Add MS 37492

ROMANTIC and religious poems, in English, viz.:-

1. "Kynge Charlys": a translation of the chanson de geste of Fierabras (for which see Cat. of Roman, i. pp. 616-619), in rhymed couplets. Quite distinct from the two known Middle-English versions, Sir Ferumbras and The Sowdone of Babylone (E.E.T.S., 1879 and 1881), but in general agreement with the former as to the narrative. Begins (imperfectly, answering to 11. 2961 seq. of the printed French text, Fierabras, ed. Kroeber and Servois, 1860): "God for hys grace sschylde vs from schame. Her basnettys and her helmys they lacydyn well And her gode swerdys that were made of stell." f. 1. Ends: "Nowe endyth thys gest nowe here Off Firumbras de Alsavndre and Sir Olyuer And also of Charlemayn that gode holy kyng Our Lord graunt that it so be Seyth all amen pur charite. Off the sarysins that were slawe in that wendyng. v.c.m' in Charlys tyme the kyng. Explicit Kynge Charlys." f 30.

2. Another Charlemagne romance, combining the subjects of the chanson of Otinel and of the concluding chapters of Psuedo-Turpinus (see Cat. of Romances, i. pp. 954-5, 554); in 6-line stanzas. Begins. "Herkenyth lordynges and zeuyth lyst In the worchyppe of Ihesu Cryst Off a conquerour That was yhote sir Charlemayn Howe he wan Galys of Spayne With ful grete honour." f. 30 b. Part i. is a free translation of Otinel (ed. F. Guessard and II. Michelant, 1858, analysed by P. Paris in Hist. Litt. de la France, xxv. pp. 269-278). Other versions are in the Auchinleck MS. (analysed by G. Ellis, Specimens of Early English Metrical Romanances, 1805, ii. pp. 314-343, and printed by the Abbotsford Club), Romances of Rouland and Vernagu, and Otuel, 1836) and in Add. 31042 (printed in English Charlemagne Romances, part. ii., E.E.T.S., 1880, P. 55). Part ii. narrates the battle of Cordova, conquest of Navarre, treason of Ganelon ("Gwynes"), battle of Roucevaux, and death and avenging of Roland; answering to capp. 18, 16, 20- 27 of Pseudo-Turpinus (see Nero A. xi., ff. 23 b, 21 b, 26-31 b). It begins: "Afftyr Garcy nouzt longe hyt nas To kyng Charlys told hyt was That Ebrayn the stronge kyng." f. 58 b. Ends: "Now Ihesu Crist in trinite O God and persones thre To ioye and blysse ous bryng. Here endeth Otuel Roulond and 0lyuer And off the twelf dussypers That deyden in the batayle off Runcyvale Ihesu Lord heuene kyng To hys blysse ous and hem bothe bryng To leuen wythoute bale. Amen quod J. Gage." f. 76. Analysed, with extracts, by G. Ellis, as above, pp. 343-355. The MS. then belonged to W. Fillingham: see Ellis, p. 313, and below, art. 3.

3. "The Eremyte and the Owtelawe": a tale of a repentant outlaw, whose hermit brother saw his soul carried to heaven by angels; in 6-line stanzas. Beg. Almyghty God that man gan make." f. 76 b. Ends: And make vs alle blythe and glad. Explicit the Eremyte and the Owtelawe." f. 82 b. Printed by T. Park, in Sir Egerton Brydges' Restituta, iv., 1816, p. 91, from a transcript of this MS.; afterwards printed in Englische Studien, xiv. p. 165, from Add. 22577, another transcript given to Philip Bliss by Fillingham in or before 1806. Bliss describes the original as a vellum MS., but there can be no doubt of its identity with the present volume: see Engl. Stud., xvi. p. 434, and above, art. 2. The tale is discussed in Engl. Stud., xix. pp. 177-182.

4. "The Fendys Parlement": Life of Christ, in 8-line stanzas. Beg.: "Whan Marye was gret with Gabryel." f. 83. Ends: "Here endyth the fendys parlement God take oure soules to hys rent In heuene blys from helle preson." Colophon: "Here ys wryten the Fendys Parlement How Ihesu wyzth hys passyon hem blent." ff. 90-90 b. A slightly longer version was printed from Lambeth MS. 853 in Hymns to the Virgin, etc., ed. F. J. Furnivall, E.E.T.S., 1867, p. 41.

5. The Mirror of the Periods of Man's Life, in 8-line stanzas. Imperfect, having only the first 142 lines. Beg.: "How mankynde doth bygynne." f. 90 b. Breaks off at the foot of f. 92 b, "Be he bolde wykep or lyzt." Printed by Furnivall, as above, p. 58, from a complete copy in the Lambeth MS. Paper; ff. iv. + 92. 10¼ x 7¾ in. xv. cent. (second half), written by J. Gage (see art. 2). On f. 61, "Edmond Middleton his booke" (16th cent.); f. 71, "Steepen Barzey of Barzeys Hall in Com. Buckingham. Thomas Barzey." Belonged in 1805 to William Filliigham, of the Middle Temple (see above, artt. 2, 3, especially the reference to Park), a letter to whom, 17 Aug. [1801 ?], from G[eorge] Ellis is inserted at the beginning (f. ii.). A later owner was Sir Henry St. John Mildmay, Bart., of Dogmersfield, co. Southt. (salecat. 1907, lot 186; bookplate of Dogmersfield Library inside cover).