have made it known openly in excusing of her worship and yours,
and in like <39>wise to all the realm, wherefore I prove her
false to God and to you and to all your realm, and who will say
the contrary I will prove it on his body.

Then spake Igraine and said, I am a woman and I may not fight,
but rather than I should be dishonoured, there would some good
man take my quarrel. More, she said, Merlin knoweth well, and ye
Sir Ulfius, how King Uther came to me in the Castle of Tintagil
in the likeness of my lord, that was dead three hours to-fore,
and thereby gat a child that night upon me. And after the
thirteenth day King Uther wedded me, and by his commandment when
the child was born it was delivered unto Merlin and nourished by
him, and so I saw the child never after, nor wot not what is his
name, for I knew him never yet. And there, Ulfius said to the
queen, Merlin is more to blame than ye. Well I wot, said the
queen, I bare a child by my lord King Uther, but I wot not where
he is become. Then Merlin took the king by the hand, saying,
This is your mother. And therewith Sir Ector bare witness how he
nourished him by Uther's commandment. And therewith King Arthur
took his mother, Queen Igraine, in his arms and kissed her, and
either wept upon other. And then the king let make a feast that
lasted eight days.

Then on a day there came in the court a squire on horseback,
leading a knight before him wounded to the death, and told him
how there was a knight in the forest had reared up a pavilion by
a well, and hath slain my master, a good knight, his name was
Miles; wherefore I beseech you that my master may be buried, and
that some knight may revenge my master's death. Then the noise