Therefore Gaston Paris was right in saying that the «Fierabras» poem contained only the second part of the earlier poem, the first part of which had not come down to us. Now it seemed as though this view, which had been clearly [p-xiii] demonstrated and generally adopted, would have to undergo a thorough modification on the discovery of a new Fierabras Manuscript in Hanover. Professor Grœber, having been informed of the existence of that MS. by Professor Tobler, published from it, in 1873, the poem of the «Destruction de Rome»,[23] which in that MS. precedes the «Fierabras» romance.[24] In his Address to the Assembly of German Philologists at Leipzig,[25] the same scholar attempted to show that this poem represented the first part of the earlier «Balan» romance. This supposition, however, can only be accepted with reserve, and needs a great modification, as by no means all the references to previous events contained in the «Fierabras» receive explanation in the «Destruction», although all such previous events must have been narrated in the original «Balan». Moreover, one of these allusions in the «Fierabras» is in direct contradiction to the contents of the «Destruction». Thus ll. 2237 «et seq.» of the «Fierabras»:[26]— “.i. chevalier de France ai lontans enamé: Guis a nom de Borgoigne, moult i a bel armé; Parens est Karlemaine et Rollant l’aduré. Dès que je fui à Romme, m’a tout mon cuer emblé, Quant l’amirans mes peres fist gaster la cité, «Lucafer de Baudas abati ens ou pré,» «Et lui et le ceval, d’un fort espiel quarré»,” where Floripas declares that she has seen Guy before Rome when defeating Lukafer, widely differ from the account given in ll. 1355 «et seq.» of the «Destruction», where Guy does not arrive at Rome until «after» the departure of Laban’s army to Spain. In the «Destruction» no clue is given which would enable us to explain why Charles should be constantly applying to Richard in the «Fierabras» (ll. 112 «et seq.») for information about Fierabras, or why Richard, in particular, should know more about Fierabras than any one else. There is no mention in the «Destruction» of Richard chasing [p-xiv] the Emir before him in the plain of Rome, to which event ll. 3708–9 of the «Fierabras»[27] clearly refer. “Richars de Normendie au courage aduré, Qui cacha l’amirant devant Romme ens el pré.” The allusion contained in l. 2614,[28] . . . . “Richart de Normendie, Cil qui m’ocist Corsuble et mon oncle Mautrie,”