e connection of the legend with the older and, so to
speak, historical Arthurian traditions, is effected by means of
Merlin, in a manner at least ingenious if not very direct. The results
of the Passion, and especially the establishment on earth of a
Christian monarchy with a sort of palladium in the Saint-Graal,
greatly disturb the equanimity of the infernal regions; and a council
is held to devise counter-policy. It occurs apparently that as this
discomfiture has come by means of the union of divine and human
natures, it can be best opposed by a union of human and diabolic: and
after some minor proceedings a seductive devil is despatched to play
incubus to the last and chastest daughter of a _prud'homme_, who has
been driven to despair and death by previous satanic attacks. The
attempt is successful in a way; but as the victim keeps her chastity
of intention and mind, not only is she herself saved from the legal
consequences of the matter, but her child when born is the celebrated
Merlin, a being endowed with supernatural power and knowledge, and not
always scrupulous in the use of them, but always on the side of the
angels rather than of his paternal kinsfolk. A further and more
strictly literary connection is effected by attributing the knowledge
of the Graal history to his information, conveyed to his master and
pupil Blaise, who writes it (as well as the earlier adventures at
least of the Arthurian era proper) from Merlin's dictation or report.

For some time the various Merlin stories follow Geoffrey in recounting
the adventures of the prophetic child in his youth, with King
Vortigern and others. But he is soon brought (again in accordance with
Geoffrey) into direct responsibility for Arthur, by his share in the
wooing of Igraine. For it is to be observed that--and not in this
instance only--though there is usually some excuse for him, Merlin is
in these affairs more commonly occupied in making two lovers happy
than in attending to the strict dictates of morality. And
thenceforward till his inclusion in his enchanted prison (an affair in
which it is proper to say that the earliest versions give a much more
favourable account of the conduct and motives of the heroine than that
which Malory adopted, and which Tennyson for purposes of poetic
contrast blackened yet further) he plays the part of adviser,
assistant, and good enchanter generally to Arthur and Arthur's
knights. He in some stories directly procures, and i