Egerton MS 2862

ENGLISH METRICAL ROMANCES, viz.:-

1. "Kyng Richard": the romance of Richard Coeur-de-Lion. Wanting several leaves at the beginning, and partly illegible through damp in the first few of the remaining leaves; also slightly imperfect at the end. Begins: "Now Maryners arayeth zour shippes blyue" (l. 1847 in H. Weber's ed., Metrical Romances, Edinburgh, 1810, ii. p. 73). Ends: "To Jaffys and to Maiden Castel" (1 7124 in Weber's ed., which has 7136 lines in all). Other copies are inAdd. 31042 and Harl. 4690 (see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 944-950). See too G. H. Needler, Richard Coeur de Lion in literature (Leipzig, 1890), pp. 23-55, and G. Paris in Romania, x.-.vi., 1897, pp. 353-393. f. 1.

2. "Beuous of Hampton": one of the MSS. used by E. Kölbing for his E. E. Text Soc. ed., The Romance of Sir Beues of Hamtoun, 1885-1894. Slightly imperf. at end. fir. 45-94 b, 96-96 b. Beg.: "[L]ordynges lystenep to my tale, It is meryer pan pe nYztYitgale." Ends: "And told how B. was come fro ferre With Ost on him for to werre " (ed. Kölbing, p. 214).

3. "Sir Degarre" : two leaves (ff. 97, 95) containing 161 lines, which correspond roughly with 11. 225-364 of the version printed from Add. MS. 27879 (for which see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 821-3) by J. W. Hales and F. J. Furnivall, Bisho p Percy's Folio MS., iii., 1868, pp. 27-31; and more closely with 11. 275-436 of the Auchinleck MS. (Sire Degarre, Abbotsford Club, 1849, pp. 9-14). Beg.: "Wel ynorshid good and hende Per was no better in al pat ende." f. 97. Ends: "When pe Parlement was plenere He let crye ferre and nere " (catchwords "zif any man"). f. 95 b.

4. "Florence and Blanchefloure": one of the MSS. used for Floris and Blaunchefur, ed. E. Hausknecht, Berlin, 1885 (see p. 97). Imperf. at beginning, but less so than any other. known MS. Beg. "Ne thurst men neue. ill londe After. feirer children fonde." f. 98. Ends: "Home lie went with royal array And was croswyd within a short (lay." f. 111. Another copy, very fragmentary, is in Cotton MS. Vitell. D. iii. (see Cat. of Romances, i. p. 716).

5. "The batell of Troye": purporting to be a translation from Dares Phrygius. The same version as Harl. 525. ff. 1-34 b (see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 84-6), edited by C. H. A. Wager, The Seege of Troy, 1899 (the present MS. is noticed on pp. xxix.-xxxiii., but its text was not used). Beg. "[S]ithe pat god pis worldle wrouzt Heuen and er the made of nouzt." f. 1 1 1 b. Ends "Now lordinges saunz faile Of Troye pis is pe tenthe bataile. Explicit bellum de Troye." f. 134.

6. "Amyys and Amylion": one of the MSS. used for Amis and Amiloun, ed. Kölbing, Heilbronn, 1884. Wanting two leaves after f. 145. Beg. "[F]or goddes loue in trinyte, Al pat ben hend herkenip to me." f. 135. Ends: "Pe blisse of heuyn pey haue to mede, Pat lastetep euer moo. Amen." f. 147 b. Another copy is in Harl 2386 (see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 677-8 Kölbing, p. x.).

7. "Sir Egleamoure": one leaf only, containing the first 160 lines. Used for Sir Eglamour, ed. G. Schleich, Berlin, 1906 (Palaestra, No. 53), see p. 91. Beg.: "[J]hesu pat is heuyn king Geue vs al good endyng." f. 148. Ends: "And comen of gentyl blood Verely vnder py shelde " (catchwords "To wynne"). f. 148 b. Other copies are in Cotton MS. Caligula A. ii. and Add. 27879 (see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 766, 820). An analysis of the contents of the whole volume by E. Kölbing is in English Studien, vii., 1884, pp. 191-3. Vellum; ff. iv. + 148. 11 in. x 6.5/8 in. Circ. 1400. Many of the margins cut down; others contain scribblings, among them the distich "Grace and good manears maketh a man, But woe be vnto him),at no good cane" on f. 50, and the name [of a former owner?] "Thomas Waker of lyttell belinges" [Little Bealings, co. Suff. on ff. 73 b, 127. At the begiuning is inserted an undated letter from [captain Lord] M[ark] R[obert] Kerr to General [John Leveson Gower., Major-Gen. 1805, Lieut.-Gen. 1812, d. 1816], the then owner, on the contents of the volume. At the end is a note by George Granville Leveson Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, "This book was given by General L[eveson] Gower to the Marquis of Stafford [George Granville Leveson Gower, cr. Duke of Sutherland 1833] my father." Lot 1123 in Sotheby's sale-cat. of the Trenthan Hall Library, Nov. 1906.