¶Capitulum xx
SYr knyghte said the kynge leue that quest / and suffre me to haue hit / and I wyll folowe it another xij mo∣neth / A foole said the knyghte vnto Arthur / it is in veyne thy desyre / for it shalle neuer ben encheued but by me / or my next kyn / there with he sterte vnto the kynges hors and mounted in to the sadel / and said gramercy this hors is myn owne / wel said the kynge thow mayst take myn hors by force but and I myʒte preue the whether thow were better on hors¦bak or I / wel said the knyght seke me here whan thow wolt and here nygh this wel thow shalt fynde me / and soo passyd on his weye / thenne the kyng sat in a study and bad his men fetche his hors as faste as euer they myghte / Ryght soo came by hym Merlyn lyke a child of xiiij yere of age and salewed the kyng / and asked hym why he was so pensyf / I may wel be pensyf sayd the kynge / for I haue sene the merueyllest syʒt that euer I sawe / that knowe I wel said Merlyn as wel as thy self and of all thy thoughtes / but thow art but a foole to take thought / for it wylle not amend the / Also I knowe what thow arte / and who was thy fader / and of whome thow were begoten / kynge Vtherpendragon was thy fader / and begat the on Igrayne / that is fals said kyng Arthur / how sholdest thou knowe it / for thow arte not so old of yeres to knowe my fa∣der / yes sayd Merlyn I knowe it better than ye or ony man lyuynge / I wille not bileue the said Arthur and was wroth with the child / Soo departed Merlyn and came ageyne in the lykenes of an old man of iiij score yere of age / wherof the kynge was ryght glad / for he semed to be ryghte wyse Thenne saide the old man why are ye so sad / I maye wel be heuy said Arthur for many thynges / Also here was a chyld and told me many thynges that me semeth / he shold not kno¦we / for he was not of age to knowe my fader / yes said the old