© Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, Best. 340 Grimm Nr. Dr 221
I
Anhang über Wade.
Altengl. Uebersetzung des Guido von Columna (Warton
2. n. 9.)
many speken of men that romaunces rede etc*
of kevelocke, hörne and of Wade
in romances that of them bc made cte.
Ritson* Z. 265* macht dazu folgende Note:
we, unfortunately, have lost the writeings aud even the hi-
ßtory ©f this celebrated peisonage , exccpt as to a very fevtr
anecdotes or allusious, which onely serve to whet our anxiety
for the rest: Chaucer in his merchaunls tale has this ctuplet;
and eke thisc olde widewes (god it wote)
they connen so moch craft in Wades böte. v, 9297.
Upon this, quoth the worthy Tyrwhitt, Speght remarks as
follows: „concerning Wade and his böte called G ui ngelot,
as also his straunge exploits in the same, because the matter
is long and fabulous, !- passe it over" tantamne rem tarn negli-
genter? Mr. Speght probably did not foresee, that posterity
would be as much obliged to him for a litt Je of this fabulous
matter concerning Wade and his böte , as for the gravest of
his annotations» — the story of Wade is mentioned again by
Chaucer in hispTroilus III« 615*
he songe, she playde, he toide a tale of Wade
Sir Francis Kinaston in his commentary on the loves of Troilus
and Creseid says , that Chaucer mcans a ridlculous romance. ..
for, in his time, therc was a foolish fabulous legend of one
Wade aud his boate Guingelot, w herein he did many stränge
things and had many wonderfull adventuies.