Appendix213
The Dutch Lancelot
(Opens with short introduction alluding to Meleagant, thus pre-supposing the Charrette adventure.)
Line 20. Eight days after Whitsuntide A., his knights, and twelve tributary kings are hunting in a forest. Guinevere and her maidens ride to see hunt escorted by Kay, Segramore, Dodinel, and Lancelot. Knight rides up and seizes queen’s bridle. Her knights resent this. K., S., and D. are overthrown. L. is about to joust when maiden rides up and demands his aid, he is pledged to her. L. asks permission to fight first; overthrows and badly wounds knight, and follows maiden. Wounded knight is tended by queen’s people.
Line 245. Queen sends K. after L., whom he finds fighting with two knights; K. gives him his horse; returns to queen.
Line 352. Queen is hungry. Dodinel and Segramore go to find food. Come to a pavilion with knight, he and S. fight, D. looks on. Maid on mule rides up, calls D. to go with her. Knight flies and S. is left alone.
Line 444. Segramore meets one of A’s horsemen pursued by two (1533, three) knights, rescues him and overthrows knights. Comes to a pavilion; dwarf stands at door, strikes S.’s horse with stick. S. chastises him. Lady appears and reproaches S., he is struck with her beauty. Enters pavilion and finds Calogrenant prisoner. He had come there and blown horn at maid’s request, two armed knights appeared and overthrew him. S. blows horn. Red Knight appears; they fight, well-matched. A knight arrives, carries off maiden. R. K. begs truce that he may pursue them. S. will do so too. Cal. is released (1533, R. K. remains to guard C.). S. pursues ravisher, comes to hill and fair meadow, ten pavilions by a fountain. Knight with thirty companions appears and demands joust. S. overthrows him and asks news of maiden. Knight will tell him if S. will grant first request asked. Leads him to pavilion with maid and four knights. Maid will return with S.; has been brought against her will. A knight throws knife at S. who cleaves his head with sword. Others attack S., who slays first, and others fly. Rides off with maid to ten pavilions, ten knights ride out, S. must go with them to their lord or joust; chooses latter. They ask his name, he is Segramore die Wonderlike. Another knight appears, S. must leave maiden or joust. He is Brandalis, rejoiced to meet S., would entertain him. S. says he must return to queen who waits by ‘Elfin Spring.’ B. will escort maiden to her ami. S. rides off to house of Mathamas (his original destination), finds him and knights in hall, and demands provisions for queen. M. and his men treacherously attack S., finally overpower and throw him into dungeon, where he is wellnigh starved, but M.’s daughter takes pity upon him, and brings him food.
Line 1050. Dodinel and maid meet knight and lady richly dressed, with dwarf. D. greets dwarf, who makes no answer but tries to kiss maiden, who throws him to the ground. Knight tries to kill maiden, but is unhorsed by D. and sent prisoner to queen. He is Maroc van den Ynsen Roken, ’twixt Ireland and Scotland. (1533, Marruc le roux, no island named.214)
Line 1267. Lancelot meets a black rider unarmed with knight’s head on saddle-bow, asks L.’s name, bids him give him his armour, L. has pledged himself so to do (reference to adv. in earlier part of prose L.). L. does so. Knight is ‘Griffoen van den quaden passe.’ He rides thus past the Elfin Spring. Queen sees him in L.’s armour with head at saddle-bow and thinks L. is slain. Kay and other knights pursue him, and are overthrown, Kay taken prisoner. Queen and maidens remain at spring weeping.
Line 1425. Lancelot meets maiden, who hails him as best knight in the world, thinks he is Gawain215 (1533, knows him for L.), whose presence in land of Strangore is much desired. Leaves him, and L. and attendant maiden come to house, where they are well received.
Line 1480. Dodinel comes to a deep river crossed by narrow plank. Maiden crosses safely, plank will not bear weight of an armed man. D. falls into water and is nearly drowned. When he reaches bank maid has disappeared. Castle near at hand, knight comes out and challenges D., who is too exhausted to answer and is taken prisoner.
Line 1565. Queen and maidens return to court in great grief, tell A. what has chanced. (1533, Queen’s account does not agree with facts of story. She says ‘prisoner has gone after knight.’ What prisoner? Probably Segramore’s, but she says they have heard nothing of S.) Ten knights will go in quest of L. Gawain chooses his companions: Ywein, Garhies (Gariët general spelling), Gurrehes, Mordrec, Hestor van Maris, Acgloval (’twas he brought Perceval to court), etc. (Neither D. L. nor 1533 give ten names, the latter adds to those mentioned Les Hardi [le Laid Hardi?] and Brandalis.) They take an oath to seek a year and a day. They ride to the ‘Swerte cruce’ (here we have story of Joseph of Arimathea and King Agestes [Agrestes] from G. S. Graal). Gawain harangues them, they will separate, and search forest for a week. Hear loud cries, maiden meets them, and says best knight on earth is being slain. Leads them to a valley where one knight fights against ten. Gawain and companions rescue him and put others to flight. Knight has two swords. Gawain asks reason. Knight explains. He is Eliezer (1533, Helye), son of the rich Fisher who holds the Grail. One sword is that with which Joseph of Arimathea was wounded (here adventures of Joseph as in G. S. Graal); it is broken and can only be mended by him who achieves adventures of the Grail. Ywein begs E. to accompany them in their search for Lancelot, he would doubtless fulfil the test. E. refuses, must return to his father. They separate, agreeing if they find L. to send him to E. (which they do not do).
Line 2335. Agloval rides five days without special adventure. Meets wounded knight who prays his aid. A. jousts with and overthrows pursuer. Makes him ask pardon of first. Spends night in castle of second, who is Griffoen van den quaden passe. A. tells him name and quest. G. conceals share in adventure, tells A. he will find Kay at a hermitage. When A. has ridden away sets K. free, and tells him to go to hermitage, not saying whence he came. K. does this, meets A., hears of quest and follows him.
Line 2565. Gawain rides three days without adventure. Comes to castle of Mathamas where Segramore is imprisoned. Being weary rides past without greeting. M. pursues him, they joust, M. is overthrown. S. is released and M. sent prisoner to court.
Line 2685. Hector216 seeks in forest up and down for eight days; ninth, comes to where Dodinel fell into water, crosses safely and rides to castle. Knight attacks him and is overthrown, makes feint to yield and tries treacherously to stab H. H. smites off his head. Folk of castle receive him gladly, tell him of D. who is freed. Maiden explains knight was her ami and hated D. who had overthrown him at a tourney, she had been forced to fetch him hither on pain of death. H. tells D. of quest; he will join. Leave castle and ride to trysting-place. All meet, have heard nothing of L. Part in great grief, knowing it will be long before they meet again.
Line 2925. Gawain rides fifteen (1533, twelve) days without adventures. Comes to an abbey where he leaves his arms and takes others. Spends Sunday there. On Monday rides forth, comes to a spring, unhelms to drink, maid rides up, knows him, and takes him to castle. Lord of the castle arrives with thirty knights. A great tourney to be held on the morrow two miles hence. Mabonars (1533, Marbortas), the king of Galehout’s race (1533, Galehout’s cousin), has summoned it at Castle ‘van der Molen,’ will give hawk to best knight and circlet to his lady. Maiden prays G. to help her lover Taganas (1533, Tanaguis le blanc). On the morrow go to tourney. Argument between maiden and ‘a king’s niece’ as to whose knight is the best. At first G. overthrows all adversaries. Then Red Knight appears, prolonged struggle, G. is unhorsed, R. K. rides away, G. follows, overtakes him at forester’s house. It is Hector, who is much grieved at what he has done. G. forgives him, and they continue quest together. Third day (1533, time not mentioned), come to ruined chapel and churchyard wherein is marble tomb with inscription to effect that only the ‘keytive’ knight who has failed through ‘luxurien’ to achieve adventure of the Grail can fulfil this. Enter churchyard, find burning tomb with twelve others round it, upright sword on each. G. will test adventure, enters enclosure, is attacked by swords, beaten to the ground, when he recovers consciousness is outside. Tries again, with even worse result. H. also tries, fails; letters appear on the door that none shall dare adventure till the ‘son of the dolorous queen’ come.217 They leave chapel and ride till they come to two roads by a cross on which is written ‘whoso takes left-hand road shall not escape without much dishonour; of right-hand nothing shall be said save that there is much danger.’ H. insists on going to left though G. would dissuade him. They separate.
Line 3535. Gawain comes to pavilion where six knights are at meat, he greets them, they make no response. G. seats himself and begins to eat, they order him to stop, and on his refusing attack him with swords and axes. G. slays one, cuts off arm of another, rest flee. Rides away, comes to a valley where he sees castle surrounded by deep water, goes towards it. Hears cries from a tower, enters and finds maiden in bath of boiling water (1533, does not say water is boiling, and states that she only expects aid from Lancelot), prays him to lift her out; he fails, she tells him he will not go hence without shame, and that only ‘the best knight in the world’ can help her. G. goes to castle, is well received. As they sit in the hall out of the chamber whence the king came (1533, he sees ‘entrer parmi une verriere’) there comes a dove with censer in beak.218 All are silent and kneel till dove has passed through hall and entered a chamber. Then tables are prepared and all sit down in silence. G. wonders much. Out of chamber where dove entered comes the fairest maiden G. has ever seen, holding above her head a vessel in the shape of a cup. The vessel ‘ne was van houte ne van stene, ne van metale negene.’ All kneel as she passes, save G., and the tables are filled with the best food on earth. When she has passed all but G. have been provided with food; he doubts if he has done amiss. After the meal all leave the hall, doors are closed, and G. is left alone. He lies down beneath a window. A man (dwarf?) appears and tells G. to go into a chamber where none shall see him, would strike him, but G. takes staff out of his hand, warns him he shall not depart without dishonour. (1533, G. is only told ‘fuyez vous en d’icy, vous n’y devez m’y estre, car en vous a trop villaine chose.’ G. sees bed through open door, and enters chamber of own accord.) G. goes into the chamber, sees a fair bed and sits down upon it. Hears a voice warning him if he sit unarmed on ’t bedde van aventuren’ he will surely die. Arms himself; a sword (1533, lance) with fiery blade enters room, smites him so sorely he cannot defend himself: becomes unconscious, on recovery feels that blade is being drawn out of his wound. Lies till daylight. (1533, Quant il fut ennuyte si que l’en y veoit mauvaisement fors que de la lune qui luysoit a plus de quarante fenestres qui tout estoient ouvertes; lors regarde monseigneur G. en une chambre qui estoit pres de lui.) Sees a great serpent enter the hall, making fearful noise, out of its mouth come small serpents. Leopard attacks serpent, fierce battle. When serpent finds it cannot slay leopard returns to hall (chamber?), where the small serpents attack it. They slay each other. A great wind rises, which sweeps hall clean. G. hears women weeping, rises and sees twelve maidens come weeping and kneel before door where dove went in. They depart, and an armed knight comes and bids G. go and rest on a bed in another chamber, he may no longer stay here. G. refuses, they fight fiercely all day, at last fall exhausted. It begins to thunder, the whole palace trembles, G. is deafened by the sound, knows not if it be day or night (1533, if he be living or dead). A great wind rises (1533, soft and sweet), and he hears voices, two hundred at least, singing so sweetly, nothing on earth can be like to it. He cannot understand all the words, only ‘Glorie ende lof moete hebben ewelike die coninc van hemelrike.’ The palace is filled with a sweet smoke. Opens his eyes and sees the maiden of evening before with vessel, preceded by two censers (1533, and two cierges), places vessel on silver table, ten censers give sweet smell around it. Voices sing ‘Ere, bliscap, ende lof moete hebben ewelike, Die soete here van hemelrike.’ Maiden carries vessel back to chamber. Hall grows dark and windows fly open (1533, and close again). G. can see nothing, but feels he is healed of his wounds, rises and looks for knight with whom he had fought, but can find nothing. Hears people enter and feels himself taken by hands and feet, bound, carried out of hall, and laid on a cart. Daylight comes, he is still in the cart, to which a wretched horse is harnessed; feels himself shamed. A maiden (1533, une vieille) comes and drives the horse out, as they pass the gateway the people mock at and pelt G. When bridge is passed maiden looses his bonds and tells him to leave the cart, he has been there long enough. G. asks name of castle, it is Cambonoyc.219 He curses the day he was born and made knight to be thus shamed. Rides all day, at evening comes to hermitage, where he is kindly received. Hermit asks his name, and is rejoiced at hearing it. Where has he spent the night? G. will not say at first. (1533, G. shows shame at being praised. H. comforts him; no man but knows misfortune. G. says no man has had such ill-luck as he for fifteen days. H. asks how, and G. tells all.) When he does tell, H. keeps silence for a long time, then tells him he has seen the Holy Grail, his own sin prevented him from being fed by it. (1533, quant vous ne luy feistes honeur bien vous deistes mesadvenir.)220 G. asks meaning of serpent; it is A. his uncle. He shall leave his kingdom in charge of his kinsmen and go to fight a knight whom he cannot overcome; on his return his own kinsmen shall fight against, and slay him. It shall come about through G. himself. He must swear not to reveal what H. has told him to any one. G. spends night there, and in morning rides forth to seek Hector.
