s speech is full secret,
for yet neither it knoweth, Ygaerne nor Uther, that of Uther Pendragon
such a son shall arise; for yet he is unbegot, that shall govern all
the people. But, Lord," quoth Merlin, "now it is thy will, that forth
I shall go to the host of the king; thy words I will obey, and now I
will depart, and proceed I will for thy love to Uther Pendragon. And
thou shalt have the land that he set thee in hand."

Thus they then spake: the hermit gan to weep; dearly he him kissed;
there they gan to separate. Merlin went right forth south, the land
was well known to him; forth-right he proceeded to the king's host. So
soon as Uther him saw, so he approached towards him; and thus quoth
Uther Pendragon: "Merlin, thou art welcome! Here I set thee in hand
all the counsel of my land, and that thou must me advise, at my great
need." Uther told him all that he would, and how Ygaerne was to him in
the land dearest of women, and Gorlois, her lord, most odious of all
men.--"And unless I have thy counsel, full soon thou wilt see me
dead." Then answered Merlin: "Let Ulfin now come in, and give him in
hand thirty ploughs of land, and give to the hermit what thou him
promisedest, for I will not possess any land, neither silver nor gold,
for I am in counsel most skilful of all men, and if I wished for
possessions, then should I become worse in craft. But all thy will
well shall come to pass, for I know such leech-craft, that shall be to
thee lief, so that all thy appearance shall become as the earl's; thy
speech, thy deeds among thy people; thy horse and thy weeds
(garments), and so shalt thou ride. When Ygaerne shall see thee, in
mood shall it be well to her; she lieth in Tintateol, fast inclosed.
There is no knight so well born, of no land chosen, that might with
strength unfasten the gates of Tintateol, unless they were burst with
hunger and with thirst. But that is the sooth that I will say to thee,
through all things thou shalt be as if thou wert the earl, and I will
be every bit as Britael he is, who is a knight most hardy, he is this
earl's steward, Jurdan is his chamber-knight, he is exceeding well
dight, I will make Ulfin anon such as Jurdan is. Then wilt thou be
lord, and I be Britael, thy steward, and Ulfin be Jurdan, thy
chamber-knight. And we shall go now to-night, and fare thou shalt by
counsel, whither soever I lead thee. Now to-night shall half a hundred
knights with spear and with shield be about thy tents, so