Legends of Arthur

PREPARATjGh~

Focus: ArthL!iiar. le~:ends

Objective: To ur,derstandparadox

Discuss the articie on

paradox in the Handbook.

READING THESELECTION

See the lesson guide iorthis selection in theTeacher's Planbook.

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1-\2' See PARADOX in the Handbook ofLitenuy Terms, page 811,

The Coronationof Arthur.'

Sir Thomas Malory Great Britain

Translatedby Keith Baines

Insights: In current Amer-ican culture, romance is aword people associatewith the word 101/6. II is

important for students tounderstand that in relalio,;to the Arthurian legends.romance has a dineren\meaning. i1 is ;:. siory \oidin verse or prose iha\grov.'s out of the concep;of chivalry, the code c;conduct for knights in thsMiddle Ages. Have SiL'-dents refer to the

Background article 01pages 328-329 for adcii-tional information.

. '. . .. W"'<""~~" ., he marriage of King Uther andAll unaerlinea words in ..' .c" ..

the text appear in 11"Ie;.

...

1 k Igraine was celebrated joyously,Glosse.f'j'. ,~ . and then, at the king's request,

Coiumn~ Igraine's sisters were also married:Emphasison Ii~,eageand Margawse who later bore Sir Gawain to Kingtamilialrelationshipsin 1M' , .first para.grapr,indicates Lof~,f Lowthean and Orkney; Elayne, to Krngthe primacy of s~ch .mat- ~entres of Garlot. Igraine's daughter, Morgan Ieters In the aos 0' chlveJrv. .' o'Point out Ihat important' ..Fay, was pUt to school m a nunnery; m after yearsc!-,aracterE iisteo'here wil! / she was to become a witch, and to be married to

appear in late~.~ales. . King Uryens of Gore, and give birth\. to Sir. .".~ Dwayne of the Fair Handso}Here Maroawse ane... . . 0

Elayne ars calieo !c,riiM's A few months later It was seen that Igrame wassisters. Mo~sonen in '... with child. 0. .Arthurian iecencs. the iv;c\ . . j

. are identified as sisters of Someume later Merlin appeared before theI-.'\organIsFeyane king. "Sire," he said, "you know that you mustcf.?ughtersoj igraine by °d r th b

o. f hO

ld ';)"her. earlier marriaoe to the prov} e lor e up rmgmg 0 your c} .Duke .of Tintagei.-

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This episode begins with the marriage of Arthur's parents, King Utherand Queen Igraine, and a plan for the secret rearing of their fust-bornchild, who is destined to become a renowned knight and ruler. Themagician Merlin, who can foresee King Uther's early death, arrangesfor Arthur to be taken to Sir Ector, who will educate him along with hisown son, Sir Kay. Later, Arthur will demonstrate to all the warringnobles that he is the rightful heir to the throne.

330' Legends of Arthur

"I will do as you advise," the king replied. '\"That is good," said Merlin. . .. "Your child' ./

is destined for glory, and I want him brought tome for his baptism. I shall then givehim into thecare of foster parents who can be trusted not toreveal his identity before the proper time. SirEctor would be suitable: he is extremely loyal,

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1. Margawse . . . Sir Uwayne of the Fair Hands. Theroyal relativesand descendantsare named here becausethey".figurelaterin the talesof KingArthur0 SirGawain,for .~example, becomes one of the most celebrated knights at the'.jRound Table; and Morgan Ie Fay appears as an enchantress .~

in ''Th, T~, of Sa "''''''''.. du Lili." ,;~

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From Le Morte D'Anhur by Sir Thomas MaJory, uanslated into dieEnglish language by Keidl Baines. Copyright ~ 1962 by KeidlBaines. Reprinted by arrangement widl NAL Penguin Inc., NewYork. New Yorko

I' ._" ".

owns good estates, and his wife has just borne hima child. She could give her child into the care ofanother woman, and herself look after yours."

Sir Ector was summoned, and gladly agreed tothe king's request, who then rewarded him hand-somely. When the child was born he was at oncewrapped in a gold cloth and taken by two knightsand two ladies to Merlin, who stood waiting at therear entrance to the castle in his beggar's disguise.Merlin took the child to a priest, who baptizedhim with the name of Arthur, and thence to SirEctor, whose wife fed him at her breast. "

Two years later King Uther fell sick, and hisenemies once more overran his kingdom, inflict-ing heavy losses on him as they advanced. Merlinprophesied that they could be checked only by thepresence of the king himself on the battlefield,and suggested that he should be conveyed thereon a horse litter. King Uther's army met theinvader on the plain at St. Albans, and the kingduly appeared on the horse litter. Inspired by hispresence, and by the lively leadership of SirBrastius and Sir Jordanus, his army quickly de-feated the enemy and the battle finished in a rout.The king returned to London to celebrate thevictory .

But his sickness grew worse, and after he hadlain speechless for three days and three nightsMerlin summoned the nobles to attend the king inhis chamber on the following morning. "By thegrace of God," he said, "I hope to make himspeak. "

In the morning, when all the I1Qbleswere as-sembled, Merlin addressed the king: "Sire, is ityour will that Arthur shall succeed to the throne,together with all its prerogatives?"

The king stirred in his bed, aDd then spoke sothat all could hear: "I bestow on Arthur God's

blessing and my own, and Arthur shall succeed tothe throne on pain of forfeiting my blessing."Then King Uther gave up the ghost. He wasburied and mourned the next day, as befitted his

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332 Legends of Arthur

rank, by Igraine and the nobility of Britain. ~

During the years that followed the death of f',King Uther, while Arthur was still a child, the " Iambitious barons fought one another for the

t'

,throne, and the whole of Britain stood in " I

jeopardy. Finally the day came when the Arch- ,~bishop of Canterbury,2 on the advice of Merlin,

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~summoned the nobility to London for Christmas;:'

moming. In his message the Archbishop prom- I

ised that the true succession to the British throne""-

would be miraculously revealed. Many of the no-

f

' '-

bles purified ~emselves during their journey, in " ",,

the hope that It would be to them that the succes- ,"

sion would fall. tThe Archbishop held his service in the city's f~:

greateSt church (St. Paul's), and when mann.' ,"were done the congregation f1led out to the yard. t'£:They were confronted by a marble block into f'\

which had been thrust a beautiful sword. The iblock was four feet square, and the sword passed tthrough a steel anvil which had been struck in the f"stone, and which projected a foot from it. The f,,;anvil had been inscribed with letters of gold: f

WHOSO PULLETH OUTE THIS SWERD OF THIS !STONE AND ANVYLD IS RIGHTWYSKYNGE BORNE ~,OF ALL BRYTAYGN~ f

The congregation was awed by this miraculous I;sight, but the Archbishop forbade anyone totouch the sword before mass had been heard.

After mass, many of the nobles tried to pull thesword out of the stone, but none was able to, so awatch of ten knights was set over the sword, and atournament proclaimed for New Year's Day, toprovide men of noble blood with the opportunityof proving their right to the succession.

Sir Ector, who had been living on an estate nearLondon, rode to the tournament with Arthur and

2. Archbishop of CanfeTbury, head of the Church ofEngland.3. marins, morning prayers.4. WHOSO. . . BRYTAYGNE, "Whoever pulls this swordout of this stone and anvil is rightWise king born of allBritain."

his own son Sir Kay, who had been recentlyknighted. When they arrived at the tournament,Sir Kay found to his annoyance that his sword wasmissing from its sheath, so he begged Arthur. toride back and.Jetch it from their lodging.

Arthur fou~d the door of the lodging lockedand bolted, ~e landlord and his wife having leftfor the tournament. In order not to disappoint hisbrother, he ro~deon to St. Paul's, determined toget for him the sword which was lodged in thestone. The yard was empty, the guard also havingslipped off to see the tournament, so Arthurstrode up to (he sword, and, without troubling toread the inscription, tugged it free. He then rodestraight back to Sir Kay and presented him withit.

Sir Kay recognized the sword, and taking it toSir Ector, said, "Father, the succession falls tome, for I have here the sword that was lodged inthe stone." But Sir Ector insisted that they shouldall ride to the churchyard, and once there boundSir Kay by oath to tell how he had come by thesword. Sir Kay then admitted that Arthur hadgiven it to him. Sir Ector turned to Arthur andsaid, "Was the sword not guarded?".

"It was not," Arthur replied."Would you please thrust it into the stone

again?" said Sir Ector. Arthur did so, and first SirEctor and then Sir Kay tried to remove it, butboth were unable to. Then Arthur, for the secondtime, pulled it out. Sir Ector and Sir Kay bothknelt before him.

"Why," said Arthur, "do you both kneel be-fore me?"

"My lord," Sir Ector replied, "there is only oneman living who can draw the sword from thestone, and he is the true-born King of Britain."Sir Ector then told Arthur the story of his birthand upbringing.

"My dear father," said Arthur, "for so I shallalways think of you-if, as you say, I am to beking, please know that any request you have to

make is already granted."Sir Ector asked that Sir Kay should be made

Royal Seneschal,5 and Arthur declared that whilethey both lived it should be so. Then the three ofthem visited the Archbishop and told him whathad taken place.

All those dukes and barons with ambitions to

rule were present at the tournament on NewYear's Day. But when all of them had failed, andArthur alone had succeeded in drawing the swordfrom the stone, they protested against one soyoung, and of !gnoble blood, succeedin~t!.0 thethrone. -1(

The secret of Arthur's birth was known only toa few of the nobles surviving from the days of Note,L,r",huiscourtesj/,

. . . humility,and generosity;King Uther. The ArchbIshop urged them to make these qualitiescharac-Arthur's cause their own; but their support terizeArthurduringthisproved ineffective. The tournament was repeated Reriodo~(para. 7).at Candlemas6 and at Easter, and with the same 't. umn 2outcome as before. : Whatparadoxdo yousee In Aithur's situation

Finally at Pentecost,7 when once more Arthur (para.2)? (A:Hehas iul-.alone had been able to remove the sword the filledthe test thatproves. ' he is the only true king,commoner~ arose WIth a tumultuous cry and de- ,at the noblesfailto gramanded that Arthur should at once be made king. \ hi e throne.)

The nobles, knowing in their hearts that the com~ve see Arthur'spatiencemoners were right, all knelt before Arthur and as timepasses and heb d &" &' h

.d I d hi repeatedly removes the

egge lorglveness lor avmg e aye s succes- sword from the stonesion for so long. Arthur forgave them, and then, Notice that the com-

offering his sword at the high altar was dubbed monersfinally lose. '. patience wnen the noblesfirst kmght of the realm. The coronatIon took do not abidebv the words

place a few days late~ when Arthur swore to rule inscribedin the marble. ' ., block(para.4).Justly, and the nobles swore him theIr allegIance.

King Arthur's first task was to re-establishthose nobles who had been robbed of their lands

during the troubled years since the reign of KingUther. Next, to estatllish peace and order in thecounties near London. . . .

5. Royal Seneschal, the steward.(or manager) in charge ofthe royal household.6. Candelmas, a church festival held on February 2,celebrated with lighted candles.7. Pentecost, a church festival celebrated the seventh Sun-day after Easter.

The Coronatwn of Arthur 333

COtUrnfl 1

\Ne inter that Kay isn€ariy the same age 0.5Arthur c'!d that the twoare considered brothers.Students may wonder whyArthur acts as he doeshere. Point out that the

boys spent years trainingie become knights, firstserving as pages (fromapproximately age seveninto the teens), and thenas squires. A squire'schie! function was to ser'!ehis master. Kay has re-cently become a knight,and it is lii<ely that Arthuris a SQu!ic (para. 1).

Arthur offers "his sword atthe high altar." Remindstudents that a knight'sfirst aliegiance is to God(para. 4).

('>Dj~;c:th!€~: To f€i::fo~CE.c;hataCler!ZE~tion

RevJev\:. ths &itic:;e Of":characterize Zion in th:;~Handbook.

SeE; the lesson gl;;dE' ~'I".."

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oenGe. orlt sch()!aJ r;E~s

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Giossar". .

The Lady of the Lakeand ExcaliburSir Thomas Malory Great Britain


King Arthur spends the early part of his reign subduing the rebelliousrulers who do not acknowledge him as rightful king. Throughout thistime he is closely aided and advised by Merlin. In the following episodeArthur attempts to avenge the wounding of one of his knights.

hen Arthur was armed and

mounted, he instructed the cham-berlain to await his return, and thengalloped off toward the well. He

had not gone far when he saw Merlin being chasedby three ruffians; he galloped up to them and theruffians fled in terror.

"Your magic did not save you that time," saidArthur.

"It could have," Merlin replied, "had 1 sowished, whereas your anger will certainly not saveyou from the superior strength of King Pellinore,whom you are about to challenge."

Merlin accompanied Arthur to the well, andwhen they arrived they found King Pellinore

seated outside his ~~iliO~.1 "Sir," said Arthur,"it would seem that no knight can pass this wellwithout your challenging him."

