Then was Uther Pendragon the softer in his mood, and gave answer:  “Ulfin, thou hast well said counsel, I give thee in hand thirty ploughs of land, so that thou get Merlin, and do my will.”  Ulfin went through the folk, and sought all the host, and he after a time found the hermit, and in haste brought him to the king.  And the king set to him in hand seven ploughs of land, if he might find and bring Merlin to the king.  The hermit gan wend in the west end, to a wilderness, to a mickle wood, where he had dwelt well many winters, and Merlin very oft sought him there.  So soon as the hermit came in, then found he Merlin, standing under a tree, and sore gan for him long, he saw the hermit come, as whilom was his custom, he ran towards him, both they rejoiced for this; they embraced, they kissed, and familiarly spake.  Then said Merlin—­much wisdom was with him—­“Say thou, my dear friend, why wouldest thou not say to me, through no kind of thing, that thou wouldest go to the king?  But full quickly I it knew anon as I thee missed, that thou wert come to Uther the king, and what the king spake with thee, and of his land thee offered, that thou shouldest bring me to Uther the king.  And Ulfin thee sought, and to the king brought, and Uther Pendragon forth-right anon, set him in hand thirty ploughs of land, and he set thee in hand seven ploughs of land.  Uther is desirous after Ygaerne the fair, wondrously much, after Gorlois’s wife.  But so long as is eternity, that shall never come, that he obtain her, but through my stratagem, for there is no woman truer in this world’s realm.  And nevertheless he shall possess the fair Ygaerne; and he shall beget on her what shall widely rule, he shall beget on her a man exceeding marvellous.  So long as is eternity, he shall never die, the while that this world standeth, his glory shall last, and he shall in Rome rule the thanes.  All shall bow to him that dwelleth in Britain, of him shall gleemen goodly sing; of his breast noble poets shall eat; of his blood shall men be drunk; from his eyes shall fly fiery embers; each finger on his hand shall be a sharp steel brand, stone walls shall before him tumble; barons shall give way, and their standards fall!  Thus he shall well long fare over all the lands, people to conquer, and set his laws.  These are the tokens of the son, that shall come of Uther Pendragon and of Ygaerne.  This speech is full secret, for yet neither it knoweth, Ygaerne nor Uther, that of Uther Pendragon such a son shall arise; for yet he is unbegot, that shall govern all the people.  But, Lord,” quoth Merlin, “now it is thy will, that forth I shall go to the host of the king; thy words I will obey, and now I will depart, and proceed I will for thy love to Uther Pendragon.  And thou shalt have the land that he set thee in hand.”