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A hande and an arme did meete the sworde,
And flourishd three times in the air;
Then sunke benethe the renninge streme,

170

And of the duke was seene noe mair.

All sore astonied stood the duke;

He stood as still, as still mote bee:
Then hastend backe to telle the kinge;

175

But he was gone from under the tree.

But to what place he cold not tell,

For never after hee did him spye:
But hee sawe a barge goe from the land,
And hee heard ladyes howle and crye.*

And whether the kinge were there, or not,
Hee never knewe, nor ever colde:
For from that sad and direfulle daye,
Hee never more was seene on molde.

180

V. 178, see. MS.

* Not unlike that passage in Virgil :

Summoque ulularunt vertice nymphæ.

Ladies was the word our old English writers used for nymphs: as in the following lines of an old song in the Editor's folio MS. "When scorching Phœbus he did mount,

Then Lady Venus went to hunt :

To whom Diana did resort,

With all the Ladyes of hills, and valleys,
Of springs, and floodes," &c.

V.

The Legend of King Arthur.

We have here a short summary of King Arthur's history as given by Jeff. of Monmouth and the old Chronicles, with the addition of a few circumstances from the romance Morte Arthur. The ancient chronicle of Ger. de Leew, (quoted above in p. 67,) seems to have been chiefly followed: upon the authority of which we have restored some of the names which were corrupted in the MS. and have transposed one stanza, which appeared to be misplaced, [viz. that beginning at v. 49, which in the MS. followed v. 36.]

Printed from the Editor's ancient folio MS.

OF Brutus' blood, in Brittaine borne,
King Arthur I am to name;

Through Christendome, and Heathynesse,

Well knowne is my worthy fame.

In Jesus Christ I doe beleeve;

I am a christyan bore:

The Father, Sone, and Holy Gost

One God, I doe adore.

In the four hundred ninetieth yeere,

5

Oer Brittaine I did rayne,

Ver. 1, Bruite his. MS.

10

V. 9, He began his reign A.D. 515, according to the Chronicles.

After my savior Christ his byrth :
What time I did maintaine

The fellowshipp of the table round,

Soe famous in those dayes;

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V. 23. She is named Igerna in the old Chronicles.
V. 24, his. MS.

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Soe terrible to vewe,

That in Saint Barnards mount did lye,

By force of armes I slew :

And Lucyus the emperour of Rome

I brought to deadly wracke;

And a thousand more of noble knightes

For feare did turne their backe:

45

Five kinges of paynims' I did kill

Amidst that bloody strife;

Besides the Grecian emperour
Who alsoe lost his liffe.

Whose carcasse I did send to Rome

Cladd poorlye on a beere;

50

V. 39, Froland field. MS. Froll, according to the Chronicles, was a Roman knight, governor of Gaul.

V. 41, Danibus. MS.

V. 49, of Pavye. MS.

And afterward I past Mount-Joye

The next approaching yeere.

Then I came to Rome, where I was mett
Right as a conquerour,

And by all the cardinalls solempnelye

I was crowned an emperour.

One winter there I made abode :

Then word to mee was brought

Howe Mordred had oppressd the crowne:
What treason he had wrought

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