Robert de Borron is said to be mainly responsible for the tale of Merlin, the real poet of that name having been a bard at the court, first of Ambrosius Aurelianus and then of King Arthur.  The Merlin of the romances is reported to have owed his birth to the commerce of a fiend with an unconscious nun.  A priest, convinced of the woman’s purity of intention, baptized her child as soon as born, thus defeating the plots of Satan, who had hoped the son of a fiend would be able to outwit the plans of the Son of Man for human redemption.  In early infancy, already, this Merlin showed his miraculous powers, for he testified in his mother’s behalf when she was accused of incontinency.

Meantime Constance, King of England, had left three sons, the eldest of whom, Constantine, had entered a monastery, while the two others were too young to reign.  Drawn from his retirement to wear a crown, Constantine proved incapable to maintain order, so his general, Vortigern, with the aid of the Saxon leaders Hengist and Horsa, usurped his throne.  Some time after, wishing to construct an impregnable fortress on Salisbury Plain, Vortigern sent for a host of masons, who were dismayed to see the work they had done during the day destroyed every night.

On consulting an astrologer, Vortigern was directed to anoint the stones with the blood of a boy of five who had no human father.  The only child corresponding to this description was Merlin, who saved himself from untimely death by telling the king that, if he dug down and drained the lake he would find, he would discover broad stones beneath which slept two dragons by day, although they fought so fiercely at night that they caused the tremendous earthquakes which shattered his walls.  These directions were followed, the dragons were roused, and fought until the red one was slain and the two-headed white one disappeared.  Asked to explain the meaning of these two dragons, Merlin—­the uncanny child—­declared the white dragon with two heads represented the two younger sons of King Constance, who were destined to drive Vortigern away.  Having said this, Merlin disappeared, thus escaping the wrath of Vortigern, who wished to slay him.

Soon after, the young princes surprised and burned Vortigern in his palace, and thus recovered possession of their father’s throne.  Then, one of them dying, the other, assuming both their names, became Uther Pendragon, king of Britain.  Such was his bravery that during his reign of seven years he became overlord of all the petty kings who had meantime taken possession of various parts of England.  He was aided in this work by his prime-minister, Merlin, whose skill as a clairvoyant, magician, inventor, and artificer of all kinds of things—­such as armor which nothing could damage, a magic mirror, round table, ring, and wonderful buildings—­was of infinite service to his master and fired the imagination of all the poets.