Langbaine, in reciting this manuscript, thus explains the quadratum carmen. "Scil. prima cujufque verfus litera, per "Acroftichidem, conficit verfum illum Metrica tyrones. Ul"tima cujufque versus litera, ab ultimo carmine ordine retrogardo numerando, hunc verfum facit.

" Metrica tyrones nunc promant carmina casti.”

[Langb. MSS. v. p. 126.] MSS. DIGB. 146. There is a very antient tract, by one Mico, I believe called alfo LEVITA, on Profody, De Quantitate Syllabarum, with examples from the Latin poets, perhaps the firft work of the kind. Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Bodl. A. 7. 9. See J. L. Hocker's CATAL. MSS. Bibl. Heidelb. p. 24. who recites a part of Mico's Preface, in which he appears to have been a grammatical teacher of youth. See also Dacheri SPICILEG. tom. ii. p. 300. b. edit. ult.

Pag. 85. Not. . After " pereffe," INSERT, "In this manuscript the whole title is this. Le ROSSIGNOL, ou la pensee Jehan de Hovedene clerc la roine d'Engleterre mere le "roi Edward de la naiffance et de la mort et du relievement et "de lafcenfion Jefu Crift et de laffumpcion notre dame.” This manuscript was written in the fourteenth century.

Pag. 86. INSERT at the Beginning of Not. . "Among the learned Englishmen who now wrote in French, The Editor of the CANTERBURY TALES mentions Helis de Guinceftre, or WINCHESTER, a translator of CATO into French. [See vol. ii. p. 169.] And Hue de Roteland, author of the Romance, in French verse, called Ipomedon, MSS. Cott. VESP. A. vii. [See vol. i. p. 169.] The latter is also supposed to have written a French Dialogue in metre, MSS. Bodl. 3904. La pleinte par entré mis Sire Henry de Lacy Counte de Nichole [Lincoln] et Sire Wauter de Byblefworth pur la croiferie en la terre feinte. And a French romantic poem on a knight called CAPANEE, perhaps Statius's Capaneus. MSS. Cott. VESP. A. vii. ut fupr. It begins,

66

Qui bons countes viel entendre.

See "The CANTERBURY TALES of CHAUCER. To which "are added An ESSAY upon his LANGUAGE and VERSIFICATION, an INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE, and NOTES. "Lond. 1775. 4 vol. 8°." This masterly performance, in which the author has difplayed great tafte, judgement, fagacity, and the most familiar knowledge of thofe books which pecuculiarly belong to the province of a commentator on Chaucer, did not appear till more than half of my Second Volume was printed.

Pag. 88. Not. *. ADD “ And at Bennet college, Num. L. I. It begins,

m

Ki veut oir chaunçoun damur."

Ibid. Not. . 1. 11. READ "Davench."

Pag. 99. Not. . READ "Them."

It appears

Pag. 108. 1. 1. ADD this Note to "Edward." It that king Edward the firft, about the year 1271, took his HARPER with him to the Holy Land. This officer was a close and conftant attendant of his mafter: for when Edward was wounded with a poisoned knife at Ptolemais, the harper, cithareda fuus, hearing the ftruggle, rushed into the royal apartment, and killed the affaffin. CHRON. Walt. Hemingford, cap. xxxv. p. 591. Apud V HISTOR. ANGLIC. SCRIPTOR. vol. ii. Oxon. 1687. fol.

Pag. 111. ADD to laft Note, "Geoffrey of Vinesauf fays, that when king Richard the first arrived at the Chriftian camp before Ptolemais, he was received with populares Cantiones, which recited Antiquorum Præclara Gefta. IT. HIEROSOL. cap. ii. P. 332. ibid.

Pag. 112. Before" commenced," INSERT " and that it." Pag. 113. ADD to Not. . "On a review of this paffage in Hoveden, it appears to have been William bishop of Ely, chancellor to king Richard the firft, who thus invited minstrels

from

from France, whom he loaded with favours and presents to fing his praises in the streets. But it does not much alter the doctrine of the text, whether he or the king was inftrumental in importing the French minstrels into England. This paffage is in a Letter of Hugh bishop of Coventry, which see also in Hearne's Benedictus Abbas, vol. ii. p. 704. fub ann. 1191. It appears from this letter, that he was totally ignorant of the English language. ibid. p. 708. By his cotemporary Gyraldus Cambrenfis, he is reprefented as a monfter of injustice, impiety, intemperance, and luft. Gyraldus has left these anecdotes of his character, which fhew the fcandalous groffness of the times. "Sed taceo quod ruminare folet, nunc clamitat Anglia tota, "qualiter puella, matris industria tam coma quam cultu pue"rum profeffa, fimulanfque virum verbis et vultu, ad cubicu"lum belluæ iftius eft perducta. Sed ftatim ut exofi illius "sexus eft inventa, quanquam in fe pulcherrima, thalamique

tuta.

