English Learning History of The Kings of Britain 1999

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.� This accordingly was done, and then presentlythey found a pond deep under ground, which had made it give way.Merlin after this went again to the magicians, and said, �Tell me ye falsesycophants, what is there under the pond.� But they were silent.Thensaid he again to the king, �Command the pond to be drained, and at the110Geoffrey of Monmouthbottom you will see two hollow stones, and in them two dragonsasleep.� The king made no scruple of believing him, since he had foundtrue what he said of the pond, and therefore ordered it to be drained:which done, he found as Merlin had said; and now was possessed withthe greatest admiration of him.Nor were the rest that were present lessamazed at his wisdom, thinking it to be no less than divine inspiration.111Book VII.Chapter 1.Geoffrey of Monmouth�s preface to Merlin�s prophecy.I had not got thus far in my history, when the subject of publicdiscourse happening to be concerning Merlin, I was obliged to publish hisprophecies at the request of my acquaintance, but especially ofAlexander, bishop of Lincoln, a prelate of the greatest piety and wisdom.There was not any person, either among the clergy or laity, that wasattended with such a train of knights and noblemen, whom his settledpiety and great munificence engaged in his service.Out of a desire,therefore, to gratify him, I translated these prophecies, and sent them tohim with the following letter.Chapter 2.Geoffrey�s letter to Alexander, bishop of Lincoln,�The regard which I owe to your great worth, most noble prelate, hasobliged me to undertake the translation of Merlin�s prophecies out ofBritish into Latin, before I had made an end of the history which I hadbegun concerning the acts of the British kings.For my design was tohave finished that first, and afterwards to have taken this work in hand;lest by being engaged on both at once, I should be less capable ofattending with any exactness to either.Notwithstanding, since thedeference which is paid to your penetrating judgment will screen mefrom censure, I have employed my rude pen, and in a coarse stylepresent you with a translation out of a language with which you areunacquainted.At the same time, I cannot but wonder at yourrecommending this matter to one of my low genius, when you mighthave caused so many men of greater learning, and a richer vein of112Geoffrey of Monmouthintellect, to undertake it; who, with their sublime strains, would muchmore agreeably have entertained you.Besides, without anydisparagement to all the philosophers in Britain, I must take the liberty tosay, that you yourself, if the business of your high station would giveyou leisure, are capable of furnishing us with loftier productions of thiskind than any man living.However, since it was your pleasure thatGeoffrey of Monmouth should be employed in this prophecy, he hopesyou will favourably accept of his performance, and vouchsafe to give afiner turn to whatever you shall find unpolished, or otherwise faulty init.Chapter 3.The prophecy of Merlin.As Vortigern, king of the Britons, was sitting upon the bank of thedrained pond, the two dragons, one of which was white, the other red,came forth, and, approaching one another, began a terrible fight, and castforth fire with their breath.But the white dragon had the advantage, andmade the other fly to the end of the lake.And he, for grief at his flight,renewed the assault upon his pursuer, and forced him to retire.After thisbattle of the dragons, the king commanded Ambrose Merlin to tell himwhat it portended.Upon which he, bursting into tears, delivered whathis prophetical spirit suggested to him, as follows:��Woe to the red dragon, for his banishment hasteneth on.His lurkingholes shall be seized by the white dragon, which signifies the Saxonswhom you invited over; but the red denotes the British nation, whichshall be oppressed by the white.Therefore shall its mountains be levelledas the valleys, and the rivers of the valleys shall run with blood.Theexercise of religion shall be destroyed, and churches be laid open to ruin.At last the oppressed shall prevail, and oppose the cruelty of foreigners.For a boar of Cornwall shall give his assistance, and trample their necksunder his feet.The islands of the ocean shall be subject to his power, andhe shall possess the forests of Gaul.The house of Romulus shall dread hiscourage, and his end shall be doubtful.He shall be celebrated in themouths of the people; and his exploits shall be food to those that relate113Geoffrey of Monmouththem.Six of his posterity shall sway the sceptre, but after them shall arisea German worm.He shall be advanced by a sea-wolf, whom the woodsof Africa shall accompany.Religion shall be again abolished, and thereshall be a translation of the metropolitan sees.The dignity of Londonshall adorn Dorobernia, and the seventh pastor of York shall be resortedto in the kingdom of Armorica.Menevia shall put on the pall of the Cityof Legions, and a preacher of Ireland shall be dumb on account of aninfant growing in the womb [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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