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332 Early on the same morning, before King Uter and the duchess were out of their chamber, or had on their wearing apparel, to the great astonishment of the porter, centinel, and the garrison, a messenger arrived at Dundagell Castle, giving a full account of the tragical fact. But when he was admitted to the Duchess's bedchamber, and saw, as he verily believed, Duke Gothlouis in her company, he could hardly credit his own report; especially the Duchess Igerna being of the same opinion. But then, alas! so unavoidable a thing is fortune or fate, the prophet Merlin began to uncharm and dissolve his former spells and incantations, so that King Uter appeared no longer as Gothlouis Duke of Cornwall, but sole monarch of Britain; his companion, not Jordan of Dundagell, but Ursan of Richardock; and the third, not Bricot, but Merlin the prophet, to the great admiration of all spectators.

Whereupon the king took leave of the Duchess, and posted to his army, then in possession of Dameliock Castle, and ordered search to be made for the dead body of the duke; where at length it was found in common soldier's apparel, extreme bloody, mangled, and cut. Whereupon he called an embalmer, who forthwith embalmed the body with salt and aromatic spices, to prevent putrefaction till a military interment could be prepared for him, which a month after was splendidly provided, the King and Duchess being chief mourners; when, a few days after, King Uter publicly married Igerna the duchess, by whom as aforesaid he had a son named Arthur and a daughter named Amye.

Lastly, it is observed by our annalists upon the foregoing history, that after this bloody war, and unjust fact of King Uter's, he never had any tolerable success against his Saxon enemies; but in many battles was worsted by them, and finally, some of them understanding of a good spring or well of water, whereof he usually drank, they secretly envenomed the same, so that afterwards the king, drinking his customary draught thereof, soon after, with intolerable pains, died in the fifteenth year of his reign, and the flower of his