Line 4260. Hector rides till eventide, meets a dwarf, who warns him, but will give no explanation. H. rides on and comes to a stone on which it is written, that no one enters this land save to his shame. Then meets two maidens who lament over him. Comes to a castle surrounded by water, over which is a bridge. A maiden sitting under a tree greets him kindly, and tells him there is a knight at the bridge who jousts with all comers, and throws the vanquished into the water. H. overthrows knight and crosses bridge. The gates are closed, none may enter save by swearing to put an end to the evil customs of the castle. H. swears and enters. Asks what are the customs. There is an evil knight there who fights with all who come; if victorious he drives them naked through the streets; also he has dishonoured more than one hundred (1533, forty) noble maidens. H. bids them lead him to knight. They take him to a fair garden, well planted with trees, in the midst of which is an open space. They show him an ivory horn hanging on a tree, if he sound it the knight will come.221 He does so and a ‘hunch-backed and ugly’ (1533, grant) knight, on a white horse, appears unarmed, and asks H. his name. If he will swear to renounce evil customs H. will tell him, not otherwise; knight prefers to fight. Folk tell H. it was a ruse coming to him unarmed, had he made terms and disarmed, he would have been overpowered at once. Knight returns in red armour. After fierce fight H. slays him and learns he must now deliver lady of the castle, who is in a cave guarded by two leopards (1533, lyons). This he does; slays leopards and releases lady, who is joyfully received by the people. She is Argale van Grakenlant (1533, Grindelain), and Lancelot’s cousin. The knight was Margarij (1533, Maugart le Roux); she is concerned to hear of L.’s disappearance.
Line 4812. Ywein rides three (1533, four) days without adventure. Fourth meets a maiden who laughs as she sees him. Y. asks reason, she will tell him if he will promise her a gift that will cost him little. Y. promises. A knight has threatened to take her horse, because his amie reproached him with having done little for her honour. Will Y. give her the knight’s horse? She knows Y. and his fame, and therefore laughed for joy on meeting him. He consents and they ride together. Knight comes out from his pavilion and demands Y.’s horse. Y. will fight for it. They do so and the knight is slain (1533, apparently not, the lady only thinks he is dead), and his horse is given to maiden, who goes her way rejoicing. Y. rides till evening, when he meets a maiden lamenting loudly; a knight has taken from her the hawk her ami gave her, he will think she gave it willingly and slay her for jealousy. Y. bids her lead him to tent of knight who stole hawk; she does so, and Y. bids her go in and take it. Knight objects, they fight. Both are wounded, knight mortally; prays for hermit that he may receive last sacraments. Y. sends maiden, and himself finally returns with hermit, who tends him for fifteen days till wounds are healed.
Line 5070. Mordret, Gawain’s youngest brother, rode all day with nothing to eat, weary, because he was young, only twenty; fair-haired and good to look upon, but evil at heart. Description of brothers: Gawain fairest, courteous to all, especially the poor222 (1533, fist voluntiers bien aux meseaulx plus que a autres gens.) His strength doubles, at certain times, as he fights (not specified, 1533 says, toutes heures du iour), so that none can overcome him, he will either conquer or be slain. A good knight in all things, and faithful to his lord. Courteous to all women, and not given to boast of his deeds. Agravain, handsome and valiant, but of bitter tongue; ‘Lancelot slew him as ye shall hear’ (omitted in 1533), Garhiës (later on Gariëtte) (Gaheriet, 1533) more courteous than any of the others ‘save Gawain’ (omitted in 1533). His right arm was longer than his left, so that he did great deeds of knighthood (1533 adds, most gentle of all, and most relentless when wrathful). Gurrehies (1533, Gueresches) very valiant, fond of deeds of knighthood, never took any rest. Handsome in face and more fastidious in dress than the others. Much loved of ladies. Gawain’s favourite, and youngest save Mordret.223 Mordret was valiant, but an evil knight, save for first two years of his knighthood. ‘He did more harm in his life than all his brethren did good, for fifteen thousand224 valiant knights were slain in one day because of him, and he himself died there too’ (1533 omits this).
Line 5250. Mordret spends night at castle of a lady (1533, widow), who treats him well. Next morning he rides on his way, comes to two pavilions; at door of one is a horse ready saddled, and armour. Dwarf comes out with bow and arrow, and shoots M.’s horse dead. M. would chastise dwarf, but owner arrives and challenges M. They fight, and knight is slain. M. takes horse and goes on his way. Comes to a tent where is a fair maiden; she will lodge M. if her lover does not object; if he does, M. must go. They fall in love; M. prays her favours and is not refused. Lover arrives; M. may stay when he tells his name; would do anything for Gariëtte’s brother. Two knights come, with squire bearing venison. M. is well treated. He prays maiden to come to him when her lover is asleep. After some demur, she does so. Lover awakes, finds M. and maiden together, reproaches him; he cannot be G.’s brother, or he would not have acted thus. They fight; M. being the younger and stronger, makes him swear to pardon lady. Next morning he rides away.
Line 5530. Agravain comes to a fair tent, where there is a dead knight on a bier, a maiden and wounded knight beside him. A. asks explanation. Dead knight was brother to the other. On their way to A.’s court they came to the ‘Keytiven berch.’ A knight, Dryas (1533, Druas), attacked them, they were unarmed; one was slain, the other fled. Dryas sent the body after him. He slays all who come to this place. A. says he will avenge him; is warned if he slay D. not to sound ivory horn dwarf will proffer, or D.’s brother, twice as fierce as he, will come from the other side of the mountain. A. goes forth, comes to a fountain; is challenged by D., slays him and gives head to knight, who is much rejoiced, even more when he knows A.’s name. A. returns; finds dwarf and maiden lamenting over D.’s body. Dwarf offers A. horn, which he blows loudly, all know D. is slain. His brother Sornahan (1533, Sornehault) arms and comes to avenge him. They fight, both are thrown. A. is unconscious. S. is about to slay him, when maid rides up, demands a boon, which S. grants: it is A.’s life. S. will keep him in prison though maid warns him Gawain is in the land, and will avenge his brother. S. has a wall built all round the mount, with notice that whoever would enter must first fight with him.
Line 6095. Gurrëes (1533, Gueresches) rides through thicket forty miles long, ten (1533, forty) wide; finds knights ill-treating old knight, rescues him. His son had accidentally slain his cousin, his sister’s son (1533, a maiden); in revenge the brothers have slain son, and would have slain him, but for G. G. goes with him to castle, most kindly received. Offers his love to daughter; she asks who he is, when she hears, says he is too rich and well-born for her. Asks him name of knight who bears certain arms; it is Lancelot. G. would fain know what has become of him. Peasant comes lamenting, he had fled from armed knight and wolves had slain his ass in forest, has lost means of living. G. was the knight; prays his host to give peasant horse for his sake, which he does. During night nephews attack castle, are repulsed; pray for peace. G. advises host to make peace as they are such near kinsmen; he consents. G. leaves castle, comes to fountain in plain, where three ladies are seated, one sixty years old, one forty, one less than twenty; youngest very poorly dressed. G. asks cause of her grief; her husband is very jealous because she had praised Lancelot unduly, has taken away her rich clothes, and forced her to eat with the servants. Oldest lady is in woe because she has been forced to promise her daughter to knight of low birth, who has murdered one wife already. Asks G.’s advice. He tells her to keep her word, and he will free the daughter. They go to castle together; knight arrives and claims maiden, mother gives her up. As they ride off G. says he loves maiden, will fight for her, follows and slays knight. Beseeches maiden’s love, but she refuses; she loves another, and G. restores her to her mother in safety. Will not stay, but will at once seek castle of lady with jealous husband. She receives him well; her husband is away, but returns shortly, and though angry, allows G. to stay. Meanwhile another knight arrives, Segramore. Husband, very wroth, plots to slay them; but page overhears and tells lady, who warns them. They prepare, and when host would pick quarrel with S., slay him to joy of lady and her relatives. Next morning G. and S. depart, come to thirteen pavilions, must joust ere they go farther. Each unhorses his adversary; may depart with honour. Owner of pavilions is Count Wigans (1533, Gimas), hearing Gawain was in the land, has come out to seek jousts. Ride on, meet sister of Agloval, seeking her brother; S. will escort her. G. goes on alone.
Line 7840. Gurrëes comes to four tents, in first a meal spread; second, four coffers, and a dwarf sleeping; third, two maidens; fourth, maid and knight. G. eats, and goes to sleep in last tent by maiden. Knight awakes, drags G. out of bed; G. seizes sword and smites off knight’s head (1533, cleaves him in two); lady much grieved, it was her husband. G., smitten with her, forces her to ride with him. Come to a forest; knight challenges G. and is slain. Next day four brothers of lady overtake them, but are overthrown by G. Come to Abbey of White Nuns. Lady takes veil, she is of high birth; Lancelot, Lionel, and Bohort are her kinsmen. G. rides on, comes to Sornahan’s Mount, is overthrown, and shares fate of Agravain. S.’s niece treats the prisoners well.
Line 8540. Gariëtte meets a maiden seeking Lancelot, and they ride together. Her brother-in-law has seized her lands, and she seeks one of A.’s knights to fight with him. G. promises to do so. Come to an abbey, see maid’s uncle, who encourages G. Reach pavilions of Count Glimas (cf. supra), joust, and G. overthrows count himself, whom he sends prisoner to Gawain. Count treats them well. Next morning they go on; meet six knights, with knight and maiden, whom they are treating very cruelly. Knight is Brandalis of the R. T.; by his oath of fellowship G. must aid him first. Gosennes van Strangeloet comes up and frees maiden, who is so much hurt she lives but six days. G. returns to maid he is escorting. They ride on and come to tent where is a dwarf (1533, three pavilions, dwarf in first), he will lodge them if his master permits; G. promises to leave if he objects. Knight comes with two maidens; ill-treats dwarf. G. interferes, overcomes knight, and makes him ask pardon of dwarf. G. has already slain his nephews (1533, he was one of the knights who had taken Brandalis.)225 Next morning they ride on, and come to land of lady of Roestoc, where fight is to be fought. Rejoiced to see G. for sake of Gawain, who had fought for her against Segurades, ‘alse hier voren gescreven es,’ l. 9366. (This evidently refers to the earlier part of the Lancelot, and makes it probable that the Dutch compiler had also translated the first part of the work.) Fierce fight between G. and Gindan, the brother-in-law. Latter, seeing he is over-matched, jumps into river and is drowned; maiden regains her land. G. departs; meets a maid who reproaches him with cowardice: he did not free captive maiden, and has allowed his two brothers to be in prison. G. explains conditions of his vow, and asks about brothers. She tells him, and he rides to Sornahan’s Mount, overthrows him, and frees Agravain and Gurries. S. did not know who they were. (This is a contradiction of previous statement, that maiden tells him A.’s name and threatens him with Gawain’s anger.) Brothers stay three days till wounds are healed, then ride forth. First night lodge with hermit; second, with rich man, who warns them not to seek Lancelot in that land; there is civil war, the duke’s six sons have rebelled against him because he made his daughter and her husband his heirs; they have slain these two. The three agree to help duke, ride to castle, overthrowing two knights on their way. Duke accepts their aid, but does not know who they are. Great battle, Agravain is taken prisoner, but exchanged for two of the sons.
Line 10735. Arthur and court are much distressed; do not know how adventure of the Grail is to be achieved if Lancelot be dead. (It is not explained how they know of the Grail, nor is it clear whether L. is to achieve it personally, or through agency of Galahad.) Lionel returns, and is much distressed at news. Questions wounded knight, who proves to be Bohort. (The reason for B.’s attempt to lead away the queen is given in the earlier section of the Lancelot, so far as D. L. is concerned it is not explained.) Maiden comes from Lady van Galvoye to beg aid, wants Lancelot or Gawain, if both absent, will have B. B. and L. go with messenger. Queen gives B. a ring for Lancelot; if any one find him it will be B.
Line 11167. Queen has dream L. is faithless to her. Very ill. When better sends her niece to ‘Moustier Royale’ to find Lady of the Lake, and bid her come to Guinevere.
Line 11520. Lancelot, six weeks before wounds are healed, then sets forth, and finds maiden lamenting, her sister had been carried off, and her lover slain in defending her. She has been to A.’s court, but they are too sorrowful to give aid. L. will help her if she will go errand for him. She leads him to tower, knight too wounded to resist, frees damsel. Maiden must now go to court, say she has seen a knight who had eaten with L. ‘and slept in same bed’ (not in 1533). All greatly rejoiced. A. gives maid a castle.
Line 11870. Lancelot rides with sister, comes to a fountain, where two knights and two ladies are at a meal. They ask L. to join them. One maiden falls in love with L. L. drinks from spring, two vipers have poisoned it, is very ill, and is nursed by maiden. While still ill, Bohort and Lionel find him, and he sends his hair, which has fallen out, to queen, who is much rejoiced. (Love complications between maiden and L. Lionel again sent to queen, this time for advice. Maid swears to remain virgin for L.’s sake; L. will be her knight.) When cured L. and maiden ride on, come to castle of the six brothers, who make up false tale as to their cause. L. believes them, and fights for them. Duke is killed, and the three sons of King Lot taken prisoners. L. is much distressed, bids them be well treated, and rides off, hiding his name.
(Here follows his slumber in forest with Lionel, when latter is carried off by Tarquin; L.’s being taken by the queens; released by daughter of Duke of Rochedon, and attending tourney. All this has been commented upon in chap. ix.)
Line 14580. Lancelot at the Grail Castle. This has also been previously noticed.
Line 15353. Lancelot leaves castle, and comes to another ‘surrounded by water’ (detail omitted in 1533). Knight challenges him; lost in thought, L. does not hear, but rides over bridge, and is thrust from horse into water; gates closed, must spend night in wood. Sits by spring, three (1533, four) knights ride up, with maid who cured L. of poison; have carried her off against her will. She says were L. there they would not have dared. Knights say L.’s father was a coward, he must be one too; would do violence to lady. L. appears and rescues her, slaying one knight. They ride to castle of lady’s kinswoman, where they spend the night. Next day L. will go to castle where he lost his horse. Host would dissuade him; failing, rides with him. Asks does he know Hector. Tells him H. is his brother (as H. is previously represented as one of A.’s most valiant knights, it is difficult to understand how L. comes to be ignorant on this point). The knight at castle is H.’s uncle. Would not joust with L., but thinks this is not he. Is overthrown. L. is welcomed by lady of the castle, who tells him H. is her son and his brother. L. next comes to forest, with hermit’s cell and chapel at entrance, with notice warning knights to go no further. Hermit begs L. not to attempt the adventure; it is ‘Der Verlorenen Forest’; has seen a hundred knights (1533, two hundred within half-year) enter, but none have ever returned. L. insists on going on (1533, stays night with H.). Meets maiden, who warns him he goes to his death. Comes to a clearing where is a company of knights and maidens dancing and singing; feels compelled to join them. Squire leaves him and returns.
