missed with due honour. Casaubon informs us that this catastrophe formed the plot of a tragedy, by Sophocles, on the death of Ulysses, not now extant.

The chronicle of Colonna was very generally read in the middle ages; but the classical stories were still more widely diffused in Les cent Histoires de Troye, en Rime, which were written in the fourteenth century, and are not confined to the tale of Troy, but include the whole history of the heroic ages.

This metrical production formed the foundation of the Recueil des Histoires de Troyes, written in prose by Raoul le Fevre about the middle of the fifteenth century. Like the work from which it was derived, it comprehends all the fabulous periods of Greece. The first part contains the beautiful domestic story of Jupiter and Saturn, the feats of Perseus, and first building of Troy; the second details the exploits of Hercules, and the third recounts the destruction of Troy by the Greeks. This compilation was printed by Caxton, without date, and is generally believed to be the first impression executed by that celebrated printer. Afterwards, at the desire of Margaret, duchess of Burgundy, he translated the Recuyel des Histoires de Troye into English, and published his version at Ghent and Cologne, which was the first book printed in the English language.

3

From the materials above mentioned there were formed a number of prose romances, which presented mythological characters in the guise of chivalry. In these works, the demi-gods and nymphs of paganism are not drawn as divinities or genii, but as kings and knights, and ladies of Greece and Asia. The adventures are no doubt abundantly

1 It was entitled: Νίπτρα ἤ Οδυσσεὺς ἀκανθοπλήξ, v. Athen. ed. Schweighaeuser, Animadv. vol. iv. p. 43.-LIEB.

2 The hystorye, sege, and dystruccyon of Troye, translated by Lydgate, was printed in 1513.

The Gest Hystoriale, an alliterative romance translated from G. de Colonna's work, has been published by the Early English Text Society. 3 Caxton made his translation in 1469-71. Mr. Blades, "Life and Typography of Caxton," vol. i. pp. 48, 51, considers that the Recuyell was printed in 1472-4 ? and that the French original was printed subsequently. Though by no means one of the rarest of Caxton's productions, a copy was purchased so long ago as 1812 for the sum of £1,060 10s. by the Duke of Devonshire.

chimerical, but are such as might have happened to mortals endued with superior qualities, or supposed to be under the influence of enchantment.

Of this class of romances, the first editions were printed without date, but were for the most part published in the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth century. The period of the composition of some of them can be ascertained more accurately than that of most other tales of chivalry.

Είθ' ὤφελ' Αργες μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος,

Would the ship Argo ne'er had fetch'd her flight,

but it was natural that the story of Medea, which is drawn from the earliest traditions of Greece, should have been adopted in romance. That terrific magician was the heroine of three epic poems,' and had for ages been seated on the pinnacle of tragic renown: the traditions concerning her were, consequently, of all others the most current, and had been amply detailed in the metrical romance of Benoît de Sainte More, and the chronicle of Colonna. Besides, the story of Jason and Medea must, of all classical fables, have been the most captivating to the imagination of a romancer. It bore a striking analogy to the fictions of the middle ages, especially those concerning the paladins of Charlemagne, in which we have so often beheld eastern princesses betraying and deserting their kindred for the sake of a favourite knight. The author of the romance of

JASON AND MEDEA2

calls himself Raoul le Febre: his work is addressed to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, probably because this prince was founder of the order called Le Toison d'Or. Philip succeeded to the dukedom in 1419, and died in 1467, so that the composition of the romance must be fixed some time between these two periods. The first French edition is without date. An English translation was printed by Caxton, in 1475.

Jason, prince of the Myrmidons, from his earliest youth

1 Dunlop probably means the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes, and of Valerius Flaccus and the seventh Book of Ovid's "Metamorphoses."-LIEB.

2 Livre du Preux et vaillant Jason et de la belle Medée.

distinguished himself at tournaments. In one, which was held by the King of Boeotia to solemnize the reception of his son prince Hercules into the order of chivalry, he overthrew all his antagonists. From Boeotia, Jason and Hercules being associated in a fraternity of arms, proceeded to attend the celebration of the marriage of Hippodamia. The nuptial festivals were unpleasantly interrupted by an inroad of the Centaurs; but, notwithstanding the advantages possessed by these creatures in point of shape, they were exterminated by Jason. His next exploit was freeing Queen Mirro from an unwelcome lover (who was making his advances by besieging her capital), which Jason accomplished by slaying a giant, who was the suitor's champion.

