“Coda”: Chinon of England (1597), or the limits of romance

The 1597 romance Chinon of England by Christopher Middleton presents the adventures of Chinon, a young man who is suddenly inspired to pursue adventure. Ensuing episodes present a curious sword in the stone test (arranged by Oberom/Oberon) and ­Chinon’s joining the Round Table fellowship, but otherwise the work offers elaborate, exotic, and far-fetched adventures, in which the only remnant of Arthurian tradition is the presence of Tristram, Lancelot, and the lesser-known Triamore.