Chapter 19

“Nov help hem þe heȝ kyng of hevene,Þat art of miȝtes most.”

“Nov help hem þe heȝ kyng of hevene,Þat art of miȝtes most.”

“Nov help hem þe heȝ kyng of hevene,

Þat art of miȝtes most.”

God in glorieoccurs again in l. 3229; cf. the French expressionDamedeu de glore;Fierabras2332.

p. 1, l.2.madeandwroghtin l. 5 are the 2nd person sing. preterite, which in all other instances in this poem ends in-est.But perhaps we might suppose a change of person here, and regardmadeandwroghtas the third person. For examples of the change of person seeSyr Ferumbras, ll. 2719, 4393, andGuy of Warwick, ed. Zupitza, l. 2324.

p. 1, l.7.shulde to love;tobefore an infinitive, governed by an auxiliary verb, is pretty common in Middle English works. See Zupitza’s note to Guy, 1925.

p. 1, l.9.ȝyfe.This is the only instance ofȝbeing written in the present poem at the beginning of a word.ȝifeis writtenifin all other passages of the poem, cf. ll. 550, 651, 763, and 1061, etc. As to the pronunciation ofȝin the middle of a word, it is doubtful, whether it had still preserved its ancient guttural sound, or not, as the same words are written sometimes with it and sometimes without it, and are often made to rhyme with words in whichȝorghwould be etymologically incorrect; e. g.nye, which is speltnyȝein l. 2284, rhymes withGye, in l. 2657. We even findwhiȝte, in l. 2289, instead ofwhite(l. 2008:smyte). At the end of a wordȝhas the sound ofs.

p. 1, l.13.idoone.The prefixi-, O.E.ge-, sometimes occurs in this poem, but more frequently it is not written; seeIntroduction, p. xxxviii.

p. 1, l.14. cf. l. 2516.—ll. 1–14 may be said to contain the moral of the whole poem, which we know the romance writers to be very fond of placing at the beginning of their works. “La moralité de tout un poème,” says Léon Gautier, in hisEpopées Françaises, I. 233, “est quelquefois exprimée dans ses premiers vers.”‹p096›

p. 1, l.16.moch=much(as in l. 754) is the usual spelling in this poem. We likewise findmeche, l. 179, andmikille, l. 1016.

p. 1, l.19,hisrefers toRome.

p. 1, l.22. Laban, the father of Ferumbras, is styledsowdanonly in this poem, and once in theDestruction de Rome, l. 1436:

“Les noveles en vindrent alsoldandiffaié.”

“Les noveles en vindrent alsoldandiffaié.”

“Les noveles en vindrent alsoldandiffaié.”

The French, the Provençal and the English version ofSir Ferumbrasall agree to call himamyraloramirans.

p. 1, l.24. The mention of King Louis and of the abbey of St. Denis (l. 27) seems to be an imitation of theDestruction, l. 7et seq.:

“Le chanchon est perdue et le rime fausee,Mais . . lirois Louis, dont l’alme est trespassee—Ke li fache pardon la verge honoree—Par lui et par Gautier est l’estoire auneeEt le chanchon drescie, esprise et alumeeAsaint Dynisde France premierement trovee.”

“Le chanchon est perdue et le rime fausee,Mais . . lirois Louis, dont l’alme est trespassee—Ke li fache pardon la verge honoree—Par lui et par Gautier est l’estoire auneeEt le chanchon drescie, esprise et alumeeAsaint Dynisde France premierement trovee.”

“Le chanchon est perdue et le rime fausee,

Mais . . lirois Louis, dont l’alme est trespassee

—Ke li fache pardon la verge honoree—

Par lui et par Gautier est l’estoire aunee

Et le chanchon drescie, esprise et alumee

Asaint Dynisde France premierement trovee.”

St. Denis also occurs in the beginning of the FrenchFierabras, l. 4:

“ASaint Denisen France fu li raules trouvés.”

“ASaint Denisen France fu li raules trouvés.”

“ASaint Denisen France fu li raules trouvés.”

