The Sixth Part.

" Sonne, " he sayd to Merlin then,
" tell me, chyld, if thou can,
why my castle in this stonde
is eu er ye night fallen to ground,
& why it may stand nought,
of soe strong things as itt is rought. "
then said Merlyn to the K ing ,
" yee shall heare a wonderous thing:
Heere in this ground Deepe
is a water strong and steepe;
vnder the watter are stones towe,
much & strong, & broad alsoe;
beneathe the stones vnder the Mold
tow dragons Lyen there fould;
the one is white as Milke reeme,
the other red as any gleame;
grislye they are of sight both,
& fare together as the wrothe;
& eu er ye day when itt is night
they begin a strong fight,
tha t through the strenght of their blast
The worke the can downe cast;
& if the dragons were away,
then might they workemen worke eu er ye day,
& make thy worke both strong and still,
& to stand att thy owne will.
doe now looke, & thou shalt see
tha t it is soothe tha t I tell thee. "
Vortiger Com m anded anon
all his workemen eu er ye one —
15000 & yett moe —
he bade them looke whether it were soe.
anon they doluen in the ground,
and a watter there they found:
amonge them all, the soothe to tell,
the Made a full deepe well,
& the watter the brought out thoe;
& when the hadden done soe,
beneath the watter in the ground
2 great stones there they found.
many men there they were
the 2 stones vp to reare;
& when they were vp hent,
2 dragons there were bent;
foule they were for to behold;
& found itt right as Merlyn tolde,
the one dragon as red as fyer,
w i th bright eyen as Bason cleare;
his tayle was great & nothing small,
his bodye was vnryde w i th-all;
his shape May noe man tell,
he looked like a feende of hell.
the white dragon lay him by,
sterne of Looke & grislye;
his mouth & throate yawned wide,
the fyer brast out on eu er y side;
his tayle was ragged like a feend,
& vpon his tayles end
there was shaped a grislye head
to fight w i th tha t dragon redd;
for Merlyn said, forsooth I plight,
soe grislye they were both in sight,
tha t when the shold vprise,
many a man they shall agrise.
anon the ryssden out of their den;
then was feard many a man;
of all the folke there was tha t tyde,
durst not one of them abyde.
the redd dragon & the white,
hard together can the smite
both w i th mouth & w i th tayle;
betweene them was a hard battele
tha t they earth quaked thoe;
& lodlye whether waxed alsoe;
soe strong fyer they cast anon
tha t they plaines therof shone;
soe they fought, forsoothe to say,
all the long sum m ers day
they neu er stinted their fighting
till men to Euensong did ringe.
soe in tha t time, as I you tell,
the red dragon tha t as soe fell,
draue the white from a downe
into the plaines a great verome,
till they came into a valley;
& there they rested them both tway,
& there the white recou er ed his flight
& waxed Egar for to fight,
& Egerlye w i th-out fayle
the redd dragon he can assayle;
& there the wh[i]te w i th all his might
hent the red anon right,
& to the ground he him cast,
& w i th the fyer of his blast
altogether he brent the red,
That neu er after was found shread,
but dust vpon the ground lay.
& the white went away,
& neu er sithe tha t time then
heard noe man where he became.
then sayd Merlyn the younge
among them all before the K ing ,
& said to him w i th words bold,
" now is itt sooth tha t I you tolde?
itt is soothe; yee may itt see;
therfore S i r K ing , I pray thee,
doe yee the clarkes afore mee bring
tha t Laid on mee that Leasing. "
& he asked them the K ing beforne
" Why the wold his blood were Lorne. "
& the answered w i th words myld,
dreadfullye before the chylde,
& sayden, " the saw witterlye
beneath the welkin a skye,
& shewed him all his begott,
how hee was on earth lote,
& thorrow his blood the K ing s castle
shold stande both strong & weele. "
then said Merlyn thoe,
" hee was a shrew tha t told you soe;
tha t skye, " he sayd, " tha t showed you tha t,
he was the father tha t mee begatt,
& for I serue him not att will,
therfore he wold my blood spill;
& for tha t he hath beguiled you soe,
S i r Vortiger, I pray you thoe,
tha t yee grant them their liffe;
all my wrath I them forgiue. "
the K ing his asking granted swithe;
then were the clarkes glad & blythe;
forth they went, both more & mynne,
& w i th them went Merlyne.
