I have on this earth made a tomb, and there he pight his
pavilions and sought through all the country to find a tomb, and
in a church they found one was fair and rich, and then the king
let put them both in the earth, and put the tomb upon them, and
wrote the names of them both on the tomb. How here lieth Lanceor
the king's son of Ireland, that at his own request was slain by
the hands of Balin; and how his lady, Colombe, and paramour, slew
herself with her love's sword for dole and sorrow.



CHAPTER VIII

How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the world
should fight there, which were Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram.

THE meanwhile as this was a-doing, in came Merlin to King Mark,
and seeing all his doing, said, Here shall be in this same place
the greatest battle betwixt two knights that was or ever shall
be, and the truest lovers, and yet none of them shall slay other.
And there Merlin wrote their names upon the tomb with letters of
gold that should fight in that place, whose names were Launcelot
de Lake, and Tristram. Thou art a marvellous man, said King Mark
unto Merlin, that speakest of such marvels, thou art a boistous
man and an unlikely to tell of such deeds. What is thy name?
said King Mark. At this time, said Merlin, I will not tell, but
at that time when Sir Tristram is taken with his sovereign lady,
then ye shall hear and know my name, and at that time ye shall
hear tidings that shall not please you. Then said Merlin to
Balin, Thou <60>hast done thyself great hurt, because that thou