thorique deliciis valde idonea, repudiata tamen eft et abjecta. "Unde et in craftino, matri filia, tam flagitiofi facinoris con"fcia, cum Petitionis effectu, terrifque non modicis eandem jure hæreditario contingentibus, virgo, ut venerat, est restiTantæ nimirum intemperantiæ, et' petulantiæ fuerat "tam immoderatæ, quod quotidie in prandio circa finem, pre❝tiofis tam potionibus quam cibariis ventre diftento, virga aliquantulum longa in capite aculeum præferente pueros nobiles " ad menfam miniftrantes, eique propter multimodam qua fungebatur poteftatem in omnibus ad nutum obfequentes, pun66 gere viciffim confueverit: ut eo indicio, quafi figno quodam "fecretiore, quem fortius, inter alios, atque frequentius fic quafi ludicro pungebat, &c. &c." De VIT. GALFRID. Archiepifcop. Ebor. Apud Whart. ANGL. SACR. vol. ii..p. 406. But Wharton endeavours to prove, that the character of this great prelate and statesman in many particulars had been misreprefented through prejudice and envy. Ibid. vol. i. p. 632. :

It seems the French minstrels, with whom the Song of ROLAND originated, were famous about this period. Muratori

" Ut

cites an old history of Bologna, under the year 1288, by which it appears, that they fwarmed in the streets of Italy. "CANTATORES FRANCIGENARUM in plateis comunis ad "cantandum morari non poffent." On which words he obferves, "Colle quali parole sembra verofimile, che fieno difeg"nati i cantatore del favole romanze, che Spezialmente della "Franzia erano portate in Italia." DISSERT. ANTICHIT. Ital. tom. ii. c. xxix. p. 16. In Napoli, 1752. He adds, that the minstrels were fo numerous in France, as to become a peft to the community; and that an edict was iffued about the year 1200, to suppress them in that kingdom. Muratori, in further proof of this point, quotes the above paffage from Hoveden; which, as I had done, he misapplies to our king Richard the first. But, in either fenfe, it equally fuits his argument. In the year 1334, at a feast on Eafter Sunday, celebrated at Rimini, on occafion of fome noble Italians receiving the honour of knighthood, more than one thousand five hundred HISTRIONES are faid to have attended. "Triumphus quidem maximus fuit " ibidem, &c. Fuit etiam multitudo HISTRIONUM Circa "mille quingentos et ultra." ANNAL. CESENAT. tom. xiv. RER. ITALIC. SCRIPTOR. col. 1141. But their countries are not specified. In the year 1227, at a feast in the palace of the archbishop of Genoa, a fumptuous banquet and vestments without number were given to the minstrels, or Joculatores, then prefent, who came from Lombardy, Provence, Tuscany, and other countries. Caffari ANNAL. GENUENS. lib. vi. p. 449. D. Apud Tom. vi. ut fupr. In the year 774, when Charlemagne entered Italy and found his paffage impeded, he was met by a minstrel of Lombardy, whofe fong promifed him fuccess and victory. "Contigit JOCULATOREM ex Longobardorum gente "ad Carolum venire, et CANTIUNCULAM A SE COMPOSI"TAM, rotando in confpectu fuorum, cantare." Tom. ii. P. 2. ut fupr. CARON. MONAST. NOVAL. lib. iii. cap. x. p. 717. D. To recur to the origin of this Note. Rymer, in his SHORT VIEW OF TRAGEDY, on the notion that Hoveden is here

fpeaking

fpeaking of king Richard, has founded a theory, which is confequently falfe, and is otherwife but imaginary. See p. 66.67. 69. 74. He supposes, that Richard, in confequence of his connection with Raimond count of Tholoufe, encouraged the heresy of the Albigenfes; and that therefore the historian Hoveden, as an ecclefiaftic, was interested in abufing Richard, and in infinuating, that his reputation for poetry rested only on the venal praises of the French minstrels. The words quoted are, indeed, written by a churchman, although not by Hoveden. But whatever invidious turn they bear, they belong, as we have seen, to quite another perfon; to a bishop who justly deserved fuch an indirect stroke of satire, for his criminal enormities, not for any vain pretenfions to the character of a Provencial songster.

Pag. 114. 1. 15. For " fecond," READ " third.”

Pag. 15. 1. 4. To" Robert Borron" ADD this Note, "In Bennet college library at Cambridge, there is an English poem on the SANGREAL, and its appendages, containing forty thousand verfes. MSS. LXXX. chart. The manufcript is imperfect both at the beginning and at the end. The title at the head of the first page is ACTA ARTHURI REGIS, written probably by Joceline, chaplain and fecretary to archbishop Parker. The narrative, which appears to be on one continued fubject, is divided into books, or sections, of unequal length. It is a translation made from Robert Borron's French romance called LANCELOT, abovementioned, which includes the adventure of the SANGREAL, by Henry Lonelich Skynner, a name which I never remember to have seen among those of the English poets. The diction is of the age of king Henry the fixth. Borel, in his TRESOR de Recherchés et Antiquitez Gauloifes et Françoifes, fays,

Il y'a un Roman ancien intitule LE CONQUESTE DE SANGREALL, &c." Edit. 1655. 4". V. GRAAL. It is difficult to determine with any precifion which is Robert Borron's French Romance now under confideration, as fo many have been written on the subject. [See vol. i. p. 134.] The dili

gence