right hand, he beheld on the left hand, which of his wise men first
would speak. They all were still, and kept silence with voice; was
there no man so high, that durst a word utter; and ever lay Octa at
the king's feet so; all his knights lay behind him. Then spake
Aldadus, the good bishop, and said thus: "Ever it was, and ever it
shall be, and yet it behoveth us, when we yearn mercy, that we should
have mercy; worthy is he of mercy, who worthily prayeth for it. And
thou thyself, lord king, thou art chief of the people, pardon thou
Octa, and also his companions, if they will receive Christendom with
good belief; for yet it may befall, in some country that they may
fitly worship the Lord. Now stands all this kingdom in thine own hand,
give them a place, where it shall be agreeable to thee, and take of
them hostages, such as thou wilt require; and let them be well held in
iron bonds; the hostages be found meat and clothes, be found all that
to them shall belief; and then mightest thou well hold this people in
thy land, and let them till the land, and live by their tilth. And if
it subsequently shall befall, soon thereafter, that they fail in hand
to hold troth, and weaken in work, and withstand thee, now I decree to
thee the doom, what thou mayest then do. Cause men to ride to them
exceeding quickly, and cause them all to be destroyed, slain and eke
up hung. This I decree to thee; the Lord it hear!" Then answered the
king, with quick voice: "All I will so do as thou hast deemed." Thus
spake the king then: "Arise up, Octa; thou shalt quickly do well,
receive Christendom." There was Octa baptised, and his companions
also; and all his knights on the spot forth-right. They took their
hostages, and gave to the king, three-and-fifty children they
delivered to the king. And the king sent them beside Scotland; oaths
they swore, that they would not deceive him. The king gave them in
hand sixty hides of land, thereon they dwelt well many winters.
The king was in York, good it seemed to him; he took his messengers,
and sent over all his land, and ordered his bishops, his book-learned
men, earls and thanes, to come towards him, to Aurelie the king, to a
great husting. It soon came to pass, that they came together. The king
greeted his folk with his fair words, he welcomed earls, he welcomed
barons, and the bishops, and the book-learned men.--"I will say to you
with sooth words, why I sent after you, and for what thing. Here I
give to each knight his land and his right, and to every earl and
every baron, what he may win, to possess it with joy; and each man I
order to love peace, on his life. And I bid you all to work and build
the churches that are fallen, to let the bells ring, to sing God's
praise, and each with our might to worship our dear Lord; each man by
his might to hold peace and amity, and cause the land to be tilled,
now it is all in my hand." When this doom was all said, they all
praised this counsel. The king gave them leave to depart thence; each
fared homeward, as to them it best seemed.
Full seven nights the king lay there still, and then he gan proceed
into London, to gladden the burgh-folk, who oft were busy. He caused
walls to be strengthened, he caused halls to be built, and all the
works to be righted that ere were broken; and gave them all the laws
that stood in their elders' days; and he made there reves, to rule the
folk. And thence he gan proceed right to Winchester; and there he
caused to be worked halls and churches;--there it seemed to him most
pleasant;--and afterwards he went to Ambresbury, to the burial-place
of his dear friends, whom Hergest with knives had murdered there. He
caused men anon to be inquired for, who could hew stone, and eke good
wrights, who could work with axe, he thought to work there a work
wondrously fair, that ever should last, the while men lived! Then was
in Caerleon a bishop, that hight Tremoriun; he was a man exceeding
wise in the worlds-realm; with the king he was, over the weald. And
thus Tremoriun, God's servant, spake there with the king, of a good
thing: "Listen now to me, Aurelie, what I will make known to thee, and
I will say to thee the best of all counsel, if thou wilt it approve,
eft it will like to thee. We have a prophet, who is Merlin named; if
any man might him find, upon this weald, and bring him to thee,
through any kind of thing, and if thou his will wouldest perform, he
would say to thee best of all counsel, how thou mightest this work
make strong and stark, that ever might last, the while that men
lived." Then answered the king--these words were to him agreeable:--
"Dear friend Tremoriun, all this I will do." The king in haste sent
his messengers over all his kingdom, and bade every man to ask after
Merlin; and if men might him find, to bring him to the king, he would
give him land, both silver and gold, and in the worlds-realm perform
his will. The messengers gan to ride wide and far; some they went
right north, and some they went forth south; some they went right
east, and some they went right west, some they went anon, so that they
came to Alaban, that is a fair well in Welsh land. The well he
(Merlin) much loved, and oft therein bathed him; the knights him found
where he sate by the strand. So soon as they him met, they greeted him
fair; and thus said the two knights to him forth-right: "Hail be thou,
Merlin, wisest of men! By us he who is a goodly king, named Aurelie,
noblest of all kings, greets thee, and he beseecheth thee courteously,
that thou come to him; and he will give land to thee, both silver and
gold, if thou in the realm wilt counsel the king." Then answered
Merlin, what to the knights was full woe: "I reck not of his land, his
silver, nor his gold, nor his clothes, nor his horses; myself I have
enow." Then sate he still a long time. These knights were afraid, that
he would flee. When it all brake forth, it was good that he spake: "Ye
are two knights come right here; yesterday ere noon I knew that ye
should come, and if I so would, ye might not have found me. Ye bring
me greeting from Aurelie the king. I knew his qualities ere he came to
land, and I knew the other, Uther his brother; I knew both ere they
were born, though I never saw either with eye. But alas! alas! that it
is so ordered, that the monarch may not live long! But now will I go,
and be your companion; to the king I will proceed, and perform his
will."
