Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-17

The following letter appears in the Lon-
don Herald:
1.-The new work of the Poet Laureate
will be perused by thousands of delighted
readers, to many of whom, however, the
title of the chief poem, The Holy Grail
will require explanation, although the
term is familiar to archaologists. But it
may be observed firstly, that the Laureate
departs from the legend which has usually
been current when he makes the Holy
Grail to be a cup, instead of bason or
dish
The cup, the cup itself from which our Lord
Drank at the last sad supper with his own.'
"Allow me to quote a description of
what is generally regarded by antiquaries
as the San Greal.'
1.-The celebrated Sangreal, or sacro
catino, preserved at Genoa, is referred to
in manuscripts as early as the seventh
century. 1t is deep bowl or tureen of
dark green glass, of Roman manuiact-
ure, about twelve inches in diameter and
three inches deep, with hexagonal border
and two handles, first moulded and then
turned in the lathe it derives its name
from the word great, or grayle, deep
dish, used in the middle ages to contain
meat. This Saint Greal was said to be the
identical dish on which the Paschal Lamb
was placed at Our Saviour's Last Supper,
and preserved by Joseph of Arimathea.
1t was formerly supposed to have been
cut out of an emerald. Bonaparte trans
ported it to Paris in 1906, when it was
broken, and it was then ascertained to be
glass. 1t has since been carefully repaired,
and returned to Genoa. Among the adj
ventures of King Althur's knights of the
Round Table was their search in ''quest
of Sancgreall," which could only be re-
vealed to, a knight lat once accomplished
in earthly chivalry and pure and guiltless
of evil conversation. From the intro
duction to Ancient and Medieval Glass, in
a Catalogue of Antiquities and Works of
Art exhibited at Ironmongers Hall, in
1861 p 362]
Thus for twelve hundred years this
sacred vessel has been alluded to, and
as dish; the Italian word catino can only
apply to a dish or bason, derived from the
Latin, and understood to be vessel on
which meat OF fish was served up at feasts
among the Romans. Thus Horace used
the term 'angustus catinus' to imply a
scanty bill of fare. One of the most cel-
ebrated Of King Arthurs knights was
Sir Launcelot of the Lake, who went in
search of the holy vessels. Sir Walter
Scott alludes to him in the introduction to
the first canto of 'Marmon':
IA sinful man and unconfessed
He sought the Sangreals holy quest,
And, slumbering, saw the vision high,
He might not view with naked eye.'
''And this explanation is given in a note:
'One day Arthur was holding high feast
with his Knights of the Round Table, the
Sangreal, or vessel out of which the last
Passover was eateu, precious relic which
had long remained concealed from human
eyes, because of the sins of the land,
suddenly appeared to him and all his
chivairy. The consequence of the vision
was that the knights took on them solemn
VOW to seek the SangreaL,' &c.
1.-The substitution of cup for dish as
the vessel supposed to have been used by
our Blessed Lord at His Last Supper, is,
no doubt, quite within Il poets privilege,
and will not in the least affect the high and
noble character of the poem. 1t is only
as a mattero of antiquarian interest that the
foregoing explanation has been given of
an object which for many centuries has
attracted notice, and which is evidently of
very early date.
Yours, &c,
GEORGE RUSSELL FRENCH.
''7 Powis Place, ". c., December 27"