PICTURES FROM ENGLISH LITERATURE.

KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS.

The first picture that I want to show you was not the work of a single artist. It was begun, more than six hundred years ago, by a Welsh monk, called Geoffrey of Monmouth. In later times, other artists made many additions to it, some of which greatly increased its beauty. At length, the great painter, Alfred Tennyson, retouched the whole picture, giving it its present rich coloring and perfect finish; so that it is numbered to-day among the most fascinating paintings in the whole gallery of literature.

It represents King Arthur and his twelve brave knights, seated about the famous Round Table, which was built by Merlin, the wonderful magician.

Do you see the king at the head of the table?

5

There, at his right, sits the bold Sir Launcelot du Lac; next to him, is the gentle Sir Perceval; while there, in the "Seat Perilous," where, until this time, no man was allowed to sit, is the peerless Sir Galahad. Arthur loved his noble knights, and he was never so happy as when listening to the recital of their valiant deeds.

Has not the king a noble face? Truly, he does look as though he wore "the white flower of a blameless life."

As he sits there talking with Launcelot, his favorite knight, can you mark the difference between the two countenances? Arthur's face, calm and pale, tells of a life dedicated to high thoughts and noble deeds; while that of the handsome Launcelot is seamed with lines of unrest and secret trouble.

But what a grand-looking set of men they all are! It would be strange indeed did they look otherwise, if they have kept the vows to which they are pledged; to do no outrage nor murder, never to take part in a wrongful quarrel, and always to do battle for the weak and oppressed.

From the eagerness depicted on their faces, I think they must be talking about the search for the Holy

Grail. This was the cup out of which our Savior drank at the Last Supper. He was supposed to have given it into the keeping of Joseph of Arimathea, who carried it to Europe. For many years it remained upon the earth to bless mankind by its presence. But finally, one of the holy men who had charge of it "fell from grace; "the cup disappeared, and could be recovered only by a knight without stain and without reproach. So all the knights of the Round Table vowed to seek the Holy Grail a year and a day.

As I look at their strong, earnest countenances, I think of the many strange adventures, the dangers and defeats, through which they had to pass; for not to the courteous Sir Perceval, nor to the bold Sir Gawain, nor yet to the brave Launcelot, was the blessed vision. granted; but only to the stainless Galahad, the pure and perfect knight, was it given to become the happy possessor of the holy cup.

Do you like the picture? If you do, I will tell you a little about the history of King Arthur.

Many hundred years ago, Britain, the country which is now called England, was inhabited by a people called the Celts. They were a brave, hardy race; but, for some time, they had been greatly

troubled by the invasions of the Picts and Scots, who were pouring down upon them from the north. Unable to obtain help from any other source, they invited their fierce neighbors, the Saxons, to come over and help them drive out their enemies.

This the Saxons did; but they liked the fertile land of Britain so well that, after they had conquered the northern barbarians, they decided to remain there permanently. So they turned their weapons upon the helpless Celts, and, for more than a hundred years, there was continued strife between the two races; until, at last, the Celts were driven from their own country, and took refuge among the hills of Wales. But, although expelled from their homes by force, their brave, free spirit was unconquerable; and from this ancient stock arose an independent and liberty-loving people.

In the midst of the strife, Arthur was born. When he was a lad of fifteen years, he became king; and it is quite interesting to know how this was brought about.

At the time of the old king's death, it was not known that he had left any heir to the throne, and all the people were greatly troubled as to who should

take his place. In their anxiety, they prayed to God that He would send them some sign from Heaven ; and as an answer to their prayer, there appeared before the church-door a stone in which was sticking a sword. So the Bishop proposed that whoever could draw the sword from the stone should be crowned king.

To this the people agreed, and all the tributary kings and most famous knights tried to draw it out; but in vain. Not one was able to move the sword ever so little, and it remained for a long time in front of the church-door.

Finally, a great tournament1 took place, and Arthur was present, serving as squire to his fosterbrother, Sir Kay, who had the misfortune to break his sword. The knight sent his young squire home for another; and as Arthur went by the church, he saw a sword sticking in a stone. Thinking that this would be a good weapon for his

brother, he easily

drew it out, and hastened with it to Sir Kay.

The latter immediately recognized the miraculous sword, and would have claimed the throne for him

1 Tournament: a mock fight intended to show the address and bravery of the combatants.