JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 25, 
v 
coming more into vogue, and a notable poem appearing in it, the 
Brut of Layamon. This poem although containing many ideas 
derived from the French, derives a special British significance from 
the fact that it reintroduces the Arthurian legends. Following the 
Early English period, which was particularly characteristic of the 
thirteenth century, we find the Decorated in the fourteenth century, 
and it is the most beautiful and ornate as its name denotes. During 
this period literature is equally ornate and presents the pioneers of 
our great names in both prose and poetry, for during this age we have 
the writings of William Langland, who wrote under the name of 
Piers the Plowman, John Wycliffe, and above all, Geoffrey Chaucer, 
who, in spite of the colour given to his writings by those of Contin- 
ental authors, is so thoroughly English and truly the father of English 
poetry. The Perpendicular period which came next, so called be- 
cause the tracery of the windows and arches is arranged in perpen- 
dicular lines, prevailed till the Reformation. It has also been 
termed the Florid period from the profusion of ornament made use 
_ of, and the literature of the period is also more elaborate. 
The chief interest though attaches to the fact that during this. 
age printing first came into use in England, and we also have recorded 
that Caxton printed the ‘Morte d’Arthur eight years before he 
printed any portion of the English Bible, in response he says to a 
general ‘ demaund ”; for ‘‘ many noble and dyvers gentylmen of thys 
royame of England camen and demaunded me many and oftymes. 
wherefore that I have not do make and enprynte the noble hystorye 
of the saynt greal, and of the moost renomed crysen king, fyrst and 
chyef of the thre best crysten and worthy, kyng Arthur, whyche 
ought moost to be remembered emonge us Englysshe men tofore al 
other crysten kynges.” 
After the Reformation the tendency of the architecture was: 
more and more towards the Classical orders adopted by the Italians, 
and literature also became more pedantic, although Spencer, Shakes- 
peare and Milton all made use of the Arthurian legends. 
In this century even as we find a revival of the taste for Gothic 
archecture, so there is a demand for the plain, good old English 
language, and a very prominent place is occupied by the tales of 
King Arthur and his Court, in the beautiful idylls of the King of the 
late Poet Laureate. For in spite of their frequent handling through- 
