The above antient letter acquaints us, that the queen was entertained with a song 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 story out of KING ARTHUR'S ACTS, "the first 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 Rience demanding the beard of king Arthur. In the fame letter, a gentleman who shewed fome particular feats of activity before the queen, is faid to be," very cunning in fens, and hardy as "Gawen." This Gawen was king Arthur's nephew, and his atchievements are highly celebrated in MORTE Arthur.

We find Spenfer in another place alluding to the fable of the lady of the lake so much spoken of in. this romance.

A little while

Before that Merlin dyde, he did intend
A brafen wall in compas to compyle
About Cairmardin, and did it commend

Unto

Unto these sprights to bring to perfect end; During which time, the LADIE OF THE LAKE, Whom long he lov'd, for him in hafte did fend, Who therefore forft his workmen to forsake, Them bound till his returne, their labour not to flake. 3. 3. 9.

In the mean time, thro' that falfe ladies traine
He was furpris'd and buried under beare,
Ne ever to his worke return'd againe.

These verses are obfcure, unless we confider the following relation in MORTE 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 "fhe 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 she "made Merlin to go under that ftone, to let him "wit of the marvailes there. But the wrought for VOL. I. "there

F

"there for him, that he came never out, for all the

Our author has taken notice of a fuperftitious tradition, which is related at large in this romance.

Good Lucius

That first received chriftianitie,

The facred pledge of Christs evangelie:
Yet true it is, that long before that day
Hither came Jofeph of Arimathie +,

Who brought with him the HOLY GRAYLE, they say, And preacht the truth; but fince it greatly did decay.

2. 10. 53.

The HOLY GRALE, that is, the real blood of our bleffed Saviour. What Spenfer here writes GRAɣle, is often written SANGREAL, or St. grale, in MORTE ARTHUR; and it is there faid to have been brought into England by Joseph of Arimathea. Many of king Arthur's knights are in the fame book represented as adventuring in queft, or in fearch of the SANGREAL,

* B. i. c. 6o.

+ Concerning the preaching of Jofeph 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 also c. 38.

or

er SANGUIS REALIS §. This expedition was one of the first 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:

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 TRISTRAMS, LANC'LOTTS, &c.

And Camden + refers to this history of king Arthur, as to a book familiarly known to the readers of his age. Speaking of the Name TRISTRAM, he obferves,

Hence GRAYLE feems to be used for the Communion-service in this paffage of Skelton,

The Peacock fo proud,

Because his voyce is loud;

He fhall fynge the GRAYLE.

P. Sparrow, pag. 227. Ed. 1736.

See alfo Davies in Voce, and Lwhyd's Dict.

* An execration upon Vulcane, in the Underwood,

REMAINS, printed 1604. Artic. NAMES.

* I know not whether the firft of his name was "chriftned 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 history, 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,

Damfels met in forrefts wide

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

These are Sir Lancelot (or Sir Meliot) of Logris;
Sir Triftram of Lyones, and king Pellenore, who are
often mentioned in MORTE ARTHUR, and repre-
fented as meeting beautiful damfels in defolate for-
refts and probably he might have it in his
eye when
he wrote the following, as the round table is exprefsly
hinted at.

* Rabelais informs us, with the utmoft gravity, that Launcelot's bufinefs is to roaft horfes in hell; and that the knights of the round table are employed in ferrying fouls over Styx; for which they have a fillip on the nofe, and a piece of mouldy bread.

§ Par. Reg. B. ii. v. 359,

Sect. ii, chapit. 30.

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