another　of　the　magical　and　mystic　caldrons　of　Welsh　or　Irish　legend。
  There　is　even　an　apparent　Celtic　source　of　the　mysterious　fisher　king
  of　the　Grail　romance。　｛12｝
  A　sketch　of　the　evolution　of　the　Arthurian　legends　might　run　thus：…
  Sixth　to　eighth　century；　growth　of　myth　about　an　Arthur；　real；　or
  supposed　to　be　real。
  Tenth　century；　the　Duchies　of　Normandy　and　Brittany　are　in　close
  relations；　by　the　eleventh　century　Normans　know　Celtic　Arthurian
  stories。
  After；　1066；　Normans　in　contact　with　the　Celtic　peoples　of　this
  island　are　in　touch　with　the　Arthur　tales。
  1130…1145；　works　on　Arthurian　matter　by　Geoffrey　of　Monmouth。
  1155；　Wace's　French　translation　of　Geoffrey。
  1150…1182；　Chretien　de　Troyes　writes　poems　on　Arthurian　topics。
  French　prose　romances　on　Arthur；　from；　say；　1180　to　1250。　　Those
  romances　reach　Wales；　and　modify；　in　translations；　the　original　Welsh
  legends；　or；　in　part；　supplant　them。
  Amplifications　and　recastings　are　numerous。　　In　1485　Caxton　publishes
  Malory's　selections　from　French　and　English　sources；　the　whole　being
  Tennyson's　main　source；　Le　Mort　d'Arthur。　｛13｝
  Thus　the　Arthur　stories；　originally　Celtic；　originally　a　mass　of
  semi…pagan　legend；　myth；　and　marchen；　have　been　retold　and　rehandled
  by　Norman；　Englishman；　and　Frenchman；　taking　on　new　hues；　expressing
  new　idealsreligious；　chivalrous；　and　moral。　　Any　poet　may　work　his
  will　on　them；　and　Tennyson's　will　was　to　retain　the　chivalrous
  courtesy；　generosity；　love；　and　asceticism；　while　dimly　or　brightly
  veiling　or　illuminating　them　with　his　own　ideals。　　After　so　many
  processes；　from　folk…tale　to　modern　idyll；　the　Arthurian　world　could
  not　be　real；　and　real　it　is　not。　　Camelot　lies　〃out　of　space；　out　of
  time；〃　though　the　colouring　is　mainly　that　of　the　later　chivalry；　and
  〃the　gleam〃　on　the　hues　is　partly　derived　from　Celtic　fancy　of
  various　dates；　and　is　partly　Tennysonian。
  As　the　Idylls　were　finally　arranged；　the　first；　The　Coming　of　Arthur；
  is　a　remarkable　proof　of　Tennyson's　ingenuity　in　construction。　　Tales
  about　the　birth　of　Arthur　varied。　　In　Malory；　Uther　Pendragon；　the
  Bretwalda　（in　later　phrase）　of　Britain；　besieges　the　Duke　of
  Tintagil；　who　has　a　fair　wife；　Ygerne；　in　another　castle。　　Merlin
  magically　puts　on　Uther　the　shape　of　Ygerne's　husband；　and　as　her
  husband　she　receives　him。　　On　that　night　Arthur　is　begotten　by　Uther；
  and　the　Duke　of　Tintagil；　his　mother's　husband；　is　slain　in　a　sortie。
  Uther　weds　Ygerne；　both　recognise　Arthur　as　their　child。　　However；　by
  the　Celtic　custom　of　fosterage　the　infant　is　intrusted　to　Sir　Ector
  as　his　dalt；　or　foster…child；　and　Uther　falls　in　battle。　　Arthur　is
  later　approven　king　by　the　adventure　of　drawing　from　the　stone　the
  magic　sword　that　no　other　king　could　move。　　This　adventure　answers　to
  Sigmund's　drawing　the　sword　from　the　Branstock；　in　the　Volsunga　Saga；
  〃Now　men　stand　up；　and　none　would　fain　be　the　last　to　lay　hand　to　the
  sword；〃　apparently　stricken　into　the　pillar　by　Woden。　　〃But　none　who
  came　thereto　might　avail　to　pull　it　out；　for　in　nowise　would　it　come
