GAWAYNE is translated from a French one of the same title, and in the reign of Henry the Sixth; but not by Thomas Chestre, who translated, or rather paraphrased, LAUNVAL, or Sir LAUNFALL, and who seems to have been master of a more copious and poetic style. It is not however unlikely, that Chestre translated from a more modern French copy of LAUNVAL, heightened and improved from the old simple Armorican tale of which I have here produced a short extract. [See supr. vol. ii. p. 409.] [The original of [Ywaine and Gawin] is Le chevalier au Lion, by Chrestien or Christian de Troyes, an eminent French poet who died in 1191; [and] the only ancient copy of the [English version] is contained in the Cotton MS. Galba. E. ix. which seems to have been written in the time of Richard II., or towards the close of the fourteenth century. RITSON.] The same perhaps may be said of the English metrical romance EMARE, who marries the king of Galys, or Wales, originally an Armorican tale, before quoted. MSS. Cott. CALIG. A. 2. fol. 69. [See Diss. III. prefixed to the first volume.] [and Mr. Ritson's Metrical Romances, vol. ii. where it is printed. -EDIT.] The last stanza confirms what has been advanced in the FIRST DISSERTATION, Concerning the connection be tween Cornwall and Bretagne, or Armorica. fol. ult. A grette foste thar was holde As testymonieth thys story: Men callys playn the GARYE. I believe the last line means, "Made for an entertainment,"-" Which men call playing the GARYE." The reader may perhaps recollect, that the old Cornish Miracle interlude was called the Guary Mirakil, that is, the Miracle Play. [See supr. vol. ii. p. 70.] In Cornish, Plán an guare is the level place, the plain of sport and pastime, the theatre of games, &c. Guare is a Cornish verb, to sport, to play. In affinity with which, is probably Garish, gay, splendid. Milton, IL PENS. v. 141. Day's garish eye. Shakespeare, ROM. JUL. iii. 4. The garish sun. KING RICHARD THE THIRD. A garish flag. Compare Lye, Sax. Dict. V. geannian. To dress fine. Who was the translator of EMARE, it is not known. I presume it was translated in the reign of Henry the Sixth, and very probably by Thomas Chestre, the translator of LAUNVAL. SECTION XLIV. I FEAR I shall be pronounced a heretic to modern criticism, in retracting what I have said in a preceding page, and in placing the NOTBROWNE MAYDE under some part of this reign*. Prior, who, about the year 1718, paraphrased this poem, without improving its native beauties, supposes it to have been three hundred years old. It appears from two letters preserved in the British Museum, written by Prior to Wanley, lord Oxford's librarian, that Prior consulted Wanley about this antient ballad. It is, however, certain, that Wanley, an antiquarian of unquestionable skill and judgement in these niceties, whatever directions and information he might have imparted to Prior on this subject, could never have communicated such a decision. He certainly in these letters gives no such opinion. This is therefore the hasty conjecture of Prior; who thought that the curiosity which he was presenting to the world, would derive proportionable value from its antiquity, who was better employed than in the petty labour of ascertaining dates, and who knew much more of modern than antient poetry. The NOT-BROWNE MAYDE first appeared in Arnolde's CHRONICLE, or CUSTOMS OF LONDON, which was first printed about the year 1521. This is perhaps the most heterogeneous and multifarious miscellany that ever existed. The collector * [i. e. the reign of Henry VIII., but Herbert says he possessed an edition which was printed about 1502, i. e. the 18th year of Henry VII.—PARK.] a MSS. HARL. 3777. These letters are printed in the ADDITIONS TO PorE'S WORKS, in two volumes, published about two years ago. [Namely in 1776. This publication has been attributed to the late George Steevens, Esq.; but I heard from Mr. Isaac Reed that it was culled by Baldwin from the communications of Mr. Steevens in the St. James's Chronicle, and put forth with a preface by William Cooke, Esq.-PARK.] sets out with a catalogue of the mayors and sheriffs, the customs and charters, of the city of London. Soon afterwards we have receipts to pickle sturgeon, to make vinegar, ink, and gunpowder; how to raise parsley in an hour; the arts of brewery and soap-making; an estimate of the livings in London; an account of the last visitation of saint Magnus's church; the weight of Essex cheese, and a letter to cardinal Wolsey. The NOT-BROWNE MAYDE is introduced, between an estimate of some subsidies paid into the exchequer, and directions for buying goods in Flanders. In a word, it seems to have been this compiler's plan, by way of making up a volume, to print together all the notices and papers, whether antient or modern, which he could amass, of every sort and subject. It is supposed, that he intended an antiquarian repertory: but as many recent materials were admitted, that idea was not at least uniformly observed; nor can any argument be drawn from that supposition, that this poem existed long before, and was inserted as a piece of antiquity. The editor of the PROLUSIONS infers, from an identity of rhythmus and orthography, and an affinity of words and phrases, that this poem appeared after sir Thomas More's JEST OF THE SERJEANT AND FREER, which, as I have observed, was written about the year 1500. This reasoning, were not other arguments obvious, would be inconclusive, and might be turned to the opposite side of the question. But it is evident from the language of the NOTBROWNE MAYDE, that it was not written earlier than the beginning, at least, of the sixteenth century*. There is hardly an obsolete word, or that requires a glossary, in the whole piece: and many parts of Surry and Wyat are much more difficult to be understood. Reduce any two stanzas to modern orthography, and they shall hardly wear the appearance of antient poetry. The reader shall try the experiment on the two following, which occur accidentally. с PROLUSIONS, Or select pieces of antient Poetry, Lond. 1760. 8vo. Pref. p. vii., [edited by E. Capell.-PARK.] [But might it not be modernized to the style of 1500, in the edition of 1521? Herbert MS. Note.-PARK.] d V. 168. HE. Yet take good hede, for ever I drede The snowe, the frost, the rayne, And us abofee none other rofe But a brake bush, or twayne. Which sone sholde greve you, I believe; SHE. Among the wylde dere, such an archère, Where is so grete plentè: And water clere of the ryvère Shall be full swete to me; With which in hele, I shall ryght wele And, or we go, a bedde or two I can provyde anone. For, in my mynde, of all mankynde I love but you alone. The simplicity of which passage Prior has thus decorated and dilated. HENRY. Those limbs, in lawn and softest silk array'd, • i. e. above. When, chill'd by adverse snows and beating rain, And seats, where ease and plenty brooding sate? That gate, for ever barr'd to thy return: Wilt thou not then bewail ill-fated love, And hate a banish'd man, condemn'd in woods to rove? EMMA. Thy rise of fortune did I only wed, |