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Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Chivalry

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Jana Chand-Medlock
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« Reply #60 on: October 27, 2009, 01:17:17 am »

A few days after this, the enemy, regardless of a truce into which
they had entered with King Laodegan, suddenly issued from their camp
and made an attempt to surprise the city. Cleodalis, the king's
general, assembled the royal forces with all possible despatch. Arthur
and his companions also flew to arms, and Merlin appeared at their
head, bearing a standard on which was emblazoned a terrific dragon.
Merlin advanced to the gate, and commanded the porter to open it,
which the porter refused to do, without the king's order. Merlin
thereupon took up the gate, with all its appurtenances of locks, bars,
and bolts, and directed his troop to pass through, after which he
replaced it in perfect order. He then set spurs to his horse, and
dashed, at the head of the little troop, into a body of two thousand
Pagans. The disparity of numbers being so enormous, Merlin cast a
spell upon the enemy, so as to prevent their seeing the small number
of their assailants; notwithstanding which the British knights were
hard pressed. But the people of the city, who saw from the walls
this unequal contest, were ashamed of leaving the small body of
strangers to their fate, so they opened the gate and sallied forth.
The numbers were now more nearly equal, and Merlin revoked his
spell, so that the two armies encountered on fair terms. Where Arthur,
Ban, Bohort, and the rest fought, the king's army had the advantage;
but in another part of the field the king himself was surrounded and
carried off by the enemy. This sad sight was seen by Guenever, the
fair daughter of the king, who stood on the city wall and looked at
the battle. She was in dreadful distress, tore her hair, and swooned
away.
But Merlin, aware of what passed in every part of the field,
suddenly collected his knights, led them out of the battle,
intercepted the passage of the party who were carrying away the
king, charged them with irresistible impetuosity, cut in pieces or
dispersed the whole escort, and rescued the king. In the fight
Arthur encountered Caulang, a giant fifteen feet high, and the fair
Guenever, who already began to feel a strong interest in the
handsome young stranger, trembled for the issue of the contest. But
Arthur, dealing a dreadful blow on the shoulder of the monster, cut
through his neck so that his head hung over on one side, and in this
condition his horse carried him about the field, to the great horror
and dismay of the Pagans. Guenever could not refrain from expressing
aloud her wish that the gentle knight, who dealt with giants so
dexterously, were destined to become her husband, and the wish was
echoed by her attendants. The enemy soon turned their backs, and
fled with precipitation, closely pursued by Laodegan and his allies.
After the battle Arthur was disarmed and conducted to the bath by
the Princess Guenever, while his friends were attended by the other
ladies of the court. After the bath the knights were conducted to a
magnificent entertainment, at which they were diligently served by the
same fair attendants. Laodegan, more and more anxious to know the name
and quality of his generous deliverers, and occasionally forming a
secret wish that the chief of his guests might be captivated by the
charms of his daughter, appeared silent and pensive, and was
scarcely roused from his reverie by the banter of his courtiers.
Arthur, having had an opportunity of explaining to Guenever his
great esteem for her merit, was in the joy of his heart, and was still
further delighted by hearing from Merlin the late exploits of Gawain
at London, by means of which his immediate return to his dominions was
rendered unnecessary, and he was left at liberty to protract his
stay at the court of Laodegan. Every day contributed to increase the
admiration of the whole court for the gallant strangers, and the
passion of Guenever for their chief; and when at last Merlin announced
to the king that the object of the visit of the party was to procure a
bride for their leader, Laodegan at once presented Guenever to Arthur,
telling him that, whatever might be his rank, his merit was sufficient
to entitle him to the possession of the heiress of Carmalide. Arthur
accepted the lady with the utmost gratitude, and Merlin then proceeded
to satisfy the king of the rank of his son-in-law; upon which
Laodegan, with all his barons, hastened to do homage to their lawful
sovereign, the successor of Uther Pendragon. The fair Guenever was
then solemnly betrothed to Arthur, and a magnificent festival was
proclaimed, which lasted seven days. At the end of that time, the
enemy appearing again with renewed force, it became necessary to
resume military operations.*
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