The Junior Classics, vol 4 | Page 6

show mercy to all who asked it; to
defend the weak; and for no worldly gain to fight in a wrongful cause:
and all the knights rejoiced together, doing honor to Arthur and to his
queen. Then they rode forth to right the wrong and help the oppressed,
and by their aid, the king held his realm in peace, doing justice to all.

MERLIN THE MAGICIAN
Retold by Beatrice Clay
Of Merlin and how he served King Arthur, something has been already
shown. Loyal he was ever to Uther Pendragon and to his son, King
Arthur, and for the latter especially he wrought great marvels. He
brought the king to his rights; he made him his ships; and some say that
Camelot, with its splendid halls, where Arthur would gather his knights
around him at the great festivals of the year, at Christmas, at Easter,
and at Pentecost, was raised by his magic, without human toil. Bleise,
the aged magician who dwelt in Northumberland and recorded the great
deeds of Arthur and his knights, had been Merlin's master in magic; but
it came to pass in time that Merlin far excelled him in skill, so that his
enemies declared no mortal was his father, and called him devil's son.
Then, on a certain time, Merlin said to Arthur: "The time draws near
when ye shall miss me, for I shall go down alive into the earth; and it
shall be that gladly would ye give your lands to have me again." Then
Arthur was grieved, and said: "Since ye know your danger, use your
craft to avoid it." But Merlin answered: "That may not be."
Now there had come to Arthur's court, a damsel of the Lady of the
Lake--her whose skill in magic, some say, was greater than Merlin's
own; and the damsel's name was Vivien. She set herself to learn the
secrets of Merlin's art, and was ever with him, tending upon the old
man, and with gentleness and tender service, winning her way to his
heart; but all was a pretence, for she was weary of him and sought only

his ruin, thinking it should be fame for her, by any means whatsoever,
to enslave the greatest wizard of his age. And so she persuaded him to
pass with her over seas into King Ban's land of Benwick, and there, one
day, he showed her a wondrous rock formed by magic art. Then she
begged him to enter into it, the better to declare to her its wonders; but
when once he was within, by a charm that she had learned from
Merlin's self, she caused the rock to shut down that never again might
he come forth. Thus was Merlin's prophecy fulfilled, that he should go
down into the earth alive. Much they marvelled in Arthur's court what
had become of the great magician, till on a time, there rode past the
stone a certain Knight of the Round Table and heard Merlin lamenting
his sad fate. The knight would have striven to raise the mighty stone,
but Merlin bade him not waste his labor, since none might release him
save her who had imprisoned him there. Thus Merlin passed from the
world through the treachery of a damsel, and thus Arthur was without
aid in the days when his doom came upon him.

THE SWORD EXCALIBUR
By Sir Thomas Malory
Merlin took up King Arthur, and rode forth with him upon the knight's
horse. As they rode King Arthur said, "I have no sword." "No matter,"
said Merlin, "hereby is a sword that shall be yours, Sir King." So they
rode till they came to a lake, which was a fair water and a broad; and in
the midst of the lake King Arthur was aware of an arm clothed in white
samite, that held a fair sword in the hand. "Lo," said Merlin unto the
king, "yonder is the sword that I spake of." With that they saw a damsel
going upon the lake. "What damsel is that?" said the king. "That is the
Lady of the Lake," said Merlin, "and within that lake is a reach, and
therein is as fair a place as any is on earth, and richly beseen; and this
damsel will come to you anon, and then speak fair to her that she will
give you that sword." Therewith came the damsel to King Arthur and
saluted him, and he her again. "Damsel," said the king, "what sword is
that which the arm holdeth yonder above the water? I would it were
mine, for I have no sword." "Sir king," said the damsel of the lake, "that
sword is mine, and if ye will give me a gift when I ask it you, ye shall
have it."--"By my