during their possession of that island, which continued through many monarchies. But Sicily, from its situation, became a familiar country to all the western continent at the time of the Crusades, and consequently soon found its way into romance, as did many others of the Mediterranean islands and coasts, for the same reason. Another of them, Cilicia, has accordingly given title to an antient tale called The KING OF TARS; from which I shall give some extracts, touched with a rude but expressive pencil.

"Her bigenneth of the KYNG OF TARS, and of the Soudan of Dammias, how the Soudan of Dammias was cristened thoru Godis gras 9."

Herkeneth now, bothe olde and yyng,
For Maries love, that swete thyng:
How a werre bigan

Bitwene a god Cristene kyng,
And an hethene heyhe lordyng,
Of Damas the Soudan.

The kyng of Taars hedde a wyf,
The feireste that mighte bere lyf,
That eny mon telle can:

A doughter thei hadde hem bitween,
That heore' rihte heir scholde ben;
White sos fether of swan:

A passage in Fauchett, speaking of rhyme, may perhaps deserve attention

here.

"Pour le regard de Siciliens, je me tiens presque asseure, que Guillaume Ferrabrach frère de Robert Guischard et autres seigneurs de Calabre et Pouille enfans de Tancred François-Normand, l'ont portee aux pais de leur conqueste, estant une coustume des gens de deça chanter, avant que combattre, les beaux faits de leurs ancestres, composez en vers." Rec. p. 70. Boccacio's Tancred, in his beautiful Tale of TANCRED AND SIGISMUNDA, was one of these FrancoNorman kings of Sicily. Compare Nouv. Abreg. Chronol. Hist. Fr. pag. 102. edit. 1752.

P Damascus.

MS. Vernon. Bibl. Bodl. f. 304. It is also in Bibl. Adv. Edinb. W 4. 1. Num. iv. In five leaves and a half. Never printed.

[This romance will be found in Mr. Ritson's Collection, vol. ii. from whose transcript the present text has been corrected. On the authority of Douglas's version of the Eneid and Ruddiman's Glossary, he interprets "Tars" to mean Thrace; but as the story is one of pure invention, and at best but a romantic legend, why not refer the Damas and Tars of the text to the Damascus and Tarsus of Scripture?-EDIT.]

their.

as.

Chaast heo was, and feir of chere,

With rode" red so blosme on brere,
Eyyen stepe and gray,

W

With lowe schuldres, and whyte swere*;
Hire to seo was gret preyere

Of princes pert in play.

The word of hire sprong ful wyde

Feor and ner, bi vche a syde:

The Soudan herde say;

Him thought his herte wolde breke on five
Bot he mihte have hire to wyve,

That was so feir a may;

The Soudan ther he sat in halle;

He sente his messagers faste withalle,
To hire fader the kyng.

And seide, hou so hit ever bifalle,
That mayde he wolde clothe in palle
And spousen hire with his ryng.
"And elles I swere withouten fayle
I schull hire winnen in pleyn battayle

a

With mony an heih lordyng," &c.

The Soldan, on application to the king of Tarsus for his daughter, is refused; and the messengers return without sucThe Soldan's anger is painted with great characteristical spirit.

cess.

Hethene hound he doth the calle;
And er his doughtur he give the tille
Thyn herte blode he wol spille
And thi barouns alle."

Whon the Soudan this iherde,
As a wod man he ferde,

His robe he rente adoun;

He tar the herb of hed and berd,

And seide he wold her wine* with swerd,
Beo his lord seynt Mahoun.

The table adoun riht he smot,

In to the floore foot hot1,

He lokede as a wylde lyoun;
Al that he hitte he smot doun riht
Bothe sergaunt and kniht,

Erl and eke baroun.

So he ferde forsothe a pliht,

Al a day, and al a niht,

That no man mihte him chaste*:
A morwen whon hit was day liht,
He sent his messagers ful riht,

After his barouns in haste:
[That thai com to his parlement,
For to heren his jugement

Bothe lest and mast.

When the parlement was pleyner,
Tho bispac the Soudan fer,

And seyd to hem in hast.]+
"Lordynges," he seith, "what to rede',
Me is don a grete mysdede,

* A phrase often applied to the Saracens. So in Syr Bevys, Signat. C. ii. b. To speke with an hethene hounde.

son "wive," from whence the reading in the text was too obvious not to be adopted.-EDIT.]

i struck, stamped.

* check.

+ [The lines within brackets were inserted by Mr. Ritson from the Auchinleck MS.-EDIT.]

"what counsel shall we take."

Of Taars the Cristen kyng;

I bed him bothe lond and lede

To have his douhter in worthli wede,
And spouse hire with my ryng.

And he seide, withouten fayle
Arst he wolde me sle in batayle,
And mony a gret lordynge.

Ac sertes he schal be forswore,
Or to wrothe hele" that he was bore,
Bote he hit therto bryng.
Therefore lordynges, I have after ow sent
For to come to my parliment,
To wite of zow counsayle."
And alle onswerde with gode entent
Thei wolde be at his comaundement
Withouten eny fayle.

And whon thei were alle at his heste,
The Soudan made a wel gret feste,
For love of his batayle;

The Soudan gedred an oste unryde”,
With Sarazyns of muchel pryde,
The kyng of Taars to assayle.
Whon the kyng hit herde that tyde
He sent about on vche asyde,

Alle that he mihte of seende;
Gret werre tho bigan to wrake
For the mariage ne most be take
Of that mayden heende,
Batayle thei sette uppon a day,"
Withinne the thridde day of May,

But certainly.

"Loss of health or safety. Malediction. So R. of Brunne, Chron. apud Hearne's Rob. Glouc. p. 737. 738.

Morgan did after conseile,

And wrought him selfe to wrotherheile. Again,

To zow al was a wikke conseile,
That ze selle se full wrotherheile.
° to that issue.

P unright, wicked [numerous].

hend, handsome, [courteous. A general term expressive of personal and mental accomplishments.EDIT]

Ne longer nolde thei leende'.
The Soudan com with gret power,
With helm briht, and feir baneer,
Uppon that kyng to wende.

The Soudan ladde an huge ost,

And com with muche pruyde and cost,
With the kyng of Tars to fihte.

With him mony a Sarazyn feer',
Alle the feldes feor and neer,

Of helmes leomede lihte.

The kyng of Tars com also

The Soudan batayle for to do

With mony a Cristene knihte;

Either ost gon othur assayle

Ther bigon a strong batayle

That grislych was of siht.

Threo hethene ayein twey Cristene men,
And falde hem doun in the fen,
With wepnes stif and goode :

The steorne Sarazyns in that fiht,
Slowe vr Cristen men doun riht,

Thei fouhte as heo weore woode.

The Soudan ost in that stounde
Feolde the Cristene to the grounde,
Mony a freoly foode;

The Sarazyns, withouten fayle,
The Cristens culde" in that battayle,
Nas non that hem withstoode.

Whon the king of Tars sauh that siht
Wodde he was for wrathe" apliht;
In honde he hent a spere,

And to the Soudan he rode ful riht,
With a dunt of much miht,

Adoun he gon him bere: