King Uther Pendragon, ruler of all Britain, had been at war for many years with the Duke of Tintagil in Cornwall, when he was told of the beauty of Lady Igraine, the duke's wife. Thereupon he called a truce and invited the duke and Igraine to his court, where he prepared a feast for them, and where, as soon as they arrived, he was formerly reconciled to the duke through the good offices of his courtiers.
In the course of the feast, King Uther, grew passionately desiroue of Igraine and, when it was over,begged her to become his paramour. Igraine, however, being as naturally loyal as she was beautiful, refused him.
"I suppose," said Igraine to her husband, the duke, when this had happened, "that the king arranged this truce only because he wanted to make me his mistress. I suggest that we leave at once, without warning, and ride overnight to our castle." The duke agreed with her, and they left the court secretly.
The king was enraged by Igraine's flight and summoned his privy council. They advised him to command the fugitives' return under threat of renewing the war; but when this was done,the duke and Igraine defied his summons. He then warned them that they could expect to be dragged from their castle within six weeks.
The duke manned and provisioned his two strongest castles: Tintagil for Igraine, and Terrabyl, which was useful fo its many sally ports, for himself. Soon King Uther arrived with a hugh army and laid seige to Terrabyl; but despite the ferocity of the fighting, and the numerous casualties suffered by both sides, neither wsa able to gain a decisive victory.
Still enraged, and now despairing, King Uther fell sick. His friend Sir Ulfius came to him and asked what the trouble was. "Igraine has broken my heart," the king replied, "and unless I can win her, I shall never recover."
"Sire," said Sir Ulfius, "surely Merlin the Prophet could find some means to help you? I will go in search of him."
Sir Ulfius had not ridden far when he was accosted by a hideous beggar. "For whom are you searching?" asked the beggar; but Sir Ulfius ignored him.
"Very well," said the beggar, "I will tell you : You are searching for Merlin, and you need look no further, for I am he. Now go to King Uther and tell him that I will make Igraine his if he will reward me as I ask; and even that will be more to his benefit than to mine."
"I am sure," said Sir Ulfius, "that the king will refuse you nothing reasonable."
"Then go, and I shall follow you," said Merlin.
Well pleased, Sir Ulfius galloped back to the king and delivered Merlin's message, which he had hardly completed when Merlin himself appeared at the entrance to the pavilion. The king bade him welcome.
"Sire," said Merlin, "I know that you are in love with Igraine; will you swear, as an anointed king, to give into my care the child that she bears you, if I make her oyurs?"
The king swore on the gospel that he would do so, and Merlin continued : "Tonight you shall appear before Igraine at Tintagil in the likeness of her husband, the duke. Sir Ulfius and I will appear as two of the duke's knights: Sir Brastius and Sir Jordanus. Do not question either Igraine or her men, but say that you are sick and retire to bed. I will fetch you early in the morning, and do not rise until I come; fortunately Tintagil is only ten miles from here."
The plan succeeded :Igraine was completely decieved by the king's impersonation of the duke, and gave herself to him, and concieved Arthur. The king left her at dawn as soon as Merlin appeared, after giving her a farewell kiss. But the Duke had seen King Uther ride out from the seige on the previous night and, in the course of making a surprise attack on the king's army, had been killed. When Igraine realized that the duke had died three hours before he had appeared to her, she was greatly disturbed in mind; however she confided in no one.
Once it was known that the duke was dead, the king's nobles urged him to be reconciled to Igraine, and this task the king gladly entrusted to Sir Ulfius, by whose eloquence it was soon accomplished. "And now," said Sir Ulfius to his fellow nobles, "why should not the king marry the beautiful Igraine? Surely it would be as well for us all."
The marriage of King Uther and Igraine was celebrated joyously thirteen days later.
A few months later it was seen that Igraine was with child, and one night, as she lay in bed with King Uther, he asked her who the father might be. Igraine was greatly abashed.
"Do not look so dismayed," said the king, "but tell me the truth and I swear I shall love you the better for it."
"The truth is," said Igraine, "that the night the duke died, about three hours after his death, a man appeared in my castle- the exact image of the duke. With him came two others who appeared to be Sir Brastius and Sir Jordanus. Naturally I gave myself to this man as I would have to the duke, and that night, I swear, this child was concieved."
"Well spoken," said the king; "it was I who impersonated the duke, so the child is mine." He then told Igraine the story of how Merlin had arranged it, and Igraine was overjoyed to discover that the father of her child was now her husband.
So goes the story of Arthur being concieved.