Chapter 9 [bis]:

How Merlin declared the significance of the dragons and other matters of prophecy to the king and those of his counsel

After Merlin had prophesied all this and many other things which would be long in the telling, Verenguer was amazed, as were those who were there. And Verenguer, after he had heard these things and understood them with much astuteness, said to Merlin that he wanted to know the significance of the dragons in all respects, "for you have already told me the truth about many things; and believe for certain that I take you for the wisest man I ever saw or hope to see in all my days, and therefore I beg you, to do me service, to tell me now what I ask of you."

And Merlin said, "The scarlet dragon signifies yourself, and the white, the sons of Costanes."

When Verenguer heard this he was very heavy of heart, and Merlin understood him and said to him, "Sir, if you wish, I will be silent."

And Verenguer said, "Those who are here are of my counsel, and I want you to tell the signification before them; and have no fear of me or any other."

Merlin said, "I will tell you that the scarlet signifies yourself, and why. You know that the sons of Costanes were small at the time of the death of their father, and if you were what you should have been, you would have guarded them and defended them against all, and you know that you took a great treasure from their holdings and used it to gain the love of the people of the kingdom. And when you saw that they loved you, you cast aside the boys' livelihood, because you felt that you could not be excused; and when the people of the kingdom came to you and said to you that King Maynes was not the type to be king, for he had neither intelligence nor justice, and that you ought to be king, you answered wisely, and said that you could not be king while Maynes was alive, and did not say more, and those to whom you said it understood that you wanted him dead, and therefore killed him, and made you king when they saw him dead. And two sons that the king had fled for fear of you, and now you have their inheritance. And when those who killed King Maynes came before you, you had them killed to pretend that his death grieved you; and even now you have the land, and you made your tower to guard yourself from your enemies. You cannot keep the tower, since nothing will avail you."

And Verenguer understood what Merlin had said to him, and knew he told the truth, and said, "I see now and know that you are the wisest of the world, and I beg you to give me counsel and tell me, if it please you, what kind of death I must die."

And Merlin said to him, "If I were not going to speak of your death, I would not have told you the significance of both dragons."

The king begged him not to hide anything and told him he would greatly appreciate it. And Merlin said to him, "Know that the scarlet dragon insofar as it is scarlet signifies your evil thoughts, and insofar as it is great signifies your power; and the other which is great signifies the age of the boys, who fled for fear you would kill them. And their long fight signifies your reign which you held so long; the white burning the scarlet with its fire signifies that the boys will burn you in fire, and do not think that towers or fortifications will be able to preserve you so that you do not die at their hands.

When Verenguer heard this, he was very frightened and said, "Where are the boys?"

Merlin said, "They are on the sea with many people they won, and they come toward your land to do justice upon you. And they say truly that you had their brother killed, and three days from now they will arrive at the port of Usestre."