DOE Temporarally Suspended

It is with regret that I have to inform you that, due to circumstances beyond my control, the Cryptwriters serial ‘Dream of England” has been temporally suspended.

My deepest apologies to those of you who have been waiting for the previously mentioned double episode. I hope to be able to resume the uploads in the New Year so keep an eye on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/cryptwriters where further information will be posted.

In the meantime do feel free to upload your own work, which is what “Work in Progress” is all about: access for all Cryptwriters to share their work. I look forward to reading your contributions.

My apologies again to DOE fans but do check back in 2014 as there is a lot more historical histrionics coming up, including the tyrannical reign of King William and on into the Tudor dynasty with all the pace and excitement you’ve come to expect from DOE.

See you soon. S.

A Huge Apology to all DOE Fans

May I offer my sincere apologies to those of you who were waiting for September’s edition of our monthly Cryptwriters serial, “A Dream of England”.

Due to circumstances outside my control I’m afraid I was unable to upload this edition but, fear not valiant ones, your monthly helping of historical hijinks will be continuing as normal from now on starting again with the missing September episode so you won’t miss a thing!

My apologies again (I may try to upload two episodes this month to make up for it so be sure to keep checking back). S.

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Twelfth:

The coming of William the Conqueror and the death of King Harold

King Harold ruled England; he was kind and just;

the people all loved him (a man they could trust).

He took out the bad laws and kept all the good

that Edward had made and ruled as a King should.
His thoughts always for the good of his country
but he could not stop them drifting overseas,
anxiously and often looking to France
awaiting Duke William’s warships to advance,
his mind was not eased by the news that was brought
of a great fleet being built on their shores.
But different news was to turn his thoughts from
those of Duke William and the war to come:
a messenger arrived and fell on his knees
saying, “Great King I have bad tidings for thee:
Tostig, thy brother, and Hardrada of Norway,
have taken York; they slay and burn without mercy!”
So Harold gathered all his huscarls* around
and set out for Yorkshire, this new battleground,
to fight with his brother he did not want to
but for love of England this he had to do.
Roads in those days were rough, journeys were fraught
but Harold, to save time, had a clever thought:
from London to York a road Romans had made
allowed his army to get there in few days.
Almost alone rode out Harold the King
trying for peace with his brother to win,
but his brother’s loyalty was to Norway
and so a great battle was fought on that day;
both Tostig and Hardrada soon were dead
and all the ‘Northmen’ who fought with them fled.
But Harold was merciful in victory
and let them all return to their own country.
“The Battle of Stamford Bridge” this day was named
and as “Battle Bridge”, to this day, it is famed.
But, while these invaders up north faced defeat,
Duke William had finished preparing his fleet.
In white-sailed vessels over sea they came
with knights, archers, warhorses and spearmen.
The three golden lions of Normandy flew
on their banner as they sailed their course true
and when England’s shore came plainly in sight
they did not to find an army ready to fight
for all Harold’s men were up in the northlands.
A messenger was sent, told “Fast as you can,
tell the king William’s ships rest on the sand
and he and his army have laid waste the land!”
Harold’s men were resting ‘fore riding again
back down to London when the news came.
When he heard the news from the messenger’s mouth
he told all his men, “We must now ride south!”
He sent out ahead as he rode the same road
that any and all soldiers young, brave and bold,
should rally around him, their mettle to chance
and drive William and his army back to France.
Soon a great army rode out with their king
to where the Normans had made camp near Hastings.
The battle was joined and the armies engaged
and all throughout the long day the battle raged.
At one point a cry rang through the Norman ranks
that Duke William was dead; the soldiers’ hearts sank,
until William rode through them with his head bared
and the soldiers fought then harder than they’d dared.
As the day closed in England’s fortunes fell,
they had fought bravely, the French had fought well.
An Englishman won’t go down without a fight
and, in one last stance, they fought with all their might
Brave King Harold fell, pieced by an arrow,
but still they fought on, met the French blow for blow,
but Harold’s standard, bloodstained, kicked and tossed
was sign that the battle of Hastings was lost.
The bravest of England, they lay head to head
with their King on the battlefield, each one dead.
Harold was buried on the nearby seashore
and William gave honor to the foe he’d fought:
“Let him lie by his England’s sea”, he said,
“He’d guard it in life; let him guard it in death.”
William, though cruel, was not without heart
and in pity and remorse (well, maybe in part),
in the years to come an Abby there he’d build
the remains of which are found on that spot still.
And so in bravery, in valor and pride,
the very last of the English Kings there died.
A legend grew round him, a story at best,
whether it’s true we can’t hazard a guess,
that he had “England” written upon his breast;
what we do know is that he loved her to his death.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:

Hereward the Wake and the last stand of the English

NOTE:

*Huscarls” -  During this period England did not have a National Army, ready at all times for battle, like we have today; the King would have a few soldiers he kept as his personal bodyguards and these were known as his “Huscarls”.  The rest of the soldiers were servants of the nobles and rich merchants who came together in times of national battle and then returned afterwards back to their own masters.

