THE BOY AND THE MANTLE, AS REVISED AND ALTERED BY A MODERN HAND.

Since the former fheets of this volume were printed off, Mr. Warton has published a new edition of his ingenious abservations on Spenfer, in which he has given his opinion that the fiction of the Boy and the Mantle is taken from an old French piece intitled LE COURT MANTEL quoted by M. de St. Palaye in bis curious "" Memoires fur l' ancienne Chevalerie." Paris, 1759. 2 tom. 12mo, who tells us the story refembles that of Ariofto's inchanted cup. 'Tis poffible our 'Tis poffible our English poet may bave taken the hint of this fubject from that old French romance, but he does not appear to have copied it in the manner of execution: to which (if one may judge from the pecimen given in the Memoires) that of the ballad does not bear the least refemblance: After all 'tis most likely that all the old fories concerning K. Arthur are originally of British growth, and that what the French and other fouthern nations have of this kind were at first exported from this ifland. See Memoires de l'Acad. des Infcrip. tom. xx. p. 352.

N Carleile dwelt king Arthur,

IN

A prince of paffing might;

And there maintain`d his table round,
Befet with many a knight.

And there he kept his Christmas

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With mirth and princely cheare,

When, lo! a ftraunge and cunning boy
Before him did appeare.

2

A kirtle,

A kirtle, and a mantle

This boy had him upon, di

With brooches, rings, and owches

Full daintily bedone.

He had a farke of filk

About his middle meet;

And thus, with feemely courtesy,
He did king Arthur greet.

"God speed thee, brave king Arthur,
"Thus feasting in thy bowre.
"And Guenever thy goodly queen,
"That fair and peerleffe flowre.

"Ye gallant lords, and lordings,
"I wish you all take heed,

"Left, what ye deem a blooming rofe
"Should prove a cankred weed.”

Then ftraitway from his bofome
A little wand he drew;

And with it eke a mantle

Of wondrous fhape, and hew,

"Now have thou here, king Arthur,
"Have thou here of mee,

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"And give unto thy comely queen,

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All-shapen as you fee.

"No

"No wife it fhall become,

“That once hath been to blame.” Then every knight in Arthur's court Slye glaunced at his dame.

And first came lady Guenever,
The mantle she must trye.
This dame, she was new-fangled
And of a roving eye.

When she had tane the mantle,
And all was with it cladde,
From top to toe it shiver'd down,

As tho' with sheers befhradde.

One while it was too long,

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45

Another while too short,

And wrinkled on her fhoulders

In moft unfeemly fort.

Now green, now red it seemed,

Then all of fable hue.

"Befhrewe me, quoth king Arthur,

"I think thou beeft not true."

Down fhe threw the mantle,

50

Ne longer would not stay;

But ftorming like a fury,

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To her chamber flung away.

She

She curft the whorefon weaver,

That had the mantle wrought:

And doubly curft the froward impe,
Who thither had it brought.

"I had rather live in defarts

Beneath the green-wood tree :

« Than here, base king, among thy groomes, "The sport of them and thee."

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65

70

75

80

Downe

Then forth came an old knightii tutta l
A pattering o'er his creed;

And proffer'd to the little boyodzona'
Five nobles to his meedo nogi s..T

“And all the time of Christmass
"Plumb-porridge fhall be thine,

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go

"If thou wilt let my lady fair