the birth of merlin, or, the child hath found his father is a jacobean play, probably written in whole or part by william rowley. it was first performed in 1622 at the curtain theatre in shoreditch. it contains a comic depiction of the birth of the fully grown merlin to a country girl, and also features figures from arthurian legend, including uther pendragon, vortigern, and aurelius ambrosius.