_How king Arthur pulled out the sword divers times._
Now assay, said Sir Ector to Sir Kay. And anon he pulled at the sword
with all his might, but it would not be. Now shall ye assay, said Sir
Ector to Arthur. I will well, said Arthur, and pulled it out easily.
And therewithal Sir Ector kneeled down to the earth, and Sir Kay. Alas,
said Arthur, mine own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to me. Nay,
nay, my lord Arthur, it is not so: I was never your father nor of your
blood, but I wote well ye are of an higher blood than I wend ye were.
And then Sir Ector told him all, how he was betaken him for to nourish
him, and by whose commandment, and by Merlin’s deliverance. Then Arthur
made great dole when he understood that Sir Ector was not his father.
Sir, said Ector unto Arthur, will ye be my good and gracious lord when
ye are king? Else were I to blame, said Arthur, for ye are the man in
the world that I am most beholding to, and my good lady and mother your
wife, that as well as her own hath fostered me and kept. And if ever it
be God’s will that I be king, as ye say, ye shall desire of me what I
may do, and I shall not fail you: God forbid I should fail you. Sir,
said Sir Ector, I will ask no more of you but that you will make my
son, your foster-brother Sir Kay, seneschal of all your lands. That
shall be done, said Arthur, and more by the faith of my body, that
never man shall have that office but he while he and I live.
Therewithal they went unto the archbishop, and told him how the sword
was achieved, and by whom. And on Twelfth Day all the barons came
thither, and to assay to take the sword who that would assay. But there
afore them all there might none take it out but Arthur, wherefore there
were many lords wroth, and said it was great shame unto them all and
the realm, to be over governed with a boy of no high blood born. And so
they fell out at that time that it was put off till Candlemas, and then
all the barons should meet there again. But always the ten knights were
ordained to watch the sword day and night, and so they set a pavilion
over the stone and the sword, and five always watched. So at Candlemas
many more great lords came thither for to have won the sword, but there
might none prevail. And right as Arthur did at Christmas he did at
Candlemas, and pulled out the sword easily, whereof the barons were
sore aggrieved, and put it off in delay till the high feast of Easter.
And as Arthur sped afore, so did he at Easter: yet there were some of
the great lords had indignation that Arthur should be their king, and
put it off in a delay till the feast of Pentecost. Then the archbishop
of Canterbury by Merlin’s providence let purvey then of the best
knights that they might get, and such knights as king Uther Pendragon
loved best and most trusted in his days, and such knights were put
about Arthur, as Sir Baudwin of Britain, Sir Kay, Sir Ulfius, Sir
Brastias. All these, with many other, were always about Arthur, day and
night, till the feast of Pentecost.