comed earls, he welcomed
barons, and the bishops, and the book-learned men.--"I will say to you
with sooth words, why I sent after you, and for what thing. Here I
give to each knight his land and his right, and to every earl and
every baron, what he may win, to possess it with joy; and each man I
order to love peace, on his life. And I bid you all to work and build
the churches that are fallen, to let the bells ring, to sing God's
praise, and each with our might to worship our dear Lord; each man by
his might to hold peace and amity, and cause the land to be tilled,
now it is all in my hand." When this doom was all said, they all
praised this counsel. The king gave them leave to depart thence; each
fared homeward, as to them it best seemed.

Full seven nights the king lay there still, and then he gan proceed
into London, to gladden the burgh-folk, who oft were busy. He caused
walls to be strengthened, he caused halls to be built, and all the
works to be righted that ere were broken; and gave them all the laws
that stood in their elders' days; and he made there reves, to rule the
folk. And thence he gan proceed right to Winchester; and there he
caused to be worked halls and churches;--there it seemed to him most
pleasant;--and afterwards he went to Ambresbury, to the burial-place
of his dear friends, whom Hergest with knives had murdered there. He
caused men anon to be inquired for, who could hew stone, and eke good
wrights, who could work with axe, he thought to work there a work
wondrously fair, that ever should last, the while men lived! Then was
in Caerleon a bishop, that hight Tremoriun; he was a man exceeding
wise in the worlds-realm; with the king he was, over the weald. And
thus Tremoriun, God's servant, spake there with the king, of a good
thing: "Listen now to me, Aurelie, what I will make known to thee, and
I will say to thee the best of all counsel, if thou wilt it approve,
eft it will like to thee. We have a prophet, who is Merlin named; if
any man might him find, upon this weald, and bring him to thee,
through any kind of thing, and if thou his will wouldest perform, he
would say to thee best of all counsel, how thou mightest this work
make strong and stark, that ever might last, the while that men
lived." Then answered the king--these words were to him agreeable:--
"Dear friend Tremoriun, all this I will do." The king in haste sent
his messengers over all his kingdom, and bade every man to ask after
Merli