XVIII. The Boy and the Mantle. AS REVISED AND ALTERED BY A MODERN HAND. MR. WARTON, in his ingenious Observations on Spenser, has given his opinion, that the fiction of the "Boy and the Mantle" is taken from an old French piece entitled "Le Court Mantel," quoted by M. de St. Palaye, in his curious "Memoires sur l'ancienne Chevalerie," Paris, 1759, 2 tom. 12mo.; who tells us the story resembles that of Ariosto's enchanted cup. 'Tis possible our English poet may have taken the hint of this subject from that old French romance; but he does not appear to have copied it in the manner of execution to which (if one may judge from the specimen given in the Memoires) that of the Ballad does not bear the least resemblance. After all, 'tis most likely that all the old stories concerning King Arthur are originally of British growth, and that what the French and other southern nations have of this kind were at first exported from this island. See Memoires de l'Acad. des Inscrip., tom. xx., p. 352. In the "Fabliaux ou Contes," 1781, 5 tom. 12mo., of M. Le Grand (tom. I., p. 54), is printed a modern Version of the Old Tale Le Court Mantel, under a new title, Le Manteau maltaillé, which contains the story of this Ballad much enlarged, so far as regards the Mantle, but without any mention of the Knife or the Horn. He had a sarke of silk About his middle meet; And thus with seemely curtesy, He did King Arthur greet. "God speed thee, brave King Arthur, "Ye gallant lords, and lordings, Then straitway from his bosome "Now have thou here, King Arthur, "No wife it shall become, That once hath been to blame." Then every knight in Arthur's court Slye glaunced at his dame. And first came Lady Guenever, The mantle she must trye, This dame, she was new-fangled, And of a roving eye. When she had tane the mantle, And all was with it cladde, From top to toe it shiver'd down, As tho' with sheers beshradde. And every knight in Arthurs court A morsel had to taste. The boy brought forth a horne, All golden was the rim : Said he, "No cuckolde ever can Set mouth unto the brim. "No cuckold can this little horne He shall the liquor shed." Some shed it on their shoulder, And hee that could not hit his mouth, Was sure to hit his eye. Thus he that was a cuckold, Was known of every man: But Cradock lifted easily, And wan the golden can. Thus boar's head, horn and mantle, Were this fair couple's meed: And all such constant lovers, God send them well to speed. Then down in rage came Guenever, And thus could spightful say, 160 165 170 "All frolick light and wanton She hath her carriage borne: And given thee for a kingly crown To wear a cuckold's horne." **The Rev. Evan Evans, editor of the Specimens of Welsh Poetry, 4to., affirmed that the story of the "Boy and the Mantle," is taken from what is related in some of the old Welsh MSS., of Tegan Earfron, one of King Arthur's mistresses. She is said to have possessed a mantle that would not fit any immodest or incontinent woman; this (which the old writers say, was reckoned among the curiosities of Britain) is frequently alluded to by the old Welsh Bards. CARLEILE, SO often mentioned in the Ballads of King Arthur, the editor once thought might probably be a corruption of CAER-LEON, an ancient British city on the river Uske, in Monmouthshire, which was one of the places of King Arthur's chief residence; but he is now convinced that it is no other than Carlisle, in Cumberland; the old English Minstrels, being most of them Northern men, naturally represented the Hero of Romance as residing in the North: and many of the places mentioned in the Old Ballads are still 180 to be found there; as Tearne-Wadling, &c. 175 Near Penrith is still seen a large circle, surrounded by a mound of earth, which retains the name of Arthur's Round Table. XIX. The Ancient Fragment of the Marriage of Sir Gawaine. THE Second Poem in the Third Series, entitled "The Marriage of Sir Gawaine, having been offered to the reader with large conjectural Supplements and Corrections, the old Fragment itself is here literally and exactly printed from the Editor's folio MS. with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata; that such austere Antiquaries as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate Reciters and Transcribers had been superstitiously retain- | ed, without some attempt to correct and amend them. This Ballad had most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about nine stanzas generally occur in the half-page now remaining, it is concluded that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas. KINGE Arthur liues in merry Carleile and seemely is to see and there he hath wth him Queene Genev yt bride so bright of blee And there he hath with him Queene Genever yt bride soe bright in bower & all his barons about him stoode yt were both stiffe and stowre The K. kept a royall Christmasse of mirth & great honor . . when .. [About Nine Stanzas wanting.] And bring me word what thing it is ye a woman most desire this shalbe thy ransome Arthur he sayes for Ile haue noe other hier K. Arthur then held vp his hand according thene as was the law he tooke his leaue of the baron there and hom word can he draw And when he came to Merry Carlile And there came to him his Cozen St Gawaine* O peace o peace thou gentle Gawaine Ffor when I came to tearne wadling And he asked me wether I wold fight To fight wth him I saw noe cause Therfor this is my ransome Gawaine I must come againe as I am sworne And I must bring him word what thing it is [About Nine Stanzas wanting.] Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde in one soe rich array towards the foresaid Tearne wadling yt he might keepe his day And as he rode over a more Sic. |