Book III.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
I. Brian the Good and Queen Glamorgan.THE kings of Alca were descended from Draco, the son of Kraken, and they wore on their heads a terrible dragon’s crest, as a sacred badge whose appearance alone inspired the people with veneration, terror, and love. They were perpetually in conflict either with their own vassals and subjects or with the princes of the adjoining islands and continents.
The most ancient of these kings has left but a name. We do not even know how to pronounce or write it. The first of the Draconides whose history is known was Brian the Good, renowned for his skill and courage in war and in the chase.
He was a Christian and loved learning. He also favoured men who had vowed themselves to the monastic life. In the hall of hi
