under Edward II. by some French or 
_ Norman scribes; by whom, says the 
editor, the poem itself may have been 
- composed in the preceding reign. A 
_ fragment only of the French copy is pre- 
served: but that fragment contains one 
thousand two hundred lines more than 
the present version; and as the names 
are, for the most part, entirely different, 
the identity of the two poems cannot be 
ascertained. We should not, therefore, 
hastily contradict Percy’s opinion, that 
this story is of genuine English growth. 
That there existed a romance older than 
__ the French version is certain, because 
Horn himself, by a singular absurdity, 
is there made to refer to it, 
Ras 
> 
* De sutdene fui nez si ma geste ne ment.’ 
+ King Allof of Suddene is attacked 
and slain by the Saracens, who thrust 
_. ‘his son, then fifteen years old, with his 
playmates, into a ship, and set them 
adrift, that they may be drowned. The 
__ vessel is stranded upon the coast of 
_ Westness, and all the children are taken 
into the service of King Eylmer. His 
daughter Rymenyld falls in love with 
_ Horn, and asks him to plight her his 
‘troth. He requires her first to obtain 
“knighthood for him from her father. 
_» When this is done he promises to take 
her to wife, after he has proved himself 
an fight. She gives him a ring, which, 
while he wears and thinks of her, he can 
ever be subdued. Horn rides away, 
esees a party of heathen hounds landing, 
and by virtue of this ring destroys them, 
‘and then returns to court. Fykenyld, 
one of his companions, for envy, informs 
| King Aylmer that Horn has seduced his 
-daughter; the king detects them to- 
ether, and banishes him; who, before 
“he departs, leaves Rymenyld to the pro- 
“tection of his friend Athulf, telling her 
that if he should not return before the 
‘end of seven years, she may take another 
husband. He sails‘to Ireland, and there, 
_ under the name of Godmod, does the 
_ ‘king good service, and remains above 
"six years, never sending any tidings to 
_ #Rymenyld. At length he meets.a page, 
say, that she is by force to be married, 
_ tthe next Sunday being the day appointed. 
-» Horn asks help of the king of Ireland, 
and arrives in time. He leaves his men 
' i ambush, changes clothes with a 
_ “palmer, and in this disguise enters the 
*¢ourt, during the marriage feast. The 
Sida 
RITSON’S ANCIENT ENGLISH ROMANCES. 
_ whom she has sent in quest of him, to 
527 
passage which immediately follows we 
will give im the original. Its language 
will wear an uncouth aspect to many of 
our readers, but the lapidary will per- 
ceive the value of the brute diamond. 
«« Athulf wes o tour ful heh, 
To loke fer and eke neh, 
After Hornes comynge, 
Yef water him wolde brynge ; 
The see he seh flowe, 
Ah Horn no wer rowe; 
He seyde on is songé, 
Horn thou art to longe ; 
Rymenild thou me bitoeke, 
‘That ich hire shulde loke, 
Ich have yloked evere, 
And thou né comest nevere. 
Rymenild ros of benche 
The beer al forté shenche, 
After mete in sale, 
Bothe wyn and ale ; 
An horn hue ber an honde, 
For that wes lawe of londe. 
Hue dronc of the becere, 
‘To knyht and skyere ; 
Horn set at grounde, 
Him thohte he wes ybounde, 
He seide, Quene, so hende, 
To me hydeward thou wende, 
Thou shench us with the vurste, 
The beggares bueth afurste. 
Hyre horn hue leyde adoune, 
Ante fulde him of the broune, 
A bolle ofa galoun, 
Hue wende he were aglotoun. 
Hue seide, ‘l'ac the coppe, 
Ant dryne this ber al uppe ; 
Ne seh y never, y wene, 
Beggare so kene. 
Horn toc hit hise yfere, 
Ant seide, quene, so dere, 
No beer nullich ibite, 
Bote of coppe white ; 
Thou wenest ich be a -beggere, 
Y wis icham a fysshere, 
Wel fer come by weste, 
To seche mine beste ; 
Min net lyht her wel hende, 
Withinne a wel feyr pende ; 
Ich have leye there, : 
Nou is this the sevethe yere ; 
Icham iconte to loke, 
Yef eney fish hit toke ; 4 
Yef eny fyssh is thereinne, 
‘Ther of thou shalt wynne ; 
For icham come to fyssh, 
Drynke nully of dyssh : 
Drynke to Horn of horney, 
Wel fer ich have yorne, 
Rymenild him gan bihelde, 
Hire herte fel to kelde ; 
Ne kneu hue noht is fysshyng, 
Ne him selve nothyng: 
Ah wonder hire gan thynke, 
Why for Horn he bed drynke. 
