Chapter VII: Part 7

p. 2, l. 73. «frith» means “forest,” or more correctly “enclosed wood.” The original sense of «forest» is “unenclosed wood” (see Diez, «Etymol. Wörterbuch», I. 185). Stratmann, «Dict.» p. 228, «s. v.» frið, seems to be right in connecting «frith» with O.E. «frið», «freoðo» = pax, tutela, saeptum. Morris, «Allit. Poems», Glossary, derives it from the Gaelic «frith». “«frith» is 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 of «ȝ», see the note to l. 9, and cf. the spelling «eyen» in ll. 826, 1302, 2012.

p. 2, l. 46. «tre» may 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 the «Destruction», which run as follows:

“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 to «Specimens 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 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”) «alaunts» means “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.” «Lymmer» is the French «limier», O.Fr. «liemier», which etymologically means a dog that a courser leads by a lime, «i. e.» a thong or leash. «Lime» is the same word as French «lien», a leash; Latin «ligamen». «Lymmer» is preserved in Modern English «limer», a “lime-hound.”

p. 2, l. 56. «Rache» and «brache» are both retained in the modern speech; «rache» seems to be particularly used in Scotland. “«Brache» is said to signify originally a bitch hound—the feminine of «rache», a foot-scenting dog” (Morris, «Gawayne», Gloss. p. 89). «Rache» is, according to Stratmann, O.Icel. «rakki»; «brache» is O.Fr. «braque», M.H.Ger. «braccho». Cf. also Halliwell’s Dict. «s. v.» “brach.” The French «racaille» is etymologically connected with «rache»; see Diez, «Etym. Wörterb.», II. 407.

p. 2, l. 57. «commaunde» for «commaunded» (l. 228), formed on the same analogy as «comforte» (l. 2242) for «comforted» (ll. 312, 2117), «aliȝt» for «alighted»; «gerde» for «girded»; «graunte» (l. 607) for «graunted», etc.

p. 2, l. 59. «fere», O.E. «f[^æ]ran» (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, where «launde» is spelt «lande». The rhyme need not cause any difficulty, cf. Guy, p. xi. κ. Or must «launde» be taken here for «lande» = saltus? Cf. Morris, Gloss. to «Allit. 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 to «sete»; 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 to «Guy», 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». Read «dromounde» (which occurs l. 125): «pounde» (see l. 2336). [p099]

p. 3, l. 69. We find «fro» and «from» in this poem. Both belong to the Midland dialect. «Fro» is confirmed by the rhyme «fro» : «so» (l. 2760). It is derived from the Scandinavian «fra»; 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, as «fr-ettan», etc. «Babyloyne», the author pronounced «Babyloyne» as well as «Babylone» (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 to «Guy», 612; it is often used as a kind of expletive.

p. 3, l. 75. «to presente you.» The «Destruction de Rome» has: “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. See «Introduction», p. xxiii.

p. 3, l. 78. About the rhyme «Rome» : «one», see «Introduction», 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.”

p. 3, l. 82. «vilane» : «remedye». Read «vilanye», as in l. 2577, where it rhymes with Gye, see «Introduction», 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 to «Guy», 1149.

p. 3, l. 84. «tithynge.» So with «th» in ll. 1787, 714, 783; in ll. 65, 91, 149, 324, etc., we read «tidinge». There are several instances where «d» and «th» in the middle of a word seem to be promiscuously used in this poem; as «hithire» l. 1265, «hider» 1869 (cf. also «dogdir» 2580, and «doghter» 96, 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) or «paynym» (ll. 539, 866, etc.). Other idols of the Saracens are mentioned in ll. 2761–2 of the «Sowdone». Compare also Gautier’s note to l. 8, of his «Edition critique de la Chanson de Roland», and Skeat, «Prioress’s Tale» (Clarendon P.S.), 161/2000.

p. 3, l. 88. «theyme» instead of «hem» occurs only three times in the poem (ll. 88, 1237, 2787). There must be some corruption here, as there is no rhyme to «theym». 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. «Ferumbras» is spelt differently in the different versions of the romance. In the «Sowdan» we always find «Ferumbras», in the Ashmole MS. «Ferumbras» and «Fyrumbras». He is called «Fierabras» in the French [p100] «Ferabras» in the Provençal version; the «Destruction» has «Fierabras», but more frequently «Fierenbras». In Caxton’s «Life of Charles the Great» his name is «Fyerabras», Skelton has «Pherumbras», Lyndsay «Pharambras», and in Barbour’s «Bruce» we read «Ferambrace»; see «Introduction», 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 to «Espiard», l. 103. None of the French versions gives any name to the Soudan’s messenger. In the Ashmole MS. l. 3823, the messenger is called «Malyngryas».

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. the «Destruction», l. 202:

“Par tote la terre sont li baron mande”

«ferre and nere», cf. ll. 117, 996, and the note to l. 528 of «Syr Ferumbras».

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

p. 4, l. 108. «Þon.» Compare «Introduction», 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”; «rowte» would then be the preterite formed on the analogy of «lighte», «graunte», «commaunde», etc. See «Introduction», p. xxxviii.

p. 4, l. 110. «Destruction», l. 217:

“Par C fois M payen.”

p. 4, l. 112. «douȝte» : «route». See «Introduction», p. xliv, and note to l. 9.

p. 4, l. 113. «Lucafer» is 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. 2242 «Lucafer»), he is always called «Lucifer», 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. 2164 «lorde and sire», l. 225 «serchid and sought», ll. 3199, 1936 «joye and game», l. 742 «wel and fine».

p. 4, l. 118. A «carrik» was a kind of large ship, called «caraca» in Italian, «carraca» in Spanish and Portuguese, «carraque» in French, «kraecke» in 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.”