Cf. besides note to l. 26.witnessith= attests, testifies; cf. Stratmann, p. 645. It occurs again in l. 1489.

p. 2, l.25.Romaunce, the French orRomancelanguage. We often find the authors of romances, both of translations and of imitations from the French, referring to the original; cf.Syr Eglamour of Artoys, sign. E i:

“His own mother there he wedde,In Romaunce as we rede.”

“His own mother there he wedde,In Romaunce as we rede.”

“His own mother there he wedde,

In Romaunce as we rede.”

Again, fol. ult.: “In Romaunce this cronycle is.”

[Quoted by Warton,History of English Poetry, II. 146, footnote.]

p. 2, l.26.bokes of antiquyte. This is to be regarded as one of those frequent assertions of the authors of these poems, who in order to give more credit to their tales, thought it necessary to affirm their antiquity and celebrity in old times. Cf. Gautier,Epop. Fr., II. 87: “Il fut de bon ton d’annoncer, au commencement de chaque poème, qu’on avait trouvé la matière de ce poème dans quelque vieux manuscrit latin, dans quelque vieille chronique d’abbaye, surtout dans les manuscrits et dans les chroniques de Saint-Denis. On se donnait par là un beau vernis de véracité historique. Plus les trouvèrent ajoutaient aux chansons primitives d’affabulations ridicules, plus ils s’écriaient: ‘Nous avons trouvé tout cela dans un vieux livre.’”

p. 2, l.27.Seinte Denyseis the genitive depending onabbey.

p. 2, l.28.there as= where, or where that. See Koch,Englische Grammatik, II. § 511.

p. 2, l.29.Laban.So the father of Ferumbras is called in theDestruction de Rome, where only in six passages (ll. 891, 899, 1116, 1194, 1174, 981) we find the formBalan, which is the only one used in the FrenchFierabras, in the Provençal version, and in the English‹p097›Syr Ferumbras.—of hie degre; this kind of expletive occurs again in l. 100:clerk of hie degre; cf. also l. 168:king of hie honour.

p. 2, l.31.Cristiante= the company of Christians, the countries inhabited by Christians, cf. ll. 235, 374. It signifies “the religion taught by Christ” in l. 3182.CristianteandChristendomare used promiscuously in Middle English writers.

p. 2, l.33.Agremare:there. The rhyme becomes perfect by readingAgremore:thore, which we find in l. 1805; cf. also l. 1003Agremore:more(i. e.negro), and ll. 672, 775, 2140, 2895.

p. 2, l.34.Flagot.SeeIndex of Names, s. v. Flagot, and cf. note to l. 1723.

p. 2, l.37. This line is too long, nevertheless it seems to be correct as it stands, clearly imitated from several passages of theDestruction de Rome.

l. 420.“Ensamble ou li issirent xv roi corone. Et xiiiiamaceours . .”l. 1155.“Bien i ad xxx rois et xiiii amaceours.”l. 689.“xxx roi sont ou li et xiiii amaceours.”l. 163.“Et xiiii amaceours.”

“Ensamble ou li issirent xv roi corone. Et xiiiiamaceours . .”

“Bien i ad xxx rois et xiiii amaceours.”

“xxx roi sont ou li et xiiii amaceours.”

“Et xiiii amaceours.”

p. 2, l.41.hitinstead ofitis found again in l. 2309; in all the other instancesitis spelt as in modern English.

p. 2, l.42.pryke, to spur a horse, to excite, to spur or to stimulate. It is O.E.prician, which occurs in Ælfric’s Grammar, ed. Zupitza, p. 174 (pungo=ic pricige). This and the following line are imitated from Chaucer; cf. C.T. Prologue, ll. 10, 11, and seeIntroduction, p. xlvi.Kynde= naturalis, ingenuus;kynde wit= common sense.Kyndeis O.E.cynde(Modern Englishkind).

p. 2, l.73.frithmeans “forest,” or more correctly “enclosed wood.” The original sense offorestis “unenclosed wood” (see Diez,Etymol. Wörterbuch, I. 185). Stratmann,Dict.p. 228,s. v.frið, seems to be right in connectingfrithwith O.E.frið,freoðo= pax, tutela, saeptum. Morris,Allit. Poems, Glossary, derives it from the Gaelicfrith. “frithis still used in Provincial English, meaning unused pasture-land, brushwood” (Halliwell).

