¶ Capitulum primum
IN the begynnynge of Arthur after he was chosen kyng by aduēture and by grace for the most party of the barons knewe not that he was Vther pendragons sone / But as Merlyn made it openly knowen / But yet many kynges & lordes helde grete werre ayenst hym for that cause / But wel Arthur ouercame hem alle / for the mooste party the dayes of his lyf he was ruled moche by the counceil of Merlyn / Soo it fell on a tyme kyng Arthur sayd vnto Merlyn / my barons wille lete me haue no rest but nedes I muste take a wyf / and I wylle none take / but by thy counceill and by thyne aduys / it is wel done said Merlyn / that ye take a wyf / for a man of your bounte and noblesse shold not be without a wyf / Now is ther ony that ye loue more than another / ye said kyng Arthur / I loue gweneuer the kynges doughter Lodegrean of the land of Camelerd / the whiche holdeth in his hows the table round that ye told he had of my fader Vther / And this damoysel is the moost valyaunt and fayrest lady that I knowe lyuynge or yet that euer I coude fynde / Syre sayd Merlyn as of her beaute and fayrenes she is one of the fayrest on lyue / But and ye loued her not so wel as ye doo / I shold fynde yow a damoysel of beaute and of goodenesse that shold lyke yow & plese yow and your herte were not sette / But there as a mans herte is set / he wylle be lothe to retorne / that is trouth said kyng Arthur / but Merlyn warned the kynge couertly that gweneuer was not holsome for hym to take to wyf / for he warned hym that launcelot shold loue her and she hym ageyne / and so he torned his tale to the auentures of Sancgreal / Thenne merlyn desyred of the kynge for to haue men with hym that shold enquere of gweneuer / and so the kyng graunted hym / & Merlyn wente forth vnto kyng Lodegrean of Camyllerd / & told hym of the desyre of the kyng that he wold haue vnto his wyf Gweneuer his doughter / that is to me sayd kyng Lodegreans the best tydynges that euer I herd that so worthy a kyng of prowesse and noblesse wille wedde my doughter / And os for my landes I wylle gyue hym wyst I it myght please hym /