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

CHAPTER IV.
THE FEASTS AT CARDOELL; UTER-PENDRAGON'S LOVE FOR YGERNE, AND HIS WAR WITH HER HUSBAND, THE DUKE OF TINTAGEL.

All as Merlyn devised dide the kynge, and warned thourgh all his reame to be at Cardoell, in Walys, at the Pentecoste. And thus he lete crye thourgh all his reame, and Merlyn dide ordeyne all that longed to the table. The weke afore witsontyde come the kynge to Cardoell, and when he was come he axed Merlin how he hadde spedde, and he seide, "Wele." Quod the kynge, "What men shull ye chese to sitte at this table?" And Merlyn seide, "Ye shull se to-morou that ye wende neuer to seen, that I shall chese fyfty of the beste knyghtes of this londe. And whan thei be ones sette, thei will haue no grete desire to returne in to their contrees. And thus ye may knowe whiche were gode men and worthy, whan ye se the signifiaunce of the voyde place." Thus Merlyn, on the witsonday, chese fifty knyghtes, and comaunded hem to be sette at that table to mete; and thei so diden with gode chere. And Merlyn that full of stronge arte, was yede hem aboute, and cleped the kynge as they weren sette, and shewed hym the voyde place. And many othir it syen, but they ne knewe not the tokenynge, ne why it was voyde.

When Merlyn hadde don all thus, he badde the kynge that he sholde go sitte; and thus they diden alle viij dayes. And the kynge yaf grete yeftes to lordes, and to ladyes, and to dameseles. And when they departed, the kynge come to the fyfty knyghtes, and axed how hem lyked. And thei seyde, "Sir, we haue no talent to remeve fro hens, and ther-of we haue merveile what it maketh, for we be entred as brethern; and therfore we will neuer departe till deth vs departe." When the kynge herde hem thus sey, he hadde grete merveile, and comaunded hem to be serued, and kepte as his owne body. And thus departed the grete prese. And than the kynge come to Merlyn, and seide, "Truly thow seidest me soth that oure lorde wolde that this table sholde be stablisshed; but I wolde praye the to telle me [folio 20b] yef thow knowe who shall fulfille the place that is voyde." And Merlyn ansuerde, "Wite thow right wele that it shall not be in thy tyme; ne he that shall a-complesshen, it is not yet be-geten. But it shall be in the kynges tyme that shall come next after the; ne he that shall hym engendere shall not knowe that he shall hym engendere; and he that shall a-complysshe that sete must also complysshe the voyde place at the table that Ioseph made. And I pray yow therfore, that euer hens-forth that ye hoilde alle youre grete festes in this town." "Certes," quod the kynge, "I will gladly." And than seide Merlyn, "Sir, I moste go, and of longe tyme ye shull not se me a-geyn." And the kynge hym axed whider he sholde go; quod he, "Shall ye not be here at alle tymes when I holde my grete courte?" And Merlyn seyde, "No."

Than departed the kynge, and Merlyn yede to Blase, and tolde hym the stablisshement of this table, and many other thynges. And thus a-bode Merlyn thre yere that he come not to courte. They that loved not Merlyn, but by semblaunce, come to the kynge on a day as he was at Cardoell, and axeden hym of this voide place, and why there was not sette some worthy man, that the table myght be full. And the kynge seide, "Merlin tolde me a grete merveile, that seide noon myght it a-complisshe in my tyme, ne yet ne ys he born, that shall

engendre hym that shall it complesshen." And thei lough ther-at, as they that weren full of envye, and seide, "Sir, trowe ye that ther shalbe better peple after youre tyme than beth now, and that ther ne be now, as gode men in youre londe as thei shull be." "Truly," seide the kynge, "I wote neuer." And thei seide, "Ye do not wele but ye assaye." "Certes," quod the kynge, "I will it not assaie, for I doute that Merlin wolde be wroth." And than they ansuerde, "Yef ye wele yeve vs leve, we will assaye it, and for to preve the grete lesynge." And the kynge seide, "Ne were the drede I haue of the wrath of Merlyn, ther is nothynge that I desire so moche to assayen." And they seide, "Yef Merlyn be livynge, and he knowe that we will it assayen, he will come with-oute faile, er eny man shall it assayen; but suffre that we may it assaien at Pentecoste." And the kynge hem graunted, wher-fore they weren gladde. Thus it lefte till at witsontyde, that the kynge hadde do warne alle his barons to be at his feste at Cardoell. And Merlyn, that all thys wiste wele, tolde vn-to Blase the euell thoughtes that they hadden, that hadde take this enprise, and seide he wolde not go till he knewe who sholde assaye to preve that place, for he hadde leuer haue it preve by a shrewe than a gode man. Thus suffred Merlyn to the quynsyne of Pentecoste.

Vterpendragon the kynge come to Cardoel, and brought with hym grete plente of peple. And thei that were come for to assaie the place made it to be seide that Merlyn was deed, and that he was founden in a wildernesse madde, and cherles hym kylde. And so moche peple spake ther-of, that the kynge hym-self it leved; and more for that, he was so longe a-wey, than for eny thinge elles, and, namely, he wende in no wyse he wolde not have suffred that eny man sholde haue assaide the voyde place yef he were lyvynge. [folio 21a] Thus was the kynge on witson-even at Cardoel, and axed of hem that sholde it assaie, whiche of hem sholde it do. And he that all this hadde ordeyned, seide, "Sir, I will that ye wete ther shall noon assaie it but I." Than he com to the table where as the fifty knyghtes weren sette, and seide, "I am come to sitte

with yow, and for to holde yow company." And they ansuerde no worde, but full mekely be-helde what he wolde do. And the kynge and grete partye of the barons weren ther assembled. This sette hym down in the voyde place, and a-noon as he was sette, he sanke down as it hadde be leed, so that noon wiste where he was be-come. Than the kynge comaunded alle the other gode men to aryse, and they so diden. And than a-noon be-gan so grete a noyse and sorowfull crye, that all the court was trowbled; and the kynge hym-self was gretely a-baisshed. Thus they a-biden to the quynsyne after Pentecoste, that Merlin come to courte. And whan the kynge wiste of hys comynge, he was right ioyfull, and wente hym a-geins to mete with hym. And a-noon, whan Merlyn saugh the kynge, he seide he had euell spedde, to suffre eny man to sytte in that place. "Trewly," seide the kynge, "I was disceyved thourgh here wordes." "In feith," seide Merlyn, "it falleth often to hem that wolden begile, that thei be-giled hem-self; and that maist thow wele proven be this." After the kynge axed, "Yef he wiste where he was be-comen that set hym in the sege?" And Merlin ansuerde, "Therof no force is for to enquere, ne nought it sholde a-vayle for to wite, but thenke on them that in þe other places sitten, and to mayntene that thow haste be-gonne; and alle thy festes and alle thy courtes, come holde hem heir in this town, for to wurship this table, for thow knowest by the assay that thow haste seyen that it is of grete dignite. And now I go; now, loke thow do as thow haste seyde." And thus departed the kynge; and Merlin comaunded the kynge to beilde feire howsynge, where he sholde euer after holde his courte and his hye festes. Than the kynge lete it be knowen thourgh his reame that all high festes, as Pasch and Pentecoste, and yole and halowmesse, sholde be holden at Cardoel; and a-geyn the feste of yole, he somowned alle his barons, in soche maner that euerich of hem shulde brynge with hem their wyves and doughtres, and her neces or susteres. And the knyghtes so diden alle. I may not telle yow of alle tho that ther weren, sef of hem that the tale reherses, oon after a-nother. Ther was the Duke of Tintagel, and Ygrine his wif;

and hir the kynge loved gretly, but ther-of he made no semblaunce, saf that often he be-heilde her more than a-nother; in-so-moche that hir-self it perceyved, and knewe that the kynge be-helde her often. And whan she it perceyved, she eschewed to come in his presence, for she was right a gode lady, and full of grete bewte, and right trewe a-geins hir lorde. And the kynge for her love, and for he sigh she hadde taken hede of his lokynges, he sente Iuwelles to euery lady that was at the feste. And to Ygerne he sente as he trowed sholde beste hir plese, and she knewe and sigh wele that he hadde sente to alle other ladies, and ther-fore she durste not refuse hirs, but receyved hem, and thought wele in her herte, that the kynge ne hadde not yeven to other ladyes, but for she sholde not refusen hirs.

[folio 21b] Thus hilde the kynge that feeste, that yet is with-outen wif, and was so supprised with the love of Ygerne, that he wiste not how to do, and thus departed the court; but firste the kynge praide alle the barons to be at Cardoel at Pasch, and so he prayed alle the ladies, and thei graunted to be ther. Whan the Duke of Tintagel departed fro courte, the kynge hym conveyed and gretly hym honoured at theyr departynge; and whan he hadde hym a while conveied, he toke leve, and yede thourgh the courte in his othir necessitees till that the tyme of Pasch, and than gan to assemble alle the barons and all the ladyes at Cardoel, and grete was the ioye that the kynge made, till it come to the mete tyme that the kynge made the Duke of Tintagel to be set be-fore hym-self, and also his wif Ygerne, so that Ygerne ne myght not eschewe but to resceve his yeftes, so that she it aparceyved verily that the kynge hir loved, wherof she was right hevy, but ne she mot it suffer. Thus was this feeste holden in grete ioye, and the kynge hem prayde to come at alle tymes whan he hem comaunded, and thei seiden so thei wolden as to theire souereyn lorde. And thus departed the courte; and so endured the kynge in grete mysese for love of Ygerne, and at laste he complayned hym-self to tweyne that he moche trusted of grete angwysshe that he suffred for the love of Ygerne, and they seiden, "What will ye that we shull do?" Quod the

