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JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 



read of ''the twelve dicsstfpere^^ (les douze pairs), and in other 

 places we find each single knight called a dozeper," while in the 

 Ashm. MS. of Sir Ferumbras, owing perhaps to the writer having 

 a lisp, the word becomes " do^/i^Aeper." 



4. Ferumhras. "We have two versions of this Romance ; one of 

 them the Farmer MS. analyzed by Ellis (vol. ii. p. 369), and now 

 in the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps ; the other a fragment 

 (Ashra. MS. 33) of great length, which will shortly be printed by 

 the Early English Text Society. They both belong probably to 

 the end of the fourteenth century. The original of the Romance 

 is the French Eierabras {Les Anciens Poetes^ tom. iv.) I give 

 parallel extracts from the French and the two English versions. 

 There is a Proven9al as well as a French version of the Romance, 

 and I would suggest the enquiry whether the poem analyzed by 

 Ellis does not follow this Provenqal version, or rather perhaps the 

 lost French original of which the French editors have shown the 

 Provencal version to be a translation. They agree at any rate in 

 brevity, though they both give a long introduction, which the 

 existing French version omits. The Ashm. MS. is imperfect at the 

 beginning and at the end ; but it appears generally to follow very 

 nearly the story of the existing French version, though it is much 

 more diffuse, the remaining fragment containing about 10,450 lines, 

 while the entire French poem contains only 6219. Both the English 

 versions agree, however, in some little particulars which the French 

 omits; e.g., the mention of Richard blessing himself in the extracts 

 I give. Our fragment begins, like the French poem, with the 

 relation of a long combat between Oliver and Ferumhras (Fierabras, 

 ferox hrachiiim), the son of the admiral (amirans, Arab, amir) Balan, 

 who in the Farmer MS. is strangely called Laban. Ferumhras 

 is vanquished, and embraces the Christian faith; but Oliver is 

 surprised by the Saracens, and made prisoner, with four other peers. 

 The rest of the peers are sent by Charles to demand the surrender 

 of their companions, but are thrown into the same dungeon. They 

 are, however, protected by Florippe, the daughter of Balan, and 

 after many battles are at length delivered by Charlemagne. Balan 

 refuses baptism, but Florippe is baptized, and here the Ashm. MS. 

 ends, being imperfect ; but the other versions relate the marriage 

 of Florippe to Guy of Bourgoyne ; and the division of the kingdom 

 of Spain between him and Ferumhras. 



"With the Ashm. MS. is preserved its ancient vellum cover, made 



