a giant with seven heads, and upon the trees about him were hanging many shields of knights, whom he had conquered. On his seven heads were seven helmets crowned with seven streamers, on which were inscribed Dissimulation, Delay, Discomfort, Variance, Envy, Detraction, Doubleness. After a bloody battle, he kills the giant, and is saluted by the five ladies STEDFASTNESS, AMOROUS PURVEYANCE, JOY AFTER SORROW, PLEASAUNCE, GOOD REPORT, AMITIE, CONTINUANCE, all riding from the castle on white palfries. These ladies inform Amoure, that they had been exiled from La Bell Pucell by DISDAINE, and besieged in this castle, for one whole year, by the giant whom he had just slain. They attend him on his journey, and travel through a dreary wilderness, full of wild beasts at length they discern, at a vast distance, a glorious region, where stood a stately palace beyond a tempestuous ocean. "That (says PERSEVERANCE) is the palace of Pucelle." They then discover, in the island before them, an horrible fiend, roaring like thunder, and breathing flame, which my author strongly paints, The fyre was greet, it made the yland lyght. PERSEVERANCE tells our hero, that this monster was framed by the two witches STRANGENESS and DISDAINE, to punish La Bell Pucell for having banished them from her presence. His body was composed of the seven metals, and within it a demon was inclosed. They now enter a neighbouring temple of Pallas; who shews Amoure, in a trance, the secret formation of this monster, and gives him a box of wonderful ointment. They walk on the sea-shore, and espy two ladies rowing towards them; who land, and having told Amoure that they are sent by PATIENCE to enquire his name, receive him and his com pany into the ship PERFECTNESS. They arrive in the island; and Amoure discovers the monster near a rock, whom he now examines more distinctly. The face of the monster resembled a virgin's, and was of gold; his neck of silver; his breast of steel; his fore-legs, armed with strong talons, of laten; his back of copper; his tail of lead, &c. Amoure, in imitation of Jason, anoints his sword and armour with the unguent of Pal las; which, at the first onset, preserves him from the voluminous torrent of fire and smoke issuing from the monster's mouth. At length he is killed; and from his body flew out a foule ethiope, or black spirit, accompanied with such a smoke that all the island was darkened, and loud thunder-claps ensued. When this spirit was entirely vanished, the air grew serene; and our hero now plainly beheld the magnificent castle of La Pucell, walled with silver, and many a story upon the wall enameled royally'. He rejoins his company; and entering the gate of the castle, is solemnly received by PEACE, Mercy, JUSTICE, REASON, GRACE, and MEMORY. He is then led by the portress COUNTENAUNCE into the base court; where, into a conduit of gold, dragons spouted water of the richest odour. The gravel of the court is like gold, and the hall and chambers are most superbly decorated. Amoure and La Pucell sit down and converse together. Venus intervenes, attended by Cupid cloathed in a blue mantle embroidered with golden hearts pierced with arrows, which he throws about the lovers, declaring that they should soon be joined in marriage. A sudden transition is here made from the pagan to the christian theology. The next morning they are married, according to the catholic ritual, by LEX ECCLESIÆ; and in the wooden print prefixed to this chapter, the lovers are represented as joining hands at the western portal of a great church, a part of the ceremonial See supra, p. 52. and vol. ii. p. 139. I know not from what romantic history of the Crusades, Richard Johnson took the description of the stately house of the courteous Jew at Damascus, built for entertaining christian pilgrims, in which "the walls were painted with as many stories as there were years since the creation of the world." SEC. P. ch. iv. The word enameled, in the text, is probably used in the same sense as in Stowe, SURVEY LOND. p. 359. edit. 1599. "The great bell-tower, [of the priory of S. John in Clerkenwell,] a most curious piece of workmanshippe, graven, guilt, and inameled, to the great beautifying of the citie, and passinge all other that I have seene," &c. So again our author, Hawes, ch. ii. The toure doth stande Made all of golde, enameled aboute