The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
are without any reproach, will avouch to the verity of that which I have
asserted, for here they stand before thee to certify unto what I have
said.”
And Sir Ulfius and Sir Ector said, “All that Merlin hath spoken is true,
and thereunto we do pledge our most faithful and sacred word of honor.”
Then the Archbishop said, “Who is there may doubt the word of such
honorable witnesses?” And he looked upon Arthur and smiled upon him.
Then Arthur said, “Have I then thy leave, Lord, to handle yonder sword?”
And the Archbishop said, “Thou hast my leave, and may the grace of God
go with thee to do thy endeavor.”
[Sidenote: _Arthur draweth forth the sword._]
Thereupon Arthur went to the cube of marble stone and he laid his hands
upon the haft of the sword that was thrust into the anvil. And he bent
his body and drew very strongly and, lo! the sword came forth with great
ease and very smoothly. And when he had got the sword into his hands, he
swung it about his head so that it flashed like lightning. And after he
had swung it thus thrice about his head, he set the point thereof
against the face of the anvil and bore upon it very strongly, and,
behold! the sword slid very smoothly back again into that place where it
had aforetime stood; and when it was there, midway deep, it stood fast
where it was. And thus did Arthur successfully accomplish that
marvellous miracle of the sword in the eyes of all the world.
Now when the people who were congregated at that place beheld this
miracle performed before their faces, they lifted up their voices all
together, and shouted so vehemently and with so huge a tumult of outcry
that it was as though the whole earth rocked and trembled with the sound
of their shouting.
And whiles they so shouted Arthur took hold of the sword again and drew
it forth and swung it again, and again drave it back into the anvil. And
when he had done that he drew it forth a third time and did the same
thing as before. Thus it was that all those who were there beheld that
miracle performed three times over.
[Sidenote: _Several of the kings and dukes are angry._]
And all the kings and dukes who were there were filled with great
amazement, and they wist not what to think or to say when they beheld
one who was little more than a boy perform that undertaking in which the
best of them had failed. And some of them, seeing that miracle, were
willing to acknowledge Arthur because of it, but others would not
acknowledge him. These withdrew themselves and stood aloof; and as they
stood thus apart, they said among themselves: “What is this and who can
accredit such a thing that a beardless boy should be set before us all
and should be made King and overlord of this great realm for to govern
us. Nay! nay! we will have none of him for our King.” And others said,
“Is it not apparent that Merlin and Sir Ulfius are thus exalting this
unknown boy so that they may elevate themselves along with him?” Thus
these discontented kings spake among themselves, and of all of them the
most bitter were King Lot and King Urien, who were brothers by marriage
with Arthur.
Now when the Archbishop perceived the discontent of these kings and
dukes, he said to them, “How now, Messires! Are ye not satisfied?” And
they said, “We are not satisfied.” And the Archbishop said, “What would
ye have?” And they said, “We would have another sort of king for Britain
than a beardless boy of whom no one knoweth and of whose birthright
there are only three men to attest.” And the Archbishop said “What of
that? Hath he not performed the miracle that ye yourselves assayed and
failed to perform?”
But these high and mighty lords would not be satisfied, but with angry
and averted faces they went away from that place, filled with wrath and
indignation.
[Sidenote: _Certain kings and dukes accept Arthur._]
But others of these kings and dukes came and saluted Arthur and paid him
court, giving him joy of that which he had achieved; and the chiefest of
those who came thus unto him in friendliness was King Leodegrance of
Cameliard. And all the multitude acknowledged him and crowded around
that place shouting so that it sounded like to the noise of thunder.
Now all this while Sir Ector and Sir Kay had stood upon one side. And
they were greatly weighed down by sorrow; for it appeared to them that
Arthur had, of a sudden, been uplifted so far from their estate that
they might never hope to approach him more. For now he was of kingly
consequence and they but common knights. And, after awhile, Arthur
beheld them where they stood with downcast looks, whereupon he
straightway went to them and took first one and then the other by the
hand and kissed each upon the cheek. Thereupon they were again very glad
at being thus uplifted unto him.
And when Arthur departed from that place, great crowds of people
followed after him so that the streets were altogether filled with the
press of people. And the multitude continually gave him loud acclaim as
the chosen King of England, and those who were nearest to him sought to
touch the hem of his garments; wherefore the heart of Arthur was
exceedingly uplifted with great joy and gladness, so that his soul took
wing and flew like a bird into the sky.
* * * * *
Thus Arthur achieved the adventure of the sword that day and entered
into his birthright of royalty. Wherefore, may God grant His Grace unto
you all that ye too may likewise succeed in your undertakings. For any
man may be a king in that life in which he is placed if so be he may
draw forth the sword of success from out of the iron of circumstance.
Wherefore when your time of assay cometh, I do hope it may be with you
as it was with Arthur that day, and that ye too may achieve success with
entire satisfaction unto yourself and to your great glory and perfect
happiness. Amen.
