[107] This, of course, raises a vexed question,--two schools of critics, one German, and the other English, French and American, being at feud upon it. In connection with the alleged Welsh origin of some of these traditions, it may be mentioned that the suggestion has been recently made that the first collection of them for “romantic” purposes was due to a Welshman variously known as Bledri, Bleheris, or Bledhericus, who lived probably in the eleventh century, and is spoken of by Giraldus Cambrensis as a ‘_famosus fabulator, qui tempora nostra paulo prævenit_.’ See Weston, _Legend of Sir Perceval_, Vol. I. Ch. 12. [108] He is made the actual achiever of the quest in the German poem _Diu Krône_, by Heinrich von dem Türlin. [109] See _The Legend of Sir Gawain_, by Miss J. L. Weston (Grimm Library). [110] See the _Sir Gawayne_ romances edited by Sir F. Madden for the Bannatyne Club (London, 1839). [111] Strachey, Introduction to Globe Edition of _Le Morte Darthur_. [112] _Morte Darthur_, Book XVIII. Chap. 25. [113] Book XXI. Chap. 5. [114] See note _F_ on p. 139. [115] _Faerie Queene_, Bk. III. Canto iii. [116] _Polyolbion_, Song X. [117] _Polyolbion_, I. [118] Scott, _Marmion_, Introduction to Canto I. [119] _Paradise Lost_, Book IX. [120] _Discourse on Satire._ [121] Scott’s edition of Dryden, Introduction to the play. [122] Dryden so designates him in his _Preface to the Fables_. [123] _King Arthur_, Book I. [124] Introductory Letter to the _Faerie Queene_. [125] The Sir Ector of Malory. [126] _Faerie Queene_, Book I. ix. [127] _Faerie Queene_, II. viii. 21. [128] _Faerie Queene_, I. vii. 35. [129] See note _G_ on p. 139. [130] Dedication to his tragedy, “Locrine.” [131] Lord Morley, _Studies in Literature_ (“On ‘The Ring and the Book’”). [132] _Lord Tennyson, A Memoir_, by his Son, Vol. II. v. 127. [133] Andrew Lang, _Tennyson_ (Blackwood’s “Modern English Writers”), p. 103. [134] How closely it does follow the Welsh tale has well been pointed out by Mr A. Lang in the work just quoted, from pp. 119 _sqq._ [135] M. W. Maccallum, _Tennyson’s Idylls and Arthurian Story_. [136] Stopford Brooke, _Tennyson_, Chap. 10. TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.