Lancelot of the Laik: A Scottish Metrical Romance (About 1490-1500 A. D.)
by unknown · English · Gutenberg #36848 · 483,013 chars · public domain (US)
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Lancelot of the Laik: A Scottish Metrical Romance (About 1490-1500 A. D.)
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: Lancelot of the Laik: A Scottish Metrical Romance (About 1490-1500 A. D.)
Editor: Walter W. Skeat
Release date: July 25, 2011 [eBook #36848]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36848
Credits: Produced by Louise Hope, Robert Cicconetti and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LANCELOT OF THE LAIK: A SCOTTISH METRICAL ROMANCE (ABOUT 1490-1500 A. D.) ***
Produced by Louise Hope, Robert Cicconetti and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
[Transcriber’s Note:
This e-text includes characters that require UTF-8 (Unicode) file
encoding, including:
ſ (long “s”)
Ȝȝ (yogh)
m̅ (m with over-line; the equivalent “n” form is shown as
ñ with tilde for better font support)
ǽ (æ with accent, only in the Glossary)
There are also a few letters with macron (“long” mark). If any of these
characters do not display properly--in particular, if the diacritic
does not appear directly above the letter--or if the apostrophes and
quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, make sure your text
reader’s “character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8).
You may also need to change the default font. As a last resort, use the
Latin-1 version of the file instead.
Unlike most EETS productions, this book was printed with long “s” (ſ).
The editor’s Introduction says:
We find, in the MS., both the long and the twisted _s_ (ſ and s).
These have been noted down as they occur, though I do not observe
any law for their use. The letter “ß” has been adopted as closely
resembling a symbol in the MS., which apparently has the force of
double _s_, and is not unlike the “_sz_” used in modern German
hand-writing.
An italic form of þ (thorn) was apparently not available to the printer.
In the modern parts of this e-text, the letter has been italicized when
context seems to warrant it. In the poem, all italics--representing
expanded contractions or abbreviations--are shown with {braces} as
“se{n}t” or “{and}”. Other italics are shown conventionally with
_lines_. To reduce visual clutter, italics in folio numbers (“1 _b_”)
are unmarked. The change in labeling from “21, 21b” to “22a, 22b”
appears to be accidental.
Large initial letters in the primary texts are marked with leading
double ++ as “++Messire”, “++Maist{er}”. The random variation between
capital and lower-case letters after an initial is as in the original.
Superscripts are shown with ^ alone. Unless otherwise noted, the
superscripting continues to the end of the word.
In the Glossary, ȝ (yogh) is alphabetized as z.
In the printed book, some line numbers were moved or omitted for reasons
of space; they have been silently regularized. Sidenotes giving folio
numbers are shown as printed. Other sidenotes have been moved to the
nearest convenient sentence break or major punctuation. Where practical,
footnotes are grouped together, preferably before headnotes, stanza
breaks (random) or decorative capitals. Headnotes have been moved to
agree with the text, and will generally not coincide with printed page
breaks.
Except for footnotes and similar, all brackets [] are in the original.
Conversely, except for the indented stanzas at ll. 699-719, all blank
lines within the poem were added by the transcriber.]
The Romans
of
Lancelot of the Laik.
Dublin: William Mcgee, 18, Nassau Street.
Edinburgh: T. G. Stevenson, 22, South Frederick Street.
Glasgow: Ogle & Co., 1, Royal Exchange Square.
Berlin: Asher & Co., Unter Den Linden, 11.
Boston, U.S.: Dutton & Co.
New York: C. Scribner & Co.; Leypoldt & Holt.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.
LANCELOT OF THE LAIK:
A Scottish Metrical Romance,
(About 1490-1500 A.D.)
re-edited
From a Manuscript in the Cambridge University Library,
with an
Introduction, Notes, and Glossarial Index,
by
THE REV. W. W. SKEAT, M.A.,
Late Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge;
and Translator of the Songs and Ballads of Uhland.
[Second and Revised Edition, 1870.]
LONDON:
Published for the Early English Text Society,
By N. Trübner & Co., 60, Paternoster Row.
MDCCCLXV.
6
John Childs and Son, Printers.
PREFACE.
I.--DESCRIPTION OF THE MS., ETC.
A former edition of the present poem was printed for the Maitland Club,
in 1839, and edited by Joseph Stevenson, Esq. It has saved me all
trouble of transcription, but by no means, I am sorry to say, that of
correction. Those who possess the older edition will readily perceive
that it differs from the present one very frequently indeed, and that
the variations are often such as considerably to affect the sense. Many
of the errors in it (such as _casualtyee_ for _casualytee_, _grone_, for
_gone_, _reprent_ for _repent_) are clearly typographical, but there are
others which would incline me to believe that the transcription was too
hastily executed; several passages being quite meaningless. Near the
conclusion of Mr Stevenson’s preface we read: “The pieces which have
been selected for the present volume[P1] are printed with such errors of
transcription as have crept into them by the carelessness of the
scribe;” a statement which certainly implies that there was no intention
on his part of departing from the original. Yet that he sometimes
unconsciously did so to such an extent as considerably to alter (or
destroy) the sense, the reader may readily judge from a few examples:--
[Footnote P1: The volume contains other poems besides “Sir
Lancelot.”]
LINE. EDITION OF 1839. TRUE READING OF THE MS.
26. fatil (_fatal_), fatit (_fated_).
285. unarmyt (_unarmed_), enarmyt (_fully armed_).
682. can here, cam nere.
700. rendit (_rent_), vondit (_wounded_).
764. refuse (_refusal?_), reprefe (_defeat_).
861. felith (_feeleth_), ſetith (_setteth_).
1054. vyt, ry{ch}t.
1084. speiris, spuris.
1455. cumyng (_coming_), cunyng (_skill_).
1621. he war, be war (_beware_).
1641. promyß, punyß (_punish_).
2010. ane desyne, medysyne.
2092. born, lorn (_lost_).
2114. havin, harm.
2142. Hymene (!), hyme (_him_).
2219. such, furth (_forth_).
2245. al so y-vroght, al foly vroght.
2279. chichingis (!), thithingis (_tidings_).
2446. love, lore (_teaching_). Etc.
Several omissions also occur, as, _e.g._, of the word “off” in l. 7, of
the word “tressore” in l. 1715, and of four whole lines at a time in two
instances; viz., lines 1191-4, and 2877-80. It will be found, in fact,
that the former text can seldom be safely quoted for the purposes of
philology; and I cannot but think Mr Stevenson’s claim of being accurate
to be especially unfortunate; and the more so, because the genuine text
is much simpler and more intelligible than the one which he has given.
The original MS. is to be found in the Cambridge University Library,
marked Kk. 1. 5. It formerly formed part of a thick volume, labelled
“Tracts;” but these are now being separated, for greater convenience,
into several volumes. The MS. of “Lancelot” has little to do with any of
the rest as regards its subject, but several other pieces are in the
same hand-writing; and, at the end of one of them, an abstract of
Solomon’s proverbs, occur the words, “Expliciunt Dicta Salamonis, per
manum V. de F.”[P2] This hand-writing, though close, is very regular,
and my own impression certainly is that the scribe has almost always
succeeded in preserving the sense of the poem, though there is much
confusion in the dialectal forms, as will be shewn presently.
[Footnote P2: See Mr Lumby’s editions of “Early Scottish Verse”
and “Ratis Raving,” both edited for the E.E.T.S. from this MS.
Only the latter of these is in the hand-writing of V. de F.]
The present text is as close a fac-simile of the MS. as can be
represented by printed letters, every peculiarity being preserved as far
as practicable, even including the use of _y_ for _þ_ (or _th_); so that
the reader must remember that _yow_ in l. 94 stands for _thow_, and
_yis_ in l. 160 for _this_, and so on; but this ought not to cause much
difficulty. The sole points of difference are the following:
1. In the MS. the headings “Prologue,” “Book I.” etc., do not occur.
2. The lines do not always begin (in the MS.) with a capital letter.
3. The letters _italicized_ are (in the MS.) represented by signs of
contraction. One source of difficulty is the flourish over a word, used
_sometimes_ as a contraction for _m_ or _n_. I have expanded this
flourish as an _m_ or _n_ wherever such letter is manifestly required;
but it also occurs where it is best to attach to it no value. In such
instances, the flourish occurs most frequently over the last word in a
line, and (except very rarely) only over words which have an _m_ or _n_
in them. It would thus seem that their presence is due to the fact of
the scribe wanting employment for his pen after the line had been
written, and that the flourish therefore appears over certain words, not
so much because the _n_ is _wanting_ in them, as because it is _there
already_. Such words have a special attraction for the wandering pen.
Still, in order that the reader may know wherever such flourishes occur,
they have all been noted down; thus, in l. 46, the stroke over the _n_
in “greñ” means that a long flourish occurs drawn over the whole word,
and the reader who wishes to expand this word into “gren{e}” or
“gren{n}” may easily do it for himself, though he should observe that
the most usual form of the word is simply “gren,” as in lines 1000,
1305.
In a few nouns ending in _-l_, the plural is indicated by a stroke drawn
through the doubled letter; as in _perillis_, _sadillis_, etc.; and even
the word _ellis_ (else) is thus abbreviated.
4. I am responsible for all hyphens, and letters and words between
square brackets; thus, “with-outen” is in the MS. “with outen;” and
“knych[t]ly” is written “knychly.” Whenever a line begins with a capital
letter included between two brackets, the original has a blank space
left, evidently intended for an illuminated letter. Wherever illuminated
letters actually occur in the MS., they are denoted in this edition by
large capitals.
5. We find, in the MS., both the long and the twisted _s_ (ſ and s).
These have been noted down as they occur, though I do not observe any
law for their use. The letter “ß” has been adopted as closely resembling
a symbol in the MS., which apparently has the force of double _s_, and
is not unlike the “_sz_” used in modern German hand-writing. It may be
conveniently denoted by _ss_ when the type “ß” is not to be had, and is
sometimes so represented in the “Notes.”
6. The MS. is, of course, not punctuated. The punctuation in the present
edition is mostly new; and many passages, which in the former edition
were meaningless, have thus been rendered easily intelligible. I am also
responsible for the headings of the pages, the abstract at the sides of
them, the numbering of the folios in the margin, the notes, and the
glossary; which I hope may be found useful. The greatest care has been
taken to make the text accurate, the proof-sheets having been compared
with the MS. _three times_ throughout.[P3]
[Footnote P3: This refers to the edition printed in 1865. In
executing the present reprint, the proof-sheets have been once
more compared with the MS., and a very few insignificant errors
have been thus detected and rectified.]
II.--DESCRIPTION OF THE POEM.
The poem itself is a loose paraphrase of not quite fourteen folios of
the first of the three volumes of the French Romance of Lancelot du Lac,
if we refer to it as reprinted at Paris in 1513, in three volumes, thin
folio, double-columned.[P4] The English poet has set aside the French
Prologue, and written a new one of his own, and has afterwards
translated and amplified that portion of the Romance which narrates the
invasion of Arthur’s territory by “le roy de oultre les marches, nomme
galehault” (in the English _Galiot_), and the defeat of the said king by
Arthur and his allies.
[Footnote P4: “As to the Romance of Sir Lancelot, our author
[Gower], among others on the subject, refers to a volume of which
he was the hero; perhaps that of Robert de Borron, altered soon
afterwards by Godefroy de Leigny, under the title of _Le Roman de
la Charrette_, and printed, with additions, at Paris by Antony
Verard, in the year 1494.
For if thou wilt the bokes rede
Of Launcelot and other mo,
Then might thou seen how it was tho
Of armes,” etc. (GOWER: _Confessio Amantis_, Book iv.)
_Quoted from_ Warton’s English Poetry, vol. ii., p. 234, _ed._ 1840.
I quote this as bearing somewhat on the subject, though it should be
observed that _Le Roman de la Charrette_ is not the same with _Lancelot
du Lac_, but only a romance of the same class. Chaucer also refers to
Lancelot in his Nonnes Prestes Tale, l. 392; and it is mentioned in the
famous lines of Dante (_Inf._ v. 127)--
“Noi leggevamo un giorno per diletto
Di Lancilotto, come amor lo strinse,” &c.]
The Prologue (lines 1-334) tells how the author undertook to write a
romance to please his lady-love; and how, after deciding to take as his
subject the story of Lancelot as told in the French Romance, yet finding
himself unequal to a close translation of the whole of it, he determined
to give a paraphrase of a portion of it only. After giving us a brief
summary of the earlier part by the simple process of telling us what he
will _not_ relate, he proposes to begin the story at the point where
Lancelot has been made prisoner by the lady of Melyhalt, and to take as
his subject the wars between Arthur and Galiot, and the distinction
which Lancelot won in them; and afterwards to tell how Lancelot made
peace between these two kings, and was consequently rewarded by Venus,
who
“makith hyme his ladice grace to have” (l. 311).
The latter part of the poem, it may be observed, has not come down to
us. The author then concludes his Prologue by beseeching to have the
support of a very celebrated poet, whose name he will not mention, but
will only say that
“Ye fresch enditing of his laiting toung
Out throuch yis world so wid is yroung,” etc.[P5] (l. 328.)
[Footnote P5: He does not necessarily imply that the poet invoked
was still alive; and we might almost suppose Petrarch to be meant,
who was more proud of his Latin poem called “Africa” than of his
odes and sonnets. See Hallam’s Literary History (4 vols.), vol.
i., p. 85. But this is pure conjecture.]
The first Book introduces us to King Arthur at Carlisle.[P6] The king is
visited by dreams, which he imagines to forebode misfortune; he
therefore convokes all his clerks, and inquires of them the meaning of
the dreams, proposing to hang them in the event of their refusal. Thus
strongly urged, they tell him that those on whom he most relies will
fail him at his need; and when he further inquires if this evil fate can
be averted, they answer him very obscurely that it can only be remedied
by help of the water-lion, the leech, and the flower; a reply which the
king evidently regards as unsatisfactory. Soon after an aged knight,
fully armed, enters the palace, with a message from King Galiot,
requiring him to give “tribute and rent.” Arthur at once refuses,
somewhat to the astonishment of the knight, who is amazed at his
hardihood. Next arrives a message from the lady of Melyhalt, informing
Arthur of the actual presence of Galiot’s army. We are then momentarily
introduced to Lancelot, who is pining miserably in the lady’s custody.
Next follows a description of Galiot’s army, at sight of the approach of
which King Arthur and his “niece,” Sir Gawain, confer as to the best
means of resistance. In the ensuing battle Sir Gawain greatly
distinguishes himself, but is at last severely wounded. Sir Lancelot,
coming to hear of Sir Gawain’s deeds, craves leave of the lady to be
allowed to take part in the next conflict, who grants him his boon on
condition that he promise to return to his prison. She then provides for
him a red courser, and a complete suit of red armour, in which guise he
appears at the second battle, and is the “head and comfort of the
field;” the queen and Sir Gawain beholding his exploits from a tower.
The result of the battle convinces Galiot that Arthur is not strong
enough at present to resist him sufficiently, and that he thus runs the
risk of a too easy, and therefore dishonourable, conquest; for which
excellent reason he grants Arthur a twelvemonth’s truce, with a promise
to return again in increased force at the expiration of that period. Sir
Lancelot returns to Melyhalt according to promise, and the lady is well
pleased at hearing the reports of his famous deeds, and visits him when
asleep, out of curiosity to observe his appearance after the fight.
[Footnote P6: But the French has “Cardueil.” See l. 2153.]
In the Second Book the story makes but little progress, nearly the whole
of it being occupied by a long lecture or sermon delivered to Arthur by
a “master,” named Amytans, on the duties of a king; the chief one being
that a king should give presents to everybody--a duty which is insisted
on with laborious tediousness. Lines 1320-2130 are almost entirely
occupied with this subject, and will be found to be the driest part of
the whole narrative. In the course of his lecture, Amytans explains at
great length the obscure prophecy mentioned above, shewing that by the
water-lion is meant God the Father, by the leech God the Son, and by the
flower the Virgin Mary. Though the outline of a similar lecture exists
in the old French text, there would seem to be a special reason for the
length to which it is here expanded. Some lines certainly seem to hint
at events passing in Scotland at the time when the poem was composed.
Thus, “kings may be excused when of tender age” (l. 1658); but when they
come to years of discretion should punish those that have wrested the
law. Again we find (l. 1920) strong warnings against flatterers,
concluding (l. 1940) with the expression,
“Wo to the realme that havith sich o chans!”
Such hints may remind us of the long minorities of James II. and James
III.; and, whilst speaking on this subject, I may note a somewhat
remarkable coincidence. When King Arthur, as related in Book I., asks
the meaning of his dream, he is told that it signifies that “they in
whom he most trusts will fail him” (l. 499); and he afterwards laments
(l. 1151) how his “men fail him at need.” Now when we read that a story
is current of a prophetess having told James III. that he was destined
to “fall by the hands of his own kindred,”[P7] and that that monarch was
in the habit of consulting _astrologers_[P8] (compare l. 432) as to the
dangers that threatened him, it seems quite possible that the poem was
really composed about the year 1478; and this supposition is consistent
with the fact that the hand-writing of the present MS. copy belongs to
the very end of the fifteenth century.
[Footnote P7: Tytler’s History of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1841), vol.
iv., p. 216.]
[Footnote P8: The French text does not say anything about
“astronomy.” We may especially note the following lines, as _not_
being in the French, viz., lines 1473-1496, 1523-1542, 1599-1644,
1658-1680, and the long passage 1752-1998.]
Towards the end of the Second Book, we learn that the twelvemonth’s
truce draws near its end, and that Sir Lancelot again obtains permission
from the lady to be present in the approaching combat, choosing this
time to be arrayed in “armys al of blak” (l. 2426).
In the Third Book Galiot returns to the fight with a host thrice as
large as his former one. As before, Gawain distinguishes himself in the
first encounter, but is at length so “evil wounded” that he was “the
worse thereof evermore” (l. 2706). In the second combat, the black
knight utterly eclipses the red knight, and the last thousand (extant)
lines of the poem are almost wholly occupied with a description of his
wonderful prowess. At the point where the extant portion of the poem
ceases, the author would appear to be just warming with his subject, and
to be preparing for greater efforts.
In continuance of the outline of the story, I may add that the French
text[P9] informs us how, after being several times remounted by Galiot,
and finding himself with every fresh horse quite as fresh as he was at
the beginning of the battle, the black knight attempted, as evening
fell, to make his way back to Melyhalt secretly. Galiot, however, having
determined not to lose sight of him, follows and confronts him, and
earnestly requests his company to supper, and that he will lodge in his
tent that night. After a little hesitation, Lancelot accepts the
invitation, and Galiot entertains him with the utmost respect and
flattery, providing for him a most excellent supper and a bed larger
than any of the rest. Lancelot, though naturally somewhat wearied,
passes a rather restless night, and talks a good deal in his sleep. Next
day Galiot prays him to stay longer, and he consents on condition that a
boon may be granted him, which is immediately acceded to without further
question. He then requests Galiot to submit himself to Arthur, and to
confess himself vanquished, a demand which so amazes that chieftain that
he at first refuses, yet succeeds in persuading Lancelot to remain with
him a little longer. The day after, preparations are made for another
battle, on which occasion Lancelot wears Galiot’s armour, and is at
first mistaken for him, till Sir Gawain’s acute vision detects that the
armour really encases the black knight. As Lancelot now fights on
Galiot’s side, it may easily be imagined how utter and complete is the
defeat of Arthur’s army, which was before victorious owing to his aid
only; and we are told that Arthur is ready to kill himself out of pure
grief and chagrin, whilst Sir Gawain swoons so repeatedly, for the same
reason, as to cause the most serious fears to be entertained for his
life. At this sorrowful juncture Lancelot again claims his boon of
Galiot, who, in the very moment of victory, determines at last to grant
it, and most humbly sues for mercy at the hands of Arthur, to that
king’s most intense astonishment. By this very unexpected turn of
affairs, the scene of dolour is changed to one of unalloyed joy, and
peace is immediately agreed upon, to the satisfaction of all but some
true-bred warriors, who preferred a battle to a peace under all
circumstances. Not long after, Galiot discovers Lancelot with eyes red
and swollen with much weeping, and endeavours to ascertain the reason of
his grief, but with small success. After endeavouring to comfort
Lancelot as much as possible, Galiot goes to visit King Arthur, and a
rather long conference takes place between them as they stand at Sir
Gawain’s bedside, the queen being also present. In the course of it,
Galiot asks Arthur what price he would pay to have the black knight’s
perpetual friendship; to which Arthur replies, he would gladly share
with him half of everything that he possessed, saving only Queen
Guinevere. The question is then put to Gawain, who replies that, if only
his health might be restored, he would wish to be the most beautiful
woman in the world, so as to be always beloved by the knight. Next it is
put to Guinevere, who remarks that Sir Gawain has anticipated all that a
lady could possibly wish, an answer which is received with much
laughter. Lastly, Arthur puts the question to Galiot himself, who
declares that he would willingly, for the black knight’s sake, suffer
that all his honour should be turned into shame, whereat Sir Gawain
allows himself to be outbidden. The queen then obtains a brief private
conference with Galiot, and prays him to obtain for her an interview
with the black knight, who promises to do what he can to that end. He
accordingly sounds the black knight upon the subject, and, finding him
entirely of the same mind, does all he can to promote their
acquaintance, and is at last only too successful; and at this point we
may suppose the Scottish Romance to have stopped, if indeed it was ever
completed. For some account of the Romance of Lancelot, I may refer the
reader to Professor Morley’s English Writers, vol. i., pp. 568-570, and
573; to “Les Romans de la Table Ronde,” par M. Paulin Paris; and to the
Prefaces to the “Seynt Graal,” edited by Mr Furnivall for the Roxburghe
Club, 1861, and “La Queste del Saint Graal,” also edited by the same for
the same club in 1864. In the last-named volume short specimens are
given from thirteen MSS. at Paris, ten of which contain the Romance of
Lancelot. There are also manuscript copies of it in the British Museum,
viz., MSS. Harl. 6341 and 6342, Lansdowne 757, and MS. Addit. 10293.
[Footnote P9: See Appendix.]
III.--THE DIALECT OF THE POEM.
In coming to discuss the dialect, we find everywhere traces of
considerable confusion; but it is not at all easy to assign a
satisfactory reason for this.[P10] Certain errors of transcription soon
shew that the scribe had before his eyes an older copy, which he
mis-read. Thus, in l. 433, we find “set,” where the older copy must have
had “fet,” and which he must have mis-read as “ſet;” and again, in lines
2865, 2883, he has, by a similar confusion between “f” and “ſ,” written
“firſt” instead of “fift.” It is most probable that the older copy was
written in the Lowland Scottish dialect (the whole tone of the poem
going to prove this), as shewn by the use of _ch_ for _gh_, as in
_bricht_ for _bright_, (unless this be wholly due to the scribe); by the
occurrence of plurals in _-is_, of verbal preterites and passive
participles in _-it_, and of words peculiarly Scottish, such as _syne_
(afterwards), _anerly_ (only), _laif_ (remainder), _oft-syss_
(oft-times), etc. Moreover, the Northern _r_ is clearly indicated by the
occurrence of such dissyllables as _gar-t_, 2777, _lar-g_, 2845,
_fir-st_, 2958, 3075; with which compare the significant spellings
_harrmful_, 1945, and _furrde_, 2583. But, on the other hand, it would
appear as if either the author or the copyist had no great regard for
pure dialect, and continually introduces Southern and Midland forms,
mixing them together in an indiscriminate and very unusual manner. We
find, for example, in line 1765,
“Be{ith} larg and iff{is} frely of thi thing,”
the Scottish form _iffis_ (give) and the Southern _beith_ in close
conjunction; and we find no less than six or seven forms of the plural
of the past tense of the verb “to be;” as, for example, _war_ (3136),
_veir_ (818), _ware_ (825), _waren_ (3301), _veryng_ (2971), _waryng_
(443), etc. If we could suppose that the scribe was not himself a
Scotchman, we might in some measure account for such a result; but the
supposition is altogether untenable, as the peculiar character of the
handwriting (resembling that found, not in English, but in _French_
MSS.) decides it to be certainly Scottish; as is also evident from the
occurrence, in the same hand-writing, of a Scotticised version of
Chaucer’s “Flee from the press.”
[Footnote P10: For many valuable remarks upon the dialect of the
poem I am indebted to Mr R. Morris.]
The best that can be done is to collect a few instances of
peculiarities.
1. The broad Northumbrian forms _a_, _ane_, _baith_, _fra_, _ga_,
_haill_, _hame_, _knaw_, _law_, _sa_, _wat_, although occasionally
retained, are also at times changed into _o_, _one_, _boith_, _fro_,
_go_, _holl_, _hom_, _know_, _low_, _so_, and _wot_. Thus, at the end of
l. 3246, we find _haill_, which could not have been altered without
destroying the rime; but in l. 3078, we find it changed, in the middle
of the line, into _holl_. In l. 3406, we find _sa_, but only three lines
further on we find _so_ twice.
So, too, we not only find _tane_ (taken), _gais_ (goes), but also the
forms _tone_ and _goß_. See lines 1071, 1073.
2. The true plural form of the verb is shewn by lines 203, 204,
“Of quhois fame and worschipful dedis
Clerkis into diuerß bukis _redis_,”
where alteration would have ruined the rime utterly; and the same
termination (_-is_) is correctly used in the imperative mood, as,
----“ſo _giffis_ ws delay” (l. 463);
“And of thi wordis _beis_ trew and stable” (l. 1671);
but the termination _-ith_ is continually finding its way into the poem,
even as early as in the fourth line,
“_Uprisith_ arly in his fyre chare;”
and in the imperative mood also, as,
“_Remembrith_ now it stondith one the poynt” (l. 797).