Forth went Merlin, and the knights with him, so long that they came to
the sovereign. The good tidings came to the king; never ere in his
life was the king so blithe, for ever any kind of man that came to
him! The king went to his steed, and out gan him ride, and all his
knights with him, to welcome Merlin. The king him met, and greeted him
fair, he embraced him, he kissed him, he made him his familiar. Great
was the mirth among the people, all for Merlin's arrival, who was son
of no man. Alas! that in the world was no wise man that ever knew here
whose son he were, but the Lord alone, who surveys (or explores) all
clean! The king led to chamber Merlin who was dear; and he gan ask him
anon with his fair words, that he should cause him to understand of
the world's course, and of all the years that were to come, for it
were to him greatly in will, that he thereof knew. Merlin then
answered, and to the king said thus: "O Aurelie, the king, thou askest
me a strange thing, look that thou no more such thing inquire. For my
spirit truly is wrathful, that is in my breast; and if I among men
would make boast, with gladness, with game, with goodly words, my
spirit would wrath himself, and become still, and deprive me of my
sense, and my wise words fore-close, then were I dumb of every
sentence. But leave all such things," quoth Merlin to the king, "for
whensoever need shall come to ever any people, and man will beseech me
with mildness, and I may with my will dwell still, then may I say, how
it afterwards shall happen. But I will counsel thee of thy nearest
need, and say to thee right here what thou hast in heart. A plain is
by Ambresbury, that is broad, and exceeding pleasant, there was thy
kindred deprived of life with knives, there was many bold Briton
betrayed to the death; and thinkest to greet the place with worship,
and with surprising works to honour the dead, that there shall ever
stand, to the world's end. But thou hast never any man, that knows
aught thereon, who can make a work that never will fail. But I will
counsel thee at such need, for I know a work with wonder encompassed,
far the work standeth in Ireland. It is a most surprising thing, it is
named the Giant's Ring, the work is of stone, such another there is
none, so wide as is the worlds-realm is no work its like. The stones
are great, and virtue they have; the men who are sick they go to the
stones, and they wash the stones, and therewith bathe their bones;
after a little while they become all sound! But the stones are mickle,
and immensely great; for was never any man born, in every any burgh,
who might with strength bring the stones thence." Then answered the
king: "Merlin, thou sayest strange thing, that never any man born may
bring them thence, nor with any strength carry from the place, how
might I then bring them hence?" Then answered Merlin to the king who
spake with him: "Yes, yes, lord king, it was of yore said, that better
is art, than evil strength; for with art men may hold what strength
may not obtain. But assemble thine army, and go to the land, and lead
thou with thee a good host; and I will go with thee—thy worship will
be the more! Ere thou back come, thy will thou shalt have, and the
work thou shalt bring with thee to this land, and so thou shalt carry
it to the burial-place, and honour the spot where thy friends lie. And
thou thyself shalt therein thy bones rest; when thy life endeth, there
shalt thou rest." Thus said Merlin, and afterwards he sate still, as
though he would from the world depart. The king caused him to be
brought into a fair chamber, and dwell therein, after his will.
