I N TR OD U C TI ON THE histo r of alladr if it could be accurate l y b y, y t race d w ould s u l a missin cha te r in the histo r , pp y g p y d for its of En lish Ve rse . But it can not be so race g t , o ri in w as vocal an d n o t lite rar and w he n it e came g y , b li r ll r To te ll us that te ary it had ce ase d to be ba ad y . the r ll i ri fro mthe l Fr nch boiler w o d ba ad s de ve d O d e , to dance and that it me ant a s on sun to the rh thmic , g g y move me nt of a dancin chorus is me re l to de fine its g , y e t mo lo and indicate a articular formof OldFre nch y gy, p Ve rse w hich the y oung poe ts of to -day are trying to revive in En lan d Whe n w e s e ak of lladr w e g . p ba y have in mind s uch co mp o sition s as Sir Patrick Spe ns and he v hace the ins iration of which w hateve r C y C , p , it ma have e e n w as not the ins iration re uire d fo r y b , p q th m i ion n in n I t as o f s im le r e co pos t of da c g so gs . w p and olde r are nta e oin ack to that unk no w n e p g , g g b p riod of antiquity w he n man discove re d in himse lf the stran e ift of metrical e x re ssio n and devote d it to g g p , the se rvice of the o ds w hich be w orshi e d and the g pp , The first me mory of gre at me n w ho live d before him. poe tic birt hs o f the primitive race s w e re hymn s an d ballads : childre n of the ir hymns we re the Bible s of v N i INTROD UCTIO . the se ce an hil re n o f the ir allads re he ir ra s, d c d b w e t e ics— Iliads N i e lun e nlie ds ids and the lo n train p , b g , C , g o f me tri l ro manc s tha f llo h m A o htho ne ca e t o w e d t e . ut c s in e ve r lan d like the fair tale s w hich he e rman y , y t G s call M arc/zen the w ande re d u an d dow n the w o rld , y p like sie s ho me le s s but ha in the lan e s and b gyp , ppy y w ay s lo ng afte r the ir e pical de sce ndants had built fo r the mse lve s alace s Whe re ve r the have e e n fo und p . y b , in France o r Po rtu al o r I tal o r Gre e ce in De n mark , g , y, , , o r En land o r Sco tland the s tam o f the ir co mmo n g , , p pare n tage is upo n the m. Whe the r the make rs o f the se ve rn aculo us o ld pro duc tio n s w e re the minstre ls w ho san the mto the e o le g p p , or the p e o ple the mse lve s o f w ho mthe se min stre ls w e re n n rmn the w an de rin vo ice s ca no t ow be de te i e d. The g , y e x iste d like the song o f birds and the mus ic of run n ing r The first thin that strike s o ur notice in the mas w ate s . g ( M o the rw e ll has po in te d o ut) is the almo st un ifo rmdra matic characte r o f the ir structure . The action of the ie ce co mme nce s at o n ce . I t do e s n o t lik e the me tri p , cal ro mance ro ce e d afte r cravin t he atte n tio n o f , p , g lo rd and lad and invo kin the aid of the Vir in M ar y , g g y, h are nta e e u io n an e tc. to ive a sk e tch of t e d cat d , g p g , , p ro mising qualitie s of the do ughty knight o r ge ntle s uir h i fi r in it The re is no o m o us an q e w o s t o gu e . p p n o unce me nt of the e x quisite e nj o yme n t to be de rive d r h r i o f h n l a tes If such articu f o mt e ca p ng suc ob e g . p lars are at all allude d to the are no tice d me re l in ci , y y de ntall and dashe d off e rha s in a s in le line . The y , p p g characte rs and the de stinie s of tho se w ho fo rmthe sub e ct o f such tale s are le arne d fro mthe ir action s no t j , io o f h oe The e ne r ll o by the de script ns t e p t. y g a y pe n NT T I R O D U C ION . with so me st rikin and natural icture re nant w ith g p , p g i n life and mot o n. The sto ry ru s on in an arrow like stre am w ith all the strai htfo rwardne ss of unfe i ne d , g g n si n The re is n o turnin k n a d e arne st pas o . g bac to me d what has e n said amis s o re n e r mr l r h b e , t d o e c e a t at which may have be e n dimly e x pre sse d o r slightly hin te d ; an d the re is no pause made to gathe r on the u if l i r r ri l i n If w ay be a t u mage s o app op ate il ustrat o s . the se co me naturall and unavo ida l as it w e re ood y b y , , g and w e ll but the re is no lo ite ring and w inding about and a out as if unwillin to move on till the se sho uld b , g su e st the mse lve Th harm of the com ositio n gg s. e c p li h r in d an artifi e s in t e sto y w hich it e vo lve s. Stra e d cial fe e lin has no lace in it an d rhe torical e m e l g p , b li hmnts r ll n n n De scri tion s of n atu s e a e e qua y u k ow . p ral sce ne r are ne ve r atte m te d and se ntime nt is y p , is l l f o i i almost un he ard of. M uch a w ays e t f r mag na i n to fanc and fo r the fe e lin s of the auditors to t o y, g su l ro use d as the canno t fail to be b the sce nic pp y, y y ’ picture rapidly and distin ctly trace d be fore the mind s e e . I n his narrative the o e t alw a s a e ars to be y , p y pp i n h hi u i n H e doe s n o act ng i good fait w ith s a d e ce . t s in to ano the r w hat he discre dits himse lf no r doe s he g , e al to othe r t stimo n in su or of his state me nts app e y pp t . ‘ ’ ‘ h r is no r f r n o s he k e lls r as in T e e e e e ce t a t bo e t , o ’ Ro mans I re de for orro oration f ha he affi rms , a c b o w t .