Volume 2, Part 1 Part 10 (1/2)

Andresen, Heilbronn, 1877-1879, 2 vols.), written 1160-1174, stops at the battle of Tinchebray in 1107 just before the period for which he would have been so useful. His _Brut_ or _Geste des Bretons_ (Le Roux de Lincy, 1836-1838, 2 vols.), written in 1155, is merely a translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth. ”Wace,” says Gaston Paris, speaking of the _Roman de Rou_, ”traduit en les abregeant des historiens latins que nous possedons; mais ca et la il ajoute soit des contes populaires, par exemple sur Richard 1'er, sur Robert 1'er, soit des particularites qu'il savait par tradition (sur ce meme Robert le magnifique, sur l'expedition de Guillaume, &c.) et qui donnent a son oeuvre un reel interet historique. Sa langue est excellente; son style clair, serre, simple, d'ordinaire a.s.sez monotone, vous plait par sa saveur archaque et quelquefois par une certaine grace et une certaine malice.”

The _History of the Dukes of Normandy_ by Benoit de Sainte-More is based on the work of Wace. It was composed at the request of Henry II.

about 1170, and takes us as far as the year 1135 (ed. by Francisque Michel, 1836-1844, _Collection de doc.u.ments inedits,_ 3 vols.). The 43,000 lines which it contains are of but little interest to the historian; they are too evidently the work of a _romancier courtois,_ who takes pleasure in recounting love-adventures such as those he has described in his romance of Troy. Other works, however, give us more trustworthy information, for example, the anonymous poem on Henry II.'s _Conquest of Ireland_ in 1172 (ed. Francisque Michel, London, 1837), which, together with the _Expugnatio hibernica_ of Giraud de Barri, const.i.tutes our chief authority on this subject. The _Conquest of Ireland_ was republished in 1892 by G.o.ddard Henry Orpen, under the t.i.tle of _The Song of Dermot and the Earl_ (Oxford, Clarendon Press).

Similarly, Jourdain Fantosme, who was in the north of England in 1174, wrote an account of the wars between Henry II., his sons, William the Lion of Scotland and Louis VII., in 1173 and 1174 (_Chronicle of the reigns of Stephen_ ... III., ed. by Joseph Stevenson and Fr. Michel, London, 1886, pp. 202-307). Not one of these histories, however, is to be compared in value with _The History of William the Marshal, Count of Striguil and Pembroke,_ regent of England from 1216-1219, which was found and subsequently edited by Paul Meyer (_Societe de l'histoire de France,_ 3 vols., 1891-1901). This masterpiece of historiography was composed in 1225 or 1226 by a professional poet of talent at the request of William, son of the marshal. It was compiled from the notes of the marshal's squire, John d'Early ([+] 1230 or 1231), who shared all the vicissitudes of his master's life and was one of the executors of his will. This work is of great value for the history of the period 1186-1219, as the information furnished by John d'Early is either personal or obtained at first hand. In the part which deals with the period before 1186, it is true, there are various mistakes, due to the author's ignorance of contemporary history, but these slight blemishes are amply atoned for by the literary value of the work. The style is concise, the anecdotes are well told, the descriptions short and picturesque; the whole const.i.tutes one of the most living pictures of medieval society. Very pale by the side of this work appear the _Chronique_ of Peter of Langtoft, written between 1311 and 1320, and mainly of interest for the period 1294-1307 (ed. by T. Wright, London, 1866-1868); the _Chronique_ of Nicholas Trevet (1258?-1328?), dedicated to Princess Mary, daughter of Edward I. (Duffus Hardy, _Descr. Catal._ III., 349-350); the _Scala Chronica_ compiled by Thomas Gray of Heaton ([+] _c._ 1369), which carries us to the year 1362-1363 (ed. by J. Stevenson, Maitland Club, Edinburgh, 1836); the _Black Prince,_ a poem by the poet Chandos, composed about 1386, and relating the life of the Black Prince from 1346-1376 (re-edited by Francisque Michel, London and Paris, 1883); and, lastly, the different versions of the _Brutes,_ the form and historical importance of which have been indicated by Paul Meyer (_Bulletin de la Societe des Anciens Textes,_ 1878, pp. 104-145), and by F.W.D. Brie (_Geschichte und Quellen der mittelenglischen Prosachronik, The Brute of England or The Chronicles of England,_ Marburg, 1905).

Finally we may mention, as ancient history, the translation of Eutropius and Dares, by Geoffrey of Waterford (13th century), who gave also the _Secret des Secrets,_ a translation from a work wrongly attributed to Aristotle, which belongs to the next division (_Rom._ xxiii. 314).

_Didactic Literature_.--This is the most considerable, if not the most interesting, branch of Anglo-Norman literature: it comprises a large number of works written chiefly with the object of giving both religious and profane instruction to Anglo-Norman lords and ladies.

