The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-07
KING Arthur,


| back in the chronicles. 10 see what all
this started from yog do not find erea,
comfort. Herr j. Il vr:v frank confcs-
sion of Geoilrcy oi Monmnuth. Who
wrote six hundred Years after The time
he said Arthur died.
while occuna'd or MANY and va
rious studies, happened to light upon
the history of the kings oi Britain. and
wondered that in the account which
GiIdas and Bede. in their elegant troa-
tise have given of them. found nothing
said of those king, who lived here be-
fore the Incarnation of Christ. nor of
Arthur. and many others who succeeded
after the Incarnation; though their &C
ton both deserved immortal fame. and
were also celebrated hy many people in
a pleasant manner and by heart, as if
they had been written. Whilst | was
intent upon these and such like thoughts.
Walter. archdeaeon of Oxford, man of
great eloquence and learned in foreign
histories, offered me very ancient
book in the British tongue, which. in a
continued regular story and elegant
STYLE, related the actions of them all,
from Brutus the first king of the Britons,
down to Cadawallader, the son of Cad
wallo. At his request, therefore, though
had not made fine language my study,
by collecting expressions from other
authors, vet contented with my own
homely style, | undertook the transla-
ton of the book into Latin
You see that this excellent Geoffrey
was surprised that in the two best his
tories of England which he knew, the
great King Arthur name was not so
much as mentioned This is probably
due to the fact that he belonged in ro-
nance and not in history. The truth is
that there were, in those ages, many
kings and many lords. Where the Sax
ons landed and made Il raid, the Britons
gathered and opposed them. But grad
ually the Saxons made head against
| them, and established their permanent
colonies exactly as, later down, their
descendants established Massachusetts,,
and Providence plantations, and Mary
land and Virginia in America. In after
years, more or less was remembered of
the British chieftains, and on this more
or less, the romance writers, when the
time for romances came, hung their
stories.
''Dr. Lingard says. s.of him: I'VE know
neither the period when he lived. nor
the district over which he reigned. He
is said to have fought and to have gained
twelve battles: In the most OF these,
from the names of the places. he seems
to have been opposed to the Angles in
Lincolnshire, from the last. at Mt
Bacon, to the Saxons under Cerdic or
| Cynric. This, whether il was fought
under Arthur or not, was splendid and
useful victory. which for forty ye1rs
| checked the advance OF the strangers.
arhaps when the reader has been told
| tha- Arthur was British chieftain,
that he fought many battles, that he
was murdered by his nephew. and was
| buried in Glastonbury where his re-
mains were discovered in the reign of
Henry the Second. he will have learned
| all that can be ascertained at the pres
ent day, respecting that celebrated war
rior. ="
| 1t is good deal as you might read a
| good history of the United States for the
| first half of this century, and possibly
not find the name OF Tecumseh; or as
you might read one of the last half of
| this century which should not mention
Sitting Bull. Bur. if a hundred years,
| hence. you went among IA spirited tribe
of Indians who had advanced Il CEN
tury toward civilization, you might find
enthusiastic accounts OF Sitting Bull
and OF Tecumseh preserved in ballads
and stories. And these account, very
likely, would snrpass anything which
| was true or even possible in The real
lives of those chiefs
/ may say, in passing, that both
Tecumseh and Sitting Bull were men
quite as accomplished as the real King
Arthur was. As for weapons and
arts they were quite in advance OF
him.
Both Lord Tenny>on and Lord Lyttou
in our time have felt that in this legend
of Arthur was the best subject for a
great English poem. Lord bytton once
said that he had more hope Of being re-
membered in another country. because
he had written King Arthur. than fol
any fame which any of his novels would
have then. But you will find il hard tc
buy copy to-day. and there are good
public libraries which do not contain
"Bulwer's KIM Arthur | am afraid
in truth Bulwer bad ITO pump. Thai
is phrase Mr. Emerson once used t.
me when he was speaking Of another
poet. The story is difficult TO follow, j
is long-winded. it is not founded on Tho
real legends. and you cannot help feel
ing that Bulwer determined to write
three verses a day. and wrote them reg
ularly. Still there are noble passages
in it l remember that dear Starr Kine
was very fond of it, and used to quote
exquisite verses from il
/ But as every boy knows, who vii
read thest. lines the tenderness the
yigor, the simplicity. and the truth q
Lord Tennyson ..Idyls' have mad,
men and women forget all other poetry
about King Arthur. The '.Idyls'' hay,
been published at various times. and ar,
now published in the chronological or
der of their own story. But in the lat.
editions you viii find them in the ordel
the author means thai they shall b.
read. Edsrara Ererst haie. in "a,
4dsDdke.