from which Morant gave it. It may not, therefore, be
unacceptable to some of your readers, to subjoin this corrected copy. It
may be proper to premise, that "The _Tale_ of the Wardstaff" is the
_tallying_ or _cutting_ of it, and that it was evidently originally spoken
in parts, assigned as under; although it should seem that there is no
indication of this arrangement in the MS.
"THE TALE OF THE WARDSTAFF.
_The Bailiffe of the Liberty._
"Iche athied[6] the staffe byleve,
Thanne staffe iche toke byleve,
Byleve iche will tellen[7]
Now the staffe have iche got.
_Lord of Ruckwood Hall._
"Tho the staffe to me com
Als he hoveon for to don,
Faire and well iche him underfing
Als iche hoveon for to don.
_The Bailiffe._
"All iche theron challenged,
That theron was for to challenge,
Nameliche,--this:--and--this:
And all that ther was for to challenge.
_Lord of Ruckwood._
"Fayer iche him uppdede
Als iche hoveon for to don.
_The Bailiffe._
"All iche warnyd to the Ward to cum,
That therto hoveon for to cum,
By SUNNE SHINING.
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