kynge, "I wolde haue youre counseile, how I myght have her company." And they seide, "Yef ye go in to the courte ther as she is, the peple shull it a-perceyve, and so myght ye be in blame." And he seyde, "What counseile yeve ye me thanne?" "The beste counseile," seide thei, "that we se ther-inne is that ye somowne a grete courte to be at Cardoel, and that ye make hem all to wite that it shall holde to the quynsine, and that eche come araide to a-bide xv dayes, and eueriche man to brynge with hym his wyf. And thus may ye have longe the company of Ygerne, and haue grete counfort of youre love." And the kynge was plesed wele with her counseile, and sente to alle the barons to be at Pentecoste at Cardoel, and euery baron to brynge with hym his wif. And as the kynge hem comaunded thei diden, and at that feeste the kynge bar crowne, and yaf grete yeftes to alle astates as hym semed beste sittynge.

Gretly was the kynge at that feeste, and ioyfull and mery. And he spake to oon of his counseile to whom he hadde moste truste of eny other, and his name was Vlfyn. And the kynge hym tolde of the grete peyne that he was Inne for the love of Ygerne, that so hym constrayned that he myght nother ete ne slepe, ne go, ne ride, and that he wende verily to dye whan he was oute of her sight, and that he myght not longe lyve but he hadde oþer counseile of her love. And Vlfyn seide, "Sir, it is a wonder thynge that for the delyte of a woman ye wene to dye. And I am but a pore man, and yef I loved a woman so strongly as ye, I sholde not wene therfore to dyen. Who herde euer speke of eny woman, yef she were wele requereth, but ye sholde haue of her youre volente; with that to yeve her gret yeftis [Folio 22 is misplaced, and follows folio 23.] [folio 22a] and Juwels, and to hem that ben a-bouten hir. I ne herde neuer speke of woman that cowde hir diffende a-geyn this; and thow that arte a kynge dismayest the so of feynt herte!" And the kynge seide, "Vlfyn, thow seyst right wele, and thow knowest wele what longeth to soche mystere; I pray the helpe me in alle maners that thow can or may, and take of my cofres

what thow wilte, to yeve to alle that ben hir a-bouten, and speke so to hir as thow knowest is for my spede." Quod Vlfyn, "Be of gode counfort, for I shall do all my power." And thus vndirtoke Vlfin to helpe the kynge. And so all the xv dayes hilde the kynge grete feste, and euery day hadde the Duke in his company, and yaf hym a grete Iuwell, and also to his compers. And Vlfyn spake with Ygerne, and tolde hir many thinges that he myght, as he trowed beste her plese; and many tymes he brought her a preciouse Iuwell; but Ygerne wolde noon of hem, till on a tyme that Ygerne hilde Vlfyn in counseile, and seide, "Vlfin, wherefore is it that ye wolde me yeve alle these Iuwelles and these riche yeftes?" And Vlfin seide, "Madame, for youre grete wisdome, and youre grete beaute and faire contenaunce, I may noght yeve yow, for all erthely gode is yours, and alle the londe of logres, and alle the mennes bodyes at youre plesier to do youre volente." And she ansuerde, "How?" "How?" quod he, "for ye haue the herte of hym to whom alle moste obbeye." Quod she, "Whos herte is that ye of speken?" And Vlfyn seide, "Of the kynge." And she lifte vp hir hande, and hir fayned, and seide, "A mercy god! sholde eny knyge be traytour, so as he maketh semblaunce to myn husbonde of love, and so shamefully wolde me diffoule! Vlfin, now be right well ware that thow neuer speke to me more of these wordes, ffor, wite thow wele, I shall telle my lorde, and yef he it knowe thow moste dye." And Vlfyn ansuerde, "That were to me grete wurship, yef I sholde dye for my lorde; ne neuer lady that refused a kynge in soche wyse as do ye, that loveth yow more than eny other thynge. And I trowe ye do but iape; but for goddes love haveth pite of the kynge that is youre lorde, and also vpon youre self, for yef ye haue no mercy of this thynge, witeth wele that ther-of may come grete harme, ne ye ne youre lorde may not yow diffende a-geyn the kynges wille." And Ygerne ansuerde, wepynge, "I shall therfore me right wele diffende, for I will neuer come in place wheras he may me seen."

