The_Story_of_Arthur_and_the_Sword_from_Mallory

The story of Arthur and the Sword from Mallory begins with the Archbishop sending all lords and gentlemen of arms to London by Christmas. Many of them came because they believed that this would make their souls and prayers cleaner. When the first mass was done, all these men saw, against a high altar, “a great stone four square, like unto a marble stone.” This included a steel sword stuck into the stone. Inscribed into the sword were the words (translated) that anyone who pulls out this sword will be the right wise King of England. Of course, all of the men wanted a chance to pull out this sword, but the Archbishop asserted that no man will touch the sword until the high mass is over. When all the masses were finished, the lords went to examine the sword but alas, no one could even “stir” the sword. The Archbishop announced that nobody was there at the moment to claim it, and decided to arrange the ten best knights to try to pull out the sword; he believed that God would let him know who is the true King. Nobody could, and gradually New Years came. Sir Kay, his son, and his brother Arthur rode into London to a jousts-ward. However, as they rode on, Sir Kay lost his sword and asked Arthur to go get it. Arthur quickly made his way to the father’s lodging, but the lady and all were out to see the jousting. So, Arthur decided to ride to the churchyard and take the sword that he had seen stuck in the sword. He took the sword by its handles, and lightly he pulled it out of the stone. He rode back to Sir Kay, and as soon as Sir Kay saw it, rode to his father Sir Ector to tell him that he was King of this land. Ector made Sir Kay swear upon a book on how he came to the sword. Sir Kay told him what had occurred, and Arthur thus proceeded to tell his father how he came upon the sword. Arthur didn’t understand how he, Arthur, could be the King. But when Sir Ector tried to pull out the sword, he failed. And so, that was how Arthur came about becoming the rightful King of England and was able to retrieve the sword from Mallory.