Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

AND BALLADS. xxi
horrible ferpent with wings and a woman's face : it
coils round his neck and kilTes him ; then is fuddenly
converted into a very beautiful lady. She tells him
fhe is the Lady of Sinadone, and was fo inchanted, till
flie might kifs Sir Gawain, or fome one of his blood :
that he has diffolved the charm, and that herfelf and
her dominions may be his reward. He joyfully accepts
the offer ; makes her his bride, and then fets out
with her for King Arthur's court."
Such is the fable of this ancient piece : which the
reader may obferve, is as regular in its conduct, as
any of the finer! poems of claffical antiquity. If the
execution, particularly as to the diftion and fentiments,
were but equal to the plan, it would be a capital performance
; but this is fuch as might be expected in
rude and ignorant times, and in a barbarous unpolifhed
language.
IV. I shall conclude this prolix account, with a List
of fuch old Metrical Romances as are ftill extant:
beginning with thofe mentioned by Chaucer.
i. The Romance of Horne-childe is preferved in the
Britifh. Mufeum, where it is intitled J^e sefteof kyng Home.
See Catalog. Harl. MSS. 2253./. 7°' The Language
is almoft Saxon, yet from the mention in it of Sara-
zens, it appears to have been written after fome of the
C.rufades. It begins thus,
All heo ben bly|?e
Jjat to my fon^ ylyj^e:
A fong ychulle ou firrg
Of Allof Jre jode kynge (x) Sic.
Another copy of this poem, but greatly altered and
fomewhat modernized, is preferved in the Advocates
c 3 Library
(x) i. e. May all they be blithe, that to my fcng liften : A
I fhall you fing, Of Allof the good king, Sec'.
fong