It has been conjectured, however, that he was born in Lesbos, and, it is supposed from his style, that he did not live later than the fourth or fifth century. But, in fact, this is a very uncertain mode of coming to any result, for I cannot see why, by an assiduous study of the ancient Greek authors, he might not have written as purely in the tenth as in the fifth century. Those writers who lived during the latter ages of the Greek empire, particularly the Sophists, (an appellation generally added to the name of Longus,) applied themselves to some ancient writer, as Plato, Demosthenes, &c., whose style they tried to emulate, and to this imitation alone they trusted for excellence. The first Greek edition of the pastoral of Longus was by Columbanus, Florence, 1598. The editor informs us, it was printed from a MS. which he procured from the library of Luigi Alamanni, and which was compared by one of the editor's friends, Fulvius Ursinus, with a MS. at Rome, and the various readings transmitted to him. This impression was followed by that of Jungerman, in 1601, and a great variety of others, most of which have been used by Villoison, who boasts in the preface to his edition of 1778, that he had studied Greek twelve hours daily from his infancy. His labours have formed the basis of the latest and best edition of this romance, printed at Leipsic in 1803. Previous to its publication in Greek, Gambara translated this pastoral romance from the MS. into Latin verse, and this work was printed 1569. In 1559 it was rendered into French by Amyot, and of his version there have been a great number of impressions, one of which was published with figures designed by the regent Duke of Orleans. It has also been exhibited in an Italian form by Annibal Caro, the celebrated translator of Virgil.

No. 5.-p. 75.

CHARITON APHRODISIENSIS

Is as little known as the other writers of Greek romance. Indeed, it has been suspected by some, that his graceful name is entirely fictitious; by others it has been

conjectured that he was born at Aphrodisia, a city in Caria, and it is supposed, from the imperfection of his style, that the author, whoever he was, existed posterior to the age of Heliodorus or Tatius. His romance was published at Amsterdam, 1750, by D'Orville, from a copy, taken by his friend Antonio Cocchi, of a MS. found in a monastery at Florence. The Latin translation by Reiskius is executed with uncommon spirit and fidelity. The romance itself consists of 144 pages, and the notes added by D'Orville, occupy 788. "Charitonis contextum," says he, "paucis ubi opus videbatur illustrandum duxi." The trouble the commentator has taken is the more extraordinary, as he seems to have entertained but an indifferent opinion of the merit of the romance, "et vere dicere licet, Charitonem potius insignibus vitiis carere, quam magnis virtutibus esse commendabilem." In 1753, there appeared an Italian translation, through the medium of which the English one has been formed.

No. 6. p. 78.

JOANNES DAMASCENUS

Was born in the seventh or eighth century, in Syria, and his spiritual romance is said to have been originally written in the language of that country, but it was translated into Greek at an early period. His youth was spent in the service of a Mahometan caliph, but he afterwards retired into the monastery of St. Sabas, in Syria, where he became a monk, and died at the age of eighty-four. Besides his Lives of Josaphat and Barlaam, he is the author of many theological and controversial writings, particularly several works in favour of images against the Iconoclastes, which subjected him to much persecution. His hand, indeed, was cut off on account of the tenets he professed, but was afterwards miraculously restored to him by the Virgin.

Little is known with regard to the remaining writers of Greek romance. EUSTATHIUS, the author of Ismene and Ismenias, is called Eumathius in the manuscripts of that production; and it has been suspected that Gualminus,

who published the work with a Latin translation in 1618, adopted the name of Eustathius, in order to make the public believe that the romance was written by the commentator on Homer of that name. Gualminus was also editor of the Dosicles and Rhodantes of Theodorus Prodromus, a MS. copy of which was transmitted to him by Salmasius, and printed at Paris in 1615. The author of this romance, he informs us, was originally from Russia, but became, soon after his arrival in Greece, a priest, a physician, and a philosopher.

No. 7. p. 149.

MERLIN.

Si

Quand les Chevaliers et Dames et Damoyselles furent arrivez, Dieu sait la joye que le Roy leur fist; et s'en vint a Yguerne et a son Mari, et les fist menger en sa table, et fist seoir le Duc de coste lui. Et fist tant le Roy par ses paroles que Yguerne ne se peut deffendre qu'elle ne print de ses jouyaulx, tant qu'elle sceut bien de vrai, que le Roy l'aimoit; et apres que la feste fut passee, chascun se en voulut retourner, et prinrent congié du Roy. Et le Roy leur pria qu'ils revinssissent tousjours, ainsi qu' il leur avoit commandé; si luy accorderent chascun. endura le Roy cette peine d' amours jusques a long-temps. Si ne peut plus endurer ce martyre, et luy convint se descouvrir a deux des plus privéz de son conseil, et leur dit l'angoisse qu'il souffroit pour l'amour d'Yguerne—Et quant le jour de la feste fut venu, chascun se trouva a Cardeuil avecque leurs appareils, tant Dames et Damoyselles, de quoy le Roy fut moult joyeux; et quant le Roy sceut que chascun fut arrivé, et le Duc de Tintaiel, et sa femme Yguerne, si prist sa couronne, et se presenta devant tous les Barons auxqueulx il donna plusieurs riches jouyaulx, et aux dames et Damoyselles aussi. Et quant se vint a la table, que chascun fut assis pour menger, le Roy fut moult joyeux et lye. Si parla a ung sien conseiller, auquel il se fioit, qui fut nommé Ulsius. El lui dist que l'amour d' Yguerne le tuoit, et le feroit mourir, et qu' il ne pevoit durer s' il ne la veoit, et que quant il en perdoit