And so departed Ygerne; and Vlfin come to the kynge, and tolde hym like as she hadde seide. And the kynge seyde so sholde a gode lady ansuere, for ther was neuer gode lady that lightly wolde be ouercome; and therfore he ne cessed not of prayinge. And on the xi^e iour of Pentecoste, the kynge satte at mete, and with hym te Duke of Tintagel. And the kynge hadde a riche cowpe of goolde; and Vlfyn kneled be-fore the kynge, and seide, "Sir, sende this cuppe to Ygerne, and praye the Duke to bidde hir to take it, and drynke for youre love." And the kynge cleped the Duke, and badde hym sende that cuppe to Ygerne, his wif, and sende hir worde to drynke for his love. And the Duke ansuerde as he that thought noon euell, and seyde, "Sir, gramercy." The Duke cleped a knyght of his owne that he loved well, "Bertel, take this cuppe, and bere to thy lady, and sey her that she drynke for the kynges love." And Bretel cam in to the [folio 22b] chamber where Ygerne sat at mete amonge othir ladyes, and kneled be-fore hir, and seide, "Madam, the kynge sente yow this cuppe, and my lorde comaundeth that ye sholde it take, and also to drynke for the kynges sake."

Whan the lady vndirstode these wordes, she wax all reade for shame, but she durste not refuse the comaundement of hir lorde, but toke the cuppe, and dranke, and wolde have sente it a-geyn be the same knyght. And he seide, "My lorde sente yow worde ye sholde it kepe, for so the kynge hym prayde." When she sye that, she sigh wele that nedes she muste kepe the cuppe. And Bretell come a-gein, and thanked the kynge on Ygernes be-halfe, that ther-of hadde seide no worde. And glad was the kynge that she hadde resceyved his yefte. And Vlfin wente in to the chamber, to se what semblaunce she made, and he fonde hir pensif and angry. And whan she saugh Vlfin, she cleped hym to hir, for the bourdes weren vp, and seide, "Vlfyn, thourgh grete treson thy lorde hath here sente me a cuppe, but therby shall he gete litill wurschip er to-morow day, for I will telle my lorde of the treson that ye be-twene yow two haue purposed." And Vlfyn ansuerde, "Be-war ther-of, that it yow

neuer passe." And she seide, "Mysauenture have that it kepeth eny counseile." With that departed Vlfyn from hir. And be than the kynge hadde waisshe, and was right mery and gladde, and toke the Duke be the hande, and seide, gowe, se these ladyes. Than they yede to the chamber wher as Ygerne hadde eten; and she knewe wele that he come for noon othir cause but for hir. And so she suffred all the day till the nyght, and than she wente hom to hir loigynge. And when the Duke come he fonde hir wepynge and makynge grete sorow; wherfore he was right hevy, and toke hir in his armes, as he that moche hir loved, and axed whi she made soche sorowe. "Trewly," quod she, "ther nothynge that I will kepe from yow counseile, for ther is nothynge that I love so moche as yow. The kynge that is my lorde and yowres seith that he loueth me, and alle these courtes that ye se hym holde, and alle these ladyes that he sendith fore, it is nought elles but for me, and that ye sholde brynge me with yow. And these othir tymes I parceyved it wele I-nough, and I me kepte bothe fro hym and from his yeftes. And so hiderto I haue me wele deffended, that I haue nought taken of his. And now haue ye made me to take a cuppe, and sente me that I sholde drynke for his love. And therfore I wolde I were deed, for I may neuer haue reste for hym, and Vlfyn hys counseiller. And now I haue tolde yow all as it is; I knowe wele that ther-of muste come more anger, wherfore I beseke yow, as I ought to do my lorde, that ye brynge me to Tintagel, for I will no lenger a-bide in this town." Whan the Duke, that moche loved his wif, herde this, he was als wroth as eny man myght be. Than he sente after his men thourgh the town, and when they were come, he seide to hem prevely, "Make yow redy for to ride in all haste, so that no man of the town it wyte, [folio 23a] and axed not the cause why till I telle yow." And thus the Duke and his knyghtes lepe to horse, and rode home to his contre, and ledde with hym his wyf.

On the morowe, whan the kynge wiste the Duke was thus i-gon, he was hevy and sorowfull for that he hadde ledde a-wey Ygerne, and sente after his counseile, and shewde hem the

shame and the dispite the Duke hadde hym don. And they seide they merveyled ther gretly, and that hadde don grete folye. Thus seide they that wiste not why he was gon. And the kynge seide, "As ye haue sen alle, I haue do to hym more wurship than to eny othir." And they seiden, "It was soth; wherfore we gretly merveyle why he hath don so grete outerage." And the kynge seide, "Yef it be youre rede I will sende after hym that he come a-geyn and a-mende this forfet, and that in the same wise as he is gon that he come a-gein, for that me semeth is right." And the counseile ther-to assented. On this massage was sente two worthy men fro the kynge, and rode till they come to Tintagell, and ther they fonde the Duke, and tolde hym their message as they weren charged. Whan the Duke herde that in the same forme he moste come a-geyn, he vndirstode wele he sholde bringe with hym Ygerne, and than he seide to the messagers, "I ne will not come at his courte, for he hath so don to me and to myne that I owe hym neyther to truste ne to love." And thus departed the messagers with-outen other ansuere. And than the Duke sente after alle the worthy men of his counseile, and seide hem the cause why he was come fro Cardoel, and the vntrouthe and the shame that the kynge hadde hym purposed. And they ther-of merveileden gretly, and seide that sholde neuer be-tyden with goddes grace, and wele oughten he to haue shame that this shame hath purposed to his liege man. Thanne seide the Duke, "I pray yow, and requyre be the feith that ye me owen, that ye helpe me to diffende my londe yef he me assawte with werre." And thei ansuerde that so wolde they do to put alle ther lyves and gods in Iepardye. Thus the Duke counseiled with his men. And the messagers come to Cardoel and fonde the kynge and his barons, and tolde as the Duke hadde yeve hem ansuere; and they seiden alle, thei merveiled of the Duke, that was wonte to be so wise a man, and so had him ruled. The kynge praide his barons, and hem requyred as his liege men, that thei wolde hym helpe to redresse that forfet, and a-venge the shame that he hadde hym don; and they seiden that they myght not that refusen; but thei seiden

yef it were hys plesier to sende, knowynge that he hym diffied, xl dayes be-fore er he hym assailed. And the kynge seide that wolde he do; but the kynge hem praide that at the ende of xl dayes they be redy assembled ther he hem assigned arayed for to osteye. The kynge sente his messagers for to diffie the Duke of Tintagel; and when the Duke herde that he hym diffied at the ende of xl dayes, he seide he sholde hym diffende yef he myght. And than he sente to his peple, and shewde hem the diffiaunce of the kynge, prayinge hem to helpe hym in that grete mister. And they seide thei sholde hym helpe with all their power. And than the Duke counseiled with his peple, [folio 23b] and seide, "I have but two castelles that a-gein the kynge may holde; but tho tweyne wolde he holde as longe as he hadde lyf." And he devised to leve his wif at Tintagel, and with hir x knyghtes, for he knewe that castell hadde no doute of no man, and hym-self wente to a-nother castell that was of lesse strengthe, and it stuffed in the beste wise that he myght, and seide that he myght not his other londes agein hym diffende. The messagers that hadde the Duke diffied come to the kynge, and seide how the Duke wolde hym diffende. Thanne the kynge sente to somowne his barons and his peple, and made hem alle to assemble in the Dukes londe in a grete medowe vpon a rivere. Whan the barons were assembled, the kynge to hem rehersed the grete dispyte of brekynge of his courte, and the barons seiden it was reson that the forfet were redressed. Thus the kynge lefte in the Dukes londes, and toke his castelles and his townes, and distroyed all the contre, and than the kynge herde sey that Ygerne was at Tintagel, and the Duke in a-nother castell, and than the kynge axed of his counseile whiche castell he sholde firste assaile; and the barons yaf hym counseile firste to assaile the Duke, and therto the kynge graunted. And so thei rode to the castell that the Duke was ynne; and than the kynge seide to Vlfin, "What may I do whan I ne may not se Ygerne?" And Vlfyn seide, "The thinges that a man may not haue, he muste nede suffer; and therfore ye must put to grete besynesse to take the Duke, for after that ye shall well to purpos bringe the remenaunt."

Many assaute made the kynge at the Castell, but he cowde it in no wise gete, wher-fore he was full of sorowe, and right Irouse. And on the tother side he was sore distreined with the love of Ygerne, that on a tyme, as he was in his pavilyon, he gan to wepe. Whanne his peple saugh hym wepe, they weren hevy, and hem with-drowen, and leften hym a-lone. And whan Vlfin it wiste ther-of, he come anoon, and axed the kynge why he wepte. And the kynge seide, "Thow knowest wele wherfore, for thow woste wele that I dye full of loue of Ygerne, for I have loste bothe mete and drynke, and all reste that a man ought to have." And whan Vlfyn this vndirstode, he seide, "Ye be of ful febill herte whan ye thynke to dye for oon sole woman; but I shall sey yow gode counseile." "What is that?" seide the kynge. "That ye wolde sende to seche Merlin, that he myght come to yow, and it myght noon other-wise be, but that he sholde yeve yow some gode counseile that sholde yow profite. And ye shull hym yeve what he will desire." And than seide the kynge, "Ther is no thynge that is possible to a man but that he can it do; but I wote wele Merlin of my distresse knoweth, and so I am in drede that he be wroth for the voide place of the table, that I suffred to be assaide. And longe tyme it is passed sethe he was in place, where-as I myght hym se. And also I trowe he is not well plesed that I love the wif of my liege man; but trewly I may not do ther-to, ne I ne may not therfro me deffende. But I have well in mynde that he badde I sholde not sende hym for to seche." And Vlfin ansuerde, "I am in certeyn of oon thynge, that he farith well and is in hele. Yef he love yow as he was wonte to do, he knoweth what distresse that ye beth ynne, and it shal [folio 24a] not be longe er ye here of hym tydynges."

