POSTSCRIPT.

The plan of the following Specimens will have been partly perceived from the foregoing Essay. A more direct and elaborate explanation of it would perhaps be out of place. Lectori benevolo supervacanea, nihil curat malevolus. It is sufficient to say that the endeavour has been to provide, not a book of beauties, but a collection of characteristic examples of written style. This being so, examples of what may be called spoken style;—that is to say, letters, drama, and oratory, have been for the most part excluded, the first and last being in some rare cases admitted when it was difficult otherwise to exhibit the powers of some admitted master of prose. For a somewhat different reason, prose fiction has been but scantily drawn upon. For convenience sake the terminus a quo has been fixed at the invention of printing: considerations of space, which with others from the first shut out living writers, have led to the inferior birth-limit being fixed at 1800. The head-notes aim only at the briefest outline of biographical information, and sometimes of general criticism, which will be found not unfrequently supplemented in the Essay. The foot-notes are intended to give such information on points both of matter and form as may be sufficient to prevent a reader of average intelligence and information from being molested in his reading by obvious difficulties. It should be added that in the selection of the passages I have received considerable assistance, though the final responsibility for their choice is in all cases mine. In the case of the Essay and the Notes this responsibility is both final and initial.

G. S.

O

SIR THOMAS MALORY.

Nothing is known of the life of Sir Thomas Malory or Maleore. He is said to have been a Welshman and not Sir Knight but Sir Priest. He finished his work in the ninth year of King Edward the Fourth, and it was printed by Caxton in 1485. Compilation as it is, it has caught the whole spirit and beauty of the Arthurian legends, and is one of the first monuments of accomplished English prose.

THE DEATH OF LANCELOT.

H ye mighty and pompous lords, winning in the glory transitory of this unstable life, as in reigning over great realms and mighty great countries, fortified with strong castles and towers, edified with many a rich city: Ye also, ye fierce and mighty knights, so valiant in adventurous deeds of arms, behold, behold, see how this mighty conqueror King Arthur, whom in his human life all the world doubted, yea also the noble Queen Guenever, which sometime sat in her chair adorned with gold, pearls, and precious stones, now lie full low in obscure foss or pit covered with clods of earth and clay. Behold also this mighty champion Sir Launcelot, peerless of all knighthood, see now how he lieth grovelling upon the cold mould, now being so feeble and faint, that sometime was so terrible, how and in what manner ought ye to be so desirous of worldly honour so dangerous, Therefore me thinketh this present book is right necessary often to be read, for in all ye find the most gracious, knightly and virtuous war of the most noble knights of the world, whereby they got praising continually. Also me seemeth by the oft reading thereof, ye shall greatly desire to accustom yourself in

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the following of those gracious knightly deeds, that is to say, to dread God and to love righteousness, faithfully and courageously to serve your sovereign Prince. And the more that God hath given you the triumphal honour, the meeker ye ought to be, ever fearing the unstableness of this deceitful world, and so I pass over and turn again unto my matter.

So within six weeks after Sir Launcelot fell sick, and lay in his bed; and then he sent for the bishop that there was hermit, and all his true fellows. Then Sir Launcelot said with dreary steven: 66 Sir Bishop, I pray you that ye will give me all my rights that belongeth unto a Christian man." "It shall not need you," said the hermit and all his fellows, "it is but a heaviness of the blood, ye shall be well amended by the grace of God tomorrow."

"My fair lords," said Sir Launcelot, "wit ye well, my careful body will into the earth, I have warning more than I will now say, therefore I pray you give me my rights." So when he was houseled and enealed and had all that a Christian man ought to have, he prayed the bishop that his fellows might bear his body unto Joyous Gard. Some men say Anwick, and some men's say is Bamborow.

