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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

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Title: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Author: Mark Twain

 
Release date: July 7, 2004 [eBook #86]
 Most recently updated: May 25, 2025

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/86

Credits: David Widger

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT ***

A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT

by

MARK TWAIN
(Samuel L. Clemens)

PREFACE

The ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are
historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them
are also historical. It is not pretended that these laws and
customs existed in England in the sixth century; no, it is only
pretended that inasmuch as they existed in the English and other
civilizations of far later times, it is safe to consider that it is
no libel upon the sixth century to suppose them to have been in
practice in that day also. One is quite justified in inferring
that whatever one of these laws or customs was lacking in that
remote time, its place was competently filled by a worse one.

The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right
of kings is not 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, was
also manifest and indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that
selection, then, was likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently,
that He does make it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction.
I mean, until the author of this book encountered the Pompadour,
and Lady Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind;
these were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it
was judged better to take the other tack in this book (which
must be issued this fall), and then go into training and settle
the question in another book. It is, of course, a thing which
ought to be settled, and I am not going to have anything particular
to do next winter anyway.

MARK TWAIN

HARTFORD, July 21, 1889

A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT

A WORD OF EXPLANATION

It was in Warwick Castle that I came across the curious stranger
whom I am going to talk about. He attracted me by three things:
his candid simplicity, his marvelous familiarity with ancient armor,
and the restfulness of his company--for he did all the talking.
We fell together, as modest people will, in the tail of the herd
that was being shown through, and he at once began to say things
which 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 and old forgotten country;
and so he gradually wove such a spell about me that I seemed
to move among the specters and shadows and dust and mold of a gray
antiquity, holding speech with a relic of it! Exactly as I would
speak of my nearest personal friends or enemies, or my most familiar
neighbors, he spoke of Sir Bedivere, Sir Bors de Ganis, Sir Launcelot
of the Lake, Sir Galahad, and all 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! Presently
he turned to me and said, just as one might speak of the weather,
or any other common matter--

"You know about transmigration of souls; do you know about
transposition of epochs--and bodies?"

I said I had not heard of it. He was so little interested--just
as when people speak of the weather--that he did not notice
whether I made him any answer or not. There was half a moment
of silence, immediately interrupted by the droning voice of the
salaried cicerone:

"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--perhaps maliciously
by Cromwell's soldiers."

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:

"Wit ye well, _I saw it done_." Then, after a pause, added:
"I did it myself."

By the time I had recovered from the electric surprise of this
remark, he was gone.

All that evening I sat by my fire at the Warwick Arms, steeped
in a dream of the olden time, while the rain beat upon the windows,
and the wind roared about the eaves and corners. From time to
time I dipped into old Sir Thomas Malory's enchanting book, and
fed at its rich feast of prodigies and adventures, breathed in
the fragrance of its obsolete names, and dreamed again. Midnight
being come at length, I read another tale, for a nightcap--this
which here follows, to wit:

HOW SIR LAUNCELOT SLEW TWO GIANTS, AND MADE A CASTLE FREE

 Anon withal came there upon him two great giants, well armed, all save the
 heads, with two horrible clubs in their hands. Sir Launcelot put his shield
 afore him, and put the stroke away of the one giant, and with his sword he
 clave his head asunder. When his fellow saw that, he ran away as he were
 wood [*demented], for fear of the horrible strokes, and Sir Launcelot after
 him with all his might, and smote him on the shoulder, and clave him to the
 middle. Then Sir Launcelot went into the hall, and there came afore him
 three score ladies and damsels, and all kneeled unto him, and thanked God
 and him of their deliverance. For, sir, said they, the most part of us have
 been here this seven year their prisoners, and we have worked all manner of
 silk works for our meat, and we are all great gentle-women born, and blessed
 be the time, knight, that ever thou wert born; for thou hast done the most
 worship that ever did knight in the world, that will we bear record, and we
 all pray you to tell us your name, that we may tell our friends who
 delivered us out of prison. Fair damsels, he said, my name is Sir Launcelot
 du Lake. And so he departed from them and betaught them unto God. And then
 he mounted upon his horse, and rode into many strange and wild countries,
 and through many waters and valleys, and evil was he lodged. And at the
 last by fortune him happened against a night to come to a fair courtilage,
 and therein he found an old gentle-woman that lodged him with a good-will,
 and there h

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