CHAPTER I
How King Arthur took a wife,and wedded Guenever,daughter to Leodegrance,King of the Land of Cameliard,with whom he had the Round Table.
IN the beginning of Arthur,after he was chosen king by adventure and by grace;for the most part of the barons knew not that he was Uther Pendragon's son,but as Merlin made it openly known.
But yet many kings and lords held great war against him for that cause,but well Arthur overcame them all,for the most part the days of his life he was ruled much by the counsel of Merlin.So it fell on a time King Arthur said unto Merlin,My barons will let me have no rest,but needs I must take a wife,and I will none take but by thy counsel and by thine advice.It is well done,said Merlin,that ye take a wife,for a man of your bounty and noblesse should not be without a wife.Now is there any that ye love more than another?Yea,said King Arthur,I love Guenever the king's daughter,Leodegrance of the land of Cameliard,the which holdeth in his house the Table Round that ye told he had of my father Uther.And this damosel is the most valiant and fairest lady that I know living,or yet that ever Icould find.Sir,said Merlin,as of her beauty and fairness she is one of the fairest alive,but,an ye loved her not so well as ye do,I should find you a damosel of beauty and of goodness that should like you and please you,an your heart were not set;but there as a man's heart is set,he will be loath to return.
That is truth,said King Arthur.But Merlin warned the king covertly that Guenever was not wholesome for him to take to wife,for he warned him that Launcelot should love her,and she him again;and so he turned his tale to the adventures of Sangreal.
Then Merlin desired of the king for to have men with him that should enquire of Guenever,and so the king granted him,and Merlin went forth unto King Leodegrance of Cameliard,and told him of the desires of the king that he would have unto his wife Guenever his daughter.That is to me,said King Leodegrance,the best tidings that ever I heard,that so worthy a king of prowess and noblesse will wed my daughter.And as for my lands,I will give him,wist I it might please him,but he hath lands enow,him needeth none;but I shall send him a gift shall please him much more,for I shall give him the Table Round,the which Uther Pendragon gave me,and when it is full complete,there is an hundred knights and fifty.And as for an hundred good knights Ihave myself,but I faute fifty,for so many have been slain in my days.And so Leodegrance delivered his daughter Guenever unto Merlin,and the Table Round with the hundred knights,and so they rode freshly,with great royalty,what by water and what by land,till that they came nigh unto London.
CHAPTER II
How the Knights of the Round Table were ordained and their sieges blessed by the Bishop of Canterbury.
WHEN King Arthur heard of the coming of Guenever and the hundred knights with the Table Round,then King Arthur made great joy for her coming,and that rich present,and said openly,This fair lady is passing welcome unto me,for I have loved her long,and therefore there is nothing so lief to me.And these knights with the Round Table please me more than right great riches.And in all haste the king let ordain for the marriage and the coronation in the most honourable wise that could be devised.
Now,Merlin,said King Arthur,go thou and espy me in all this land fifty knights which be of most prowess and worship.Within short time Merlin had found such knights that should fulfil twenty and eight knights,but no more he could find.Then the Bishop of Canterbury was fetched,and he blessed the sieges with great royalty and devotion,and there set the eight and twenty knights in their sieges.And when this was done Merlin said,Fair sirs,ye must all arise and come to King Arthur for to do him homage;he will have the better will to maintain you.And so they arose and did their homage,and when they were gone Merlin found in every sieges letters of gold that told the knights'
names that had sitten therein.But two sieges were void.And so anon came young Gawaine and asked the king a gift.Ask,said the king,and I shall grant it you.Sir,I ask that ye will make me knight that same day ye shall wed fair Guenever.I will do it with a good will,said King Arthur,and do unto you all the worship that I may,for I must by reason ye are my nephew,my sister's son.
CHAPTER III
How a poor man riding upon a lean mare desired King Arthur to make his son knight.
FORTHWITHAL there came a poor man into the court,and brought with him a fair young man of eighteen years of age riding upon a lean mare;and the poor man asked all men that he met,Where shall I find King Arthur?Yonder he is,said the knights,wilt thou anything with him?Yea,said the poor man,therefore I came hither.Anon as he came before the king,he saluted him and said:O King Arthur,the flower of all knights and kings,Ibeseech Jesu save thee.Sir,it was told me that at this time of your marriage ye would give any man the gift that he would ask,out except that were unreasonable.That is truth,said the king,such cries I let make,and that will I hold,so it apair not my realm nor mine estate.Ye say well and graciously,said the poor man;Sir,I ask nothing else but that ye will make my son here a knight.It is a great thing thou askest of me,said the king.What is thy name?said the king to the poor man.Sir,my name is Aries the cowherd.Whether cometh this of thee or of thy son?said the king.Nay,sir,said Aries,this desire cometh of my son and not of me,for I shall tell you I have thirteen sons,and all they will fall to what labour I put them,and will be right glad to do labour,but this child will not labour for me,for anything that my wife or I may do,but always he will be shooting or casting darts,and glad for to see battles and to behold knights,and always day and night he desireth of me to be made a knight.What is thy name?said the king unto the young man.Sir,my name is Tor.The king beheld him fast,and saw he was passingly well-visaged and passingly well made of his years.