To this we may add, that Milton manifestly hints at it in the following lines,

-Damsels met in forrests wide

By knights of Logris, or of Lyones,
Lancelot, Pelleas, or Pellenore*.

These are Sir Lancelot (or Sir Meliot) of Logris; Sir Tristram of Lyones, and King Pellenore, who are often mentioned in Morte Arthur, and represented as meeting beautiful damsels in desolate forests: and probably he might have it in his eye when he wrote the following, as the round table is expressly hinted at

Siquando indigenas revocabo in carmina reges,
Arturumque etiam sub terris bella moventem,
Aut dicam invicta sociali fædere mensæ

Magnanimos Heroas.

To which we may subjoin--

+

* Par. Reg. B. ii. v. 359.

+ Mansus.

-What resounds

In fable, or romance, of Uther's son,
Begirt with British, and Armoric knights*.

Before I leave this romance, I must observe, that Ariosto has been indebted to it; I do not mean to the old translation, which Spenser made use of. He has drawn his enchanter Merlin from it, and in these verses refers to a particular story concerning him, quoted above. Bradamante is supposed to. visit the tomb of Merlin.

Questa è l' antica, e memorabil grotta,
Ch'edificò Merlino il savio mago;
Che forse recordare odi talhotta,
Dove inganollo la Donna del Lago.
Il sepolcro è qui giu, dove corrotta
Giace la carne sua; dove egli vago
Di satisfare a lei, che gliel suase,
Vivo corcossi, e morto ci rimaset.

Thus translated by Harrington

* Parad. Lost, i. v. 579. + C. iii. 10.

Heerc is the tombe that Merlin erst did make

By force of secret skill, and hidden art,
In which sometimes the Lady of the Lake
(That with her beauty had bewitcht her hart)
Did force him enter fondly for her sake;
And he was by a woman over-reached
That unto others prophesied and preached.

xii. 12.

His carkas dead within this stone is bound.

This description of Merlin's tomb, says Harrington, in a marginal note, is out of the "Book of King Richard."-Ariosto has transfered the tomb from Wales into France. He afterwards feigns, that the prophetical sculpture in Maligigi's cave was performed by Merlin's enchantment.

Merlino il savio incantator Britanno
Fe far la fonte, al tempo del re Arturo,
E di cose, ch' al mondo hanno a venire,
La fe da buoni artefici scolpire".

* C. 26. 39.

-These whose names appear

In marble pure, did never live as yet,

But long time hence, after six hundred yeare,

To their great praise in princely throne shall sit;

Merlin the English prophet plast them here,

In Arthur's time.

HARRINGTON.

He also mentions some of the names of the knights of our romance. When Renaldo arrives in Great Britain, the poet takes occasion to celebrate that island for its singular achievements in chivalry, and for having produced many magnanimous champions; these are

-Tristano,

Lancillotto, Galasso, Artu, e Galuano*.

Afterwards, in b. 32. Tristram makes a great figure.

From this romance is also borrowed Ariosto's tale † of the enchanted cup, which

* C. 4. S. 22.

+ B. 2. c. 34.

in Caxton's old translation is as follows"By the way they met with a knight, that was sent from Morgan le Faye to King Arthur; and this knight had a faire horpe all garnished with gold; and the horne had such a virtue, that there might no ladie or gentlewoman drink of that horne, but if shee were true to her husband; and if shee were false, shee should spill all the drinke; and shee were true unto her lord, she might drink peaceably, &c."-Afterwards many trials are made with this cup. Ariosto's copy begins with the following verses—

Ecco un Donzello, a chi l' ufficio tocca,
Pon su la mensa un bel napo d' or fino,
Di fuor di gemme, e dentro pien di vino.

At last a page came in with curtsie low,
And beares a standing cup of gold most fine,
Without of gemmes, and full within of wine.
HARRINGTON,

• C. 42. 98: