The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
undertaken with swords, wherefore all lances and other weapons were to
be put away; such being the order of that courteous and gentle bout at
arms.
[Sidenote: _Of the contest with swords._]
Accordingly, when the herald again blew upon his trumpet, each knight
drew his weapon with such readiness for battle that there was a great
splendor of blades all flashing in the air at once. And when the herald
blew a second time each party pushed forward to the contest with great
nobleness of heart and eagerness of spirit, every knight being moved
with intent to engage his oppugnant with all the might and main that lay
in him.
Then immediately began so fierce a battle that if those knights had been
very enemies of long standing instead of friendly contestants, the blows
which they delivered the one upon the other could not have been more
vehement as to strength or more astonishing to gaze upon.
And in this affair likewise Sir Kay approved himself to be so
extraordinary a champion that his like was nowhere to be seen in all
that field; for he violently smote down five knights, the one after the
other, ere he was stayed in his advance.
Wherefore, beholding him to be doing work of such a sort, several of the
knights of the other party endeavored to come at him with intent to meet
him in his advance.
Amongst these was a certain knight, hight Sir Balamorgineas, who was so
huge of frame that he rode head and shoulders above any other knight.
And he was possessed of such extraordinary strength that it was believed
that he could successfully withstand the assault of three ordinary
knights at one time. Wherefore when this knight beheld the work that Sir
Kay did, he cried out to him, “Ho! ho! Sir Knight of the black gryphon,
turn thou hitherward and do a battle with me!”
[Sidenote: _Sir Kay contests with Sir Balamorgineas._]
Now when Sir Kay beheld Sir Balamorgineas to be minded to come against
him in that wise--very threateningly and minded to do him battle--he
turned him toward his enemy with great cheerfulness of spirit. For at
that time Sir Kay was very full of youthful fire and reckoned nothing of
assaulting any enemy who might demand battle of him.
(So it was at that time. But it after befell, when he became Seneschal,
and when other and mightier knights appeared at the court of the King,
that he would sometimes avoid an encounter with such a knight as Sir
Launcelot, or Sir Pellias, or Sir Marhaus, or Sir Gawaine, if he might
do so with credit to his honor.)
So, being very full of the spirit of youth, he turned him with great
lustiness of heart, altogether inflamed with the eagerness and fury of
battle. And he cried out in a great voice, “Very well, I will do battle
with thee, and I will cast thee down like thy fellows!” And therewith he
smote with wonderful fierceness at Sir Balamorgineas, and that with all
his might. And Sir Balamorgineas received the stroke upon his helmet and
was altogether bewildered by the fury thereof, for he had never felt its
like before that time. Wherefore his brains swam so light that it was
necessary for him to hold to the horn of his saddle to save himself from
falling.
[Sidenote: _Sir Kay breaketh his sword._]
But it was a great pity for Sir Kay that, with the fierceness of the
blow, his sword-blade snapped short at the haft, flying so high in the
air that it appeared to overtop the turrets of the cathedral in its
flight. Yet so it happened, and thus it befell that Sir Kay was left
without any weapon. Yet it was thought that, because of that stroke, he
had Sir Balamorgineas entirely at his mercy, and that if he could have
struck another blow with his sword he might easily have overcome him.
But as it was, Sir Balamorgineas presently so far recovered himself that
he perceived his enemy to be altogether at his mercy; wherefore, being
filled beyond measure with rage because of the blow he had received, he
pushed against Sir Kay with intent to smite him down in a violent
assault.
In this pass it would maybe have gone very ill with Sir Kay but that
three of his companions in arms, perceiving the extreme peril in which
he lay, thrust in betwixt him and Sir Balamorgineas with intent to take
upon themselves the assault of that knight and so to save Sir Kay from
overthrow. This they did with such success that Sir Kay was able to push
out from the press and to escape to the barriers without suffering any
further harm at the hands of his enemies.
[Sidenote: _Sir Kay bids Arthur get him a sword._]
Now when he reached the barrier, his esquire, young Arthur, came running
to him with a goblet of spiced wine. And Sir Kay opened the umbril of
his helmet for to drink, for he was athirst beyond measure. And, lo! his
face was all covered over with blood and sweat, and he was so a-drought
with battle that his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth and he could
not speak. But when he had drunk of the draught that Arthur gave him,
his tongue was loosened and he cried out to the young man in a loud and
violent voice: “Ho! ho! Brother, get me another sword for to do battle,
for I am assuredly winning for our house much glory this day!” And
Arthur said, “Where shall I get thee a sword?” And Kay said, “Make haste
unto our father’s pavilion and fetch me thence another sword, for this
which I have is broken.” And Arthur said, “I will do so with all speed,”
and thereupon he set hand to the barrier and leaped over it into the
alleyway beyond. And he ran down the alleyway with all the speed that he
was able with intent to fulfil that task which his brother had bidden
him to undertake; and with like speed he ran to that pavilion that his
father had set up in the meadows.
But when he came to the pavilion of Sir Ector he found no one there, for
all the attendants had betaken themselves unto the tournament. And
neither could he find any sword fit for his brother’s handling,
wherefore he was put to a great pass to know what to do in that matter.
