Thus they then spake:  the hermit gan to weep; dearly he him kissed; there they gan to separate.  Merlin went right forth south, the land was well known to him; forth-right he proceeded to the king’s host.  So soon as Uther him saw, so he approached towards him; and thus quoth Uther Pendragon:  “Merlin, thou art welcome!  Here I set thee in hand all the counsel of my land, and that thou must me advise, at my great need.”  Uther told him all that he would, and how Ygaerne was to him in the land dearest of women, and Gorlois, her lord, most odious of all men.—­“And unless I have thy counsel, full soon thou wilt see me dead.”  Then answered Merlin:  “Let Ulfin now come in, and give him in hand thirty ploughs of land, and give to the hermit what thou him promisedest, for I will not possess any land, neither silver nor gold, for I am in counsel most skilful of all men, and if I wished for possessions, then should I become worse in craft.  But all thy will well shall come to pass, for I know such leech-craft, that shall be to thee lief, so that all thy appearance shall become as the earl’s; thy speech, thy deeds among thy people; thy horse and thy weeds (garments), and so shalt thou ride.  When Ygaerne shall see thee, in mood shall it be well to her; she lieth in Tintateol, fast inclosed.  There is no knight so well born, of no land chosen, that might with strength unfasten the gates of Tintateol, unless they were burst with hunger and with thirst.  But that is the sooth that I will say to thee, through all things thou shalt be as if thou wert the earl, and I will be every bit as Britael he is, who is a knight most hardy, he is this earl’s steward, Jurdan is his chamber-knight, he is exceeding well dight, I will make Ulfin anon such as Jurdan is.  Then wilt thou be lord, and I be Britael, thy steward, and Ulfin be Jurdan, thy chamber-knight.  And we shall go now to-night, and fare thou shalt by counsel, whither soever I lead thee.  Now to-night shall half a hundred knights with spear and with shield be about thy tents, so that never any man alive come there near, and if ever any man come there, that his head be taken from him.  For the knights shall say—­thy good men—­that thou art let blood, and restest thee in bed.”

These things were forth-right thus dight.  Forth went the king, it was nothing known, and forth went with him Ulfin and Merlin, they proceeded right the way that lay into Tintateol, they came to the castle-gate, and called familiarly:  “Undo this gate-bolt; the earl is come here, Gorlois the lord, and Britael his steward, and Jordan the chamber-knight; we have journeyed all night!” The gateward made it known over all, and knights ran upon the wall, and spake with Gorlois, and knew him full surely.  The knights were most alert, and weighed up the castle gate, and let him come within—­the less was then their care,—­they weened certainly to have much bliss.  Then had they with stratagem Merlin there within, and Uther the king within their possession,