The Latin Tongue, as is obferved by an ingenious writer (i), ceafed to be spoken in France about the ninth century, and was fucceeded by what was called the ROMANCE Tongue, a mixture of the language of the Franks and bad Latin. As the Songs of Chivalry became the most popular compofitions in that language, they were emphatically called ROMANS or ROMANTS; though this name was at first given to any piece of poetry. The Romances of Chivalry can be traced as early as the eleventh century (k). I know not if the Roman de Brut written in 1155, was fuch: But if it was, it was by no means the first poem of the kind; others more ancient are still extant (1). And we have already seen, that, in the preceding century, when the Normans marched down to the battle of Haftings, they animated themselves, by finging (in fome popular romance or ballad) the exploits of ROLAND and the other heroes of Chivalry (m). So early as this I cannot trace the Songs of Chivalry in English. The most ancient I have feen, is that of HORNECHILD defcribed below, which feems not older than the twelfth century. However, as this rather (i) The Author of the Effay on the Genius of Pope, p. 282. (k) Ibid. p. 283. Hift. Lir. Tom. 6. 7. (1) Voi Preface aux "Fabliaux & Contes des Poetes François "des XII, XIII, XIV, & xv fiecles, &c. Paris, 1756, 3 Tom. 12mo." (a very curious work.) (m) Vid. fupra, Note (d), Vol. I. ESSAY, &c. Et vide Rapin, Carte, &c. This fong of ROLAND (whatever it was) continued for fome centuries to be ufually fung by the French in their marches, if we may believe a modern French writer. "Un jour qu'on chantoit 4 la CHANSON DE ROLAND, comme c'etoit l'ufage dans les marches. "Il y a long temps, dit il, [John K. of France, who died in 1364] qu'on ne voit plus de Rolands parmi les François. On y verroit encore "des Rolands, lui repondit un vieux Capitaine, s'ils avoient un Charlemagne à leur tête." Vid. tom. iii. p. 202, des Effaies Hift. fur Paris de M. DE SAINTEFOIX: who gives as his authority, Boethius in Hift. Scotorum. This author, however, fpeaks of the Complaint and Repartee, as made in an Affembly of the States, (vocato fexatu) and not upon any march, &c. Vid. Boeth. lib. xv. fol. 317. Ed. Paris, 1574. VOL. III. b7 refembles refembles the Saxon Poetry, than the French, it is not certain that the firit English Romances were tranflated from that language *. We have seen above, that a propenfity to this kind of fiction prevailed among all the Gothic nations (n); and, thongh after the Norman Conqueft, this country abounded with French Romances, or with Tranflations from the French, there is good reafon to believe, that the English had original pieces of their own. The ftories of King Arthur and his Round Table, may be reasonably fuppofed of the growth of this ifland; both the French and the Armoricans probably had them from Britain (o). The ftories of Guy and Bevis, with fome others, were probably the invention of English Minstrels (p). On the other hand, the English procured tranflations of fuch Romances as were most current in France; and in the Lift given at the conclufion of these Remarks, many are doubtlefs of French original. The firt PROSE. books of Chivalry that appeared in our language, were those printed by Caxton (q); at least, * See on this fubject, Vol. I. Note, S. 2. page 1xxviii;-and in Note G g. p. ciii. &c. (n) The first Romances of Chivalry among the GERMANS were in Metre: they have fome very ancient narrative fongs, (which they call Lieder) not only on the fabulous herpes of their own country, but alfo on thofe of France and Britain, as Triftram, Arthur, Ga wain, and the Knights von der Tafel ronde. (Vid. Goldafli Not. in Eginhart. Vit. Car. Mag. 4to. 1711, p. 207) (o) The Welsh have ftill fome very old Romances about K. Arthur; but as thefe are in profe, they are not probably their first pieces that were compofed on that fubject. (p) It is most credible that thefe ftories were originally of English invention, even if the only pieces now extant should be found to be tranflations from the French. What now pafs for the French criginals were probably only amplifications, or enlargements of the old English ftory. That the French Romancers borrowed fome things from the English, appears from the word TERMAGANT, which they took up from our Minstrels, and corrupted into TERVAGAUNTE. See Vol. I. p. 76, and Gloff. "Termagant." (q) Recuyel of the Hyftoryes of Troy, 1471. Godfroye of Boloyne, 1481. Le Morte de Arthur, 1485. The life of Charle magne, leaft, these are the first I have been able to discover, and these are all tranflations from the French. Whereas 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 burlefque them (r). He expressly mentions several 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 shall 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 wished that fome of the best of them were refcued from oblivion. A judicious collection of them accurately published with proper illuftrations, would be an important acceffion to our stock of ancient English Literature. Many of them magne, 1485, &c. As the old Minftrelfy 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. -In (r) See Extract from a Letter, written by the Editor of thefe Volumes, in Mr. Warton's Obfervations, Vol. II. p. 139. (s) Canterbury Tales (Tyrwhitt's Edit.), Vol. II. p. 238 all the former editions, which I have feen, the name at the end of he 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 thefe laft, by fuch as treat of Englift poetry, the old metrical Romances, though far more popular in their time, were hardly known to exist. But it has happened unluckily, that the antiquarics, 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 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 thofe ancient Epic Songs of Chivalry, they would frequently fee the rich ore of an Ariofto 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 inftance or two from Shakespeare, by way of fpecimen 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 hiftory. Faulconbridge fays to his mother, Act 1. fc. 1. "Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose... "Against whose furie and unmatched force, "The awleffe lion could not wage the fight, "Nor keepe his princely heart from Richard's hand : "May easily winne a woman's:" 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 to 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 prifon. Wardrewe, the king's fon, hearing of Richard's great ftrength, defires the jailor to let him have a fight of his prisoners. Richard being the foremost, Wardrewe afks him, “if "he dare ftand a buffet from his hand ?" and that on the morrow he fhall 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 story is alluded to in Raftell'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 profe: many of our ancient Hiftorians have recorded the fictions of Romance. VOL. III. C his |