icle, "The
Likenesses of Julius Caesar," by J.C. Ropes, in _Scribner's Magazine_, Feb.
1887, with 18 plates.

(H. S. J.)

_Medieval Legends._

In the middle ages the story of Caesar did not undergo such extraordinary
transformations as befell the history of Alexander the Great and the Theban
legend. Lucan was regularly read in medieval schools, and the general facts
of Caesar's life were too well known. He was generally, by a curious error,
regarded as the first emperor of Rome,[5] and representing as he did in the
popular mind the glory of Rome, by an easy transition he became a pillar of
the Church. Thus, in a French pseudo-historic romance, _Les Faits des
Romains_ (c. 1223), he receives the honour of a bishopric. His name was not
usually associated with the marvellous, and the _trouvere_ of _Huon de
Bordeaux_ outstepped the usual sober tradition when he made Oberon the son
of Julius Caesar and Morgan la Fay. About 1240 Jehan de Tuim composed a
prose _Hystore de Julius Cesar_ (ed. F. Settegast, Halle, 1881) based on
the _Pharsalia_ of Lucan, and the _commentaries_ of Caesar (on the Civil
War) and his continuators (on the Alexandrine, African and Spanish wars).
The author gives a romantic description of the meeting with Cleopatra, with
an interpolated dissertation on _amour courtois_ as understood by the
_trouveres_. [v.04 p.0943] The _Hystore_ was turned into verse
(alexandrines) by Jacot de Forest (latter part of the 13th century) under
the title of _Roman de Julius Cesar_. A prose compilation by an unknown
author, _Les Fails des Romains_ (c. 1225), has little resemblance to the
last two works, although mainly derived from the same sources. It was
originally intended to contain a history of the twelve Caesars, but
concluded with the murder of the dictator, and in some MSS. bears the title
of _Li livres de Cesar_. Its popularity is proved by the numerous MSS. in
which it is preserved and by three separate translations into Italian. A
_Mistaire de Julius Cesar_ is said to have been represented at Amboise in
1500 before Louis XII.

See A. Graf, _Roma nella memoria e nella imaginazione del medio evo_, i.
ch. 8 (1882-1883); P. Meyer in _Romania_, xiv. (Paris, 1885), where the
_Faits des Romains_ is analysed at length; A. Duval in _Histoire litteraire
de la France_, xix. (1838); L. Constans in Petit de Jullevilles' _Hist. de
la langue et de la litt. francaise_, i. (1896); H. Wesemann, _Die
Caesarfabeln des Mittelalters