Milun was a knight of South Wales. His strength and prowess were such,
that he never met an adversary who was able to unhorse him. His
reputation spread far beyond the borders of his own country, and he was
known and admired in Ireland, Norway, Gothland, Loegria (England), and
Albany (Scotland). At no great distance from his castle dwelt an opulent
baron, who had an only daughter, courteous and beautiful. Hearing his
praises from all quarters, she became enamoured, and sent a messenger to
say, her heart was at his service if he thought it worth acceptance.
Milun, whose affections were not pre-engaged, returned an answer
expressive of gratitude, sent his gold ring as a symbol of inviolable
constancy; and, having fixed her messenger in his interests by
magnificent presents, arranged with him a secure place of meeting. Their
intercourse was managed so discreetly as to excite no suspicion; till
the young lady, sending for her lover, represented to him that longer
concealment was impossible. By an ancient law she was subject, on
discovery, at her father's option, to be punished with instant death or
sold as a slave; and she saw no means of escaping this frightful
alternative. Milun listened in silent horror, but could suggest no
expedient, when her old nurse undertook to conceal the rest, if the
child could be properly disposed of; and for this the young lady found a
ready contrivance. She had a sister richly married in Northumberland, to
whom Milun might cause the child to be conveyed, with a letter
explaining all, and his gold ring, by means of which it might, in due
time, discover and make itself known to its parents. It proved to be a
boy; the ring was hung about its neck, with a purse containing the
letter; he was placed in a soft cradle, swathed in the finest linen,
with an embroidered pillow under his head, and a rich coverlid edged
with sable to protect him from the cold. Milun, in delivering him to the
attendants, ordered that during the journey he should stop seven times
in the day, for the purpose of being washed, fed, and put to sleep. The
nurse, and all the servants who attended, had been selected with great
care, and performed their charge with fidelity; and the Northumbrian
lady assured her sister, by a letter which they brought back, that she
accepted the charge with pleasure. This being settled, Milun left his
castle for a short time on some military business, and during his
absence the young lady's father resolved to bestow her in marriage on a
neighbouring baron. She was now almost reduced to despair, her lover, to
whom she was more than ever attached, was absent; to avow to her new
husband what had happened was impossible, and to conceal it extremely
difficult. But she was compelled to submit. The marriage took place; and
Milun, on his return, was scarcely less distressed than his mistress,
till he recollected she was still in the neighbourhood, and he might
perhaps be able to devise some means of procuring an interview. He had a
favourite swan, long accustomed to feed out of his hand. Having written
and sealed a letter, he tied it round its neck, and finding it
effectually concealed by the feathers, called a favourite servant, and
directed him to repair to the lady's habitation, devise some contrivance
for gaining admission, and deliver the same into her own hands. The man
executed his commission with great ingenuity. He represented himself to
the porter of the castle as a poacher; stated that he had just caught a
fine swan close to Caerleon; and much wished to conciliate the future
intercession of the lady by presenting it to her. The porter, after some
hesitation, went to explore the anti-chamber; and, finding in it only
two knights, intent on a game of chess, returned immediately, and
conducted the man to his lady's apartment, which, on his knocking, was
opened to them. Having graciously accepted the present, she was going to
recommend the swan to the care of one of her valets; but the messenger
observing "it was a royal bird, who would only accept food from her own
hand," and desiring her to caress it, she soon perceived the letter, and
changed colour, but recovering herself, dismissed the messenger with a
present, turned out her own attendants, excepting one maid, and
proceeded to examine the mystery. It contained the warmest protestations
of her lover's unalterable attachment, expressed a hope that she might
be able to point out a secure place of meeting; and shewed her an easy
method of continuing the correspondence. "The swan, already tame, might,
by good feeding, be easily attached to her; after which, if debarred
from meat during three days, he would, when set at liberty, fly back to
his old master." After kissing the welcome letter till she had nearly
obliterated its contents she proceeded to put in practice his
injunctions; and having by stealth procured some parchment and ink, made
an equally tender reply, which, being tied round the swan's neck, was
rapidly and faithfully conveyed to Milun. During twenty years they kept
up, by this means, a regular correspondence, and their frequent
interviews were managed with a secresy which secured them against
detection. In the mean time their son, after receiving an excellent
education, had been dubbed a knight, and learned from his aunt the name
of his father, and the mystery of his birth. Inflamed with a noble
ambition, he resolved instantly to set off for foreign countries and to
surpass his sire in military glory. The next day he communicated the
project to his aunt, who gave him a number of instructions for his
future conduct; which, lest he should forget, she repeated more than
once, and accompanied her admonitions with such liberal presents as
would enable him to rival in splendour the richest of his competitors.
