And this is a poetry which has “practically no lyric”! On page 2 the Professor tells us that there is no rhyme in Anglo-Saxon poetry; on page 18 we find him giving an account of the rhyming poem in the _Exeter Book_. Of Mr. Saintsbury’s method of dealing with particular works and particular authors, one or two examples must suffice. He tells us on page 125 that the heroines in Chaucer’s _Legend of Good Women_ are “the most hapless and blameless of Ovid’s Heroides.” It would be interesting to know what connexion Cleopatra, whose story comes first, has with Ovid’s Heroides, or if the term “Heroides” be, as it appears to be, (for it is printed in italics) the title of Ovid’s Heroic Epistles, what connexion four out of the ten have with Ovid’s work. In any case the statement is partly erroneous and wholly misleading. In the account given of the Scotch poets, the Professor, speaking of Douglas’ translation of the _Æneid_, says, he “does not embroider on his text.” This is an excellent illustration of the confidence which may be placed in Mr. Saintsbury’s assertions about works on which most of his readers must take what he says on trust. Douglas is continually “embroidering on his text,” indeed, he habitually does so. We open his translation purely at random; we find him turning _Æneid_ II. 496-499:-- “Non sic, aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis Exiit, oppositasque evicit gurgite moles, Fertur in arva furens cumulo, camposque per omnes Cum stabulis armenta trahit.” “Not sa fersly the fomy river or flude Brekkis over the bankis on spait quhen it is wode. And with his brusch and fard of water brown The dykys and the schorys betis down, Ourspreddand croftis and flattis wyth hys spate Our all the feyldis that they may row ane bate Quhill houssis and the flokkis flittis away, The corne grangis and standard stakkys of hay.” We open _Æneid_ IX. 2:-- “Irim de cœlo misit Saturnia Juno Audacem ad Turnum. Luco tum forte parentis Pilumni Turnus sacratâ valle sedebat. Ad quem sic roseo Thaumantias ore locuta est.” We find it turned:-- “Juno that lyst not blyn Of hir auld malyce and iniquyte, Hir madyn Iris from hevin sendys sche To the bald Turnus malapart and stout; Quhilk for the tyme was wyth al his rout Amyd ane vale wonnder lovn and law, Syttand at eys within the hallowit schaw Of God Pilumnus his progenitor. Thamantis dochter knelys him before, I meyn Iris thys ilk fornamyt maide, And with hir rosy lippis thus him said.”