Romance Seminar \ THE OLD FRENCH GRAIL ROMANCE PERLESVAUS A STUDY OF ITS PRINCIPAL SOURCES PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, 1899 COLUMBIA UNIVEKSITY BALTIMORE JOHN MURPHY COMPANY igoa COEKECTIONS. P. 2, line 23, before which insert a comma. P. 2, add note to 1. 23 : Seint Greed, part II, London, 1876. P. 3, note 4, add comma after text. P. 9, 1. 11, for text read texts. P. 18, 1. 22, for reprinted read printed. P. 25, 1. 24, for show read shows. P. 27, 1. 16, omit comma at the end of the line. P. 36, lines 18 and 26, for Glapissante read glapissante. P. 37, 1. 9, after Perceval omit period. P. 38, L 17, /or would read aAouM. P. 44, 1. 13, after called insert a comma. P. 49, 1. 1 0, after castle insert a comma. P. 52, note, for only mentions read mentions only. P. 67, note 4, 1. 22, omit of after or. P. 68, 1. 16, for continuation read Continuation. P. 73, 1. 13, omit comma after version. P. 73, note 2, for continuation read Continuation. P. 75, second line from the bottom, red poni for pout. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. PREFACE v INTRODUCTION 1 EXAMINATION OF THE MSS 3 The Additional Matter found in MSS. O and P 9 On the Relation of the Manuscripts 15 LITERATURE CONNECTED WITH THE PERLESVAUS 20 Previous Views on the Perlesvaus 20 Discussion of the Above Views 35 RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERLESVAUS TO CRESTIEN'S PERCEVAL 43 The General Plan of the Perlesvaus 43 Comparison of the Versions of the Grail Episode 48 Relation of the Versions to Each Other 54 Origin of the Chessboard Story in Perlesvaus 59 Other Agreements with Crestien's Poem 61 RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERLESVAUS TO THE CONTINUATIONS OF THE PERCEVAL 66 a. Pseudo-Gautier 66 b. Gautier 73 c. Manessier 78 d. Gerbert 87 THE DATE OF THE PERLESVAUS 99 CONCLUSIONS 102 APPENDIX : I. Text 106 II. Genealogy of the Grail Family 110 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ill LIFE . . 115 PREFACE. This study is here published substantially as it was submitted to the Johns Hopkins University in 1899 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. A few changes have since been made in it, but these are mainly in matters of detail. A more thorough revision, for which I did not have time, would doubtlessly have gone far to improve it. I trust, however, that the results it contains will be none the less evident because they are not always presented in the best possible form. The subject of the investigation was suggested to me by Pro- fessor F. M. Warren of Yale University. To him I am indebted for many valuable suggestions. My thanks are also due the heads of several great libraries of Europe for various courtesies and for much timely assistance. In this regard, I am under special obligations to Mr. Nicholson of the Bodleian Library and to M. Macon, the librarian of the memorable Due d'Aumale. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, June 1st, 1902. INTRODUCTION. The Old French romance, Perlesvaus^ with which the following pages deal, was published in 1866 in conjunction with the Perceval of Crestien de Troyes. Since the date of its publication, the work has several times been the object of more or less fruitful discussion. The past investigation on the subject, however, has been limited merely to the bearing the romance has on questions relating to the Holy Grail. The Perlesvaus, it seems, has shared the fate of most Grail works in that its importance for the history of the Grail legend has for the time being overshadowed the interest in the work itself. While several permanent contributions have been made with respect to parts of the romance, there has been thus far no independent attempt to learn definitely the origin and the nature of the work. The need then of a special study of the Perlesvaus will be readily admitted. Certainly, the romance is of sufficient importance as a Grail work to justify such an undertaking; moreover, aside from its connection with the Grail legend it possesses a peculiar interest as one of the earliest examples of French literary prose. Conse- quently, if the Perlesvaus is, as it has been held to be, chiefly a compilation from other contemporary works, the first step in the further study of it is to ascertain from what particular sources it was compiled. At the same time the question of the extent and nature of the indebtedness to these sources should be considered. It is with a view to the partial settlement of these two questions : the particular sources of the Perlesvaus and the relation of the romance to these sources, that the present study is made. The previous studies dealing with the work serve as a starting- point for the investigation in hand. A review of this literature 1 Perceval le Oallois ou le Conle du Qraal. Premiere partie : le roman en prose. Ch. Potvin, MODS, 1866. 1 2 A Study of the Perlesvaus. will be made in order to indicate the results thus far reached by- writers on the subject and to determine what special points are still open to discussion. This method will define largely the course of the present study. As to the limits of the study, it was at first planned to take account of most of the sources of the Perlesvaus, the order in which the sources were to be treated being as far as possible according to their relative importance. That is, those works were to be considered first to which the Perlesvaus appeared to be most closely related ; those were to be considered next with which it showed less connection ; and so on, as its affinity with the works in question diminished. For so full a treatment, however, more time and space would have been necessary than could be given to the study. Accordingly the relationship of the romance only to its more important sources will be considered here. The present inquiry, however, had necessarily to be preceded by an examination of the MSS. of the Perlesvaus. The modern edition of the romance was published by Potvin from a single MS. in the Bibliotheque de Bourgogne at Brussels, though variants were also given from a Bern MS. which contains two fragments of the work. Since the publication of Potvin's edition, however, five additional MSS. have come to light containing the Perlesvaus in some form or other; and in 1876 the Rev. Robert Williams edited a Welsh translation (with a Modern English rendition by himself) which M. Gaston Paris ascribes to a better French text than that of Potvin's MS. The necessity is thus apparent of considering first this additional MS. material before proceeding to the study of the work. Three of the MSS. unknown to Potvin (which are virtually two as the third is a late copy of the second) are in Paris, a fourth is in Chantilly, and a fifth at Oxford. The present writer has made a somewhat detailed examination of these MSS. and has also partially verified the Potvin text according to the Brussels MS. ; the results of this examination will be found in the following pages. EXAMINATION OF THE MSS. The MS. at Brussels l being that from which the Perksvaus is to- day known was made the basis of the following examination of the MSS. as well as of the study proper of the romance. As Potvin gave details concerning this MS., 2 1 shall not give a description of it here. For those that are interested in the text, it may be said that the editor did not quite retain the physiognomy, as he ex- presses it, of the MS. ; several changes have been introduced into the text which are not mentioned among the editor's proposed cor- rections. 3 Although I do not know to what extent these changes were made, yet those that I have found are slight and merely improve the text. 4 As a rule Potvin gives a faithful copy of the MS. Besides being separated into branches, the romance in the Brus- sels MS. (B) is divided into paragraphs or chapters: these divi- sions Potvin reproduces from the MS. The average length of the paragraph is less than a page of print (octavo), the longest being over four pages and the shortest seven lines. The chief aim in -examining the other MSS. of the romance was to see in what respects they differ from B as regards contents. But owing to the limited time at my disposal it was impossible to collate thoroughly, word for word, the Potvin text with the other five MSS. Hence the following plan was pursued : the opening lines of each Potvin paragraph were carefully compared with the corresponding passage in each of the other MSS., in the same way the last few lines of each paragraph were compared, and where the paragraph was too long it was split up into sections and a similar comparison was made. l BMiothlque de Bourgogne, 11, 145. 2 Op. cit., p. 354. *Ibid., p. 358. For instances, cf. ff. 74 c., 76 b., 77 a. * Cf. f. 74 c., the MS. reads : que nos meslre de nos metriez nostre chief en autretel abon bandomme. Potvin leaves out the italicized words but without mentioning the omission. The MS. is evidently a copy of a poor text as the italicized words show. 3 4 A Study of the Perlesvaus. The following is a detailed account of the variants from B thu* found together with a description of the individual MSS. Hatton 82 (0) : This MS., 1 in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, was first mentioned by Stengel in his edition of Durmart le Galois. 2 He again refers to it in the Rivista di Filologia Romanza?, in con- nection with a MS. of the Perceval of Crestien de Troyes. There he says in part : " Questo codice del secolo XIII, e consta di ff. 87 in foglio piccolo, ciascuna pagina divisa in due colonne . . . non v'ha dubbio che il testo del codice Hatton assai migliore di quello del cod. del sign. Potvin. Notero inoltre che le varianti che egli trassi del cod. Bernese ed inseri nella sua edizione ne sono tutte ne setnpre esatte." The MS. is in vellum and is well preserved. The folios have four columns of 47 lines each. Beginning with the text, there are 88 ff. and not as Stengel states 87. The handwriting of the MS. appears to be of about the middle of the thirteenth century. Above the text f. 1 a, there are two superscriptions, the one above the other. The first or upper one, in ordinary cursive writing, reads : Le seint Genert Le liure Sire . . . Alayn. The second or lower one is the superscription proper : Le seint Graal, le liuer sire Brian fiz Alayn. As to these superscriptions, Mr. Nicholson, the librarian of the Bodleian, thinks the upper one cannot be earlier than the sixteenth century, possibly even, it is of the seventeenth. The superscription proper, he holds, is of the first half of the fourteenth century, or of the very end of the thirteenth century. It is practically certain that it is not in the same handwriting as the body of the text, which is undoubtedly of the thirteenth century. An indication of this last fact is that the capitals are omitted throughout the text, leaving space for the illuminated capitals that were never inserted; thus, it is probable, too, that the scribe left the title for the illuminator. Still on f. 1 a the scribe of the lower superscrip- tion has supplied one capital (namely, L) in the same ink and style as the superscription itself. The Hatton MS. came into the 1 These MSS. are treated in the order of their importance. *SluUg. lilt. Verein, vol. cxvi. *i, 192. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 5 Bodleian library about 1620, which may be taken as a broad terminus ad quern for both superscriptions as neither of them was written after that date. The MS. begins, just as B, with : L'estoires du saintisme vessel que on apele Graal o quel li pr.ecieus sans au sauueeur, etc. It ends : Id fuut li saitismes cotes du graal. Josephes par cui il est en ramebrance done la beneicon nre seigneur atoz cex qui lentedent 7 qui loneurent. li latins de cui cist estoires fu tretiez en romdz. en lille daualon en une sainte meson de religion qui siet au chief del mares auenturex. la o li rois artuz 1 la roine gisent. par le tesmoignage des preudomes religieus qui la dedez sont qui tote lestoire en ont uraie des le qmecement desqen la fin. The last fifteen lines of B are not found in this MS. 1 The MS. differs from B in the following respects : At f. 50 b (Pot., p. 212, 1. 4), after the word abeissa, the text -continues at once, without any seeming interruption, with the next paragraph in Potvin, beginning : atant es-voz; that is, an omission of eleven lines is made. The word devisse, on f. 57 c (Pot., p. 238, 1. 11), is followed by a passage, 2 covering about three columns in the MS., for which there is no equivalent in B. B. 2V. /. 1428. (JP) : A full description of this MS. is given by Wechssler. 3 I am indebted to him for part of the account I give here, which, however, I have verified. The MS. is wrongly designated in the Catalogue des manuscrits frangais I, ancienfonds* as Saint Graal. Wechssler says : " P. Paris hat jedoch ihren eigenartigen Inhalt bereits erkannt. Es findet sich vorn von seiner Hand, die mir durch Eintragung als solche bekannt ist, folgende Bemerkung : Le roman de Perlesvaus ou Perceval qui semble avoir 1 Divisions of the text into branches occur at the following places in the MS. : f. 5 d (= Pot., p. 23), f. 8 a (= Pot., p. 35), f. 10 c (= Pot., p. 48), f. 13 d (= Pot., p. 59), f. 16 b (= Pot., p. 71), f. 24 d (= Pot., p. 105), f. 28 d (= Pot., p. 121), f. 45 c (= Pot. p. 187), f. 60 d (= Pot., p. 248), f. 75 b (= Pot., p. 301 ). * Cf. appendix for a copy of this passage. 3 Zfrp. xx, 80. 4 Paris, 1868, p. 224. 6 A Study of the Perlesvaus. et remanU pour devenir celui de Perceval le Gallois. 11 a et imprimS a la suite du St. Graal sous le litre Le second volume du St. Graal contenant la conqueste. ... St. Graal f aide par Lance lot Galaad Perceval Sohort. Paris Galiot du Pre 1516, petit in fo. P. Paris hat das Werk also bereits mit einera Drucke identi- fiziert: das ist das wesentliche an der im uebrigen nicht recht klaren Notiz." The MS. is carefully written and consists of 158 ff., with four columns of forty lines each to a folio. It is bound in brown leather, and on the back is inscribed, Roman des Chevaliers de la table ronde. Wechssler ascribes it to the thirteenth century. As the writing is rather pale and there are no miniatures, it was probably written during the second third of that century, perhaps about 1240. The beginning and end of the MS. are lost. On f. 1 a, a more recent scribe has put : S" r greal . . . Romant de m+ gauuin . . . MCCCXIIL The text begins with (Pot., p. 21, 1. 14) : uient socorre et lifrere au ch'r ueirmeil q*l ocist en la forest, etc. It ends (Pot., p. 340, 1. 16) : pRl' senuait qme cil qi est en grant desirrier daqplir son afaire 7 molt couoite le raler el chastel la ou la chaene dor saparut a lui. Jcar il ne vit onqs mais manoir q' tant li pleust. II atant chevauchie q'l est ven' en la diver. 1 A number of apparent breaks are found in the text which are probably due to the fact that the folios were shifted when the MS. was bound. They occur at intervals from f. 48 down through f. 53; but with a little care the reader can readjust the folios for himself. There are, however, two genuine gaps in the MS. The one is between ff. 46 and 47 and corresponds to Pot. pp. 123 and 124, and the other between ff. 50 and 51, corresponding to Pot. pp. 133 and 134. As two pages of text in Potvin would be equivalent to about one folio of P, it is likely that in each of these cases a folio was lost from the MS. 1 New branches begin at the following places : f . 1 d (Pot., p. 23), f . 6 b (Pot. t p. 35), f. 11 c (Pot., p. 48), f. 17 a (Pot., p. 59), f. 22 c (Pot., p. 71), f. 33 b (Pot., p. 94), f. 38a (Pot., p. 105), f. 46 b (Pot., p. 121), f. 78c: une des maistres branches dtl graal (Pot., p. 187), f. 109 d (Pot., p. 248), f. 137 c (Pot., p. 301 }. A Study of the. Perlesvaus. 7 Chantilly JMES. (C) : This version of the Perlesvaus is a part of the famous MS. in the private library of the Due d'Aumale (which now belongs to the Institute of France) at Chautilly, France. Gaston Paris called attention to the version in the Romania. 1 I had access to the MS. in the summer of 1896. It is catalogued as no. 626 (XIV H ) and our romance extends from f. 214 recto to f. 243 verso ; thus, the version covers only 177 pages or about one-half of the Potvin text. The MS. is bound in leather ; on the back we read : La Conoiss de Toutes Choses 1250. The index mentions the Perlesvaus as, Li estore del Graal (en prose), whereas the superscription itself (f. 214) reads : La Queste du Saint Graal. The version agrees with B as far as it goes. It breaks off suddenly with : ensi auons nos tot perdu secest uoirs car madame ma mere na respit desire en son eastiel q dusq u vne quin- salne(Pot., p. 178,1. 17). 2 B. N. /. 120 (G), (Arsenal MS. 3480): Wechssler 3 has mentioned that the beginning of the Perlesvaus, as far as the return of Arthur to his court, occurs in these two MSS. of the Graal- Lancelot Cycle. In ffr. 120 the fragment is found from if. 520 a 522 d ; it there constitutes the beginning of the third book of the Prose Lancelot or, more specifically, of the Quete. The text of the fragment is in substantial agreement with that of B as far as Pot., p. 19 (f. 522 b), where Arthur is told about Perceval. Instead of the reading which then follows in B : il fu fiuz Vilein le gros des vans de Kamaaloth, et est apeles Perlesvax, G has : il est nepueu du roy pellefiz de lafille du roy peschour ; that is, Galaad is the hero of the story in G and not Perceval. Accordingly too, the account of Perceval's boy- hood, which is thereupon related in B, is lacking entirely in G which goes on at once with Pot., p. 21, 1. 18 : Sire or vos ai-je dit, etc. These changes, of course, were made in G in order to make 1 xxn, 296 ; cf. also Wechssler, I. c. 2 At the following places in the MS. there are indications of new divisions (branches) of the subject : f. 217 b (Pot., p. 23), f. 218 a (Pot., p. 35), f. 220 a (Pot., p. 48), f. 222 a (Pot., p. 59), f. 224 b (Pot., p. 71), f. 230 c (Pot., p. 105) f. 232 d (Pot., p. 121). /. c. 8 A Study of the Perlesvaus. this excerpt from Perlesvaus agree with the account in the Quete. The excerpt ends with Pot., p. 24, 1. 7 : et revindrent a la cort a grant esploit. The Arsenal MS. (3480) is according to Wechssler a copy of G, and the extract from the Perlesvaus found in it is practically identical with that in the latter MS. From the foregoing we see that MS. O is the fullest version of the Perlesvaus extant. Save for the lack of eleven lines (f. 50 b, corresponding to Pot., p. 212, 11. 4-15) and the last fifteen lines, it comprises all of MS. B, and, in addition, a complete version of the episode of the Cercle cTor, a portion only of which episode is found in MS. B. The fact that the aforesaid eleven lines are also omitted in the Welsh text may be of value in determining the relation of the Welsh version to O. From the point of view of completeness, the Brussels MS. and the Welsh text probably rank next in importance. Then follows MS. P. This MS., although it also possesses the complete version of the episode of the Cercle d'or, mentioned above, has suffered considerably. The beginning and the end are missing, and there are two gaps, a folio each in extent (between ff. 46 and 47 and between ff. 50 and 51), in the body of the MS. The last MS. of importance, outside of the Bern fragments, 1 is the Chantilly MS. It is to be regretted that little more than half of the Perlesvaus is covered by it, as the MS. is in such excellent condition. The fragment of the Perlesvaus in the MS. of the Graal-Lancelot Cycle is too short to be of much value. Nevertheless, it is inter- esting to note how the author of this cycle used the introduction of our romance for his version of the Quete, in leaving out the story of Perceval's boyhood and making a substitution for his descent that answers verbatim the origin of Galaad, as given in the Quete. All of these MSS. resemble each other closely, and doubtlessly belong to the same redaction. In all of them the episodes follow in the same order and relate the same facts. Those of them that are incomplete suffered through external circumstances, such as 'Bern 113. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 9 rough handling after being written, and seldom through conscious alteration by scribes. Thus, what is missing in MS. B. can be supplied from the other MSS. THE ADDITIONAL MATTER FOUND IN MSS. O AND P. Pot., p. 235 ff., is, in a way, a continuation of Ga wain's adven- ture with the two damsels of the Tent, related on pp. 6171. This episode is incomplete in B, and we must supply between the words devisse and li rois artus (p. 238, 1. 11) a passage from O or P 1 in order to complete it. The same episode is found in the Welsh version (W), and there the passage missing from B is also given in full, although the Welsh scribe, or the scribe of his source, cut the narrative severely toward the end of the episode. The episode may be called that of the Cercle d'or. An English synopsis by me of the Welsh and Potvin text will be found in the ensuing pages. When the two disagree, I point out in what the disagreement consists. Where the omission occurs in B, it was supplied from O or P ; the versions in these two MSS. were reduced to one version, as the story in both is the same. Arthur and Gawain, riding in search of Lancelot, meet a knight from the land of the Cercle d'or. The knight tells them that the queen of that country, whose vassal he is, is in great distress because she has been robbed of the famous Cercle d'or, which Perceval gave her after he had won it from the Chevalier au dragon (Nabiganz). The Cercle is now offered as the prize of a tournament which will be held near the Tent where Gawain removed the Evil Custom. The knight says that Nabiganz is on his way thither to win it back. After parting with the knight the King and Gawain go to the Tent, which they find furnished as Gawain had found it on his previous 2 visit. They at once make use of all the comforts of the Tent ; wherefore, however, they are reproached soon after by the two damsels to whom the tent belongs. The older of the damsels, particularly, is angry with Gawain for having previously spurned 1 Cf. above. * Pot., p. 66. 10 A Study of the Perlesvaus. her love. Gawain seeks to excuse his present conduct by saying that since the Evil Custom has ceased the Tent should be open to all knights. The visitors are then told that the tournament for which they have come will last three days. The younger damsel begs Arthur to be her knight in the tournament. As a mark of courtesy, Arthur agrees to her request, but, to conceal his identity, he calls himself Arthur of Tincarduel. The next day, which is the time set for the tournament, the older damsel obtains Gawain's promise to fight for her. She stipulates, however, that he is not to let anyone know who he is; for this reason she gives him a suit of red armor. The color of Arthur's armor, which is given him by the younger damsel, is gold. Meantime the bearer of the Cercle d'or has arrived at the Tent r as well as Nabiganz and many other knights ; the ranks are then drawn up for combat (I'asanblee estoit devisse). [O and P.] Before the jousts begin the younger damsel exhorts Arthur to use his arms well in her behalf, as they are the handsomest and best of any. Arthur says he relies on God to help him. The older damsel repeats her instructions to Gawain, adding that on his return he must be ready to do her pleasure. Gawain thanks her and then rides forth with Arthur, amidst the cheers of the damsels. On the field the two knights fight like lions. The horses of those whom they vanquish they send to the damsels. Gawain has an encounter with Nabiganz and unhorses him. Arthur is as brave as Gawain, so that none excell the pair. When the tournament is called for the day, they are commonly admitted to be the victors. The other knights proclaim Gawain un mout bons chevaliers. At the Tent, the victorious knights are hailed with delight by the damsels and their dwarf. After eating Gawain and Arthur go straight to bed. In the morning the damsels come to their bedside. Now the older damsel reminds Gawain of a promise he recently gave the Roi de la Gale; to wit, to comply with the first A Study of the Perlesvaus. 11 request that any damsel should thereafter make of him. Thus she bids him be the worst knight that day at the tournament and wear his own armor so that all may recognize him. The king's armor on this day is azure. The knights line up, and the jousts are continued (li renc estoit devisse). [Pot.] Arthur is as valiant as on the first day. Gawain, however, yields to his opponents. When attacked by Nabiganz he draws under the shelter of Arthur's blows. His conduct, fills the King with shame. In the evening the dwarf of the damsels jeers at Gawain. The judges of the tourney do not know whom to proclaim victor as the Red Knight and the Gold Knight apparently were not present on the second day. To the King's advice to do better when the contest is resumed, Gawain replies that he must obey the damsel as long as he is in her power. 1 On the third and last day of the tournament Gawain and Arthur are allowed to go forth as they did on the first day, except that Gawain wears the gold armor and Arthur the red. Gawain is now as bold as ever, and conquers all his opponents; in a tilt with Nabiganz he strikes him from his horse. The King purposely holds back li contes dist so that Gawain may have the prize. Thus, when the tournament ends, the Gold Knight (Gawain) is declared to be the winner of the Cercle. The damsels joyously welcome Gawain, whom, however, no one has recognized because of the gold armor. The dwarf, who knows Gawain only from the fight on the second day, maintains that the Gold Knight is superior to Gawain, le Couart. At night the Damsels offer the King and Gawain favors but are rebuked and told to be virtuous. At this the damsels grow angry and plan to do them injury, but desist from this intent as Gawain has promised to restore the Cercle to the Queen of the Cercle d'or, the mistress of the damsels. Moreover, the damsels are satisfied that Gawain keeps his word. At daybreak the King and Gawain leave the Tent for further search of Lancelot. 2 1 The Welsh text breaks off here. a At this point the Welsh text resumes the narrative and continues parallel to the B version. 12 A Study of the Perlesvaus. From a perusal of this episode, which I have given thus at length, we see that it was added to the preceding one of the Tent as an evidence of Gawain's fidelity and courtesy. The story is filled with a spirit of self-denial. The tournament described lasts three days. On the first and third days Gawain (who is the important person) wears other armor than his own ; not being recognized by his opponents, his deeds cannot possibly redound to his personal glory. On the second day he is compelled as an outcome of a promise to put on his own armor and to play the part of a coward. When we consider Gawain's character in the romance the test is not an easy one for him to stand. Not only does it require considerable self-control for so valiant a knight as he, willingly to yield in the tournament, but the shame of the situation is increased by the fact that he is not allowed to retrieve his honor on the third day by fighting under his own name. Now, the story of the first day and of the beginning of the second day, on , which the damsel reminds Gawain of his promise, con- stitutes the passage wanting in B. 1 However, a few pages further on 2 we find an indication that such an account went before. What else should the author refer to by the words : Li chevalier distrent a leur ostiex cor ne savoient il qui doner le cercle d'or, puis que li chevaliers aux armes d'or, et oil aux armes vermeilles n'i estoient. Quar il furent li mielz feissant le premerein jor de Vasanblee, when only one day's tournament had been related ? Likewise, in the passage immediately preceding the combat, the damsel gives Gawain armes vermeilles, with the words : gardez qu'eles soient bien anploiies neje ne veuil que vos ne soiiez mie conneus aux armes. It is necessary to call attention here to another point in the later history of this episode. The episode is mentioned in Sir Frederick Madden's Syr Gawayne? though in connection with the Queste (Qaete) del Saint Graal. After a few remarks on the relation of the Quete to the Prose Lancelot, in which Madden says that Perceval, Gawayne, Lancelot and his son Galaad, are the knights celebrated in the Quete, the following occurs : " the exploits of Gawayne are marked (here) by singular love of peril, determination, valor, gen- 1 p. 238. * p. 239. 3 London, 1839 ; p. xix. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 13 erosity and courage. His adherence to the laws of knighthood is tried severely more than once, especially at the tournament against Nabigan de la Roche, 1 where, in consequence of a vow taken to grant the first request made of him, he is enjoined to act the part of a coward, and sustains unmoved the jeers of the assembly." 2 From this reference, and from the fact that no such episode as that mentioned by Madden occurs in Furnivall's edition or the Hengwrt MS. Quete, 3 it is obvious that Madden's idea of the Quete embraced several works and not the single romance which we designate by that name. The fact was mentioned before that Paulin Paris had identified the contents of MS. P with Le second volume du St. Graal, contenante la conqueste du . . . St. Graal faicte par lancelot, etc., Paris, galiot du Pre, 1516 petit in fo. Wechssler, too, 4 says the Perlesvaus and the Quete were published together in early texts. He cites an edition of 1523 by Philippe le Noir, Paris; 5 which contains the Livre del Graal, the Perlesvaus and the Quete. Moreover, the Welsh text follows the Quete in the Hengwrt MS. In the Paris library there are two incunabula containing the Perlesvaus. The one is the work referred to by P. Paris, 6 and the other is a later edition of this, bearing the date 1523 (nouuellement imprime a Paris, par Phelippe le noir libraire et relieur iure en Luniversite de Paris); that is, the edition which Wechssler knew. It is practically certain, therefore, that Mad- den's reference to Vol. II of a 1516 edition is the work which Paris had in mind, and that, by using the title of Queste (Quete) 1 The italics are mine. * For this episode Madden refers us in a note (op. cit., p. xix) to vol. u, f. 183, ed. 1516 (of the Quele). 3 The Welsh text. 4 1. c. 5 Though the title page of the 1516 edition mentions only the name of Galiot du Pre, the colophon adds that of Michd le Noir: nouuellement imprime a Paris, Par Jehan petit yaliol du pre et michel le noir Libraires demourans a Paris; cf. the title page which reads: lesqlz liures ne furent iamais imprimez iusques a present. 8 A number of copies from these two editions were sold at good prices between (he years 1784 and 1836. A list of these sales is given by Francisque Michel in the preface to his edition of the metrical Joseph (.Roman du St, Graal, Bor- deaux, 1841). 