p. 2, l.45.yȝe(O.E. êagum) :flye(O.E. flêogan). With regard to the power ofȝ, see the note to l. 9, and cf. the spellingeyenin ll. 826, 1302, 2012.

p. 2, l.46.tremay be singular (O.E.trêowe) as well as plural (O.E.trêowum).

p. 2, l.49. The following lines (49–53) correspond with ll. 94–100 of theDestruction, which run as follows:

“Li admirals d’Espaigne s’est ales desporterAs puis sur Aigremore, avec li. M. Escler;La fist ses ours salvages a ses hommes berser.La veissies meint viautre, maint brachet descoupler,Payens et Ascopars as espees jouer,Coure par le marine et chacier maint sengler,Maint ostour veisies et maint falcon voler.”

“Li admirals d’Espaigne s’est ales desporterAs puis sur Aigremore, avec li. M. Escler;La fist ses ours salvages a ses hommes berser.La veissies meint viautre, maint brachet descoupler,Payens et Ascopars as espees jouer,Coure par le marine et chacier maint sengler,Maint ostour veisies et maint falcon voler.”

“Li admirals d’Espaigne s’est ales desporter

As puis sur Aigremore, avec li. M. Escler;

La fist ses ours salvages a ses hommes berser.

La veissies meint viautre, maint brachet descoupler,

Payens et Ascopars as espees jouer,

Coure par le marine et chacier maint sengler,

Maint ostour veisies et maint falcon voler.”

‹p098›

p. 2, l.50.shope, literally “shaped:”he shope him, “he got himself ready, he planned, devised, intended.” The phrase is of frequent occurrence in Chaucer.

p. 2, l.52.bawson, badger. For the use of badgers, see Skeat’s note toSpecimens of English Literature, p. 383.

p. 2, l.56.Alaunts, a kind of large dogs of great strength and courage, used for hunting the wolf, the bear, the boar, &c. Cf.

“Aboute his chare wente white alauntzTwenty and mo, as grete as any stere,To hunte at the lyoun or at the bere.”Chaucer, ed. Morris, II. 66/1290.

“Aboute his chare wente white alauntzTwenty and mo, as grete as any stere,To hunte at the lyoun or at the bere.”

“Aboute his chare wente white alauntz

Twenty and mo, as grete as any stere,

To hunte at the lyoun or at the bere.”

Chaucer, ed. Morris, II. 66/1290.

According to Diez (Etymol. Wörterb., I. 12,s. v.“alano”)alauntsmeans “Albanian dogs.”Lymmeris, “blood-hounds.” Halliwell quotes the following passage: “A dogge engendred betwene an hounde and a mastyve, called a lymmer or a mongrell.”Lymmeris the Frenchlimier, O.Fr.liemier, which etymologically means a dog that a courser leads by a lime,i. e.a thong or leash.Limeis the same word as Frenchlien, a leash; Latinligamen.Lymmeris preserved in Modern Englishlimer, a “lime-hound.”

p. 2, l.56.Racheandbracheare both retained in the modern speech;racheseems to be particularly used in Scotland. “Bracheis said to signify originally a bitch hound—the feminine ofrache, a foot-scenting dog” (Morris,Gawayne, Gloss. p. 89).Racheis, according to Stratmann, O.Icel.rakki;bracheis O.Fr.braque, M.H.Ger.braccho. Cf. also Halliwell’s Dict.s. v.“brach.” The Frenchracailleis etymologically connected withrache; see Diez,Etym. Wörterb., II. 407.

p. 2, l.57.commaundeforcommaunded(l. 228), formed on the same analogy ascomforte(l. 2242) forcomforted(ll. 312, 2117),aliȝtforalighted;gerdeforgirded;graunte(l. 607) forgraunted, etc.

