Читать книгу The Knights of the Round Table - Enid blyton - Страница 4

Table of Contents

After Arthur had been made King, many of his lords would not come to do him homage, and made war against him. The King fought bravely against them, and soon the kingdom was his from north to south, from east to west.

Then he set about making the country safe for honest men to live in. He captured robbers, slew wild beasts, and made wide paths through the gloomy forests so that men might journey here and there in peace and safety.

There was a king called Leodegrance whom Arthur helped greatly. This king had a fair daughter, Guinevere, and Arthur loved her as soon as he saw her. He sent to Leodegrance and asked him for his daughter’s hand, which that king was pleased to grant.

Then in great pomp and ceremony the two were wed, and the lovely Guinevere became Arthur’s queen. Leodegrance sent Arthur a wonderful wedding present—the famous Round Table.

This had been made for King Uther Pendragon by Merlin the Magician. When Uther died, the table went to King Leodegrance, and he in his turn sent it to Arthur, who was full of joy to receive it.

It was a very large table, for it would seat one hundred and fifty knights. Leodegrance sent Arthur a hundred knights, and the King called Merlin to him, and bade him go forth into his kingdom and seek for fifty more true knights, worthy to sit at the Table.

Merlin set out, but he could find only twenty-eight, and these he brought back with him. Thus the Table was not full, and there was always room for new knights. These were ordained at every Feast of Pentecost, and very proud were men or youths when there came for them the great day on which they sat for the first time at the Round Table.

Merlin made the seats for the knights, and as soon as a new knight had sat at the table, his name appeared in golden letters on his seat. Thus the knights always knew their places, and each man took his own.

Soon all the seats were full save only one, called the Siege Perilous, which no knight might take unless he was without any stain of sin. This was not filled until Sir Galahad came, for none dared sit there save him.

The greatest day in a knight’s life was when he took upon himself the vows of true knighthood, and sat at the Table Round in the company of all the other noble knights. Then he had to swear many things.

He must promise to obey the King; to show mercy to all who asked for it; to fight for the weak; to be kind, courteous, and gentle to all; and to do only those deeds which would bring honour and glory to knighthood.

So began the famous company of the Round Table, whose names have come down to us in many a brave and marvellous adventure. Any man or woman who was distressed could come to Arthur’s court, sure of finding a knight who would ride forth and right their wrongs.