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Page 19:-
They buckled then together so, like unto wild boars
rushing,
And with their swords they ran at one another slashing;
The ground besprinkl'd was with blood. Torquin began to
yield,
For he gave back for weariness, and low did bear his
shield.
XIV.
This soone Sir Lancelot espy'd, he leapt upon him then;
He pull'd him down upon his knee, and swashed off his
helm;
Forthwith he struck his neck in twain, and when he had so
done,
From prisone threescore Knights and four delivered ev'ry
one.
I shall leave this ancient ballad without any comment, only
observing, that the poets were the best, if not the only
historians of obscure and remote times; their songs were
commonly true, else they could not hope for the attention of
those illiterate days; and the theme was usually some
remarkable transaction, well known in the vicinity of the
bard. Accordingly we find, that by the songs of
Thaliessin, the bones of King Arthur * were
discovered at the distance of 646 years from the death of
that conspicuous monarch; and I am convinced that a due
attention to these old poems may bring to light innumerable
antiquities, and elucidate events now buried in obscurity.
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Penrith Castle
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On the South side of the town stands a castle, on a rising
ground, and seems once to have been a place of strength, as
it is surrounded with a moat and other defences. The first
founder is unknown; but before the year 1237 it must have
been a very inconsiderable fortress; for at that time we
find, that 200 librates of land were granted to William King
of Scots. These were to be set out, according to agreements,
in the counties of Cumberland and Northumberland, where no
castles were; and in case of deficiency of land so situated,
it was to be set out in the neighbouring counties.
Now it appears from the boundary-roll (taken at a
perambulation 29. Edward II.) that the forest of Inglewood,
together with the honour of Penrith, were the 200 librates
before named: it farther appears, that in the year 1432,
Richard duke of Gloucester, (afterwards Richard III.)
resided here in quality of Sheriff of Cumberland. He
repaired the castle, and lived here five years together, in
order to collect those northern clans which were of the York
party, and to keep in awe those which were of the Lancaster
party.
That part of the building which now remains appears to be of
a much older date, as the stones as so firmly cemented as to
resist the efforts of the workmen who attempted to pull it
down; whereas the Duke's repairs, consisting of a tower,
porter's-lodge, and some other detached buildings, gave way
very readily: besides, the repairs were executed in white
stones, whereas the old building is composed of red ones.
The most probable supposition is, that before the Duke's
coming, it was an old dismantled
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building,
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* According to the best historians, Arthur died on
the 21st of May A.D. 542. In the year 1188 or 1189, King
Henry II. finding an account of Arthur's burying-place in
the songs of the old Welsh Bard Thaliessin, and having great
faith in the facts related by these old poets, caused the
ground to be opened, that he might see the remains of that
celebrated warrior.
Externally there appeared two columns similar to these
standing at Penrith at each end of the grave. After digging,
some say seven, others sixteen feet, they came to a
prodigious large flat stone, when turning it, they found on
the under side a leaden cross, with this inscription,
HIC JACET INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS, IN INSULA AVALONIA.
Here lies the Famous King Arthur, in the Island of
Avalonia.
This inscription was engraven on that side of the cross
which was next to the stone, so that till the cross was
separated from the stone it could not be seen. Underneath
they found, in the trunk of a large oak hollowed for the
purpose, bones of that prodigious size, that Cambrensis (who
lived at that time) relates, from the authority of the Abbot
of Glastonbury, that the shin-bone being placed by the leg
of a very tall man, reached three fingers breadth above his
knee. His scull was likewise found, of vast, but
proportionable size, and upon it appeared ten wounds.
See STOW'S Chronicle, p.55.- GUTHRIE, p.102
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