LITMIR.BIZ

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was done as Merlin devised, and they carried the king forth in a horse-litter with a great host toward his enemies. At Saint Albans the king met a great host from the north. And that day Sir Ulphius and Sir Brastias did great deeds of arms, and King Uther’s men overcame the northerners in battle, killing many people and putting the remnant to flight. Then the king returned to London and made great joy of his victory.

      Then he fell passing sick, so that for three days and three nights he was speechless. All the barons made great sorrow, and asked Merlin what course of action was best.

      “There is no remedy,” said Merlin. “It is as God wills it. But see that all you barons be before King Uther tomorrow, and God and I shall cause him to speak.”

      So in the morning all the barons and Merlin came before the king. Then Merlin said aloud to King Uther, “Sire, shall your son Arthur be king of this realm after you with all your appurtenance?”

      Then Uther Pendragon turned and said in hearing of them all, “I give him God’s blessing and mine, and bid him pray for my soul, and righteously and worshipfully that he claim the crown upon forfeiture of my blessing.” And then he yielded up the ghost.

      He was interred as a king should be, and the queen, fair Igraine, made great sorrow, as did all the barons.

      Then the realm stood in great jeopardy for a long while, for every lord who was mighty of men strengthened himself, and many thought to have made themselves king. Then Merlin went to the Archbishop of Canterbury and counseled him to send for all the lords of the realm and all the gentlemen of arms, that they should come to London by Christmas upon pain of being cursed, and for this reason: so that Jesus, who was born on that night, would out of His great mercy, as He was come to be King of mankind, would show by some miracle who was to be rightwise king of the realm.

      CI.5

      So the archbishop, on the advice of Merlin, sent for all the lords and gentlemen of arms, that they should come to London by Christmas, and many of them made clean confessions of their lives, that their prayers might be more acceptable to God.

      So in the greatest church of London—whether it was St. Paul’s or not, the French book does not say—all the estates were gathered before daylight in the church to pray. And when matins and the first mass was done there was seen in the churchyard near the high altar a great stone four-square, like a marble stone, and in the middle of it there was like an anvil of steel a foot high. Therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and there were letters written in gold about the stone that said thus: “WHOSO PULLETH OUT THIS SWORD OF THIS STONE AND ANVIL IS RIGHTWISE BORN KING OF ALL ENGLAND.” Then the people marveled, and told the archbishop.

      “I command,” said the archbishop, “that you stay within the church and continue to pray to God, and that no man touch the sword until the high mass is all done.” So when the masses were all done all the lords went to behold the stone and the sword. When they saw the writing, some tried who wished to be king, but none might stir the sword nor move it.

      “He is not here,” said the archbishop, “who shall achieve the sword, but doubt not that God will make him known. This is my counsel,” said the archbishop, “that we assign ten knights, men of good reputation, to guard this sword.” So it was done, and then there was made a great announcement that every man should try who wished to win the sword. And upon New Year’s day the barons organized jousting and a tournament, so that all knights who wished to joust or tourney might play there. All this was ordered to keep the lords and commons together, for the archbishop trusted that God wished to make known the one who should win the sword.

      So on New Year’s day, when the service was done, the barons rode on the field, some to joust and some to tourney. And it so happened that Sir Ector who had great lands near London rode to the jousting, and with him rode his son Sir Kay and young Arthur, who was his foster brother. Sir Kay had been made knight at the previous Allhallowsmass. As they rode toward the jousting, Sir Kay realized he had lost his sword, for he had left it at his father’s lodging. He asked young Arthur to ride back for his sword.

      “I will gladly,” said Arthur, and rode fast to fetch the sword. When he came home he found that the lady of the house and everyone else were out to see the jousting. Then Arthur was upset and said to himself, “I will ride to the churchyard and take the sword that sticks up out of the stone, for my brother Kay shall not be without a sword this day.”

      When he came to the churchyard Sir Arthur alit and tied his horse to the stile; he went to the tent, but found no knights there, for they were at the jousting. He gripped the sword by the handles, and easily and fiercely pulled it out of the stone. Then he took his horse and rode his way until he came to his brother Sir Kay and gave him the sword. As soon as Sir Kay saw the sword, he knew well that it was the sword from the stone. He rode to his father Sir Ector and said, “Sir, lo, here is the sword of the stone, wherefore I must be king of this land.”

      When Sir Ector beheld the sword, he returned again to the church, and there all three of them alit and went into the church, and then he made Sir Kay swear upon a book how he came by that sword.

      “Sir,” said Sir Kay, “by my brother Arthur, for he brought it to me.”

      “How did you get this sword?” said Sir Ector to Arthur.

      “Sir, I will tell you. When I came home for my brother’s sword I found nobody at home to give me his sword. And so I thought my brother Sir Kay should not be swordless, and so I came here quickly and pulled it out of the stone without any trouble.”

      “Did you find any knights about this sword?” said Sir Ector.

      “No,” said Arthur.

      “Now,” said Sir Ector to Arthur, “I understand that you must be king of this land.”

      “Why me?” said Arthur. “For what reason?”

      “Sir,” said Sir Ector, “because God would have it so, for never should a man have drawn out this sword except that he were rightwise king of this land. Now let me see whether you can put the sword back where it was and pull it out again.”

      “That is no great feat,” said Arthur. So he put it in the stone. Then Sir Ector tried to pull out the sword and failed.

      CI.6

      “Now try,” said Sir Ector to Sir Kay. Then Kay pulled at the sword with all his might, but it would not move. “Now you shall try,” said Sir Ector to Arthur.

      “I will gladly,” said Arthur, and pulled it out easily. Then Sir Ector kneeled down to the earth and so did Sir Kay. “Alas!” said Arthur, “my own dear father and brother, why do you kneel to me?”

      “No, no, my lord Arthur, it is not so. I was never your father nor of your blood, but I know well you are of a higher blood than I thought you were.” And then Sir Ector told him about how he was given Arthur to raise and by whose commandment this was done, and how Merlin delivered Arthur to him. Then Arthur was very sad when he understood that Sir Ector was not his father.

      “Sir,” said Ector unto Arthur, “will you be my good and gracious lord when you are king?”

      “If I did not I would be to blame,” said Arthur. “For you are the man in the world that I am most beholden to, and my good lady and mother your wife has fostered and kept me as one of her own. And if it should ever be God’s will that I should be king as you say, you may ask of me whatever I may do, and I shall not fail you. God forbid I should fail you.”

      “Sir,” said Sir Ector, “I will ask nothing more of you but that you should make my son, your foster brother Sir Kay, seneschal of all your lands.”

      “That shall be done,” said Arthur, “and more, by the faith of my body, that never another man shall have that office while he and I both live.”

      Then they went to the archbishop and told him how the sword was achieved and by whom. On the twelfth day all the barons who wished to try came there to try and take the sword, but in spite of all their efforts, none was able to take it out except Arthur. Because of this many lords were angry,

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