132 PAPERSj ETC. 



Inque suis thalamis posuit super aurea regem 

 Strata, manuque sibi detexit vuluus honesta 

 Inspexitque diu : tandemque redire salutem 

 Posse sibi dixit, si secum tempore longo 

 Esset, et ipsius vellet medicamine fungi. 

 Gaudentes igitur regem commissimus illi 

 Et dedimus ventis redeundo vela secundis." 

 Tunc INIerlinus ad hajc ait : O delecti. . . .* 

 I do not, of course, attach any historical value to the 

 details as given in this poem, but I think we are fully 

 justified in accepting the leading facts as based on very 

 early tradition — an authority by no means to be despised. 



We come now to the authorities for the reputed dis- 

 covery of the remains. There can be no ground whatever 

 of doubt, I think, that a rüde coffin with a stone slab (in 

 fact, nothing more than a block of oak hollowed out), pur- 

 porting to be the coffin of King Arthur, was dug up in 

 the reign of Henry II., and that in this flat stone there 

 was found inserted a leaden cross, with an Inscription re- 

 lative to King Arthur. This we learn from the Abbcy 

 Kecords and from the detailed account of Giraldus Cam- 

 brensis. How far we are justified in regarding the leaden 

 cross with the inscription as genuine, is not so clear, but 

 of that more hereafter. 



The Abbey Records are the Parvus Liher, and the 



* " Piloted by Barinlhus, skilled in the navigation of the seas and in the 

 knowledge of all the stars of heaven, hither we brought Arthur, sore 

 wounded in the battle of Camlan. With him as captain of our bark hither 

 we Game with our prince, and Morgen receiving us with due honour, laid 

 the king upon her couch covered with embroidered gold. TTith her own 

 band sbe uncovered the wouod, and esamined it long. An length she 

 declared that health might return, if bis stay with her be prolonged, and if 

 he were willing to submit to her healing art. With joy we therefore com- 

 mitted the king to her care, and spread our sails to favouring breezes oa 

 our return." 



