of a scribe; and if it be thought that by the title of this work we are conferring an unmerited posthumous reputation, it must be recollected that the real authors have not recorded their names, and thus, while no injustice is committed to any memory, we obtain the advantage of a short distinctive title, the value of which is known to every one in the habit of using works of reference. As the reader will find a minute account of this venerable volume, which is now preserved in the library of Lincoln Cathedral, at the end of these observations, it will only be necessary to observe in this place that it contains copies of the four romances now printed. The texts of the two first, Sir Perceval and Sir Isumbras, are taken verbatim from Thornton's manuscript, but the other two are printed from MSS. at Cambridge, the copies made by Thornton unfortunately being imperfect. Collations with the latter are given in the notes; and it is believed that few variations of any importance afforded by the Lincoln manuscript have been omitted. A few remarks on these pieces will perhaps render their publication more acceptable. The original of the English version of Perceval is an Anglo-Norman romance, containing about 20,178 lines,* * Hist. Lib, de France, xv. 196. According to the Bibliothèque des Romans, 1734, p. 250, it contains 60,000 lines; but this difference is apparently owing to a mistake made by Borel, who took three romances for one. Tyrwhitt falls into the same error; Notes to Chaucer, p. 292. written by Chrestien de Troyes at the end of the twelfth century, and continued by Gautier de Denet and Manessier, who published it between the years 1206 and 1212.* Chrestien de Troyest appears to have derived some of the incidents in this romance from the prose Tristan. He dedicated his work to Philip Count of Flanders, at whose request it was written; but this nobleman having died before it was finished, his widow some time afterwards employed Manessier to complete it. The latter poet, speaking of a superb tomb raised to Perceval, says,— "La sépulture puet véoir Sor quatre pilers d'or séoir, El non Jehane la contesse Qui est de Flandres dame et maistresse. Et por ce que tant ai apris De ses bones mours à délivre, Ai en son non finé mon livre. *Roquefort, de l'état de la Poésie Françoise dans les xiie. et xiiie. siècles, 8vo. Paris, 1815, p. 194. + Galland ascribes the romance to Raoul de Beauvais, an error which has been repeated more than once. See Warton's Hist. Engl. Poet., i. 137; Scott's Sir Tristrem, p. 42. See Fauchet, Recueil de l'origine de la langue et poesie Françoise, Paris, 1581, p. 103. Several writers have confused Manessier with Chrestien de Troyes. Among them is Bouhier, Notes sur Du Verdier, t. i. p. 315. Owing to the conflicting opinions of various writers, a curiously confused account of the authorship of the metrical Perceval is given in Dunlop's History of Fiction, ed. 1816, vol. i. pp. 201-2. El non son aiol comencha, Si com en Salebiere trove, Si com l'escris tesmoigne et prove Que li rois Artus séoit là." Hist. Lit. de France, xv. 252. A person of the name of Gerbert also wrote a continuation of Perceval, beginning where Manessier did, as appears from the following extract: "Si con la matere descoevre De toute vilenie estaindre, Et que il puist la fin ataindre De Perceval que il emprent, Si con li livres li aprent, Où la matiere en est escripte, Qui tant ot paines et travax, La bone espée rasalsa, Puis en encha le nous retrait Gerbers qui de son sens estrait Neis la luite de Tristant Amenda il tot à compas." MS. Bib. de l'Arsenal, 195, f. 171. The Anglo-Norman romance has not been published, but several copies exist in MS.* Two of these have found their way into this country, one being at the College of Arms and another in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh,† both unfortunately imperfect. The late Bishop Percy was possessed of another, which seems now to be missing. The commencement of the Arundel MS. is here given, in which it will be seen that Chrestien de Troyes compares his patron to Alexander the Great. "Qui petit seme, petit quielt; Que fruit à cent doble li rende. * Hist. Lit. de France, xv. 247. This is the MS. that was used by Galland. It contains 262 leaves, written on vellum, but imperfect at both ends. The Arundel MS. has only the first part. Reliques, ed. 1840, p. 189. Devon's Issues of the Exchequer, the St. Graal. CAMD. SOC. See an early notice of another MS. in 1837, p. 213, which may, however, be b Car en terre que rien ne vaut Qu'il ne put estre sanz grant preu, Ceo est li quens Phelipes de Flandres, Cil Li quiens aime dreite justise, E lealté e seinte eglise, E tote vilainie hiet, Si est plus larges que hom ne siet. Cil donc solom l'evaungile, Sanz ypocrisie e sanz gile, Que dit, ne sache ta senestre Le bien quant le fera la destre ; Cil le sache qui le receit, Ceo est Deus qui tuz les secrez veit, E siet totes les repostailles Qui sont el queor et es entrailles. La senestre, solom l'estoire, Signifie la veine gloire, |