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

“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 French «Fierabras», ll. 2007, «et seq.»

p. 4, l. 128. This line is clearly imitated from the «Destruction», ll. 331–2:

“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”; «l» and «r» very often change their place in a word. Thus we find «worlde» and «wrolde», «crafti» and «carfti», etc.

p. 5, l. 132. «sowdon» and «sowdan» are used promiscuously in the rhymes.

p. 5, l. 146. «Destruction», ll. 445–6:

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

p. 5, l. 150. Compare the «Destruction», ll. 503–4:

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

p. 5, l. 157. «unknowne» makes no sense. Perhaps we ought to read «yknowne» or «not unknowne». In the «Destruction», 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.”

p. 5, l. 160. «unneth», O.E. «unêaðe», “uneasily, scarcely.” Chaucer has «unnethë», the final «e» being almost always sounded. See «Introduction», p. xxxix.

p. 5, l. 163. «gydoure» evidently means “guide, conductor, commander.”

p. 5, l. 164. «houne» = hounde. On the elition of final «d», see Skeat, «Specimens of Early English», 320/261, and «Preface 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 the «Destruction» (ll. 1122, 1139, 1367).

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

p. 6, l. 171. «Savaris.» The author has found this name in the «Destruction», 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] that «i» or «y», which corresponds to O.E. «y», the «umlaut» of «u», rhymed with original «i» in 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 cited «kinge», because this word is not peculiar to the East Midland speech, but occurs with the same form in all dialects. See «Introduction», p. xxxv.

p. 6, ll. 175–6 are imitated from the «Destruction», ll. 546–7. See «Introduction», p. xxiii.

p. 6, l. 176. «ner», the common form for «nor» (267, 1633) in this poem. “«Polaynes» are 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 the «Sowdan» curiously confounds «tyte» with «tightly» = “adroitly,” occurring in Shakespeare, «Merry Wives», I. 3. «Tyte» is derived from O.Icel. «tîðr», “creber,” the neuter of which «tîtt», 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 to «displayed».

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

p. 7, l. 202. «than» seems to be an error for «thay».

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 day» occurs 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 the «Destruction», ll. 613–619; see «Introduction», 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.”

p. 8, l. 247. The original meaning of «brayde» is “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. «brægd» or «bregd», often signifies “deceit, craft, a cunning trick, a fraudulous contrivance, a stratagem or artifice.” See Mätzner’s «Wörterb.» and Halliwell’s «Dict.» This, I think, is also the meaning of «brayde» in 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 a «brayde», i. e. a stratagem or artifice devised by him in the hope of winning her hand before the performance of his promise. This signification of «braide» has been retained in the Mod. Eng. adjective «braid», “crafty, deceitful.”

p. 8, l. 257. The «Ethiopes», “Ethiopians,” are not mentioned in the other versions of this romance. On the rhyme «Aufricanes» : «stones» cf. «Introduction», p. xxxv.

p. 9, l. 278. «Destruction», l. 908:

“Sortibrans a mande Mabon l’engineor.”

p. 9, l. 283. «depe» : «tyde». The rhyme becomes perfect if we read «wide» instead of «depe».

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

“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 the «Destruction», l. 918:

“K’om poet aler al mure.”

and l. 958:

“K’om pooit bien au mur et venir et aler.”

p. 9, l. 295. «assaile», evidently a mistake. Read «assaute», as in l. 2205.

p. 9, l. 298. «shour», “fight, attack.” See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 9206. «sharpe shoures», as in the «Destruction of Troy», l. 5804, “sharp was the shoure.” Cf. also l. 950 of this poem, “bataile was sharpe.”

p. 9, l. 300. «stones thai bare», etc. «Destruction», l. 967:

“Ces dedens ou grans pieres firent grant lapide.”

p. 9, l. 303. French text gives (l. 975):

“Maintes pieres del mur ont contreval rue.”

p. 9, l. 306. In the «Destruction», l. 977:

“L’asalt dureit cel jour jusque a la nutee.”

p. 9, l. 307. French: “Payen se sont retrait.” «Destruction», l. 979.

p. 10, l. 311. For «tyde» : «chidde» see «Introduction», p. xliii.

p. 10, l. 312.

“Lucafer li traitre traison ad pense,
Qu’il se contrefera les armes del cite;
Et tote si pense sont a Labam demonstre.
‘Sire admirail d’Espaigne,’ ceo dist li diffaies,
‘La cite est moult fors, et François sont doute;
Ils defendront le mur, ja mais n’iert entre,
Que par une voidie que jeo ai porpense.
Il ad dedens un conte de mult grant crualte,
Savaris ad a non, est de grant parente;
Chescon jour il s’en ist, s’est oue nous melle,
De la gent dieffae, mainte teste a coupe.”—«Destr.», ll. 986–96.

[p104]

p. 10, l. 317. «Destruction», l. 997.

“J’ai bien conu ses armes et les ai avise.”

p. 10, l. 331. «Destruction», l. 1011:

“Tantost le mestre porte aurons moult bien ferme.”

p. 10, l. 332. «Destruction», l. 1057:

“Mais tot le premier bail ont Sarrasin poeple.”

p. 10, l. 336. «discumfiture», “defeat.” See below, note to l. 1320.

p. 10, l. 339. «ryme», “to speak loudly, to cry.” O.E. «hrêman» or «hrŷman». See Stratmann, p. 322.

p. 10, l. 340. French text (l. 1063):

“De V. M. ne remendrent que iiiC sans fausser.”

See note to l. 67.

p. 10, l. 341. «twelfe» : «selve»; «f» and «v» very often stand for one another, see «Introduction» on p. xliii.

p. 10, l. 344. «shite» : «mette». See Ellis, «Pronunc.», I. 272, and «Introduction», on p. xliv. Cf. also ll. 2054, 2963, 2960. «by than» = then; see Mätzner’s «Wörterb.» p. 217(2).

p. 11, l. 346. «Estragot» or «Astragot». This name is not to be found in the other versions, it only occurs in the «Sowdan» and in the «Destruction»; cf. «Destr.» l. 1090–4:

“Estragot le poursuit uns geans diffaies

. . . . . . . . .

