Английские легенды / The English Legends - стр. 4

4. He made Igraine come out of the castle of Tintagil to Uther’s pavilion.

g) What instructions did Merlin give Uther shortly before his son was born?

1. To send the child to Merlin so that Merlin nourished him himself.

2. To make the child his rightful heir and raise him as his son.

3. To send the child to Sir Ector, and take Sir Ector’s child in exchange.

4. To make a deal with Sir Ector, and then to take the child to Merlin unchristened so that he could pass him to Sir Ector.

Two years after Arthur was born, king Uther Pendragon fell gravely sick. Meanwhile a great deal of his enemies gathered forces against him, and started a great battle, and slain many of his people.

“Sir,” said Merlin, “You cannot win a war lying here sick; you should go to the field of battle. Even if you have to ride in a horselitter, but you must be there in person[9], and then will you have your victory.”

Uther did like Merlin told him. He gathered his men and, travelling in a horse-litter, led them to battle. And that day Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias did many great deeds of arms, and king Uther’s men won the battle and slain many of his enemies. And then Uther returned to London and made great joy of his victory.

But then he was even more sick. For three days and three nights he couldn’t talk, so his lords and barons were in great sorrow and asked for Merlin’s counsel.

“There is no cure for that,” said Merlin, “It is in the hands of God. But come to Uther tomorrow morning, and God and I will make him speak.”

The next morning all the lords and barons came with Merlin to Uther’s chamber.

“Sir,” said Merlin, “Is it your will that after your death your son Arthur will become king of this realm?”

Then Uther Pendragon turned so that everybody could see him and spoke.

“I give him God’s blessing and mine”, he said, “and bid him pray for my soul, and righteously and worshipfully claim the crown, or he will lose my blessing.”

Having said that, he yielded up the ghost[10], and then he was buried as a king should be. The queen Igraine made great sorrow, and with her all the barons.

Then a troubled time came to the kingdom. No one knew about Arthur, and everybody was thinking that they could start a war and claim the crown for their own. Then Merlin went to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and counseled him to send for all the lords of the realm, and all the knights, so that they would come to London by Christmas. And since Jesus was born on that night, as a merciful king of mankind, he would show some miracle to reveal who should be the rightful king of this realm.