LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1856.

OUR NEW VOLUME.

On commencing our Thirteenth Volume, we must be permitted a few words of self-gratulation on the progress which "NOTES & QUERIES" has made, and the position it has attained since November 3, 1849, when the first Number of it was submitted to the Reading World.

Notes.

PROSE CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND CALLED THE BRUTE.

We have the less scruple in referring with pride to our success, because, whatever merit may attach to the idea on which "N. & Q." is founded, that success is chiefly to be attributed to the kindly spirit in which our friends and correspondents have come forward to help

tifying result of the establishment of "N. & Q.," has been the interchange of which it has been the medium; not only of friendly offices-of books-and of other literary assistance-but even, in some cases, of more substantial benefits among parties whose first acquaintance has originated in our columns. LORD MONSON'S very graceful allusion to this characteristic of "N. & Q." in the Number of the 8th Dec. last, is but one of many

such instances which have come to our knowledge.

This friendly spirit on the part of our correspondents, has greatly facilitated our editorial labours. But with all the care and tact that we can exercise, we know too

well that we cannot at all times expect to please all readers. We are happy to acknowledge, however, that our endeavours to gratify their varied tastes have, on the whole, been very successful. We hope in future to be yet more so: especially if they will bear in mind the advice of the learned and witty Erasmus:

"A reader should sit down to a book, especially of the miscellaneous kind, as a well-behaved visitor does to a banquet. The master of the feast exerts himself to satisfy his guests; but if, after all his care and pains, something should appear on the table that does not suit this or that person's taste, they politely pass it over without notice, and commend other dishes, that they may not distress a kind host."

But we are occupying space for ourselves which we would rather see occupied by our Correspondents. One remark, however, we must find room for. We have spoken of this as our Thirteenth Volume, as indeed it is; but, in compliance with a wish urged upon us from many quarters, we have made it the first of a NEW SERIES: that they who may now wish to subscribe to “ N. & Q.," may have the opportunity of doing so; without, on the one hand, having an incomplete work, or, on the other, incurring the expence of purchasing the back volumes.* We may hope the Series now commenced in the same spirit, and, as it will be seen, in a great measure by the same friendly hands, will be received with the favour so kindly bestowed upon its predecessor. That it may deserve such favour, we will spare no efforts. And so, Gentle Reader, we bid you heartily Farewell.

investigation.

With regard to the name, it is well known that, from the middle of the twelfth century, the title French and Latin translations or abridgments of Brut or Brutus was often given to the various Monmouth, and was derived from the name of the made from the popular history of Geoffrey of Trojan hero who first set foot on the land, since denominated from him Britain. Not only have we the metrical French Brut of Wace, but a prose Petit Bruit, said to have been abridged out of the Grand Bruit, by Rauf de Boun, in 1310 (MS. Harl. 902.), and in Latin we have a metrical version of Geoffrey, named Brutus (MS. Cott. Vesp. A. x.), dedicated to Hugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham, 1153-1194; together with many prose chronicles so intitled (MSS. Cott. Vesp. E. x., Lambeth, 99., &c.), as also a Brutus Abbreviatus (MS. Rawlinson, 150). Whether among the numerous Latin compilations preserved still in our manuscript libraries there exists one which can with certainty be affirmed to be the prototype of the subsequent French and English prose Chronicles, I am unable to say, but it is sufficient for my present purpose to assume that the original text was compiled in French, and doubtless at the commencement of the reign of Edward III., since all the copies of it, which are complete, unite in coming down to the year 1332. It is chiefly founded on Geoffrey of Monmouth, but borrows also from other sources; and in the later portion, from the reign of Edward I., contains much original and valuable matter. The copies of this French Chronicle are by no means so common as of the English version, but among the MSS. of the British Museum I have examined five, which will enable us to determine with sufficient accuracy the character of the text. The earliest copy is that contained in the Cottonian MS. Domitian A. x., which must have been written shortly after the date (1332) at which it concludes. The introductory chapter has been cut out, but is pre

MS. 18,462. art. 2., and Harl. 200.), both written

in the fifteenth century. This introductory chapter is remarkable as being in verse, although written in prose; and it contains the fabulous narrative of the thirty daughters of a king of Greece, the eldest of whom, Albine, first gave her name to this island of Albion, and from her descended the giants who inhabited the land until the arrival of Brutus. Only one copy (Harl. 200.) has a general title prefixed: Ici comencent les Cronikes de tout Engleterre, but all three copies agree in beginning the Chronicle in nearly these words: "En la noble cite de grant Troie il y avoit un fort chivalier," &c., which first chapter gives us the story of the flight of Eneas from Troy to Italy, and subsequent events to the death of Silvius by the hand of his son Brutus. The copy in the Add. MS. ends imperfectly in the reign of Edward II., and the text of the Harleian copy is considerably abridged in the reigns of Edward II. and III. Not long after the date of the completion of this work, a revision of it was made, with various alterations and additions; the reigns of Edward II. and Edward III. were much enlarged (although still ending with the battle of Halidon Hill, in 1332), and verbal variations were made throughout. This revised text is preserved in the Old Royal MS. 20. A. iii., written probably not later than 1345; and a fair, but more recent copy of the same text (of the fifteenth century) is in the Add. MS. 18,462. art. 1. Sir Symonds D'Ewes, to whom the latter copy belonged, has caused the following title to be prefixed: "Chronica Sancti Albani sive Fructus Temporum, a primis incolis usque ad regnum Edw. 3. Gallice;" but this is entirely erroneous, from his confounding it with quite a different work, as will hereafter be shown. The real title is given at the head of the table of chapters, thus: La Table des Cronicles d'Engleterre. As this revised text was the one from which the English prose Brute (as it appears in the majority of copies) was translated, and forms the basis of Caxton's edition, it may be desirable to point out the chief variations from the original text. In the first place, an entirely new prefatory chapter was composed, relative to the legend of Albine, in which the name of her father is given as Dioclicias (English copies Dioclician), and the locality of his kingdom transferred from Greece to Syria. The rubric in 20 D. iii., is Ci poet hom oir coment Engleterre fust primes nomé ́Albion, et par qi la terre receust cel noun, and the copies commence, "En la noble citee de Sirie regna un noble roi," &c. The names of the giants Gogmagog and Langherigan are also supplied. Both copies insert the prophecies of Merlin to Arthur (capp. 76-81. of Royal MS.), as also the prophecies of the same personage relating to the reigns of Henry III., Edw. I., and Edw. II. (capp. 179. 194. 219.), none of which additions are in the original text. Both copies, moreover, omit the

66

chapter respecting Malgo, and pass at once from Conan to Certik; and in the MS. 18,462, art. 1., an omission occurs of two chapters (47. and 48.) relative to Constance, Constantin, Maxence, and Octavian; but this may probably be a peculiarity (or fault) of this copy, as is also its arbitrary division into two books, the chapters of which are separately numbered. In this revised text it is, that we first find the story relative to the death of King John by poison (cap. 164.), which is cited by Stowe, in his Annales (edit. 1615, p. 175.), as reported by a namelesse authour, a continuer of Geoffrey Monmouth, in the reygne of Edward the Third, and since increased, printed by William Caxton, and therefore called Caxton's Chronicle;" but it would hence seem that Stowe made use of an English, rather than a French copy of the work. Who was the author of the original French compilation, is unknown, nor is his name likely to be discovered. On a fly-leaf of one copy of the English prose translation (MS. Harl. 4690.) is written, in a hand of the sixteenth century, "The Memoralle Cronicke, written by John Douglas, Munke of Glastonburuye Abbaye;" and on this insufficient evidence, Mr. Douce, in his Illustrations of Shakspeare (vol. i. p. 423.), assumed the author to be Douglas, in which he is blindly followed by Dr. Dibdin (Typ. Antiq., vol i. p. 90.), and others; but the note may only refer to the scribe, or be a mere scribble, for the name of Douglas is wholly ignored by Leland, Bale, Pits, and Tanner. On the other hand, it is evident, that the author's name was not known in the fifteenth century; for in several copies of the English version (as MS. Harl. 24., and MS. Digby, 185.), we are told, in a prefatory heading to the work, "The wiche gestis and romayns mani dyvers goode men and grete clerkes, and namely men of relygion, have compilede and wretone ... and lette calle hem Cronicles." And again, at the conclusion of other copies (Harl. 1337. and 6251., Hatton, 50.), we read, "Here endith a booke callyd the Croniclis of Englonde, made and compiled by notabil clerkis." From these expressions, we may reasonably infer, that the name of the original composer was never avowed, but the whole considered as a compilation made from the earlier historians.

From a collation of a considerable number of copies of the English prose Brute, it would appear that this version, when first made, concluded, like the French original, with the battle of Halidon Hill, in 1332; and in several copies (Harl. 2182., 2279., 2448.), the words Deo gracias are here added, which would imply the termination of the work. In the sale of Mr. Rennie's library, in July, 1829 (Lot 753.), was also a copy of the work, ending in this same year, 1332. The Chronicle was subsequently continued to the end of the reign of Edward III., in 1377; as attested