wrongs and to enforce the
law. All who were in distress came to the king for help. And to
the whole country Arthur's Court was famous as a place where
unkindness was never done, and where truth, justice, and love
reigned.

[Illustration: The Shield and the Sword]

[Illustration] KING ARTHUR & THE PRINCESS GUINEVERE

After Arthur had been established in his Court for some time, his
neighbor, Leodogran, the king of Cameliard, asked him for help in
a battle. To this Arthur cheerfully consented, and gathered his
warrior men about him.

It chanced, as he and his men were marching past the castle of
Leodogran to meet the enemy, the king's daughter, Guinevere, who
was the most beautiful lady in all that land, stood on the castle
wall to watch her father's allies pass. Now she did not know, of
all the knights who rode by, which was Arthur. Many wore gold and
jewels on their armor, while the king's armor was plain.

[Illustration: _"Arthur saw Guinevere bending over the wall"_]

But Arthur saw her bending over the wall. She was slender and
graceful; her black hair fell in two long heavy braids over each
shoulder; her eyes were large and black. And Arthur felt a warm
love spring from his heart for her, and said to himself:

"If I win this battle for Leodogran, I shall ask him to give me
the princess Guinevere for wife."

His love for Guinevere made him fight even more bravely than
usual, and he soon won the battle. After he had returned to
Camelot, he told his knights that he wished to marry the
princess. They were very glad, because they, too, had seen her
and thought her the most beautiful lady they had ever beheld.

Then Arthur said:

"I will send my three good knights, Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias
and Sir Bedivere, to King Leodogran to ask for Guinevere."

The three knights set forth gayly, feeling certain that King
Leodogran would be glad to marry his daughter to their great
Arthur. When, however, they came to the castle of Leodogran with
their request, the king hesitated. He bade them wait for a little
while in the room adjoining his large hall. Then he said to
himself:

"Arthur has helped me, indeed. I know, too, that he is powerful.
But I hear strange stories of his birth. There are people who say
that he is not a king's son. However great he is, I cannot give
him my only daughter unless he is really a true king, born of
royal blood."

He called the oldest knight in his kingdom and said to him: