"'Nay,' said Arthur.
"'Now,' said Sir Ector to Arthur, 'I understand ye must be king of this land.'
"'Wherefore I,' said Arthur, 'and for what cause?'
"'Sir,' said Ector, 'for God will have it so, for there should never man have drawn out this sword, but he that should be rightwise king of this land. Now let me see if ye can put the sword there as it was and pull it out again.'
"'That is no mastery,' said Arthur. And so he put it in the stone. Therewithall Sir Ector essayed to pull out the sword and failed.
"'Now essay,' said Sir Ector unto Sir Kay. And anon he pulled at the sword with all his might, but it would not be.
"'Now shall ye essay," said Sir Ector unto Arthur.
"'I will well,' said Arthur, and pulled it out easily.
"And therewithall Sir Ector knelt down to the earth, and Sir
Kay."
And so Arthur was acknowledged king. "And so anon was the coronation made," Malory goes on to tell us, "and there was Arthur sworn unto his lords and to the commons for to be a true king, to stand with true justice from henceforth the days of his life."