A supplement to the first and second books of the History of Cornwall / [by R. Polwhele] ; containing remarks on St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, the Land's End, and the Sylleh Isles. By the historian of Manchester [i.e. J. Whitaker].

  • Richard Polwhele
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A supplement to the first and second books of the History of Cornwall / [by R. Polwhele] ; containing remarks on St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, the Land's End, and the Sylleh Isles. By the historian of Manchester [i.e. J. Whitaker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    93/176 page 93
    fpirits of fountains and rivers. “ The Lady of the Lake,” in Morte Arthur, is one of this clafs of beings. “ The Lady of the Lake and Merlin departed: And by the way as they went, Merlin “ fhewed to her many wonders, and came into Cornwaile. And alwaies Merlin lay about the “ Iadie to have her favour; and flie was ever paffing wery of him, and faine would have been de- “ livered of him ; for fhe was afraid of him, becaufe he was a divell’s foil, and fhe could not put “ him away by no meanes. And fo upon a time it hapned that Merlin fhewed to her in a roche “ (rock) whereas was a great wonder, and wrought by enchcantment, which went under a hone, “ fo by her fubtile craft and working file made Merlin to go under that ftone, toilet him wit of “ the marvailes there. But fire wrought fo there for him, that he came never out, for all the “■ craft that he could doe.” B. i. c. 6o.—The Lady of the Lake was a very popular charafter in Elizabeth’s days : fhe was introduced to make part of the queen’s entertainment at Kenelworth. This romance feems to have extended its reputation beyond the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Ben Jonfon alludes more than once to Morte Arthur. Camden, in his remains,' fpeaking of the name- Trijiram, ob/erves: “ I know not whether the firft of his name was chriftened by King Arthur’s “ fables.” He fpeaks, alfo, of Launcclot and of Gawen. Thus too Milton : “ Damfels met in forefts wide By knights of Logris, or of Lyones, Lancelot, Pelleas, or Pellenore. Par. Reg, b. ii. v. 35g, ■ “ What refounds In fable or romance, of Uther’s fon. Begirt with Britifh or Armoric knights.” Par. Loft, b. i. v. 570.* This much for Morte Arthur: which, we have feen, was tranflated from the French into Englifh, in the fifteenth century. But of what date is the French original? or, whence was it derived ? * Milton’s fondnefs for the old Britifh ftory, is no where more pleafingly difplayed than in his Latin poems. Thus, in his “ Liber Sylvarum “ Ipfe ego Dardanias Rutupina per aequora puppes * Dicam, et Pandrafidos regnum vetus Inogeniae, Brennumque Arviragumque duces, prifcumque Belinum, Et tandem Armoricos Britonum fub lege colonos ;-f- Turn gravidam Arturo, fatali fraude, Iogernen,J Mendaces vultus, affumptaque Gorlois arma, Merlini dolus. O mihi turn fi vita fuperfit,§ Tu procul annofa pendebis fiftula pinu, Multum oblita mihi; aut patriis mutata Camoenis Brutonicum (hides, quid enim ? omnia non licet uni Non fperaffe uni licet omnia, mi fatis ampla Merces, * Ipfe egd Dardanias, &c.] The landing of the Trojans in England under Brutus. Rhutupium is a part of the Kentifh coaft. Brutus married Inogen, the eldeft daughter of Pandrafus a Grecian king ; from whofe bondage Brutus had delivered his countrymen the Trojans. Brennus and Belinus were the fons of Molutius Dunwallo, by forne writers called the firft king of Britain. The two Tons carried their vidlorious arms into Gaul and Italy. Arviragus, or Arvirage, the fon of Cunobelin, conquered the Roman general Clau- dius. He is Paid to have founded Dover-caftle. ■f Et tandem Armoricos Britonum fub lege colonos.J Armorica, or Britany, peopled, according to the poet, by the Britons when they fled from the Saxons. J Turn gravidam Arturo, &c.] Iogerne was the wife of Gorlois, Prince of Cornwall. Merlin transformed Uther Pendragon into Gorlois ; by which artifice Uther had accefs to the bed of Iogerne, and begat King Arthur. This was in Tintagel-caftle in Cornwall. See Geftr. Monm. viii. 19. The ftory is told by Selden on the Polyoi.bion, S. i. vol. ii. 674.—Butfee Hist, of Cornw. book ii. chap. 1. § «* And O, if I (hould have long life to execute thefe defigns, you, my rural pipe, (hall be hung up forgotten on yonder ancient “ pine: you are now employed in Latin (trains, but you (hall foon be exchanged for Englifh poetry. Will you then found in rude Bn- “ tifti tones?—Ves—We cannot excell in all things. I (hall be fufficiently contented to be celebrated at home for Englifti verfe. Milton fays in the Preface to Ch. Gov. b. ii. “ Not caring to be once named abroad, though perhaps I could attain to that: but con- “ tent with thefe Britifh ilands as my world.” Prose-works, vol. i. 60.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3