On his return home, by the malevolence of his uncle Peleus, he was sent on the Argonautic expedition, which his enemies believed a desperate undertaking. In this enterprise he was accompanied by Hercules, who stopped on the voyage to predict the destruction of the town of Laomedon. Hercules had rescued this prince's daughter from a monster, to whom she had nearly fallen a prey; but when he asked her in marriage, as his reward, from the father, he was refused, and the sarcastic monarch had subjoined, that it was not worth while to recover his daughter from the paws of one monster to deliver her into the arms of another.

The fleet afterwards reached Lemnos, where the Grecian knights were received in the same manner as in mythology, and were long remembered by the fair inhabitants of that island.

After the arrival of the expedition at Colchos, the love of Medea, and the conquest of the Golden Fleece, are related nearly as in the classical fictions. At his departure, Jason carried Medea along with him: by her enchantments she raised a storm, while passing the Isle of Lemnos, and prevented the landing, which seems to have been intended. On arriving at the country of the Myrmidons she was well received by the old king, whom, by the most potent incantations, she restored to youth and vigour, so that he became fort enclin a chanter, danser, et faire toutes choses joyeuses; et qui plus est, il regardoit moult voulentièrs les belles damoiselles." The sorceress also exhibited great political talents in the depression of the influence of

66

Peleus. At last, pretending to prepare for him a similar renovation as for his brother, she accomplished his death. His daughters having complained of this usage to the king, he sentenced the enchantress to banishment, with the concurrence of Jason, who previously left the country, that he might not be a witness to her disgrace. Medea poured forth a torrent of abuse on the ingratitude of the king for the services she had rendered him, among which she considered the renovation of Peleus as the chief. She rejected with marked contempt the vessel he offered, to convey her from his states; and with a stroke of her ring secured the attendance of four winged dragons, whose tails, being properly interwoven, formed a commodious chariot; then taking up the two children she had by Jason, she set off at full speed in this unusual conveyance, in presence of King Eson and his astonished Myrmidons."

Long the fugitive magician soared over Greece without discovering any trace of Jason, for whom she still retained her former affection. At length, while hovering over the town of Corinth, she had a bird's-eye view of preparations for a great festival. On her descent she learned that these were for the approaching marriage of Jason with the princess of Corinth. Though fired with jealousy, she suspended the execution of her vengeance till the eve of the nuptials. When the ceremony was at length about to commence, she burst from a thick cloud, which opened amid thunder and lightning, and, perching on the spot where the rites were celebrating, appeared with a poniard in her hand, which she plunged into the bosoms of her two children, who were along with her; while the dragons, who were also of the party, vomited forth flames, which consumed Corinth and all its inhabitants.

Hitherto Medea has made a formidable appearance, and has been as ferox invictaque, as Horace could have desired her. Towards the conclusion of the romance, however, she acts a most despicable part. She inveigles into an unsuitable marriage, Egeus, king of Athens, who was then in his dotage; but she was afterwards banished, on being falsely suspected of an attempt to poison Prince Theseus, son of

1 Cf. Ovid Metam. vii. 217, etc.

Egeus. Thus humiliated, she again set out on her wanderings; and as Jason, who alone had escaped from the late conflagration, was employed in a similar manner, he arrived one day at the verge of a forest, where he entered a hut in which Medea had sought refuge. Jason, softened by the remembrance of former affection and services, proposed a reconciliation. Medea, on her part, agreed to abjure magic, and became on the death of King Eson, which happened soon after, bonne et douce femme et reine.

In the above romance, the principal amusement arises from the curious application of Gothic manners and fictions to classical characters. Yet the work in itself is not altogether destitute of merit. It has been remarked in Mr. Dibdin's" Bibliotheca Spenceriana,"" that, compared with many other tales of chivalry, there are few wearisome episodes and few digressions in the romance of Jason. The hero is generally kept in view, while his uniform and almost systematic treachery towards ladies, who had surrendered to him their honour, is softened down in a manner not studiously or obtrusively disgusting. The general sentiments of this romance are completely chivalrous, and the hardy exploits and perilous escapes of the hero are varied by numerous little touches of domestic life and commonplace adventure. On the whole, there is much natural and beautiful colouring in this performance."

Raoul le Febre, who wrote the romance of Jason and Medea, is also the author of that of

HERCULES,

which, as he informs us in the body of the work, was written in 1463: It has been published separately, but originally formed part of the more extensive composition, entitled Recueil d'Histoires Troyennes. Of all heroes of antiquity, the Vagus Hercules bore the nearest resemblance to a knight errant; and hence his adventures must have been wonderfully attractive to the imagination of a romancer. His story commences with the well-known stratagem of King Jove and his squire Mercury, which produced

1 Vol. iv. No. 840.

2 La Vie du preux et vaillant Hercule.