14 A Study of the Perlesvaus. for the whole work, Madden failed to distinguish between the Quete proper and the Perlesvaus. To revert to the episode of the Cercle d'or, we see clearly from the above that the portion missing from the Brussels MS. is essen- tial to the episode. An omission of this nature must have been due to accident. The episode, when originally committed to writing, was complete; hence the loss occurred through careless handling of a MS. It will be remembered that in MS. O the lost portion covers three columns, while in P it covers five. The relation in size of the three MSS. to one another is as follows : (a) O, 88 if., four columns, forty -seven lines. (6) P, 158 ff., four columns, forty lines. (c) B, 112ff., four columns, forty lines. It can be approximately calculated that if the missing passage covers three columns in O and five in P, it must have extended over about four columns in B. But four columns are equivalent to one folio. Then the problem would be solved if it could be shown that a folio had been lost from B. This, however, is not possible ; the missing passage could not have occupied one folio by itself in B., as the point where it would now have to be inserted * is not at the end of a folio, but in the middle of one. At this point, moreover, the scribe gives us no hint that he was aware of an omission. Nevertheless, we have every reason to believe that if a folio is not lost in the Brussels MS., such was the case with the MS. of which, I hold, it is a copy. The Brussels MS. seems to belong to the second half of the thirteenth century, 2 and between that date and the possible date of the composition of the romance 3 there is ample time to justify the assumption of other MSS. The text before the omission concludes with the words, I'asanblee estoit devisse, and the omitted portion itself ends, li renc estoit devisse; so that the text after the omission might be joined to either ending without an apparent break in the argument. The Brussels scribe did not find the latter ending (li renc estoit devisse), but not seeing any 1 Folio 76 a, thirteen lines from the bottom. 8 The writing is of the middle of the thirteenth century. 3 Cf. below. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 15 difficulty in passing from the folio ending I'asanblee estoit devisse to li rois Artus fieri des esperons, etc., it did not occur to him that a folio was missing. Strictly speaking, the Welsh text gives in full only the first day's combat, the instructions of the damsel as to how Gawain is to comport himself on the second day, and a brief account of how Gawain carried them out. The third day's tournament is not related. 1 ON THE RELATION OP THE MANUSCRIPTS. Allowing for the loss of a folio 2 from the body of the Welsh text, we may safely say that three of our MSS. have come down to us practically unchanged in form and matter since they were written. These are the MS. in the Brussels library, that at Oxford, and the Welsh text ; the last forming part of the so-called Hengwrt MS. In the circumstances, it is remarkable that each of these MSS. should end, if not in a different way, at least at a different place in the narrative. The Brussels MS. is the longest, going fifteen lines beyond MS. O. And the Welsh text (W) is the shortest, lacking the whole last branch except the description of how the Grail castle fell to the care of " two knights from Wales," after the Grail had been taken away and the place became enveloped in mystery, a description which gives the romance an ending without bringing in Perceval's visit to the island of the monks. The romance proper concludes with the words with which the Welsh text leaves off. MSS. O and B bestow the blessing of Joseph upon all who hear it, and say further that the Latin work from which it was translated into Romance was found in the isle of Avalon, 41 according to the testimony of the good religious men, who are there, and who have the entire story from the beginning unto the end." With this the Oxford text closes. B, however, adds: "After this follows the tale relating the union of Brians and 1 The relation of the Welsh text to the Oxford MS. I hope to bring out eventually in a separate publication. It is quite possible that the Welsh translator had difficulty in reading French and hence omitted the passages that were hard for him to translate. 'Namely, folio 177; cf. Rev. Kobt. Williams, op. cit., p. 615. 16 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Claudas against Arthur. How Galobrus of the Red Land came to the court to aid Lancelot, being of his lineage. This tale is long and full of adventure but the book will close now until some other time." Then, at the end : " The lord of Cambrai had this book written for the lord of Neel. Once before only it was trans- lated into Romance, but this (translation) is so old, one can hardly make out the letters. And may the lord Johan de Neele know that he must keep this tale pure nor ought it to be told to evil- thinking people, for a good thing that is spread among bad people is never recorded faithfully." The incunabula containing the Perlesvaus break off at the same point at which "W ends. The facts we learn from B : that the romance was translated once before and that the present copy was intended for the seigneur de Neele, are interesting, and the last one especially may be of use when we come to consider the question of authorship. For the present, it is sufficient to state that I know of no other refer- ence in any of the MSS., including MS. B, which leads one to believe that the romance, as we have it, was a second translation from the Latin. If all of the known French MSS. represented a second translation from the Latin, it is curious that the scribe of B should be the only one to mention the fact; and, moreover, why is it not noted in the body of the text ? A reference to it would have been very appropriate, for example on page 306 (Potvin) : Josephus nos dist, por I'escriture qui le nos recorde de quoi cist estoires fu traites de latin en roumanz, que nus ne doit estre en doutance que ces aventures avenissent a eel tans an la Grant Breteigneiet an tons les autres roiaumes. 1 On this point, P and C unfortunately throw no light. But it is of value to remember that a MS. was postulated as anterior to B, of which B was supposed to be a copy. Freymond 2 and Heinzel 3 presumably knowing the text of the Perlesvaus only as it is pub- lished, agree, from the ending, that the romance once formed part of a large cycle of romances. A conclusion of this sort is being reached with most all of the Arthurian prose-romances we possess. Heinzel thinks that the Perlesvaus was followed by a sort 1 Of. Potvin, op. cit., vol. I, p. 218. Cf. Zffup., xvil, 2. 3 Cf. below. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 17 of Lancelot in which the events of the other war against Arthur are found which the scribe of B did not have room to add. Could not our postulated MS. have been the Perlesvaus part of the cycle ? Then, the scribe of B (or of a MS. of which B is a faithful copy) 1 copied it and, in order to obtain credit and credence for the facts he narrated, he falsely claimed to have made a fresh translation from the Latin. Whether it is permissible to put faith in what he says about the illegibility of the first translation, which would belong to the cycle, is hard to say. The fact that he apparently detected no hitch in the episode of the Cerde d'or, when he copied it, might argue against such an assumption ; or was the folio really illegible, perhaps partially destroyed, and did the scribe of B attempt to palliate this defect so as to conceal his omission ? However that may be, since the other MSS. (O and "W) have a better version of the episode than the version in B, it is possible that they are nearer to the original text than B, which was an excerpt made from a cycle of romances for the seigneur de Neele. Thus, the Oxford group (W and O) might be derived from the MS. which was the original of the source of B. But no matter how far back we go, the fact remains that the Perlesvaw is not complete in itself but must have belonged to a cycle ; the wars of Arthur are not over, Claudas and Brians are still at large and overshadow the King's triumph. The only way in which we could suppose that the Perlesvaus began and ended where it now does would be to assume that the wars of Brians against Arthur were interpolated into it from some other romance. As yet we have no work to which they can conscientiously be traced. 