ng, known it was wide, he was
named Conaan, lord of knights." Then answered the king, as if she were
of his kin: "Lady, say thou it to me--well it shall be to thee--here
is Merlin thy son, who begat him? Who was held for father to him among
the folk?" Then hung she her head, and bent toward her breast; by the
king she sate full softly, and thought a little while, after a while
she spake, and said to the king: "King, I will tell thee marvellous
stories. My father Conaan the king loved me through all things, then
became I in stature wondrously fair. When I was fifteen years of age,
then dwelt I in bower, in my mansion, my maidens with me, wondrously
fair. And when I was in bed in slumber, with my soft sleep, then came
before me the fairest thing that ever was born, as if it were a tall
knight, arrayed all of gold. This I saw in dream each night in sleep.
This thing glided before me, and glistened of gold, oft it me kissed,
and oft it me embraced, oft it approached me, and oft it came to me
very nigh; when I at length looked to myself--strange this seemed to
me--my meat to me was loathsome, my limbs unusual, strange it seemed
to me, what it might be! Then perceived I at the end that I was with
child, when my time came, this boy I had. I know not in this world
what his father were, nor who begat him in this worlds-realm, nor
whether it were evil thing, or on God's behalf dight. Alas! as I pray
for mercy, I know not any more to say to thee of my son, how he is
come to the world." The nun bowed her head down, and covered her
features.

The king bethought him what he might do, and drew to him good
councillors to counsel, and they said him counsel with the best, that
he should send for Magan, who was a marvellous man.--He was a wise
clerk, and knew of many crafts; he would advise well, he could far
direct, he knew of the craft that dwelleth in the sky (astronomy), he
could tell of each history (or language). Magan came to court where
the king dwelt, and greeted the king with goodly words: "Hail be thou
and sound, Vortiger the king! I am come to thee, show me thy will."
Then answered the king, and told the clerk all, how the nun had said,
and asked him thereof counsel, from the beginning to the end, all he
him told. Then said Magan: "I know full well hereon. There dwell in
the sky many kind of beings, that there shall remain until domesday
arrive; some they are good, and some they work evil. Therein is a race
very numerous, tha