The most singular point of all, however, is this--that, not content with
changing _-is_ into _-ith_ in the 3rd person singular, the scribe has
done the same even in the 2nd person, thus producing words which belong
to no pure example of any distinct dialect. Observe the following
lines:--
“O woful wrech, that _levis_ in to were!
To schew the thus the god of loue me sent,
That of thi seruice no thing is content,
For in his court yhoue [= thou] _lewith_ in disspar,
And vilfully _sustenis_ al thi care,
And _schapith_ no thinge of thine awn remede,
Bot _clepith_ ay and _cryith_ apone dede,” etc. (ll. 84-90).
Here _levis_ is altered into _lewith_, not only unnecessarily, but quite
wrongly. For similar mistakes, see ll. 1019, 1369, 1384, 2203. For
examples of correct usage, see ll. 1024, 1337, 1796, 2200, 2201.
3. But the terminations which are used in the most confused manner of
all are _-en_, _-yne_, and _-ing_ or _-yng_. Thus we find the
non-Scottish infinitives, _telen_ (494), _makine_ (191); the constant
substitution of _-ing_ for _-and_ in the present participle;[P11]
a confusion between the past participial ending _-ine_ (more correctly
_-yn_), and the present ending _-and_, thus producing such forms as
_thinkine_ (34), and _besichyne_ (418); and also a confusion between
_-ing_ and the past participial ending _-en_, as _fundyng_ for _funden_
(465), _fallyng_ for _fallen_ (1217, 1322, 3267), _swellyng_ for
_swollen_ (1222), and _halding_ for _halden_ (2259). We even find _-ing_
in the infinitive mood, as in _awysing_ (424), _viting_ (to know, 410),
_smyting_ (1326), _warnnyng_ (1035), _passing_ (2148), _ſchewing_
(2736), etc.; and, lastly, it occurs in the plural of the indicative
present, instead of the Midland _-en_; as in _passing_ (1166), _biding_
(2670), and _levyng_ (3304).[P12]
[Footnote P11: We find the true forms occasionally, as _obeisand_
(641), _plesand_ (1731), _thinkand_ (2173), _prekand_ (3089), and
_fechtand_ (3127). Compare the form _seruand_ (122).]
[Footnote P12: “The Scottish pronunciation of _-ing_ was already,
as it still is, _-een_; and the writer, knowing that the correct
spelling of _dwellin_, for example, was _dwelling_, fancied also
that _fallen_, _halden_ (Sc. _fallyn_, _haldyn_) were _fallyng_,
_haldyng_. Lyndesay and Gawain Douglas often do the same. Compare
_gardinge_ (l. 50), _laiting_ (l. 327).” --J. A. H. Murray.]
It may safely be concluded, however, that the frequent occurrence of
non-Scottish infinitives must not be attributed to the copyist, since
they are probably due rather to the author; for in such a line as
“Of his desir to viting the sentens” (l. 410),
the termination _-ing_ is required to complete the rhythm of the line.
In the same way we must account for the presence of the prefix _i-_, as
in the line
“Quharwith that al the gardinge was I-clede” (l. 50).
This prefix never occurs in vernacular Scottish; but we may readily
suppose that this and other numerous Southern forms of words are due (as
in Gawain Douglas and Lyndesay) to the author’s familiarity with
Chaucer’s poems, as evinced by the similarity of the rhythm to
Chaucer’s, and by the close resemblance of several passages. Compare,
for instance, the first seventy lines of the Prologue with the opening
passages of “The Flower and the Leaf,” and “The Complaint of the Black
Knight;” and see notes to ll. 432, 1608. Indeed, this seems to be the
only satisfactory way of accounting for the various peculiarities with
which the poem abounds.
Mr J. A. H. Murray, in his remarks printed in the preface to Mr Lumby’s
edition of “Early Scottish Verse,” comes to a similar conclusion, and I
here quote his words for the reader’s convenience and information.
“There is no reason, however, to suspect the scribe of _wilfully_
altering his original; indeed, the reverse appears manifest, from the
fact that the ‘Craft of Deyng’ has not been assimilated in orthography
to ‘Ratis Raving,’ but distinctly retains its more archaic character;
while in ‘Sir Lancelot,’ edited by Mr Skeat for the Early English Text
Society, from the handwriting of the same scribe, we have a language in
its continual Anglicisms quite distinct from that of the pieces
contained in this volume, of which the Scotch is as pure and unmixed as
that of the contemporary Acts of Parliament. With regard to the
remarkable transformation which the dialect has undergone in Sir
Lancelot, there seems reason, therefore, to suppose that it was not due
to the copyist of the present MS., but to a previous writer, if not to
the author himself, who perhaps affected _southernism_, as was done a
century later by Lyndesay and Knox, and other adherents of the English
party in the Reformation movement. The Southern forms are certainly
often shown by the rhyme to be original, and such a form as _tone_ for
_tane_ = taken, is more likely to have been that of a Northerner trying
to write Southern, than of a Southern scribe, who knew that no such word
existed in his dialect. The same may be said of the _th_ in the second
person singular. A Scotch writer, who observed that Chaucer said _he
liveth_, where he himself said _he lyves_, might be excused for
supposing that he would also have said _thou liveth_ for the Northern
_thow lyves_; but we can hardly fancy a Southern copyist making the
blunder.”
4. We find not only the Northumbrian forms _sall_ and _suld_, but also
_shall_, _shalt_, and _shuld_.
5. As regards pronouns, we find the Scottish _scho_ (she) in l. 1169;
but the usual form is _sche_. We find, too, not only the broad forms
_thai_, _thair_, _thaim_, but also _thei_ (sometimes _the_), _ther_, and
_them_. As examples of forms of the relative pronoun, we may quote
_who_, _quho_, _whois_, _quhois_ (whose), _quhom_, _qwhome_ (whom),
_quhat_, _qwhat_ (what), and _whilk_, _quhilk_, _quhich_, _quich_,
_wich_ (which). _Wich_ is used instead of _who_ (l. 387), and we also
find _the wich_, or _the wich that_, similarly employed. The nominative
_who_ does not perhaps occur as a _simple_ relative, but has the force
of _whoso_, or _he who_, as _e.g._, in l. 1102; or else it is used
interrogatively, as in l. 1172.
6. Many other peculiarities occur, which it were tedious to discuss
fully. It may suffice, perhaps, to note briefly these following. We find
both the soft sound _ch_, as in _wich_, _sich_, and the hard sound _k_,
as in _whilk_, _reke_ (reach), _streke_ (stretch), etc.; which are the
true Northern forms.
_Mo_ is used as well as _more_.
_Tho_ occurs for _then_ in l. 3184; and for _the_ in l. 247.
_At_ occurs as well as _that_; _atte_ as well as _at the_, 627, 1055.
The short forms _ma_ (make), _ta_ (take), _sent_ (sendeth), _stant_
(standeth), are sometimes found; the two former being Northumbrian.
_Has_ is used twice as a _plural_ verb (ll. 481, 496).[P13]
[Footnote P13: “The plural in Scottish always ends in _-s_ after a
noun or when the verb is separated from its pronoun; we still say
_the men hes_, _the bairns sings_, _them ’at cums_, not _have_,
_sing_, _come_. Notice the frequent use of _th_ for _t_, as in
l. 497, _Presumyth_ = _presumit_, presumed, it being presumed.”
--J. A. H. Murray. [Or, _presumyth_ may be the pl. imperative, as
in _Remembrith_ (l. 797), already noticed. --ED.] ]
_Ȝha_ (yes) occurs in l. 2843; but we also meet with _ȝhis_, or _yis_;
with reference to which Mr Morris writes:-- “The latter term was not
much in favour with the people of the North. Even now _yes_ sounds
offensive to a Lancashire man. ‘Hoo cou’d naw opp’n hur meawth t’ sey
_eigh_ (yea) or _now_ (no); boh simpurt on sed _iss_; th’ dickons iss
hur on him too. --_Tim Bobbin._’” In fact, the distinction between _ȝha_
and _ȝhis_, which I have pointed out in _William of Palerne_ (Glossary,
s.v. _ȝis_), viz., that _ȝha_ merely assents, whilst _ȝhis_ shews
that the speaker has an opinion of his own, is in this poem observed.
Thus, in l. 2843, _ȝha_ = “yes, I admit that I do;” but in l. 514, _yis_
= “yes, but you had better do so;” in l. 1397, _ȝhis_ = “yes, indeed I
will;” and in l. 3406, _ȝis_ = “yes, but I cannot accept your
answer.”[P14] The true distinction between _thou_ and _ye_ (_William of
Palerne_, Pref. p. xli) is also generally observed. Thus the Green Bird,
in the Prologue, considers the poet to be a fool, and calls him _thou_;
but the clerks, in addressing Arthur (l. 498) politely say _ye_. And
again, Amytans, when rebuking Arthur, frequently calls him _thou_,
without any ceremony. Cf. ll. 659, 908, 921, 2839, &c.
[Footnote P14: “This _ȝis_ is the common form in the Scottish
writers, though _ay_ is largely the modern vernacular.” --J. A. H.
Murray.]
As regards the vocabulary, we find that some Northumbrian terms have
been employed, but others thrown aside. Thus, while we find the
Northumbrian words _thir_ (these), _traist_ (trust), _newis_ (neives,
fists), _radour_ (fear), etc., we do not, on the other hand, meet with
the usual Scottish word _mirk_, but observe it to be supplanted by
_dirk_ (l. 2471). So, again, _eke_ is used in the sense of _also_,
instead of being a verb, as more usual in Northern works. We may note,
too, the occurrence of _frome_ as well as _fra_, and the Scottish form
_thyne-furth_ (thenceforth) in l. 2196.
The spelling is very various. We find even four forms of one word, as
_cusynace_, _cusynece_, _cusynes_, _cwsynes_; and, as examples of
eccentric spelling, may be quoted _qsquyaris_ (squires, l. 3204), whilst
in l. 3221 we find _sqwar_.
Both in the marginal abstract and in the notes I have chiefly aimed at
removing minor difficulties by explaining sentences of which the
construction is peculiar, and words which are disguised by the spelling.
For the explanation of more uncommon words, recourse should be had to
the Glossarial Index.
[Transcriber’s Note:
Most of the French text was printed as a single continuous block, except
where decorative initials mark new paragraphs. It has been broken up to
accommodate the sidenotes.]
APPENDIX.
EXTRACTS FROM THE FRENCH ROMANCE OF “LANCELOT DU LAC.”
As it seems impossible to do justice to the story of Lancelot without
giving due attention to the famous French Romance, and since a portion
of the French text is really necessary to complete even that fragment of
it which the Scottish author proposed to write, the following extracts
have been made with the view of shewing (1) the general outline of the
earlier part of the story, (2) the method in which the Scottish author
has expanded or altered his original, and (3) the completion of the
story of the wars between Arthur and Galiot.[A1]
[Footnote A1: The extracts are from the Paris edition of 1513,
3 vols. folio, a copy of which is in the King’s Library in the
British Museum. There are also two other editions in the Museum,
one in the Grenville Library, 3 vols. Paris, 1494, folio; the
other in one folio volume, Paris, 1520.]
I. Headings of the chapters of the French Romance, from its commencement
to the end of the wars with Galiot.
[The commas are inserted by the present editor, and the expansions
marked by italics.]
¶ Cy commence la table du premier volume de la table ro{n}de
lancelot du lac.
[Sidenote: Claudas, king of Scotland, deprives king Ban and king Boort
of their lands.]
¶ Comment apres la mort de vterpandragon roy du royaulme de
logres, & apres la mort aramon, roy de la petite bretaigne, le roy
claudas de la terre Descosse mena guerre contre le roy ban de benoic
et le roy boort de gauues ta{n}t quil les desherita[A2] de leurs
terres. Fueillet. i.
[Footnote A2: See ll. 1447-1449.]
[Sidenote: Claudas besieges Ban in the Castle of Trible.]
¶ Comment le roy claudas assiegea le chasteau de trible
auquel estoit le roy ban de benoic, et comment ilz parlementerent
ensemble. f. i.
[Sidenote: King Ban, his wife, and his son Lancelot repair to the court
of Arthur.]
¶ Comment le roy ban de benoic, accompaigne de sa femme et
de son filz lancelot, auecq{ue}s vng seul escuyer, se partirent du
chasteau de trible pour aller querir secours deuers le roy Artus a
la grant bretaigne. Fueillet ii.
[Sidenote: The Castle of Trible is treacherously given up to Claudas.]
¶ Comment apres ce que le roy ban fut party de son chasteau
de trible, le seneschal a qui il auoit baille la garde trahit ledit
chasteau, et le liura es mains du roy claudas. Fueillet. ii.
[Sidenote: King Ban dies of grief, and Lancelot is taken away by the
lady of the lake.]
¶ Comment le roy ban mourut de dueil quant il veit son
chasteau ardoir et brouyr. Et comment la dame du lac emporta son
filz lancelot.[A3] Fueillet. iiii.
[Footnote A3: Lines 215, 220.]
¶ Comme{n}t la royne helaine, apres que le roy fut mort et
elle eut perdu son filz, se rendit nonnain en labbaye du monstier
royal. Fueillet. v.
[Sidenote: The two sisters, widows of kings Ban and Boort, retreat to a
monastery.]
¶ Comment le roy de gauues mourut | & co{m}ment la Royne sa
femme, pour paour de claudas, sen partit de son chasteau pour aller
au monstier royal, ou sa seur estait rendue, et comment ses enfans
Lyonnel et Boort luy furent ostez. Fueillet vi.
¶ Comment la royne de Gauues, apres que son seigneur fut
mort et que elle eut perdu ses deux enfans, se vint rendre au
monastere ou estoit sa seur la royne de benoic. Fueillet vi.
[Sidenote: Merlin’s love for the lady of the lake.]
¶ Comment merlin fut engendre du dyable: Et comment il fut
amoureux de la dame du lac. Fueillet vii.
[Sidenote: Sir Farien secretly nourishes the two sons of king Boort, and
is made seneschal to king Claudas.]
¶ Comme{n}t le cheualier farien, qui auoit tollu a la royne
de Gauues ses deux enfans, les emporta en sa maison | et les feist
nourrir vne espace de temps. Et comment le roy claudas fut amoureux
de la femme du dict Farien | et pource le fist son seneschal.
Fueillet viii.
[Sidenote: Claudas accuses Sir Farien of treason.]
¶ Comment le roy claudas fist appeller son cheualier farien
de trahison par ladmonnesteme{n}t de sa femme, disant quil gardoit
les deux enfans du roy boort de gauues. Fueillet. viii.
[Sidenote: Claudas, in disguise, visits Arthur’s court.]
¶ comment le roy claudas en maniere de cheualier estrange, se partit
du royaulme de gauues pour aller en la grant bretaigne a la court du
roy artus pour veoir sa puissa{n}ce & son gouuernement.
Fueillet x.
[Sidenote: The lady of the lake informs Lancelot that he is a king’s
son.]
¶ Comment la dame du lac bailla a lancelot vng maistre pour
linstruyre comme il appartenoit a filz de roy. Fueillet xii.
¶ Comme{n}t la royne helaine alloit faire chascun io{u}r son
dueil au lieu ou son seigneur mourut | et de la alloit au lac ou
elle perdit son filz. Fueillet xv.
¶ Comment le bon Religieux qui auoit dit nouuelles a la
royne helaine de son filz lancelot, print conge de elle, et sen vint
au roy artus en la grant bretaigne. Fueillet xvi.
[Sidenote: The lady of the lake seeks to deliver the sons of king
Boort.]
¶ Comment la dame du lac enuoya sa damoyselle a la court du
roy claudas, pour delyurer les deux enfans au roy boort que claudas
tenoit en prison. Fueillet xvii.
¶ Comment farien, seneschal du roy claudas par le
comma{n}dement de son seigneur, alla querir en prison les deux filz
au roy de Gauues. Fueillet xviii.
[Sidenote: Lyonnel and Boort wound king Claudas, and slay his son
Dorin.]
¶ Comment les deux enfans au roy de gauues blecerent le roy
claudas, & occire{n}t dorin son filz | et comment la damoyselle du
lac les emmena en semblance de deux leuriers. fueil. xix.
¶ De la grant ioye et du grant honneur que la dame du lac
fist aux deux enfans quant elle les veit en sa maison.
Fueillet xx.
[Sidenote: Claudas bewails his son’s death.]
¶ Comment le roy claudas mena tres grant dueil pour la mort
de dorin son filz que boort auoit occis. Fueillet xx.
¶ Comment farien et le peuple de la cyte de gauues
sesmeure{n}t contre le roy claudas a cause que il vouloit faire
mourir les deux filz au roy boort de gauues. Fueillet. xxi.
[Sidenote: Farien saves Claudas’ life.]
¶ Comment le roy claudas se partit de gauues | et comment
ceulx dudit lieu le vouloient occire, se neust este farien le bo{n}
cheualier. f. xxiii.
¶ Comment le roy claudas se deffendit vaillamment contre
ceulx de Gauues qui le vouloyent occire. Fueillet. xxv.
¶ Comment lyonnel et boort perdirent le boire et le manger
pource quilz ne scauoyent nouuelles de leur maistres | lesquelz
estoyent demourez auec le roy claudas | & comment la dame du lac
enuoya vne sie{n}ne damoyselle a gauues pour les amener.
Fueillet. xxvii.
[Sidenote: Leonce and Lambegues go to seek Lyonnel and Boort.]
¶ Comment, par le conseil des baro{n}s de gauues: leonce &
lambegues sen allerent auecques la damoyselle pour veoir leurs
seigneurs lyonnel et boort. Fueillet xxviii.
¶ Comment la dame du lac sen retourna apres ce quelle eut
monstre a leonce et a lambegues les enfa{n}s du roy de gauues leurs
seign{eu}rs, et comment lesditz cheualiers sen retournere{n}t a
gauues. Fueillet xxx.
[Sidenote: Claudas meditates revenge.]
¶ Comment le roy claudas retourna a gauues, po{u}r soy
venger de la honte quon luy auoit faicte, et pour la mort de son
filz. Fueil. xxxi.
¶ Comment lappointement fut fait entre le roy claudas et les
barons, par le moyen de farien et lambegues son nepueu.
fueillet. xxxiii.
[Sidenote: Death of Farien.]
¶ Comme{n}t farien | sa femme, et son nepueu lambegues sen
partirent pour aller veoir lyonnel et boort, qui estoyent au lac | &
comment farien mourut. Fueillet xxxv.
[Sidenote: The widow of king Boort sees her children and Lancelot in a
vision, and dies.]
¶ Comment les deux roynes menerent saincte vie au monstier
royal | et comment celle de gauues veit ces deux enfans & lancelot
en aduision | et comment elle trespassa de ce siecle.
Fueillet. xxxv.
[Sidenote: Arthur holds a tournament, and Banin, son of king Ban, is the
victor.]
¶ Comment le roy artus assembla le iour de pasques tous ses
barons, & tint grant court a karahes, et comment banin le filleul au
Roy ban emporta le pris du behourdys celluy iour.
Fueillet. xxxvi.
[Sidenote: The lady of the lake sends Lancelot to Arthur to be knighted,
and provides for him white armour.]
¶ Comment la dame du lac se pourpensa de mener lancelot au
roy artus pour le faire cheualier,[A4] et elle luy bailla armes
blanches, et partit du lac a tout quarante cheualliers pour le
conuoyer. Fueillet xxxvii.
[Footnote A4: Line 223.]
[Sidenote: Of the wounded knight who came to Arthur’s court.]
¶ Comment vng cheuallier naure, lequel auoit vne espee
fichee en la teste et deux tronco{n}s de lance parmy le corps,[A5]
vint a la court du roy artus | et comment la dame du lac le mena
deuant le roy artus, et luy prya quil le fist cheualier.
Fueillet xxxix.
[Footnote A5: Lines 237-245.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot is knighted.]
¶ Comment messire yuain, a qui le roy Artus auoit
recomma{n}de lancelot, alla faire sa requeste audit roy artus, que
le lendemain il fist ledit lancelot cheualier, et comment ledit
lancelot defferra le cheualier naure.[A6] Fueillet. xli.
[Footnote A6: Lines 249-252.]
[Sidenote: How the white knight defended the lady of Nohalt,]
¶ Comment la dame de noehault[A7] enuoya deuers le roy
artus, luy supplier q{u}il luy enuoyast secours contre le Roy de
norhombellande qui luy menoit guerre. Et comment Lancelot requist au
roy artus quil luy donnast congie dy aller | & il luy octroya.
Fueillet xlii.
[Footnote A7: Line 255.]
[Sidenote: and won the battle for her.]
¶ Co{m}ment le nouueau cheualier aux armes blanches vainquit
la bataille pour la dame de noehault. Fueillet xliii.
¶ Comment lancelot apres ce quil se fut party de la dame de
noehault, se co{m}batit auec vng cheualier qui lauoit mouille.
Fueillet xlv.
[Sidenote: How Lancelot conquered the “Sorrowful Castle.”]
¶ Comment lancelot conquist vaillamme{n}t par sa force et
proesse le chasteau de la douloureuse garde q{ue} nul aultre ne
pouoit conquerre.[A8] Fueillet xlv.
[Footnote A8: Lines 257-259.]
[Sidenote: How Arthur hears of it, and sends Gawain to see if it is
true.]
¶ Comment les nouuelles vindrent au roy artus que la
douloureuse garde estoit conquise par la cheualier aux armes
blanches | Et le roy y enuoya messire gauuain pour en scauoir la
verite. Fueillet xlviii.
[Sidenote: Gawain is imprisoned, and supposed to be dead.]
¶ Comment messire Gauuain fut mys en prison | et comment le
roy et la royne entrerent en la premiere porte de la | et la veirent
des tu{m}bes ou il y auoit escript que monseigneur gauuain estoit
mort, et plusieures aultres cheualiers. Fueillet. xlix.
[Sidenote: Lancelot hears of Gawain’s imprisonment,]
¶ Comment vne damoyselle de lhostel de la dame du lac feist
assauoir au cheuallier blanc que monseigneur gauuain & ses
compaigno{n}s estoyent emprisonnez par celluy qui auoit este
seigneur de la douloureuse garde. Fueillet l.
[Sidenote: and delivers him and his companions.]
¶ Comme{n}t le blanc cheualier se combatit encontre celluy
qui auoit este seigneur de la douloureuse garde, q{u}i tenoit en
prison messire gauuain et ses compaignons.[A9] Fueillet. l.
[Footnote A9: Lines 263, -4.]
¶ Comment le cheuallier blanc emmena le cheualier conquis en
vng hermitaige. et comment ledit cheualier conquis luy rendit audit
hermitage gauuain & ses compaignons. f. lii.
[Sidenote: Gawain returns to Arthur and his Queen at Douloureuse Garde.]
¶ Comment messire gauuain et ses compaignons sen vindre{n}t
par deuers le roy artus qui estoit a la douloureuse garde. Et
comment le roy et la royne furent ioyeulx quant ilz les virent.
Fueillet. liii.
[Sidenote: Lancelot hears of the war to come between Arthur and Galiot.]
¶ Comment le cheuallier blanc retourna a labbaye ou il auoit
laisse ses escuyers | et comment il sceut lassemblee qui deuoit
estre entre le roy artus et le roy doultre les marches, & co{m}ment
il conquist le cheualier qui disoit mieulx aymer le cheualier qui
auoit naure que celluy qui lauoit este.[A10] Fueillet. liiii.
[Footnote A10: See ll. 244, -5.]
[Sidenote: Gawain goes to seek the white knight,]
¶ Comment messire gauuain se mist en queste pour trouuer le
blanc cheuallier.[A11] Et comment la meslee dentre les gens au roy
des cent cheualiers et les gens de la dame de noehault fut appaisee.
Fueillet lv.
[Footnote A11: Line 267.]
[Sidenote: who is wounded in the battle against Galiot by the
king-of-a-hundred-knights.]
¶ Comment le blanc cheualier vainquit lassemble dentre les
deux roys | et comme{n}t il fut naure du roy des cent cheualiers.
Fueillet. lvi.
[Sidenote: Arthur and Queen Genure return home.]
¶ Comme{n}t apres que le cheualier qui auoit gangne le
tournoyement dentre le roy doultre les marches sen fut alle, le roy
artus & la royne genieure se partirent pour aller en leurs pays.
Fueillet lvii.
¶ Comment messire gauuain se combatit a brehain-sans-pitie,
et le rua par terre. et co{m}ment apres ilz sen allerent a la
douloureuse garde: & comment les deux pucelles que messire Gauuain
menoit luy furent tollues. Fueillet. lviii.
[Sidenote: Lancelot ends the adventures of the “Sorrowful Castle.”]
¶ Comment lancelot print congie de son mire | et comment il
mist a fin les aduentures de la douloureuse garde.
Fueillet lx.
[Sidenote: Lancelot is again victorious in the combat between Arthur and
Galiot.]
¶ Comment messire gauuain recouura les deux pucelles qui luy
auoyent este tollues, Et comment lancelot vainquit la seconde
assemblee dentre le roy artus & le roy doultre les marches.
Fueillet lxi.
[Sidenote: Gawain returns to Arthur’s court.]
