Merlin : or, the early history of King Arthur : a prose romance / edited ... by Henry B. Wheatley

CHAPTER XXX.
DEPARTURE OF BAN AND BOHORS, AND THEIR VISIT TO AGRAVADAIN.

Whan the kynge Arthur hadde discounfited the saisnes, he and his baronye repeired gladde and ioyfull in to the

felde ther as the bateile hadde I-be, and thanked our lorde hertily of the honour and victorie that he hadde graunted hem for to haue, and of the grete wynnynge of clothes of silke and golde, and siluer, and riche pavelouns, and goode stedes, and armures; and the kynge Arthur hem departed by comon assent of alle the Barouns after thei were of astate or degre, and with-hilde not to hym-self the valew of a ferthinge; and than the princes entred in to the town gladde and ioyfull, and dide entere the deed corps, and hem that were wounded serched theire sores, and hadde good leches, and soiourned ther v dayes; and the tidinges ran thourgh the londe how the saisnes were discounfited, and chaced from the town of Clarence oute of the londe, and distroied and slain; and than alle the saisnes that were thourgh the londe, whiche hadde not be at the bateile, thei returned in to Saxoyne sory and wroth, for theire frendes that thei hadde loste; and whan the kynge Arthur hadde a-biden in the town of Clarence v dayes with grete feste and ioye, than departed the princes fro hym, and eueriche of hem wente in to his owne contrey, and thus thei departed fro hym with grete love, and hilden of hym theire fees and honours; and the straunge princes that for love of oure lorde were come to that iourney returned home in to theire contreyes; and the kynge Arthur, and the kynge Ban of Benoyk, and the kynge Bohors of Gannes, and the kynge looth of Orcanye, and sir Gawein, and his brethren, and theire companye, and theire meyne were resceyued with grete ioye at Cameloth of the Quene Gonnore, and of alle the peple; and than com Merlin to the kynge Arthur, and seide, "Sir, thanke be god ye haue the londe delyuered of the euell peple at this tyme, and ther-fore ye owe to haue grete ioye and all cristin peple, ffor now be thei sure all the peple of this londe; and ther-fore now may wele the kynge Ban and the kynge Bohors repeire hom in to theire contrey, ffor longe tyme is it past that thei saugh not theire wiffes ne theire meyne, and thei haue a full felon neighbour that gladly wolde hem annoyen, and that is the kynge Claudas de la desert, and therfore shull thei passe the

see and take kepe to theire londes, and of that thei haue for to do;" and whan the kynge Arthur this vndirstode, he ansuerde full debonerly.

"Feire frende, Merlin," seide the kynge, "the princes shull do theire volunte, and ye shall yours. But moche more I love to haue youre companye than youre departynge; ffor the companye of so worthy men as thei ben ne ought annoy to no prince. But seth it pleseth yow, and that ye will it be so I moste it nede suffre and do youre volunte." "Sir," seide Merlin, "it be-houeth to be so at this tyme, ffor ye haue now no myster of theire a-bidinge;" and in this maner departed the two kynges and ride towarde the see in grete ioye, and Merlin that moche hem loved hem conveyed; and fill that the firste nyght that thei departed from Cameloth that thei come to a Castell that stode in a maresse, so wele and so feire sittinge, and so cloos that it douted noon assaute, and this Castell was closed rounde with [folio 215a] vij walles thikke and high, and feire enbateiled, and right deffensable; and with-ynne the bailie were v. toures that were high and streight all rounde, and foure were mene, and the fifthe was gret and high, and well hurdeysed a-boute with-ynne and with-oute, and grete diches, and depe full of water, and the dongeon that stode in the myddill was grete and high, and all a-boute the walles of the Castell was marasse that dured two myle so full of myre and water that noon myght come ther-to, but he were drowned. In to this castell was but oon entree, and that was so streite that two horse myght not ther-on mete, oon be-side a-nother; and a-bove this marasse was a chauchie fro place to place of the breede of a spere lengthe made of chalke and sande stronge and thikke and wele made, and this cauchie was of lengthe a stones caste, and the remenaunt was made of plankes and of tymbir, so that noon ne myght passe ouer yef the plankes hadde be take a-wey, and at the ende of the cauchie was a grete water, but ther-to com no shippes, but it was right feire and plesaunt, and good fisshinge; be-fore the foot of this cauchie was a pyne tre a litill fro the water in a medowe of the space of an acre

