BOOK VI. LITERARY HISTORYOF ENGLAND. Most of the names of the persons and places mentioned in these romances, on Arthur and his knights, are to be found in the ancient Welsh remains that still survive to us; which is a strong indication of their primitive source. The Anglo-Norman poetess, Marie, of the thirteenth century, also declares, that she took her lays from Breton sources; 23 and these mention so many places and persons of Bretagne or Great Britain, as to prove, by their internal evidence, that their original authors must have been from one or other of these countries; 24 and thus her poems confirm the former evidence, that the Bretons had bards, poets or minstrels, who composed romantic tales. From all these circumstances, it seems to be a safe historical inference, that the romances on Arthur and the Round Table originated in Bretagne, and most probably entered into that country from Wales. 25 23 Marie expressly declares, that she had heard the lays recited, and what she had heard she has rimed I had selected the passages in which she refers to her Breton authorities, but as I find most of them quoted in the new edition of Warton, lxxvii-lxxxii, I will only quote the pages I had noted: pp. 50. 112. 114. 136. 138. 250. 252. 270. 314. 326. 367. 400. 484. 540. 542. 580. 24 Thus in Equitain, Nantz, p. 114. In La Frene, Dol, p. 164. In Lanval, Arthur, Carduel, Logres (Llogyr, the Welsh name for England,) the Escos and Pis (the Scots and Picts,) p. 202. Gaiwains and Ivains (Gwalchmar and Owen,) p. 220. D. Cornwall, 234. Avalon, p. 250. In Chevrefeuille; Tristram, King Markes, South Wales, Cornuwaile and Tintagel, 388-392. In Eleduc; Bretaine the Mineure, Loegre, Totness, Exeter, 400-58. In Graelent; Bretaigne, 486. In D'Ywenec; Caerwent; the Duglas; Incole (Lincoln;) Ireland, Caerlien, 272-306. In Milon; South Wales, Northumbre, Southampton, 328-350. In L'Epine; Caerlion, Bretaigne, 542; and, in Laustic, the Breton name for the nightingale, and St. Malo, 314, 315. 25 M. Roquefort is of the same opinion. He remarks, that the greatest part of the persons are Armorican; that the scene is always in Little or Great Britain; and that the Bretons have been so fond of their fairies, as to still have in their country the fairy rock, the fairy grotto, the fairy valley, the fairy fountain, &c. See his Poesies de Marie, V. 1. 32-4: He V. That in the eleventh century, just before the CHAP. earliest of these romances appeared, the Breton intellect was in an active and productive state, we may ROMANCES infer from the observation of bishop Otto, who near ARTHUR that period wrote, " Bretagne is full of clerks, who AND THE have acute minds, and apply them to the arts. " 26 The famous Abelard, born before 1100, and his master Roscelin, were Bretons; and Abelard's father, a Breton knight, was so fond of letters, that tho his son was his eldest child, he would, very unlike the custom of the feudal nobility of other countries, have him well instructed in letters before he learnt the use of arms.27 These facts imply strongly the cultivation of the Breton mind at that period; 28 and shew, that while the love of literature was then dormant all around, it was pervading this peculiar and maritime province, which had a history, an ancestry, and a language different from the rest of France.29 adds, that the Isle of Saine, where the fairies lived; the forest of Brechelians near Quintin, where the tomb of Merlin was placed; the fountain of Barenton, and the wonderful Penon, were all placed in Bretagne. Roquefort Marie, 33. 20 Otto Fris. c. 47. p. 433. See Abelard's Works, as quoted hereafter. 28 We may also remember, that Turpin's printed book remarks, that of Hoel count of Nantz, and therefore a Breton chief, whom he places with Charlemagne, a ballad was sung, Usque in hodiernam diem.' Some MSS. support the application of this passage to Hoel, but most give it to Ogier the Dane. On this subject two important intimations are given by Pitts and Bale, which we must rather recollect than lean upon. The first mentions, as Warton noticed, that an Eremita Britannus, A. D. 720,' wrote on the St. Graal, and on Arthur and on his round table and knights. Pitts, p. 122. Tanner mentions that Bale saw some fragments of this work. Bib. 263. He also, with Pitts, ascribes to 'Gildas Quartûes,' whom he places in 860,- Works on Arthur-de milite Leonis; de milite