Wm. Browne, Britannia’s Pastorals, ii. 3 (1613).
I´wein, a knight of the Round Table. He slays the possessor of an enchanted fountain, and marries the widow, whose name is Laudine. Gawein, or Gawain urges him to new exploits, so he quits his wife for a year, in quest of adventures, and as he does not return at the stated time, Laudine loses all love for him. On his return, he goes mad, and wanders in the woods, where he is cured by three sorcerers. He now helps a lion fighting against a dragon, and the lion becomes his faithful companion. He goes to the enchanted fountain, and there finds Lunet´ prisoner. While struggling with the enchanted fountain, Lunet aids him with her ring, and he in turn saves her life. By the help of his lion, Iwein kills several giants, delivers three hundred virgins, and on his return to King Arthur’s court, marries Lunet.—Hartmann von der Aue (thirteenth century).
Ixi´on, king of the Lap´ithæ, attempted to win the love of Hērê (Juno); but Zeus substituted a cloud for the goddess, and a centaur was born.
⁂ Browning rhymes the name cleverly:
“—‘joys prove cloudlets:
Men are the merest Ixions’—
Here the King whistled aloud, ‘Let’s
—Heigho[—Heigho] ... go look at our lions!’”
R. Browning, Dramatic Lyrics, “The Glove.”
