The Birth of Arthur

Many, many years ago, when the petty kingdoms of Britain (then called Logria) were quarrelling among themselves, yet striving to maintain their independence of the Romans, Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us that "there appeared a star of wonderful magnitude and brightness, darting its rays, at the end of which was a globe of fire in form of a dragon, out of whose mouth issued two rays; one of which seemed to stretch out itself beyond the extent of Gaul, the other toward the Irish Sea and ended in two lesser rays."

This was an age of superstition, and the people wondered and trembled lest this star should foreshadow some dire misfortune, for comets were supposed to blaze forth the death of princes.

Uther, the brother of the King of Britain, was leading an army into Cambria, but so great was his alarm that he sent for Merlin the wizard, "who knew the starry heavens."

Merlin came to him and burst into tears, crying: "O irreparable loss! O distressed people of Britain! Alas! the illustrious prince is departed! The renowned King of the Britons, Aurelius Ambrosius, is dead!"

He then told Uther to make haste and fight the enemy; that he should conquer and be made king of Britain. For the dragon signified Uther himself; the ray reaching toward the Gallic coast, a very powerful son to whom the nations over which the ray stretched would be subject. The other ray signified a daughter, whose son and grandson in their turn should rule over Britain.

So Uther marched against the enemy, and after a sharp contest won the victory and was likewise made king of Britain. He then commanded two gold dragons to be made in the likeness of the dragon which he had seen at the ray of the star.

These were so marvelously wrought and so delicately fashioned, that King Uther gave one to the cathedral of Winchester, where it shone like a star, and its rays were said to reach the farthermost corner of the long aisle. The other dragon King Uther kept, and always carried with him; from this time he was called Pendragon.

He proved to be a very powerful king, and subdued all his rebellious subjects and united Britain. To celebrate so great a triumph, King Uther proclaimed a solemn festival to be held at London. All the nobility of the kingdom were there, and the King entertained them with triumphal processions, tournaments, and banquets.

But alas! for one of his nobles, Gorlias of Cornwall. His wife, Igerna, was the most beautiful woman in all Britain, and King Uther wished her for his queen. So he made war on her unhappy husband, and by the aid of Merlin's magic conquered and slew Gorlias, then married the fair Igerna. Their son was the great king, Arthur.

The night of Arthur's birth Queen Igerna secretly gave him to Merlin, who should care for the child, and preserve him from the nobles, who, on hearing of his birth, might destroy him. For her lord, King Uther, had been treacherously poisoned by the Saxons.

The kingdom of Leogria was in the hands of rival princes who were striving for the throne. But the babe had been born, who in time was destined to conquer Britain; and who,

"Thro' the puissance of his Table Round,
Drew all their petty princedoms under him,
Their king, and head, and made a realm and reigned."