Then spake Igraine and said, I am a woman and I may not fight, but
rather than I should be dishonoured, there would some good man take my
quarrel. More, she said, Merlin knoweth well, and ye Sir Ulfius, how
King Uther came to me in the Castle of Tintagil in the likeness of my
lord, that was dead three hours to-fore, and thereby gat a child that
night upon me. And after the thirteenth day King Uther wedded me, and
by his commandment when the child was born it was delivered unto Merlin
and nourished by him, and so I saw the child never after, nor wot not
what is his name, for I knew him never yet. And there, Ulfius said to
the queen, Merlin is more to blame than ye. Well I wot, said the queen,
I bare a child by my lord King Uther, but I wot not where he is become.
Then Merlin took the king by the hand, saying, This is your mother. And
therewith Sir Ector bare witness how he nourished him by Uther’s
commandment. And therewith King Arthur took his mother, Queen Igraine,
in his arms and kissed her, and either wept upon other. And then the
king let make a feast that lasted eight days.
Then on a day there came in the court a squire on horseback, leading a
knight before him wounded to the death, and told him how there was a
knight in the forest had reared up a pavilion by a well, and hath slain
my master, a good knight, his name was Miles; wherefore I beseech you
that my master may be buried, and that some knight may revenge my
master’s death. Then the noise was great of that knight’s death in the
court, and every man said his advice. Then came Griflet that was but a
squire, and he was but young, of the age of the king Arthur, so he
besought the king for all his service that he had done him to give the
order of knighthood.
CHAPTER XXII. How Griflet was made knight, and jousted with a knight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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