Literature. Many of them exhibit no mean attempts at Epic Poetry: and though full of the exploded fictions of Chivalry, frequently display great descriptive and inventive powers in the Bards who composed them. They are at least generally equal to any other poetry of the same age. They cannot indeed be put in competition with the nervous productions of so universal and commanding a genius as Chaucer; but they have a simplicity that makes them be read with less interruption, and be more easily understood: and they are far more spirited and entertaining than the tedious allegories of Gower, or the dull and prolix legends of Lydgate. Yet, while so much stress was laid upon the writings of these last, by such as treat of English poetry, the old metrical Romances, though far more popular in their time, were hardly known to exist. 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 taste and genius, and therefore have always fastidiously rejected the old poetical Romances, because founded on fictitious or popular subjects, while they have been careful to grub up every petty fragment of the most dull and insipid rhymist, whose merit it was to deform morality or obscure true history. Should the public encourage the revival of some of those ancient Epic Songs of Chivalry, they would frequently see the rich ore of an Ariosto or a Tasso, though buried it may be among the rubbish and dross of barbarous times.

Such a publication would answer many important uses: It would throw new light on the rise and progress of English poetry, the history of which can be but imperfectly understood if these are neglected: It would also serve to illustrate innumerable passages in our ancient classic poets, which, without their help, must be for ever obscure. For, not to mention Chaucer and Spenser, who abound with perpetual allusions to them, I shall give an instance or two from Shakespeare, by way of specimen of their use.

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 says to his mother, act I. sc. I.

"Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose..
"Against whose furie and unmatched force,

"The awlesse lion could not wage the fight,
"Nor keepe his princely heart from Richard's hand :
"He that perforce robs Lions of their hearts
"May easily winne a woman's :"-

The fact here referred to, is to be traced to its source only in the old Romance of RICHARD CŒUR DE LYON,* in which his encounter with a lion makes a very shining figure. I shall give a large extract from this poem, as a specimen of the manner of these old rhapsodists, and to show that they did not in their fictions neglect the proper means to produce the ends, as was afterwards so childishly done in the prose 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 prison. Wardrewe, the king's son hearing of Richard's great strength, desires the jailor to let him have a sight of his prisoners. Richard being the foremost, Wardrewe asks him, “if he dare stand a buffet from his hand ?" and that on the morrow he shall return him another. Richard consents, and receives a blow that staggers him. On the morrow having previously waxed his hands, he waits

Dr. Grey has shown that the same story is alluded to in Rastell's Chronicle: As it was doubtless originally had from the Romance, this is proof that the old Metrical Romances throw light on our first writers in prose: many of our ancient historians have recorded the fictions of romance.

his antagonist's arrival. Wardrewe accordingly, proceeds the story, "held forth as a trewe man," and Richard gave him such a blow on the cheek, as broke his jaw-bone, and killed him on the spot. The king, to revenge the death of his son, orders, by the advice of one Eldrede, that a lion, kept purposely from food, shall be turned loose upon Richard. But the king's daughter having fallen in love with him, tells him of her father's resolution, and at his request procures him forty ells of white silk "kerchers ;" and here the description of the combat begins :

The kever-chefes* he toke on honde,
And aboute his arme he wonde ;

And thought in that ylke while,

To slee the lyon with some gyle.
And syngle in a kyrtyll he stode,
And abode the lyon fyers and wode,
With that came the jaylere,
And other men that wyth him were,
And the lyon them amonge;

His pawes were stiffe and stronge,
The chambre dore they undone,
And the lyon to them is gone.
Rycharde sayd, Helpe, lorde Jesu!
The lyon made to hym venu,
And wolde bym have all to rente:
Kynge Rycharde besyde hym glentet
The lyon on the breste bym spurned,

That aboute he tourned.

The lyon was hongry and megre,

And bette his tayle to be egre;

i. e. Handkerchiefs. Here we have the etymology of the word, viz. "Couvre le Chef."

† i. e. slipt aside.

He loked aboute as he were madde;
Abrode he all his pawes spradde.
He cryed lowde, and yaned wyde.
Kynge Rycharde bethought hym that tyde
What hym was beste, and to hym sterte,
In at the throte his honde he gerte,
And hente out the herte with his honde,
Lounge and all that he there fonde.
The lyon fell deed to the grounde :
Rycharde felte no wem,† ne wounde.
He fell on his knees on that place,
And thanked Jesu of his grace.

What follows is not so well, and therefore I shall 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 distich which Shakespeare puts in the mouth of his madman in KING LEAR, Act 3, sc. 4.

Mice and Rats and such small deere

Have been Tom's food for seven long yeare,

has excited the attention of the critics. Instead of deere, one of them would substitute geer; and another cheer. But the ancient reading is established by the old Romance of Sir Bevis, which Shakespeare had doubtless often heard sung to the harp. This distich is part of a description there given of the hardships suffered by Bevis, when confined for seven years in a dungeon;

Rattes and myse and such small dere

Was his meate that seven yere.

Sign. F. iii.

III. IN different parts of this work, the Reader will find various extracts from these old poetical legends; to which I refer him for farther examples of their style and metre. To complete this subject, it will be proper at least to give one specimen of their skill in distributing and conducting their fable, by which it will be seen that nature and common sense had supplied to these old simple bards the want of critical art, and taught them some of the most essential rules of Epic Poetry.I shall select the Romance of LIBIUS DISCONIUS, as being one of those mentioned by Chaucer, and either shorter or more intelligible than the others he has quoted.

If an Epic Poem may be defined "A fable related "by a poet, to excite admiration, and inspire virtue, "by representing the action of some one hero, favoured "by heaven, who executes a great design, in spite of "all the obstacles that oppose him :" I know not why we should withhold the name of EPIC POEM from the piece which I am about to analyse.

My copy is divided into IX PARTS or Cantos, the several arguments of which are as follows:

PART. I.

Opens with a short exordium to bespeak attention: the Hero is described; a natural son of Sir Gawain a celebrated knight of King Arthur's court, who being brought up in a forest by his mother, is kept ignorant of his name and descent. He early exhibits marks of his courage, by killing a knight in single combat, who encountered him as he was hunting. This inspires him with a desire of seeking adventures: therefore cloathing himself in his enemy's armour, he goes to King

So it is intitled in the Editor's MS. Le beaux disconus, or THE FAIR UNKNOWN. Canterbury Tales, Vol. IV. p. 333.

But the true title is

See a Note on the

Vid. Discours sur la Poesie Epique," prefixed to TELE

MAQUE.