The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
make sundry demands of my master, King Leodegrance, which demands King
Leodegrance is altogether loath to fulfil. And King Ryence of North
Wales threateneth to bring war into Cameliard because King Leodegrance
doth not immediately fulfil those demands. Now King Leodegrance hath no
such array of knights and armed men as he one time had gathered about
him for to defend his kingdom against assault. For, since thou in thy
majesty hath brought peace to this realm and hath reduced the power of
all those kings under thee, those knights who once made the Court of
King Leodegrance so famous have gone elsewhither for to seek better
opportunities for their great valor and prowess at arms than his
peaceful Court may afford. Wherefore my master, King Leodegrance, doth
beseech aid of thee, who art his King and Overlord.”
To these things that the herald-messenger said, King Arthur, and all
that Court that feasted with him, listened in entire silence. And the
King’s countenance, which erstwhiles had been expanded with
cheerfulness, became overcast and dark with anger. “Ha!” he cried, “this
is, verily, no good news that thou hast brought hither to our feast. Now
I will give what aid I am able to thy master, King Leodegrance, in this
extremity, and that right speedily. But tell me, sir herald, what things
are they that King Ryence demandeth of thy master?”
“That I will tell you, Lord,” quoth the herald-messenger. “Firstly, King
Ryence maketh demand upon my master of a great part of those lands of
Cameliard that march upon the borders of North Wales. Secondly, he
maketh demand that the Lady Guinevere, the King’s daughter, be delivered
in marriage unto Duke Mordaunt of North Umber, who is of kin unto King
Ryence, and that Duke, though a mighty warrior, is so evil of
appearance, and so violent of temper, that I believe that there is not
his like for ugliness or for madness of humor in all of the world.”
[Sidenote: _King Arthur is very angry at the message which the herald
bringeth._]
Now when King Arthur heard this that the messenger said he was
immediately seized with an extraordinary passion of anger. For his eyes
appeared, an it were, to shoot forth sparks of pure light, his face
flamed like fire, and he ground his teeth together like the stones of a
quern. Then he immediately rose from the chair where he sat and went
forth from that place, and all those who beheld his anger shuddered
thereat and turned their eyes away from his countenance.
Then King Arthur went into an inner room of the castle by himself, and
there he walked up and down for a great while, and in that time no one
of his household dared to come nigh to him. And the reason of the King’s
wrath was this: that ever since he had lain wounded and sick nigh unto
death in the forest, he bare in mind how the Lady Guinevere had suddenly
appeared before him like some tall, straight, shining angel who had
descended unto him out of Paradise--all full of pity, and exceedingly
beautiful. Wherefore, at thought of that wicked, mad Duke Mordaunt of
North Umber making demand unto marriage with her, he was seized with a
rage so violent that it shook his spirit like a mighty wind.
So, for a long while, he walked up and down in his wrath as aforesaid,
and no one durst come nigh unto him, but all stood afar off, watching
him from a distance.
Then, after a while, he gave command that Merlin, and Sir Ulfius, and
Sir Kay should come to him at that place where he was. And when they had
come thither he talked to them for a considerable time, bidding Merlin
for to make ready to go upon a journey with him, and bidding Sir Ulfius
and Sir Kay for to gather together a large army of chosen knights and
armed men, and to bring that army straightway into those parts
coadjacent to the royal castle of Tintagalon, which same standeth close
to the borders of North Wales and of Cameliard.
So Sir Ulfius and Sir Kay went about to do as King Arthur commanded, and
Merlin also went about to do as he commanded; and the next day King
Arthur and Merlin, together with certain famous knights of the King’s
Court who were the most approved at arms of all those about him--to wit,
Sir Gawaine, and Sir Ewaine (who were nephews unto the King), and Sir
Pellias and Sir Geraint, the son of Erbin--set forth for Tintagalon
across the forest-land of Usk.
[Sidenote: _How King Arthur came to Tintagalon._]
So they travelled for all that day and a part of the next, and that
without adventure or misadventure of any sort. So they came, at last, to
that large and noble castle, hight Tintagalon, which guards the country
bordering upon Cameliard and North Wales. Here King Arthur was received
with great rejoicing; for whithersoever the King went the people loved
him very dearly. Wherefore the folk of Tintagalon were very glad when he
came unto them.
* * * * *
Now the morning after King Arthur had come unto Tintagalon (the summer
night having been very warm), he and Merlin were glad to arise betimes
to go abroad for to enjoy the dewy freshness of the early daytime. So,
in the cool of the day, they walked together in the garden (which was a
very pleasant place), and beneath the shadow of a tall, straight tower.
And all around about were many trees with a good shade, where the little
birds sang sweetly in the cheerfulness of the summer weather.
