a great many cases where, as regards the sense, four lines can be
considered as an independent whole, when, «e. g.», the speech spoken
by a person is contained in four lines, and the words of another
person replying to the first follow in the next four lines. Very often
also these next four lines contain only a part of the second person’s
reply, so that the remainder of his reply falls into the following
stanza. This ‘enjambement’ or continuation of the sense, and sometimes
of the syntactical construction from one stanza to another, need not,
of course, prevent us from admitting the supposition of eight-line
stanzas; as, upon the whole, it is met with in all poems composed in
stanzas, and as it is frequently used in «Le Morte Arthur» (Harleian
MS. 2252, ed. Furnivall), which is written in eight-line stanzas;
but as there is no instance known of an eight-line stanza containing
four different rhyme-endings, which at this supposition it would
be the case with the «Sowdan», the eight-line stanzas containing
either three rhyme-endings, as in «Chaucer», or two, as in «Le Morte
Arthur», and as in some passages of the «Sowdan» (ll. 1691, 1695,
1699, 1711, 1715), we find Initials placed after four lines, I believe
a stanza of four alternately rhyming lines to be the one intended
by the composer—a metre which, according to Guest, «History of Eng.
Rhythms», ii. 317—‘must have been well known and familiar during the
fifteenth century.’ The few eight-line stanzas quoted above, may
[p-xlii] then be owing either to the inadvertence of the poet, who
somewhat carelessly employed one of the two rhyme-endings of one stanza
a third and fourth time in the following one, or, perhaps also, he
intentionally retained that rhyme-ending, and he inserted eight-line
stanzas amongst those of four verses as a mere matter of variation. It
is perhaps not impossible that the retention of this rhyme-ending was
not greatly felt.
As regards the rhymes themselves, they are both monosyllabic or
masculine rhymes, and dissyllabic or feminine ones. Frequently they are
used alternating with each other, as in the stanzas beginning with l.
2755.
Sometimes we find four feminine rhymes occurring in an unbroken
succession, as in ll. 1263–66. But it must be noticed that the number
of masculine rhymes is predominant. Thus the stanzas beginning with ll.
3047, 3063, 3123, 1123, 791, 1035, 1271, 1275, 2019, 1311, 1351, 1463,
&c., contain only masculine rhyme-endings.
The rhymes are not always full and true; there occur many imperfect
ones.
(1) A word in the singular number is often rhymed with a word in the
plural number, which therefore has an additional «s» (or «es»):—797,
«thinge» : «tidyngys»; 2647, «fyght» : «knyghtes»; 2087, «light» :
«knightes»; 1455, «cosynes» : «kinge»; 2272, «laye» : «dayes»; 2395,
885, «Ogere» : «peres»; 2456, «alle» : «walles»; 2682, «nede» :
«stedes»; 944, «mone» : «stoones»; cf. also 2376, «wile» : «beguiled».
In l. 68, «poundis» : «dromonde»; the rhyme becomes perfect in reading
«pounde», as in l. 2336, instead of «poundis».
(2) Single «n» is found rhyming with «n-» combinations.
α. «n» : «nd»—cf. 814, «ychoon» : «Mahounde»; 912, «pavilone» :
«Mahounde»; 1201, «crowne» : «Mahounde». The rhyme, 162, «Rome» :
«houne», may be explained in the same manner, for «houne» stands for
«hounde», as it is spelt in ll. 237, 2377, 935, 1756.[77]
β. «n» : «ng»—cf. 2349, «Mapyne» : «endinge»; 86, «Apolyne» :
«tithinge»; 370, «inne» : «kinge»; 1455, «cosynes» : «kinge»;
3249, «Genelyne» : «kinge»; 3171, «serpentyne» : «endinge»; 959,
«distruccion» : «wronge». [p-xliii]
In 614, «love» : «vowe», the second rhyme «vowe» does not contain the
consonant «v».
(3) Rhymes imperfect as concerns the consonants.
