III.

KING RYENCE'S CHALLENGE.

THIS song is more modern than many of those which follow it, but is placed here for the sake of the subject. It was sung before queen Elizabeth at the grand entertainment at Kenelworth-castle in 1575, and was probably composed for that occasion. In a letter describing those festivities, it is thus mentioned: "A Minstral came forth with a sollem song, warranted for story out of K. Arthur's acts, whereof I gat a copy, and is this:

After the song the narrative proceeds: "At this the Minstrell made a pause and a curtezy for Primus Passus. More of the song is thear, but I gatt it not."

The story in " Morte Arthur," whence it is taken, runs as follows: "Came a messenger hastely from king Ryence of NorthWales, saying, that 'king Ryence had discomfited and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did him homage, and that was this: they gave him their beards cleane flayne off.-wherefore the messenger came for king Arthur's beard, for king Ryence had purfeled a mantell with kings beards, and there lacked for one a place of the mantell, wherefore he sent for his beard, or else he would enter into his lands, and brenn and slay, and never leave till he have thy head and thy beard.' 'Well,' said king Arthur, thou hast said thy message, which is the most villainous and lewdest message that ever man heard sent to a king. Also thou mayest see my beard is full young yet for to make a purfell of, but tell thou the king that—or it be long he shall do to me homage on both his knees, or else he shall leese his head'." [B. i. c. 24. See also the same Romance, B. i. c. 92.]

The thought seems to be originally taken from Jeff. Monmouth's Hist. B. x. c. 3, which is alluded to by Drayton in his Poly-Olb. Song 4, and by Spenser in Faer. Qu. 6, 1. 13, 15. See the "Observations on Spenser," vol. ii. p. 223,

The following text is composed of the best readings selected from three different copies. The first in Enderbie's "Cambria Triumphans," p. 197. The second in the Letter abovemen

tioned. And the third inserted in MS. in a copy of "Morte Arthur," 1632, in the Bodl. Library.

Stow tells us, that king Arthur kept his round table at "diverse places, but especially at Carlion, Winchester, and Camalet in Somersetshire. This Camalet, sometimes a famous towne or castle, is situate on a very high tor or hill," &c. [See an exact description in Stow's Annals, Ed. 1631, p. 55.]

As it fell out on a Pentecost day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall,
With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay;
And many bold barons sitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;
And heraults in hewkes, hooting on high,
Cryed, Largesse, Largesse, Chevaliers tres-hardie.*

A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas
Right pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee;
With steven fulle stoute amids all the preas,

Sayd, "Nowe, sir king Arthur, God save thee, and see!

Sir Ryence of North-gales greeteth well thee,

And bids thee thy beard anon to him send,

Or else from thy jaws he will it off rend.

For his robe of state is a rich scarlet mantle,
With eleven kings beards bordered † about,
And there is room lefte yet in a kantle,

For thine to stande, to make the twelfth out:
This must be done, be thou never so stout;
This must be done, I tell thee no fable,
Maugre the teethe of all thy round table."

When this mortal message from his mouthe past,
Great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower:

*"Largesse, Largesse." The heralds resounded these words as oft as they received of the bounty of the knights. See "Memoires de la Chevalerie," tom. i. p. 99.-The expression is still used in the form of installing knights of the garter.

ti. e. set round the border, as furs are now round the gowns of Magistrates.

The king fum'd; the queene screecht; ladies were aghast :

Princes puffd; barons blustred; lords began lower : Knights stormed; squires startled, like steeds in a

stower:

Pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall,

Then in came sir Kay, the 'king's' seneschal.

"Silence, my soveraignes," quoth this courteous knight, And in that stound the stowre began still : 'Then' the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight; Of wine and wassel he had his wille :

And, when he had eaten and drunken his fill, An hundred pieces of fine coyned gold

Were given this dwarf for his message bold.

"But say to sir Ryence, thou dwarf," quoth the king, "That for his bold message I do him defye; And shortlye with basins and pans will him ring Out of North-gales; where he and I

With swords, and not razors, quickly shall trye, Whether he, or king Arthur will prove the best barbor:" And therewith he shook his good sword Excalàbor.

*

tit Strada, in his "Prolusions," has ridiculed the story of the Giant's Mantle, made of the Beards of Kings.

IV.

KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.

A FRAGMENT.

THE subject of this ballad is evidently taken from the old romance "Morte Arthur," but with some variations, especially in the concluding stanzas; in which the author seems rather to follow the traditions of the old Welsh Bards, who "believed that King Arthur was not dead, but conveied awaie by the

Fairies into some pleasant place, where he should remaine for a time, and then returne againe and reign in as great authority as ever." Holingshed. B. 5. c. 14. or as it is expressed in an old Chronicle printed at Antwerp 1493, by Ger. de Leew, "The Bretons supposen, that he [K. Arthur]—shall come yet and conquere all Bretaigne, for certes this is the prophicye of Merlyn: He sayd, that his deth shall be doubteous; and sayd soth, for men thereof yet have doubte, and shullen for ever more, -for men wyt not whether that he lyveth or is dede." See more ancient testimonies in Selden's "Notes on Polyolbion," Song iii.

This fragment being very incorrect and imperfect in the original MS. hath received some conjectural emendations, and even a supplement of 3 or 4 stanzas composed from the romance of "Morte Arthur."

ON Trinitye Mondaye in the morne,
This sore battayle was doom'd to bee;
Where manye a knighte cry'd, "Well-awaye !"
Alacke, it was the more pittìe.

Ere the first crowinge of the cocke,
When as the kinge in his bed laye,
He thoughte sir Gawaine to him came, *
And there to him these wordes did saye.

"Nowe, as you are mine unkle deare,

And as you prize your life, this daye
O meet not with your foe in fighte;
Putt off the battayle, if yee maye.

For sir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce,

And with him many an hardye knighte:
Who will within this moneth be backe,
And will assiste yee in the fighte."

The kinge then call'd his nobles all,
Before the breakinge of the daye;

And tolde them howe sir Gawaine came,
And there to him these wordes did saye.

5

10

15

20

*Sir Gawaine had been killed at Arthur's landing on his re

turn from abroad.

See the next Ballad, ver. 73.

His nobles all this counsayle gave,
That earlye in the morning, hee
Shold send awaye an herauld at armes,
To aske a parley faire and free.

Then twelve good knightes king Arthure chose, 25
The best of all that with him were:
To parley with the foe in field,

And make with him agreement faire.

The king he charged all his hoste,
In readinesse there for to bee:
But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre,
Unlesse a sword drawne they shold see.

And Mordred on the other parte,

Twelve of his knights did likewise bringe; The beste of all his companye,

To hold the parley with the kinge.

Sir Mordred alsoe charged his hoste,
In readinesse there for to bee;
But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre,
But if a sworde drawne they shold see.

For he durste not his unkle truste,
Nor he his nephewe, sothe to tell :
Alacke! it was a woefulle case,
As ere in Christentye befelle.

But when they were together mette,

And both to faire accordance broughte;

And a month's league betweene them sette,
Before the battayle sholde be foughte;

An addere crept forth of a bushe,

30

35

40

45

Stunge one o' th' king's knightes on the knee: 50 Alacke! it was a woefulle chance,

As ever was in Christentìe.

When the knighte found him wounded sore,
And sawe the wild-worme hanginge there;

V. 41, 42. the folio MS. reads "father"

....

66

sonne."