RITSON’S ANCIENT ENGLISH ROMANCESS. 
hy. 
when one did all, and the whole system 
_ Sunk into insignificance and contempt.” 
~The chief design of this section is to 
_ confute Percy’s account of the minstrels. 
_ Mr. Ritson has more accurately investi- 
gated their history: he brings together 
all the bad parts of their character ina 
heavy indictment, and concludes with 
this parting compliment, 
__ “ Beggars they are, with oneconsent, 
___ And rogues by act of parliament” 
_ The whole section, indeed the whole 
‘dissertation, displays patient and inde- 
itizable research ; intimates knowledge 
of the subject, and scrupulous fidelity. 
But whenever the author touches upon a 
“subject which he does not understand, 
uch as Cimbric or Scandinavian anti- 
ies, or the Christian religion, he 
Ses his temper, and immediately sub- 
" Stitutes assertions for facts, and abuse 
‘for argument. Regarding, as we do, 
‘this unhappy disease with pity, and _re- 
‘specting, as we sincerely do, his indus- 
try, his knowledge, and his accuracy, 
‘we trust that Mr. Ritson will not 
ik us among his foes. If his sores 
cannot be touched without giving him 
ce he will distinguish between the 
Knife of a surgeon and the stab of an 
enemy. 
Ywaine and Gawin is the first poem in 
this collection. Le Chevalier au Lion, 
“The original of this romance, was written 
y Chrestian de Troyes, who died in 
1191. ‘The present poem seems to have 
‘been written towards the close of the 
fourteenth century. The French con. 
he original has been much curtailed, the 
work must have been improved by a 
‘comprest translation. 
_ Ywaine, Ewen or Owen, was the son 
of Urien, king, or rather, if we may 
be allowed the word, kingling of Re- 
ged, one of the four parts into which 
Cambria was then divided. ‘The father 
s stiled by Llywarch Hen, in the elegy 
vhich he composed upon his death-bed, 
‘the head and most powerful pillar of 
Britain. The son was celebrated by 
one of the owners “ of the three steeds 
depredation,”’ “ of the three blessed 
princes of the isle of Britain,” “ of the 
three blessed burthens of the womb of 
the isle of Britain,” and “ of the three 
‘immaculate princes of Britain,” It ap- 
‘ists of 7784 verses : the English of only « 
oi Unless, therefore, the story of 
liessin: he is named in the Triads as: 
425 
pears by Taliessin that he slew Ida, king 
of Northumberland, in battle. Thus 
auch, or, to speak more accurately, thus 
little is recorded of Ywaine, in authentic 
documents. Romance, which has given 
him all his celebrity, has faithfully pre- 
served to him that irreproachable cha- 
racter for which he has been placed :in 
the Triads. The fame of his. cousin 
Gawaine is not so fair. In the poem 
only the better part of his qualities are 
represented. Gawaine is the courteous 
knight of the Round Table romances; 
but courtesy, when ‘applied to him, must 
be understood in its courtly and cour- 
tier derivation, as‘ implying deceit and 
wickedness. In the Mort Arthur he is 
represented as a traitor and a murderer. 
The story of the romance is briefly 
this. At the court of king Arthur, Col- 
grevance relates, that as he was seeking 
adventures, he was directed to a mar- 
vellous well. 
‘“« The well es under the fairest tre, 
That ever was in this cuntre ; 
By that well hinges a baeyne, 
‘That es of gold gude and fyne, 
With acheyne, trewly to icll, 
That wil reche into the well. 
Thare es a chapel ner thar-by, 
That nobil es, and ful lufely, 
By the well stands a stane, 
«Tak the bacyn sone onane, 
And cast on water with thi hand, 
And sone thou sal se new tithand. 
A. storme sal rise, and a tempest, 
Al obout by est and west ; 
Thou sal here mani thonor blast, 
Al obout the blawand fist ; 
And there sal cum slik slete and rane, 
That unnese sal thou stand ogayne ; 
Of lightnes sal thou se a Jowe, 
Unnethes thou sal thi-selyen knowe; 
And if thou pass with owten grevance, 
Than has thou the fairest chance 
* That ever yit had any knyght 
That theder come to kyth his myght.” 
He followed these directions: a storm 
arose: a knight came up at the sum- 
mons; attacked him; defeated him’; 
took his horse, and rode away. Kine 
Arthur hearing this, swears that he will 
go see that sight within a fortnight. 
Sir Ywaine leaves the court secretly; 
arrives at the well, and conquers the 
knight, who flies from him, being mor- 
tally wounded. Ywaine pursues him to 
the gate of his town, and is there 
caught between the portcullis. 
sel, by name Lunet, has pity on him, 
and gives him a ring which renders him 
invisible, and at length persuades the 
Adam-_ 
