The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
To this Sir Kay made reply, “Sire. I have that sword which stood a while
since embedded in the anvil that stands upon the cube of marble stone
before the great cathedral. Wherefore I demand that thou tellest me what
this may foretend?”
Then Sir Ector said, “How came you by that sword?”
And for a while Sir Kay was silent, but after a while he said, “Sire, I
brake my sword in that battle which of late I fought, whereupon I found
me this sword in its stead.”
Then Sir Ector was altogether bemazed and knew not whether to believe
what his ears heard. And after awhile he said, “If so be that thou didst
draw forth this sword from the anvil, then it must also be that thou art
rightwise King of Britain, for so the saying of the sword proclaimeth.
But if thou didst indeed draw it forth from the anvil, then it will be
that thou shalt as easily be able for to thrust it back again into that
place from whence thou didst take it.”
At this a great trouble of spirit fell upon Sir Kay, and he cried out in
a very loud voice, “Who may do such a thing as that, and who could
perform so great a miracle as to thrust a sword into solid iron.”
Whereunto Sir Ector made reply, “Such a miracle is no greater than the
miracle that thou hast performed in drawing it out from its embedment.
For who ever heard that a man could draw forth a sword from a place and
yet would not thrust it back whence he drew it?”
Then Sir Kay wist not what to say to his father, and he greatly feared
that he should not be able to perform that miracle. But, nevertheless,
he took what comfort to himself he was able, saying, “If my young
brother Arthur was able to perform this miracle why should I not do a
miracle of a like sort, for, assuredly, I am not less worthy than he.
Wherefore if he drew the sword forth with such ease, it may be that I
with equal ease shall be able to thrust it back into its place again.”
Accordingly he took such comfort to himself in these thoughts as he was
able.
[Sidenote: _Sir Kay assays to put back the sword but faileth._]
So he wrapped the sword in the cloak again, and when he had done so he
and Sir Ector went forth from the pavilion and betook their way unto
where was the marble stone and the anvil before the cathedral. And
Arthur went with his father and his brother and they forebade him not.
And when they had come to that place where the sword had been, Sir Kay
mounted upon the cube of marble stone and beheld the face of the anvil.
And lo! the face of the anvil was altogether smooth and without a
scratch or scar of any sort. And Sir Kay said to himself, “What is this
my father would have me do! What man is there in life who could thrust a
sword-blade into a solid anvil of iron?” But, ne’theless, he could not
withdraw from that impossible undertaking, but was constrained to assay
that miracle, wherefore he set the point of the sword to the iron and
bore upon it with all his strength. But it was impossible for him to
accomplish that thing, and though he endeavored with all his might with
the sword against the face of the anvil, yet did he not pierce the iron
even to the breadth of a hair.
So, after he had thus assayed for a great while, he at last ceased what
he did and came down from where he stood. And he said to his father,
“Sire, no man in life may perform that miracle.”
Unto this Sir Ector made reply, “How is it possible then that thou
couldst have drawn out that sword as thou sayst and yet cannot put it
back again?”
Then young Arthur lifted up his voice and said, “My father, have I thy
leave to speak?” And Sir Ector said, “Speak, my son.” And Arthur said,
“I would that I might assay to handle that sword?” Whereunto Sir Ector
replied, “By what authority wouldst thou handle that sword?” And Arthur
said, “Because it was I who drew that sword forth from the anvil for my
brother. Wherefore, as thou sayest, to draw it forth is not more
difficult than to thrust it back again. So I believe that I shall be
able to set it back into the iron whence I drew it.”
Then Sir Ector gazed upon young Arthur in such a strange manner that
Arthur wist not why he looked at him in that wise. Wherefore he cried
out, “Sire, why dost thou gaze so strangely upon me? Has thou anger
against me?” Whereunto Sir Ector made reply, “In the sight of God, my
son, I have no anger against thee.” Then he said, “If thou hast a desire
to handle the sword, thou mayst assuredly make assay of that miracle.”
[Sidenote: _Arthur performeth the miracle of the sword and the anvil._]
So Arthur took the sword from his brother Kay and he leaped up upon the
marble stone. And he set the point of the sword upon the anvil and bare
very strongly upon it and lo! the sword penetrated very smoothly into
the centre of the anvil until it stood midway deep therein, and there it
stood fast. And after he had performed that miracle he drew the sword
forth again very swiftly and easily, and then thrust it back again once
more as he had done before.
But when Sir Ector beheld what Arthur did, he cried out in a voice of
exceeding loudness, “Lord! Lord! what is the miracle mine eyes behold!”
And when Arthur came down from the cube of marble stone, Sir Ector
kneeled down before him and set his hands together, palm to palm.
But when Arthur beheld what his father did, he cried out aloud like one
in a great measure of pain; and he said, “My father! my father! why dost
thou kneel down to me?”
To him Sir Ector made reply, “I am not thy father, and now it is made
manifest that thou art assuredly of very exalted race and that the blood
of kings flows in thy veins, else thou couldst not have handled that
sword as thou hast done.”
Then Arthur fell a-weeping beyond all measure and he cried out as with
great agony of spirit, “Father! father! what is this thou sayst? I
beseech thee to arise and not to kneel unto me.”
