were golden horfes of a gigantic fize, with riders of gold richly illuminated by the moft ferene meridian fun. A large company attempt to pass the bridge, with a defign of stealing some pieces of the gold. Immediately the bridge rose from its foundations, and stood perpendicular on one end: a brazen man appeared from beneath it, who struck the water with a mace of brass, and the sky was overspread with the most horrible gloom. Gerbert, like fome other learned necromancers of the Gothic ages, was supposed to have fabricated a brazen head under the influence of certain planets, which answered questions. But I forbear to suggest any more hints for a future collection of Arabian tales. I shall only add Malmesbury's account of the education of Gerbert, which is a curious illuftration of what has been often inculcated in these volumes, concerning the introduction of romantic fiction into Europe'. "Gerbert, a native of "France, went into Spain for the purpose of learning astrology, "and other sciences of that caft, of the Saracens; who, to "this day, occupy the upper regions of Spain. They are seated "in the metropolis of Seville; where, according to the cuf "tomary practice of their country, they study the arts of divi"nation and enchantment. Here Gerbert foon exceeded "Ptolemy in the astrolabe, Alchind in astronomy, and Julius "Firmicus in fatality. Here he learned the meaning of the "flight and language of birds, and was taught how to raise 66 spectres from hell. Here he acquired whatever human curiofity has discovered for the deftruction or convenience of "mankind. I say nothing of his knowledge in arithmetic, mufic, and geometry; which he fo fully understood as to "think them beneath his genius, and which he yet with great "industry introduced into France, where they had been long "forgotten. He certainly was the first who brought the "algorithm from the Saracens, and who illuftrated it with f See Diss. i, And vol. i. 400. feq. "fuch "fuch rules as the most studious in that science cannot explain. "He lodged with a philosopher of that fect 3, &c." I conclude this chapter with a quotation from the old metrical romance of SYR LIBEAUX DIASCONIOS, where the knight, in his attempt to difenchant the Lady of Sinadone, after entering the hall of the caftle of the necromancers, is almost in fimilar circumstances with our fubterraneous adventurers. The paffage is rich in Gothic imageries; and the most ftriking part of the poem, which is mentioned by Chaucer as a popular romance. De GEST. REG. ANGL. lib. ii. cap. 10. p. 36. a. b. 37 a. b. edit. Savil. Lond. 1596. fol. Afterwards Malmesbury mentions his horologe, which was not of the nature of the modern clock: but which yet is recorded as a wonderful invention by his cotemporary Ditmar, CHRON. Lib. vi. fol. 83. edit. 1580. Vincent of Beauvais has tranfcribed all that William of Malmesbury has here faid about Gerbert, SPECUL. HISTOR. Lib. xxiv. c. 98. feq. f. 344. a. Compare Platina, VIT. PONTIF. fol. 122. edit. 1485. See alfo L'Hif toire Literaire de France, by the Benedictines, tom. vi. ad calc. A Courteous. Inftruments of mufic. i He faw at the high table. A Fire, large and ftrong. Store is flour. a Lighted, and burned bright. • rede. Went into the door of the hall, with his horfe. P Led. • Farther in. To fee, to view, every place or thing? The So much melodye Was never with ynne walle. To wyte, with egre mode The menftrelles were awaye 3 : Perhaps, Holes, i. e. corners. t He faw no man. "Clothed in rich attire. A torch fair and good. *To know, in angry mood what knight would, &c. y Painted glass. 2 The walls were painted with hiftories. a Had feen. He fate down in the principal feat. This caftle is called, "A paleys queynt of gynne," and, "by "negremancye ymaketh of fayrye '." CHAP. cviii. The mutual fidelity of two thieves. A like story is in Boccace's DECAMERON, in the CENTO NOVELLE ANTICHE', and in Gower's CONFESSIO AMANTIS". The ftory, however, as it ftands in Gower, feems to be copied from one which is told by the hermit Barlaam to king Avenamore, in the fpiritual romance, written originally in Greek about the year 800, by Joannes Damafcenus a Greek monk", and tranflated into Latin before the thirteenth century, entitled, BARLAAM and JosAPHAT. But Gower's immediate author, if not Boccace, was perhaps Vincent of Beauvais, who wrote about the year 1290, and who has incorporated Damafcenus's hiftory of Barlaam and Jofaphat, who were canonifed, into his SPECULUM HISTORIALE . As Barlaam's fable is probably the remote but original fource of Shakespeare's CASKETTS in the MERCHANT OF VENICE,. I will give the reader a translation of the paffage in which it occurs, from the Greek original, never yet printed. "The king commanded four chefts to be made: two of which were covered with gold, and fecured by golden locks, but " filled with the rotten bones of human carcaffes. The other "two were overlaid with pitch, and bound with rough cords; "but replenished with pretious stones and the most exquisite gems, and with ointments of the richest odour. He called his "nobles together; and placing these chefts before them, asked "which they thought the most valuable. They pronounced those with the golden coverings to be, the most pretious, fuppofing they were made to contain the crowns and girdles of "the king'. The two chefts covered with pitch they viewed "with contempt. Then said the king, I presumed what would "be your determination: for ye look with the eyes of sense. "But to difcern bafenefs or value, which are hid within, we "muft look with the eyes of the mind. He then ordered the "golden chefts to be opened, which exhaled an intolerable ❝ftench, and filled the beholders with horror." In the METRICAL LIVES OF THE SAINTS, written about the year 1300, these chefts are called four fates, that is, four vats or vessels *• t. I make no apology for giving the reader a translation from the fame Greek original, which is now before me, of the story of the Boy told in the DECAMERON. "A king had an only fon. "As soon as he was born, the physicians declared, that if he "was allowed to see the fun, or any fire, before he arrived at "the age of twelve years, he would be blind. The king com"manded an apartment to be hewed within a rock, into which 66 no light could enter; and here he shut up the boy, totally in "the dark, yet with proper attendants, for twelve years. At the "end of which time, he brought him abroad from his gloomy "chamber, and placed in his view, men, women, gold, pre"tious stones, rich garments, chariots of exquifite workmanship In doctor Johnson's abridgement of a tale like this from Boccace, which he fupposes to have been Shakespeare's original, the king fays, that in one of the Caskets was "contained his crown, fceptre and "jewels, &c." See Steevens's SHAKESPEARE, vol. iii. p. 255. edit. 1779. MSS. LAUD. C. 72. Bibl. Bodl. Compare Caxton's GOLDEN LEGENDE, fol. ccclxxxxiii. b. And Surius, VIT. SANCTOR. Novembr. 27. Ann. 383. pag. 560. Colon. Agrippin. 1618. MSS. BODL. 779. f. 292. b. ❝ drawn |