¶ Comment messire gauuain retourna a la court du roy artus
apres la seconde assemblee dentre le roy artus & le roy doultre les
marches, et comment lancelot vainquit le cheualier qui gardoit le
gue. Fueillet lxiii.
[_Here begins the Scotch Translation._]
[Sidenote: Arthur’s evil dreams.]
¶ Comment le roy Artus songea plusieurs songes | et apres
manda tous les saiges clercs de son royaulme pour en scauoir la
signifiance.[A12] Fueillet lxiiii.
[Footnote A12: Lines 363-527.]
[Sidenote: Galiot defies Arthur.]
¶ Comment le roy doultre les marches, nomme gallehault,
enuoya deffier le roy artus[A13] | et comment Lancelot occist deux
geans empres kamalot.[A14] Fueillet lxv.
[Footnote A13: Lines 540-592.]
[Footnote A14: Line 280.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot is assailed by forty knights, and imprisoned by the
lady of Melyhalt.]
¶ Comment lancelot occist vng cheualier q{u}i disoit moins
aymer le cheualier naure que celluy qui lauoit naure.[A15] | et
comment il fut assailly de .xl. cheualliers, et mys en prison de la
dame de mallehault.[A16] Fueillet lxviii.
[Footnote A15: Lines 233-252.]
[Footnote A16: Lines 281-292.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot, released from prison, is again victorious against
Galiot.]
¶ Comment gallehault assembla au roy artus vng iour durant
que lancelot estoit en prison[A17] | et comment le lendemain
lancelot fut deliure de prison[A18] | et vainquit lassemblee dentre
les deux roys.[A19] Fueillet lxvii.
[Footnote A17: Lines 634-894.]
[Footnote A18: Lines 895-974.]
[Footnote A19: Lines 975-1138.]
[Sidenote: Arthur is reproved by Amytans, and Galiot proposes a truce
for a year.]
¶ Comment le roy artus fut reprins de ses vices, et moult
bien conseille par vng cheualier qui suruint en son ost[A20] | Et
comment gallehault donna tresues au roy Artus iusques a vng an.[A21]
Fueillet lxix.
[Footnote A20: Lines 1275-2130.]
[Footnote A21: Lines 1543-1584.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot returns to the lady of Melyhalt.]
¶ Comment lancelot, apres ce quil eut vaincu lassemblee,
retourna en la prison de la dame de mallehault[A22] | et comment
elle le congneut, a son cheual et par les playes quil auoit, que
cestoit celluy q{u}i auoit vaincu lassemblee.[A23]
Fueillet lxxii.
[Footnote A22: Lines 1139-1152.]
[Footnote A23: Lines 1181-1274.]
[Sidenote: Gawain, with 39 comrades, departs to seek the red knight.]
¶ Comment messire gauuain, soy quarantiesme de compaignons,
se mist en queste pour trouuer le cheuallier qui auoit porte lescu
vermeil a lassemblee dentre le roy artus et Gallehault.[A24]
Fueillet lxxii.
[Footnote A24: Lines 2161-2256.]
[Sidenote: The lady of Melyhalt accepts Lancelot’s ransom.]
¶ Comment la dame de mallehault mist a rancon le cheuallier
quelle tenoit en prison, et le laissa aller quant elle veit quelle
ne peult scauoir son nom.[A25] fu. lxxiii.
[Footnote A25: Lines 2347-2442.]
[Sidenote: The truce ended, Galiot again attacks Arthur.]
¶ Co{m}ment messire gauuain et ses compaignons retournerent
de leur queste[A26] | et comme{n}t apres les treues faillies
galehault vint assembler co{n}tre le roy artus, & tous ses gens en
fure{n}t moult troublez.[A27] fu. lxxiiii.
[Footnote A26: Lines 2504-2530.]
[Footnote A27: Lines 2531-3268.]
[Sidenote: Galiot gains over the black knight.]
¶ Comment gallehault suyuit le cheuallier aux noires
armes,[A28] & fist tant par belles parolles quil lemmena en son ost,
dont le roy artus et tous ses gens en furent moult troublez.
Fueillet lxxviii.
[Footnote A28: Lines 3343-3487.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot induces Galiot to submit to Arthur.]
¶ Co{m}ment lancelot par sa prouesse conquist tout, et fist
tant que gallehault crya mercy au roy artus. fu. lxxix.
[Sidenote: The Queen and Lancelot meet.]
¶ Co{m}ment gallehault fist tant que la royne vit lancelot |
& co{m}ment ilz se arraisonnerent ensemble. fu. lxxxi.
[Sidenote: The Queen knows Lancelot from his adventures that he tells
her.]
¶ Co{m}ment la royne co{n}gneut lancelot apres ce q{u}il eut
longuement parle a elle, & quil luy eut co{m}pte de ses aduentures.
& co{m}ment la premiere acointance fut faicte entre la royne &
la{n}celot p{ar} le moyen de galehault. fu. lxxxii.
[Sidenote: Galiot becomes acquainted with the lady of Melyhalt.]
¶ Co{m}ment la premiere acointance fut faicte de galehault &
de la dame de malehault par le moyen de la royne de logres, &
co{m}me[nt] lancelot & galehault sen alloyent esbatre & deuiser
auecques leurs dames. fu. lxxxiiii.
II. The Chapter of the French romance from which the translator has
taken the beginning of his First Book is here given, in order to shew in
what manner he has treated his original. It begins at Fol. lxiii. _a_,
col. 1.
[Sidenote: Arthur’s evil dreams.]
Comment le roy artus so{n}gea plusieurs songes, et apres manda tous
les sages clercz de son royaulme pour en scauoir la signifiance.
[Sidenote: King Arthur being at Cardueil, his knights are annoyed at
meeting with no adventures.]
++OR dit le compte que le roy artus auoit longueme{n}t seiourne a
cardueil. Et pource ny auenoit mie gra{nde}ment de aduentures, il
ennuya mo{u}lt aux compaignons du Roy de ce q{u}ilz auoient si
longuement seiourne, & ne veoient riens de ce quilz souloyent veoir.
Principallement keu le seneschal en fut trop ennuye Et en parloit
moult souuent, et disoyt deua{n}t le roy que trop estoit ce seio{ur}
ennuyeulx, & trop auoit dure.
[Sidenote: Sir Kay counsels that they should go to Camelot.]
Le roy luy demande “Keu | q{ue} vouldriez vous que no{us} feissons?”
“Certes,” fait keu, “ie conseilleroye que nous allissions a kamalot
| car la cite est plus aduantureuse q{ue} vous ayez | et la nous
verrions souuent et orrions choses de merueilles que nous ne voyons
pas icy. Nous auons seiourne ia icy plus de deux moys, et oncques ne
y veismes gueres de choses aduenir.”
[Sidenote: The king consents to go;]
“Or alons donc,” fait le roy, “a Kamalot, puis que vous le
co{n}seillez.”
[Sidenote: but the same night dreams that all his hair falls off, which
delays him.]
Lendemain deust partir le roy | mais la nuyct luy aduint vne
merueilleuse aduenture. Il songa q{ue} tous les cheueulx de sa teste
cheoie{n}t, et to{us} les poilz de sa barbe, dont il fut moult
espouente. Et p{ar} ce demoura encores en la ville.
[Sidenote: The third night after he dreams that all his fingers fall off
except his thumbs.]
La tierce nuyt apres il songa q{ue} il luy estoit aduis q{ue} tous
les dois luy cheoie{n}t fors les poulces, & lors fut pl{us} esbahy
que deuant.
[Sidenote: Again, that all his toes fall off except his great toes.]
++A Lautre nuyct songea il q{ue} to{us} les ortelz des piedz luy
cheoient fors les poulces. de ce fut si trouble que plus ne peult.
[Sidenote: The Queen and his chaplain disregard the dreams;]
“Sire,” fait son chappelain a q{u}i il lauoit dit, “ne vous chaille
| car songes ne so{n}t pas a croire;” le roy le dit a la royne, et
elle respo{n}d tout ainsi q{ue} luy auoit fait so{n} chappelain.
[Sidenote: but Arthur sends for his bishops, archbishops, and their
wisest clerks;]
“En verite,” dist il, “ie ne laisseray pas la chose ainsi” | il fait
mander ses euesques et archeuesques q{u}ilz soie{n}t a luy au .ix
iour ensuyuant a kamalot, & q{u}ilz amainent auec eulx tous les plus
sages clercz quils po{u}rroient auoir et trouuer.
[Sidenote: whom he imprisons till they shall tell him what the dreams
mean.]
A tant se part de cardueil & sen va par les chasteaulx et par les
citez | tant q{ue} au neufniesme iour est venu a kamalot, et aussi
sont venus les clercz du pays. Il leur demande co{n}seil de son
songe, _et_ ilz elise{n}t dix des plus sages: le roy les fist bien
enserrer, et dist que iamais nen sortiroient de priso{n} deuant
quilz luy auroient dit la signifiance de son songe.
[Sidenote: After trying for nine days, they fail.]
Ilz esprouuerent la force de le{u}r scie{n}ce par neuf iours, et
puis vindre{n}t au roy, & dirent quilz nauoient riens trouue.
“Ai{n}si maist dieu,” dit le roy, “ia ainsi neschapperez.”
[Sidenote: They twice obtain a delay of three days.]
Et ils demande{n}t respit iusques au troisiesme iour ensuyuant, et
il leur donne. Les .iii iours passez, ilz reuiennent deuant le roy,
et dient que ilz ne peuent riens trouuer | et dema{n}dent encores
autre delay | et ilz ont. Et de rechief vindrent pour demander
aultres troys iours de dilacion, ainsi que le roy auoit so{n}ge de
tierce nuyt en tierce nuyt. “Or sachez,” fait le roy, “q{ue} iamais
plus nen aurez.”
[Sidenote: The king threatens to slay them.]
Quant vint au tiers iour ilz dirent quilz nauoient rien trouue; “ce
ne vault rien,” fait le roy, “ie vous feray tous destruire se vous
ne me dictes la verite;” et ils dirent. “Sire nous ne vous en
scairions que dire.” Lors se pense le roy quil leur fera paour de
mort.
[Sidenote: Five are to be burnt, and five hung.]
Il fait fair vng grant feu, & commanda en le{u}rs presences que les
.v. y fusse{n}t mis, et que les autres cinq soyent penduz | mais
priueeme{n}t deffent a ses baillifz quilz ne les menassent que
iusques a la paour de mourir.
[Sidenote: The five who are to be hung, having the cords round their
necks, offer to speak out.]
Quant les ci{n}q qui furent menez aux fourches euerent les cordes
entour leurs colz, ils eurent paour de mourir, et dirent, que se les
aultres cinq le vouloyent dire, ilz le diroyent. La nouuelle vint au
.v. que len menoit ardre | et ilz dire{n}t que, se les autres le
vouloyent dire, ils le diroyent | ils furent amenez ensemble
deua{n}t le roy, et les plus sages dirent
[Sidenote: They stipulate not to be held as liars if their
interpretations fail.]
| “sire, nous vous dirons ce q{ue} no{us} auons trouue | mais nous
ne vouldrions mie que vous nous tenissiez a menteurs se il ne
aduenoit | car nous vouldrions bien quil nen fust rien, et voulons,
comment quil en aduiengne, que vous nous asseurez q{ue} ia mal ne
no{us} en aduiendra;” et il leur promet.
[Sidenote: The dreams mean that he will lose his land and his honour.]
Lors dist lung de eulx qui pour tous parla. “Sire, sachez que ceste
terre et tout honneur vo{us} conuie{n}dra perdre et ceulx en qui
plus vous fiez vous fauldront; telle est la substa{n}ce et
signifiance de voz songes.”
[Sidenote: Arthur asks if anything can avert such fate.]
De ceste chose fut le roy moult effraye, “Or me dictes,” fait il,
“sil est chose qui me{n} peult garantir.” “Certes,” fait le maistre,
“nous auons veu une chose | Mais cest si grande merueille que on ne
le pourroyt penser, et ne la vo{us} oso{n}s dire.” “Dictes,” fait
il, “seurement | car pis ne me pouez vous dire que vous mauez dit.”
[Sidenote: He is told, “nothing, except the savage lion and the leech
without medicine, by help of the counsel of the flower.”]
“Sire, riens ne vous peult garder de perdre tout honneur terrien
fors le lyon sauluaige, et le mire sans medecine, par le co{n}seil
de la fleur, & se no{us} semble estre si grande folie que nous ne
losions dire | Car lyon sauluaige ne y peult estre, ne mire sans
medecine | ne fleur qui parlast |” le roy est moult entreprins de
ceste chose: mais plus en fait belle chiere que le cueur ne luy
apporte.
[Sidenote: Arthur goes to the chase.]
Ung iour alla le roy chasser au boys bien matin | et mena auec luy
messire gauuain, keu le seneschal, et ceulx qui lui pleust. Si
laisse icy le compte a parler de luy, et retourne a p{ar}ler du
cheualier dont messire Gauuain aporta le nom en court.
[Sidenote: Lancelot on his wanderings.]
++QVant[A29] le cheuallier qui lasse{m}blee auoyt vaincu se partast
de la ou il se combatist a son hoste, il erra toute io{u}r sa{n}s
autre aduanture trouuer. Il se logea la nuyt chiez une veufue dame a
lyssue dune forest a cinq lieues angleches pres de kamelot.
[Sidenote: He meets an esquire, and asks him, “what news?”]
Le cheualier se leua matin, et erra, luy et ses escuyers et sa
damoyselle, tant q{u}il encontra vng escuyer. “Varlet,” fait il,
“scez tu nulles nouuelles?”
[Sidenote: “The queen,” he says, “is at Camelot.”]
“Ouy,” fait il, “ma dame la royne est icy pres a kamalot.” “quelle
royne” fait il “Le fe{m}me au roy artus,” fait lescuyer.
[Sidenote: Lancelot goes on till he sees a large house, a lady, and her
damsel.]
Le cheuallier sen part, et cheuauche tant quil treuue vne maison
forte, et voit vne dame en son surcot, qui regardoit les prez et la
forest | & auoit auec elle vne damoiselle.
[Sidenote: He regards her fixedly.]
Le cheuallier se arreste, et regarde la dame moult longuement tant
quil oublie tout autre chose. Et maintenant passa vng cheuallier
arme de toutes armes, qui luy dist.
[Sidenote: An armed knight, passing, asks him what he is regarding so
closely.]
“Sire cheualier, que attendez vous?” et celluy ne respo{n}d mot |
car il ne la pas ouy. Et le cheualier le boutte, et luy demande quil
regarde.
[Sidenote: He replies, that he looks at what pleases him.]
“Je regarde,” fait il, “ce q{ue} me plaist: Et vous nestes mie
courtois, qui de mo{n} penser me auez iecte.”
[Sidenote: The knight asks if he knows who the lady is, and he replies
that he knows it is the queen.]
“Par la foy que vous deuez o dieu,” fait le cheuallier estrange,
“scauez vous bien qui la dame est que vous regardez?” “Je le cuyde
bien scauoir,” fait le bon cheualier. “Et q{u}i este elle,” fait
lautre. “Cest ma dame la royne.” “Si maist dieu, estrangement la
congnoissez, deables vous font bien regarder dames.” “Pourquoy,”
faict il. “Pource que vous ne me oseriez suyuir par deuant la Royne
la ou ie yroye.” “Certes,” faict le bon cheuallier, “se vous osiez
aller la ou ie vous oseray suyuir, vous aurez passez de couraige
tous les plus gra{n}s oseurs qui oncques furent.” A tant sen part le
cheualier. Et le bon cheualier va apres.
[Sidenote: The stranger takes Lancelot home to lodge with him, and he is
well entertained.]
Et quant ilz ont vne piece alle, lautre luy dist, “vous
he[r]bergerez ennuyt auec moy, et le matin ie vous meneray la ou ie
vous diz;” et le bon cheuallier luy demande sil conuient ainsi
faire. “Oy” | fait il. Et il dist que donc lottroyera il.
Il geut la nuyt chez le cheualier sur la riuiere de kamalot, et fut
moult bien herberge, et sa pucelle | et ses escuyers.
[Footnote A29: There is no trace of the rest of this chapter in
the Scottish poem.]
III. Our last extract will shew exactly where the Scottish poem
suddenly ceases, and how the story was probably continued. For the
latter purpose, four chapters of the French Romance are added beyond
the point where the Scotch ends; and it is possible (judging from
lines 306-312 of the Prologue) that the author did not intend to go
very much further. The passage begins, in the French copy, at Fol.
lxxvii. _b_, col. 1; and, in the Scotch poem, at l. 3427.
Lors descent de son cheual, et la baille au cheualier.
[Sidenote: Galiot gives Lancelot his own horse, and gives orders to his
own men.]
Et celluy si y monte sans arrest. Et gallehault monta sur vng autre,
et vient a son conroy | Si prent auec soy les dix mille, et dit
quilz voisent assembler deuant; “et vous,” fait il au roy vend,
“viendres apres, si ne assemblerez mie si tost comme ceulx cy seront
assemblez | mais quant les derrains de ceulx de dela seront venus,
vous assemblerez, & moy mesmes vous iray querir.”
[Sidenote: He commands the trumpets to be sounded.]
A tant amaine les dix mille pour assembler,[A30] Et qua{n}t il fut
entre en la bataille il fist sonner ses busines tant q{ue} tout en
retentissoit.[A31] Quant le noir cheuallier les ouyt venir, si luy
sembla que gra{n}t effort de gens eut la, si se retrait vng pou vers
les siens, et les appella entour luy, & leur dist.
[Sidenote: Lancelot harangues his men.]
“Seigne{u}rs, vous estes tous amys du roy. Or y perra co{m}me{n}t
vo{us} le ferez.”[A32]
[Sidenote: Sir Yvain comforts Arthur’s soldiers.]
Et messire yuain, qui les vit venir, dist a ses gens, “Or soyes tous
asseurs q{ue} no{us} ne perdro{n}s au iourdhuy p{ar} force de
gens.”[A33] Et ce disoit il pource quil cuidoit q{ue} les gens
gallehault fussent tous venus.[A34]
[Footnote A30: Line 3432.]
[Footnote A31: Lines 3435-3440.]
[Footnote A32: Lines 3441-3476.]
[Footnote A33: Lines 3477-3480.]
[Footnote A34: Lines 3481-3484.]
++QVant les .x.m. de gallehault sassemblerent, si fut gra{n}de la
noise, et moult en abbatent a le{u}r venir | mais qua{n}t messire
yuain vint, si reco{n}forta mo{u}lt les gens du roy artus | et
to{us} les fuyans retourne{n}t auec luy.
[Sidenote: Galiot orders charge.]
Et gallehault sen va arriere a son conroy, et commande q{ui}lz
cheuauchent fermement | et quilz se frappent es gens du roy
artus[A35] de telle maniere[A36] que nul dentreulz ne demeure a
cheual “Vous estes to{us} frays. Or y perra comment vous le ferez.”
A tant cheuauchent les conroys deuers le{u}rs ge{n}s, Car ilz
auoyent ia du pire.
[Sidenote: Galiot’s reserve arriving, his men awhile prevail.]
Et quant le conroy de Gallehault fut venu, si changa moult laffaire
| Car moult y auoyt grant effort de gens. Et fut a le{ur} venue le
cheualier noir mis a terre.[A37] Et aussi les six compaigno{n}s qui
toute iour auoyent este pres de luy.[A38]
[Sidenote: Galiot again remounts Lancelot.]
Lors vint gallehault, qui le remonta sur le cheual mesmes ou so{n}
corps seoit.[A39] Et si tost comme il fut mo{n}te, il sen reuint a
la meslee aussi frays comme il auoit le io{u}r este. Et qua{n}t il
vint aux coups donner, tous ceulx qui le veoyent sen
esmerueilloyent, Ainsi dura la bataille iusques a la nuyt.
[Sidenote: Night arriving, the hosts retreat.]
Et quant il vint au soir ilz se departirent | et toutesfoys les gens
du roy Artus en eurent du meilleur.
[Sidenote: Lancelot tries to depart unobserved, but is followed by
Galiot, who prays him to lodge with him for that night.]
Le bon cheualier se departit de lost le plus coyement quil
peut,[A40] et sen alla par vng chemin entre les prestz et vng
tertre, et cuyda que nul ne le veist | mais Gallehault sen print
tres bien garde, et picqua tant son cheual qui luy fut au deuant par
vne adresse, et le vint rencontrer au pied du tertre. Si le salue,
et dit ‘que dieu le co{n}duit.’ Et celuy le regarde en trauers, et
luy a a moult grant peine re{n}du son salut. “Bel amy,” fait
galehault, “qui estes vous?” “Sire,” fait il, “ie suis vng
cheualier, ce pouez vo{us} veoir.” “Certes,” fait galehault,
“cheualier estes vous meilleur qui soit | & vous estes lhomme du
monde que plus ie vouldroye honnourer,[A41] et si vous suis venu
prier que vous herbergez ceste nuyt auec moy.” Et il luy dist ainsi
co{m}me sil ne lauoit huy veu, “Qui estes vous, sire, q{u}i me auez
prie de me he[r]berger?” “Je suis gallehault, le sire de ces gens
icy, vers qui vous auez au iourdhuy gara{n}ty le royaulme de logres,
leq{ue}l ie eusse ia conquis se ne fust vostre corps.” “Comme{n}t”
(fait il) “vous estes ennemy de monseigneur le roy artus, et me
priez de herberger? |
[Sidenote: Lancelot at first refuses, till Galiot agrees to do whatever
Lancelot may require of him, and promises to entertain him sumptuously;]
Auec vo{us} ne herbergeray ie mie en ce point.” “Haa sire,” faict
gallehault, “plus feray ie pour vous, et si nay mye a commencer. Et
ie vous prie que vous y herbergiez par tel conuena{n}t que ie feray
tout ce que me scaurez requerre.” A tant se arresta le cheuallier,
et dist a gallehault; “Sire, vo{us} promettez assez | mais ie ne
scay co{m}ment il est du re{n}dre” | et gallehault luy dist.
“Sire, se vous he[r]bergez ennuyt auec moy, ie vous donneray tout ce
que vous oserez diuiser de bouche, et bien vo{us} en feray seur,”
[Sidenote: whereupon they return together to Galiot’s camp.]
Et lors luy fiance, & apres luy promet bailler bons plaiges; Ado{n}c
sen vo{n}t tous deux en lost.
[Footnote A35: Lines 3485, 6.]
[Footnote A36: Line 3487 _and last_.]
[Footnote A37: Compare lines 3365-3368.]
[Footnote A38: Lines 3369, 70.]
[Footnote A39: Compare lines 3391-3426.]
[Footnote A40: Compare line 1140.]
[Footnote A41: Compare lines 2845-8.]
¶ Comment gallehault suyuit le cheuallier aux noires armes,
et fist tant par belles parolles q{u}il le{m}mena en son ost, do{n}c
le roy artus & tous ses gens en furent moult troublez.
[Sidenote: Gawain, seeing Lancelot with Galiot, tells the Queen that now
they are all lost;]
++MEssire gauuain auoyt veu aller le cheuallier au noir escu, & le
eust voulentiers suiuy sil eust peu mo{n}ter a cheual. Lors regarde
contre val la riuiere, et voit gallehault et le cheuallier noir qui
retournoyent pour venir a lost, et dist a la royne, “Haa dame, or
pouons nous bien dire que nous sommes gens perdus | regardez que
gallehault a conquis par scauoir,” Et elle regarde, & voyt q{ue}
cest le cheuallier noir q{ue} gallehault emmaine; si en est tant
iree quelle ne peut dire mot.
[Sidenote: and swoons away more than three times.]
Et messire gauuai{n} se pasme en pou dheure pl{us} de trois fois. Le
roi artus vint leans | et ouyt le cry q{ue} chascun disoit, “il est
mort, il est mort.” Si vint a luy, et lembrassa, et commenca a
plorer mo{u}lt tendrement. Et reuient monseigneur Gauuain de
pasmoison;
[Sidenote: He tells Arthur that his time of misfortune is come;]
Et quant il veit le roy artus, il commence a le blasmer, et dit.
“Ores est venu le terme que les clercz vous disrent.
[Sidenote: for their protector is lost.]
Regardez le tresor que vous auez huy perdu. celluy vous toldra terre
qui toute iour la vous a garantie par son corps, et se vo{us}
fussiez preudhomme vous leussiez retenu, ainsi comme a fait le plus
preudhomme qui viue, qui par cy deuant lemmaine.”
[Sidenote: Arthur also sees Galiot, and is deeply grieved, but tries to
comfort his nephew.]
Lors voit le roy gallehault, qui emmenoit le cheuallier, dont il a
tel dueil que a pou quil ne est cheut | mais de plorer ne se peut
tenir, et toutesfois faict il la plus belle chere q{u}il peut pour
son nepueu reconforter. Et si tost q{ue} il vit en la salle, il fist
gra{n}t dueil | aussi fist chascun preudhomme.
[Sidenote: Galiot and Lancelot arrive at Galiot’s camp, and Lancelot
asks to speak with the two men whom Galiot most trusts.]
++TAnt sont allez gallehault et le cheualier quilz sont venus empres
lost, Adonc luy dist le cheualier, “Sire, ains que ie entre dedans
vostre ost, faictes moi p{ar}ler aux deux pl{us} preudhommes que
vous ayez et esquelz vous fiez le plus.” Et gallehault lottroye.
