1589, thus speaks of it-"Soon the other side doth the overbusie and too speedy returne of one manner of tune, too much annoy, and, as it were, glut the eare, unless it be in small and popular musickes song by these cantabanqui upon benches and barrels heads, where they have none other audience than boyes, or country fellowes, that passe by them in the streete; or else by blind harpers, or such like taverne-minstrels, that give a fit of mirth for a groat; and their matters being, for the most part stories of old time; as the Tale of Sir Topas, the Reportes of Bevis of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, Adam Bell, and Clymme of the Clough, and such other old romances or historical rhymes, made purposely for recreation of the common people at Christmasse dinners and brideales; and in tavernes, and alehouses, and such places of base resort; also they be used in carols and rounds, and such light or lascivious pcemnes, which are commonly more

commodiously uttered by these buffoons and vices in plays, than by any other person: such were the rimes of Skelton (usurping the name of a poet laureate) being in deede but a rude rayling rimer, and all his doings ridiculous; he used both short distances and short measures, pleasing only the popular eare; in our courtly maker we banish them utterly*."-Hence it appears that Chaucer's/ pieces, or at least legends drawn from him, were at that time sung to the harp; for the tale, or rime, of Sir Topas is a poem of Chaucer now extant: so the Italians at present sing Tasso and Ariosto. Adam Bell and Clym of the Clough were two famous archers: the former of which is on that account alluded to by Shakspeare.

The same author in another place speaks of this kind of entertainment, by which we

*B. ii. c. 9.

may conjecture that it was not always confined to so vulgar an audience." We ourselves who compiled this treatise have written for pleasure, a little brief romance, or historical ditty, in the English tong, of the isle of Great-Britain, in short and long meeters; and by breaches or divisions to be more commodiously sung to the harpe in places of assembly, where the company shall be desirous to hear of old adventures, and valiaunces of noble knights in times past; as are those of King Arthur, and his knights of the round table: Sir Bevys of Southampton, Guy of Warwicke, and such other like*."

But to return:-The circumstance of the dragon not being able to approach within seven feet of this well, is imitated by our author st. 49. below, where another water is mentioned, which in like manner preserves the knight.

* B. i. c. 19.

But nigh thereto the ever-damned beast
Durst not approache, for he was mortal made,
And all that life preserved did detest,

Yet he it oft adventur'd to invade.

We feel a sort of malicious triumph in detecting the latent and obscure source, from whence an original author has drawn some celebrated description: yet this, it must be granted, soon gives way to the rapture that naturally results from contemplating the chymical energy of true genius, which can produce so noble a transmutation, and whose virtues are not less efficacious and vivifying in their nature, than those of the miraculous water here displayed by Spenser.

I take this opportunity of mentioning by the way, that our author, in his dragonencounters, circumstantially adopts all the incidents which occur on this article in

romances.

An ingenious correspondent has commu

nicated to me an old ballad, or metrical romance, called the Boy and the Mantle, on which Spenser's conceit of Florimel's Girdle is evidently founded. A boy brings into King Arthur's hall, at Cairleoln, a magical mantle, by which trial is made of the fidelity of each of the ladies of the several knights*. But this fiction is as manifestly taken from an old French piece, entitled, Le Court Mantel; part of which is quoted by M. de la Curne de Sainte Palayet, in his learned and ancient chivalry, and who informs us, that it is formed on the tale of the Enchanted Cup. Most of these old romantic stories in English, I presume, first existed in French or Italian.

Several other incidental imitations of romance will be pointed out occasionally. As to Spenser's original and genealogy of the

*

Manuscript Collection of old Ballads, No. 89. † A Paris, 1760, 12mo, tom. prem. pag. 119.