Mr. Donaldson, who is now editing for the Early English Text Society the Troy Book, translated from Guido di Colonna, puts forward a plea for Huchowne as its author, to whom he would also assign the _Morte Arthure_ (ed. Perry) and the Pistel of Sweet Susan.[8] But Mr. Donaldson seems to have been misled by the similarity of vocabulary, which is not at all a safe criterion in judging of works written in a Northumbrian, West or East Midland speech. The dialect, I venture to think, is a far safer test. A careful examination of the Troy Book compels me to differ in toto from Mr. Donaldson, and, instead of assigning the Troy Book to a Scotchman, say that it cannot even be claimed, in its present form, by any Northumbrian south of the Tweed; moreover, it presents no appearance of having been tampered with by one unacquainted with the dialect, though it has perhaps been slightly modernised in the course of transcription. The work is evidently a genuine West-Midland production,[9] having most of the peculiarities of vocabulary and inflexions that are found in these _Alliterative Poems_.[10] I feel greatly inclined to claim this English Troy Book as the production of the author of the _Alliterative Poems_; for, leaving out identical and by no means common expressions, we find the same power of description,[11] and the same tendency to inculcate moral and religious truths on all occasions where an opportunity presents itself.[12] Without dwelling upon this topic, which properly falls to the Editor of the Troy Book, it may not be out of place to ask the reader to compare the following description of a storm from the Troy Book, with that selected from the present volume on pp. 14 and 18. A TEMPEST ON ÞE SEE. There a tempest _hom_ toke on þe torres hegh:-- A _rak_ and a royde wynde rose in _hor_ saile, A myst & a _merkenes_ was mervell to se; With a _routond_ rayn ruthe to be-holde, Thonr{et}[13] full _throly_ with a thicke haile; With a leuenyng light as a _low_ fyre, Blas{et} all the brode see as it bren wold. The flode with a felle cours flow{et} on hepis, Rose uppon rockes as any _ranke_ hylles. So wode were the waghes & þe wilde _ythes_, All was like to be lost þat no lond hade The ship ay shot furth o þe _shire waghes_, As qwo clymbe at a clyffe, or a clent[14] hille. Eft _dump_ in the depe as all drowne wolde. Was no _stightlyng_ with stere ne no stithe ropes, Ne no sayle, þat might serue for _unsound_ wedur. But all the buernes in the bote, as _hom_ best liked, Besoght unto sainttes & to sere goddes; (p. 65) A STORME ON THE SE.