And when the two processions were come to the churches, so wondrous was the music and the singing, that all the knights and barons who were there pressed on each other, as in the crowd of battle, to hear and see the most they might.

When the king was crowned, he called together all the knights that came with the Round Table from Camelgard, and twenty-eight others, great and valiant men, chosen by Merlin out of all the realm, towards making up the full number of the table.  Then the Archbishop of Canterbury blessed the seats of all the knights, and when they rose again therefrom to pay their homage to King Arthur there was found upon the back of each knight’s seat his name, written in letters of gold.  But upon one seat was found written, “This is the Siege Perilous, wherein if any man shall sit save him whom Heaven hath chosen, he shall be devoured by fire.”

Anon came young Gawain, the king’s nephew, praying to be made a knight, whom the king knighted then and there.  Soon after came a poor man, leading with him a tall fair lad of eighteen years of age, riding on a lean mare.  And falling at the king’s feet, the poor man said, “Lord, it was told me, that at this time of thy marriage thou wouldst give to any man the gift he asked for, so it were not unreasonable.”

“That is the truth,” replied King Arthur, “and I will make it good.”

“Thou sayest graciously and nobly,” said the poor man.  “Lord, I ask nothing else but that thou wilt make my son here a knight.”

“It is a great thing that thou askest,” said the king.  “What is thy name?”

“Aries, the cowherd,” answered he.

“Cometh this prayer from thee or from thy son?” inquired King Arthur.

“Nay, lord, not from myself,” said he, “but from him only, for I have thirteen other sons, and all of them will fall to any labour that I put them to.  But this one will do no such work for anything that I or my wife may do, but is for ever shooting or fighting, and running to see knights and joustings, and torments me both night and day that he be made a knight.”

“What is thy name?” said the king to the young man.

“My name is Tor,” said he.

Then the king, looking at him steadfastly, was well pleased with his face and figure, and with his look of nobleness and strength.

“Fetch all thy other sons before me,” said the king to Aries.  But when he brought them, none of them resembled Tor in size or shape or feature.

Then the king knighted Tor, saying, “Be thou to thy life’s end a good knight and a true, as I pray God thou mayest be; and if thou provest worthy, and of prowess, one day thou shall be counted in the Round Table.”  Then turning to Merlin, Arthur said, “Prophesy now, O Merlin, shall Sir Tor become a worthy knight, or not?”

“Yea, lord,” said Merlin, “so he ought to be, for he is the son of that King Pellinore whom thou hast met, and proved to be one of the best knights living.  He is no cowherd’s son.”