“OfMerlinandhisskillwhatregiondothnothear？
TheworldshallstillbefullofMerlineveryyear。
Athousandlingeringyearshisprophecieshaverun，Andscarcelyshallhaveendtilltimeitselfbedone。“
Spenser，inhisdivinepoem，hasgivenusapowerfiddescriptionofthisrenownedseer。whohadinmagicmoreinsightThaneverhimbefore，orafter，livingwight。
“ForhebywordscouldcalloutoftheskyBothsunandmoon，andmakethemhimobey；
Thelandtosea，andseatomainlanddry，Anddarksomenightheekecouldturntoday——
Hugehostsofmenhecould，alone，dismay。
Andhostsofmenandmeanestthingscouldframe，Whensohimlisthisenemiestofray，Thattothisday，forterrorofhisname，Thefiendsdoquake，whenanyhimtothemdoesname。
“Andsoothemensaythathewasnotthesonne，Ofmortalsireorotherlivingwighte，ButwondrouslybegottenandbegouneByfalseillusionofaguilefulsprite，Onafaireladyenun。“
IntheseversesthepoethaspreservedthepopularbeliefwithregardtoMerlin，whoisgenerallysupposedtohavebeenacontemporaryofVortigern。Opinionisdividedastowhetherhewerearealpersonage，oramereimpersonation，formedbythepoeticfancyofacredulouspeople。Itseemsmostprobablethatsuchamandidexist，andthat，possessingknowledgeasmuchabovethecomprehensionofhisage，asthatpossessedbyFriarBaconwasbeyondthereachofhis，hewasendowedbythewonderingcrowdwiththesupernaturalattributesthatSpenserhasenumerated。
GeoffreyofMonmouthtranslatedMerlin’spoeticalodes，orprophecies，intoLatinprose，andhewasmuchreverenced，notonlybyGeoffrey，butbymostof，theoldannalists。Ina“LifeofMerlin，withhisPropheciesandPredictions。interpretedandmadegoodbyourEnglishAnnals，“byThomasHeywood，publishedinthereignofCharlesI，wefindseveralofthesepretendedprophecies。Theyseem，however，tohavebeenallwrittenbyHeywoodhimself。Theyareintermstooplainandpositivetoallowanyonetodoubtforamomentoftheirhavingbeencomposedexpostfacto。SpeakingofRichardI，hesays:——
“TheLion’sheartwill’gainsttheSaracenrise，Andpurchasefromhimmanyagloriousprize；
Theroseandlilyshallatfirstunite，But，partingofthepreyproveopposite。
Butwhileabroadthesegreatactsshallbedone；
Allthingsathomeshalltodisorderrun。
CoopedupandcagedthenshalltheLionbe，But，aftersufferance，ransomedandsetfree。“
ThesapientThomasHeywoodgravelygoesontoinformus，thatallthesethingsactuallycametopass。UponRichardIIIheisequallyluminous。Hesays:——
“Ahunch-backedmonster，whowithteethisborn，Themockeryofartandnature’sscorn；
Whofromthewombpreposterouslyishurled，And，withfeetforward，thrustintotheworld，Shall，fromthelowerearthonwhichhestood，Wade，everystephemounts，knee-deepinblood。
Heshalltoth’heightofallhishopesaspire，And，clothedinstate，hisuglyshapeadmire；
But，whenhethinkshimselfmostsafetostand，Fromforeignpartsanativewhelpshallland。“
AnotherofthesepropheciesaftertheeventtellsusthatHenryVIIIshouldtakethepowerfromRome，“andbringithomeuntohisBritishbower；“thatheshould“rootoutfromthelandalltherazoredskulls；“andthatheshouldneitherspare“maninhisragenorwomaninhislust；“andthat，inthetimeofhisnextsuccessorbutone，“thereshouldcomeinthefagotandthestake。“MasterHeywoodclosesMerlin’spropheciesathisownday，anddoesnotgiveevenaglimpseofwhatwastobefallEnglandafterhisdecease。Manyotherprophecies，besidesthosequotedbyhim，were，hesays，dispersedabroad，inhisday，underthenameofMerlin；buthegiveshisreadersatasteofoneonly，andthatisthefollowing:——
“Whenhempeisripeandreadytopull，ThenEnglishmanbewarethyskull。“
Thisprophecy，which，onewouldthink，oughttohaveputhiminmindofthegallows，thenotunusualfateoffalseprophets，andperchancehisown，heexplainsthus:——“InthiswordHEMPEbefiveletters。Now，byreckoningthefivesuccessiveprincesfromHenryVIII，thisprophecyiseasilyexplained:HsignifiethKingHenrybeforenamed；E，Edward，hisson，thesixthofthatname；M，Mary，whosucceededhim；P，PhilipofSpain，who，bymarryingQueenMary，participatedwithherintheEnglishdiadem；and，lastly，EsignifiethQueenElizabeth，afterwhosedeaththerewasagreatfearethatsometroublesmighthavearisenaboutthecrown。“Asthisdidnothappen，Heywood，。whowasaslyrogueinasmallway，getsoutofthescrapebysaying，“Yetprovedthisaugurytrue，thoughnotaccordingtotheformerexpectation；for，afterthepeacefulinaugurationofKingJames，therewasgreatmortality，notinLondononly，butthroughthewholekingdom，andfromwhichthenationwasnotquitecleaninsevenyearsafter。“
