1The volume contains other poems besides “Sir Lancelot.”2See Mr Lumby’s editions of “Early Scottish Verse” and “Ratis Raving,” both edited for the E.E.T.S. from this MS. Only the latter of these is in the hand-writing of V. de F.3This refers to the edition printed in 1865. In executing the present reprint, the proof-sheets have been once more compared with the MS., and a very few insignificant errors have been thus detected and rectified.4“As to the Romance of Sir Lancelot, our author [Gower], among others on the subject, refers to a volume of which he was the hero; perhaps that of Robert de Borron, altered soon afterwards by Godefroy de Leigny, under the title ofLe Roman de la Charrette, and printed, with additions, at Paris by Antony Verard, in the year 1494.For if thou wilt the bokes redeOf Launcelot and other mo,Then might thou seen how it was thoOf armes,” etc.(Gower:Confessio Amantis, Book iv.)Quoted fromWarton’s English Poetry, vol. ii., p. 234,ed.1840. I quote this as bearing somewhat on the subject, though it should be observed thatLe Roman de la Charretteis not the same withLancelot du Lac, but only a romance of the same class. Chaucer also refers to Lancelot in his Nonnes Prestes Tale, l. 392; and it is mentioned in the famous lines of Dante (Inf.v. 127)—“Noi leggevamo un giorno per dilettoDi Lancilotto, come amor lo strinse,” &c.5He does not necessarily imply that the poet invoked was still alive; and we might almost suppose Petrarch to be meant, who was more proud of his Latin poem called “Africa” than of his odes and sonnets. See Hallam’s Literary History (4 vols.), vol. i., p. 85. But this is pure conjecture.6But the French has “Cardueil.” Seel. 2153.7Tytler’s History of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1841), vol. iv., p. 216.8The French text does not say anything about “astronomy.” We may especially note the following lines, asnotbeing in the French, viz., lines1473-1496,1523-1542,1599-1644,1658-1680, and the long passage1752-1998.9See Appendix.10For many valuable remarks upon the dialect of the poem I am indebted to Mr R. Morris.11We find the true forms occasionally, asobeisand(641),plesand(1731),thinkand(2173),prekand(3089), andfechtand(3127). Compare the formseruand(122).12“The Scottish pronunciation of-ingwas already, as it still is,-een; and the writer, knowing that the correct spelling ofdwellin, for example, wasdwelling, fancied also thatfallen,halden(Sc.fallyn,haldyn) werefallyng,haldyng. Lyndesay and Gawain Douglas often do the same. Comparegardinge(l. 50),laiting(l. 327).” —J. A. H. Murray.13“The plural in Scottish always ends in-safter a noun or when the verb is separated from its pronoun; we still saythe men hes,the bairns sings,them ’at cums, nothave,sing,come. Notice the frequent use ofthfort, as inl. 497,Presumyth=presumit, presumed, it being presumed.” —J. A. H. Murray. [Or,presumythmay be the pl. imperative, as inRemembrith(l. 797), already noticed. —Ed.]14“Thisȝisis the common form in the Scottish writers, thoughayis largely the modern vernacular.” —J. A. H. Murray.
1The volume contains other poems besides “Sir Lancelot.”2See Mr Lumby’s editions of “Early Scottish Verse” and “Ratis Raving,” both edited for the E.E.T.S. from this MS. Only the latter of these is in the hand-writing of V. de F.3This refers to the edition printed in 1865. In executing the present reprint, the proof-sheets have been once more compared with the MS., and a very few insignificant errors have been thus detected and rectified.4“As to the Romance of Sir Lancelot, our author [Gower], among others on the subject, refers to a volume of which he was the hero; perhaps that of Robert de Borron, altered soon afterwards by Godefroy de Leigny, under the title ofLe Roman de la Charrette, and printed, with additions, at Paris by Antony Verard, in the year 1494.For if thou wilt the bokes redeOf Launcelot and other mo,Then might thou seen how it was thoOf armes,” etc.(Gower:Confessio Amantis, Book iv.)Quoted fromWarton’s English Poetry, vol. ii., p. 234,ed.1840. I quote this as bearing somewhat on the subject, though it should be observed thatLe Roman de la Charretteis not the same withLancelot du Lac, but only a romance of the same class. Chaucer also refers to Lancelot in his Nonnes Prestes Tale, l. 392; and it is mentioned in the famous lines of Dante (Inf.v. 127)—“Noi leggevamo un giorno per dilettoDi Lancilotto, come amor lo strinse,” &c.5He does not necessarily imply that the poet invoked was still alive; and we might almost suppose Petrarch to be meant, who was more proud of his Latin poem called “Africa” than of his odes and sonnets. See Hallam’s Literary History (4 vols.), vol. i., p. 85. But this is pure conjecture.6But the French has “Cardueil.” Seel. 2153.7Tytler’s History of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1841), vol. iv., p. 216.8The French text does not say anything about “astronomy.” We may especially note the following lines, asnotbeing in the French, viz., lines1473-1496,1523-1542,1599-1644,1658-1680, and the long passage1752-1998.9See Appendix.10For many valuable remarks upon the dialect of the poem I am indebted to Mr R. Morris.11We find the true forms occasionally, asobeisand(641),plesand(1731),thinkand(2173),prekand(3089), andfechtand(3127). Compare the formseruand(122).12“The Scottish pronunciation of-ingwas already, as it still is,-een; and the writer, knowing that the correct spelling ofdwellin, for example, wasdwelling, fancied also thatfallen,halden(Sc.fallyn,haldyn) werefallyng,haldyng. Lyndesay and Gawain Douglas often do the same. Comparegardinge(l. 50),laiting(l. 327).” —J. A. H. Murray.13“The plural in Scottish always ends in-safter a noun or when the verb is separated from its pronoun; we still saythe men hes,the bairns sings,them ’at cums, nothave,sing,come. Notice the frequent use ofthfort, as inl. 497,Presumyth=presumit, presumed, it being presumed.” —J. A. H. Murray. [Or,presumythmay be the pl. imperative, as inRemembrith(l. 797), already noticed. —Ed.]14“Thisȝisis the common form in the Scottish writers, thoughayis largely the modern vernacular.” —J. A. H. Murray.