Quadrigæ; de Percevallo et Lanceloto; de Galguano et aliis,' p. 122. Pitts, 166. Tanner in his Bib. p. 319. has inserted this Gildas, and these titles of his alleged works. As no MSS. of any of these works exist, the asser. tions of these bibliographers cannot be taken as historical certainties: et we have no reason absolutely to reject them. It certainly corresponds UPON ROUND TABLE. BOOK VI. ENGLAND. The earliest romance that was composed on the subject of Arthur, appears to have been that on LITERARY Tristan. It seems to have been written in prose, and HISTORY OF probably in Latin, if the assertion, that Luces de Gast translated it, be correct; 30 and if in Latin, we must refer it to some of those clerical authors, who appear to have been the first cultivators of every branch of the middle age literature. It was afterwards versified by Chretien de Troyes, before the twelfth century closed," and, either in prose or verse, must have been in circulation soon after the middle of that period, as it is quoted by a troubadour who was then flourishing." It was in the reign with all the probabilities of the subject, that there should be books or tales on Arthur long before Jeffry of Monmouth. The expressions of Wace import strongly that there were many Breton tales about the Round Table, and about Arthur, before his time, which, as he was a contemporary of Jeffry of Monmouth, must have been independent of this history. Of the Round Table, he says— Fist Artur la ronde table Dunt Breton dient meinte fable. So he remarks, that numerous tales existed of Arthur: Tant ont li conture conté e lui fablar tant fable Pur lui contes enbeler Ke tuz les funt a fables tenir. MS. Bib. Reg. 13. A 21. As Wace finished his work in 1155, the above is good evidence of Breton tales then abounding, exclusive of Jeffry's book; and as his verbs are in the past tense, the fair inference is, that these tales were of a previous date and origin. 30 Roquefort dates it in 1170. The MS. in the Royal Library at Paris, N° 6977, ascribes it to Luces. But the one of Rusticien de Pise, mentions Luces as only beginning it. On the subject of the original Tristan, and on the claims preferred by Sir Walter Scott, and disputed on strong grounds by the last editor of Warton, of Thomas the Rymer being its author, I will refer the reader to his poem as published with notes by sir Walter, and to the remarks added to Warton, I. p. 181–198. 31 M. Roquefort places his work in 1180. This author died in 1191. Etat. Poes. 148. 32 It is Pons de Capdeuil who thus notices it:— Domna genser qu'ieu sai, Mais vos am ses bausia No fetz Tristans s'amia E nuill pro non hi ai.-Anguis Poet. Fr. 1. p. 17. V. of Henry II., whose eldest son, that died in his life- CHAP. time, was, while he lived, Henry III., that the principal romances on the Round Table were translated ROMANCES or composed; and of some of these, Walter Mapes is named as the translator. This romance was soon followed by the St. Graal, Giron le Courtois, Lancelot, Mort du Roi Artur, Merlin, and several others. The connexion of Breton tales with the romances and ancient poetry of France is indeed a very curious subject, which has been too little attended to. The want of materials may have caused the neglect; but it deserves a careful investigation. In our fifth volume of this History, we shall notice the fact, that even the singular topics and manners of the Provençal Troubadours have some unexpected association with the Breton tales.33 Marie also mentions Tristan. But for the multifarious facts and reason, ings that have been published on this subject, the reader may consult Mr. Warton's history, in the last edition; Mr. Douce and Mr. Park's notes inserted in it; and the works or essays of Mr. G. Ellis, Ritson, sir Walter Scott, M. Weber, Mons. Roquefort, Le Beuf, Ravalliere, Galland, who, with others, have all thrown some light on this obscure but curious topic. 33 As some of the prose romances are stated, by their authors or transcribers, to have been written for our king Henry III. I have begged Mr. Douce to favor me with the colophons to some of his Romances, especially as they also make the celebrated Walter Mapes one of their compilers. From his transcript of the colophons, I take the following circumstances. The second part of the St Graal, MS. Bib. Reg. 14. E 3. says these adventures furent mises en escrit et gardees en l'abeie de Salesbieres dont maistres Gautiers Map traist a faire son livre del St Graal pour l'amour del roi Henri sen seigneur qi fist l'estoire translater de Latin en franchois.'