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There is great reason to conclude, not only from what has already been mentioned concerning Spenfer's imitations from this romantic hiftory of king Arthur and his knights, but from fome circumftances which I fhall now produce, that it was a favorite and reigning romance about the age of queen Elizabeth; or at least one very well known and much read at that time. Spenfer in the Shepherd's Kalendar has the following paffage.

And whither rennes this bevie of ladies bright
Raunged in a row?

They been all LADIES OF THE LAKE behight,
That unto her go *.

Upon the words LADIES OF THE LAKE, E. K. the old commentator on the paftorals has left us the following remark. "LADIES OF THE LAKE be nymphes: ❝for it was an old opinion among the antient hea"thens, that of every fpring and fountaine was a "goddeffe the foveraine; which opinion ftucke in "the minds of men not many years fince by meanes "of certain fine fablers, or loose lyers; fuch as were "the authors of KING ARTHUR the great.-Who tell 66 many an unlawfull leefing of the LADIES OF THE "LAKE." These fine fablers or loose lyers, are the

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authors of the romance above-mentioned, viz. MORTE ARTHUR, where many miracles are performed, and much enchantment is conducted, by the means and interpofition of the LADY OF THE LAKE. Now it should be observed, that the LADY OF THE LAKE was introduced to make part of queen Elizabeth's entertainment at Kenelworth; as as evidence of which, I fhall produce a paffage from an antient book entitled, A LETTER, wherein part of the entertainment untoo the queens majesty at Killinworth-caftl in WarwickSheer in this foomers progress, 1575, is fignified †. The paffage

Killingworth-caftle was early made the theatre of romantic gallantries; and was the place where tilts and tournaments, after a long disuse, were re-established in their original splendor by Roger earl of Mortimer, in the reign of Edward I. Thus earl Mortimer, his grandfon, to Q. Ifabell, in Drayton's HEROICAL EPISTLES.

1

My grandfon was the first fince Arthur's reign
That the round table rectified again;

To whofe great court at Kenilworth did come

The peerless knightood of all Christendom.

V. 53.

Where fays the note, "Roger Mortimer erected the round table at Kenelworth, after the antient order of king Arthur's table, with the retinue of 100 knights, and 100 ladies in his house, for the entertaining such adventurers as came thither from all parts of Christendom." Walfingham mentions the re-establishment of this table at Kenelworth. Hearne has printed from the Red book of the Exchequer, a curious Latin Inftrument of Richard I. concerning the places of holding turnaments in England, where Kenilworth is fpecified among the rest. I will give it in English at length.

Richard

paffage is this. "Her highness all along this tilt-yard "rode unto the inner gate, next the baze coourt of "of the castle: whear the LADY OF THE LAKE (fa"mous in KING ARTHUR'S BOOK) with too nymphes "wayting upon her, arrayed all in filkes, attended "her highnes comming, from the midst of the pool, "whear upon a moveable island bright-blazing with "torches fhe floting to land, met her majefty with a "well-penned meter, and matter, after this forte; "first of the aunciente of the caftl; who had been "owners of the fame e'en till this day, moft allways "in the hands of the earles of Leycefter; how she "had kept this lake fyns king Arthur's dayes, and "now understanding of her highnes hither coming,

"Richard by the grace of God, &c. to the Reverend Father in Chrift, Hubert, Arch. of Cant, &c. greeting. Know, that we have permitted turnaments to be held in England, in five places; between Sarum and Wilton, between Warewicke and Kenelingworthe, between Stamford and Warrinford [Wallingford] between Brakeley and Mixebery, between Blie and Tyke-hill, yet so that the peace of our land be not be not broken, nor justice hindered, nor damage done to our forefts. And an earl, who fhall turney there, fhall pay us 20 marcs, and a baron 10 marcs, and a knight, who has land, 4 marcs, and a knight, who has no land, 2 marcs. No foreigner fhall turney there. Wherefore we command you, that on the day of the turnament you shall provide, at each place, two clerks and [your] two knights, to receive the oaths from the earls and barons, for their fatisfaction, concerning the aforefaid fums, &c. "Tho. Hearnii præfat. ad Gul. Neubrig. Hift. pag. XLIX, L. It is alfo printed in Selden, de Duello. Richard encouraged these exercises to the highest degree, æmulous of the French, who were famous in this way. He was a Troubadour.

"thought

"thought it both offis and duety; to discover, in "humble wife, her, and her eftate, offring up the "fame, hir lake, and power thearin; with promis "of repair to the court. It pleased her highness to "thank this lady, &c. †"

Gascoyne | in a little narrative called the "Princely "Pleafures of Kenelworth Cafle," gives us some of the above-mentioned metre, written by Ferrers, one of the contributors to the MIRROR OF MAGISTRATES, of which these may ferve as a specimen.

I am the lady of this pleasant lake,

Who fince the time of great king Arthur's reigne,
That here with royall court aboade did make,
Have led a lowring life in restless paine;

'Till now that this your third arrival here, Doth cause me come abroad, and boldly thus appeare.

For after him fuch ftormes this caftle fhooke,
By fwarming Saxons firft, who fcourgde this land
As forth of this my poole I neer durft looke, &c.

She is afterwards introduced complaining to the queen, that fir Brufe had infulted her for doing an injury to Merlin, an incident related in MORTE

Written by one Laneham, an attendant on the court.
Works, London, 1576.

ARTHUR ;

ARTHUR; and that he would have put her to death had not Neptune delivered her, by concealing her in that lake; from which confinement the queen is afterwards fuppofed to deliver her, &c.

Without expatiating upon the nature of such a royal entertainment as this, I fhall obferve from it, that as the LADY OF THE LAKE was a very popular character in the reign of queen Elizabeth, so consequently the romance, which supplied this fiction, was at the fame time no less popular. We may add, that it is not improbable that Spenser might allude in the above-cited verfes to fome of the circumftances in this part of the queen's entertainment; for queen Elisabeth, the Fayre Elifa, is the lady whom the LADIES OF THE LAKE are represented 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. Johnson has introduced her, together with king Arthur and Merlin, in an entertainment before the court of James I. called, PRINCE HENRIES BARRIERS.

+ Spenfer's paftorals were publifhed about four years after this entertainment. Their firft edition is dated 1579. It is a thin quarto; printed in the black letter, with the commentary of E. K. perhaps Edward King.

The.

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