with and could have given his author's French; and yet one would suspect that he was so acquainted, when it is observed, first, that the English translation which he has added contains thoughts which are in the French, but not in the Latin ;—and secondly, that the mode in which the Latin text is printed, renders it doubtful whether that language be not beyond the author's sphere of comprehension. The rondeau is as follows, as printed in the "Poëtes Français depuis le XII. siècle jusqu'à Malherbes." Le temps a laissé son manteau De vent, de froidure, et de pluye, De soleil luisant, clair et beau; Qu'en son jargon ne chante ou crie, Riviere, fointaine et ruisseau Gouttes d'argent d'orfavrerie: THE season now hath cast away And decks itself in broidery Of sunshine bright and flow'rets sweet; And bird and beast doth each essay "The season now hath cast away Its garb of cold, and wind, and sleet." Fountain, and brook, and rivulet, Its garb of cold, and wind, and sleet. JEAN FROISSART. THIS celebrated historian belongs to a considerably earlier period than the two last poets, having been born in 1337. He was the author of an immense quantity of ballads, lais, rondels, &c. now in MS. in the king's library at Paris. Le corps s'en va, mais le cœur vous demeure ; THE body goes, the spirit stays; But sweeter thoughts that in me dwell The anguish of my grief outweigh ;— Dearest of ladies, fare thee well! The body goes, the soul may stay. Reviens, amy; trop longue est ta demeure; &c. RETURN, my love; too long thy stay; Return my love, thou stay'st too long. For nothing, wanting thee, consoles, And grief is mine till thou be by. CHANSONS NORMANDS. Ar the close of M. Dubois's volume of "Vaux-deVire et Chansons Normands" (Caen, 1821), there are several songs which he ascribes to the age of Olivier Basselin, i. e. to the latter half of the 14th century. Some doubt has been expressed of the authenticity of these songs, which he states were printed from a MS. of the 15th century; but the Harleian MSS. No. 5242, and the king's MSS. 20. A. XVI., contain several of them with slight variations; and there seems little reason to doubt that they are genuine pieces of popular currency. One specimen must suffice. L'amour de moy sy est enclos THE lady of my love resides Within a garden's bound; There springs the rose, the lily there My garden is a beauteous spot, Alas! no sweeter thing can be, But late I saw my lady cull An instant on her form I gazed, Mild as the tender lamb was she, And as the red rose bright. |