"That is so," said King Pellinore."1 have come to force you to change this custom

of yours, so defend yourself!"

They L<?ust~.three times, each time breaking


their spears, until the third time, when Arthur

w~s flung from his horse. "Very well," saidArthur, "you have won the advantage jousting;now let us see what you can do on foot." KingPellinore was reluctant to dismount and lose the

advantage he had won; however, when Arthurrushed at him boldly with drawn sword, he grewashamed and did dismount.

They fought until both collapsed from pain andexhaustion; their armor was splintered and theblood flowed from their wounds. They foughtagain, until Arthur's sword broke in his hand."Now," said King Pellinore, "you shall yield tome, or die."

"Not so!" Arthur shouted as he sprang at him,and grabbing him around the waist, threw him tothe ground. Arthur was unlacing his helmct

1. pavilion, a large tent.

From Le Marie D'Arlhur by Sir Thomas MaIory, translated into theEnglish language by Keith Baines. Copyright @ 1962 by KeithBaines. Reprinted by arrangement with NAL Penguin Inc., NewYork, New York.

when, with a sudden fearfuleffort, Kfug PellinoreovertUrnedArthur and clamberedon top of him.'King Pellinorehad loosenedArthur's helmet andraised his sword to strike off his head when Mer-lin spoke.

"Hold your hand!" he said; "you willendangerthe whole realm. You do not realizewho it is youare about to kill."

"Who is it, then?""King Arthur."Hearing this, King Pellinore feared that he

would receive little mercy from Arthur if hespared him-so he raised his sword once more.Merlin adroitly put him to sleep with a magicspell.

Column1 - ~ "You have killed him with your magic," saidT:ue to the chivalric i?E:aIS [Arthur hotly. "I would rather that my wholeOi couraoe anc ~flf Oi2\; 1:-1 ; .

.battle,Arthurresent~Mer- "fealm were lost, and myself killed; he was a mag-lin'smagicalin:rusion. Dificent fighter."

"He is more whole than you are," Merlin re-plied. "He will not only live, but serve you excel-lently: It is to him that you will give your sister inmarriage, and she will bear two sons-Sir Per-civale and Sir Lamerok-who will be two of the

most famous of the Knights of the Round Table."They mounted, and Merlin led the way to a

hermit, who treated Arthur's wounds, and inwhose dwelling they rested for three days. Theyresumed their journey, which was to the Lake ofAvalon,2 and as they were approaching the lake,Arthur said, "How sad that I broke my magicsword!"

"You shall have another one," Merlin replied.Just then Arthur saw that in the center of the

lake the surface was broken by an arm, clothed inwhite samite,3 and that the hand grasped a fmelyjeweled sword and scabbard.

"That is the magic sword Excalibur," said Mer-lin, "and it will be given to you by the Lady of theLake, who is now crossing the water in her bark.She comes from her castle, which is hewn in therock, and more beautiful than any earthly dwell-

We infer from Arthur's ieeKof response to Merlinspredic~ionthe.t ~~er!i!'":'~

gins of prophecy arG :a\(5.tor gre.nted.

Ask stuoents what .Ar:hur'sresponse to the brokerswordteils us a)ou: him.

(~iS9'~;-Ial06ue betwe8f: Anhw\an'dMeriin :0 deveio6~"aracteriza1ic.'J.andjwr,clthis interc.'1angesuggests

~' ' t" ',' 1-,a . ~ ne:r re::adorJs..J~p

(para 1-10). /"/


ing. You must address her courteously,and do asshe directs you."

The Lady of the Lake appeared before them."My lady," said Arthur, "I beg you to make me agift of the sword Excalibur."

"King Arthur," she replied, "Excalibur shallbe yours, if you consent nowto grantingme what-ever gift I shall ask of you in my own time."

"I swear," said Arthur, "whatever gift is in mypower to grant."

"Even so," said the Lady of the Lake. "Nowuse my bark and row yourselfto the sword, andtake it, together with the scabbard."

Arthur and Merlin tethered their horses to twotrees, and boarded the bark. When Arthur hadtaken the sword and scabbard the arm disap-peared into the water.

On the homewar~journey they repassed KingPellinore's pavilion,' and Arthur .asked Merlinwhy King Pellinore was not there. "He has beenfighting Sir Egglame, and has chased him nearlyall the way into Caerleon,"4Merlin replied.

"What a pity!" said Arthur. "Becausenow thatI have this beautiful sword I should like to fighthim again, and perhaps this time have my re-venge."

"That you shall not do," said Merlin. "KingPellinore is already tired from his fight with SirEgglame. To win would bring you no honor, tolose would be to increase your shame. And loseyou might, because he is still stronger than youare."

"I will.do as you advise," said Arthur, as he ,~

examined his sword once more, admiring its,beauty and temper. "Tell me," said Merlin, "do :Jiyou prefer the sword or the scabbard?"

"The sword," said Arthur.

.~

2. Avalon, an island believedto be an eanhly paradise; itwas to becomethe fmal resting place of King Arthur.3. samite, a heavy silk fabric interwoven with gold.4. CaeTkon, site of Romanruins in present-dayWales,southwestGreat Britain; long associatedwith the Arthurlegend.

(lUarc a fool," said Merlin. "The scabbard ish len of the sword, because while you wear it,"Hcss of how seriously you are wounded, youIOlicno blood."

hey were drawing dose to Caerleon when theyd King Pellinore; he appeared not to see. "\X~y," askedArthur, "did King Pellinore

tlpcak:to us?".-

.nNK\~AND DISCUSSnderstandingHow does Merlin affect the outcome of thefight between Arthur and Pellinore?How does Arthur react to Merlin's help?How does Arthur obtain the swordExcalibur?

4. Why is the scabbard more valuable than thesword itself?

Analyzing,5. Though he knows that Pellinoreis stronger,

Arthur challengeshim anyway. What doesthis fact tell you about Arthur?

,6. What details in this passageshow thatArthur is still immature and needs Merlin'sguidance?

"Because he did not see us," Merlin replied. "Icast a spell over him; had he done so, you wouldnot have escaped so lightly."