la vue, le cueur lui meurdrissoit, et que s' il n'avoit remede d' elle, qu'il ne povoit longuement vivre. Et Ulsius lui respondit: Sire, cuideriez vous bien mourir pour l'amour d'une dame? Saichez, que Je ne suis que ung povre Gentilhomme; mais Je ne cuiderois point mourir pour l'amour d'une femme. Car Je ne ouy parler de femme (pourveu qu' elle fust bien requise) qui, pour ce qu' on luy presente plusieurs dons, ne se consentye a la voulente de celui qui la requiert. Et toy qui es Roy, te esbahis tu comme tu pourras avoir l'amour d' une dame! Il semble que tu ayes le cueur bien couart qui n'oses requirrir une dame d'aymer. Et le Roy luy dist: tu ditz vrai, tu sces qu'il convient a telle chose. Si te prie que tu m' aydes en toutes les manieres que tu pourras. Si, prens en mon tresor, ce que tu vouldras pour lui donner, et a ceulx et a celles qui sont autour d'elle; et pense de faire a chascun son plaisir, et va parler a Yguerne. Et Ulsius respondit: Je sauray bien faire ce que m' avez commandé. Ainsi tint la court huit jours en grant joye et avoit le Roy tousjours a sa compaignie, et lui donna de moult riches jouyaulx, et a ses compagnons aussi. Et Ulsius s'en alla parler a Yguerne, et luy dist ce qu' il convenoit a parler d'amours, et luy porta plusieurs beaulx jouyaulx, et riches. Et jamais Yguerne n'en voulut riens; tant qu'il advint ung jour que Yguerne tira Ulsius a conseil a une part, et luy dist.-Ulsius, pourquoi me offres tu tant de si beaulx joyaulx? Et Ulsius respondit; pour le grant sens et belle contenance que Je voy en vous, votre grant beaulté. Et saichez que tout l'avoir de ce Royaume est a vous; et tous les gens aussi sont a faire vostre plaisir et vostre voulente. Et elle respondit: comment sais tu ce? Et il respondit: Dame vous avez le cueur de celuy a qui est le Royaume. Et elle dist; qui est le cueur ? C'est le cueur du Roy, dist il. Comment? dist elle; le Roy a le cueur bien felon et bien traître de monstrer a monseigneur si grant semblant qu'il l' aime, si il me veult trahir et deshonnourer; Je te diray, Ulsius, gardes sur ta vie que jamais tu ne me parles de tieulx parolles, que bien saiches que Je le dirois au Duc, et s'il le scavoit, il te conviendroit mourir. Ne ja ne le celeray que ceste foys. Et Ulsius respondit; se Je mouroye pour le Roy, se me seroit grant

honneur. Puis il lui dit: Dame, Je me esbahis que vous reffusez le Roy pour vostre amy, qui plus vous aime que luy meme; et veuillez savoir qu' il meurt pour vous, et qu' il mourra si n' avez mercy de luy. Et elle respondit: vous vous gabez. Et il luy respondit : Pour Dieu, Dame, ayez mercy du Roy et de vous mesmes; car si vous n' en avez mercy, vous en verrez venir grant mal: Ne vous, ne votre seigneur, ne vous saurez deffendre contre sa voulente. Et a donc Yguerne respondit en pleurant tendrement; Si feray; Je m' en deffendrai bien. Car jamais ne me trouveray, le feste passée, en la compaigne du Roy, ny en sa cour ne me trouveray; ne pour quelque mandement qu'il face ne viendray. Ainsi se departirent Ulsius et Yguerne.

No. 8. p. 156.

SANGREAL.

ung

Au jour que le Sauveur du monde soffri mort fust mort destruite et nostre vie restorée. A cet jour estoient moult poi de gent qui creissent en luy; mais il estoit chevalier qui avoit a nom Joseph d' Arrimachie. En cette cite estoit Joseph nés, mais il estoit venus en Jherusalem sept an devant ce que nostre sire fu mis en Crois, et avoit rachaté le creanche Jhesu Crist; mais il n' en osoit faire samblant por les felons Juis: Il estoit plein de sapiencte, il estoit net d'envie et d'orguel, il secouroit les poures, totes bontés estoient en lui et de lui parole le premier salme del sautier. Ce Joseph estoit en Jherusalem, et moult ot grant duel de la mort Jhesu Crist, et se pensa qu'il onnorroit. Enfin Joseph avoit esté dans la maison ou Jhesu Crist avoit fait la cene avec ses apotres: Il y trouva l' escuelle ou le fiex Dieu avoit mengié, si s' en sesist; il la porta chez lui, et il s'en servit pour ramasser le sang qui coula des cotés et des autres plaies; et celle escuelle est appellée le Saint Graal.