Lors sen va en son tref, et prent deux des hommes du mo{n}de ou plus
il se fie, et leur dist, “Venez auec moy et vous verrez le plus
riche homme du monde.” “Comme{n}t,” font ilz, “nestes vous mie le
plus riche qui soit au monde?”
[Sidenote: Galiot takes him to the “first-conquest” king and the king of
a hundred knights, and Lancelot repeats to them his compact with Galiot,
and takes their pledge that they will forsake Galiot if he breaks his
agreement, and will go with himself (Lancelot).]
“Nenny,” dist il | “mais ie le seray ains que ie dorme.” Ces deux
estoyent le roy premier conquis | et le roi des cent cheualliers.
Qua{n}t ilz virent le cheuallier, si lui firent moult grant ioye |
Car ilz le congneurent bien par ses armes. Et le cheuallier leur
demanda qui ilz estoient | et ilz se nommerent sicomme vous auez ouy
| et il leur dist. “Seigneurs, vostre sire vous faict moult grant
honneur | Car il dit que vous estes les deux hommes du monde que
plus il ayme, et entre luy et moy a vne conuenance que ie vueil que
vous oyez | Car il ma fiance que pour en nuyt herberger auec luy me
donnera ce que ie luy vouldray demander.” Et gallehault dist | “vous
dictes verite.” “Sire,” faict le cheuallier, “ie vueil encores auoir
la seurte de ses hommes.” Et gallehault dist, “Dictes moy
co{m}me{n}t.” “Ilz me fianceront,” fait le cheuallier, “q{ue} se
vous me faillez de co{n}uenant, ilz vous guerpiront et sen viendront
auec moy la ou ie diray,” Et gallehault dit que ainsi le veult | et
il le fait fia{n}cer. Lors appella gallehault le roy premier
co{n}quis a vne part, et luy dist. “Allez auant & dictes a mes
barons quilz assemblent maintenant a monstre si honnorablement comme
ilz pourront, et gardez que en mon tref soient to{us} les deduys que
le{n} pourra trouuer en tout lost.”
[Sidenote: Galiot orders all kinds of entertainments to be brought to
his tent.]
Lors sen va celluy au ferir des esperons, & fist le commandement de
son seigneur. Et gallehault tient le cheualier aux parolles, luy &
son seneschal, tant que le commandeme{n}t fust fait.
[Sidenote: Twenty-eight kings, beside dukes and counts, come to the
feast, and honour Lancelot as the flower of the knighthood of the
world.]
Si ne demoura gueres que encontre eulx vindrent deux cens barons qui
tous estoient ho{m}mes de gallehault, .xxviii. roys, et les autres
estoient ducz et contes; la fut le cheuallier telleme{n}t honnoure
que oncques si grant feste ne fut pour vng homme mescongneu comme
le{n} fit pour luy a celle fois | et disoie{n}t grans & petis, “Bien
viengnez, la fleur de la cheualerie du monde” | et il en auoit grant
honte. Ainsi vindrent iusques au tref de gallehault, si ne
po{u}rroient estre comtez les deduys et les instrumens qui leans
estoient.
[Sidenote: Lancelot is richly attired, and nobly served.]
A telle ioye fut receu, et qua{n}t il fut desarme, gallehault luy
fit apporter vne robe mo{u}lt riche, et il la vestit. quant le
ma{n}ger fut prest, ilz se assirent a table, et furent noblement
seruis, et le cheualier fut mo{u}lt honnoure.
[Sidenote: After supper four beds are prepared, one larger than the
rest, for Lancelot.]
++APres manger co{m}manda gallehault a faire quatre litz desquelz
lung estoit plus grant que les aultres. Quant les litz furent si
richeme{n}t atournez, gallehault maine le cheuallier coucher. Et
dist. “Sire, vous gerrez icy;” “Et qui gerra de la?” fait le
cheualier. “Quattre sergens,” faict gallehault, “qui vous seruiront
| Et ie iray en vne chambre par dela, affin que vous soyez icy plus
en paix.” “Haa, Sire, pour dieu,” faict il, “ne me faictes gesir
plus ayse que ces aultres cheualiers | car tant ne me deuez a
vilennir.” “Nayez garde,” faict galehault, “Car ia pour chose que
vous faciez pour moi vo{us} ne serez tenu a villain.”
[Sidenote: Galiot awhile departs, and Lancelot falls asleep.]
A ta{n}t sen part gallehault. Et le cheuallier commence a penser au
grant honneur que gallehault luy faisoit. Si lenprise moult | puis
se coucha, et tantost il sendormit | car moult estoit las;
[Sidenote: Galiot then returns, and lies near Lancelot, and hears how
his guest murmurs in his sleep.]
Et qua{n}t gallehault sceut quil fut endormy, le plus coyement quil
peut se coucha en vng autre lit empres luy | et es deux aultres litz
se coucherent deux cheualiers, et nestoyent en la chambre que eulx
quatre, sans plus. La nuyt se plaint moult le cheualier en son
dormant, et gallehault loit bien, car il ne dormoit gueres. Ains
pensa toute la nuyt a le retenir.
[Sidenote: Next day they go to hear mass, and Lancelot then demands his
arms, wishing to depart.]
Lendemain le cheualier se leua et alla ouyr messe; et ia estoit
gallehault leue | car il ne voulut mie que le cheualier laperceust.
Quant ilz vindrent du monstier, le cheualier demanda ses armes, &
gallehault dema{n}de pourquoy. Et il dist quil sen vouloit aller. Et
gallehault luy dist. “Beau doulx amy, demourez | et ne cuydez mye
que ie vous vueille deceuoir. Car vous noserez ia riens dema{n}der
que vous nayez. Et sachez q{ue} vous pourriez bien auoir compagnie
de plus riche homme que ie suis | mais vous ne laurez iamais a homme
qui plus vous ayme.” “Sire,” faict le cheuallier, “ie demoureray
donc puis quil vous plaist.
[Sidenote: Galiot induces him to stay, but again promises to do for him
whatever he asks.]
Car meilleure compaignie que la vostre ne pourroye ie mye auoir |
Mais ie vous diray presenteme{n}t le don pourquoy ie demoureray auec
vous | et se ie ne lay, ie ny demoureray ia.” “Sire,” fait
gallehault, “dictes seurement et vous laurez, se cest chose que ie
puisse acomplir;”
[Sidenote: Lancelot then demands that Galiot shall submit himself to
Arthur.]
Et le cheuallier appella ses deux plaiges et dist deuant eulx, “Je
vous demande,” fait il, “q{ue} si tost que vous serez au dessus du
roy artus, que vous luy alliez crier mercy si tost comme ie vous en
semondray.” Quant gallehault lentent, si en est tout esbahy, et
co{m}mence a penser. Et les deux roys luy dirent. “A quoy pensez
vous icy endroit, de penser nauez mestier | car vous auez tant couru
que vous ne pouez retourner.”
[Sidenote: Galiot is confounded, and ponders, but then grants Lancelot’s
request.]
“Comment,” faict Gallehault, “cuydez vous que ie me vueille repentir
| se tout le mo{n}de estoit mien si luy oseroye ie bien do{n}ner.
mais ie pensoye a vng seul mot quil a dit | mais ia dieu ne maist,”
dist il, “se vous nauez le don | car ie ne pourroye riens faire
po{u}r vous ou ie peusse auoir honte. Mais ie vous prye que ne me
tollez vostre compagnie pour la donner a aultruy;” et le cheualier
luy creanca. Ainsi demoura | et ilz se asseirent au manger qui
estoit appreste. Si font moult grant ioye par tout lost du cheualier
qui est demoure.
[Sidenote: Lancelot remains with him another night.]
Ainsi passerent celle nuyt. Lendemain gallehault et son compaignon
allerent ouyr messe, et gallehault luy deist | “Sire, il est huy
iour dassembler; voullez vous armes porter?” “Ouy,” dist il. “donc
porterez vous les miennes,” fait gallehault, “pour le commencement.”
Et il dist quil les porteroit voulentiers | “mais vous ne porterez
armes,” feist il a gallehault, “si non comme mon sergent?” “Non,”
dist il. Lors firent apporter les armes, & armerent le cheuallier du
fort haulbert, & des chausses qui trop estoyent longues & lees;
[Sidenote: Next day, the hosts are again armed for battle.]
Lors se armerent les gens de gallehault. et pareillement les gens du
roy Artus, & passerent les lices de telz y eut. Touteffoys le roy
auoyt deffendu que nul ne les passast. Si y eut de bonnes ioustes en
pou dheure | si se assemblerent tous les ostz deuant la lice, &
commencerent a faire armes. Le roy artus estoit a son estandart, et
auoit commande que ilz menassent la royne a sauluete se la
descomfiture tournoit sur eulx | quant tous les ostz furent
assemblez et le bon cheualier fust arme, si cuida chascu{n} que ce
fust gallehault, & disoyent tous.
[Sidenote: Lancelot is at first mistaken for Galiot; but is recognized
by Gawain.]
“Voicy gallehault, voicy gallehault” | messire gauuain le
co{n}gneust bien & dist. “Ce nest mye gallehault | ains est le
cheualier aux armes noires, le meilleur cheualier du mo{n}de” |
[Sidenote: Arthur’s men cannot stand against Lancelot.]
& si tost comme ilz furent assemblez, oncques ne se tint le roy
Artus ne ses ge{n}s depuis que le cheualier y fut arriue | et trop
se desco{n}fortoyent du bon cheualier q{u}i contre eulx estoit, si
fure{n}t menez iusques a la lice. car trop estoient grans gens auec
gallehault. au partir des lices ce tindrent vne piece et souffrirent
lo{n}gueme{n}t | mais le souffrit ny peut riens valoir. Grant fut le
meschief des gens au roy artus. et dit le compte q{ue} le cheualier
neust mie moins de peine de tenir les gens de gallehault que ilz ne
passassent oultre la lice quil auoit de chasser les gens au roy
Artus. Et nompourtant moult les auoit supportez | & il les eut mis
oultre a force sil eust voulu | mais il demoura emmy le pas pour les
aultres detenir.
[Sidenote: Lancelot calls upon Galiot to keep his compact.]
Lors regarda tout entour de luy, et commenca a hucher | “gallehault,
gallehault.” et gallehault vient gra{n}t alleure, et dist. “bel amy,
que voulez vous?” “quoy,” faict il, “ie vueil que mon conuenant me
tenez;” “Par ma foy,” fait gallehault, “ie suis tout prest de
lacomplir puis quil vous plaist.”
[Sidenote: Galiot rides forward, and finds Arthur ready to kill himself
for grief, the Queen being escorted away by a guard of forty knights,
and Gawain wishing to die.]
Lors picque le cheual des esperons & vient iusques a lestandart ou
le roy artus estoit, q{u}i faisoit si tresgrant dueil que a peu quil
ne se occioit pource quil estoit desconfit. Si estoit ia la royne
mo{n}tee, et lemmenoyent quarante cheualliers. Et monseigneur
gauuain, que on vouloit emporter en lictiere | mais il dit q{u}il
aymeroit mieulx mourir en ce point que veoir toute cheualerie morte
et honnye: si se pasma tellement que len cuydoit bien que il mourust
incontinent.
[Sidenote: How Lancelot makes Galiot cry mercy to Arthur.]
¶ Comment lancelot par la prouesse conquis tout, et fist
tant que galehault cria mercy au roy artus.
++QVant le cheualier veit gallehault prest dacomplir son
co{n}uenant, il iura bien que oncques si loyal compaignon ne fut
trouue. Il en a telle pytie quil en souspire moult fort, & dit entre
ses dens.
[Sidenote: Galiot demands to see King Arthur, and, at sight of him,
dismounts, kneels to him, and submits himself to him humbly.]
“Haa dieu, q{u}i pourra ce desseruir?” & gallehault cheuauche
iusq{ue}s a lestandart et demande le roy artus. Il vient auant
mo{u}lt dolent & esmaye comme celluy q{u}i tout honneur et toute
ioye terrienne cuyde auoir perdue; Et quant gallehault le voit, si
luy dit. “sire, roy artus, venez auant, & nayez paour | car ie vueil
a vous parler.” et qua{n}t le roy louyt, il sesmerueille moult que
ce peult estre; Et de si loing comme galehault le voit venir, il
descend de son cheual et se agenouille, et dit. “Sire, ie vous viens
faire droit de ce que ie vous ay meffait; si men repens, et me metz
en vostre mercy.”
[Sidenote: Arthur, overjoyed, praises God.]
++QVant le roy lentend, il a merueilleusement gra{n}t ioye, et lieue
les mains vers le ciel, louant Dieu de ceste aduanture | et se le
roy fait bonne chere, encores la faict meilleure Gallehault. et il
se lieue de genoulx, & sentrebaisent, en font moult grande chere
lung a lautre. lors dist Gallehault | “sire, faictes vostre plaisir
de moy | car ie metz en vostre saisine mon corps pour en faire ce
que il vous plaira.
[Sidenote: Galiot, first asking Arthur’s leave, dismisses his troops to
their tents.]
Et sil vo{us} plaist, ie yray retraire mes gens arriere, & puis
reuiendray a vous incontinent.” “Allez doncq{ue}s,” fait le roy |
“car ie vueil parler a vous.” A tant sen part gallehault & reuient a
ses gens | & les en faict aller. Et le roy enuoya apres la royne,
qui sen alloit faisant grand dueil. et les messages cheuauchent tant
que ilz lattaingnent | et sont venus a elle, & luy comptent la ioye
que aduenue leur est. Et elle ne le peult croire tant q{ue}lle voy
les enseignes que le roy luy enuoye. ta{n}t coururent les nouuelles
que monseign{eu}r gauuain le sceut, lequel en eut grant ioye sur
tous les aultres, et dist au roy.
[Sidenote: The Queen and Sir Gawain rejoice greatly.]
“Sire, comment a ce este?” “Certes, ie ne scay,” fait il: “mais ie
croy que telle a este le plaisir de nostre seigneur.” moult est
grande la ioye, & moult se esmerueille chascun co{m}ment ce peult
estre aduenu. Gallehault dist a son compaignon. “que voulez vous que
ie face? iay fait vostre commandement; & le roy ma dit que ie
retourne | mais ie vous conuoyeray aua{n}t iusques a voz tentes.”
“Haa sire,” fait le cheualier, “aincoys vous irez au roy & luy
porterez le plus grant honneur que vous pourrez.
[Sidenote: Lancelot prays Galiot not to reveal where he is, and they
return to their tents.]
Et tant auez fait pour moy que ie ne le pourroye desseruir | mais
tant vous prye, pour dieu | et pour lamour que vous auez a moy, que
nul ne sache ou ie suis” | ainsi sen vont parlant iusq{ue}s a leurs
tentes. chascun scait que la paix est faicte | mais plusie{ur}s en
sont dolens | car mieulx aymassent la guerre que la paix. lors sont
descenduz les deux compaignons, et si tost quilz furent desarmez,
Gallehault print vne de ses meilleures robbes pour aller a la court.
et feist cryer par tout son ost q{ue} chascun sen allast, fors tant
seullement ceulx de son hostel.
[Sidenote: Galiot commits his guest to the care of the two kings, and
departs to speak with Arthur.]
Apres appella les deux roys, et leur baille son compaignon, & leur
commande quilz facent autant de luy comme de son corps mesmes.
A tant monte Gallehault, et sen va a la court du roy artus. Et le
roy luy vint alencontre, et la royne qui ia estoit retournee, & la
dame de malehault auec plusieurs dames & damoyselles.
[Sidenote: Arthur and Galiot go together to the tower where Gawain lies
ill.]
A tant vont en la bretesche ou monseigneur gauuain gisoit malade. et
quant il sceut que gallehault venoit, il sefforce de belle chere
faire, comme celluy qui oncques mes ne lauoit veu de si pres.
[Sidenote: Gawain welcomes Galiot.]
lors luy dist | “bien soyez vous venu comme de celluy dont ie
desiroye moult lacointance | car vous estes lhomme du monde qui plus
doibt estre prise & ayme a droit de toutes gens. Et ie cuyde que nul
ne scait si bien congnoistre preudho{m}me co{m}me vous & bien y a
paru.” Ainsi parle messire gauuain a gallehault, & il luy demande
comment il luy est | et Gauuain dist. “Jay este pres de mort. mais
la grant amour qui est entre vous & le roy ma guery.”
[Sidenote: The Queen, the King, and Gawain rejoice at Galiot’s coming,
but he, soon after, departs to see Lancelot for a short time, promising
to return.]
Moult font grant ioye le roy artus & la royne & monseigneur gauuain
de la venue de gallehault | et tout le iour ont parle de amour et
daccointance. Mais du noir cheualier ne tiennent ilz nulles parolles
| ains passent le iour a resiouyr lung lautre ta{n}t quil vint au
vespre. Lors demande gallehault congie de ses gens aller veoir.
Et le roy le luy do{n}ne | “mais vous reuiendrez,” fait il,
“inco{n}tinent;” et gallehault le luy octroye | si senreuient a son
compaignon & luy demande comment il a depuis fait | et il luy
respondit que bien; “Sire,” fait gallehault, “comment feray ie |: le
roy ma moult prie que ie retourne a luy, & il me feroit mal de vous
laisser en ce point.”
[Sidenote: Lancelot tells Galiot to do whatever Arthur wishes.]
“Haa, sire cheualier, po{u}r dieu mercy, vous ferez ce q{ue}
monseigneur le roy vouldra. car iamais a plus preudhomme que il est
ne eustes accointance. Mais ie vueil que vous me donnez vng don.” Et
gallehault luy dist.
[Sidenote: He charges Galiot again not to ask his name, but to tell him
about Arthur.]
“Demandez ce quil vous plaira | car ie ne vous escondiroye iamais;”
“Sire,” fait il, “ie vous remercye. Vous me auez donne que vous ne
me demanderez mon nom deuant q{ue} ie le vous diray.” “Et ie men
tiendray a tant puis q{ue} vous le voulez,” dit gallehault. “Et ne
doubtez pas que ce eust este la premiere chose que ie vous eusse
demande, si men tairay a tant.” Lors luy demanda de laccointance du
roy artus | mais il ne no{m}me mie la royne | et gallehault dit que
“le roy est moult preudhomme, & moult me poyse que ie ne lay congneu
pieca | Car moult en feusse amende |
[Sidenote: Galiot praises the Queen, and Lancelot sheds tears.]
mais ma dame la royne est sy vaillante que oncques plus honneste
dame ne vey.” et quant le cheualier ouyt parler de la royne, si se
embronche et commence a souspirer durement. et gallehault le regarde
et se esmerueille moult pource q{ue} les larmes luy cheoyent des
yeulx, si commence a parler daultre chose.
[Sidenote: Lancelot asks Galiot to return to Arthur, and to report to
him all the conversation.]
++QVant ilz ont longuement parle ense{m}ble, le cheualier noir luy
dist. “Allez, si ferez a monseigneur le roy compaignie, et si
escoutez sy vouz orrez de moy nulles parolles, & vous me compterez
demain ce que vous aurez ouy.” “Voulentiers, sire,” faict gallehault
| lors le accolle, et dit aux roys. “Je vous baille en garde cest
homme comme le cueur de mon ventre.” Ainsi sen va gallehault & le
cheuallier demeure en la garde de deux preu[d]hommes du pays de
Gallehault | mais il ne fault mye demander sil fust honnore | car
len faisoit assez plus pour luy quil neust voulu.
[Sidenote: Lancelot sleeps with the two kings in Galiot’s tent;]
celle nuyt geurent les deux roys au tref gallehault pour lamour du
cheualier & luy firent entenda{n}t quilz ny coucheroye{n}t mye | &
ilz le firent coucher ainsi que Gallehault auoit fait lautre nuyt.
[Sidenote: but awakes at midnight, and makes a great moaning.]
Au commencement dormit le cheualier mo{u}lt fort, et qua{n}t vint a
mynuit si comme{n}ca a soy tourner, et commenca a faire vng dueil si
gra{n}t que tous ceulz qui entour luy estoyent sen esueillerent. Et
en son refrain disoit souuent. “Haa chetif, que pourray ie faire?”
Et toute nuyt demena tel deuil. Au matin se leuerent les deux roys
le plus coyement quilz peurent | & moult se merueillent quil pouoit
auoir.
[Sidenote: Galiot comes to see after Lancelot, finds him with his eyes
red and swoln, and conjures him to tell him what the matter is.]
daultre part fut gallehault leue, & vint a son tref veoir son
compaignon. Il demande aux deux roys que son compaignon fait. Et ilz
luy dient quil auoit toute nuyt mene grant dueil. Lors entre en la
chambre ou il estoit, et si tost comme il le ouyt venir il essuye
ses yeulx; Ado{n}c gallehault, cuidant que il dormist, saillist
dehors de la cha{m}bre incontinent; apres le cheualier se leua.
Et gallehault vit que il auoit les yeulx rouges et enflez. Adonc le
prent par la main, et le tyre a part, et luy dist. “Beau doulx
compaignon, po{ur}quoy vous occiez vous ainsi? dont vous vient ce
dueil que vous auez toute nuyt demene, & le desplaisir que vous
auez? Je vous prye pour dieu que vous me diez la cause, et ie vous
ayderay se nul homme mortel y peult co{n}seil mettre;”
[Sidenote: Lancelot cries bitterly, and says that it is his heart, which
has all the dread that it is possible for mortal heart to have.]
& commence a plourer si durement comme sil veist mort la chose du
mo{n}de que mieulx aymast. Lors est gallehault moult a malayse et
luy dit, “Beau doulx compaignon, dictes moy vostre mescheance | car
il nest nul homme au monde, sil vous auoit riens forfait, que ie nen
pourchassasse vostre droit.” Et il dist que nul ne luy a riens
meffait. “beau doulx amy, pourquoy menez vous doncq{ue}s si gra{n}t
dueil? Vous poise il que ie vous ay fait mon maistre & mo{n}
compaignon?” “Haa,” fait il, “vous auez assez plus fait pour moy que
ie ne pourroye desseruir, ne riens du mo{n}de ne me met a malaise
que mon cueur, qui a toute paour que cueur mortel po{u}rrait auoir.
Si doubte moult que vostre grant debonnairete ne me occie.” De ceste
chose est gallehault moult a malayse, si reconforte son compaignon.
[Sidenote: They go to Mass, and Lancelot declares his belief that the
Bread is the Body of Christ.]
Apres allerent ouyr masse. Quant vint q{ue} le prestre eut fait
trois parties du corps de nostre seigneur, gallehault se trait
auant, et tient son compaignon par la main, & luy monstre le corps
de nostre seigneur que le prestre tenoit entre ses mains; Puis luy
dist. “doncques ne croyez vous pas bien que cest le corps de nostre
saulueur?” “Voirement le croy ie bien,” fait le cheualier. Et
gallehault luy dist. “beau doulx amy, or ne me mescreez mye que ces
trois parties de chair que ie vois en semblance de pain, ia ne feray
en ma vie chose q{ue} ie cuyde q{u}i vous ennuye: mais toutes les
choses que ie scauray qui vous plairont, pourchasseray a mon
pouoir.” “sire,” fait il, “grant mercys.”
[Sidenote: After Mass, Lancelot bids Galiot go again to Arthur.]
A tant se taisent iusques apres la messe | et lors demanda
gallehault a son compaignon quil fera; “Sire,” fait il, “vous ne
laisserez mie le roy en ce poi{n}t | ains yrez luy faire
compaignie.” “Sire,” faict il, “grant mercys;” A tant sen part de
luy, si le rebaille aux preudhommes de la court du roy artus. si
fo{n}t de luy grant signeurie sicomme ilz peuent.
[Sidenote: After dinner the King and Queen visit Gawain, and he asks
Galiot who made peace between him and Arthur.]
++ET quant vint apres disner, sy furent le roy & la royne &
gallehault appuyez au lict de messire gauuain, tant q{ue} messire
gauuain dist a gallehault. “Sire, or ne vous poise dune chose que ie
vous dema{n}deray.” “Certes,” fait galehault, “non fera il.” “sire,
celle paix qui fut entre vous & mon oncle, par qui fut elle, par la
chose au monde q{u}i plus vous aymez?”
[Sidenote: “A knight,” says Galiot. “But what knight?” asks Gawain.]
“Sire,” fait il, “vous me auez tant coniure que ie le vous diray.
Vng cheualier la fist.” “Et qui est le cheualier?” fait messire
gauuain. “Si maist dieu,” fait gallehault, “ie ne scay.” “Qui fut
celluy aux noires armes?” deist messire gauuain. “Ce fut,” fait il,
“vng cheualier;” “Tant,” fait il, “en pouez vo{us} bien dire | mais
acquitter vous conuient.” “Je me suis acquite de ce que me
coniurastes. Ne plus ne vous en diray ores | ne rien ne vous en
eusse ores dit, se vous ne me eussiez coniure.”
[Sidenote: “The Black Knight,” answers the Queen; “show him to us.”]
“Par dieu,” faict la royne, “ce fut le cheuallier noir | mais
faictes le nous monstrer.” “Qui | moy, dame?” faict gallehault, “ie
le vous puys bien monstrer sicomme celluy qui rie{n}s nen scait!”
“Taisez vous,” fait la royne, “il est demoure auec vo{us}, & hier
porta voz armes.”
[Sidenote: “I cannot,” says Galiot; “he is not from my country;”]
“Dame,” fait il | “il est vray | mais ie ne le vys oncques puis que
ie party du roy a la premiere fois.” “comment,” fait le roy, “ne le
cognoissiez vous mye | ie cuydoye que il fust de vostre terre.” “Si
maist dieu, non est,” fait gallehault. “certes,” fait le roy, “ne de
la myenne non est il mye.” |
[Sidenote: and Galiot will not disclose the knight’s name, but asks
Arthur if he ever saw a better knight, and what he would give to know
him henceforth.]
