LEODOGRAN, the King of Cameliard, Had one fair daughter, and none other child;

And she was fairest of all flesh on earth, Guinevere, and in her his one delight.

For many a petty king ere Arthur came Ruled in this isle, and ever waging war Each upon other, wasted all the land; And still from time to time the heathen host

Swarm'd overseas, and harried what was

left.

And so there grew great tracts of wilder

ness,

Wherein the beast was ever more and

more,

But man was less and less, till Arthur

came.

For first Aurelius lived and fought and died,

And after him King Uther fought and died, But either fail'd to make the kingdom

one.

And after these King Arthur for a space, And thro' the puissance of his Table Round,

Drew all their petty princedoms under him,

Their king and head, and made a realm, and reign'd.

And thus the land of Cameliard was waste,

Thick with wet woods, and many a beast therein,

And none or few to scare or chase the beast;

So that wild dog, and wolf and boar and bear

Came night and day, and rooted in the fields,

And wallow'd in the gardens of the King. And ever and anon the wolf would steal The children and devour, but now and then,

Her own brood lost or dead, lent her fierce teat

To human sucklings; and the children, housed

In her foul den, there at their meat would growl,

And mock their foster-mother on four feet, Till, straighten'd, they grew up to wolflike men,

Worse than the wolves. And King Leodogran

Groan'd for the Roman legions here again, And Cæsar's eagle: then his brother king, Urien, assail'd him: last a heathen horde, Reddening the sun with smoke and earth with blood,

And on the spike that split the mother's heart

Spitting the child, brake on him, till,

amazed,

He knew not whither he should turn for aid.

But for he heard of Arthur newly

crown'd,

Tho' not without an uproar made by those Who cried, 'He is not Uther's son '-the King

Sent to him, saying, 'Arise, and help us thou!

For here between the man and beast we die.'

And Arthur yet had done no deed of

arms,

But heard the call, and came : and Guinevere

Stood by the castle walls to watch him pass;

But since he neither wore on helm or shield

The golden symbol of his kinglihood,
But rode a simple knight among his

knights,

And many of these in richer arms than he, She saw him not, or mark'd not, if she

saw,

One among many, tho' his face was bare. But Arthur, looking downward as he past, Felt the light of her eyes into his life

these,

Colleaguing with a score of petty kings, Made head against him, crying, 'Who is he

That he should rule us? who hath proven him

The smallest rock far on the faintest hill, And even in high day the morning star. So when the King had set his banner

broad,

At once from either side, with trumpetblast,

voice,

Are like to those of Uther whom we knew.

blood,

The long-lanced battle let their horses

run.

And Arthur, passing thence to battle, felt

Travail, and throes and agonies of the life, Desiring to be join'd with Guinevere; And thinking as he rode, 'Her father said That there between the man and beast they die.

Shall I not lift her from this land of beasts Up to my throne, and side by side with me?

What happiness to reign a lonely king, Vext O ye stars that shudder over me, O earth that soundest hollow under me, Vext with waste dreams? for saving I be

join'd

To her that is the fairest under heaven,
I seem as nothing in the mighty world,
And cannot will my will, nor work my
work

Wholly, nor make myself in mine own realm

vail'd,

And now the King, as here and there that war

Went swaying; but the Powers who walk the world

Made lightnings and great thunders over him,

And dazed all eyes, till Arthur by main might,

And mightier of his hands with every blow,

And leading all his knighthood threw the kings

Carádos, Urien, Cradlemont of Wales, Claudias, and Clariance of Northumber

land,

The King Brandagoras of Latangor, With Anguisant of Erin, Morganore, And Lot of Orkney. Then, before a voice As dreadful as the shout of one who sees To one who sins, and deems himself alone And all the world asleep, they swerved and brake

Flying, and Arthur call'd to stay the brands

And each is twice as old as I; and one Is Merlin, the wise man that ever served

yield !'

So like a painted battle the war stood Silenced, the living quiet as the dead, And in the heart of Arthur joy was lord. He laugh'd upon his warrior whom he loved And honour'd most. Thou dost not doubt me King,

So well thine arm hath wrought for me to-day.'

'Sir and my liege,' he cried, 'the fire of God

Descends upon thee in the battle-field :
I know thee for my King!' Whereat the

two,

For each had warded either in the fight, Sware on the field of death a deathless love.

And Arthur said, 'Man's word is God in

man:

Let chance what will, I trust thee to the death.'

Then quickly from the foughten field he sent

Ulfius, and Brastias, and Bedivere, His new-made knights, to King Leodogran,

Saying, 'If I in aught have served thee well,

Give me thy daughter Guinevere to wife.'

Whom when he heard, Leodogran in heart

Debating How should I that am a king,

However much he holp me at my need, Give my one daughter saving to a king, And a king's son?'-lifted his voice, and call'd

A hoary man, his chamberlain, to whom He trusted all things, and of him required His counsel: 'Knowest thou aught of Arthur's birth ?'

Then spake the hoary chamberlain and said,

'Sir King, there be but two old men that know:

Is Merlin's master (so they call him) Bleys, Who taught him magic; but the scholar

ran

Before the master, and so far, that Bleys Laid magic by, and sat him down, and

wrote

All things and whatsoever Merlin did
In one great annal-book, where after years
Will learn the secret of our Arthur's birth.'

To whom the King Leodogran replied, 'O friend, had I been holpen half as well By this King Arthur as by thee to-day, Then beast and man had had their share

of me:

But summon here before us yet once more Ulfius, and Brastias, and Bedivere.'

Then, when they came before him, the King said,

'I have seen the cuckoo chased by lesser fowl,

And reason in the chase: but wherefore now

Do these your lords stir up the heat of

war,

Some calling Arthur born of Gorloïs, Others of Anton? Tell me, ye your. selves,

Hold ye this Arthur for King Uther's son ?'

And Ulfius and Brastias answer'd, 'Ay.' Then Bedivere, the first of all his knights Knighted by Arthur at his crowning, spake

For bold in heart and act and word was he,

Whenever slander breathed against the King

'Sir, there be many rumours on this head : For there be those who hate him in their hearts,

Call him baseborn, and since his ways are sweet,

And theirs are bestial, hold him less than

man: