French, another Geoffrey, Gaimar,
and Wace of Jersey. Gaimar's _Brut_ (a title which in a short time
became generic) has not come down to us: Wace's (written in 1155) has,
and though there is, as yet, no special attention bestowed upon
Arthur, the Arthurian part of the story shares the process of
dilatation and amplification usual in the Middle Ages. The most
important of these additions is the appearance of the Round Table.

[Sidenote: _Layamon._]

As Geoffrey fell into the hands of Wace, so did Wace fall into those
of Layamon; but here the result is far more interesting, both for the
history of the legend itself and for its connection with England. Not
only did the priest of Ernley or Arley-on-Severn do the English tongue
the inestimable service of introducing Arthur to it, not only did he
write the most important book by far, both in size, in form, and in
matter, that was written in English between the Conquest and the
fourteenth century, but he added immensely to the actual legend. It is
true that these additions still do not exactly give us the Arthur whom
we know, for they still concern the wars with the Saxons and Romans
chiefly. But if it were only that we find first[46] in Layamon the
introduction of "elves" at Arthur's birth, and his conveyance by them
at death in a magic boat to Queen "Argante" at Avalon, it would be
almost enough. But there is much more. The Uther story is enlarged,
and with it the appearances of Merlin; the foundation of the Round
Table receives added attention; the voluntary yielding of Guinevere,
here called Wenhaver, is insisted upon, and Gawain (Walwain) and
Bedivere (Beduer) make their appearance. But there is still no
Lancelot, and still no Grail.

[Footnote 46: A caution may be necessary as to this word "first."
Nearly all the dates are extremely uncertain, and it is highly
probable that intermediate texts of great importance are lost, or not
yet found. But Layamon gives us Wace as an authority, and this is not
in Wace. See Madden's edition (London, 1847).]

[Sidenote: _The Romances proper._]

These additions, which on the one side gave the greatest part of the
secular interest, on the other almost the whole of the mystical
attraction, to the complete story, had, however, it seems probable,
been actually added before Layamon wrote. For the date of the earlier
version of his _Brut_ is put by the best authorities at not earlier
than 1200, and it is also, according to such author