purports to relate an adventure between Charlemagne or Karl and a collier in the vicinity of Paris-a city which the Emperor-king rarely visited. It is rather, then, the composition of a Scot, who, like many of his countrymen, had received his education in France, and was tempted to adopt the names without much reflection or inquiry. But it deserves notice that, whoever was the author, he followed the example of the writer of Colkelbie Sow in laying his scene there in the only passage where a locality is specified. The language of this tale, with the peculiar structure of the stanza and its alliterative style, refer the composition to a period not later than the fourteenth or the beginning of the fifteenth century; but we are not possessed of such evidence as might entitle us to ascribe it in particular to any one Scotish poet. That at an early period it enjoyed much popularity in Scotland is sufficiently evident. Dunbar in one of his poems addressed to James IV. mentions, "Gentill and semple, of every clan, Kyne of Rauf Colgear and Johne the Reif." And Bishop Douglas, in the 'Palice of Honour," written in the year 1503, among other characters of notoriety, says, "I saw Rauf Colgear with his thrawin brow." It is also enumerated by the author of the "Complaynt of Scotland," printed at Paris about 1549, among the "tailis, fabillis, and plesand stories" recited by "the scheiperdis," whereof "sum vas in prose and sum in verse, sum vas storeis, and sum vas flet taylis." This tale, however, was, for a length of time, considered no longer to be in existence. The short notice which occurs in Jos. Ames's "Typographical Antiquities," 1749, 4to, p. 583, is the only intimation respecting any printed edition; but so completely had every copy eluded detection, that the repeated search and inquiry of more than half a century failed in gratifying the curiosity excited by these different allusions, among our poetical antiquaries. In the index to the Auchinleck Manuscript: "Item þe buke of ralf colgear," appears as the LXIV. article,—but this, and some other portions of the same volume, have long since been lost. The present re-impression has been made from a printed copy discovered in 1821 in a volume of English tracts of extreme rarity in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates. In the original (of the title of which a correct facsimile is here given, although seemingly printed with more accuracy than is usually met with in such publications, two lines in the Xith and one line in the LVth stanza appear to have been omitted. The tract is in 4to, and contains sixteen leaves in black letter. The only liberty that has been taken, besides the change of letter, is the substitution of "th" in the few instances where the Anglo-Saxon "þ" had been introduced. The tale of "Rauf Coilgear" has claims to public attention altogether independent of its uncommon rarity, as it possesses no inconsiderable share of poetical merit, and the versification or rhythm is remarkable as the prototype of "Peblis to the Play," "Christ's Kirk on the Green," and other Scotish productions. Indeed, it may be worth considering whether it is not probable that this and "Peblis to the Play" were from the same pen. Although, like most poems of the same age and character, many words are altered from their usual acceptation, or introduced merely for the sake of the alliterative style, the language is by no means obscure. The narrative is simple and circumstantial; the characters are well described; and a vein of comic humour runs through the whole. The adventure with the Saracen towards the conclusion of the poem (very skilfully introduced, to prevent the author from committing the reputation, either of "Schir Rauf," his hero, or of the "gentill knycht," "Schir Rolland"—the Roland or Orlando of history), which terminates so happily in "Magog's" conversion to the Christian faith, and his marriage with the "Gentill Duchess," may, perhaps, be considered as the strongest evidence of its foreign original. It may be stated that a very rude woodcut follows the imprint in the original, and has been omitted, as it would not have been any ornament, and, besides, has not the slightest allusion to the poem itself; that of the two heads on the title-page occurs also in the edition of Sir D. Lyndsay's Works, 4to, 1571. C Heir beginnis the taill of Rauf coilzear how he harbreit King charlis Imprentit at Sanc tandrois be Robert Lekpreuik. Anno. 1572. IN the cheiftyme of Charlis that chosin Thair fell ane ferlyfull flan within thay Quhair Empreouris and Erlis and vther mony ane 5 Turnit fra Sanct Thomas befoir the gule tyde All thay went with the King to his worthy wane All the worthiest went in the morning Baith Dukis and Duchepeiris Barrounis and Bacheleiris Mony stout man steiris 10 Of town with the King. 15 And as that Ryall raid ouir the rude mure Him betyde ane tempest that tyme hard I tell The wind blew out of the Eist stiflie and sture The deip durandlie draif in mony deip dell, Sa feirslie fra the Firmament sa fellounlie it fure Thair micht na folk hald na fute on the heich fell In point thay war to parische thay proudest men and pure In thay wickit wedderis thair wist nane to dwell 20 Amang thay myrck Montanis sa madlie they mer Be it was pryme of the day Sa wonder hard fure thay That ilk ane tuik ane seir way And sperpellit full fer. Ithand wedderis of the eist draif on sa fast 25 It all to blaisterit and blew that thairin baid Be thay disseuerit sindrie midmorne was past Thair wist na Knicht of the Court quhat way the King raid 30 He saw thair was na better bot God on the last In wickit wedderis and wicht Amang thay Montanis on hicht Be that it drew to the nicht 35 The King lykit ill. 40 Euill lykand was the King it nichtit him sa lait And he na harberie had for his behufe; Sa come thair ane cant Carll chachand the gait With ane Capill and twa Creillis cuplit abufe The King carpit to the Carll withoutin debait Schir tell me thy richt name for the Rude lufe He sayis men callis me Rauf Coil gear as I weill wait I leid my life in this land with mekle vnrufe Baith tyde and tyme in all my trauale Hine ouir seuin mylis I dwell And leidis Coilis to sell Sen thow speiris I the tell. 45 All the suith hale. Sa mot I thrife said the King I speir for nane ill Thow semis ane nobill fallow thy answer is sa fyne Forsuith said the Coilgear traist quhen thow will 61 For I trow and it be nocht swa sum part salbe thyne Mary God forbid said the King that war bot lytill skill Baith my self and my hors is reddy for to tyne 56 |