The Age of Chivalry

t the regions of the air. Merlin's mother was a virtuous young woman, who, on the birth of her son, intrusted him to a priest, who hurri

ho lived in constant fear of the return of the rightful heirs of the kingdom, began to erect a strong tower for defence. The edifice, when brought by the workmen to a certain height, three times fell to the ground, without an

told him the true cause of the instability of the tower was its being placed over the den of two immense dragons, whose combats shook the earth above them. The king ordered his workmen to dig beneath the tower, and when they had done so they discovered two enormous serpents, the one white as milk the other red as fire. The multitu

ded with a great army. Vortigern was defeated, and afterwards burned alive in the castle he had taken such pains to construct. On the

ew the range of

ng his havens, s

iv

appeared as a dwarf, at others as a damsel, a page, or even a greyhound or a stag. This faculty he often

and Arthur, and at last disappeared from view, and was no more found among men, thr

, and that you and I should be there in joy and solace." "My lady," said Merlin, "I will do all this." "Sir," said she, "I would not have you do it, but you shall teach me, and I will do it, and then it will be more to my mind." "I grant you this," said Merlin. Then he began to devise, and the damsel put it all in writing. And when he had devised the whole, then had the damsel full great joy, and showed him greater semblance of love than she had ever before made, and they sojourned together a long while. At length it fell out that, as they were going one day

a s

lin more like

her lips; th

wn-locked head t

n her hand and

orn tree and her

aved the flutter

ttle plot of

hew A

My lady, you have deceived me, unless you abide with me, for no one hath power to unmake this tower but you alone." She then promised she would be often there, and in th

rest of Breceliande, when suddenly he heard the voice of one groaning on his right hand; and, looking that way, he could see nothing save a kind of smoke, which seemed like air, and through which he could not pass. Merlin then addressed him from out the smoke, and told him by what misadventure he was imprisoned there. "Ah, sir!" he added, "you will never see me more, and that grieves me, but I cannot remedy it; I shall never more speak to you, nor to any other person, save only my mistress. But do thou hasten to King Arthur, and char

esented as a magical artist. Spenser represents him as the artificer of the impenetrable shield and other armor of Prince Arthur ("Faery Queene," Book I., Canto vii.), and of a mirror, in which a damsel viewed her lover's shade. The

is from Spenser's "Fa

to

(IN WALES), MERLIN'S TOWER

elves disguising

, that none mig

, that is no

din called, they

Merlin whylome

nne, low under

e, far from th

ving wight he

d with his sprights

ever happen

to see that

ous hollow c

that lies a

t Barry, tomb

woody hill

thou, I charg

o that same

l fiends should t

high aloft, lo

ghastly noise

drons thou shal

sprites with lo

t will stun thy

reat groans, and

oil and labor t

loud strokes an

deep rock most h

e say is this.

Merlin died,

ll in compa

rdin, and di

ites to bring

work the Lady

ved, for him in

orced his work

is return their l

, through that fa

sed, and buri

his work re

iends may not th

is commandem

oil and travai

azen wall the

ad in magic

before or afte

uried under something which encl