the recollection, that the scene has been long since closed by the hand of death. But we must not, in our respect for the dead, altogether forget what is due to the living. Much coarse and insolent invective is poured on Bishop Percy, who seemes to have incurred the editor's resentment in a double capacity, as a dignitary of the church, and a successful publisher of ancient poetry. We do not think Mr. Ritson imbibed this spirit from the works which he studied. Surely, neither the gallant Sir Lancelot, nor the courteous Sir Gawain would have given a reverend Bishop the lie direct, on account of a disputed reading in the old song of Maggie Lauder! We would have antiquaries remember, that the ridicule which their pursuits are at all times apt to incur, becomes pointed in proportion to the indecent vehemence of their argument. Whether the controverted line (which refers to the dwelling of a certain bagpiper) ought to be read, "Come ye frae the border," or "Live you upo' the border," or, finally, "Ye live upon the border," might surely have been debated, if indeed, it was worth debating (num pugna est de paupere regno), with the temper and manners of a gentleman. The frequent charge brought by Mr. Ritson against the editor of the Reliques of ancient Poetry, of adulterating, by modern improvements, the ancient poems which he published, appears to us to be urged with far too much grossness. do not, indeed, approve of this species of sophistication, by which the man of taste is sometimes a gainer at the expense of the antiquary. But when we consider, that the Reliques were published at a time when the public taste was far from encouraging the pursuits of the mere antiquary, we wonder not that the learned editor should have been tempted to render his ancient poetry more attractive by his own elegant interpolations. And we apprehend, that as few modern publishers possess the taste and judgment of Bishop Percy, so, even those as highly gifted, want, in the present day, the apology which we have pleaded for the editor of the Reliques. We In the general scope of Mr. Ritson's Essay, we discover much both of the defects and merits which characterize his lucubrations. The accumulation of materials bears witness to the undeviating and incessant labour of an antiquary zealously employed on a favourite topic. A number of curious facts are drawn together respecting the romances of all na tions, but especially concerning those of England. The first part of the Essay treats of the origin of romances; and the author is particularly anxious to combat the system which deduces those fictions from the north of Europe. He produces some plausible arguments to prove that many of the Scandinavian romances were borrowed or translated from the French, and that the Edda of Sturleson has no claim to high antiquity. The author's ardour in controversy has, however, sometimes hurried him too far. Thus he informs us, when giving the history of Odin of Scandinavia, that this famous personage "attempts to kiss Rinda, daughter to the King of the Ruthes, and receives a slap on the face. According to Torfæus, he even ravished this young lady; but the passage, upon looking into Saxo, to whom he seems to refer, could not be found." (Essay, p. xxxi.) Now, we have looked into Saxo, and found the passage at great length in the Paris edition of 1514, folio xxv. In several other instances, the authority of Saxo seems to countenance the mythology of the Edda, much more than Mr. Ritson is disposed to admit. No positive opinion is given, in the Essay, upon the origin of romance, although the theories of former writers are combated with apparent success from an intimate acquaintance with authorities of the middle ages. Indeed, we have been long of opinion, that Mr. Ritson was, both by talent and disposition, better qualified to assail the opinions of others than to deduce from the facts which he produces a separate theory of his own. In the second part of the Essay, English romance is treated of; and the author contends, with great ardour, for the superior antiquity of the French works upon that subject. Indeed, this is not surprising, when it is considered that French was not merely the court and law language of England, but was spoken universally by the nobles and gentry, from the Conquest, down to the reign of Edward III. The third part of the Essay treats of the English minstrels, a race of men against whom Mr. Ritson seems to have entertained a special malice, and whom he anxiously blends with the jugglers, whose tricks of legerdemain formed another branch of our ancestors' amusement. Now, although it is extremely probable that the same person might occasionally practise both arts, yet, in themselves, they were separate and distinct professions. Nor do we agree with Mr. Ritson in supposing that the minstrels, whose profession was music and the recitation of poetry, were not frequently themselves poets. Their daily bread depended upon their stock of tales and songs; and it must have been as natural for them to have composed the romances which they sung, as for a modern musician to compose the pieces which he performs. Above all, we cannot see why the arts of composition, which are admitted to have been exercised by the minstrels of France, should be supposed to be unattainable by those of England. Subsequent to the reign of Edward III, most of the popular French romances were translated into English, which then became the language, as well of the nobles as of the vulgar. Why the minstrels, who were thus interested in these translations, should be deemed unequal to the task of accomplishing them, we can see no good reason for believing. A wandering and idle race of men, attendant on