Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

xxvi ANCIENT SONGS
Lift :
when Arthur he was kinge.
11. The Carle of Carli/le, is another romantic tale
about Sir Gawain, in the fame MS. p. 448. in dif-
tichs.
Liften to me a little ftonde.
In all thefeold poems the fame fet of knights are always
drawn with the fame manners and characters ;
which feem to have been as well knov/n and as diftinclly
marked among our anceftors, as Homer's Heroes
were among the Greeks : For as UlyJJes is always reprefented
crafty, Achilles irafcible, and Ajax rough.
So Sir Gawain is ever courteous and gentle, Sir Kay
rugged and difobliging, &c. " Sir Gawain with his
" mild courtefy" is mentioned by Chaucer as noted to
a proverb, in his Squire's Tale. Urry's Ed. p. 60.
v. 115.
12. Syr Launfal, an excellent old Romance concerning
another of K. Arthur's Knights, is preferved
In the Cotton Library, Calig. A. 2. f. 33. This is a
tranflation from the French (bj made by one Thomas
Chejlre/ who is fuppofed to have lived in the reign of
Hen. vi. [See Tanner's Biblioth.] It is in ftanzas of
6 Lines, and begins,
Le douzty Artours dawes.
T^he above was afterwards altered by fome Minftrel
into the Romance of Sir Lambwell, in 3 Parts, under
which title it was more generally known (c). This
is in the Editor's folio MS. p. 60. beginning thus,
Doughty in king Arthures dayes.
13. The
(b) The French Original is preferved among the Ha'rl. MSS. No.
978. ^ H2. Lan-vaL
(c) See Lnngham's Letter concern. (hJEliz, entertainment at K&~
sngworlhj 1575. iimo. p. 34.