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

AND BALLADS. XXV jj
13. The Romance of Merline, in 9 Parts, (preferred
in the fame folio MS. p. 144.) gives a curious account
of the birth, parentage, and juvenile adventures of
this famous Britifh Prophet. In this poem the Saxons
are called Sarazens ; and the thrufting the rebel angels
out of Heaven is attributed to " cure Lady" It is in
diltichs, and begins thus,
He that made with his hand.
There is an old Romance Of Arthour and of Merlin,
in the Edinburgh MS. of old Englifh Poems : I know
not whether it has any thing in common with this laft
mentioned. It is in the volume, numbered XXIII. and
extends through 55 leaves. The two firft. Lines are
Jefu Crift, heven king
Al ous graunt gode ending.
14. Sir Ifenbras, (or as it is in the MS. copies, Sir
Jfumbras) is quoted in Chaucer's R. of Thop. v. 6.
Among Mr. Gar-rick's old plays is a printed copy ; of
which an account has been already given, in Vol. 1.
p. 303. It is preferved in MS. in the Library of Caius
Coll. Camb. Clafs A. 9. (2.) and alfo in the Cotton
Library, Cal. A. 12. (f. 128.) This is extremely dif-
ferent from the printed copy. E. g.
God J?at made both erjje and hevene.
15. Emare, a very curious and ancient Romance, is
preferved in the fame Vol. of the Cotton Library, f.
69. It is in ftan. of 6 lines, and begins thus,
Jefu J?at ys kyng in trone.
16. Chenjelere ajjigne, or, The Knight of the Swan,
preferved in the Cotton Library, has been already de-
fcribed in Vol. 2. p. 272. as hath alfo
17. The