2 The chief difficulty is that all the MSS. are so much alike that they cannot be grouped ac- cording to their points of disagreement. Doubtless, if they were carefully collated and the language of each were studied, much of the uncertainty would be removed. Thus far, how- 1 It may be necessary to postulate this intermediate stage, cf. below. * Cf., in addition to the references given by Heinzel ( Ueber die franzoesischen Gralromane, Wien, 1892), p. 177, Perceval, v. 33615 ffi, for a war between Arthur and Carras and Claudas. 18 A Study of the Perlesvaus. ever, a satisfactory showing of the MS. relations does not seem possible. At present the following points are deducible : (a) The dedication to Jean de Nesle is, as we have seen, found only in the Brussels MS., and as the Brussels MS. is not the original MS., this dedication does not appear to have been originally attached to the romance. (6) Hence no importance is to be given to the statement that this is a second translation from the Latin. Evidently, the original of the present form of the romance was not so regarded, but only the copy presented to Jean de Nesle. (c) The incunabula, which, by the way, possess the episode of the Cercle d'Or in full, probably owe their version of Per- lesvaus to MS. P. It could not have been taken from B for the very fact that B lacks the complete form of this episode. We cannot look upon O as its source, as the incunabula have the very distinctive ending of the Welsh text, which ending is quite different from that of O ; at the same time the Welsh text was not the source, 1 as it contains only a part of the episode of the Cercle d'Or. The incompleteness of C and of the Bern MS. speaks for itself. Moreover, it is natural to assume that the incunabula were reprinted from a MS. in the city of Paris. The form of P does not permit us to regard this MS. as a part of the cycle in which the Perlesvaus was originally incorporated; the Quete follows Perlesvaus in the incunabula, and we have no in- dication that it was substituted for a Lancelot (the romance which is thought to have followed the Perlesvaus in the cycle). The appearance of the Livre del Graal, Perlesvaus and Quete under one cover I consider to be an arrangement of the publisher, who, possibly, was led to it from a mercenary point of view. (d) If the incunabula thus partly represent the Paris MS., the conclusion of the latter can be supplied from them. This is said, with some reservation, as the sixteenth century publisher may have seen fit to change a point or two in the wording of his text, but 1 This, of course, leaves open the possibility that the incunabula were derived from the source of W ; it remains to be seen whether this source can be identified with P. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 19 the general agreement of his text, at the close, with W would serve to show that he did not depart here to any extent from his original. NOTE. A word seems appropriate here in reference to the fragments of the Perlesvaus in Berne 113, especially as Stengel says the variants given by Potvin " ne sono tutte ne sempre esatte." True as this may be, for Potvin does make mistakes, it is hardly possible that he overlooked any important variation in the narrative, as he collated the fragments word for word with his own text (cf. Potvin, op. cit., vol. i). Dr. E. C. Armstrong (of Johns Hopkins University) kindly went over these fragments for me in 1896 and found no interruption in the argument, showing that no serious omissions occur in the fragments themselves. LITERATURE CONNECTED WITH THE PERLESVAUS. In the main, the researches of previous writers with respect to the Perlesvaus cluster about the following points : (a) The nature and origin of the romance ; (6) The relationship of the romance to the other works of the Grail cycle ; (c) The affinity of the Perlesvaus with other literature than that included by (6) ; (d) The date of composition of the Perlesvaus ; (e) The derivation, date, etc., of the special text (MS. B.) pre- sented to Jean de Nesle. I shall state now in chronological order and with reference, as far as possible, to these five points, the views that have been brought forward concerning the romance ; then I shall take up these views- in the order in which they are stated and comment on them. PREVIOUS VIEWS ON THE PERLESVAUS. Although Sir Fred. Madden * and the Grimms 2 evidently knew the Perlesvaus from the incunabula in which it was published, the first writer to submit the romance to an examination was Ch. Pot- vin in the introduction to his edition of the Conte du Graal and Perlesvaus? According to Potvin the works of the Grail legend may be divided into three groups : I. Those previous to the eleventh century (either previously committed to writing or merely traceable in origin to a period l l. e. *Cf. Altdeutsehe Wadder, Vol. i, Cassel, 1813, p. 2. 1 Cf. above, p. 1. 20 A Study of the Perlesvaus. 21 previous to 1000 A. D.), which represent national legends of the conquered Britons ; II. Those of the eleventh century, representing the introduction of Christianity into Britain and the rise of a church militant spirit ; III. Those of the twelfth century, which culminate in the chiv- alric epic. The Perlesvaus belongs to the second group and owes its origin (a) to the religious dissentions in England between the Saxons, converts to Roman Christianity, and the Britons, adher- ents of the heretic Irish Church. The Grail and the Lance, we are told, were originally the national emblems of the Britons. As such they were cherished even after the Britons had accepted Christianity from the Irish. Finally, through the influence of St. Augustine and his followers, they were identified with Christian relics (those of Calvary), and thus they became symbols of the Church. In the Perlesvaus, they are the special insignia of the true faith and the bone of contention between Saxon and British Christians. The theme of the romance is clearly indicated in the words : effacer la mauvaise loi et exhausser la loi nouvelle ; l Perceval is the champion of the true faith, and his mission is to overcome and convert the infidels ; viz., the heretic Britons. Many of the distinguishing features of the romance are ex- plained in the light of this mission : the chastity and austerity of the hero (Perceval), the absence of love scenes, the wars of massacre and ruin, the pitiless treatment of the vanquished, etc. As regards the second point (6), Potvin classes the Perlesvaus with the Grand St. Graal and the Prose Merlin on account of its religious trend and the type of adventures it relates. He thinks the Grand St. Graal and the Prose Merlin, although composed late, are much akin in spirit to the groundwork of the Grail legend. It would thus seem to Potvin that there once existed a Grail cycle which had three parts, as follows : (1) Graal, which related the origin of the relic ; (2) Merlin, celebrating the national struggle of the Britons against the Romans and early Saxons ; (3) Perceval, depicting the civil war for religion and the triumph of Christianity. The Quete, which agrees with the Perlesvaus in also haying three heroes but only one perfect knight (Galaad), was not a source 1 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 16. 22 A Study of the Perlesvaus. of the Perlesvaus but rather itself modelled upon our romance- The reasons given for this conclusion are : that in the r6le of a Grail hero, Perceval antedates Galaad ; that Lancelot in the Quete is unfaithful to his traditional love for Guenevere; and that Galaad's illegitimate birth and his spotless life (in the Quete) are contradictions which one would not expect to find in an early treatment of the Grail legend. The Perceval (Conte du Graal) Potvin places in the third period of the development of Grail works. The Norman conquest effected by degrees the transforma- tion of the ecclesiastical romances into the epic of chivalry, and in the hands of the court poet, Crestien de Troyes, the Perlesvaus or, at any rate, materials from it, took shape as the Perceval. The third point (c) Potvin does not consider. As for (d), it has already been mentioned that Potvin places the composition of the romance in the eleventh century. The author's (sc. the scribe of B) word may be accepted that the work was fashioned after an old Latin book, written by Joseph, le bon clerc, which had been previously translated into French. 