NOTES TO CANTO I. Note I. As when the Champion of the Lake Enters Morgana's fated house, Or in the Chapel Perilous, Despising spells and demons' force, Holds converse with the unburied corse.-P. 23. The Romance of the Morte Arthur (contains a sort of abridgment of the most celebrated adventures of the Round Table; and, being written in comparatively modern language, gives the general reader an excellent idea of what romances of chivalry actually were. It has also the merit of being written in pure old English; and many of the wild adventures which it contains, are told with a simplicity bordering upon the sublime. Several of these are referred to in the text; and I would have illustrated them by more full extracts, but as this curious work is about to be republished, I confine myself to the tale of the Chapel Perilous, and of the quest of Sir Launcelot after the Sangreall. "Right so Sir Launcelot departed; and when he came to "the Chapell Perilous, he alighted downe, and tied his horse "to a little gate. And as soon as he was within the church"yard, he saw, on the front of the chapell, many faire rich "shields turned upside downe, and many of the shields Sir "Launcelot had seene knights have before; with that he saw "stand by him thirtie great knights, more, by a yard, than "any man that ever he had seene, and all those grinned and 66 Ignashed at Sir Launcelot; and when he saw their counte66 nance, hee dread them sore, and so put his shield afore him, "and tooke his sword in his hand, ready to doe battaile; and 'they were all armed in black harneis, ready, with their "shields and swords drawen. And when Sir Launcelot would "have gone through them, they scattered on every side of "him, and gave himthe way; and there with he waxed all "bold, and entered into the chapell, and then hee saw no "light but a dimme lampe burning, and then was he ware "of a corps covered with a cloath of silke; then Sir Launcelot "stooped downe, and cut a piece of that cloath away, and "then it fared under him as the earth had quaked a little, "whereof he was afeard, and then hee saw a faire sword lye "by the dead knight, and that he gat in his hand, and hied "him out of the chappell. As soon as he was in the chappell"yerd, all the knights spoke to him with a grimly voice, and "said, 'Knight Sir Launcelot, lay that sword from thee, or "else thou shalt die." Whether I live or die,' said Sir "Launcelot, with no great words get yee it againe, there"fore fight for it and yee list.' Therewith he passed through " them; and, beyond the chappell-yerd, there met him a faire 66 damosell, and said, 'Sir Launcelot, leave that sword behind "thee, or thou wilt die for it.' "Launcelot, "for no threats.' 'I will not leave it,' said Sir 'No?' said she; and ye did "leave that sword, Queen Guenever should ye never see.' 'Then 66 were I a foole and I would leave this sword,' said Sir Laun"celot. "Now, gentle knight,' said the damosell, 'I require "thee to kisse me once.' 'Nay,' said Sir Launcelot, 'that God "forbid !''Well, sir,' said she, and thou haddest kissed me "thy life dayes had been done; but now, alas!' said she, ‘I "have lost all my labour; for I ordeined this chappell for thy "sake, and for Sir Gawaine : and once I had Sir Gawaine with"in it; and at that time he fought with that knight which "there lieth dead in yonder chappell, Sir Gilbert the bastard, "and at that time hee smote off Sir Gilbert the bastard's left "hand. And so, Sir Launcelot, now I tell thee, that I have "loved thee this seaven yeare; but there may no woman have thy love but Queene Guenever; but sithen I may not re"joyice thee to have thy body alive, I had kept no more joy "in this world but to have had thy dead body; and I would "have balmed it and served, and so have kept it my life daies, " and daily I should have clipped thee, and kissed thee, in the "despite of Queene Guenever.' 'Yee say well,' said Sir "Launcelot; Jesus preserve me from your subtill craft.' "And therewith he took his horse, and departed from her." |