The boy, going on with his questions, asked the wise
men what was in it? But they not knowing what to reply, "There are,"
said he, "two serpents, one white and the other red; unfold the tent;"
they obeyed, and two sleeping serpents were discovered; "consider
attentively," said the boy, "what they are doing." The serpents began to
struggle with each other; and the white one, raising himself up, threw
down the other into the middle of the tent, and sometimes drove him to
the edge of it; and this was repeated thrice. At length the red one,
apparently the weaker of the two, recovering his strength, expelled the
white one from the tent; and the latter being pursued through the pool
by the red one, disappeared. Then the boy, asking the wise men what was
signified by this wonderful omen, and they expressing their ignorance,
he said to the king, "I will now unfold to you the meaning of this
mystery. The pool is the emblem of this world, and the tent that of
your kingdom: the two serpents are two dragons; the red serpent is your
dragon, but the white serpent is the dragon of the people who occupy
several provinces and districts of Britain, even almost from sea to sea:
at length, however, our people shall rise and drive away the Saxon race
from beyond the sea, whence they originally came; but do you depart from
this place, where you are not permitted to erect a citadel; I, to whom
fate has allotted this mansion, shall remain here; whilst to you it
is incumbent to seek other provinces, where you may build a fortress.
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