londe or more, where-ynne the grasse was feire and high, and the pyne tre was right feire and full of bowes, so that oon braunche passed not a-nother of height, and vpon a braunche of this pyne was hanged by a cheyne of siluer, an horne of yvorie as white as snowe, ffor that thei sholde it sowne that com for to be herberowed in the castell, or elles who that passed forth by that wolde aske Iustinge. Of these two thinges serued the horne that ther was hanged.

Whan the kynge Ban, and the kynge Bohors, and her companye come to the pyne, and saugh the horne that ther did hange, thei seide that for nought was it not sette, and a-noon thei supposed it was for to aske passage of the foorde or elles to aske Iustes. But thei saugh the Castell so fer fro thens that thei trowed not the sounde of the horne myght not thider ben herde, and on that other side thei saugh the Castell so feire and so riche and well??sette, that thei hadde neuer seyn noon soche of the grettenesse, and saugh the cauchie and the entre so stronge, and so streite, that thei were alle merveiled; and the two kynges seide to Merlin, and asked yef he knewe what the castell was cleped that was so feire and well closed; and Merlin seide it was the castell of marasse, and was longinge to a knyght that was of grete puyssaunce, and of grete renon, and ther-to he was bolde and hardy at armes, and his name is Agrauadain ly noire. "Certes," seide the kynge, "of Agrauadain haue I herde well speke in many a place, and so helpe me god he ought wele to be a noble man that is here so well herberowed; ffor a-bove alle the Castelles that euer I sigh is this the feirest, and gladly wolde I lye ther-in to-nyght." "To that shull ye well come," quod Merlin; "but no straunge knyght cometh to this castell er he haue sowned this horne, ne noon dar very ouer the water er he haue blowe this horne, ffor than shall he not passe with-oute bateile." "I will sowne the horne," seide the kynge Ban, "yef ye [folio 215b] will yeve me leve." "In feith," seide Merlyn, "ther-in is no pereile, but other to aske a Iustinge or elles the feriage." "In feith," seide the kynge Ban, "and though ther were more pereile I shall it

sowne, seth that ye graunte me ther-to leve." "And I will well it so be," quod Merlin; "ffor yef god will, ther-of shall come noon euell." A-noon wente the kynge Ban to the horne, and sette it to his mouthe, and blew it so high and so cler as he that I-nough hadde of force and powere and breth, that all the marasse ther-of resowned, and the sowne of the water and the marasse bare the sownde in to the castell, that the lorde of the place it herde, and a-noon he asked his armes, for so was his custome; and the kynge be-gan to blowe a-gein thries to-geder lightly, for the Castell was so fer that the kynge wende the noyse myght not haue come thider.

Whan the lorde of the Castell herde hym blowe so harde, and that he was so hasty, he hilde ther-of grete dispite, and for anger lepte on a grete stede in haste with shelde a-boute his nekke, and his spere in honde, and a-noon the yate was open; and he rode oute a grete raundon, and com to the foorde, and whan he saugh the peple on the tother side, he cried and asked what peple thei were; and the kynge Ban ansuerde, "Sir, we be knyghtes, that requere herberowe this nyght yef it plese yow, and feriage for oure horse at this foorde." "With whom be ye," guod Agrauadain. "Sir," quod Merlin, that was nigh; "we be of this other contrey of the partyes of Gaule." "And of what parties of Gaule," quod Agrauadain. "Sir," seide Merlin, "thei holde theire londes of god and of kynge Arthur." "In godis name," seide Agrauadain, "thei haue a gode lorde, ffor of the kynge Arthur may thei not empeire, for he is a noble kynge, and a good knyght, and he is my lorde, and for his love shull ye haue hostell at youre volunte." "Gramercy, sir," seide the kynge; than a-noon right Agrauadain hym turned, and badde the knyghtes hym sewe, and seide thei were alle welcome; and thei wente a-noon after hym oon after a-nother ouer the bregge to the gates of the castell, and entred in after that the lorde of the place was entred, ffor ther was no space to turne on his horse er he were entred and paste the yate; and than the lorde hym-self condited hem in to the castell, and a-noon lepen oute squyres

