poet not dissimilar to him, named Robert of Gloucester. His surname is unknown, and so are the particulars of his history. We know only that he was a monk of Gloucester Abbey, that he lived in the reigns of Henry III. and Edward I., and that he translated the Legends of Geoffrey of Monmouth, and continued the History of England down to the time of Edward I. This work is wonderfully minute, and, generally speaking, accurate in its topography as well as narrative, and was of service to Selden when he wrote his Notes to Drayton's 'Polyolbion.' It is more valuable in this respect than as a piece of imagination. He narrates the grandest events-such as the first crusaders bursting into Asia, with a sword of fire hung in the firmament before them, and beckoning them on their way-as coolly as he might the emigration of a colony of ants. Yet, although there is little animation or poetry in his general manner, he usually succeeds in riveting the reader's attention; and the speeches he puts into the mouths of his heroes glow with at least rhetorical fire. And as a critic truly remarks-'In justice to the ancient versifier, we should remember that he had still only a rude language to employ, the speech of boors and burghers, which, though it might possess a few songs and satires, could afford him no models of heroic narration. In such an age the first occupant passes uninspired over subjects which might kindle the highest enthusiasm in the poet of a riper period, as the savage treads unconsciously in his deserts over mines of incalculable value, without sagacity to discover or inplements to explore them.' We give the following extracts from Robert of Gloucester's poem : THE SPORTS AND SOLEMNITIES WHICH FOLLOWED KING ARTHUR'S CORONATION. The king was to his palace, tho the service was ydo,1 Y led with his meinie," and the queen to her also. For they held the old usages, that men with men were By themselve, and women by themselve also there. When they were each one yset, as it to their state become, Of noble men, yclothed in ermine each one 3 Tho the service was ydo:' when the service was done.- 'Meinie:' attend ante. Nome:' brought Of one suit, and served at this noble feast anon. Nome also in his half a fair company Of one suit for to serve of the botelery. Before the queen it was also of all such courtesy, For to tell all the nobley that there was ydo, Though my tongue were of steel, me should nought dure thereto. But he were in arms well yproved, and attë least thrye. That made, lo, the women the chaster life lead, And the knights the stalwarder, and the better in their deed. In fields and in meadows to prove their bachlery,3 With playing at tables, other attë chekere,* With casting, other with setting,5 other in some other mannere. The king them of his giftës did large courtesy. Up the alurs of the castle the ladies then stood, And beheld this noble gamë, and which knights were good. In halles and in fieldës, of meat and eke of play. These men come the fourth day before the kingë there, And castles and townës knights that were ycome. AN OLD TRADITION. It was a tradition invented by the old fablers that giants brought the stones of Stonehenge from the most sequestered deserts of Africa, and placed them in Ireland; that every stone was washed with juices of herbs, and contained a medical power; and that Merlin, the magician, at the request of King Arthur, transported them from Ireland, and erected them in circles on the plain of Amesbury, as a sepulchral monument for the Britons treacherously slain by Hengist. This fable is thus delivered, without decoration, by Robert of Glocester : 'Sir king,' quoth Merlin then,' such thingës ywis Ne be for to shew nought, but when great need is, For if I said in bismare, other but it need were, Soon from me he would wend, the ghost that doth me lere.'s 1 'Druery:' modesty, decorum.-Thrye:' thrice.-3 'Bachlery:' chivalry, courage, or youth.- 'Chekere:' chess.--5 'With casting, other with setting:' different ways of playing at chess.-6 Alurs:' walks made within the battlements of the castle. Extë dayës:' high, or chief days.— If I should say any thing out of wantonness or vanity, the spirit which teaches me would immediately leave me. The king, then none other n'as, bid him some quaintise After the noble stones that there habbet3 long ystand; Me would ween that in this landë no stone to wonke n'ere.' For in the farrest stude of Afric giants while fet 8 These stones for medicine and in Ireland them set, While they wonenden in Ireland to make their bathës there, For they would the stones wash and therein bathe ywis; And fifteen thousand men, this deede for to do, ARTHUR'S INTRIGUE WITH YGERNE. At the feast of Easter the king sent his sond,10 That they comen all to London the high men of this lond, For he shoulde crown here, for the high tide. All the noble men of this land to the noble feast come, And their wives and their daughtren with them many nome,11 This feast was noble enow, and nobliche ydo; For many was the fair lady that ycome was thereto. Ygerne, Gorloys' wife, was fairest of each one, That was Countess of Cornëwall, for so fair n'as there none. 1 Bade him use his cunning, for the sake of the bodies of those noble and wise Britons. Kylar:' Kildare.—3 'Habbet:' have.— ‘The treche of giants:' 'The dance of giants.' The name of this collection of immense stones.- 'Myd:' with.-Somdeal to-lygh:' somewhat laughed.-'Fale:' many.-8 Giants once brought them from the furthest part of Africa. 9 Hett:' was called.-10 Sond:' mesBage. Nome:' took. 11 16 The king beheld her fast enow, and his heart on her cast, For he must of great counsel have some insight. That was for nought. Would he not, the king sent yet his sond, That he byleved at his parlement, for need of the lond. The king was, when he n'oldë not, anguyssous and wroth. For despite he would a-wreak be he swore his oath, But he come to amendement. His power attë last Gorloys his castles a store all about. In a strong castle he did his wife, for of her was all his doubt. If cas come, that they were both to death ybrought. For I ween all the land ne should it myd strengthë win. And nought for then, if Merlin at the counsel were, If any might, he couthë the best rede thee lere.'" Merlin was soon of sent, pled it was him soon, And natheless, 'Sir king,' he said, 'there may to mast'ry, This art was all clean ydo, that all changed they were, Ypayed:' satisfied.- 'Myd:' with.- 'Byleve: stay.- Cas: chance.Lere:' teach. They three in the others' form, the selve as it were. The porter ysaw his lord come, and his most privy twei, And smote out in a full will, and fought myd there fone: And the castle was ynome, and the folk to-sprad there, Yet, though they hadde all ydo, they ne found not the king there. The tiding to the countess soon was ycome, That her lord was yslaw, and the castle ynome. And when the messenger him saw the earl, as him thought, The countess made somedeal deol, for no sothness they nuste. 'Dame,' he said, 'no sixt thou well, that les it is all this: And for my men, that the king and his power slew. And my power is to lute, therefore I dreadë sore, Lestë the king us nyme here, and sorrow that we were more. Therefore I will, how so it be, wend against the king, And make my peace with him, ere he us to shamë bring.' Forth he went, and hetR his men if the king come, That they shouldë him the castle yield, ere he with strength it nome. So he come toward his men, his own form he nome, And leaved the earl's form, and the king Uther become. Wend:' thought.-3 Ynome:' taken.- 'Deol:' grief. 1Nuste:' knew. 3 'Nyme:' take.- 'Het:' bade. |