Merlyn was with vortiger
to his counsell all tha t yeere;
through his wisdome & counsayle
the castle was built strong & well;
& when the castle was all wrought,
Erles & Barrons the K ing besought
tha t he wold know att Merlyn thoe
why the dragons foughten soe;
itt was some tokening, the sayd all,
tha t some aduenture shold befall.
Merlyn was brought befor the K ing ,
& he him asked w i thout Leasinge
what tha t tokening might meane,
the fighting of the dragons keene.
Merlyn stoode & Made danger
then bespake S i r Vortiger,
& sayd, " Merlyn, but thou me tell,
anon I shall cause thee to be quell. "
then answered Merlyn a-plight
w i th great wrath anon-wright,
& sayd, " w i thouten weene
tha t day shall neu er be seene;
if thou take thy sword in hand
me to slay or bring in band,
yett may thou fayle of all thy fare,
as the hound doth of the hare.
I warne you well, S i r vortiger,
I giue nothing of thy danger!
but if thou wilt find me a borrowe
tha t thou shalt doe me noe sorrowe,
then will I tell you all bydeene
the fightinge of the dragons keene. "
then said Merlyn to the K ing ,
" S i r, vnderstand well my sayinge;
the red dragon so foule of sight
betokeneth thy selfe & all thy Might;
for through thy false p ro curinge
Moyne was slaine, the younge K ing .
thou see the red dragon the white droue
ffar downe into the groue:
tha t betoekneth the heyres tha t thou didst fleame
w i th wrong out of the realme.
soe all the folke tha t w i th them held
both in towne and in feilde,
the white dragon doth signiefie;
the right heyres haue great envye
tha t thou holdeth all their Land
against them w i th much wronge;
alsoe the wh[i]te, can you well say,
recovered his flyght into the Valley,
& droue the redd dragon againe
till he came to the plaine,
& to the ground he him cast,
& w i th the fyer of his blast
all to powder he burnt the redd,
tha t neu er of him was found a shread.
tha t betokens the heyres soe younge
are now waxen, & succour found,
& are readye w i th many a Knight
against thee to hold fight.
into this castle they shall thee driue
w i th thy child & thy wiffe;
& all beene w i th thee then,
into the ground shall the brenn;
& the K ing S i r Anguis
shall be slaine, and hold noe price;
his kingdome & thine alsoe
shall doe England Mickle woe.
the head vpon the white dragons tayle,
tha t betokens w i thouten fayle,
the heyres tha t be trew and good
shall destroy all thy blood:
S i r Vortiger, this is the tokeninge
of the dragons fighting!
as I thee say w i thouten othe
thou shalt it find siker & troth. "
still him stood S i r vortiger,
& bote his lip w i th dreery cheere,
& sayd to Merline w i thouten fayle,
" you must tell mee some counsell
w i thout any more striffe,
how I may best leade my liffe. "
then Merlyne sayd w i thout weene,
" thus must itt needs beene,
& therfore soe haue I rest:
I can noe read, but doe thy best. "
vortiger sayd, " but [thou] me tell,
anon I shall doe thee quell. "
he start vp & wold him haue wrought;
but where he was he wist nought,
soe soone hee was away then
tha t in the hall wist noe man,
hye nor lowe, swaine nor groome,
tha t whist where Merlyne was become.
then went Merlyn hastilye
to the Hermitt tha t hight Blassey,
& told him w i thout leasing
how he had serued the king;
& told him w i thout wronge
the fighting of the dragons stronge.
of the red & of the white
a great Booke he did endite,
& told tha t the red dragon
betokens much destruction
through vortigers kinred I-wis,
& the heathen k ing Anguis;
in England shold be afterward
strong battailes & happs hard.
all tha t Merline tolde & sayd,
in good writting itt was layd,
of all the ventures, I vnderstand,
tha t eu er shold fall in England;
But for itt is soe darke a thing
tha t Merlyn made in his sayinge,
tha t few men w i thouten weene
can vnderstand what itt meane;
but on yee will a stond dwell,
of other things I will you tell.
of the hend children tow,
Vther & Pendragon alsoe,
I told, as I you vnderstand,
how they were fleamed out of the Land;
now will I tell you in certaine,
in what manner the came againe
w i th great strenght & power,
& how he draue S i r Vortiger
forth into his castle strong
for his vnright & for his wronge;
& how the brent him flesh & bone;
& how they can k ing Anguis slaine,
I will yee tell in what Manno ur :
listen now & you shall heere.