Astre, son of Agesilan, are of the number. When Spheramond and Amadis grow up, they are both sent to Parthia, for it was destined they should be there admitted into the order of chivalry. Here they fall in love with two Parthian princesses, Rosaliana and Richarda, whom they espouse after they have gone through the requisite number of adventures. Among others, they had been present at a great battle between the Christians and pagans, who, as usual, had besieged Constantinople. In this combat the king of the Island of Terror is slain on the side of the paynims. His widow resolves to be avenged, and accomplishes her purpose by carrying away the young prince Saphiraman, son of Spheramon and the princess Richarda, as also Hercules d'Astre, son of Amadis d'Astre and Rosaliana. These two princes are shut up in an impreg nable tower; and the adventures of different knights who attempt their deliverance are related at great length. This is finally effected by Fulgarine, son of Rogel of Greece; and the family history concludes with the adventures of these princes after they have received their freedom; but what relates to them is chiefly of French invention.

A Spanish romance concerning Flores of Greece, surnamed Knight of the Swan, second son of the Emperor Esplandian, a work also translated by

D'Herberay, may be associated to the history of Amadis. The adventures of the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair, may be also considered as belonging to the same series of romance, since Perion, the parent of Amadis de Gaul, was descended from Trebatius, father to the Knight of the Sun. This work is not finished, and the knights are left under enchantment. It has been translated into French literally from Spanish, in eight volumes, and has been also compressed into two by the Marquis de Paulmy, who has used it as a frame, in which he has enclosed what he considered the finest delineations of the whole family picture. The romantic story of the issue of Ama. dis has been wound up in the Roman des Romans, a work originally French, and written by Duverdier.

The fables relating to Amadis de Gaul, and his lineage, often supplied with materials the poets and dramatists of the neighbouring countries. Both the Amadigi and Floridante of Bernardo Tasso are formed on the first work of the series, and innumerable French and Italian dramas have been founded on incidents that occur in Amadis of Greece and Agesilan of Colchos. The romances of the .peninsula, however, in general, had less influence on the early literature of this country than the

French romances, or than the Italian novels. This Mr Southey attributes to the wretched manner in which the early translations of them were executed. The same author, however, has mentioned, that in Amadis de Greece may be found the original of the Zelmane of the Arcadia, the Florizel of the Winter's Tale, and the Masque of Cupid in the Faery Queene.

Having now discussed the history of Amadis and his descendants, we come to the second family chronicle, carried on in the romances of the peninsula. Of this new series, the first romance, at least considered in relation to the order of events, is

PALMERIN DE OLIVA."

There is no dispute concerning the language in which this work was originally written, as there is with regard to so many of the other tales of chivalry belonging to this third class of romances. It first appeared in Spanish, but I am not certain in what year the earliest edition was printed. The second, also in Spanish, was published at Venice in 1526, and is addressed, in a prologue, to Cæsar

Libro del famoso Cavallero Palmerin de Oliva, y de sus grandes Hechos.

Triulsci, who was then learning that language. It afterwards appeared in 1533, 12mo, also at Venice, corrected by the Spaniard Juan Matheo da Villa, and addressed to the Senor Juan de Nores Conde de Tripoli, Embarador dell Universidad de Chipro, who is told that it is dedicated to him that, as he had a taste for languages, he might learn the Spanish, and that this tongue might be ennobled by his acquiring it. In 1546, there was published at Paris, in folio, a French version, of which Jean Maugin, called Le petit Angevin, is announced as the author. This work professes to be revised and amended from a former French translation, which is by an uncertain hand, and which, as is acknowledged in the preface, has only drawn the matiere principale from the Spanish. Accordingly, Maugin, who wrought on it, has enlarged in some places on the original, and abridged in others; the mode of warfare too has been altered, and the love intrigues have been Frenchified and modernized. This edition is adorned with cuts, which might suit any Spanish romance of chivalry, and are in fact adopted in the French edition of Amadis of Greece; they represent a lady in child-bed-a young man receiving the order of knighthood-an equestrian combat-a city scaled -ships in a storm-an interview between a lady and knight. The romance of Palmerin de Oliva

was also translated into English by Anthony Mun day, and published in the year 1588, 4to, in black letter.

The knight who gives name to this work, like many other heroes of the Spanish romances, was of illegitimate birth. Reymicio, the eighth emperor of Constantinople from Constantine, had a daughter named Griana, whom he destined as the wife of Tarisius, who was son to the king of Hungary, and nephew to the empress. The princess Griana, however, preferred Florendos of Macedon, with whom she had an interview one night in an orchard, of which the consequence was the production of the hero of this romance. Griana, by pretending sickness, concealed her pregnancy; and on the birth of the child she entrusted him to one of her confidants to be exposed. The infant was found by a peasant in the neighbourhood, who took him home to his cottage, brought him up as his son, and bestowed on him the name of Palmerin d'Oli. va, from being found on a hill which was covered with olives and palms. Palmerin was for a time content with his humble destiny, but when he grew up and discovered that he was not the son of his reputed father, he longed to signalize himself by feats of arms.

One day, while in a forest, Palmerin had an opportunity of delivering from the jaws of a lioness a