Teste avoit com senglers, si fu rois corones.
El main tient .i. mace de fin ascier trempe,
Un coup a Savaris desur le chef done.”

p. 11, l. 360. French text reads:

“Et la novele en ont l’apostoile conté.”—«Destr.» l. 1101.

p. 11, l. 363. «consaile» : «slayne». See «Introduction», p. xliii.

p. 11, l. 364. See above, l. 78.

p. 11, l. 368. «erille» is not derived from the Erse, as the editor of the Roxburghe Club edition supposes. It is simply another spelling for «erle», which occurs in l. 1986. O.E. «eorl», Mod. Eng. «earl».

p. 11, l. 369. There must be a gap of some lines here; between this and the following line a space has been left of about the width of one line; l. 370 is written in a much later hand.

p. 11, l. 376. «lettres» translates the French “li brief” («Destr.» l. 1121), «in haste» = French “isnelement” («Destr.» l. 1119).

p. 11, l. 377. «we ordeyne» makes no sense. Read «were ordeyned», as in l. 2396. Cf. the «Destruction», l. 1133:

“Tot troi sont coiement de la cite hastés.”

p. 12, l. 379. «at a posterne.» On the posterns compare Skeat, «Spec. of Eng. Literature», 359, 165.

p. 12, l. 380. «aboute mydnyghte.» French: “Tote la nuit alerent ou la lune clarté.” «Destr.» l. 1136. [p105]

p. 12, l. 394. «honde of honde», “hand to hand.”—In the Glossary of the Roxburghe Club ed. we read: “Cast. Wherewithal to throw.” This is the sense of «cast» in l. 2471; but it occurs with two other meanings. In l. 394 «cast» signifies “device, plot, intention,” as often elsewhere. In ll. 460, 2091, 2099, 2467, 2603, 2792, it means “the act of throwing, the throw.”

p. 12, l. 400. «hevy», “afflicted, sorrowful.” So in ll. 3037, 3224.

p. 13, l. 427. «Estagote», miswritten for «Estragote», cf. ll. 346, 352, and «Destr.» l. 1090. «brake on three», cf. ll. 2234, 1388, 1269.

p. 13, l. 441. «Sarsyns» : «Romaynes». See «Introduction», p. xliv.

p. 14, l. 464. «oost» does not rhyme with «beste». Both the sense and the rhyme will be improved if we read «rest» for «oost».

p. 14, l. 473. As it stands, the line makes no sense. «This» is written indistinctly in the MS., so that we may read either «this» or «thus»; the sense requires the latter, which I think is the true reading. Or else we may keep «this» and write «idone» instead of «it done».

p. 15, l. 488. «aras.» Read «a ras», and see note to l. 1349.

p. 15, l. 491. «and armes» makes no sense, as we are hardly entitled to take «armes» for the 2nd person plural imperative; which in this poem always ends in «-eth». See «Introduction», p. xxxvii. I think we must change «and» into «as». For the explanation of the phrase “as armes,” see note on l. 2660.

p. 15, l. 495. The «Ascopars» or «Ascopartes» are mentioned in the «Destruction» as the subjects of the Soudan. The name of this people is not to be found in any other version. «Astopars» is merely a clerical error for «Ascopars», which may be easily accounted for by remembering that in the MSS. the characters «c» and «t» are very often formed almost alike. The true spelling «Ascopars» is found in ll. 2196, 2648; cf. also the «Destruction», ll. 98, 426. Nothing is known of the origin and the home of the Ascoparts. That they must have been men of great bodily strength follows from l. 496, “for ye be men of mighte,” and l. 2645, “that bene boolde and hardy to fighte.” Compare also what is said about them by Donne, in his first satire:

“Those Askaparts, men big enough to throw
Charing-cross for a bar.”

It is worthy while to note that a giant, called Askapard, occurs in the romance of Sir Bevis of Hamptoun. See Ellis, «Metr. Romances», ed. Halliwell, p. 263.

p. 15, l. 500. «Ho» is evidently a mistake for «we». «rere-warde», “rear-guard;” the van is called «fowarde», ll. 502, 732, the main body «the medyl partye», l. 735.

p. 15, l. 504. «than» : «gon». See «Introduction», p. xxxv.

p. 15, l. 510. «oon» makes no sense. I suspect the reading of this and the following stanza is quite corrupt. If ll. 510 and 511 should belong to different stanzas, the «enjambement», or continuation of the [p106] sense from one stanza to another, would be unusually strong. I am therefore inclined to think that originally a stanza began at l. 510, and that there is a line wanting after l. 509, which contained the rhyme to «bon» (l. 508). The scribe noticing the absence of rhyme tried to restore it himself. Adding «oon» to l. 510, he made it rhyme with «bon» (l. 508). Having thus destroyed the rhyme of ll. 510 and 512 («Alisaundre» : «Cassaundre», as in l. 984), he added «gaye» to l. 512, which now rhymed to l. 514, where he still added «to fraye». In order to get a rhyme to l. 518, he changed in l. 516 the original «laye» (: «Romayne») into «lan» (“he ceased, stopped”), and wrote “«to»” «the grounde» instead of “«on»” (cf. l. 1186) or “«at»” (cf. ll. 533, 435) «the grounde», connecting thus these words with l. 515, whereas originally they belonged to «there he laye», or—as «there» also may have been added by the scribe—to «he laye». If now we read «with mayne» instead of «ful evene», in l. 521, we get a perfect rhyme to l. 519; l. 520 having lost its rhyming line, he made it rhyme, by adding «than» to l. 522, which originally rhymed to l. 524. Now to get a rhyme to l. 524 he composed and inserted himself l. 526. Therefore I think the original reading of these two stanzas ran as follows:

Sir Ferumbras of Alisaundre 510 That bolde man was in dede, Uppon a steede Cassaundre He roode in riche weede. Sir Bryer of Poyle a Romayne 514 He bare through with a spere; Dede on the ground [there] he laye, Might he no more hem dere. That saw Huberte, a worthy man, 518 Howe Briere was islayne, Ferumbras to quite than To him he rode with mayne. With a spere uppone his shelde 522 Stiffly gan he strike; The shelde he brake imiddis the feelde, His hawberke wolde not breke. Ferumbras was agreved tho, &c. 526

On the rhyme «Romayne» : «laye» (l. 514) cf. ll. 536, 890.

p. 15, l. 514. «Bryer of Poyle» does not occur in any of the other versions.

p. 15, l. 516. «lan», preterite of «lin», “to cease;” more common in the compound «blin», contracted from * «be-lin».

p. 15, l. 517. «might he no more hem dere.» On the order of words, cf. ll. 2954, 649, 2435.

p. 16, l. 520. «qwite», “to requite, reward, retaliate, pay off.” See below note to l. 780.

p. 16, l. 531. On «stronge» (O.E. strang) : «istonge» (O.E. gestungen), see «Introduction», p. xxxv.

p. 16, l. 532. «astraye», “out of the right way or proper place, running [p107] about without guidance.” O.French «estraier», which is derived from Latin «ex strada», see Diez, «Etym. Wörterb.» I. 402; II. 296.

p. 16, l. 541. «werre», “war,” seems to owe its origin to the French «guerre», as it is not found in O.E. It appears for the first time in the «Saxon Chronicle»,—«he coude», “he knew, had endured.” See Mätzner’s «Grammatik», II. 262.

p. 17, l. 555. It is evident that «all ane» must be a corruption. Perhaps the conjecture of the editor of the Roxb. Club edition, supposing «all rafe» to be the true reading, may be right. But he is certainly wrong to identify this «rafe» with the «rafe» in l. 866, which, being the infinitive mood of a verb, cannot be taken for an adjective or adverb, which the sense seems to require in l. 555. Halliwell, «s. v.» Raff, gives: “in raff = speedily.” There is a Danish adjective, «rap», “brisk, quick.” Cf. Skeat, «Etym. Dict.» s. v. «raffle» and «rap».

p. 17, l. 570. «certaine» spoils the rhyme. The rhyme becomes perfect if we read «without faile», as in l. 322.

p. 17, l. 573. «aplight», “on plight, on my word.” See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 8541. It is often used as an expletive.

p. 17, l. 580. «who the sowdan», etc. = who is the Sowdan. The verb of the sentence is wanting; cf. note to l. 2156.

p. 17, l. 587. French text gives:

“Et Guion de Bourgoyne ad a lui appelé
Fils est de sa soror et de sa parenté
Cosins, vous en irrés. . .”
«Destr.» ll. 1179, «et seq.»

p. 18, l. 613. «hight» = (1) “was called,” (2) “promised,” (3) “called” (partic. past). It is the preterite tense of «haten», «hoten», or «hat» (l. 3154). Cf. Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 169.

p. 18, l. 614. «than» seems to be a corruption, and I think must be left out. «Florip» is the genitive of «Florip», which occurs as a nominative in ll. 2075, 1527. There is another nominative «Floripas» which forms the genitive «Floripas», ll. 1659, 2350.

p. 19, l. 625. «Isres», the name of the “chief porter of the town,” who betrayed the city, only occurs in the «Sowdan»; in the «Destruction» the same treachery is committed by «Tabour», «D.» 1203.

“Uns traitre del cit que del porte out les cles.”

p. 19, l. 636. «bandon», literally “proclamation,” means “power, disposal.” See Skeat, «Etym. Dict.» s. v. «abandon».

p. 19, l. 647. French:

“Le chief al portier trenche,” «Destr.» l. 1236.

p. 19, l. 648. In the «Destr.» l. 1244–5:

“Dieux” fist il “te maldie, et que t’ont engendre,
Kar traitour au darain averont mal dehe.”

p. 19, l. 650. «met», a mistake for «mot», which we find in ll. 1582, 2334, 3170. [p108]

p. 20, l. 663. Cf. the «Destr.» l. 1260:

“Al moustier de saint Piere est Fierenbras alés.”

p. 20, l. 665. «the crosse, the crown, the nailes bente.» The relics mentioned in the «Destruction» are the crown of thorns, the cross, the nails, and the “signe,” which, as I have shown in my «Dissertation» (pp. 45, 46), does not mean “inscription of the cross,” but is the Greek σινδων, and signifies “the shroud, or winding-sheet, of the Lord, suaire, sudatorium.” In the French «Fierabras», as well as in «Syr Ferumbras», no mention is made of the cross.

p. 20, l. 673. «thare» instead of «there» would improve the rhyme. See «Introduction», p. xxxv.

p. 20, l. 678. «fade», O.E. fadian, “dispose, suit.” «Stratmann», p. 187.

p. 20, l. 679. «frankencense» = “pure incense.” Compare Skeat, «Etym. Dict.»

p. 20, l. 686. «roial», “excellent.” Cf. “roial spicerye,” «Chaucer», ed. Morris, III. 135/142.

p. 21, l. 699. «Alle on a flame that cite was»; cf. the French:

“Kant il vindrent a Rome si virent luy porte oueree
La flambe en la cite moult granment alumee.
Pour grant chalour qu’i fu n’i povoient entrer.”
(«Destr.» ll. 1378–80.)

p. 21, l. 723. The «Destruction», ll. 1384–1408, has:

“Si dirrai de Charlon, le fort roi corone.
De par totes ses terres avoit ses gens mande,
N’i remest dus ne quiens ne baron el regne,
Qu’il assemble ne soient a Paris la cite.
Quant il i furent tous venu et ajouste,
L’emperere de France en halt en ad parle:
‘Seignours, or escoutes, si vous dirrai verte,
Li admirails d’Espaigne a no pais gaste
Et oue lui CM sarrazin diffaie.
Il ont ensegie Rome, m’admirable cite,
Tot le pais entour ont il pour voir robbe;
Si jeo ne les soccour tot l’auront il gaste.’
‘Sire,’ firent li princes, ‘a vostre volonte:
Nous ne vous failliromes tant que poons durer.’
Adonc en ad li rois grant joie demene.
Quant si gent furent prest a complir son pense,
Adonc s’en est li rois eralment aprestes
Et si firent li contes de France le regne.
Quant sont appareillie si sont enchemine:
iii C mil chevaliers ad li rois el barne
Oliviers porte sa baneer que ben leu ad guie,
Rollans fu en arriere, li vassals adures.
De soccoure Guion s’en est li rois hastes.
Tant ont il nuit et jor chivalche et erre.
Qu’il sont en Romenie, n’i ont reine tire.”

p. 22, l. 744. «He knewe the baner of France.» The French text has: [p109]

“Guis parceut le baniere le roi de saint Dine,
Encontre lui chevalche, la novele ont conte,
Come la forte cite li payen ont gaste:
La corone et les clous d’iloec en sont robbe
Et les altres reliques. . .”

p. 23, l. 766. «for», “notwithstanding, in spite of.” So also in l. 2904.

p. 23, l. 771. «Destr.», l. 1425:

“Li vens en fiert es voiles que les a ben guies.”

p. 23, l. 776. «for south», “forsooth,” cf. ll. 2014, 897, 2024, 1025, 2246.

p. 23, l. 778. French: “il sont en terre entre.”

p. 23, l. 779. «fonde» : «grounde». «fonde» is spelt «founde» in ll. 1857, 3020, 344, 2353, 2363.

p. 23, l. 780. «stroyeth» = “destroyeth.” “Compounds of Romance origin, the first part of which is a preposition, or words derived from such, often mutilate, or even entirely drop the preposition” (Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 576). Thus we have «sail», l. 385, = “assail;” «longeth», l. 3254, = “belongeth;” «skomfited», l. 1320, = “diskomfited,” ll. 336, 1464; «quite», l. 520, = “requite;” «perceived», l. 2659, = “aperceived;” «saut», ll. 619, 2200, = “assaut,” l. 615; «ginne», l. 2326, = “enginne,” l. 333; «playne», l. 177, = “complayn;” «skaped», l. 2049, = “askaped,” l. 2218.

p. 23, l. 787. French: “iiiC mile François.”

p. 24, l. 812. «ychoon» : «Mahounde». See «Introduction», p. xlii.

p. 24, l. 820. «stroke» : «stoupe». See «Introduction», p. xliii.

p. 24, l. 820. «stenyed», “stunned,” not from O.Fr. «estaindre», as the editor of the Roxb. Club ed. suggests, but from O.E. «stunian», “percellere, stupefacere.” See «Stratmann», p. 540.

p. 24, l. 835. Observe the subject expressed twice; cf. ll. 723, 1031, 1682, 1814, 2331.

p. 25, l. 836. «Neymes.» This celebrated hero has been especially famous by the advices and counsels of which even in matters of greatest difficulty he was never at a loss. “Tel conseiller n’orent onques li Franc,” «i. e.» the French had never such a counsellor. This passage of the romance of «Aspremont» may be looked upon as containing the portrait of Neymes as we find him described in all poems. The story of his birth and youth is in the romance of «Aubri le Bourgoing». He was the son of Gasselin, king of Bavaria. Cassile, an usurper, is about to seize the throne and to kill the young Neymes, when Charlemagne comes to his help and re-establishes the legitimate inheritor.

p. 25, l. 836. «Ogier Danoys» (cf. l. 1687) is one of the twelve peers in this poem. His life is contained in the French poem of the “«Chevallerie Ogier»” by Raimbert de Paris. According to that romance Ogier had been delivered in his youth to Charlemagne as [p110] a pledge to secure the discharge of the tribute which his father Geffroi, king of Denmark, was bound to pay to the emperor. The French ambassadors having once been insulted by Geffroy, Charlemagne swears to make Ogier pay with his life the offence done by his father, and Ogier is going to be executed when the emperor, following the urgent requests of messengers arrived from Rome, suddenly starts to deliver this city from the Saracens. On this expedition the French army is hard pressed by the enemy, but Ogier by his eminent prowess and valour enables Charles to enter Rome. He now is pardoned and becomes the favourite of the emperor. Several years afterwards Ogier’s son Baudouinet is slain by Charlot, the son of Charlemagne, as they were quarrelling about a party of chess. Ogier, in order to revenge his son, goes as far as to attack Charlemagne himself, but on the point of being taken a prisoner, he escapes and flees to Didier, king of Lombardy. Charles makes war on Didier, and after a long struggle Ogier is taken and imprisoned at Reims, where he is going to be starved, when a sudden invasion of the Saracens obliges Charlemagne again to have recourse to the courage and valour of the Dane. Ogier delivers France by slaying the giant Bréhus. To reward him for the service done to his country, Charles gives him the county of Hainaut, where afterwards, as the poem tells us, he died in the renown of holiness.

p. 25, l. 845. «it» = “hit.” Cf. note to l. 41.

p. 25, l. 847–50. These four lines seem to be incorrect. As they stand, the three first lines are rhymed together, and there is no rhyme to the fourth. The diction of the whole passage, which cannot be said to be ungrammatical, is nevertheless wanting in precision and exactness.

p. 25, l. 866. «rafe» = rave.

p. 25, l. 868. «Moun-joye» is the name of Charlemagne’s sword in this poem (cf. ll. 3111, 850), whereas, according to all other romances, the emperor’s sword was called «Joyeuse». «Mounjoie» or «Montjoie» was the name of the French standard; it was likewise used as the battle-cry of the French, cf. «Fierabras», l. 1703, and «Syr Ferumbras», ll. 2285, 2652, 4577, 4727. The sword «Joyeuse» had been forged by the celebrated Weland or Galand, as we read in the French «Fierabras», l. 635:

“Et «Galans» fist Floberge à l’acier atrempé,
Hauteclere et «Joiouse», où moult ot dignité;
Cele tint Karlemaines longuement en certé.”

