A connecticut yankee in king arthurs court

ACONNECTICUTYANKEE
INKINGARTHUR’SCOURT
TheProjectGutenbergEBookofAConnecticutYankeeinKingArthur’s
Court,Complete,byMarkTwain(SamuelClemens)
ThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwith
almostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayor
re-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincluded
withthiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.net

Title:AConnecticutYankeeinKingArthur’sCourt,Complete
Author:MarkTwain(SamuelClemens)
ReleaseDate:August20,2006[Ebook#86]
LastUpdated:May25,2018
Language:English

***STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKCONNECTICUTYANKEE***

ProducedbyDavidWidger


Extra.jpg(144K)

titlepage.jpg(58K)


ACONNECTICUTYANKEE
INKINGARTHUR’SCOURT
by

MARKTWAIN
(SamuelL.Clemens)


CONTENTS:
CHAPTERI.
CHAPTERII.
CHAPTERIII.
CHAPTERIV.
CHAPTERV.
CHAPTERVI.
CHAPTERVII.
CHAPTERVIII.
CHAPTERIX.
CHAPTERX.
CHAPTERXI.
CHAPTERXII.
CHAPTERXIII.
CHAPTERXIV.
CHAPTERXV.
CHAPTERXVI.
CHAPTERXVII.
CHAPTERXVIII.
CHAPTERXIX.
CHAPTERXX.
CHAPTERXXI.
CHAPTERXXII.
CHAPTERXXIII.
CHAPTERXXIV.
CHAPTERXXV.

CHAPTERXXVI.

CAMELOT
KINGARTHUR’SCOURT
KNIGHTSOFTHETABLEROUND
SIRDINADANTHEHUMORIST
ANINSPIRATION
THEECLIPSE
MERLIN’STOWER
THEBOSS
THETOURNAMENT
BEGINNINGSOFCIVILIZATION
THEYANKEEINSEARCHOFADVENTURES
SLOWTORTURE
FREEMEN!
“DEFENDTHEE,LORD!
SANDY’STALE
MORGANLEFAY
AROYALBANQUET
INTHEQUEEN’SDUNGEONS
KNIGHTERRANTRYASATRADE
THEOGRE’SCASTLE
THEPILGRIMS
THEHOLYFOUNTAIN
RESTORATIONOFTHEFOUNTAIN
ARIVALMAGICIAN
ACOMPETITIVEEXAMINATION
THEFIRSTNEWSPAPER
THEYANKEEANDTHEKINGTRAVEL
CHAPTERXXVII.

INCOGNITO
CHAPTERXXVIII. DRILLINGTHEKING


CHAPTERXXIX.
CHAPTERXXX.
CHAPTERXXXI.
CHAPTERXXXII.
CHAPTERXXXIII.
CHAPTERXXXIV.
CHAPTERXXXV.
CHAPTERXXXVI.
CHAPTERXXXVII.
CHAPTER
XXXVIII.
CHAPTERXXXIX.
CHAPTERXL.
CHAPTERXLI.
CHAPTERXLII.
CHAPTERXLIII.
CHAPTERXLIV.

THESMALL-POXHUT
THETRAGEDYOFTHEMANOR-HOUSE
MARCO
DOWLEY’SHUMILIATION
SIXTHCENTURYPOLITICALECONOMY
THEYANKEEANDTHEKINGSOLDASSLAVES
APITIFULINCIDENT
ANENCOUNTERINTHEDARK

ANAWFULPREDICAMENT
SIRLAUNCELOTANDKNIGHTSTOTHERESCUE
THEYANKEE’SFIGHTWITHTHEKNIGHTS
THREEYEARSLATER
THEINTERDICT
WAR!
THEBATTLEOFTHESAND-BELT
APOSTSCRIPTBYCLARENCE


