"Her highness all along this tilt-yard rode unto the inner gate, next the baze coourt of the castle; whear the Lady of the Lake' (famous in King Arthur's book) with too nymphes wayting upon her, arrayed all in "Richard, by the grace of God, &c. to the Reverend Father in Christ, Hubert, Arch. of Cant. &c. greeting. Know, that we have permitted turnaments to be held in England, in five places; between Sarum and Wilton, between Warewicke and Kenelingworthe, between Stamford and Warrinford [Wallingford], between Brakeley and Mixebery, between Blie and Tyke-hill, yet so that the peace of our land be not broken, nor justice hindered, nor damage done to our forests. And an earl, who shall turney there, shall pay us twenty marcs, and a baron ten marcs, and a knight, who has land, four marcs, and a knight, who has no land, two marcs. No foreigner shall turney there. Wherefore we command you, that on the day of the turnament you shall provide, at each place, two clerks, and [your] two knights, to receive the oaths from the earls and barons, for their satisfaction, concerning the aforesaid sums, &c.—“ Tho. Hearnii præfat. ad Gul. Neubrig. Hist. pag. xlix, 1. It is also printed in Selden, de Duello. Richard encouraged these exercises to the highest degree, æmulous of the French, who were famous in this way. He was a Troubadour, silkes, attended her highnes.comming, from the midst of the pool, whear, upon a moveable island bright-blazing with torches, she floting to land, met her majesty with a wellpenned meter, and matter, after this sorte; first of the aunciente of the castl; who had been owners of the same e'en till this day, most allways in the hands of the earles of Leycester; how she had kept this lake syns King Arthur's dayes, and now understanding of her highnes hither coming, thought it both offis and duety; to discover, in humble wise, her, and her estate, offring up the same, hir lake, and power thearin; with promis of repair to the court. It pleased her highness to thank this lady, &c*" Gascoynet, in a little narrative called the "Pleasures of Kenelworth Castle," gives us * Written by one Laneham, an attendant on the court. + Works, London, 1576. some of the above-mentioned metre, written by Ferrers, one of the contributors to the Mirror of Magistrates, of which these may serve as a specimen. I am the lady of this pleasant lake, Who since the time of great King Arthur's reigne, "Till now that this your third arrival here, Doth cause me come abroad, and boldly thus appeare. For after him such stormes this castle shooke, She is afterwards introduced complaining to the queen, that Sir Bruise had insulted her for doing an injury to Merlin, an incident related in Morte Arthur, and that he would have put her to death had not Neptune delivered her, by concealing her in that lake, from which confinement the queen is afterwards supposed to deliver her, &c. Without expatiating upon the nature of such a royal entertainment as this, I shall observe from it, that as the "the Lady of the Lake" was a very popular character in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, so consequently the romance which supplied this fiction, was at the same time no less popular. We may add, that it is not improbable that Spenser might allude, in the above-cited verses, to some of the circumstances in this part of the queen's entertainment; for Queen Elizabeth, the Fayre Elisa, is the lady whom the "Ladies of the Lake" are represented as repairing to, in that eclogue*. Nor is it improbable that this lady was often exhibited upon other occasions; nor is it improper to remark in this place, that Ben. Johnson has introduced her, together with *Spenser's pastorals were published about four years after this entertainment. Their first edition is dated 1579. It is a thin quarto, printed in the black letter, with the commentary of E. K. perhaps Edward King. King Arthur and Merlin, in an entertainment before the court of James I. called, "Prince Henries Barriers." The above ancient letter acquints us, that the queen was entertained with a song from this romance, which is a corroborative proof of its popularity at that time." A minstrall came forth with a sollem song warranted for story out of King Arthur's acts, the first book, 24. whereof I gat a copy, and that is this. "So it fell out on a Pentecost day This is the song above hinted at, where mention is made of King Rience demanding the beard of King Arthur. In the same letter, a gentleman who shewed some particular feats of activity before the queen, is said to |