Moult tindrent longuement gallehault a parolle le roy et la royne
pour auoir le nom du cheualier | mais plus nen peurent traire. et
messire gauuain craint quil ne ennuye a gallehault, si dist au roy.
“Or en laissez a tant le parler. certes le cheualier est preudhomme,
& pleust a dieu que ie luy ressemblasse.” Moult loe messire gauuain
le cheualier. Si en ont la parolle laissee | et gallehault la
recommence et dit. “Sire, veistes vous oncques meilleur cheuallier
que celluy au noir escu?” “certes,” fait le roy, “ie ne vy oncques
cheualier de qui ie aymasse mieulx laccointance po{u}r cheualerie;”
“Non,” | fait gallehault. “Or me dictes,” faict gallehault, “par la
foy que vous deuez a ma dame q{u}i cy est, combien vous vouldriez
auoir donne pour auoir son accointance a tousioursmais?”
[Sidenote: “Half of all I have, except my wife,” Says Arthur.]
“Si maist dieu,” faict il, “ie luy partiroye la moytie de tout ce
que ie po{u}rroye auoir, fors seullement de ceste dame.” “Certes,”
fait gallehault, “assez y mettriez.
[Sidenote: “And what would you give, Gawain?”]
Et vous, messire gauuain, se dieu vous doint sante que tant desirez,
quel meschief en feriez vous pour auoir compaignie a si preudhomme?”
Et qua{n}t messire gauuain lot, si pense vng petit comme celluy qui
ne cuyde iamais auoir sante.
[Sidenote: “I should like to turn woman if he would love me all his
life.”]
“Se dieu me donnoit la sante que ie desire | ie vouldroye
ore{n}droit estre vne des plus belles dames du monde, par conuenant
quil me aymast to{us} les iours de sa vie.” “par ma foy,” fait
gallehault, “assez y auez mis.” “Et vous, madame, quel meschef
feriez vous par conuena{n}t que vng tel cheualier fust tousiours en
vostre seruice?”
[Sidenote: “I can offer no more than Gawain,” says the Queen.]
“par dieu,” fait elle, “messire gauuain y a mis toutes les offres
que dame y peult mettre.” Et mo{n}seigneur gauuain & tous aultres se
commencerent a rire. “Gallehault,” fait messire gauuain, “qui tous
nous auez adiurez par le serment que ie vous co{n}iuray, ores qui
vouldriez vous y auoir mys?”
[Sidenote: “Well,” says Galiot, “I would turn all my honour into shame,
for his sake.”]
“Si maist dieu,” faict gallehault, “ie y vouldroye auoir tourne mon
honneur a honte, par tel si q{ue} ieusse a tousioursmais vng si bon
cheualier en ma compaignie.” “Sy maist dieu,” faict messire gauuain,
“plus y auez mys que nous.”
[Sidenote: So Gawain concludes that it was the Black Knight who brought
about the peace.]
et lors se pensa messire gauuain que cestoit le noir cheualier qui
le paix auoit faicte | car pour luy auoit tourne son honneur a
honte, quant il veit quil estoyt au dessus. Et le dist gauuain a la
royne, & se fut la cause do{n}t gallehault fut plus prise; Moult
tindrent longuement parolles du cheualier.
[Sidenote: The Queen walks away with Galiot, tells him she loves him
much, and prays him to let her see the Black Knight.]
et la royne sadressa, et dist quelle sen voulloit aller vers la
bretesche pour veoir les prez, et gallehault la conuoye: si le print
la royne par la main & luy dist. “Gallehault, ie vous ayme moult, &
il est vray que vous auez le cheualier en vostre baillie, & par
aduenture il est tel que ie le congnois bien; si vous prie si cher
que vous auez mamour, que vous faciez tant que ie le voye.” “Dame,”
fait gallehault, “ie nen ay encores nulle saisine | & ne le vy puis
que la paix fut faicte de moy & du roy.
[Sidenote: He promises to do all he can for her;]
Et se il estoit or en mon tref, si y conuiendroit il aultre voulente
q{ue} le vostre & que la mienne. Et bien saichez que tant me auez
coniure q{ue} ie mettray tout le pouoir que ie pourray. co{m}ment
vous pourrez parler a luy?”
[Sidenote: and the Queen says, “I shall be sure to see him if you try,
for he is in your custody. Send and get him.”]
“se vous en faictes vostre pouoir,” fait elle, “ie le verray bien, &
ie men attens a vous, et faictes tant que ie soye vostre a
tousiours: car cest vng des hommes du monde que ie verroye plus
voulentiers.” “Dame,” fait il, “ie en feray mon pouoir.” “Grant
mercys,” fait elle. “Or gardez que ie le voye au plus tost que vous
pourrez | car il est en vostre baillie, ie le scay bien | et se il
est en vostre terre, enuoyez le querre.” Atant sen part gallehault &
sen vient au roy.
[Sidenote: Arthur wishes Galiot’s people and his own to be brought
nearer to one another.]
Et mo{n}seigneur gauuain & le roy lui dient. “gallehault, ie suis
deliure de mes gens, ores faictes approcher voz ge{n}s des nostres,
ou ie feray approcher les nostres des vostres | Car nous sommes a
priuee mesgnie.” “Sire,” faict gallehault, “ie feray approcher les
miens daultre part de cest riuiere si que mon tref sera endroit le
vostre, et sera vne nef appareillee en quoy nous passerons dicy la
et de la icy.” “Certes,” fait le roy, “moult auez bien dit.”
[Sidenote: Galiot returns to Lancelot, tells him what the King, Gawain,
and the Queen have said of him, and asks him what answer he shall give
the Queen.]
++LOrs sen va Gaillehault en sa tente, et trouue son compaignon
mo{u}lt pensif. Il luy demande co{m}ment il a puis fait; Et il dist,
“bien, se paour ne me mestriast.” et gallehault dist, “de quoy auez
vous telle paour?” “que ie ne soye co{n}gneu,” dist il. “or nen ayez
mie paour, car vous ny serez ia congneu, se vostre voulente ne y
est;” Lors luy compte les offres que le roy et messire gauuain ont
faict pour luy, et ce que la royne dit | et comment la royne la tenu
a grant parlement de le veoir | et comme il luy respondit. “et
saichez que elle na de nully si tres grant desir de veoir comme de
vous. Et mo{n}seigneur la Roy ma prye que ie face mes gens approcher
| car nous sommes trop loing lung de lautre. Or me dictes que vous
voulez que je face | car il est en vostre plaisir.” “Je loue que
vous facez ce que monseign{eu}r le roy vous prye;” “Et a ma dame que
respondray ie, beau doulx amy?” “Certes,” fait il, “ie ne scay.”
Lors commence a souspirer.
[Sidenote: Lancelot sighs, and says, “Whatever you advise.”]
Et gallehault luy deist. “Beau doulx amy, ne vous esmayez point |
mais dictes moy comment vous voulez quil soit | car bien saichez
quil sera ainsi comme vous vouldrez | et ie aymeroye mieulx estre
courrouce a la moytie du monde que a vous tout seul. ores me dictes
quil vous en plaist.” “Sire,” faict ledit cheualier, “ce que vous me
louerez | car ie suis en vostre garde desormais.”
[Sidenote: “There will be no harm in seeing her,” answers Galiot.]
“Certes,” fait gallehault, “il me semble que pour veoir ma dame la
royne il ne vous peult empyrer.”
[Sidenote: Lancelot says the matter must be managed secretly; and they
agree that Galiot shall tell the Queen he has sent to seek for
Lancelot.]
Lors apperceut galehault assez de son penser, & le tient si court
quil luy octroye ce quil demande | “mais il conuiendra,” faict il,
“que il soyt faict celeement, que nul ne le saiche | fors moy et
vous.” Et gallehault dit que il ne se soulcye point. “Or dictes,”
(fait le cheualier a gallehault,) “a ma dame que vous me auez enuoye
querre.” “Sur moy en laissez le surplus,” dit Gallehault. Lors sen
part a tant, et commanda ses trefz a tendre la ou il auoit en
conuenant au roy | et son seneschal fist son commandement.
[Sidenote: How Guinevere and Lancelot meet and talk.]
¶ Comment gallehault fist tant que la royne veit Lancelot,
Et comment ilz se araisonnerent ensemble, et parlerent de plusieurs
choses.
[Sidenote: The Queen asks Galiot what he has done for her.]
++A Tant sen partit gallehault & sen vient au tref du roy, & si tost
comme la royne le voit, si luy courut a lencontre, & luy dema{n}de
comment il auoit exploycte la besongne. “dame,” faict il, “ie en ay
fait tant que ie craing que lamour de vostre pryere ne me tolle la
chose du monde que ie ayme plus.” “Sy maist dieu,” faict elle, “vous
ne perderez riens par moy que ie ne vous rende ou double | mais que
y pouez vo{us},” fait elle, “perdre?” “Celluy mesmes que vous
demandez,” fait gallehault | “Car ie doubte quil ne se courrouce, et
que ie ne le perde a tousiours.” “Certes,” faict elle, “ce ne
pourray ie pas rendre | mais ia par moy ne le perderez, se dieu
plaist. Et touteffoys dictes moy quant il viendra” |
[Sidenote: “Sent to seek for your knight,” says he.]
“dame,” fait il, “quant il pourra | car ie lay enuoye querre, et
croy que il ne demourra mye longuement.” De leur conseil entendit
ung peu la dame de mallehault qui sen prenoit garde et nen faisoit
mye semblant.
[Sidenote: Galiot returns to his men, and tells his Seneschal to bring
Lancelot when he sends for him.]
Lors sen partit gallehault et vient a ses gens qui estoyent logez la
ou il auoit commande.
++QVant il fut descendu, il parla a son Seneschal et luy deist |
“quant ie vous enuoyeray querir, venez a moy, vous & mon compaignon
en ce lieu la.” Et le roy des cent cheualiers, qui son seneschal
estoit, dist que mo{u}lt voulentiers feroit son commandement & son
plaisir.
[Sidenote: Galiot then goes back to the Queen, says he thinks she will
see her knight that evening, and appoints to meet her in an Orchard
below.]
Lors salua Gallehault son compaignon, et sen retourna a la court. Et
quant la royne veit gallehault qui estoit venu, elle luy dist que il
gardast bien et loyaulment ce quil luy auoit promis. Et il luy dist
| “dame, ie cuyde que vous verrez ennuyt ce que vous auez tant
desire.” Quant elle ouyt ce, si en fut moult ioyeuse, et moult luy
ennuya ce iour pour sa voulente acomplir du desir q{ue} elle auoit
de parler a celuy ou toutes ses pensees estoyent. Lors luy deist
Gallehault, “nous yrons apres soupper en ce vergier la aual” | et
elle luy octroye.
[Sidenote: After supper the Queen goes to the Orchard, and Galiot sends
for his Seneschal and the Knight, who come.]
Quant ce vint apres souper, si appelle la royne | la dame de
mallehault | et dame Lore de cardueil, une sienne pucelle, et sen
vont tout droit la ou gallehault auoyt dit | et gallehault prent ung
escuyer et luy dist. “Va et dy a mon seneschal que il viengne la ou
ie luy commanday.” Et celuy y va. Apres ne demoura guaires que le
seneschal y vint, luy et le cheualier. Ilz estoye{n}t tous deux de
grant beaulte; Quant ilz approchere{n}t, si congneut la dame de
mallehault le cheualier comme celluy que elle auoyt eu maint iour en
sa baillie. Et pource quelle ne vouloit mye que il la congneut, se
embroncha, et ilz passent oultre. le seneschal les salue. Et
gallehault dit a la royne. “Dame, lequel vous semble il que se
soit?” | et elle dit.
[Sidenote: The Queen at first cannot think that either is the black
knight, but one is so bashful that she fixes on him, seats him by her,
smiles on him, says she has so longed to see him, and now he must tell
her who he is. “I don’t know,” he answers.]
“Certes, ilz sont tous deux beaulx cheualliers | mais ie ne voy
corps ou il puisse auoir tant de prouesse que le noir cheualier
auoit.” “or saichez, dame, que cest lung de ces deux” | a tant sont
venuz auant, et le cheuallier tremble si que a peine peult saluer la
royne, & la royne sen esmerueille. lors se agenouillent eulx deux,
et le cheualier la salue | mais cest moult pourement | car moult
estoit honteux. Lors se pense la royne que cest il. Et gallehault
dit au seneschal. “allez, si faictes a ces dames compaignie.” Et
celluy fait ce que son sire luy comma{n}de. A doncq{ue}s la royne
prent le cheualier par la main & le assiet iouxte elle. Sy luy fait
moult beau semblant & dit en riant. “Sire, moult vo{us} auons
desire, tant que, dieu mercy et gallehault, vous voyons. et
nonpourtant encores ne croy ie mye que ce soit celluy que ie demande
| & gallehault ma dit que cestes vous | & encores vouldroye scauoir
qui vous estes par vostre bouche mesmes, se vostre plaisir y
estoit.” Et celuy dit que il ne scait | et oncques ne la regarda au
visaige. Et la royne ce esmerueille que il peult auoir, tant quelle
souspeconne une partie de ce quil a.
[Sidenote: Galiot leaves the two to themselves, and the Queen asks the
knight, “Are not you he who wore the black armour, and overcame
everyone?”]
Et gallehault, qui le voigt si honteux, pense quil veult dire a la
royne son penser seul a seul. lors sen vient messire gauuain celle
part, et fait rasseoir les damoyselles pour ce que leuees sestoient
encontre luy. Puis commence{n}t a parler de maintes choses. Et la
Royne dit au cheuallier, “Beau sire, pourquoy vous celez vous de
moy? Certes il ne y a cause pourquoy; nestes vo{us} mie celluy qui
porta les noires armes, et qui vainquist lassemblee?” “Dame, nenny”
| “et nestes vous pas celluy qui porta lendemain les armes a
gallehault?” “Dame, ouy;” “Do{n}c estes vous celluy qui vainquistes
lassemblee qui fut faicte le premier iour par deuer{s} nous et
par[A42] deuers Gallehault?”
[Sidenote: “No, I am not,” saith he, refusing to praise himself.]
“Dame, non suis.” Quant la royne ot ainsi parler le cheualier, a
donc appercoit elle bien quil ne veult mie congnoistre quil eust
vaincue lassemblee, si len prise mieulx la royne | car quant vng
homme se loe luy mesmes, il tourne son honneur a honte | et quant
aultruy le loe, adonc il est mieulx prise.
[Sidenote: “Then who made you a knight, and when?”]
“Or me dictes,” fait la royne a lancelot | “q{ui} vous fist
cheuallier?” “Dame,” fait il, “vous;” “Moy?” fait elle, “Et quant?”
[Sidenote: “You, at Kamalot, when the pieces of a spear were drawn out
of the wounded knight, and you girded on my sword, thus knighting me,
and I went away to help the Lady of Noehault, and sent you two damsels.]
“Dame,” fait il, “vous remembrez vous point quant vng cheuallier
vint a Kamalot, lequel estoyt naure de deux troncons de lance au
corps, et dune espee parmy la teste, et que vng varlet vi{n}t a
co{ur}t en vng vendredy, et fut cheualier le dymenche, et deffera le
cheuallier?” “De ce,” fait elle, “me souient il bien | et se dieu
vous aist, feustes vous ce q{ue} la dame du lac amena en court vestu
dune robe blanche?” “Dame, ouy.” “Et pourquoy dictes vous donc que
ie vous fis cheuallier?” “Dame,” fait il, “ie dys vray | Car la
coustume est telle que nul ne peut estre cheuallier sans ceindre
espee. Et celluy de qui il tient lespee, le faict cheuallier; de
vous la tiens ie. Car le roy ne la me donna onques. Pour ce dis ie
que vous me feistes cheualier.” De ce est la royne mo{u}lt ioyeuse |
“ou vous en allastes vous au partir de co{ur}t?” “Dame, ie men allay
pour secourir la dame de noehault;” “Et durant ce temps me mandastes
vous riens?” “Dame, ouy | ie vo{us} enuoyay peux pucelles.” “Il est
vray,” dist la royne. “Et quant vous partistes de noehault,
trouuastes vous nul cheuallier qui se reclamast de moy?”
[Sidenote: Then I met a man, who said he was your knight, and I fought
him (for which I crave your pardon).]
“Dame, ouy; vng qui gardoit vng gue, et me dist que descendisse de
dessus mon cheual et le vouloit auoir, et ie luy demanday a qui il
estoit | et il dist a vous. Puis luy demanday apres, qui le
commandoyt. Et il me dist quil nauoyt nul commandement que le
sie{n}. Et adoncques remys le pied en lestrief et remontay |
Car ie estoye ia descendu | et luy dis que il ne lauoyt point, et me
combatis a luy. Et ie scay bien que ie vous fis oultraige, si vous
en crie mercy” | “Certes a moy ne en feistes vous point | Car il
nestoyt mye a moy | et luy sceuz mauluais gre de ce quil ce reclama
de moy. Mais or me dictes on vous en allastes la?”
[Sidenote: After that I took the Sorrowful Castle, and there I saw you
thrice, last when you thought you had lost Gawain and his companions,
and I helped to deliver him from prison.”]
“Dame, ie men allay a la douloureuse garde” | “& qui la conquist?”
“Dame, ie y entray” | “et ne vous y viz ie oncques.” “Ouy, plus de
troys foys.” “Et en quel temps?” fist elle. “Dame,” fist il, “vng
iour que ie vous demanday se vous vouliez leans entrer; Et vous
deistes ouy | et estiez moult esbahye par semblant.” “Et quel escu
portiez vo{us}?” “Dame, ie portay a la premiere foys vng escu blanc
a vne bande de belif vermeille. Et lautre foys vng ou il y auoyt
deux bendes” | “Et vous vys ie plus?” “Ouy, la nuyt que vous cuidiez
auoir perdu messire Gauuain et ses co{m}paignons, et que les gens
cryoyent que le{n} me prenist; Je vins hors a tout mon escu a troys
bendes.” “Certes,” faict elle, “ce poise moy | car se on vous eust
detenu, tous les enchantements feussent demourez | Mais or me
dictes, fustes vous ce qui iettastes messire Gauain de prison?”
“Dame, ie y ayday a mon pouoir.” “Certes,” faict elle, “en toutes
les choses q{ue} vous me dictes ie nay trouue si non verite.
[Sidenote: The Queen asks the knight who was in the turret above his
room there.]
Mais or me dictes qui estoit en vne tournelle dessus la chambre
monseigneur.”
[Sidenote: “A damsel whom I never dishonoured, but I asked her not to
leave till she saw my messenger or me, which I then forgot, and kept her
there a very long time.”]
“Dame, cestoyt vne pucelle que ie ne villennay oncques | Car ma dame
du lac la me auoyt enuoyee | si me trouua en ceste tournelle | il
fut assez qui la honnora pour moy. Quant ie ouy nouuelles de
monseigneur Gauuain, si en fut mo{u}lt angoisseux, et men party de
la Damoyselle qui auecques moy debuoit venir, et luy priay que elle
ne se remuast tant que elle eust mon messaige ou moy. Si fus si
surprins de tresgrant affaire que ie loubliay | et elle fut plus
loyalle uers moy que ie ne fus courtois vers elle | car oncques ne
se remua iusques a ce q{ue}lle eut mes enseignes, et ce fut grant
piece apres.”
[Footnote A42: The original has _pat_.]
[Sidenote: How the Queen knew Lancelot.]
Comment la royne congneut Lancelot apres q{u}il eut lo{n}guement
parle a elle, et q{u}il luy eut compte de ses adue{n}tures. Et
comment la premiere acointance fut faicte entre lancelot et la royne
genieure par le moyen de gallehault.
[Sidenote: When she heard of this damsel the Queen knew it must be
Lancelot, and asks him if he was the knight whom Daguenet took.]
++QVant la royne eut parle de la damoiselle, si scait bien q{ue}
cest La{n}celot. Si luy enquist de toutes les choses q{ue}lle auoit
ouy de luy, et de toutes le trouua vray disa{n}t; “Or me dictes,”
fait elle, “vous vy ie puis?”
[Sidenote: He answers “Yes;” and that two rascals killed his horse, and
Ywain gave him another.]
“Ouy, dame, telle heure que vo{us} me eustes bie{n} mestier | car
ieusse este noye a kamalot se ne eussiez vous este.” “Comment!
feustes vous celluy que daguenet le fol print?” “Dame, prins fus ie
sans faulte.” “Et ou alliez vous?” “Dame, ie alloye apres vng
cheuallier.” “Et vous combatistes vous a luy” | “dame, ouy.” “Et
dillec ou allastes vous?” “Dame, ie trouuay deux grans villains que
me occirent mo{n} cheual | mais messire yuain, qui bonne aduenture
ayt, men donna vng.”
[Sidenote: “Ah, then your name is Lancelot,” says she, “and for what
lady or damsel did you do such feats of arms the day before yesterday?”]
“Ha, ha,” fait elle, “ie scay bien qui vous estes; Vous auez nom
lancelot du lac.” Il se taist. “Par dieu,” faict elle, “pourneant le
celez | long temps a que messire Gauuain apporta nouuelles de vostre
nom a co{ur}t;” Lors luy compta comment messire yuain auoit compte
que la damoyselle auoit dit | cest la tierce. “Et anten quelles
armes portastes vous?” “Vnes vermeilles.” “Par mo{n} chef cest
verite. Et auant hier pourquoy feistes vo{u}s tant darmes comme vous
feistes?” Et il commenca a souspirer. “Dictes moy seurement | Car ie
scay bien que pour aulcune dame ou damoyselle le feistes vous, et me
dictes qui elle est, par la foy que vous me deuez.”
[Sidenote: “For you, Lady; and for you I broke the three lances that
your maiden brought me for you had made me your _friend_, and said I was
your knight in all lands, and bid me adieu as your own sweet friend.]
“Haa, dame, ie voy bien quil le me conuient dire, cestes vo{us}.”
“Moy?” faict elle. “Voire, dame.” “Pour moy ne ro{m}pistes vous pas
les troys lances que ma pucelle vous porta?” “Car ie me mis bien
hors du mandement, dame; ie fis pour elle ce q{ue} ie deuz, et pour
vous ce que ie peux.” “Et combien a il que vous me aymez tant?” “Des
le iour que ie fus tenu pour cheuallier, et ie ne lestoye mye” |
“Par la foy que vous me deuez, dont vindrent ces amours que vous
auez en moy mises?” “dame,” fait il, “vous le me feistes faire qui
de moy feistes vostre amy, se vostre bouche ne me a me{n}ty.” “Mon
amy!” faict elle, “comment?” “Dame,” fait il, “ie vins deuant vous
quant ie eu prins congie monseigneur le roy | si vous commanday a
dieu, et dis que ie estoye vostre cheuallier en tous lieux. Et vous
me dictes que vostre amy et vostre cheuallier voulliez vous que ie
feusse. Et ie dys, “a dieu! dame.” Et vous distes “a dieu! mon beau
doulx amy!”
[Sidenote: That word has never left me, but always been my strength and
wealth.”]
Ce fut le mot qui preudhomme me fera, se ie le suis, ne oncques puis
ne fus a si grant meschef que il ne men remembrast. Ce mot ma
conforte en to{us} mes ennuys. Cest mot ma de tous maulx guary. Cest
mot ma fait riche en mes pouretez;” “Par ma foy,” fait la royne, “ce
mot fut en bo{n}ne heure dict | et dieu en soyt aoure | ne ie ne le
prenoye pas acertes comme vous feistes, et a maint preudhomme ay ie
ce dict ou ie ne pensay oncques riens que le dire.
[Sidenote: “Oh, but that was only an ordinary compliment,” says
Guinevere, to tease him.]
Mais la coustume est telle des cheualliers que font a mainte dame
semblant de telles choses dont a gueres ne leur est au cueur.” Et ce
disoit elle po{ur} veoir de combien elle le pourroit mettre en
malaise;
[Sidenote: This grieves Lancelot so that he nearly faints, at which
Galiot is greatly grieved, tells the Queen that Lancelot is the
gallantest and truest of men, and prays her to have mercy on him.]
Car elle veoit bien quil ne pretendoit a autre amour que a la sienne
| mais elle se delectoyt a sa malaisete veoir, et il eut si grant
angoisse que par vng pou q{u}il ne se pasma | & la royne eut paour
quil ne cheist, si appella gallehault, et il y vint acourant. Quant
il voyt q{ue} son compaigno{n} est si courrouce, si en a si gra{n}t
angoisse q{ue} plus ne peut. “Haa, dame,” fait gallehault, “vous le
nous pourrez bien tollir, et ce seroit trop grand do{m}maige.”
“Certes, sire, se seroit mo{n};” “Et ne scauez vous pour qui il a
tant fait darmes?” faict gallehault. “Certes, nenny,” faict elle |
“mais, se il est veoir ce qui ma este dict, cest pour moy;” “Dame,
se maist dieu, bien len pouez croire | car aussi comme il est le
plus preudho{m}me de tous les hommes | aussi est son cueur plus vray
que tous aultres.” “Voireme{n}t,” fait elle, “diriez vous quil
seroit preudhomme se vous scauiez quil a fait darmes puis quil fut
cheuallier.” Lors luy compte tout ainsi co{m}ment vous auez ouy |
“et saichez quil a ce faict seullement pour moy,” fait elle. Lors
luy prie gallehault, & dist. “Pour dieu, dame, ayez de luy mercy, et
faictes pour moy ainsi comme ie fis pour vous quant vous men
priastes.”