With noble storyes. of antient marriages". A solemn feast is then held in honour of the nuptials". Here the poem should have ended. But the poet has thought it necessary to extend his allegory to the death and burial of his hero. Graund Amoure having lived in consummate happiness with his amiable bride for many years, saw one morning an old man enter his chamber, carrying a staff, with which he strikes Amoure's breast, saying, Obey, &c. His name is OLD AGE. Not long after came POLICY or Cunning, and AVARICE. Amoure now begins to abandon his triumphal shows and splendid carousals, and to be intent on amassing riches. At last arrived DEATH, who peremptorily denounces, that he must prepare to quit his wealth and the world. After this fatal admonition, came CONTRITION and CONSCIENCE, and he dies. His body is interred by MERCY and CHARITY; and while his epitaph is written by REMEMBRANCE, FAME appears; promising that she will enroll his name with those of Hector, Joshua, Judas Maccabeus, king David, Alexander the Great, Julius Cesar, Arthur P, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bul For this custom, see supra, vol. ii. p. 273. And the romance of ArroLYNE, ch. xxxiii. "Which is described thus, ch. xxix. Why should I tary by long continuance Of the feast, &c. In the same manner Chaucer passes over the particularities of Cambuscan's feast, Squ. T. v. 83. Urr. And of Theseus's feast, KN. T. v. 2199. See also MAN OF L. T. v. 704. And Spenser's FAIRY QU. v. iii. 3. (See supr. vol. ii. p. 169.] And Matthew Paris, in describing the magnificent marriage and coronation of queen Eleanor in 1236, uses exactly the same formulary, and on a similar subject, "Quid in ecclesia seriem enarrem deo, ut decuit, reverenter ministrantium? Quid in mensa dapium et diversorum libaminum describam fertilitatem redundantem? Venationis [venison] abundantiam? Piscium varietatem? Joculatorum voluptatem? Mi HIST. nistrantium venustatem?" etc. feast celebrated in the time of Ahasue- • The chief reason for ranking king David among the knights of romance was, as I have already hinted, because he killed the giant Goliah: an achievement here mentioned by Hawes. See supr. p. 52. and vol. ii. p. 251. POf Arthur and his knights he says, that their exploits are recorded "in royall bokes and jestes hystoryall." ch. xliii. Sir Thomas Maillorie had now just published his MORTE ARTHUR, a narrative digested from various French romances on Arthur's story. Caxton's printed copy of this favourite volume must have been known to our poet Hawes, which loign'. Afterwards TIME, and ETERNITIE clothed in a white vestment and crowned with a triple diadem of gold, enter the appeared in 1485. fol. By the way, in panegyrising Chaucer, Hawes mentions it, as a circumstance of distinction, that his works were printed. ch. xiiii. Whose name In PRINTED bokès doth remayne in fame. This was natural at the beginning of the typographic art. Many of Chaucer's poems were now recently printed by Caxton. With regard to Maillorie's book, much if not most of it, I believe, is taken from the great French romance of LANCELOT, translated from Latin into French at the command of one of our Henrys, a metrical English version of which is now in Benet library at Cambridge. [See a specimen in Mr. Naasmith's curious catalogue, p: 54.] I have left it doubtful whether it was the third Henry who ordered this romance to be translated into Latin, vol. i. p. 118. But, beside the proofs there suggested, in favour of that hypothesis, it appears, that Henry the Third paid great attention to these compositions, from the following curious anecdote just published, which throws new light on that monarch's character. Arnaud Daniel, a troubadour, highly celebrated by Dante and Petrarch, about the year 1240 made a voyage into England, where, in the court of king Henry the Third, he met a minstrel, who challenged him at difficult rhymes. The challenge was accepted, a considerable wager was laid, and the rival bards were shut up in separate chambers of the palace. The king, who appears to have much interested himself in the dispute, allowed them ten days for composing, and five more for learning to sing, their respective pieces: after which, each was to exhibit his performance in the presence of his majesty. The third day, the English minstrel announced that he was ready. The troubadour