the only scholar employed in the education of youth, who beheld with affright the popularity of the Mort Arthur; Francis Meres in his Wit's Commonwealth, 1598, 268, says "As the Lord de la Nouue in the sixe discourse of his politike and military discourses censureth of the bookes of Amadis de Gaule, which he saith are no less hurtfull to youth, than the workes of Machiavell, to age; so these bookes are accordingly to be censured of, whose names follow; Bevis of Hampton, Guy of Warwicke, Arthur of the Round Table, &c." In opposition to this censure however, which savors much of puritanism, I with pleasure cite the following passage from Mr. Ritson's Dissertation on Romance and Minstrelsy, vol. i. p. 145. "It is no slight honour to ancient romance, that so late as the seventeenth century, when it was become superannuated and obsolete, the expansive and enlightened mind of our British Homer was enraptured with the study, as is manifested, by frequent and happy illusions, in his two principal poems:

"And what resounds

In fable or romance of Uther's son,

Begirt with British and Armoric knights," &c.

Paradise Lost, B. i. v. 579. And see Par. Reg. B. iii. v. 336.

"He had even meditated a metrical romance, or epick poem, upon the story of Arthur." That the study of our old romances did not appear to the immortal Milton, fraught with such dangerous consequences as Ascham and Meres supposed, is further evident from his saying, "Next, I betook me among those lofty fables and romances, which recount, in sublime cantos, the deeds of knighthood. So that even these books, proved to me so many enticements to the love and stedfast observation of virtue." Toland's Life, p. 35.*

The prose romance of the Mort Arthur, of which this work before us is a transcript, was, according to Warton, "much or most of it taken from the old French romance of Lancelot, translated from Latin into French, at the command of one of our Henries.”

* Dr. Newton, however, in his edition of Milton, censures our poet's pas sion for reading Romance.

From

From internal evidence, I should imagine it to have been a compilation from several different romances, rather than a translation of one individually. The acts of Lancelot form but a portion of the body of the book, in which are related the histories of various other knights, and also the achievements of the Saint Greall.

There were various different romances on the subject of Arthur at a very early period, most, if not all of them founded on the basis afforded by Geffrey of Monmouth," to whose strange chronicle we owe," says Mr. Ellis, "the first outline of our earliest and best romances." From the Prologue to the work by Caxton, it appears, I think, to have been a compilation merely, as he says, "the said noble gentleman instantly required me to imprint the historie of the said noble King and conqueror, King Arthur, and of his knights, with the historie of the Sancgreall, and of the death and ending of the said King Arthur."-" And many noble volumes be made of him and his noble knights, in French, the which I have scene and read beyond the sea, which be not had in our maternall tongue. But in Welsh* be many, and also in French, and some in English, but no where nigh all. Wherefore, such as have beene late briefly drawen out into English, I have after my simple cunning, that God hath sent me, under the fauour and connection of all noble Lords and gentlemen enterprised to imprint a booke of the noble histories of the said King Arthur, and of certaine of his knights, after a copy unto me delivered. Which copy Sir Thomas Malory tooke out of certaine bookes in French, and reduced it into English."t

Of the translation and compiler of the Morte Arthur, little, I believe, is known; Hollingshead, who, although not always inimical to legendary tales, does not appear to have had much of the fashionable taste for romances of chivalry, mentions, among the learned men that lived

Malory, the translator, was a Welshman.

The testimony of a modern writer of considerable celebrity, adds strength to this opinion; he says "the Adventures of Tristram make a part of the collection, called the Morte Arthur, containing great part of the history of the Round Table, extracted at hazard, and without much art or combination, from the various French prose folics on that favourite topic." Scott's Introduction to Sir Tristram, p. lxxvi.

in the reign of Henry the VIIth, "Thomas Maillorie, a Welshman borne, wrote I wote not what of King Arthure, and of the Rounde Table." H. Chr. vol. ii. 1462. ed. 1577:

The translation was finished the ninth year of the reign of King Edward the IVth. The first edition was printed by Caxton, and bears the following title,* "A book of the noble hystoryes of Kynge Arthur, and of certyn of his knightes. Whiche booke was reduced into Englysshe by Syr Thomas Malory, knyght, and by me devyded into xxi bookes chapytred and emprynted, and fynyshed in thabbey Westmestre, the last day of Juyl, the year of our Lord M. CCCC. LXXXV. fol. The second edition, according to Herbert, was printed by W. de Worde, 1498, in folio; the third also in folio, by Thos. East, without date, after which, I am not aware of its being reprinted until 1634, the edition herein mentioned.