Line 16260. Ywein stays at hermitage till wounds are healed, then rides forth. Meets dwarf, maiden has stolen his brachet; will Y. get it back for him? Promises to do so. Maid and knight ride up. Y. bids dwarf take dog; does so. Y. and knight fight fiercely; finally find it is Bohort, rejoiced to meet each other. Dwarf tells them L. is well, was at tourney lately (1533, also gives news of intended tourney at Kamalot). They separate. Y. goes to an Abbey of White Nuns, is healed of his wounds. Rides forth. Meets lady thrashing a dwarf, bids her stop; she will, if Y. will do what she wants; promises. He must kiss her; so ugly he hesitates. She reproaches him; he is certainly not Y., she will go to court and complain of him. Y. calls her back. She will let him off if he will fetch sword, shield, and helmet from tent near by. Dwarf warns Y. she is most treacherous lady in land. Y. will go. Rides with her, takes arms, leaving his own in their place. Maidens rush out of tent weeping and tearing their hair. He has dishonoured all maidens in the land, will come to shame. Y. asks explanation. They will not answer; he waits till evening, and as no one comes rides on to a hermitage, where he is well received. H. asks if custom still maintains that no man may sit at R. T. unless he be wounded. Custom given up since Lancelot, Galehaut, and Hector were admitted unwounded. Now each knight must vanquish one at least in week following, or forfeit seat (1533, must have done so in preceding week), (ll. 16770-875). Y. asks of shield; belongs to a giant who had wasted the land, but for love of a maiden had promised to remain in castle unless one did him shame. After a year (1533, longuement y avoit été), becoming weary, had sought chance of release, so had hung up shield, setting twelve maidens to watch it (1533, the people of the land had set the watch). Now he will be free, land wasted and maids dishonoured. Y. rides on, bearing shield; all flee from him (1533, two maidens only). Finds two maids by spring; they bid him eat with them, does so. Knight comes up, would fight with Y. for having released giant. Is overcome. Y. sends him to giant to tell him who it is who has taken the shield. Knight goes, giant strikes off his hand for tidings (1533, giant gives him his choice: he may lose his hand for the shield or his head for the helmet),226 and rides through land destroying and slaying wherever he goes. Y. rides on, seeking shelter; no one will have him. At one castle fights with father and son. Sleeps under tree. Is wakened by sound of giant, who makes more noise than twenty (1533, twelve) knights. Y. calls him, but he is too angry to hear. Y. mounts and rides after him. Comes to ‘Castel van den Trepasse’; five (1533, fifteen) knights fall upon him, kill his horse, and make him prisoner; will deliver him to giant.
Line 17470. Bohort comes to lady of Galvoye. She has been deprived of a castle by a knight, and needs champion; fight to be fought at King Pelles’s court. Come to Corbenic. King and daughter rejoiced to see B.; tell him of L.’s great deeds. Fights with and overcomes knight. Sees Grail. Does not sleep in ‘palace of adventures.’ Next morning comes to a hermit, who knew his father and King Ban. Tells him how his father had built this chapel in memory of a victory gained over King Cerces, and given it a golden (1533, silver) crown won from king’s steward. B. leaves, meets maiden, who reproaches him for having left Grail castle without testing adventures, should have slept in hall. (Here 1533 gives adventure of a lady whose brother has been taken prisoner while seeking a sparrow-hawk. B. frees him.) Returns to Kamalot.
Line 18070. Gawain meets the maid who cured L. of poison, and was rescued by him. Assures him L. is well. They ride together to court.
Line 18130. Lancelot at the ‘caroles’ sits on throne in centre of ring, and has crown placed on head. Enchantment ceases. Maid explains it has lasted ever since King Ban came there on his way from A.’s wedding. With him was a youth, his nephew, learned in necromancy. Fell in love with maiden sitting on throne, and for her sake wove spell that dance should continue till fairest and bravest knight on earth came.227 Also made chessboard of gold and silver, which plays of itself against all men. At last clerk and maiden died, but spell was not broken. L. plays with chessboard and wins; enchantment ceases for ever. Chessboard is sent as present to Guinevere. L. leaves castle, meets knight, who threatens him, but flies when L. would fight. Comes to a high tower where party of knights lie in wait for him. They attack him, overthrow and bind him, and cast him into pit infested with serpents. Maid releases him. Her father was nephew to Duke Karles whom L. has slain. Squire warns his lord of L.’s escape; he arms his knights and attacks L., who takes refuge in maiden’s room. L. slays nineteen (1533, more than twenty-four). Father jumps out of the window, and breaks his neck. L. tells maiden all are slain. She seeks father’s body, cannot find it, so thinks he has escaped. L. throws corpses out of windows. They go to rest, and maiden has dream which terrifies her much. Next morning they ride out together; hear cries for help, find knight ill-treating lady, and bids him stop, when he strikes off her head and throws it in L.’s face. (This is the adventure in M., Book vi., and has been commented upon earlier.)
Line 19179. Lancelot rides back to maiden, finds her gone. Meets knight, who asks if he has seen knight and maiden (1533, two knights and maid), asks for his maiden. She has been carried off by four knights. L. pursues. Finds them about to burn her. L. slays twenty (?), rescues maid: this was meaning of her dream. Knights were her brother and three of his followers. Come to house of lady, where they stay fourteen days, till L. is cured from bites of serpents in the pit. Ride together. Come to ‘Castle of the Charrette.’ Lad meets them; rejoiced at L.’s coming. Daughter of Duke of Rochedon, who freed L. from prison of queen, is to be married against her will to brother of Queen of Foreestan; it was he who slew her betrothed, his own nephew. L. enters church, challenges knight, who flies; lady receives her lands again. Morgain le Fay is there, bids L. unhelm, ‘in the name of her whom he loves best.’ They reproach each other, and M. threatens L. with punishment. L. and maid depart as quickly as possible, fearing M.’s spells.
Line 19525. How knight with dead maiden fulfils L.’s commands, and body is buried.
Line 19595. Lancelot comes to Kamalot; lodges with hermit for tourney. Sends maiden with letter to queen. She receives heritage for the one lost. King Ider, jealous of L. King and queen say he could overthrow all R. T. Knights very angry at this, except Gawain (1533, and Bohort). Queen sends message to L. to come secretly and discomfit knights. L. is recognised by King Bagdemagus, who will aid him. L. comes in red armour, does great deeds till he beholds queen, when he nearly swoons, and is carried off the field by K. B. R. T. knights get best of it. Queen sends message by Bohort to tell L. to come secretly that evening (maid of poison cure is there; queen is at first jealous, then satisfied). Ider praises Red Knight, says L. would not have done so well. Queen makes King B. challenge A. to another tourney in three days. L. spends each night with queen. Third day she arms him in white, Bohort in red. L. not to enter field till after tierce. He overthrows and wounds Gawain and Gariëtte, and scatters knights of R. T. A. bids him unhelm, is joyful at recognising L. Sunday, great feast made in his honour. Chessboard is brought, all play and are beaten save L. Clerk writes down on oath all L.’s adventures in book, which was found after king’s death. All others tell their story. A. says L. has done more for honour of R. T. than all the rest put together; they are very jealous. Decide to go forth and seek all who have not returned from quest. Gawain will seek his three (1533, four) brothers. (Confusion here; when we last heard of Agravain, Gurrëes, and Gariëtte they were prisoners. How did latter return for tourney? D. L. probably saw this, and only mentions three brothers, including Mordred, while 1533 says four, which is certainly wrong.) Bohort will seek Hector and Lionel. (1533, Will join quest; they shall not go without him. H. and L. are not mentioned.) Queen and L. talk over adventure of churchyard as told by Gawain. She is sure L. is knight meant to achieve it, and is very sad; he will fail through his sinful love for her. L. says he has more bliss from her love than from any feats of arms, all he has done has been inspired by her. King Bagdemagus is made knight of R. T.
Line 21596. Lancelot, Bagdemagus, Gariëtte, and Bohort set forth; Gawain will follow when wounds are healed. Come to castle of ‘Witten Dorne,’ meet knight on horseback, naked, beaten, and ill-used by one hundred men; it is Mordret. Lord of the castle is Matheus die felle (1533, Marchant li felon). G. releases M., attack castle, slay lord and scatter his people. Ride fifteen days till they come to castle where Y. is in prison. Host refuses lodging; hates A.; has one of his knights in prison. They attack castle, and release Y. Are told of the giant, he will come on the morrow, host had meant to give Y. up to him. B. asks boon of L., that he may fight giant. L. unwilling, but consents. Great fight, giant is slain. Next morning all ride forth (seven). Y. suggests they should separate. All ride different ways, meet again at castle on All Saints Day.228
Line 22120. Lancelot rides fifteen days, meets maiden, asks her of Lionel. She tells him, and promises to lead him to Tarquin’s castle, if he will promise to go with her wherever she pleases afterwards. He agrees. (Adventure with Tarquin has been commented upon in chap. ix. p. 154.)
Line 22600. Lancelot. Maiden leads him to knight who steals horses; maid rides first, L. after; knight attacks maid and is slain by L. Rests eight days till wounds are healed. Then would find Hector. (1533, Meets old man who tells him H. had slain knight there previous day, shows him road. Adventures at castle (cf. chap. ix. p. 155). Finds at castle squire from A.’s court, bids him lead his horses into ‘ten Verlorene foreeste’ and wait for him at cross. Comes with two knights whom he dismisses, rides into forest, meets maiden who says she is seeking him to achieve an adventure. Emissary of Morgain’s leads him to tower; drugs him. M. comes, blows powder up his nostrils, which deprives him of his senses; when he recovers he is in prison. Sees man in outer hall illuminating, begs brush and colours, and paints on walls of prison history of his love for queen. M. sees this, and resolves to show it to A.
Line 23146. Gawain comes first to Tarquin’s castle, now owned by ‘Grave van den Parke,’ who tells him of L.’s feat. Then to hermitage, finds King B. sick, has heard of L. slaying owners of Castle Vaguel. Tells him of rendezvous for All Saints. L. will surely be there. B. had helped Gurrëes against four knights and been badly wounded. G. offers to stay with him, but B. will not allow it.
Line 23260. Tryst at castle. All meet save L. and Bohort. Gawain says ’twould be great shame to return to court without them, will seek till S. Mary Magdalene’s Day, then quest will have lasted a year and a day. All separate, agreeing to meet again at castle. ‘Some ride all year, some are taken prisoners’ (omitted by 1533), finally only Mordret, Agloval (1533, Agravain) and Bagdemagus return. Much perplexed. Decide to send messenger secretly to court, to know if anything has been heard of questers. Finding nothing is known, swear to ride till they find their comrades.
Line 23388. Lancelot lies all winter a prisoner, when summer comes (1533, two winters, one summer, second spring), scent of flowers and sight of roses remind him of Guinevere. Tears out bars of window and escapes, leaving insulting message with porter for M. Meets maiden, who tells him Lionel is prisoner in castle of King Vagor of Estrangeloet. Challenged by king’s son; unless he can find someone to take his place will be overcome. L. will go. Meets wounded knight on litter, if L. will lodge in his castle will meet one of A.’s knights who lies sick there. He himself has been wounded by shot from maiden’s bow, and iron cannot be pulled out till best knight in world comes. Has been to A’s court, but useless till L. returns. A. is much distressed at absence of Gawain and L.229 Go to castle, L. asks to be allowed to try to pull out shaft. Knight says it is no use to try unless he be L. Does not reveal name. Would see sick knight, it is King B., wounded in a tourney. Rejoiced to see L., tells him of quest. L. leaves next day, and B. tells knight who he was. Knight follows in litter. L. comes to the castle ‘dat fremde eylant,’ meets squire, who tells him Lionel is there, L. says he is one of A.’s knights. Will fight instead of Lionel. King receives him well; Lionel is joyful. A lady had accused him falsely to her husband, they fought, and husband was slain, he was king’s son. Brother challenged Lionel, who being too badly wounded to fight at once had been imprisoned lest he escape. L. fights and is victorious, peace is made, and the two cousins ride off together. Knight in litter follows on their tracks. They come to an abbey, ‘Celice’ or ‘die cleine aelmoesene’ in die ‘Mersce van Scollant.’ (Here follows long story as to origin of abbey.)
Line 24454. Lancelot hears at abbey of castle near by,230 ‘die verbodene berch,’ a knight had built it for love of his lady, only a narrow footpath leads to it. At abbey shields of knights of R. T. overthrown by knight of castle; them he keeps in prison, all others he slays. L. sees shields of Gawain, Ywein, and others (1533, does not mention Ywein), and decides to rescue them. At foot of hills finds hermit, who foretells his success. Finds cross with inscription, for forty (1533, twenty) years all who came have been vanquished, ‘save one, and he doubtless was of David’s line’ (omitted in 1533). Goes on, finds pavilion with dwarf, who warns him not to fight, shows him a horn he must blow. Prisoners in castle warn him; sees Gawain, wounded in the head. Knight appears. Fierce fight, finally L. gets the better of his foe, who is Bohort (1533, names B. in middle of fight, apparently forgetting that no one knows who he is), he had overcome knight of castle two years (1533, one year) ago, and been forced to take his place (by whom?). He may imprison his comrades but must slay all others; did not know their names, would not ask them. (How, then, did he know they were his comrades?) He is much ashamed and apologises to knights; all are rejoiced to see L. Stay there that night. L. has wonderful dream. Old man appears, and bids him ride without delay to ‘ten Vreschlichen woude,’ where he will find a wondrous adventure. He is his grandfather. L. rises, arms, and rides away at once. ‘Comrades depart together’ (omitted in 1533).