PREFACE
Theungentlelawsandcustomstoucheduponinthistalearehistorical,andthe
episodeswhichareusedtoillustratethemarealsohistorical.Itisnotpretended
thattheselawsandcustomsexistedinEnglandinthesixthcentury;no,itisonly
pretendedthatinasmuchastheyexistedintheEnglishandothercivilizationsof
farlatertimes,itissafetoconsiderthatitisnolibeluponthesixthcenturyto
supposethemtohavebeeninpracticeinthatdayalso.Oneisquitejustifiedin
inferringthatwhateveroneoftheselawsorcustomswaslackinginthatremote
time,itsplacewascompetentlyfilledbyaworseone.
Thequestionastowhetherthereissuchathingasdivinerightofkingsisnot
settled in this book. It was found too difficult. That the executive head of a
nation should be a person of lofty character and extraordinary ability, was
manifest and indisputable; that none but the Deity could select that head
unerringly,wasalsomanifestandindisputable;thattheDeityoughttomakethat
selection, then, was likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He
doesmakeit,asclaimed,wasanunavoidablededuction.Imean,untiltheauthor
ofthisbookencounteredthePompadour,andLadyCastlemaine,andsomeother
executive heads of that kind; these were found so difficult to work into the
scheme,thatitwasjudgedbettertotaketheothertackinthisbook(whichmust
beissuedthisfall),andthen go into trainingandsettlethequestioninanother

book.Itis,ofcourse,athingwhichoughttobesettled,andIamnotgoingto
haveanythingparticulartodonextwinteranyway.
MARKTWAIN
HARTFORD,July21,1889

00-017.jpg(138K)


ACONNECTICUTYANKEEINKINGARTHUR’S
COURT

AWORDOFEXPLANATION
ItwasinWarwickCastlethatIcameacrossthecuriousstrangerwhomIam
goingtotalkabout.Heattractedmebythreethings:hiscandidsimplicity,his
marvelousfamiliaritywithancientarmor,andtherestfulnessofhiscompany—
forhedidallthetalking.Wefelltogether,asmodestpeoplewill,inthetailof
theherdthatwasbeingshownthrough,andheatoncebegantosaythingswhich
interested me. As he talked along, softly, pleasantly, flowingly, he seemed to
drift away imperceptibly out of this world and time, and into some remote era
andoldforgottencountry;andsohegraduallywovesuchaspellaboutmethatI
seemedtomoveamongthespectersandshadowsanddustandmoldofagray
antiquity, holding speech with a relic of it! Exactly as I would speak of my
nearestpersonalfriendsorenemies,ormymostfamiliarneighbors,hespokeof
SirBedivere,SirBorsdeGanis,SirLauncelotoftheLake,SirGalahad,andall
the other great names of the Table Round—and how old, old, unspeakably old
and faded and dry and musty and ancient he came to look as he went on!
Presentlyheturnedtomeandsaid,justasonemightspeakoftheweather,or
anyothercommonmatter—
“Youknowabouttransmigrationofsouls;doyouknowabouttranspositionof
epochs—andbodies?”

IsaidIhadnotheardofit.Hewassolittleinterested—justaswhenpeople
speakoftheweather—thathedidnotnoticewhetherImadehimanyansweror
not.Therewashalfamomentofsilence,immediatelyinterruptedbythedroning
voiceofthesalariedcicerone:
“Ancient hauberk, date of the sixth century, time of King Arthur and the
Round Table; said to have belonged to the knight Sir Sagramor le Desirous;
observe the round hole through the chain-mail in the left breast; can’t be
accounted for; supposed to have been done with a bullet since invention of
firearms—perhapsmaliciouslybyCromwell’ssoldiers.”


My acquaintance smiled—not a modern smile, but one that must have gone
out of general use many, many centuries ago—and muttered apparently to
himself:
“Wityewell,Isawitdone.”Then,afterapause,added:“Ididitmyself.”
BythetimeIhadrecoveredfromtheelectricsurpriseofthisremark,hewas
gone.
AllthateveningIsatbymyfireattheWarwickArms,steepedinadreamof
theoldentime,whiletherainbeatuponthewindows,andthewindroaredabout
theeavesandcorners.FromtimetotimeIdippedintooldSirThomasMalory’s
enchantingbook,andfedatitsrichfeastofprodigiesandadventures,breathed
inthefragranceofitsobsoletenames,anddreamedagain.Midnightbeingcome
atlength,Ireadanothertale,foranightcap—thiswhichherefollows,towit:

