where Richard is said to have slain Corsuble and Mautrie, the uncle of Floripas, is not cleared up by the «Destruction», as in the three passages, where Richard is mentioned there (ll. 246, 288, 541), he does not play an active part at all, whereas from Mousket’s analysis of the original «Fierabras» [«Balan»] romance, we know how important a part Guy and Richard played in the old poem.[29] There Richard and Guy being sent off by Charlemagne as a first succour to the oppressed Romans, succeeded in delivering Château-Miroir, which had been seized by the Saracens. The story of the combat around Château-Miroir, as related in the «Destruction», ll. 593 ss., is thoroughly different,[30] as besides other variations, there is neither Richard nor Guy concerned in it. Therefore, as the contents of the «Destruction» are not identical with Mousket’s analysis of the old «Balan» romance, and as several passages alluding to events previously described are left unexplained in the «Destruction»; and as there is even an instance of the «Destruction» being in contradiction to the «Fierabras», the poem of the «Destruction de Rome» cannot be said to be identical with the first part of the «Balan» romance.[31] [p-xv] The Provençal version and the «Destruction» are each printed from unique MSS., the latter from the Hanover MS., the former from the Wallerstein MS. Of the French «Fierabras» there are seven MSS. known to exist. «a» = the MS. of the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, Supplém. franç., No. 180, which has been followed throughout by the editors of the French «Fierabras», who in cases of evident errors or lacunæ of this MS., consulted the three following MSS.: «b» = the MS. of the Biblioth. Nationale, Lancelot, 7566^{3.3}. «c» = the MS. of the British Museum, MS. Reg. 15. E. vi.[32] «d» = the MS. of the Vatican Library, Regina 1616. «D» = the MS. in possession of M. Ambroise-Firmin Didot, a small fragment of which has been printed by Gautier, «Epopées» fr. ii. 307. «E» = the Escorial MS., a description of which, together with the variations, has been given by Knust, in the «Jahrbuch für romanische und englische Sprache und Literatur», vol. ix. p. 43 et seq. «H» = the Hanover MS., which also contains the «Destruction de Rome». It has been described by Professor Grœber in the «Jahrbuch», xiii. p. 111. [p-xvi] As to the English «Fierabras» romances, there are two versions known to exist:[33] the poem of «Sir Ferumbras» contained in the Ashmole MS. 33[34] and the present poem. In the following we shall attempt to point out the differences of these two versions, and to examine whether there is any relationship between the English and the French poems, and if possible to identify the original of the former.