Page xxxiiii
¶How the kynge lette seke. Merlyn thorugh out all walys / for to speke wyth hym.
AS the kynge herde this he commaun∣ded his messagers anone to go thrugh out walys to seke that chylde yf they myghte hym fynde / and that they sholde hym brynge forthe with them vnto hym. And in recorde & in wytnesse of thys kynge he hadde take them his letters that they ne were distroubled of no▪ man ne lette. And tho the messengers wente thens / and spedde soo faste that they came in to a towne that was called Carmardyne / and as they passed for the theyr waye they founde two chyldern of .xxiiii· yere of aege thydynge togyder with hasty wordes. And one of them sayde to that other Donebat sayde he ye do all wronge to chyde or stryue with me for ye haue no wytte ne no reason as I haue. Certes mer∣lyn sayde he / of your wytte ne youre reson. I make no force. For men telle comynly that ye haue no thynge of god all myghty syth ye had neuer fader / But euery man knoweth who was youre moder. ¶The messengers of the kynge vortiger whan they herde the stryue be∣twixt the two gromes they axed of them that stode besyde them whens that· Marlyn was borne / and also whom hym nourysshed. And the folke them tolde / that a greate gentyll wo∣man hym bare in. Carmadyne that was cal∣led Adhanr But neuer myght noth man wyte who was his fader. ¶whan the kynges mes∣sengers herde these tydynges they wente ano∣ne to hym that was wardeyne of the towne & tolde hym the kyng{is} wyll and shewed hym his leter wherfore they were come thyder.
¶Merlyn and his moder were fetched be∣fore the wardeyne of the towne. And he com∣maunded them that they sholde go to the kyn∣ge as it was ordeyned by his messagers. Mer∣lyn and his moder wente thens and came vn∣to ye kynge and there they were receyued with moche honour. And the kynge axed of that la∣dy yf ye chylde were her sone & whome hym be gate. The lady answered full tenderly wepyn¦ge and sayde. She neuer hadde company of worldly man. But syr sayde she As I was a yonge mayden in my faders chambre / and o∣ther of greate lygnage were in my company / that oftentymes wente to place and solace. I belefte alone in my chambre / wolde not goo ••orthe for bernnynge of the sonne. And on•• tyme there came a fayre bacheler and entred in my chambre there that I was alone. But how he came in to me / and where. I wyst it ne¦uer \ ne yet knowe I not. For the doores were fast barred and with me he dyde game of loue For I ne had myght ne power / hym to defen- from me. And often he came vnto me in ye for∣sayd maner / so that he begate this childe. But neuer myght I wyte what he was.