ever thy stone wall lie still.  For all thy sages are exceeding deceitful, they say leasings before thyself—­that thou shalt find in this day’s space.  For Joram said this, who is my full foe; the tidings seem to me sport, I was shapen to his bane!  Let Joram thy sage come before thee, and all his companions, forth-right here, who told these leasings to the king, and if I say thee my sooth words of thy wall, and why it down falleth, and with sooth it prove, that their tales are leasing, give me their heads, if I thy work heal.”  Then answered the king with quick voice:  “So help me my hand, this covenant I hold thee!”

To the king was brought Joram the sage, and seven of his companions—­ all they were fated to die!  Merlin angered, and he spake wrathly:—­ “Say me, Joram, traitor—­loathsome to me in heart—­why falleth this wall to the ground, say me why it happeneth that the wall falleth, what men may find at the dyke’s bottom?” Joram was still, he could not tell.  Then said Merlin these words:  “King, hold to me covenant!  Cause this dyke to be dug anon seven feet deeper than it is now; they shall find a stone wondrously fair, it is fair and broad, for folk to behold.”  The dyke was dug seven feet deeper, then they found anon there-right the stone.  Then said Merlin these words:  “King, hold to me covenant!  Say to me, Joram, man to me most hateful, and say to this king what kind of thing hath taken station under this stone?” Joram was still; he could not tell.

Then said Merlin a wonder:  “A water here is under; do away this stone, the water ye shall find anon.”  They did away the stone before the king anon, the water they found anon.  Then said Merlin:  “Ask me Joram, who is my full foe, after a while, to say thee of the bottom, what dwelleth in the water, winter and summer.”  The king asked Joram, but he knew nought thereof.  The yet said Merlin these words:  “King, hold to me covenant!  Cause this water to be carried off, and away cast; there dwell at the bottom two strong dragons; the one is on the north side, the other on the south side, the one is milk-white, to each beast unlike, the other as red as blood, boldest of all worms!  Each midnight they begin to fight, and through their fight thy works fell, the earth began to sink, and thy wall to tumble; and through such wonder thy wall is fallen, that happened in this flood, and not for my blood.”  This water was all carried off; the king’s men were glad, great was the bliss before the monarch, and soon there-after they were sorry; ere the day came to an end, strange tidings they heard.

When the water was all carried off, and the pit was empty, then came out these two dragons, and made great din, and fought fiercely down in the dyke.  Never saw any man any loathlier fight; flames of fire flew from their mouths!  The monarch saw this fight, their grim gestures; then was he astonished in this worlds-realm, what this tokening were, that he saw there at the bottom, and how Merlin knew it, that no other man knew.  First was the white above, and afterwards he was beneath, and the red dragon wounded him to death; and either went to his hole—­ no man born saw them afterwards!  Thus fared this thing that Vortiger the king saw.  And all that were with him loved Merlin greatly; and the king hated Joram, and deprived him of his head, and all his seven comrades that with him were there.