out an arm, rising from the middle of the lake, brandishing a
magnificent sword. Springing into a skiff near by, Arthur was
miraculously ferried to the centre of the lake, where, as soon as he
touched the sword, the mystic arm disappeared. Merlin now informed
Arthur that, fighting with Excalibure, his wonderful sword, he could
never be conquered, and that as long as its scabbard hung by his side
he could not be wounded. Later on in the story, Arthur, having
incurred the anger of one of his step-sisters, Morgana the Fay, she
borrowed Excalibure under pretext of admiring it, and had so exact a
copy of it made that no one suspected she had kept the magic sword
until Arthur was wounded and defeated. He, however, recovered
possession of Excalibure--if not of the scabbard--before he fought his
last battle.

Arthur was not only brave, but very romantic, for, Guinevere having
bent over him once when he lay half unconscious from a wound, he fell
so deeply in love with her that he entered her father's service as
garden boy. There Guinevere discovered his identity, and, guessing why
he had come, teased him unmercifully. Shortly after, a neighboring,
very ill-favored king declared Guinevere's old father would be
deprived of his kingdom unless she would consent to marry him, and
defied in single combat any one who ventured to object to this
arrangement.

Arthur, having secretly provided himself with a white horse and armor,
defeated this insolent suitor, and, after a few more thrilling
adventures, arranged for his marriage to Guinevere in the fall. By
Merlin's advice he also begged his future father-in-law to give him,
as wedding present, the Round Table Merlin had made for Uther
Pendragon. This was a magic board around which none but virtuous
knights could sit. When led to a seat, any worthy candidate beheld his
name suddenly appear on its back, in golden letters, which vanished
only at his death, or when he became unworthy to occupy a seat at the
Round Table. Besides, on one side of Arthur's throne was the Siege
Perilous, which none could occupy, under penalty of destruction, save
the knight destined to achieve the Holy Grail.

We are informed that Arthur sent his best friend and most accomplished
knight, Launcelot, to escort Guinevere to Caerleon on Usk, where the
wedding and first session of the Round Table were to take place on the
self-same day. It seems that, when this Launcelot was a babe, his
parents had to flee from a