of fevered Anglo-Norman Poets of the i$th Century. 23?

cribed to St. Barnard, by others to a Pope Clement, printed at London in folio 1520, and at Caen in 4to, of the fame date [g], What makes this poem particularly interefting is, that Wading- ton has not fcrupulbufly adhered to his original ; and' that under thofe dlvifions wherein he treats of morals, he has introduced very curious matter relating to the manners and cuftoms of the Eng- lilh, of his own times* But leaving thefe obfervations, however va- luable, to the publication of hiftorians, I ihall extrad: only "the opi- nions of this author, as far as they relate to the poetry of his day. In the firft place, he treats of trie general tafte of the Englifh for romances of knight errantry, for fabulous tales, and fongs ; and he blames them only, becaufe they employed themfelves in the reading of thefe works on the fabbath. Another kind^ of poefy, called Rotewange, was much in requeft among them, and we believe that- it confuted of pieces which they fang, and at the fame time accom- panied themfelves on the hurdy-gurdy. But thofe theatrical pieces- called" " Miracles" were their delight beyond all others; they were' of the nature of tragedy, which represented the: martyrdom of fome faint of the primitive church ^ Geoffrey, Abbot of St. Albans, had introduced into England the tafte for thefe theatrical pieces, as early as the beginning of the twelfth century [h]. By Fitz Stephens' account, it continued in force to the* end of that century, and the city of London was the place, before: all others, famous for this kind of reprefentation [;"];.. But the evi- dence of Wadington proves that the interval, till his day, had greatly increafed this tafte among the Englim. From what he fpecifies on the fubjecl of thefe entertainments, it feems that they were fome- times brought forward in the public places, but moft commonly [g~] Leyfer Hift. poetarum medii sevi, p. 420, [h] Math. Paris in vita abbatum fti albani. [/'] Flz Stephens' Defcription of London, p. 73. in