«m» : «n»—cf. 76, «Rome» : «one»; 1672, 364 : «done»; 2443, 366,
«come» : «done»; 747, «some» : «soudone»; 1323, «came» : «than»; 1488,
«came» : «ranne»; 2128, «tyme» : «pyne»; 177, «him» : «wynne»; 2375,
«him» : «tene»; 447, 859, «him» : «kyn»; 2004, «hyme» : «skyne»; 2353,
«him» : «inne».
«f» : «v»—cf. 341, «twelve» : «selve»; 415, «wife» : «alive»; 1762,
«gyfene» : «lyvene»; 1912, «gife» : «lyve». But in all these cases the
rhymes are really perfect, they seem only imperfect in consequence
of the copyist writing indiscriminately «f» and «v». Thus the rhyme
of l. 341 reappears in l. 1867, «self» : «twelf». In l. 2336 we find
«ge»f«e», which is written «ge»v«e» in l. 198; «lefe», l. 764; «safe»,
l. 864, are spelt with «v» in ll. 1340, 1529, 2808.
«l» : «n»—cf. l. 363, «consaile» : «slayne». Quite similar is l. 1251,
«felde» : «sende».
«p» : «k»—l. 820, «stoupe» : «stroke». A similar rhyme occurs in «Guy»,
l. 10903, «scapid» : «nakid».
«d» : «t»—l. 2868, «gyrde» : «sterte»; 1151, «plete» : «dede».
«d» : «p»—l. 283, «tyde» : «depe». But this rhyme is very probably
owing to the scribe. For «depe» we ought to read «wide».
A single consonant rhymes with a double consonant. The only certain
instance occurs in l. 311, «tyde» : «chidde». For in ll. 312, 317,
«dele» : «welle», we might read «wele», as this word is frequently
spelt in the poem; cf. ll. 385, 2618, 1173, 1651, &c. For «dedde» in
l. 2980 («rede» : «dedde») we may substitute «dede», which occurs in
l. 2510. The rhyme «glad» : «hadde», 2687, becomes perfect if we read
«gladde», which is the usual spelling of the word in the poem; cf.
ll. 439, 570, 918, &c. Besides, I believe «hadde» to be monosyllabic.
«Ferre» : «nere» l. 1575; in l. 117 we find «fere».
The rhyme, l. 2654, «sloughe» : «drowe» can easily be restored in
reading «slowe», which occurs frequently, as in ll. 2401, 2683, 304,
2208, &c. The rhyme «ane» : «shafe», 555, seems to be due to some
clerical error.
(4) Rhymes imperfect as concerns the vowels.
«a» : «e»—2803, «gate» : «lete»; perhaps we are justified in reading
«late», [p-xliv] cf. «Havelock», 328; l. 2752, «made» : «dede». The
rhymes «thare» : «were», 1383; «bare» : «there», 671; «Agremare» :
«there», 33, are really perfect ones, as we know the poet to have used
«thare», «there», and «thore» indiscriminately; cf. ll. 208, 2604, 430,
1805, 1003; l. 1436, «ladde» : «nede»; 2365, «ladde» : «bedde», the
author probably pronounced «ledde». For «lefte», l. 2335 : «craft»,
we may read «lafte», as is shown by l. 424, «lafte» : «crafte». In
ll. 1781, 544, «tene» : «than», the rhyme will be improved by reading
«then».
«a» : «o» (cf. p. xxxv)—504, «thane» : «gone»; 1143, 1079, «Rolande» :
«honde»; 133, «sowdone» : «Lavan» (where we might read «sowdan», as in
l. 1491); 627, «sowdane» : «towne»; 2527, 1684, «Roulande» : «londe».