[Sidenote: “What mercy?” says she;]
“Quelle mercy voulez vous que ien aye?” “Dame, vous scauez que ie
vous ayme sur toutes, et il a fait po{u}r vous plus que oncques
cheualier ne fist po{u}r dame, et sachez que la paix de moy et de
monseign{eu}r neust ia este faicte se neust il este.”
[Sidenote: “there is nothing he can ask of me that I will not do; but he
will not ask.”]
“Certes,” faict elle, “il a plus faict pour moy que ne pourroye
desseruir, ne il ne me pourroyt chose requerre dont ie le peuisse
esconduyre | mais il ne me requiert de riens | ains est tant
melencolieux que merueilles.” “Dame,” fait gallehault, “auez en
mercy; il est celluy qui vo{us} ayme plus que soy mesmes. Si maist
dieu, ie ne scauoye riens de sa voulente quant il vint, fors quil
doubtoit de estre congneu, ne oncques plus ne men descouurit.” “Je
en auray,” fait elle, “telle mercy comme vous vouldrez.” “Dame, vous
auez fait ce que ie vous ay requis; aussi doy ie bien faire ce q{ue}
vous me requerez.” Se dit la royne, “il ne me requiert de riens.”
[Sidenote: “He does not dare,” answers Galiot, “but I will ask for
him.”]
“Certes, dame,” fait gallehault, “il ne ose | car le{n} ne aymera ia
riens par amo{ur}s que len ne craigne | mais ie vous en prie pour
luy, & se ie ne vous en priasse, si le deussiez vo{us} pourchasser.
Car plus riche tresor ne pourriez vous conquester.”
[Sidenote: “Then I will grant it,” says Queen Guinevere. Galiot prays
her to give Lancelot her love, and become his loyal lady all her life.]
“Certes,” fait elle, “ie le scay bien et ie en feray tout ce que
vous commanderez.” “Dame,” fait Gallehault, “grant mercy. Je vous
prie que vous luy donnez vostre amour, et le retenez pour vostre
cheuallier a tousiours, et deuenez sa loyalle dame toute vostre vie
| et vous le aurez fait plus riche que se vo{us} luy auiez donne
tout le monde.”
[Sidenote: She promises to be Lancelot’s, and that she will do
everything she is told.]
“Certes,” faict elle, “ie luy ottroye que il soyt mien | et moy
toute sienne, et que par vous soyent amendez tous les meffaitz.”
“Dame,” faict Gallehault, “grant mercy. Or conuient il commencement
de seruice;” “Vous ne deuiserez riens,” fait la royne, “que ie ne
face.”
[Sidenote: “Then kiss Lancelot before me,” says Galiot.]
“Dame,” faict il, “grant mercy | donc baisez le deuant moy pour
commencement de vrayes amours.”
[Sidenote: This Guinevere agrees to do, if Lancelot wishes it.]
“Du baiser,” faict elle, “ie ne voy ne lieu ne temps | et ne doubtez
pas,” faict elle, “que ie ne le voulsisse faire aussi voullentiers
quil feroit | mais ces dames sont cy qui mo{u}lt se merueillent
q{ue} no{us} auons tant fait, si ne po{ur}royt estre que ilz ne le
vissent. Nompourtant, se il veult, ie le baiseray voullentiers.” Et
il en est si ioyeulx que il ne peult respondre si non tant quil
dict.
[Sidenote: Galiot says there is no doubt about Lancelot’s wish;]
“Dame,” faict il, “grant mercy” | “dame,” faict Gallehault, “de son
vouloir nen doubtez ia | Car il est tout vostre, bien le saichez, ne
ia nul ne sen apperceuera; Nous troys serons ensemble ainsi comme se
nous conseillions” | “Dequoy me feroye ie pryer” | faict elle |
“plus le vueil ie que vous.” Lors se trayent a part, et font
semblant de conseiller.
[Sidenote: and as he is bashful, the Queen takes him by the chin, and
kisses him before Galiot. (The Lady of Mallehault sees her.)]
La Royne voyt que le cheuallier nen ose plus faire, si le prent par
le menton, et baise deuant Gallehault assez longuement. Et la dame
de Mallehauli (_sic_) sceut de vray que elle le baisoyt. Lors parla
la Royne qui moult estoyt sage & vaillant dame.
[Sidenote: Guinevere tells Lancelot that she is his, but charges him to
keep the matter secret, and Galiot too.]
“Beau doulx amy,” faict elle, “tant auez faict que ie suys vostre;
Et moult en ay grant ioye. Or gardez que la chose soyt celee. Car
mestier en est. Je suys une des Dames du monde dont len a greigneur
bien dict, Et se ma renommee empiroyt par vous, il y auroyt layde
amour et villaine | et vous, Gallehault, ie vous prye que mon
honneur gardez | Car vous estes le plus saige | Et se mal men
venoyt, ce ne seroyt si non par vous; Et se ien ay bien et ioye,
vous me lauez donnee.”
[Sidenote: Galiot promises this, and asks Guinevere to make Lancelot his
companion for ever.]
“Dame,” faict Gallehault, “il ne pourroyt vers vous mesprendre, et
ien ay bien faict ce que vous me commandastes. Or vous prye que
faciez ma voulente ainsi comme iay fait la vostre;” “Dictes,” fait
elle, “tout ce quil vo{us} plaira hardyment | car vous ne me
scauriez chose comma{n}der que ie ne face.” “Dame,” faict il, “donc
mauez vous ottroye que ie seray son compaignon a tousiours.”
“Certes,” fait elle, “se de ce vo{us} failloit, vous auriez mal
employe la peine que vous auez prinse pour luy et pour moy.”
[Sidenote: She takes Lancelot’s hand, gives him to Galiot, and says she
has given him Lancelot of the Lake, son of King Ban.]
Lors prent le cheuallier par la main, et dict. “Gallehault, ie vous
donne ce cheualier a tousiours sans ce que iay auant eu, et vous le
me creancez ainsi” | et aussi le cheualier luy creance | “scauez
vous,” fait elle, “Gallehault, que ie vous ay donne lancelot du lac,
le filz au roy ban de benoic;” Ainsi luy a fait le cheualier
congnoistre, qui moult en a grant honte.
[Sidenote: This gives Galiot more joy than ever he had before, as he had
often heard how Lancelot was the gallantest knight in the world.]
Lors a gallehault greigneure ioye quil neust oncq{ue}s | car il
auoit maintesfois ouy dire, comme parolles vont, que cestoyt le
meilleur cheualier et le plus preux du monde, et bien scauoit que le
roy ban auoit este moult gentil ho{m}me, et moult puissant de amys
et de terre.
++AInsi fut faicte la premiere acointance de la royne et de lancelot
par gallehault | et Gallehault ne lauoit oncques congneu que de
veue, et pource luy fait creancer q{u}il ne luy demanderoit son nom
tant quil luy dist, ou autre po{ur} luy. Lors se leuerent tous
troys, et il anuytoit durement.
[Sidenote: By the bright moonlight they recross the meads towards
Lancelot’s tent, and Galiot sends Lancelot there, while he conducts the
Queen to Arthur’s tent, and tells him they have only been looking at the
fields by themselves.]
Mais la lune estoyt leuee, si faisoit cler | Si que elle luysoyt par
toute la praerie | Lors sen retournerent a vne part contrement les
prez droit vers le tref le cheualier, & le seneschal et gallehault
vint apres luy & les dames ta{n}t q{u}ilz vindre{n}t endroit les
te{n}tes de gallehault. Lors enuoya Gallehault son compaignon a son
tref, et prent co{n}ge de la royne, et gallehault la conuoye iusques
au tref du Roy. Et qua{n}t le roy les veyt, si demanda dont ilz
venoyent. “Sire,” fait Gallehault, “nous uenons de veoir ces pres a
si peu de compaignie comment vo{us} veez.” Lors se assient, et
parlent de plusieurs choses; si sont la Royne et Gallehault moult
ayses.
++AV chef de piece se leua la royne, et sen alla en la bretesche;
gallehault la conuoya iusq{ue}s la.
[Sidenote: Galiot sees the Queen to her tower, and then takes leave of
Arthur and of Gawain, and goes to Lancelot’s bed.]
Puis la comma{n}de a dieu, et dist quil sen yroit gesir auec son
compaignon. “Bien auez fait,” dit la royne, “il en sera plus ayse” |
A tant sen part gallehault, et vient au roy prendre congie, et dist
quil ne luy desplaise, et que il yra gesir auec les gens pource quil
ny auoyt geu de grant piece, et dist. “Sire, ie me doibz pener de
faire leur voulente | car ilz me ayment moult.” “Sire,” fait messire
gauuain, “vo{us} dictes bien, et len doit bien honnorer telz
preudhommes q{u}i les a.” Lors sen part gallehault et vient a son
compaignon; Ilz se coucherent to{us} deux en vng lict, et deviserent
la une piece. Si nous laisserons ores a parler de gallehault & de
son compaignon, et dirons de la royne qui est venu en la bretesche.
[Sidenote: Queen Guinevere goes to the window to think, and the Lady of
Mallehault asks her why four are bad company.]
++QVa{n}t gallehault fut party, la royne sen alla en vne fenestre,
et comme{n}ce a penser a ce que plus luy plaisoyt. La dame de
mallehault saprocha delle quant elle la vit seulle, et luy dist le
plus priueement que elle peut. “Haa, dame! pourquoy ne est bonne la
compaignie de quatre?”
[Sidenote: At first Guinevere will not hear this, but the Lady repeats
it; the Queen asks why she says it, and the Lady asks pardon, as perhaps
she has said too much.]
La royne le ouyst bien, si ne dit mot, et fait semblant q{ue} riens
nen ouyt. Et ne demoura gueres q{ue} la dame dist celle parolle
mesmes; la royne lapella et dist. “Dame, pourquoy auez ce dit?”
“Dame,” fait elle, “pardonnez moi, ie nen diray ores plus | car par
aduenture en ay plus dit que a moy napartient | & le{n} ne se doit
mi faire plus priuee de sa dame que len est | car tost en acquiert
on hayne.”
[Sidenote: “No,” says Guinevere, “speak boldly out; I wish it.”]
“Si maist dieu,” fait la royne, “vous ne me po{ur}riez rie{n}s dire
do{n}t vous eussiez ma haine | ie vous tiens tant a saige et a
courtoyse, que vous ne diriez riens qui fust encontre ma voulente |
Mais dictes hardyment | Car ie le vueil, et si vous en prie.”
[Sidenote: “Then I must say that I think four very good company. I saw
the new acquaintance you made to-day, and know he is the man who loves
you most in the world.]
“Dame,” fait elle, “donc le vous diray ie | Je dy que moult est
bonne la compaignie de quatre; Jay huy veu nouueau accointement
q{ue} vous auez faict au cheuallier qui parla a vous la bas en ce
vergier. Et scay bien que cest la personne du mo{n}de qui plus vous
ayme, et vous ne auez pas tort se vous laymez | car vous ne pourriez
vostre amour mieulx employer;” “Comment,” fait la royne, “le
congnoissez vous?”
[Sidenote: I kept him a year and a half in prison, and gave him both the
red and the black arms in which he won the tourneys;]
“Dame,” fait elle, “telle heure a este ouen que ie vous en eusse
bien peu faire refus comme vous en pouez ores faire a moy | car ie
lay tenu vng an et demy en prison. Cest celluy qui vaincquit
lassemblee aux armes vermeilles | & celle de deuant hier aux armes
noires, les vnes & les autres luy baillay ie; Et quant il fut auant
hier sur la riuiere pensif, et ie luy voulu mander q{ue} il fist
vaillamment armes, ie ne le faisoye sinon pour ce que ie esperoye
quil vous aymast; si cuydoye telle heure fust que il me aymast |
[Sidenote: and I thought then that he loved me, but he soon undeceived
me.”]
Mais il me mist tost hors de cuyder, tant me descouurit de son
penser.” Lors luy compta co{m}ment elle lauoyt tenu en prison an et
demy | et pourquoy elle lauoit prins.
[Sidenote: The Queen answers, “But tell me why four are better company
than three.”]
“Or me dictes,” fait la royne, “quelle compaignie vault mieulx de
quatre que de troys | car mieulx est vne chose celee par trois que
par quatre.” “Certes non est cy endroit, et si vo{us} diray.
[Sidenote: “Because, though your knight loves you, he loves Galiot too,
and they will not stay here long, but you will; and if you have no one
else to tell your thought to, you will be forced to keep your faith to
yourself; but if you will let me be a fourth, we can comfort one
another.”]
Vray est que le cheualier vous ayme, et aussi fait il gallehault, et
desormais se confortero{n}t lung lautre en quelque terre quilz
soient. Car icy ne sero{n}t ilz pas longuement: et vous demourerez
cy toute seule, et ne le scaura nul fors vous | ne si ne aurez a qui
descouurir vostre pensee, si porterez ainsi vostre faix toute seulle
| mais sil vo{us} pleust que ie fusse la quarte en la compaignie
entre nous deux dames, nous solacierons ainsi co{m}me entre eulx
deux cheualiers feront, si en seriez plus aise.” “Scauez vous,” fait
la royne, “qui est le cheuallier?” “Se maist dieu,” fait la dame,
“nen{n}y.” “Vous auez bien ouy co{m}ment il se couurit vers moy.”
[Sidenote: Queen Guinevere agrees to this with great joy, and tells the
Lady that the knight is Lancelot of the Lake.]
“Certes,” faict la royne, “moult estes apparceuante, et moult
conuiendroit estre sage qui vous vouldroit rien embler, & puis que
ainsi est que vous lauez aperceu, et que vous me requerez la
compagnie, vous laurez | mais ie vueil que vous portez vostre faix
ainsi co{m}me ie feray le mie{n}.” “Dame,” faict elle, “ie feray ce
que il vous plaira, pour ci haulte compaignie auoir.” “En verite,”
faict la royne, “vous laurez | car meilleure compaignie que vous ne
pourroye ie mye auoir,” “Dame,” fait elle, “nous serons ensemble
toutes les heures quil vous plaira.” “Jen suys ioyeuse,” faict la
Royne. “Et no{us} affermerons demain la compaignie de nous quattre.”
Lors luy compte de Lancelot, comment il auoyt ploure quant il
regarda deuers elle, “et ie scay que il vous congneut, et saichez
que cest lancelot du lac, le meilleur cheuallier qui viue.” Ainsi
parlerent longuement entre elles deux | et font moult grant ioye de
le{ur} accointement nouueau.
[Sidenote: At night the ladies sleep together, and talk of their new
loves, the Lady of Mallehault saying that she never loved but one, and
then only in thought (and that was Lancelot).]
Icelle nuyct ne souffrit oncques la Royne de logres que la dame de
mallehault geust sinon auec elle | mais elle y geut a force. Car
elle doubtoyt moult de gesir auec si riche dame; Quant elles furent
couchees si commencerent a parler de leurs nouuelles amours; La
royne demanda a la dame de mallehault selle a[y]me nulluy par
amours, et elle luy dict que nenny. “Saichez, dame, que ie naymay
oncques que vne foys, ne de celle amour ne fis ie que penser;” et ce
dit elle de lancelot, quelle auoit tant ayme co{m}me femme pourroit
aymer homme mortel | Mais elle nen auoit oncques aultre ioye eue,
non pourtant ne dit pas que ce eust il este.
[Sidenote: The Queen thinks she will make the Lady and Galiot fall in
love with one another.]
La royne pensa quelle feroyt ses amours de elle et de gallehault,
mais elle nen veult parler iusques a ta{n}t quelle scaura de
gallehault sil la veult aymer ou non | car autrement ne len
requerroit elle pas.
[Sidenote: Next morning they go to Arthur’s tent and wake him, and then
return over the meadows where the meeting with Lancelot took place, and
the Queen tells the Lady of Mallehault all about it, and then praises
Galiot as the wisest and best man in the world.]
Lendemain se leuerent matin elles deux, & allerent au tref du roy,
qui gisoit la pour faire a monseigneur gauuain et aux aultres
cheualiers compaignie. La royne sesueilla, & dist, “que moult estoyt
mauluais qui a ceste heure dormoyt.” Lors se tournerent contreual
les prez, et dames et damoyselles auec elles. Et ils allerent la ou
laccointement damours auoyt este faict, et dict la Royne a la dame
de mallehault toute laccointance de lancelot | et comme il estoit
esbahy deuant elle, et riens ne luy laissa a dire. Puis commenca a
louer gallehault, et dit que cestoit le plus saige homme et le plus
vertueulx du monde; “Certes,” fait elle, “ie luy compteray
lacointance de nous deux quant il viendra, et sachez que il en aura
gra{n}t ioye. Or allo{n}s | car il ne demourra gueres quil ne
viengne.”
The rubric of the next chapter is as follows:
[Sidenote: How Galiot became acquainted with the Lady of Melyhalt.]
¶ Co{m}me{n}t la premiere acointa{n}ce fut faicte de gallehault et
de la dame de malehault p{ar} le moye{n} de la royne de logres. Et
comme{n}t lancelot & gallehault sen alloie{n}t esbatre et deuiser
auec leurs dames.
It relates how Queen Guinevere requires Galiot to let her dispose of his
love as he had disposed of hers. To this he consents, and she commends
him to the Lady of Mallehault. Next, they arrange for the promised
_parlement de eulx quatre_; and the queen points out to Lancelot the
lady who had so many a day kept him in prison, i.e., the Lady of
Mallehault. At recognizing his old acquaintance, Lancelot feels somewhat
distressed, but is reassured by observing the new love-making between
her and Galiot. Seated in a wood, the four “demourerent grant piece, ne
oncq{ue}s ne tindrent parolles, fors tant seullement de accoller & de
baiser comme ceulx qui voulentiers le faisoyent.”
We next hear of Gawain’s recovery, and of the separation of the party of
four above spoken of. Galiot takes Lancelot home with him to his own
country, whilst the Lady of Mallehault remains for a time with the queen
and Arthur. When Lancelot is next spoken of, he is in Galiot’s country,
where we will now leave him.
NOTES TO THE APPENDIX.
P. xxiii. _Descosse_ = _d’Écosse_, of Scotland. In Old French, words
are frequently run together; thus we have _labbaye_ for _l’abbaye_,
_sesmeurent_ for _s’émeurent_, etc. Also the letter _s_ is often
replaced in modern French by an acute or circumflex accent; so that
_Escosse_ = _Êcosse_; _chasteau_ = _château_, etc.
The word _si_ often occurs below with a great variety of meanings,
_viz._ I, he; and, also; so, thus; etc.
P. xxiv. _baille_, given, entrusted.
_brouyr_ (_brûler_), being burnt.
_monstier_, monastery.
_gauues_, so in the original throughout; _gaunes_ is used in other
romances.
P. xxv. _auecques_ = _avec_, with.
P. xxvi. _aduision_, vision.
_behourdys_, tournament.
_naure_, wounded.
_deffera_ = _desferra_, un-ironed; it means that Lancelot drew the
weapons out of the knight’s wounds.
_deuers_, “Préposition relative au temps et au lieu dont on parle;
près, vers, contre, proche; de _versus_.” Roquefort.
_octroya_, permitted (authorized).
_mouille_, _lit._ wetted; insulted.
P. xxvii. _veirent_, saw.
_escript_ (_écrit_), written.
_lassemblee_, the gathering; _i.e._ the war, strife.
_rua_, overthrew.
P. xxviii. _mire_, physician.
_gue_, ford, pass.
_tresues_, a truce; spelt _treues_ on p. xxix.
P. xxix. _esbatre_, to divert oneself. In modern French, _s’ébattre_.
P. xxx. _orrions_, shall hear.
_deust_ = _dût_.
_cheoient_, from _cheoir_, to fall. Compare _chûte_.
_poilz_, hairs.
_esbahy_, amazed.
_ortelz_, toes.
_chaille_; from _chaloir_, to be anxious about.
_dilacion_, delay.
P. xxxi. _paour_, fear.
_mire_, physician.
_veufue_, old.
P. xxxii. _cheuauche_, rides.
_boutte_, buts, pushes.
_iecte_ (_jeté_), cast.
_cuyde_, I believe.
_Si maist dieu_, so God aid me. Here _maist_ is put for _m’aist_.
_oncques_, ever.
_ennuyt_, this night, to-night.
_lottroyera_, will grant him his request.
_conroy_, troops.
P. xxxiii. _derrains_ (_derniers_), last.
_busines_, trumpets.
_Or y perra_, now it will appear.
_cuidoit_, believed; from the old verb _quider_.
_cheuauchent_, ride.
_ia_, already.
_tertre_, a small hill.
P. xxxiv. _adresse_, a cross-path.
_huy_, just before; _lit._ this day. Lat. _hodiè_.
_se pasme_, swoons.
_leans_, thither.
P. xxxv. _ores_, now.
_huy_, to-day.
_preudhomme_, a wise and prudent man.
_lottroye_, permits him.
_tref_, tent.
_nenny_, no!
_ains_, before.
_guerpiront_, will leave.
_deduys_, amusements, diversions.
P. xxxvi. _leans_, there.
_gerrez_, will lie.
_las_, tired.
_Ains_, but.
P. xxxvii. _semondray_, shall ask.
_esbahy_, amazed.
_tollez_, take away.
_creanca_, promised.
_lees_, wide, full.
_lices_, lists.
P. xxxviii. _emmy le pas_, in the midst of the passage.
_hucher_, to cry aloud.
P. xxxix. _lieue_, lifts.
_saisine_, disposal.
_enseignes_, tokens.
_aincoys_, first of all.
P. xl. _oncques mes_, never.
_a resiouyr_ (_réjouir_), in amusing.
_escondiroye_, will refuse.
_me poyse_, it troubles me.
_pieca_, long ago.
_se embronche_, covers his face.
P. xli. _sen esueillerent_, awoke thereat.
_Adonc_, then.
_riens forfait_, anyway injured.
P. xlii. _ne me mescreez mye que_, do not doubt me more than.
P. xliii. _doint_, gives, were to give.
P. xliv. _mesgnie_, properly the _suite_ or household of a prince; see
Roquefort s.v. _magnie_ and _maignee_.
_nef_, a boat.
_loue_, advise.
P. xlv. _vous esmayez_, afflict yourself.
_courrouce_, wroth, displeased.
P. xlvi. _vergier_, orchard.
_aual_, below.
_se embroncha_, she veiled herself, or, hid herself.
_iouxte_, beside.
P. xlvii. _maintes_, many.
_ot_, heard.
_len prise mieulx_, esteemed it better.
_loe_, praises.
_deffera_, dis-ironed, drew the weapons out of.
_lestrief_, the stirrup.
P. xlviii. _leans_ (_la dédans_), there.
_belif_. We find in Cotgrave’s French Dictionary, “_Belic_, a kind
of red or geueles, in Blazon.”
_enseignes_, tokens, message.
P. xlix. _mestier_, serviceable.
_dillec_, thence.
_pourneant_, for nothing, in vain.
_voire_, truly.
_commanday a dieu_, commended to God, bade farewell.
P. li. _mestier en est_, there is need of it.
_greigneur bien_, exceedingly well, very highly.
P. lii. _greigneure_, greater.
_anuytoit_, became night.
_ie me doibz pener_, I ought to take pains.
P. liii. _ouen_, this year.
The Romans
of
Lancelot of the Laik.
[PROLOGUE.]
[Sidenote: In April, when the fresh luminary upriseth,]
++THe ſoft morow ande The luſtee Aperill, [Fol. 1.]
The wynt{er} set, the stormys in exill,
Quhen that the bry{ch}t {and} freſch illumynare
Upriſith arly in his fyre chare 4
His hot courß in to the orient,
[Sidenote: and sendeth from his sphere his golden streams,]
And frome h{is} ſpere his goldine ſtremis sent
Wpone the grond, in man{er} off meſag,
One eu{er}y thing to valkyne thar curage, 8
That natur haith set wnd{er} hire mycht,
Boith gyrß, and flour, {and} eu{er}y luſty vicht:
And namly thame that felith the aſſay
Of lufe, to ſchew the kalendis of may, 12
Throw birdis ſonge w{i}t{h} opine wox one hy,
That ſeſſit not one lufar{is} for to cry,
Leſt thai forȝhet, throw ſlewth of Ignorans,
The old wſage of lowis obſ{er}uans. 16
[Headnote: THE POET BEWAILS HIS LOT.]
[Sidenote: and when I espy his bright face,]
And from̅e I can the bricht face aſſpy,
It deuit me no langare fore to ly,
Nore that loue schuld ſleuth In to me finde,
[Sidenote: I walk forth, bewailing my sad life.]
Bot walkine furth, bewalinge in my mynde 20
the dredful lyve endurit al to longe,
Sufferans in loue of ſorouful harmys ſtronge,
The ſcharpe dais and the hewy ȝerys,
Quhill phebus thris haith paſſith al h{is} ſperis, 24
Vithoutine hope ore traiſtinge of comfort;
So be such meine fatit was my sort.
Thus in my ſaull Rolinge al my wo,
[Sidenote: The sword of love carves my heart.]
My carful hart carwing cañ In two 28
The derdful ſuerd of lowis hot diſſire;
So be the morow set I was a-fyre
In felinge of the acceß hot {and} colde,
That haith my hart in ſich a fevir holde, 32
Only to me thare was noñe vthir eß
Bot thinkine qhow I ſchulde my lady pleß.
