Then he wrote to the second that said she loved him as much as herself, and when she had read his letters, she shewed his errand to her husband, and gave him in counsel that he should find him meat and drink and clothing honestly, as for the state of such a lord during time of his need. And when this was granted, she wrote letters again to her father. The emperor was heavy with this answer, and said, "Sith my two daughters have thus treated me, soothly I shall prove the third. And so he wrote to the third, that said she loved him as much as he was worthy, and prayed her of succour in his need, and told her the answer of her two sisters. So the third daughter, when she had considered the mischief of her father, she told her husband in this form: My worshipful lord, do

succour me now in this great need, my father is put out of his empire and his heritage.' Then spake he,' What were thy will, I do thereto ?' That ye gather a great host,' quoth she, and help him to fight against his enemies.' I shall fulfil thy will,' said the earl, and gathered a great host, and went with the emperour at his own costage to the battle, and had the victory, and set the emperour again in his heritage. And then said the emperour, blessed be the hour I gat my youngest daughter: I loved

her less than any of the other, and now in my need she hath succoured me, and the other have yfailed me; and therefore after my death she shall have mine empire. And so it was done indeed; for after the death of the emperour, the youngest daughter reigned in his stead, and ended peaceably. HARL. MS. No. 7333.

This, as the reader will be aware, is the story of Lear in Shakspeare; but there were many popular tales built upon the same story.

CHAPTER XXV.

There was a powerful emperor called Andronicus, before whom a knight was wrongfully accused. When the charge could not be substantiated, his majesty proposed to him certain puzzling questions, which were to be accurately answered, under pain of death. The knight expressed himself ready to do his best. Then said the emperor, 'How far is heaven distant from hell? That is the first question.' As far,' replied he, as a sigh is from the heart."

Emperor. And how deep is the sea?
Knight. A stone's throw.

Emperor. How many flaggons of salt water are there in the sea?

Knight. Give me the number of flaggons of fresh water, and I will tell you.

*

Emperor. To the first question you answered, that the distance between heaven and hell, was as great as between a sigh and the heart. How can this be?

Knight. A sigh passes from the heart with the rapidity of a glance; and in like manner the soul goes from the body into a state of punishment or happiness.

Emperor. How is the depth of the sea a stone's

throw?

Knight. All weight descends; and because a stone is heavy it drops to the bottom of the sea at once. Its depth is therefore a stone's throw.

Emperor. And how, if you knew the number of flaggons of fresh water, could you estimate the number of salt? This seems impossible.

Knight. Be good enough to try it. Begin the reckoning yourself.

The emperor, pleased with the knight's shrewdness, bids him 'Go in peace.'-MS. Copy of the GEST. ROM.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Bononius was emperor of Rome, &c. &c. This is the same story as the LII Tale of the original Gesta, Vol. 2. Overpassed by Mr. Douce.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Antonius governed the city of Rome with great wisdom. He was exceedingly fond of the game of chess; and observing, on one occasion, that when the men were replaced in the bag as usual, the king was confounded with the inferior pieces, it led him to reflections upon the vanity of human greatness. He thereupon determines to make a triple division of his kingdom, and hasten to the Holy Land. He did so, and died in peace.

CHAPTER XXX.

The emperor Averrhoes, &c. &c.

This is the story of the knight Placidus, in the XXX Tale of the original Gesta, with some varia

tions. Vol. 2. This also Mr. Douce has omitted to observe.

CHAPTER XXXI.

The following tale, together with Mr. Douce's remarks, I extract, verbatim, from the second volume of the Illustrations of Shakspeare. It happened in Rome, under the reign of one PLEBENS, according to the MS. It should be premised that the first part of the story resembles Tale LXIX. Vol. I.

"A law was made at Rome that the sentinels of the city should each night examine what was passing in all the houses, so that no private murders should be committed, nor any thing done whereby the city should be endangered. It happened that an old knight named Josias had married a young and beautiful woman who, by the sweetness of her singing, attracted many persons to his house, several of whom came for the purpose of making love to her. Among these were three young men who were high in the emperor's favour. They respectively agreed with the woman for a private assignation, for which she was to receive twenty marks.