ThisisnotunlikethesubterfugeofPeterofPontefract，whohadprophesiedthedeathanddepositionofKingJohn，andwhowashangedbythatmonarchforhispains。AverygraphicandamusingaccountofthispretendedprophetisgivenbyGrafton，inhisChroniclesofEngland。Thereissomuchhomelyvigouraboutthestyleoftheoldannalist，thatitwouldbeapitytogivethestoryinotherwordsthanhisown。[ChroniclesofEngland，byRichardGrafton；London，1568，p。106。]“Inthemeanwhile，“sayshe，“thepriesteswithinEnglandhadprovidedthemafalseandcounterfeatedprophet，calledPeterWakefielde，aYorkshireman，whowasanhermite，anidlegadderabout，andapratlyngmarchant。NowtobringthisPeterincredite，andthekyngoutofallcreditewithhispeople，diversevainepersonsbruteddaylyamongthecommonsoftherealme，thatChristehadtwiceappereduntohimintheshapeofachilde，betwenetheprieste’shandes，onceatYorke，anothertymeatPomfret；andthathehadbreatheduponhimthrice，saying，’Peace，peace，peace，’andteachyngmanythings，whichheanondeclaredtothebishops，andbidthepeopleamendtheirnaughtieliving。Beingraptalsoinspirite，theysaydehebeheldethejoyesofheavenandsorowesofhell，forscantweretherethreeintherealme，saydehe，thatlivedChristainly。
“ThiscounterfeatedsoothsayerpropheciedofKingJohn，thatheshouldreignenolongerthantheAscension-daynextfollowyng，whichwasintheyereofourLord1211，andwasthethirteenthyerefromhiscoronation；andthis，hesaid，hehadbyrevelation。Thenitwasofhimdemanded，whetherheshouldbeslaineorbedeposed，orshouldvoluntarilygiveoverthecrowne？Heaunswered，thathecouldnottell；butofthishewassurehesayd，thatneitherhenoranyofhisstockorlineageshouldreigneafterthatday。
“Thekingheringofthis，laughedmuchatit，andmadebutascoffthereat。’Tush！’saithhe，’itisbutanideotknave，andsuchanoneaslackethhisrightwittes。’ButwhenthisfoolishprophethadsoescapedthedaungeroftheKinge’sdispleasure，andthathemadenomoreofit，hegatehimabroad，andpratedthereofatlarge，ashewasaveryidlevagabond，andusedtotrattleandtalkemorethanynough，sothattheywhichlovedtheKingcausedhimanonaftertobeapprehendedasamalefactor，andtobethroweninprison，theKingnotyetknowingthereof。
“Anoneafterthefameofthisphantasticallprophetwentalltherealmeover，andhisnamewasknoweneverywhere，asfoolishnesseismuchregardedofthepeople，wherewisdomeisnotinplace；
speciallybecausehewasthenimprisonedforthematter，therumourwasthelarger，theirwonderyngeswerethewantoner，theirpractisesthefoolisher，theirbusyetalkesandotheridledoingesthegreater。
Continuallyfromthence，astherudemannerofpeopleis，oldegossypstaleswentabroade，newtaleswereinvented，fableswereaddedtofables，andlyesgrewuponlyes。SothateverydayeneweslanderswerelaideupontheKing，andnotoneofthemtrue。Rumorsarose，blasphemyesweresprede，theenemyesrejoyced，andtreasonsbythepriestesweremainteyned；andwhatlykewisewassurmised，orothersubtiltyepractised，allwasthenlathereduponthisfoolishprophet，as’thussaithPeterWakefield；’’thushathheprophecied；’’andthusitshallcometopass；’yea，manytimes，whenhethoughtnothinglesse。AndwhentheAscension-daywascome，whichwasprophecyedofbefore，KingJohncommandedhisroyaltenttobespreadintheopenfielde，passingthatdaywithhisnoblecounseyleandmenofhonour，inthegreatestsolemnitiethateverhedidbefore；solacinghimselfwithmusickaleinstrumentesandsongs，mostinsightamonghistrustiefriendes。Whenthatdaywaspasteinallprosperitieandmyrth，hisenemyesbeingconfused，turnedallintoanallegoricalunderstandingtomakethepropheciegood，andsayde，“heisnolongerKing，forthePopereigneth，andnothe。“[KingJohnwaslabouringunderasentenceofexcommunicationatthetime。]
“ThenwastheKingbyhiscouncilperswadedthatthisfalseprophethadtroubledtherealme，pervertedtheheartesofthepeople，andraysedthecommonsagainsthim；forhiswordeswentoverthesea，bythehelpofhisprelates，andcametotheFrenchKing’scare，andgavetohimagreatencouragementtoinvadethelande。Hehadnotelsedoneitsosodeinely。Buthewasmostlowlydeceived，asalltheyareandshallbethatputtheirtrustinsuchdarkdrowsyedreamesofhipocrites。TheKingthereforecommandedthatheshouldbehangedup，andhissonnealsowithhim，lestanymorefalseprophetsshouldariseofthatrace。“
Heywood，whowasagreatsticklerforthetruthofallsortsofprophecies，givesamuchmorefavourableaccountofthisPeterofPomfret，orPontefract，whosefatehewould，inallprobability，haveshared，ifhehadhadthemisfortunetohaveflourishedinthesameage。Hesays，thatPeter，whowasnotonlyaprophet，butabard，predicteddiversofKingJohn’sdisasters，whichfelloutaccordingly。
OnbeingtaxedforalyingprophetinhavingpredictedthattheKingwouldbedeposedbefore。heenteredintothefifteenthyearofhisreign，heansweredhimboldly，thatallhehadsaidwasjustifiableandtrue；forthat，havinggivenuphiscrowntothePope，andpayinghimanannualtribute，thePopereigned，andnothe。Heywoodthoughtthisexplanationtobeperfectlysatisfactory，andtheprophet’sfaithforeverestablished。
ButtoreturntoMerlin。Ofhimeventothisdayitmaybesaid，inthewordswhichBurnshasappliedtoanothernotoriouspersonage，“Greatwashispowerandgreathisfame；