what had gone before, or of what was to follow after. We have, says Monsieur de Ste Palaye, lively descriptions of tumultuous meetings of warriors, of all ages, kindreds and languages: the riotous banquet is protracted late into the night; while each, in emuiation of his companions, details what he has seen, heard or acted; and the fatigued traveller throws the lively but confused dialogue upon paper ere he retires to rest. It is also necessary to observe, that the events are often inserted not in the order in which they took place, but in that in which they came to Froissart's knowledge, to the utter confusion of all chronology. Nay, sometimes when an event has been already told in its regular order, as the battle of Aljubarotta in Spain, the historian, having afterwards acquired new lights on the subject from a different quarter, is not at the pains to new-model the whole narration, but thrusts his second edition into the middle of whatever he was writing when he heard it, and leaves the gentle reader to compare and reconcile the accounts as he best may. In this respect his splendid work may be likened to a piece of ancient tapestry full of knights, ladies, castles, tilts, tournaments, battles, and pageants, but presenting to the eye no regular or uniform picture. It must be also admitted, that if Froissart was unfettered by the prejudices and superstition of the cloister, he was strongly imbued with the romantic spirit peculiar to his age. Hence, his credulity must have frequently been imposed on by those who were willing to satisfy with a marvellous tale the wandering priest's eager thirst after information; and hence, too, himself a poet, we may be permitted to suppose him partial to that edition of a story which produced the highest effect, and rather unwilling too narrowly to question the precise truth of the chivalrous narrations which he esteemed so delicious. There is much room to suspect that the story of the self-devoted burghers of Calais received its higher and more romantic colouring of Froissart (See p. 267, Note); and our accurate countryman, Lord Hailes, has proved that Froissart erred in placing Queen Philippa at the head of the English army at the battle of Nevil's-cross, in which David II. of Scotland was rout ed and made prisoner (p. 347. Note). We may add to his Lordship's argument, that Laurence Minot, a court-poet of the day, would not have omitted so favourable a subject of panegyric in his poem on that engagement.

It remains to examine the merits of the present translation, which will perhaps be best accomplished by pointing out in what it excels or falls short of that which was executed by Lord Berners. In one respect, the translators are in a similar situation, being both, we believe, soldiers, and both above that rank of fortune which is usually the station of literary adventurers. John

Bourchier

Bourchier, lord of Berners, was chancellor of the exchequer, and governor of Calais during the reign of Henry VIII., and had the singular good fortune to retain the precarious favour of his jealous master, although he was at once a man of talents, and descended from the Plantagenets. He died at Calais about 1532. His translation of Froissart was executed at the command of Henry himself, and may be supposed to mark a dawning taste for the English language at the court of that monarch. In the reign of Henry VII. the translation of French romances had just commenced. Lord Berners's version of Froissart was published by Pynson in 1523. It is written in the pure and nervous English of that early period, and deserves to be carefully consulted by the philologist. In one respect, the old baron must be allowed to possess an infinite advantage over Mr Johnes. He lived when the ideas of chivalry yet existed, and when its appropriate language was yet spoken among his readers; so that he' was enabled to translate the conversation of Froissart's knights and nobles by the corresponding expressions in English which he, himself a knight and noble, daily used and heard at the court of Henry. Mr Johnes, on the other hand, has undertaken the very difficult and hazardous task of translating the French expressions of chivalry into what is, with respect to the ordinary communica tions of life, a dialect absolutely extinct : for it must be obvious, that Froissart can no more be rendered with truth and effect into modern English, than Lord Berners could be introduced in the present drawing-room in his buff-coat, slashed sleeves, and trunk hose. In describing the war-cry of A Douglas, a Douglas!" the translator renders it Douglas for ever" by which the ensenzie of a feudal chieftain is degraded into the shout of a mob. We fear also that Mr Johnes is deficient in a very important part of Froissart's language, that which relates to heraldry. The arms of Douglas are described (p. 32.) as argent on a chef argent,' which it is impossible to blazon. In p. 201, they are rightly gi ven, Argent a chief azure;' but he has omitted three stars gules on the chief,' as mentioned by Froissart, edit. 1559, P. 95

We proceed to compare the translations in the following interesting passage, reducing the orthography of Lord Berners, which is extremely vague, to nearly the modern standard. The subject is the battle of Cressy; and the historian has already described, in the most lively colours, the disorder in which the French multitude came pouring on the small, but compact and well-ordered host of England.

• When the French king saw the Englishmen, his blood changed, and (he) said to his marshalls, "Make the Genoese go on before, and begin the battle in the name of God and St Denis.' There were of the Genoese cross-bows about a fifteen thousand,

but they were so weary of going a-foot that day, a six leagues, armed with their cross-bows, that they said to their constables, "We be not well ordered to fight this day, for we be not in the case to do any great deed of arms; we have more need of rest.” These words came to the Earl of Alençon, who said, * A man is well at ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, to be faint and fail now at most need." Also, the same season, there fell a great rain and an eclipse, with a terrible thunder; and before the rain, there came flying over the battles a great number of crows for fear of the tempest coming. Then anon the air be gan to wax clear, and the sun to shine fair and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmens' eyen, and on the Englishmens' back. When the Genoese were assembled together, and began to approach, they made a great leape and cry, to abashe the Englishmen; but they stood still, and stirred not for all that. Then the Genoese again the second time made another leape and a fell cry, and stepped forward a little; and the Englishmen removed not one foot. Thirdly again, they leaped and cryed, and went forth till they came within shot; then they shot fiercely with their cross-bows. Then the English archers stepped forth one pace, and lette fly their arrows so wholly and thick that it seemed snow. When the Genoese felt the arrows piercing through heads and arms and breasts, many of them cast down their crossbows, and did cut their strings, and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them flee away, he said, " Slay these rascals, for they shall let and trouble us without reason." Then ye should have seen the men-at-arms dash in among them, and killed a great number of them, and ever still the Englishmen shot where as they saw the thickest press; the sharp arrows ran into the men-at-arms and into their horses; and many fell horse and men among the Genoese; and when they were down, they could not relieve again, the press was so thick that one overthrew another. And also, among the Englishmen, there were certain rascals that went on foot with great knives, and they went in among the men-at-arms, and murdered many as they lay on the ground, both earls, barons, knights, and squires, whereof the King of England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken prisoners.