Line 25150. Lancelot meets dwarf, who warns him of great adventures. Comes to hermitage by a fountain, where is a bleeding tomb guarded by two leopards (1533, lyons), whom L. slays. Sees head in fountain, water is boiling, but takes head out and lays it in tomb; it is his grandfather’s body, treacherously slain by a kinsman on a Good Friday. Fountain will not cease boiling till one comes who can bring adventure to end, which he cannot, on account of his sin with Guinevere.231 L. rides on, comes to forest full of wild beasts. Rescues boy from bear. Rides in search of lodging. Moon rises. Sees white hart with gold chain round neck, guarded by six leopards (1533, lyons), marvels much; swears not to leave forest till he has learnt meaning. Comes to two pavilions, asks lodging. Must joust with owner; does so, and slays him; twelve maidens make great lamentations, carry off body on bier; he was a great king. L. is much distressed. Knight comes and asks lodging. Had kept Easter at A.’s court. All sorrowful because of absence of L. and G.; but joyful news has come that he who shall achieve adventure of Grail is born of Fisher King’s daughter.232 He seeks fountain of Sycamores, where a valiant knight has overthrown Gawain and Ywein; twelve have made a vow to seek it. Boy knows road, will lead knight to it. On the morrow they separate; knight, Sarras van Logres, comes to fountain, fights with Belyas the Black, and is overthrown. L., who has followed secretly, comes up, overthrows B., gives S. his horse; tells him his name, and bids him return to court, saying he and all questers are well, and will be at court for Pentecost. S. rides off, meets wounded knight seeking L.; directs him. Comes to court on a Sunday; all are rejoiced at news. A. will hold great feast in their honour.
Line 26045. Maid sent by queen to Lady of the Lake comes to court of King Claudas; who asks tidings of L. and kinsmen. Maid says they are best and bravest knights alive, and will certainly come and slay him, and take back their lands. Claudas imprisons maiden, and sends messengers to court to see if her tale be true. One is so impressed that he becomes A.’s man; other returns and tells C. what he has seen. First tells queen fate of maiden; she writes to C. bidding him free her. C. returns insulting answer. Queen, much distressed, longs for L.’s return.
Line 26630. Lancelot. When Sarras has left him, another knight appears, like Belyas. They fight; knight flies, pursued by L. to castle near at hand. L.’s horse is slain; but he slays all who attack him, and reaches garden, where in tent, guarded by four knights, he finds Mordret chained. L. releases him, and they escape together. Belyas and Bryadas had wished to be knights of R. T. A. refused, not knowing them. They had sworn to keep fountain against all comers; L. has mortally wounded both. L. meets wounded knight, whom he heals at last, sending message to King B. that questers are found; also to those released at ‘Verbodene berch,’ bidding them meet him at court. Gawain is ready, but Ywein demurs, all are not found yet. G. says duration of quest should be year and day, they have been away three years. All agree to go. (This seems to indicate that 1533 was correct in not noting their departure earlier, as D. L. does, thus contradicting itself. Probably an earlier redaction did make them leave at once, while a later introduced more of L.’s adventures. This points to the later interpolation of ‘tomb’ adventures.) B. knights one of the squires, ‘Axille die blonde,’ and gives him the castle.
Line 27236. Gawain and comrades come to a castle by a deep water, where men are erecting lodges for a tourney. It is the castle of Galehoudijn, ‘neve’ of Gawain (obvious mistake for Gallehault), (1533, son of Gallehault and la belle Géande, but she was Gallehault’s mother). Conceal their names, are well received and lodged outside castle. Hear a tumult, and see Agloval pursued by forty armed men. Go to his aid, and slay many. Their host is much distressed; they tell him they are of A.’s court. Galehoudijn arrives; is angry at first, but when Gawain reveals their names, is much rejoiced, does them great honour, and knights their host. (1533 is very confused here, persistently calling Galehoudijn, Gallehault; correcting mistake, and then relapsing again.)
Line 27735. Lancelot233 and Mordret ride till nightfall. See white hart and leopards; decide to follow them. Two knights ride suddenly out of side road, unhorse them and take their steeds. Dwarf appears, will lead them to horses, if they will give him a gift. Promise; he leads them to two pavilions where they find their horses, and go off with them. Come to a hermitage, where they spend the night. L. asks H. of white hart; mystery may not be revealed till ‘the good knight’ come. Asks of king whom he slew, and who was mourned by maidens (cf. supra, p. 239), he was named Merlan, from ‘die Marchen van Scollant,’ a wicked man; L. did well to slay him. Next morning they ride away; are attacked by knights who stole their horses. M. overthrows them, and gives knights’ horses to L. Spend this night with ‘Vavasseur,’ who tells them of Galehoudijn’s tourney. They will go, host with four sons (no number in 1533) to attend them. Next morning they ride to hear Mass. Meet an old man who prophesies M. shall be ruin of kingdom and death of his father, ‘who is a mightier king than K. Lot.’ M., angry, smites off his head. L. finds letter on dead man saying who M. really is. Would slay him and avert mischief, but for love of Gawain, whose brother he is. Come to tourney. Kings of Norgales and of a hundred knights there. L. discomfits all comers. Then rides out of press followed by Bohort, who suspects his identity. Meet, and agree to ride to court together.
Line 28835. Gawain and his companions are much annoyed when they find they have missed L. again. Agree to return to court, each going his own way.
Line 29018. Lancelot and Bohort see a fire, hear cries for help. B. goes to see, and finds maiden and brother being ill-treated by eight knights; slays three, rest fly. B. returns to L. who has disappeared; spends night in forest. (1533, goes with maid, who is daughter of king of a hundred knights, to lodging, then with brother to find L.; not doing so, returns and spends night with them. Departs next morning, and hears L. has been seen chasing a knight.)
Line 29095. Bohort, second visit to Grail castle. Tempts its adventures. Cf. supra, pp. 160, 233.
Line 29695. Lancelot comes to two tents, light, and a maiden and dwarf in one, asks for lodging. Her lover will not allow her to give it. Knight and brother ride up, throw L.’s armour out of tent. Fight. L. slays one and wounds the other. Rides to a hermitage where he passes night. Next day meets two maidens sitting by spring, would eat with them. Maiden pursued by black knight runs up asking for aid, before L. can reach his sword she is slain. L. very angry smites off knight’s head. Fourth night comes to forester’s house in moon light.
Line 29952. Lancelot and Kay. Cf. supra, p. 156.
Line 30380. Lancelot after overthrowing knight of R. T. comes to two pavilions, in one of which is maiden who cured him of poison. Sees Bohort’s son. Cf. supra, p. 157.
Line 30584. Gawain and his comrades return to court and hang up shield L. has thrown down in middle of hall; telling how they were overthrown. Queen much distressed that L. has not come, gives them rich garments in order of valour. Bohort is best, then Gawain, Hector, Gariëtte, Lionel, Bagdemagus (1533 omits Hector but gives others in same order). Kay arrives in L.’s armour. Other knights overthrown by L. come and recognise shield. Next morning L. is seen coming, go out to meet him, joust, and Gawain overthrows him, L.’s horse being weary. Great Feast, A.D. 426 (1533, A.D. 225). A knight in white armour comes weeping, he is probably going to his death. Gives L. a letter—if he dies he is to read it aloud, if he survives return it. Sits in Perilous Seat, fire descends and consumes him. He was Brumal (1533, Brumant), nephew of King Claudas, who had vowed to prove himself a better knight than L. who dare not sit there. Queen and L. talk apart, and she tells him of Claudas’s insult; he vows to avenge her, C. has taken Gannes, Benoyc and Aquitaine. (1533, Gaule and Benoyc—[but Gaule was not yet L.’s].) L. takes counsel with his friends and resolves on war. Brimol van Pleiche comes, was conquered by B. at bridge of Corbenyc (not recorded previously).
Line 31976. Claudas prepares to resist A., gives all his nobles leave to go, richly rewards those who remain; is promised help from Rome.
Line 32394. Recital of knights’ adventures, recorded above.
Line 32755. War with Claudas told at great length. Valiant deeds of Gawain, Hector, and Bohort. King and L. join army later. A.’s fight with Frollo and winning of Gaul is placed here. Claudas finally conquered, L. makes Hector king of Benoyc, Bohort of Gannes, Lionel of Gaule (cf. supra, p. 201).
Line 35465. Feast at Camalot. Arrival of Elaine, L.’s madness. Cf. chap. ix. pp. 161-163.
Line 35830. Perceval. His arrival at court. Adventure with Patrides; fight with Hector. Grail is vessel out of which Our Lord ate Paschal lamb in house of Simon the Leper.
Line 36610. Perceval and Hector come to house of a hermit who is priest to the fisher-folk, who provide him with fish, etc. After riding some time they come to house of a man, who had lodged L. six months before, knows H. for his brother by likeness, L. was mad then.
(This is not in 1533, which says, Or dit le compte que grant piece chevaucherent P. et H. ensemble per mainte terre estrange pour scavoir se adventure les meneroit en lieu ou ilz peuſſent trouver L. ains chevaucherent maint yver et maint este ensemble.)
Line 36705. Lancelot. Adventure at pavilion, imprisonment, and fight with boar (cf. p. 163). Breaks off short here, as if MS. came to an end and returns to Line 36947. Perceval returns to court. They do him great honour.
Damsel arrives (Grail messenger, but Grail is not mentioned). Castle Orguelous and Montesclaire ventures. (From this point source is analogous to Chrétien.) Gawain will go to Montesclaire, Ywein to Castle Orguelous, Kay and Griflet to ‘Tere Dolorous’ (not previously mentioned), Perceval will ride through land, jousting with all whom he may meet. Ginganbresil arrives, challenges Gawain. All ride forth, Gawain, Agravain, Gariëtte, Ywein, Perceval, Griflet, Kay and Mordret ride together for four miles, then separate.
Line 37105. Gawain adventure against Melias de Lis, and tournament as in Conte del Graal.
Line 37584. Kay and Agravain go to seek Dolorous Castle. Meet maiden, she will guide them thither if they dare to go there. Meet two knights who will joust, K. and A. overthrow them, are attacked by eight and finally taken prisoners, though A. defends himself stoutly. Will take them to Castle D., before they have gone half a mile P. rides out of side road. They attack him, but he puts them to flight, rescues K. and A., the three take castle and sent lord prisoner to A.’s court.
Line 37855. Ywein and Gariëtte meet a dwarf, who leads them to the Castle Orguelous. There they must joust against all comers. Ladies watch from battlements, and as each knight is overthrown his lady sends wreath of roses to victor. Thus they vanquish twenty. At last sixty at once attack and overpower them, and they are led to castle, where ladies insist on their being well treated.
Line 38000. Mordret and Griflet are warned by hermit of danger they run in going to Montesclaire. Ride on and are taken prisoners by tyrant who will wed the lady of the castle.
Line 38133. Perceval hears how Y. and G. have been vanquished at Castle Orguelous. Rides thither with Kay and Agravain. P. overthrows ten knights; K. and A. fifteen between them; when all attack them slay twenty, wound fifteen, and take castle, setting Y. and G. and the maidens free.
Line 38230. Gawain. Adventure with lady and chessmen in tower as in Conte del Graal. G. is sent to find the bleeding ‘white’ spear. Comes to hermitage, hermit tells him how Mordret and Griflet have been made prisoners at Montesclaire, and are to be hanged in the morning. G. will rescue them. Rises early, rides to hill where gallows already set up; frees M. and G. Tyrant appears, fight fiercely, G.’s strength increases at midday, overthrows tyrant, is fiercely attacked by his men.
Line 38990. Perceval hears of M.’s danger; rides with Y., G., K., and A. to aid. Comes up in time to help Gawain against four hundred men. Slay tyrant and free maiden. Gawain wins sword ‘metten vremden ringen,’ which will break if an unworthy knight handles it. Next morning separate; G. goes to seek Grail (which had not been mentioned before), others return to court.
Line 39140. Gawain. Adventure with wounded knight and Château Merveil. (Here we are told that Merlin made the Lit Merveil. Here too G. is warned he may not leave castle, but queen permits him to do so on condition he returns in evening.)
Line 40060. Adventure with Guiromelant. Lady is Orgeloise. The queens came into the land after the death of Uther Pendragon, and King Lot (who in other romances is contemporary with Arthur), when there was civil war in Logres. G. is girded for the fight by Tristram (who has not previously appeared in the story). At prayer of Clareant a truce is declared, and A. says Guir. shall wed his niece. Kay bears tidings to G., who is so angry he vows he will not return to court. A. much distressed. Twenty-four knights vow to seek G. for a year and a day.
Line 40785. Questers come third day into wood. Voice from thicket bids them stand; they may go no further unless they joust for it. Kay and Dodinel overthrown. Knight asks Tristram’s name; he will not tell it unless knight tells his. He refuses; they fight fiercely till midday, when they rest. Knight sees others coming and fears to be known; flies into wood. Squire comes to seek T.; his wife is ill, must see him. T., K., and D. return. On way K. says he was overthrown unfairly. Knight is in wood, overhears, comes out and challenges K. and D.; puts them to the worse. T. and he fight again, lasts long, and T. is becoming exhausted, when maiden appears seeking knight; it is Lancelot. They go off together, and the three reach court safely.
Line 41013. Perceval, who has separated from the others, comes to the Castle of Orgeloise, who is besieged by old lover whom she left when she rode off with Gawain. P. fights with and slays him. O. is hereafter known as ‘die goede joncfrouwe.’
Line 41160. Agloval (who is seeking P.) meets knight, who will not reply to his greeting, but enters castle, arms himself, and attacks A. It is Gregorias, who stole Gawain’s horse. A. slays him. Comes to castle, where old man receives him kindly. Greg. was his foe; his sons are out seeking him. All rejoiced to hear of his death.
Line 41420. Gawain. Visit to Grail Castle as in Montpelier MS. of Conte del Graal. Next day meets knight and maiden; former, hearing G.’s name, challenges him—he has slain his father. They fight, and desist, since it is no honour to fight with none to behold. Will fight it out before court. He is Dyandras. G. goes to Scavaleon to report ill-success of quest.