Compare Gaston Paris, «Histoire Poétique», p. 374.

p. 26, l. 875. «Durnedale.» This renowned sword was forged by the famous Galand or Weland. The French «Fierabras» (l. 645) is the only romance which attributes it to Munifican. It had been given by Charlemagne to Roland as the best of his warriors. As to the exploits achieved with it, Roland enumerates them himself in that celebrated passage, where in his death-hour he tries to break [p111] Durnedale to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Saracens («Chanson de Roland», ll. 2316–2337). The steel blade of this sword has been highly praised for its extraordinary hardness. It had been tried by Charlemagne himself on that “perron,” or steel block before the emperor’s palace in Aix-la-Chapelle (see «Histoire Poétique», p. 370). Durnedale proved good as well as Almace, the sword of Turpin. But Courtain, Ogier’s sword, was then shortened by half a foot. According to l. 1407 of the «Sowdan», Durnedale broke; but this incident has been mentioned nowhere else. Cf. «Syr Ferumbras», l. 997, and «Fierabras», l. 1740.

p. 26, l. 876. «romme», spelt also «rome», «rowme», «roum», is Mod. E. «room», O.E. «rûm», “spatium.”

p. 26, l. 880. «dinge»; read «gan dinge». «Dinge» is the infinitive mood, but the sense requires a preterite tense. The preterite of «dinge» is «dong», «dongen», which occurs in l. 1263. But as «dinge» cannot be altered here, on account of the rhyme, the passage is easily corrected by adding «gan» = “he began to strike, he struck.”

p. 26, l. 884. «Alloreynes of Loreynes» and «Aleroyse» (l. 1699) are probably identical. Then «Allorey»n«es» would be an error of the scribe, who having already the following «Lorey»n«es» in his mind wrote «Allorey»n«es» instead of «Alleroyse».

p. 26, l. 900. «in fay» = “truly,” «fay»= “faith, truth.” O.Fr. «fei» or «feid», Lat. «fides».

p. 26, l. 904–5. Cf. «Chanson de Roland», ll. 1903–4:

“Rollanz est proz e Oliviers est sages,
Ambedui unt merveillus vasselage.”

p. 27, l. 913. I cannot tell what «treyumple» means, or whether it be a corruption.

p. 27, l. 939. This kind of prayer or apostrophe addressed to the God of War is certainly taken from another English work, which I am unable to trace, but which must have been much known at the time of our author, as we find it referred to in different authors. That it has been taken from another poem is proved by some phrases of this prayer which are somewhat obscure or rather unintelligible here, and which we certainly should be able to explain if we knew the original context in which they occurred. Then the form «hase» (l. 940) is somewhat suspicious, as it is the only instance of the 2nd person singular present dropping the «t», which it has always in this poem. The arrangement, too, of the following stanzas differs from that generally observed in the «Sowdan». If we consider our poem as composed in eight-line stanzas (but see «Introduction», p. xl) we mostly find the 1st and 3rd lines rhyming together, then the 2nd and 4th, the 5th and 7th, and finally the 6th and 8th, so that «four» different rhyme-endings are necessary to one stanza. If now we consider the stanza from l. 939 to 946, we only have two rhyme-endings, all the pair lines rhyming together, and all the odd ones [p112] together. In ll. 947 to 950 the 1st and 4th rhyme together, whilst the 2nd and 3rd are paired off together.—ll. 939–941 we find alluded to in «Chaucer», see «Introduction», p. xlvi, and the «Prioress’s Tale», ed. Skeat (Clarendon Press), p. xvii. Compare also Lindsay, «The Historie of Squyer Meldrum», l. 390:

“Like Mars, the God Armipotent.”

p. 27, l. 939. «rede Mars.» “Bocaccio uses the same epithet in the opening of his Teseide: ‘O rubiconde Marte.’ «Rede» refers to the colour of the planet.” Morris, note to «Knight’s Tale», l. 889.

p. 27, l. 940. «Baye» never means “sword,” as the editor of the Roxburghe Club ed. renders it, nor does this translation make any sense here at all; «baye» signifies “a wide, open room or space in a building.” See Mätzner’s «Wörterbuch», p. 164. Morris, in the Glossary to the «Alliterative Poems», has “bay = recess. The original meaning seems to be «opening of any kind». Cf. bay, space in a building between two main beams.” Halliwell, «s. v.» bay, has: “A principal compartment or division in the architectural arrangement of a building.” It appears to be etymologically the same word as Ital. «baja», French «baie», “bay, gulf, harbour,” the French «baie» being equally used for “opening of any kind.” The Catalan form for «baie» is «badia», which corresponds to the verb «badar», meaning “to open.” See Diez, «Etym. Wörterb.» I. 46. «Bay» is retained in the Mod. E. compound “«bay-window».” Cf. also the French “«la bée d’une fenestre»,” cited by Carpentier-Ducange, «s. v.» beare. With regard to the signification of «trende», the editor of the Roxb. Club ed. wrongly guessed again in explaining it as “drawn” or “trenchant, cutting.” «Trende» means “turned, bent, vaulted in the form of an arch.” See «Halliwell», p. 887, and «Stratmann», p. 572, «s. v.» trenden (= “volvere”). But I am at a loss how to explain why Mars is said to have put up his throne in an arched recess, or compartment, of a building.

p. 28, l. 957. «some», a clerical error for «sone».

p. 28, l. 965. «prymsauns of grene vere» = “the earliest days of green spring” (Glossary to the Roxb. Club ed.). This may be the sense; but what is the literal meaning of «prymsauns»? If we had «prymtauns», or «prymtaunce», we might be inclined to take it for a corruption of French «printemps», as we find «pastaunce» or «pastance» corrupted from «passe-temps». (See Skeat, «Spec. of Eng. Literature», 460/149 and 427/1096.) Cf. also the «Romaunt of the Rose», ll. 3373–74: “«At prime temps», Love to manace, Ful ofte I have been in this caas.” Or is «prymtauns» perhaps a clerical error for «entrauns» or «entraunce»? This would then make us think of such passages as the following one:

