ROMANCE. 



of chivalry, botli in London and Edinburgh, the lirlt com- 

 prehenfive and general work upon this interelting fubjedl 

 was undertaken by Mr. Ritfon, which was foon Succeeded 

 by the more popular and elegant performance of Mr. 

 George Ellis, entitled " Specimens of early Englifh Me- 

 trical Romances, chiefly written during the early Part of 

 the 14th Century : to which is prefixed a hillorical Intro- 

 duction, intended to illuftrate the Rife and Progrefs of Ro- 

 mantic Competition in France and England." Mr. Ritfon's 

 work is a feledtion of " Ancient Englifh Metrical Ro- 

 mances," containing twelve metrical romances of chivalry ; 

 to which is prefixed a long and elaborate differtation on 

 Romance and Minilrelfy. 



In imitation of the archbifhop Turpinus, who palled for 

 author of the romance of the Fealts of Charlemagne and 

 Orlando, a great number of hiftories, of the like kind, were 

 written in France, during the time of Philip the Fair ; the 

 authors of which feemed to improve on each other, con- 

 tending who mould go farthelt in the merveilleux. Thefe 

 books, being intended for polite people, were written in the 

 court language of that age, which was called the romans, 

 romant, or romantic; whence the books themfelves were 

 called by thofe names : and thus, by degrees, romans, &c. 

 became the general name of all books of this kind ; whence, 

 at length, our romance. 



To this purpofe, Crefcimbcni, reciting the (everal opi- 

 nions refpedting the name romanza, derives it from the 

 word Roma, and tells us, that it means that vulgar idiom 

 which, with colonies of Romans, palled into Provence, and 

 elfewhere, and was elleemed, even by the barbarians who 

 inhabited thufe kingdoms, and called Romano and Ro- 

 manzo ; and in this they wrote the atts and achievements of 

 knights ; which writings were, therefore, Ityled romanzi, 

 or romances. 



Others derive the word from the Spanifh romanfero, I in- 

 vent ; as intimating romances to be mere fiftions. And 

 hence it is that the ancient poets of Provence, who were 

 the firft great dealers in romances, are called troubadours, 

 a. d. finders, or inventors. 



Crefcimbeni remarks, that the Italians derived from Pro- 

 vence, not only the origin and art of writing romances, but 

 alfo the very fubjedts on which they were founded ; and 

 though it is not precifely known who were the romance 

 writers of Provence, yet many of their romances are found 

 in the Italian libraries ; and, indeed, from luch a fource of 

 poetical fiftion as the country of Provence appears to have 

 been, nothing lefs could be expedited than a vaft profulion 

 of romances, and other works of invention. See Pro- 

 vencal Poets, and alio MlNSTRELS, with whofe hillory 

 that of romances, of which they were the compofers, is 

 nearly connected. 



It has been a received opinion amongft modern critics, 

 that the fidtions of romance, borrowed from the Arabians, 

 were communicated to the Weltern world by means of the 

 Crufadcs. Mr. Warton (ubi fupra) is of opinion, that al- 

 though thefe expeditions greatly contributed to propagate 

 this mode of fabling in Europe, they were introduced at a 



much earlier period by the Saracens, or Arabian , "ii" 

 came from the northern coafts of Africa, and fettled in 

 Spain, about the beginning of the eighth century. From 

 Spain, he imagines, they found an - ah into ['"ranee 



and Italy ; and the clofe connection which fubfifted for 

 many centuries between the W'ellh and their colonifte, the 

 Armoricaus, might have been the means of bringing them 

 from France into this ifland. (See Ahmokica.) A llrict 



intimacy alfo lublilted between Cornwall and Wales; and 

 hence we sre able to account for Cornwall's being made the 



fcene and the fubjedt. of fo many romantic adventures in the 

 French romances. Their language, cufloms, and alliances 

 were the fame ; and by Britifh writers, Cornwall, feparated 

 from Wales only by a flrait of inconfiderable breadth, is 

 frequently ityled Weft Wales. At the invaiion of the 

 Saxons, both countries became indifcriminately the re- 

 ceptacle of the fugitive Britons. We find the Welfh and 

 Cornifh, as one people, often uniting themfelves as in a na- 

 tional caufe againft the Saxons. They were frequently 

 fubjedt to the fame prince, who fometimes refided in Wales, 

 and fometimes in Cornwall ; and the kings or dukes of 

 Cornwall were perpetually celebrated in fong by the Welfh 

 bards. Traditions about king Arthur are as popular in 

 Cornwall as in Wales ; and moll of the romantic caltles, 

 rocks, rivers, and caves, of both nations are alike diltin- 

 guifhed at this day by fome noble achievements, at lead by 

 the name of that celebrated champion. 



Arthur and Charlemagne, according to Warton, are the 

 firft and original heroes of romance. And as Geollroy's 

 hillory is the grand repofitory of the adts of Arthur, fo a 

 fabulous hiflory, afcribed to Turpin above-mentioned, is 

 the ground-work of all the chimerical legends which have 

 been related concerning the conquelts of Charlemagne, and 

 his twelve peers. Its fubjedt is the expullion of the Sara- 

 cens from Spain : and it is filled with fictions evidently con- 

 genial with thofe which characterize GeofTroy's hiftory. 

 Some have fuppofed this romance to have been written by 

 Turpin, a monk of the eighth century, who for his learning, 

 and fandtity, and gallant exploits againft the Saracens of 

 Spain, was preferred by Charlemagne to the archbifhopric 

 of Rheims. Others fuppofe it to have been forged under 

 archbifhop Turpin's name, about that time ; others, very 

 foon afterwards, in the reign of Charles the Bald, that is, 

 about the year 870. Hiltorical evidence concurs with nu- 

 merous internal arguments to prove, that it mull have been 

 compiled after the crufades, or about the year mo. In 

 the two fabulous chronicles now mentioned, the foundations 

 of romance feem, in Mr. Warton's opinion, to be laid. 

 The principal charadters, the leading fubjedts, and the fun- 

 damental features, which have fupplied fuch ample matter 

 to this lingular fpecies of competition, are here firft dif- 

 played. And although the long continuance oi the cru- 

 fades imported innumerable inventions of a limilar com- 

 plexion, and fubftituted the achievements of new cham- 

 pions, and the wonders of other countries ; yet the tales of 

 Arthur and Charlemagne, diverlilied indeed, or enlarged 

 with additional embellilhments, Hill continued to prevail, 

 and to be the favourite topics. Upon the whole Mr. 

 Warton concludes, that thefe volumes are the lirlt fpeeimens 

 extant in this mode of writing ; hut he eonliders the Sara- 

 cens, either at their immigration into Spain, about the ninth 

 century, or at the time of the crufades, as the liril authors 

 of romantic fiction among the Europeans. 



In examining the hypothelis of Dr. Percy and Mr. Ma]' 

 let, who derive thefe fictions, in a lineal deleent, from 

 the ancient hillorieal longs of the Gothic bards ,1 

 fcalds, he allows tin opinion to be in fome meature well 

 founded, and that lo far it is alio reconcileable with In. 

 OW n fyftem. 



The I d entions, he lay, had undoubtedly taken 



deep root in Europe, and prepared the way tor the more eafy 

 admiiflon of the Arabian the ninth century, 



by which they were, however, in a great meafurefup rfeded. 

 As a proof ofwhich he obi rvi . thai the enchantment 



the Runic poetry .1 Eferenl trom thole in our ro- 



mances of chivalry. Th 1 hiefly deals in fpeils and 



charms, fuch as would picfcrvc from poifon-, blunt the 



weapons 