HOWSIRLAUNCELOTSLEWTWOGIANTS,
ANDMADEACASTLEFREE
Anonwithalcamethereuponhimtwogreatgiants,
wellarmed,allsavetheheads,withtwohorrible
clubsintheirhands.SirLauncelotputhisshield
aforehim,andputthestrokeawayoftheone

giant,andwithhisswordheclavehisheadasunder.
Whenhisfellowsawthat,heranawayashewere
wood[*demented],forfearofthehorriblestrokes,
andSirLauncelotafterhimwithallhismight,
andsmotehimontheshoulder,andclavehimto
themiddle.ThenSirLauncelotwentintothehall,
andtherecameaforehimthreescoreladiesand
damsels,andallkneeleduntohim,andthanked
Godandhimoftheirdeliverance.For,sir,said
they,themostpartofushavebeenherethis
sevenyeartheirprisoners,andwehaveworkedall
mannerofsilkworksforourmeat,andweareall
greatgentle-womenborn,andblessedbethetime,
knight,thateverthouwertborn;forthouhast
donethemostworshipthateverdidknightinthe
world,thatwillwebearrecord,andweallpray
youtotellusyourname,thatwemaytellour
friendswhodeliveredusoutofprison.Fair


damsels,hesaid,mynameisSirLauncelotdu
Lake.Andsohedepartedfromthemandbetaught
themuntoGod.Andthenhemounteduponhis
horse,androdeintomanystrangeandwild
countries,andthroughmanywatersandvalleys,
andevilwashelodged.Andatthelastby
fortunehimhappenedagainstanighttocometo
afaircourtilage,andthereinhefoundanold
gentle-womanthatlodgedhimwithagood-will,
andtherehehadgoodcheerforhimandhishorse.

Andwhentimewas,hishostbroughthimintoa
fairgarretoverthegatetohisbed.There
SirLauncelotunarmedhim,andsethisharness
byhim,andwenttobed,andanonhefellon
sleep.So,soonaftertherecameoneon
horseback,andknockedatthegateingreat
haste.AndwhenSirLauncelotheardthisherose
up,andlookedoutatthewindow,andsawbythe
moonlightthreeknightscomeridingafterthat
oneman,andallthreelashedonhimatonce
withswords,andthatoneknightturnedonthem
knightlyagainanddefendedhim.Truly,said
SirLauncelot,yonderoneknightshallIhelp,
foritwereshameformetoseethreeknights
onone,andifhebeslainIampartnerofhis
death.Andtherewithhetookhisharnessand
wentoutatawindowbyasheetdowntothefour
knights,andthenSirLauncelotsaidonhigh,
Turnyouknightsuntome,andleaveyour
fightingwiththatknight.Andthentheyall
threeleftSirKay,andturneduntoSirLauncelot,
andtherebegangreatbattle,fortheyalight
allthree,andstrakemanystrokesatSir
Launcelot,andassailedhimoneveryside.Then
SirKaydressedhimfortohaveholpenSir
Launcelot.Nay,sir,saidhe,Iwillnoneof
yourhelp,thereforeasyewillhavemyhelp
letmealonewiththem.SirKayforthepleasure
oftheknightsufferedhimfortodohiswill,

andsostoodaside.Andthenanonwithinsix
strokesSirLauncelothadstrickenthemtotheearth.
Andthentheyallthreecried,SirKnight,we
yieldusuntoyouasmanofmightmatchless.As
tothat,saidSirLauncelot,Iwillnottake
youryieldinguntome,butsothatyeyield
youuntoSirKaytheseneschal,onthatcovenant
Iwillsaveyourlivesandelsenot.Fairknight,
saidthey,thatwereweloathtodo;forasfor
SirKaywechasedhimhither,andhadovercome
himhadyenotbeen;therefore,toyieldusunto
himitwerenoreason.Well,astothat,said
SirLauncelot,adviseyouwell,foryemay
choosewhetheryewilldieorlive,foranyebe
yielden,itshallbeuntoSirKay.Fairknight,
thentheysaid,insavingourliveswewilldo
asthoucommandestus.Thenshallye,saidSir
Launcelot,onWhitsundaynextcominggountothe
courtofKingArthur,andthereshallyeyield
youuntoQueenGuenever,andputyouallthree
inhergraceandmercy,andsaythatSirKay
sentyouthithertobeherprisoners.Onthemorn
SirLauncelotaroseearly,andleftSirKay
sleeping;andSirLauncelottookSirKay’sarmor
andhisshieldandarmedhim,andsohewentto
thestableandtookhishorse,andtookhisleave
ofhishost,andsohedeparted.Thensoonafter
aroseSirKayandmissedSirLauncelot;and
thenheespiedthathehadhisarmorandhis

