f
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 had taken him for to
nourish him, and by whose commandment, and by Merlin's deliverance. Then
Arthur made great doole 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, God forbid that 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."

Therewithal they went unto the Archbishop and told him how the sword was
achieved, and by whom; and on the Twelfth-day all the barons came
thither, and to essay to take the sword, who that would essay. 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 until 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 agrieved and put it off in delay till the high feast of
Easter, yet there were some of the great lords had indignation that
Arthur should be king, and put it off in a delay till the feast of
Pentecost. And at the feast of Pentecost all manner of men essayed to
pull at the sword that would essay, but none might prevail but Arthur,
and he pulled it out afore all the lords and commons that were there,
wherefore all the commons cried at once, "We will have Arthur unto our
king. We will put him no more in delay, for we all see that it is God's
will that he shall be our king, and who that ho