[P. 145], l. 188.—The MS. has en autre, which seems to be a mere error for ne autre.
[P. 146], l. 194, des Prechours.—The preaching friars were the Dominicans, called, in France, Jacobins. This order was introduced into England in 1221. Rutebeuf says that instead of adhering to their primitive humility and poverty, the Jacobins became the richest and most overbearing of all the orders. Jubinal, vol. i. pp. 152, 175-179.
[P. 148], l. 240, devyns seems to be a mere variation of devys, thus spelt in order to accommodate the rhyme.
[P. 149]. Song of the Husbandman.—This Song is in many parts extremely difficult to translate, from the numerous words in it which do not occur elsewhere, as well as from the abruptness of the phraseology. The same may be said of one or two other songs printed from the same manuscript.
[P. 154], l. 14, halymotes.—This word means literally holy meetings. It is translated sabbath, in the supposition that there is some allusion to the popular notion of the festive meetings of the devils and the witches.
[P. 160]. Song on the Scottish Wars.—The copy of this Song preserved among the manuscripts of Clare Hall was first pointed out by Mr. Hunter, in the Appendix to the last Report of the Record Commission. I have obtained a copy of part of it by the kindness of Mr. Halliwell, who was unable from different circumstances to continue his transcript beyond the 72nd line. The Oxford MS. I only know through Mr. Halliwell’s description of it: to judge by the articles contained in this MS., I should be inclined to think they were mostly copied from the Cottonian MS. Titus A. XX. In the Cottonian MS., Claudius D. VI. this poem bears the title “Commendatio Gentis Anglorum et processus guerræ inter Anglos et Scotos.” In the Clare Hall MS. the Song is attributed to the “Prior de Blithe.” The Prior of Blythe, in Nottinghamshire, at this time, was William Burdon. See Ellis’s Dugdale, iv. 621. The MS. in the Sloane Library seems to be a transcript from a monastic register, perhaps of Alnwick, in Northumberland, for the reference in the margin is, “Regist. Prem. fol. 59, a.” It is there attributed to the Prior of Alnwick. The original title seems to have been “Rithmus bonus de bello Scotiæ ad Dunbarre;” which the transcriber had first copied, and then, after erasing it, substituted the following, “Prioris Alnwicensis de Bello Scotico apud Dunbarr, tempore regis Edwardi I., dictamen sive rithmus Latinus; quo de Willielmo Wallace, Scotico illo Robin Whood, plura, sed invidiose, canit.” Ritson, in his preface to Robin Hood, was misled by this latter title, and cites it as a proof that this hero was popular in the thirteenth century. In MS. Cotton. Titus A. XX. a hand of the sixteenth century ascribes this poem to Robert Baston.
It will already have been observed by the reader, that, in verse of this kind, the fourth line of each tetrastich is an hexameter (sometimes a pentameter), taken from some poet then popular, and often from a classic writer. In the MS. from which the Sloane transcript was made, the authorities for the hexameters, in the present Song, were indicated in the margin. They are as follows:—ll. 4, Morus.—8, Cato.—†8, Cato.—†12, Poetria.—†16, Oracius.—12, Cato.—16, Doctrinale.—20, Doctrinale.—24, De proprio.—28, Doctrinale.—32, Cartul.—36, Urbanus.—40, Doctrinale.—44, Morus.—48, Theodorus.—52, De proprio.—56, Vulgat.—60, Pu....—64, Vulgat.—68, Buliardus.—72, Oracius.—76, Oracius.—80, Oracius.—84, Cato.—88, Ovidius.—92, Doctrinale.—96, Cato.—100, Cato.—104, Ovidius.—108, Cato.—112, Cato.—116, Cato. (?)—120, Cato.—124, Cato.—128, Cato.—132, Doctrinale.—136, Cato.—140, Cato.—144, Poeta.—148, Poeta.—152, Orasius.—156, Virgilius.—160, Statius.—†164, Oratius.—†168, Teodorus.—164, Omerus.—168, Ovid. Omer.—172, Cartul.—176, Veritas evangelica.—180, De proprio.—184, Ovidius.—188, Vulgat.—192, Doctrinale.—196, Vulgat.—200, Doctrinale.—204, Idem.—208, Oracius.—212, De Vulg.—216, Doctrinale.—220, Amianus.
In the above list of names, Poetria refers to the celebrated work of Galfridus de Vinesauf. Poeta seems to be a mere error of the scribe for Poetria. Doctrinale is here only another name for the Parabolæ of Alanus de Insulis. Cato refers to the well-known Disticha. De proprio means that the verse is of the author’s own making.
[P. 164], l. 44, Joannis, John Baliol.—In the Cottonian MS. Claudius D. VI. the following lines are here inserted, which evidently do not belong to the poem:
“Exprobratio Scotorum.