The ſcharp aſſay and ek the Inwart peine
Of dowblit wo me neulyng{is} cañ conſtrein, 36
Quhen that I have remembrit one my tho{ch}t
[Sidenote: My lady knoweth not how I am wobegone.]
How sche, quhois bewte al my harm̅ haith wrocht,
Ne knouith not how I ame wo begoñe, [Fol. 1b.]
Nor how that I ame of hire ſ{er}uand{is} oñe; 40
And in my ſelf I cañ nocht fynde the meyne
In to quhat wyß I ſal my wo compleine.
[Sidenote: I walked thus in the field, and came to a well-beseen
garden.]
Thus in the feild I walkith to {and} froo,
As tho{ch}tful wicht that felt of no{ch}t bot woo, 44
Syne to o gardinge, that weß weil beſeñ,
Of quiche the feild was al depaynt w{i}t{h} greñ.
The tendyre and the luſty flour{is} new
Up thrōue the greñ vpone thar ſtalk{is} grew 48
Aȝhane the ſone, and thare levis ſpred,
Quharw{i}t{h} that al the gardinge was I-clede;
That pryapus, in to his tyme before,
In o luſtear walkith nevir more; 52
[Sidenote: It was closely environed with leaves.]
And al about enweronyt and Icloſit
One ſich o wyß, that none w{i}t{h}in ſuppoſit
Fore to be ſeñ w{i}t{h} ony vicht thare owt;
So dide the levis cloſ it[T1] all about. 56
Thar was the flour, thar was the queñ alpheſt,[T2]
Ry{ch}t wering being of the ny{ch}t{is} reſt,
Wncloſi{n}g gañe the crownel for the day;
[Sidenote: The sun illumined the sprays;]
The bry{ch}t ſone illumynit haith the ſpray, 60
The ny{ch}t{is} ſobir ande the moſt ſchowr{is},
As criſtoll terys w{i}t{h}hong vpone the flour{is},
Haith vpwarpith In the luſty aire,
The morow makith soft, ameyne, and faire; 64
[Sidenote: the birds sang till the woods resounded;]
And the byrd{is} thar my{ch}ty voce out-throng,
Quhill al the wood reſonite of thar ſonge,
That gret confort till ony vicht It wer
That pleſſith thame of luſtenes to here. 68
Bot gladneß til the tho{ch}tful, eu{er} mo
The more he ſeith, the more he haith of wo.
[Sidenote: the garden was adorned with flowers.]
[Footnote T1: MS. “cloſit.”]
[Footnote T2: May we read “alcest”?]
[Headnote: HE SEES A VISION OF A GREEN BIRD.]
Thar was the garding w{i}t{h} the flour{is} ourfret,
Quich is in poſy fore my lady set, 72
That hire Repreſent to me oft befor,
{And} thane alſo; thus al day gan be ſor[T3]
Of tho{ch}t my goſt w{i}t{h} torment occupy, 75
That I becam̅e In to one exaſy, [Fol. 2.]
Ore ſlep, or how I wot; bot ſo befell
My wo haith done my livis goſt expell,
And in ſich wiß weil long I can endwr,
So me betid o wondir aventur. 80
[Sidenote: I fell there into an ecstasy or sleep,
and saw in my dream a green bird, who said:]
As I thus lay, Ry{ch}t to my ſpreit vas ſeñ
A birde, yat was as ony lawrare greñ,
A-licht, and ſayth in to hir bird{is} chere;
[Footnote T3: MS. “beſor.”]
[Headnote: THE BIRD’S MESSAGE.]
“O woful wrech, that levis in to were! 84
To ſchew the thus the god of loue me ſent,
That of thi ſ{er}uice no thing is content,
[Sidenote: “The God of Love is discontent with thee.]
For in his court yhoue lewith i{n} diſſpar,
And vilfully suſtenis al thi care, 88
And ſchapith no thinge of thine awn remede,
Bot clepith ay and cryith apone dede.
Yhow callith the bird{is} be morow fro thar bour{is},
Yhoue devith boith the erbis and the flour{is}, 92
And clepit hyme vnfaithful king of lowe,
Yow dewith hyme in to h{is} rigne abufe,
Yhow tempith hyme, yhoue doith thi ſelf no gud,
Yhoue are o moñ of wit al deſtitude. 96
[Sidenote: You are destitute of wit.]
Wot yhoue no{ch}t that al liwis creatwre
Haith of thi wo i{n} to h{is} hand the cwre?
[Sidenote: Though you call on trees, your lady hears not.]
And ſet yhoue clep one erbis and one treis,
Sche her{is} not thi wo, nore ȝhit ſche ſeis; 100
For none may know the dirkneß of thi tho{ch}t,
Ne blamyth h{er} thi wo ſche knowith no{ch}t.
And It is weil accordinge It be so
He ſuffir harme, that to redreß h{is} wo 104
Previdith not; for long ore he be ſonde,
Holl of his leich, that ſchewith not h{is} vound.
[Sidenote: Ovid says it is better to shew, than to conceal love.]
And of owid ye autor ſchall yhow knaw
Of lufe that ſeith, for to conſel or ſchow, 108
The laſt he clepith althir-beſt of two;
And that is ſuth, and ſal be eu{er} mo.
And loue alſo haith chargit me to ſay, 111
Set yhoue preſume, ore beleif, ye aſſay [Fol. 2b.]
Of his ſ{er}uice, as It wil ryne ore go,
Preſwme It not, fore It wil not be so;
Al magre thine a ſ{er}uand ſchal yow bee.
[Sidenote: As touching thine adversity, seek the remedy.”]
And as tueching thine adu{er}ſytee, 116
Complen and sek of the ramed, the cwre,
Ore, gif yhow likith, furth thi wo endure.”
And, as me tho{ch}t, I anſuerde aȝaiñe
[Sidenote: Then answered I:]
Thus to the byrde, in word{is} ſchort and plane: 120
“It ganyth not, as I have harde Recorde,
The ſ{er}uand for to diſput w{i}t{h} ye lord;
[Sidenote: “Love knows the reason of my wo.”]
Bot well he knowith of al my vo the quhy,
And in quhat wyß he hath me ſet, quhar I 124
Nore may I not, nore can I not attane,
Nore to hir hienes dare I not complane.”
[Sidenote: “Fool,” said the bird, “despair not;]
“Ful!” q{uo}d the bird, “lat be thi nyß diſpare,
For in this erith no lady is ſo fare, 128
So hie eſtat, nore of ſo gret empriß,
That in hire ſelf haith viſdome ore gentrice,
Yf that o wicht, that worthy is to be
Of lovis court, ſchew til hir that he 132
Seruith hire in lovis hartly wyß,
That ſchall thar for hyme hating or diſpiß.
[Headnote: SHE BIDS HIM WRITE A POEM.]
[Sidenote: the God of Love charges thee to speak out your love, or
else to write thy plaint;]
The god of love thus chargit the, at ſchort,
That to thi lady yhoue thi wo Report; 136
Yf yhoue may not, thi plant ſchall yhov vrit.
Se, as yhoue cane, be man{er} oft endit
In metir, quhich that no ma{n} haith ſuſſpek,
Set oft tyme thai contenyng gret effecc; 140
Thus one ſume wyß yhow ſchal thi wo dwclar.
And, for thir ſedulis and thir billis are
So gen{er}all, and ek ſo ſchort at lyte,
And ſwme of thai{m} is loſt the appetit, 144
[Sidenote: write, then, some treatise for her to read;]
Sum trety ſchall yhoue for yi lady ſak,
That wnkouth is, als tak one hand and mak,
Of love, ore armys, or of ſu{m} othir thing,
That may hir one to thi Reme{m}bry{n}g brynge; 148
Qwich ſoundith Not one to no hewynes, [Fol. 3.]
Bot one to gladneß and to luſteneß,
[Sidenote: one that may please her and get her thanks.]
That yhoue belevis may thi lady pleß,
To have hir thonk and be one to hir eß; 152
That ſche may wit in ſ{er}uice yhow art one.
[Sidenote: Farewell, and be merry.”]
Faire weil,” q{uo}d ſche, “thus ſchal yhow the diſpone,
And mak thi ſelf als mery as yhoue may,
It helpith not thus fore to wex al way.” 156
W{i}t{h} that, the bird ſche haith hir leif tak,
[Sidenote: Thereon I awoke, and wondered what it might mean.]
For fere of quich I can onone to wak;
Sche was ago, and to my ſelf tho{ch}t I
Quhat may yis meyne? quhat may this ſig{n}ify? 160
Is It of troucht, or of Illuſioune?
[Headnote: HE RESOLVES TO DO SO.]
Bot finaly, as in concluſioune,
Be as be may, I ſchal me not discharge,
Sen It apperith be of lovis charg; 164
And ek myne hart noñe othir biſſynes
Haith bot my ladice ſ{er}uice, as I geß;
[Sidenote: I determined to take in hand this occupation.]
Among al vther{is} I ſchal one honde tak
This litil occupatioune for hire ſak. 168
Bot hyme I pray, the my{ch}ty gode of loue,
That ſitith hie in to his ſpir abuf,
(At {com}mand of o wyß quhois viſioune
My goſt haith takin this opvnioune,) 172
That my lawboure may to my lady pleß
And do wnto hir ladeſchip ſu{m} eß,
So that my t{ra}uell be no{ch}t tynt, and I
Quhat vther{is} ſay ſetith nothing by. 176
[Sidenote: I know it will but hurt my name, when men hear my feeble
negligence.]
For wel I know that, be this world{is} fam̅e.
It ſchal not be bot hurting to my nam̅e,
Quhen that thai here my febil negligens,
That empit is, and bare of eloquens, 180
Of diſcreſſiou{n}e, and ek of Retoryk;
The metire and the cu{n}ing both elyk
So fere diſcording frome p{er}fecciou{n}e;
[Sidenote: I submit my poem to the correction of the wise;]
Q{uhil}k I ſubmyt to the correcciou{n}e 184
Of yai{m} the quhich that is diſcret {and} wyß,
And ent{er}it is of loue in the ſ{er}uice;
Quhich knouyth that no lovare dare w{i}t{h}ſtonde, [Fol. 3b.]
Quhat loue hyme chargit he mot tak one honde, 188
Deith, or defam̅, or ony man{er} wo;
And at this tyme w{i}t{h} me It ſtant ry{ch}t ſo,
[Sidenote: for I dare not oppose Love’s command.]
As I that dar makine no demande
To quhat I wot It lykith loue co{m}mande. 192
Tueching his charg{is}, as w{i}t{h} al deſtitut,
W{i}t{h}in my mynd ſchortly I conclud
For to fulfyll, for ned I mot do ſo.
[Headnote: HE THINKS OF THE STORY OF LANCELOT.]
[Sidenote: At last I thought of the story of “Lancelot of the
Lake,”]
Thane in my tho{ch}t rolling to and fro 196
Quhare that I my{hc}t ſu{m} wnkouth mat{er} fynde,
Quhill at ye laſt it fell in to my mynd
Of o ſtory, that I befor had ſene,
That boith of loue and armys can conteñ, 200
Was of o kny{ch}t clepit lancelot of ye laik,
The ſone of bane was, king of albanak;
Of quhois fame {and} worſchipful dedis
Clerk{is} in to diu{er}ß buk{is} red{is}, 204
[Sidenote: of whom I here think to write something.]
Of quhome I thynk her ſu{m} thing for to writ
At louis charge, and as I cane, endit;
Set me{n} tharin ſal by exp{er}iens
Know my conſait, and al my negligens. 208
[Sidenote: But because my ignorance cannot comprehend the French
romance,]
Bot for that ſtory is ſo paſing larg,
One to my wit It war ſo gret o charg
For to tranſlait the romans of that kny{ch}t;
It paſſith fare my cu{n}yng and my mycht, 212
Myne Ignorans may It not comp{re}hende;
[Headnote: HE BRIEFLY ENUMERATES / LANCELOT’S EARLY DEEDS.]
[Sidenote: I shall not tell how he was born;]
Quharfor thare one I wil me not depend
How he was borne, nor how his fad{er} deid
And ek his mod{er}, nore how he was denyed 216
Eft{er} thare deth, p{re}ſumyng he was ded,
[Sidenote: nor how he was nourished by the Lady of the Lake;]
Of al ye lond, nore how he fra that ſtede
In sacret wyß wnwyſt away was tak,
And nwriſt w{i}t{h} ye lady of ye lak. 220
[Sidenote: nor how he was brought to Arthur’s court,]
Nor, in his ȝouth, think I not to tell
The aue{n}tour{is}, quhich to hyme befell;
Nor how the lady of the laik hyme had
One to the court, quhare that he kny{ch}t was mad; 224
None wiſt his nome, nore how that he was tak [Fol. 4.]
By loue, and was Iwondit to the ſtak,
[Sidenote: and pierced to the heart by the beauty of Wanore
(Guinevere),]
And throuch {and} throuch perſit to ye hart,
That al his tyme he cout{h} It not aſtart; 228
For thare of loue he ent{er}it in ſ{er}uice,
Of wanore throuch the beute and franchis,
[Sidenote: for whose service he wrought many wonders;]
Throuch quhois ſ{er}uice in armys he has vro{ch}t
Mony wond{er}is, and p{er}ell{is} he has socht. 232
Nor how he thor, in to his ȝoung curage,
[Sidenote: nor how he made a vow to revenge a wounded knight,]
Hath maid awoue, and in to louis rage,
In the rewenging of o wondit kny{ch}t
That cu{m}yne was in to the court that ny{ch}t; 236
[Sidenote: who had a broken sword in his head, and a truncheon of
a broken spear in his body;]
In to his hed a brokin[T4] ſuerd had he,
And in his body alſo my{ch}t me{n} see
The tronſione of o brokine ſper that was,
Quhich no ma{n} out dedenyt to aras; 240
Nor how he haith the wapnis out tak,
And his awow apone this wis can mak,
That he ſchuld hyme Reweng at h{is} poware
One eu{er}y kny{ch}t that louith the hurtare 244
Bett{er} thane hyme, the quhich that vas Iwond.
Throw quich awoue in armys hath ben founde
[Sidenote: a vow which caused the death of many a wight warrior;]
The deth of mo{n}y wereoure ful wicht;[T5]
[Footnote T4: MS. “abrokin.”]
[Footnote T5: The MS. wrongly transposes ll. 247 and 248.]
For, fro tho wow was knowing of the kny{ch}t, 248
Thare was ful mony o paſage in the londe
By me{n} of armys kepit to withſtond
This kny{ch}t, of quhome thai ben al set afyre
Thai{m} to reweng in armys of deſir. 252
[Sidenote: or how he and Sir Kay were sent to defend the lady of
Nohalt;]
Nor how that thane in{con}tyne{n}t was ſend
He and ſ{ir} kay togidd{er} to defend
The lady of nohalt, nor how that hee
Gou{er}nit hyme thare, nore in quhat degre. 256
Nor how the gret paſing vaſſolag
He eſcheuit, thrōue the outragouß curag,
[Sidenote: or how he conquered the Sorrowful Castle;]
In conquiryng of the sorowful caſtell.
Nor how he paſſith dou{n}e in the cauis fell, 260
And furth ye keys of Inchantme{n}t bro{ch}t,
That al diſtroyt quhich that thare vas vro{ch}t.
[Sidenote: or how he rescued Sir Gawane and his nine fellows;]
Nore howe that he reſkewit ſ{ir} gawane, [Fol. 4b.]
W{i}t{h} h{is} ix falouß in to preſone tane; 264
Nore mony vthere diu{er}ß aduenture,
Quhich to report I tak not in my cwre,
[Sidenote: nor of the many “assemblies” Gawane held to find out
his name;]
Nor mony aſſemblay that gawane gart be maid
To wit h{is} name; nor how that he hyme hade 268
Wnwiſt, and hath the worſchip {and} empriß;
Nor of the kny{ch}t{is} in to mony[T6] diu{er}ß wyß
Throuch his awoue that hath thare dethis found;
[Footnote T6: We should perhaps omit “mony.”]
[Sidenote: nor of his suffering caused by love’s wound;]
Nor of the ſufferans that by louis wounde 272
He in his trawel ſufferith au{er} more;
Nor in the quenis p{rese}ns how tharfor
[Sidenote: nor how he was nearly drowned at Camelot;]
By camelot, in to that gret Revare,
He was ner dround. I wil It not declare 276
How that he was in louis hewy tho{ch}t
[Sidenote: nor how he was brought to court by Dagenet;]
By dagenet in to the court I-bro{ch}t;
Nor how the kny{ch}t that tyme he cane p{er}ſew,
[Sidenote: nor of the giants he slew at Camelot;]
Nor of the gyant{is} by camelot he ſlew; 280
Nor wil I not her tell the man{er} how
He ſlew o kny{ch}t, by nat{ur} of his wow,
[Sidenote: nor how he slew a knight of Melyholt;]
Off melyholt; nore how in to that toune
Thar came one hyme o gret confuſione 284
Of pupil {and} [of] kny{ch}t{is}, al enarmyt,
[Sidenote: and there defended himself against a crowd;]
Nor how he thar haith kepit hyme wnharmyt;
Nor of his worſchip, nor of h{is} gret prowes,
Nor his defens of armys in the pres. 288
[Sidenote: whereupon the lady of Melyhalt prayed him to yield his
sword to her; and kept him in her power.]
Nor how the lady of melyhalt y{a}t ſche
Came to the feild, and pray[i]th hyme that he
As to o lady to hir[T7] his ſuerd hath ȝold,
Nor how he was in to hir keping hold; 292
[Footnote T7: MS. “his.”]
And mony vthir nobil deid alſo
I wil report quharfor I lat ourgo.
[Sidenote: Whoever likes, might make of these things a long story.]
For quho thai{m} lykith for to ſpecyfy,
Of one of thai{m} my{ch}t mak o gret ſtory; 296
Nor thing I not of his hye renōwn
My febil wit to makin menſioune;
[Sidenote: But I think to tell of the wars between Arthur and
Galiot;]
Bot of the wer{is} that was ſcharp {and} ſtrong,
Richt p{er}ellouß, and hath enduryt long, 300
Of Arthur In defending of his lond [Fol. 5.]
Frome galiot, ſone of the fair gyonde,
That bro{ch}t of kny{ch}t{is} o paſing confluens;
[Sidenote: wherein Lancelot won renown by his defence of Arthur;]
And how lancelot of arthur{is} hol defens 304
And of the ver{is} berith the renowñ;
And how he be the wais of fortou{n}e
[Sidenote: and at last made peace between the two princes.]
Tuex the two princ{is} makith the accorde,
Of al there mortall wer{is} to concorde; 308
[Sidenote: I shall also tell how Venus rewarded him.]
And how that venus, ſiting hie abuf,
Reuardith hyme of trauell in to loue,
And makith hyme his ladice grace to have,
And thankfully his ſ{er}uice cane reſave; 312
This is the mat{er} quhich I think to tell.
Bot ſtil he mot ry{ch}t w{i}t{h} the lady duell,
Quhill tyme cu{m} eft that we ſchal of hy{m} ſpek.
[Sidenote: My summary must end for the present.]
This p{ro}ceß [now] mot cloſine beñ and ſtek; 316
And furth I wil one to my mat{er} go.
[Headnote: THE DEDICATION.]
[Sidenote: But I pray for the support of a very great poet,]
Bot first I pray, and I beſek also,
One to the moſt conpilour to ſupport,
Flour of poyet{is}, quhois nome I wil report 320
To me nor to noñ vthir It accordit,
[Sidenote: whose name I may not mention;]
In to our rymyng his nam̅ to be recordit;
For ſum ſuld deme It of preſumpſioune,
[Sidenote: for our riming is but derision, when his excellence is
remembered.]
And ek our rymyng is al bot deryſioune, 324
Quhen that reme{m}brit is his excellens,
So hie abuf that ſtant in reu{er}ans.
Ye freſch enditing of h{is} laiting toung
[Sidenote: The world knows his eloquence in inditing Latin;]
Out throuch yis world ſo wid is yroung, 328
Of eloquens, and ek of retoryk;
Nor is, nor was, nore neu{er} beith hyme lyk,
[Sidenote: and none can ever gladden the world like him:]
This world gladith of h{is} ſuet poetry.
His ſaul I blyß conſeruyt be for-thy; 332
[Sidenote: to him be the thanks for my success.]
And yf that ony lusty terme I wryt
He haith the thonk y{er}of, {and} this endit.
EXPLICIT P{RO}LOG{US}, ET INCIPIT P{RI}M{US} LIBER.
[Headnote: ARTHUR AT CARLISLE.]
[BOOK I.]
[Sidenote: When Titan, being in Aries, had apparelled the fields,]
++Quhen [that] tytan, withe his lusty heit, [Fol. 5b.]
Twenty dais In to the aryeit 336
Haith maid his courß, and all with diu{er}ß hewis
Aparalit haith the feldis and the bewis;
[Sidenote: and birds began to make their bowers;]
The bird{is} amyd the erbis {and} the flour{is},
And one the branchis, makyne gone thar bour{is}, 340
And be the morow ſinging in ther chere
Welcum to the luſty ſeſſone of the ȝere.
In to this tyme the worthi conqueroure
[Sidenote: king Arthur was at Carlisle.]
Arthure, wich had of al this worlde the floure 344
Of cheuelry auerding to his crown,
So paſing war his kny{ch}t{is} in renoune,
Was at carlill; and hapy{n}nit ſo that hee
Soiornyt well long in that faire cuntree. 348
[Sidenote: His knights, hearing of no adventure, were annoyed.]
In to whilk tyme In to the court thai heire
None awenture, for wich the knyght{is} weire
Anoit all at the abiding thare.
For-why, beholding one the ſobir ayre 352
And of the tyme the paſing luſtynes,
Can ſo thir knyghtly hart{is} to encreß,
[Sidenote: They therefore sent Sir Kay to pray the king to go to
Camelot.]
That thei ſhir kay one to the king haith ſende,
Beſeiching hyme he wold wichſaif to wende 356
To camelot the Cetee, whare that thei
Ware wont to heryng of armys day be day.
The king forſuth, heryng thare entent,
To thare deſir, be ſchort awyſment, 360
[Sidenote: The king proposed to do so on the morrow.]
Ygrantid haith; and ſo the king p{ro}ponit
And for to pas hyme one[T8] the morne diſponit.
[Footnote T8: MS. “to pas one hyme one,” with first “one”
lightly crossed out.]
[Headnote: ARTHUR’S TWO DREAMS.]
Bot ſo befell hyme [on] that nycht to meit
An aperans, the wich one to his ſpreit 364
[Sidenote: That night he dreamt that his hair all fell off;]
It ſemyth that of al his hed ye hore
Of fallith and maid deſolat; wharfore
The king therof was pensyve in his mynd,
That al the day he couth no reſting fynde, 368
[Sidenote: which made him delay his journey.]
Wich makith hyme his Iorneye to delaye.
And ſo befell apone the thrid day,
The bricht ſone, paſing in the weſt,
Haith maid his courß, and al thing goith to Reſt; 372
[Sidenote: Again he dreamt, that his bowels fell out, and lay beside
him.]
The king, ſo as the ſtory can dewyß,
He thoght aȝeine, apone the ſamyne wyß,
His vombe out fallith vith his hoil syde [Fol. 6.]
Apone the ground, {and} liging hyme beſid; 376
Throw wich anon out of his ſlep he ſtert,
Abaſit and adred in to his hart.
[Sidenote: He told the queen, who answered, “No man should respect
vain dreams.”]
The wich be morow one to the qwen he told,
And ſhe aȝeine to hyme haith anſuer ȝolde; 380
“To dremys, ſ{ir}, ſhuld no man have Reſpek,
For thei ben thing{is} weyn, of non affek.”
“Well,” q{uo}d the king, “god grant It ſo befall!”
[Headnote: HE SENDS FOR HIS CLERKS.]
[Sidenote: The king next shewed his dream to a clerk,]
Arly he roß, and gert one to hyme call 384
O clerk, to whome that al his hewynes
Tweching his drem ſhewith he expreß,
[Sidenote: who said, “Sir, such things testify nothing.”]
Wich anſuer yaf and ſeith one to the kinge;
“Shir, no Record lyith to ſuch thing; 388
Wharfor now, ſhir, I praye yow tak no kep,
Nore traiſt in to the vanyteis of slep;
For thei are thing{is} that aſkith no credens,
But cauſith of ſum maner influe{n}s, 392
Empriß of thoght, ore ſup{er}fleuytee,
Or than ſum othir caſualytee.”
[Sidenote: “Yet,” replied he, “I shall not leave it so.”]
“Ȝit,” q{uo}d the king, “I ſal no{ch}t leif It so;”
And furth he chargit meſinger{is} to go 396
Throgh al his Realm, w{i}t{h}outen more demande,
[Sidenote: He bade all the bishops and clergy come to Camelot
within twenty days.]
And bad them ſtratly at thei ſhulde comande
All the biſhopes, and makyng no delay
The ſhuld appere be the tuenty day 400
At camelot, with al thar hol clergy
That moſt expert war, for to certefye
A mat{er} tueching to his goſt be nyght;
The meſag goith furth with the l{ett}res Right. 404
++The king eft ſone, w{i}t{h}in a litill ſpace,
His Iornay makith haith frome place to place,
[Sidenote: He goes to Camelot, and finds the clerks assembled.]