Aurche the king caused a husting to be summoned from all the lands
that stood in his hand; he bade them counsel him at such need. And his
noble barons they well advised him, that he should do the counsel that
Merlin had said to him. But they would not lead the king out of this
land, but they chose them for chief Uther the good, and fifteen
thousand knights, weaponed fair, of bold Britons, who thither should
go. When this army was all ready, then began they to fare with all the
best ships that by the sea stood, and voyaged so long that they came
to Ireland. And the brave knights took the haven, they went upon the
sea-strand, and beheld Ireland. Then spake Merlin, and discoursed with
words: "See ye now, brave men, the great hill, the hill so exceeding
high, that to the welkin it is full high? That is the marvellous
thing, it is named the Giant's Ring, to each work unlike--it came from
Africa. Pitch your tents over all these fields, here we shall rest for
the space of three days; on the fourth day we shall march hence toward
the hill, where our will is. But we shall first refresh us, and
assemble our warriors, make ready our weapons, for well they behove us
(we shall need them)." Thus it remained, and there lay the army.
Then possessed Ireland a king that was most strong; he hight
Gillomaur, he was lord of the people, the tidings came to him that the
Britons were in the land, he caused forces to be summoned over all
Ireland's territory, and he gan to threaten greatly, that he would all
drive them out. When the word came to him, what the Britons would do
there, and that they came for that only, to fetch the stones, then the
King Gillomar made mickle derision and scorn, and said that they were
foolish fellows, who over the broad sea were thither arrived, to seek
there stones, as if none were in their land; and swore by Saint
Brandan:—-"They shall not carry away one stone, but for love of the
stones they shall abide the most of all mischiefs; spill their blood
out of their bellies—-and so men shall teach them (they shall be
taught) to seek stones! And afterwards I will go into Britain, and say
to the King Aurelie, that my stones I will defend, and unless the king
be still, and do my will, I will in his land with fight withstand,
make him waste paths, and wildernesses many; widows enow—-there
husbands shall die!" Thus the unwise king played with words, but it
all happened another wise, other than he weened. His army was ready,
and forth they gan march, so long that they came whereon the Britons
lay. Together they came, and hardily encountered, and fought
fiercely—-the fated fell! But the Irish were bare, and the Britons in
armour, the Irish fell, and covered all the fields. And the King
Gillomar gan him to flee there, and fled forth-right, with twenty of
his knights, into a great wood—-of worship bereaved—-his Irish folk
was felled with steel. Thus was the king shamed, and thus he ended his
boast, and thus went to the wood, and let his folk fall! The Britons
beheld the dead over the fields; seven thousand there lay deprived of
life. The Britons went over the fields to their tents, and worthily
looked to (or took care of) their good weapons, and there they gan to
rest, as Merlin counselled them.
On the fourth day then gan they to march, and proceeded to the hill,
all well weaponed, where the marvellous work stood, great and most
strong! Knights went upward, knights went downward, knights went all
about, and earnestly beheld it, they saw there on the land the
marvellous work stand. There were a thousand knights with weapons well
furnished, and all the others to wit guarded well their ships. Then
spake Merlin, and discoursed with the knights: "Knights, ye are
strong, these stones are great and long, ye must go nigh, and forcibly
take hold of them; ye must wreathe them fast with strong sail-ropes,
shove and heave with utmost strength trees great and long, that are
exceeding strong, and go ye to one stone, all clean, and come again
with strength, if ye may it stir." But Merlin wist well how it should
happen. The knights advanced with mickle strength; they laboured full
greatly, but they had not power, so that they ever any stone might
stir! Merlin beheld Uther, who was the king's brother, and Merlin the
prophet said these words: "Uther, draw thee back, and assemble thy
knights, and stand ye all about, and diligently behold, and be ye all
still, so that no man there stir ere I say to you now anon how we
shall commence, 'Take ye each a stone.'" Uther drew him back, and
assembled his knights, so that none there remained near the stones, as
far as a man might cast a stone. And Merlin went about, and diligently
gan behold, thrice he went about, within and without, and moved his
tongue as if he sung his beads. Thus did Merlin there, then called he
Uther: "Uther, come quickly, and all thy knights with thee, and take
ye these stones all, ye shall not leave one; for now ye may heave them
like feather balls; and so ye shall with counsel carry them to our
ships." These stones they carried away, as Merlin counselled them, and
placed them in their ships, and sailed forth to wit, and so they gan
proceed into this land, and brought them on a plain that is wondrously
broad, broad it is and most pleasant, near Ambresbury, where Hengest
betrayed the Britons with axes. Merlin gan rear them, as they ere
stood, so never any other man could do the craft, nor ever ere
there-before was any man so wise born, that could the work raise, and
the stones dispose.
The tidings came to the king in the north end, of Merlin's proceeding,
and of Uther, his brother, that they were with safety come to this
land, and that the work was all disposed, and set up right. The king
was in breast wondrously blithe; and caused a husting to be summoned,
so wide as was all his land, that all his merry folk so very joyous
should come to Ambresbury, all his people, at Whitsunday, and the king
would be there, and honour the place. Thither came Aurelie the king,
and all his folk with him, on Whitsunday he there made a feast, as I
will thee tell in this book-story. There were on the weald tents
raised, on the broad plain, nine thousand tents. All the Whitsunday
the king on the plain lay; ordered the place to be hallowed, that
hight Stonehenge. Full three days the king dwelt still; on the third
day, his people he highly honoured; he made two bishops, wondrously
good, Saint Dubriz at Kaerleon, and Saint Samson at York; both they
became holy, and with God high. On the fourth day people separated,
and so a time it stood in the same wise.
The yet there was a wicked man, Pascent, Vortiger's son; was the same
Pascent gone into Welsh land, and there in the same days was become
outlaw. But he durst not long dwell there, for Aurelie and for Uther;
but he procured good ships, and went by the sea flood, into Germany he
proceeded, with five hundred men, and there he won much folk, and made
a fleet, and voyaged so long that he came to this land, into the
Humber, where he harm wrought. But he durst not long remain in the
territory. The king marched thitherward, and Pascent fled awayward, by
sea so long that he came to Ireland.
Soon he found there the king of the land, his heart was very sore, he
greeted the King Gillomar with God's greeting: "Hail be thou,
Gillomar, chief of men! I am to thee come; I was Vortiger's son; my
father was Britain's king, he loved thee through all things. And if
thou wouldest now be my companion, as we shall agree, and my father
well avenge, and well avenge thy folk that Uther here killed, and thy
marvellous work, that he hence drew. And eke I heard say, where I
voyaged in the sea, that the King Aurelie is become sick, and lieth in
Winchester, in bed full fast. Thou mayest believe me enow, for this is
verily sooth." Thus Pascent and Gillomar made their compact there;
oaths they swore, many and innumerable, that they would set all this
land in their two (joint) hands; the oaths were sworn, but eft they
were broken! The king gathered a host wide over his land; to the sea
they are gone, Gillomar and Pascent; into the ships they went, and
forth let them glide. Forth they proceeded quickly, so that they came
to Meneve, that was in that time a town exceeding fair, that men now
truly call Saint David's. There they took haven with great bliss; the
ships went on the strand, the knights went on the land. Then said
Pascent—-toward Gillomar he went—-"Say me, King Gillomar, now we are
come here; now I set to thee in hand half-part this kingdom; for there
is from Winchester come to me a knight's son, and saith to me such
advice, that Aurelie will be dead, the sickness is under his ribs, so
that he may not live. Here we shall well avenge our kindred, and win
his territories, as to us shall be best of all."
To the king came the word, into Winchester, that Pascent and Gillomar
were come here with an army. The king called Uther, who was his dear
brother:—-"Uther, summon forces over all this land, and march to our
enemies, and drive them from land; either thou them disperse, either
thou them fell. And I would eke fare, if I were not so sick; but if I
may be sound I will come after thee soon." Uther did all as the king
said to him there. And Pascent at Saint David's wrought thereby much
sorrow; and to the king Gillomar much sorrow he did there; Britain
they through-ran, harried and burnt. And Uther in this land assembled
his host, and it was long time ere he might march aright. And Pascent
set in his own hand all West Welsh land.
