tude occurs again, after Britomart had surveyed the rich furniture of Busirane's house.

But more she marvail'd, that no footings trace,
Nor wight appear'd, but wasteful emptinesse,
And solemne silence over all that place.

3. 11. 53.

This is finely expressed: but the circumstance is common in romance.

Thus when

Sir Topas enters the land of Fairie.

Wherein he sought both north and south,
And oft he spirid [whistled] with his mouth,
In many a forest wild;

But in that countre was there none,

Ne neither wife ne childe *.

But more appositely in the old metrical ro

mance of Syr Degore.

He went aboute, and gan to calle

Bothe in the courte and eke in the halle;

Neither for love, nor yet for awe,

Living man there none he sawet.

* 3310.

+ Sign. C. iii.

*

1.

This romance is in the Bodleian library among the following pieces; which I mention for the sake of those who are making researches in ancient English literature. Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough, and William of Clowdeslie. These were three famous archers. The former, as I observed before, [pag. 73. vol. i.] is mentioned by Shakespeare †. 2. The Knight of Courtesy and the Lady of Faguel. This, I think, is the story of Coucy's heart, related in Fauchet, and Howell's letters; which, as they tell us, was represented in tapestry, in Coucy castle, in France. Jyl [Jyllian or Julian] of Brentforde's Testament. [4. Syr Degore.] 5. Syr Eglamoure of Artoys. This name occurs in the fourth act of Shakespeare's Gentlemen of Verona. 6. Syr Tryamore. These three last are in short verses, as most of the old metrical ro

.

3.

* C. 39. 4to. Art. Selden.

+ Much Ado About Nothing, act 1.

mances were. 7. Historye of Kyng Richard Ceur de Lyon. [Impr. W. de Worde, 1528.] His exploits were a favourite subject, and many legends were written about him, partly on account of his fondness for chivalry; for he was the first king of England that ever published a precept or permission for holding public tournaments in England. His first instrument of this kind I have * printed above, [pag. 42. vol. i.] by which it appears, that these institutions brought in a considerable revenue to the crown. 8. Syr Bevis of Southampton; in the same verse as Syr Degore, &c. viz.

* It is also printed in Selden's England's Epinomis, op. vol. iii. p. 35. fol. 1726. And Kennet's Paroch. Antiq. pag. 153. It is in MSS. Bib. Bodl. James. No. 27. But Gul. Neubrigiensis says, that the first use, though not royal permission, of these exercises, was in the reign of Stephen. Hist. Lib. v. c. 4. See Matth. Far. 237 post Hoveden. p. 424.

↑ The French have also this romance, which they call Beuves de Hanton. He was Earl of Southampton, about the Norman invasion. His sword was kept in Arundel castle.

Such a stroke was not sene in no land
Sithens Oliver died and Rowland *.

But I have given a long passage from it,
above; [pag. 70. seq. vol. i.] 9. The
Battayl of Egyngcourte. [Agincourt.] 10.
The Wyf lapped in Morells Skin, Or, The
Taming of a Shrew.
Hence we perceive,

*This metre came from the French; but they called the French language Romance. This is what Robert de Brunne means, in his translation of Peter Langtoft's French Chronicle, published by Hearn.

Peres of Langtoft, a chanoun

Schaven in the house of Brydlyngtoune,
On Romaunce al thys story he wrote,

Of English kynges as well he wote.

i. e. he wrote it in French.

Pag. 36. v. 1. Pref.

See an account, and many specimens, of French Ro. mans, in a curious Memoir, viz. "Discours sur quelques anciens Poetes, et sur quelques Romans Gaulois, peu connus; par M. Galland." Mem. de Lit. Amsterdam, 1719. 12mo. tom. iii. pag. 424. These are pieces not mentioned by La Croix du Maine and Fauchet. Among others there is the Roman of Troy, and the Roman of [Syr] Percivall, one of Spenser's knights. There is also, Le Roman de Fortune et de Felicitè, which is a translation of Boethius, De Consolatione, into verse.

how Shakespeare adopted the titles of pieces which were popular and common in his time. This too shews his track of reading. 11. Thirteen merry Jests of the Wydow Edyth. 12. The Temple of Glass. [of Lydgate.] Spenser, I believe, might have this piece in his eye, where he describes the lovers in the Temple of Venus. 4. 10. 43. &c. There are several other pieces of the same sort in this collection.

We learn from the following passage in Skelton, who wrote in the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII. what books and stories were then the delight of English readers, and the fashion of the times.