"Howbeit," said Sir Launcelot, " me repenteth sore, but I made mine avow sometime, that in Joyous Gard I would be buried, and because of breaking of my vow I pray you all lead me thither." Then there was weeping and wringing of hands among all his fellows. So at the season of the night, they went all to their beds, for they all lay in one chamber; so after midnight against day, the bishop that was hermit, as he lay in his bed asleep he fell on a great laughter; and therewith the fellowship awoke, and came unto the bishop and asked him what he ailed. "Ah Jesus, mercy," said the bishop, "why did ye awake me, I was never in all my life so merry and so well at ease." "Why, wherefore?" Isaid Sir Bors.

"Truly," said the bishop, "here was Sir Launcelot with me, with more angels than ever I saw men upon one day; and I saw the angels heave Sir Launcelot towards heaven, and the gates of heaven opened against him." "It is but dretching of swevens," said Sir Bors, "for I doubt not Sir Launcelot aileth nothing but

good." "It may well be," said the bishop, "go ye to his bed, and then shall ye prove the sooth."

So when Sir Bors and his fellows came to his bed they found him stark dead, and he lay as he had smiled, and the sweetest savour about him that ever they smelled. Then was there weeping and wringing of hands, and the greatest dole they made that ever made men. And on the morrow the bishop sung his mass of Requiem; and after the bishop and all those nine knights put Sir Launcelot in the same horse bier that Queen Guenever was laid in before that she was buried.

And so the bishop and they altogether went with the corpse of Sir Launcelot daily, till they came unto Joyous Gard, and ever they had an hundred torches burning about him.

And so within fifteen days they came to Joyous Gard. And there they laid his corpse in the body of the choir, and sung and read many psalters and prayers over him and about him; and ever his visage was laid open and naked, that all folk might behold him; for such was the custom in those days that all men of worship should so lie with open visage till that they were buried. And right thus as they were at their service, there came Sir Ector de Maris that had sought seven years all England, Scotland and Wales, seeking his brother Sir Launcelot.

And when Sir Ector de Maris heard such noise and light in the choir of Joyous Gard, he alighted and put his horse away from him, and came into the choir, and there he saw men sing the service full lamentably. And all they knew Sir Ector, but he knew not them. Then went Sir Bors unto Sir Ector, and told him how there lay his brother Sir Launcelot dead.

And then Sir Ector threw his shield, his sword and his helm from him, and when he beheld Sir Launcelot's visage, he fell down in a swoon; and when he awaked it were hard for any tongue to tell the doleful complaints that he made for his brother. "Ah Sir Launcelot," said he, "thou were head of all christian knights." "And now I dare say," said Sir Bors, "that Sir Launcelot there thou liest, thou were never matched of none earthly knight's hands; and thou were the courteoust knight that ever bare shield; and thou were the truest friend to thy lover that ever bestrode horse, and thou were the truest lover of

sinful man that ever loved woman; and thou were the kindest man that ever struck with sword; and thou were the goodliest person that ever came among press of knights; and thou were the meekest man and the gentlest, that ever eat in hall among ladies, and thou were the sternest knight to thy mortal foe that ever put spear in the rest."

La Morte d'Arthur.

P. 1, 1. 1. Winning. If this is the right reading, it must mean "having luck." Perhaps "wonning," i.e. “ dwelling," is better.

"succeeding,"

P. 1, l. 19. Yourself. The confusion of singular and plural in this way is common in early modern English. In the present case there is some logical defence for it, the act being in each case individual.

P. 2, 1. 9. Steven, “outcry," utterance."

P. 2, l. 18. Houseled and enealed "received the Eucharist and extreme unction," as all readers of Shakespeare ought to know.

P. 2, 1. 20. Joyous Gard. The curious gloss on this has been incorporated in most editions into the speech. It means only that in the attempt to localize the Arthurian myth different Northumbrian fortresses were chosen as the site of Sir Launcelot's famous hold.

P. 2, l. 37. Dretching of swevens, "troubling about dreams.”

P. 3, 1. 36. Courteoust. Others, "courtliest," and "wert "for" were" throughout.