King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
But amongst them were six kings of great renown and might, who more than
all raged against Arthur and determined to destroy him, namely, King
Lot, King Nanters, King Urien, King Carados, King Yder, and King
Anguisant. These six, therefore, joining their armies together, laid
close siege to the city of Caerleon, wherefrom King Arthur had so
shamefully driven them.
And after fifteen days Merlin came suddenly into their camp and asked
them what this treason meant. Then he declared to them that Arthur was
no base adventurer, but King Uther's son, whom they were bound to serve
and honor even though Heaven had not vouch-safed the wondrous miracle of
the sword. Some of the kings, when they heard Merlin speak thus,
marveled and believed him; but others, as King Lot, laughed him and his
words to scorn, and mocked him for a conjurer and wizard. But it was
agreed with Merlin that Arthur should come forth and speak with the
kings.
So he went forth to them to the city gate, and with him the archbishop
and Merlin, and Sir Key, Sir Brastias, and a great company of others.
And he spared them not in his speech, but spoke to them as king and
chieftain, telling them plainly he would make them all bow to him if he
lived, unless they choose to do him homage there and then; and so they
parted in great wrath, and each side armed in haste.
"What will ye do?" said Merlin to the kings; "ye had best hold your
hands, for were ye ten times as many ye should not prevail."
"Shall we be afraid of a dream-reader?" quoth King Lot in scorn.
With that Merlin vanished away and came to King Arthur.
Then Arthur said to Merlin, "I have need now of a sword that shall
chastise these rebels terribly."
"Come then with me," said Merlin, "for hard by there is a sword that I
can gain for thee."
So they rode out that night till they came to a fair and broad lake, and
in the midst of it King Arthur saw an arm thrust up, clothed in white
samite, and holding a great sword in the hand.
"Lo! yonder is the sword I spoke of," said Merlin.
Then saw they a damsel floating on the lake in the moonlight. "What
damsel is that?" said the king.
"The lady of the lake," said Merlin; "for upon this lake there is a
rock, and on the rock a noble palace, where she abideth, and she will
come towards thee presently, when thou shalt ask her courteously for the
sword."
Therewith the damsel came to King Arthur, and saluted him, and he
saluted her, and said, "Lady, what sword is that the arm holdeth above
the water? I would that it were mine, for I have no sword."
"Sir King," said the lady of the lake, "that sword is mine, and if thou
wilt give me in return a gift whenever I shall ask it of thee, thou
shalt have it."
"By my faith," said he, "I will give thee any gift that thou shalt ask."
"Well," said the damsel, "go into yonder barge, and row thyself unto the
sword, and take it and the scabbard with thee, and I will ask my gift of
thee when I see my time."
So King Arthur and Merlin alighted, and tied their horses to two trees,
and went into the barge; and when they came to the sword that the hand
held, King Arthur took it by the handle and bore it with him, and the
arm and hand went down under the water; and so they came back to land,
and rode again to Caerleon.
On the morrow Merlin bade King Arthur to set fiercely on the enemy; and
in the meanwhile three hundred good knights went over to King Arthur
from the rebels' side. Then at the spring of day, when they had scarce
left their tents, he fell on them with might and main, and Sir
Badewaine, Sir Key, and Sir Brastias slew on the right and on the left
marvelously; and ever in the thickest of the fight King Arthur raged
like a young lion, and laid on with his sword, and did wondrous deeds of
arms, to the joy and admiration of the knights and barons who beheld
him.
Then King Lot, King Carados, and the King of the Hundred Knights--who
also was with them--going round to the rear, set on King Arthur fiercely
from behind; but King Arthur, turning to his knights, fought ever in the
foremost press until his horse was slain beneath him. At that, King Lot
rode furiously at him, and smote him down; but rising straightway, and
being set again on horseback, he drew his sword Excalibur that he had
gained by Merlin from the lady of the lake, which, shining brightly as
the light of thirty torches, dazzled the eyes of his enemies. And
therewith falling on them afresh with all his knights, he drove them
back and slew them in great numbers, and Merlin by his arts scattered
among them fire and pitchy smoke, so that they broke and fled. Then all
the common people of Caerleon, seeing them give way, rose up with one
accord, and rushed at them with clubs and staves, and chased them far
and wide, and slew many great knights and lords, and the remainder of
them fled and were seen no more. Thus won King Arthur his first battle
and put his enemies to shame.
But the six kings, though sorely routed, prepared for a new war, and
joining to themselves five others swore together that, whether for weal
or woe, they would keep steadfast alliance till they had destroyed King
Arthur. Then, with a host of 50,000 men-at-arms on horseback, and 10,000
foot, they were soon ready, and sent forth their fore-riders, and drew
from the northern country towards King Arthur, to the castle of
Bedgraine.
But he by Merlin's counsel had sent over sea to King Ban of Benwick and
King Bors of Gaul, praying them to come and help him in his wars, and
promising to help them in return against King Claudas, their foe. To
which those kings made answer that they would joyfully fulfil his wish,
and shortly after came to London with 300 knights, well arrayed for both
peace and war, leaving behind them a great army on the other side of the
sea till they had consulted with King Arthur and his ministers how they
might best dispose of it.
