King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
King
Vortigern
the
usurper
sat
upon
his
throne
in
London
,
when
,
suddenly
,
upon
a
certain
day
,
ran
in
a
breathless
messenger
,
and
cried
aloud
—
“
Arise
,
Lord
King
,
for
the
enemy
is
come
;
even
Ambrosius
and
Uther
,
upon
whose
throne
thou
sittest
—
and
full
twenty
thousand
with
them
—
and
they
have
sworn
by
a
great
oath
,
Lord
,
to
slay
thee
,
ere
this
year
be
done
;
and
even
now
they
march
towards
thee
as
the
north
wind
of
winter
for
bitterness
and
haste
.
”
At
those
words
Vortigern
’
s
face
grew
white
as
ashes
,
and
,
rising
in
confusion
and
disorder
,
he
sent
for
all
the
best
artificers
and
craftsmen
and
mechanics
,
and
commanded
them
vehemently
to
go
and
build
him
straightway
in
the
furthest
west
of
his
lands
a
great
and
strong
castle
,
where
he
might
fly
for
refuge
and
escape
the
vengeance
of
his
master
’
s
sons
—
“
and
,
moreover
,
”
cried
he
,
“
let
the
work
be
done
within
a
hundred
days
from
now
,
or
I
will
surely
spare
no
life
amongst
you
all
.
”
Then
all
the
host
of
craftsmen
,
fearing
for
their
lives
,
found
out
a
proper
site
whereon
to
build
the
tower
,
and
eagerly
began
to
lay
in
the
foundations
.
But
no
sooner
were
the
walls
raised
up
above
the
ground
than
all
their
work
was
overwhelmed
and
broken
down
by
night
invisibly
,
no
man
perceiving
how
,
or
by
whom
,
or
what
.
And
the
same
thing
happening
again
,
and
yet
again
,
all
the
workmen
,
full
of
terror
,
sought
out
the
king
,
and
threw
themselves
upon
their
faces
before
him
,
beseeching
him
to
interfere
and
help
them
or
to
deliver
them
from
their
dreadful
work
.
Filled
with
mixed
rage
and
fear
,
the
king
called
for
the
astrologers
and
wizards
,
and
took
counsel
with
them
what
these
things
might
be
,
and
how
to
overcome
them
.
The
wizards
worked
their
spells
and
incantations
,
and
in
the
end
declared
that
nothing
but
the
blood
of
a
youth
born
without
mortal
father
,
smeared
on
the
foundations
of
the
castle
,
could
avail
to
make
it
stand
.
Messengers
were
therefore
sent
forthwith
through
all
the
land
to
find
,
if
it
were
possible
,
such
a
child
.
And
,
as
some
of
them
went
down
a
certain
village
street
,
they
saw
a
band
of
lads
fighting
and
quarrelling
,
and
heard
them
shout
at
one
—
“
Avaunt
,
thou
imp
!
—
avaunt
!
Son
of
no
mortal
man
!
go
,
find
thy
father
,
and
leave
us
in
peace
.
”
At
that
the
messengers
looked
steadfastly
on
the
lad
,
and
asked
who
he
was
.
One
said
his
name
was
Merlin
;
another
,
that
his
birth
and
parentage
were
known
by
no
man
;
a
third
,
that
the
foul
fiend
alone
was
his
father
.
Hearing
the
things
,
the
officers
seized
Merlin
,
and
carried
him
before
the
king
by
force
.
But
no
sooner
was
he
brought
to
him
than
he
asked
in
a
loud
voice
,
for
what
cause
he
was
thus
dragged
there
?
“
My
magicians
,
”
answered
Vortigern
,
“
told
me
to
seek
out
a
man
that
had
no
human
father
,
and
to
sprinkle
my
castle
with
his
blood
,
that
it
may
stand
.
”
“
Order
those
magicians
,
”
said
Merlin
,
“
to
come
before
me
,
and
I
will
convict
them
of
a
lie
.