horse.NowbymyfaithIknowwellthathewill
grievesomeofthecourtofKingArthur;foron
himknightswillbebold,anddeemthatitisI,
andthatwillbeguilethem;andbecauseofhis
armorandshieldIamsureIshallrideinpeace.
AndthensoonafterdepartedSirKay,and
thankedhishost.


AsIlaidthebookdowntherewasaknockatthedoor,andmystrangercame
in.Igavehimapipeandachair,andmadehimwelcome.Ialsocomfortedhim
with a hot Scotch whisky; gave him another one; then still another—hoping
alwaysforhisstory.Afterafourthpersuader,hedriftedintoithimself,inaquite
simpleandnaturalway:


THESTRANGER’SHISTORY
I am an American. I was born and reared in Hartford, in the State of
Connecticut—anyway,justovertheriver,inthecountry.SoIamaYankeeof
theYankees—andpractical;yes,andnearlybarrenofsentiment,Isuppose—or
poetry, in other words. My father was a blacksmith, my uncle was a horse
doctor,andIwasboth,alongatfirst.ThenIwentovertothegreatarmsfactory
andlearnedmyrealtrade;learnedalltherewastoit;learnedtomakeeverything:
guns, revolvers, cannon, boilers, engines, all sorts of labor-saving machinery.
Why, I could make anything a body wanted—anything in the world, it didn’t
make any difference what; and if there wasn’t any quick new-fangled way to
make a thing, I could invent one—and do it as easy as rolling off a log. I
becameheadsuperintendent;hadacoupleofthousandmenunderme.
Well,amanlikethatisamanthatisfulloffight—thatgoeswithoutsaying.
Withacoupleofthousandroughmenunderone,onehasplentyofthatsortof

amusement.Ihad,anyway.AtlastImetmymatch,andIgotmydose.Itwas
during a misunderstanding conducted with crowbars with a fellow we used to
call Hercules. He laid me out with a crusher alongside the head that made
everything crack, and seemed to spring every joint in my skull and made it
overlap its neighbor. Then the world went out in darkness, and I didn’t feel
anythingmore,anddidn’tknowanythingatall—atleastforawhile.

00-021.jpg(163K)

When I came to again, I was sitting under an oak tree, on the grass, with a
wholebeautifulandbroadcountrylandscapealltomyself—nearly.Notentirely;
fortherewasafellowonahorse,lookingdownatme—afellowfreshoutofa
picture-book.Hewasinold-timeironarmorfromheadtoheel,withahelmeton


hisheadtheshapeofanail-kegwithslitsinit;andhehadashield,andasword,
and a prodigious spear; and his horse had armor on, too, and a steel horn
projecting from his forehead, and gorgeous red and green silk trappings that
hungdownallaroundhimlikeabedquilt,nearlytotheground.
“Fairsir,willyejust?”saidthisfellow.
“WillIwhich?”
“Willyetryapassageofarmsforlandorladyorfor—”
“What are you giving me?” I said. "Get along back to your circus, or I’ll
reportyou.”
Nowwhatdoesthismandobutfallbackacoupleofhundredyardsandthen
comerushingatmeashardashecouldtear,withhisnail-kegbentdownnearly
to his horse’s neck and his long spear pointed straight ahead. I saw he meant
business,soIwasupthetreewhenhearrived.
He allowed that I was his property, the captive of his spear. There was
argument on his side—and the bulk of the advantage—so I judged it best to

