Ki encore sont à Carlion, Et en Bretaigne sont séues*. The late Mr. Ritson chose to deny the Armorican origin of these Lays; and to infer, in a long and specious note appended to the romance of Emare, that by the terms "Bretagne and Bretons," so repeatedly mentioned in them, were intended "the country and people of Great Britain." To a part of this proposition Mr. Douce also seems to assent. The evident design of Mr. Ritson in this singular declaration, was to counteract a belief that there ever existed a mass of popular poetry in Brittany, recording either native traditions, or romantic history connected with the country from whence a portion of its inhabitants had migrated. It was of importance to disprove this fact, as it so powerfully militated against a favourite principle laid down in the "Dissertation on Romance," that Geoffrey of Monmouth was the inventor of the Chronicle bearing his name, -that the labours of this "impostour" became the storehouse of every after fabler on the Brittish story,-and that previous to its appearance the minstrels of France were as unacquainted with the exploits of Arthur and his followers, as their Kalmuck brethren are at the present day. By investing Marie with the character of an original writer, the question of Geoffrey's veracity, as to the means by which he obtained possession of his original, and his fidelity in executing a translation, became materially circumscribed; and the wild assertion of the editor of Pelloutier's Dictionary, that "the Armorican Britons have not cultivated poetry, and the language such as they speak it, does not appear able to ply to the measure, or to the sweetness and to the harmony of verse," might then be said to stand unconfronted by opposing testimony. It will be needless to enter here upon either of these positions, which affect a subject to be discussed hereafter; and it will be sufficient to offer a general protest against the collateral evidence adduced by Mr. Ritson, as to the meaning of the word "Breton" in several old French There is but one passage out of many thus unne romances. * v. 3. cessarily pressed into the service, which contains any thing more than a general reference to "Breton lays:" Bons Lais de harpe vus apris, Lais Bretuns de nostre pais. This is given from a fragment in Mr. Douce's possession, and is cited in the language of Tristan to Ysolt. But Mr. Ritson has omitted to mention that it was uttered by Tristan in the presence of king Mark, when he had assumed the character of a madman, and was just arrived from a foreign country, of which the name is not specified. In all probability this country was Brittany, as the adventure seems the counterpart to his assumption of the beggar's garb in our English romance. But admitting there was a slight discrepancy between the language of various romances, as to the position of Bretagne, the question of Marie's claim to the invention of these lays, can neither be invalidated nor supported by it. Every one is aware that there is no topic upon which the general language of romance is more unsettled and contradictory, than its geographical details. The same liberties allowed in forming a genealogic line for the hero, were extended to the fictitious scene of his actions; and countries the most remote were as readily transferred to a close and intimate proximity, as their customs and languages were rendered identical. It would be of the essence of hypercriticism to censure this practice, which might be justified by the very charter-rolls of romance, as indeed it would be the height of absurdity to bring such details to the test of chorographic truth. The only object for consideration in applying the information thus conveyed, must be the apparent intentions of the communicant, the probable extent of his personal knowledge, or the accuracy of his avowed authorities, and how far, in the exercise of these resources, he is likely to have been swayed by the suggestions of his fancy, or misdirected by his ignorance. It will be worse than useless to heap together, as Mr. Ritson has done, the whole mass of evidence to be gathered from every source, without regard to the varied character of the proofs thus collected, and by drawing a general inference, to assign the same authority to that which is confessedly fabulous, as to that which may have been uttered in good faith. Every writer ought to be weighed in his own scale; and the only hope we can have of eliciting an author's intentions, must be, by resorting to his own declarations in illustration of his own peculiar meaning. Now with respect to Marie, M. de la Rue* has already shown, from the prologue to the poems, that she only aspired to the character of a translator. Her first intention was to have given a version in Romance, of some Latin writer; but finding the ground preoccupied, she abandoned this design, and resolved on versifying the Breton tales which she had heard recited or found recorded. Des Lais pensai k'oï aveie Soventes fiez en ai veillié. This is frequently referred to in various parts of her poems: some of which were translated from written documents; others versified from recollection, or oral communication; while the majority either acknowledge a Breton original, or contain decided proofs of a connection with that country. Of this the evidence shall now be submitted. The first poem in M. Roquefort's collection is the Lai de Dunt li Bretun unt fait lor Lais, Archæologia, vol. xiii. Ki en Bretaigne la menur, Avint al tens anciénur*. The Lai d'Equitan who was "Sire de Nauns," (and of whose atchievements "Li Bretun firent un Lai") also commences with a direct testimony to the practice of recording deeds of chivalry and heroic adventure in that country: Mut unt esté noble Barun, Ki n'est fet mie à ublier. The Lai de Bisclaveret is not specifically acknowledged as a Breton lay; but the scene is laid in "Bretaine," and the Breton term from which the story derives its name, is cited in contradistinction to that current in the adjoining duchy of Normandy: Bisclaveret ad nun en Bretan, Garwall l'apelent li Norman. From the Lai de Laustic+ we obtain a similar testimony, with the additional declaration of its being a Breton lay: v. 21. Une aventure vus dirai Dunt li Bretun firent un Lai; + MM. de la Rue and Roquefort speak of an English version of this lay, and refer to the Cotton MS. Cal. A. II. These gentlemen were either misled by a similarity in the title of the poem in question, (Nightingale,) or a manuscript note in the Museum copy of the catalogue of the Cotton MSS. The English poem is a mystic rhapsody on holy living; in which the Nightingale and her plaintive song are declared to be typical of the doctrines and sufferings of Jesus Christ. Céo est Reisun en Franceis, E Nihtegale en dreit Engleis. The scene is at St. Maloes. Of the Lai des deux Amans and of the Lai de Graelent it is said, "Un Lai en firent li Bretun;" of the Lai de l'Epine, "Li Breton en firent un Lai;" and of the Lai d'Eliduc, De un mut ancien Lai Bretun Le cunte é tute la reisun, Vus dirai si cum jeo entent La vérité mun escient. Of these four, the scene of the first is laid in Normandy, and of the rest in "Bretaine." Of the remaining six, the Lai du Frêne places the action in "Bretaine," without giving a more positive locality to the scene. It was a tale which Marie had heard recounted, but which she does not expressly claim as a "Breton lay." The Lai de Chevrefeuille was translated from a written original : Plusurs le m'unt cunté è dit, E jeo l'ai trové en escrit. It contains no reference to "Bretaine" or the "Bretons :" and, if we could forget Mr. Ritson's arbitrary dogmas relative to the poverty of native genius both before and after the Conquest, might be supposed to owe its existence to some English poem now no more: Tristam ki bien saveit harper, En aveit feit un nuvel Lai Asez brèvement le numerai. Gotelef l'apelent en Engleis, Chevrefoil li nument en Franceis; Dit vus en ai la vérité Del' Lai que j'ai ici cunté. There is reason to believe the Lai de Milun is not of Breton |