A shewer and a coyf
To bynd with his loks,
And ratyl on the rowbyble
And in non other boks
Ne mo;
Mawgrey have the bysshop
That lat hyt so goo.

"A Poem on the times of Edward II.," ed. Hardwick, Percy Society, 1849,
p. 8.

[374] "The Vox and Wolf," time of Edward I., in Matzner, "Altenglische
Sprachproben," Berlin, 1867, part i. p. 130; also in Th. Wright, "Latin
Stories," 1842, p. xvi. This story of the adventure in the well forms
Branch IV. of the French text. Martin's "Roman de Renart," Strasbourg,
1882, vol. i. p. 146.

[375] Tartufe, i. 6.

[376] "Amis and Amiloun," ed. Koelbing, Heilbronn, 1884, 8vo, French and
English texts, in verse. French text in prose, in Moland and
d'Hericault, "Nouvelles ... du XIIIe. Siecle," 1856, 16mo.--French text
of "Floire" in Edelstand du Meril, "Poemes du XIIIe. Siecle," Paris,
1856. English text: "Floris and Blauncheflur, mittelenglisches Gedicht
aus dem 13 Jahrhundert," ed. Hausknecht, Berlin, 1885, 8vo; see also
Lumby, "Horn ... with fragments of Floriz," E.E.T.S., 1886. The
popularity of this tale is shown by the fact that four or five different
versions of it in English have come down to us.--Lays by Marie de France
were also translated into English: "Le Lay le Freine," in verse, of the
beginning of the fourteenth century. English text in "Anglia," vol. iii.
p. 415; "Sir Launfal," by Thomas Chestre, fifteenth century, in
"Ritson's Metrical Romances," 1802.

[377] Examples of "estrifs," debates or "disputoisons": "The Thrush and
the Nightingale," on the merits of women, time of Edward I. (with a
title in French: "Si comence le cuntent par entre le mauvis et la
russinole"); "The Debate of the Carpenter's Tools" (both in Hazlitt's
"Remains," vol. i. p. 50, and i. p. 79); "The Debate of the Body and the
Soul" (Matzner's "Altenglische Sprachproben," part i. p. 90), same
subject in French verse, thirteenth century, "Monumenta Franciscana,"
vol. i. p. 587; "The Owl and the Nightingale" (ed. Stevenson, Roxburghe
Club, 1838, 4to). This last, one of the most characteristic of all,
belongs to the thirteenth century, and consists in a debate between the
two birds concerning their respective merits; they are very learned, and
quote Alfred's proverbs, but they are not very well bred, and come
almost to insults and blows.

[378] Litanies of love:

Love is wele, love is wo, love is geddede,
Love is lif, love is deth, &c.

Th. Wright, "An