This edition commences with a preface or advertisement to the reader, for the better illustration and understanding of this famous history. This is a short chronicle of rulers in England, from the departure of the Romans from the island, until the death of Arthur, in confutation of the error, that no such person as that prince existed: one object also of this preface is, to shew the reader

"The best form and manner of writing and speech, that was in use at these times," (the reign of Edwd. IVth).-" In many places this volume is corrected † (not in language, but in phrase) for here and there, King Arthur and some of his knights were declared in their communications to sweare

To my friend the Rev. Mr. Dibdin I am indebted for the above communication; who says the title is gathered from the prologue and colophon, there being no title at full length," as Mr. Burnett supposed, (Specimens of Prose Writers, vol. i. 247.) prefixed to the edition. Of such rality is this edition, that Ritson doubted of its existence, and Herbert, without having seen it, gave a very erroneous account of it, mentioning among other inaccuracies, "a wooden cut to each book," whereas there is not a single cut throughout the volume.Of this inestimable rarity, Mr. Dibdin purposes giving a particular account in his splendid and much looked for edition of Herbert's Ames, now in the press.

The variations are trivial, and little affect the construction of the sentence: by Mr. Dibdin's kindness, I have been enabled to compare several passages of Caxton's edition with the present one.

VOL. 1.

E

prophane

prophane, and use superstitious speeches, all (or the most part) of which, is either amended or quite left out; so that as it is now, it may pass for a famous piece of antiquity, revived almost from the gulph of oblivion, and renued for the pleasure and profit of present and future times."

Then follows Caxton's prologue, giving the reasons for the publication of the work, and also confirming, from various circumstances, the reality of Arthur's existence. Caxton then prefaces the work.

"To the Christian Reader. To proceed forth in this booke, the which, I direct unto all noble princes, lords and ladies, and gentlemen, that desire to read or hear read, of the noble and joyous history of the great conquerour and excellent prince, King Arthur, sometime king of this noble realme of England, then called Great Britaine, with the noble chivalry of the worthy knights of the Round Table, I William Caxton, simple person, present this book following, which I have enterprised to imprint. In which, all those that dispose them to eschew idlenesse, which is the mother of all vices, may read historicall matters. Some are willing to reade deuoute meditations of the humanitie and passion of our Sauiour Jesus Christ. Some the liues and painful martyrdomes of holy saints. Some delight in moralisacion and poeticall stories. And some in knightly and victorious deeds of noble princes and conquerours, as of this present volume, which treateth of the noble acts and feates of armes of chivalry, prowesse, hardinesse, humanitie, loue, courtesie, and gentlenesse, with diuers and many wonderful histories and aduentures; and for to understand briefly the contents of this present volume, comprehending the valiant of this noble conqueror, with his lamentable death, caused by Sir Mordred his sonne and the subjects of his realme. I have devided it into three parts, and every part into sundry chapters, as hereafter, by God's grace, shall follow."

The first part contains 153 chapters; the second part 173; the third 176; before each part is given a table of

contents.

I shall select a few specimens of the language and incidents, which will be less numerous, from the probability that this now scarce work, will, ere long, be given to the public in a reprint.

The work commences with the visit of the Duke of Cornewayle and the fair Igrayne his wife to the court of Uther Pendraygon, King of England: the King and the

Duke

Duke having long been at variance, this visit was brought about for the purpose of reconciling them: the endeavours of their mutual friends were effectual, and returning amity succeeded to long protracted_war. Better, however, had it been for the unfortunate Duke, still to have considered his too powerful neighbour as an enemy; for the friendship of Uther was of so warm a nature, as speedily to be converted into love for the beauteous Igrayne." The King liked and loued this lady well, and made her great cheare out of measure, and desired to have lyen by her." This honour, however great, does not appear to have had much temptation. for the Duchess. "She was a passing good woman, and would not assent to the King." Not satisfied with repulsing his overtures, she communicated to the Duke her husband, the solicitations of the monarch and in consequence, they both instantly took their departure. from the court.

Uther's passion was not to be cured by the absence of the beloved object, but raising an army, he immediately set forward into Cornwall. The Duke had divided his forces: one party garrisoned his castle of Tintagill, in which fair Igrayne resided, and with the other, he in person defended the castle of Terrabyll. This castles strength long laughed a siege to scorn," and although frequent fkirmishes occurred, the King made little progress in his wishes.

The passion of Uther, at length, became too great for his strength, and nature yielded to its violence: he fell sick-courtiers are always at hand to administer to the pleasures or passions of a monarch; and Sir Ulfius, one of Uther's knights, having inquired into the nature of his master's malady, received from the King this reply, "I am sick for anger and for love of fair Igrayne that I may not be whole." Sir Ulfius, like many other physicians, thinking a knowledge of the disorder nearly equivalent to its cure, immediately searches for a remedy in the person of the famous Merlin. This celebrated character contributes by his art to the gratification of the King's desires, and upon condition that the child to be born from the intercourse shall be delivered to him, brings about an interview between the