So Sir Ector arose from his knees and stood before the face of Arthur,
and he said, “Arthur, why dost thou weep?” And Arthur said, “Because I
am afeard.”
Now all this while Sir Kay had stood near by and he could neither move
nor speak, but stood like one entranced, and he said to himself, “What
is this? Is my brother a King?”
Then Sir Ector spake, saying, “Arthur, the time hath come for thee to
know thyself, for the true circumstances of thy life have, heretofore,
been altogether hidden from thee.
[Sidenote: _Sir Ector telleth Arthur the circumstances of his infancy._]
“Now I do confess everything to thee in this wise: that eighteen year
ago there came to me a certain man very wise and high in favor with
Uther-Pendragon and that man was the Enchanter Merlin. And Merlin showed
me the signet ring of Uther-Pendragon and he commanded me by virtue of
that ring that I should be at a certain assigned place at a particular
time which he nominated; and the place which he assigned was the postern
gate of Uther-Pendragon’s castle; and the time which he named was
midnight of that very day.
“And he bade me tell no man aught concerning those things which he
communicated to me, and so I kept his counsel as he desired me to do.
“So I went to that postern gate at midnight as Merlin had commanded, and
at that place there came unto me Merlin and another man, and the other
man was Sir Ulfius, who was the chief knight of Uther-Pendragon’s
household. And I tell thee that these two worthies stood nigher unto
Uther-Pendragon than any other men in all of the world.
“Now when those two came unto me, I perceived that Merlin bare in his
arms a certain thing wrapped in a scarlet mantle of fine texture. And he
opened the folds of the mantle and, lo! I beheld a child not long born
and wrapped in swaddling clothes. And I saw the child in the light of a
lanthorn which Sir Ulfius bare, and I perceived that he was very fair of
face and large of bone--and thou wert that child.
“Then Merlin commanded me in this wise: that I was to take that child
and that I should rear him as mine own; and he said that the child was
to be called by the name of Arthur; and he said that no one in all the
world was to know otherwise than that the child was mine own. And I
told Merlin that I would do as he would have me, whereupon I took the
child and bare it away with me. And I proclaimed that the child was mine
own, and all over the world believed my words, wherefore no one ever
knew otherwise than that thou wert mine own son. And that lady who was
my wife, when she died she took that secret with her unto Paradise, and
since then until now no one in all the world knew aught of this matter
but I and those two aforementioned worthies.
“Nor have I until now ever known aught of who was thy father; but now I
do suspect who he was and that thou hast in thy veins very high and
kingly blood. And I do have in mind that perhaps thy father was
Uther-Pendragon himself. For who but the son of Uther-Pendragon could
have drawn forth that sword from out of the anvil as thou hast done?”
Then, when Arthur heard that saying of his father’s, he cried out in a
very loud and vehement voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe!”--saying that word three
times. And Sir Ector said, “Arthur, why art thou woful?” And Arthur
said, “Because I have lost my father, for I would rather have my father
than be a King!”
[Sidenote:
_Merlin and Sir Ulfius appear to the three._]
Now as these things passed, there came unto that place two men, very
tall and of a wonderfully noble and haughty appearance. And when these
two men had come nigh to where they were, Arthur and Sir Ector and Sir
Kay preceived that one of them was the Enchanter Merlin and that the
other was Sir Ulfius--for those two men were very famous and well known
unto all the world. And when those two had come to where were the three,
Merlin spake, saying, “What cheer?” And Sir Ector made answer, “Here is
cheer of a very wonderful sort; for, behold, Merlin! this is that child
that thou didst bring unto me eighteen years ago, and, lo! thou seest he
hath grown unto manhood.”
Then Merlin said, “Sir Ector, I know very well who is this youth, for I
have kept diligent watch over him for all this time. And I know that in
him lieth the hope of Britain. Moreover, I tell thee that even to-day
within the surface of an enchanted looking-glass I have beheld all that
he hath done since the morning; and I know how he drew forth the sword
from the anvil, and how he thrust it back again; and I know how he drew
it forth and thrust it back a second time. And I know all that thou hast
been saying unto him this while; wherefore I also do now avouch that
thou hast told him the very truth. And, lo! the spirit of prophecy is
upon me and I do foresee into the future that thou, Arthur, shall become
the greatest and most famous King that ever lived in Britain; and I do
foresee that many knights of extraordinary excellence shall gather about
thee and that men shall tell of their marvellous deeds as long as this
land shall continue, and I do foresee that through these knights thy
reign shall be full of splendor and glory; and I do foresee that the
most marvellous adventure of the Holy Grail shall be achieved by three
of the knights of thy Court, and that to thy lasting renown, who shall
be the King under whose reign the holy cup shall be achieved. All these
things I foresee; and, lo! the time is now at hand when the glory of thy
House shall again be made manifest unto the world, and all the people of
this land shall rejoice in thee and thy kinghood. Wherefore, Sir Ector,
for these three days to come, I do charge it upon thee that thou do
guard this young man as the apple of thine eye, for in him doth lie the
hope and salvation of all this realm.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Ector craveth a boon of Arthur._]
Then Sir Ector lifted up his voice and cried unto Arthur, “A boon! a