The poem of the «Sowdan» was first printed by the Roxburghe Club in 1854.[87] The text of the present edition differs from that of the «editio princeps» in so far as punctuation is introduced, which is altogether disregarded by the MS. and the Roxburghe Club edition. In some passages words which have been written as one in the MS. are separated in the text; thus «a laye», l. 2694; «a ras», l. 645, are printed instead of «alaye», «aras». Sometimes also words written separately in the MS. are united by a hyphen, as «be-falle», 14; «i-wiss», 71; «i-sought», 725; «with-oute», 841; «a-bide», 818; «a-ferde», 1337, &c. These slight deviations from the MS., which are always indicated in the footnotes, seemed advisable on account of the great help they afford the reader in understanding the text. More important emendations and corrections of evident scribal blunders and other mistakes are given in the foot-notes, and will be found explained in the Notes. The Index of Names will be useful to those who wish to compare the «Sowdan» with any other version of the romance. The Glossarial Index contains besides the obsolete terms all those words the spelling or the signification of which essentially differs from that now accepted. Words which show only slight orthographical variations from their modern form have not been included, as the reader will have no difficulty in identifying them. * * * * * In conclusion I have the pleasant duty of acknowledging the invaluable assistance which Professor Zupitza at all times readily and freely gave me. My best thanks are also due to Mr. Furnivall and to Mr. Napier for their kind advice and suggestions, and to Mr. Herrtage for collating a transcript of the poem with the MS. EMIL HAUSKNECHT. «Berlin», «January», 1881. FOOTNOTES: [1] «Histoire Poét.», p. 133–4. [2] Gautier, «Epopées», ii. 308. [3] Cf. the French «Fierabras», l. 84; «Sir Ferumbras», l. 102; «Sowdone», l. 1067. [4] Thus in «Scarron», Gigant, iii. [5] Pantagruel, ii. chap. 1. [6] See the most interesting account of this piece and its curious manner of representation in «Histoire Littéraire de la France», xvii. 720–21. [7] Gautier, «Epopées», ii. p. 308; and «Histoire Poétique», p. 99. [8] See «Huon de Bourdeaux», edd. Guessard and Grandmaison, p. xxxviii. [9] See G. Nottebohm, «Thematisches Verzeichniss der im Druck erschienenen Werke von Franz Schubert». Wien, 1874.—Op. 76. [10] Cf. besides, «Histoire Poétique», pp. 97, 143, 155, 214, 251; «Epopées françaises», ii. pp. 307–9; and the «Préface» of the French edition of «Fierabras». [11] See also Mone, «Uebersicht der niederländischen Volksliteratur älterer Zeit». Tübingen, 1836. p. 56. [12] Cf. Warton, «Hist. of Eng. Poetry», 1824, vol. i. pp. 147–8.