Likewise assayed to prove that girdle's powre. And snatching from her hand,' &c. As for the trial of the Horne, it is not peculiar to our Poet: It occurs in the old romance, intitled 'Morte Arthur,' which was translated out of French in the time of K. Edw. IV. and first printed anno 1484. From that romance Ariosto is thought to have borrowed his tale of the Enchanted Cup, C. 42, &c. See Mr Warton's 'Observations on the Faerie Queen,' &c. The story of the Horn in Morte Arthur varies a good deal from this of our Poet, as the reader will judge from the following extract. "By the way they met with a knight that was sent from Morgan la Faye to king Arthur, and this knight had a fair horne all garnished with gold, and the horne had such a virtue, that there might no ladye or gentlewoman drinke of that horne, but if she were true to her husband: and if shee were false she should spill all the drinke, and if shee were true unto her lorde, she might drink peaceably: and because of queene Guenever, and in despite of Sir Launcelot du Lake, this horne was sent unto king Arthur.'- -This horn is intercepted and brought unto another king named Marke, who is not a whit more fortunate than the British hero, for he makes his qeene drinke thereof and an hundred ladies moe, and there were but foure ladies of all those that drank cleane' of which number the said queen proves not to be one [Book II. chap. 22. Ed. 1632.] In other respects the two stories are so different, that we have just reason to suppose this Ballad was written before that romance was translated into English. As for queen Guenever, she is here represented no otherwise than in the old Histories and Romances. Holinshed observes, that she was evil reported of, as noted of incontinence and breach of faith to hir husband.' Vol. I. p. 93. Such Readers as have no relish for pure antiquity will find a more modern copy of this Ballad at the end of the volume. IN the third day of may, To Carleile did come A kind curteous child, That cold much of wisdome. A kirtle and a mantle He had a sute of silke Ver 7, Branches, MS. 5 10 Without he cold of curtesye 'God speed thee, king Arthur, And the goodly queene Guénever, I tell you, lords, in this hall; He plucked out of his [poterner,] He pulled forth a pretty mantle, 'Have thou here, king Arthur; 'Itt shall never become that wiffe, Then every knight in the kings court Forth came dame Guénever; Ver. 18, heate, MS.-Ver. 21, poterver, MS.-Ver. 32, his wiffe, MS.-Ver. 34, bided, MS. When shee had taken the mantle; One while was itt [gule]; Another while was it blacke "By my troth,' quoth king Arthur, Shee threw downe the mantle, Fast with a rudd redd, To her chamber can shee flee. 6 She curst the weaver, and the walker, And bade a vengeance on his crowne, 'I had rather be in a wood, 55 60 |