p. 2, l.59.fere, O.E.fae with circumflex, italicran(Mod. Eng.fear), is an active verb, meaning “to frighten, to terrify.” It is still found in this sense in Shakespeare.—launde:commaunde. The very same rhyme occurs again in l. 3189, wherelaundeis speltlande. The rhyme need not cause any difficulty, cf. Guy, p. xi. κ. Or mustlaundebe taken here forlande= saltus? Cf. Morris, Gloss. toAllit. Poems,s. v.launde.

p. 3, l.62.set, means “seat, sedes”; O.Icel.set, O.H.G.sez, M.H.G.sitz. This stanza as it stands seems to be incorrect, there being no rhyme tosete; possibly a line has been lost after l. 63.

p. 3, l.67. The subject of the sentence is wanting. For more instances see Zupitza’s note toGuy, l. 10. It is to be observed that for the most part the subject wanting is of the same person as the object of the preceding sentence.—he was god and trew of divers langages= “he well knew, understood them perfectly.”

p. 3, l.68.dromonde:poundis. Readdromounde(which occurs l. 125):pounde(see l. 2336).‹p099›

p. 3, l.69. We findfroandfromin this poem. Both belong to the Midland dialect.Frois confirmed by the rhymefro:so(l. 2760). It is derived from the Scandinavianfra; Mod. Eng. has retained it in “froward,” and in the phrase “to and fro.” The same word enters as a prefix into composition in O.E. compounds, asfr-ettan, etc.Babyloyne, the author pronouncedBabyloyneas well asBabylone(either rhyming, cf. ll. 30, 3260).

p. 3, l.74.qweynte, “famous, excellent,” cf. Skeat,Etymol. Dict.p. 482,s. v.quaint.for the nones, “for the nonce, for the occasion.” Cf. Zupitza’s note toGuy, 612; it is often used as a kind of expletive.

p. 3, l.75.to presente you.TheDestruction de Romehas: “vous quidai presenter.”

p. 3, l.76. French: “Uns vens nous fist à Rome parmi le far sigler.”Destr.l. 120.

p. 3, l.77. Cf.Destr.ll. 115–16. SeeIntroduction, p. xxiii.

p. 3, l.78. About the rhymeRome:one, seeIntroduction, p. xliii.

p. 3, l.79.bygone, “afflicted, pressed hard;” literally it means, “overrun, covered.” Cf. Shakespeare,Julius Caesar:

“Even such a one,So pale, so spiritless, and woe-begone.”

“Even such a one,So pale, so spiritless, and woe-begone.”

“Even such a one,

So pale, so spiritless, and woe-begone.”

p. 3, l.82.vilane:remedye. Readvilanye, as in l. 2577, where it rhymes with Gye, seeIntroduction, p. xliv, and Ellis,Pronunciation, I. 271.

p. 3, l.83.colde, used here and in l. 91 in nearly the same sense as in the expressions collected by Zupitza, in his note toGuy, 1149.

p. 3, l.84.tithynge.So withthin ll. 1787, 714, 783; in ll. 65, 91, 149, 324, etc., we readtidinge. There are several instances wheredandthin the middle of a word seem to be promiscuously used in this poem; ashithirel. 1265,hider1869 (cf. alsodogdir2580, anddoghter96, 124, etc.).

p. 3, l.86. Mahounde, Appolyn and Termagant are the principal deities (cf. ll. 2105, 2177, 2761) of the Mahometans, who were considered as pagans =payens(ll. 535, 1040) orpaynym(ll. 539, 866, etc.). Other idols of the Saracens are mentioned in ll. 2761–2 of theSowdone. Compare also Gautier’s note to l. 8, of hisEdition critique de la Chanson de Roland, and Skeat,Prioress’s Tale(Clarendon P.S.), 161/2000.

p. 3, l.88.theymeinstead ofhemoccurs only three times in the poem (ll. 88, 1237, 2787). There must be some corruption here, as there is no rhyme totheym. The last stanza ends at l. 87, and the next one begins at l. 89. As far as the sense is concerned we could easily do without this line; it ought perhaps to be regarded as spurious.