And Merlin being asked for his advice and help, agreed to go himself and
fetch it over sea to England, which in one night he did; and brought
with him 10,000 horsemen and led them northward privately to the forest
of Bedgraine, and there lodged them in a valley secretly.
Then, by the counsel of Merlin, when they knew which way the eleven
kings would ride and sleep, King Arthur with Kings Ban and Bors made
themselves ready with their army for the fight, having yet but 30,000
men, counting the 10,000 who had come from Gaul.
"Now shall ye do my advice," said Merlin; "I would that King Ban and
King Bors, with all their fellowship of 10,000 men, were led to ambush
in this wood ere daylight, and stir not therefrom until the battle hath
been long waged. And thou, Lord Arthur, at the spring of day draw forth
thine army before the enemy, and dress the battle so that they may at
once see all thy host, for they will be the more rash and hardy when
they see you have but 20,000 men."
To this the three knights and the barons heartily consented, and it was
done as Merlin had devised. So on the morrow when the hosts beheld each
other, the host of the north was greatly cheered to find so few led out
against them.
Then gave King Arthur the command to Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias to take
3000 men-at-arms, and to open battle. They therefore setting fiercely on
the enemy slew them on the right hand and the left till it was wonderful
to see their slaughter.
When the eleven kings beheld so small a band doing such mighty deeds of
arms they were ashamed, and charged them fiercely in return. Then was
Sir Ulfius' horse slain under him; but he fought well and marvelously on
foot against Duke Eustace and King Clarience, who set upon him
grievously, till Sir Brastias, seeing his great peril, pricked towards
them swiftly, and so smote the duke through with his spear that horse
and man fell down and rolled over. Whereat King Clarience turned upon
Sir Brastias, and rushing furiously together they each unhorsed the
other and fell both to the ground, and there lay a long time stunned,
their horses' knees being cut to the bone. Then came Sir Key the
seneschal with six companions, and did wondrous well, till the eleven
kings went out against them and overthrew Sir Griflet and Sir Lucas the
butler. And when Sir Key saw Sir Griflet unhorsed and on foot, he rode
against King Nanters hotly and smote him down, and led his horse to
Griflet and horsed him again; with the same spear did Sir Key smite down
King Lot and wounded him full sore.
But seeing that, the King of the Hundred Knights rushed at Sir Key and
overthrew him in return, and took his horse and gave it to King Lot.
And when Sir Griflet saw Sir Key's mischance, he set his spear in rest,
and riding at a mighty man-at-arms, he cast him down headlong and caught
his horse and led it straightway to Sir Key.
By now the battle was growing perilous and hard, and both sides fought
with rage and fury. And Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias were both afoot and
in great danger of their death, and foully stained and trampled under
horses' feet. Then King Arthur, putting spurs to his horse, rushed
forward like a lion into the midst of all the _mêlèe_, and singling out
King Cradlemont of North Wales, smote him through the left side and
overthrew him, and taking his horse by the rein he brought it to Sir
Ulfius in haste and said, "Take this horse, mine old friend, for thou
hast great need of one, and charge by side of me." And even as he spoke
he saw Sir Ector, Sir Key's father, smitten to the earth by the King of
the Hundred Knights, and his horse taken to King Cradlemont.
But when King Arthur saw him ride upon Sir Ector's horse his wrath was
very great, and with his sword he smote King Cradlemont upon the helm,
and shore off the fourth part thereof and of the shield, and drave the
sword onward to the horse's neck and slew the horse, and hurled the king
upon the ground.
And now the battle waxed so great and furious that all the noise and
sound thereof rang out by water and by wood, so that Kings Ban and Bors,
with all their knights and men-at-arms in ambush, hearing the tumult
and the cries, trembled and shook for eagerness, and scarce could stay
in secret, but made them ready for the fray and dressed their shields
and harness.
But when King Arthur saw the fury of the enemy, he raged like a mad
lion, and stirred and drove his horse now here, now there, to the right
hand and to the left and stayed not in his wrath till he had slain full
twenty knights. He wounded also King Lot so sorely in the shoulder that
he left the field, and in great pain and dolor cried out to the other
kings, "Do ye as I devise, or we shall be destroyed. I, with the King of
the Hundred Knights, King Anguisant, King Yder, and the Duke of
Cambinet, will take fifteen thousand men and make a circuit, meanwhile
that ye do hold the battle with twelve thousand. Then coming suddenly we
will fall fiercely on them from behind and put them to the rout, but
else shall we never stand against them."
So Lot and four kings departed with their party to one side, and the six
other kings dressed their ranks against King Arthur and fought long and
stoutly.
But now Kings Ban and Bors, with all their army fresh and eager, broke
from their ambush and met face to face the five kings and their host as
they came round behind, and then began a frantic struggle with breaking
of spears and clashing of swords and slaying of men and horses. Anon
King Lot, espying in the midst King Bors, cried out in great dismay,
"Our Lady now defend us from our death and fearful wounds; our peril
groweth great, for yonder cometh one of the worshipfullest kings and
best knights in all the world."
"Who is he?" said the King of the Hundred Knights.
"It is King Bors of Gaul," replied King Lot, "and much I marvel how he