Lionel's Name and Title 115 



There are two reasons for the association of this mythical 

 Lionel with the king of beasts — the circumstances which gave 

 him his name, and an exploit which he performed in the days of 

 his knight-errantry. When Lionel was born, there w^as seen on 

 his breast a red spot resembling a lion, with paws outstretched 

 as if to embrace his neck.^ The exploit, which Lionel craved 

 for himself on the occasion of his dubbing as knight, consisted in 

 the strangling of the first Libyan lion ever seen in Great Britain. 

 It was led in, with a crown on its head, by a damsel who held 

 it by a golden chain, and the reward of the emprise was to be 

 the hand of the damsel's mistress, the most beautiful and richest 

 lady in the world. ^° This exploit is of course to be disregarded 

 in considering the reason why the Lionel of romance received his 

 name. 



But how can the Lionel of romance have influenced Edward 

 III and Philippa in the bestowal of a name upon their third son? 

 The answer to this involves a consideration of the circumstances 

 and designs of Edward III in November, 1338, when Lionel was 

 born. At that time one of the chief sources of England's wealth 

 was wool, which was chiefly exported to Flanders, and there 

 manufactured into cloth. The prosperity of both countries there- 

 fore depended upon a free and uninterrupted exchange of their 

 products, which, during the earlier years of Edward's reign, was 

 in danger of being prejudiced through French influence. To 

 cultivate the friendship of the Low Countries, and to prevent the 

 ascendency of the French in that quarter, was a policy which 

 was almost forced upon Edward at this period. He had married 

 Philippa, daughter of the Count of Hainaut, who was also Count 

 of Holland and Zeeland, and Lord of Friesland ; and this alliance 

 was of great political advantage to him in his enterprises against 

 France. The situation is summarily described by Coville^^ : 



Edouard III, suivant le conseil qui lui fut donne dans son Parle- 

 ment, chercha de tons cotes des allies sur le continent, jusqu'en 



^ See the quotation from Lancelot in Madden's edition of Sir Gaivayne, 

 p. 313 : 'Et le varlet avoit a nom Lyonnel pource que une grande merve- 

 ille advint a son naistre. Car sy tost comme il yssit du ventre Helayne, 

 sa mere, Ten trouva au meillieu de son pis une tasche vermeille en forme 

 de lyon, et avoit I'enfant embrasse parmy le col, ainsi comme pour 

 I'estrangler.' 



^"Romans 4. 272; 5. 290-293. 



" Lavisse 4.^ Z7 (cf. p. 35). See a fuller treatment in Michelet 4. 149-186. 



