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