Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur - Sir Thomas Malory Renaissance and Medieval Studies

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boy who came of low blood. They so disagreed at that time that it was put off until Candlemass when all the barons should meet there again; but always ten knights were ordered to watch the sword day and night. So they set a pavilion over the stone and the sword and there were always five keeping watch.

      So at Candlemass many more great lords came thither for to win the sword, but none were able to prevail. And just as Arthur had done at Christmas, so he did at Candlemass and pulled the sword out easily, wherefore the barons were sore aggrieved and delayed until the high feast of Easter. As Arthur had done before, so he did at Easter. Yet there were some of the great lords who were indignant that Arthur should be king and delayed until the feast of Pentecost.

      Then the archbishop with Merlin’s assistance selected the best knights that they might get, and such knights as Uther Pendragon had loved best and trusted most in his days. And about Arthur were put such knights as Sir Baldwin of Britain, Sir Kay, Sir Ulphius, and Sir Brastias. All these with many others were always about Arthur day and night until the high feast of Pentecost.

      CI.7

      At the feast of Pentecost all manner of men tried to pull out the sword who wished to try, but none might prevail except Arthur, and he pulled it out before all the lords and commons that were there, wherefore all the commons cried at once, “We will have Arthur as our king! We will put him no more in delay for we see that it is God’s will that he shall be our king, and whoever holds against this, we will slay!”

      Then they kneeled at once, both rich and poor, and cried to Arthur for mercy because they had delayed him so long. And Arthur forgave them and took the sword between both his hands and offered it upon the altar where the archbishop was. He was made knight by the best man who was there, and so anon was his coronation performed; there he swore unto his lords and commons to be a true king and to stand with true justice from thence forth all the days of his life.

      Then he made all lords that held title of the crown to come and do service as they ought to do; and many complaints were made unto Sir Arthur of great wrongs that had been done since the death of King Uther—of many lords, knights, ladies and gentlemen who had been bereaved of lands—and thus King Arthur made the lands to be given again to those who ought to possess them.

      When this was done and the king had established all the lands about London, then he made Sir Kay seneschal of England, and Sir Baldwin of Britain he made constable, and Sir Ulphius was made chamberlain, and Sir Brastias was made warden to watch over the north from Trent onwards, for at that time that was where most of the king’s enemies were. But within a few years, Arthur won all the North, Scotland, and all the lands under their obeisance, and also Wales. A portion of those lands held against Arthur, but he overcame them all—as he did the remnant—through his noble prowess and with his knights of the Round Table.

      2 Trouble in the Early Years of Arthur’s Reign

      CI.8

      Then the king went into Wales and had announced a great feast to be held at Pentecost after his coronation in the city of Caerleon. Unto the feast came King Lot of Lothian and the Orkneys with five hundred knights. There also came to the feast King Uriens of Gorre with four hundred knights, and King Nentres of Garlot with seven hundred knights. The king of Scotland also came with six hundred knights, and he was but a young man. Also there came to the feast a king who was called the King with the Hundred Knights, and he and his men were admirably fitted out at all points. Also came King Carados with five hundred knights.

      King Arthur was glad of their coming, for he believed that all the kings and knights had come for great love and to have done him worship at his feast, wherefore the king made great joy and sent the kings and knights great presents. But the kings would not accept them, and instead rebuked the messengers shamefully and said they had no joy to receive gifts from a beardless boy that was come of low blood. They sent him word that they did not want any of his gifts, and that they had come to give him gifts with hard swords between the neck and shoulders. And therefore that is why they had come thither, they told the messengers rudely, because it was great shame to all of them to see such a boy have rule of as noble a realm as this land was.

      With this answer the messengers departed and told King Arthur this answer, wherefore by advice of his barons he removed to a strong tower with five hundred good men with him, and King Arthur was well supplied there.

      Within fifteen days Merlin came among them into the city of Caerleon. Then all the kings were passing glad of Merlin and asked him, “For what cause is that boy Arthur made your king?”

      “Sires,” said Merlin, “I shall tell you the cause: for he is King Uther’s son, born in wedlock, conceived on Igraine, the wife of the Duke of Tintagel.”

      “Then he is a bastard,” they all said.

      “Nay,” said Merlin. “More than three hours after the death of the duke was Arthur begotten, and thirteen days after that King Uther wedded Igraine, and therefore I prove that he is no bastard. And no matter who says ‘nay,’ he shall be king and overcome all his enemies, and before he dies he shall be king of all England and have under his obeisance Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and more realms than I will now rehearse.”

      Some of the kings had marvel at Merlin’s words, and thought that it very well may be as he said, and some of them laughed at him in scorn—as did King Lot—and others called him a witch. But then they agreed with Merlin that King Arthur should come out and speak with the kings; they offered assurance that he should come safely and leave safely.

      So Merlin went unto King Arthur and told him what he had done and bid him be not afraid, but to come out boldly and speak with them, and not to spare them, but answer to them as their king and chieftain: “For you shall overcome them all, whether they wish it or not.”

      CI.9

      Then King Arthur came out of his tower and had under his gown a coat of double mail, and there went with him the Archbishop of Canterbury and Sir Baldwin of Britain and Sir Kay and Sir Brastias: these were the men of greatest worship who were with him. And when they were met there was no meekness, but rather stout words on both sides, and King Arthur always answered them and said he would make them bow to him while he lived, and therefore they departed with wrath. King Arthur bid them to keep themselves well, and they bid the king to keep himself well. So the king returned to the tower again and armed himself and all his knights.

      “What will you do?” said Merlin to the kings. “It would be better for you to stop, for you shall not prevail here, even if you were ten times as many.”

      “Are we well-advised to be afraid of a dream-reader?” said King Lot.

      With that Merlin vanished away and came to King Arthur and bid him to set on them fiercely. And in the meantime three hundred of the best men who had been with the kings went straight to King Arthur, and that comforted him greatly.

      “Sir,” said Merlin to Arthur, “fight not with the sword that you had by miracle until you see that you are going unto war; then draw it out and do your best.”

      So then King Arthur set upon them in their lodgings, and Sir Baldwin, Sir Kay, and Sir Brastias slew on the right hand and on the left hand, such that it was a marvel. And always King Arthur led on horseback with a sword and did marvelous deeds of arms, so that many of the kings had great joy at his deeds and hardiness. Then King Lot attacked at the rear, and the King with the Hundred Knights and King Carados as well, and set on Arthur fiercely from behind.

      With that Sir Arthur turned with his knights and smote in front and behind him, and ever Sir Arthur was in the greatest fighting until his horse was slain underneath him. And therewith King Lot smote down King Arthur. At that, his four knights rescued him, and set him back on horseback. Then he drew his sword Excalibur, and it was so bright in his enemies’ eyes that it gave off light like to thirty torches, and therewith he pushed them back and slew many people.

      Then the commons of Caerleon arose with clubs and staves and slew many knights; but all the kings held them together with their knights who were left alive, and so they fled and departed. Merlin came unto Arthur and counseled him to follow them no

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