King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances
So they rode royally and freshly, sometimes by water and sometimes by
land, towards Camelot. And as they rode along in the spring weather,
they made full many sports and pastimes. And, in all those sports and
games, a young knight lately come to Arthur's, court, Sir Lancelot by
name, was passing strong, and won praise from all, being full of grace
and hardihood; and Guinevere also ever looked on him with joy. And
always in the eventide, when the tents were set beside some stream or
forest, many minstrels came and sang before the knights and ladies as
they sat in the tent-doors, and many knights would tell adventures; and
still Sir Lancelot was foremost, and told the knightliest tales, and
sang the goodliest songs, of all the company.
And when they came to Camelot, King Arthur made great joy, and all the
city with him; and riding forth with a great retinue he met Guinevere
and her company, and led her through the streets all filled with people,
and in the midst of all their shoutings and the ringing of church bells,
to a palace hard by his own.
Then, in all haste, the king commanded to prepare the marriage and the
coronation with the stateliest and most honorable pomp that could be
made. And when the day was come, the archbishops led the king to the
cathedral, whereto he walked, clad in his royal robes, and having four
kings, bearing four golden swords, before him; a choir of passing sweet
music going also with him.
In another part, was the queen dressed in her richest ornaments, and led
by archbishops and bishops to the Chapel of the Virgins, the four queens
also of the four kings last mentioned walked before her, bearing four
white doves, according to ancient custom; and after her there followed
many damsels, singing and making every sign of joy.
And when the two processions were come to the churches, so wondrous was
the music and the singing, that all the knights and barons who were
there pressed on each other, as in the crowd of battle, to hear and see
the most they might.
When the king was crowned, he called together all the knights that came
with the Round Table from Camelgard, and twenty-eight others, great and
valiant men, chosen by Merlin out of all the realm, towards making up
the full number of the table. Then the Archbishop of Canterbury blessed
the seats of all the knights, and when they rose again therefrom to pay
their homage to King Arthur, there was found upon the back of each
knight's seat his name, written in letters of gold. But upon one seat
was found written, "This is the Siege Perilous, wherein if any man shall
sit save him whom Heaven hath chosen, he shall be devoured by fire."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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