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 wolf-like (men, Worse than the wolves. And King Leodogran Groan'd for the Roman legions here again, And Cæsar's eagle: then his brother king, Rience, 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 And so return'd. | For while he linger'd there, A doubt that ever smoulder'd in the hearts Of those great Lords and Barons of his realm Flash'd forth and into war: for most of these Made head against him, crying, "Who is he That he should rule us? who hath proven him, King Uther's son? for lo! we look at him And find nor face nor bearing,limbs nor voice, Are like to those of Uther whom we knew. This is the son of Gorloïs, not the king; This is the son of Anton, not the king." And Arthur, passing thence to battle, felt Travail, and throes and agonies of the life, Desiring to be join'd with Guinevere; Shall I not lift her from this lands of beasts To her that is the fairest under heaven, And Arthur from the field of battle sent Whom when he heard, Leodagran 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 He trusted all things, and of him required A hoary man, his chamberlain, to whom His counsel: Knowest thou aught of Ar(thur's birth?" Then spake the hoary chamberlain and said, "Sir king, there be but two old men that know: And each is twice as old as I; and one To whom the King Leodogran replied, "O friend, had I been holpen half as well By this King Arthur as by thee to-day, 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 Sir, there be many rumours on this head: For there be thoss who hate him in their (hearts, Call him baseborn, and since his ways are (sweet, And theirs are bestial, hold him less than (man:/ And there be those who deem him more than (man, And dream he dropt from heaven: but my [belief In all this matter so ye care to learn Sir, for ye know that in King Uther's time The prince and warrior Gorloïs, he that held Tintagil castle by the Cornish sea, Was wedded with a winsome wife, Ygerne : And daughters had she borne him, one (whereof, Lot's wife, the Queen of Orkney, Bellicent, Moaning and wailing for an heir to rule By reason of the bitterness and grief Of that fierce day were as the lords of this, Wild beasts, and surely would have torn the (child Piecemeal among them, had they known; (for each But sought to rule for his own self and hand, And no man knew. And ever since the lords Have foughten like wild beasts among (themselves, So that the realm has gone to wrack: but (now, This year, when Merlin (for his hour had come) Brought Arthur forth, and set him in the (hall, Proclaiming, Here is Uther's heir, your (king," A hundred voices cried, "Away with him! Banded, and so brake out in open war." Then while the king debated with himself If Arthur were the child of shamefulness, Or born the son of Gorloïs, after death, Or Uther's son, and born before his time, Or whether there were truth in anything Said by these three, there came to Cameliard, With Gawain and young Modred, her two (sons, Lot's wife, the Queen of Orkney, Bellicent, Whom as he could, not as he would,the king | But there was heard among the holy hymns Made feast for, saying, as they sat at meat, this "A doubtful throne is ice on summer seasYe come from Arthur's court: think ye (king So few his knights, however brave they be-Hath body enow to beat his foemen down!" "O king," she cried,,,and I will tell thee: (few, Few, but all brave, all of one mind with him; For I was near him when the savage yells Of Uther's peerage died, and Arthur sat Crown'd on the daïs, and his warriors cried, 'Be thou the king, and we will work thy will Who love thee.' Then the king in low deep (tones, And simple words of great authority, Bound them by so strait vows to his own (self, That when they rose, knighted from kneel(ing, some Were pale as at the passing of a ghost, Some flush'd, and others dazed, as one who (wakes Half-blinded at the coming of a light. " But when he spake and cheer'd his Table (Round With large divine and comfortable words Beyond my tongue to tell thee - I beheld From eye to eye thro' all their Order flash A momentary likeness of the king: And ere it left their faces, thro' the cross And those around it and the Crucified, Down from the casement over Arthur, smote Flame-colour, vert and azure, in three rays, One falling upon each of three fair queens, Who stood in silence near his throne, the (friends Of Arthur, gazing on him, tall, with bright Sweet faces, who will help him at his need. "And there I saw mage Merlin, whose (vast wit And hundred winters are but as the hands Of loyal vassals toiling for their liege. And near him stood the Lady of the Lake, Who knows a subtler magic than his ownClothed in white samite, mystic,wonderful. She gave the king his huge cross-hilted (sword, Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist Of incense curl'd about her, and her face Wellnigh was hidden in the minster gloom; A voice as of the waters, for she dwells Down in a deep, calm, whatsoever storms May shake the world, and when the surface (rolls, Hath power to walk the waters like our (Lord. There likewise I behield Excalibur Before him at his crowning borne,the sword That rose from out the bosom of the lake, And