When Arthur and Merlin arrived at the court,they were questioned eagerly on all that had hap-pened; and when the story was told, Arthur'sknights rejoiced in the boldness of their king.

~~~ding. ~~erlin advises and magicallyprotects

Arthur in this passage. How does Merlin'said affect your opinion of Arthur as a heroicprotagonist?

ENRICHMENT

Researching Medieval WeaponsSwords have played a major part in Arthur's

life thus far. Use library reference books onancient weapons to discover what a medievalsword looked like. Combine these details withyour imagination to create a drawing or a modelof either the sword in the stone or Excalibur.

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The Lady of the Lake and Excalibur 341

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an 5rn: rit~jng -jut of theCE:.ilf~' 01 the Lake OT

!- ,p,"':~:~Qr..The ar~ rlolas

Exc8.i!bu!. \Nr!en the Lady0': :he Lake appears be.fore them. Alinur asks for

the sword. She grants hisrequest Wf"len hE agre&sto Qranl tVhetE:VEHgin sh€might ask fOi in the future.(easyj

4. The scabbard l1/iHpr€'~venl Arthur trom iosingb!ooc; regardiess of howst::=rfous;y he is wounded.{eaGY)-

5. Possibh;' c..::sv'Jer: that

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(averag~)

f. Pcssib!e ans\.ve:. ,A.nhur;-;halienges Peiilnore, cstronger man. and refusesto surrender; he is evenangry when tJlerlin saveshim.and iateriongsjor re-venge agains1Pellinorev/ith his neVi s';ovord.

(average)

7. PGs:3ib!e answer: Arthur

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Arthur Marries GwynevereSir Thomas Malory Great Britain


Mter securing his sovereignty, King Arthur settles at Camelot and mar-ries the beautiful Gwynevere. He receives as dowry the fabled RoundTable, which had belonged to his father. Sworn to the famous RoundTable oath, King Arthur and his knights are bound in a fellowship thatis an important means of maintaining order in the kingdom.

D' t was natural that King Arthur,

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. ;;. . ?aving sought Merlin's ad~ice ~ur-

." mg the early years of hIS reIgn,. . while enforcing his sovereignty

over the petty kings of the north and west ofBritain who had challenged his right to the succes-sion, should again seek Merlin's advice in thematter of marriage, which his loyal barons wereurging upon him now that peace had been estab-lished.

"Certainly a king should marry," said Merlin."But tell me, is there already a lady who hascaptured your heart?"

"There is," Arthur replied. "The daughter ofmy friend King Lodegreauncel of Camylarde. Imean, of course, the incomparably innocent andbeautiful Gwynevere."

"She is certainly as beautiful as one could wish,and if indeed you are set on making her yourqueen, I suppose that you must do so, althoughmany more as beautiful, and more happily des-tined, could be found."

"Why do you say that?""Because Gwynevere is destined to love Sir


Launcelot, and he her, and many disasters willresJldrom their love. However, provide me witha royal escort and I will go to King Lodegreaunceand tell him that you are in love with Gwynevereand would like to marry her."

King Lodegreaunce was overjoyed when Mer-lin disclosed the purpose of his visit. "Whatgreater honor could I receive," he said, "than thatso illustrious a king as Arthur should choose mydaughter for his queen?"

Instead of the usual lands or riches for a wed-

ding gift, King Lodegreaunce decided to giveKing Arthur the Round Table which he had re-ceived from King Uther, and to place underArthur's command the hundred knights whoserved him. This would leave empty at the tablefifty seats, which had belonged to knights whohad been killed or captUred in King Lo-

1. LcxUgTeaunce (16'de gr6ns)

From Le Mone D'Arlhur by Sir Thomas MaJory, translated into theEnglish language by Keith Baines. Copyright <Q1962 by KeithBaines. Reprinted by arrangement with NAL Penguin Inc., NewYork, New York.

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degreaunce' servicein the course of the years.When Merlin and his escort, with the Round

Table, and accompanied by Gwynevereand thehundred knights, returned to Camelot, he wasreceived by Arthur with unabashed delight; andorders were given to prepare for the royal wed-ding and the coronation of Gwynevere. .

Merlin then scoured the country for suit~bleknights to occupy the empty seats at the table,and found twenty-eight, who were sworn in toArthur's service by the Archbishop of Canter-bury. When the ceremony was over it was seenthat each place at the table was now marked ingold letters with the name of the knight to which

it belonged; but two places were !eft blank, andthe one between them was marked: SIEGEPER-ELOUS.2

King Arthur had issued a proclamation that onthe day of the feast all reasonable petitions wouldbe granted, and the fIrSt to take advantage of thiswas Gawain, King Lot's son, who begged to beknighted. Gawain was Arthur's nephew, and hereadily assented. . . .

At lasi the day of the feast arrived, and the royalwedding and the coronation of Gwynevere tookplace in the church of St. Stephens, and were

conducted with befitting solemnity by the Arch.bishop of Canterbury. When liwas over, KingArthur with his queen and their suite repaired tothe Round Table for the banquet.

"Tell me, Merlin," said Arthur, "why thosetwo seats are blank, and why the one betweenthem is marked: SIEGEPERELOUS."

"Sire, because it would be death for any but theappointed knight to sit at the Siege Perelous, andonly a little less disastrous at the unmarked seatson either side. The knight who shall sit at theSiege Perelous has not yet been born; the namesof the knights who shall sit at the other two seatswill appear when they arrive at the court. . . ."

King Arthur... established each of theknights of the Round Table with sufficient landsand wealth to maintain the dignity of the fel-lowship; and every time the feast of Pentecostcame round, the oath was renewed, which was:only to fight in just causes, at all times to bemerciful, at all times to put the service of ladiesforemost.

2. SIEGE PERELOUS, dangerous seat. The knight who latersits here is Sir Galahad, who becomes famous {or anadventUre known as the Quest of the Holy Grail.

THINK AND DISCUSSUnderstanding1. What does Arthur accomplish before he

thinks of marriage?. 2. What prophecy does Merlin make about

Arthur's marriage to Gwynevere?3. Describe the Round Table.4. What is the oath of the Round Table?

Analyzing5. How do you explain the fact that Merlin

makes no effort to prevent Arthur's marriageto Gwynevere?


6. Discuss the paradox that Arthur's marriagebrings promise of greatnessand promise ofdisaster.

7. How does Malory create suspense in hisdescription of the Round Table?

Extending8. In your opinion, would the Round Table

oath be a valuable guide in today's society?What changes, if any, would you make tomodernize the oath?

READING THESELECTION

Column 1Point out that the narratorspeaks to us hers as anactor would whils speak-ing an aside onstage.Have students commenton the way this techniqueaffects the story's tone(para. 7 and co!. 2.para. 1).