Line 41660. Gariëtte and Griflet come to a tower where Hector is imprisoned; find two knights ill-treating maiden for advising H.’s release. Free her. H. appears to aid her (has escaped). Lord of castle pursues them with twenty men. Perceval and Agloval arrive; slay eleven, rest flee. All return to court.
Line 41845. Gawain goes to Scavaleon to fulfil compact with Ginganbresil. Dyandras comes and claims his fight. King consults counsellors; they judge that G. must fight with both at once. Squire goes to warn King A., who comes with court to witness fight. After a time would stop it, with king’s consent, but Ginganbresil refuses. Gawain’s strength doubles, and he conquers both. King and one hundred knights become A.’s men. Next day, rides homeward, stopping at castle of Tibaut of Tintavel, where G. is warmly welcomed. Then all go to Carlion.
Line 42540. Then follows Morien. Cf. supra, p. 150.
Footnotes
1 Brut, ed. Leroux de Lincy, vol. ii. ll. 10158-10360. These remarks also apply to Layamon.
2 Described and illustrated by Zimmerman in Oberitalische Plastik im frühen und hohen Mittelalter: Leipzig, 1897. Cf. also Romania, xxvii. p. 510.
3 It is difficult to resist the conclusion that if the Welsh stories were as late in date and as dependent upon French tradition as some scholars maintain, Lancelot would certainly be mentioned in them.
4 Cf. Erec, Foerster’s ed., l. 1694; Hartmann’s Erec, l. 1630.
5 Cligés, Foerster’s ed., ll. 4765-4798.
6 The advocates of Chrétien as an independent and original genius would do well carefully to consider the meaning of such curious inconsistency. If Chrétien were dealing with matter either of his own invention, or of his own free adaptation, he would surely have been more careful of the unities. If, on the other hand, he simply retold tales belonging to different stages of Arthurian tradition, this is exactly what we might expect to find.
7 In the opening lines of Cligés, Chrétien gives a list of his works. This includes a version of the story of Tristan, and several translations from Ovid. Tristan probably preceded Erec, but there is nothing to indicate the relative order of the other works.
8 Signor Rajna has found the names of Arthur and Gawain in Italian deeds of the first quarter of the twelfth century, and from the nature of some of these deeds it is clear that the persons named therein cannot have been born later than 1080.
9 Charrette, ll. 2347-2362.
10 Romania, vol. x. p. 492.
11 Studies in the Arthurian Legend, chap. vi.
12 The only adventure of the kind I can recall is that of the fiery lance of the Charrette and prose Lancelot, an adventure which is the common property of several knights, and by no means confined to Lancelot.
13 Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Litteratur, vol. xii. Heft I.
14 Der Karrenritter, herausgegeben von Wendelin Foerster: Halle, 1899.
15 Cf. Anturs of Arthur, where the ghost foretells to Gawain the treason of Mordred, the destruction of the Round Table, and his own death. Lancelot is not mentioned. Nor does he appear in Syr Gawayne and the Grene Knyghte or in The Avowynge of Arthur. In some of the other poems, Galogres and Gawayne, The Carle of Carlile, The Marriage of Sir Gawain, and Sir Libeaus Desconus he is mentioned, but plays no important part. The ballad of Sir Lancelot du Lake in the Percy Collection is a version of an adventure related in the Prose Lancelot.
16 Cf. Karrenritter, Introduction, p. xxxix.
17 The materials for this study had been collected, and my conclusion as to the origin of the Lancelot story arrived at, before the publication of Professor Foerster’s book. I am glad to find myself supported in any point by such an authority, but think it well to avoid misconception by stating that my results have been arrived at through independent study.
18 Lanzelet von Ulrich von Zatzikhoven, ed. Hahn: Frankfurt, 1845. Out of print and difficult to procure.
19 This account, and the mention of England, l. 7054, seem to render it possible that the original poem may have been written in this island.
20 This is entirely in accordance with Tristan’s character as represented in the poems. He is in the highest degree rusé and resourceful.
21 Is it not possible that this Malduz the magician may be the original of Mauduiz li Sages whom Chrétien ranks as eighth of Arthur’s knights? Cf. Erec, 1699. Hartmann’s version gives Malduiz; Diu Krône, 1379, Malduz der Weise. The identification seems clear.
22 I am quite at a loss to account for the mistake into which such authorities as M. Gaston Paris and Professor Foerster have apparently fallen. In M. Paris’s study the idea that Lanzelet is the rescuer is perhaps rather implied than stated, but when I wrote the Charrette chapter (viii.) in my Studies on the Legend of Sir Gawain, in which I followed the article in Romania, I was certainly under the impression that the latter was the case. In the introduction to the Karrenritter, p. xliv., Professor Foerster distinctly says that Lanzelet frees the queen. I have read and re-read the text carefully and made my final summary direct from it, and there is no doubt that Lanzelet has nothing to do with the matter. The passage in question is contained in ll. 6975-7445. How too did Professor Foerster come to ignore the real character of Guinevere’s imprisonment? Cf. Charrette, lxxi.
23 Karrenritter, Introduction, p. xliv.
24 I think it is worthy of note that though Lanzelet is the hero of the tale here and not Guinglain, Gawain’s son, as elsewhere, yet in this poem Lanzelet is Arthur’s nephew, and of Gawain’s kin, which he is not in any other version. The Fier Baiser is thus still restricted to the family of Gawain.
25 Cf. my Legends of the Wagner Drama, Siegfried.
26 I say especially ‘as told by Geoffrey and Wace,’ for these writers give us clearly to understand that the queen was a consenting party, and no victim to Mordred’s treachery. It is quite a different version from that of the prose Lancelot.
27 I shall have occasion to refer very frequently to Professor Foerster’s introduction. It is a full and powerful statement of views which so far as they affect the origin and evolution of the Arthurian legend I believe to be radically unsound. It is most useful to have at hand a summary so clear and concise.
28 Merlin, G. Paris and Ulrich’s ed., vol. ii. pp. 136-137.
29 In the prose Lancelot the hero is always addressed as ‘king’s son.’ Cf. in this connection Professor Ker’s review of my Legend of Sir Gawain, Folk-lore, vol. ix. p. 266. I incline to think that the question of a hero’s possessing from the first a name and a well-marked story depends upon whether he has or has not an existence in myth. If of mythical origin he probably would have both, if an actor in folk-tale very likely neither; thus while I should reject Professor Ker’s correction as regards Gawain, I would certainly hold it true of Lancelot. In the case of this latter hero, I think his name may well have been determined by his title du Lac. The tendency of early verse is towards alliteration, probably mere chance determined the Lancelot, the one essential was that it should begin with an L. It should, I think, also be noted that while in the Lanzelet the hero’s ignorance of his name and birth are genuine, in the prose Lancelot he knows who he is, and the wrong done to his father and uncle by Claudas. The pseudonyms ‘Filz du Roi,’ ‘Beau Varlet’ are here unnecessary; a meaningless survival from the original tale.
30 This feature is, I think, peculiar to Wolfram; Chrétien does not mention it.
31 Professor Hertz, in his edition of the Parzival, p. 440, records these points of contact, but does not discuss the question of the relation of the two poems. Professor Foerster in his introduction simply notes that the instruction by Johfrit de Liez recalls the Perceval story.
32 Layamon ‘Brut’ knows Maurin of Winchester as a kinsman of Arthur’s, ll. 20238 and 24336. I have not found the name elsewhere.
33 It appears to me that, in view of Herr P. Hagen’s excellent demonstration of the correctness of the many curious Oriental references with which the Parzival abounds, and his remarkable identification of Wolfram’s Grail with a sacred Bætylus stone, it is impossible any longer to deny the possession, by Wolfram, of a source other than Chrétien’s poem. But whether the Lanzelet offers another proof or not I should hesitate to say. If it does, the evidence, extending as it does over so much of the Parzival, is of the greatest value as an indication of the extent of Kiot’s work.
34 Lancelot, ed. Jonckbloet, vol. ii. ll. 22271-23126. The summaries in this chapter, and all subsequent references to the Dutch Lancelot, are taken direct from the text. A summary of the romance here discussed is given by M. Gaston Paris, Histoire Littéraire de la France, vol. xxx. p. 113.
35 Throughout the Dutch Lancelot we have constant references to Gawain’s skill in healing. Cf. Parzival, x. 104. Chrétien does not appear to know this trait in Gawain’s character.
36 The lai of Tyolet was published by M. Gaston Paris in vol. viii. of Romania, ‘Lais Inédits.’ I have given a prose translation in vol. iii. of Arthurian Romances unrepresented in Malory.
37 Cf. Merlin, Sommer’s ed. chap. xxiv. p. 302.
38 Tristan, vol. i. Book XIII., ed. Bechstein, Deutsche classiker des Mittelalters; also my translation of same, Arthurian Romances, No. ii. vol. i.
39 Dutch Lancelot, vol. i. l. 42,540 to end. The portion dealing with the adventure begins l. 43,593; the adventure itself, l. 46,514; also summarised in Hist. Litt. vol. xxx.
40 The poem itself has been discussed by M. Gaston Paris in Romania, vol. xii., and by Professor Foerster in the introduction to his edition. The question of Guinevere’s rescuer has been treated by Professor Rhys in his Studies in the Arthurian Legend, and in M. Gaston Paris’s article just referred to, and that on Ulrich von Zatzikhoven’s Lanzelet in Romania, vol. x. I have also devoted a chapter in my Legend of Sir Gawain to the subject.
41 The concluding portion of the poem is by Godefroy de Leigni, who, however, worked with Chrétien’s knowledge and approval, so that practically the work may be held to be Chrétien’s throughout.
42 Livre, Cligés and Perceval; conte, Erec and Chevalier au Lion. The concluding lines of the latter, ‘qu’onques plus conter n’an oï,’ clearly indicate this. I shall return to this subject in the next chapter.
[43] The manifold discrepancies of Chrétien’s version were long ago remarked upon by M. Gaston Paris, and even Professor Foerster, with all his enthusiasm for the poet, is constrained to admit their existence, but he considers some of the puzzles were of Chrétien’s own making, and he intended later to clear them up. Why then did he not explain them to Godefroy de Leigni, who finished the poem with Chrétien’s approval?
44 I do not here include either the mediæval Welsh fragments or Malory’s account. The meaning of the former cannot be accurately ascertained, and the latter practically represents the same version as that of the Charrette poem, though the question of source cannot, as I shall prove later on, be held to be definitely settled.
45 Cf. Simrock, Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie, Dornröschen. Some of the details of Arthur’s journey to Valerîn’s stronghold are worth the attention of folk-lore experts, e.g. the curious account of the Schrîenden Mose, that at certain times utters loud cries, drî tage vor sunegihten sô schrît daz mos und selten mêr, and the curious fish in its stream, which are ‘ebenlanc und ebenkurz,’ and of which ‘die Engellende’ have many. Cf. Lanzelet, ll. 7040 et seq.
46 On these varying forms of the ‘other-world’ dwelling, cf. Rassmann Heldensage, vol. i. p. 152.
47 Legend of Sir Gawain, chap. viii.
48 As a rule, whenever in the Iwein Hartmann does depart from his source, it is with the effect of making the story more coherent and probable. I have noted several instances of this in my study on the Yvain poems, Modern Quarterly for Language and Literature, July and November, 1898.
49 Cf. Parzival, Book VII. 1472.
50 Cf. Parzival, Book VII., as above; also 590 et seq. and 1355 et seq.
51 Cf. Der Gral, P. Hagen: Strassburg, 1900. I am unable to accept the author’s contention that the Bætylus-Grail represents the original form of the talisman; but he certainly proves the correctness of the many curious references to Oriental literature which are peculiar to Wolfram’s version of the story, and cannot possibly have been within that writer’s own knowledge.
52 In this connection, cf. Dr. Brown’s study on The Round Table before Wace, vol. vii. of Harvard Studies: Boston, 1900; and the incidental demonstration that Layamon had access to Welsh traditions unknown to Wace.
53 For the first, cf. Legend of Sir Gawain, chap. ix., where I have discussed the variants of the poem. For The Marriage of Sir Gawain, cf. Mr. Maynadier’s exhaustive study of The Wife of Bath’s Tale, vol. xiii. of the present series. In the case of the Green Knight there are certain peculiarities of names which point to an intermediate French stage, which, in this instance at least, cannot well have been other than an Anglo-Norman poem.
54 The French variant which seems to have most affinity with the tale referred to is that of the Didot Perceval, printed by M. Hucher in vol. i. of his Saint Graal, p. 453.
55 Introduction, Charrette, p. cxxvii.
56 Cf. ‘Nouvelles Etudes sur la provenance du cycle Arthurien,’ Romania, vols. xxvii. and xxviii.
57 Cf. Artus Kampf mit dem Katzenungetum, E. Freymond, Halle: 1899.
58 Romania, vol. xxix. p. 121 et seq.
59 The evidence of the lais, and the fact that Marie de France was Chrétien’s contemporary, forbids us to postulate an entirely oral transmission.
60 Of this the ‘runs’ of Celtic and Gaelic story-tellers form a good example. Cf. Hyde’s Beside the Fire, p. xxv.
61 Mr. E. S. Hartland, to whom I submitted the question.
62 Cf. M. Ferd. Lot ‘La patrie des lais Bretons,’ Romania, vol. xxviii.
63 Chap. iii.
64 ‘Morgue la Fée et Morgan Tud,’ Romania, vol. xxviii. p. 327.
65 Professor Foerster’s references to this character (Charrette, lxxiii.) are perplexing. He prints Chrétien’s description of the ‘Ile’ side by side with a parallel passage from Giraldus Cambrensis, Topographia Hiberniæ, informing us that both are ‘ganz einfach eine naturgetreue Beschreibung von Irland.’ He cannot mean us to understand that the one description is borrowed from the other; the work of Giraldus is at least thirty years later than the Erec (circa 1186), and that chronicler would hardly go to a romancer like Chrétien for the description of a country he knew personally. But is it a ‘Naturgetreue’ description of Ireland at all? Professor Foerster is compelled himself to admit naïvely, ‘Gewitter und Stürme fehlen nicht ganz!’ Is this not rather a description of the fabled Irish Paradise which Chrétien and Giraldus alike have borrowed from a source common to both?
