The curfe of hell frae me fall ze beir, Sic counfeils ze gave to me, O. 35 VI. KING EST MERE. This old Romantic Legend, (which is preferved in the Editor's folio MS) bears marks of great antiquity, and perhaps ought to have taken place of any in this volume. It should feem to have been written while a great part of Spain was in the hands of the Saracens or Moors: whose empire there was not fully extinguished before the year 1491. The Mahometans are Spoken of in v. 49, &c. just in the fame terms as in all other old romances. The author of the ancient Legend of SIR BEVIS, reprefents his hero upon all occafions, breathing out defiance against "Mahound and Termagaunte ‡ ;” And fo full of zeal for his religion, as to return the following polite meffage to a Paynim king's fair daughter, who had fallen in love with him, and fent two Saracen knights to invite him to her bower, "I wyll not ones ftirre off this grounde, Indeed they return the compliment by calling him elfwhere "A chriften hounde* ̧” This This was conformable to the real manners of the barbarous ages: perhaps the fame excufe will hardly ferve our bard for the fituations in which he has placed fome of his royal perfonages. That a youthful monarch should take a journey into another kingdom to vifit his miftrefs incog. was a piece of gallantry paralleled in our own Charles I. but that king Adland should be found lolling or leaning at his gate (v. 35.) may be thought perchance a little out of character. And yet the great painter of manners, Homer, did not think it inconfiftent with decorum to reprefent a king of the Taphians rearing himself at the gate of Ulyffes to inquire for that monarch, when he touched at Ithaca as he was taking a voyage with a fhip's cargo of iron to difpofe in traffic t. So little ought we to judge of ancient manners by our own. Before I conclude this article, I cannot help obferving that the reader will fee in this ballad, the character of the old minstrels, (thofe fucceffors of the bards) raised much higher than he has yet obferved it: here he will fee one of them reprefented mounted on a fine horse, accompanied with an attendant to bear his harp after him, and to fing the poems of his compofing. Here he will fee him mixing in the company of kings without ceremony: no mean proof of the great antiquity of this poem. The farther we carry our inquiries back, the greater refpect we find paid to the profeffors of poetry and mufic among all the Celtic and Gothic nations. Their character was deemed fo facred, that under its fanction our famous king Alfred made no fcruple to enter the Danish camp, and found no difficulty to gain admittance to the king's headquarters*. Our poet has fuggefted the fame expedient to the heroes of this ballad. All the hiftories of the North are full of ‡ Odyss. a. 105. I See vol. 2. p. 163. the Even fo late as the time of Froillart, we find minstrels and heralds mentioned together, as those who might fecurely go into an enemy's country. Cap. cxl. Harold Har the great reverence paid to that order of men. fax, a celebrated king of Norway, was wont to feat them at bis table above all the officers of his court: and we find another Norwegian king placing five of them by his fide in a day of battle, that they might be eye-witnesses of the great exploits they were to celebrate. As to Eftmere's riding into the ball while the kings were at table, this was ufual in the ages of chivalry; and even to this day we fee a relic of this custom ftill kept up, in the champion's riding into Westminster ball during the coronation dinner. H Earken to me, gentlemen, He tell Come and you fhall heare; you of two of the boldest brethren, That ever born y-were. The were as bolde men in their deedes, As they were drinking ale and wine A wyfe to gladd us all ? Then befpake him kyng Eftmere, And answered him haftilee : 10 I knowe † Mallet, Introd. a l'Hif. de Dannemarc, p. 240. Bartholini Antiq. Dan. p. 173. I knowe not that ladye in any lande, Kyng Adland hath a daughter, brother, If I were kyng here in your ftead, That ladye fholde be queene. Sayes, Reade me, reade me, deare brother, Throughout merrye England, Where we might find a meffenger 15 20 Nowe Chrift thee fave, good kyng Adland; Sayd, you be welcome, kyng Eftmere, You have a daughter, fayd Adler yonge, Yesterdaye was at my deare daughter Syr Bremor the kyng of Spayne; The kyng of Spayne is a foule paynìm, And pitye it were that fayre ladyè But grant to me, fayes kyng Eftmere, my love I you praye, For That I may fee your daughter deare Before I goe hence awaye. Althoughe itt is feven yeare and more Syth my daughter was in halle, Shee fhall come downe once for your fake |