84 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



The above English translation, being modernised, 

 gives a faithful and spirited rendering of the Latin 

 original. As a specimen of the more ancient form, I 

 give a quotation from an English metrical Life of Saint 

 Eobert, taken from a MS. belonging to Mr. Drury, of 

 Harrow, and published by the Eoxburghe Club in 1824. 

 The canto is headed — 



" QUOMODO YACCAM DOMAVIT." 



" Off a myracle wylle I melle, 

 That I trow be trew and lele, 

 Of sayntt Robertt ; anes, as I rede, 

 Off a cow he had nede 

 To hys pormen in hys place ; 

 Tharefor to the Erll Roberd gayse, 

 And for a cowe he com and craved. 

 He graunte hym ane that wytles raued ; 

 He bad hym to hys forest fare, 

 ' And syke a cowe take the thare, 

 I halde hyr wyld, maik thou hyr tame.' 

 Robert rayked, and thider yode, 

 And fand this cowe wyttles and wode ; 

 StyJl she stode, nathynge stirrand, 

 Roberd arest hyr in a band, 

 And hame wyth hyr full fast he hyed ; 

 Meruayle them thoght that stod besyde. 

 Byrde and best all bowed hym tyll, 

 Euer to wyrke after hys wyll." 



The sequel was that the Earl and his men, over- 

 coming their surprise, tried to get the cow back again, 

 but were miraculously prevented by the interposition of 

 the saint. 



I have given this account at full length because I 

 think it affords the strongest proof of the existence of 

 the wild cattle in the Forest of Knaresborough at a very 



