THE COMING OF ARTHUR.

B

THE COMING OF ARTHUR.

LEODOGRAN, the King of Cameliard,

Had one fair daughter, and none other child; And she was fairest of all flesh on earth,

Guinevere, and in her his one delight.

For many a petty king ere Arthur came

Ruled in this isle, and ever waging war
Each upon other, wasted all the land;

And still from time to time the heathen host
Swarm'd overseas, and harried what was left.

And so there grew great tracts of wilderness,

Whorein the beast was over more and more,

But man was less and less, till Arthur came.
For first Aurolius lived and fought and died,
And after him King Uther fought and diod,
But either fail'd to make the kingdom one.
And after these King Arthur for a spaco,

And thro' the puissance of his Table Round,

Drew all their potty princedoms under him,

Their king and head, and made a realm, and reign'd.

And thus the land of Cameliard was waste,

Thick with wet woods, and many a beast therein,

And none or few to scare or chase the beast ;
So that wild dog, and wolf and boar and bear
Came night and day, and rooted in the fields,
And wallow'd in the gardens of the king."

And over and anon the wolf would steal