He slew our father, King Lot, therefore
will I slay him."
"Do it not yet," said he; "wait till I also be a knight, then will I
help ye in it: it is best ye suffer him to go at this time, and not
trouble this high feast with blood-shed."
"As ye will, be it," said Sir Gawain.
Then rose the king and spake to all the Table Round, and charged them to
be ever true and noble knights, to do neither outrage nor murder, nor
any unjust violence, and always to flee treason; also by no means ever
to be cruel, but give mercy unto him that asked for mercy, upon pain of
forfeiting the liberty of his court forevermore. Moreover, at all times,
on pain of death, to give all succor unto ladies and young damsels; and
lastly, never to take part in any wrongful quarrel, for reward or
payment. And to all this he swore them knight by knight.
Then he ordained that, every year at Pentecost, they should all come
before him, wheresoever he might appoint a place, and give account of
all their doings and adventures of the past twelve-month. And so, with
prayer and blessing, and high words of cheer, he instituted the most
noble order of the Round Table, whereto the best and bravest knights in
all the world sought afterwards to find admission.
Then was the high feast made ready, and the king and queen sat side by
side, before the whole assembly; and great and royal was the banquet and
the pomp.
And as they sat, each man in his place, Merlin went round and said, "Sit
still awhile, for ye shall see a strange and marvelous adventure."
So as they sat, there suddenly came running through the hall, a white