it appears that the Griggirry fent along with it, has been examined by Dr. Ruffel, who fays, "it is written in the Arabic hand ufed in Barbary, and contains the name of God frequently repeated, with the addition of certain unintelligible characters."

XXIII. Differtation on the Lives and Works of feveral Anglo-Normon Poets of the Thirteenth Century. In a Letter from Monf. de la Rue to John Henniker Majër, Efq. M. P. F. R. S. and F. A. S. Trunflated from the French. Read March 29, 1798.

Monf. de la Rue has purfued the fame plan in this volume, as in his former ingenious ellays, of writing feparately a biographical account of fome one Anglo-Norman poet, more eminent than the reft, and then giving a fubfequent differtation on the lives and works of others lefs famous, whofe names and writings had been occasionally mentioned in the former paper. Through this we purpose to accompany him.

STEPHEN OF LANGTON, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

It is remarkable, that the firft in this lift fhould be no less a perfon, than the Metropolitan of this kingdom; and that the first proof of his poetical talents fhould be taken from the stanza of a fong, introduced in one of his fermons, written upon the Holy Virgin. It appears, however, that whole difcourfes in French verfe were then not unufual; which is one of the strongest proofs that can be given of the very general tafte for French poetry, which muft have pervaded all ranks of people at that time in England. In the fame MS. which contains this fermon, are two other pieces afcribed to the Archbishop. "The first is a Theological Drama, in which Truth, Juftice, Mercy. and Peace, debate among themfelves, what ought to be the fate of Adam after his fall." The fecond is a Canticle on the Paffion of Jefus Chrift, in 123 ftanzas, making more than 600 verfes. The tenth verfe of Pfalm lxxx. certainly furnished the poet with the idea of the former piece, which he has worked up with equal tafte and delicacy." On the latter, Monf. de la R. has obferved:

"The historical details are brought forward in a quick fucceffion, and in a manner as interefting as the fubject. But as the author was provided with all the facts, and had nothing left to his care but the verfification, there is lefs imagination and poetry in this piece, than in the preceding." P. 233.

CHARDRY.

Chardry was one of thofe poers, who exercifed their genius on fubjects of devotion, and we have from him the life of St. Jofaphat, and that of the Seven Sleepers (brethren; in French verfe." P. 234.

This latter poem, which has been improperly ftyled St. Dormans, by Mr. Warton, in his Hift. of Engl. Poetry, contains more than 1800 verfes. The former no less than 2900. They are both in the British Museum, Bibl. Cotton. Caligula, A. IX. In the fame MS. is another work, 'entitled Le Petit Plet," or a dialogue between an old and young man on the happiness and mifery of human life, which contains about 1900 verses. It is without a name; but as it has been copied by the fame hand, and correfponds in ftyle and character with the two foregoing works, Monf. de la R. fuppofes it to have been the production of the fame author.

Independently of this piece being the offspring of the imagination only of the poet, it greatly excels the two foregoing; inafmuch as it is more interefting from the leffons of morality and philofophy contained in it; and as it is the young man, who gives them to the old man, the reprefentation becomes more affecting, and furprisingly fixes the attention." P. 236.

WILLIAM OF WADINGTON.

This poet, who from his ftyle is judged to have flourished about the middle of the 13th century, and from his name to have been defcended from a Lincolnshire family, was of the order of priests. He tranflated Le Floretus, a Latin poem, into French verfe. In this work, which he has entitled Manuel, and which confifts of nearly 6000 verfes, he has not fcrupuloufly adhered to his original, but introduced very curious matter, relating to the manners and cuftoms, as well as poetry, of the Englith of his own times. Having treated of their talle for romances, fabulous tales, and fongs, he mentions another kind of poefy in great requeft among them, called Ratewange, that is, "pieces which they fang, and at the fame time accompanied themselves on the hurdy-gurdy."

"But those theatrical pieces called "Miracles," were their delight beyond all others; they were of the nature of tragedy, which reprefented the martyrdom of fome faint of the primitive church." P. 237.

These entertainments are very much blamed by this poet, both on account of the difguifes the actors were obliged to make ufe of, the prodigies falfely attributed to the faints, and because they engroffed a part of the fabbath, and were often concluded by dances, wrestling, or tilting. He is particularly fevere alfo against the minstrels, jongleurs or jugleurs, "who by the recital of romantic and amorous adventures, brought prematurely forward, and roufed the paffions." When we recollect the author's profeffion, we are the lefs furprised at this cenfure. The fportive talents, and apparently loofer prinei

E e 2

ples

ples of fuch men, generally rendered them obnoxious to the more rigid ecclefiaftics; and it was even an established order in fome monafteries, that no minstrel fhould ever be fuffered to enter their gates. But, however the minstrel-tribe might be discountenanced by the more fevere orders of the clergy, they feem to have been great favourites with all ranks of the laity. Not only the lower order, but even princes and nobles, long careffed and patronized them. The Joculator Regis is exprefsly mentioned in Doomsday Book, Fol, 162. Col. 1. and it is remarkable, that the King's Jugler continued to have an eftablishment in the royal houfenold down to the reign of Henry VIII.+

ANONYMOUS CONTINUATOR OF THE BRUTUS OF

ROBERT WACE."

"Robert Wace, in 1155, turned the Brutus, compofed in Latin by Geoffrey of Monmouth, into French verfe. The MS. of the Cottonian Library Vitellius, A. X. comprifes this tranflation, with a fupplement in like manner, in French verfe, by an anonymous authort. That part of the work by Robert Wace finishes, like his original, at the death of King Cadwallader, at the end of the 7th century; but that of his continuator, beginning at this epocha, goes down to the 24th year of the reign of Henry III." P. 241.