the barons who went to war in France, they had time to acquire both languages; and the art of rhyming must have been easy to persons who almost every day of their lives were employed in poetical recitation. Minstrels and bards are often employed as synonymous terms, although the poetic powers of the bards are indisputable. As late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth, this combination occurs in the poem of a Scottish satirist describing London. "Bot yet the menstrallis and the bairdis, Legend of the Bishop of St. Androis. A proof how far the task of the poet and of the reciter were required from the minstrel, occurs in a very ancient poem, of which there is one MS. in the British Museum, and another in the library of Peterborough cathedral. It contains the history of an intrigue betwixt Thomas of Erceldoune, called the Rhymer, and the Queen of Fairies, by whom, as every one knows, he was transported to the "Londe of Faeri," and gifted with those supernatural pow. ers of poetry and prophecy by which he was afterwards distinguished. The following dialogue passes betwixt the bard and his faery leman upon this memorable occasion. "Fare wel, Thomas, I wend my way, I may no longer stande with the.' 'Gif me sum tokyn, Lady gaye, That I may say I spake with the.' હૈ "To harp and carpe, Thomas, wher so ever ze gon, For tong is chefe of mynstralcie.'— "If thu wil spelle, or talys telle, Thomas thu shall never make lye; I pray thu speke never non ille of me.' From this decisive declaration, which a poet and minstrel made on the nature of his own profession, it appears plainly, that, in more ancient times, the minstrel's principal and most honourable occupation referred to poetry rather than music; and the Rhymer might have been justly described as one "who united the arts of poetry and music, and sung verses to the harp of his own composing," if he had not disdained the musical skill to which it was Mr. Ritson's persuasion that the talents of the minstrel were exclusively limited. We should have been anxious to have heard what reply his keen and eager spirit could have suggested; but poor Ritson is now probably deciphering the characters upon the collar of Cerberus, or conversing in unbaptized language with the Saxon and British chiefs of former times; "With Oswald, Vortigern, Harold, Hengist, Horsa, Knute, Upon the whole, it occurs to us, from a careful perusal of his Essay, that Mr. Ritson's talents were better adapted to research than to deduction, to attack than to defence, to criticism than to composition; and that he has left us a monument of profound industry and extensive study, undirected by any attempt at system, and tarnished by the splenetic peculiarities of an irritable temperament. Still let it be remembered to his honour, that, without the encouragement of private patronage, or of public applause; without hopes of gain, and under the certainty of severe critical censure, he has brought forward such a work on national antiquities, as in other countries has been thought worthy of the labour of universities, and the countenance of princes. The work of Mr. Ellis is of a nature adapted for general circulation, and for conveying a lively and pleasing picture of the contents of the ancient metrical romances, without literal transcription of their whole contents. With this view, the editor has analyzed each romance in prose, introducing, at the same time, occasionally, as a continuation of the narrative, such parts of the original as seemed to possess either peculiarities of expression or poetical beauty, sufficient to render their preservation desirable, as fair or favourable specimens of the whole composition. In transcribing these selected passages, Mr. Ellis has discarded the antique orthography, preserving, however, carefully, every ancient word, while he reduces the spelling to the modern standard, according to the mode adopted in his previous publication, entitled, "Specimens of Ancient English Poetry," Such is the plan of the present work. It is obvious, that by adopting it, Mr. Ellis voluntarily resigned the object of Mr. Ritson's publication, who gave his romances entire to the world; a mode more acceptable, doubtless, to the antiquary, though infinitely less interesting and amusing to the general reader, as well as to the editor. We have no doubt that some more severe student of our national antiquities may censure the liberties which Mr. Ellis has taken with his materials, and deprecate his scouring the shield of ancient chivalry. But, with great reverence for such grave judges, we presume to think, that the shield may be safely scoured, where there is no danger of its being proved, in the process of purification, to be no antique buckler, but a barber's basin, or a paltry old sconce. This is far from being the case in the present instance. The burnishing of the armour has only tended to ascertain the valuable materials of which it is sometimes composed, and which were heretofore obscured by cobwebs and rust. So far are we from thinking that the popular labours of Mr. Ellis will supersede a complete edition of these curious legends, that, we doubt not, the wit and elegance with which he has abridged and analyzed their contents, will encourage many a gentle reader to attempt the originals, who would before have as soon thought of wearing the dress, as of studying the poems of his ancestors. Socrates is said to have brought philosophy from heaven to reside among men; and Addison claimed the merit of introducing her to the tea-tables of the ladies. Mr. Ellis, in his turn, has brought the minstrels of old into the boudoirs and drawing-rooms, which have replaced the sounding halls and tapestried bowers in which |