The following list gives the most important productions arranged in chronological order:--

Philippe de Thaun, _Comput, c_. 1119 (edited by E. Mall, Stra.s.sburg, 1873), poem on the calendar; _Bestiaire, c_. 1130 (ed. by E. Walberg, Paris, 1900; cf. G. Paris, _Rom._ x.x.xi. 175); _Lois de Guillaume le Conquerant_ (redaction between 1150 and 1170, ed. by J.E. Matzke, Paris, 1899); _Oxford Psalter, c_. 1150 (Fr. Michel, _Libri Psalmorum versio antiqua gallica_, Oxford, 1860); _Cambridge Psalter, c_. 1160 (Fr. Michel, _Le Livre des Psaumes,_ Paris, 1877); _London Psalter,_ same as Oxford Psalter (cf. Beyer, _Zt. f. rom. Phil._ xi. 513-534; xii. 1-56); _Disticha Catonis_, translated by Everard de Kirkham and Elie de Winchester (Stengel, _Ausg. u. Abhandlungen_); _Le Roman de fortune_, summary of Boetius' _De consolatione philosophiae,_ by Simon de Fresne (_Hist. lit._ xxviii. 408); _Quatre livres des rois_, translated into French in the 12th century, and imitated in England soon after (P. Schlosser, _Die Lautverhaltnisse der quatre livres des rois,_ Bonn, 1886; _Romania,_ xvii. 124); _Donnei des Amanz,_, the conversation of two lovers, overheard and carefully noted by the poet, of a purely didactic character, in which are included three interesting pieces, the first being an episode of the story of Tristram, the second a fable, _L'homme et le serpent,_ the third a tale, _L'homme et l'oiseau_, which is the basis of the celebrated _Lai de l'oiselet_ (_Rom._ xxv. 497); _Livre des Sibiles_ (1160); _Enseignements Trebor_, by Robert de Ho (=Hoo, Kent, on the left bank of the Medway) [edited by Mary Vance Young, Paris; Picard, 101; cf.

G. Paris, _Rom._ x.x.xii. 141]; _Lapidaire de Cambridge_ (Pannier, _Les Lapidaires francais_); Frere Angier de Ste. Frideswide, _Dialogues,_ 29th of November 1212 (_Rom._ xii. 145-208, and xxix.; M.K. Pope, _etude sur la langue de Frere Angier,_ Paris, 1903); _Li dialoge Gregoire le pape_, ed. by Foerster, 1876; _Pet.i.t Plet_, by Chardri, _c._ 1216 (Koch, _Altfr Bibliothek._ i., and Mussafia, _Z.f.r.P._ iii. 591); _Pet.i.te philosophie, c._ 1225 (_Rom._ xv. 356; xxix.

72); _Histoire de Marie et de Jesus (Rom._ xvi. 248-262); _Poeme sur l'Ancien Testament_ (_Not. et Extr._ x.x.xiv. 1, 210; _Soc. Anc.

Textes_, 1889, 73-74); _Le Corset_ and _Le Miroir,_ by Robert de Gretham (_Rom._ vii. 345; xv. 296); _Lumiere as Lais,_ by Pierre de Peckham, _c._ 1250 (_Rom._ xv. 287); an Anglo-Norman redaction of _Image du monde, c._ 1250 (_Rom._ xxi. 481); two Anglo-Norman versions of _Quatre soeurs_ (Justice, Truth, Peace, Mercy), 13th century (ed.

by Fr. Michel, _Psautier d'Oxford,_ pp. 364-368, _Bulletin Soc. Anc.

Textes,_ 1886, 57, _Romania,_ xv. 352); another _Comput_ by Rauf de Lenham, 1256 (P. Meyer, _Archives des missions,_ 2nd series iv.

154 and 160-164; _Rom._ xv. 285); _Le chastel d'amors,_ by Robert Grosseteste or Greathead, bishop of Lincoln ([+] 1253) [ed. by Cooke, _Carmina Anglo-Normannica_, 1852, Caxton Society]; _Poeme sur l'amour de Dieu et sur la haine du peche_, 13th century, second part (_Rom._ xxix. 5); _Le mariage des neuf filles du diable_ (_Rom._ xxix. 54); _Ditie d' Urbain_, attributed without any foundation to Henry I. (P.

Meyer, _Bulletin Soc. Anc. Textes_, 1880, p. 73 and _Romania_ x.x.xii, 68); _Dialogue de l'eveque Saint Julien et son disciple_ (_Rom._ xxix.

21); _Poeme sur l'antichrist et le jugement dernier_, by Henri d'Arci (_Rom._ xxix. 78; _Not. et. Extr._ 35, i. 137). Wilham de Waddington produced at the end of the 13th century his _Manuel des peches_, which was adapted in England by Robert of Brunne in his _Handlying Sinne_ (1303) [_Hist. lit._ xxviii. 179-207; _Rom._ xxix. 5, 47-53]; see Furnivall,_Robert of Brunne's Handlying Synne_ (Roxb. Club, 1862); in the 14th century we find Nicole Bozon's _Contes moralises_ (see above); _Traite de naturesse_ (_Rom._ xiii. 508); _Sermons_ in verse (P. Meyer, op. cit. xlv.); _Proverbes de bon enseignement_ (op.

cit. xlvi.). We have also a few handbooks on the teaching of French.

