28o The History of the Destruction
into which the Duke had retired, whilst the Duchess was in another fortress together with her daughters and her maid- servants. With her were also valiant knights. The King pressed hard on the town wherein the Duke had taken refuge, and he fought against it for a long time without avail.
7. At last he called Merlin, and said to him, — "Oh brother, help me by thy art only this time, and advise me how to obtain the Duchess Izerna, for I shall certainly die of my love for her, if I get her not." Merlin answered, — " I will do so, for I will give thee the form of the Duke, and his stature, so that the Duchess shall take thee for her husband. I will accompany thee under the form of a certain knight who is his friend. We two will ride to-night and call the porter of the fortress wherein the Duchess liveth. He will open the gate for us, and we shall enter the palace. Thou go after- wards into the inner room and disport thyself with the Duchess as thy heart desireth. Thou shalt afterwards get up, and we will depart and return to our army." The King agreed to do so, and Merlin brought it about through his art. The King came to the Duchess, and she was left with child. He got up from the bed, and they saddled their horses and rode out of the town.
8. They had scarcely left the gate when a courier entered at full speed to tell the Duchess of the death of her husband, that he had been killed that same night. Such had verily been the case. The Duke namely had heard that Uter Pendragon had died in the camp ; so he sallied forth from his fortress, to his own ill chance, and was killed in the battle. So, when the King returned, he found the Duke lying dead, and the fortress taken by the army; and he rejoiced very much.
9. The Duchess mourned over her husband, and her heart was exceeding troubled at that miraculous event, for she said to herself, — " How is it possible that the Duke could lie in my bed at precisely the same hour when, as I am told, he was killed in the battle .-' The courier came in to
