Cyprus and Paphos.  Spenser makes Sir Scudamore speak of a temple of Venus, far more beautiful than “that in Paphos, or that in Cyprus;” but Paphos was merely a town in the island of Cyprus, and the “two” are but one and the same temple.—­Faery Queen, iv. 10.

Hippomanes.  Spenser says the golden apples of Mammon’s garden were better than Those with which the Eubaean young man won Swift Atalanta. Faery Queen, ii. 7.

The young man was Hippom’anes.  He was not a “Eubaean,” but a native of Onchestos, in Boeo’tia.

TENNYSON, in the Last Tournament, says (ver.  I), Dagonet was knighted in mockery by Sir Gaw’ain; but in the History of Prince Arthur we are distinctly told that King Arthur knighted him with his own hand (pt. ii. 91).

In Gareth and Lynette the same poet says that Grareth was the son of Lot and Bellicent; but we are told a score times and more in the History of Prince Arthur, that he was the son of Margawse (Arthur’s sister and Lot’s wife, pt. i. 36).

King Lot ... wedded Margawse; Nentres ... wedded Elain.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 2, 35, 36.

In the same Idyll Tennyson has changed Liones to Lyonors; but, according to the collection of romances edited by Sir T. Malory, these were quite different persons.  Liones, daughter of Sir Persaunt, and sister of Linet of Castle Perilous, married Sir Gareth (pt. i. 153); but Lyonors was the daughter of Earl Sanam, and was the unwedded mother of Sir Borre by King Arthur (pt. i. 15).

Again, Tennyson makes Gareth marry Lynette, and leaves the true heroine, Lyonors, in the cold; but the History makes Grareth marry Liones (Lyonors), and Gaheris his brother marries Linet.

Thus endeth the history of Sir Gareth, that wedded Dame Liones of the Castle Perilous; and also of Sir Gaheris, who wedded her sister Dame Linet.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur (end of pt. i.).

Again, in Gareth and Lynette, by erroneously beginning day with sunrise instead of the previous eve, Tennyson reverses the order of the knights, and makes the fresh green morn represent the decline of day, or, as he calls it, “Hesperus” or “Evening Star;” and the blue star of evening he makes “Phosphorus” or the “Morning Star.”

Once more, in Gareth and Lynette, the poet-laureate makes the combat between Gareth and Death finished at a single blow, but in the History, Gareth fights from dawn to dewy eve.

Thus they fought [from sunrise] till it was past noon, and would not stint, till, at last both lacked wind, and then stood they wagging, staggering, panting, blowing, and bleeding ... and when they had rested them awhile, they went to battle again, trasing, rasing, and foyning, as two boars ...  Thus they endured till evening-song time.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 136.