from archdeacon Walter, by way of authenticating his romantic history. These notices feem to difprove that fufpicion. In the year 1488, a French romance was published, in two magnificent folio volumes, entitled, HISTOIRE de ROY ARTUS et des CHEVALIERS de la TABLE RONDE. The first volume was printed at Rouen, the fecond at Paris. It contains in four detached parts, the Birth and Achievements of king Arthur, the Life of Sir Lancelot, the Adventure of the Sangreal, and the Death of Arthur, and his Knights. In the body of the work, this romance more than once is faid to be written by Walter Map or Mapes, and by the command of his mafter king Henry. For instance, tom. ii. at the end of PARTIE DU SAINT GRAAL, Signat. d di. "Cy fine Maiftre GUALTIER "MAP fon traittie du Saint Graal." Again, tom. ii. La DERNIERE PARTIE, ch. i. Signat. d d ii. “ Apres ce que "Maistre GUALTIER MAP eut tractie des avantures du Saint Graal, affez foufifamment, ficomme il luy fembloit, il fut ad "adviz au ROY HENRY SON SEIGNEUR, que ce qui avoit "fait ne debuit foufrire fil ne racontoys la fin de ceulx dont il "fait mention.-Et commence Maiftre Gualtier en telle manier "cefte derniere partie." This derniere partie treats of the death of king Arthur and his knights. At the end of the second tome there is this colophon." Cy fine le dernier volume de "La Table Ronde, faisant mencion des fais et proeffes de monfeigneur Launcelot du Lac et dautres plufieurs nobles et vail"lans hommes fes compagnons. Compile et extraict precisement et au jufte des vrayes hiftoires faifantes de ce mencion par: trefnotable et trefexpert hiftorien Maiftre GUALTIER MAP, et imprime a Paris par Jehan du Pre. Et lan du grace, mil. cccc. iiiixx. et viii. le xvi jour du Septembre." The paffage quoted above from the royal manuscript in the British Museum, where king Arthur orders the adventures of the Sangreal to be chronicled, is thus reprefented in this romance. "Et quant Boort eut compte depuis le commencement "jufques a la fin les avantures du Saint Graal telles comme ils ་ ་་ "les "les avoit veues, &c. Si fift le roy Artus rediger et mettre par efcript aus dictz clers tout ci que Boort avoit compte, "&c." Ibid. tom. ii. La Partie du SAINT GRAAL, ch. ult. * At the end of the royal manufcript at Paris, [Cod. 6783.] entitled LANCELOT DU LAC mis en François par Robert de Borron par le commandement de Henri roi d'Angleterre, it is said, that Meffire Robert de Borron tranflated into French, not only LANCELOT, but also the story of the SAINT GRAAL li tout du Latin du GAUTIER MAPPE. But the French antiquaries in this fort of literature are of opinion, that the word Latin, here fignifies Italian; and that by this LATIN of Gualtier Mapes, were are to understand English verfions of those romances made from the Italian language. The French History of the SANGREAL, printed at Paris in folio by Gallyot du Prè in 1516, is said, in the title, to be tranflated from Latin into French rhymes, and from thence into French prose by Robert Borron. This romance was reprinted in 1523. Caxton's MORTE ARTHUR, finished in the year 1469, profeffes to treat of various separate histories. But the matter of the whole is fo much of the same fort, and the heroes and adventures of one story are so mutually and perpetually blended with those of another, that no real unity or distinction is preserved. It confifts of twenty-one books. The first seven books treat of king Arthur. The eighth, ninth, and tenth, of fir Trystram. The eleventh and twelfth of fir Lancelot *. The thirteenth of the SAINGRAL, which is also called fir Lancelot's Book. The fourteenth of fir Percival. The fifteenth, again, of fir Lancelot. The fixteenth of fir Gawaine. The feventeenth of fir Galahad. [But all the four last mentioned books are also called the historye of the holy Sancgreall.] The eighteenth and nine 1 teenth of miscellaneous adventures. The two last of king Arthur and all the knights. Lwhyd mentions a Welsh SANGREALL, which, he fays, contains various fables of king Arthur and his knights, &c. ARCHEOLOG. BRIT. Tit. vii. p. 265. col. 2. MORTE ARTHUR is often literally tranflated from various and very ancient detached hiftories of the heroes of the round table, which I have examined; and on the whole, it nearly resembles Walter Map's romance abovementioned, printed at Rouen