Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/374

 282 BIOGEAPHY OF THREE OXFORDSHIRE WRITERS. cotempo^ary -with him lived "Walter Map ; and Alexander de Swerford follows in the reign of Henry III. We meet with the mention of Geffrey Artur in the Godstow Cartulary, in two charters granted to that monastery by Walter de Walhngford, Archdeacon of Oxford, from a.d. 1104 to 1151. They are given at pages 286, 287. I will make observations upon two points in Geffrey's History. He says Walter gave him a " very old " (vetus- tissimum) book. Having, as I trust, proved that the book was given to Geffrey before the year 1152, it is not likely that Geffrey would have called a book written since the Conquest by the Normans a very old book ; and yet in the latter part of the work he speaks of the entry of the Normans into England. This can only be accounted for by his adtlitions to the original translation in a second edition. It would, therefore, be very desirable to have the text of his translation as it was before he made these interpolations. Where Geffrey de Monmouth was born is, I believe, not positively known. It is said at JMonmouth, but I have met with no decisive evidence of that fact. My reason for making this query is, that a family surnamed, of Monmouth, existed for many generations at or near Long Marston, in Glouces- tershire, and several of this family were named Galfridus, as appears by ancient charters. The inquiry might arise, therefore, did this family spring from the same origin as the celebrated historian, or may his descent be traced to the famil}^ in question "? Mr. Wright, in the Preface to his edition of Walter Map's poems, has industriously collected together such particulars of the Archdeacon's history as were then known to him. Mr. Wright observes that the greater portion of our information relating to Walter ]lap, or Mapes, is contained in the " Speculum Ecclesia?," an inedited work of Giraldus Cambrensis, his intimate friend, who states that Walter was a favourite of Henry II., and was esteemed by that king for his extensive learning and his courtly manners. He obtained by the king's favour various ecclesiastical dignities, being Canon of Salisbury and St. Paul's, Precentor of Lincoln, incumbent of Westbury in Co. Gloucester ; and in 1197, he was made Archdeacon of Oxford.' He visited Rome between 1193 and 1205. • Latin Poems attributed to Walter p. v. Le Neve, in his " Fasti," says, he Mapes; edit. Camd. Soc. ]841. Pref. became Archdeacon of Oxford in 1196.