الفصل الفصل 7 · How King Arthur pulled out the sword divers times.

. How King Arthur pulled out the sword divers times.

Now assay, said Sir Ector unto Sir Kay. And anon he pulled at the sword

with all his might; but it would not be. Now shall ye assay, said Sir

Ector to Arthur. I will well, said Arthur, and pulled it out easily.

And therewithal Sir Ector knelt down to the earth, and Sir Kay. Alas,

said Arthur, my own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to me? Nay,

nay, my lord Arthur, it is not so; I was never your father nor of your

blood, but I wot well ye are of an higher blood than I weened ye were.

And then Sir Ector told him all, how he was betaken him for to nourish

him, and by whose commandment, and by Merlin’s deliverance.

Then Arthur made great dole when he understood that Sir Ector was not

his father. Sir, said Ector unto Arthur, will ye be my good and

gracious lord when ye are king? Else were I to blame, said Arthur, for

ye are the man in the world that I am most beholden to, and my good

lady and mother your wife, that as well as her own hath fostered me and

kept. And if ever it be God’s will that I be king as ye say, ye shall

desire of me what I may do, and I shall not fail you; God forbid I

should fail you Sir, said Sir Ector, I will ask no more of you, but

that ye will 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 man shall have that office but he, while he and

I live. Therewithal they went unto the Archbishop, and told him how the

sword was achieved, and by whom; and on Twelfth-day all the barons came

thither, and to assay to take the sword, who that would assay. But

there afore them all, there might none take it out but Arthur;

wherefore there were many lords wroth, and said it was great shame unto

them all and the realm, to be overgoverned with a boy of no high blood

born. And so they fell out at that time that it was put off till

Candlemas and then all the barons should meet there again; but always

the ten knights were ordained to watch the sword day and night, and so

they set a pavilion over the stone and the sword, and five always

watched. So at Candlemas many more great lords came thither for to have

won the sword, but there might none prevail. And right as Arthur did at

Christmas, he did at Candlemas, and pulled out the sword easily,

whereof the barons were sore aggrieved and put it off in delay till the

high feast of Easter. And as Arthur sped before, so did he at Easter;

yet there were some of the great lords had indignation that Arthur

should be king, and put it off in a delay till the feast of Pentecost.

Then the Archbishop of Canterbury by Merlin’s providence let purvey

then of the best knights that they might get, and such knights as Uther

Pendragon loved best and most trusted in his days. And such knights

were put about Arthur as Sir Baudwin of Britain, Sir Kay, Sir Ulfius,

Sir Brastias. All these, with many other, were always about Arthur, day

and night, till the feast of Pentecost.