The conduct of many a noble knight in after ages, showed that the duty thus supposed to be fulfilled by Arthur, was recognized by those who followed him in all chivalrous exercises. The coronation of Arthur is related with as many circumstances connected with our subject, as we should collect with great labour from other sources, which have none of the sobriety of truth. "Upon the approach of the feast of Pentecost, Arthur, the better to demonstrate his joy after such triumphant success, and for the more solemn observation of that festival, and reconciling the minds of the princes that were now subject to him, resolved, during that season, to hold a magnificent court, to place the crown upon his head, and to invite all the kings and dukes under his subjection, to the solemnity. And when he had communicated his design to his familiar friends, he pitched upon the City of Legions as a proper place for this purpose. For besides its great wealth above the other cities, its situation-which was in Glamorganshire, upon the river Usk, near the Severn sea,-was most pleasant and fit for so great a solemnity. For on one side it was washed by that noble river, so that the kings and princes from the countries beyond the seas might have the convenience of sailing up to it. On the other side, the beauty of the meadows and groves, and magnificence of the royal palaces with lofty gilded roofs1 that adorned it, made it even rival the grandeur of Rome. It was also famous for two churches,-whereof one was built in honour of the martyr Julius, and adorned with a choir of virgins, who had devoted themselves wholly to the service of GOD; but the other which was founded in memory of S. Aaron,2 his companion, and maintained a convent of canons, was the third metropolitan church of Britain. Besides, there was a college of two hundred philosophers, who, being learned in astronomy and the other arts, were diligent in observing the courses of the stars; and gave Arthur true predictions of the events that would happen at that time. In this place, therefore, which afforded such delights, were preparations made for the ensuing festival." "When all were assembled together in the city, upon the day of the solemnity, the Archbishops were conducted to the palace, in order to place the crown upon the king's head. Therefore Dubricius, inasmuch as the court was kept in his diocese, made himself ready to celebrate the office, and undertook the ordering of whatever related to it. As soon as the king was invested with his royal habiliments, he was conducted in great pomp to the metropolitan church, supported on each side by two Archbishops, and having four kings, viz., of Albania, Cornwall, Demetia, and Venedotia, 1 We shall find gilded roofs mentioned on a future occasion. 2 SS. Julius and Aaron had suffered martyrdom during the Dioclesian persecution. whose right it was, bearing four golden swords before him. He was also attended with a concert of all sorts of music, which made most excellent harmony. On another part was the queen, dressed out in her richest ornaments, conducted by the Archbishops and Bishops to the Temple of Virgins; the four queens also of the kings last mentioned, bearing before her four white doves according to ancient custom; and after her there followed a retinue of women, making all imaginable demonstrations of joy. When the whole procession was ended, so transporting was the harmony of the musical instruments and voices, whereof there was a great variety in both churches, that the knights who attended were in doubt which to prefer, and therefore crowded from the one to the other by turns, and were far from being tired with the solemnity, though the whole day had been spent in it. At last, when Divine service was over at both churches, the king and queen put off their crowns, and putting on their lighter ornaments, went to the banquet; he to one palace with the men, and she to another with the women. For the Britons still observed the ancient custom of Troy, by which the men and women used to celebrate their festivals apart. When they had all taken their seats according to precedence, Caius the server, in rich robes of ermine, with a thousand young noblemen, all in like manner clothed with ermine, served up the dishes. From another part, Bedver, the butler, was followed with the same number of attendants, in various habits, who waited with all kinds of cups and drinking vessels. In the queen's palace were innumerable waiters, dressed with variety of ornaments, all performing their respective offices; which if I should describe particularly, I should draw out the history to a tedious length. For at that time Britain had arrived at such a pitch of grandeur, that in abundance of riches, luxury of ornaments, and politeness of inhabitants, it far surpassed all other kingdoms. The knights in it that were famous for feats of chivalry, wore their clothes and arms all of the same colour and fashion; and the women also no less celebrated for their wit, wore all the same kind of apparel, and esteemed none worthy of their love, but such as had given a proof of their valour in three several battles. Thus was the valour of the men an encouragement for the women's chastity, and the love of the women a spur to the soldiers' bravery. "As soon as the banquets were over, they went into the fields without the city, to divert themselves with various sports. The military men composed a kind of diversion in imitation of a fight on horseback; and the ladies, placed on the top of the walls as spectators, in a sportive manner darted their amorous glances at the courtiers, the more to encourage them. Others spent the remainder of the day in other diversions, such