V.

THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR.

We have here a short summary of K. Arthur's history as given by Geof, of Monmouth and the old chronicles, with the addition of a few circumstances from the romance Morte Arthur.'-The ancient chronicle of Ger. de Leew (quoted above in p. 24,), seems to have been chiefly followed: upon the authority of which we have restored some of the names which were corrupted in the MS. and have transposed one stanza, which appeared to be misplaced, [viz. that beginning at v. 49. which in the MS. followed v. 36.]

Printed from the Editor's ancient folio Manuscript.

OF Brutus' blood, in Brittaine borne,
King Arthur I am to name;

Through Christendome, and Heathynesse,
Well knowne is my worthy fame.

In Jesus Christ I doe beleeve;
I am a christyan bore:

The Father, Sone, and Holy Gost,

One God, I doe adore.

In the four hundred ninetieth yeere,

Over Brittaine I did rayne,

After my savior Christ his byrth:
What time I did maintaine

The fellowshipp of the table round,
Soe famous in those dayes;
Whereatt a hundred noble knights,

And thirty sat alwayes:

Who for their deeds and martiall feates,

As bookes done yett record,

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Ver. 1. Bruite his, MS.-Ver. 9. He began his reign A.D. 515, according to the Chronicies.

Amongst all other nations

Wer feared throwgh the world.

And in the castle of Tyntagill
King Uther mee begate
Of Agyana a bewtyous ladye,
And come of [hie] estate.

And when I was fifteen yeere old,
Then was I crowned kinge:
All Brittaine that was att an upròre.
I did to quiett bringe.

And drove the Saxons from the realme,

Who had opprest this land;

All Scotland then throughe manly feats
I conquered with my hand.

Ireland, Denmarke, Norway,
These countryes wan I all;
Iseland, Gotheland, and Swethland;
And made their kings my thrali.

I conquered all Gallya,

That now is called France;

And slew the hardy Froll in feild

My honor to advance.

And the ugly gyant Dynabus

So terrible to vewe,

That in Saint Barnards mount did lye,

By force of armes I slew:

Ver. 23, She is named Igerna in the old Chronicles.-Ver. 24, his, MS.— Ver. 39, Froland field, MS. Froll according to the Chronicles was a Roman knight, governor of Gaul.-Ver. 41, Danibus, MS.

B

And Lucyus the emperour of Rome

I brought to deadly wracke;

And a thousand more of noble knightes
For feare did turne their backe:

Five kinges of [paynims] I did kill
Amidst that bloody strife;
Besides the Grecian emperour
Who alsoe lost his liffe.

Whose carcasse I did send to Rome

Cladd poorlye on a beere;
And afterward I past Mount-Joye
The next approaching yeere.

Then I came to Rome, where I was mett

Right as a conquerour,

And by all the cardinalls solempnelye

I was crowned an emperour.

One winter there I made abode:
Then word to mee was brought

How Mordred had oppressd the crowne:
What treason he had wrought

Att home in Brittaine with my queene;
Therfore I came with speede
To Brittaine backe, with all my power,
To quitt that traiterous deede:

And soone at Sandwiche I arrivde.

Where Mordred me withstoode :

But yett at last I landed there,
With effusion of much blood.

Ver. 49, of Pavye, MS.

75

80

85

For there my nephew sir Gawaine dyed,

Being wounded in that sore,

The whiche sir Lancelot in fight

Had given him before.

Thence chased I Mordered away,
Who fledd to London right,
From London to Winchester, and
To Cornewalle tooke his flyght.

And still I him pursued with speed
Till at the last wee mett:
Wherby an appointed day of fight
Was there agreed and sett.

Where we did fight, of mortal life
Eche other to deprive,

Till of a hundred thousand men
Scarce one was left a live.

There all the noble chivalrye

Of Brittaine tooke their end.

O see how fickle is their state

That doe on feates depend!

There all the traiterous men were slaine
Not one escapte away;

And there dyed all my vallyant knightes.
Alas! that woefull day!

Two and twenty yeere I ware the crowne
In honor and great fame;

And thus by death was suddenlye

Deprived of the same.

Ver. 92, perhaps jules.

VI.

A DYTTIE TO HEY DOWNE.

Copied from an old MS. in the Cotton Library, [Vesp. A. 25,] intitled. 'Divers things of Hen. viij's time.'

WHO sekes to tame the blustering winde,

Or causse the floods bend to his wyll,
Or els against dame nature's kinde

To [change] things frame by cunning skyll:
That man I thinke bestoweth paine,
Thoughe that his laboure be in vaine.

Who strives to breake the sturdye steele,
Or goeth about to staye the sunne;
Who thinks to causse an oke to reele,

Which never can by force be done:
That man likewise bestoweth paine,
Thoughe that his laboure be in vaine.

Who thinks to stryve against the streame,
And for to sayle without a maste;
Unlesse he thinks perhapps to faine,

His travell ys forelorne and waste;
And so in cure of all his paine,
His travell ys his cheffest gaine.

So he lykewise, that goes about

To please eche eye and every earc,
Had nede to have withouten doubt

A golden gyft with hym to beare;
For evyll report shall be his gaine,
Though he bestowe both toyle and paine.

Ver. 4, cause, MS.

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