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Eleventh:

Edward to Confessor to Harold Godwin

The first thing that he did when Edward was king

was to bring his Norman friends here with him:

The Normans, like the Danes, were haughty and proud,

they behaved arrogantly, rude and so loud;
soon they were hated as the Danes had been
and Godwin regretted his choice of the king.
Eustace, Count of Boulogne, Edward’s friend,
and his men were on their way to France again;
they stopped off in Dover, their trip to begin,
and behaved as if the town belonged to them:
the best houses they went in for bread and board
without any leave and went without a word
of thanks to the occupants. This was too much,
an Englishman’s home is his castle and such
a thing as this must, ultimately, be stopped,
they would not stand for being bullied and robbed!
One brave man refused them entry to his place
and a Norman soldier struck him in the face.
He returned the blow, soon the town was alight
with Dover ‘gainst Normans in one massive fight.
The Englishmen fought well, beat the Normans down,
and drove every one of them out of their town.
A furious Eustace rode back to the king,
with lies in his throat he said, “Look at this thing
your Englishmen have done to my soldiers brave”,
neglecting the fact that they stirred up the rage.
King Edward was angry and ordered to come,
Earl Godwin, as Dover was in his Earldom.
Godwin, he saw through all the Norman’s plain lies
and that the fault was not all on Dover’s side.
The King ordered Godwin to punish the English
but Godwin refused and so he was banished;
all his lands to other people they went
and Edith, his daughter, sent to a convent.
Now, with no restraint on him, Edward alone
brought over more friends, even promised the throne
to his cousin who was the Duke of Normandy,
when he died, England’s crown, William’s would be.
But Godwin was not one to welcome a spurn
and, to the people’s delight, he soon returned
with his sons in tow; the king was appalled,
but the people all rallied around Godwin’s cause
and, with clever strategy, without a war,
Godwin got the king to send his French friends all
back over to France and put Englishmen in
the top places at court and the son of Godwin,
Harold by name, who was by the earl’s side
took over his place after his father died.
In the end Edward was a different man
and it was really Harold who ruled the land.
Harold loved his country and would not be swayed
but trouble came from a promise Edward made:
One day, in a shipwreck, the mighty storm’s roar
washed Harold alive upon Normandy’s shore.
Duke William knew that Harold was a great man
and was pleased to have him, captured, in his hand.
William showed pretend kindness to his foe
but kept him a prisoner, would not let him go,
until he promised just what Edward had done;
once that was accomplished then Harold was gone,
bitter at heart from what he had endured
and hating William and the Normans much more.
On 5th of January Edward’s last breath
was breathed and his body was then laid to rest
In Westminster Cathedral – finished that same day –
and King Harold over all England held sway.
In the end Edward was not a bad man
just could not love his country the way true kings can:
as “Edward the Confessor” he’s known today
but many mistakes he made along the way,
his promise to William perhaps worst of all
as this was to plunge England into turmoil;
unknown to the people, who loved their king so,
Harold had promised the same thing to their foe,
and when William of Normandy heard the news
that Edward was dead and Harold had assumed
the crown of England, he, furious with rage,
demanded that the vows made to him were paid
but Harold said, “No, the people they choose me
and their king of England I remain to be”.
So William he began to build an army
mightier than any that sailed out to sea;
his fierceness and fury just grew over time,
as he demanded, “England’s crown shall be mine!”

