lar character in the reign of queen Elizabeth, fo confequently the romance, which fupplied this fiction, was at the fame time no lefs popular. We may add, that it is not improbable that Spenfer might allude in the above-cited verses to fome of the circumstances in this part of the queen's entertainment; for queen Elifabeth, the Fayre Elifa, is the lady whom the LADIES OF THE LAKE are reprefented as repairing to, in that eclogue'. Nor is it improbable that this lady was often exhibited upon other occafions: nor is it improper to remark in this place, that Ben Jonfon has introduced her, together with king Arthur and Merlin, in an entertainment before the court of James I. called, Prince Henries Barriers.

The above ancient letter acquaints us, that the queen was entertained with a fong from this romance, which is a corroborative proof of it's popularity at that time. "A minftrall came forth with a follem fong warranted for ftory out of king Arthur's acts, the firft book, 24. whereof I gat a copy, and that is this.

"So it fell out on a Pentecoft day
"When king Arthur, &c."

This is the fong above hinted at, where mention is made of king Ryence demanding the beard of King Arthur. In the fame letter, a gentleman who fhewed fome particular feats of activity before the queen, is faid to be " very cunning in fens, and

Spenfer's Paftorals were published about four years after this entertainment. The first edition is dated 1579. It is a thin quarto; printed in the black letter, with the commentary of E. K. perhaps Edward King. Some have thought that his name was Kerke: I fuppofe, because Spenser, in his letters to Harvey, mentions his lodging with one Mrs. Kerke, and, in the fame, fends E. K.'s compliments to Harvey. T. WARTON.

hardy as Gawen."

This Gawen was king Arthur's nephew, and his atchievements are highly celebrated in La Morte d'Arthur.

We find Spenfer in another place alluding to the fable of the lady of the lake fo much spoken of in this romance, F. Q. iii. iii. 10.

"A litle whyle

"Before that Merlin dyde, he did intend
"A brafen wall in compas to compyle
"About Cairmardin, and did it commend
"Unto these sprights to bring to perfect end;

During which time, the LADY OF THE LAKE, "Whom long he lov'd, for him in hafte did send; Who, thereby forft his workmen to forfake,

"Them bownd, till his retourne, their labour not to flake."

XI.

"In the meane time, through that falfe Ladies traine
"He was furpris'd and buried under beare,
"Ne ever to his worke return'd againe."

Thefe verfes are obfcure, unless we confider the following relation in La Morte d'Arthur. "The LADY OF THE LAKE and Merlin departed; and by the way as they went, Merlin fhewed to her many wonders, and came into Cornwaile. And alwaies Merlin lay about the ladie for to have her favour; and she was ever paffing wery of him, and faine would have been delivered of him; for fhe was afraid of him, because he was a divells fon, and the could not put him away by no meanes. And fo upon a time it hapned that Merlin fhewed to her in a roche [rock] whereas was a great wonder, and wrought by enchauntment, which went under a ftone, fo by her fubtile craft and working the made Merlin to go under that ftone, to let him wit of the marvailes there. But the wrought fo there for him, that he came never out, for all the craft that he could doe." B. i. C. 60.

Our author has taken notice of a fuperftitious tradition, which is related at large in this romance, F. Q. ii. x. 53.

"Good Lucius

"That firft received Chriftianity,

"The facred pledge of Chrifts Evangely.
"Yet true it is, that long before that day
"Hither came Jofeph of Arimathy,

"Who brought with him the holy grayle, they fay, "And preacht the truth; but fince it greatly did decay."

The holy grale, that is, the real blood of our bleffed Saviour. What Spenfer here writes grayle, is often written Sangreal, or St. grale, in La Morte d' Arthur; and it is there faid to have been brought into England by Jofeph of Arimathea. Many of king Arthur's knights are in the fame book reprefented as adventuring in queft, or in fearch of the Sangreal, or fanguis realis. This expedition was one of the firft fubjects of the old romance.

