As Sir Gawainet uttered this complaint, he turned about to go back to court. As it happened, he was riding through the Forest of Broceliande, and he meant to go that way to come to the sea, and all the time he wailed and moaned as before. All at once he heard a voice not very far away from him, and he turned toward the place where he had heard that voice. He looked up and down and saw nothing but a kind of smoke no thicker than a mist, and he could not go through it.

Then he heard a voice that said, “Sir Gawainet, do not despair, for everything will happen as it must happen.”

And when Sir Gawainet heard the voice that had thus called him by his right name, he answered and said, ‘For God’s sake, who is it that speaks to me?”

“What?” answered the voice. “Don’t you recognize me? You used to know me well. This is what happens to something left and forgotten, and the proverb is true that the wise man says: if you leave the court, the court leaves you. And so it has been with me. While I frequented the court and served King Arthur and his barons, I was known and loved by you and the others. And because I have left the court and no longer know it, I am unknown by you and the others, but I shouldn’t be, if only faith and loyalty reigned through the world! ”

When Sir Gawainet heard the voice speaking these things to him, the thought came to him that it was Merlin. And so he answered at once, “Indeed, sir, in truth I ought to have recognized you, for I have heard you speak many times. And so I beg you, show yourself to me so that I might see you.”

“Sir Gawainet,” said Merlin, "you’ll never see me, and I am very sorry, for I can do no more about it. And after you leave here, I’ll never speak to you or to anyone else but my lady, for no one will ever have enough strength to break in here, whatever may happen, and I cannot get out, nor will I ever. For there is no tower in the world so strong as the one where I am locked away, and it is not of wood or iron or stone, but it is enclosed by nothing more than air through enchantment so strong that it cannot be undone at any time. I can’t get out, and no one can get in except the lady who has made it and who keeps me company here when it pleases her, and she can come and go at will as she pleases.”

“How can this be, dear friend Merlin?” asked Sir Gawainet. “So you are held prisoner in this way and cannot free yourself whatever you may do? And you can’t come out to me? How can such a thing happen to overwhelm you, who are the wisest man in the world?”

“But I am the most foolish!” said Merlin. "For I was well aware of what would happen to me. And I was so foolish as to love someone else more than myself! And so I taught my lady how she might imprison me, and no one can ever free me!”

Vulgate Merlin