“Che fu ou mois de mai, à l’«entree» d’esté,
Que florissent cil bos et verdissent cil pré.”
«Fierabras», ll. 5094–5.

p. 28, l. 966. «spryngyn», the only instance of the 3rd person present plural ending in «-yn» (for the common «-en»). This perhaps is due to [p113] the scribe thinking already of the following «yn» in beg«ynne». But it must be stated that the whole passage is rather obscure. Neither the meaning of «springyn and begynne» nor the connection of l. 966 with the following lines is very clear. «Floures» occurring twice looks also somewhat suspicious. Moreover, these two stanzas do not well suit the context and might easily be done without; they are evidently borrowed from some other poem. Observe besides the alliteration in «f»loures, «f»rithe, «f»reshly.

p. 28, l. 973. «lithe», “to hear.” O.Icel. «hlŷða», “auscultare.” «Stratmann», s. v. «hlîþen», p. 315.

p. 29, l. 993. «lese» miswritten for «lefe», which sense and rhyme require, and which occurs in ll. 832, 1526.

p. 29, l. 995. «bassatours» (?) = “vavassours, vavasors.”

p. 29, l. 999. «Inde Major.» The meaning of «Major» is not clear. Cf. besides «Chanson de Roland», ed. Gautier, «Glossarial Index», s. v. «Major». Compare also «Destr.» l. 690: «terre Majour».

p. 29, l. 1000. The great number of geographical names contained in these two lines is probably due to the favourite habit of mediæval romance writers, who thought that they showed their geographical knowledge by introducing long strings of names. Thus we find in «Web. Rom.» II. l. 632 «et seq.», the names of sixteen towns mentioned in fourteen lines, all of which are said to have been visited by Richard the Lion-hearted. Again in the same poem, ll. 3679, «et seq.», we find the names of thirteen countries occurring in ten lines. Cf. also «King Alis.», «Web. Rom.» I. ll. 1440 and 1692. Often, too, geographical names seem to be inserted on account of the rhyme, as «Chaunder» in l. 123, and «Europe» in l. 1001.

p. 29, l. 1008. «Camalyon», “meaning, probably, the camelopardalis. The blood of a cameleon would go a very little way towards satisfying a thirsty Saracen” (Ellis, «Metr. R.» 387). Perhaps also the poet did not know much of either of these two kinds of animals, and all he wished was to cite an animal with some outlandish name.

p. 30, l. 1025. «southe» : «wrothe». The spelling «sothe» occurs in ll. 2014, 2024, 2246, 2719. There must be a lacuna of one or more lines here. The rhyme-word to «dute» (l. 1024) is wanting; the context also evidently shows that ll. 1025 and 1026, as they stand together, make no sense. It is worth while to add that the next five lines, contrary to the common usage of our poem, are all rhymed together.

p. 30, l. 1040. Observe «Paens», i. e. “pagans,” used as a proper name here; cf. the «Destr.» l. 98, and «Fierabras», l. 5673.

p. 31, l. 1051. For a description of Ferumbras, compare «Fierabras», ll. 578 «et seq.», and ll. 611 «et seq.», and «Syr Ferumbras», l. 550.

p. 31, l. 1060. «trwes» = trues, truce.

p. 31, l. 1067. «sex.» So in the French «Fierabras», l. 84:

“Ja n’en refuserai, par Mahom, jusqu’à vi.”

[p114]

In the English «Ferumbras», l. 102, we read:

“And þoȝ þer come «twelue», þe beste of þy fered,
I will kuþe on hem my miȝt, & dyngen hem al to douste.”

p. 31, l. 1071. «in fere» = “together.” «fere», literally “one who fares with one,” means “a travelling companion, a comrade, a mate; a company.” O.E. «(ge-)fera».

p. 31, l. 1074. «man» = “bondman, subject, vassal.” So in ll. 1354 1466.

p. 31, l. 1077. «childe», “young knight, young man.” See Skeat’s note to Sir Thopas (Clarendon Press), 162/2020.

p. 31, l. 1084. Cf. the French text:

“Sire, ce dist Rollans, chertes, tort en aves,
Car, par icel seigneur Ki Dix est appelés,
Je vauroie moult miex que fuissiés desmenbrés
Ke jou en baillasse armes ne ne fuisse adobés.
Hier quant paien nous vindrent à l’issue des gués
L. mile furent, à vers helmes jesmés,
Grans caus en soustenimes sur les escus bandés;
Oliviers mes compaigns i fu le jour navrés.
Tout fuissons desconfit, c’est fines verités,
Quant vous nous secourustes e vos riches barnés,
Et paien s’en tournerent les frains abandonnés.
Quant fumes repairié as loges et as trés,
Puis te vantas le soir, quant tu fus enivrés,
Que li viel chevalier c’avoies amené
L’avoient moult miex fait que li joule d’assés,
Assés en fui le soir laidement ramponés.”
(ll. 144–161.)

Compare also «Syr Ferumbras», ll. 144–163

p. 32, l. 1088. «of» = “on account of.”

p. 32, l. 1092. According to most of the old romances Roland was invulnerable. He never lost any blood by a wound but on the occasion when he was beaten by Charlemagne

“For trois goutes sans plus, quant Charles par irour
Le feri de son gant que le virent plousour.”

See «Histoire Poétique», p. 264.

