risk, however, shall be run of incurring blame for reprinting what has been rendered familiar by several preceding publications, for the sake of recalling the reader's attention, in this connection, to the old song to the cuckoo, [from the Harleian MSS. 978. f. 5.] which is assigned by Warton to the early part of the 13th century. It is worthy of notice, not only as a connecting step of gradation between the Anglo-Saxon and English tongues, but as being, in poetic character, a genuine offshoot of the Teutonic school, resembling in many of its features the kindred songs of the German Minnesingers. We could almost fancy one of those minstrels, singing in nearly the same words and measure:

Sumer is i-cumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!

Groweth sed,

And bloweth med,

And springeth the wde nu:

Sing cuccu! cuccu!

Awe bleteth after lamb,

Lhouth after calve cu;

Bulluc sterteth,

Bucke verteth,

Murie sing cuccu!

Cuccu, cuccu'

Wel singes thu cuccu,

Ne swik thou nauer nu!

Sing cuccu nu!

Sing cuccu!

[Summer is come in, loud sing cuckoo! groweth

the seed, and bloweth the meed, and springeth the wood now sing cuckoo! The ewe bleateth after the lamb, loweth after the calf the cow, the bullock starteth, the buck verteth (goes to harbour in the fern-Ritson), merry sing cuckoo, cuckoo! cuckoo ! Well singest thou cuckoo, cease thou never now! &c. -'Swic' seems to be the German 'schweige,' the 'swic' or 'swig' of the Suabian Minnesingers.]

SPECIMENS.

THE MINNESINGERS.

Pro ai del chan essenhadors
Entorn mi, et ensenhairitz,

Pratz e vergiers, albres e flors,
Voutas d'auzelhs, e lays e critz-

GEOFFROI RUDEL.

MINNESINGERS.

COUNT CONRAD OF KIRCHBERG.

"GRAVE Chuonrat von Kilchberg," (or Kirchberg,) in Suabia, sung in the latter part of the 12th century. The Manesse MS. contains several songs by him.

Meige ist komen in dú lant,
Der uns ie von sorgen bant:
Kinder, kinder, sint gemant!

Wir sun schouwen wunne manigvalde;

Uf der liehten heide breit

Da hat er uns fúr gespreit

Manig bluemelin gemeit,

Erst bezeiget in dem gruenen walde;

Da hört man die nahtegal,

Uf dem bluenden rise,

Singen lobelichen schal, &c.

MAY, Sweet May, again is come,

May that frees the land from gloom;
Children, children, up, and see

All her stores of jollity!

On the laughing hedgerow's side

She hath spread her treasures wide;