Editor's folio MS. p. 205. where it is divided into 6 Parts.A printed Copy is in the Bodleian Library, C. 39: Art. Seld. And among Mr. Garrick's old plays, K. vol. X. It is in diftichs, and begins thus,

Ihefu Crift of heven kyng.

21. Syr Triamore (in ftan. of 6. Lines) is preferved in MS. in the Editor's folio Volume, p. 210. and in the public Library at Camb. (690. § 29. Vid. Cat. MSS. p. 394.)-Two printed Copies are extant in the Bodleian Library, and among Mr. Garrick's plays in the fame volumes with the laft article. Both the Editor's MS. and the printed Copies begin

Nowe Jefu Chryfte our heven kynge.

The Cambridge Copy, thus,

Heven blys that all shall wynne.

22. Sir Degree (Degare, or Degore, which laft feems the true title) in 5 Parts, in diftichs, is preferved in the Editor's folio MS. p. 371. and in the public Library at; Camb. (ubi fupra)-A printed Copy is in the BodLibrary, C. 39. Art. Seld. and among Mr. Garrick's, plays K. vol. IX.-The Editor's MS. and the printed Copies begin

Lordinge, and you wyl holde you styl.

The Cambridge MS. has it

Lyftenyth, lordyngis, gente and fre.

23. Ipomydon, (or Chylde Ipomydon) is preferved, among the Harl. MSS. 2252. (44.) It is in diftichs and begins,

Mekely, lordyngis, gentylle and fre

In the Library of Lincoln Cathedral. K k. 3. 10. is an old imperfect printed Copy, wanting the whole first sheet A.

24. The Squyr of Lowe degre, is one of thofe burlefqued by Chaucer in his R. of Thopas (a) Mr. Garrick has a printed Copy of this, among his old plays, K. Vol. IX. It begins

It was a squyer of lowe degre,

That loved the kings daughter of Hungre.

24. Hiftorge of K. Richard Cure [Caur] de Lyon [Impr. W. de Worde, 1528. 4to.] is preferved in the Bodleian Library, C. 39. Art. Selden. A fragment of it is alfo remaining in the Edinburgh MS. of old English Poems; Num. XXXVI. in 2 leaves. A large Extract from this Romance has been given already above,p.xv. Richard was the peculiar patron of Chivalry, and therefore was a favourite with the old Minstrels. See Warton's Obferv. V. 1. p. 29. V. 2. p. 40.

26. The following I have not feen, but I believe they may all be referred to the Clafs of Romances.

The Knight of Courtefy and the Lady of Faguel (Bodl, Lib. C. 39. Art. Seld. a printed Copy.) This Mr. Warton thinks is the Story of Coucy's Heart, related in Fauchet, and in Howel's Letters. [V. 1. S. 6. L. 20. See Wart. Obf. V. 2. p. 40.] The Editor has feen a very beautiful old ballad on this fubject in French.

27. The four following are all preserved in the MS. fo often referred to in the public Library at Camb. (690. Appendix to Bp. More's MSS. in Cat. MSS. Tom. 2. p. 394.) viz. The Erle of Tholoufe. (N° 27.) beginning

Jefu Chryfte in Trynyte.

(a) See Mr. Warton's Obfervat. Vol: 1. p. 139. note,

28. Ro

28. Roberd Kynge of Cyfyll (or Sicily) fhewing the fall of Pride. Of this there is alfo a Copy among the Harl. MSS. 1703. (3.) The Camb. MS. begins

Princis that be prowde in prese.

29. Le bone Florence of Rome, beginning thus

As ferre as men ride or gone.

30. Dioclefiam the Emperour, beginning,

Sum tyme ther was a noble man.

31. The two knightly brothers Amys and Amelion (among the Harl. MSS. 2386. § 42.) I fuppofe to be an old Romance of Chivalry; as alfo the fragment of the Lady Belefant, the Duke of Lombardy's fair daughter, mentioned in the fame article. See the Catalog. Vol. 2.

32. In the Edinburgh MS. fo often referred to (preserved 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 or 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 the MS. myself, I fhall be content to mention only the articles that follow †, viz.

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

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

3

33. Another

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

Herkneth both zinge and old,

That willen heren of battailes bold.

34. The King of Tars (Numb. iv. in 5 leaves and a hal) 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 firft 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.

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

To Mr Steward wil y gon. and tellen him the fothe of the Refeyved beftow fone anon. gif zou will ferve and with hir be. 37. A mutilated Tale or Romance (Numb. xI. in 13 leaves). The two first lines that occur are,

That riche Douke his feft gan hold

With Erls and with Baronns bold.

I cannot conclude my account of this curious Manufcript, without acknowledging publicly, that I am. indebted to the friendship of the Reverend Dr. BLAIR, the prefent ingenious Profeffor of Belles Lettres in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, for whatever I know, of its contents, and for the important additions it has enabled me to make to the foregoing List.

Ι. ΤΗΕ ΒΟΥ

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 transcriber of that manufcript having reduced the orthography and ftyle 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 elfe afunder teare.
So it happened to the false 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 Spight,
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 laft the gentle Amoret

VOL. III.

B

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