The King Arthur Trilogy Read Online Free

church began to come out, suddenly there began a murmur of wonder which spread out and out throughthe throng like the ripples spreading when a trout leaps in a pool.
    For there in the midst of the churchyard, none having seen it come, was a great block of marble, and rooted in the block, an anvil; and standing with its point bedded in the anvil and through into the marble beneath, a naked sword. And round the block was written in letters of gold, clear in the winter sunshine,
‘Who so pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil is trueborn King of all Britain.’
    Then one after another the lesser kings and the lords and at last even the simple knights of their followings began to try to draw the sword from the stone. But none succeeded; and far on towards evening when the last had tried, there stood the sword, as firmly set as it had been at the first moment of its appearing; and the crowd stood around, weary and baffled, with their breath smoking in the cold air.
    ‘He is not here, who shall draw this blade,’ said the Archbishop, ‘but God shall send him in good time. Hear now my counsel: let messengers be sent out the length and breadth of the land, telling of this wonder, and bidding all who would seek to win the sword and with it the kingdom come to a great tournament to be held here in London upon Candlemas Day. And meanwhile let a silken pavilion be set up to shelter the wonder, and let ten knights be chosen to stand guard over it nightand day. And so maybe God shall send us our King that day.’
    So the messengers rode out on the fastest horses that could be found, carrying the word far and wide through the land, as though it had been a flaming torch. And at last it came to the castle of Sir Ector in the Wild Forest on the fringes of Wales.
    Now Sir Ector was a quiet man, and growing old; but his son Kay had been made a knight at the feast of Hallowmas only a few months before, and felt his knighthood bright and untried upon him, and longed like every other young knight in the kingdom to try his fortune at drawing the wonderful sword.
    His father laughed at him, but kindly. ‘Do you think, then, that you are the rightful High King of all Britain?’
    Kay, who could not bear to be laughed at, flushed scarlet. ‘I am not such a fool as that, Father; but this will be the greatest and most splendid tournament that has ever been seen, and it would be a fine thing to prove myself there.’
    ‘It would so,’ said Sir Ector. ‘Well, I remember when my knighthood was three months old I would have felt the same.’
    Now Arthur, who was but just turned fifteen, was standing by and listening to the talk of his foster kin; a tall big-boned lad with a brown skin and mouse-fairhair and eyes that would be kind and quiet when he was older but just now were full of eager lights at the thought of the great tournament and the magic sword. And Kay turned on him impatiently: ‘You heard! We’re going to London for the tournament! Oh, don’t just stand there like a shock of wet barley! You’re my squire – go and get my armour ready or we’ll never be in London by Candlemas!’
    Arthur looked at him for a moment as though he would have liked to hit him. But then he thought, It is only because his knighthood is so new upon him. When he has had time to grow used to it, he will be different. He was used to making excuses to himself for Kay. And he went to see to his foster brother’s armour, although he knew that Candlemas was as yet a long way off and there was plenty of time.
    They reached London on a snowy Candlemas Eve, and found the city buzzing like a hive of bees about to swarm, so full of nobles and knights and their squires and trains of servants that at first it did not seem that they would be able to find lodgings for the night. But they found a corner in an inn at last; and next morning set out through the crowded streets to the tournament ground. All the world seemed going the same way, and it was as though