Thus Vlfyn counforted the kynge, and counseiled hym to sende for his meyne to hym, and that sholde cause hym to foryete a grete partie of his sorowe. And the kynge seyde so he wolde do; but his love myght he, ne his sorow in no maner wise for-gete. Thus the kynge peyned to conforte hym-self and his peple, and made the castell to be assailed; but take

it they myght not in no wise. And on a day, as Vlfin rode thourgh the oste, he mette with a man that he nothinge kenned. And he seide, "Vlfin, I wolde fain speke with the." And thanne they yede oute of the hoste, the man on his fete, and Vlfyn on horsebak. And Vlfin light down on foote to speke with this man, and hym axed what he was. And he seide, "I am an olde man, as thow maist se, and som tyme in my yowthe I was holden wise; and now of moche thinge that I sey men sein that I dote; but I sey to yow in counseile that I was at Tintagel not longe sithe, and ther I was a-queynted with a gode man, that tolde me that youre kynge loueth the Dukes wif, and that is the cause that the kynge distroyeth his contre, for he brought his wif fro Cardoel. And yef ye and the kynge will wele quyte my nede, I shall make yow a-queynte with a gode man that shall make yow speke mith Ygerne, and that shall wele counseile the kynge of his desir." When Vlfyn herde this man so say, he merveled who that hym sholde haue tolde, and prayde him that he wolde teche hym to that man that cowde counseile the kynge of his desires. And the olde man seide, "I will first here what rewarde the kinge will yeve." Quod Vlfin, "Where shall I yow fynde when I haue spoke with the kynge?" The olde man seide, "Ye shull finde me or my message be-twene this and the hoste." And so he hym comaunded to god, and bad hym come on the morowe, and hym wolde telle soche tydinges as sholde hym plese. And Vlfin com to the kynge as hastely as he myght, and tolde how the olde man hadde seide. And whan the kynge hadde herde these wordes, he lowgh and made feire semblaunce, and seide to Vlfin, "Knowest thow ought the man that thow spake with?" And he ansuerde, "It is a man right olde and feble." And the kynge seide, "Whan shull ye mete este to-geder?" And Vlfyn seide, "In the morowe, for he badde me wite of yow what he shulde haue to rewarde." And the kynge seide, "Lede me thider as thow shalt mete with hym." And Vlfin seide, "With gode will; and yef thow speke with hym with-oute me, profer hym what he will desire of myn." Thus thei leften till on the

morowe; but that nyght was the kynge merier than he hadde ben eny tyme be-fore.

The morowe after masse the kynge and Vlfyn rode forth as Vlfin wolde hym guyde; and as thei issued oute of the hoste thei sye a crepell that semed blinde; and as thei passed forth by hym, he cried with an high voyce, "Sir kynge, so god a-complesshe thyn hertys desire of that thow desirest moste to haue, so yeve me som thynge that I may conne the thanke fore." [folio 24b] And the kynge be-heilde Vlfyn, and seide lawghinge, and seide, "Vlfyn, "Do that I shall comaunde the for my grete profite, and for my love, and for to compleisshe my grete desire." And Vlfyn seide, "Ther is nothinge that I desire so moche, as for to do that myght a-complisshe youre desire." And the kynge seide, "Hast thow nought herde what the Crepell axed, that I sholde remembre the thinge that I beste loved in this worlde, and that I am moste desiraunte. Go and sette the a-down by hym, and sey þat I haue sente the to hym, and ther is nothinge in this worlde that I haue in possession, but that I wolde come to yeve it hym, yef I durste come to se hym." And Vlfin, with-oute eny grucchynge, yede and yaf hym-self to the Crepill, and sette hym down by hym. And whan the crepill felte Vlfyn, he axed what he was, and what he was come for to seche. And he ansuerde, "The kynge hath sente me to yow, and that I sholde euer be youres." And whan the crepill that herde, he lowgh, and seide to Vlfyn, "The kynge is sone perceyvinge, and me knoweth better than do ye. I will that thow wite that the olde man that thow spake with yesterday sente me to the; but I will not telle the what he seyde. Go to the kynge, and sey he wolde do a grete thynge for to haue his desire, and that I sende hym worde that sone he is parceyvinge, and he shall spede the better." And Vlfin seide, "I dar nought aske what ye ben." "Aske the kynge," quod the crepill, "and he shall telle the wele i-nough." And Vlfyn lepe on horse, and priked after the kynge. And whan the kynge saugh hym come, he drough a-side, and seide, "Vlfyn, is it that thow art come after me; ne have I not yove the to the Crepill?" Quod Vlfin, "He seith that ye be sone aperceyvaunte of hym, and

