24 INTRODUCTION. 4 
in the poem itself, or by the original commentator 
Arnaldus de Villa Nova. But the authority | 
Giannone, the historian of Naples, probably foundet” 
upon original documents, is sufficient to establi 
the fact, which is confirmed by many other ¢i 
stances. “4 7 
1. That the poem was written as early as the 
of the eleventh century is evident from — 
referred to and imitated by 2gidius Corbolien 
the middle of the twelfth century, and the 
imitations of it by the universities of Paris 
Montpelier. eo 
2. No other king of England was so conned ~ 
with Salerno. Richard the first, indeed, was he 
in his way to Palestine, in 1190, but this was at @ 
late a period. Muratori, after stating the get 
opinion, that it was Robert of Normandy, exp’ 
some doubts of it, and supposes that it was Ee 
the Confessor, for which he gives two reasons, 
equally frivolous. The first is, that the s¢ 
Salerno was famous for medical science in his 
But this proves nothing, since it was equally. 
brated both before and after that time. Se 
that Robert of Normandy was never 
England. ‘This is as futile: he had a just hered 
right to his throne of England, and under | 
title was the lawful successor of William 
