the most preposterous misrepresentations of their history. To cover this deviation from the promised plan, which, by introducing a more ample variety of matter, has contributed to increase the reader's entertainment, our collector has taken care to preface almost every story with the name or reign of a Roman emperor; who, at the same time, is often a monarch that never existed, and who seldom, whether real or supposititious, has any concern with the circumstances of the narrative[1]."
The influence which this work has had on English poetry, is not the least surprizing fact connected with it. Not only the earlier writers of our country—Gower, Chaucer, Lydgate, Occleve, &c. have been indebted to it, but also, as the reader will perceive in the notes, the poets of modern times. Its popu-
- ↑ Warton. Dissert. on G. R. p. vii.