from The Once and Future KingT. H. White GreatBritain

This modem retelling of the Arthurian legends, often in popular,irreverent prose, has become a classic work of the imagination, takingthe stiffness out of the legend and bringing the characters to rollickinglife. This episode is from "The ID-madeKnight," the tale of SirLancelot.1 By rejecting the attentions of the four queens who havekidnapped him, the knight has insulted them aU. He is about to receivehelp from the daughter of King Bagdemagus....'.--.-~. .,... '; hen the fair damsel came in with

" , the next meal, she showed signs of

,; , ~ wanting to talk to him. Lancelot· noriced that she was a bold crea-

ture, who was probably fond of getting her ownway.

"You said you might be able to help me?"The girl looked suspiciously at him and said: "I

can help you if you are who you are supposed tobe. Are you really Sir Lancelot?"

"I am afraid I am."

"I will help you," she said, "if you will helpme."

Then she burst into tears.

While the damsel is weeping, which she did in acharming and determined way, we had bener ex-plain about the tournaments which used to takeplace in Gramarye in the early days. A real tourna-ment was distinct from a joust. In a joust theknights tilted or fenced with each other singly, fora prize. But a tournament was more like a freefight. A body of knights would pick sides, so thatthere were twenty or thirty on either side, andthen they would rush together harum-scarum.These mass battles were considered to be impor-


tant-for instance, once you had paid your greenfee for the tournament, you were admined on thesame ticket to fight in the jousts-but if you hadonly paid the jousting fee, you were not allowed tofight in the tourney. People were liable to bedangerously injured in the melees. They were notbad things altogether, provided they were prop-erly controlled. U.nforrunately, in the early days,they were seldom controlled at all.

Merry England in Pendragon's time was a littlelike Poor OuId Ireland in O'Connell's.2 There

were factions. The knights of one county, or theiul.lclbitantsof 6ftt: tHStRGt,er the t:etainer.s..ot:.onenobleman, might get themselves into a state inwhich they felt a hatred for the faction which lived

1. Lancelot, modem spellingof Launcelot. This episodeisWhite's version of an incident in Malory's "Tale of SirLauncelot du Lake."2. Pendragon's rime . . . O'Connelfs. Pendragon is UtherPendragon, Arthur's father. "Poor, old Ireland" in the timeof Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847),Irish leader known as the"Liberator," was wracked by battles for the freedom ofIreland from Great Britain.

From The Once and FIIlUTe King by T. H. White. Copyright 1939,1940, «:> 1958 by T. H. White. Reprinted by permission of DavidHigham Associates, Ltd.

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next door. This hatred would become a feud, andthen the king or leader of the one place -would.. challenge the leader of the other one to a tour-m~y-and both factions would go to the meetingwith full intent to do each other mischief. It was

the same in the days of Papist and Protestant, orStuart and Orangeman,3 who would meet to-gether with shillelaghs4 in their hands and murderin their hearts.

"Why are you crying?" asked Sir Lancelot."Oh dear," sobbed the damsel. "That horrid

King of Northgalis has challenged my father to atournament next Tuesday, and he has got threeknights of King Arthur's on his side, and my poorfather is bound to lose. I am afraid he will gethurt. "

"I see. And what is your father's name?""He is King Bagdemagus."Sir Lancelot got up and kissed her politely on

the forehead. He saw at once what he was ex-pected to do.

"Very well," he said. "If you can rescueme outof this prison, I will fight in the faction of KingBagdemagusnext Tuesday."

"Oh, thank' you," said the maiden, wringing

3. Papisr and Prousumr, or ShUnt and Ortmgenum,references to religious disputes and wars in British historybetWeen Roman Catholics (sometimes called Papists byopponents) and Protestants. The royal Stuan family in-cluded James II, who reigned 1685-1688 and had Catholicsympathies. He was forcibly replaced by the ProtestantWilliam of Orange, whose reign lasted 1689-1702.4. shillelaghs (she lii'la), clubs used in fIghts.

This tapestry by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, The Arming of rileKnights (detail),was woven during the Victorian era in nineteenth-century England. City Museums and AnGallery, Birmingham, England.

The Once and Furure King 357

Column 1Notice the way allusion tehistory after medievalti,.,e~ is used to explaintile settingin whichLance!ot finds himselfnL 6-7).

Column 2-Compare this polite kiss-ing to the actions ofLauncelot in Malory(para. 3).

Q: VVhat hyperbole is. used here (para. 5 andCOlumn 1. i. 1, p. 358)?(A: that the handkerchiefis SC.wet it must be wrung0'"

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out her handkerchief. "Now I must go, I amafraid, or they will miss me downstairs."

Naturally she was not going to help the magicQueen of Northgalis to keep Lancelot in prison-when it was the King of Northgalis himself whowas going to fight her father. . . .

There is no need to give a long description ofthe tourney. Malory gives it. Lancelot pickedthree knights who were recommended by theyoung damsel to go with him, and he arrangedthat all four of them should bear the vergescu.This was the white shield carried by unfledgedknights, and Lancelot insisted on this arrange-ment because he knew that three of his own

brethren of the Round Table were going to fighton the other side. He did not want them to recog-

nize him, because it might cause ill-feeling alcourt. On the other hand, he felt that it was hisduty to fight against them because of the promisewhich he had given to the damsel. The King ofNorthgalis, who was the leader of the oppositeside, had one hundred and sixtY knights in hisfaction, and King Bagdemagus only had eighty.Lancelot went for the first knight of the RoundTable, and put his shoulder out of joint. He wentfor the second one so hard that the unlucky fellowwas carried over his horse's tail and buried his

helm several inches in the ground. He hit thethird knight on the head so hard that his nosebled, and his horse ran away with him. By thetime he had broken the thigh of the King ofNorthgalis, everybody could see that to all intentsand purposes the tournament was over.

THINK AND DISCUSSTHE TALE OF SIR LAUNCELOT DU LAKE

Understanding I

1. How does Launcelot become imprisoned?2. Who helps him escape? Why?3. What choice does Tarquine give Launcelot

during their combat? How does Launcelotrespond?

4. What is Launcelot's reputation as a result ofthese adventures?

Analyzing5. How does the episodewith Sir Tarquine

show Launcelot living up to the oath of theRound Table? What other qualities does hedisplay?

6. Launcelot reveals his true identity tOITarquine, but keeps his name secret from


the three Round Table knights that hefights. How do you account for thisdifference?

Extending7. What similarities do you see between the

