the work. The real
fact seems to be that Simon of Ghent made the abridged Latin version of the
seven books of the _Riwle_ now preserved in Magdalen College, and this
supposition may well enough be reconciled with the words of Leland, who
says of him,--

"Edidit inter caetera, libros _septem_ de Vita Solitaria, {6} ad
Virgines Tarentinas, Duriae cultrices."--_Comment_., p. 316.

A second copy of the Latin version was formerly in the Cottonian collection
(Vitellius E. vii.), but no fragment of it has hitherto been recovered from
the mass of burnt crusts and leaves left after the fire of 1731. I am
happy, however, to add, that within the last few months, the manuscript
marked Vitellius F. vii., containing a French translation of the _Riwle_,
made in the fourteenth century (very closely agreeing with the vernacular
text), has been entirely restored, except that the top margins of the
leaves have been burnt at each end of the volume. This damage has,
unfortunately, carried away the original heading of the treatise, and the
title given us by Smith is copied partly from James's note. This copy of
the French version appears to be unique, and is the more interesting from
its having a note at the end (now half obliterated by the fire), stating
that it belonged to Eleanor de Bohun, Duchess of Gloucester, whose motto is
also added, "_Plesance. M [mil]. en vn_." The personage in question was
Eleanor, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, and wife of
Thomas of Woodstock, who ended her days as a nun in the convent at Barking
in 1399. Is any other instance known of the use of this motto? Before I
conclude these brief remarks, I may mention a _fifth_ copy of the _Ancren
Riwle_, which has escaped the notice of Mr. Morton. It is buried in the
enormous folio manuscript of old English poetry and prose called the Vernon
MS., in the Bodleian Library, written in the reign of Richard II., and
occurs at pp. 371^b.--392. In the table of contents prefixed to this volume
it is entitled "The Roule of Reclous;" and although the phraseology is
somewhat modernised, it agrees better with the MS. Cleopatra C. vi, than
with Nero A. xiv., from which Mr. Morton's edition is printed. This copy is
not complete, some leaves having been cut out in the sixth book, and the
scribe leaves off at p. 420. of the printed edition.

It is very much to be wished that Mr. Morton would undertake the task of
editing another volume of legends, homilies,