[204] "Le Roman de Renart," ed. E. Martin, Strasbourg, 1882-7, 4 vols. 8vo; contains: vol. i., the old series of branches; vol. ii., the additional branches; vol. iii., variants; vol. iv., notes and tables. Most of the branches were composed in Normandy, Ile-de-France, Picardy; the twelfth is the work of Richard de Lison, a Norman, end of the twelfth century; several, for example the fourteenth, evince on the part of their author a knowledge of the English tongue and manners. Concerning the sources of the "Roman," see Sudre, "Les Sources du Roman de Renart," Paris, 1892, 8vo.
[205] Caricature of a funeral ceremony:—
Brun li ors, prenez vostre estole ...
Sire Tardis li limaçons
Lut par lui sol les trois leçons
Et Roenel chanta les vers. (Vol. i. p. 12.)
Seigneurs, oï avez maint conte
Que maint conterre vous raconte,
Conment Paris ravi Eleine,
Le mal qu'il en ot et la paine ...
Et fabliaus, chansons de geste ...
Mais onques n'oïstes la guerre,
Qui tant fu dure et de grant fin
Entre Renart et Ysengrin.
(Prologue of Branch II.)
"Or dont," dit Nobles, "au deable!
Por le cuer be, sire Ysengrin,
Prendra ja vostre gerre fin?"
(Vol. i. p. 8.)