that he was no sorcerer, and that if he would spare his life and his treasure, he would render the king the most signal services. The king assented. Velant entered the royal service, and his charge was to take great care of the knives, which were every day placed before the king at table. One day, while he was washing these knives in the river, one of them fell out of his hands, and sunk to the bottom. Fearing to lose the royal favour, he went secretly to the forge belonging to the king's smith, and made a knife exactly similar to the one that had been lost. The first time the king made use of this knife at dinner, it not only cut the bread, but went clean through the wood of the table! After this, and more wonderful feats with weapons of his construction, Velant passed for the most skilful workman in the kingdom, and manufactured for the king many precious articles in gold and silver.

So far the Icelandic Vilkina Saga, which enters into the subject much more at length. For further particulars connected with the history of the legend, I may refer the reader to the fifth volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of France, 8vo. Paris, 1823, p. 217, and to Depping's dissertation on "Véland le Forgeron," 8vo. Paris, 1833.

It only remains for me to offer my best thanks to the Rev. C. G. Hulton, Librarian of Chetham College, who kindly afforded me every assistance while transcribing the manuscript; and to Sir Frederic Madden, who most liberally lent me his own transcript of the romance, made in the autumn of 1835. I ought to add that when I made my transcript, I was not aware that a copy had previously been taken by a gentleman, whose very superior knowledge both of the language and the subject would have produced an edition of this romance much more satisfactory than the present

one.

35, Alfred Place, July 7th, 1842.

J. O. HALLIWELL.

Torrent of Portugal.

Here bygynneth a good tale of Torrente of Portyngale.

GOD, that ys worthy and bold
Heven and erthe have in hold,
Fyld, watyr, and wynde,

Yeve use grace hevyn to wyne,
And brynge us owt off dedly synne,
And in thy servyse to ende!

A stounde and ye wolle lyst be-dene,
Ale dowghtty men that evyr hathe byn,
Wher so that they lende,

I schalle yow telle, ore I hense pase,
Off a knyght that dowghtty wase,

In Rome ase clarkys ffynde.

B

10

In Portynggalle, that ryche londe,
An erelle that wase wonande,

That curtese wase and dowghtty;

Sone aftyr he had a sone,

The feyerest that on fot myght gon,
Tyrrant men seyd he hyght.

Be tyme he wase xviij. yer old,
Of deddes of armys he wase bold,

To felle bothe kyng and knyght;

And now commythe dethe appon a day
And takythe hys father, ase I yow sey,
For God ys most of myght.

The kyng of Portynggalle wase fayne ;
Towarde hym he takythe Torrayne,
That dowghtty ys in dedde;
And ther he fesomnyd in hys hond

A good eyrldom in that lond,

Bothe forest and downe.

The kyng hathe a dowghttyr feyer ase flowyr,

Dyscenyr wase her name,

Worthyest in wede.

When Torrent had of her a syght,

More he loved that swet wyte

Than alle ys fathyrys londe.

20

30

For love of thys lady deyr,
In dede of armys far and nere
Aventorres gan he take;

With heve tymbyr and ovyr-ryde,
Ther myght no man hys dent abydde,

But to the erthe he them stroke.

Her father and other knyghttes mo
Had farly how he ryd soo,

And on a day to hyme spake :

He seyd, "Torrent, howe may thys byne,
That thow dysplesyst thes knyghttes kene,
And ordurres non wolle take?"

Torrent sayd, "So mot I the,
And other sayment wolle I bee

Ore I take ordor of knyght."

Tho he sware be hevyn kyng,
Ther wase told hym a wondyr thyng
In hys chambyr to nyght.

"For the love of my doughter dere, Thow makyst good far and nere,

In dedde of armys bryght;

And wyt thow wylle, so God me save!

Thow schalle here wyne, yf thow her have,

Be thow nevyr so wyttht."

40

50

60