Sr Lancelott of Dulake. [In the printed collection 1726. Vol. ii. p. 18.-N. III. Percy.] [page 36.] THIS ballad, which has been printed again and again, was written towards the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, probably by Thomas Deloney, a notorious ballad-maker. It is nothing more than a rhymed version of certain chapters in Sir T. Malory's "Most Ancient and Famous history of the Renowned Prince Arthur, &c." (chaps. 106, 107, and 108 of the 1634 edition, lately reprinted by Mr. Wright). It is found first in the "Garland of Good Will." There are two copies of it in the Bagford Collection. Falstaff quotes the first line except the last word, and after a brief interruption the second, which he makes "And was a worthy king," in the 2nd part of "King Henry IV." act ii. sc. iv. It is quoted also, as Mr. Chappell mentions, in Marston's "Malcontent," and Beaumont and Fletcher's "Little French Lawyer." When Arthur first became king, he came to England with fifty knights of the Round Table. 8 WHEN Arthur first in Court began & was approued king, by force of armes great victorys wonne Then into England straight he came with 50 good and able knights that resorted vnto him, & were of the round table. "Why shold I not?" quoth Lancelott tho; For that cause came I hither." "thou seemst," quoth shee, "a Knight full good The difference between justs and turnaments consists in this, that the latter is the genus, of which the former is only a species. Turnaments included all kinds of military sports and engagements made out of gallantry and diversion. Justs were those particular combats where the parties were near each other, and engaged with lance and sword: add, that the turnament was frequently performed by a number of cavaliers, who fought in a body; the just was a single combat of one man against another. Chambers's Dict. 1741, Just.-F. 2 ready.-F. And many jousts were held, wherein Sir Lancelot du Lac greatly excelled all others. Sir Lancelot seeks for adventures. Riding in a forest, he meets a damsel, who leads him to where dwells a worthy foeman. The Garland of Good Will (1678, reprinted by the Percy Society) reads: That now is of great fame; Therefore tell me what knight thou art, And then what is your name." "Thatts ouer much" quoth Lancelott tho, "defend thee by & by." they sett their speares' unto ther steeds, They coucht theire speares, their horses run They horsses bakes brake vnder them, They wounded were, & bled full sore, "And tell to me what I shall Aske." Knights of King Arthur's Court they be, And of his Table Round." She brought him to a river side, He struck so hard, the bason broke; "Sir knight," then said Sir Lancelot, "Bring me that horse-load hither, [page 37.] The: Turke: & Gowin. [page 38.] THIS fragment is printed from the Percy Folio in Sir Frederick Madden's "Sir Gawayne." The commencement of it strongly resembles the opening scene of the "Green Knight" (see below, vol. ii. and "Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight" in Madden's "Sir Gawayne," and among the Early English Text Society's Publications). Indeed, the commencement is probably borrowed from that poem, and imperfectly amalgamated with the main story. The proposed exchange of buffets is apparently forgotten altogether as the story proceeds. Instead of Sir Gawain's receiving in his turn a blow, the Turk implores and persuades him to give another-he offers him the other cheek. The scene of the terrible competition to which Sir Gawain is challenged is the Isle of Man. Superstition firmly believed for many a century that that island was tenanted by a population of giants. Even when Waldron visited it about the middle of the last century, that belief prevailed. He intitules his book "The History and Description of the Isle of Man, its antiquity. curious and authentick Relations of Apparitions of giants that have lived under the castle, time immemorial. Likewise many comical and entertaining stories of the pranks play'd by fairies, &c." Giants had overpowered the primitive population-the fairies said the common account, and been themselves in course of time overpowered and spell-bound by Merlin; and spell-bound they were still lying in huge subterranean chambers. "They say," says Waldron, who is himself not quite untouched by the infirmities of the islanders, "there are a great number of fine apartments underground, exceeding in magnificence any of the |