, both for themselves and for their soldiers.
And the two kings went home rejoicing.

[Illustration: The Two Horses]

[Illustration] ARTHUR'S COURT & THE ORDER OF THE ROUND TABLE

After Arthur had proved his prowess in his contest with the
eleven kings, he decided to establish his Court and the Order of
the Round Table. The place he chose was the city of Camelot in
Wales, which had a good situation, being built upon a hill. He
called the wise Merlin and ordered him to make a great palace on
the summit of the hill. Through his powers of enchantment, Merlin
was able to do this very quickly, and within a week the king and
his personal attendants were settled in the palace.

The main part consisted of a great Assembly Hall built of white
marble, the roof of which seemed to be upheld by pillars of green
and red porphyry, and was surmounted by magnificent towers. The
outside walls of the hall were covered with beautiful rows of
sculpture. The lowest row represented wild beasts slaying men.
The second row represented men slaying wild beasts. The third
represented warriors who were peaceful, good men. The fourth
showed men with growing wings. Over all was a winged statue with
the face of Arthur. Merlin meant to show by means of the first
row that formerly evil in men was greater than good; by the
second that men began to conquer the evil in themselves, which in
time caused them to become really good, noble, and peace-loving
men, as in the third row. And finally, through the refining
influence of Good King Arthur and his wise helpers, men would
grow to be almost as perfect as the angels.

The main doorway was in the shape of an arch, upheld by pillars
of dark yellow marble. The hall was lighted by fourteen great
windows, through which the light streamed in soft colors upon the
marble floors. Between these windows, and along the cornices,
were beautiful decorations. There were carvings in white marble
of birds and beasts and twining vines. There was mosaic work of
black and yellow and pink marble and of lapis lazuli, as blue as
a lake when the clear sun shines full upon its surface. Under the
windows were many stone shields, beneath each of which was the
name of a knight. Some shields were blazoned with gold, some were
carved, and some were blank. The walls were hung with beautiful
tapestries which had been woven by the ladies of the land for
Arthur's new palace. On each had been pictured some episode from
the lif