The Legend Of King Arthur
It happened that among these worthies who were summoned unto London
Tower by the mandata of the Archbishop as above recounted,there was a
certain knight,very honorable and of high estate,by name Sir Ector of
Bonmaison --surnamed the Trusty Knight because of the fidelity with
which he kept the counsel of those who confided in him,and because he
always performed unto all me,whether of high or low degree,that which
he promised to undertake,without defalcation as to the same.So this
noble and excellent knight was held in great regard by all those who
knew him;being possessed of seven castles in Wales and in the adjoining
country north thereof,and likewise of certain fruitful tracts of land
with villages appertaining country and west.This very noble knight had
two sons;the elder of these was Sir Kay,a young knight of great valor
and promise,and already well renowned in the Courts of Chivalry because
of several very honorable deeds of worthy achievement in arms which he
had performed;the other was a young fellow of eighteen years of age,by
name Arthur,who at that time was serving with good repute as Sir Kay's
esquire-at-arms.
Now when Sir Ector received by messenger the mandate of the
Archbishop,he immediately summoned these two sons unto himself and bade
them to prepare straightway for to go with him to London Town,and they
did so.And in the same manner he bade a great number of retainers,
esquires and pages for to make them ready,and they likewise did
so.Though,with a very considerable array at arms with great show of
circumstance,Sir Ector took his way unto London Town in obedience to
the commands of the Archbishop.
So,when he had come thither he took up his inn in a certain field
where many other noble knights and puissant lords had already
established themselves,and there he set up a very fair pavilion of
green silk,and erected his banner emblazoned with the device of his
house;to wit,a gryphon,black,upon a field of green.
And upon this field were a great multitude of other pavilions of
many different colors,and over above each pavilion was the pennant and
the banner of that puissant lord to whom the pavilion
belonged.Wherefore,because of the multitude of these pennants and
banners the sky was at places well-near hidden with the gaudy colors of
the fluttering flags.
Among the great lords who had come there in pursuance to the
Archbishop's summons were many famous kings kings and queens and
noblemen of high degree.For there was King Lot of Orkney,who had taken
to wife a step-daughter of Uther-Pendragon,and there was King Uriens of
Gore,who had taken to wife another step-daughter of that great king,and
there was King Ban,and King Bors,and King Ryance,and King Leodegrance
and many others of like degree,for there were no less than twelve kings
and seven dukes,so that,what with their court of lords and ladies and
esquires and pages in attendance,the town of London had hardly ever
seen the like before that day.
Now the Archbishop of Canterbury,having in mind that extraordinary
state of the occasion that had brought so many kings and dukes and high
lords unto that adventure of the sword and the anvil,had commanded that
there should be a very stately and noble tournament proclaimed.Like
wise he commanded that this contest at arms should be held in a certain
field near to the great cathedral,three days before that assay should
be made of the sword and the anvil (which same was to be undertaken,as
aforesaid,upon Christmas day).To this tournament were bidden all
knights who were of sufficient birth,condition,and quality for to fit
them to take part therein.Accordingly, very many exalted knights made
application for admission,and that in such numbers that three heralds
were kept very busy looking into their pretensions unto the right of
the battle.For these heralds examined the escutcheons and the rolls of
lineage of all aplicants with great care and circumspection.
Now when Sir Kay received news of this tournament he went to where
his father was,and when he stood before his face,he spoke in this wise:
"Sire,being your son and of such very high condition both as to birth
and estate as I have inherited from thee,I find that I have an
extraordinary desire to imperil my body in this tourney.Accordingly,if
so be I may approve my quality as to knighthood before this college of
heralds,it will maybe be to your great honor and credit,and to the
honor and credit of our house if I should undertake this
adventure.Wherefore I do crave your leave to do as I have a mind."
Unto these Sir Ector made reply: "My son,thou hast my leave for to
enter this honorable contest,and I do hope that God will give thee a
great deal of strength,and likewise such grace of spirit that thou
mayst achieve such honor to thyself and credit to us who are of thy
blood."
So Sir Kay departed with very great joy and immediately went to that
congress of heralds and submitted his pretensions unto them.And,after
they had duly examined into his claims to knighthood,they entered his
name as a knight-contestant according to his desire;and at this Sir
Kay was fillled with great content and joy of heart.
So,when his name had been enrolled upon the list of combatants,Sir
Kay chose his young brother Arthut for to be his esquire-at-arms and to
carry his spear and pennant before him into the field of battle,and
Arthur was also made exceedingly glad because of the honor that had
befallen him and his brother.
Now,the day having arrived when this tourney was to be held,a very
huge concourse of people gathered together to witness that noble and
courtly assault at arms.For at that time London was,as
aforesaid,extraordinarily full of nobilty and knighthood,wherefore it
was reckoned that not less than twenty thousand lords and ladies
(besides those twelve kings and their courts and seven dukes and their
courts) were assembled in the lists circumadjacent to the field of
battle for to the field of battle for to witness the performance of
those chosen knights.And those noble people sat so close together,and
so filled the seats and brenches assigned to them,that it appeared as
though an entirely solid wall of human souls surrouned that meadow
where the battle was to be fought.And,indeed,any knight might well be
moved to do his uttermost upon such a great occasion with the eyes of
so many beautiful dames and noble lords gazing upon his
performance.Wherefore the hearts of all the knighs attendant were
greatly expanded with emulation to overturn their enemies into the
dust.
In the center of this wonderful court of lords and ladies there was
erected the stall and the throne of the lord Archbishop himself.Above
the throne was a canopy of purple cloth emblazoned with silver
lilies,and the throne itself was hung all about with purple cloth of
velvet,embroidered,alternately,with the figure of St. George in
gold,and with silver crosses of St. George surrounded by golden
halos.Here the lord Archbishop himself sat in great estate of the field
glistered with the splednor of gold and silver embriodery,and was made
beautiful by various colors of rich apparel and bright with fine armor
of excellent workmanship.And,who were there had ever seen so noble a
preparation for battle as that which they then beheld.
Now,when all that great assembly were in their places and everything
had been prepared in due wise,an herald came and stood forth before the
enstalled throne of the Archbishop and blew a very strong,loud blast
upon a trumpet.At that signal the turnpikes of the lists were
immdeiately opened and two parties of knights-contestant entered
therein.Then immdediately all that lone field was a-glitter with the
bright-shining splender of the sunlight upon polished armor of
accountrements.So these two parties took up their station,each at such
a place as had been assigned unto them.
Now the party with which Sir Kay had cast his lot was at the north
of the field and that company was fourscore and thirteen in number;and
the other party stood st the south end of the field,and that the party
with whom Sir Kay had attached himself numbered less by three than the
other party,yet was it stronger by some degree because that there were
a number of knights of great strength and renown in that company.Indeed
it may be here entioned that two of those knights afterward became
companions in very good credit of the round table.
So,when all was prepared according to the ordination of the
tournament,and when those knights-contestant had made themselves ready
in all ways that were necessary
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