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 exploits 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 also be 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. Nicolas Antonio, in one part of his Bibliotheca Hispaniæ, says, that the first two books of this romance were written by Diego Ortunes, and elsewhere that they were from the pen of Pedro de la Sierra. A third part was composed by Marcos Martinez, and a fourth by Feliciano de Selva: Nevertheless the work is not finished, and the knights are left under enchantment. Cervantes says it contains something of the inventions of

Espejo de principes e cavalleros, o Cavallero del Febo. Saragossa, 1580, 2 vol. folio.

the Italian poet Boiardo; but I imagine the Orlando Innamorato was prior to the Spanish work. The whole romance has been translated into English, under the title of the Mirrour of Knighthood, and into French literally from the Spanish, in eight volumes. It has also been 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 picThe romantic story of the issue of Amadis has been wound up in the Roman des Romans, a work originally French, and written by Duverdier.

ture.

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 which 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 either the French romances, or Italian novels. This Mr Southey attributes to the wretched manner in which the early translations of them were execu

ted. He has mentioned, however, that in Amadis of Greece may be found the original of the Zelmane of Sidney's Arcadia, the Florizel of Shakspeare's Winter's Tale, and 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, and was printed at Seville, 1525, in folio. A second impression, also in Spanish, was published at Venice in 1526, and is dedicated, in a prologue, to Cæsar Triulsci, who was then learning that language. The work

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

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 production 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 combata city scaled-ships in a storm-an interview between a lady and knight. The romance of Pal

merin de Oliva was also translated into English by Anthony Munday, and published in the year 1588, 4to., in black letter.

Like many other heroes of Spanish romances, the knight who gives name to this work, 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, 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 discovered by a peasant in the neighbourhood, who carried him to his cottage, brought him up as his son, and bestowed on him the name of Palmerin d'Oliva, from his being found on a hill which was covered with olives and palms. Palmerin was for a time contented 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 op