ver distribute
for my soul, and lay me at the east end, in Stonehenge." There was no
other hap--there was the king dead! And all so his men did as the king
directed. Uther was in Wales, and hereof was nothing ware, never
through any art hereof nothing wist; nevertheless he had with him the
prophet Merlin, he proceeded towards the army that was come to the
land.

Uther lay in Wales, in a wilderness, and prepared to march, to fight
with Pascent. Then in the eventime, the moon gan to shine, well nigh
all as bright as the sunlight. Then they saw afar a marvellous star;
it was broad, it was large, it was immense! From it came gleams
terribly shining, the star is named in Latin, comet. Came from the
star a gleam most fierce; at this gleam's end was a dragon fair, from
this dragon's mouth came gleams enow! But twain there were mickle,
unlike to the others; the one drew toward France, the other toward
Ireland. The gleam that toward France drew, it was itself bright enow;
to Munt-Giu was seen the marvellous token! The gleam that stretched
right west, it was disposed in seven beams. Uther saw this--but he was
not hereof wary--sorrow was to him in heart, and strangely he was
frightened; so was all the great folk that was in the host. Uther
called Merlin, and bade him come to him, and thus said to him with
very soft words: "Merlin, Merlin, dear friend, prove thyself, and say
to us of the token that we have seen; for I wot not in the
worlds-realm to what end it shall befall; unless thou us counsel, back
we must ride."

Merlin sate him still, a long time, as if he with dream full greatly
laboured. They said who saw it with their own eyes, that oft he turned
him, as if it were a worm! At length he gan to awake, then gan he to
quake, and these words said Merlin the prophet: "Walaway! Walaway! in
this worlds-realm, much is the sorrow that is come to the land! Where
art thou, Uther? Set before me here, and I will say to thee of sorrows
enow. Dead is Aurelie, noblest of kings, so is the other, Constance,
thy brother, whom Vortiger betrayed with his treachery. Now hath
Vortiger's kin killed Aurelie; now art thou alone of thy noble
kindred. But hope not thou for counsel of them that he dead, but think
of thyself--prosperity shall be given to thee;--for seldom he faileth,
who to himself thinketh. Thou shalt become good king, and lord of men.
And thou at the midnight weapon thy knights, that we in the
morning-light may come forth-right, be