Also you be able to reward
your own knights of your own goods whensomever it liketh you. It is
well said, quoth Arthur, and as thou hast devised, so shall it be done.
When it was delivered to Ban and Bors, they gave the goods as freely to
their knights as freely as it was given to them. Then Merlin took his
leave of Arthur and of the two kings, for to go and see his master
Bleise, that dwelt in Northumberland; and so he departed and came to
his master, that was passing glad of his coming; and there he told how
Arthur and the two kings had sped at the great battle, and how it was
ended, and told the names of every king and knight of worship that was
there. And so Bleise wrote the battle word by word, as Merlin told him,
how it began, and by whom, and in likewise how it was ended, and who
had the worse. All the battles that were done in Arthur’s days Merlin
did his master Bleise do write; also he did do write all the battles
that every worthy knight did of Arthur’s court.
After this Merlin departed from his master and came to King Arthur,
that was in the castle of Bedegraine, that was one of the castles that
stand in the forest of Sherwood. And Merlin was so disguised that King
Arthur knew him not, for he was all befurred in black sheep-skins, and
a great pair of boots, and a bow and arrows, in a russet gown, and
brought wild geese in his hand, and it was on the morn after Candlemas
day; but King Arthur knew him not. Sir, said Merlin unto the king, will
ye give me a gift? Wherefore, said King Arthur, should I give thee a
gift, churl? Sir, said Merlin, ye were better to give me a gift that is
not in your hand than to lose great riches, for here in the same place
where the great battle was, is great treasure hid in the earth. Who
told thee so, churl? said Arthur. Merlin told me so, said he. Then
Ulfius and Brastias knew him well enough, and smiled. Sir, said these
two knights, it is Merlin that so speaketh unto you. Then King Arthur
was greatly abashed, and had marvel of Merlin, and so had King Ban and
King Bors, and so they had great disport at him. So in the meanwhile
there came a damosel that was an earl’s daughter: his name was Sanam,
and her name was Lionors, a passing fair damosel; and so she came
thither for to do homage, as other lords did after the great battle.
And King Arthur set his love greatly upon her, and so did she upon him,
and the king had ado with her, and gat on her a child: his name was
Borre, that was after a good knight, and of the Table Round. Then there
came word that the King Rience of North Wales made great war on King
Leodegrance of Cameliard, for the which thing Arthur was wroth, for he
loved him well, and hated King Rience, for he was alway against him. So
by ordinance of the three kings that were sent home unto Benwick, all
they would depart for dread of King Claudas; and Phariance, and
Antemes, and Gratian, and Lionses [of] Payarne, with the leaders of
those that should keep the kings’ lands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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