Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances (Volume 1); Chiefly Written During the Early Part of the Fourteenth Century to Which Is Prefixed an Historical Introduction, Intended to Illustrate the Rise and Progress of Romantic Composition in France and En (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1811. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... ROMANCES RELATING TO ARTHUR. Although this class of romances was formerly the most numerous, its metrical remains, excepting such as have been preserved in the form of ballads, are now extremely scanty. This indeed might have been expected; because, when all metre began to be considered as the vehicle of fiction, it was likely that the favourite story of Arthur would be the first to be turned into prose, for the purpose of establishing its autho-' rity beyond all dispute. On the other hand, as the art of reading made a slow progress amongst the vulgar, it was natural that parts of the metrical tale should be detached for their use, and, in the shape of songs, be committed to oral tradition. Mr Warton, however, has given us an extract from the St Graal, a metrical fragment, said to consist of 40,000 lines, composed in the reign of Henry VI. by Thomas Lonelich; and in the same reign Robert de Thornton is sup posed to have written the romance of Percyvell of Galles, which is still preserved in the library of Lincoln cathedral. Concerning the former it is difficult to feel much interest, after perusing the deplorably dull extract given by Mr Warton; and of the second I have been unable to procure a transcript. The tale of Merlin was perhaps at first nothing more than part of the Brut, as composed either by Gaimar or by Wace; in which shape it was certainly, as the French writers generally describe it, the most antient of all the romances; but the immediate original from which our English translation was made must have undergone many interpolations, because it contains a variety of fabulous matter which had not found its way into the history of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The following abstract was made from a transcript of the MS. No. 150, in the library of Lincoln's Inn;...