and yomen to make hem a-light, and the lorde toke the two knyghtes be the hande, for that hym semed thei were princes and lordes of the othere, and ledde hem in to a chambir of the tour hem to vn-arme, and hym-self dide helpe for to vn-arme, and ther-while entred in thre maydenes of right grete bewte, wher-of tweyne were neces vn-to agrauadain; and the thridde was his doughter, and thei brought thre mantels furred with ermyn, and the cloth was scarlet, and thei caste hem vpon the two kynges; and the thridde vpon Agrauadain, and the kynge Ban that was a lusty knyght be-hilde the maydenys, and liked well theire companye, and countenaunce that were right feire and of grete bewte, that it was wonder to be-holde, and alle thre were of feire age, ffor the eldest was but xiiij yere, but a-bove alle the other was the lordes doughter the feirest; and Merlin be-hilde hir with grete anguyssh, and thought in his herte that [folio 216a] well were he that with soche a creature myght ly, "and ne were the grete love that I haue," quod he "to Nimyane, my love, I sholde haue hir this nyght in myn armes, and seth I may not hir haue, I shall lete hir be knowe with the kynge Ban;" and than he made a coniorison softly, and a-noon as he hadde it made the kynge Ban loved the mayden, and she hym also right sore.

Whan these two knyghtes were araide with these two mantels that the maydenys hadde brought, than Agrauadain, the lorde of the castell, sette hym down by hem, and loked on these two kynges, and knewe hem a-noon; and than he made hem gretter chere than he hadde do be-forn, and dide hem more reverence; and whan it was tyme to go to soper, the clothes were spradde vpon the tables thourgh the paleys that was grete and large, and the two kynges that were brethren satte down at the high table, and made agrauadain sitte down by hem and his wif that was a feire yonge lady of xviij yere of age, and the knyghtes were sette at other tables thourgh the halle, and the thre maydenys that were so feire and auenaunt were stondinge be-fore the two kynges, and be-fore Agrauadain; and Merlin that was with hem transformed in to

the semblaunce of a yonge knyght of xv yere age, and was clothed in a short garnement party read and white, and was girt with a bawdrike of silke of brede of a spanne wele and richely harnysshed with golde and stones, and ther-on hinge a gipser or purpill samyte bete with golde, and hadde a peire of gloues hanginge hym be-hynde, and his heed was yelow and curle, and his iyen grey and grete in his heed, and kerved be-fore the kynge Ban knelinge, and he was moche be-holden of oon and other, ffor ther was noon that hym knewe saf the two kynges, ffor tho that were her meyne wende he hadde be with the lorde of the place, and for his grete bewte the maydenys be-hilde hym often ententifly. But the doughter of Agrauadain hadde sette hir iyen moste vpon the kynge Ban more than on eny othir thinge, for the coniurison that Merlin hadde made, and putte hir to grete affray; and she liked hym so well that it made hir to chaunge colour ofte sithes, and longe her thought er the clothes were taken vp, ffor fain wolde she haue leyn be-twene his armes, and she cowde not wite how that volunte to hir com. But so moche she hath ther-on sette her thought, that to noon othir thinge she toke no tent but to thenke of hym.