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:

The coming of William the Conqueror and the death of King Harold

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Tenth:

The reign of Canute, the last Danish kings and the coming of the Normans

Under the deal that the two kings agreed,

Canute, now the one king of England would be

uniting the whole of the country as one,
which did not know Edmund, himself, had two sons
for Canute banished them to Hungary
insuring never on the throne would they be.
It was in some cruelty his reign began
but he would soon grow into a wise man.
The English, they loved him as one of their own
though he did not just sit on England’s throne:
for Denmark and Sweden and also Norway,
kingship of these lands, too, Canute held sway.
The nobles they praised and they flattered their king
so much and so often it made his head spin;
“All England obeys you”, they cried, “and look see:
not only the land but the waves of the sea!”
This was absurd talk, so wise Canute then
thought a lesson he’d teach these foolish men:
To his servants he called, “Bring me a chair
and set it in front of the tide over there.”
The nobles all proudly stood round this royal seat
as Canute sat down and proceeded to speak:
“Go back!” he said to the waves, “I, your lord
and master say to you to come in no more,
remove your selves away from my royal seat
and do not even dare to come wet my feet!”
The sea, of course, could not hear nor could obey
and soon everyone’s feet had got wet that day.
Canute then arose and to his nobles said,
“Foolish men, have you no brains in your head?
I have no power the sea to control,
it is God alone who has say over all;
he rules the earth and the sky and the sea
and we, his obedient subjects, must be.”
The nobles they learned their lesson that day
and Canute, too, had a change in his way
for, from that day forth he no more wore his crown
but on Winchester’s statue of Christ was it found.
Their king was a Christian and all the Danes who
were still pagans soon became Christians too.
The differences between the English and Danes
soon faded away and they all became
one united kingdom, though not overnight;
it took some time for them to forget their fights.
Though the other lands the king ruled were near
he needed someone to help him to rule here;
into four he divided the whole thing:
an earl in each earldom ruled it for the king.
In Wessex he placed a man there named Godwin
who was to have great sway with a future king,
but, like his forebears king Canute soon died
and was buried in Winchester, 1035.
Harefoot and Hardicanute, his two sons,
were then to rule where their father had done;
but neither were wise or good like their dad
and these were the last Danish kings England had
for earl Godwin (whom we mention again)
said Edward, son of Ethelred, should now reign.
Now Edward, brother to King Canute who died
and also to the brave Edmund Ironside,
had stayed in Normandy, as was his wish,
and was much more Norman than he was English.
But Godwin, earl of Wessex, had a plan
to get him in good standing with this man,
he’d give him his daughter, Edith, to wife
to make him much more love the English life;
a more mis-matched couple there never had been,
yet Edward became king and Edith his queen.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:

Edward to Confessor to William the Conqueror

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Ninth:

The revenge of the Danes and the courage of Edmund Ironside

The truth of Gunhilda’s words soon came to be

as the might of all Denmark set sail out to sea.

Over the blue waves came these fierce sea-kings
in ships carved and painted with wondrous things:
with birds, beasts and dragons and serpents regaled,
glittering golden prows and purple sails,
no storm stayed their way; as they grew ever near
the people’s hearts all to a man filled with fear.
And not without reason for soon the blood flowed
and, in their, wake, death and destruction followed.
Ethelred, coward and weak to the core,
fled with his family to France’s shore
where the Duke of Normandy reigned there as king
and to his wife, Emma, was father and kin.
In Norman courts Ethelred took delight
and he soon forgot his country’s dread plight.
Now Sweyn, king of Denmark, had conquered England
but never as England’s king was he to stand
for he died suddenly and Canute, his son,
got all of the spoil that his father had won.
But the people harked back to Alfred’s throne,
for Englishmen all want a king of their own;
so messages to Ethelred were sent through
saying, ‘rule us better and we’ll fight for you’.
Ethelred returned but he had not changed,
the people were willing but all was in vain;
the soldiers soon lost heart, all hope now seemed gone,
but help was to come through Ethelred’s brave son.
Edmund for his courage was named “Ironside”,
he inherited none of his father’s weak side,
and soon around him the armies rallied round
but the nobles, foolishly, Canute they had crowned
saying, ‘against the Danes there’s no way we can win’
but the armies of England refused to give in:
Edmund they crowned king when Ethelred died,
now England had two kings and one great divide.
The new English king was a brave and wise one
and five battles under him were fought and won.
With Ethelred gone, now under Edmund’s reign,
the English grew strong and their courage regained.
Battle after battle was now being won
but Edmund’s heart was becoming a sad one:
he loved his country and his people dear
but the horror of war was lasting many years;
although a warrior, deep down inside,
he longed for peace so no more people died.
He saw the sun shine on dead fields and burned homes
whilst in his tent on the battlefield alone,
it was then that a thought came into his head
and he sent a message to king Canute which read:
“I, Edmund Ironside, king of England,
to single combat I challenge you and
the winner will rightly then rule everything,
the loser be buried as befits a king.”
Canute, when he heard this, he thought for a while
but then he agreed to this one-on-one trial.
Arrayed in their amour with sword, shield and spear,
the two kings marched out, their armies watched in fear.
The battle was joined, first with spear and with horse,
then down on the ground with their shields and their swords;
both kings were strong but king Edmund was taller
and Canute felt himself beginning to falter;
in a loud voice he cried, “Why should this be?
Two kings should be brothers and not enemies,
let us agree that this fighting shall cease
and divide the kingdom and live then in peace.”
Edmund dropped his sword and held out his hand,
"As kings and brothers we two shall rule this land.”
And so it was England divided again.
the south to the English, the north to the Dane;
there was peace in the land but not for so long
for in just seven months king Edmund was gone.
He died as he lived as a brave and wise king,
but his death meant England united again
for, when the kings fought, a deal they agreed
that, whoever lived longest, the one king would be.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:

The reign of Canute and the last Danish kings

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there


Part the Eighth:
Alfred the Great to Ethelred the Unready

A collection of laws was made by Alfred;
he sifted the good and threw out the bad
and added new laws and wrote them all down
for now a learned man wore England’s crown.
One such new law was, no man be condemned
lest his guilt be agreed on by twelve just and true men.
The people loved Alfred and kept all his rules,
he encouraged learning and founded new schools.
Most books were in Latin, Alfred saw the need
to translate them to English for people to read.
He built even more ships and opened up trade
to sell in far lands what the English had made.
He even invented a wax candle clock
divided in parts, each a hour it took
to burn to the next mark: This measure provided
Alfred the three parts of each day he divided.*
There were still battles during Alfred’s reign:
They were fought for defense, not for conquest or gain.
Alfred was good, wise and kind as a king,
known as, “Great”, “Truthteller” and “England’s darling”.
In 1901 Alfred the Great died
and Edward, his son, to England’s throne did rise,
called “Edward the Elder”, for many more came
after him to the throne who bore the same name,
helped by his sister, Lady Elthelfleda,
who, herself, proved to be a military leader.
He was a good king through a difficult reign
for the Danes had begun to cause trouble again.
Athelstane, after Edward, rose to be England’s king
and he, like his father, did many good things.
The Danes grew more daring, more ships sailed from home
in the times of the “Boy Kings” who sat on the throne.
A hundred years after the days of Alfred
the last of these “Boy Kings” ruled, called Ethelred:
He was foolish and slow, his direction unsteady,
so he became known by the nickname, “Unready”.
He never was sure what he wanted to do
so his soldiers lost heart, his captains quarreled too.
He finally came up with a foolish plan
he thought would drive the Danes out of the land:
“I’ll pay you some money if you go away.”
The Danes delightedly collected their pay.
At first they were glad but the people’s mood turned
for, when they’d spent their money, the Danes soon returned.
Ethelred paid them again, they left England’s shore;
each time they returned they were paid more and more.
And where did this money come from? You may ask:
From the people of course through increases in tax.
Then Elthred’s mind it turned dark and cruel,
tired of being taken for a fool,
he commanded the people to kill all the Danes,
not those attacking but those that remained.
On 13th November the deed would be done
but amongst the Danes there in England was one
Princess Gunhilda who, a Christian become
and wed to an Englishman, was sister to none
other than Sweyn, king of Denmark, no less.
When the slaughter began and the air filled with death
her husband and sons fought to keep her apart
but an Englishman’s sword was plunged straight through her heart.
The last word she said as she died at his hand:
“My death will bring great sorrow upon England.”
Her words proved prophetic, soon Sweyn’s rage would see
the might of all Denmark sailing out to sea.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:
The revenge of the Danes

NOTE:

* 8 hours work, 8 hours strudy & 8 hours sleep.

Being Humble

Spring's first bee bumbled in to find me
over open window sash and blind,
once found, buzzed round and round, behind me.

The blind upwound,
I guided him, or her, with gentle diction, gender free
addressing it as "buddy," friendly:
"fly to the glass, your aim — squeeze past
the slight restriction of the frame."

A few attempts, and out it dropped and droned,
waggled wings expressing thanks and banking right
it flew, impossibly, beyond my sight.

