Page:The parochial history of Cornwall.djvu/384

342 British warrior who opposed the Saxons, and that the constellation Arcturus is in this way connected with the Cornish chief.

The tales translated from the Celtic by Jeffery of Monmouth, Bishop of St. Asaph in 1152, are followed by the author from whom Mr. Hals collected his materials; they are also copied into the romance of Prince Arthur, where in Caxton's edition is a print of the king sitting in the middle of his round table, with the knights companions surrounding its circle. And this print has evidently given origin to the lines of our most facetious poet, proving from the round table that knight errants were accustomed to eat like other persons. See part I. canto I, line 337.

Mr. Hals says this is the place called Donecheniv in Domesday Survey. Dunechine, would mean the fortress or a chasm, corresponding precisely with the situation.

Joseph of Exeter, from whom Mr. Hals has translated some lines on this place, is mentioned with great commendation in Warton's History of English Poetry: "But a miracle of this age in classical composition was Joseph of Exeter, commonly called Josephus Iscanus. He wrote two epic poems in Latin heroic verse. The first is on the Trojan War; it is in six books, and dedicated to Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury. The second is entitled Antiocheis, The War of Antioch, or the Crusade. The former is preserved; but a fragment only remains of the latter, found in the library of Abingdon Abbey.

In the retreat of Gothlouis before Uter Pendragon, Mr. Hals mentions Exeter under the name of Caer Iske, but without much commendation of the martial spirit possessed by its inhabitants. If either Iske is the proper name of this river, or the general term for a river has been changed into Ex, the Celtic name will exactly accord with the present Ex-cester, as the word is still pronounced in Devonshire, the camp or fortress on the Ex.

Tintagel parish contains 4001 statute acres.