The white dragon soon disappeared also, and the work of the castle now proceeded without further hindrance.  Vortigern, however, was very uneasy, because Merlin had not only said that the struggle of the red and the white dragon represented his coming conflict with Constans’s sons, but further added that he would suffer defeat.  This prediction was soon fulfilled.  Uther and his brother Pendragon landed in Britain with the army they had assembled, and Vortigern was burned in the castle he had just completed.

Shortly after this victory a war arose between the Britons under Uther and Pendragon, and the Saxons under Hengist.  Merlin, who had by this time become the prime minister and chief adviser of the British kings, predicted that they would win the victory, but that one would be slain.  This prediction was soon verified, and Uther, adding his brother’s name to his own, remained sole king.  His first care was to bury his brother, and he implored Merlin to erect a suitable monument to his memory; so the enchanter conveyed great stones from Ireland to England in the course of a single night, and set them up at Stonehenge, where they can still be seen.

“How Merlin by his skill, and magic’s wondrous might,
From Ireland hither brought the Stonendge in a night.” 
DRAYTON, Polyolbion.

[Sidenote:  Round Table established by Merlin.] Proceeding now to Carduel (Carlisle), Merlin, who is represented as a great architect and wonder-worker, built Uther Pendragon a beautiful castle, and established the Round Table, in imitation of the one which Joseph of Arimathea had once instituted.  There were places for a large number of knights around this board (the number varying greatly with different writers), and a special place was reserved for the Holy Grail, which, having vanished from Britain because of the sinfulness of the people, the knights still hoped to have restored when they became sufficiently pure.

    “This table gan [began] Uther the wight;
    Ac [but] it to ende had he no might. 
    For, theygh [though] alle the kinges under our lord
    Hadde y-sitten [sat] at that bord,
    Knight by knight, ich you telle,
    The table might nought fulfille,
    Till they were born that should do all
    Fulfill the mervaile of the Greal.” 
                         ELLIS, Merlin.

A great festival was announced for the institution of the Round Table, and all the knights came to Carduel, accompanied by their wives.  Among the latter the fairest was Yguerne, wife of Gorlois, Lord of Tintagel in Cornwall, and with her Uther fell desperately in love.

“This fest was noble ynow, and nobliche y-do [done];
For mony was the faire ledy, that y-come was thereto. 
Yguerne, Gorloys wyf, was fairest of echon [each one],
That was contasse of Cornewail, for so fair was there non.” 

          
                                                        ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER.