According to the French romance-writers, Lancelot was the son of King Ban of Benoic, a tributary to the Cymrian crown. The Welch claim him, however, as a national hero, in spite of his name, which they interpret as a translation from one of their own--Paladr-ddelt, splintered spear. (LADY C. GUEST'S _Mabinogion_, vol. i. p. 91.) In a subsequent page, Lancelot tells the tale (pretty nearly as it is told in the French romance) which obtained him the title of "Lancelot of the Lake."--See note in ELLIS'S edition of WAY'S _Fabliaux_, vol. ii. p. 206. 13.--Page 265, stanza lxxvi. _On earth's far confines, like the Tree of Dreams._ "In medio ramos," &c.--VIRGIL, lib. vi. 282. "An elm displays her dusky arms abroad, And empty dreams on every leaf are spread."--DRYDEN. 14.--Page 265, stanza lxxx. _To the wild faith of Iran's Zendavest._ Zendavest. Compare the winged genius of the Etrurians with the Feroher of the Persians, in the sculptured reliefs of Persepolis. (See HEEREN'S _Historical Researches, art. Persians_.) MICALI, vol. ii. p. 174, points out some points of similarity between the Persian and Etrurian cosmogony. It was peculiar to the Etrurians, amongst the classic nations of Europe, to delineate their deities with wings. Even when they borrowed some Hellenic god, they still invested him with this attribute, so especially Eastern. 15.--Page 266, stanza lxxxiii. _Seem'd as the thread in fairy tales, which strung._ In a legend of Bretagne, a fairy weaves pearls round a sunbeam, to convince her lover of her magical powers. 16.--Page 267, stanza xc. _Of Morn's sweet Maid had died, look'd calm above._ Hom. _Odys._, lib. v. 17.--Page 267, stanza xciii. _O'er the Black Valley, demon shadows fleet._ Cwm Idwal (in Snowdonia). "A fit place to inspire murderous thoughts,--environed with horrible precipices shading a lake lodged in its bottom. The shepherds fable that it is the haunt of demons, and that no bird dare fly over its damned waters."--PENNANT, vol. iii. p. 324. 18.--Page 269, stanza cvi. _No more from Mantu Pales shall control._ Mantu, the God of the Shades--PALES, the Pastoral Deity. [C] It may perhaps occur to the reader that Latin, with which Arthur (in an age so shortly subsequent to the Roman occupation of Britain) could scarcely fail to be well acquainted, might have furnished a better mode of communication between himself and the Augur. But the Latin language would have been very imperfectly settled at the time of the supposed Etrurian emigration; would have had small connection with the literature, sacred or profane, of the Etrurians; and would long have been despised as a rude medley of various tongues and dialects, by the proud and polished race which the Romans subjected. BOOK V. ARGUMENT.