t cometh among men; they are named full truly Incubi
Daemones; they do not much harm, but deceive the folk; many a man in
dream oft they delude, and many a fair woman through their craft
childeth anon, and many a good man's child they beguile through magic.
And thus was Merlin begat, and born of his mother, and thus it is all
transacted," quoth the clerk Magan.

Then said Merlin to the king himself: "King, thy men have taken me,
and I am to thee come, and I would learn what is thy will, and for
what thing I am brought to the king?" Then said the king with quick
speech: "Merlin, thou art hither come; thou art son of no man! Much
thou longest after loath speech; learn thou wilt the adventure--now
thou shalt hear it. I have begun a work with great strength, that hath
my treasure well much taken away; five thousand men work each day
thereon. And I have lime and stone, in the world is none better, nor
in any land workmen so good. All that they lay in the day--in sooth I
may say it--ere day in the morrow all it is down; each stone from the
other felled to the ground! Now say my wise and my sage men, that if I
take thy blood, out of thy breast, and work my will, and put to my
lime, then may it stand to the world's end. Now thou knowest it all,
how it shall be to thee." Merlin heard this, and angered in his mood,
and said these words, though he were wrath: "God himself, who is lord
of men, will it never, that the castle should stand for my heart's
blood, nor ever thy stone wall lie still. For all thy sages are
exceeding deceitful, they say leasings before thyself--that thou shalt
find in this day's space. For Joram said this, who is my full foe; the
tidings seem to me sport, I was shapen to his bane! Let Joram thy sage
come before thee, and all his companions, forth-right here, who told
these leasings to the king, and if I say thee my sooth words of thy
wall, and why it down falleth, and with sooth it prove, that their
tales are leasing, give me their heads, if I thy work heal." Then
answered the king with quick voice: "So help me my hand, this covenant
I hold thee!"

To the king was brought Joram the sage, and seven of his companions--
all they were fated to die! Merlin angered, and he spake wrathly:--
"Say me, Joram, traitor--loathsome to me in heart--why falleth this
wall to the ground, say me why it happeneth that the wall falleth,
what men may find at the dyke's bottom?" Joram was still, he could not
tell. Then said Merl