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Seventh:

Ethelwulf, Ethelred, Alfred and the wars with the Danes

The Saxons, now English, they loved their new home;

and fought for it proudly as it were their own.

But, just as with Romans and Saxons before,
a new enemy stared towards England’s shore
and it seemed the land would be conquered again
by fierce warriors known as “Norsemen” or “Danes”.
Ethelwulf, king of Wessex, now did sit
the head of the kingdoms in which England split;
many and long were the battles then fought
and lower and lower old England was brought.
Each of his sons, when Ethelwulf died,
in turn became king; and though each one tried
the Danes became stronger. By Ethelred’s time
the country was in a serious decline.
When Ethelred died his brother, Alfred,
a strong and wise man became king in his stead.
The ship-building skills of the Saxons had gone
and it was as sailors that the Danes were strong:
So Alfred decreed, “We must fight them at sea.”
And this was the birth of the English navy.
In 875 their first battle was on,
the first of many victories Alfred won;
‘till, by an oath, the Danes were forced to abstain
from ever making war with England again.
But their word meant nothing and soon they returned
and, once more, the homes and the lands were all burned.
These battles now fought were some of the harshest,
Alfred had to flee to the Somerset marshes.
In hiding, and joined by his nobles and kin,
he chose a nearby hill to build his camp in.
Alfred and his nobles worked hard night and day
to build a strong fort which he called, “Athelney”.*
Then messengers throughout the people did go
sent from King Alfred to let them all know
that their king was safe and of his hiding ground
and soon a small band of his friends gathered round.
Then one day Alfred’s friends attacked the Danes:
the battle was won – and more than that gained –
they captured “The Raven”, the great Danish banner,
and this put the Danes into a right clamor;
for the magic in their banner they counted on:
if The Raven’s wings spread, then the battle was won
but if they draped in sorrow the battle was lost
and an army without it would soon pay the cost.
The English were cheered and gathered round their king,
then Alfred thought of a much cleverer thing:
These wild and fierce Danes loved poetry and song,
he would dress as a minstrel and move through their throng,
for several days he would sing and would play
whilst sizing out where the Danes weaknesses lay.
Once armed with this knowledge he returned one night
to his fortress and rallied his troops for the fight.
In one mighty battle the Danes were defeated,
up and down the country this scene was repeated.
Alfred was victorious; the dark days were gone,
and the Danes’ king, Guthorm, bowed to Alfred’s throne;
he was even baptized as a Christian,
his Norse name changed to the English, “Aethelstan”.
The Peace of Wedmore was made with the Danes
and, though they didn’t leave, they did not fight again.
But they did leave Wessex, they moved up north and
the place became known as “Danelagh” or “Daneland”.
It was now time for peace, time for Alfred the king
to bring greatness back to his people again.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:

Alfred “the great”

NOTE:

* “Athelney” means ‘The Isle of Nobles’

 

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Sixth:

Gregory and the Pretty Children

The Romans had failed to make Britons Romans,
though they learned many things at their invaders’ hands,
soon, through many battles, the Romans were gone
and the natives never forgot they were Britons.
The Saxon invasion was a different thing,
before long they’d killed the last British king.
Survivors, they all fled to Cornwall and Wales,
no more Britons we’ll hear in this lengthy tale
but Saxons, now rulers in their many tribes
called “Jutes” and “Angles” and others besides,
they did not settle quiet in the land
and soon seven different kingdoms did stand;
‘till Egbert rose up to become overlord
of all the seven and this king’s first word,
himself being ‘Angle’, was, to his tribe’s name
the name of the country would henceforth be changed
from “Briton” to “Angleland”, this he did say
(or “England” the name which we know it today).
The Saxons were pagan and soon they unleashed
a reign of terror on the churches and priests.
Except in the mountains, no Christian remained
and the land of England became pagan again.
But the Lord would not have it long stay this way
for, in far-off Rome, in the market one day
a man saw some children sold in slavery
and their plight moved this Roman, called Gregory;
they were fair of face, with cheeks of rosy hue,
their hair gold and their eyes bright, merry and blue.
“Where are these children from?” he asked the salesman:
“They’re Angles from Briton, and no one can tame them!”
“Angles?” he placed both his hands on their heads,
“No, Angels! I’ll buy them all”, Gregory said.
When he found they were pagans he took them all home,
taught them to be Christians, loved them as his own;
he wanted to take them and visit England
but commitments at Rome made him forgo his plan.
Years later, when he was Bishop of Rome
although he could not go himself to the home
of the pretty children, he could now send a man
called Augustine to preach Christ to all England.
He took with him forty fine, good men and true
(they say that the children, now adults, went too).
In those days it was a long, hard way to travel
and Augustine’s courage began to unravel;
a furious Gregory said, “You must be brave
for Christ gave his life Angles also to save!”
They reached England in five-nine-seven AD
and the fierce, lawless Saxons treated them kindly,
much to their surprise, everywhere they went;
soon they stood before Ethelbert, the king of Kent.
Though pagan, he’d married a Christian wife,
soon he and all of his people were baptized.
Augustine spread out from his start in Kent
converting the Saxons wherever he went.
They smashed al their idols and to Christ they turned,
taking a lead from Coifi, their temple they burned.
It took quite a time, it was not overnight,
Augustine and his followers had a long fight
‘till a great conversion Augustine had wrought
but not all lived quite in the way they were taught.
Now English kings rose, like the Britons before,
and tried to rule well and to pass good, just law
but a new enemy rose on the scene,
wild and fierce, just as the Saxons had been.
Would this, now stable, land be conquered again,
and what threat was posed by those known as “Norsemen”?