p. 3, l.93.Ferumbrasis spelt differently in the different versions of the romance. In theSowdanwe always findFerumbras, in the Ashmole MS.FerumbrasandFyrumbras. He is calledFierabrasin the French‹p100›Ferabrasin the Provençal version; theDestructionhasFierabras, but more frequentlyFierenbras. In Caxton’sLife of Charles the Greathis name isFyerabras, Skelton hasPherumbras, LyndsayPharambras, and in Barbour’sBrucewe readFerambrace; seeIntroduction, pp. xxv and xxxii.

p. 4, l.99.Oliborn.This name does not occur in any other version of this poem. The same is the case with regard toEspiard, l. 103. None of the French versions gives any name to the Soudan’s messenger. In the Ashmole MS. l. 3823, the messenger is calledMalyngryas.

p. 4, l.102.Assye= Asia. This name does not occur in the other versions of the poem; cf. note to l. 1000.

p. 4, l.103. Cf. theDestruction, l. 202:

“Par tote la terre sont li baron mande”

“Par tote la terre sont li baron mande”

“Par tote la terre sont li baron mande”

ferre and nere, cf. ll. 117, 996, and the note to l. 528 ofSyr Ferumbras.

p. 4, l.104.frike, “quick, bold,” O.E.frec. See Stratmann,Dictionary, p. 225.

p. 4, l.108.Þon.CompareIntroduction, p. xxxvii.

p. 4, l.109. The passage is not clear. Perhaps there is some corruption here and we ought to read:anon rowte, “assembled quickly, immediately”;rowtewould then be the preterite formed on the analogy oflighte,graunte,commaunde, etc. SeeIntroduction, p. xxxviii.

p. 4, l.110.Destruction, l. 217:

“Par C fois M payen.”

“Par C fois M payen.”

“Par C fois M payen.”

p. 4, l.112.douȝte:route. SeeIntroduction, p. xliv, and note to l. 9.

p. 4, l.113.Lucaferis the name of the Saracen King in all the versions of this romance but in the French one, where with the single exception of one passage (l. 2242Lucafer), he is always calledLucifer, cf.Introd.p. xx.

p. 4, l.114.lorde and governoure.This repetition of the same idea by two synonymous words, the one of English and the other of French origin, is very common in M.E. writers. Thus we read in this poem, l. 2164lorde and sire, l. 225serchid and sought, ll. 3199, 1936joye and game, l. 742wel and fine.

p. 4, l.118. Acarrikwas a kind of large ship, calledcaracain Italian,carracain Spanish and Portuguese,carraquein French,kraeckein Dutch. The etymology is not clear. See Diez,Etymol. Wörterb., I. 112. Halliwell has ‘carrack, a Spanish galleon. Sometimes English vessels of great value and size were so called.’

p. 4, l.119.Destruction, l. 385:

“Par vii fois sont C mil, si l’estoire ne ment.”

“Par vii fois sont C mil, si l’estoire ne ment.”

“Par vii fois sont C mil, si l’estoire ne ment.”

p. 4, l.124.his faire daughter Floripas.Floripas is described as follows in theDestruction, ll. 252–262:

“Aitant es vous la bele ou il n’out qu’enseignierVestue d’un diapre, onke ne vi tant chier,‹p101›Ses crins sur ses epaules plus lusoient d’or mier,Sa char out bele et blanke plus que noifs en fevrier,Les oes avoit plus noirs que falcon montenier,Et le colour vermaile con rose de rosier,La bouche bien seant et douce pour baisier,Et les levres vermailes come flour de peskier;Les mameles out dures com pomme de pomnier,Plus sont blanches que noifs que chiet apres fevrier;Nuls hom ne porroit ja sa grant bealte preisier.”

“Aitant es vous la bele ou il n’out qu’enseignierVestue d’un diapre, onke ne vi tant chier,‹p101›Ses crins sur ses epaules plus lusoient d’or mier,Sa char out bele et blanke plus que noifs en fevrier,Les oes avoit plus noirs que falcon montenier,Et le colour vermaile con rose de rosier,La bouche bien seant et douce pour baisier,Et les levres vermailes come flour de peskier;Les mameles out dures com pomme de pomnier,Plus sont blanches que noifs que chiet apres fevrier;Nuls hom ne porroit ja sa grant bealte preisier.”