  away　howsoever　they　tugged　at　it；　but　now　up　comes　Sigmund；　King
  Volsung's　son；　and　sets　hand　to　the　sword；　and　pulls　it　from　the
  stock；　even　as　if　it　lay　loose　before　him。〃　　The　incident　in　the
  Arthurian　as　in　the　Volsunga　legend　is　on　a　par　with　the　Golden
  Bough；　in　the　sixth　book　of　the　AEneid。　　Only　the　predestined
  champion；　such　as　AEneas；　can　pluck；　or　break；　or　cut　the　bough　…
  〃Ipse　volens　facilisque　sequetur
  Si　te　fata　vocant。〃
  All　this　ancient　popular　element　in　the　Arthur　story　is　disregarded
  by　Tennyson。　　He　does　not　make　Uther　approach　Ygerne　in　the　semblance
  of　her　lord；　as　Zeus　approached　Alcmena　in　the　semblance　of　her
  husband；　Amphitryon。　　He　neglects　the　other　ancient　test　of　the
  proving　of　Arthur　by　his　success　in　drawing　the　sword。　　The　poet's
  object　is　to　enfold　the　origin　and　birth　of　Arthur　in　a　spiritual
  mystery。　　This　is　deftly　accomplished　by　aid　of　the　various　versions
  of　the　tale　that　reach　King　Leodogran　when　Arthur　seeks　the　hand　of
  his　daughter　Guinevere；　for　Arthur's　title　to　the　crown　is　still
  disputed；　so　Leodogran　makes　inquiries。　　The　answers　first　leave　it
  dubious　whether　Arthur　is　son　of　Gorlois；　husband　of　Ygerne；　or　of
  Uther；　who　slew　Gorlois　and　married　her：…
  〃Enforced　she　was　to　wed　him　in　her　tears。〃
  The　Celtic　custom　of　fosterage　is　overlooked；　and　Merlin　gives　the
  child　to　Anton；　not　as　the　customary　dalt；　but　to　preserve　the　babe
  from　danger。　　Queen　Bellicent　then　tells　Leodogran；　from　the　evidence
  of　Bleys；　Merlin's　master　in　necromancy；　the　story　of　Arthur's
  miraculous　advent。
  〃And　down　the　wave　and　in　the　flame　was　borne
  A　naked　babe；　and　rode　to　Merlin's　feet；
  Who　stoopt　and　caught　the　babe；　and　cried　'The　King！
  Here　is　an　heir　for　Uther！'〃
  But　Merlin；　when　asked　by　Bellicent　to　corroborate　the　statement　of
  Bleys；　merely
  〃Answer'd　in　riddling　triplets　of　old　time。〃
  Finally；　Leodogran's　faith　is　confirmed　by　a　vision。　　Thus
  doubtfully；　amidst　rumour　and　portent；　cloud　and　spiritual　light；
  comes　Arthur：　　〃from　the　great　deep〃　he　comes；　and　in　as　strange
  fashion；　at　the　end；　〃to　the　great　deep　he　goes〃a　king　to　be
  accepted　in　faith　or　rejected　by　doubt。　　Arthur　and　his　ideal　are
  objects　of　belief。　　All　goes　well　while　the　knights　hold　that
  〃The　King　will　follow　Christ；　and　we　the　King；
  In　whom　high　God　hath　breathed　a　secret　thing。〃
  In　history　we　find　the　same　situation　in　the　France　of　1429　…
  〃The　King　will　follow　Jeanne；　and　we　the　King。〃
  While　this　faith　held；　all　went　well；　when　the　king　ceased　to　follow；
  the　spell　was　broken；the　Maid　was　martyred。　　In　this　sense　the　poet
  conceives　the　coming　of　Arthur；　a　sign　to　be　spoken　against；　a　test
  of　high　purposes；　a　belief　redeeming　and　ennobling　till　faith　fails；
  and　the　little　rift　within　the　lute；　the　love　of　Lancelot　and
  Guinevere；　makes　discord　of　the　music。　　As　matter　of　legend；　it　is　to
  be　understood　that　Guinevere　did　not　recognise　Arthur　when　first　he
  rode　below　her　window　…
  〃Since　he　neither　wore　on　helm　or　shield
  The　golden　symbol　of　his　kinglihood。〃
  But　Lancelot　was　sent　to　bring　the　bride　…
  〃And　return'd
  Among　the　flowers；　in　May；　with　Guinevere。〃
  Then　their　long　love　may　have　begun；　as　in　the　story　of　Tristram　sent
  to　bring　Yseult　to　be　the　bride　of　King　Mark。　　In　Malory；　however；
  Lancelot　does　not　come　on　the　scene　till　after　Arthur's　wedding　and
  return　from　his　conquering　expedition　to　Rome。　　Then　Lancelot　wins
  renown；　〃wherefore　Queen　Guinevere　had　him　in　favour　above　all　other
  knights；　and　in　certain　he　loved　the　Queen　again　above　all　other
  ladies　damosels　of　his　life。〃　　Lancelot；　as　we　have　seen；　is
  practically　a　French　creation；　adopted　to　illustrate　the　chivalrous
  theory　of　love；　with　its　bitter　fruit。　　Though　not　of　the　original
  Celtic　stock　of　legend；　Sir　Lancelot　makes　the　romance　what　it　is；
  and　draws　down　the　tragedy　that　originally　turned　on　the　sin　of
  Arthur　himself；　the　sin　that　gave　birth　to　the　traitor　Modred。　　But
  the　mediaeval　romancers　disguised　that　form　of　the　story；　and　the
  process　of　idealising　Arthur　reached　such　heights　in　the　middle　ages
  that　Tennyson　thought　himself　at　liberty　to　paint　the　Flos　Regum；
  〃the　blameless　King。〃　　He　followed　the　Brut　ab　Arthur。　　〃In　short；
  God　has　not　made　since　Adam　was；　the　man　more　perfect　than　Arthur。〃
  This　is　remote　from　the　Arthur　of　the　oldest　Celtic　legends；　but
  justifies　the　poet　in　adapting　Arthur　to　the　ideal　hero　of　the
  Idylls：…
  〃Ideal　manhood　closed　in　real　man；
  Rather　than　that　grey　king；　whose　name；　a　ghost；
  Streams　like　a　cloud；　man…shaped；　from　mountain…peak；
  And　cleaves　to　cairn　and　cromlech　still；　or　him
  Of　Geoffrey's　book；　or　him　of　Malleor's；　one
  Touched　by　the　adulterous　finger　of　a　time
  That　hovered　between　war　and　wantonness；
  And　crownings　and　dethronements。〃
  The　poetical　beauties　of　The　Coming　of　Arthur　excel　those　of　Gareth
  and　Lynette。　　The　sons　of　Lot　and　Bellicent　seem　to　have　been
  originally　regarded　as　the　incestuous　offspring　of　Arthur　and　his
  sister；　the　wife　of　King　Lot。　　Next　it　was　represented　that　Arthur
  was　ignorant　of　the　relationship。　　Mr　Rhys　supposes　that　the　mythical
  scandal　（still　present　in　Malory　as　a　sin　of　ignorance）　arose　from
  blending　the　Celtic　Arthur　（as　Culture　Hero）　with　an　older　divine
  personage；　such　as　Zeus；　who　marries　his　sister　Hera。　　Marriages　of
  brother　and　sister　are　familiar　in　the　Egyptian　royal　house；　and　that
  of　the　Incas。　　But　the　poet　has　a　perfect　right　to　disregard　a
  scandalous　myth　which；　obviously　crystallised　later　about　the　figure
  of　the　mythical　Celtic　Arthur；　was　an　incongruous　accretion　to　his
  legend。　　Gareth；　therefore；　is　merely　Arthur's　nephew；　not　son；　in
  the　poem；　as　are　Gawain　and　the　traitor　Modred。　　The　story　seems　to
  be　rather　mediaeval　French　than　Celtica　mingling　of　the　spirit　of
  fabliau　and　popular　fairy　tale。　　The　poet　has　added　to　its　lightness；
  almost　frivolity；　the　description　of　the　unreal　city　of　Camelot；
  built　to　music；　as　when
  〃Ilion；　like　a　mist；　rose　into　towers。〃
  He　has　also　brought　in　the　allegory　of　Death；　which；　when　faced；
  proves　to　be　〃a　bl