the temple of Venus, who was now holding a solemn assembly, or court, for the redress of lovers. Here he meets with SAPI ENCE, who draws up a supplication for him, which he presents to Venus. Venus, after having exhorted him to be constant, writes a letter to Pucell, which she sends by Cupid. After offering a turtle, he departs with Godfrey Gobilive, who is overtaken by a lady on a palfrey, with a knotted whip in her hand, which she frequently exercises on Godfrey. Amoure asks her name, which, she answers, is CORRECTION; that she lived in the Tower of CHASTITY, and that he who assumed the name of Godfrey Gobilive was FALSE REPORT, who had just escaped from her prison, and disguised himself in a fool's coat. She invites Amoure to her Tower, where they are admitted by Dame MEASURE; and led into a hall with a golden roof, in the midst of which was a carbuncle of a prodigious size, which illuminated the room". They are next introduced in his lyfetyme by whitchcraft and nigramansy, thorough the help of the devylls of hell." Coloph. "Thus endeth the lyfe of Virgilius with many dyvers consaytes that he dyd. Emprynted in the cytie of Andewarpe by me John Doesborche dwellyng at the Camer Porte." With cuts, octavo. It was in Mr. West's library. Virgil's Life is mentioned by Laneham among other romantic pieces, Killinw. Castle. p. 34. edit. 1575. 12mo. This fictitious personage, however, seems to be formed on the genuine Virgil, because, from the subject of his eighth Eclogue, he was supposed to be an adept in the mysteries of magic and incantation. In another place he is called FOLLY, and said to ride on a mare. When chivalry was at its height in France, it was a disgrace to any person, not below the degree of a gentleman, to ride a mare. From Chaucer, Roм. ROSE., v.1120. Urr. p. 223. a. RICHESSE is crowned with the costliest gems, But all before full subtilty Men mightin sene to go for nede A mile or two in length and brede. Such light ysprange out of that stone. But this is not uncommon in romance, and is an Arabian idea. See supr. vol. ii. P. 214. In the History of the SEVEN of James the First by one Richard JohnCHAMPIONS, a book compiled in the reign son, and containing some of the most capital fictions of the old Arabian romance, in the adventure of the ENCHANTdark hall, "tooke off their gauntletts ED FOUNTAIN, the knights entering a from their left hands whereon they wore marvellous great and fine diamonds, that gave so much light, that they might plainly see all things that were in the hall, the which was very great and wide, and upon the walls were painted the figures of many furions fiends," &c. SEC. P. ch. ix. And in Maundeville's TRAVELLS, "The emperour hath in his chamber a pillar of gold, in which is a ruby and carbuncle a foot long, which lighteth all his chamber by night," &c. ch. Ixxii. [The History of the Seven Champions was not "compiled in the reign of James the First," it being quoted as a popular book by Meres in his Wits Treasury printed in 1598.-RITSON.] to a fair chamber; where they are welcomed by many famous women of antiquity, Helen, quene Proserpine, the lady Meduse, Penthesilen, &c. The next morning, CORRECTION shews our hero a marvellous dungeon, of which SHAM FASTNESSE is the keeper; and here FALSE REPORT is severely punished. He now continues his expedition, and near a fountain observes a shield and a horn hanging. On the shield was a lion rampant of gold in a silver field, with an inscription, importing, that this was the way to La Bell Pucell's habitation, and that whoever blows the horn will be assaulted by a most formidable giant. He sounds the horn: when instantly the giant appeared, twelve feet high, armed in brass, with three heads, on each of which was a streamer, with the inscriptions Falsehood, Imagination, Perjury. After an obstinate combat, he cuts off the giant's three heads with his sword Claraprudence. He next meets three fair ladies, VANITY, GOOD-OPERATION, FIDELITY. They conduct him to their castle with music; where, being admitted by the portress OBSERVANCE, he is healed of his wounds by them. He proceeds and meets PERSEVERANCE, who acquaints him, that Pucell continued still to love: that, after she had read Venus's letter, STRANGENESS and DISDAIN .came to her, to dissuade her from loving him; but that soon after, PEACE and MERCY arrived, who soon undid all that DISDAIN and STRANGENESS had said, advising her to send PERSEVERANCE to him with a shield. This shield PERSEVERANCE now presents, and invites him to repose that night with her cousin COMFORT, who lived in a moated manor-place under the side of a neighbouring wood. Here he is ushered into a chamber precious, perfumed with the richest odours. Next morning, guided by PERSEVERANCE and COMFORT, he goes forward, and sees a castle, nobly fortified, and walled with jet. Before it was Some fonde thei on stîh 5, What hit mihte mene. Aftir that stiz lay a strete, Thei fond a Maner that was mete With murthes ful schene; Wel corven and wroht Ther was foulen " song, Fful luitell hym thouht: Was wonderli i wrouht 13: There was dosers" on the dees 15, Hose the cheefe wolde ches 16 That never richere was, In no sale" souht: Both the mot and the mold Schone al on red golde To seo hou they play ".. Together with some of his expressions, I do not always understand this writer's context and transitions, which have great abruptness. In what he says of king Arthur, I suppose he means, that king Arthur's round table, and his knights turneying, were painted on the walls of the hall. [Arthur and his knights appear rather to be the inhabitants of this marvellous spot. Some were engaged in sports, whilst others either "sat or The cristene mon hadde ferli of that stood upon the gray ground" observing folde 18, That hider was brouzt. them.-EDIT.] road, way, cavern ascent. heeded, [had wonder. RITSON.] [jet. RITSON.] radise. * readily, easily. 8 7 was very attentive; paved with gritt, i. e. sand, or gravel, with halls built high. 10 bright, or pleasant, as Pafowls, birds. The guests sate on each side of the hall, cloathed in purple, furs, or ermine, and rich robes. [The text makes no mention of guests: the hall was hung with purple, &c.-EDIT.] 11 13 wonderfully wrought. 14 dosser is a basket carried on the back. Lat dorsarium. Chaucer's H. F. iii. 850. "Or else hutchis or dossers." We must here understand provisions. 16 dees is here the table. 16 whoever would chuse the best. 19 thrush. 20 yod, went ; 29 to see their sports, i hall. Lat. sala. walked on earth. tournaments, &c. is house [ground]. 21 as if they were living men. • An Herbary, for furnishing domestic medicines, always made a part of our antient gardens. In Hawes's poem, now before us, in the delicious garden of the castle of Music, "Amiddes the garden there was an herber fayre and quadrante." ch. xviii. In the Glossary to Chaucer, Erbers is absurdly interpreted Arbours. NON. PR. T. v. 1081. “Ör erve ive growing in our erberis." [Mr. Tyrwhitt reads: Or erve ive growing in your yerd, that mery is.-EDIT.] Chaucer is here enumerating various medical herbs, usually planted in erberis, or herbaries. 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 "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, ocean. 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 company 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 à 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. |