In this thought and this anguyssh was the mayden by the coniurison of Merlin; and on that other side was the kynge Ban so a-raied that he left pley and laughinge at the table, and cowde not wite how it was to hym come, and he was sory and wroth of that he hadde his love so turned, ffor he hadde to wif a yonge lady of grete bewte, to whom he ne wolden not false his feith; and on that other side he thought how he was herberowed ther-ynne, and the lorde of the place was a noble man and a curteyse, and hadde hym don grete honoure, and hym semed it were vntrouthe and treson, and to grete vilonye sholde it to hym turne yef he required hir of shame or dishoneste. Ne no gretter shame myght he hym do than diffoule his doughter in soche maner; and [folio 216b] ther-with he wax so euell at ese that he wiste not what to do, and alwey he seide in his corage that he wolde neuer hir requyre of no soche

thinge. But Merlin thought wele in his herte that so sholde it not go, ffor he thought it hadde be grete harme yef thei hadde not come to-geder, ffor soche fruyte sholde come be-twene hem wher-of all the londe of Breteigne sholde be honoured by the grete prowesse that he sholde haue.

All thus seide Merlin to hym-self; and whan the clothes were drawen, and thei hadde waisshe theire handes thei yede to the wyndowes, and be-helde the marasse; and on that othir side thei saugh the foreste and the forteresses that were ther a-boute, and the erable londe and the feire fisshinge, and saugh the vynes and the contrey so feire that merveile it was to be-holden; and ther thei stode till it was tyme to go to bedde, and entred in to a chambre by the halle where the maydenys hadde made redy two beddes soche as apertend to two soche princes, and thei were brought to bedde with grete ioye and feste; and whan the two kynges were brought to bedde, the lorde of the place wente to bedde with his wif, and the thre maydenys lay in a-nother chamber next by the chamber of Agrauadain, so that noon myght entre but thourgh his chamber; and a-noon as thei were a-bedde, Merlin be-gan an enchauntement, and made hem to slepe alle that were with-ynne the Castell saf only the kynge Ban and the mayden. These tweyne were so surprised that oon vpon that other, that thei myght nother slepe ne reste, and Merlin, that wolde acheive that he hadde be-gonne, com in to the chamber ther the mayden lay, and toke hir softly by the hande and seide, "Now, feire lady, a-rise, and come to hym that so moche yow desireth;" and she that so sore was enchaunted myght not with-sey his volunte, but a-noon a-roos vp oute of hir bedde naked saf, she first dide on hir smok, and Merlin her ledde by her fader beddes side, and by the beddes of other knyghtes ther-ynne; but thei were so stronge a-slepe, that thei myght not a-wake. Thus wente Merlin and the mayden till thei com in to the chamber ther the two kynges lay, wher-ynne was light I-nough, and fond the kynge Bohors sore a-slepe, as he that was in the power of Merlin, and thei com streight to the kynge Ban that was at

moche mysese, and seide, "Sir, lo here the gode and the feire whiche shall bringe forth the feire and the good, of whom the grete renomede shall renne thourgh all Breteigne."

Whan the kynge saugh the mayden, and he hadde vndirstonde Merlin, a-noon he spradde his armes, and hir resceived gladde and myry, as he that moste do the comaundement of Merlin, and he hadde no power it to with-stonde, for the enchauntement wher-with he was so surprised that he myght it not forsake in no maner; ffor yef it were in poste he wolde it not haue do for all the reme of grete Breteigne, for sore he dredde oure lorde; and satte vp and resceyved the mayden in his armes, and she dide of hir smok, and leide hir down by hym, and her toke in his armes and she dide hym, and eche of hem made feire chere and right good semblaunt, as thei hadde be to-geder xx yere, for noon of hem was a-shamed ne dismayed of other, and all this hadde Merlin it ordeyned. In this manere [folio 217a] was the kynge and the damesell till day, and than com Merlin to the kynge Ban, and seide that it were tyme that the damesell yede a-gein, and she dide on hir smok and hir kirtill; and the kynge toke a ringe of his fynger, and side, "Swete love, kepe this ringe for my love;" and the damesell it toke and sette it on hir finger, and so thei departed; and Merlin brought hir a-gein in to hir bedde, and made hir to ly down all naked that hadde conceyved a sone, of whom launcelot after hadde grete ioye and honour for the bounte and Chiualrie that was in hym. Whan Merlin hadde brought the damesell in hir bedde, he wente to his owne bedde and lay down, and than brake the enchauntement, and alle that were in the castell a-woke, and it was than feire day; and than a-rise knyghtes and squyres, and alle seruauntes, and made redy theire armures, and sadeled theire horse, and trussed coufres and males, and Merlin com to the kynge that was a-slepe, ffor the enchauntement of the love of the damesell was cessed, and he wiste well that he hadde by hir leyen, but he knewe not in what maner ne how he hadde hir in his bedde, saf he supposed it was by Merlin; and Merlin com to hym, and seide it was sone tyme