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:
Ethelwulf, Ethelred, Alfred and the wars with the Danes.

NOTE:
Coifi was a devout follower of the pagan Saxon gods all his life but, disillusioned by this path, he was one of the first to publically declare his conversion to Christ by taking a spear, mounting his horse and destroying the great idol the people had worshipped. The people thought that something terrible would happen to him for doing this but, when nothing did (as the idol was not a real god), this gave others the courage to turn to Christ themselves.

A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Fifth:
Arthur and the Golden Age of Camelot

Uthur Pendragon a terror became
to the pagan Saxons he killed and he maimed.
Into old age his bravery never fleeted.
His courage alone saw the Saxons defeated.
In death he was honored on Salisbury Plain;
it was thought he died childless, but when Merlin came,
bearing with him his son, all the Nobles as one
shouted to him, “Uthur Pendragon had no son!”
“Hear me!” Merlin said, “Uthur’s son now here stands
it was told to me he would grow wise, bold and grand:
so to save him from harm he was given, when young,
to me and raised in the land of Avalon.”
The lords, though quite awed by young Arthur’s nobility,
stuck to their story with boring rigidity:
“Uthur Pendragon did not have a son!”
So Merlin, he beckoned them all and said, “Come!”
And to the cathedral he led one and all,
the short and the fat and the thin and the tall,
an amazing sight in the doorway they saw:
a large stone which had not been there before
with an inscription written on the base
and a sword which rose up embedded in its place
its hilt bright with gems; the inscription proclaimed:
“Who can draw out this sword is the king of Britain.”
One by one the noble tugged at the thing
(each one of them anxious to be the next king)
but all was in vain. Then, with no effort made,
Arthur stepped up and he removed the blade.
All the British nobles then fell to their knees
acknowledging Arthur as true king indeed.
Arthur was fifteen when he became king
and the first thing he swore that to Britain he’d bring
was freedom from Saxons. With the sword he’d won
called Excalibur and his spear called Ron
he rode at the head of his army of Knights
and twelve mighty battles did king Arthur fight;
in his armor of gold ‘gainst him no man could stand
and, at last, the Saxons were driven from the land.
Arthur would rule in an age of chivalry
but such noble ends did not come easily:
for each thought him better than his fellow knight
and, when they weren’t warring, each other they’d fight.
“How can my people be gentle and kind
when, even at table, my knights always find
an excuse to fight over how high they should be
and who should have seat top of table near me?”
King Arthur despaired but advice wise and sound
came when Merlin said, “Make a table that is round,
then all will be equal.” The kingdom grew stable
as Arthur’s were known as ‘Knights of the Round Table’.
Over thirty kingdoms they say Arthur reigned
and peace, truth and goodness his kingdom proclaimed
but Camelot’s golden age soon was no more
as, once more, there rose an age of strife and war.
Arthur and his knights were in one day killed
as mighty Saxons over valley and hill
filled the country with pain, sorrow and dread
and the green fields of England were, once more, stained red.
There are some who say Arthur did not die
and that someday he’ll return by and by
but we can believe, in far-off fighting days,
Britain had a king who taught it was brave
to be gentle and kind: virtue indeed
when chivalry was the true knights very creed.


TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:
The story of Gregory and the pretty children