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interpolations. It was probably finished after the year 1138 " [1128*].

It is difficult to ascertain exactly the period at which our translator's original romance may probably be supposed to have been compiled. Yet this is a curious speculation, and will illustrate our argument. I am inclined to think that the work consists of fables thrown out by different rhapsodists at different times, which afterwards were collected and digested into an entire history, and perhaps with new decorations of fancy added by the compiler, who most probably was one of the professed bards, or rather a poetical historian, of Armorica or BasseBretagne. In this state, and under this form, I suppose it to have fallen into the hands of Geoffrey of Monmouth. If the hypothesis hereafter advanced concerning the particular species of fiction on which this narrative is founded, should be granted,

and has been many years preparing materials for giving an accurate and faithful translation of it into English. The manuscript in Jesus college library at Oxford, which Wynne pretends to be the same which Geoffrey himself made use of, is evidently not older than the sixteenth century. Mr. Price, the Bodleian librarian, to whose friendship this work is much indebted, has two copies lately given him by Mr. Banks, much more antient and perfect. But there is reason to suspect, that most of the British manuscripts of this history are translations from Geoffrey's Latin: for Britannia they have BRYTTAEN, which in the original would have been PRYDAIN. Geoffrey's translation, and for obvious reasons, is a very common manuscript. Compare Lhuyd's Arch. p. 265.

"Thompson says, 1128. ubi supr. p. xxx.

Geoffrey's age is ascertained beyond a doubt, even if other proofs were wanting, from the cotemporaries whom he mentions. Such as Robert earl of Glocester, natural son of Henry the First, and Alexander bishop of Lincoln, his patrons: he mentions also William of Malmesbury, and Henry of Huntingdon. Wharton places Geoffrey's death in the year 1154. Episc. Assav. p. 306. Robert de Monte, who continued Sigebert's chronicle down to the year 1183, in the preface to that work expressly says,

that he took some of the materials of his
supplement from the HISTORIA BRITO-
NUM, lately translated out of British into
Latin. This was manifestly Geoffrey's
book. Alfred of Beverly, who evidently
wrote his ANNALES, published by
Hearne, between the ycars 1148 and
1150 [in the year 1129.-TURNER.],
borrowed his account of the British
kings from Geoffrey's HISTORIA, whose
words he sometimes literally transcribes.
For instance, Alfred, in speaking of
Arthur's keeping Whitsuntide at Caer-
leon, says, that the HISTORIA BRITONUM
enumerated all the kings who came
thither on Arthur's invitation: and then
adds, "Præter hos non remansit prin-
ceps alicujus pretii citra Hispaniam qui
ad istud edictum non venerit." Alured.
Bev. Annal. p. 63. edit. Hearne. These
are Geoffrey's own words; and so much
his own, that they are one of his addi-
tions to the British original. But the
curious reader, who desires a complete
and critical discussion of this point, may
consult an original letter of bishop Lloyd,
preserved among Tanner's manuscripts
at Oxford, num. 94.

[This letter was printed in Gutch's
"Collectanea Curiosa," and in Owen's
British Remains, and affords little infor-
mation worthy of notice.-DouCE.]

[See Mr. Turner's History of England, i. p. 457.-EDIT.]

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it cannot, from what I have already proved, be more antient than the eighth century: and we may reasonably conclude, that it was composed much later, as some considerable length of time must have been necessary for the propagation and establishment of that species of fiction. The simple subject of this chronicle, divested of its romantic embellishments, is a deduction of the Welsh princes from the Trojan Brutus to Cadwallader, who reigned in the seventh century. It must be acknowledged, that many European nations were antiently fond of tracing their descent from Troy. Hunnibaldus Francus, in his Latin history of France, written in the sixth century, beginning with the Trojan war, and ending with Clovis the First, ascribes the origin of the French nation to Francio a son of Priam". So universal was this humour, and carried to such an absurd excess of extravagance, that under the reign of Justinian, even the Greeks were ambitious of being thought to be descended from the Trojans, their antient and notorious enemies, Unless we adopt the idea of those antiquaries, who contend that Europe was peopled from Phrygia, it will be hard to discover at what period, or from what source, so strange and improbable a notion could take its rise, especially among nations unacquainted with history, and overwhelmed in ignorance. The most rational mode of accounting for it, is to suppose, that the revival of Virgil's Eneid about the sixth or seventh century, which represented the Trojans as the founders of Rome, the capital of the supreme pontiff, and a city on various other accounts in the early ages of christianity highly reverenced and distinguished, occasioned an emulation in many other European nations of claiming an alliance to the same respectable original.

▾ This notion of their extraction from the Trojans had so infatuated the Welsh, that even so late as the year 1284, archbishop Peckham, in his injunctions to the diocese of St. Asaph, orders the people to abstain from giving credit to idle dreams and visions, a superstition which they had contracted from their belief in the dream of their founder Brutus, in the temple of Diana, concerning his

arrival in Britain. The archbishop very seriously advises them to boast no more of their relation to the conquered and fugitive Trojans, but to glory in the victorious cross of Christ. Concil. Wilkins, tom. ii. p. 106. edit. 1737. fol.

"It is among the SCRIPTORES RER. GERMAN. Sim. Schard. tom. i. p. 301. edit. Basil. 1574. fol. It consists of eighteen books.