adventures of Launcelot and the exploits oftelevision and movie heroes (such as westernpioneers, doctors, nurses, detectives, secretagents, and space explorers)?

8. Are there any real-life persons that youwould consider modem-day knights?Explain.

FROM THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING

Understanding

1. What is Lancelot's first impression of KingBagdemagus's daughter?

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, ~ ReviewALLUSIONin the Handbookof Literary Terms, page 789.

The Death of King Ar~hurSir Thomas Malory Great Britain


The beginning of the end of Arthur's reign comes with the discoveryby knights of the Round Table of the love between Launcelot andGwynevere. Arthur feels forced by law to bum his wife at the stake.Launcelot saves Gwynevere at the last moment, but in the processkiDs two brothers of Gawain, Arthur's favorite nephew. Arthur leadsan attack on Launcelot in France, but Launcelot seriously woundsGawain. While Arthur is away in France, Modred, Arthur's mean-spirited illegitimate son, seizes the throne. Arthur hastens back toEngland.

uring the absence of King Arthurfrom Britain, Sir Modred, alreadyvested with sovereign powers, had

decided to ~surp the throne. Ac-cordingly, he had false letters written-announc-ing the death of King Arthur in battle-and deliv-ered to himself. Then, calling a parliament, heordered the letters to be read and persuaded thenobility to elect him king. The coronation tookplace at Canterbury and was celebrated with aftfteen-day feast.

Sir Modred then settled in Camelot and made

overtures to Queen Gwynevere to marry him. Thequeen seemingly acquiesced, bUt as soon as shehad won his conftdence, begged leave to make ajourney to London in order to prepare her trou~

seau.) Sir Modred consented, and the queen rodestraight to the Tower2 which, with the aid of herloyal nobles, she manned and provisioned for herdefense.

Sir Modred, outraged, at once marched againsther, and laid siege to the Tower, bUt despite hislarge army, siege engines, and guns, was unable toeffect a breach. He then tried to entice the queen

1. trousseau (trii so'), a bride's outfit of linen, clothes, andjewelry.2. Tower, Tower of London, a stronghold.

From Le Morle D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, translated into theEnglish language by Keith Baines. Copyright <i:)1962 by KeithBaines. Reprinted by arrangement with NAL Penguin Inc., NewYork, New York.

The Death of King Arthur 361

PRE'!.nATiON

Focus: p.rthurian legends

Obje.ctiv(!: To reviewaliusion

Review the article onallusion in the Handbook.

READiNG THESELECTION

See lhs lesson guide forthis sE:~le('tjonin theTeacher'" Planbook.

Insigin,' ":"hestory oi!<ing Anh,vr has capturedthe imagination of manywriters since Malory, andin mos, cases, the leg-ends are reworkedaccord;ng to the needs ofthe contemporary au-dience. Traces of theArthurian legends linger inour world. The basic sto-ries can be seen againand again in movies, tele-vision programs, andnoveis.

All underiined words inthe text appear in theGioss8ry.

Coturnn 1Point out th21 iifiOdre(~

would have understoGcthe church rituals a:;i..ide:'to in "bell, book~ an(jc8.r.dle."

Column 2Have students remembs!the previous times thsArchbishop of Carr,i2n:-.y;'appeEis [n the st::x:.Notice that the .Archb~sh;):.has tried before 1c use hJ~position to help seeu;'"order in his COL'iW-"ii,. .

from the Tower, first by guile and Ithen bythreats, but she would listen to neither. Finallythe Archbishop of Canterbury came forward toprotest:

"Sir Modred, do you ~ot . fear G.9E's_ dis-pleasure? . . . If you do not revoke your evildeeds I shall curse you with bell, book, and can-dle. "3

"Fie on you! Do your worst!" Sir Modred re-plied.

"Sir Modred, I warn you take heed! or thewrath of the Lord will descend upon you."

"Away, false priest, or I shall behead you!"The Archbishop withdrew, and after excom-

municating" Sir Modred, abandoned hiJ officeand fled to Glastonbury. There he took up hisabode as a simple hermit, and by fasting and


Jame~ Archer, LaMorle D'Arlhur,1861, City Art Gal-leries, Manchester,England

prayer sought divine intercession in the troubledaffairs of his country.

Sir Modred tried to assassinate the Archbishop,but was too late. He continued to assail the queenwith entreaties and threats, both of which failed,and then the news reached him that King Arthurwas returning with his army from France in orderto seek revenge.

Sir Modred now appealed to the baronyS tosupport him, and it has to be told that they cameforward in large numbers to do so. Why? it will beasked. Was not King Arthur, the noblest sov-

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3. curse you with bell, book, and candle, expel you fromthe church by ritualistic use of these items.4. excommunicating, severing from membership in thechurch.5. barony, lower ranks of nobles.

f<feign Christendom had seen, now leading his

to IIrmiesin a righteous cause? The answer lies in the

I peopleof Britain, who, then as now, were fickle.~t Those who so readily transferred their allegiance'

!,. 10Sir Modred did so with the excuse that whereas

. King Arthur's reign had led them into war and

>; ..rife, Sir Modred promised them peace and fes-J tlvlty.. .I Hence It was WIth an army of a hundred thou-I sand that Sir Modred marched to Doveel' to battle

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against his own father, and to withhold from him

i his rightful crown.~ As King Arthur with his fleet drew into the

i harbor, Sir Modred and his army launched forth~" in every availablecraft, and a bloody battle en-f sued in the ships and on the beach. If King

Arthur's army were the smaller, their courage waslhe higher, confident as they were of the right-eousness of their cause. WithoUt stint they battledthrough the burning ships, the screamingwounded, and the corpses floating on the blood-stained waters. Once ashore they put SirModred's entire army to flight.

The battle over, King Arthur began a search forhis casualties, and on peering into one the of shipsfound Sir Gawain, mortally wounded. Sir Gawainfainted when King Arthur lifted him in his arms;and when he came to, the king spoke:

"Alas! dear nephew, that you lie here thus,mortally wounded! What joy is now left to me onthis earth? You must know it was you and SirLauncelot I loved above all others, and it seemsthat I have lost you both."

"My good uncle, it was my pride and my stub-bornness that brought all this aboUt, for had I noturged you to war with Sir Launcelot your subjectswould not now be in revolt. Alas, that Sir Laun-celot is not here, for he would soon drive themout! And it is at Sir Launcelot's hands that I suffer

my own death: the wound which he dealt me hasreopened. I would not wish it otherwise, because'is he not the greatest and gentlest of knights?

"I know that by noon I shall be dead, and Irepent bitterly that I may not be reconciled to SirLauncelot; therefore I pray you, good uncle, giveme pen, paper, and ink so that I may write tohim."

A priest was summoned and Sir Gawain con-fessed;7 then a clerk brought ink, pen, and paper,and Sir Gawain wrote to Sir Launcelot as follows:

"Sir Launcelot, flower of the knighthood: I, SirGawain, son of King Lot of Orkney and of KingArthur's sister, send you my greetings!

"I am about to die; the cause of my death is thewound I received from you outside the city ofBenwick; and I would make it known that mydeath was of my own seeking, that I was movedby the spirit of revenge and spite to provoke youto battle.

"Therefore, Sir Launcelot, I beseech you tovisit my tomb and offer what prayers you will onmy behalf; and for myself, I am content to die atthe hands of the noblest knight living.

"One more request: that you hasten with yourarmies across the sea and give succorS to our nobleking. Sir Modred, his bastard son, has usurpedthe throne and now holds against him with anarmy of f1hundred thousand. He would have wonthe queen, too, but she fled to the Tower ofLondon and there charged her loyal supporterswith her defense.

"Today is the tenth of May, and at noon I shallgive up the ghost; this letter is written partly withmy blood. This morning we fought our wayashore, against the armies of Sir Modred, and thatis how my wound came to be reopened. We wonthe day, but my lord King Arthur needs you, andI too, that on my tomb you may bestow yourblessing. "

6. DoveT, If" city on southern English coast, across fromFrance.7. confessed, made his confession, a religious practice to askGod's forgiveness for sins, here in preparation for death.8. succor, help and aid.


Coiumr; iSpectacle is e. commonelement in the medievalron',anC8, Sometimes thespeclacle is created withbeautiful images. othertimes ii is painted withgruesome detaiis (para. 2).

Notice how freely KingArthur expresses his lovefor Gawain and Launcelot.

Have students comparethis scene to heroic sol-

diers they have seendyin9 in movies and televi-sion programs (para. 4).

Coiumr. 2Only King Arthur andGawain know that Gawainhad an enchantment castupon him when he was ayouth. This spell causeshis strength to increase torthree hours each morning,reaching a peak at noon,and then decreasing. Inthis wounded state, heseems to know he will die,therefore. a1noon.

~

Sir Gawain fainted when he had finished, andthe king wept. When he came to he was givenextreme unction,9 and died, as he had antici-pated, at the hour of noon. The king buried himin the chapel at Dover Castle, and there manycame to see him, and aUnoticed the wound on hishead which he had received from Sir Launcelot.

Then the news reached Arthur that Sir Modredoffered him battle on the field at Baron Down.

Arthur hastened there with his army, they fought,and Sir Modred fled once more, this time to Can-terbury .

When King Arthur had begun the search forhis wounded and dead, many volunteers from aUparts of the country came to fight under his flag,convinced now of the rightness of his cause.Arthur marched westward, and Sir Modred oncemore offered him battle. It was assigned for theMonday following Trinity Sunday, 10on SalisburyDown.

Sir Modred levied fresh troops from East An-glia and the places about London, and fresh vol-unteers came forward to help Arthur. Then, onthe night of Trinity Sunday, Arthur was vouch-safed11 a strange dream:

He was appareled in gold cloth and seated in achair which stood on a I'iv!>ted scaffold. Belowhim, many fathoms deep, was a dark well, and inthe water swam serpents, dragons, and wildbeasts. Suddenly the scaffold tilted and Arthurwas flung into the water, where all the creaturesstruggled toward him and began tearing him limbfrom limb.

Arthur cried out in his sleep and his squireshastened to waken him. Later, as he lay betweenwaking and sleeping, he thought he saw SirGawain, and with him a host of beautiful no-blewomen. Arthur spoke:

"My sister's son! I thought you had died; butnow I see you live, and I thank the lord Jesu! Ipray you, tell me, who are these ladies?"

"My lord, these are the ladies I championed in

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righteous quarrels when I was on earth. Our 10hiGod has vouchsafed that we visit you and pit-lidwith you not to give battle to Sir Modred tOl11o/row, for if you do, not only will you yourself hI'killed, but aU your noble followers too. We her-you to be warned, and to make a treaty with SIIModred, calling a truce for a month, and grantillj!him whatever terms he may demand. In a InOlllhSir Launcelot will be here, and he will defeat SuModred. "

Thereupon Sir Gawain and the ladies vanished.and King Arthur once more summoned hi-,squires and his counselors and told them his VIsion. Sir Lucas and Sir Bedivere were commi~

~i~..!l~~to make a treaty with Sir Modred. ThC\'were to be accompanied by two bishops and higrant, within reason, whatever terms he dr'manded.

The ambassadors found Sir Modred in COlli-

mand of an army of a hundred thousand andunwilling to listen to overtures of peace. How.ever, the ambassadors eventually prevailed Oilhim, and in return for the truce granted himsuzerainty of Cornwall and Kent,12 and succes-sion to the British throne when King Arthur died.The treaty was to be signed by King Arthur andSir Modred the next day. They were to meetbetween the two armies, and each was to be ac-companied by no more than fourteen knights.

Both King Arthur and Sir Modred suspectedthe other of treachery, and gave orders for theirarmies to attack at the sight of a naked sword.When they met at the appointed place the treatywas signed and both drank a glass of wine.

Then, by chance, one of the soldiers was bitten

!'

"

9. extreme unction, sacrament in the Roman CatholicChurch in which a priest anoints the dying person withconsecrated oil.10. Triniry Sunday, feast day honoring the Holy TrinitV,observed the eighth Sunday after Easter. .11. vouchsafed, granted.12. suzerainry of Cornwall and Kent, dominion or powerover tWo southern counties of England.

IIIthe foot by an adderl3 which had lain concealed with his spear, he rushed to meet him with drawnIII the brush. The soldier unthinkingly drew his sword. Arthur caught Sir Modred below the\word to kill it, and at once, as the sword flashed shield and drove his spear through his body; SirIII the light, the alarums were given, trumpets ," Modred, knowing that the wound was mortal,Mlunded, and both armies galloped into the at- ~..:\'thrust himself up to the handle of the spear, and,,\tut:k. .."v then, brandishing his sword in both hands, struck

"Alas for this fateful day!" exclaimed King Arthur on the side of the helmet, cutting through

Arthur, as both he and Sir Modred hastily it and into the s~ull beneath; then he crashed to'< mountedand gallopedback to their armies. There the ground, gruesome and dead.i /ollowedone of those rare and heartless battles in King Arthur fainted many times as Sir Lucas

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... which both armies fought until they were de- and Sir Bedivere struggled with him to a small

... Slroyed. King Arthur, with his customary valor, chapel nearby, where they managed to ease his