humor him. We fixed up an agreement whereby I was to go with him and he
wasnottohurtme.Icamedown,andwestartedaway,Iwalkingbythesideof
hishorse.Wemarchedcomfortablyalong,throughgladesandoverbrookswhich
I could not remember to have seen before—which puzzled me and made me
wonder—andyetwedidnotcometoanycircusorsignofacircus.SoIgaveup
theideaofacircus,andconcludedhewasfromanasylum.Butwenevercame
toanasylum—soIwasupastump,asyoumaysay.Iaskedhimhowfarwe
werefromHartford.Hesaidhehadneverheardoftheplace;whichItooktobe
alie,butallowedittogoatthat.Attheendofanhourwesawafar-awaytown
sleeping in a valley by a winding river; and beyond it on a hill, a vast gray
fortress,withtowersandturrets,thefirstIhadeverseenoutofapicture.
“Bridgeport?”saidI,pointing.
“Camelot,”saidhe.
My stranger had been showing signs of sleepiness. He caught himself
nodding,now,andsmiledoneofthosepathetic,obsoletesmilesofhis,andsaid:
“IfindIcan’tgoon;butcomewithme,I’vegotitallwrittenout,andyoucan
readitifyoulike.”
Inhischamber,hesaid:"First,Ikeptajournal;thenbyandby,afteryears,I
tookthejournalandturneditintoabook.Howlongagothatwas!”
Hehandedmehismanuscript,andpointedouttheplacewhereIshouldbegin:
“Begin here—I’ve already told you what goes before.” He was steeped in


drowsinessbythistime.AsIwentoutathisdoorIheardhimmurmursleepily:
"Giveyougoodden,fairsir.”
I sat down by my fire and examined my treasure. The first part of it—the
great bulk of it—was parchment, and yellow with age. I scanned a leaf
particularlyandsawthatitwasapalimpsest.Undertheolddimwritingofthe
Yankeehistorianappearedtracesofapenmanshipwhichwasolderanddimmer
still—Latin words and sentences: fragments from old monkish legends,

evidently.Iturnedtotheplaceindicatedbymystrangerandbegantoread—as
follows.

00-023.jpg(41K)

01-025.jpg(108K)


THETALEOFTHELOSTLAND


CHAPTERI

01-027.jpg(131K)

CAMELOT
“Camelot—Camelot,”saidItomyself."Idon’tseemtorememberhearingof
itbefore.Nameoftheasylum,likely.”
It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as
lonesomeasSunday.Theairwasfullofthesmellofflowers,andthebuzzingof
insects,andthetwitteringofbirds,andtherewerenopeople,nowagons,there
wasnostiroflife,nothinggoingon.Theroadwasmainlyawindingpathwith
hoof-printsinit,andnowandthenafainttraceofwheelsoneithersideinthe
grass—wheelsthatapparentlyhadatireasbroadasone’shand.
Presentlyafairslipofagirl,abouttenyearsold,withacataractofgoldenhair
streaming down over her shoulders, came along. Around her head she wore a
hoop of flame-red poppies. It was as sweet an outfit as ever I saw, what there
wasofit.Shewalkedindolentlyalong,withamindatrest,itspeacereflectedin
herinnocentface.Thecircusmanpaidnoattentiontoher;didn’tevenseemto
seeher.Andshe—shewasnomorestartledathisfantasticmake-upthanifshe

wasusedtohislikeeverydayofherlife.Shewasgoingbyasindifferentlyas
shemighthavegonebyacoupleofcows;butwhenshehappenedtonoticeme,
thentherewasachange!Upwentherhands,andshewasturnedtostone;her
mouthdroppedopen,hereyesstaredwideandtimorously,shewasthepictureof
astonishedcuriositytouchedwithfear.Andthereshestoodgazing,inasortof
stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her
view. That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too
many for me; I couldn’t make head or tail of it. And that she should seem to
considermeaspectacle,andtotallyoverlookherownmeritsinthatrespect,was


