leaft, these are the first I have been able to discover, and these are all tranflations from the French. Where as Romances of this kind had been long current in metre, and were fo generally admired in the time of Chaucer, that his Rhyme of Sir Thopas was evidently written to ridicule and burlesque them (r). He expressly mentions feveral of them by name in a ftanza, which I fhall have occafion to quote more than once in this volume : Men fpeken of Romaunces of pris Of Horn-Child, and of Ipotis Of Bevis, and Sire Guy Of Sire Libeux, and Pleindamour, Moft, if not all of these are still extant in MS, in fome or other of our libraries, as I fhall fhew in the conclufion of this flight Effay, where I fhall give a list of fuch metrical Hiftories and Romances as have fallen under my obfervation. As many of these contain a confiderable portion of poetic merit, and throw great light on the manners and opinions of former times, it were to be wifhed that fome of the best of them were refcued from oblivion. A judicious collection of them accurately published with proper illustrations, would be an important acceffion to our stock of ancient English Literature. Many of them magne, 1485, &c. As the old Minstrelfy wore out, profe books of Chivalry became more admired, especially after the Spanish Romances began to be tranflated into English towards the end of Q Elizabeth's reign: then the most popular metrical Romances began to be reduced into profe, as Sir Guy, Bevis, &c. (r) See Extract from a Letter, written by the Editor of these Volumes, in Mr. Warton's Obfervations, Vol. II. p. 139. -In (s) Canterbury Tales (Tyrwhitt's Edit.), Vol. II. p. 238 all the former editions, which I have feen, the name at the end of the 4th line is Blandamoure, 3 exhibit exhibit no mean attempts at Epic Poetry, and though full of the exploded fictions of Chivalry, frequently dif play great defcriptive and inventive powers in the Bards, who compofed them. They are at least generally equal to any other poetry of the fame age. They cannot indeed be put in competition with the nervous productions of fo univerfal and commanding a genius as Chaucer, but they have a fimplicity that makes them be read with lefs interruption, and be more eafily underftood and they are far more fpirited and entertaining than the tedious allegories of Gower, or the dull and prolix legends of Lydgate. Yet, while fo much stress was laid upon the writings of these last, by fuch as treat of English poetry, the old metrical Romances, though far more popular in their time, were hardly known to exiit. But it has happened unluckily, that the antiquaries, who have revived the works of our ancient writers, have been for the most part men void of tafte and genius, and therefore have always faftidioufly rejected the old poetical Romances, because founded on fictitious or popular fubjects, while they have been careful to grub up every petty fragment of the most dull and infipid rhymift, whofe merit it was to deform morality, or obfcure true hiftory. Should the publick encourage the revival of fome of those ancient Epic Songs of Chivalry, they would frequently fee the rich ore of an Ariosto or a Taffo, though buried it may be among the rubbish and drofs of barbarous times. Such a publication would anfwer many important ufes: It would throw new light on the rife and progrefs of English poetry, the hiftory of which can be but imperfectly understood, if thefe are neglected: It would alfo ferve to illuftrate innumerable paffages in our ancient claffic poets, which without their help must be for ever obfcure. For, not to mention Chaucer and Spencer, who abound with perpetual allufions to them, I fhall give an instance or two from Shakespeare, by way of fpecimen of their use. In In his play of KING JOHN our great Dramatic Poet alludes to an exploit of Richard I. which the reader will in vain look for in any true history. Faulconbridge fays to his mother, Act 1. fc. 1. "Needs muft you lay your heart at his difpofe... "The awleffe lion could not wage the fight, "Nor keepe his princely heart from Richard's hand: The fact here referred to, is to be traced to its fource only in the old Romance of RICHARD CEUR DE LYON (t), in which his encounter with a lion makes a very fhining figure. I fhall give a large extract from this poem, as a fpecimen of the manner of these old rhapfodifts, and to fhew that they did not in their fictions neglect the proper means to produce the ends, as was afterwards fo childishly done in the profe books of Chivalry. The poet tells us, that Richard, in his return from the Holy Land, having been discovered in the habit of "a palmer in Almayne," and apprehended as a spy, was by the king thrown into prifon. Wardrewe, the king's fon, hearing of Richard's great ftrength, defires the jailor to let him have a fight of his prifoners. Richard being the foremost, Wardrewe aks him, “if "he dare ftand a buffet from his hand ?" and that on the morrow he shall return him another. Richard confents, and receives a blow that staggers him. On the morrow, having previously waxed his hands, he waits (t) Dr. Grey has fhewn that the fame ftory is alluded to in Raftell's Chronicle: As it was doubtlefs originally had from the Romance, this is proof that the old Metrical Romances throw light on our first writers in profe: many of our ancient Hiftorians have recorded the fictions of Romance. VOL. III. с his his antagonist's arrival. Wardrewe accordingly, proceeds the story, "held forth as a trewe man," and Richard gave him fuch a blow on the cheek, as broke his jaw-bone, and killed him on the fpot. The king, to revenge the death of his fon, orders, by the advice of one Eldrede, that a lion, kept purpofely from food, fhall be turned loose upon Richard. But the king's daughter having fallen in love with him, tells him of her father's refolution, and at his request procures him forty ells of white filk "kerchers;" and here the defcription of the Combat begins: The kever-chefes (u) he toke on honde, And thought in that ylke while, To flee the lyon with fome gyle. And fyngle in a kyrtyll he ftode, And other men that wyth him were, And the lyon them amonge; His pawes were stiffe and stronge. And wolde hym have all to rente: Kynge Rycharde befyde hym glente (v). The lyon on the brefte hym spurned, That aboute he tourned. The lyon was hongry and megre, And bette his tayle to be egre; (u) i. e. Handkerchiefs. Here we have the etymology of the word, viz. "Couvre le Chef." (v) i. e. Dipt afide. He loked aboute as he were madde; He cryed lowde, and yaned (w) wyde. And hente out the herte with his honde, Rycharde felte no wem (x), ne wounde. And thanked Jefu of his grace. What follows is not fo well, and therefore I fhall extract no more of this poem.-For the above feat the author tells us, the king was deservedly called Stronge Rycharde Cure de Lyowne. THAT diftich which Shakespeare puts in the mouth of his madman in K. LEAR, A&t 3, Mice and Rats and fuch small deere fc. 4 Have been Tom's food for feven long yeare, has excited the attention of the critics. Instead of deere, one of them would fubftitute geer; and another cheer (y). But the ancient reading is established by the old Romance of Sir BEVIS, which Shakespeare had doubtless often heard fung to the harp. This diftich is part of a defeription there given of the hardships fuffered by Bevis, when confined for feven years in a dungeon: Rattes and myfe and fuch small dere Sign. F. iii. (w) i. e. yawned. (x) i. e. hurt. (y) Dr. Warburton,-Dr. Grey. C 2 III. IN |