Whill that he cam to camelot; and there
The clerk{is} all, as that the chargit were, 408
Aſſemblit war, and came to his preſens,
Of his deſir to viting the ſentens.
To them that war to hyme moſt ſpeciall
Furth his entent ſhauyth he al hall; 412
[Sidenote: He discloses all to the ten that are most expert,]
By whois conſeil, of the worthieſt
He cheſith ten, yclepit for the beſt,
And moſt expert and wiſeſt was ſuppoſit, 415
To qwhome his drem all hail he haith diſcloſſit; [Fol. 6b.]
The houre, the nyght, and al the c{er}cumſtans;
[Sidenote: and beseeches them to explain the dreams.]
Beſichyne them that the ſignifycans
Thei wald hyme ſhaw, that he my{ch}t reſting fynde
Of It, the wich that occupeid his mynde. 420
[Sidenote: One of them asks for nine days to advise upon the
matter.]
And one of them with[T9] al ther holl aſſent
Saith, “ſhire, fore to declare our entent
Vpone this matere, ye wil ws delay
Fore to awyſing one to the ix day.” 424
The king ther-to grantith haith, bot hee
[Sidenote: The king complies, but shuts them up in a strong place.]
In to o place, that ſtrong was and hye,
He cloſith them, whare thei may no whare get,
Vn to the day, the wich he to them set. 428
Than goith the clerk{is} ſadly to awyß
Of this mat{er}, to ſeing in what wyß
The king{is} drem thei ſhal beſt ſpecefy.
[Sidenote: The masters of astronomy fetch their books,]
And than the maiſtris of aſtronomy 432
The book{is} longyne to ther artis set;[T10]
Not was the buk{is} of arachell forget,
Of nembrot, of danȝhelome, thei two,
Of moyſes, {and} of herynes all soo; 436
[Sidenote: and calculate the disposition of the planets.]
And ſeking be ther calcolaciou{n}e
To fynd the planet{is} diſpoſiciou{n}e,
The wich thei fond ware wond{er} ewill yſet
The ſamyne nyght the king his ſweuen met. 440
[Footnote T9: MS. “saith with” (with a very slight scratch
through “saith”).]
[Footnote T10: So in MS. Read “fet.”]
[Headnote: THEY REFUSE TO EXPLAIN THEM.]
So ner the point ſocht thei have the thing,
[Sidenote: They found the matter heavy for the king, and doubted if
they should tell him so.]
Thei fond It wond{er} hewy to the king,
Of wich thing thei waryng in to were
To ſhew the king, for dreid of his danger. 444
Of ane accorde thei planly haue p{ro}ponit
No worde to ſhow, and ſo thei them diſponit.
[Sidenote: Being sent for,]
The day is cu{m}yng, and he haith fore them ſent,
Beſichyne them to ſhewing ther entent. 448
[Sidenote: they all spake, “Sir, we can find no evidence.”]
Than ſpak they all, and that of an accorde;
“Shir, of this thing we can no thing Recorde,
For we can noght fynd in til our ſciens
Tweching this mater ony ewydens.” 452
[Sidenote: “Ere we part,” quoth the king, “ye shall witness
something.”]
“Now,” q{uo}d the king, “and be the glorius lorde,
Or we depart ye ſhall ſum thing recorde;
So pas yhe not, nor ſo It ſall not bee.”
“Than,” q{uo}d the clerk{is}, “grant ws dais three.” 456
[Sidenote: He grants them three days more.]
The wich he grantid them, and but delay, [Fol. 7.]
The term paſſith, no thing wold the ſay,
Wharof the king ſtondith heuy cherith,
And to the clerk{is} his viſag ſo apperith, 460
That all thei dred them of the king{is} myght.
[Sidenote: They pray for a further delay of three days.]
Than ſaith o clerk, “s{ir}, as the thrid nyght
Ye dremyt, ſo [now] giffis ws delay
The thrid tyme, and to the thrid day.” 464
By whilk tyme thei fundyng haith the ende
Of this mater, als far as ſhal depend
To ther ſciens; yit can thei not awyß
To ſchewing to the king be ony wyß. 468
[Sidenote: They still refuse to declare their thought.]
The day is cum, the king haith them beſocht,
But one no wyß thei wald declar ther thoght;
Than was he wroth in to his ſelf and noyt,
[Sidenote: The king vows to destroy them;]
And maid his wow that thei ſhal[T11] ben diſtroyt. 472
His baronis he co{m}mandit to gar tak
Fyve of them one to the fir-ſtak,
And vther fyue be to the gibbot tone;
And the furth w{i}t{h} the king{is} charg ar gone. 476
[Sidenote: but secretly charges his knights not to harm them.]
He bad them in to ſecret wyß that thei
Shud do no harm, but only them aßey.
The clark{is}, dredful of the king{is} Ire,
And ſaw the p{er}ell of deth and of the fyre, 480
Fyve, as thei can, has grantit to record;
That vther herde and ben of ther accorde;
And al thei ben yled one to the king,
[Sidenote: They yield at last, and say,]
And ſhew hyme thus as tueching of this thing. 484
[Footnote T11: MS. “ſhat.”]
[Headnote: INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAMS.]
“Shir, ſen that we conſtrenyt ar by myght
To ſhaw that wich[T12] we knaw no thing aricht;
For thing to cum preſeruith It allan
To hyme the wich is euery thing c{er}tañ, 488
Excep the thing that til our knawleg hee
Hath ordynat of certan for to bee;
Therfor, ſhir king, we your magnificens
Beſeich It turne till ws to non offens, 492
[Sidenote: “Hold us not as liars, though it happen not as we say.]
Nor hald was no{ch}t as lear{is}, thoght It fall
Not in this mat{er}, as that we telen ſhall.”
And that the king haith grantit them, {and} thei
Has chargit one, that one this wiß ſall ſeye. 496
“Preſumyth, ſhir, that we have fundyne so;
[Sidenote: You must forego all earthly honour;]
All erdly honore ye nedis[T13] moſt for-go,
[Sidenote: and those on whom you most rely, will fail you.”]
And them the wich ye moſt affy in-tyll [Fol. 7b.]
Shal failye ȝow, magre of ther will; 500
And thus we haue in to this matere founde.”
The king, quhois hart was al wyth dred ybownd,
And aſkit at the clerk{is}, if thei fynde
By there clergy, that ſtant i{n} ony kynde 504
[Sidenote: The king asks if his destiny can be altered.]
Of poſſibilitee, fore to reforme
His deſteny, that ſtud in ſuch a forme;
If in the hewyne Is preordynat
On ſuch o wiß his honor to tranſlat. 508
The clerk{is} ſaith, “forſuth, and we haue ſene
[Sidenote: They reply, that the matter is dark.]
O thing whar-of, if we the trouth ſhal meñ,
Is ſo obſcure and dyrk til our clergye,
That we wat not what It ſhal ſignefye, 512
Wich cauſith ws we can It not furth ſay.”
“Yis,” q{uo}d the king, “as lykith yow ye may,
For wers than this can nat be ſaid for me.”
[Footnote T12: MS. “wich that.”]
[Footnote T13: MS. “nediſt;” but see l. 518.]
[Headnote: THE CLERKS GIVE MYSTERIOUS ADVICE.]
[Sidenote: A master says, there is no help but in the true watery
lion, and in the leech, and in the flower.]
Thane ſaith o maiſtir, “than ſuthly th{us} finde we; 516
Thar is no thing ſal ſucour nor reſkew,
Your worldly honore nedis moſt adew,
But throuch the watrye lyone {and} ek fyne,
On throuch the liche {and} ek the wattir ſyne, 520
[Sidenote: God knows what this should mean.]
And throuch the conſeill of the flour; god wot
What this ſhude meñ, for mor ther-of we not.”
No word the king anſuerid ayane,
For al this reſone thinkith bot i{n} weyne. 524
[Sidenote: The king shews no outward grief,]
He ſhawith outwart his contenans
As he therof takith no greuans;
[Sidenote: but is not rid of anxiety all night.]
But al the nyght it paſſid nat his thoght.
The dais courß w{i}t{h} ful deſir he ſocht, 528
And furth he goith to bring his mynd i{n} reſt
[Sidenote: Next day he goes to the forest.]
W{i}t{h} mony O knyght vn to the gret foreſt;
The rachis gon wn-copelit for the deire,
That in the wodis makith nois {and} cheir: 532
The knycht{is}, w{i}t{h} the grewhund{is} in aweit,
Secith boith the planis and the ſtreit.
[Sidenote: The chase.]
Doune goith the hart, doune goith the hynd alſo;
[In to the feld can ruſching to and fro][T14] 536
The ſwift grewhund, hardy of aſſay;
Befor ther hedis no thing goith away.
The king of hunting takith haith his ſport,
[Sidenote: The king returns.]
And to his palace home he can Reſort, 540
Ayan the noon; and as that he was set
[Sidenote: As they sit at meat, an aged knight enters, fully armed.]
Vith all his noble knyght{is} at the met, [Fol. 8.]
So cam ther in an agit knyght, {and} hee
Of gret eſſtat ſemyt for to bee; 544
Anarmyt all, as tho It was the gyß,
And thus the king he ſaluſt, one this wiß,
[Footnote T14: A line must here be lost, but there is nothing
to shew this in the MS. The inserted line is imitated from
l. 3293.]
[Headnote: GALIOT’S MESSAGE.]
[Sidenote: The knight’s message is that king Galiot bids Arthur to
yield to him his kingdom.]
++“Shir king, one to yow am y ſende
Frome the worthieſt that i{n} world is kend, 548
That leuyth now of his tyme and age,
Of manhed, wiſdome, {and} of hie curag,
Galiot, ſone of the fare gyande;
And thus, at ſhort, he bid{is} yow your londe 552
Ye yald hyme our, w{i}t{h}out Impedyment;
Or of hyme holde, and if tribut and rent.
This is my charge at ſhort, whilk if youe leſt
For to fulfill, of al he haith conqueſt 556
He ſais that he moſt tendir ſhal youe hald.”
[Headnote: ARTHUR DEFIES GALIOT.]
[Sidenote: The king refuses.]
By ſhort awys the king his anſuer yald;
“Shir kny{ch}t, your lorde wondir hie pretendis,
When he to me ſic ſalutatioune send{is}; 560
For I as yit, in tymys that ar gone,
Held neu{er} lond excep of god alone,
Nore neu{er} thinkith til erthly lord to yef
Trybut nor rent, als long as I may lef.” 564
[Sidenote: The knight replies, that his lord bids him defiance, and
will invade his land in a month;]
“Well,” q{uo}d the kny{ch}t, “ful ſor repentith me;
Non may reciſt the thing the wich mone bee.
To yow, ſ{ir} king, than frome my lord am I
With diffyans ſent, and be this reſone why; 568
His purpos Is, or this day moneth day,
With all his oſt, planly to aſſay
Your lond, w{i}t{h} mony ma{n}ly man of were,
[Sidenote: not to return till he has conquered;]
And helmyt kny{ch}t{is}, boith with ſheld {and} ſpere; 572
And neu{er} thinkith to retwrn home whill
That he this lond haith conqueſt at his will;
[Sidenote: and he intends to possess queen Vanour.]
And ek vanour the quen, of whome that hee
Herith report of al this world that ſhee 576
In fairhed and in wertew doith excede,
He bad me ſay he think{is} to poſſede.”
[Sidenote: Arthur returns his defiance.]
“Schir,” q{uod} the king, “your meſag me behuf{is}
Of reſone and of curtaſy excuſß; 580
But tueching to your lord {and} to his oſt,
His powar [and] his meſag and his boſt,
That pretendith my lond for to diſtroy,
Thar-of as ȝit tak I non anoye; 584
And ſay your lord one my behalf, when hee [Fol. 8b.]
Haith tone my lond, that al the world ſhal see
That It ſhal be magre myne entent.”
[Sidenote: The knight departs, lamenting Arthur’s adventurous
spirit.]
With that the kny{ch}t, w{i}t{h}outen leif, is went, 588
And richt as he was paſing to the dure,
He ſaith, “a gode![T15] what wykyt aduenture
Apperith!” w{i}t{h} that his hors he nome,
Two knicht{is} kepit, waiting h{is} outcome. 592
[Footnote T15: MS. “agod^e.”]
The kni{ch}t is gon, the king he gan Inquere
At gawan, and at other kny{ch}t{is} sere,
[Sidenote: Arthur asks Gawane who Galiot is.]
If that thei knew or eu{er} hard recorde
Of galiot, and wharof he wes lorde; 596
And ther was non among his kny{ch}t{is} all
Which anſuerd o word in to the hall.
Than galygantynis of walys raſe,
[Sidenote: Galygantynis of Wales replies,]
That trauelit in diu{er}ß lond{is} has, 600
In mony kny{ch}tly aue{n}tur haith ben;
And to the king he ſaith, “ſ{ir}, I haue sen
Galiot, which is the fareſt kny{ch}t,
[Sidenote: that Galiot is the tallest knight by half a foot of all
he ever saw; that he is wise, liberal, humble,]
And hieſt be half a fut one hycht, 604
That eu{er} I saw, and ek his me{n} accordith;
Hyme lakid no{ch}t that to a lord recordith.
For viſare of his ag is non than hee,
And ful of larges and humylytee; 608
[Sidenote: courageous, and under xxiv years of age.]
An hart he haith of paſing hie curag,
And is not xxiiij ȝer of age,
And of his tyme mekil haith conquerit;
[Sidenote: Ten kings obey him.]
Ten king{is} at his {com}mand ar ſterit. 612
He v{i}t{h} his me{n} ſo louit is, y geß,
That hyme to pleß is al ther beſynes.
Not ſay I this, ſ{ir}, in to ye entent
That he, nor none wnd{er} the firmame{n}t, 616
Shal pouere haue ayane your maieſtee;
And or thei ſhuld, this y ſey for mee,
Rather I ſhall kny{ch}tly in to feild
Reſaue my deith anarmyt wnd{er} ſheld. 620
This ſpek y leſt;”--the king, ayan the morn,
[Sidenote: The king goes again to the chase.]
Haith varnit huntar{is} baith with hund {and} horne,
And arly gan one to the foreſt ryd,
With mony manly knyght{is} by h{is} ſid, 624
Hyme for to ſport and comfort w{i}t{h} the dere,
Set contrare was the ſeſone of y^e yere.
[Sidenote: He likes boar-hunting best.]
His moſt huntyng was atte wyld bore;
God wot a luſtye cuntree was It thoore, 628 [Fol. 9.]
In the ilk tyme! weil long this noble king
In to this lond haith maid his ſuiornyng;
[Headnote: THE LADY OF MELYHALT’S MESSAGE.]
[Sidenote: A messenger comes from the lady of Melyhalt,]
Frome the lady was send o meſinger
Of melyhalt, wich ſaith one this maner, 632
As that the ſtory ſhewith by recorde:
++“TO yow, ſ{ir} king, as to hir ſou{er}an lorde,
My lady hath me chargit for to ſay
How that your lond ſtondith i{n} affray; 636
[Sidenote: to say that Galiot has entered Arthur’s land,]
For galiot, ſone of the fare gyande,
Enterit Is by armys in your land,
And ſo the lond and cuntre he anoyth,
That quhar he goith planly he diſtroyth, 640
And makith al obeiſand to his honde,
[Sidenote: and has conquered all but two castles belonging to his
mistress.]
That nocht is left wnconqueſt i{n} that lond,
Excep two caſtell{is} longing to hir cwre,
Wich to defend ſhe may no{ch}t long endure. 644
Wharfor, ſ{ir}, in word{is} plan {and} ſhort,
Ye mon diſpone your folk for to ſupport.”
[Headnote: ARTHUR’S READINESS FOR WAR.]
[Sidenote: The king promises not to delay, and inquires the number
of the foe.]
“Wel,” q{uod} the king, “one to thi lady ſay
The neid is myne, I fall It not delay; 648
But what folk ar thei ne{m}myt for to bee,
That in my lond is cu{m}yne in ſich degree?”
[Sidenote: “A hundred thousand,” is the reply.]
“An hundreth thouſand boith vith ſheld {and} ſpere
On hors ar armyt, al redy for the were.” 652
“Wel,” q{uo}d the king, “and but delay this ny{ch}t,
Or than to morn as that the day is lycht,
[Sidenote: The king says he will set off that very night.]
I ſhal remuf; ther ſhal no thing me mak
Impedyme{n}t, my Iorney for to tak.” 656
Than ſeith his kny{ch}t{is} al w{i}t{h} one aſſent,
[Sidenote: His knights advise him to wait till he has raised an
army.]
“Shir, that is al contrare our entent;
For to your folk this mater is wnwiſt,
And ye ar here our few for to reciſt 660
Ȝone power, and youre cuntre to defende;
Tharfor abid, and for your folk ye send,
That lyk a king and lyk a weriour
Ye may ſuſten in armys your honoure.” 664
“Now,” q{uod} the king, “no langer that I ȝeme
My crowne, my ſepture, nor my dyademe,
Frome that I here, ore frome I wnd{er}ſtand,
That ther by fors be entrit in my land 668
Men of armys, by ſtrenth of vyolens,
[Sidenote: He refuses to wait longer than till the morrow.]
If that I mak abid or reſydens
In to o place langar than o ny{ch}t,
For to defend my cuntre {and} my ry{ch}t.” 672
The king that day his meſage haith furth sent [Fol. 9b.]
Throuch al his realme, and ſyne to reſt is went.
++Up goith the morow, wp goith the bry{ch}t day,
Wp goith the sone in to his freſh aray; 676
Richt as he ſpred his bemys frome northeſt,
[Sidenote: The king arises next morning without delay,]
The king wpraß w{i}t{h}outen more areſt,
And by his awn conſeil and entent
His Iornaye tuk at ſhort awyſment. 680
And but dulay he goith frome place to place
Whill that he cam nere whare[T16] the lady was,
[Sidenote: and reaches a plain by the river side,]
And in one plane, apone o reuer ſyde,
He lichtit doune, and ther he can abide; 684
And yit w{i}t{h} hyme to batell fore to go
[Sidenote: having only seven thousand with him.]
Vij thousand fechter{is} war thei, {and} no mo.
[Footnote T16: MS. “whare that,” with slight scratch through
“that.”]
[Sidenote: Lancelot, having been imprisoned by the lady of
Melyhalt,]
++This was the lady, of qwhome befor I tolde,
That lancilot haith in to hir kepinge holde; 688
But for to tell his paſing hewyneſſe,
His peyne, his ſorow, and his gret diſtreſſe
Of preſone and of loues gret ſuppris,
It war to long to me for to dewys. 692
When he reme{m}brith one his hewy charge
Of loue, wharof he can hyme not diſcharge,
He wepith and he ſorowith in his chere,
And euery nyght ſemyth hyme o yere. 696
Gret peite was the ſorow that he maad,
[Sidenote: laments his fate.]
And to hyme-ſelf apone this wiß he ſaade:
[Headnote: LANCELOT’S LAMENT.]
[Sidenote: Lancelot’s lament; his pleasure is gone;]
++“Qwhat haue y gilt, allace! or qwhat deſ{er}uit?
That thus myne hart ſhal vondit ben {and} carwit 700
One by the ſuord of double peine and wo?
My comfort and my pleſans is ago,
To me is nat that ſhuld me glaid reſeruit.
[Sidenote: he curses his natal day;]
I curß the tyme of myne Natiuitee, 704
Whar in the heuen It ordinyd was for me,
In all my lyue neu{er} til haue eeß;
But for to be example of diſeß,
And that apperith that eu{er}y vicht may see. 708
[Sidenote: he has never spent a single day free from anxiety,]
Sen thelke tyme that I had ſufficians
Of age, and chargit thoght{is} ſufferans,
Nor neu{er} I {con}tinewite haith o day
With-out the payne of thoght{is} hard aſſay; 712
Thus goith my youth in tempeſt {and} penans.
[Sidenote: and is now in prison; and invokes Death.]
And now my body is In preſone broght;
But of my wo, that in Regard is noght, [Fol. 10.]
The wich myne hart felith euer more. 716
O deth, allace! whi hath yow me forbore
That of remed haith the ſo long beſoght!”
[Sidenote: Thus the smart of love’s sorrow pricketh him.
He is kept by her from the exercise of knighthood;
and there we let him dwell.]
Thus neu{er}emore he ſeſith to compleine,
This woful knyght that felith not bot peine; 720
So prekith hyme the ſmert of loues ſore,
And eu{er}y day encreſſith more and more.
And with this lady takine is alſo,
And kepit whar he may no whare go 724
To haunt knychthed, the wich he moſt deſirit;
And, thus his hart w{i}t{h} dowbil wo yfirite,
We lat hyme duel here with the lady ſtill,
Whar he haith laiſere for to compleine his fyll. 728
[Headnote: GALIOT BESIEGES A CASTLE.]
[Sidenote: Meanwhile, Galiot besieged a castle.]
++And galiot in this meyne tyme he laie
By ſtrong myght o caſtell to aſſay,
With many engyne and diu{er}ß wais ſere,
For of fute folk he had a gret powere 732
That bowis bur, and vther Inſtrument{is},
[Sidenote: His army had pavilions, tents, and iron-wheeled
chariots.]
And with them lede ther palȝonis {and} ther te{n}t{is},
With mony o ſtrong chariot and cher
With yrne qwhelis and barris long {and} ſqwar; 736
Well ſtuffit with al maner apparell
That longith to o ſege or to batell;
Whar-with his oſt was cloſit al about,
That of no ſtrenth nedith hyme to dout. 740
[Sidenote: When he heard of Arthur’s coming,]
And when he hard the cu{m}yne of the king,
And of his oſt, and of his gaderyng,
The wich he reput but of febil myght
Ayanis hyme for to ſuſten the ficht, 744
His conſell holl aſſemblit he, but were,
[Sidenote: he assembled his council,]
Ten knight{is} with other lord{is} ſere,
And told theme of the cu{m}ing of the king,
And aſkit them there conſell of that thing. 748
[Sidenote: who thought it would degrade him, to fight in proper
person against so few.]
Hyme thoght that it his worſchip wold degrade,
If he hyme ſelf in p{ro}pir p{er}ſone raide
Enarmyt ayane ſo few menye
As It was told arthur[{is}] fore to bee; 752
And thane the kyng-An-hund{er}eth-kny{ch}t{is} cold,
(And ſo he hot, for neu{er}more he wolde
Ryd of his lond, but In his cu{m}pany
O hundyre knyght{is} ful of chiuellry). 756
[Headnote: PREPARATION FOR THE BATTLE.]
[Sidenote: The king of a hundred knights (Maleginis) undertakes
the exploit;]
He ſaith, “shir, ande I one hond [may] tak, [Fol. 10b.]
If It you pleß, this Iorney ſhal I mak.”
Quod galiot, “I grant It yow, but ye
Shal firſt go ryd, yone kny{ch}t{is} oſt {and} see.” 760
With-outen more he ridith our the plan,
And ſaw the oſt and is returnyd ayañ;
And callit them mo than he hade ſen, for why
He dred the reprefe of his cumpany. 764
[Sidenote: who reconnoitres Arthur’s host, and says it is 10,000
strong: whereon Galiot charges him to take the same number.]
And to his lord apone this wys ſaith hee,
“Shir, ten thouſand y ges them for to bee.”
And galiot haith chargit hyme to tak
Als fell folk, and for the feld hyme mak. 768
And ſo he doith and haith them wel Arayt;
Apone the morne his banaris war diſplayt.
++Up goth the trumpet{is} with the clariou{ni}s,
Ayaine the feld blawen furth ther ſownis, 772
[Sidenote: Galiot’s host set out.]
Furth goth this king w{i}t{h} al his oſt anon.
Be this the word wes to king arthur gone,
That knew no thing, nor wiſt of ther entent,
[Sidenote: Arthur’s host don their armour.]
But ſone his folk ar one to armys went; 776
But arthur by Report hard saye
[Sidenote: Arthur, hearing that Galiot is unarmed, will not arm
himself;]
How galiot non armys bur that day,
Wharfor he thoght of armys nor of ſheld
None wald he tak, nor mak hyme for the feld. 780
[Sidenote: but calls Gawane, and tells him how to order his
battalions.]
But gawane haith he clepit, was hyme by,
In qwhome Rignith the flour of cheuelry;
And told one what man{er}, and one what wyß
He ſhuld his batelles ordand and dewys; 784
Beſeching hyme, [hyme] wiſly to for-see
Aȝaine thei folk, wich was far mo than hee.
He knew the charg and paſſith one his way
Furth to his horß, and makith no dulay; 788
The clariou{n}is blew and furth goth al onoñ,
[Sidenote: Gawane and his men cross over the water at the ford.]
And our ye watt{er} and the furd ar goñe.
[Headnote: GAWANE HARANGUES HIS MEN.]
Within o playne vpone that other ſyd
Ther gawan gon his batellis to dewide, 792
As he wel couth, and set them i{n} aray,
Syne with o manly contynans can ſay,
[Sidenote: He harangues his men.]
“Ye falowis wich of the round table beñ,
Through al this erth whois fam is hard {and} ſen, 796
Reme{m}brith now It ſtondith one the poynt,
For why It lyith one your ſperis poynt,[T17]
The well-fare of the king and of our londe; [Fol. 11.]
And ſen the ſucour lyith in your honde, 800
And hardement is thing ſhall moſt awaill
Frome deth ther men of armys in bataill,
Lat now your ma{n}hed and your hie curage
The pryd of al thir multitu
Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/36848