that ye sholde telle me what he is, for he wolde not telle me, but seide ye sholde telle wele i-nough." Than seide the kynge, "Wost thow what olde man that was that spake with the yesterday? that same is this that thow haste seyn a crepill." And Vlfyn seide, "May this be true, that oon man may hym-self thus disfigure? And what is he than that thus hym disfigureth?" And the kynge ansuerde, "Knowe it verily it is Merlin, that thus hym kepeth fro yow. And whan he will, he will make yow wele to knowe that it is thus." Thus they passed forth thourgh the feilde; and Merlin come in his right semblaunce in to the kynges teynte, and asked where was the kynge. And a messanger come to the kynge, and seide Merlin was come; and than was the kynge so gladde that he myght not ansuere, but in all haste returned, and cleped Vlfyn, and seide, "Now shalt thow knowe yef it be so as I haue seide, for Merlyn is comen, and I knowe wele that he doth not seke me for nought." And than seide Vlfyn, "Now shall it be sene yef euer ye were ought wroth, and yef ye can other do well or sey to his plesire of alle thinges; for ther is no man that may yow helpe so wele to haue the love of Ygerne." And the kynge seide, "Thow seiste soth, and ther is no thynge that he doth comaunde me but I shall it gladly performe."

Thus thei rode till thei come to the teynte where as thei fonde Merlin, and the kynge hym made grete ioye and mery chere, and ran hym a-gein with armes spred a-brode, and hym halsed and seide he was the man in all the worlde that was moste to hym welcome; [folio 25a] and than he seide, "Wherto sholde I me complayne vn-to yow, for as ye it knowe as my-self, and ther was neuer man that I longed so sore after, and I pray yow and requyre telle me of that ye knowe my herte desireth so." And Merlin seide, "Of that ye me asken I shall not speke with-oute Vlfyn." Than made the kynge to clepe after Vlfin, and droughen hem a-side in counseile. Than seide the kynge to Merlin, "I haue tolde Vlfin of that ye comaunded, and that ye were the olde man that he sigh yesterday, and also the crepill this day." And Vlfyn be-heilde hym strongely, and seide, "May

this be trewe that the kynge seith?" And Merlin seide, "Ye, it is trewe with-outen faile; and as sone as I saugh he sente the to me I wiste well he hadde me perceyved." And than Vlfyn seide to the kynge, "Sir, now sholde ye speke of youre gref, and not wepe whan ye ben soill." And the kynge seide, "I wote not what to sey ne preyen: he knoweth well my corage, and I may not make hym no lesynge, but he it knowe as wele as I; but I pray hym hertely to helpe me to haue the love of Ygerne, and he ne shall devise nothinge that is to me possible but that I shall it gladly don." And Merlin seide, "Yef ye will graunte me that I shall aske, I shall purchace yow hir love, and make yow to ly in here chamber and in hir bedde, bothe naked." And Vlfyn that herde, he lough and seide, "Now shall I se what a mannes herte is worth." And the kynge seide to Merlin, "Ye can not aske me nothinge that be founden in this worlde, but I sholde it yow yeven." And Merlin ansuerde, "How may I here-of be sure, but yef ye be sworn, and also lete Vlfyn swere, that I shall haue that I aske on the morn that ye haue leye with Ygerne, and don with hir youre beste?" And the kynge seide, "That wolde he do with gode will." And Merlin asked Vlfyn yef he wolde swere, and Vlfyn seide, "That me for-thinketh, for I was neuer yet sworn in no tyme."

When Merlin herde that worde, he lough and seide, "Whan youre othes be made, I shall telle yow how it shall be." Than the kynge made be brought the hiest seintewaries that he hadde, and the beste relikes, and ther-on they dide swere as Merlin dide hem devyse, and thei seiden thei sholde it feithfully holde with-outen fraude or mal engyn. After the kynge swore Vlfyn, and thus hath Merlin taken their othes. And than seide the kynge, "Merlin, now I requere yow sone to helpe myn hertes desire, as the man of all the worlde that moste ther-after longeth to haue it complisshed." And than seide Merlyn, "Ye muste be wisely demened, for she is a trewe lady and full wise, and trewe to god and to hir lorde; but now shall ye se what power I haue hir to be-gile, for I shall make yow semblaunce of the Duke so wele, that ther is no man that yow doth sen but he

