Bab Bab 28 · How all the children were sent for that were born on

. How all the children were sent for that were born on

May-day, and how Mordred was saved.

Then King Arthur let send for all the children born on May-day,

begotten of lords and born of ladies; for Merlin told King Arthur that

he that should destroy him should be born on May-day, wherefore he sent

for them all, upon pain of death; and so there were found many lords’

sons, and all were sent unto the king, and so was Mordred sent by King

Lot’s wife, and all were put in a ship to the sea, and some were four

weeks old, and some less. And so by fortune the ship drave unto a

castle, and was all to-riven, and destroyed the most part, save that

Mordred was cast up, and a good man found him, and nourished him till

he was fourteen year old, and then he brought him to the court, as it

rehearseth afterward, toward the end of the Death of Arthur. So many

lords and barons of this realm were displeased, for their children were

so lost, and many put the wite on Merlin more than on Arthur; so what

for dread and for love, they held their peace. But when the messenger

came to King Rience, then was he wood out of measure, and purveyed him

for a great host, as it rehearseth after in the book of Balin le

Savage, that followeth next after, how by adventure Balin gat the

sword.

Explicit liber primus.

BOOK II.