of us both. If I live, I will destroy that castle and its evil customs.”
“That would be well done,” said Balan, “for I have not been allowed to depart from here since I arrived. I happened to slay the knight who defended this island, and since then I have been unable to leave. The same would have happened to you, brother, if you had slain me and survived.”
Then the lady of the tower came with four knights and six ladies and six yeomen. And there she heard each say to the other: “We both came out of one womb—that is to say, one mother’s belly, and so we shall both lie in one pit.”
So Balan asked the lady of her kindness and for his true service to bury them both in the same place where the battle took place. Weeping, she granted that this would be done in the best manner possible.
“Now will you send for a priest, so that we may receive the sacrament of the blessed body of our Lord Jesus Christ?”
“Yes,” said the lady, “it shall be done.” So she sent for a priest to perform the last rites for them.
“Now,” said Balin, “when we are buried in one tomb with a mention made upon it how two brethren slew each other, then there will never be a good knight or a good man who sees our tomb and does not pray for our souls.” At this, all the ladies and gentlewomen wept for pity.
Then Balan died; Balin did not die until the next midnight. They were buried together, and the lady had written upon the tomb how Balan was killed by his brother’s hands, but she did not know Balin’s name.
In the morning Merlin came, and caused Balin’s name to be written upon the tomb in letters of gold: “Here lyeth Balin le Savage, the Knight with the Two Swords and he who smote the Dolorous Stroke.” Also Merlin caused a bed to be set there, in which no man could lie without going out of his wits (but later Lancelot du Lake overcame that bed through his nobility).
CII.19
After Balin was dead, Merlin took his sword, removed the pommel, and replaced it with another pommel. Then Merlin asked a knight who stood nearby to try and pick up that sword. He tried and was unable. Then Merlin laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” said the knight.
“For this reason” said Merlin: “there will never be a man who can handle this sword except the best knight of the world. That will be Sir Lancelot or his son, Sir Galahad. And with this sword, Lancelot will slay the man that he loves best in all the world, Sir Gawain.” And he had all this written on the pommel of the sword.
Then Merlin had a bridge of iron and steel built out to that island, which was just a half foot wide, and a man was never able to cross that bridge or even have courage to try going over it unless he were a passing good man without any villainy or treachery.
Merlin also left the scabbard of Balin’s sword on the island—where Galahad would later find it—and through his skill in magic, Merlin caused Balin’s sword to be set standing upright into a marble stone—as big as a millstone—and it floated above the water for many years. Later, by happenstance, it floated down the stream to the city of Camelot, which is called “Winchester” in English, and on that same day Galahad came there with King Arthur. Galahad took up the scabbard and drew the sword from the marble stone that was floating on the water. It was Whitsunday when he achieved the sword, as it is told in the story of the Holy Grail.
Soon after this was done, Merlin came to King Arthur and told him of the Dolorous Stroke that Balin had given King Pellam, how Balin and Balan had fought together the greatest battle that ever had been heard of, and how they were buried together in one tomb.
“Alas!” said King Arthur. “This is the greatest pity that I have ever heard tell of, for in this world I never knew two such knights.”
Thus ends the tale of Balin and Balan, two brethren who were born in Northumberland, who were two surpassingly good knights as ever lived in those days.
6 Arthur and Guenevere
CIII.1; VI.3
In the beginning of Arthur’s career, after he had been chosen king by both adventure and grace, most of his barons did not know that he was Uther Pendragon’s son. Merlin then made it openly known, but still many kings and lords continued to make war against him for that reason. But Arthur overcame them all decisively.
For most of the days of his life, Arthur followed the advice of Merlin, and it happened one time that King Arthur said to Merlin, “My barons will give me no rest until I take a wife, but I do not wish to take one except by your counsel and advice.”
“That would be well done,” said Merlin, “for you to take a wife, for a man of your wealth and nobility should not be without a wife. Now, is there anyone,” said Merlin, “that you love more than any other?”
“Yes,” said King Arthur, “I love Guenevere, the daughter of King Leodegranz of Camelard, the man who has in his house the Round Table that you told me my father Uther had given him. This damsel is the most excellent and the fairest that I know of living that I have yet ever found.”
“Certainly,” said Merlin, “as far as beauty and fairness, she is one of the prettiest women alive. But if you did not love her as you do, I would find you another damsel of beauty and goodness whom you would like and find pleasing, if your heart were not already set. For wherever a man’s heart is set, he will be loath to turn away.”
“That is the truth,” said King Arthur.
Merlin warned the king secretly that Guenevere was not a good choice to take as a wife, for he warned Arthur that Lancelot would love her, and she him. Then he turned his talk to the adventures of the Holy Grail.
Then Merlin asked the king for some men to accompany him when he went to inquire about Guenevere. The king granted this, and so Merlin went to King Leodegranz of Camelard and told him that the king desired to have his daughter, Guenevere, as his wife.
“That is to me,” said King Leodegranz, “the best news I have ever heard, that a king of such prowess and nobility wishes to wed my daughter. As far as my lands, I would give them all to him if I thought it would please him; but he has enough lands, he needs no more. I will send him a gift that will please him much more; I will give him the Round Table which Uther, his father, gave me. When it is fully complete, there are a hundred and fifty knights. I have a hundred good knights myself, but I lack fifty, as so many good knights have been slain in my time.”
So King Leodegranz delivered his daughter Guenevere to Merlin, along with the Round Table and a hundred knights. So they rode cheerfully with great pomp over water and land until they came near to London.
When King Arthur heard of Guenevere’s arrival and the hundred knights and the Round Table that accompanied her, he made great joy at her arrival and the rich gift she brought with her. He said publicly, “This fair lady is greatly welcome to me, for I have loved her a long time; therefore there is nothing more dear to me. And these knights with the Round Table please me more than a gift of great riches.” Then quickly the king ordered that the marriage and Guenevere’s coronation should be arranged in the most honorable way that could be devised.
CIII.2
“Now Merlin,” said King Arthur, “go and search the land and find me fifty knights who are of the greatest prowess and worship.” So within a short time, Merlin had found eight-and-twenty such knights, but he could find no more.
Then the Archbishop of Canterbury was fetched and he blessed the seats of the Round Table with great ceremony and devotion, and there he set the eight-and-twenty knights in their seats.
When this was done, Merlin said, “Fair sirs, you all must arise and come to King Arthur and do homage to him; he will then be in a frame of mind to maintain you.” So they arose and did their homage. While they were gone, Merlin found on every seat letters of gold that spelled out the name of the knight who was to sit there; but two seats were blank.
Then young Gawain came in and asked the king for a gift.