The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
throat a necklace of gold of three strands, so that with all that gold
and those bright garments she shone with wonderful splendor as she
entered the hall. Likewise, the dwarf who accompanied her was clad all
in flame-colored raiment, and he bore in his hands a cushion of
flame-colored silk with tassels of gold, and upon the cushion he bare a
ring of exceeding beauty set with a red stone.
So when King Arthur beheld this beautiful maiden he supposed nothing
else, than that there was some excellent entertainment, and at that he
rejoiced a very great deal.
But when he looked well at the damsel it appeared to him that he knew
her face, wherefore he said to her, “Damsel, who art thou?” “Sir,” she
said, “I am the daughter of the King of Northumberland, and my name is
Vivien,” and thereat King Arthur was satisfied.
Then King Arthur said to her, “Lady, what is that thou hast upon yonder
cushion, and why hast thou honored us by coming hitherward?” To the
which Vivien made reply, “Lord, I have here a very good entertainment
for to give you pleasure at this Feast of Pentecost. For here is a ring
of such a sort that only he who is the most wise and the most worthy of
all men here present may wear it.” And King Arthur said, “Let us see the
ring.”
So Vivien took the ring from the cushion which the dwarf held and she
came and brought it unto King Arthur, and the King took the ring into
his own hand. And he perceived that the ring was extraordinarily
beautiful, wherefore he said, “Maiden, have I thy leave to try this ring
upon my finger?” And Vivien said, “Yea, lord.”
[Sidenote: _King Arthur trieth on the ring._]
So King Arthur made attempt to place the ring upon his finger; but, lo!
the ring shrank in size so that it would not pass beyond the first joint
thereof. Wherefore King Arthur said, “It would appear that I am not
worthy to wear this ring.”
[Sidenote: _Merlin secureth the ring._]
Then the damsel, Vivien, said, “Have I my lord’s leave to offer this
ring to others of his Court?” And King Arthur said, “Let the others try
the ring.” So Vivien took the ring to the various folk of the Court,
both lords and ladies, but not one of these could wear the ring. Then
last of all Vivien came to the place where Merlin sat, and she kneeled
upon the ground before him and offered the ring to him; and Merlin,
because this concerned himself, could not forecast into the future to
know that harm was intended to him. Nevertheless he looked sourly upon
the damsel and he said, “Child, what is this silly trick thou offerest
me?” “Sir,” quoth Vivien, “I beseech you for to try this ring upon your
finger.” Then Merlin regarded the damsel more closely, and he perceived
that she was very beautiful, wherefore his heart softened toward her a
great deal. So he spake more gently unto her and he said, “Wherefore
should I take the ring?” To the which she made reply, “Because I believe
that thou art the most wise and the most worthy of any man in all this
place, wherefore the ring should belong to thee.” Then Merlin smiled,
and took the ring and placed it upon his finger, and, lo! it fitted the
finger exactly. Thereupon Vivien cried out, “See! the ring hath fitted
his finger and he is the most wise and the most worthy.” And Merlin was
greatly pleased that the ring which the beautiful damsel had given him
had fitted his finger in that way.
Then, after a while, he would have withdrawn the ring again but, behold!
he could not, for the ring had grown to his finger as though it were a
part of the flesh and the bone thereof. At this Merlin became much
troubled in spirit and very anxious, for he did not understand what
might be meant by the magic of the ring. So he said, “Lady, whence came
this ring?” And Vivien said, “Sir, thou knowest all things; dost thou
then not know that this ring was sent hitherward from Morgana le Fay?”
Then again Merlin was greatly a-doubt, and he said, “I hope there may be
no evil in this ring.” And Vivien smiled upon him and said, “What evil
could there be in it?”
Now by this time the great magic that was in the ring began to work upon
Merlin’s spirit, wherefore he regarded Vivien very steadily, and
suddenly he took great pleasure in her beauty. Then the magic of the
ring gat entire hold upon him and, lo! a wonderful passion immediately
seized upon his heart and wrung it so that it was pierced as with a
violent agony.
And Vivien beheld what passed in Merlin’s mind, and she laughed and
turned away. And several others who were there also observed the very
strange manner in which Merlin regarded her, wherefore they said among
themselves, “Of a surety Merlin is bewitched by the beauty of that young
damoiselle.”
[Sidenote: _The ring worketh its charm upon Merlin the Wise._]
So, after that time the enchantment of the ring of Morgana le Fay so
wrought upon Merlin’s spirit that he could in no wise disentangle
himself from Vivien’s witchery; for from that day forth, whithersoever
she went, there he might be found not far away; and if she was in the
garden, he would be there; and if she was in the Hall, he also would be
there; and if she went a-hawking he would also be a-horse-back. And all
the Court observed these things and many made themselves merry and
jested upon it. But, Vivien hated Merlin with all her might, for she saw
that they all made merry at that folly of Merlin’s, and he wearied her
with his regard. But she dissembled this disregard before his face and
behaved to him in all ways as though she had a great friendship for him.