CONCLUSION
[Sidenote: _Arthur maketh sundry other assays of the sword and succeeds
at all times._]
Now after these things had happened there was much talk among men and
great confusion and tumult. For while some of the kings and nearly all
the multitude said, “Lo! here is a king come to us, as it were, from out
of Heaven for to bring peace unto our distracted land,” yet other kings
(and they were of greater number) said, “Who is this beardless boy who
cometh with a claim to be High King of Britain? Who ever heard of him
before? We will have none of him except upon further trial and upon
greater avouchment.” So, for the sake of peace, the Archbishop ordained
that another assay of the sword should be made at Candlemas; and here
again all those who endeavored to draw forth the sword failed thereat,
but Arthur drew it forth several times, very easily, in the sight of
all. And after that a third trial was made at Easter and after that a
fourth trial was made at Pentecost. And at all these trials Arthur
repeatedly drew out the sword from the anvil, and no one but he could
draw it forth.
[Sidenote: _Arthur is crowned King of Britain._]
And, after that fourth trial, sundry of the kings and many of the lesser
barons and knights and all of the commons cried out that these were
trials enough, and that Arthur had assuredly approved himself to be
rightwise King; wherefore they demanded that he should be made King
indeed so that he might rule over them. For it had come to pass that
whithersoever Arthur went great crowds followed after him hailing him as
the true son of Uther-Pendragon, and rightwise overlord of Britain.
Wherefore, the Archbishop (seeing how the people loved Arthur and how
greatly they desired him for their King) ordained that he should be
anointed and crowned unto royal estate; and so it was done at the great
Cathedral. And some say that that Cathedral was St. Paul’s and some say
that it was not.
[Sidenote: _Arthur overcometh his enemies._]
But when Arthur had thus been crowned, all those who were opposed unto
his Kingship withdrew themselves in great anger, and immediately set
about to prepare war against him. But the people were with Arthur and
joined with him, and so also did several Kings and many of the lesser
barons and knights. And, with the advice of Merlin, Arthur made friends
and allies of sundry other kings and they and he fought two great wars
with his enemies and won both of these wars. And in the second war was
fought a very famous battle nigh to the Forest of Bedegraine (wherefore
it was called the Battle of Bedegraine), and in that battle Arthur
overthrew his enemies so entirely that it was not possible for them ever
to hope to unite in war against him again.
[Sidenote: _Arthur bringeth his nephews to court._]
And of King Lot, his brother-in-law, King Arthur brought two of his sons
to Court for to dwell there and to serve as hostages of peace
thereafter. And these two were Gawaine and Geharris and they became,
after awhile, very famous and accomplished knights. And of King Urien,
his other brother-in-law, Arthur brought unto Court his one son, Ewaine,
for to hold as an hostage of peace; and he also became in time a very
famous and accomplished knight. And because of these hostages there was
peace thereafter betwixt those three kingly brothers for all time. And a
certain very famous king and knight hight King Pellinore (who was one of
his enemies) Arthur drove out of his possessions and away from the
habitations of men and into the forest. And King Ryence (who was another
of his enemies) he drave into the mountains of North Wales. And other
kings who were his enemies he subjugated to his will, so that all the
land was at such peace that it had not enjoyed the like since the days
of Uther-Pendragon.
And King Arthur made Sir Kay his Seneschal as he had promised to do; and
he made Sir Ulfius his Chamberlain; and Merlin he made his Counsellor;
and Sir Bodwain of Britain he made his Constable. And these men were all
of such a sort as greatly enhanced the glory and renown of his reign and
established him upon his throne with entire security.
Now when the reign of King Arthur became thus entirely established, and
when the renown of his greatness began to be known in the world, many
men of noble souls and of large spirit and of high knightly
prowess--knights who desired above all things to achieve glory at arms
in Courts of Chivalry--perceived that great credit and exaltation of
estate were likely to be won under such a king. So it fell out that,
from all parts, by little and little, there began to gather together
such a Court of noble, honorable knights about King Arthur as men never
beheld before that time, and shall haply never behold again.
For even to this day the history of these good knights is known to the
greater part of mankind. Yea; the names of many kings and emperors have
passed away and have been forgotten, but the names of Sir Galahad, and
of Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and of Sir Tristram of Lyonesse, and of
Sir Percival of Gales, and of Sir Gawaine, and of Sir Ewaine, and of Sir
Bors de Ganis, and of many others of that noble household of worthy
brotherhood, is still remembered by men. Wherefore, I think that it is
very likely that so long as words shall be written, the performances of
these worthies shall be remembered.
So in this history yet to be written, I have set it for my task to
inform him who reads this book of many of these adventures, telling him,
besides, such several circumstances as I do not believe are known unto
everybody. And by and by, when I shall tell of the establishment of the
Round Table, I shall set forth a tabulated list of a number of those
worthies who at this time assembled at the Court of Arthur as men chosen
to found that order of the Round Table, and who, for that reason, were