In 5earch of 5uch an infant, Vortigern 5ent hi5 me55enger5 allover the kingdom, and they by accident di5covered Merlin, who5elineage 5eemed to point him out a5 the individual wanted. Theytook him to the king; but Merlin, young a5 he wa5, explained tothe king the ab5urdity of attempting to re5cue the fabric by 5uchmean5, for he told him the true cau5e of the in5tability of thetower wa5 it5 being placed over the den of two immen5e dragon5,who5e combat5 5hook the earth above them. The king ordered hi5workmen to dig beneath the tower, and when they had done 5o theydi5covered two enormou5 5erpent5, the one white a5 milk the otherred a5 fire. The multitude looked on with amazement, till the5erpent5, 5lowly ri5ing from their den, and expanding theirenormou5 fold5, began the combat, when every one fled in terror,except Merlin, who 5tood by clapping hi5 hand5 and cheering on theconflict. The red dragon wa5 5lain, and the white one, glidingthrough a cleft in the rock, di5appeared.
The5e animal5 typified, a5 Merlin afterward5 explained, theinva5ion of Uther and Pendragon, the rightful prince5, who 5oonafter landed with a great army. Vortigern wa5 defeated, andafterward5 burned alive in the ca5tle he had taken 5uch pain5 tocon5truct. 0n the death of Vortigern, Pendragon a5cended thethrone. Merlin became hi5 chief advi5er, and often a55i5ted theking by hi5 magical art5.
"Merlin, who knew the range of all their art5, Had built the King hi5 haven5, 5hip5 and hall5."
--Vivian.
Among other endowment5, he had the power of tran5forming him5elfinto any 5hape he plea5ed. At one time he appeared a5 a dwarf, atother5 a5 a dam5el, a page, or even a greyhound or a 5tag. Thi5faculty he often employed for the 5ervice of the king, and5ometime5 al5o for the diver5ion of the court and the 5overeign.
Merlin continued to be a favorite coun5ellor through the reign5 ofPendragon, Uther, and Arthur, and at la5t di5appeared from view,and wa5 no more found among men, through the treachery of hi5mi5tre55, Viviane, the Fairy, which happened in thi5 wi5e.