declared he had not wrote a line; but that he had tried, and could not as yet put two words together. The following evening he overheard the minstrel practising his chanson to himself. The next day he had the good fortune to hear the same again, and learned the air and words. At the day appointed they both appeared before the king. Arnaud desired to sing first. The minstrel, in a fit of the greatest surprise and astonishment, suddenly cried out, C'est ma chanson, This is MY SONG. The king said it was impossible. The minstrel still insisted upon it; and Arnaud, being closely pressed, ingenuously told the whole affair. The king was much entertained with this adventure; and ordering the wager to be withdrawn, loaded them with rich presents. But he afterwards obliged Arnaud to give a chanson of his own composition. Millot, ut supr. tom. ii. p. 491. In the mean time I would not be understood to deny, that Henry the Second encouraged these pieces; for it partly appears, that Gualter Mapes, archdeacon of Oxford, translated, from Latin into French, the popular romance of SAINT GRAAL, at the instance of Henry the Second, to whom he was chaplain, about the year 1190. See MSS. Reg. 20 D.iii. a manuscript perhaps coeval with the translator; and, if so, the original copy presented to the king. Maister Benoit, or Benedict, a rhymer in French, was also patronised by this monarch: at whose command he compiled a metrical Chronicle of the DUKES OF NORMANDY: in which are cited Isidore Hispalensis, Pliny, and saint Austin. MSS. Harl. 1717.1. on vellum. See fol. 85. 163.192. 236. This old French poem is full of fabulous and romantic matter; and seems to be partly translated from a Latin Chronicle, Dr MORIBUS ET ACTIS PRIMORUM NORMANNIE DUCUM, written about the year 1000, by Dudo, dean of S. Quintin's, and printed among Du Chesne's SCRIPTOR. NORMAN. p. 49. edit. 1619. Maister Benoit ends with our Henry the First. Dudo with the year 996. With his douseperes, or twelve peers, among which he mentions Rowland and Oliver. These are the NINE WORTHIES: to whom Shakespeare alludes in Love's LAB. LOST. "Here is like to be a good presence of WORTHIES. He presents Hector of Troy: The swain, Pompey temple, and pronounce an exhortation. Last follows an epilogue, in which the poet apologises for his hardiness in attempting to feign and devise this fable. The reader readily perceives, that this poetical apologue is intended to shadow the education of a complete gentleman; or rather, to point out those accomplishments which constitute the character of true gallantry, and most justly deserve the reward of beauty. It is not pretended, that the personifications display that force of colouring, and distinctness of delineation, which animate the ideal portraits of John of Meun. But we must acknowledge, that Hawes has shewn no inconsiderable share of imagination, if not in inventing romantic action, at least in applying and enriching the general incidents of the Gothic fable. In the creation of allegoric imagery he has exceeded Lydgate. That he is greatly superior to many of his immediate predecessors and cotemporaries, in harmonious versification, and clear expression, will appear from the following stanza. Besydes this gyaunt, upon every tree I did see hanging many a goodly shielde Whiche he had slayne and murdred in the fielde: On his first heade I sawe a banner gay.s To this poem a dedication of eight octave stanzas is prefixed, the Great: The parish-curate, Alexander: Armado's page, Hercules: The pedant, Judas Macchabeus," &c. Acr v. Sc. i. Elias Cairels, a troubadour of Perigord, about the year 1240, wishes for the wisdom of Solomon, the courtesy of Roland, the puissance of Alexander, the strength of Samson, the friendly attachment of sir Tristram, the chevalerie of sir Gawaine, and the learning of Merlin. Though not immediately connected with the present purpose, I cannot resist the temptation of transcribing the re mainder of our troubadour's idea of complete happiness in this world. His ambition can be gratified by nothing less than by possessing "Une si parfaite loyauté, que nul chevalier et nul jongleur n' aient rien à reprendre en lui; une maitresse jeune, jolie, et decente; mille cavaliers bien en ordre pour le suivre par tout," &c. Millot, HIST. LITT. des TROUBAD. tom. i. p. 388. [See supr. vol. ii. p. 250. Ch. xxxv. |