66 Of course I here use the word Breton in a general sense as opposed to French. I do not intend to imply that Arthur is of Continental origin.
67 Ueber die Bedeutung von Bretagne, Breton, Zeitschrift für französische Sprache, xx. 79-162.
68 Cf. chap. ii.
69 Cf. Charrette, lxxxi. and cxli.
70 Cf. on this point Professor Foerster’s Introductions to his editions of the Yvain, 1887 (large ed.), 1891 (small ed.).
71 Cf. Grisebach, Die Treulose Witwe: Wien, 1873.
72 Cf. review of The Legend of Sir Gawain. Zeitschrift für französische Sprache, No. 20, p. 95.
73 Cf. Gautier, Epopées Françaises, vol. ii. p. 89 ff.; also Helisant, in Garin le Loherain.
74 Cf. Brut, ed. Leroux de Lincy, vol. ii. ll. 13597-99.
75 Cf. The Golden Bough, J. G. Frazer.
76 Cf. Merlin, ed. Paris and Ulrich, vol. ii. pp. 44-56; Meraugis de Portlesguez, ll. 2915 et seq.
77 Vide supra, Legend of Sir Gawain, Zeitschrift für franz. Spr.
78 M. Ferd. Lot, to whom I am indebted for the verification of this passage, writes: ‘Le oval répresente un léger blanc occasionné par un défaut du parchemin, en sorte qu’on pourrait lire en deux mots Lan donez (d’où l’ont donez); on peut lire Lan-donez aussi bien que Laudonez.’
79 Cf. Introduction to Yvain, large edition, where it is referred to as G.
80 Cf. chap. x. p. 182, where the passage referred to is given in full.
81 To say, as Professor Foerster does, that the spring=grave is to misrepresent the incidents; the castle in which the lady dwells is some distance from the spring, as we see in Yvain’s chase of his flying foe.
82 I do not know that it is has any real bearing on the question, but the passage from Flamenca quoted by Wolff (Lais), p. 51, is curious: ‘L’uns viola lais del cabrefoil, E’ l’autre cel de Tintagoil; l’uns cantet cels des fis amanz, E l’autre cel que fes Ivans.’
83 P. cxli. et seq.
84 It should be noted that Professor Foerster offers no arguments; he only makes assertions. There may, or there may not, have been a Grail romance which knew nothing of Perceval, certainly we have no traces of such, but how can we tell what would be the character of such a story? There are any amount of theories on the subject. Wechssler has his, Hagen his, diametrically opposed to each other. Theories unsupported by proof are useless as argument. Professor Foerster is very fond of telling us this; but the moment we get on to the question of Chrétien de Troyes and his sources, adieu proof. We are wrapped in the mists of subjectivity.
85 The italics are mine.
86 Cf. Erec, l. 1526; list of knights, l. 1691 et seq.
87 Cf. Erec, l. 1699; Hartmann, Erec, l. 1635; Diu Krône, l. 1379 (Adventure of the Cup); Lanzelet, ll. 7353-64.
88 If Malduz, or Malduc, were a well-known enchanter, and connected with the Arthurian story, as he appears to have been, how did he vanish from it? Was it the greater popularity of Merlin which displaced him? What is the origin of his name? It sounds as if it might be Celtic, or can he be in any way connected with Maugis, the resourceful cousin of ‘Les quatre fils Aginon’?
89 So far as the Perceval story is concerned, there is certainly evidence of varying forms, e.g., Whence did the continuators of Chrétien, notably Gerbert, draw their versions? And what of the Perceval embodied in the Dutch Lancelot, which appears to be independent, so far as the working out of the adventures suggested by the Grail messenger are concerned, of any known version?
90 Professor Foerster’s attempt to base an argument on the source of Cligés cannot for a moment be accepted, cf. Introduction, Charrette, cxxxviii. We only know that the source was a book; but what that book contained, no one can say. We can never argue from the unknown to the known. We do not know much of Chrétien’s sources for the other poems, but the grounds for an investigation do exist in the above instances, they do not in Cligés. We must find out how Chrétien dealt with Erec, Yvain, and Perceval before we are in a position to offer the slightest hypothesis as to his treatment of Cligés. The fact that Mark of Rome gives a short summary of the story is interesting, but so brief a résumé is of little critical value. It is certainly not a book, therefore cannot possibly be identical with Chrétien’s source.
91 On this subject, cf. any scientific collection of folk-tales, e.g., The Science of Fairy Tales, by Mr. E. S. Hartland, or in the same author’s Legend of Perseus, the tabulated variants of the Dragon story in vol. iii. These would help the reader to realise the number of motifs often combined in a single story. The lais of Lanval, Graalent, and Guingamor, comparatively short though they be, yet combine at least three distinct story-motifs, i.e. what we may call the Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Tannhäuser, and Lohengrin themes. Any one of these lais would be capable of considerable expansion.
92 I have studied the Yvain versions carefully, and have read those of Erec, but not compared them critically; but I should not be surprised if it were ultimately found that in The Lady of the Fountain we have the story at a stage anterior to Chrétien, and probably that at which it came into his hands, redacted by the Welsh scribe under the influence of Chrétien’s poem; while in Geraint we have the process reversed, i.e. a rendering of Chrétien’s poem modified by the earlier version. In the statement, ‘Gwiffert Petit he is called by the Franks, but the Cymry call him the Little King,’ we have, I think, a hint of this. The writer must have been too good a French scholar to think the one term a translation of the other; it rather implies that the Welsh knew the character only by a sobriquet borrowed from his diminutive size, which is exactly what we should expect, the earlier stages of story-telling being anonymous. So far as the correspondence in word and dialogue is concerned, the conclusion to be drawn depends entirely on the nature of the parallel passages; if they be merely such ordinary dialogue (question and response) as would naturally spring from the incidents of the story, both may well be reminiscences of the oral version. Analytic, self-communing passages would, of course, point to a later stage in evolution; but the Welsh version dialogue is of the simplest description.
93 Professor Foerster recognises this argument in a measure, but does not appear to realise its full bearing.
94 I should myself be inclined to limit Chrétien’s share in the work to the rearrangement of existing combinations. I do not think he ever made any new combination, unless it were in the case of Cligés, and that is only a ‘perhaps.’
95 Cf. Lays of Graalent and Lanval, p. 175.
96 The printed editions of the prose Lancelot chronicled by Dr. Sommer, Sources of Malory, p. 8, note, are 1494, Ant. Verard; 1513, Philippe Lenoire; 1533, Jehan Petit. There was also an edition 1533, Philippe Lenoire, which represents a very important text, and one which Dr. Sommer does not appear to know. A copy is in the Bodleian (Douce collection).
97 It is difficult to know exactly what value to place on the traditional relationship of uncle and nephew as postulated of Arthur and Lancelot in the poem of Ulrich von Zatzikhoven. This is so completely a lieu commun of heroic romance. Except in the case of a hero of distinctly mythical origin such as Gawain, I am inclined to consider it as marking a secondary stage in the evolution of a hero, he would have attained to a certain degree of popularity before it was postulated of him—thus Perceval and Caradoc are each, in turn, Arthur’s nephews. In the case of Lancelot it probably represented an intermediate stage between entire independence of Arthur (the original) and son of a faithful ally (the final) form.
98 Merlin, Sommer’s ed., chap. xxxiii. The Lancelot legend appears to me to offer a very interesting parallel to the methods employed by the compilers of the Chansons de Geste, which are so ably pointed out by M. Leon Gautier in his Epopées Françaises. The original story of the hero forms a nucleus from which other romances depart in a downward direction—dealing with sons and, perhaps, grandsons;—in an upward, dealing with father and grandfather—till a complete cycle is thus formed. We have exactly this process in Lancelot—the Queste extols the deeds of his son, the Merlin those of his father; and we have indications that the story was well on the way to the evolution of a secondary branch, that of Bohort and his son. None of the other Arthurian heroes has undergone a parallel development.
99 Cf. Merlin, ed. Paris and Ulrich, vol. ii. pp. 137, 143.
100 Ibid. pp. 231 et seq.
101 Cf. Merlin, ed. Sommer, chap. xxvii. It may be as well here to remark that Professor Foerster apparently attributes considerable importance to the pseudo-historical account of Arthur’s wars with the Saxons contained in the prose romances, notably the Vulgate Merlin (cf. Charrette, p. xcvi., and review of Legend of Sir Gawain, Zeitschrift für Franz. Sp., Band 20, p. 102), asserting that the prose romances contain, side by side with the later, the remains of the oldest stages of Arthurian tradition. To me it seems patent that these romances have simply borrowed from the Chronicles. There is nothing in them which cannot be found in Geoffrey or his translators, and the fact that they represent the romantic legend in a demonstrably late form, and not in one consonant with the pseudo-historic indications, while there is no trace of any fundamental revision of the story, such as might be expected, seems to make it quite clear that they are of comparatively late invention. They by no means stand on the same footing as do Wace and Layamon, which are of distinct value in determining earlier forms of the legend. To take one instance alone, the Merlin gives a long account of the sons of King Lot, who play a most important part in the action of the story, but the genuine early tradition gives Gawain no brother save Mordred, and Layamon distinctly says, ‘he wes Walwainnes broðer, næs þer nan oðer’ (ll. 25467-8). The existence of these sons marks a secondary stage in the story; but they are in all the prose romances. An exception should perhaps be made in favour of the Didot Perceval, which gives the Mort Artur section in a form differing from the other prose romances and much more closely in accord with the Chronicles. I shall return to this point later on.
102 The two accounts should be carefully compared.
103 Cf. Parzival, Book III. l. 937 et seq. I unfortunately omitted to note the reference in the prose Lancelot. The passage is on p. 127, vol. iii. of M. Paulin Paris’s abridged edition.
104 Cf. Parzival, Hertz, n. 66, p. 495.
105 Cf. Lais inédits, M. Gaston Paris, Romania, vol. viii.
106 Lancelot’s eagerness to receive knighthood should be compared with that of Parzival. Thus Lancelot says to Yvain, ‘Dictes a monseigneur le roy qu’il me face chevalier comme il a promis—car ie le veuil estres sans attendre plus,’—and again, ‘ie ne seray plus escuyer.’ prose Lancelot, ed. 1533, vol. i. Cf. this with Parzival, Book III. ll. 1001-2, ‘nune sûmet mich nicht mêre phleg mîn nâch riters êre,’ and 1158-9, ‘i’ne wil niht langer sîn ein kneht, ich sol schildes ambet hân.’ The correspondence is striking.
107 ‘En verité ce varlet n’est mye bien sage, ou il a este mal enseigné.’ Yvain suggests that a woman has forbidden him to tell his name (which might be compared with Parzival, Book III. l. 1464). By his speech he must be de Gaulle. Ed. 1533, vol. i. (The 1533 edition has in each volume a summary of chapter contents, thus reference is easy.)
108 MS. 751, fol. 144 vo., quoted by M. Paulin Paris in vol. iv. of Romans de la Table Ronde, p. 87.
109 This Dame de Nohan is probably the same as the Dame de Noauz mentioned in the Charrette, l. 5389.
110 Cf. Romania, vol. xxvi. p. 290.
111 Legend of Sir Gawain, p. 65.
112 M. Marillier in a review of the Voyage of Bran and Legend of Sir Gawain, contained in Revue des Religions (July-August 1899), is inclined to connect the adventure of the Fier Baiser ascribed to the son with the adventure of the Marriage of Sir Gawain ascribed to the father. Both are disenchantment stories, and both appear to belong to the class of disenchantment by personal contact. The point is an interesting and a suggestive one.
113 The character of the fairy and the nature of Lancelot’s upbringing demand a special study, for which, so far, the materials are not available. The Lady of the Lake touches on the one hand the Queen of the Other-World, on the other, Morgain la Fee. I understand that a study on the characters of Lady of the Lake, Vivienne, and Morgain, is being prepared under the direction of Dr. Schofield. For the details of Lancelot’s childhood, we must wait till a critical edition of the prose Lancelot shows us whether we have any variants or traces of early redactions, to bridge the gulf between the poem of Ulrich van Zatzikhoven and the final prose romance.
114 Cf. Introduction to M. Paulin Paris’s Romans de la Table Ronde, p. 81 et seq., also M. de Villemarqué’s Merlin, p. 121.
115 Dr. Wechssler’s interesting study on ‘die verschiedenen Redaktionen des Graal-Lancelot Cyklus’ will be referred to later on. It is an excellent statement of certain aspects of the problem, but further research shows some of his conclusions to be very doubtful. His judgment with regard to the Queste variants is certainly at fault.
116 l. 8050 et seq.
117 Cf. Rhys, Studies in the Arthurian Legend, chap. iii. The author remarks that to this day in some parts of Wales it is held an insult, as implying a reflection on her moral character, to call a girl Guinevere.
118 ‘Arthur gave in charge all that he had to Mordred and the queen. That was evil done that they were born, for the land they destroyed with sorrows enow. And at the end themselves the Worse (devil) began to destroy that they there forfeited (lost) their lives and their souls, and ever since are loathed in every land, that never a man will offer prayer for their souls.’
119 This line is lacking in the oldest MS., but can be supplied from the later recension: ‘Man knew not, in sooth, whether she were dead (and how she hence departed), whether she herself were sunk in the water.’
120 The Merlin of course deals with a period anterior to this liaison, but as we possess it, it has been, as we saw above, redacted under the influence of a tradition of which the amours of Lancelot and Guinevere formed an integral part.
121 Cf. Legend of Sir Gawain, p. 76 et seq.
122 On this point, cf. my Legend of Sir Gawain, Mr. Maynadier’s Wife of Bath’s Tale (both in Grimm Library), and M. Marillier’s article in Revue des religions (July-August, 1899), already referred to.