anotherpuzzlingthing,andadisplayofmagnanimity,too,thatwassurprisingin
one so young. There was food for thought here. I moved along as one in a
dream.
As we approached the town, signs of life began to appear. At intervals we
passed a wretched cabin, with a thatched roof, and about it small fields and
garden patches in an indifferent state of cultivation. There were people, too;
brawnymen,withlong,coarse,uncombedhairthathungdownovertheirfaces
andmadethemlooklikeanimals.Theyandthewomen,asarule,woreacoarse
tow-linen robe that came well below the knee, and a rude sort of sandal, and
many wore an iron collar. The small boys and girls were always naked; but
nobodyseemedtoknowit.Allofthesepeoplestaredatme,talkedaboutme,
ranintothehutsandfetchedouttheirfamiliestogapeatme;butnobodyever
noticed that other fellow, except to make him humble salutation and get no
responsefortheirpains.
In the town were some substantial windowless houses of stone scattered
amongawildernessofthatchedcabins;thestreetsweremerecrookedalleys,and
unpaved;troopsofdogsandnudechildrenplayedinthesunandmadelifeand
noise; hogs roamed and rooted contentedly about, and one of them lay in a
reekingwallowinthemiddleofthemainthoroughfareandsuckledherfamily.

Presentlytherewasadistantblareofmilitarymusic;itcamenearer,stillnearer,
andsoonanoblecavalcadewoundintoview,gloriouswithplumedhelmetsand
flashing mail and flaunting banners and rich doublets and horse-cloths and
gildedspearheads;andthroughthemuckandswine,andnakedbrats,andjoyous
dogs,andshabbyhuts,ittookitsgallantway,andinitswakewefollowed.

01-029.jpg(162K)

Followedthroughonewindingalleyandthenanother,—andclimbing,always
climbing—tillat lastwegainedthebreezyheight where thehugecastle stood.
There was an exchange of bugle blasts; then a parley from the walls, where
men-at-arms, in hauberk and morion, marched back and forth with halberd at


shoulderunderflappingbannerswiththerudefigureofadragondisplayedupon
them;andthenthegreatgateswereflungopen,thedrawbridgewaslowered,and
the head of the cavalcade swept forward under the frowning arches; and we,
following,soonfoundourselvesinagreatpavedcourt,withtowersandturrets
stretchingupintotheblueaironallthefoursides;andallaboutusthedismount
wasgoingon,andmuchgreetingandceremony,andrunningtoandfro,anda
gaydisplayofmovingandinterminglingcolors,andanaltogetherpleasantstir
andnoiseandconfusion.

02-031.jpg(96K)


CHAPTERII

02-033.jpg(138K)

KINGARTHUR’SCOURT
The momentIgotachanceIslippedasideprivatelyandtouchedanancient
common looking man on the shoulder and said, in an insinuating, confidential
way:
“Friend,domeakindness.Doyoubelongtotheasylum,orareyoujustona
visitorsomethinglikethat?”
Helookedmeoverstupidly,andsaid:
“Marry,fairsir,meseemeth—”
“Thatwilldo,”Isaid;“Ireckonyouareapatient.”
I moved away, cogitating, and at the same time keeping an eye out for any
chance passenger in his right mind that might come along and give me some
light.IjudgedIhadfoundone,presently;soIdrewhimasideandsaidinhis
ear:
“IfIcouldseetheheadkeeperaminute—onlyjustaminute—”
“Pritheedonotletme.”
“Letyouwhat?”
“Hinderme,then,ifthewordpleasetheebetter.Thenhewentontosayhe
wasanunder-cookandcouldnotstoptogossip,thoughhewouldlikeitanother
time;foritwouldcomforthisverylivertoknowwhereIgotmyclothes.Ashe
startedawayhepointedandsaidyonderwasonewhowasidleenoughformy
purpose, andwas seeking mebesides,nodoubt.Thiswasanairyslimboyin
shrimp-coloredtightsthatmadehimlooklikeaforkedcarrot,therestofhisgear


was blue silk and dainty laces and ruffles; and he had long yellow curls, and
woreaplumedpinksatincaptiltedcomplacentlyoverhisear.Byhislook,he
was good-natured; by his gait, he was satisfied with himself. He was pretty
enough to frame. He arrived, looked me over with a smiling and impudent
curiosity;saidhehadcomeforme,andinformedmethathewasapage.
“Go’long,”Isaid;“youain’tmorethanaparagraph.”

