knights, and locks of ladies. The last circumstance is added by Spenser. For may no knight or ladie passe along That way (and yet they needs must passe that way) By reason of the streight and rocks among, But they that ladies lockes do shave away, And that knights beards for toll, which they for passage pay. 6. 1. 13. Afterwards, His name is Crudor, who through high disdaine, Until a mantle she for him do find, With berds of knights, and locks of ladies lynd. 6. 3. 15. we see the barber, who was to personate the Squire of the Princess Micomicona has " una gran barba, &c."-D. Quix. parte prim. c. 26. libro 3. And the Countess of Trifaldi's Squire is described parte 2. lib. vii. c. 36. as wearing "la mas larga, la mas horrida, &c." Thus in Morte Arthur." Came a messenger, -'saying that king Ryence had discomfited, and overcomen eleaven knights, and everiche of them did him homage; and that was this: they gave him their beards cleane flayne of as much as there was: wherefore the messenger came for King Arthur's berd: for King Ryence had purfeled a mantell with king's beards, and there lacked for one place of the mantell. Wherefore he sent for his berd; or else hee would enter into his lands, and brenn and sley, and never leave, till he have thy head and beard*." "After this passage we have an ancient ballad, the subject of which is this. insolent demand of King Rynce. Drayton, in his Polyolbion, speaks of a coat composed of the beards of kings. He is celebrating King Arthur. * B. i. c. 24. This is also printed in P. Enderbury's Cambria Triumphans, Lond. p. 197. I must take this opportunity of mentioning a circum As how great Rithout's self, he slew in his repair, But Drayton, in these lines, manifestly alludes to a passage in Geoffrey of Monmouth; who informs us, that a Spanish giant, named Ritho, having forcibly conveyed away from her guard Helena the niece of Duke Hoel, possessed himself of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, from whence he made frequent sallies, and committed various outrages; that, stance relating to Drayton's tomb in Westminster Abbey, which is erected near that of Spenser. Heylin informs us, that Drayton was not buried in the south isle of the church, where his monument is now to be seen; but under the north wall, near a little door which opens to one of the prebendal - houses. This Heylin affirms from his own knowledge, he being invited to Drayton's funeral. Appeal of Inj. Innocence, page 42. part. ii. subjoined to Fuller's Ch. Hist. Ed. 1655. Bayle would have expended a folio page in adjusting such a point as this. * Song 4. at last, King Arthur conquered this giant, and took from him a certain coat which he had been composing of the beards of kings, a vacant place being left for King Arthur's beard*. And though further proofs of Spenser's copying this romance are perhaps superfluous, I shall add, that Spenser has quoted an authority, for an ancient custom from Morte Arthur, in his "State of Ireland."— "The knights in antient times used to wear their mistresses or lover's sleeve upon their arms, as appeareth by that which is written of Sir Launcelot, that he wore the sleeve of the faire maid of Asteloth in a tournay : whereat Queen Genever was much displeased." This is the passage" When Queen Genever wist that Sir Launcelot beare * Orig. and Gest. Rest. Brit. B. x. 13. Hughes's Edit. vol. vi. page 114. Edit. 1750, the red sleeve of the faire Maide of Astolat, she was nigh out of her minde for anger*." There is great reason to conclude, not only from what has already been mentioned concerning Spenser's imitations from this romantic history of King Arthur and his knights, but from some circumstances which I shall now produce, that it was a favourite and reigning romance about the age of Queen Elizabeth, or at least one very well known and much read at that time. Spenser, in the "Shepherd's Kalendar," has the following passage And whither rennes this bevie of ladies bright Raunged in a row ? They been all ladies of the lake behight, That unto her got. Upon the words "Ladies of the Lake," * Mort. Arth, p. 3. ch. 119. + Aprill. |