1 This translation, Potvin assumes, was made at the time when Hildebrand was striving for the rights of the church and the celibacy of the clergy ; that is, a short while after the Latin original was composed, during the eleventh century. Our present copy (e) the bishop of Cambrai had made for Jean de Nesle, castellan of Bruges, in the hope of arousing interest in the crusades. Villehardouin puts Jean de Nesle among those who took the cross in 1200; Rudolfus de Niceto makes the castellan of Bruges and the bishop of Cambrai appear in 1189 before St. John of Acre. This copy, Potvin argues, was thus made toward the end of the twelfth century. In sub- stance, however, it is similar to the lost Latin version, and the spirit of the work contrasts markedly with that of Crestien's poem. The next writer to consider the Perlesvaus was M. Hucher in connection with one of the prose texts which he edited in 1875. 2 The sura of his remarks in regard to the work is that it is not based on the Didot-Perceval (the text he is editing), and that, although containing a few traces of Crestien's Perceval, it is largely an original 1 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 306. 1 Cf. E. Hucher : Le Saint Qraal ou Le Joseph d'Arimathie, Paris, 1875, Vol. I, p. 377. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 23 production. Zarnke, who in 1876 made the first systematic survey of the Grail cycle, has scarcely more than Hucher to say concerning the work. 1 He gives the following grouping of the romances of the Grail cycle: (1) Joseph of Robert de Borron ; (2) Grand St. Graal; (3) Quete ; (4) Perceval; (5) Continuations of the Perce- val; (6) Didot-Perceval ; (7) Perlesvaus. The Perlesvaus is put last because the narrative of the romance (die fabel) presupposes the Perceval of Crestien, and the fact that the work is ascribed to an angel shows the influence of the other romances of the cycle. More elaborate views than any of those I have mentioned, appeared a year later (1877) in the well-known treatise on the Grail-legend by Zarnke's pupil, Birch-Hirschfeld. 2 In regard to (a), this writer is of the opinion that the work belongs to a class of French romances whose authors tried to satisfy their readers with a hap-hazard succession of adventures. It is admitted, however, that the Grail forms the center of interest, and that the action is placed to a certain extent about the quest of the Grail. The second point (6) is treated at considerable length, and forms really the burden of Birch-Hirschfeld's investigation of the subject. The Perlesvaus is not one of the earliest Grail romances, for two main reasons : the Perceval of Crestien must be assumed as antecedent to it ; 3 the disconnected references in it to the Early History 4 of the Grail show that the author was acquainted with a work in which that particular phase of the legend was treated in full. The following borrowings from the Perceval are claimed : (1) The inquiry of the boy Perceval about knights. 5 (2) His departure on the day following this inquiry : Quant vint Pendemain la matinee, li vallez se leva et oi les oisiaus chanter, et se panssa qu'il iroit deduire an la forest par le jour qui biaus estoit, Compare with this Crestien. 6 Et cil oisel en lor latin Docement content au matin. 1 Cf. Paul and Braune's Beitraeye, Vol. III. 'Die Sage vom Oral, Leipzig, 1877, ch. 4. 1 Cf. below for proofs. 4 Cf. Nutt, Studies on the Legend of the Holy Grail, London, 1888 ; p. 65. 6 Potvin, op. tit., Vol. i, p. 20. V. 1285. 24 A Study of the Perlesvaus. (3) Perceval monta sor un des chaceors son pere et porta ses gave(r}los comme galois. Compare Crestien : * De Galois fu appareillies ; and Ses gaverlois en vot porter. 2 (4) Perceval's meeting with two knights, the one in red armor, the other in white ; the death of the red knight (chevalier vermeil). Cf. the Red Knight episode in the Perceval. (5) The education of the boy in solitude and his utter ignorance of knighthood ; incidents which are out of place in Perlesvaus as the hero's father is still living when he leaves home. (6) The fact that the chief characters are not given their real names but are known by appellativa instead ; as, la veve dame, li fiuz la veve dame. 3 All additional agreements which are found between the Perceval and our romance can thus be explained by the fact that the latter work is dependent on the former. The numerous allusions in Perlesvaus to a former visit of Perceval to the Grail Castle are best explained in this manner. 4 The Continuations of Crestien's poem are also set down as prior to our work. Such, according to Birch-Hirschfeld, is certainly the case with those of Gautier (Gautier here includes Pseudo- Gautier) and Manessier, and probably the Continuation of Ger- bert. To Gautier the Perlesvaus is indebted for: (1) the story of the knight whom Lancelot is forced to behead ; (2) the wonderful game of chess ; (3) the hound awaiting Perceval at the Grail Castle ; (4) the figure of the white stag on Perceval's shield. The episode of the Craven Knight (Chevalier Couart) must be derived from the Continuation of Manessier, that of the Dragon Knight (Chevalier au Dragon) from the Continuation of Gerbert. Birch-Hirschfeld observes that in general the episodes taken from these two continuators are found classed together in Perlesvaus. He thinks that the story of the Beste glapissante and that of the Priests and the Cross also came from the Gerbert Continuation, though the author of the Perlesvaus reversed the sequence of the l v. 1797. v . 1801. 1 These names show that the hero's father died in the course of the story. 4 Birch-Hirschfeld thinks that the Lance was not originally connected with the Grail, Crestien having first placed them together. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 25 stories (that is, Priests and Cross, Beste glapissante) and made them practically one story by changing the allegory. In Gerbert, the noisy young of the Beste are those who disturb the church (= mother) service by talking. We can scarcely expect to find in the prose work, he says, this satirical allusion to circumstances of Gerbert's own lifetime. Here the allegory refers to Christ and the twelve tribes of the Jews, with which meaning it is hard to reconcile the noisiness of the young. More- over, the Beste in the romance seeks refuge at the cross because the above change of allegory necessitated the union of the Beste story with that of the Priests and the Cross. On the other hand, the German critic sees no valid reason why, if Gerbert had found these stories united, he should have separated them and changed their order. A further sign that our romance is indebted to the works in question is seen in the fact that the versions it contains of the above incidents and stories differ in a uniform way from the other versions mentioned. In every case the Perlesvaus version lacks the clearness and force of the corresponding version in the Perceval. It is thus obvious to Birch-Hirschfeld that Crestien and his con- tinuators did not make use of the Perlesvaus since one cannot assume that each of these authors would have treated the same source in just the same way. The general obscureness of the Per- lesvaus versions, however, show that they are not direct copies, but only "reminiscences" of the Perceval versions. Furthermore, the Quete and the Grand St. Graal are claimed as probable sources of the romance. Among the evidences of the Quete in it, are : (1) The white shield with the red cross, which is brought to the court at Pannenoiseuse, 1 to be called for by Perceval ; cf. in the Quete, the shield intended for Galaad. (2) Perceval is destined to open a tomb and behold a dead knight in full armor; 2 cf. Galaad raises the slab of a tomb and finds an armed knight beneath. 