Dunbar, in his "Lament for the Death of the Makkaris :"

"Clerk of Tranent eik he hes take,

That made the aventures of Sir Gawane."

It will scarce be necessary to remind the reader, that Turnewathelan is evidently Tearne-Wadling, celebrated in the old ballad of the Marriage of Sir Gawaine. See the concluding Notes to No. 4, Series I. Book i, and No. 19, Series I. Book iii.

Many new references, and perhaps some additional articles might be added to the foregoing list from Mr. Warton's "History of English Poetry," 3 vols. 4to., and from the notes to Mr. Tyrwhitt's improved edition of "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales,' &c., in 5 vols. 8vo., which have been published since this Essay, &c. was first composed; but it will be sufficient once for all to refer the curious reader to those popular works.

The reader will also see many interesting particulars on the subject of these volumes, as well as on most points of general literature, in Sir John Hawkins's curious "History of Music," &c. in 5 vols. 4to. as also in Dr. Burney's History, &c. in 4 vols.

4to.

I.

Is printed verbatim from the old MS. described in the Preface. The Editor believes it more ancient than it will appear to be at first sight; the transcriber of that manuscript having reduced the orthography and style in many instances to the standard of his own times.

The incidents of the "Mantle" and the "Knife" have not, that I can recollect, been borrowed from any other writer. The former of these evidently suggested to Spenser his conceit of "Florimel's Girdle," B. IV. Č. 5, St. 3.

That girdle gave the virtue of chaste love

And wivehood true to all that did it beare;
But whosoever contrarie doth prove,
Might not the same about her middle weare,
But it would loose or else asunder teare.

So it happened to the false Florimell, st. 16, when

-Being brought, about her middle small
They thought to gird, as best it her became,
But by no means they could it thereto frame,
For ever as they fastned it, it loos'd
And fell away, as feeling secret blame, &c.
That all men wondred at the uncouth sight
And each one thought as to their fancies came.
But she herself did think it done for spight,
And touched was with secret wrath and shame
Therewith, as thing deviz'd her to defame :
Then many other ladies likewise tride
About their tender loynes to knit the same,
But it would not on none of them abide,
But when they thought it fast, eftsoones it was untide.
Thereat all knights gan laugh and ladies lowre,
Till that at last the gentle Amoret

Likewise assayed to prove that girdle's powre.
And having it about her middle set

i. e. Adventure.

Did find it fit withouten breach or let,
Whereat the rest gan greatly to envie.
But Florimel exceedingly did fret,
And snatching from her hand, &c.

As for the trial of the Horne, it is not peculiar to our Poet: It occurs in the old Romance, intitled "Morte Arthur," which was translated out of French in the time of King Edward IV., and first printed anno 1484. From that romance Ariosto is thought to have borrowed his tale of the Enchanted Cup, C. 42, &c. See Mr. Warton's Observations on the Faerie Queen, &c.

The story of the Horn in Morte Arthur varies a good deal from this of our Poet, as the reader will judge from the following extract.—“ By the way they met with a knight that was sent from Morgan la Faye to King Arthur, and this knight had a fair horne all garnished with gold, and the horne had such a virtue, that there might no ladye or gentlewoman drinke of that horne, but if she were true to her husband and if shee were false she should spill all the drinke, and if shee were true unto her lorde, shee might drink peaceably and because of Queene Guenever and in despite of Sir Launcelot du Lake, this horne was sent unto King Arthur."- -This horn is intercepted and brought unto another king named Marke, who is not a whit more fortunate tnan the British hero, for he makes "his qeene drinke thereof and an hundred ladies moe, and there were but foure ladies of all those that dranke cleane," of which number the said queen proves not to be one [Book II, chap. 22, Ed. 1632.]

In other respects the two stories are so different, that we have just reason to suppose this Ballad was written before that romance was translated into English.

As for Queen Guenever, she is here represented

199

And proudlye rise the battlements,

Is chiefly taken from the fragment of an old ballad in the Editor's MS. which he has reason to believe more ancient than the time of Chaucer, and what furnished that bard with his Wife of Bath's Tale. The original was so extremely mutilated, half of every leaf being torn away, that without large supplements, &c. it was deemed improper for this collection: these it has therefore received, such as they are. They are not here particularly pointed out, because the "Fragment" itself will now be found printed at the end of this volume.

And streamers deck the air.

20

5

20

Here to returne to Tearne-Wadling, Upon the new-yeare's daye :

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80