I kd "1uadron after "1uadron of cavalry int~!he woundsa little. When Anhur cameto, he thought~< IIttack, and Sir Modred encountered him un- he heard cries coming from the battlefield.

I l1inchingly.As the number of dead and wounded "Sir Lucas, I pray you, find out who cries on~ mounted on both sides, the active combatants the battlefield," he said.

continued ~~~!!..~~~~until nightfall, when four Wounded as he was, Sir Lucas hobbled pain-men alone survived. fully to the field, and there in the moonlight saw

King Arthur wept with dismay to see his be- the camp followersl4 stealing gold and jewelsloved followers fallen; then, struggling toward from the dead, and murdering the wounded. Hehim, unhorsed and badly wounded, he saw Sir returned to the king and reported to him what heLucas the Butler and his brother, Sir Bedivere. had seen, and then added:

"Alas!" said the king, "that the day should "My lord, it surely would be better to move youcome when I see all my noble knights destroyed! I to the nearest town?"would prefer that I myself had fallen. But what "My wounds forbid it. But alas for the good Sirhas become of the traitor Sir Modred, whose evil Launcelo~! How sadly I have missed him today!ambition was responsible for this ,=-ar!1~g~?" And now I must die-as Sir Gawain warned me I

Looking about him King Arthur then noticed would-repenting our quarrel with my lastSir Modred leaning with his sword on a heap of breath."the dead. Sir Lucas and Sir Bedivere made one further

"Sir Lucas, I pray you give me my spear, for I attempt to lift the king. He fainted as they did so.have seen Sir Modred." Then Sir Lucas fainted as part of his intestines

"Sire, I entreat you, remember your vision- broke through a wound in the stomach. When thehow Sir Gawain appeared with a heaven-sent mes- king came to, he saw Sir Lucas lying dead withsage to dissuade you from fighting Sir Modred. foam at his mouth.Allow this fateful day to pass; it is ours, for we "Sweet Jesu, give him succor!" he said. "ThisIhree hold the field, while the enemy is broken." noble knight has died trying to save my life-alas

"My lords, I care nothing for my life now! And that this was so!"while Sir Modred is at large I must kill him: there Sir Bedivere wept for his brother.may not be another chance." I

"God speed you, then!" said Sir Bedivere. 13. adder,smallpoiso.DI;II;lssnakeor viper.. . 14. campfollowers,clVlbanswhofollowtroopsandsell

When SIr Modred saw KIng Arthur advance theirservicesas theycan.


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"Sir Bedivere, weep no more," said KingArthur, "for you can save neither your brothernor me; and I would ask you to take my swordExcalibur to the shore of the lake and throw it in

the water. The return to me and tell me what youhave seen."

"My lord, as you command, it shall be done."Sir Bedivere took the sword, but when he came

to the water's edge, it appeared so beautiful th~the could not bring himself to throw it in, soinstead he hid it by a tree, and then returned tothe king.

"Sir Bedivere, what did you see?""My lord, I saw nothing but the wind upon the

waves. "

"Then you did not obey me; I pray you, goswiftly again, and this time fulfill my command."

Sir Bedivere went and returned again, but thistime too he had failed to fulfil the king's com-mand.

"Sir Bedivere, what did you see?""My lord, nothing but the lapping of the

waves. "

"Sir Bedivere, twice you have betrayed me!And for the sake only of my sword: it is unworthyof you! Now I pray you, do as I command, for I

have not long to live." I- This time Sir Bedivere wrapped the girdle1saround the sheath and hurled it as far as he could

. into the water. A hand appeared from below thesurface, took the sword, waved it thrice, and dis-appeared again. Sir Bedivere returned to the kingand told him what he had seen.

"Sir Bedivere, I pray you now help me hence,or I fear it will be too late."

Sir Bedivere carried the king to the water'sedge, and there found a barge in which sat manybeautiful ladies with their queen. All were wear-ing black hoods, and when they saw the king,they raised their voices in a piteous lament.

"I pray you, set me in the barge," said tHeking.Sir Bedivere did so, and one of the ladies laid


the king's head in her lap; then the queen spoke III

him:

"My dear brother, you have stayed too long: Ifear that the wound on your head is already cold. ..

Thereupon they rowed away from the land andSir Bedivere wept to see them go.

"My lord King Arthur, you have deserted me' Iam alone now, and among enemies."

"Sir Bedivere, take what comfort you may, 1mmy time is passed, and now I must be taken IIIAvalon for my wound to be healed. If you hear 01me no more, I beg you pray for my soul."

The barge slowlycrossed the water and out 01

sight while the ladies wept. Sir Bedivere walked .

alone into the forest and there remained for thenight.

In the morning he saw beyond the trees of acopse a small hermitage. He entered and found ahermit kneeling down by a fresh tomb. The her-mit was weeping as he prayed, and then Sir Bed-ivere recognized him as the Archbishop ofCanterbury, who had been banished by SirModred.

"Father, I pray you, tell me, whose tomb j~this?"

"My son, I do not know. At midnight the bodywas brought here by a company of ladies. Weburied it, they lit a hundred candles for theservice, and rewarded me with a thousandbezants."16

"Father, King Arthur lies buried in thistomb."

Sir Bedivere fainted when he had spoken, andwhen he came to he begged the Archbishop toallow him to remain at the hermitage and end hisdays in fasting and prayer.

"Father, I wish only to be near to my trueliege. "

"My son, you are welcome; and do I not recog-

15. girdle, a band encirclingthe waist, wider than a belt.16. bezants, gold coins.

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Aubrey Beardsley, Drawing for a 1909 editionof Le Marte d'Arthur (detail), The BritishLibrary, London

nize you as Sir Bedivere the Bold, brother to SirI.ucas the Butler?"

Thus the Archbishop and Sir Bedivere re-mained at the hermitage, wearing the habits ofhermits and devoting themselves to the tomb withrusling and prayers of contrition. 17

Such was the death of King Arthur as writtendown by Sir Bedivere. By some it is told that therewere three queens on the barge: Queen Morgan IeFay, the Queen of North Galys, and the Queen offhe Waste Lands; and others include the name ofNyneve, the Lady of the Lake who had servedKing Arthur well in the past, and had married thegood knight Sir Pelleas.

In many parts of Britain it is believed that King

Arthur did not die and that he will return to us ">¥T

and win fresh glory and the Holy Cross of our '

Lord Jesu Christ; but for myself I do not believethis, and would leave him buried peacefully in histomb at Glastonbury, where the Archbishop ofCanterbury and Sir Bedivere humbled them-selves, and with prayers and fasting honored hismemory. And inscribed on his tomb, men say, isthis legend:

HIC IACET ARTHURUS,

REX QUONDAM REX QUE FUTURUS.18

17. contrition, repentance.18. HIC. . . FUTURUS,"Here lies Arthur, the once andfuture king."


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Documents

Legends of Arthur