to ride; and whan the two kinges were vp, and alle tho that were ther-ynne; than com the lorde and the thre damesselles to the two kynges and salued, and thei hem grete a-gein godely; and whan the kynge Ban saugh the doughter of Agrauadain that al nyght hadde leyn with hym he be-heilde hir full ententifly, and she hym full swetly bowinge down with the heed as she that was shamefaste, that she hadde be so prevy with hym, and that she hadde be so-bolde; and but yef the force and the enchauntement hadde not cessed, she ne hadde ther-of be nothinge a-baisshed for hym, and ther was neuer hour after but she hym loved more than eny other man, and that shewed well, for neuer after that wolde she neuer haue a-do with no man, but seide to hir-self that a woman that hadde ben so with a kynge ne ought neuer be so famyler with noon other man of lower degre. Ne neuer after wolde she be maried; and the kynge Ban toke hir be the hande, and seide, "Damesell, I moste nede departe at this tyme, but wher-so-euer I be I am youre knyght as trewly as eny man may be, and I praye yow haue in mynde to kepe youre body, ffor ye be conceyved with a sone, and that I do yow verily to wite of whom ye shull haue ioye and honour;" and of this Merlin hadde do hym to vndirstonde that knewe a partye of thinges that were to come; and the damesell ansuerde in baas voyce sore syghinge, and seide, "Sir, yef it so be god to his pleiser sende me more ioye ther-of than I haue of youre departinge, ffor neuer here be-forn was love so soone departed, and seth yow be-hove nede for to go, I shall conforte my-self the beste wise I may with this that I am with conceyved; now god sende me grace that I be a gladde moder, ffor yef I lyve so longe that I may it se, hit shall be to me a myrour and confort in remembraunce of yow;" with that worde the kynge toke hir in his armes, and with sighinge comaunded hir to god; and the damesell returned to hir chamber with the maydenes [folio 217b] and the two kynges; and Merlin comaunded the lady to god, and thanked hir for the grete curtesie and chere that thei hadde founden; and after thei toke theire horse and departed oute

of the Castell, and rode forth the cauchie oon after a-nother, and Agrauadain hem conveyed to the pyne tre, and than returned; and the two kynges rode forth to the see, and founden shippes, and passed ouer; and whan thei were landed thei ride forth till thei come to Benoyk, where thei were resceived with grete ioye; but a-bove alle other were the two sustres, the Quenes gladde and ioyfull, and so the two kynges soiourned viij dayes in Benoyk with theire two wifes, and with hem also Merlin; and the ix^the day he toke leve of the two kynges and the Quenes, and of the other barouns, and repeired to Nimiane, his owne love, that made hym grete chire, and of hym was gladde and ioyfull, ffor moche she hym loved for the grete debonerte that she hadde in hym founden, and he loved nothinge so wele as he dide hir, and wele it shewed, ffor he taught hir that he wolde not teche to noon other, and so he a-bode with hir viij dayes, and than departed and com to Blase, his maister, that so moche desired hym to se; and Merlin hym tolde the assemble on the playn of Salisbery, and how thei rescewed the Quene of Garlot, and the pray, and tolde hym alle thinges that were be-fallen seth he fro hym departed, and he hem wrote in his boke. But now shull we returne to speke of the kynge Arthur.