123 I have purposely omitted Tristan, as, though a Celtic hero, he is only indirectly connected with Irish tradition.
124 I am glad to find that M. Gaston Paris evidently holds this view, as in a note to his discussion of the tradition that Roland was Charlemagne’s son as well as his nephew, in the Histoire Poétique de Charlemagne, he refers to Gawain as holding the same position.
125 The above remarks of course refer to Gawain as connected with Arthur; originally he was probably independent. As our knowledge stands at present, the parallels between Gawain and early Irish tradition appear to belong mainly to the Ultonian cycle; while in the case of Arthur the parallels are rather to the Ossianic.
126 In some versions eighty.
127 As far as English opinion goes, the popularity of Tennyson’s version of the Arthurian tales has operated disastrously in confusing the question. Not long ago a writer contributed to a review an article on the subject, in which he contended for the essential identity of the Tristan and Lancelot stories, naming among other parallels the fact that in both cases the hero is sent to fetch home his lord’s bride—an addition due to Tennyson; Lancelot in the genuine story being unborn at the date of the marriage. As regards the Idylls, it can only be said that whereas Malory’s juxtaposition of half a dozen different compilations made confusion of a subject already more than sufficiently complex, Tennyson’s edifying rearrangement of Malory made that confusion ‘worse confounded.’ Malory is highly valuable for the Arthurian legend in his proper place, when critically compared with other versions; and has a separate and independent position as an English classic. The Idylls of the King may perhaps also be considered an English classic, but is entirely outside the range of critical Arthurian scholarship, and should never be quoted as evidence for the smallest tittle of Arthurian romance.
128 I am not quite certain on this point. Certainly the Perceval story is earlier than we commonly suppose, and I think we may find that it had reached the ecclesiastical ascetic stage at quite an early point in the evolution of the Lancelot story.
129 Cf. Wechssler, Über die verschiedenen Redaktionen des Graal-Lancelot-Cyklus, p. 17.
130 Merlin, Sommer’s ed., chap. xxvi. p. 343; Perceval, l. 9546 et seq.; Parzival, xii. ll. 1306-7, xiii. l. 542 et seq.; also my Legend of Sir Gawain, p. 75 et seq.
131 I have purposely excluded the Melwas-Meleagant story from this comparison. I am not clear that it was, in its origin, a tale of conjugal infidelity; it rather appears to me to be a Pluto-Proserpine abduction tale. The abductor may at one period have been Guinevere’s lover; but, as we now have it, the queen is the innocent victim of violence. Further, it is evident that the abductor had ceased to be the lover before the introduction of Lancelot into the story (cf. Lanzelet). Therefore, if originally an infidelity story, we are met by the same perplexing gap in the tradition as we find in the Mordred version.
132 Cf. references under heading ‘Gawain.’ They are scattered throughout the book.
133 Cf. Grand S. Graal, ed. Hucher, pp. 271 and 289-93.
134 Dr. Wechssler’s caution is quite right, nevertheless I think we may eventually find that Borron was really the author of some sort of a cycle.
135 Dr. Wechssler contends for this, as the correct title, rather than Grand S. Graal.
136 Cf. supra, p. 17.
137 Cf. supra, p. 14.
138 Cf. supra, p. 9.
139 Die Sage vom Heiligen Gral, in ihrer Entwicklung bis auf Richard Wagner’s Parsifal: Halle, 1898.
140 Obviously added by M. Paulin Paris.
141 On this point I need only refer to M. Gaston Paris, Introduction to the Huth Merlin, p. viii.
142 I do not discuss here how far this romance represents the original Borron-Perceval poem. As it stands, it is certainly not Borron’s work. The question is, are we to consider it the work of a later writer, or does it represent an early Perceval romance, worked over for cyclic purposes?
143 Some years ago, when preparing my translation of the Parzival, I found in the Gesta Comites Andegavorum a summary of the closing events of Arthur’s life closely agreeing with that of the Didot Perceval. The connection between Perceval and Angevin tradition has not, in my opinion, received sufficient attention.
144 We have seen reason to believe that the original Perceval story did early affect the Lancelot, and this argument, which we used at first of the independent, becomes strengthened when we examine the cyclic form.
145 If this be true, it would throw an interesting light on the conjunction of the Queste and Perceval li Gallois in the well-known Welsh MS. translated by the Rev. R. Williams. The compiler of the MS. may have had versions of the two Lancelot cycles before him and have taken the Queste from each, perhaps doubtful which was the right version.
146 Hucher, vol. i. p. 421.
147 Quoted by Professor Heinzel: ‘Über die französischen Gralromane,’ p. 177. The parallel passage is on p. 279, vol. ii. of Dr. Evans’ translation, The High History of the Holy Grail; but it is not included in the Welsh translation.
148 Professor Heinzel’s study did not come into my hands till the MS. of this chapter had been sent to the press. The support afforded to my theory by the above expression of opinion was most welcome to me. A point which deserves notice in connection with this romance is the appearance in it of the above-named Briant des Illes, and the story of the death of Lohot, King Arthur’s son. So far as I know, no other prose romance knows either of these characters, but Chrétien refers to both in his Erec, ll. 6730 and 1732. I think it is possible that the name given by Wolfram von Eschenbach to Arthur’s son, Ilinot, may rest upon a misreading of Lohot; the story connected with the latter is certainly curiously archaic in detail.
149 I cannot at all agree with Dr. Wechssler’s view that the Galahad Queste has been largely worked over; on the contrary it has been the least tampered with of all the Arthurian romances. I shall show this presently by comparison of texts.
150 The worst fault of Dr. Wechssler’s Grail study is that he predicates the distinctive traits of Perceval as being of Galahad—to whom they never in any sense belonged. Galahad is not Perceval’s understudy, much less is he his original: he is an absolutely and entirely independent creation. The only quality they have in common is that of virginity, which is not of them, but of the monkish redactors of the legend. It is certainly no part of the primitive Perceval tale.
151 The passage which represents Gawain as admitting himself to be the slayer of eighteen out of the twenty-two knights who have lost their lives in the Queste, Baudemagus, his dearest friend according to the Merlin Suite, among them, should, I think, be printed at the end of the Queste, not at the beginning of the Mort Artur, where it is now generally found. It is entirely in accordance with the tone of the first named romance, and out of keeping with the latter. Moreover, both the Dutch Lancelot and the 1533 version print it in the former position. The compiler of the Tristan has generally been supposed to be the first to introduce the vilification of Gawain’s character; in the light of Dr. Wechssler’s suggestion it would be interesting to examine whether this presentment is to be found in the Tristan before its contamination with the later Lancelot-Map cycle. I think there were peculiarities in the original Gawain story, which, misunderstood by later compilers, helped to cast a false light on his character, but it is open to question whether it was the Tristan compiler or the author of the Galahad Queste who was the original propagator of calumny.
152 The Queste writer dwells upon instances of heroes betrayed through their love of women—Samson, Solomon, etc. If he had known the earlier Lancelot-Borron story, with the instance of Merlin’s betrayal by the lady who brought up Lancelot, he would surely have made use of so very à propos an illustration.
153 I suspect this sword of being the sword of the original Perceval story, for which an edifying legend has been invented. It probably belongs to a very early stage of the tradition. I hope some day to make it the subject of special study.
154 Cf. the Perceval of Chrétien, and more especially the Parzival of Wolfram, with the hero of the Didot Perceval or Perceval li Gallois. I consider the two first represent the independent, the two latter the cyclic form.
155 It may be noted here that in Wolfram’s version of the Perceval story—a version which, as we have seen, has certainly influenced the Lancelot legend—the Grail-bearer, Repanse-de-Schoie eventually becomes the mother of Prester John. The circumstance that the details of the begetting of Galahad are found in the Lancelot, and not in the Queste, suggests the consideration that the author of this latter romance may have worked over the section of the Lancelot in question, so as to bring it into superficial accord with his story. Or he may have worked in conjunction with one of the later redactors.
156 Chrétien does not appear to know anything about him: in the Charrette, for instance, had he known Bohort as represented in later legend, he would certainly have made him, and not Gawain, undertake the conflict with Meleagant, for which Lancelot threatens to be too late. The role of ‘helpful friend,’ played by Gawain in the earlier versions of the legend, is passed over to Bohort in the later.
157 On this point cf. what I have said before as to the development of the Chansons de Geste; p. 92 note.
158 1. Edited by Dr. Jonckbloet, 2 vols., 1850, will be referred to as D. L.
2. Edition in 3 vols., a complete copy is contained in the Douce collection in the Bodleian Library, referred to as 1533.
3. Morte Arthur, edited by Dr. Sommer, vol. iii., Sources of Malory, the sections entitled The Lancelot Proper, The Quest of the Holy Grail, and La Morte au Arthur; all three are referred to as S.
4. Queste del Saint Graal, ed. Furnivall—Q.
5. Morte Arthur, Sommer (vol. i. text)—M.
6. The Welsh Queste (ed. Rev. R. Williams, 1876), which I have also consulted, being, in its available form, the translation of a translation, scarcely affords reliable ground for comparison; it is, moreover, a very free rendering of the text. Nevertheless, as it is well to make use of all available versions, I have, in the cases where the original text appears to be fairly represented, added this reading under the heading W.
159 Cf. Jonckbloet, Roman van Lancelot, vol. i. p. lvii.
160 To speak quite correctly it really begins rather before the Agravain proper. I have noted this further on. M. Paulin Paris remarks (Romans de la Table Ronde, vol. v. p. 296), with regard to the Agravain, that we find it ‘le plus souvent copié isolément, ou bien complétement séparé des autres parties.’ One of the useful hints of this scholar which might have earlier been taken into consideration.
161 In this connection it is amusing to find Dr. Wechssler (Sage vom Heiligen Gral, pp. 166-167) remarking complacently that the achievement of the adventures announced by the Grail Messenger ‘wird nirgends erzählt.’ The Dutch Lancelot has been edited and available for fifty years. I must own that the result of my examination of this, and of the version of 1533, equally available, has been to seriously shake my belief in the soundness and reliability of foreign criticisms of the Arthurian cycle. It is quite clear that the material at our disposal, limited as it is, has not yet been properly examined.
162 The romances not being named in the D. L., I have adopted for convenience’ sake the names given to them by M. Gaston Paris.
163 Abstracts of these episodic romances are given by M. Gaston Paris, in vol. xxx. of Hist. Litt. de la France.
164 Dr. Sommer says, and correctly, that the ‘pomier’ must be the older version.
165 This account of Lancelot being found asleep and carried off by three queens should be compared with that of Renouart found sleeping and carried off to Avalon by three ‘fays.’
I assume throughout that Dr. Sommer’s summary correctly represents his text, but I admit that I have my doubts on this point; certainly in the Queste section he gives some most mistaken readings; indeed, apart from the evidence of D. L. and 1533 the whole Lancelot-Queste section needs revision. It is unfortunate that some foreign scholars have been so ready to accept Dr. Sommer’s statements without taking the trouble to verify them.
166 I do not think this is a proper name, but the equivalent of Grave = Count.
167 No other version mentions, as does M., that the ladies won their living by ‘al maner of sylke werkes,’ but the whole story looks so like a copy of Yvain’s adventure at the Château de Pesme Aventure that I think it may have been in his source.
168 Of course M. Paulin Paris’s book, being greatly condensed and modernised, cannot be used for textual criticism; but the compiler was a scholar of very wide learning, and there are numerous notes and hints, which we, of a later generation, make a great mistake in disregarding.
169 This lady, never mentioned by M., plays an important rôle in the prose Lancelot.
170 Here I take the opportunity of saying that I entirely dissent from Dr. Sommer’s assertion that Gareth is the equivalent of the French Guerresches rather than Gaheret. It is this latter (in the D. L. Gariëtte) which M. renders by Gareth. I have paid a good deal of attention to this question, and have come to the conclusion that, although in the descriptive summary of King Lot’s sons, found in the Lancelot, Guerresches (Gurrehes) is said to be the youngest, save Mordred, and Gawain’s favourite, yet the adventures ascribed to Gaheret (variants, Gaheriet, Gariëtte, Garhiës) throughout mark him as the original of Gareth; a point which etymology alone would, I think, decide in his favour! This much is certain, wherever M. and the French versions can be compared we find Gaheret and not Guerresches. When Dr. Sommer takes it upon himself, as he does in the quotations from the French contained in the Mort Artur section, to arbitrarily change the Gaheret of all the foreign versions into Guerresches, because the latter agrees with his preconceived ideas, he is setting what I must consider as a most undesirable precedent; we cannot take these liberties with the texts and hope to arrive at a satisfactory and scientific conclusion. As pointed out in my review of Dr. Wechssler’s Grail Study, once allow such a substitution, and what is to prevent us from a series of editions emendated to suit the personal views of each editor? I think myself that Gaheret and Guerresches may originally have been one, but that confusion arose from Mordred being sometimes considered as Lot’s, sometimes as Arthur’s, son, and that a tradition of four sons of King Lot having been established early in the evolution of the romantic story, the personality of the third was doubled to make up the correct number. This is only a suggestion, but there is certainly a confusion as to identity in the French versions, though there is no confusion as to the original of M.
171 It seems likely that this was in M.’s source, as we read that the old man has a spear in his hand, ‘and that spere was called the spere of vengeaunce.’ But the old man never speaks of it to Bors.
172 As regards the mention of Galahad and Lancelot in 1533, I find I have no special note. They are certainly not in D. L. and the two versions are in such habitual accord that I think I must have noted it had they differed here. Still, I think it only fair to point out my omission.
173 On p. 200 of the Studies there is a mistake. Dr. Sommer speaks of the fight between Bors and Perceval and their healing by the Grail. It should, of course, be Hector, not Bors. We may note here that in this instance the Grail is stated to be the dish out of which Our Lord ate the Paschal lamb in the house of Simon the Leper; there is no mention of its containing the Blood of Christ, or of its being borne by a maiden as in M.
