Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 18, RHI-SCR

ROM [ 11
11 Dom Rivet, one of the learned affociates of the con¬
gregation of St Maur, authors of the Literary Hiftory
of France, fixes their origin in the lotli century. He
fays, that the moft ancient romance known was one
which appeared in the middle of that century, under
the title of Philomena, or the Beloved. This romance
contains the pretended exploits of Charlemagne before
Narbonne. At Touloufe, he tells us, they have pre-
ferved a copy of the Philomena in its original language 5
that is to fay, the Romaunt or polilhed ; fuch as was
then fpoken at court. They preferred this language
to the Latin, which was then that of the common
people, but vitiated with their corruptions.
“ So far have we travelled on the road of conjedlure :
we fhall now turn into the path of fa£t. It is certain
that thefe compofitions derive their name from the lan¬
guage in which they were firfl: written. Abbe Iraild
has given us the chara&er of the earlieft romances,
which we fhall tranfcribe j for to add to what is well
exprefied, however it may pleafe the vanity of a writer,
feldom tends to the gratification of the reader.
4 The firfl romances were a monflrous alfemblage
of hiflories, in which truth and fidlion were equally
blended, but all without probability; a compofition of
amorous adventures, and all the extravagant ideas of
chivalry. The incidents are infinitely multiplied j defli-
tute of connedtion, of order, and art. Thefe are the an¬
cient and miferable romances which Cervantes, in his
celebrated fatirical romance of Don Quixotte, has cover¬
ed with an eternal ridicule.’
“ It is, however, from thefe produdlions rather in their
improved flate, that poets of all nations have drawn their
richeft inventions. The agreeable wildnefs of that fan¬
cy which charaflerized the eaflern nations was caught
by the crufaders. When they returned home, they
mingled in their own the cuftoms of each country. The
Saracens, who were men like themfelves, becaufe they
were of another religion, and were therefore their ene¬
mies, w'ere pictured under the tremendous form of Bay-
nim Giants. The credulous reader of that day followed
with trembling anxiety the Red-crofs Knight. It was
thus that fidiion embellifhed religion, and religion invi¬
gorated fidlion. Such incidents have enlivened the cantos
of Arioflo, and adorned the epic of Taflb. Spencer is
the child of their creation •, and it is certain that we are
indebted to them for fome of the bold and flrong touches
of Milton.”
Other circumflances however have been affigned as
the fources of thefe extravagant fidlions. “ Callles were
eredled to repulfe the vagi ant attacks of the Normans j
and in France (from the year 768 to 987) thefe places
became fatal to the public repofe. The petty defpots
who raifed thefe caftles, pillaged whoever palled, and
carried off the females who pleafed them. Rapine, of
every kind, was the privilege of Lords ! Mezeray ob-
ferves, that it is from thefe circumftances romancers
have invented their tales of knights errant, monfters,
and giants.
“ De Saint Foix, in his Hiftorical Effays on this fub-
jedt, thus expreffes himfelf: ‘ Women and girls were
not in greater fecurity when they paffed by abbeys.
The monks fuftained an affault rather than relinquilh
their prey : if they faw themfelves lofing ground, they
brought to their walls the relics of fome faint. Then it
generally happened that the affailants, feized with aw-
3
4 ] ROM
ful veneration, retired, and dared not to purfue their Romance,
vengeance. I his is the origin of the enchanters, of
the enchantments, and of the enchanted caltles, de-
fcribed in romances.’
“ To thefe may be added what the author of Northern
Antiquities, vol. i. p. 243, writes, that ‘ as the walls
of the callles ran winding round them, they often called
them by a name which lignified ferpenis or dragons ; and
in thefe were commonly fecured the women and young
maids of diftindlion, who were feldom fafe at a time
when fo many bold warriors were rambling up and
down in fearch of adventures. It was this cuftom
which gave occafion to ancient romancers, who knew
not how to defcribe any thing limply, to invent fo
many fables concerning princeffes of great beauty,
guarded by dragons.’
“ The Italian romances of the 14th century were
fpread abroad in great numbers. They formed the po¬
lite literature of the day. But if it is not permitted to
authors freely to exprefs their ideas, and give full play
to the imagination, thefe works mull never be placed
in the Itudy of the rigid moralilt. They indeed pulhed
their indelicacy to the verge of groffnefs, and feemed
rather to feek than to avoid fcenes wrhich a modern
would blulh to defcribe. They (to employ the expref-
fion of one of their authors) were not alhamed to name
what God had created. Cinthio, Bandello, and others,
but chiefly Boccacio, rendered libertinifm agreeable, by
the fafcinating charms of a polillied llyle, and a luxuri¬
ant imagination.
“ This however mull not be admitted as an apology
for immoral works j for poifon is Hill poifon, even when
it is delicious. Such works were, and Hill continue
to be, the favourites of a nation which is lligmatifed
from being prone to illicit pleafures and impure amours.
They are Hill curious in their editions, and are not par-
fimonious in their price for what they call an uncaftra-
ted copy. There are many Italians, not literary men,
who are in pofleflion of an ample library of the old
novelills.
“ If we pafs over the moral irregularities of thefe ro¬
mances, we may difcover a rich vein of invention, which
only requires to be releafed from that rubbilh which
disfigures it to become of an invaluable price. The
Decamerons, the Hecatommiti, and the Novellas of thefe
writers, made no inconfiderable figure in the little li¬
brary of our Shakefpeare. Chaucer is a notorious imi¬
tator and lover of them ; his Knight’s Tale is little more
than a paraphrafe of Boccacio’s Tefeoide. Fontaine
has caught all their charms with all their licentioufnefs.
From fuch works, thefe great poets, and many of their
contemporaries, frequently borrowed their plots •, not
uncommonly kindled at their flame the ardour of their
genius j but bending too fubmiflively to their own pe¬
culiar tafte, or that of their age, in extracting the ore,
they have not purified it of the alloy.
“ We muff now turn our contemplation to the French
romances of the lalt century. They were then carried
to a point of perfection, which as romances they can¬
not exceed. To this the Aftrea of D’Urfe greatly
contributed. It was followed by the Illuftrious Baffa,
the Great Cyrus, Clelia, &c. which, though not adapt¬
ed to the prefent age, gave celebrity to their authors.
Their ftyle, as well as that of the Aftrea, is diffufe and.
infipid. Zaide (attributed by fome to Segrais, but by
Huet