III.

KING RYENCE's CHALLENGE.

This fong is more modern than many of those which follow it, but is placed here for the fake of the fubject. It was fung before queene Elizabeth at the grand entertainment at Kenelworth-caftle in 1575, and was probably compofed for that occafion. In a letter defcribing thofe festivities, it is thus mentioned: "A Minft al came forth with a follem fong, warranted for flory out of K. Arthur's acts, whereof I gat a copy, and is this:

46

66

"So it fell out on a Pentecoft, &c."

After the fong the narrative proceeds: "At this the "Minfirell made a parfe and a curtezy for Primus Peffus. "More of the fong is thear, but I galt it not "

The ftory in Morte Arthur, whence it is taken. runs as follows: Came a meffenger haftely from king Ryence of "North-Wales,-faying, that king Ryence had discomfited "and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did "him homage, and that was this: they gave him their "beards cleane flayne off.-wherefore the meffenger came "for king Arthur's beard, for king Ryence had purfeled a "mantell with kings beards, and there lacked for one a "place of the mantell, wherefore he fent for his beard, or (6 elfe he would enter into his lands, and brenn and flay, "and never leave till he have thy head and thy beard. "Well faid king Arthur, thou haft faid thy meffage, "which is the most villainous and lewdeft meffage that "ever man heard fent to a king. Also thou mayeft fee my beard is full young yet for to make a purfell of, but tell "thou the king that- or it be long he shall do to me homage "on both his knees, or elfe he shall leefe his head." [B. Ï. See alfo the fame Romance, B. I. c. 92.]

f. 24.

The thought feems to be originally taken from Jeff Monmouth's Hift. B. X. c. 3. which is alluded to by Drayton in his Poly-Olb. Song 4. and by Spenfer in Faer. Qu. 6. 1.13.15. See the Obfervations on Spenfer, vol, II. p. 223.

The

The following text is compofed of the best readings fea lected from three different copies. The firft in Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, p. 197. The fecond in the Letter abovementioned. And the third inferted in MS. in a copy of Morte Arthur, 1632, in the Bodl. Library.

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Stow tells us, that king Arthur kept his round table at diverfe places, but especially at Carlion, Winchester, "and Camalet in Somersetshire." This CAMALET, fome"times a famous towne or caftle, is fituate on a very high "tor or hill, &c." [See an exact defcription in Stowe's Annals, Ed. 1631, p. 55.1

As it fell out on a Pentecoft day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall,
With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay;
And many bold barons fitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;
And heraults in hewkes, hooting on high,
Cryed, Largefle, Largeffe, Chevaliers tres-hardie*.

A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas

Right pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee; With steven fulle ftoute amids all the preas,

Sayd, Nowe fir king Arthur, God fave thee, and fee!
Sir Ryence of North-gales greeteth well thee,

And bids thee thy beard anon to him send,
Or elfe from thy jaws he will it off rend.

For his robe of ftate is a rich fcarlet mantle,
With eleven kings beards bordered † about,

Largeffe, Largeffe, The heralds refounded thefe wds as oft as they received of the bounty of the knights. See " Memoires de la Chevalerie." tom. I. p. 99.-The expreffion is fill used in the form of inftalling knights of the garter.

i. e. fet round the border, as furs are now round the goruns of Ma

giftrates,

And

And there is room lefte yet in a kantle,

For thine to stande, to make the twelfth out: This must be done, be thou never so ftout; This must be done, I tell thee no fable, Maugre the teethe of all thy round table.

When this mortal meffage from his mouthe past,

Great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower: The king fum'd; the queene screecht; ladies were aghaft; Princes puffd; barons bluftred; lords began lower; Knights ftormed; fquires ftartled, like fteeds in a ftower; Pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall,

Then in came fir Kay, the king's' fenefchal

Silence, my foveraignes, quoth this courteous knight,
And in that stound the ftowre began still:
Then' the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight;
Of wine and waffel he had his wille;

And, when he had eaten and drunken his fill,
An hundred pieces of fine coyned gold
Were given this dwarf for his message bold.

But fay to fir Ryence, thou dwarf, quoth the king,
That for his bold meffage I do him defye;
And shortlye with bafins and pans will him ring
Out of North-gales; where he and I

With fwords, and not razors, quickly fhall trye,

Whether he, or king Arthur will prove the best barbor;

And therewith he shook his good sword Excalàbor.

+++ Strada, in his Prolufions, has ridiculed the ftory of the Giant's Mantle, made of the Beards of Kings.

7

IV. KING

IV.

KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.

A FRAGMENT.

The fubject of this ballad is evidently taken from the old romance Morte Arthur, but with fome variations, especially in the concluding ftanzas; in which the author feems rather to follow the traditions of the old Welsh Bards, who "believed that King Arthur was not dead, but conveied "awale by the Fairies into fome pleasant place, where he "Should remaine for a time, and then returne againe and reign in as great authority as ever." Holinghed. B. 5. c. 14. or as it is expreffed in an old Chronicle printed at Antwerp 1493, by Ger. de Leew," The Bretons fuppofen, "that he [K. Arthurfhall come yet and conquere all "Bretaigne, for certes this is the prophicye of Merlyn: He 'fayd, that his deth fhall be doubteous; and fayd foth, for men thereof yet have doubte, and hullen for ever more, - for men wyt not whether that he lyveth or is dede." See more ancient teftimonies in Selden's Notes on Polyolbion, Song III.

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46 --

This fragment being very incorrect and imperfect in the original MS. hath received fome conjectural emendations, and even a fupplement of 3 or 4 ftanzas compofed from the romance of MORTE ARTHUR.

*

N Trinitye Mondaye in the morne,

ΟΝ

This fore battayle was doom'd to bee;
Where manye a knighte cry'd, Well-awaye!
Alacke, it was the more pittie.

Ere

Ere the firft crowinge of the cocke,
When as the kinge in his bed laye,
He thoughte fir Gawaine to him came *,
And there to him these wordes did faye.

Nowe, as you are mine unkle deare,

And as you prize your life, this daye O meet not with your foe in fighte;

Putt off the battayle, if yee maye.

For fir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce,
And with him many an hardye knighte:
Who will within this moneth be backe,
And will affifte yee in the fighte.

The kinge then call'd his nobles all,
Before the breakinge of the daye;

And tolde them howe fir Gawaine came,
And there to him these wordes did faye.

His nobles all this counfayle gave,

That earlye in the morning, hee Shold fend awaye an herauld at armes, To afke a parley faire and free.

Then twelve good knightes king Arthure chofe, 25

The best of all that with him were:

To parley with the foe in field,

And make with him agreement faire.

Sir Gawaine had been killed at Arthur's landing on his return from

abroad. See the next Ballad, ver. 73.

The