The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights | Page 7

And when he had sharply and hotly rebuked them, he
swore that he himself, nigh unto death although he lay, would lead them forth against the
enemy. Then causing a horse-litter to be made, in which he might be carried--for he was
too faint and weak to ride--he went up with all his army swiftly against the Saxons.
But they, when they heard that Uther was coming in a litter, disdained to fight with him,
saying it would be shame for brave men to fight with one half dead. So they retired into
their city; and, as it were in scorn of danger, left the gates wide open. But Uther
straightway commanding his men to assault the town, they did so without loss of time,
and had already reached the gates, when the Saxons, repenting too late of their haughty
pride, rushed forth to the defence. The battle raged till night, and was begun again next
day; but at last, their leaders, Octa and Eosa, being slain, the Saxons turned their backs
and fled, leaving the Britons a full triumph.
The king at this felt so great joy, that, whereas before he could scarce raise himself
without help, he now sat upright in his litter by himself, and said, with a laughing and
merry face, "They called me the half-dead king, and so indeed I was; but victory to me
half dead is better than defeat and the best health. For to die with honour is far better than
to live disgraced."
But the Saxons, although thus defeated, were ready still for war. Uther would have
pursued them; but his illness had by now so grown, that his knights and barons kept him
from the adventure. Whereat the enemy took courage, and left nothing undone to destroy
the land; until, descending to the vilest treachery, they resolved to kill the king by poison.
To this end, as he lay sick at Verulam, they sent and poisoned stealthily a spring of clear

water, whence he was wont to drink daily; and so, on the very next day, he was taken
with the pains of death, as were also a hundred others after him, before the villainy was
discovered, and heaps of earth thrown over the well.
The knights and barons, full of sorrow, now took counsel together, and came to Merlin
for his help to learn the king's will before he died, for he was by this time speechless.
"Sirs, there is no remedy," said Merlin, "and God's will must be done; but be ye all
to-morrow before him, for God will make him speak before he die."
So on the morrow all the barons, with Merlin, stood round the bedside of the king; and
Merlin said aloud to Uther, "Lord, shall thy son Arthur be the king of all this realm after
thy days?"
Then Uther Pendragon turned him about, and said, in the hearing of them all, "God's
blessing and mine be upon him. I bid him pray for my soul, and also that he claim my
crown, or forfeit all my blessing;" and with those words he died.
Then came together all the bishops and the clergy, and great multitudes of people, and
bewailed the king; and carrying his body to the convent of Ambrius, they buried it close
by his brother's grave, within the "Giants' Dance."
CHAPTER II
The Miracle of the Sword and Stone, and the Coronation of King Arthur--The Sword
Excalilur--The War with the Eleven Kings
Now Arthur the prince had all this time been nourished in Sir Ector's house as his own
son, and was fair and tall and comely, being of the age of fifteen years, great in strength,
gentle in manner, and accomplished in all exercises proper for the training of a knight.
But as yet he knew not of his father; for Merlin had so dealt, that none save Uther and
himself knew aught about him. Wherefore it befell, that many of the knights and barons
who heard King Uther speak before his death, and call his son Arthur his successor, were
in great amazement; and some doubted, and others were displeased.
Anon the chief lords and princes set forth each to his own land, and, raising armed men
and multitudes of followers, determined every one to gain the crown for himself; for they
said in their hearts, "If there be any such a son at all as he of whom this wizard forced the
king to speak, who are we that a beardless boy should have rule over us?"
So the land stood long in great peril, for every lord and baron sought but his own
advantage; and the Saxons, growing ever more adventurous, wasted and overran the
towns and villages in every part.
Then Merlin went to Brice, the Archbishop