The French text (ll. 166–170) runs as follows:

“Karles trait son gant destre, qui fu à or parés
Fiert le comte Rollant en travers sur le nés;
Après le caup en est li sans vermaus volés.
Rollans jete le main au branc qui est letrés;
Ja en ferist son oncle se il n’en fust ostés.”

p. 32, l. 1094. «abye», “to pay for, suffer for.” In Mod. Eng. «abye» is corrupted into «abide». See Morris, Gloss. to «Chaucer» (Clarend. Press), «s. v.» aboughte.

p. 32, l. 1096. Double negatives like «never none» are pretty common in mediæval writers. Cf. in the «Sowdan», ll. 1876, 2181, 2199, 2279, 2305. [p115]

p. 32, l. 1103. «at one», “of one mind, agreement.” Cf. «King Horn», ed. Lumby, l. 925:

“At on he was wiþ þe king.”

Hence Mod. Eng. «atone», “to set at one, to reconcile.” See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 5308.

p. 32, l. 1106. «to make voydaunce», the same as to «voide», l. 1768 = “to quit, to depart from, to get rid of.”

p. 32, l. 1110. «withoute more» = “without delay, immediately.” «more» is O.E. «mâra», comparative to «micel»; it is not the Latin «more». See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 719.

p. 33, l. 1126. «renewed», “tied.” Fr. «renouer», from «nœud» = Lat. «nodius». It is to be distinguished from «renewed» = “renovated,” which occurs in l. 2200.

p. 32, l. 1128. «hidur» is spelt «hider» in ll. 810, 833, etc.

p. 32, l. 1135. «Generyse.» In the other versions Olyver calls himself «Garin». See «Introduction» on p. xxxiii.

p. 32, l. 1141. «lerne», “to teach.” See Zupitza’s note to «Guy», l. 6352. «scole», O.E. «scôl», Mod. Eng. «school», means here “style, or manner of fighting.” It must not be confounded with «schole», O.E. «scolu», “troop, band,” Mod. Eng. «shoal». Cf. also «The Song of Roland», 129/786.

p. 33, l. 1145. «myghty men of honde.» So in l. 3029. The same phrase occurs in M.H.G. “ein helt «ze sînen handen»,” which is explained as meaning, “a hero [or one who becomes a hero] by the strength of his hands or arms.” See Jänicke’s note to «Biterolf», 5078, and Grimm’s «Grammatik», IV. 727 note. The expression seems to be originally French; cf. Méon, «Fabliaux», III. 478: “chevaliers «de sa main»”; «Renard», ed. Martin, l. 21409: “proedom «de sa main».” Cf. also «Roman des Eles», ed. Scheler, l. 433, where «main» is wrongly explained by the editor.

p. 33, l. 1151. «plete», “plead.” The rhyme leads us to suppose that the author pronounced «ple»d«e», which indeed is the more common form.

p. 33, l. 1154. «and» makes no sense here. «thenkes» must also be incorrect, the 3rd person present singular always terminating in «-eth» in this poem, and not in «-es». Read «as thenketh me»; «thenketh me» occurs in l. 465.

p. 34, l. 1158. «pight», “pitched, fixed.” The infinitive mood is «picchen»; cf. O.Dutch «picken», O.Icel. «pikka», “pungere, pangere.”

p. 34, l. 1159. In the French «Fierabras», l. 606 «et seq.», Oliver also assists the Saracen to put on his gear. This point is not mentioned in the Ashmolean version, see «Introduction», p. xxviii.

p. 34, l. 1163. «worthed up», “became up, got up, mounted.” It is the past tense of the verb «worthen», O.E. «weorðan», “to become.” Another past tense of this verb is «worth», l. 1204.

p. 34, l. 1164. «areest», or «arest» = “a rest, or support for the spear when [p116] couched for the attack” (Morris). Originally = “stoppage, waiting, readiness.” Cf. Mätzner’s «Wörterbuch», p. 107.

p. 34, l. 1167. «as fire of thonder», cf. «dinte of thondir» in l. 1207.

p. 34, l. 1168. «to-braste», “burst in pieces.” The prefix «to-», answering to Germ. «zer-», has the force of “in twain, asunder.”

p. 34, l. 1170. «threste», O.E. «þr[^æ]stan», “premere, trudere.” The author probably pronounced «thraste», which will improve the rhyme.

p. 34, ll. 1179–80. «upon the hede» (blank in MS) «the hede». This is evidently a mistake of the scribe; «sore», l. 1180, too, which does not rhyme with «crowne», is probably miswritten for «sone». The rhyme as well as the context shows that the true reading is:

“Olyver him hitte again
Upon the hede than fulle sone
He carfe awaye with myght and mayne
The cercle that sate uppon his crowne.”

p. 34, l. 1182. About the «cercle», see Demay, «Le Costume de guerre», p. 132. “Non seulement le cône du heaume (helme) est bordé par ce cercle, mais il est parfois renforcé dans toute sa hauteur par deux arêtes placées l’une devant, l’autre derrière, ou par quatre bandes de métal ornementées (de verroteries), venant aboutir et se croiser à son sommet.”—«crowne» means the “tonsure of the head,” then topically “the skull or head.”

p. 34, l. 1185. «the botteles of bawme» are not mentioned anywhere else in the «Sowdan»; the other versions tell us that the balm contained in those vessels was the same as that with which Christ was anointed. Cf. «Syr Ferumbras», ll. 510–517; and see «Introduction», p. vi and xxix.

p. 34, l. 1191. «the river.» According to the oldest version of the poem the whole combat took place on the shore of the Tiber, near Rome. See «Introduction», pp. xi and xxxii. Cf. «Fierabras», l. 1049:

“Pres fu du far de Rome, ses a dedes jetés,”

and «Philippe Mousket», I. 4705–6:

“Les .ii. barius qu’à Rome prist,
Si les gieta enmi le Toivre.”

In the «Sowdan» as well as in the «Ashmole» MS. there is no mention of Oliver’s drinking of the balm before throwing it into the water, which both the Provençal and the French versions tell us he did. Cf. «Fierabras», ll. 1031–1048, and the Provençal version, ll. 1335, «et seq.»

p. 35, l. 1210. «fille», “fel.”

p. 35, ll. 1221. «dere» spoils the rhyme. Read “«free».”