Arthur row'd across and took it-rich With jewels, elfin Urim, on the hilt, Bewildering heart and eye- the blade so (bright Graven in the oldest tongue of all this world, That men are blinded by it --- on one side, "Take me,' but turn the blade and you shall (see, And written in the speech ye speak yourself, 'Cast me away!' And sad was Arthur's face Taking it, but old Merlin counsell'd him, "Take thou and strike! the time to cast away Is yet far-off.' So this great brand the king Took,and by this will beat his foemen down." Thereat Leodogran rejoiced, but thought To sift his doubtings to the last, and ask'd, Fixing full eyes of question on her face, The swallow and the swift are near akin, But thou art closer to this noble prince, Being his own dear sister;" and she said, Daughter of Gorloïs and Ygerne am I;" "And therefore Arthur's sister," ask'd the (King. She answer'd,,,These be secret things," and (sign'd To those two sons to pass and let them be. Struck for the throne, and striking found (his doom. And then the Queen made answer,,,What (know I? For dark my mother was in eyes and hair, He found me first when yet a little maid: Whereof I was not guilty; and out I ran I know not whether of himself he came, Or brought by Merlin, who, they say, can (walk Unseen at pleasure he was at my side, And spake sweet words, and comforted my (heart, And dried my tears, being a child with me. But let me tell thee now another tale: And when I enter'd told me that himself Then from the castle gateway by the chasm Beheld, so high upon the dreary deeps (strand, Lash'd at the wizard as he spake the word, And all at once all round hím rose in fire, So that the child and he were clothed in fire. And presently thereafter follow'd calm, Free sky and stars: 'And this same child,' (he said, 'Is he who reigns; nor could I part in peace Till this were told.' And saying this the (seer Went thro' the strait and dreadful pass of The shining dragon and the naked child 'Rain, rain, and sun! a rainbow in the A young man will be wiser by and by;. (sky! An old man's wit may wander ere he die. Rain, rain, and sun! a rainbow on the (lea! And truth is this to me, and that too thee; And truth or clothed or naked let it be. Rain, sun, and rain! and the free blossom (blows: Sun, rain, and sun! and where is he who (knows? From the great deep to the great deep he (goes." "So Merlin riddling anger'd me; but thou Fear not to give this king thine only child, Guinevere: so great bards of him will sing Hereafter; and dark sayings from of old Ranging and ringing thro' the minds of men, | The fair beginners of a nobler time, And glorying in their vows and him, his Stood round him, and rejoicing in his joy. And holy Dubric spread his hands and spake, Tho' men may wound him that he will not,,Reign ye, and live and love, and make the (die, But pass, again to come; and then or now She spake and king Leodogran rejoiced, But musing,,Shall I answer yea or nay?" Doubted, and drowsed, nodded and slept, (and saw, Dreaming, a slope of land that ever grew, Field after field, up to a height, the peak Haze-hidden, and thereon a phantom king, Now looming, and now lost; and on the slope The sword rose, the hind fell, the herd was (driven, Fire glimpsed; and all the land from roof (and rick, In drifts of smoke before a rolling wind, Stream'd to the peak, and mingled with the (haze And made it thicker; while the phantom king Slew on and burnt, crying,,,No king of ours, Descended, and the solid earth became And honour'd most, Sir Lancelot, to ride (forth and watch'd him And bring the Queen; (from the gates: And Lancelot past away among the flowers, (For then was latter April) and return'd Among the flowers, in May, with Guinevere. To whom arrived, by Dubric the high saint, Chief of the church in Britain, and before The stateliest of her altar-shrines, the king That morn was married, while in stainless white, (world Other, and may thy Queen, be one with thee, And all this Order of thy Table Round Fulfil the boundless purpose of their king." Then at the marriage feast came in from (Rome, The slowly-fading mistress of the world, Great lords, who claim'd the tribute as of (yore. But Arthur spake,,,Behold, for these have (sworn. To fight my wars, and worship me their king; The old order changeth, yielding place to (new; And we that fight for our fair father Christ, Seeing that ye be grown too weak and old To drive the heathen from your Roman wall, No tribute will we pay:" so those great lords Drew back in wrath, and Arthur strove with (Rome. And Arthur and his knigthood for a space Were all one will, and thro' that strength (the king Drew in the petty princedoms under him, Fought,and in twelve great battles overcame The heathen hordes, and made a realm and (reign'd. GARETH AND LYNETTE. THE last tall son of Lot and Bellicent, Stared at the spate. A slender-shafted Pine And tallest, Gareth, in a showerful spring Lost footing, fell, and so was whirl'd away. 'How he went down,' said Gareth, 'as a false (knight Or evil king before my lance if lance And mine is living blood: thou dost His will, The Maker's, and not knowest, and I that (know, Have strength and wit, in my good mother's (hall Linger with vacillating obedience, |