[Sidenote: _Arthur draweth the sword from the anvil._]
In this extremity he bethought him of that sword that stood thrust into
the anvil before the cathedral, and it appeared to him that such a sword
as that would suit his brother’s purposes very well. Wherefore he said
to himself, “I will go thither and get that sword if I am able to do so,
for it will assuredly do very well for my brother for to finish his
battle withal.” Whereupon he ran with all speed to the cathedral. And
when he had come there he discovered that no one was there upon guard at
the block of marble, as had heretofore been the case, for all who had
been upon guard had betaken themselves unto the contest of arms that was
toward. And the anvil and the sword stood where he could reach them. So,
there being no one to stay young Arthur, he leaped up upon the block of
marble and laid his hands unto the hilt of the sword. And he bent his
body and drew upon the sword very strongly, and, lo! it came forth from
the anvil with wonderful smoothness and ease, and he held the sword in
his hand, and it was his.
And when he had got the sword in that way, he wrapped it in his cloak so
that no one might see it (for it shone with an exceeding brightness and
splendor) and he leaped down from the block of marble stone and hastened
with it unto the field of battle.
Now when Arthur had entered into that meadow once more, he found Sir Kay
awaiting his coming with great impatience of spirit. And when Sir Kay
saw him he cried out, very vehemently, “Hast thou got a sword?” And
Arthur said, “Yea, I have one here.” Thereupon he opened his cloak and
showed Sir Kay what sword it was he had brought.
Now when Sir Kay beheld the sword he immediately knew it, and he wist
not what to think or what to say, wherefore he stood for a while, like
one turned into a stone, looking upon that sword. Then in awhile he
said, in a very strange voice “Where got ye that sword?” And Arthur
looked upon his brother and he beheld that his countenance was greatly
disturbed, and that his face was altogether as white as wax. And he
said, “Brother, what ails thee that thou lookest so strangely. I will
tell the entire truth. I could find no sword in our father’s pavilion,
wherefore I bethought me of that sword that stood in the anvil upon the
marble cube before the cathedral. So I went thither and made assay for
to draw it forth, and it came forth with wonderful ease. So, when I had
drawn it out, I wrapped it in my cloak and brought it hither unto thee
as thou beholdest.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Kay keepeth the sword for his own._]
Then Sir Kay turned his thoughts inward and communed with himself in
this wise, “Lo! my brother Arthur is as yet hardly more than a child.
And he is, moreover, exceedingly innocent. Therefore he knoweth not what
he hath done in this nor what the doing thereof signifieth. Now, since
he hath achieved this weapon, why should I not myself lay claim to that
achievement, and so obtain the glory which it signifieth.” Whereupon he
presently aroused himself, and he said to Arthur, “Give the sword and
the cloak to me,” and Arthur did as his brother commanded. And when he
had done so Sir Kay said to him, “Tell no man of this but keep it privy
in thine own heart. Meantime go thou to our father where he sits at the
lists and bid come straightway unto the pavilion where we have taken up
our inn.”
And Arthur did as Sir Kay commanded him, greatly possessed with wonder
that his brother should be so disturbed in spirit as he had appeared to
be. For he wist not what he had done in drawing out that sword from the
anvil, nor did he know of what great things should arise from that
little thing, for so it is in this world that a man sometimes approves
himself to be worthy of such a great trust as that, and yet, in
lowliness of spirit, he is yet altogether unaware that he is worthy
thereof. And so it was with young Arthur at that time.
[Illustration] Chapter Second.
_How Arthur Twice Performed the Miracle of the Sword Before Sir Ector
and of How His Birthright Was Discovered Unto Him._
So Arthur made haste to that part of the lists where Sir Ector sat with
the people of his household. And he stood before his father and said,
“Sire, my brother Kay hath sent me hitherward for to bid thee come
straightway unto the pavilion where we have taken up our inn. And,
truly, I think something very extraordinary hath befallen, for my
brother Kay hath such a countenance as I never saw him wear.”
Then Sir Ector marvelled very greatly what it was that should cause Sir
Kay to quit that battle and to summon him at such a time, wherefore he
arose from where he sat and went with Arthur. And they went to the
pavilion, and when he had come there, behold! Sir Kay was standing in
the midst of the pavilion. And Sir Ector saw that his face was as white
as ashes of wood and that his eyes shone with a wonderful brightness.
And Sir Ector said, “My son, what ails thee?” whereunto Sir Kay made
reply, “Sire, here is a very wonderful matter.” Therewith he took his
father by the hand and brought him to the table that stood in the
pavilion. And upon the table there lay a cloak and there was something
within the cloak. Then Sir Kay opened the cloak and, lo! there lay the
sword of the anvil, and the hilt thereof and the blade thereof glistered
with exceeding splendor.
[Sidenote: _Sir Ector beholdeth the sword._]
And Sir Ector immediately knew that sword and whence it came. Wherefore
he was filled with such astonishment that he wist not what to do. And
for a while his tongue refused to speak, and after a while he found
speech and cried out aloud in a great voice, “What is this that mine
eyes behold!”