{{short description|Novel by T. H. White}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox book | | name = The Book of Merlyn (Once and Future King) | title_orig = | translator = | image = File:TheBookOfMerlyn.jpg | caption = First edition | author = T. H. White | illustrator = Trevor Stubley | cover_artist = | country = | language = English | series = | genre = Fantasy | publisher = University of Texas Press | pub_date = 1977 | media_type = Hardcover | pages = 137 | isbn = | preceded_by = The Once and Future King }}
'''''The Book of Merlyn''''' is an Arthurian fantasy book by British writer T. H. White. It is the conclusion of ''The Once and Future King'', but it was published separately and posthumously.<ref name= "merlyn">{{cite book|chapter=The Story of the Book|last=Townsend Warner|first=Sylvia|authorlink=Sylvia Townsend Warner|title=The Book of Merlyn|editor=White T.H.|isbn=0-00-615725-4|publisher=Fontana/Collins|location=London|year=1978}}</ref>
==Plot summary== The book opens as King Arthur prepares himself for his final battle. Merlyn reappears to complete Arthur's education and discover the cause of wars. As he did in ''The Sword in the Stone'', Merlyn again demonstrates ethics and politics to Arthur by transforming him into various animals.
The last chapter of the book takes place only hours before the final battle between King Arthur and his son and nephew Mordred. Arthur does not want to fight after everything that he has learned from Merlyn. He makes a deal with Mordred to split England in half. Mordred accepts. During the making of this deal, a snake comes upon one of Mordred's soldiers. The soldier draws his sword. The opposing side, unaware of the snake, takes this as an act of betrayal. Arthur's troops attack Mordred's, and both Arthur and Mordred die in the battle that follows.
Guenever joins a convent, and remains there till death. Lancelot becomes a hermit and dies a hermit. His last miracle was making the room that he died in smell like heaven.
==Concept and creation== White was inspired to write this book upon determining that the key theme of Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' is to find an "antidote for war". Rather than containing a distinct plot, this book reads more like a discourse on war and human nature.<ref name= "merlyn"/>
White had revised ''The Sword in the Stone'' (1938), ''The Queen of Air and Darkness'' (1939), plus ''The Ill-Made Knight'' (1940) to weave in the anti-war theme.<ref name= "merlyn"/> In November 1941 White sent the revisions along with ''The Candle in the Wind'' (part 4) and ''The Book of Merlyn'' (part 5) to his publisher with the intent that all five parts be published together as a single book.<ref name= "merlyn"/> The publisher declined due to wartime paper shortages and White's antiwar message.<ref name= "merlyn"/><ref name= "flyleaf">{{cite book|last1=White|first1=T. L.|title=The Book of Merlyn|date=1977|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=0-292-70718-5|page=flyleaf|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofmerlynunpu00whit}}</ref>
White salvaged parts of the rejected text by including scenes from ''The Book of Merlyn'' in the revised ''The Sword in the Stone'' part of ''The Once and Future King'' that was published in 1958.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}
==Rediscovery and publication== The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center of the University of Texas at Austin purchased the bulk of White's personal papers and manuscripts between 1967 and 1969. In 1975 the original manuscript for ''The Book of Merlyn'' was discovered amongst this collection, and was prepared for publication by the University of Texas Press in 1977, as ''The Book of Merlyn: The Unpublished Conclusion to The Once and Future King'', with a prologue by Sylvia Townsend Warner and illustrations by Trevor Stubley.<ref name= "flyleaf"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{The Once and Future King}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Book Of Merlyn, The}} Category:The Once and Future King Category:Modern Arthurian fiction Category:1941 British novels Category:1941 English-language novels Category:1941 fantasy novels Category:1977 British novels Category:1977 English-language novels Category:1977 fantasy novels Category:1975 archaeological discoveries Category:20th-century manuscripts Category:British fantasy novels Category:Works based on Merlin Category:Novels published posthumously Category:Novels by T. H. White Category:University of Texas Press books