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 Conquerer. Sc. 10. p. 282.

-Biron. And even that falfbrod, in itself a £n.) o Read, and en, for the fake of the measure, which otherwife is too long by half a foot.

* Behold the window of my heart, wine eye.} Thus exprefs'd by Butler.

Bash Love is a burglarer, a 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 abfence. V. 815, &c.

o 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, cucand "kowe."

As you

aud

SEver

Everal 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.

९

Sir John Boundis an antient knight, finding, brel himself in a declining ftate of health, by will. devifed his fortunes to his three fons, Jobn, 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 upon his parks and woods, fuffering his houses at the fame time to run to ruine; using Gamelyn much worfe, than he did the loweft of his menial fervants.

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

into a weapon of offence, and drove his brother, and his fervants 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 reftore to him his lands, and other poffeffions, in as good condition as when they first 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 houfe, Gamelyn intreated of him to lend him a horfe to carry him to the place appointed with which he complied.

At his first approach, he heard a fronkline [freeholder] paffionately bewailing the lofs of three fons who had unfortunately loft their lives, by rafhly engaging with a celebrated wreftler.

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 caufe.

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 reafon 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 ab folutely difabled for a fecond trial, the prize (which was a goat and a ring) was adjudged in favour of Gamelyn. For b'aisia and bed ed

He returned immediately to his brother? house with feveral of his companions, thinking that they should be graciously received, on ac count of his fuccefs at the wrestling. Butrin stead thereof, his brother ordered his portér to lock his gates against them, and not to admit them upon any confideration whatfoever, t

Gamelyn refenting this ufage, broken open one of the gates, purfued the porter, caught him in his arms, brake his neck, and threw him into a well of water, which was (accord ing to Chaucer) 700 fathoms deep. rod aid

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 ftay, but when Gamelyn had difmiffed his com panions, he ventured out of his lurking hole, and reproached him for having wafted his goods in fo riotous a manner: but Gamelyn affigning reasons for what he had done, he seemed to be reconciled; and told him at the fame time, that as he was as batchelour, and had no chil dren, at his death he would leave him his whole fortunes; requefting only one favour at

his hands, that he would fuffer himself to be bound with chains, to fatisfy a rafh vow 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 hall, where he continued for the fpice of two days and two nights, without meat or drink, expofed at the fame time to the fcom and ridicule of all fuch as paffed that way.

His brother in the mean time, receiving a vifit from an abbot, fome priors, and others of the regular clergy, Gamelyn applied to them to favour his release: 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 servants, 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 apprehensive that his brother would apply to the sheriff for relief, he immediately decamp'd, and fled with Adam le Difpenfer into a foreft, 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 chosen King.