1The volume contains other poems besides “Sir Lancelot.”
2See Mr Lumby’s editions of “Early Scottish Verse” and “Ratis Raving,” both edited for the E.E.T.S. from this MS. Only the latter of these is in the hand-writing of V. de F.
3This refers to the edition printed in 1865. In executing the present reprint, the proof-sheets have been once more compared with the MS., and a very few insignificant errors have been thus detected and rectified.
4“As to the Romance of Sir Lancelot, our author [Gower], among others on the subject, refers to a volume of which he was the hero; perhaps that of Robert de Borron, altered soon afterwards by Godefroy de Leigny, under the title ofLe Roman de la Charrette, and printed, with additions, at Paris by Antony Verard, in the year 1494.
For if thou wilt the bokes redeOf Launcelot and other mo,Then might thou seen how it was thoOf armes,” etc.(Gower:Confessio Amantis, Book iv.)
For if thou wilt the bokes rede
Of Launcelot and other mo,
Then might thou seen how it was tho
Of armes,” etc.
(Gower:Confessio Amantis, Book iv.)
Quoted fromWarton’s English Poetry, vol. ii., p. 234,ed.1840. I quote this as bearing somewhat on the subject, though it should be observed thatLe Roman de la Charretteis not the same withLancelot du Lac, but only a romance of the same class. Chaucer also refers to Lancelot in his Nonnes Prestes Tale, l. 392; and it is mentioned in the famous lines of Dante (Inf.v. 127)—
“Noi leggevamo un giorno per dilettoDi Lancilotto, come amor lo strinse,” &c.
“Noi leggevamo un giorno per diletto
Di Lancilotto, come amor lo strinse,” &c.
5He does not necessarily imply that the poet invoked was still alive; and we might almost suppose Petrarch to be meant, who was more proud of his Latin poem called “Africa” than of his odes and sonnets. See Hallam’s Literary History (4 vols.), vol. i., p. 85. But this is pure conjecture.
6But the French has “Cardueil.” Seel. 2153.
7Tytler’s History of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1841), vol. iv., p. 216.
8The French text does not say anything about “astronomy.” We may especially note the following lines, asnotbeing in the French, viz., lines1473-1496,1523-1542,1599-1644,1658-1680, and the long passage1752-1998.
9See Appendix.
10For many valuable remarks upon the dialect of the poem I am indebted to Mr R. Morris.
11We find the true forms occasionally, asobeisand(641),plesand(1731),thinkand(2173),prekand(3089), andfechtand(3127). Compare the formseruand(122).
12“The Scottish pronunciation of-ingwas already, as it still is,-een; and the writer, knowing that the correct spelling ofdwellin, for example, wasdwelling, fancied also thatfallen,halden(Sc.fallyn,haldyn) werefallyng,haldyng. Lyndesay and Gawain Douglas often do the same. Comparegardinge(l. 50),laiting(l. 327).” —J. A. H. Murray.
13“The plural in Scottish always ends in-safter a noun or when the verb is separated from its pronoun; we still saythe men hes,the bairns sings,them ’at cums, nothave,sing,come. Notice the frequent use ofthfort, as inl. 497,Presumyth=presumit, presumed, it being presumed.” —J. A. H. Murray. [Or,presumythmay be the pl. imperative, as inRemembrith(l. 797), already noticed. —Ed.]
14“Thisȝisis the common form in the Scottish writers, thoughayis largely the modern vernacular.” —J. A. H. Murray.