RITSON’S ANCIENT ENGLISH ROMANCES. §29 
due time she is delivered of a shapeless ‘‘ And when the chyld gan to wepe, 
lump of flesh. The soldan affirms, that With sory hert she songe hit asleepe, 
__ the misfortune has befallen him because , And putte the pappe ynhis mowth, 
f her unbelief in Termegaunt and Ma- ap sayde, Myghth y ones gete lond, 
houn; she bids him take the monster to ae Ms oe oes by “rh gat 
their temples, and pray to them to in- Swath hs 
temples, pray tc a Wele owth y to warye the see, 
due it with shape and life, -t btaags I have myche shame yn the, 
truly to belicve in them if they wilk — And ever she lay and growht; 
work that miracle. The soldanaccord- Thenshe made her prayer, 
ingly prays, with due perseverance, as To Jhesu and his moder dere, 
long atime as it would have takento In all that she kowthe.” 
ride five miles, but without effect. THe ce ffer fittle child lay weeping in her arm, 
then loses his patience, and knocks his And kneeling piteously to him she said, 
idols to pieces. In his turn he promises Peace little son! I will do thee no harm ! 
to become a Christian, if her god will With that her coverchief of her head she 
perform this miracle: a priest isfound: « braid, te beh 
among the prisoners, and he, by the * And over his little eyen she it laid, 
help of holy water, effects the wonder. me A arm she lu leth it full fast, 7 
The soldan is then baptized, by immersion, And inio the heaven her eyen up = yom 
2 . = HAUCER. 
and such is the virtue of the font, that 
it washes the blackmoor white. His This is a sweet stanza, but contains 
subjects he knows will rebel against him nothing so affecting as the—with sorry 
when they discover his conversion; by heart she sung it asleep. Even the beau- 
his wife’s advice, therefore, he sends to tiful fragment of Simonides does not ex- 
her father to lead an army to his aid; ceed this. Why did not Mr. Ritson, ac- 
and when he arrives, they resolve to curate ashe is, insert aliteral prose transe 
hang every man who will not be christ- lation of that fragment in his notes, in- 
ened. A great battle takes place, but stead of the unfaithful and unfeeling 
the soldan is victorious; helivesahappy rhymes of Dr. Burney? 
life, and goes to heaven at last. Orpheus is the hero of the next poem, 
The story of Emare is the same which is stiled a lay, being too short to 
which Gower has related of Constance, be denominated a metrical romance. Sir 
and Chaucer, in his Man of Lawes Tale. Orpheo is here metamorphosed into a 
The stanzas which describe her expo- rich king, who loved harping, and ex- 
sure with her child are written with celled in it, so that 
more feeling than even Chaucer has dis- 
EO 
Ke There non was 
eee 
¥ played. A better harper in no place.” 
__ Then was ther sorow and myche woo, His queen Dame Erodys is described 
When the lady to shype shulde go, as being 4 
_ They wepte and wronge her honde ; 
The lady that was meke and mylde, <¢ The feyrest woman for the nonys 
‘In her arme she bar her chylde, That myghth be made of flessche and bonys.” 
Whe oe e Sodan ate The king of the fairies carries her away 
 Inthat robe of ryche ble, ‘” bodily. Orpheo for grief forsakes his 
. Men sowened on the sonde ; kingdom, and wanders about in the woods 
q Sore they wepte, and sayde, Alas! for ten years, solacing himself with his 
Certys this ys a wykked kase, harp. _ He often saw the king of the fai- 
Wo worth dedes wronge! , ries come hunting with all his train, or 
sometimes hawking by the river side, and 
once drew near enough to see his wife ; 
they knew each other, but had no power 
_ The lady and the lytyll chylde, 
* Fleted forth on the water wylde, 
- With fall harde happes ; 
Her surkote that was large and wyde, | to speak. Orpheo follows the company 
Therwith her vysage she gan hyde, through aholein a rock, full three miles, 
__ With the hynthier lappes. till he comes to a fair country as bright 
She was aferde of the see, as day, where there stood a noble castle. 
Beet leyde her gruf upon a tre, Here he knocks and asks admittance as a 
x echyide to per pappes 5 + ; - 
Thé wawes that sire pie and strong, Ne ag eee ai Mee nino’ - ee? 
On the bote faste they thronge, ; get pry 8 
promises him in reward whatever he 
: chuses todemand. He asks for his wife, 
| Ann. Rev. Vow IT. M m 
With mony unsemely rappes. 