Monf. de la R. has obferved of this poet, that, though not always exact in his Anglo-Norman hiftory, yet he has produced fome facts not to be found in other hiftorians, and cites the following as an inftance. William the Conqueror being tormented with the apprehenfion of a reverfe of fortune, ftrenuously urged the wife men and clergy of his ftates, whom he affembled together, to find out the future deftinies of his children. The device hit upon for this purpose by one of the members of the council, together with the feveral anfwers of the three fons, form a curious narrative, which we are forry our limits will not permit us to extract. Though Monf. de la R. does not decide upon the authenticity of this historical anecdote, which confifts of 268 verfes, yet he feels himself "bound to fay that it is found in detached parts in Bibl. Cotton. Cleopatra, A. XII."

ROBERT GROSSE-TETE, BISHOP OF LINCOLN.

This prelate was one of the brightest ornaments of the 13th century; being diftinguithed no lefs for his very numerous

*Percy's Reliques of Ancient Engl. Poetry, vol. i, p. lvi. + Ibid. p. lxxvii.

‡ Archæologia, xii, 57. See alfo British Critic, xiii, 275.

works

works in theology, than philofophy and inifcellaneous literature. He is introduced to us here in a light, though more new, yet not less refpectable, as an Anglo-Norman poet. He was the author of "a Poem, of more than 1700 verses, upon the Sin of the First Man, and his Reftoration," entitled by Leland and Tanner*, Le Chafel d'Amour, but by the copier of the MS. in the British Mufeum, Bibl. Reg. 20. B. xiv. Le Roman des Romans.

"This poem fhews the imagination and facility of the author. His defcription of the happiness of man in a ftate of innocence is truly interefting. After the fall of Adam, the poet, imitating Stephen of Langton, makes Mercy and Truth, Juftice and Peace, difpute upon the fate that guilty man deferved. The promife of a Redeemer reconciles them, and the author, in explaining the ideas of the prophet, points out in the Meffiah, as foretold by Ifaiah, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of Peace.

"The author, like the preceding poets, fays, that he has composed this work for perfons ignorant of the Latin and Greek languages, who, however, have occafion to know the fundamental truths of religion." P. 247.

This affords another striking proof of the prevalence of the Romance language:

"Since to inftruct all ranks of this nation in the most important truths of the Gofpel, one of the most meritorious Pontiffs of England has recourse to this language, in order to unfold them." P. 248.

DENIS PYRAMUS.

This author was cotemporary with Mary, the fubject of a former article, to whofe merits he has borne honourable teftimony. He was a great favourite in the court of Henry III. and in thofe of the English Barons, where he wrote Servantois (poems compounded of panegyric and fatire) on the Knights, and fongs and other pieces for the ladies; none of which are known to have come down to us. It appears that he was admitted to all their feftivals, and had led a very irregular, voluptuous life in his earlier years. But when age brought on fatiety and reformation, "his penitential mufe would no longer fing any other than religious fubjects," and produced two works in French verfe; the first, the Life and Martyrdom ; the fecond, the Miracles of King St. Edmund. Brit. Muf. Bibl. Cotton. Domitian. A. XI.

The firft [confifts] of 3286 verfes, and from the proem we derive the details, we have advanced, as to this poet. The fecond is of more

• Leland's Scriptores Britan. p, 285, Tanner's Bibl. Britan.

than

than 600 verfes; but as this MS. as far as it relates to the second part of the works of Pyramus, is incomplete, it is fair to prefume, that it contained many more." P. 249.

From a particular expreffion in the fame proem, it is deduced alfo, that Denis Pyramus was an Englishman; and from the favourable reception which he met with, both at Court and among the Barons, we may infer, not only that he was diftinguifhed for his literary talents, but that his manners were engaging and agreeable."

XXIV. A fhort chronological Account of the religious Eftablifhments made by English Catholics on the Continent of Europe. By the Abbé Mann. Read May 24, 1798.

Of all those whom the defpoiling ravages of the French Revolution drove from their native country, the retired and unoffending members of the monaftic establishments, particularly the female fex, appear the most entitled to our pity. After a life devoted to the concerns of religion, to piety and devotion, and wholly abstracted from worldly business or intereft, to be driven from their peaceable cells to encounter the ftorms and tempefts of the world, for which they were fo little prepared, muft have been to them the most bitter and heart-rending of all calamities. It will ever be remembered, to the honour of this country, that laying afide every other confideration, but that of diftrefs only, fome of thefe unfortunate focieties have been fuffered to find an asylum in its bosom.

This Effay is confined to the Englith establishments, branching out from hence to the continent at the Reformation, which amount in the whole to forty-four. Before the Abbé enters upon the "Chronological Account," he gives a fummary view of these establishments, under the heads of the different orders to which they belonged; which are, 1. Secular Clergy; 2. Jefuits; 3. Benedictines; 4. Carthufian Monks; 5. Brigittine Nuns; 6. Women of the Order of St. Auguftin; 7. Dominican Friars; 8. Francifcan Friars; 9. Carmelites, or Terefians.

We have no reafon to doubt the general accuracy of the Abbé's account; but there is one particular in which we must beg leave to correct him. In fpeaking of the Poor-Clares at Rouen, he fays:

"This convent of religious women, of the strictest reform of the order of St. Francis, by fome called Colletines, was begun in 1648, by Mrs. Mary Taylor and fourteen affociates, all profeffed nuns of Gravelines, the mother-houfe of all the other convents of English Francifcan nuns. The life of these of Rouen was wholly contempla