He repaired to Southampton; landed at Barbefluet (Barfleur); passed into
Britany; engaged, by his generosity, a numerous attendance of poor
knights, eclipsed the proudest of his rivals by superior liberality;
vanquished the stoutest; gained the prize in every tournament; and,
though he concealed his name, was quickly known through the country by
the appellation of "The Knight without a Peer." The fame of this
youthful warrior at length reached the care of his father. From the
first moment of his bestriding a horse, that father had never
encountered an equal; and as he trusted age had added to his address
more than it had yet subtracted from his vigour, he hoped to prove, by
the overthrow of this unknown, that his high renown was owing to the
absence of Milun. After this exploit he meant to go in quest of his son,
whose departure into foreign countries he had lately learnt, and having
obtained the permission of his mistress, embarked for Normandy, and
thence proceeded into Bretagne. The tournaments did not begin till the
festival of Easter; Milun, therefore, who arrived before the end of
winter, spent the interval in travelling from place to place, in
exercising hospitality, and searching out the most meritorious knights,
whom he attached to himself by his liberality. At length the festival
took place, at Mont St. Michel, and was attended by a crowd of French,
Flemish, Norman and Breton, knights, though by very few English. Milun
enquired minutely into the arms and devises of the unknown knight, and
had no difficulty in procuring ample information. The tournament began:
the two rivals separately acquired a manifest superiority, and bore down
all who opposed them, but the opinions of the assembly were divided
between the two. The strength and address of the veteran appeared
invincible, yet the suppleness and activity of the youth attracted still
more admiration. Even Milun himself beheld him with a mixture of wonder
and delight, and summoned all his skill and strength when he rode to
encounter this formidable adversary. His spear was too well-directed to
miss its aim; but it flew into a thousand splinters, while that of the
youth remained entire, and threw him at some distance upon the ground.
By the violence of the shock the ventail of his helmet was broken off,
and displayed his beard and hair, gray with age; when the youth,
bringing back his horse, courteously requested him to remount,
expressing his regret at having, by his accidental victory, sullied the
fame of a respectable veteran. Milun, surveying him with increased
admiration, discovered on his finger, while he held the rein, his own
ring, and earnestly conjured him to relate his history, and the names of
his parents. He obeyed, and was proceeding to tell all he knew, when the
old knight again springing from his horse, and catching him by the
skirts of his coat of mail, hailed him as his son, and received him in
his arms as he dismounted to request the paternal benediction. The
tournament being over, they retired amidst the tears and applauses of
the assembly, and retreated to their inn, where Milun related the whole
series of his adventures. The young man listened till the end with
respectful attention; and then exclaimed, "In faith, fair sire, I will
unite you to my mother. I will kill her present husband, and you shall
marry her." This being arranged, they parted for the night. On the next
day they arrived at the sea: embarked; landed in Wales after a short and
pleasant passage; and were proceeding to Milun's castle, when they were
met by a messenger bearing a letter to Milun from his lady, in which she
announced the death of her husband, and requested him to hasten his
return. At this joyful news they hurried on to the lady's castle; and
she had the satisfaction of being for ever united to her lover, at the
same time that she embraced a son every way worthy of his accomplished
parents. On this occasion says the author, "_the ancients_ made a lay
which I have here set down _in writing_, and which I always relate with
fresh pleasure."