book	chapter	summary
I	1	Uther sends for the Duke of Tintagel and his wife Igraine, desires her, and loses her when the two ride home by night; he besieges the duke, falls sick with love, and a knight of his goes to find Merlin.
I	2	Merlin gets Uther into Tintagel in the duke's likeness on a promise of the child, the duke is killed that night, Arthur is begotten, Uther marries Igraine, two of her daughters are married to kings, and Morgan le Fay is sent to school.
I	3	Igraine learns the king fathered her child, and Merlin carries the newborn from a back gate to the lord chosen to raise him, where he is christened Arthur.
I	4	Uther falls sick, is carried in a litter to win a battle, lies speechless, and dies after naming Arthur his heir before the barons.
I	5	The realm is without a king until Merlin has the archbishop call the lords to London at Christmas, where a sword stands in a stone for whoever is rightful king, and the boy Arthur pulls it out to bring his foster brother a sword.
I	6	Arthur draws the sword again and learns that the man who raised him is not his father; the lords put off the choice from feast to feast as he draws it each time.
I	7	At Pentecost the people demand Arthur, who is knighted and crowned, swears to rule justly, gives back lands taken since Uther died, and names his officers.