shall wene it be the Duke. And two knyghtes that ben moste privy with hym, that noon ne knoweth so moche of his counseile, not Ygerne her-silf; and that oon hight Bretell, and that other Iordan; and I shall haue the semblaunce of Bretel, and Vlfin shall be like Iordan, and so shall I make hem to open the gates of the castell, and we shull alle thre ly with-Inne; but full erly on the morow we moste gon oute, for er we departe thens we shall here straunge tidinges, and therfore a-ray youre oste and your barons, and comaunde hem to make gode wacche to diffende hem-self, and that noon of hem ne go towarde [folio 25b] the castell till that ye be come a-geyn, and be well ware that ye telle no creature wheder that ye shall go." And Vterpendragon dide as Merlin hadde devised, and a-noon com agein, and seide that he was redy, and Merlin seide how he was also redy, "there is not ellis but to spede vs forward," and so thei wenten forth alle thre till thei com ner at Tintagell, and than seide Merlyn to the kynge, "A-byde ye here, and I and Vlfyn shall go this wey." And than eche drough a-side by hym-self; and whan thei were disseuered, and Merlin hadde don his art, he toke an herbe, and brought it to the kynge, and seide, "Frote youre visage with this herbe, and youre handes." And the kynge toke the herbe, and rubbid his handes, and his visage, and his feet; and anoon, as he hadde thus I-don, he hadde aperteliche the semblaunce of the Duke. And than seide, Merlyn, "Haue ye eny mynde that euer ye saugh Iordan?" And the kynge seide, "Ye, I knowe hym wele." And Merlyn com to Vlfyn, and transfigured hym to the semblaunce of Iurdan, and than sente hym to the kynge. And whan the kynge saugh Vlfyn, he hym blissed, and seide, "Mercy god! how may eny man make oon man so like a-nother?" And than he seide to Vlfyn, "How semeth the be me?" And Vlfyn seide, "I knowe yow nought but for the Duke." And the kynge seide, he was verily like vn-to Iurdan. And as thei stoden, so thei be-heilde Merlyn, and thei semed verily it was Bretel. And thus thei speken to-geder, and taried till it was nyght, and in the evenynge thei come to the Castell gate. And Merlyn, that wele resembled to bretel, cleped the porter, and the peple com to the

gate, and saugh apertly the Duke, as hem semed; and thei seide, "Open: lo, here the duke." And thei dought it was Bretel and Iurdan, and whan thei weren entred, Bretel diffended, "that no man in the place sholde not wite that the Duke was comen." I-nowe ther were that yede to telle the Duchesse. And Merlyn toke the kynge in counseile, and seide that he sholde contene hym-self myrily. And a-noon alle thre thei come be-fore the chambir where Ygerne that yet was in her bedde; and in all haste that thei myght, thei mad their lorde redy. And so he yede to bedde to Ygerne; and that nyght he gat vpon hir the gode kynge that after was cleped Arthur. The lady made grete ioye of the kynge, for she wende verily it hadde ben the Duke hir lorde, that she loved moche with a trewe herte. Thus thei lay to-geder, till on the morowe, in the dawenynge, the tidinges com in to the town that the Duke was dede, and also his stewarde I-take. And than thei com full previly in; and when these other tweyn that tho were a-risen, herde these tidynges, thei ran ther as their lorde lay, and seide, "A-ryse vp, and go to youre castell, for ther be soche tydinges come hider, that oure peple wene that ye be deed." And he lepe vp, and seide, "It is no merveyle though they wene so; ffor I yede oute of the castell that no man knewe ther-of no worde." A-noon he toke leve of Ygerne, and hir kiste, seynge hem alle at her departynge. And thus they departed oute of the castell in all the haste they myght, that neuer oon ne knewe but it was the Duke. And whan they weren oute, thei weren right gladde. And Merlyn seide to the kynge, "Sir, haue ye kept wele the couenaunte comenñt [sic] now, loke thow kepe as wele myne." And the kynge seide, "Ye sey trewe, for ye haue don me the beste servise that euer man dide to a-nother; and [folio 26a] therfore youre couenauntes shall I well holde." And Merlyn seide, "I hem aske now, and will that they be holden." And the kynge seide, "I am redy hem to performe." And than seide Merlyn, "I will that thow knowe that thow haste engendred an heyre male on Ygerne, and that hast thow me yoven; and

therfore I shall write the houre and the day in the whiche it is begeten, and so shalt thow knowe yef I sey soth." Quod the kynge, "As thow hast seide, I haue sworn, and I yeve it the with gode will."

Thus they rode till they come to a rivere, and ther Merlyn did hem waisshen, and than hadde thei semblaunce as that thei hadden be-fore. And than the kynge rode forth as faste as he myght; and as sone as he was come his barons and his peple gedered a-boute hym. And he hem asked how the Duke was deed. And thei hym tolden, "The day when ye were departed the oste was stille and koye; and therby the duke vndirstode that ye were not in the oste, and dide his peple to arme, and come vpon vs, and dide vs grete damage er we myghten ben armed. The cry a-rose and the noyse, and oure meynee hem arayde, and set on hem, and drof hem a-geyn, even be-fore the yate. And ther the duke a-bode, and dide many maistries in armes. And ther was his horse slayn and the Duke ouerthrowe, and ther was he deed amonge oure peple on foote, that hym nought knewen. And we driven the remenaunt in at the yates, that sympilly hem deffended whan they hadde loste their lorde." And the kynge seide he was right sory for the deth of the Duke.