Then bespake the little boy, Who had the same in hold: "Chastize thy wife, king Arthur, Of speech she is too bold: "Of speech she is too bold, Of carriage all too free; Sir king, she hath within thy hall A cuckold made of thee. "All frolick light and wanton 195 200 *The Rev. Evan Evans, editor of the Specimens of Welsh poetry, 4to, affirmed that the story of the Boy and the Mantle is taken from what is related in some of the old Welsh MSS. of Tegan Earfron, one of King Arthur's mistresses. She is said to have possessed a mantle that would not fit any immodest or incontinent woman; this (which, the old writers say, was reckoned among the curiosities of Britain) is frequently alluded to by the old Welsh bards. Carleile, so often mentioned in the ballads of King Arthur, the Editor once thought might probably be a corruption of Caer-leon, an ancient British city on the river Uske, in Monmouthshire, which was one of the places of King Arthur's chief residence: but he is now convinced that it is no other than Carlisle, in Cumberland; the old English Minstrels, being most of them northern men, naturally represented the hero of romance as residing in the north and many of the places mentioned in the old ballads are still to be found there; as Tearne-Wadling, &c. Near Penrith is still seen a large circle, surrounded by a mound of earth, which retains the name of Arthur's Round Table. XIX. THE ANCIENT FRAGMENT OF The Marriage of Sir Gawaine. THE second poem in this volume, entitled, The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, having been offered to the reader with large conjectural supplements and corrections, the old. fragment itself is here literally and exactly printed from the Editor's folio MS. with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata that such austere antiquaries as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to, may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate reciters and transcribers had been superstitiously retained, without some attempt to correct and amend them. This ballad has most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the half-page now remaining, it is concluded that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas. KINGE ARTHUR liues in merry Carleile and seemely is to see and there he hath wth him Queene Genev y' bride so bright of blee And there he hath wth him Queene Genever yt bride soe bright in bower & all his barons about him stoode yt were both stiffe and stowre The K. kept a royall Christmasse of mirth & great honor . . when... [About nine Stanzas wanting.] And bring me word what thing it is ye a woman most desire this shalbe thy ransome Arthur he sayes for Ile haue noe other hier K. Arthur then held vp his hand according thene as was the law he tooke his leaue of the baron there and homword can he draw And when he came to Merry Carlile to his chamber he is gone and ther came to him his Cozen Sr Gawaine as he did make his mone And there came to him his Cozen S Cawaine 1 y' was a curteous knight why sigh yo" soe sore vnckle Arthur he said or who hath done thee vnright ▲ Sic. O peace o peace thou gentle Gawaine y' faire may thee be ffall for if thou knew my sighing soe deepe thou would not meruaile att all Ffor when I came to tearne wadling a bold barron there I fand with a great club vpon his backe standing stiffe & strong And he asked me wether I wold fight or from him I shold be gone o2 else I must him a ransome pay & soe dep't him from To fight wth him I saw noe cause Therfor this is my ransome Gawaine I must come againe as I am sworne And I must bring him word what thing it is [About nine Stanzas wanting.] Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde in one soe rich array toward the foresaid Tearne wadling yt he might keepe his day And as he rode over a more hee see a lady where shee sate 2 Sie. betwixt an oke and a greene hollen she was clad in red scarlett Then there as shold have stood her mouth then there was sett her eye the other was in her forhead fast the way that she might see Her nose was crooked and turnd outward her mouth stood foule a wry a worse formed lady then shee was neuerman saw wth his eye To halch vpon him k. Arthur this lady was full faine but k. Arthur had forgott his lesson what he shold say againe What knight art thou the lady sayd that wilt not speak tome of me thou nothing dismayd tho I be vgly to see for I haue halched you curteouslye & you will not me againe yett I may happen S knight shee said to ease thee of thy paine Giue thou ease me lady he said or helpe me any thing thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine my cozen & marry him with a ring Why if I helpe thee not thou noble k. Arthur of thy owne hearts desiringe of gentle Gawaine . . . . ..... [About nine Stanzas wanting.] |