174 There is no mention of Balyn’s sword: this is clearly an interpolation of M.
175 This passage throws into strong relief the absolute unreality of the Galahad Queste. The hero knows all about the Grail, its keeper, where it is to be found, his own relation to it. He has grown up under its shadow as it were. Nor need he fulfil any test to gain it: in all the records of his adventures there is no temptation such as that undergone by Perceval or Bohort; he is as fit to become keeper of the Grail (for this and not Grail-King he practically becomes) when he leaves Arthur’s court as when he finally, after a series of aimless adventures, arrives at Corbenic. Contrast this with the earlier versions: the hero knows nothing of the Grail; not till after he has beheld the Talisman and failed to accomplish the necessary test does he even hear the name; when he would make amends for his negligence he can no longer find the castle, and not till he has proved himself worthy through long-continued trial is the opportunity once lost again offered to him. Neither do the inhabitants of the Grail Castle know their deliverer; they hope that it may be he, since they believe none other might find the way, but they do not know him, whereas Galahad is well known to the dwellers in Corbenic.
176 Dr. Sommer’s description of the swearing of the questers, on p. 210 of the Studies, is utterly wrong. In every version Arthur calls on Gawain to swear first, when Baudemagus interposes, saying that he who is to achieve the quest should be the first to swear. Consequently Galahad swears first, and is followed by Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval, Bohort, Lionel and Hélie le Blank. Baudemagus is in no instance the first to swear.
177 Dr. Sommer’s summary is again misleading, and entirely misrepresents the general character of the incident.
178 Studies, p. 212.
179 Cf. Dr. Sommer’s remark on p. 212. I cannot recall a single instance in which the equivalents to M. give any other reading.
180 On p. 212, Dr. Sommer states that Q. does not, at this point of the story, say what becomes of Perceval. This is wrong; Q. distinctly says he leaves Lancelot to return to the recluse.
181 In his summary of the conversation on p. 213, Dr. Sommer again misrepresents his text—all agree in saying that Perceval asks his aunt about his mother and ‘parens,’ not that the aunt asks Perceval!
182 The adventure of Perceval on the rock agrees closely with that of Mordrain in the Grand S. Graal. There also are two ships—in one a man who encourages, in the other a woman who tempts, him. In both cases the woman accuses the man of being an enchanter; in both her ship is covered with black silk, and she departs in a tempest. Cf. Hucher, Le S. Graal, vol. ii. pp. 354, et seq.
183 S. Graal, ii. p. 444.
184 As I said before, this may be due to the influence of Morien, but we must not overlook the fact that this poem certainly has some curious points of contact with the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach, which also knows of the hero (or more accurately here, his son) regaining his kingdom, which he also does in Perceval li Gallois.
185 The scribe of the original MS. may have had to condense on account of space here, which is contrary to the usual practice of 1533; but in a printed edition it is not easy to decide the real value and significance of such omissions.
186 1533 ten, representing the number as thirteen, Galahad taking the place of Our Lord. This is a point on which we might expect to find different readings, according as the compiler held, or did not hold, Judas to have been present at the Institution—a question on which a difference of opinion has always existed.
187 This is the passage to which I referred in connection with the Yvain sources, p. 76. This son of King Claudas is, no doubt, the same who played such a valiant part in the war between Lancelot and his father, related at great length in the Lancelot.
188 This arrival of the nine knights at the Grail Castle, and their share in the Grail revelation, is a striking proof of the unreality of the Galahad Queste quâ quest, on which I have remarked elsewhere. Who are these knights? What claim have they to be admitted to a feast so holy that even King Pelles and his son are excluded? Practically they are as much achievers of the Quest as Galahad himself. The fact is the writer is so taken up with the religious symbolism of the relic that in exaggerating and insisting on symbolic details he loses sight of the real point of his story. I very much doubt whether any one but the Grail Winner himself ought to reach, or was ever contemplated as reaching, the Grail Castle, much less be witness of the full explanation of the relic. To this it may be objected that Gawain reaches it; but Gawain was certainly at one time looked upon as the Grail Winner, and I believe it is only in this character that he ever found the castle. The accessibility of Corbenic is a very weak point of the Galahad Queste.
189 I cannot agree with M. Gaston Paris’s suggestion that this passage, which he takes as part of the Mort Artur, refers to an earlier Queste redaction. A Queste giving a full account of the fate of so many of the knights engaged would be of portentous length, and there is absolutely no sign of this Galahad Queste having existed in another form. I regard it as a summing up, by the author, of the general results of the expedition, a postscriptum which enabled him to have a final fling at his bête-noire Gawain. The addition of Baudemagus’s name may have been his work, or that of a copyist, and designed to give point to his accusation. Whether the tradition that he should be killed by Gawain arose from this passage, or was incorporated in the Merlin from another source we cannot say. The Baudemagus tradition demands study. In the Merlin he is represented as but six years older than Gawain, whose dearest friend he is, but in the Charrette he appears as quite an old man, whose son, Meleagant, is the contemporary of Gawain and Lancelot; while in the prose Lancelot and Queste he appears as the devoted friend of the family of King Ban, sharing the adventures of these young knights on an equal footing. The whole presentment is hopelessly confused. The frequent reference to the Arthurian records, as kept in the ‘almeryes’ at Salisbury, appears to me to be a parallel case to the allusions in the Charlemagne Romances to the records at S. Denys. I suspect there is as much, or as little, truth in the one ascription as in the other.
190 Cf. Studies, p. 214. Dr. Sommer uses as an argument for this the difference of spelling in the name of Corbenic, but this proves nothing. D. L. has at least four ways of spelling this word, and sometimes a variant occurs in the space of a few lines. The general character of the name is always preserved, and in MSS. that have been frequently copied, to say nothing of printed, the substitution of one letter for another is too frequent to call for remark.
191 Dr. Wechssler in his Lancelot study announces solemnly, ‘So viel aber steht für uns fest, dass Malorys Quelle für sein sechstes Buch nicht die Branche eines Cyklus, sondern ein selbständiges Originalwerk gewesen ist’ (Gral-Lancelot, p. 35). But we now see it was beyond any doubt part of a cyclic work.
192 Cf. Appendix, p. 237.
193 I take this opportunity of strongly protesting against the tone assumed by Professor Foerster on the question of Malory. He has not himself examined the question of the sources, but has simply accepted all Dr. Sommer’s far too hasty and inadequately founded conclusions. When he says, on p. lxv. of the Charrette, ‘Der überall seine Quellen und zwar nur seine Quellen und obendrein noch treu wiedergebende Malory ist ein Phantasiegeschöpf der Walliser und Engländer,’ he is simply dogmatising in an unwarrantable manner on a question with regard to which he has no locus standi. Exaggerated as the statement is, and is meant to be, it is infinitely nearer the truth than are many of Professor Foerster’s own hypotheses.
194 Cf. Appendix, p. 241.
195 The passage quoted by Dr. Wechssler (Gral-Lancelot, p. 60, et seq.), and which he considers belongs to an earlier version of the Queste, is manifestly only a condensed variant of the ordinary Queste into which an allusion to Tristan and Pallamedes has been clumsily introduced.
196 This seems to point to the fact that the Agravain section of the Lancelot is that which offers the most important variants, and is the most likely to reward the careful critic. The final section is practically based upon a romance foreign to the original Lancelot story, and which has been incorporated into it; consequently we may expect to find all the versions in pretty general agreement as regards the Mort Artur proper.
197 Cf. Studies, p. 220.
198 Cf. Appendix, p. 237.
199 Referred to in future as M. A.
200 As I have said before, there can be no doubt which of the two is the prototype of Gareth; also, subsequent study has shown me that, outside the Lancelot proper and the romances which have been modified for cyclic purposes, we rarely find any mention of Guerresches, whereas we often meet with Gariët. I am strongly of opinion that originally the two characters were one, and that in that earlier form the knight was Gaheriet or Gariët.
201 Studies, p. 254.
202 Throughout this section it must be borne in mind that S. systematically replaces the Guerresches of his text by Gaheriet. This latter sides throughout with Gawain.
203 It is of course possible that a negative may have dropped out here.
204 On p. 260, Dr. Sommer makes a strange mistake. We are told that Bohort fights against Ywain; to this Dr. Sommer appends a note of exclamation, and a footnote to the effect that Ywain has already been killed by Gawain, as related in the Queste. Of course it was not the ‘Chevalier au Lion,’ but his bastard half-brother, ‘Yvain li avoutres,’ who was slain on that occasion. The text of Q. is quite clear.
205 On p. 261, Dr. Sommer again falls into a curious error of identity. We are told that King Karados assists at the council between Arthur, Lancelot, and Gawain, when the fight is determined upon. Dr. Sommer reminds us in a note that Karados had been previously slain by Lancelot! That was, of course, the giant of that name, brother to Turquine; this is the famous Karados ‘Brief-bras,’ sometimes regarded as Arthur’s nephew. Dr. Sommer’s apparent lack of familiarity with the minor characters of the Arthurian cycle is inexplicable.
206 On p. 263 the parallel passages quoted from M. and the English M. A. make mention of Baudemagus as one of Lancelot’s councillors, whereas at the end of the Queste his death at the hand of Gawain is recorded. Cf. this with my remarks on the Baudemagus legend, p. 184. I do not think this story of his death was a genuine part of the cyclic Lancelot, but belonged to another line of tradition known to the author of Q. from the Merlin Suite, and unintelligently quoted by him. This, which is a real discrepancy, as there is but one Baudemagus, Dr. Sommer does not remark upon!
207 Cf. chap. i. p. 5.
208 (a) chap. ii., the Lanzelet of Ulrich von Zatzikhoven; (b) chaps. iii. and iv., Le cerf au pied blanc, Le Chevalier de la Charrette; (c) chaps. vi., vii., and viii., the prose Lancelot.
209 Cf. chap. vii., The loves of Lancelot and Guinevere.
210 Cf. pp. 97, 124, 129.
211 I do not here intend to imply any opinion as to the original nature of the Grail, only to refer to the undoubted fact that as connected with Perceval it is more or less religious in character.
212 Dr. Sommer’s study on Malory is a case in point. It is a work of great extent, carried out with the most painstaking perseverance, yet because he omitted to consult such accessible texts as the Dutch translation and the Bodleian Lancelot, and assumed the general unanimity of the printed versions, a very important section of his work is largely deprived of value, and urgently requires revision.
213 The parallel with the edition of 1533 begins vol. ii. fo. xxxix.; with the abstract of M. Paulin Paris, vol. v. chap. cxxii. That is, somewhat earlier than the beginning of the Agravain section proper.
214 Is this perhaps the Sir Marrok of the were-wolf story?—M., Book XIX. chap. ix.; also vol. iii. of Arthurian Romances Unrepresented in Malory.
215 D. L. always has the form Walewein.
216 This name is spelt Hestore throughout. On the whole the spelling of proper names in D. L. is very erratic, and varies greatly.
217 This adventure of the Perilous Cemetery is one of the ‘cross-references’ to which I have referred earlier. It is mentioned both in G. S. Graal and Queste. The wording here is not very clear, but it does not, I think, mean that Lancelot has already failed in the Grail adventure, but that he shall come to the cemetery after he has failed; which is fulfilled in Queste. At the same time we must remember that in Perceval li Gallois, which knows nothing of Galahad or the Queste, Lancelot fails for the same reason, and more completely, as the Grail does not appear at all in his presence, so this may refer to the earlier story.
218 It may be noted that Chrétien knows nothing of a dove connected with the Grail, whereas Wolfram does.
219 I have before remarked on the uncertain spelling of this name in D. L., the above is the more usual form.
220 From this it appears that Gawain’s failure at the Grail castle was in no way due to any defect of character, but to his omission of the reverence due to the Grail, of the sacrosanct nature of which he was ignorant. This explanation appears to me to be peculiar to the Lancelot version, which otherwise, as I have pointed out, regards Gawain with great respect.
221 Certain details in this adventure recall that of the ‘Joie de la court’ in Erec.
222 I think this is probably the explanation of A.’s vision, when he sees G. after death surrounded by the souls of poor men ‘who have helped G. to conquer the heavenly kingdom.’ Cf. Sommer, Studies, p. 266.
223 These passages illustrate the difficulty previously referred to, of identifying the original of Gareth. I believe it can only be done by comparing the parallel adventures in M. and his source.
224 In the account of the final battle all versions I have consulted give one hundred thousand on each side killed; the above is much more reasonable.
225 There is a lacuna of a few lines here in D. L., so this may well have been in the text.
226 This adventure of Ywein and the giant’s shield should be compared with Meraugis de Portlesguez, ll. 1418 et seq. There lady has taken dwarf’s horse; and it is the eye, not the hand, which the messenger loses. I believe the above to be the older version, as, though L’Outredotez is always spoken of as a knight simply, Meraugis once refers to him as a giant, which must have come from another version.
227 This appears to be a reminiscence of Merlin and Vivienne. Cf. Merlin, Sommer’s ed., chap. xix.
228 Cf. this with Studies, p. 186; also remarks, supra, p. 153.
229 It is quite possible that we have here the story of Urre of Hungary, which may well have been given at greater length in one of the Lancelot MSS. Also the source of Malory’s version of Lancelot being wounded by a maiden, Book XVIII. chap. xxii., where the prose Lancelot gives one of his squires.
230 M. Paulin Paris omits this adventure in his summary, which only records the Lancelot sections. It is thus apparently lacking in the MS. used.
231 This is one of the adventures referred to previously, cf. pp. 137-139, Grand S. Graal, vol. iii. p. 303 et seq. It is worth noting that it is only in the passages parallel to Grand S. Graal that L.’s relations with queen are spoken of as sinful.
232 This does not fit in with indications of story, which would place Galahad’s birth considerably earlier, L.’s visit to Corbenic being some two or three years previous.
233 All this section of Lancelot’s adventures, from his meeting with Sarras of Logres, differs very much from M. Paulin Paris’s summary. Cf. Romans de la Table Ronde, v. p. 322 seq.