ING ARTHUR and the Knights of his Round Table are familiar to all lovers of old romance. But to the chroniclers in rhyme, who made their own "Histories," he is indebted not only for his fame, but, probably, for his existence; although Ritson is bitterly wroth with a "mendacious" scribbler, who presumed to doubt the actual being of this "Kyng of Englonde." The fabulous "HISTORY" of Geoffrey of Monmouth, published about the middle of the twelfth century, is the undoubted source upon which the minstrels of after ages drew so largely. If there were "romances and ballads on the same subject" anterior to his time, they have not descended to us; and there is no evidence to support his assertion that the story was translated The general impression is, that it was a by him from a very ancient book. pure invention of the "historian." It is, however, romantic, exciting, and interesting to the highest degree; and amply merits its renown, whether "founded on fact," or a mere fiction. Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, King of Britain; and the mystery of his life commenced with his birth, his father having been introduced to his mother by the interposition of the famous enchanter Merlin, in the semblance of one whose form it was criminal to have assumed. The royal birth of the boy was kept a profound secret from himself and all others; he was reared in comparative obscurity, and it was not until after the death of Uther, and consequent disputes concerning a successor to the Crown, under a belief of "his line" being extinct, that Merlin thought fit to produce the legal and rightful heir to the vacant throne. He The mode he selected was in itself a boon of magnitude to after romancers. advised the rival candidates to postpone the contest until some especial manifestation of Omnipotent Will should determine their decree. The proposal having been agreed to, almost immediately a huge stone was discovered, into which was firmly fixed a naked sword-the far-famed Excalibar-indicating that whoever should draw it forth should be elected sovereign of the Britons by the universal voice. The feat was, of course, performed by young Arthur, who was crowned "in Cardvile that noble town." Thenceforward his career was one of entire conquest, either upon a huge scale, or in single combats: nothing earthly could withstand the prowess of his stalwart arm; and against the powers of darkness he was fully armed and accoutred by his friend He proceeds from victory to victory; conquering kingdom and counsellor, Merlin. after kingdom; slaying giants innumerable; rescuing distressed damsels; destroying "wicked witches;" cutting off whole armies of Paynims and Saracens, and making sometimes killing wholesale when no more of dragons than greyhounds do of hares ;alone and unsupported, but, more usually, in company with the Knights of his Round Table. The death of Arthur was mysterious as his birth, and marvellous as his life. The particulars are fully recorded in the appended ballad. Long after his passage from earth his return to it was looked for. It is "believed by the vulgar that he still lives, and is to come hereafter to restore the dispersed and exiled Britons to their own;" agreeably to a prophecy of Merlin-who "sayd that his death shall be doubteous; and sayd soth, for men thereof yet have doubte, and shalle for ever more; for men wyt not whether that he lyveth or is dede." Witness, also, this epitaph in the "monasterial church of Glasinberi: " "Hic jacet Arthurus, rex quondam atque futurus." Selden, in his Illustrations to Drayton's "Poly-Olbion," gives a very interesting account of the discovery of Arthur's tomb. The exhumation took place in 1189; and Giraldus affirms, that the leg-bone of Arthur was three fingers' lengths taller than that of the tallest man present at the opening of the sepulchre. This statement he received from the abbot who superintended the search. An engraving of the cross is to be seen in "Camden's Britannia: " upon it is inscribed: "Hic jacet sepultus inclitus rex Arturius, in insula Avalonia." It has also been engraved in Whitaker's "History of Manchester;" a copy of which work, formerly in the possession of Ritson, and filled with marginal remarks, has the following on this subject by that pains-taking and accurate antiquary. He says: "to humour Henry's attachment to the memory and character of Arthur, most of the romances of the Round Table were written and composed during his reign, and at his particular instance, and many Armorican lays, relating to him, translated. The lying bards, too, set up a prophetic knowledge as to the site of his tomb, and the crafty and politic monks of Glastonbury aided and completed the deception. As the traditional actions of Arthur were of a gigantic nature, the popular opinion had made a giant of his person; and therefore the crafty monks, to accredit the silly forgery, made use of and famous History" (1534; a reprint of the edition issued from the press of our first printer, Caxton, in 1485). It is curious as displaying the idea formed by our ancestors of the Round Table, and the manner in which Arthur and his Knights were seated at it. The subjoined ballad is copied from Bishop Percy, who extracted it from his "Manuscript folio; " giving to it "some conjectural emendations, and even a supplement of three or four stanzas, composed from the romance of MORTE D'ARTHUR,"the original MS. of which exists in the Harleian Library in the British Museum. The substance of it is given by Mr. Ellis in his "SPECIMENS OF EARLY METRICAL ROMANCES." |