Gautier de Biblesworth wrote such a treatise _a Madame Dyonise de Mountechensi pur aprise de langage_ (Wright, _A Volume of Vocabularies_; P. Meyer, _Rec. d'anc. textes_, p. 360 and _Romania_ x.x.xii, 22); _Orthographia gallica_ (Sturzinger, _Altfr. Bibl._ 1884); _La maniere de language_, written in 1396 (P. Meyer, _Rev. crit.

d'hist. et de litt._ nos. compl. de 1870); _Un pet.i.t livre pour enseigner les enfants de leur entreparler comun francois_, c. 1399 (Stengel, _Z. fur n.f. Spr. u. Litt._ i. 11). The important _Mirour de l'omme_, by John Gower, contains about 30,000 lines written in very good French at the end of the 14th century (Macaulay, _The Complete Works of John Gower_, i., Oxford, 1899).

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_Hagiography_.--Among the numerous lives of saints written in Anglo-Norman the most important ones are the following, the list of which is given in chronological order:--_Voyage de Saint Brandan_ (or _Brandain_), written in 1121, by an ecclesiastic for Queen Aelis of Louvain (_Rom. St._ i. 553-588; _Z.f.r.P._ ii. 438-459; _Rom._ xviii.

203. C. Wahlund, _Die altfr. Prosaubersetz. von Brendan's Meerfahrt_, Upsala, 1901); life of St. Catherine by Clemence of Barking (_Rom._ xiii. 400, Jarnik, 1894); life of St Giles, c. 1170, by Guillaume de Berneville (_Soc. Anc. Textes fr._, 1881; _Rom._ xi. and xxiii. 94); life of St. Nicholas, life of Our Lady, by Wace (Delius, 1850; Stengel, _Cod. Digby_, 66); Uhlemann, _Gram. Krit. Studien zu Wace's Conception und Nicolas_, 1878; life of St. George by Simon de Fresne (_Rom._ x.

319; J.E. Matzke, _Public. of the Mod. Lang. a.s.s. of Amer._ xvii.

1902; _Rom._ x.x.xiv. 148); _Expurgatoire de Ste. Patrice_, by Marie de France (Jenkins, 1894; Eckleben, _Aelteste Schilderung vom Fegefeuer d.H. Patricius_, 1851; Ph. de Felice, 1906); _La vie de St. Edmund le Rei_, by Denis Pyramus, end of 12th century (_Memorials of St. Edmund's Abbey_, edited by T. Arnold, ii. 1892; _Rom._ xxii. 170); Henri d'Arci's life of St. Thais, poem on the Antichrist, _Visio S. Pauli_ (P. Meyer, _Not. et Extr._ x.x.xv. 137-158); life of St. Gregory the Great by Frere Angier, 30th of April 1214 (_Rom._ viii. 509-544; ix.

176; xviii. 201); life of St. Modwenna, between 1225 and 1250 (Suchier, _Die dem Matthaus Paris zugeschriebene Vie de St. Auban_, 1873, pp.

54-58); Fragments of a life of St Thomas Becket, c. 1230 (P. Meyer, _Soc. Anc. Text. fr._, 1885); and another life of the same by Benoit of St. Alban, 13th century (Michel, _Chron. des ducs de Normandie; Hist. Lit._ xxiii. 383); a life of Edward the Confessor, written before 1245 (Luard, _Lives of Edward the Confessor_, 1858; _Hist.

Lit._ xxvii. 1), by an anonymous monk of Westminster; life of St. Auban, c. 1250 (Suchier, op. cit.; Uhlemann, ”uber die vie de St. Auban in Bezug auf Quelle,” &c. _Rom. St._ iv. 543-626; ed. by Atkinson, 1876). _The Vision of Tnudgal_, an Anglo-Norman fragment, is preserved in MS. 312, Trinity College, Dublin; the MS. is of the 14th century; the author seems to belong to the 13th (_La vision de Tondale_, ed. by Friedel and Kuno Meyer, 1906). In this category we may add the life of Hugh of Lincoln, 13th century (_Hist. Lit._ xxiii.

436; Child, _The English and Scottish Popular Ballads_, 1888, p. v; Wolter, _Bibl. Anglo-Norm._, ii. 115). Other lives of saints were recognized to be Anglo-Norman by Paul Meyer when examining the MSS.

of the Welbeck library (_Rom._ x.x.xii. 637 and _Hist. Lit._ x.x.xiii.

338-378).

_Lyric Poetry._--The only extant songs of any importance are the seventy-one _Ballads_ of Gower (Stengel, _Gower's Minnesang_, 1886).

The remaining songs are mostly of a religious character. Most of them have been discovered and published by Paul Meyer (_Bulletin de la Soc.

Anc. Textes_, 1889; _Not. et Extr._ x.x.xiv; _Rom._ xiii. 518, t. xiv.

370; xv. p. 254, &c.). Although so few have come down to us such songs must have been numerous at one time, owing to the constant intercourse between English, French and Provencals of all cla.s.ses. An interesting pa.s.sage in _Piers Plowman_ furnishes us with a proof of the extent to which these songs penetrated into England. We read of: