_How Merlin saved Arthur’s life, and threw an enchantment upon king
Pellinore, and made him to sleep._
Therewithal came Merlin, and said, Knight, hold thy hand, for and thou
slay that knight thou puttest this realm in the greatest damage that
ever was realm: for this knight is a man of more worship than thou
wotest of. Why, who is he? said the knight. It is king Arthur. Then
would he have slain him for dread of his wrath, and heaved up his
sword, and therewith Merlin cast an enchantment to the knight, that he
fell to the earth in a great sleep. Then Merlin took up king Arthur,
and rode forth on the knight’s horse. Alas, said Arthur, what hast thou
done, Merlin? hast thou slain this good knight by thy crafts? There
lived not so worshipful a knight as he was; I had lever than the stint
of my land a year that he were onlive. Care ye not, said Merlin, for he
is wholer than ye, for he is but on sleep, and will awake within three
hours. I told you, said Merlin, what a knight he was; here had ye be
slain had I not been. Also there liveth not a bigger knight than he is
one, and he shall hereafter do you right good service, and his name is
Pellinore, and he shall have two sons that shall be passing good men;
save one, they shall have no fellow of prowess and of good living; and
their names shall be Percivale of Wales and Lamerake of Wales: and he
shall tell you the name of your sister’s son that shall be the
destruction of all this realm.