The monks and other ecclesiastics, the only readers and writers of the age, were likely to broach, and were interested in propagating, such an opinion. As the more barbarous countries of Europe began to be tinctured with literature, there was hardly one of them but fell into the fashion of deducing its original from some of the nations most celebrated in the antient books. Those who did not aspire so high as king Priam, or who found that claim preoccupied, boasted to be descended from some of the generals of Alexander the Great, from Prusias king of Bithynia, from the Greeks or the Egyptians. It is not in the mean time quite improbable, that as most of the European nations were provincial to the Romans, those who fancied themselves to be of Trojan extraction might have imbibed this notion, at least have acquired a general knowledge of the Trojan story, from their conquerors: more especially the Britons, who continued so long under the yoke of Rome*. But as to the story of Brutus in particular, Geoffrey's hero, it may be presumed that his legend was not contrived, nor the history of his successors invented, till after the ninth century: for Nennius, who lived about the middle of that century, not only speaks of Brutus with great obscurity and inconsistency, but seems totally uninformed as to every circumstance of the British affairs which preceded Cesar's invasion. There are other proofs that this piece could not have existed before the ninth century. Alfred's Saxon translation of the Mercian law is mentioned. Charlemagne's Twelve Peers, and by an anachronism not uncommon in romance, are said to be present at king Arthur's magnificent coronation in the city of Caerleon2. It were easy to produce instances, that this chronicle was undoubtedly framed after the legend of saint Ursula, the acts of saint Lucius, and the historical writings of the venerable Bede, had undergone some degree of circulation in the world. At the same time it contains many passages which incline us to determine, that some parts of it at least were written after or about the eleventh century. I will not insist on that passage, in

* See infr. SECT. iii. p. 131, 132.

Y L. iii. c. 13.

2 L. ix. c. 12.

which the title of legate of the apostolic see is attributed to Dubricius in the character of primate of Britain; as it appears for obvious reasons to have been an artful interpolation of the translator, who was an ecclesiastic. But I will select other arguments. Canute's forest, or Cannock-wood in Staffordshire occurs; and Canute died in the year 1036. At the ideal coronation of king Arthur, just mentioned, a tournament is described as exhibited in its highest splendor. "Many knights," says our Armoric fabler, "famous for feats of chivalry, were present, with apparel and arms of the same colour and fashion. They formed a species of diversion, in imitation of a fight on horseback, and the ladies being placed on the walls of the castles, darted amorous glances on the combatants. None of these ladies esteemed any knight worthy of her love, but such as had given proof of his gallantry in three several encounters. Thus the valour of the men encouraged chastity in the women, and the attention of the women proved an incentive to the soldier's bravery." Here is the practice of chivalry under the combined ideas of love and military prowess, as they seem to have subsisted after the feudal constitution had acquired greater degrees not only of stability but of splendor and refinement". And although a species of tournament was exhibited in France at the reconciliation of the sons of Lewis the Feeble, in the close of the ninth century, and at the beginning of the tenth, the coronation of the emperor Henry was solemnized with martial entertainments, in which many parties were introduced fighting on horseback; yet it was long afterwards that these games were accompanied with the peculiar formalities, and ceremoIn the mean time, we cannot

nious

usages,

z L. vii. c. 4.

here described.

a L. ix. c. 12. b Pitts mentions an anonymous writer under the name of EREMITA BRITANNUS, who studied history and astronomy, and flourished about the year 720. He wrote, besides, a book in an unknown language, entitled, Sanctum Graal, De Rege Arthuro et rebus gestis ejus. Lib. i. De Mensa rotunda et STRENUIS EQUITIBUS.

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answer for the innovations of a translator in such a description. The burial of Hengist, the Saxon chief, who is said to have been interred not after the pagan fashion, as Geoffrey renders the words of the original, but after the manner of the SOLDANS, is partly an argument that our romance was composed about the time of the crusades. It was not till those memorable campaigns of mistaken devotion had infatuated the western world, that the soldans or sultans of Babylon, of Egypt, of Iconium, and other eastern kingdoms, became familiar in Europe. Not that the notion of this piece being written so late as the crusades in the least invalidates the doctrine delivered in this dis

course. Not even if we suppose that Geoffrey of Monmouth was its original composer. That notion rather tends to confirm and establish my system. On the whole we may venture to affirm, that this chronicle, supposed to contain the ideas of the Welsh bards, entirely consists of Arabian inventions. And in this view, no difference is made whether it was compiled about the tenth century, at which time, if not before, the Arabians from their settlement in Spain must have communicated their romantic fables to other parts of Europe, especially to the French; or whether it first appeared in the eleventh century, after the crusades had multiplied these fables to an excessive degree, and made them universally popular. And although the general cast of the inventions contained in this romance is alone sufficient to point out the source from whence they were derived, yet I chuse to prove to a demonstration what is here advanced, by producing and examining some particular pas

sages.

The books of the Arabians and Persians abound with extravagant traditions about the giants Gog and Magog. These

the principles of this Dissertation as he pleases.

"BATTHALL.-Une homme hardi et vaillant, qui cherchè des avantures tels qu'etoient les chevaliers errans de nos anciens Romans." He adds, that Batthall, an Arabian, who lived about the year of Christ 740, was a warrior of this class, concerning whom many marvel

lous feats of arms are reported: that his life was written in a large volume, “mais qu'elle est toute remplie d'exaggerations et de menteries." Bibl. Oriental. p. 193. a. b. In the royal library at Paris, there is an Arabian book entitled, “Scirat al Mogiah-edir," i. e. "The Lives of the most valiant Champions." Num. 1079.

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