CHAPTER V.
The Probable Author of the Gesta—Modern Conversions—Parnell and Schiller—The Angel and the Hermit—The Poet’s Improvements—Fulgentius and the Wicked Steward—Irving’s Vision in the Museum—The Claims of the Old Writers on the New.
“On what nation have the antiquaries endeavored to fix the authorship of these tales?” replied Herbert.
“Here doctors disagree: Wharton contends for a Poitevin prior of the Benedictine convent of St. Eloi at Paris: whilst Douce argues for a German origin, because in the moralization attached to one tale there is a German proverb, and in another the names of some dogs are partly German, partly Saxon.”
“Might not this arise from the pen of a translator or adapter?” suggested Thompson.
“More than probably it did. The fact of the scenes in one or two of the tales being laid in England, may tend to show that the copy in which they appear was prefaced by a writer of that country: as the introduction of the German proverb would lead us to suppose that the editor of that copy was a German.”
“Is it not probable,” said Herbert, “that this book may have been a mere collection of the popular tales of the age in which it was written, confined to no particular country, drawn from every available source; thus leaving to the reputed author, the task of arrangement and transcription, rather than of origination?”
“It is now useless to endeavor to determine this point: as in the history of fiction it is far more easy to upset prior theories, than to set up new ones,” replied Lathom.
“Whose conversions, as you kindly denominate them, do you propose illustrating this evening?” asked Thompson.
“Parnell and Schiller,” rejoined Lathom, “The Lay of the Hermit, and The Ballad of Fridolin. We will begin with Parnell.”