The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights
sword. Then he confessed it was his brother Arthur who had brought it to
him.
Whereat Sir Ector, turning to young Arthur, asked him--"How gottest thou
the sword?"
"Sir," said he, "I will tell you. When I went home to fetch my brother's
sword, I found nobody to deliver it to me, for all were abroad to the
jousts. Yet was I loath to leave my brother swordless, and, bethinking me
of this one, I came hither eagerly to fetch it for him, and pulled it out
of the stone without any pain."
Then said Sir Ector, much amazed and looking steadfastly on Arthur, "If
this indeed be thus, 'tis thou who shalt be king of all this land--and God
will have it so--for none but he who should be rightful Lord of Britain
might ever draw this sword forth from that stone. But let me now with mine
own eyes see thee put back the sword into its place and draw it forth
again."
"That is no mystery," said Arthur; and straightway set it in the stone.
And then Sir Ector pulled at it himself, and after him Sir Key, with all
his might, but both of them in vain: then Arthur reaching forth his hand
and grasping at the pommel, pulled it out easily, and at once.
Then fell Sir Ector down upon his knees upon the ground before young
Arthur, and Sir Key also with him, and straightway did him homage as their
sovereign lord.
But Arthur cried aloud, "Alas! mine own dear father and my brother, why
kneel ye thus to me?"
"Nay, my Lord Arthur," answered then Sir Ector, "we are of no
blood-kinship with thee, and little though I thought how high thy kin
might be, yet wast thou never more than foster-child of mine." And then he
told him all he knew about his infancy, and how a stranger had delivered
him, with a great sum of gold, into his hands to be brought up and
nourished as his own born child, and then had disappeared.
But when young Arthur heard of it, he fell upon Sir Ector's neck, and
wept, and made great lamentation, "For now," said he, "I have in one day
lost my father and my mother and my brother."
"Sir," said Sir Ector presently, "when thou shalt be made king be good and
gracious unto me and mine."
"If not," said Arthur, "I were no true man's son at all, for thou art he
in all the world to whom I owe the most; and my good lady and mother, thy
wife, hath ever kept and fostered me as though I were her own; so if it be
God's will that I be king hereafter as thou sayest, desire of me whatever
thing thou wilt and I will do it; and God forbid that I should fail thee
in it."
"I will but pray," replied Sir Ector, "that thou wilt make my son Sir Key,
thy foster-brother, seneschal of all the lands."
"That shall he be," said Arthur; "and never shall another hold that
office, save thy son, while he and I do live."
Anon, they left the church and went to the archbishop to tell him that the
sword had been achieved. And when he saw the sword in Arthur's hand he set
a day and summoned all the princes, knights, and barons to meet again at
St. Paul's Church and see the will of Heaven signified. So when they came
together, the sword was put back in the stone, and all tried, from the
greatest to the least, to move it; but there before them all not one could
take it out save Arthur only.
But then befell a great confusion and dispute, for some cried out it was
the will of Heaven, and, "Long live King Arthur," but many more were full
of wrath and said, "What! would ye give the ancient sceptre of this land
unto a boy born none know how?" And the contention growing greatly, till
nothing could be done to pacify their rage, the meeting was at length
broken up by the archbishop and adjourned till Candlemas, when all should
meet again.
But when Candlemas was come, Arthur alone again pulled forth the sword,
though more than ever came to win it; and the barons, sorely vexed and
angry, put it in delay till Easter. But as he had sped before so he did at
Easter, and the barons yet once more contrived delays till Pentecost.
But now the archbishop, fully seeing God's will, called together, by
Merlin's counsel, a band of knights and gentlemen-at-arms, and set them
about Arthur to keep him safely till the feast of Pentecost. And when at
the feast Arthur still again alone prevailed to move the sword, the people
all with one accord cried out, "Long live King Arthur! we will have no
more delay, nor any other king, for so it is God's will; and we will slay
whoso resisteth Him and Arthur;" and wherewithal they kneeled down all at
once, and cried for Arthur's grace and pardon that they had so long
delayed him from his crown. Then he full sweetly and majestically pardoned
them; and taking in his hand the sword, he offered it upon the high altar
of the church.
Anon was he solemnly knighted with great pomp by the most famous knight
there present, and the crown was placed upon his head; and, having taken
oath to all the people, lords and commons, to be true king and deal in
justice only unto his life's end, he received homage and service from all
the barons who held lands and castles from the crown. Then he made Sir
Key, High Steward of England, and Sir Badewaine of Britain, Constable, and
Sir Ulfius, Chamberlain: and after this, with all his court and a great
retinue of knights and armed men, he journeyed into Wales, and was crowned
again in the old city of Caerleon-upon-Usk.
Meanwhile those knights and barons who had so long delayed him from the
crown, met together and went up to the coronation feast at Caerleon, as if
to do him homage; and there they ate and drank such things as were set
before them at the royal banquet, sitting with the others in the great
hall.
But when after the banquet Arthur began, according to the ancient royal
custom, to bestow great boons and fiefs on whom he would, they all with
one accord rose up, and scornfully refused his gifts, crying that they
would take nothing from a beardless boy come of low or unknown birth, but
would instead give him good gifts of hard sword-strokes between neck and
shoulders.
Whereat arose a deadly tumult in the hall, and every man there made him
ready to fight. But Arthur leaped up as a flame of fire against them, and
all his knights and barons drawing their swords, rushed after him upon
them and began a full sore battle; and presently the king's party
prevailed, and drave the rebels from the hall and from the city, closing
the gates behind them; and King Arthur brake his sword upon them in his
eagerness and rage.
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 honour
even though Heaven had not vouchsafed the wondrous miracle of the sword.
Some of the kings, when they heard Merlin speak thus, marvelled 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, 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 hand and on the left marvellously; 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
rode with them--going round to the rear, set on King Arthur fiercely from
behind; but 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