It was on a day, his people were blithe, there arrived Appas—-the
fiends him conveyed! To Pascent he quoth thus: "Come hither to us. I
will thee tell of a joyful tiding. I was at Winchester, with thine
adversaries, where the king lieth sick, and sorrowful in heart. But
what shall be my meed, if I thither ride, and I so gratify thee, that
I kill him?" Then answered Pascent, and toward Appas he went: "I
promise thee to-day a hundred pounds, for I may, if thou me so
gratifiest, that thou kill him." Troth they plight this treachery to
contrive. Appas went to his chamber, and this mischief meditated; he
was a heathen man, out of Saxland come. Monk's clothes he took on, he
shaved his crown upon; he took to him two companions, and forth he gan
proceed, and went anon right into Winchester, as if it were a holy
man—-the heathen devil! He went to the burgh-gate, where the king lay
in chamber, and greeted the door-keeper with God's greeting; and bade
him in haste go into the king, and say to him in sooth, that Uther his
brother had sent him thither a good leech; the best leech that dwelt
in any land, that ever any sick man out of sickness can bring. Thus he
lied, the odious man, to the monarch, for Uther was gone forth with
his army, nor ever him saw Uther, nor thither him sent! And the king
weened that it were sooth, and believed him enow. Who would ween that
he were traitor!—-for on his bare body he wore a cuirass, thereupon he
had a loathly hair-cloth, and then a cowl of a black cloth; he had
blackened his body, as if smutted with coal! He kneeled to the king,
his speech was full mild: "Hail be thou, Aurelie, noblest of all
kings! Hither me sent Uther, that is thine own brother; and I all for
God's love am here to thee come. For I will heal, and all whole thee
make, for Christ's love, God's son; I reck not any treasure, nor meed
of land, nor of silver nor of gold, but to each sick person I do it
for love of my Lord." The king heard this, it was to him most
agreeable;—-but where is ever any man in this middle-earth, that would
this ween, that he were traitor! He took his glass vessel anon, and
the king urined therein; a while after that, the glass vessel in hand
he took, and viewed it forth-right before the king's knights; and thus
said anon Appas, the heathen man: "If ye will me believe, ere
to-morrow eve this king shall be all whole, healed at his will." Then
were blithe all that were in chamber. Appas went in a chamber, and the
mischief meditated, and put thereto poison, that hight scamony, and
came out forth-right among the chamber-knights, and to the knights he
gan to distribute much canel, and gingiver and liquorice he gave them
lovingly. They all took the gift, and he deceived them all. This
traitor fell on his knees before the monarch, and thus said to him:
"Lord, now thou shalt receive this, of this drink a part, and that
shall be thy cure." And the king up drank, and there the poison he
drank. Anon as he had drank, the leech laid him down. Thus said Appas
to the chamber-knights: "Wrap now the king well, that he lie in
sweating; for I say to you through all things, all whole shall your
king be. And I will go to my inn, and speak with my men, and at the
midnight I will come again forth-right, with other leechcraft, that
shall be to him healing." Forth went--while the king lay in
slumber--the traitor Appas to his inn, and spake with his men; and
with stilly counsel stole from the town.
At the midnight then sent the chamber-knights six of their men to
Appas's inn; they weened to find him, and bring him to the king. Then
was he flown, and the fiends him carried! The men came back where the
king dwelt, and made known in the chamber of Appas's departure. Then
might men see sorrow enow be! Knights fell down, and yearned their
deaths; there was mickle lamentation and heart-groaning, there was
many a piteous speech, there was yell of men! They leapt to the bed,
and beheld the king; the yet he lay in slumber, and in great sweat.
The knights with weeping awakened the king, and they called to him
with mild voice: "Lord, how is it with thee? how is thy harm? For now
is our leech departed without leave, gone out of court, and left us as
wretches." The king gave them answer: "I am all over swollen, and
there is no other hap, now anon I shall be dead. And I bid
forth-right, ye who are my knights, that ye greet Uther, who is my own
brother, and bid him hold my land in his sway. God himself through all
things let him be a good king! And bid him be keen, and always deem
right, as a father to the poor folk, to the destitute for comfort;
--then may he hold the land in power. And now to-day, when I be dead,
take ye all one counsel, and cause me to be brought right to
Stonehenge, where lie much of my kindred, by the Saxons killed. And
send for bishops, and book-learned men; my gold and silver distribute
for my soul, and lay me at the east end, in Stonehenge." There was no
other hap—there was the king dead! And all so his men did as the king
directed. Uther was in Wales, and hereof was nothing ware, never
through any art hereof nothing wist; nevertheless he had with him the
prophet Merlin, he proceeded towards the army that was come to the
land.