No More Learning

In a few months Uther died, and on that very night of his death Arthur
was born. And as soon as he was born they carried him out by a secret
back gateway to Merlin the magician, to be brought up far away from the
court so that no one would hear about him until he was grown up ready to
sit upon Uther's, his father, throne.

"For those were wild lords in those years just like these of today,
always struggling for the rule, and they would have shattered the
helpless little prince to pieces had they known about him. So Merlin
took the baby and gave him over to old Sir Anton, a friend of Uther's,
and Sir Anton's wife tended Arthur with her own little ones so that
nobody knew who he was or where he had come from. But while the prince
was growing up the kingdom went to weed; the great lords and barons were
fighting all the time among themselves and nobody ruled. But during this
present year Arthur's time for ascending the throne had come, so Merlin
brought him from out of his hiding place, set him in the palace hall and
cried out to all the lords and ladies, 'This is Uther's heir, your
king! ' Of course, none of them would have that. A hundred voices cried
back immediately: 'Away with him! he is no king of ours, that's the son
of Gerlois, or else the child of Anton, and no king. '

"In spite of this opposition Merlin was so crafty and clever he won the
day for the people, who were clamoring for a king and were glad to see
Arthur crowned. But after it all was over the lords banded together and
broke out in open war against Arthur. That is the whole story of this
war. "

Although pleased with Bedivere's good account of Arthur, yet when it was
ended Leodogran scarcely felt satisfied. Was Bedivere right, he thought
to himself, or were the barons right? As he sat pondering over
everything in his palace, _three great visitors came to the castle_;
these were the Queen of Orkney, the daughter of Gerlois and Ygerne, with
her two sons, Gawain and Modred.
Leodogran made a great feast for them
and while entertaining them at table remembered what Bedivere had said
about Arthur and this queen. So he turned to the queen and remarked:

[Illustration: THREE VISITORS TO THE CASTLE. ]

"An insecure throne is no better than a mass of ice in a summer's sea;
it all melts away. You are from Arthur's court; tell me, do you think
this king with his few loyal Knights of the Round Table can triumph over
the rebellious lords, and keep his throne? "

"O King, they are few indeed," the Queen of Orkney cried, "but so bold
and true, and all of one mind with him. I was there at the coronation
when the savage yells of the nobles died away, and Arthur sat crowned
upon the dais with all his knights gathered round him to do his service
for him forever. Arthur in low, deep tones, with simple words of great
authority bound them to him with such wonderfully rigid vows that when
they rose from their knees one after the other, some of them looked as
pale as if a ghost had passed by them, others were flushed in their
faces, and yet others seemed dazed and blind with their awe as if not
fully awake. Then he spoke to them, cheering them with divine words that
are far more than my tongue can ever tell you, and while he spoke every
face flashed, for just a moment with his likeness, and from the crucifix
above, three rays in green, blue, scarlet, streamed across upon the
bright, sweet faces of the three tall fair queens, his friends who stood
silently beside his throne, and who will always be ready to help him if
he is in need.

"Merlin, the magician, came there too, with his hundred years of art
like so many hands of vassals to wait upon the young king. Near Merlin
stood the mystical, marvelous Lady of the Lake, who knows a deeper magic
than Merlin's own, dressed in white. A mist of incense curled all about
her and her face was fairly hidden in the dim gloom. But when the holy
hymns were sung a voice like flowing waters sounded through the music.
It was the voice of the Lady of the Lake who lives in the lowest waters
of the lake where it is always calm, no matter what storms may blow over
the earth and who when the waves tumble and roll above her can walk out
upon their crests just as our Lord did.

"_It was she who gave Arthur his remarkable sword_ Excalibur, with its
hilt like a cross wherewith he drove away the heathen for you. That
strange sword rose up from out the bosom of the lake, and Arthur rowed
over in a little boat and took it. The sword is incrusted with rich
jewels on the hilt, with a blade so bright that men are blinded by it.