having recovered his fight, he kept the King's pallace at Windfor a long feafon (for there he was healed) after King Edward was dead, and deceas'd in the raigne of William Conqueror. Sc. 10. p. 282.

Biron. And even that falshood, in itself a fin.] Read, and e'en, for the fake of the measure, which otherwife is too long by half a foot.

Id. ib. p. 284.

Anon.

Behold the window of my heart, mine eye.] Thus exprefs'd by Butler.

"Love is a burglarer, à felon

"That at the windore-eye doth steal in "To rob the heart, and with his prey "Steals out again, a clofer way."

Hudibras, part 2. canto 1. 417, &c.

A&t 5. fc. ibid.

The cuckow then on every tree

Mocks married men, for thus fings be

Cuckow, cuckow, cuckow.

Probably borrow'd from thefe lines in Chaucer's Manciples Tale, of Phabus's White Crow; which accused his wife, as having plaid false with him in his absence. V. 815, &c.

"When Phebus' wife had fent for her Lemmon, "Anon thei wroughtin all their lufte volage, "This white crowe that hang aie in the cage, "Behelde their worke, and faied never a word, "And when that home was Phebus their lorde, "This crow yfong, cuckowe, cuckowe, cuc"kowe."

As you

Several paffages in this play were certainly

borrowed from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn in Chaucer, as will appear I hope from the following abftract, &c.

Sir John Boundis an antient knight, finding himself in a declining state of health, by will devised his fortunes to his three fons, John, Otis, [or Ote] and Gamelyn: and as Gamelyn was very young, he intreated his friends (knowing his eldest fon to be of a barbarous, and unnatural difpofition) that they would take care, that Gamelyn's fhare fhould be made fecure to him.

But after the old knight's death, they neglecting their promife; Gamelyn's eldest brother feiz'd upon his whole fortunes, committed great wafte upan his parks and woods, fuffering his houfes at the fame time to run to ruine; ufing Gamelyn much worse, than he did the lowest of his menial fervants.

Gamelyn refented his ufage, and infifted that he might be put in poffeffion of his fortunes, left him by his father, but his brother instead of complying with his request, ordered his fervants to cudgel him into better manners; which they immediately attempted: but Gamelyn by good fortune, meeting with a pestle, turned it

Critical, Hiftorical, and Explanatory 157 into a weapon of offence, and drove his brother, and his Tervants before him.

The brother then offered to accommodate the difference; telling him, that the attempt made upon him by his fervants, was not with any intention of doing him harm; but only to make trial of his ftrength and courage; promifing at the fame time to restore to him his lands, and other poffeffions, in as good condition as when they firft came into his hands: which brought about a reconciliation, fincere on Gamelyn's part, but not fo on the other's.

A wrestling having been proclaimed at fome diftance from his brother's house, Gamelyn intreated of him to lend him a horfe to carry him to the place appointed; with which he complied.

At his firft approach, he heard a frankline [freeholder] paffionately bewailing the lofs of three fons who had unfortunately lost their lives, by rafhly engaging with a celebrated wrestler.

Gamelyn endeavoured to moderate his grief by promifing, that he would have a trial of skill with the wrestler'; hoping by his defeats, to revenge his cause.

After he had prepared himself for the engagement, and had entred the lifts, the champion enquired his name, and feemed to hold him in high contempt, on account of his youth, and inexperience.

But that vain-glorious perfon, had no reason to boaft long, for after a fhort engagement,

Gamelyn

Gamelyn gave him a fall, and broke three of his ribs and his left arm; by which means being abfolutely difabled for a fecond trial, the prize (which was a goat and a ring) was adjudged in favour of Gamelyn.

He returned immediately to his brother's house with several of his companions, thinking that they should be graciously received, on account of his fuccefs at the wrestling. But inftead thereof, his brother ordered his porter to lock his gates against them, and not to admit them upon any confideration whatsoever.

Gamelyn refenting this ufage, broke open one of the gates, pursued the porter, caught him in his arms, brake his neck, and threw him into a well of water, which was (according to Chaucer) 700 fathoms deep.

He told the other fervants, that when he went to the wrestling, he left behind him a large quantity of wine; and if either they, or his brother found fault with this entertainment of his friends, they should undergo the porter's fate.

His brother concealed himself during their stay, but when Gamelyn had dismissed his companions, he ventured out of his lurking hole, and reproached him for having wafted his goods in fo riotous a manner: but Gamelyn affigning reafons for what he had done, he feemed to be reconciled; and told him at the fame time, that as he was a batchelour, and had no children, at his death he would leave him his whole fortunes; requesting only one favour at

his hands, that he would fuffer himself to be bound with chains, to fatisfy a rash yow which he had made when he threw his porter into the well; with which when Gamelyn had complied, he had him chain'd to a large poft in his ball, where he continued for the pace of two days and two nights, without meat or drink, expofed at the fame time to the fcorn and ridicule of all fuch as paffed that way.

His brother in the mean time, receiving a vifit from an abbot, some priors, and others of the regular clergy, Gamelyn applied to them to favour his releafe: but they rather encouraging his brother, in his ill treatment of him, he was privately, by the help of Adam le Dif penfer, one of his brother's fervants, freed from his bonds and when the religious, and his brother had dined, he by the help of his friend Adam, drove them forcibly out of the hall, made many of them cripples, and treated his brother in a manner, by no means more favourable. But being apprehenfive that his brother would apply to the sheriff for relief, he immediately decamp'd, and fled with Adam le Difpenfer into a forest, where after enduring fome hardships, they were kindly received by a band of outlaws, with their King at their head: and the King of the outlaws being restored to favour, and the fortunes of which he had been difpoffeffed, Gamelyn was unanimously chofen King.

His