«i»(«y») : «e». This rhyme also occurs in «Chaucer»; cf. Ellis,
«Pron.» i. 272; see also «Guy», p. xiv.—l. 21419, «him» : «hem»; 1299,
«dynte» : «lente»; 523, «strike» : «breke»; 1643, «mylde» : «shelde»;
1263, «togedere» : «thidere»; 1277, «wepenless» : «iwis»; 344,
«shitte» : «mette»; 2538, «hende» : «wynde» (read «wende»), &c.; l. 82,
«vilane» : «remedye» (read «vilanye», as in ll. 179, 2577); but 1015,
«vilane» : «me», cf. «Guy», xi, ν—813, «sle» : «curtesye»; 895, «we» :
«lye»; cf. Ellis, «Pron.», i. 271.
The monophthong «y» is rhymed with a diphthong, the second part of
which is «y»:—l. 441, «Sarsynes» : «Romaynes»; 2761, «Apolyne» :
«agayne»; 2105 : «slayne»; 2175 : «eyne»; 2280, «dye» : «waye» (cf.
1582); 589, «fyne» : «Bourgoyne».
«o»: «ou» («ow»).—l. 1023, «wrothe» : «southe» (which is written
«sothe» in ll. 2014, 2024, 2246, 2719); 779, «fonde» : «grounde»;
260, «clarione» : «soune»; 879, «lione» : «crowne»; 2780, «malison» :
«towne», &c. Cf. also 1264, «endured» : «covered».
«o»: «e».—463, «oost» : «best». The rhyme is restored in reading «rest»
instead of «oost».
«o»: «i».—l. 966, «sonne» : «begynne».
«ue»: «ewe».—l. 2312, «vertue» : «fewe». But this rhyme cannot be
objected to, as “final French «u» (as in «due») was diphthongized into
«eu» in Chaucerian English.”[78]
Other irregularities are:—l. 112, «douȝte» : «rowte»; 1987, «use» :
«house»; 1131, «thou» : «lough»; 1200, «moost» : «goist»; 1730,
«dethe» : «sleith»; [p-xlv] 2136, «pas» : «grace»; 1611, «was» :
«mace» (in which cases «e» is silent); 931, 1144, «peris» : «fiers».
A line or verse generally contains four accented syllables, separated
from each other by one or by two unaccented syllables, so that there
are some instances of trisyllabic feet, as in ll. 817, 834, 2035, 2301,
2791, 3020, 3073, 2313, &c. In ll. 692, 695, two accented syllables are
put close together without being separated by an unaccented one, which
is altogether wanting. In some passages we find lines of three accented
syllables alternating with those of four accents, as in ll. 575–582,
763–770, 839–846, 871–878, 2287–2290, &c. But in most cases lines with
four accents follow each other in an unbroken succession, as in ll.
1–372, 995–1010, 1026–1029, 1067–1107, 1147–1154, 1731–1734, &c.
A few instances of verses with more than four accented syllables are
also to be met with in the «Sowdan». They are either due to the author
and therefore intended, as in l. 37, where the poet almost literally
imitates his original,[79] or they may be considered as due to some
clerical error, in which case the metre generally can be restored by a
slight emendation.
A verse has generally an iambic effect, that is to say, the first foot
begins with an unaccented syllable, which is followed by an accented
one. Frequently, however, the first accented syllable is preceded
by two unaccented ones, as in ll. 41, 75, 127, 151, 367, 849, 1060,
1815, 1819, 2289, 2758, &c. There are some instances of the first foot
consisting of a single (accented) syllable only, the unaccented one
being altogether wanting, as in ll. 2120, 2288, 2374, 2394, &c.
DATE OF THE POEM AND NAME OF THE AUTHOR.
George Ellis attributes the present poem to the end of the fourteenth
or beginning of the fifteenth century. “I think,” he says in his
«Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances», ed. Halliwell, p.
380, “it would not be difficult to prove from internal evidence, that
the present translation[80] cannot be earlier than the end of the
fourteenth or beginning of the fifteenth century.” [p-xlvi]
Having seen from the summary of grammatical peculiarities that there
is a great similarity between the language of Chaucer and that of the
composer of this romance, we might be inclined to consider the latter
as a contemporary of Chaucer. From some passages of the «Sowdan», which
seem to contain allusions to Chaucerian poetry, we may conclude that
the poet must have known the «Canterbury Tales». Thus ll. 42–46:—
“Whan kynde corage begynneth to pryke,
Whan ffrith and felde wexen gaye,
And every wight desirith his like,
Whan lovers slepen with opyn yȝe,
As Nightingales on grene tre” . . .
appear to be imitated from the «Prologue of the Canterbury Tales», ll.
10–12:—
“And smale fowles maken melodie,
That slepen al the night with open eye,
So priketh hem nature in her corages.”
Further on we remark in ll. 939–40:—
“O thow, rede Marȝ Armypotente,
That in the trende baye hase made þy trone.”
some traces of resemblance with the «Knight’s Tale», ll. 1123–26:—
“And downward on a hill under a bent,
There stood the tempul of Marȝ armypotent,
Wrought al of burned steel, of which thentre
Was long and streyt, and gastly for to see,”
which may still be compared with the first lines of the «Prologue of
Queen Anelida and False Arcite»:—
“Thou ferse God of armes, Mars the rede,
That in thy frosty contre called Trace,
Within thy grisly temples ful of drede,
Honoured art as patroun of that place.”[81]
Now the «Prologue of the Canterbury Tales» and the «Knight’s Tale»,
being written in couplets, or lines arranged in pairs, were certainly
composed after 1385,[82] or rather after 1389.[83] From the treatment
of [p-xlvii] the final «e»’s, which, contrary to Chaucer’s usage, seem
to have been silent in a great number of cases in the poet’s speech, we
may further conclude that the «Sowdan» must be somewhat later than the
«Canterbury Tales». Therefore the poet of the «Sowdan» cannot have been
merely a later contemporary of Chaucer; I rather think it to be more
probable that he must have lived some time after him. This would bring
us to the beginning of the fifteenth century as the date of the romance.
As to the name and profession of the poet nothing is known, and we have
no clue whatever from the poem.
MS. OF THE SOWDAN.
The present edition of the «Sowdan» is printed from the unique MS. of
the late Sir Thomas Phillips, at Middle Hill, Worcestershire, which
is now in the possession of the Rev. John E. A. Fenwick, Thurlestane
House, Cheltenham. Sir Thomas Phillips purchased the MS. at Mr. Heber’s
sale.[84] The oldest possessor’s name which we find noted, is on the
reverse of the last leaf of the Manuscript, where is written, “This is
John Eteyes (or Ebeye’s) boke, witnes by John Staff”—in a hand «circa
temp.» Eliz. or Jac. I. By some notes made by former possessors on the
first fly-leaf of the MS., and by the autograph names which we find
there, we learn that Geo. Steevens bought the MS. “at Dr. Farmer’s
Sale, Friday June 15, 1798, for 1: 10. 0.” On May 20th, 1800, it was
“bought at the Sale of Geo. Stevens, for 3. 4. 6.” by “O. Grah^m
Gilchrist.”
A transcript of the MS. made by Geo. Stevens had been presented by
him to Mr. Douce. This copy was re-transcribed by Geo. Ellis, who, in
1811, published some extracts with an analysis of the romance in the
«Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances».[85] The same copy has
been followed by Halliwell, who in his «Dictionary of Arch. and Prov.
W.», has several quotations[86] from the present romance, which he
styles as “«MS. Douce», 175.” [p-xlviii]
The poem of the «Sowdan» was first printed by the Roxburghe Club in
1854.[87] The text of the present edition differs from that of the
«editio princeps» in so far as punctuation is introduced, which is
altogether disregarded by the MS. and the Roxburghe Club edition. In
some passages words which have been written as one in the MS. are
separated in the text; thus «a laye», l. 2694; «a ras», l. 645, are
printed instead of «alaye», «aras». Sometimes also words written
separately in the MS. are united by a hyphen, as «be-falle», 14;
«i-wiss», 71; «i-sought», 725; «with-oute», 841; «a-bide», 818;
«a-ferde», 1337, &c. These slight deviations from the MS., which are
always indicated in the footnotes, seemed advisable on account of the
great help they afford the reader in understanding the text. More
important emendations and corrections of evident scribal blunders and
other mistakes are given in the foot-notes, and will be found explained
in the Notes.
The Index of Names will be useful to those who wish to compare the
«Sowdan» with any other version of the romance.
The Glossarial Index contains besides the obsolete terms all those
words the spelling or the signification of which essentially differs
from that now accepted. Words which show only slight orthographical
variations from their modern form have not been included, as the reader
will have no difficulty in identifying them.
* * * * *
In conclusion I have the pleasant duty of acknowledging the invaluable
assistance which Professor Zupitza at all times readily and freely gave
me. My best thanks are also due to Mr. Furnivall and to Mr. Napier for
their kind advice and suggestions, and to Mr. Herrtage for collating a
transcript of the poem with the MS.
EMIL HAUSKNECHT.
«Berlin», «January», 1881.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] «Histoire Poét.», p. 133–4.
[2] Gautier, «Epopées», ii. 308.
[3] Cf. the French «Fierabras», l. 84; «Sir Ferumbras», l. 102;
«Sowdone», l. 1067.
[4] Thus in «Scarron», Gigant, iii.
[5] Pantagruel, ii. chap. 1.
[6] See the most interesting account of this piece and its curious
manner of representation in «Histoire Littéraire de la France», xvii.
720–21.
[7] Gautier, «Epopées», ii. p. 308; and «Histoire Poétique», p. 99.
[8] See «Huon de Bourdeaux», edd. Guessard and Grandmaison, p. xxxviii.
[9] See G. Nottebohm, «Thematisches Verzeichniss der im Druck
erschienenen Werke von Franz Schubert». Wien, 1874.—Op. 76.
[10] Cf. besides, «Histoire Poétique», pp. 97, 143, 155, 214, 251;
«Epopées françaises», ii. pp. 307–9; and the «Préface» of the French
edition of «Fierabras».
[11] See also Mone, «Uebersicht der niederländischen Volksliteratur
älterer Zeit». Tübingen, 1836. p. 56.
[12] Cf. Warton, «Hist. of Eng. Poetry», 1824, vol. i. pp. 147–8.
[13] It is worthy of notice that the account of the Fierabras romance
as given by Barbour, may be considered, on the whole, as identical with
the subject of the French «Fierabras» or the English «Syr Ferumbras»,
but not with the «Sowdan», as there is no mention made of the combat
before Rome, nor any trace of what makes up the first part of the
«Sowdan». But the spelling «Lawyn» for «Balan» agrees with the spelling
of the same name in the «Sowdan». As to the relics mentioned in the
passage above, they differ from all other versions.
[14] In the Sowdan the Bridgeward is called «Alagolofre»; cf. Index of
Names.
[15] This MS. consisting of 71 parchment leaves in 4to, with coloured
initials at the beginning of each rhyme-strophe, had formerly been in
the possession “Majoris Monasterii congregationis Sancti Mauri,” at
Paris. Having passed through many hands during the French Revolution,
it finally came to the Library of Wallerstein.
[16] Der Roman von Ferabras, provenzalisch. Berlin, 1829.
[17] British Museum, MS. Reg. 15. E. vi.
[18] Cf. also the «Préface» of the French «Fierabras», p. iv.
[19] See «Leben und Werke der Troubadours», by Friedrich Diez, Zwickau,
1829, p. 613 note, and Berliner «Jahrbücher für wissenschaftliche
Kritik», 1831.
[20] In a footnote to his «Histoire de la Poésie scandinave», p. 183,
where he says:—“Le roman de Ferabras, publié à Berlin par M. Bekker,
est . . . évidemment traduit du français, et en a conservé trop de
formes et d’expressions pour avoir la moindre valeur grammaticale.”
[21] «Fierabras chanson de geste», edd. Krœber and Servois, in the
collection of the «Anciens Poètes de la France».
[22] For a more detailed analysis, see «Histoire Poét.», p. 251, and
cf. the account given of the old «Fierabras» or «Balan» romance by
Philippe Mousket, ed. Reiffenberg, Bruxelles, vol. I. v. ll. 4664–4716,
which runs as follows:—
4664 Puis fu Roume par force prise
et la gent destruite et ocise
et li apostoile ocis
Castiaus-Mireors ars et pris
4668 et toute la cité bruie.
li dus Garins et sa mesnie
entrerent en Castiel-Croisant,
quar Sarrasin, Turc et Persant
4672 amenerent trop grant compagne
et devers Surie et d’Espagne;
si furent crestien dolant,
et manderent tot maintenant
4676 soucours al bon roi Charlemainne
ki sa fieste en France demainne,
et li rois en cele besogne
lor tramist Guion de Bourgogne,
4680 ki nouviaus chevaliers estoit
et des jovenes enfans avoit
devant çou la couronne prise.
et soucoururent sans faintise
4684 lor bon roi en la tiere estrange
u il n’orent ni lin ni lange.
en France estoient revenu
et soujourné et bien péu,
4688 mais à cel soucours le tramist
li rois, ki moult s’entremist,—
et si tramist de Normendie
Ricart à la ciere hardie,
4692 si reprirent li Mireour:
et dus Garins vint à l’estour,
ki tint Pavie en quité
s’ot bien Castil-Croisant gardé,
4696 et Karles ot sa gent mandée,
si vinrent de mainte contrée,
quar il lor faisoit tant de biens,
qu ’à ses amis ne faloit riens.
4700 si trest vers Rome li bons rois
et fist as paiens moult d’anois.
dont se combati Oliviers
a Fierabras ki tant fu fiers;
4704 d’armes l’outra, si reconquist
les .ii. barius qu’à Rome prist,
si les gieta enmi le Toivre
por çou que plus n’en péust boivre;
4708 quar c’est bausmes ki fu remés
dont Ihesu Cris fu embausmés.
puis furent mort tot li paien
et mis en Roume crestiien,
4712 si ot autre apostoile fait
et Karles s’en revint à hait,
si gratia Dieu et St. Piere,
que recouvrée ot sa kaiere,
4716 soujourner vint dont à Parise . . .
[23] «Romania», ii. 1873, pp. 1–48.
[24] Cf. «Jahrbuch für romanische und englische Sprache und Literatur»,
edd. Lemcke, vol. xiii. p. 111.
[25] Printed in «Verhandlungen der 28sten Versammlung deutscher
Philologen und Schulmänner in Leipzig». Leipzig, 1873, p. 209 «et seq.»
[26] Corresponding to ll. 1410 «et seq.» of the Ashmole «Ferumbras».
[27] Cf. «Sir Ferumbras», ll. 8192–3.
[28] Cf. also l. 2784 and «Sir Ferumbras», ll. 1860 and 2059.
[29] See above, p. xi, footnote, and «Histoire Poétique», p. 251.
[30] Cf. Grœber, «Verhandlungen», pp. 217–18.
[31] The following differences between the «Destruction» and the
narration of Philippe Mousket are worthy of note:—
(i) the combat around Château-Miroir is described in a different manner
in the two poems.
(ii) the scene of action, which at the end of the «Destruction» is
transferred to Spain, remains, according to Philippe Mousket, in the
neighbourhood of Rome for the whole time.
(iii) Guy of Burgundy and Richard of Normandy play a most important
active part before Rome, according to Ph. Mousket, whereas in the
«Destruction» this is not the case.
