Stall, it is more than that ; for it is written in lucid Eng- 

 lish ; and the last meeting of the Queen and Lancelot, when 

 both enter on a . new life of penitence, good v/orks and 

 faith, to atone so: far as tliey can for their unhallowed love, 

 is drawn with tlie hand of a master. And where can we 

 find a truer pathos tha^n in those words of lamentation 

 over the dead Sir Lancelot, by hi>3 brother: "And now, I 

 dare say, thou Sir Lancelot, there thou liest, that thou 

 were never matched of cai'thly knight'e hands ; and t^hou 

 were the eour-t-liest knight that ever bare shield ; and thou 

 were the truest friend to tliy lover that ever bestrode a 

 horse; and thou were the truest lover, of a sinful man, 

 that ever loved woman; and thou were- the kindest man 

 that ever strake with sword ; and thou were the goodliest 

 person ever came among prerss of knights; and thou were 

 the meeke-fit man and the gentlest that ever ate in hall 

 among ladies; and thou were the sternest knight to thy 

 mortal foe that ever put spear in the rest." 



Malory's version of these legends is not the only one 

 we have, nor is it dispaa-agement of him toi say that, ex- 

 cellent as that version is, it is- no longer the best. The 

 Idylls of the King, sent forth by Tennj^son fifty years ago, 

 bear evidence of the new light that has fallen on the world 

 in the four intervening centiu'ies since the IMorte Da^rthui" 

 was written; and show that English speech, if not more 

 forceful, has gained in compass and in melod}'. Gifted 

 with rare knowledge, mastery of the mother tongtie, keen- 

 ness to analyze motives and test them by the highest ideals ; 

 in a word, gifted with a poet's genius, Tennyson in the fixll- 

 ness of his powers devoted them tO' the work of telling 

 anew these mythical stories of our national life. The ver- 

 dict of his successful labor was long since recorded, and 

 time is not likely to reverse the judgment. The favorites 

 of the Tahle round are all poi'trayed; from J\Ierlin, who by 

 the legend was more than a figurative son of Belial, to 

 King Arthur himself. Sir Galahad and his quest of the 

 Holy Grail; Elaine: Enid, singing "Turni Fortime, Turn 



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