folly any more than before. Whereupon he sent to them a
second time, and a third, desiring them to go forth from the hall. At
the last the king ordered one of his squires to give a blow to the chief
of them named Heinin Vardd; and the squire took a broom, and struck him
on the head, so that he fell back in his seat. Then he arose and went on
his knees, and besought leave of the king's grace to show that this their
fault was not through want of knowledge, neither through drunkenness, but
by the influence of some spirit that was in the hall. And after this
Heinin spoke on this wise. "Oh honourable king, be it known to your
grace, that not from the strength of drink, or of too much liquor, are we
dumb, without power of speech like drunken men, but through the influence
of a spirit that sits in the corner yonder in the form of a child."
Forthwith the king commanded the squire to fetch him; and he went to the
nook where Taliesin sat, and brought him before the king, who asked him
what he was, and whence he came. And he answered the king in verse.

"Primary chief bard am I to Elphin,
And my original country is the region of the summer stars;
Idno and Heinin called me Merddin,
At length every king will call me Taliesin.

I was with my Lord in the highest sphere,
On the fall of Lucifer into the depth of hell:
I have borne a banner before Alexander;
I know the names of the stars from north to south;
I have been on the galaxy at the throne of the Distributor;
I was in Canaan when Absalom was slain;
I conveyed the divine Spirit to the level of the vale of Hebron;
I was in the court of Don before the birth of Gwydion.
I was instructor to Eli and Enoc;
I have been winged by the genius of the splendid crosier;
I have been loquacious prior to being gifted with speech;
I was at the place of the crucifixion of the merciful Son of God;
I have been three periods in the prison of Arianrod;
I have been the chief director of the work of the tower of Nimrod;
I am a wonder whose origin is not known.

I have been in Asia with Noah in the ark,
I have seen the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra;
I have been in India when Roma was built,
I am now come here to the remnant of Troia.

I have been with my Lord in the manger of the ass;
I strengthened Moses through the water of Jordan;
I have been in the firmament with Mary Magdalene;
I have obtained the mu