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           Thensaidtheoldman,“Whyartthousosad?”

           “Fordiversreasons,”saidKingArthur;“forIhaveseenstrangethingsto-day,andbutthismomenttherewashereachildwhotoldmethingsbeyondhisyearstoknow.”

           “Yea,”saidtheoldman,“buthetoldtheetruth,andmorehewouldhavetoldtheehadstthousufferedhim.ButIwilltelltheewhereforethouartsad,forthouhastdoneathingoflateforwhichGodisdispleasedwiththee,andwhatitisthouknowestinthyheart,thoughnomanelsemayknow.”

           “Whatartthou,”saidKingArthur,startingupallpale,“thattellestmethesetidings?”

           “IamMerlin,”saidhe,“andIwasheinthechild’slikeness,also.”

           “Ah,”saidKingArthur,“thouartamarvellousandrightfearfulman,andIwouldaskandtelltheemanythingsthisday.”

           Astheytalkedcameonewiththeking’shorses,andso,KingArthurmountingone,andMerlinanother,theyrodetogethertoCaerleon;andMerlinprophesiedtoArthurofhisdeath,andalsoforetoldhisownend.

           AndnowKingArthur,havingutterlydispersedandoverwhelmedthosekingswhohadsolongdelayedhiscoronation,turnedallhismindtooverthrowtheSaxonheathenswhoyetinmanyplacesspoiledtheland.Callingtogether,therefore,hisknightsandmen-at-arms,herodewithallhishoststoYork,whereColgrin,theSaxon,laywithagreatarmy;andtherehefoughtamightybattle,longandbloody,anddrovehimintothecity,andbesiegedhim.ThenBaldulph,Colgrin’sbrother,camesecretlywithsixthousandmentoassailKingArthurandtoraisethesiege.