as shooting with bows and arrows, tossing the pike, casting of heavy stones and rocks, playing at dice and the like, and all these inoffensively and without quarrelling. Whoever gained the victory in any of these sports, was rewarded with a rich prize by Arthur. In this manner were the first three days spent; and on the fourth, all who, upon account of their titles, bore any kind of office at this solemnity, were called together to receive honours and preferments in reward of their services, and to fill up the vacancies in the governments of cities and castles, archbishoprics, bishoprics, abbeys, and other posts of honour." If we have given too much importance to such legendary lore, (which, however, those who are willing to accept the fable for the truth which it shadows forth will scarcely assert,) let it be remembered that it has afforded us a chapter on times which graver history handles most unsatisfactorily. The events of the next page, under the touch of the venerable Bede, who treats them with exceeding love for his high subject, and with reverential regard for truth, are fruitful in the subjects of our study, and as worthy to be classed with the materials of undoubted history as those of any succeeding period. 1 Geoffry of Monmouth, ix. 12, 13, 14. The quotations are all made from Dr. Giles's translation. 25 CHAPTER III. THE SAXON PERIOD. From the coming of Augustine to the birth of Dunstan. ARRIVAL OF AUGUSTINE, AND HIS ESTABLISHMENT AT CANTERBURY.-HE HEXHAM. WHEN Augustine came to Britain in 597, he found traces indeed of a British race, and of a Christian people; but the churches were few, and the worshippers in proportion still fewer, and all decent pomp had departed from the service of the remnant that remained. Ethelbert, however, King of Kent, though himself, together with his subjects, a heathen, was not wholly unprepared to receive the missionary with favour, for he had a Christian wife of the royal family of the Franks, called Bertha; whom he had received from her parents, upon condition that she should be permitted to practise her religion with the Bishop Luidhard, who was sent with her to preserve her faith. "Some days after the arrival of Augustine, the King came into the island, and sitting in the open air, ordered Augustine and his companions. to be brought into his presence. For he had taken precaution that they should not come to him in any house, lest, according to an ancient superstition, if they practised any magical arts, they might impose upon him, and so get the better of him. But they came furnished with Divine, not with magic virtue, bearing a silver cross for their banner, and the image of our LORD and SAVIOUR painted on a board; and singing the litany, they offered up their prayers to the LORD for the eternal salvation both of themselves and of those to whom they were come. Ethelbert received them favourably, and permitted them to reside in the city of Canterbury, which was the metropolis of all his dominions, and did not refuse them liberty to preach. It is reported that, as they drew near to the city, after their manner, with the holy cross, and the image of our sovereign Lord and King, JESUS CHRIST, they in concert sang this litany. We beseech Thee, O LORD, in all Thy mercy, that Thy anger and wrath be turned away from this city, and from Thy holy house, because we have sinned. Hallelujah. 24 "As soon as they entered the dwelling-place assigned them, they began to imitate the course of life practised in the primitive Church; applying themselves to frequent prayer, watching and fasting; preaching the word of life to as many as they could; despising all worldly things, as not belonging to them; receiving only their necessary food from those they taught, living themselves in all respects conformably to what they prescribed to others, and being always disposed to suffer any adversity, and even to die for that truth which they preached. In short, several believed and were baptized, admiring the simplicity of their innocent life, and the sweetness of their heavenly doctrine. There was on the east side of the city, a church dedicated to the honour of S. Martin, built whilst the Romans were still in the island, wherein the queen, who as has been said before, was a Christian, used to pray. In this they first began to meet, to sing, to pray, to say mass, to preach, and to baptize, till the king, being converted to the faith, allowed them to preach openly, and build or repair churches in all places." 3 994 Gregory, by whom Augustine had been sent to Britain, was not unmindful of the Saxon Church, now that it was committed to the care of a missionary Bishop, but hearing from Augustine, that he had a great harvest, and but few labourers, sent to him several fellow-labourers, of whom the first and principal were 1 Imaginem Domini Salvatoris in tabula depictam. Just such, I presume, were the pictures brought by Benedict Biscop from Rome: and as those mentioned above were used in a procession without doors, they were probably painted with oil. To this subject we shall recur in a future chapter. 2 More suo cum cruce sancta, et imagine magni Regis Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, hanc lætaniam consona voce modularentur. 3 Erat autem prope ipsam civitatem ad orientem, ecclesia in honorem sancti Martini antiquitus facta, dum adhuc Romani Britanniam incolerent. 4 Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica, i. 25, 26. I may state, once for all, that I have generally used Dr. Giles's translation of Bede, as before of Gildas and of Geoffry of Monmouth: but where architectural or ecclesiological questions are involved, I have transcribed the original in the notes. |