-So the MS. Tristan, Bib. Reg. 20. D 2.-The MS. Mort. d'Artur of Mr. Douce, gives not only the San Graal, but also l'Estoire de Lancelot, to Mapes. In Mr. Douce's MS. Mort de Tristan, the author ascribes his work to the request of li rois Henri 3. d'Angleterre. He calls himself Helies de Borron, and mentions Messrs. Lucez and Robert de Baron as writing on these subjects, and Gautier Maz qui fist le propre livre de Lancelot. In the prologue to the first edition of Tristan, the author says, 'Je Luce Chevalier Seigneur du Chateau de Gast, voisin prochain de Salesbieres en Angleterre ay voulu rediger,' &c.-In the romance of Meliadus de Leonnois, its author, Rusticien de Pise, speaks of finishing (I presume in prose) le livre du Brut, and that Henry was charmed with it. He says Luces de Jau began to translate a part of VOL. IV. R UPON ARTHUR AND THE ROUND BOOK VI. LITERARY the Tristran into French; that Gasses le blonc qui estoit parent au roi Henry afterwards took it up; and after him, Gautier Map; qui fu chevalier le roy et devisa l'hystoire de Lancelot du Lac; that Robert de Borron applied to it, et Helye de Borron par la Priere du dit Robert de Borron. He mentions again his Brut-He expatiates again on the pleasure Henry took in these works; he invites poor as well as rich to read them; and declares he found them in Latin. He says, he sees that les plus sages et les plus prisez d'Angleterre sont ardans et desirans to hear these deeds, and that Henry had given him deux beaulx chasteaulx. He asks what name he shall give his book, and he adds, such as shall please King Henry, who desired, that as it was to treat on courtesy, it might begin with Palamedes, than whom there was nul plus courtois chevalier. The romance of Giron le Courtois, the same author, Rusticiens de Puise, says he compiled from the book of his lord Edward I. when he went to Palestine. The above is probably all we can now know of the authors or translators of the prose romances.-The MS. prose Romans of the late duke of Roxbrough contained similar colophons. Some writers doubt if Luce, the Borrons and Rusticien, be real authors; but the doubt is mere surmise. There is no evidence to contradict the enumeration made by Rusticien, of the authors who had preceded him, nor to disprove his own reality. I do not see any sufficient reason for the actual authors hiding themselves in that age under the guise of fictitious personages. This is quite different from the case of ascribing works to persons of former celebrity or of known importance. We may add to the above remarks, that at the end of one of the MSS. in the Royal library at Paris, Cod. 6783, on Lancelot du Lac, occur these words: Mes en Francois par Robert de Borron, par le commandement de Henri roi d'Angleterre.' Add. to Warton, V. 1. p. 160. The translation of such a French romance, by Henry Lonelich Skynner, in Bennet college library, Cambridge, which has been introduced to us by the editor of the last edition of Warton, thus mentions Borron :— Wiche that Maister Robert of Borrown Out of Latyn it transletted hol and soun Onlich into the langage of Frawnce.-1 War. p. 154. All the above authorities that refer any of these works to Walter Mapes, shew that the Henry spoken of, is either Henry II. or his son Henry, who was crowned in his life-time, and therefore who was, while he lived, Henry III. Our antiquaries must recollect this, when Henry III. is mentioned in the old romances, as this expression is applicable to him as well as to the historical Henry III. and other circumstances must determine which of these two kings is the person really meant. It is too common and too natural, without this remembrance, to ascribe, as Mr. Warton and most have done, all these references to John's son, Henry III.; altho, while the son of Henry II. of the same christian name lived, after his father had crowned him, he was Henry III. in the popular eye and tongue. But happening to die before his parent, and not surviving to become his successor, his royal title has almost disappeared from our history, and no other Henry III. is now generally known or regularly noticed but that son and successor of John, whose reign was distinguished for its unusual length. |