This remarkable passage is thus rendered by Mr Johnes.

"You must know, that these kings, dukes, earls, barons and lords of France, did not advance in any regular order, but one after the other, or any way most pleasing to themselves. As soon as the king of France came in sight of the English, his blood began to boil, and he cried out to his marshals," Order the Genoese forward, and begin the battle, in the name of God and St Denis."

There

'There were about fifteen thousand Geneose cross-bowmen; but they were quite fatigued, having marched on foot that day six leagues, completely armed, and with their cross-bows.

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They told the constable, they were not in a fit condition to do any great things that day in battle. The earl of Alençon, hearing this, said, "This is what one gets by employing such scoundrels, who fall off when there is any need for them."

6

During this time, a heavy rain fell, accompanied by thunder and a very terrible eclipse of the sun; and before this rain a great flight of crows hovered in the air over all those battalions, making a loud noise. Shortly afterwards it cleared up, and the sun shone very bright; but the Frenchmen had it in their faces, and the English in their backs.

• When the Genoese were somewhat in order, and approached the English, they set up a loud shout, in order to frighten them; but they remained quite still, and did not seem to attend to it. They then set up a second shout, and advanced a little forward; but the English never moved. They hooted a third time, advancing with their cross-bows presented, and began to shoot. The English archers then advanced one step forward, and shot their arrows with such force and quickness, that it seemed as if it snowed.

When the Genoese felt these arrows, which pierced their arms, heads, and through their armour, some of them cut the strings of their cross-bows, others flung them on the ground, and all turned about, and retreated, quite discomfited. The French had a large body of men at arms on horseback, richly dressed, to support the Genoese.

The king of France, seeing them thus fall back, cried out, "Kill me those scoundrels; for they stop up our road without any reason." You would then have seen the above mentioned men at arms lay about them, killing all they could of these runaways."

'The English continued shooting as vigorously and quickly as before; some of their arrows fell among the horsemen, who were sumptuously equipped, and, killing and wounding many, made them caper and fall among the Geneose, so that they were in such confusion they could never rally again. In the English army there were some Cornish and Welshmen on foot, who had armed themselves with large knives: these, advancing through the ranks of the men at arms and archers, who made way for them came upon the French when they were in this danger, and, falling upon earls, barons, knights and squires, slew many, at which the king of England was afterwards much exasperated.' p. 324. 325.

Upon the mere point of style in this passage, we are of opinion that the ancient translator has considerably the advantage. In describing the shouts with which the Genoese endeavoured to sustain their own dubious courage, and appal their enemies, contrasted with the obstinate and ominous silence of the English, the words of Lord Berners are not only better chosen, but the sentences are better arranged, and convey a more lively picture to the eye. On the other hand, the modern translation is more accurate, mentioning

Cc 3

mentioning the original purpose of the body of men-at-arms * by whom the Geneose were to have been supported, but who in the end trampled them down, and the country of the light infantry who were mingled among the English archers and cavalry.t

:

We give another example of the language of the two translations, in the celebrated answer of Edward. They with the prince sent a messanger to the kynge, who was on a little windmill-hill than the knight said to the king, "Sir, the Earl of Warwick and the Earl of Camfort, Sir Reynold Cobham, and other such as be about the prince your son, are fiercely fought withal; wherefore they desire you that you and your battle will come and aid them; for if the Frenchmen increase, as they doubt they will, your son and they shall have much ado. Then the king said "Is my son dead or hurt, or on the earth felled?""No, Sir," quoth the knight, "but he is hardly matched; wherefore he hath need of your aid."—" Well," said the king, 66 return to him, and to those that sent you hither, and say to them, that they send no more to me for any adventure that falleth so long as my son is alive; and also say to them, that they suffer him this day to win his spurs; for if God be pleased, I will this journee be his, and the honour thereof, and to them that be about him."

Mr Johnes's version runs thus

The first division, seeing the danger they were in, sent a knight * in great haste to the king of England, who was posted upon an eminence, near a windmill. On the knight's arrival, he said, "Sir, the earl of Warwick, the lord Stafford, the Lord Reginald Cobham, and the others who are about your son are vigourously attacked by the French; and they intreat that you would come to their assistance with your bat talion, for, if their numbers should increase, they fear he will have too much to do."

The king replied: “ Is my son dead, unhorsed, or so badly wounded, that he cannot support himself?""Nothing of the sort, thank God," rejoined the knight," but he is in so hot an engagement, that he has great need of your help." The king answered, "Now, sir Thomas, return back to those that sent you, and tell them from me, not to send again for me this day, or expect that I shall come, let what

will

*Denis Sauvage's edition bears that this body of cavalry was Eng, lish; but we presume Mr Johnes followed a better authority. The Black Prince's men-at--arms were in the rear of the archers.

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6

+ Berners calls them rascals,' Mr Johnes Cornish and Welchmen.' Froissart seems to give them both characters, pillars et bidaux Gallois et Cornuallois.' The slaughter must have been greatly increased by these irregular troops; for the dismounted knights were usually unable to rise from the weight of their armour.

* Sir Thomas Norwich.-MSS.