E-text prepared by Christine Aldridge and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 31900-h.htm or 31900-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/31900/pg31900-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/31900/31900-h.zip) Transcriber's note: Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). Minor punctuation errors have been corrected. A complete list of spelling corrections and notations is located at the end of this text. Édition d'Élite HISTORICAL TALES The Romance of Reality by CHARLES MORRIS Author of "Half-Hours with the Best American Authors," "Tales from the Dramatists," etc. In Fifteen Volumes VOLUME XIII King Arthur 1 J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON Copyright, 1891, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. Copyright, 1904, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. Copyright, 1908, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. * * * * * [Illustration: FURNESS ABBEY.] CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. BOOK I. HOW ARTHUR WON THE THRONE. CHAPTER. PAGE. I.--THE MAGIC SWORD 19 II.--ARTHUR'S WARS AND THE MYSTERY OF HIS BIRTH 28 III.--THE LADY OF THE LAKE 39 IV.--GUENEVER AND THE ROUND TABLE 46 BOOK II. THE DEEDS OF BALIN. I.--HOW BALIN WON AND USED THE ENCHANTED SWORD 55 II.--HOW ARTHUR TRIUMPHED OVER THE KINGS 65 III.--HOW BALIN GAVE THE DOLOROUS STROKE 72 IV.--THE FATE OF BALIN AND BALAN 81 V.--MERLIN'S FOLLY AND FATE 89 BOOK III. THE TREASON OF MORGAN LE FAY. I.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENCHANTED SHIP 94 II.--THE COMBAT OF ARTHUR AND ACCOLAN 102 III.--HOW MORGAN CHEATED THE KING 110 IV.--THE COUNTRY OF STRANGE ADVENTURES 120 BOOK IV. LANCELOT DU LAKE. I.--HOW TROUBLE CAME TO LIONEL AND HECTOR 137 II.--THE CONTEST OF THE FOUR QUEENS 143 III.--HOW LANCELOT AND TURQUINE FOUGHT 153 IV.--THE CHAPEL AND PERILOUS 164 V.--THE ADVENTURE OF THE FALCON 174