In this place, Caernarvon has been written, by an oversight, for Conway: the hall of this castle is one hundred and thirty feet long. The next in size is probably that of Powis Castle; and many other fine castle-halls are to be seen in those splendid edifices, the relics of which are the pride and ornament of modern Wales; and in which she equals, at least,—if she does not exceed,— all other European nations.

PAGE 79. VER. 3.

A tournament was a conflict with many knights, divided into parties, and engaged at the same time; the just, or joust, was a separate trial of skill, when only one man was opposed to another.-Strutt.

PAGE 267. HENGIST AND MEY (Note-ODIN).

Odin was styled in the Runic, Oal Fadr, or Val Fadr,-i. e., the Father of Slaughter; and in his elysium, Asgardia, which was conceived to be a terrestrial paradise on the banks of the Tanais, the Scythian mothercountry, the palace which was destined for the abode of the most distinguished warriors, was called Val-Halla,~i, e., the Hall of Slaughter.

PAGE 275. THE GRAVE OF KING ARTHUR.

In the romance of Mort d'Arthur, is a different account of the removal of King Arthur, and the interment of his body. As soon as the attendant, (who is here styled Bedwer or Bedevere, instead of the Boteler Lucan, who is represented to have been killed), had thrown the sword into the water,— "He led his lord unto the strand:

A rich ship, with masts and oar,

Full of ladies there they fand (found):

"The ladies, that were fair and free,

Courteously the King 'gan they fong (receive);

And one, that brightest was of blee,

Weeped sore, and handis wrung.

'Brother,' she said, 'wo is me;

From leeching hast thou been too long:

I wot that greatly grieveth me;

For thy painis are full strong!" "

These ladies, whether of Fairy or human race, having thus taken away his master, from whom he learnt, at parting, that he was going to the Isle of Avalon, in hopes of there meeting with a cure, Sir Bedevere wandered about the forest till day-break. Just before sun-rise, however, he was attracted, by a brilliant light, to a spot which he found to be the chapel of a hermitage. This was the retreat of an unfortunate Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been persecuted by the villanous Mordred, and who was at that time on his knees before a tomb of grey marble; on which was an inscription in golden characters, bearing the name of King Arthur: and on the tomb was an empty bier, surrounded by a hundred wax torches. This, the prelate informed him, had been brought in about midnight by a company of ladies, who instantaneously erected the tomb, and interred the body with their own hands, leaving him an offering of immense value, and directing him to pray incessantly for the soul of the deceased.

Sir Bedwer of course, as a faithful and attached servant, devoted the rest of his days to an attendance on the tomb of his loved master; and entered into the same monastic order as the Archbishop. In process of time they were joined by the late repentant Sir Launcelot, and others; and the body of Queen Guenever was interred by the side of her husband, in the Chapel of the Hermitage; which receiving much increase of inhabitants and of honour, grew up (according to the Romance) into the powerful and noble Abbey of Glastonbury.

ELLIS.

L'ENVOY.

AND now, by the way of " Pithy and Profitable Morale," the Editour craveth licence to intreat of the gentle and courteous Reader, that having delighted himself hugely with the excellences of this small Tome, he will "feel an apt remission in himself" towards its abounding unworthinesses. His humble oration is, however, twofold he redes him also greedily to drink into his mind all the good that he may discover therein, and to eschew the evil (for the lurking caitiff may have intruded himself into this little plaisance and flowergarden of Poesie), and that he will arise up from the prelection thereof, at the least, not the worse man, woman, or child, as the case 'chance may happen. Herein he seeing and believing the knowledge and doings of the time present to happily out-go the times past, will, if he be of worth, rejoice therefore. Again, in that he beholdeth, through the long and dim avenue of the years of old, many of those bright and lustrous deeds, which (lauded be the All-Good!) do cheerily shine out, in every age and realm-he will bid them welcome as "new friends with old faces." And may-be, they may attire themselves, to his mind's eye, in the same garb as they did to that silver-voiced Swan, that whilom floated on the smooth streams of Avon : ·

"How far that little candle throws his beams,
So shines a good deed in a naughty world!"

Should the Editour be aware, by sundry testimonies and tokens, that he hath become, as the facete old Latin Poet, Horatius Flaccus, phraseth it, " Compos voti,"-certes, it is not for the Reader to

doubt but that he shall, in no long time, receive from him (through the medium of the Bibliopolist) certain other missives and printed books. When " Sumer is icomen in❞—

When July eve, with balmy breath,

Waves the blue-bells upon the heath

he will, albeit he have no "wood notes wild" of his own, hearken diligently to the most approved good music" of living warblers; and note it down, in prick-song, for the Reader's delectation. Moreover he will, oft-times, frequent the resorts of those senior and veracious minstrels, who,

"Much of old romantic lore,

On the high theme do keep in store;"

and, with much care and honest pains, he will strive (Deo permittente) to put together such a "Paradise of Dainty Devices" (which the modern Gauls would clepe a "mélange") as to instill into the mind of the Reader a right copious measure of comfort and satisfaction, even more than he may have deduced from this his premier essay. And now having, through the fore-seeing of his good-liking, wrought himself to a wondrous esteem for the humane and well-nurtured Reader, he, without more-a-do, very heartily biddeth him Farewell.

LONDON:

S. Manning & Co., London House Yard, St. Paul's.