“Aitant es vous la bele ou il n’out qu’enseignier

Vestue d’un diapre, onke ne vi tant chier,‹p101›

Ses crins sur ses epaules plus lusoient d’or mier,

Sa char out bele et blanke plus que noifs en fevrier,

Les oes avoit plus noirs que falcon montenier,

Et le colour vermaile con rose de rosier,

La bouche bien seant et douce pour baisier,

Et les levres vermailes come flour de peskier;

Les mameles out dures com pomme de pomnier,

Plus sont blanches que noifs que chiet apres fevrier;

Nuls hom ne porroit ja sa grant bealte preisier.”

Compare also the FrenchFierabras, ll. 2007,et seq.

p. 4, l.128. This line is clearly imitated from theDestruction, ll. 331–2:

“En sa main .i. baston que contremont bailie,Et manace François pour faire les loye.”

“En sa main .i. baston que contremont bailie,Et manace François pour faire les loye.”

“En sa main .i. baston que contremont bailie,

Et manace François pour faire les loye.”

Cf.Introduction, p. xxiii.

p. 5, l.131.breddes, “birds”;landrvery often change their place in a word. Thus we findworldeandwrolde,craftiandcarfti, etc.

p. 5, l.132.sowdonandsowdanare used promiscuously in the rhymes.

p. 5, l.146.Destruction, ll. 445–6:

“N’i remeigne chastels, dongeons ne fermeteMoustiers ne abbeie que ne soit embrase.”

“N’i remeigne chastels, dongeons ne fermeteMoustiers ne abbeie que ne soit embrase.”

“N’i remeigne chastels, dongeons ne fermete

Moustiers ne abbeie que ne soit embrase.”

p. 5, l.150. Compare theDestruction, ll. 503–4:

“L’apostoile de Rome ad la novele oieKe payen sont venu els plains de Romanie.”

“L’apostoile de Rome ad la novele oieKe payen sont venu els plains de Romanie.”

“L’apostoile de Rome ad la novele oie

Ke payen sont venu els plains de Romanie.”

p. 5, l.157.unknownemakes no sense. Perhaps we ought to readyknowneornot unknowne. In theDestruction, ll.509–513—

“Seignours, ke le feromes, franke gent segnorie?Li admirals d’Espaigne a no terre seisie;Il en ont ja gastee une moult grant partie:Au bref terme serra ceste terre exillie;Qui bon consail saura vienge avant si nous die.”

“Seignours, ke le feromes, franke gent segnorie?Li admirals d’Espaigne a no terre seisie;Il en ont ja gastee une moult grant partie:Au bref terme serra ceste terre exillie;Qui bon consail saura vienge avant si nous die.”

“Seignours, ke le feromes, franke gent segnorie?

Li admirals d’Espaigne a no terre seisie;

Il en ont ja gastee une moult grant partie:

Au bref terme serra ceste terre exillie;

Qui bon consail saura vienge avant si nous die.”

p. 5, l.160.unneth, O.E.unêaðe, “uneasily, scarcely.” Chaucer hasunnethë, the finalebeing almost always sounded. SeeIntroduction, p. xxxix.

p. 5, l.163.gydoureevidently means “guide, conductor, commander.”

p. 5, l.164.houne= hounde. On the elition of finald, see Skeat,Specimens of Early English, 320/261, andPreface to Havelok, p. xxxvii.

p. 5, l.165.Ifreȝ.There is no person of this name in any other version. Perhaps this Ifres may be identical with Jeffroi, mentioned as a senator of Rome in theDestruction(ll. 1122, 1139, 1367).

p. 6, l.170. About the phrase “douce France” compare Léon Gautier’s note to l. 15 of hisEdition critique de la Chanson de Roland.

p. 6, l.171.Savaris.The author has found this name in theDestruction, l. 540.

p. 6, l.173.Kinge:thinge. In my dissertation on the language and the sources of the Sowdan of Babylon, p. 4, bottom, I have shown‹p102›thatiory, which corresponds to O.E.y, theumlautofu, rhymed with originaliin this poem, which proves that the author wrote in the East Midland dialect. But among the examples collected there (p. 5), I ought not to have citedkinge, because this word is not peculiar to the East Midland speech, but occurs with the same form in all dialects. SeeIntroduction, p. xxxv.

p. 6, ll.175–6are imitated from theDestruction, ll. 546–7. SeeIntroduction, p. xxiii.

p. 6, l.176.ner, the common form fornor(267, 1633) in this poem. “Polaynesare knee-pieces in a suit of armour. This term for genouilleres is found in the household book of Edward I.” (Morris,Glossary on Sir Gawayne,s. v.polaynes).

p. 6, l.181.tyte, “soon, quick.” The editor of the Roxburghe Club edition of theSowdancuriously confoundstytewithtightly= “adroitly,” occurring in Shakespeare,Merry Wives, I. 3.Tyteis derived from O.Icel.tîðr, “creber,” the neuter of whichtîtt, used adverbially means “crebro, celeriter.” See Stratmann, p. 561,s. v.tîd.

p. 6, l.189.Chek= “cotton, linen or woollen cloths, woven or printed in checkers.” (Latham,Dictionary, 1876.)

p. 6, l.191. A line seems to be wanting here. There is no rhyme todisplayed.

p. 6, l.201.randon, “rapidity, force.” About the etymology see Diez,Etym. Wörterbuch, I. 342, and Skeat,Etym. Dict.

p. 7, l.202.thanseems to be an error forthay.

p. 7, l.214.Sarysyns.There are several spellings of the name of this people in the poem:Sarsyns,Sarsenys,Sarisyns,Sarasyns.

p. 7, l.222.that dayoccurs again in l. 223. The author probably only wrote it once; the repetition is most likely due to the scribe.

p. 7, l.224. The following lines are imitated from theDestruction, ll. 613–619; seeIntroduction, p. xxiii.

p. 7, l.228. The French text (Destruction, l. 624) has:

“Maintenant soient tot occis et descoupe.Ne voil que mi serjant en soient encombre.”

“Maintenant soient tot occis et descoupe.Ne voil que mi serjant en soient encombre.”

“Maintenant soient tot occis et descoupe.

Ne voil que mi serjant en soient encombre.”

p. 8, l.247. The original meaning ofbraydeis “start, blow,” but this makes no sense here, nor can it mean “a boast,” as the editor of the Roxburghe Club edition explains it. But Mid. Eng.brayde, as well as O.E.brægdorbregd, often signifies “deceit, craft, a cunning trick, a fraudulous contrivance, a stratagem or artifice.” See Mätzner’sWörterb.and Halliwell’sDict.This, I think, is also the meaning ofbraydein l. 247. Floripas has been engaged to Lukafer who had promised the Soudan, her father, to bring the emperor Charlemagne and all his twelve peers to the foot of his throne, in return for the hand of his daughter. Floripas, not at all enamoured of the king of Baldas, but obeying the will of her father, said she would only agree to‹p103›accept him when he had fulfilled these conditions. But she does not believe that Laban thinks of ever fulfilling them, she is persuaded that those words, those promises made by Laban, are only abrayde, i. e. a stratagem or artifice devised by him in the hope of winning her hand before the performance of his promise. This signification ofbraidehas been retained in the Mod. Eng. adjectivebraid, “crafty, deceitful.”

p. 8, l.257. TheEthiopes, “Ethiopians,” are not mentioned in the other versions of this romance. On the rhymeAufricanes:stonescf.Introduction, p. xxxv.

p. 9, l.278.Destruction, l. 908:

“Sortibrans a mande Mabon l’engineor.”

“Sortibrans a mande Mabon l’engineor.”

“Sortibrans a mande Mabon l’engineor.”

p. 9, l.283.depe:tyde. The rhyme becomes perfect if we readwideinstead ofdepe.

p. 9, l.286. French text gives, l. 934:

“Si emplirons les fossés.”

“Si emplirons les fossés.”

“Si emplirons les fossés.”

p. 9, l.289. Cf.Destruction, l. 627. “Mahon te benoie,” and l. 925, “Mahon te doint honour.”

p. 9, l.293.Men myght go even to the walle, compare theDestruction, l. 918:

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