Now, as to the last two items, they must have been in the original such
as they are related by Ph. Mousket. For only thus some obscure passages
of «Fierabras», of which even the «Destruction» affords no explanation,
are cleared up. Thus, «Fierabras», l. 1049,
“Près fu du far de Rome, ses a dedens jetés”—
which is in contradiction to the «Destruction», is explained by ll.
4705–6 of Mousket’s account (see above). Only Mousket relates that
Floripas has seen Guy before Rome («Fierabras», l. 2240; Ashmole
«Ferumbras», l. 1413), and that Richard took part at the combat there.
Therefore the account as given by Ph. Mousket, agreeing with what must
have been the contents of the old original, is based on a version older
than the «Destruction», which exhibits significant differences.
These differences between Mousket and the «Destruction», as well as
the fact that several references to preceding events contained in
«Fierabras» remain unexplained by the «Destruction», were some of the
reasons which led me in my «Dissertation», pp. 41–49, to consider the
«Destruction» as a poem written by another author than that of the
«Fierabras». In order to clear up the allusions to preceding events
contained in the «Fierabras», the very beginning of which necessarily
requires some explanatory account—a circumstance which also gave
rise to the ‘episode’ of the Provençal version—the «Destruction» was
composed as a kind of Introduction to the «Fierabras», whereby it
happened that some allusions remained unexplained.
[32] For a description of this magnificent MS., see «Sir Ferumbras», p.
vi, footnote.
[33] Cf. Warton, «Hist. of Eng. Poetry», ii. 197–8.
[34] Edited for the E. E. T. S. in 1879, by S. J. Herrtage, B.A.
[35] Cf. Gautier, «Epopées Françaises», i. 221.—“Rien n’est plus
fréquent, dans la Chanson de Roland et dans nos poèmes les plus
anciens, que la répétition double, triple et même quelquefois
quadruple, de certains couplets. Cette répétition n’a pas lieu dans les
mêmes termes, ni surtout avec les mêmes rimes. Tout au contraire, la
même idée est reproduite en vers différents, munis d’assonances ou de
rimes différentes.”
[36] The variations of this MS. are printed in the «Jahrbuch der roman.
and engl. Sprachen», vol. ix. pp. 43 ss.
[37] This edition, although printed from the MS. «a», may be said to
represent a group («w») of four MSS., called «a» «b» «c» «d» (see
above xv). Another group («z») is formed by the MSS. «E» and «D». Both
groups belong to the same type «y». Cf. Grœber, «Die handschriftlichen
Gestaltungen der chanson de geste Fierabras», Leipzig, 1869, p. 27,
where we find the following stemma:
«y»
╱╲
╱ ╲
╱ ╲
╱ ╲
«z» ╲
╱╲ ╲
╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╲ ╲
«E» «D» «w»
╱╱╲╲
╱╱ ╲╲
╱╱ ╲╲
«d»«a» «b»«c»
[38] «Epopées Françaises», ii. 307, and «Cat. rais. des livr. de la
bibl. d’Ambr. F. Didot», I, 361.
[39] Grœber, «Handschriftl. Gestaltungen», p. 6.
[40] «Jahrbuch», xiii. p. 111, and «Zeitschrift für romanische
Philologie», iv. p. 164.
[41] “Die Vergleichung weniger aus allen Hss. bekannten Versen macht
gewiss, dass «H» mit «D» und «E» aus der nämlichen Quelle «z» geflossen
ist.” «Jahrbuch», xiii. 113.
[42] «Handschriftl. Gestalt.», p. 10.
[43] See the note to l. 5763 of «Sir Ferumbras», and cf. «Fierabras»,
5955.
[44] The number of instances where «A» varies from «C’s» version might
easily be increased. Thus we find «A» 340 differing from «C» 52/111 and
from «F» 357; «A» 814 differing from «C» 79/3 and from «F» 1548; «A»
1616 differing from «C» 102/10 and from «F» 2424; «A» 1238 differing
from «C» 92/5 and from «F» 2083; «A» 4652 differing from «C» 171/26 and
from «F» 4900, &c.