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 tournament took place, and Arthur was present, serving as squfre 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 himself; but when, to convince the doubters, it was

1 Tournamen' - a mock fight intended to show the address and bravery of the combatants.

replaced in the stone, it would yield a second time only to the hand of Arthur, who was thus discovered to be the lawful son and heir of the former king. So at an early day, Arthur was joyfully crowned by the people, and proclaimed their sovereign and chief.

One of the new king's chief advisers was Merlin, a mighty enchanter, who had the power of transforming himself into any shape that he wished. By his magic arts, he became of great use to Arthur, and saved his life many times in battle. It was he who made the wonderful Round Table about which you may have heard.

This was surrounded by thirteen seats, but twelve of which could be occupied, and these only by knights of the highest fame. The thirteenth was kept vacant in memory of the Saviour, and was reserved for the pure Sir Galahad. It was called the "Seat Perilous," because if a sinful man attempted to sit in it, the earth would open and swallow him. A magic power wrote upon each seat the name of the knight who was entitled to it, and no one could succeed to a seat unless he surpassed in valor its former occupant.

When Arthur happened to break his sword in a severe encounter with one of his enemies, it was

Merlin who told him how to obtain another from the

Lady of the Lake. He directed the king to a lake near by, where he would see an arm extending upwards from the waves, holding in its hand a sword.

"You must row out to this spot," said Merlin, "and if the Lady of the Lake is willing for you to have the weapon, she will allow you to take it away."

So the king did as Merlin said. He rowed out into the middle of the lake, and there he saw an arm reaching upward from the water, "clothed in white samite,2 mystic, wonderful," and in the hand was a bright and shining sword. As soon as Arthur attempted to draw the weapon away, the hand relaxed its hold and sank beneath the waves. "And the king looked on the sword, and liked it well."

This became the renowned Excalibur, which was said to shine so bright when it was brandished that it gave a light equal to thirty torches, and blinded the eyes of all who looked upon it.

By its aid, King Arthur gained many victories over the fierce Saxons, thus greatly extending his kingdom, and causing his name to be feared throughout the land.

2 Samite a kind of silken stuff, adorned with gold.

It is not in battle, however, that we like best to, think of good King Arthur; but in his court at Camelot, where he lived with his queen, the beautiful Guinevere. O what glorious times those were! It makes our pleasures seem tame, when we think of the splendid jousts and tournaments that filled those days.

The knights were always seeking new adventures by which they might do honor to themselves and their king; and their most daring feats of arms could receive no better reward than his approving smile and a glance from the bright eyes of Guinevere.

Yet not in selfish delights alone did Arthur allow

the days to pass. Wherever there was a wrong to redress, wherever the strong triumphed over the weak, there was found the king with his irresistible sword and shining armor.

But dark days came at last to Camelot. Modred, a rebellious kinsman, conspired against the pure and noble king. A dreadful battle took place, which lasted for hours; and when night fell, Arthur's knights, whom he loved so well, lay dead upon the field. Only one survived, the bold Sir Bedivere.

AT

"So all day long the news of battle roll'd
Among the mountains by the winter sea;
Until King Arthur's table, man by man,
Had fallen in Lyonnesse about their lord,
King Arthur: then, because his wound was deep,
The bold Sir Bedivere uplifted him,

Sir Bedivere, the last of all his knights,
And bore him to a chapel nigh the field,
A broken chancel with a broken cross,
That stood on a dark strait of barren land.
On one side lay the Ocean, and on one
Lay a great water, and the moon was full.
Then spake King Arthur to Sir Bedivere:
'The sequel of to-day unsolders3 all
The goodliest fellowship of famous knights
Whereof this world holds record.
They sleep- the men I loved.

Such a sleep

I think that we

Shall nevermore, at any future time,

Delight our souls with talk of knightly deeds,
Walking about the gardens and the halls
Of Camelot, as in days that were.

I perish by this people which I made,—
Tho' Merlin sware that I should come again
To rule once more but let what will be, be,
I am so deeply smitten thro' the helm
That without help I cannot last till morn.
Thou therefore take my brand Excalibur,

3 Unsolders-disunites.