The king repeated that he would do nothing of the sort. Merlin, who knew that King Arthur was fighting at that hour and that if King Lot attacked him at the same time, great harm could occur, held the king with his words, making him listen to him, and kept him from advancing for as long as he could. He sought only to give the king enough time to defeat King Rion’s men. For this purpose. Merlin delayed King Lot until the hour of tierce and held him so that he did not advance more than eight hundred yards. He did all this by enchantment, until he could see what would happen in the battle. He helped King Arthur so much because he preferred that Arthur be whole and healthy and that King Lot be killed. And he knew that one of them would die there if they fought together.

Right after the hour of tierce, a messenger came to King Lot and said, “My lord, I bring you strange news. King Arthur has defeated King Rion’s men. You never saw such a great battle or one so grievous as this has been, for there are many dead on both sides. But the king is having more than five hundred prisoners taken on ahead, all rich men, to my knowledge.”

When King Lot heard this, he was wholly astonished and looked all around to see if he could see Merlin, for he wanted to cut off his head, because he then perceived that Merlin had enchanted him and delayed him at his will.

Post-Vulgate Merlin