02-038.jpg(94K)

It was pretty severe, but I was nettled. However, it never phazed him; he
didn’t appear to know he was hurt. He began to talk and laugh, in happy,
thoughtless,boyishfashion,aswewalkedalong,andmadehimselfoldfriends
with me at once; asked me all sorts of questions about myself and about my
clothes, but neverwaitedfor an answer—alwayschatteredstraight ahead,asif
hedidn’tknowhehadaskedaquestionandwasn’texpectinganyreply,untilat
lasthehappenedtomentionthathewasborninthebeginningoftheyear513.
Itmadethecoldchillscreepoverme!Istoppedandsaid,alittlefaintly:
“MaybeIdidn’thearyoujustright.Sayitagain—andsayitslow.Whatyear
wasit?”
“513.”
“513!Youdon’tlookit!Come,myboy,Iamastrangerandfriendless;be
honestandhonorablewithme.Areyouinyourrightmind?”

02-035.jpg(150K)


Hesaidhewas.
“Aretheseotherpeopleintheirrightminds?”
Hesaidtheywere.
“And this isn’t an asylum? I mean, it isn’t a place where they cure crazy
people?”
Hesaiditwasn’t.
“Well, then,” I said, “either I am a lunatic, or something just as awful has
happened.Nowtellme,honestandtrue,whereamI?”
“InKingArthur’sCourt.”
Iwaitedaminute,toletthatideashudderitswayhome,andthensaid:

“Andaccordingtoyournotions,whatyearisitnow?”
“528—nineteenthofJune.”
I felt a mournful sinking at the heart, and muttered: "I shall never see my
friendsagain—never,neveragain.Theywillnotbebornformorethanthirteen
hundredyearsyet.”
Iseemedtobelievetheboy,Ididn’tknowwhy.Somethinginmeseemedto
believe him—my consciousness, as you may say; but my reason didn’t. My
reasonstraightwaybegantoclamor;thatwasnatural.Ididn’tknowhowtogo
aboutsatisfyingit,becauseIknewthatthetestimonyofmenwouldn’tserve—
myreasonwouldsaytheywerelunatics,andthrowouttheirevidence.Butallof
asuddenIstumbledontheverything,justbyluck.Iknewthattheonlytotal
eclipse of the sun in the first half of the sixth century occurred on the 21st of
June,A.D.528,O.S.,andbeganat3minutesafter12noon.Ialsoknewthatno
totaleclipseofthesunwasdueinwhattomewasthepresentyear—i.e.,1879.
So,ifIcouldkeepmyanxietyandcuriosityfromeatingtheheartoutofmefor
forty-eighthours,Ishouldthenfindoutforcertainwhetherthisboywastelling
methetruthornot.
Wherefore, being a practical Connecticut man, I now shoved this whole
problem clear out of my mind till its appointed day and hour should come, in
order that I might turn all my attention to the circumstances of the present
moment, and be alert and ready to make the most out of them that could be
made. One thing at a time, is my motto—and just play that thing for all it is
worth,evenifit’sonlytwopairandajack.Imadeupmymindtotwothings:if
it was still the nineteenth century and I was among lunatics and couldn’t get
away,Iwouldpresentlybossthatasylumorknowthereasonwhy;andif,onthe


other hand, it was really the sixth century, all right, I didn’t want any softer
thing: I would boss the whole country inside of three months; for I judged I
would have the start of the best-educated man in the kingdom by a matter of

thirteenhundredyearsandupward.I’mnotamantowastetimeaftermymind’s
madeupandthere’sworkonhand;soIsaidtothepage:
“Now,Clarence,myboy—ifthatmighthappentobeyourname—I’llgetyou
topostmeupalittleifyoudon’tmind.Whatisthenameofthatapparitionthat
broughtmehere?”
“My master and thine? That is the good knight and great lord Sir Kay the
Seneschal,fosterbrothertoourliegetheking.”
“Verygood;goon,tellmeeverything.”
Hemadealongstoryofit;butthepartthathadimmediateinterestformewas
this: He said I was Sir Kay’s prisoner, and that in the due course of custom I
wouldbeflungintoadungeonandleftthereonscantcommonsuntilmyfriends
ransomedme—unlessIchancedtorot,first.Isawthatthelastchancehadthe
bestshow,butIdidn’twasteanybotheraboutthat;timewastooprecious.The
pagesaid,further,thatdinnerwasaboutendedinthegreathallbythistime,and
that as soon as the sociability and the heavy drinking should begin, Sir Kay
wouldhavemeinandexhibitmebeforeKingArthurandhisillustriousknights
seatedattheTableRound,andwouldbragabouthisexploitincapturingme,and
wouldprobablyexaggeratethefactsalittle,butitwouldn’tbegoodformforme
tocorrecthim,andnotoversafe,either;andwhenIwasdonebeingexhibited,
thenhoforthedungeon;buthe,Clarence,wouldfindawaytocomeandseeme
everynowandthen,andcheermeup,andhelpmegetwordtomyfriends.
Getwordtomyfriends!Ithankedhim;Icouldn’tdoless;andaboutthistime
alackeycametosayIwaswanted;soClarenceledmeinandtookmeofftoone
sideandsatdownbyme.
Well, it was a curious kind of spectacle, and interesting. It was an immense
place,andrathernaked—yes,andfullofloudcontrasts.Itwasvery,verylofty;
soloftythatthebannersdependingfromthearchedbeamsandgirdersawayup
there floated in a sort of twilight; there was a stone-railed gallery at each end,
highup,withmusiciansintheone,andwomen,clothedinstunningcolors,inthe
other. The floor was of big stone flags laid in black and white squares, rather

