The Coming of Arthur Author:Alfred Lord Tennyson Leodogran, the king of Cameliard, had only one daughter, Guinevere. She was the most beautiful of all women and he loved her dearly. This was in the time before Arthur came, when many petty kings and feudal lords ruled in England, and the country was torn asunder by their disputes and wars. In addition, England was frequently subjected to raids ... more »by pagan barbarians from the north, who came in ships and laid waste to vast areas. Many sections of the country became a wilderness again, and beasts were more at home in them than men were. Two kings, Aurelius and Uther, had attempted to reunite the kingdom, but their efforts were unsuccessful. After them, however, Arthur was able for a while to make a nation of England and to rule it through the strength of his Round Table.
At the time the tale begins, Cameliard is a deserted wasteland. Leodogran is not strong enough to deal with the situation and often wishes helplessly that the Roman legions would return to restore order. He is attacked nearly simultaneously by Urien, a neighboring king, and a heathen raiding party. Both attackers leave fire and destruction in their wake.« less