The Book of Romance by Various :
Various, H. J. Ford, Andrew Lang
language
(, July 5, 2014)
It is to be supposed that children do not read Prefaces; these are Bluebeard's rooms, which they are not curious to unlock. A few words may therefore be said about the Romances contained in this book. In the editor's opinion, romances are only fairy tales grown up. The whole mass of the plot and incident of romance was invented by nobody knows who, nobody knows when, nobody knows where. Almost every people has the Cinderella story, with all sorts of variations: a boy hero in place of a girl heroine, a beast in place of a fairy godmother, and so on. The Zuñis, an agricultural tribe of New Mexico, have a version in which the moral turns out to be against poor Cinderella, who comes to an ill end. The Red Indians have the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, told in a very touching shape, but without the music. On the other hand, the negroes in the States have the Orpheus tale, adapted to plantation life, in a form which is certainly borrowed from Europeans. This version was sent to me some years ago, by Mr. Barnet Phillips, Brooklyn, New York, and I give it here for its curiosity. If the proper names, Jim Orpus and Dicey, had not been given, we might not feel absolutely certain that the story was borrowed. It is a good example of adaptation from the heroic age of Greece to the servile age of Africans.THE DRAWING OF THE SWORDLong, long ago, after Uther Pendragon died, there was no King in Britain, and every Knight hoped to seize the crown for himself. The country was like to fare ill when laws were broken on every side, and the corn which was to give the poor bread was trodden underfoot, and there was none to bring the evildoer to justice. Then, when things were at their worst, came forth Merlin the magician, and fast he rode to the place where the Archbishop of Canterbury had his dwelling. And they took counsel together, and agreed that all the lords and gentlemen of Britain should ride to London and meet on Christmas Day, now at hand, in the Great Church. So this was done. And on Christmas morning, as they left the church, they saw in the churchyard a large stone, and on it a bar of steel, and in the steel a naked sword was held, and about it was written in letters of gold, 'Whoso pulleth out this sword is by right of birth King of England.' They marvelled at these words, and called for the Archbishop, and brought him into the place where the stone stood. Then those Knights who fain would be King could not hold themselves back, and they tugged at the sword with all their might; but it never stirred. The Archbishop watched them in silence, but when they were faint from pulling he spoke: 'The man is not here who shall lift out that sword, nor do I know where to find him. But this is my counsel—that two Knights be chosen, good and true men, to keep guard over the sword.'Thus it was done. But the lords and gentlemen-at-arms cried out that every man had a right to try to win the sword, and they decided that on New Year's Day a tournament should be held, and any Knight who would, might enter the lists.CONTENTSThe Drawing of the SwordThe Questing BeastThe Sword ExcaliburThe Story of Sir BalinHow the Round Table beganThe Passing of MerlinHow Morgan Le Fay tried to kill King ArthurWhat Beaumains asked of the KingThe Quest of the Holy GraalThe Fight for the QueenThe Fair Maid of AstolatLancelot and GuenevereThe End of it AllThe Battle of RoncevallesThe Pursuit of DiarmidSome Adventures of William Short NoseWayland the SmithThe Story of Robin HoodThe Story of Grettir the StrongILLUSTRATIONSLancelot bears off GuenevereArthur meets the Lady of the LakeLancelot at the ChapelGuenevere and Sir BorsLancelot brings Guenevere to ArthurAlix kisses RainouartSlagfid pursues the Wraith over the MountainsThe Chariot of FreyaHow Arthur drew the SwordArthur and the Questing BeastThe Death of Balin and BalanMerlin and VivienMorgan Le Fay casts away the ScabbardGareth and LinetLinet