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(690. Appendix to Bp. More's MSS. in Cat. MSS. Tom. II. p. 394.) viz. The Lay of Erle of Tholoufe. (N° 27.) of which the Editor hath alfo a copy from "Cod. MSS. Muf. Afhmol. Oxon." The first line of

both is,

Jefu Chryfte in Trynyte.

28. Roberd Kynge of Cyfyll (or Sicily) fhewing the fall of Pride. Of this there is also a copy among the Harl. MSS. 1703. (3.) The Cambridge MS. begins,

Princis that be prowde in prese.

29. Le bone Florence of Rome, beginning thus:

As ferre as men ride or gone.

30. Dioclefian the Emperour, beginning,

Sum tyme ther was a noble man.

31. The two knightly brothers Amys and Amelion (among the Harl. MSS. 2386, § 42.) is on old Romance of Chivalry; as is alfo, I believe, the fragment of the Lady Belefant, the duke of Lombardy's fair daughter, mentioned in the fame article. See the Catalog. Vol. II.

32. In the Edinburgh MS. fo often referred to (preferved in the Advocates Library, W. 4. 1.) might probably be found fome other articles to add to this lift, as well as other copies of fome of the pieces mentioned in it; for the whole Volume contains not fewer than xxxvII Poems of Romances, fome of them very long. But as many of them have loft the beginnings, which have been cut out for the fake of the illuminations; and as I have not had an opportunity of examining

d 2

the

the MS. myself, I fhall be content to mention only the articles that follow (k): viz.

An old Romance about Rouland (not I believe the famous Paladine, but a champion named Rouland Louth ; query) being in the Volume, Numb. xxv11. in 5 leaves, and wants the beginning.

33. Another Romance, that feems to be a kind of continuation of this laft, intitled, Otuel a Knight, (Numb. xxv111. in 11 leaves and a half.) The two firft lines are,

Herkneth both zinge and old,

That willen heren of battailes bold.

34. The King of Tars (Numb. 1v, in 5 leaves and a half; it is alfo in the Bodleyan Library, MS. Vernon, f. 304.) beginning thus:

Herkneth to me bothe eld and zing,

For Maries love that fwete thing.

35. A Tale or Romance, (Numb. 1. 2 leaves), that wants both beginning and end. The first lines now remaining are,

Th Erl him graunted his will y-wis, that the knicht him haden y told.

The Baronnis that were of mikle pris. befor him thay weren

y-cald.

(k) Some of these I give, though mutilated and divested of their titles, because they may enable a curious inquirer to complete or improve other copies.

36. Another

36. Another mutilated Tale or Romance (Num. 111. 4 leaves). The first lines at prefent are,

To Mr. Steward wil y gon, and tellen him the sothe of the Refeyved bestow fone anon. gif zou will ferve and with hir be.

37. A mutilated Tale or Romance (Numb. x1. in 13. leaves). The two first lines that occur are,

That riche Dooke his feft gan hold

With Erls and with Baronns bold.

I cannot conclude my account of this curious Manufeript, without acknowledging, that I was indebted to the friendship of the Rev Dr. BLAIR, the ingenious Profeffor of Belles Lettres, in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, for whatever I learned of its contents, and for the important additions it enabled me to make to the foregoing list.

To the preceding articles, two ancient Metrical Romances in the Scottish dialect may now be added, which are published in PINKERTON'S "Scottith Poems, reprinted from fcarce Editions," Lond. 1792, in 3 Vols. 8vo. viz.

66

38. Gawan and Gelogras, a Metrical Romance; from an edition printed at Edinburgh, 1508, 8vo. beginning, In the tyme of Arthur, as trew men me tald.

It is in ftanzas of 13 lines.

39. Sir Gawan and Sir Galaron of Galloway, a Metrical Romance, in the fame itanzas as No. 37, from an ancient MS. beginning thus:

In the tyme of Arthur an aunter (1) betydde

By the Turnwathelan, as the boke tells;

Whan he to Carlele was comen, and conqueror kyd, &c.

(1) i. e. Adventure.

Both

Both thefe (which exhibit the union of the old Alliterative Metre, with rhime, &c. and in the termination of each flanza the fhort triplets of the Turnament of Totenham,) are judged to be as old as the time of our K. Henry VI. being apparently the production of an old Poet, thus mentioned by Dunbar, in his " Lament for the Deth of the Makkaris:"

"Clerk of Tranent eik he hes take,

"That made the aventers of Sir Gawane."

It will fcarce be neceffary to remind the Reader, that Turnewathelan is evidently Tearne-Wadling, celebrated in the old Ballad of the MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAINE. See pp. 12, and 351, of this Volume.

Many new references, and perhaps fome additional articles might be added to the foregoing lift from Mr. WARTON'S "Hiftory of English Poetry," 3 vols. 4to. and from the Notes to Mr. TYRWHITT'S improved Edition of "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales," &c. in 5 Vols. 8vo. which have been publifhed fince this ESSAY, &c. was first compofed; but it will be fufficient once for all to refer the curious Reader to those popular Works.

The Reader will alfo fee many interefting particulars on the fubject of these volumes, as well as on most points of general literature, in Sir JOHN HAWKINS'S curious"Hiftory of Mufic," &c. in 5 volumes, 4to. as alfo in Dr. BURNEY'S Hift. &c. in 4 vols. 4to.

THE END OF THE ESSAY.

I.

THE BOY AND THE MANTLE

Is printed verbatim from the old MS. defcribed in the Preface The Editor believes it more ancient than it will appear to be at first fight; the tranfcriber of that manufcript having reduced the orthography and flyle in many inftances to the ftandard of his own times.

The incidents of the MANTLE and the KNIFE have not, that I can recollect, been borrowed from any other writer. The former of thefe evidently fuggefted to Spenfer his conceit of FLORIMEL'S GIRDLE. B. iv. C. 5. St 3. That girdle gave the virtue of chafte love

And wivehood true to all that did it beare;
But whofoever contrarie doth prove,

Might not the fame about her middle weare,
But it would loofe or else afunder teare.
So it happened to the falfe Florimel, ft. 16, when
Being brought, about her middle fmall
They thought to gird, as beft it her became,
But by no means they could it thereto frame,
For ever as they faftned it, it loos'd

And fell away, as feeling fecret blame, &c.
That all men wondred at the uncouth fight

And each one thought as to their fancies came.
But fhe berfelf did think it done for fpight,
And touched was with fecret wrath and shame
Therewith, as thing deviz'd her to defame:
Then many other ladies likewife tride
About their tender loynes to knit the fame,
But it would not on none of them abide,

But when they thought it faft, eftfoones it was untide.
Thereat all knights gan laugh and ladies lowre,
Till that at last the gentle Amoret

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