Moaning and wailing for an heir to rule After him, lest the realm should go to wrack.? ruin And that same night, the night of the new year, By reason of the bitterness and grief 210 That vext his mother, all before his time Was Arthur born, and all as soon as born Deliver'd at a secret postern-gate To Merlin, to be holden far apart Until his hour should come; because the lords 215 Of that fierce day were as the lords of this, Wild beasts, and surely would have torn the child Piecemeal among them, had they known; for each But sought to rule for his own self and hand,
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THE COMING OF ARTHUR / 1 195
And many hated Uther for the sake
220 Of Gorloi's. Wherefore Merlin took the child, And gave him to Sir Anton, an old knight And ancient friend of Uther; and his wife Nursed the young prince, and rear'd him with her own; And no man knew. And ever since the lords
225 Have foughten like wild beasts among themselves, So that the realm has gone to wrack: but now, This year, when Merlin (for his hour had come) Brought Arthur forth, and set him in the hall, Proclaiming, 'Here is Uther's heir, your king,'
230 A hundred voices cried, 'Away with him! No king of ours! a son of Gorloi's he, Or else the child of Anton, and no king, Or else baseborn.' Yet Merlin thro' his craft, And while the people clamour'd for a king,
235 Had Arthur crown'd; but after, the great lords Banded, and so brake out in open war.'
Then while the King debated with himself If Arthur were the child of shamefulness, Or born the son of Gorloi's, after death,
240 Or Uther's son, and born before his time, Or whether there were truth in anything Said by these three, there came to Cameliard, With Gawain and young Modred, her two sons, Lot's wife, the Queen of Orkney, Bellicent;
245 Whom as he could, not as he would, the King Made feast for, saying, as they sat at meat,
'A doubtful throne is ice on summer seas. Ye come from Arthur's court. Victor his men Report him! Yea, but ye?think ye this king?
250 So many those that hate him, and so strong, So few his knights, however brave they be? Hath body enow' to hold his foemen down?' enough
'O King,' she cried, 'and I will tell thee: few, Few, but all brave, all of one mind with him;
255 For I was near him when the savage yells Of Uther's peerage died, and Arthur sat Crown'd on the dais, and his warriors cried, 'Be thou the king, and we will work thy will Who love thee.' Then the King in low deep tones,
260 And simple words of great authority, Bound them by so strait0 vows to his own self, strict That when they rose, knighted from kneeling, some Were pale as at the passing of a ghost, Some flush'd, and others dazed, as one who wakes
265 Half-blinded at the coming of a light.
'But when he spake and cheer'd his Table Round With large, divine, and comfortable words,
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1 138 / ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
Beyond my tongue to tell thee?I beheld From eye to eye thro' all their Order flash
270 A momentary likeness of the King: And ere it left their faces, thro' the cross And those around it and the Crucified, Down from the casement over Arthur, smote Flame-colour, vert? and azure, in three rays, green
275 One falling upon each of three fair queens, Who stood in silence near his throne, the friends Of Arthur, gazing on him, tall, with bright Sweet faces, who will help him at his need.
'And there I saw mage? Merlin, whose vast wit magician 280 And hundred winters are but as the hands Of loyal vassals toiling for their liege.
'And near him stood the Lady of the Lake,4 Who knows a subtler magic than his own? Clothed in white samite,5 mystic, wonderful.
285 She gave the King his huge cross-hilted sword, Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist Of incense curl'd about her, and her face Wellnigh was hidden in the minster0 gloom; church But there was heard among the holy hymns
290 A voice as of the waters,6 for she dwells Down in a deep; calm, whatsoever storms May shake the world, and when the surface rolls, Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord.
'There likewise I beheld Excalibur
295 Before him at his crowning borne, the sword That rose from out the bosom of the lake, And Arthur row'd across and took it?rich With jewels, elfin Urim,7 on the hilt, Bewildering heart and eye?the blade so bright
300 That men are blinded by it?on one side, Graven in the oldest tongue of all this world, 'Take me,' but turn the blade and ye shall see, And written in the speech ye speak yourself, 'Cast me away!' And sad was Arthur's face
305 Taking it, but old Merlin counsell'd him, 'Take thou and strike! the time to cast away Is yet far-off.' So this great brand the king Took, and by this will beat his foemen down.'
Thereat Leodogran rejoiced, but thought
310 To sift his doubtings to the last, and ask'd, Fixing full eyes of question on her face, 'The swallow and the swift are near akin,
4. The Lady of the Lake in the old legends is the heaven, as the voice of many waters.' Church [Tennyson's note]. 7. Mentioned numerous times in the Old Testa5. A rich silk fabric. ment, this is a device of precious stones worn by 6. Cf. Revelation 14.2: 'And I heard a voice from priests and used in prophesying. 'Elfin': elflike.
