King Arthur

About this book

Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's poetic world moves from the alleys of London to Alpine passes, from private grief to public destiny, binding social satire, romance, and historical meditation into a single sweeping vision. In The New Timon, the grandeur of the city is set against the enduring misery of the poor, while Lucy's story reveals the hidden dignity of a homeless girl shaped by shame, maternal love, and hard-won resilience. Her arrival in a wealthy household opens a chamber of silence and sorrow, where compassion briefly softens old wounds. Elsewhere, Morvale emerges as a brilliant, restless outsider, marked by a fractured colonial childhood, an unhappy family past, and a life divided between intellect, duty, and emotional estrangement. Around him, Calantha's fading beauty and Lucy's quiet grace deepen the novel's meditation on mortality, love, and the inward worth that outlasts fame or power. The collection then turns to romance and heroic action: a knight's mountain quest, Ægle's enchanted island love, and a king summoned from happiness by war. In its final movement, devotion is cast as both sacred promise and political burden, as Arthur pledges faithful, lifelong love amid looming conflict. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.