batteredbyageanduse,andneedingrepair.Astoornament,therewasn’tany,
strictly speaking; though on the walls hung some huge tapestries which were
probablytaxedasworksofart;battle-pieces,theywere,withhorsesshapedlike
thosewhichchildrencutoutofpaperorcreateingingerbread;withmenonthem


inscalearmorwhosescalesarerepresentedbyroundholes—sothattheman’s
coatlooksasifithadbeendonewithabiscuit-punch.Therewasafireplacebig
enough to camp in; and its projecting sides and hood, of carved and pillared
stonework,hadthelookofacathedraldoor.Alongthewallsstoodmen-at-arms,
inbreastplateandmorion,withhalberdsfortheironlyweapon—rigidasstatues;
andthatiswhattheylookedlike.
In the middle of this groined and vaulted public square was an oaken table
whichtheycalledtheTableRound.Itwasaslargeasacircusring;andaroundit
satagreatcompanyofmendressedinsuchvariousandsplendidcolorsthatit
hurtone’seyestolookatthem.Theyworetheirplumedhats,rightalong,except
thatwheneveroneaddressedhimselfdirectlytotheking,heliftedhishatatrifle
justashewasbeginninghisremark.
Mainly they were drinking—from entire ox horns; but a few were still
munching bread or gnawing beef bones. There was about an average of two
dogstooneman;andthesesatinexpectantattitudestillaspentbonewasflung
to them, and then they went for it by brigades and divisions, with a rush, and
there ensued a fight which filled the prospect with a tumultuous chaos of
plunging heads and bodies and flashing tails, and the storm of howlings and
barkings deafened all speech for the time; but that was no matter, for the dogfightwasalwaysabiggerinterestanyway;themenrose,sometimes,toobserve
itthebetterandbetonit,andtheladiesandthemusiciansstretchedthemselves
out over their balusters with the same object; and all broke into delighted
ejaculationsfromtimetotime.Intheend,thewinningdogstretchedhimselfout
comfortably with his bone between his paws, and proceeded to growl over it,
andgnawit,andgreasethefloorwithit,justasfiftyotherswerealreadydoing;

andtherestofthecourtresumedtheirpreviousindustriesandentertainments.
Asarule,thespeechandbehaviorofthesepeopleweregraciousandcourtly;
andInoticedthattheyweregoodandseriouslistenerswhenanybodywastelling
anything—I mean in a dog-fightless interval. And plainly, too, they were a
childlikeandinnocentlot;tellingliesofthestateliestpatternwithamostgentle
and winning naivety, and ready and willing to listen to anybody else’s lie, and
believeit,too.Itwashardtoassociatethemwithanythingcruelordreadful;and
yettheydealtintalesofbloodandsufferingwithaguilelessrelishthatmademe
almostforgettoshudder.
Iwasnottheonlyprisonerpresent.Thereweretwentyormore.Poordevils,
manyofthemweremaimed,hacked,carved,inafrightfulway;andtheirhair,
their faces, their clothing, were caked with black and stiffened drenchings of
blood.Theyweresufferingsharpphysicalpain,ofcourse;andweariness,and