Volume Xiii Part 11 (1/2)
”Now will you send for a priest,” asked Balan, ”that we may receive the sacrament?”
”It shall be done,” said the lady.
And so she sent for a priest and gave them the rites of the church.
”When we are buried in one tomb,” said Balin, ”and the inscription is placed over us telling how two brothers here slew each other in ignorance and valor, there will never good knight nor good man see our tomb but they will pray for our souls, and bemoan our fate.”
At this all the ladies wept for pity. Soon after Balan died, but Balin lived till midnight. The lady thereupon had them both richly buried, and the tomb inscribed as they had asked, though she knew not Balin's name.
But in the morning came the magician Merlin, who wrote Balin's name upon the tomb in letters of gold, as follows: ”Here lieth Balin le Savage, the knight with the two swords, and he that smote the Dolorous Stroke.”
More than this did Merlin, through this magic art. In that castle he placed a bed, and ordained that whoever should lie therein would lose his wits. And he took the sword which Balin had won from the damsel, and removed its pommel, placing upon it another pommel. Then he asked a knight beside him to lift that sword, but he tried to do so in vain.
”No man shall have power to handle that sword,” said Merlin, ”but the best knight in the world; and that shall be Sir Launcelot, or his son Sir Galahad. And Launcelot with this sword shall slay Sir Gawaine, the man he loves best in the world.” All this he wrote in the pommel of the sword.
Then Merlin built to the island a bridge of steel and iron that was but half a foot broad, and ordained that no man should cross that bridge unless he were of virtuous life and free from treachery or evil thoughts and deeds.
This done, Merlin by magical skill fixed Balin's sword in a block of marble as great as a millstone, and set it afloat upon the stream in such a way that the sword always stood upright above the water. And for years this stone swam down the stream, for no man could take it from the water or draw the sword, until in time it came to the city of Camelot (which is in English Winchester), where the sword was drawn, and many strange things followed thereupon, as shall be hereafter related.
Soon after this was done, Merlin came to King Arthur and told him the story of the dolorous stroke which Balin had given to King Pellam, and of the marvellous battle Balin and Balan had fought, and how they were buried in one tomb.
”Alas!” cried Arthur, ”I never heard a sadder tale. And much is the loss to knighthood and chivalry, for in the world I know not two such knights.”
Thus endeth the tale of Balin and Balan, two brethren born in Northumberland, good knights.
CHAPTER V.
MERLIN'S FOLLY AND FATE.
And now we have again a tale of disaster to tell, namely, how Merlin the wise fell into love's dotage, and through folly brought himself to a living death, so that thenceforth he appeared no more upon the earth, and his wise counsels were lost to Arthur and his knights.
For the old magician, who had so long kept free from love's folly, became besotted with the damsel named Nimue, she whom King Pellinore had brought to the court on his quest at Arthur's marriage.
Merlin quite lost his wits and wisdom through his mad pa.s.sion for this young lady, to whom he would give no rest, but followed her wherever she went. The shrewd damsel, indeed, encouraged her doting lover, for he was ready to teach her all the secrets of his art, so that in time she learned from him so much of his craft that she became skilled in necromancy beyond all enchantresses of her time.
The wise magician knew well that his end was at hand, and that the woman whom he loved would prove his ruin, but his doting pa.s.sion was such that he had no strength of mind to resist. He came thereupon unto King Arthur, and told him what he foresaw, and which it was not in his power to prevent; and warned him of many coming events, that he might be prepared for them when Merlin was with him no more.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MERLIN AND NIMUE.]
”I have charged you,” he said, ”to keep in your own hands the sword Excalibur and its scabbard, yet well I know that both sword and scabbard will be stolen from you by a woman whom you foolishly trust, and that your lack of wisdom will bring you near to your death. This also I may say, you will miss me deeply. When I am gone you would give all your lands to have me again. For Merlin will find no equal in the land.”
”That I well know already,” said the king. ”But, since you foresee so fully what is coming upon you, why not provide for it, and by your craft overcome it?”
”No,” said Merlin, ”that may not be. Strong I am, but destiny is stronger. There is no magic that can set aside the decrees of fate.”