urch. And
anon he made Sir Kay swear upon a book how he came to that sword. Sir,
said Sir Kay, by my brother Arthur, for he brought it to me. How gat ye
this sword? said Sir Ector to Arthur. Sir, I will tell you. When I came
home for my brother's sword, I found nobody at home to deliver me his
sword; and so I thought my brother Sir Kay should not be swordless, and
so I came hither eagerly and pulled it out of the stone without any
pain. Found ye any knights about this sword? said Sir Ector. Nay, said
Arthur. Now, said Sir Ector to Arthur, I understand ye must be king of
this land. Wherefore I, said Arthur, and for what cause? Sir, said
Ector, for God will have it so; for there should never man have drawn
out this sword, but he that shall be rightwise king of this land. Now
let me see whether ye can put the sword there as it was, and pull it out
again. That is no mastery, said Arthur, and so he put it in the stone;
wherewithal Sir Ector assayed to pull out the sword and failed.

CHAPTER VI. How King Arthur pulled out the sword divers times.

Now assay, said Sir Ector unto 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 knelt down to the earth, and Sir Kay. Alas, said
Arthur, my 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 wot well ye are of an higher blood than I weened 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 beholden 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 ye 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 Therewi