Now it happened upon a day that Vivien sat in the garden, and it was
wonderfully pleasant summer weather, and Merlin came into the garden and
beheld Vivien where she sat. But when Vivien perceived Merlin coming
she suddenly felt so great a disregard for him that she could not bear
for to be nigh him at that time, wherefore she arose in haste with
intent to escape from him. But Merlin hurried and overtook her and he
said to her, “Child, do you then hate me?” And Vivien said, “Sir, I do
not hate you.” But Merlin said, “In very truth I believe that you do
hate me.” And Vivien was silent.
Then in a little Merlin said, “I would that I knew what I might do for
you so that you would cease to hate me, for I find that I have a
wonderful love for you.” Upon this Vivien looked at Merlin very
strangely, and by and by she said, “Sir, if you would only impart your
wisdom and your cunning unto me, then I believe that I could love you a
very great deal. For, behold! I am but as a young child in knowledge and
thou art so old and so wise that I am afraid of thee. If thou wouldst
teach me thy wisdom so that I might be thine equal, then haply I might
grow to have such a regard for thee as thou wouldst have me feel.”
Upon this Merlin looked very steadily at Vivien and he said, “Damsel,
thou art, certes, no such foolish child as thou dost proclaim thyself to
be; for I see that thine eyes are very bright with a cunning beyond thy
years. Now I misdoubt that if I should teach thee the wisdom which thou
dost desire to possess, either it would be to thy undoing or else it
would be to my undoing.”
Then Vivien cried out with a very loud and piercing voice, “Merlin, if
thou dost love me, teach me thy wisdom and the cunning of thy magic and
then I will love thee beyond anyone else in all the world!”
But Merlin sighed very deeply, for his heart misgave him. Then by and by
he said, “Vivien, thou shalt have thy will and I will teach thee all
those things of wisdom and magic that thou desirest to know.”
Upon this Vivien was filled with such vehement agony of joy that she did
not dare to let Merlin look into her countenance lest he should read
what was therein written. Wherefore she cast down her eyes and turned
her face away from him. Then in a little while she said, “Master, when
wilt thou teach me that wisdom?”
To this Merlin made reply, “I shall not teach thee to-day nor to-morrow
nor at this place; for I can only teach thee those knowledges in such
solitude that there shall be nothing to disturb thy studies. But
to-morrow thou shalt tell King Arthur that thou must return unto thy
father’s kingdom. Then we will depart together accompanied by thy Court;
and when we have come to some secluded place, there I will build a
habitation by the means of my magic and we shall abide therein until I
have instructed thee in wisdom.”
Then Vivien made great joy, and she caught Merlin’s hand in hers and she
kissed his hand with great passion.
[Sidenote: _Merlin and Vivien depart from the Court of the King._]
So the next day Vivien besought King Arthur that he would give her leave
to return unto her father’s Court, and upon the third day she and Merlin
and a number of attendants who were in service upon the damsel, quitted
the Court of King Arthur and departed as though to go upon their way to
the Kingdom of Northumberland.
But after they had gone some little distance from the Court of the King,
they turned to the eastward and took their way toward a certain valley
of which Merlin was acquainted, and which was so fair and pleasant a
place that it was sometimes called the Valley of Delight, and sometimes
the Valley of Joyousness.
[Illustration] Chapter Second.
_How Merlin Journeyed With Vivien Unto the Valley of Joyousness and How
He Builded for Her a Castle at That Place. Also, How He Taught Her the
Wisdom of Magic and of How She Compassed His Downfall Thereby._
[Sidenote: _Merlin and Vivien come to an enchanted forest._]
So, Merlin and Vivien and those who were with them travelled for three
days to the eastward, until, toward the end of the third day, they
reached the confines of a very dark and dismal forest. And there they
beheld before them trees so thickly interwoven together that the eyes
could not see anything at all of the sky because of the thickness of the
foliage. And they beheld the branches and the roots of the trees that
they appeared like serpents all twisted together. Wherefore Vivien said,
“Sir, this is a very dismal woodland.” “Yea,” said Merlin, “so it
appeareth to be. Ne’theless there lieth within this forest that place
which is called by some the Valley of Joyousness, and by others the
Valley of Delight, because of the great beauty of that place. And there
are several pathways extending through this forest by the means of which
that valley may be reached by a man, whether a-horse or afoot.”
And after a while they found it was as Merlin said, for they came by and
by upon one of those pathways and entered it and penetrated into the
forest. And, lo! within that doleful woodland it was so dark that it
appeared as though night-time had fallen, although it was bright
daylight beyond the borders thereof, wherefore many of that party were
very much afraid. But Merlin ever gave them good cheer and so they went
forward upon their way. So, by and by, they came out at last from that
place and into the open again, whereat they were greatly rejoiced and
took much comfort.
[Sidenote: _Merlin and Vivien comes to the Valley of Joyousness._]
Now, by this time, the evening had come, very peaceful and tranquil,
wonderfully beautiful. And in the centre of the valley was a small lake
so smooth and clear, like to crystal, that it appeared like an oval
shield of pure silver laid down upon the ground. And all about the
margin of the lake were level meadows covered over with an incredible
multitude of flowers of divers colors and kinds, very beautiful to
behold.
When Vivien saw this place she cried unto Merlin, “Master, this is,
indeed, a very joyous valley, for I do not believe that the blessed
meadows of Paradise are more beautiful than this.” And Merlin said,