in
and Art.
Literature
165
his hoft, that, as he was a fcholar, he had not learnt to labour, that his
parents were knights, but he had no tafte for fighting, and that, in a
word, he preferred poetry to any occupation. Another fpeaks {till more
to the point, and complains that he is in danger of being obliged to fell
his clothes. " If this garment of vair which I wear," he fays, " be fold
for money, it will be a great difgrace to me; I would rather fuffer a long
falt. A bifhop, who is the mofi generous of all generous men, gave me
this cloak, and will have for it heaven, a greater reward than St. Martin
has, who only gave half of his cloak. It is needful now that the poet's
want be relieved by your liberality [addreiling his hearers] ; let noble men
give noble gifts-gold, and robes, and the like."
Si -vendatur proper denarium
Indumentum quad porto -zmrium,
Grands milzifet afprabrium ;
Mala diu pati jejunium.
Largfmmus largorum nmnium
Prwful dedit mibi bar pallium,
lllajus babens in calis premium
Elyam Martinus, qui dedit medium.
Nun: gfl opus ut -mjlra copia
Slalzle-vetur varis inopia ;
Dent nubile: dona nabilia,-
durum, -vejies, at lz1.r_]imi1ia.
There has been fome diiference of opinion as to the country to which
this poetry more efpecially belongs. Giraldus Cambrenfis, writing at the
end of the twelfth or the beginning of the thirteenth century, evidently
thought that Golias was an Englifhman 5 and at a later date the goliardic
poetry was almoit all afcribed to Giraldus's contemporary and friend, the
celebrated humouriit, VValter Mapes. This was, no doubt, an error.
Jacob Grimm feemed inclined to claim them for Germany; but Grimm,
on this occafion, certainly took a narrow view of the queltion. We {hall
probably be more correct in faying that they belonged in common to all
the countries over which univeriity learning extended; that in whatever
country a particular poem of this clais was compofed, it became the
property of the whole body of thefe fcholaftic jougleurs, and that it was
thus