Chapter I: Preface: To the Eighth Edition

The Publishers have asked me to authorise a new edition, in my own name, of this little book--now long out of print--which was written by me thirty-five years ago under the initials J.T.K.

In acceding to their request I wish to say that the book as now published is merely a word-for-word reprint of my early effort to help to popularise the Arthur legends.

It is little else than an abridgment of Sir Thomas Malory's version of them as printed by Caxton--with a few additions from Geoffrey of Monmouth and other sources--and an endeavour to arrange the many tales into a more or less consecutive story.

The chief pleasure which came to me from it was, and is, that it began for me a long and intimate acquaintance with Lord Tennyson, to whom, by his permission, I Dedicated it before I was personally known to him.

JAMES KNOWLES.

_Addendum by Lady Knowles_

In response to a widely expressed wish for a fresh edition of this little book--now for some years out of print--a new and ninth edition has been prepared.

In his preface my husband says that the intimacy with Lord Tennyson to which it led was the chief pleasure the book brought him. I have been asked to furnish a few more particulars on this point that may be generally interesting, and feel that I cannot do better than give some extracts from a letter written by himself to a friend in July 1896.

"DEAR ----,

"I am so _very_ glad you approve of my little effort to popularise the Arthur Legends. Tennyson had written his first four 'Idylls of the King' before my book appeared, which was in 1861. Indeed, it was in consequence of the first four Idylls that I sought and obtained, while yet a stranger to him, leave to dedicate my venture to him. He was extremely kind about it--declared 'it ought to go through forty editions'--and when I came to know him personally talked very frequently about it and Arthur with me, and made constant use of it when he at length yielded to my perpetual urgency and took up again his forsaken project of treating the whole subject of King Arthur.

"He discussed and rediscussed at any amount of length the way in which this could now be done--and the Symbolism, which had from his earliest time haunted him as the inner meaning to be given to it, brought him back to the Poem in its changed shape of separate pictures.

"He used often to say that it was entirely my doing that he revived his old plan, and added, 'I know more about Arthur than any other man in England, and I think you know next most.' It would amuse you to see in what intimate detail he used to consult with me--and often with my little book in front of us--over the various tales, and when I wrote an article (in the shape of a long letter) in the _Spectator_ of January 1870 he asked to reprint it, and published it with the collected Idylls.

"For years, while his boys were at school and college, I acted as his confidential friend in business and many other matters, and I suppose he told me more about himself and his life than any other man now living knows."

ISABEL KNOWLES.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

The Finding of Merlin--The Fight of the Dragons--The Giants' Dance--The Prophecies of Merlin and the Birth of Arthur--Uther attacks the Saxons--The Death of Uther

CHAPTER II

Merlin's Advice to the Archbishop--The Miracle of the Sword and Stone--The Coronation of King Arthur--The Opposition of the Six Kings--The Sword Excalibur--The Defeat of the Six Kings--The War with the Eleven Kings

CHAPTER III

The Adventure of the Questing Beast--The Siege of York--The Battles of Celidon Forest and Badon Hill--King Arthur drives the Saxons from the Realm--The Embassy from Rome--The King rescues Merlin--The Knight of the Fountain

CHAPTER IV

King Arthur conquers Ireland and Norway--Slays the Giant of St. Michael's Mount and conquers Gaul--King Ryence's Insolent Message--The Damsel and the Sword--The Lady of the Lake--The Adventures of Sir Balin

CHAPTER V

Sir Balin kills Sir Lancear--The Sullen Knight--The Knight Invisible is killed--Sir Balin smites the Dolorous Stroke, and fights with his brother Sir Balan

CHAPTER VI

The Marriage of King Arthur and Guinevere--The Coronation of the Queen--The Founding of the Round Table--The Quest of the White Hart--The Adventures of Sir Gawain--The Quest of the White Hound--Sir Tor kills Abellius--The Adventures of Sir Pellinore--The Death of Sir Hantzlake--Merlin saves King Arthur

CHAPTER VII

King Arthur and Sir Accolon of Gaul are entrapped by Sir Damas--They fight each other through Enchantment of Queen Morgan le Fay--Sir Damas is compelled to surrender all his Lands to Sir Outzlake his Brother their Rightful Owner--Queen Morgan essays to kill King Arthur with a Magic Garment--Her Damsel is compelled to wear it and is thereby burned to Cinders

CHAPTER VIII

A Second Embassy from Rome--King Arthur's Answer--The Emperor assembles his Armies--King Arthur slays the Emperor--Sir Gawain and Sir Prianius--The Lombards are defeated--King Arthur crowned at Rome

CHAPTER IX

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot--He and his Cousin Sir Lionel set forth--The Four Witch-Queens--King Bagdemagus--Sir Lancelot slays Sir Turquine and delivers his Captive Knights--The Foul Knight--Sir Gaunter attacks Sir Lancelot--The Four Knights--Sir Lancelot comes to the Chapel Perilous--Ellawes the Sorceress--The Lady and the Falcon--Sir Bedivere and the Dead Lady

CHAPTER X

Beaumains is made a Kitchen Page by Sir Key--He claims the Adventure of the Damsel Linet--He fights with Sir Lancelot and is knighted by him in his True Name of Gareth--Is flouted by the Damsel Linet--But overthrows all Knights he meets and sends them to King Arthur's Court--He delivers the Lady Lyones from the Knight of the Redlands--The Tournament before Castle Perilous--Marriage of Sir Gareth and the Lady Lyones

CHAPTER XI

The Adventures of Sir Tristram--His Stepmother--He is knighted--Fights with Sir Marhaus--Sir Palomedes and La Belle Isault--Sir Bleoberis and Sir Segwarides--Sir Tristram's Quest--His Return--The Castle Pluere--Sir Brewnor is slain--Sir Kay Hedius--La Belle Isault's Hound--Sir Dinedan refuses to fight--Sir Pellinore follows Sir Tristram--Sir Brewse-without-pity--The Tournament at the Maiden's Castle--Sir Palomedes and Sir Tristram

CHAPTER XII

Merlin is bewitched by a Damsel of the Lady of the Lake--Galahad knighted by Sir Lancelot--The Perilous Seat--The Marvellous Sword--Sir Galahad in the Perilous Seat--The Sangreal--The Knights vow themselves to its Quest--The Shield of the White Knight--The Fiend of the Tomb--Sir Galahad at the Maiden's Castle--The Sick Knight and the Sangreal--Sir Lancelot declared unworthy to find the Holy Vessel--Sir Percival seeks Sir Galahad--The Black Steed--Sir Bors and the Hermit--Sir Pridan le Noir--Sir Lionel's Anger--He meets Sir Percival--The ship "Faith"--Sir Galahad and Earl Hernox--The Leprous Lady--Sir Galahad discloses himself to Sir Lancelot--They part--The Blind King Evelake--Sir Galahad finds the Sangreal--His Death

CHAPTER XIII

The Queen quarrels with Sir Lancelot--She is accused of Murder--Her Champion proves her innocence--The Tourney at Camelot--Sir Lancelot in the Tourney--Sir Baldwin the Knight-Hermit--Elaine, the Maid of Astolat, seeks for Sir Lancelot--She tends his Wounds--Her Death--The Queen and Sir Lancelot are reconciled