often referred to in old French and Provençal poetry. The French romance was soon reproduced in German by Hartmann von Aue, who had also adapted that of Yrain; and the Icelandic Erex Saga is said to be also taken from Chrestien's poem. Besides these, there is a fourteenth century French prose version of the story, based upon the poem, but much abridged and slightly altered, which is printed together with the poem itself in the edition of the works of Chrestien de Troyes by W. Foerster (vol. 3, Halle, 1890). Into the vexed question of the relation between the Welsh story of Geraint and the French romance of Erec I do not propose to enter. Suffice it to say that they resemble one another so closely that one must certainly have been borrowed from the other, and the weight of opinion inclines to the decision that the Welsh story, at least in its present form, was taken, with some slight alteration and the introduction of some national names and local colour, from the French poem.

What has been said is sufficient to show that the story thus included by Tennyson among his tales of the Round Table is not the obscure local legend which it has sometimes been supposed to be by those whose acquaintance with Arthurian romance is limited to Malory's Morte Darthur, and who are apt to complain if those limits are disregarded by others. In dealing, however, with the idylls before us we are hardly concerned to go beyond the Welsh story, seeing that it is upon this that the poems are based. It seems improbable that Tennyson when he wrote Enid had before him any of the other reproductions of the story, most of which then existed only in manuscript; though it may be remarked that in some few instances his variations from the Welsh story

are in accordance with those which we find in the French prose version, and that too in some points where this is not in agreement with the poem upon which it is based. Thus in assigning to Geraint a nobler motive for not striking the dwarf than is given in the Welsh story, he agrees with the French prose Erec, which says, 'il ne l'ose ferir pour ce que celui seroit blasme s'il batoit ung naim, qu'il puelt tuer a ung seul coup,' though the verse of Chrestien makes no mention of any motive except a discreet regard for the armed knight: again, the comparison of Enid to a flower vermeil-white,' occurs in both the French versions but not in the Welsh: the mention by Geraint of his name to Earl Yniol, followed by Yniol's exclamation,

'Art thou indeed

Geraint, a name far-sounded among men

For noble deeds?

is paralleled in the French versions :

'Ha! biaus sire, est ce veritez ?

Erec li fiz Lac estes vos ?

beau

le fils de Lac

Ce sui je, fet il, a estros.

Li ostes mout s'an esjoï,

Et dist: Bien avomes oï

De vos parler an cest païs,' etc.,

s'en réjouit

avons ouï

en ce pays

whereas in the Welsh Geraint does not name himself at all: in the French versions the combats with robbers on the road are, as in Tennyson, two only, whereas the Welsh makes them three: the mention of the crowing of the cock in Geraint and Enid, 384, occurs also in the French prose version, but not in the others and finally in 1. 457 ff. Tennyson agrees with the French versions in making the overthrow of the Earl and one other sufficient

to determine the flight of the rest, whereas the Welsh story, with characteristic exaggeration, makes Geraint overthrow the whole troop one by one, and last of all the Earl. Whether these points of agreement can be all coincidences it is difficult to determine, but none of them point necessarily to the direct use by Tennyson of Chrestien de Troyes' poem.1

The following is a summary of the tale of Geraint son of Erbin as given in Lady Charlotte Guest's Mabinogion, pp. 141-184 (ed. 1877).

Once Arthur held his court at Whitsuntide at Caerleon upon Usk; and on Whit-Tuesday, as the King sat at meat, there entered a youth richly dressed, who announced himself as one of the foresters of Dean, and reported that a stag had been seen in the forest, which was of pure white and did not herd with the rest. Arthur decided to hunt the stag on the morrow at dawn, and Queen Gwenhwyvar asked Arthur for permission to go and see the hunt, which was granted. Gwalchmai proposed that whosoever should slay the stag should have free leave to present his head to any lady he pleased, and Arthur accepted the proposal. On the morrow Arthur left

1It is worth mention that in the French versions the motive of jealousy (which appears in the Welsh) is absent. Erec is moved to anger by the popular sayings, and especially against Enid who has reported them, for in the French poem Enid makes a full confession of all that is weighing on her mind; and he rides forth to show her and the world that he is not what they think him. On the occasion when the Earl, who by Tennyson is called Limours, asks leave to speak to Enid and obtains it readily, we are told that Erec ne fu mie jalos,' (Erec et Enide, 3304). There is therefore no misunderstanding at all, except so far as Enid is supposed to share the opinion which she reports.

Gwenhwyvar sleeping and went forth to the forest. When the Queen awoke, she sent a maiden to the stable to find a horse, and she found but two horses left; so Gwenhwyvar and one of her maidens mounted them and went through the Usk, following the track of the hunters. As they rode they heard a sound behind them, and looking round they saw a knight, Geraint the son of Erbin, riding after them in surcoat of satin and a purple scarf with golden apples, who overtook the Queen and saluted her. The Queen rejoiced that she should have so good company to watch the hunt, and they went and stood at the edge of the forest. 'From this place,' said she, 'we shall hear when the dogs are let loose.' Thereupon they heard a noise, and looking to the spot whence it came, they saw a dwarf upon a prancing horse, with a whip in his hand. And near the dwarf was a lady in a garment of gold brocade upon a beautiful white horse; and near her was a knight upon a great war horse, with heavy and bright armour on himself and on his horse. The Queen asked Geraint if he knew the knight, and Geraint replied that he did not. Then Gwenhwyvar sent her maiden to ask the dwarf who the knight was. The dwarf refused to

tell, and refused to allow the maiden to ask the knight, and finally on her attempting to do so, struck her in the face with his whip so that the blood flowed forth. The maiden returned to the Queen complaining, and Geraint undertook to find out who the knight was. The same thing occurred to him, the dwarf striking him so that the blood ran down and coloured his scarf. He put his hand to the hilt of his sword, but considering the presence of the armed knight, he refrained from

vengeance and returned to the Queen, offering to follow the knight and encounter him as soon as he could obtain arms. 'Go,' said she, 'and I shall eagerly wait for tidings of thee.' 'If I am alive,' said he, thou shalt hear tidings by to-morrow afternoon,' and with that he departed.

The road they took was below the palace of Caerlleon, and across the ford of Usk; and they went along a fair and even and lofty ridge, till they came to a town, and at the extremity of the town was a fortress and a castle. And as the knight passed through the town, all the people saluted and welcomed him; and every house was full of men and arms and horses, and they were polishing shields and burnishing swords, and washing armour and shoeing horses. And the knight, the lady, and the dwarf rode up to the castle and were received there with great joy.

Geraint stood still for a time to see if the knight would abide there, and then he saw at a little distance an old palace in ruins, wherein was a hall that was falling into decay.

And as he knew not anyone in the town, he went towards the old palace, and when he came near he saw but one chamber, and a bridge of marble-stone leading to it. And upon the bridge he saw sitting a hoary-headed man, upon whom were tattered garments.

Seeing him thoughtful, the old man questioned him, and then invited him to enter. He left his horse in the hall, and went on to the upper chamber with the hoaryheaded man.

And in the chamber he beheld an old decrepit woman sitting on a cushion, with old tattered garments of satin. . . . And