A.D, 490.] EXPEDITION OP TJTHER AND-MERLIN. effect his purpose. When Merlin was brought before the king, he declared to him the death of the nobles, the treachery of the Saxons, and his own desire to do honour to the spot. After remaining a little while in mental abstraction, Merlin at length replied, " If thou wishest, Ο my lord king, to grace this burial-spot with a lasting monument, send for the Giant's Dance : which is on mount Killaraus in Ireland, where there is such a structure of stones as no one of this age has ever yet set his eyes on. The stones are of vast size, and so admirably set, that if they were fixed here precisely in the same manner, they would stand for ever and constitute a wonderful monument." At this the king laughed, and asked Merlin whether the stones of Ireland were better than those of Britain, that they must needs be fetched from such a distance. Whereupon Merlin replied, " Thy laughter, Ο king, is ill-timed ; for there is a mystery in these stones, which are endued with healing qualities. Giants in times past brought them thither from the remotest parts of Africa, that they might bathe beneath them when afflicted with any malady. They washed the stones with various confections of herbs, which they then cast into the bath, and the sick were thereupon cured ; nor is there a single stone of them without its virtue." On hearing this, the Britons determined to send for the stones ; and for this purpose they choose Uther, the king's brother, to go with fifteen thousand warriors, and if any resistance were offered, to bring off the stones by force. Moreover, Merlin was appointed to go with them, that every thing might be done by his counsel and direction. Having prepared ships, they put to sea, and had a prosperous voyage to Ireland. On learning the object they had in coming, Gillomannius, king of Ireland, called his people to arms, declaring that, while he lived, he would not suffer the smallest stone of the Dance to be taken away from them. Straightway both parties engaged, but the victory remained with the Britons. Whereupon they went to mount Killaraus, and laboured in vain to remove the structure of stones ,· at which Merlin laughed, and then applying expedients of his own, he took down the stones with incredible ease, and placing them on shipboard, brought them with joy to Britain. On hearing which, Aurelius came to mount Ambrius, attended with bishops, and abbats, and other nobles, and there wore bis