Arthur, according to these accounts, was the son of Uther Pendragon, in whose reign the monuments at Stonehenge were transported from Ireland. His mother was Igerna, wife of Gorlois, duke of Cornwall. Hay ing for a long time vainly solicited the affections of this lady, Uther at length succeeded by the skill of Merlin ; for having, by the medicaments of that wicked seer, as sumed the appearance of Gorlois, he was readily admit ted into the castle to which she had fled from his vio lence. The unhappy husband was soon put to death : Igerna was made queen ; and Arthur, who was horn some time before, was acknowledged as legitimate. This wonderful personage, when yet a child, became it bulwark to the Christian faith ; and when he grew up, expelled from our coasts, not only the Saxons, but also the Saracens, and other pagans, unknown at that time to other Christian countries. The Scots having incur red his displeasure, he pursued them into the lake Limo go ; whence, on beaded knees, they besought his cle mency, and consented to pay tribute. According to the same authorities, Arthur next subdued Ireland, and the Orkneys, and the remotest isles : nay, surpassing in glory those eastern conquerors Bacchus and Sesostris, he penetrated into the frozen continent of the North, arid planted his victorious banners on the cliffs of Nor way and Lapland. To this mighty empire he also added France ; for having slain the king of the Franks, and taken Paris his capital, he parcelled out the whole king dom among his followers. In the course of these ex ploits, the hero established Christianity in several places, and even made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
One of the most famous acts of king Arthur, accord ing to romance, was the institution of the order of the Round Table. The first companions were the great warriors and counsellors who had shared his own dan gers and glory ; and these were to be recruited from among characters of a similar description. Prowess in the day of battle, consummate prudence, persuasive elo quence, dexterity in diplomatic negociations, with a no ble and unbounded generosity, were the requisites for admission into this celebrated fraternity. About this period, say the fables, Arthur held a numerous and splendid assembly of all his subject princes in his own capital, in whose presence he was solemnly crowned. On this occasion a magnificent procession took place, in which Arthur was preceded by four golden swords, borne by the king of Scotland and three other monarchs ; and his train was composed of an incredible number of archbishops, and bishops, kings, dukes, and nobles, fo reign and domestic.
But the Romans about this time growing jealous of his power, revived their claim to an ancient tribute. Ar thur prepares for war. Numberless kings and chief tains, summoned to his aid, flocked with their contin gents to his standard. The dress of the monarch was
ponderous mail. On his head was a helmet of flaming gold, surmounted by the figure of a dragon. His shoul ders supported the shield Priwen, charged with an effi gy of the virgin. Caliburn, his matchless sword, which destroyed men at a single touch, depended from his thigh ; and his right hand was graced by the spear Ron, manufactured in the isle of Avalon. Thus accoutred for the fight, and attended by all the chivalry of the western world, the hero awaited, on the plains of Bur gundy, the approach of the foe, who on their part had exhausted the resources of the East to combat the mighty Briton. The battle was long and dreadful. The Romans at length gave way ; when their whole army. with L. Hiberus their general, perished in the flight ; and Arthur, like his countryman Brennus of old, march ed directly for Rome.
At Rome, however, the conqueror was not destined to arrive. The unexpected intelligence soon was brought, that Alordred his nephew, to whom on his de parture he had committed the regency of Britain, had violated his trust. The perfidious wretch, despising all laws human and divine, had assumed the sovereignty, called in the Saxons to his support, and, to fill the mea sure of his iniquity, seduced the affections of Gucnevir, Arthur's beloved consort ! The indignant monarch speedily returned ; and in three pitched battles fought the false Mordred. In the last of these, the fatal battle of Candan, Nlordred was indeed destroyed, with his whole army ; but, alas ! Arthur, the flower of kings, was mor tally wounded. From this, the last field of his glory, the bleeding hero is conveyed, in sorrowful pomp, to the isle of Avalon : a place which, in the tales of the bards, is gradually converted into the Island of the Blessed ; a land situated far in the ocean, and covered with fruits, and flowers, and perennial green. Here he is committed to the care of Morgain Lafaye, a sylvan personage skilled in the art of healing. In her mystic chamber, the king is laid on a golden couch ; and hav ing examined his wounds, she dismisses his attendants, with the assurance that he will yet recover, provided he remain till her medicaments have had their effect. They, with joy in their countenances, spread their sails, and return to their friends. It was carefully given out to his disconsolate subjects, that, under the care of the infallible Morgain, Arthur must continue till his wounds were healed ; when he would certainly return, strong and mighty, to resume the British sceptre. And this expectation, it is certain, continued for several ages pre valent among the Britons ; who, amid all the sufferings which they afterwards experienced, in their struggle with the Saxons, allowed themselves to derive comfort from the prospect of Arthur's return.