The infinitives both preserve or drop the final _n_, as is the rule with the Midland dialect; the form of the past participle with _n_ accords with the use of the Northern writers. The present partic. ending in _-and_ and the past tense plurals of strong verbs having adopted the vowel of the singular, agree with the North as well as with the northern districts of the Midland, in the same way as some forms of _to be_: plr. prs. _ys_ and plr. prt. _was_, besides the usual forms _be_ and _are_, resp. _were_ and _ware_, and the contracted forms of _take_: 758 _name -- +tane+_. 1095 _gane -- +itane+_. 1825 _+ta+ -- twa_ (cf. 231, 286, 859, 1333, 1475, 1722, 1733, 2617). The forms _thou has_ and _thou may_ point to the West. The inflexions of the 3rd pers. prs. sg. are _-th_ and _-s_. In the western part of the Midland we never meet with the ending _th_, but only with _s_. In _Amis and Amiloun_, the Eastern origin of which seems to be sure, only the inflexion _-eþ_ is found in the rhyme (_Amis_, p. xxx ff.). The romance of _Sir Torrent_ seems to be the first document hitherto considered where both these forms occur, one by the side of the other. Perhaps this fact justifies us in concluding that this poem was composed in the east, but on the borders of the west, Midland. § 4. THE CONTENTS OF THE ROMANCE. Before entering on an inquiry into the sources of the romance, it may be expedient to give a short account of its contents. In Portugal once reigned a mighty king, whose name was Calamond. He had an only daughter, the fair and gentle Desonelle, who was loved by a young knight called Torrent, son of a Portuguese count. As he could not win her, save by distinguishing himself by valiant exploits, he undertook several adventurous expeditions. First he set out, by the order of the king, against a mischievous and dangerous giant, whom he found lying fast asleep on a hill. He roused the giant by sounding his bugle, and challenged him to fight. Instantly a fierce combat ensued, in which the awkward giant lost his life. In the giant’s castle the young hero delivered a maiden, Eleonore, daughter of the king of Gales, from captivity, and rescued at the same time four princes, whom the giant had taken some time before and imprisoned in an iron cage.