DESCRIPTION AND ABSTRACT OF TWO ANCIENT FRAGMENTS OF FRENCH METRICAL ROMANCES, ON THE SUBJECT OF SIR TRISTREM. [Agreeable to the promise of the introduction, I subjoin, to the romance of THOMAS of Erceldoune, the abstract of those curious fragments, existing in Mr Douce's MS. For the opportunity of comparing the stile of composition which prevailed in France and in Scotland, and of illustrating, by each other, poems written about the same period, and on the same subject, the reader is indebted to GEORGE ELLIS, Esq. by whom the following elegant precis of the French romance was transmitted to the editor.] THIS Curious MS. appears to have formed part of some volume belonging to a monastery; because it contains, besides the two detached pieces of the story of Tristran l'Amoureux, a long metrical dialogue between Pride and Humility, and a prose dissertation on the Cross. It is written on vellum, and consists of 22 leaves. The hand-writing apparently belongs to the 13th century. The The first of the two parts contains a regular and circumstantial relation of the latter adventures of Sir Tristrem, and terminates by his death, and by that of Ysolt. other, a complete and separate episode, begins at the second column of the same page in which the other narrative is terminated, and contains only a single adventure; in which, however, a great part of the hero's history is artfully recapitulated. It is therefore probable, that it was inserted in the monastic volume, principally on account of its presenting a short and lively summary of the preceding long, and perhaps tedious history. Be this as it may, the two fragments differ very considerably in their stile; the first being so verbose and diffuse as fully to justify the ridicule thrown on the historian of Sir Tristrem by the author of " Sire Hain, and Dame Anieuse,” (BARBARAN'S Fabliaux, vol. 3. p. 55.*) while the second is concise, lively, and dramatic. The orthography of the two is also different; and it is further to be observed, that, in the first poem, the residence of king Mark is placed in London, but in the second, at the castle of Tintagel. The following is a free translation of the whole of the second fragment, which consists of 996 verses: 66 Tristrem, living in his own country at a distance from his beloved Ysolt, feels that he has been restored to life * See Introduction. merely for the purpose of dying a thousand deaths, from the anxiety which daily preys on his spirits. "Thought," says our author, "comforts or kills us; and such were the thoughts of Tristrem, that he would have gladly ended "them by his death, had it been possible that his fate "could have been separated from that of his faithful mis"tress." He therefore forms the desperate resolution of passing into England. It was highly important to conceal this determination from all the world, and particularly from Kaherdin, the brother of his wife. It was no less necessary that his appearance should be such, as should secure him from discovery in a country where he was so well known; and that, for this purpose, he should not only quit the usual accoutrements of chivalry, and assume the appearance of a poor and insignificant traveller, but that he should also disguise his features, and even his voice. Tristrem resolved to neglect none of these precautions; and in this, says the author, he acted wisely: Car souvent avient domage grand Par dire son conseil avant, Qui se célat, et ne le dit, Le mal, ce crois, ne encusit,* Pour conseil dire et decouvriré, Soltt maint mal souvent venir. The reflections of a single night were sufficient to mature his project. In the morning he assumes his disguise, hastens to the nearest port, and, finding a merchant ship just on the point of weighing anchor for England, requests to Encuser.-Occasion. + Solt-.Solet.-Lat. |