"Mi leve frende dere,
Herken and ye may here."
2. The poem of Ipotis (or Ypotis) is preserved in the Cotton Library, Calig. A. 2, fo. 77, but is rather a religious legend, than a romance. Its beginning is,
"He þat wyll of wysdome here
Herkeneth nowe ye may here
Of a tale of holy wryte
Seynt Jon the Evangelyste wytnesseth hyt."
3. The romance of Sir Guy was written before that of Bevis, being quoted in it[517]. An account of this old poem is given above, p. [107]. To which it may be added, that the two complete copies in MS. are preserved at Cambridge, the one in the public library[518], the other in that of Caius College, Class A. 8.—In Ames's Typog. p. 153, may be seen the first lines of the printed copy.—The first MS. begins,
"Sythe the tyme that God was borne."
4. Guy and Colbronde, an old romance in three parts, is preserved in the Editor's folio MS. (p. [349].) [printed edition, vol. ii. p. 527.] It is in stanzas of six lines, the first of which may be seen in vol. ii. p. 175, beginning thus:
"When meate and drinke is great plentye."
In the Edinburgh MS. (mentioned above) are two ancient poems on the subject of Guy of Warwick: viz. Num. XVIII. containing 26 leaves, and XX. 59 leaves. Both these have unfortunately the beginnings wanting, otherwise they would perhaps be found to be different copies of one or both the preceding articles.
5. From the same MS. I can add another article to this list, viz. the romance of Rembrun son of Sir Guy; being Num. XXI. in 9 leaves: this is properly a continuation of the History of Guy: and in Art. 3, the Hist. of Rembrun follows that of Guy as a necessary part of it. This Edinburgh romance of Rembrun begins thus:
"Jesu that erst of mighte most
Fader and sone and Holy Ghost."