and Paris, both in matter and difpofition. I take this opportunity of observing, that a very valuable vellum fragment of LE BRUT, of which the writing is uncommonly beautiful and of high antiquity, containing part of the ftory of Merlin and king Vortigern, covers a manuscript of Chaucer's ASTROLABE, lately presented, together with several oriental manuscripts, to the Bodleian library, by Thomas Hedges, esquire, of Alderton in Wiltshire a gentleman poffeffed of many curious manufcripts, and Greek and Roman coins, and moft liberal in his communications. Pag. 119. ADD to Not. *. "Among Crynes's books in the Bodleian library is a copy of king Richard's romance, printed by W. de Worde in 1509. CR. 734. 8°. This edition was in the Harleian library. Pag. 120. Notes. 1..13. col. 2. After " fixth," ADD " By the way, it appears from this quotation, that there was an old romance called WADE. Wade's Bote is mentioned in Chaucer's MARCHAUNTS TALE, V. 940. p. 68. Urr. And eke these olde wivis, god it wote, Again, TROIL. CRESS. iii. 615. He fonge, the plaide, he tolde a tale of Wade. Where, fays the gloffarift, "A romantick ftory, famous at that "time, of one WADE, who performed many ftrange exploits, " and "and met with many wonderful adventures in his Boat Guige"lot." Speght fays, that Wade's history was long and fabulous. Pag. 126. ADD to Not. . 1. 9. "See Preface to Hearne's Rob. of Gloucefter, p. lx. And Strype's ANNALS, ii. p. 313. edit. 1725. Where Stowe is mentioned as an industrious collector of antient chronicles. In the year 1568, among the proofs of Stowe's attachment to popery, it was reported to the privy council by archbishop Grindal, that “he had a great fort "of foolish fabulous books of old print, as of fir DEGORY, fir "TRYAMOUR, &c. A great parcell also of old-written Eng"lish chronicles, both in parchment and paper." See Strype's GRINDALL. B. i. ch. xiii. pag. 125. And APPEND. Num. xvii." Pag. 127. Not. . 1. 2. After "Latin," ADD "romance. In Lincoln's-inn library there is a poem entitled BELLUM TROJANUM, Num. 150. Pr. Sichen god hade this worlde wroght. Pag. 128. 1. 7. DELE the first “ of.” Pag. 131. 1. 21. Not. col. 1. After "fables," ADD "See Wolfii Bibl. Hebr. i. 468. ii. 931. iii. 350. iv. 934." Pag. 143. Not. ". ADD "Among the Bennet manuscripts there is ROMANZ DE GUI DE WARWYK. Num. L. It begins, Puis cel tems ke deus fu nez. This book belonged to Saint Auguftin's abbey at Canterbury. With regard to the preceding romance of BEVIS, the Italians had Buovo d'Antona, undoubtedly from the French, before 1348. And Luhyd recites in Welsh, Yftori Boun o Hamtun. ARCHEOL. p. 264. Pag. 147. Not. . 1. 2. DELE "Treatife on Monarchy." Afterwards READ" that piece." Pag. 154. to 1. 14. ADD this Note, "It is "One and twenti "" inches " inches aboute." So doctor Farmer's manufcript, purchased from Mr. Martin's library. See fupr. p. 121. Not. . *. This is in English. Pag. 156. ADD to Not.. " Or perhaps, By the lyfte, is, through the air. See Lye in Junius, V. LIFT. Pag. 157. 1. 15. READ" Comnena." Pag. 158. Not. '. 1. 17. READ " area.” Pag. 161. ADD to Not. . " In the wardrobe-roll of prince Edward, afterwards king Edward the fecond, under the year 1272, the masters of the horse render their accounts for horfes purchased, specifying the colours and prices with the greatest accuracy. One of them is called, "Unus equus FAVELLUS "cum ftella in fronte, &c." Hearne's JOANN. DE TROKELOWE. Præf. p. xxvi. Here favellus is interpreted by Hearne to be honeycomb. I fuppofe he understands a dappled or roan horse. But FAVELLUS, evidently an adjective, is barbarous Latin for FALVUS, or fulvus, a dun or light yellow, a word often used to express the colour of horses and hawks. See Carpentier, SUPPL. Du Fresne LAT. GLOSS. V. FAVELLUS. tom. ii. p. 370. It is hence that king Richard's horse is called FAVEL. From which word PHANUEL, in Robert de Brunne, is a corruption. Pag. 165. Not. *. 1. 3. READ " paytrell." Pag. 170. to "corall" in l. 16. ADD this Note, "I do not perfectly understand the materials of this fairy palace. The walls thereof were of cristall And the fomers of corall. But Chaucer mentions corall in his temple of Diana. KNIGHTES TALE, V. 1912. And northward, in a touret on the wall, Of alabaftre white, and red corall, An oratorie riche for to fee. VOL. II. d Carpentier |