"Of speech she is too bold,'

"Of carriage all too free;

"Sir king, she hath within thy hall

200

"A cuckold made of thee.

"All frolick light and wanton

"She hath her carriage borne:
"And given thee for a kingly crown
"To wear a cuckold's horne."

**The Rev. Evan Evans, editor of the Specimens of WELSH POETRY, 4to, affirmed that the story of the BOY AND THE MANTLE is taken from what is related in some of the old Welsh MSS. of Tegan Earfron, one of King Arthur's mistresses. She is said to have possessed a mantle that would not fit any immodest or incontinent woman; this (which, the old writers say, was reckoned among the curiosities of Britain) is frequently alluded to by the old Welsh Bards.

CARLEILE, SO often mentioned in the Ballads of King Arthur, the editor once thought might probably be a corruption of CAER-LEON, an ancient British city on the river Uske, in Monmouthshire, which was one of the places of King Arthur's chief residence; but he is now convinced that it is no other than CARLISLE, in Cumberland; the old English Minstrels, being most of them Northern men, naturally represented the Hero of Romance as residing in the North: and many of the places mentioned in the Old Ballads are still to be found there; as Tearne-Wadling, &c.

Near Penrith is still seen a large circle, surrounded by a mound of earth, which retains the name of Arthur's Round Table.

XIX.

THE ANCIENT FRAGMENT OF THE

MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE.

The Second Poem in this Volume, intitled THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE, having been offered to the Reader with large conjectural Supplements and Corrections, the old Fragment itself is here literally and exactly printed from the Editor's folio MS. with all its defects, inaccuracies, and errata; that such austere Antiquaries as complain that the ancient copies have not been always rigidly adhered to may see how unfit for publication many of the pieces would have been if all the blunders, corruptions, and nonsense of illiterate Reciters and Transcribers had been superstitiously retained, without some attempt to correct and amend them.

This Ballad had most unfortunately suffered by having half of every leaf in this part of the MS. torn away; and, as about Nine Stanzas generally occur in the halfpage now remaining, it is concluded that the other half contained nearly the same number of stanzas.

KINGE Arthur liues in merry Carleile

and seemely is to see

and there he hath wth him Queene Genevr
yt bride so bright of blee

And there he hath wth him Queene Genever

yt bride soe bright in bower

& all his barons about him stoode

yt were both stiffe and stowre

The K. kept a royall Christmasse

of mirth & great honor

..when...

[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]

And

And bring me word what thing it is

ye a woman most desire

this shalbe thy ransome Arthur he sayes

for Ile haue noe other hier

And when he came to Merry Carlile

to his chamber he is gone

and ther came to him his Cozen S Gawaine

as he did make his mone

And there came to him his Cozen Sr Cawaine

yt was a curteous knight

why sigh you soe sore vnckle Arthur he said

or who hath done thee vnright

To fight wth him I saw noe cause
me thought it was not meet
for he was stiffe & strong wth all
his strokes were nothing sweete

Therfor this is my ransome Gawaine
I ought to him to pay

I must come aga ne as I am sworne
vpon the Newyeers day

And I must bring him word what thing it is

[About Nine Stanzas wanting.}

Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde.

in one soe rich array

toward the foresaid Tearne wadling

yt he might keepe his day

And as he rode over a more

hee see a lady where shee sate

betwixt an oke and a greene hollen

she was cladd in red scarlett

Then there as shold have stood her mouth

then there was sett her eye

the other was in her forhead fast

the way that she might see

To halch vpon him k. Arthur

this lady was full faine

but k. Arthur had forgott his lesson

what he shold say againe

What knight art thou the lady sayd

that wilt not speake tome

of me thou nothing dismayd

tho I be vgly to see

for I haue halched you curteouslye

& you will not me againe

yett I may happen Sr knight shee said

to ease thee of thy paine

Giue thou ease me lady he said

or helpe me any thing

thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine my cożen

& marry him wth a ring

Why if I helpe thee not thou noble k. Arthur

of thy owne hearts desiringe

of gentle Gawaine......

[About Nine Stanzas wanting.]

And when he came to the tearne wadling

the baron there cold he srinde *

wth a great weapon on his backe

standing stiffe & stronge

And then he tooke k. Arthurs letters in his hands

& away he cold them fling

*Sic MS.

& then