This romance feems to have extended its reputation beyond the reign of queen Elizabeth. Jonfon, befides his allufion to it concerning the LADY OF THE LAKE, mentioned above, hints at it more than once. See his Execration upon Vulcane, in the Underwoods:

"Had I compil'd from Amadis de Gaule,

"Th' Efplandians, Arthurs, Palmerins, &c."

And afterwards, in the fame poem,

"The whole fumme

"Of errant knighthood; with the dames and dwarfes,
"The charmed boates, and the enchanted wharfes,
"The Triftrams, Lanc'lotts, &c."

Concerning the preaching of Joseph of Arimathea there was an old fong or legend. "The olde man had an harpe, and there he fung how Jofeph of Arimathea came into this land." Morte Arthur B. iii. c. 5. See alfo c. 38. T. WARTON.

And Camden refers to this hiftory of king Arthur, as to a book familiarly known to the readers of his age. Remains, printed in 1604. Art. Names. Speaking of the Name TRISTRAM, he obferves, "I know not whether the firft of his name was christned by king Arthur's fabler." Again, of LAUNCELOT he fpeaks, "Some think it to be no auncient name, but forged by the writer of king Arthur's hiftory, for one of his douty knights." And of GAWEN, "A name devised by the author of king Arthur's table."

To this we may add, that Milton manifeftly hints at it in the following lines, Par. Reg. B. ii. 359. "Damfels met in forefts wide

"By knights of Logris, or of Lyones,
"Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore.".

These are Sir Lancelot (or Sir Meliot) of Logris; Sir Triftram of Lyones, and king Pellenore, who are often mentioned in La Morte d'Arthur, and reprefented as meeting beautiful damfels in defolate forefts and probably he might have it in his eye when he wrote the following, as the Round Table is exprefsly hinted at, Manfus, v.

66

Siquando indigenas revocabo in carmina reges,
Arturumque etiam fub terris bella moventem,
"Aut dicam INVICTA fociali fædere MENSÆ
Magnanimos Heroas.”

66

To which we may fubjoin, Par. L. B. i,,579.

"What refounds

"In fable, or romance, of Uther's fon,

"Begirt with British and Armoric knights."

Before I leave this romance, I must observe, that Ariofto has been indebted to it; I do not mean to the old tranflation, which Spenfer made use of. He has drawn his enchanter Merlin from it, and in thefe verfes refers to a particular ftory concerning

him, quoted above. Bradamante is fuppofed to vifit the tomb of Merlin, C. iii. 10.

Questa è l'antica e memorabil grotta,
"Ch' edificò Merlino, il favio mago;
"Che forfe recordare odi taldotta,
"Dove ingannollo la DONNA DEL LAGO.
"Il fepolcro è qui giu, dove corrotta
"Giace la carne fua; dov' egli vago
"Di fatisfare a lei, che gliel fuafe,
"Vivo corcoffi, e morto ci rimase.”

This defcription of Merlin's tomb, fays Harington, the tranflator of Ariofto, in a marginal note, is out of the book of king Arthur. Ariofto has transferred the tomb from Wales into France. He afterwards feigns, that the prophetical sculpture in Maligigi's cave was performed by Merlin's enchantment, C. xxvi. 39.

"Merlino, il favio incantator Britanno,
"Fe' far la fonte al tempo del re Arturo,
"E di cofe, ch' al mondo hanno a venire,
"La fe' da buoni artefici fcolpire."

He alfo mentions fome of the names of the knights of our romance. When Renaldo arrives in Great Britain, the poet takes occafion to celebrate that ifland for its fingular achievements in chivalry, and for having produced many magnanimous champions; thefe are,

"Triftano,

"Lancillotto, Galafso, Artu, e Galuano." C. iv. 52. Afterwards, Triftram makes a great figure, in C. xxxii.

t

From this romance is alfo borrowed Ariofto's tale of the enchanted cup, C. ii. 34; which, in

tale of the ENCHANTED CUP,] "Some magical test of female fidelity," fays an acute and elegant writer, "seems to have been fashionable among the romance-writers. In this VOL. II.

f