And here King Arthur opened his mind very freely to Merlin, and he said:
“Merlin, I do believe that the Lady Guinevere is the fairest lady in all
of the world; wherefore my heart seems ever to be entirely filled with
love for her, and that to such a degree that I think of her continually
by day (whether I be eating, or drinking, or walking, or sitting still,
or going about my business), and likewise I dream of her many times at
night. And this has been the case with me, Merlin, ever since a month
ago, when I lay sick in that hermit’s cell in the forest, what time she
came and stood beside me like a shining angel out of Paradise. So I am
not willing that any other man than I should have her for his wife.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur openeth his heart to Merlin._]
“Now I know very well that thou art wonderfully cunning in those arts of
magic that may change a man in his appearance so that even those who
know him best may not recognize him. Wherefore I very greatly desire it
of thee that thou wilt so disguise me that I may go, unknown of any man,
into Cameliard, and that I may dwell there in such a way that I may see
the Lady Guinevere every day. For I tell thee very truly that I greatly
desire to behold her in such a wise that she may not be in any way
witting of my regard. Likewise I would fain see for myself how great may
be the perils that encompass King Leodegrance--the King being my right
good friend.”
“My Lord King,” said Merlin, “it shall be as thou desirest, and this
morning I will cause thee to be so disguised that no one in all the
world shall be able to know thee who thou art.”
So that morning, a little before the prime, Merlin came unto the King
where he was and gave him a little cap. And the cap was of such a sort
that when the King set it upon his head he assumed, upon the instant,
the appearance of a rude and rustic fellow from the country-side. Then
the King commanded that a jerkin of rough frieze should be brought to
him, and with this he covered his royal and knightly vestments, and with
it he hid that golden collar and its jewel, pendent, which he
continually wore about his neck. Then, setting the cup upon his head, he
assumed at once the guise of that peasant hind.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur quits Tintagalon in disguise._]
Whereupon, being thus entirely disguised, he quitted Tintagalon unknown
of any man, and took his way a-foot unto the town of Cameliard.
Now toward the slanting of the day he drew nigh to that place, and lo!
he beheld before him a large and considerable town of many comely houses
with red walls and shining windows. And the houses of the town sat all
upon a high, steep hill, the one overlooking the other, and the town
itself was encompassed around about by a great wall, high and strong.
And a great castle guarded the town, and the castle had very many towers
and roofs. And all round about the tower were many fair gardens and
lawns and meadows, and several orchards and groves of trees with thick
and pleasing shade. Now at that time of the day the sky behind the tower
was all, as it were, an entire flame of fire, so that the towers and the
battlements of the castle and the roofs and the chimneys thereof stood
altogether black against the brightness of the light. And, behold! great
flocks of pigeons encircled the towers of the castle in a continual
flight against that fiery sky. So, because King Arthur was a-weary with
walking for all that day, it appeared to him that he had hardly ever
beheld in all of his life so fair and pleasing a place as that excellent
castle with its gardens and lawns and groves of trees.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur comes to Cameliard._]
Thus came King Arthur unto the castle of Cameliard, in the guise of a
poor peasant from the country-side, and no man in all of the world knew
him who he was.
So, having reached the castle, he made inquiries for the head gardener
thereof; and when he had speech with the gardener he besought him that
he might be taken into service into that part of the garden that
appertained to the dwelling-place of the Lady Guinevere. Then the
gardener looked upon him and saw that he was tall and strong and well
framed, wherefore he liked him very well and took him into service even
as he desired.
And thus it was that King Arthur of Britain became a gardener’s boy at
Cameliard.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: _King Arthur dwelleth as gardner’s boy at the castle._]
Now the King was very glad to be in that garden; for in this pleasant
summer season the Lady Guinevere came every day to walk with her damsels
among the flowers, and King Arthur, all disguised as a peasant gardener
boy, beheld her very many times when she came thither.
So King Arthur abode at that place for above a week, and he took no care
that in all that time he enjoyed none of his kingly estate, but was only
gardener’s boy in the castle garden of Cameliard.
Now it happened upon a day when the weather was very warm, that one of
the damsels who was in attendance upon the Lady Guinevere, arose all in
the early morning whiles the air was still cool and refreshing. So,
leaving the Lady Guinevere still sleeping, this damsel, whose name was
Mellicene of the White Hand, went into the ante-room and, opening the
casement thereof, looked forth into that garden of roses which adjoined
the Lady Guinevere’s bower.
Now there was at that place a carven marble figure of a youth, holding
in his arms a marble ewer, and a fountain of water, as clear as crystal,
flowed out from the ewer into a basin of marble. And the figure, and the
fountain, and the marble basin into which the fountain flowed lay
beneath the shadow of a linden-tree. And all around was a thick growth
of roses, so that the place was entirely hidden, saving only from those
windows of the castle that were above.
[Sidenote: _The damsel beholds a knight at the fountain._]
So it befell that as the damsel looked down thitherward out of the
window, she beheld a very wonderful sight. For, lo! a strange knight
kneeled beside the fountain and bathed his face and his bosom in the
crystal water thereof. And the damsel saw that the sunlight fell down
through the leaves of the linden-tree and lay upon that strange knight.
And she perceived that his hair and his beard were of the color of red
gold--shining surpassingly in the brightness of the morning. And she