1 Birch-Hirschfeld (p. 141) says Kamaalot, but this is a mistake ; cf. Potvin, op. &., Vol. i, pp. 26 and 140. ' Cf. Potvin, op. cil., Vol. I, p. 179. 26 A Study of the Perlesvaus. (3) Perceval's uncle is called Pelles ; cf. the Fisher King in the Quete has the same name. (4) The ship in which Perceval goes to various islands reminds one of Galaad's ship. (5) The Perlesvaus closes with Perceval's departure from Great Britain in this ship never to return ; cf. the conclusion of the Quete, where Galaad leaves in like manner with the corpse of Perceval's sister. (6) Lancelot is a Grail seeker; cf. the Quete. (7) Lancelot's guilty love for the Queen is the cause of his not seeing the Grail and the subject of several sermons; likewise in the Quete. But the dependence of the Perlesvaus on the Grand St. Graal is hard to prove. 1 The name Joseph, the fact that he is the first to celebrate mass, and dictation by an angel claimed as the source of the story, are traits which suggest the Grand St. Graal. Further, Perceval's zeal to convert the heathen at any cost is consistent with the spirit of the Grand St. Graal. The tone of the Perlesvaus associates it most with the Quete : the hero is of the ascetic type and we miss the treatment of love common to many Arthurian romances. Even Gawain is exemplary in this respect, the author evidently wishing to oppose the worldliness of Crestien's heroes. The objection that the central figure of the Quete, Galaad, is not even mentioned is anticipated by the statement that " this last independent attempt at a Grail romance" reinstated Perceval in his former rights because the author realized him to be the traditional Grail seeker. To support this statement Birch -Hi rschf eld cites the claim of our author that he is giving oldest and most reliable account of the Grail. 2 Nevertheless, the author of the Perlesvaus was not servile to his models ; he changed his material freely to suit his own tastes. The character of the sick king (Fisher King), for instance, who expects to be healed by the Grail knight, has undergone altera- tion. Here his illness is brought on by the failure of Perceval to 1 Birch-Hirschfeld, however, argues thai an author so well versed in Grail works as the writer of Perlesvaus could not have been ignorant of the Grand St. QraaL *Cf. Potvin, op. ciL, Vol. i, p. 219. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 27 ask the question concerning the Grail, and his wish to see his nephew, the Grail knight, is not fulfilled. The nature of these changes, however, is thoroughly in keeping with the fact that the Perlesvaus is the latest work of the Grail cycle. As for the date when it was composed (d), Birch-Hirschfeld makes no distinction between this and (e), the date of the special text given to Jean de Nesle. Accordingly, he is of the opinion that the Perlesvaus was composed after Gerbert wrote his Con- tinuation ; that is, in the second quarter of the thirteenth century. The Jean de Nesle mentioned in the text (B) is not the person by this name that died before Acre in 1187, but rather the one who sold his castellany to the countess of Flanders in 1225; hence the omission of the title chatelain in the text. Concerning (c), the German scholar has nothing to say. Curiously enough, while the treatise of Birch-Hirschfeld was challenged on a number of points, his views on the Perlesvaus, until recently went unnoticed. Even in Nutt's Studies, 1 which appeared in 1886, we find the Perlesvaus dismissed with the asser- tion that it is " too late and unoriginal " to be of use in a study of the origin of the Grail legend. In a review of Nutt's book, 2 Gaston Paris protests against this writer's neglect of the Perles- vaus. Paris says there : " II (Nutt) n'a pas, si je ne me trompe discerne 1 la vraie place du roman en prose de Perlesvaus (ou de sa source) dans 1'ensemble du cycle, et il en a mSconnu 1'importance et la date, suivant a tort en ce point 1'opinion de M. Birch- Hirschfeld." In La litterature frangaise au moyen dge, 3 we have a brief sum- mary of Paris' own view in regard to the work, though no attempt is made to substantiate the view. Paris thinks the romance may have existed at first in a versified form. As to the romances with which it is connected, he says nothing beyond expressing the belief that it entered largely into the composition of the original Quete, and that the primitive prose Lancelot got its notion of the Grail from it. However, he elsewhere makes the statement 4 that Lance- lot, being known from the Conte de la Charrette and the prose 1 Op. ciL, p. 64. J Romania, xvm, 588. 2nd edition, Paris, 1890, p. 100, 102. * Op. cit., p. 100. 28 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Lancelot as the lover of Guenevere, cannot conquer the Grail in the Perlesvaus because here the holy vessel can only be won by a pure knight. This statement would lead one to infer that the prose Lancelot was a source of the Perlesvaus instead of the latter being, as was said, a source of the prose Lancelot. A final refer- ence by Gaston Paris to the romance is found in a notice on Golther's article Chrestiens Conte del Graal in seinem Verhdltniss zum Wdlschen Peredur und zum Englislien Sir Perceval, 1 to the effect that as long as Golther and Nutt continue " a uegliger de parti pris le Perlesvaus," their discussions seem to him (Paris) to be useless. The fact is there also mentioned for the first time that in places the Perlesvaus touches directly on Celtic tradition. Lastly, the most recent and extensive contribution on this sub- ject are the researches of Richard Heinzel on the French side of the Grail question, 2 which were published in the same year (1891) in which Paris wrote the notice just mentioned. In re-examin- ing the French Grail romances (and it is noteworthy that Heinzel drew his information directly from the texts instead or relying as did Birch-Hirschfeld on summaries of them), it was Heinzel's purpose to ascertain the conceptions that the individual authors had of the Grail legend, and if possible to explain whence these conceptions were derived. 3 He thus, has little to say on the nature and origin of the works them- selves (a). The Perlesvaus, he believes, represents the end of a Saga-development which brings out the warlike nature of the Grail hero alongside of his chastity. This characteristic of the romance is seen in the fact that Perceval does not receive the "Grail Castle from the Fisher King but has to conquer it from the King of the Chastel Mortel. As to (6), the only work of those mentioned by Birch-Hirschfeld which Heinzel feels certain our author used is the Crestien portion of the Perceval. In addition, however, to the borrowings from Crestien cited above, Heinzel claims several others : the wording of the question concerning the Grail, cui on en servoit; the fact 1 Romania, xx, 504. * Veber die franzoezischen Gralromane, Denkschriften der kgl. Akademie der Wissenschaften ; Vienna, 1891, 196 pp., 4to. 3 Op. dt., p. 1. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 29 that the Grail is carried past Perceval into une autre chambre at the Grail Castle ; the claim that the Fisher King's pastime is due to his illness. He admits as only probable the supposition that the Perlesvaus is based on the Continuations of the Perceval. Thus far, he thinks, the dependence of the romance on the Continuation of Ger- bert has been brought out best. He suggests further that the idea of the Fisher King's country as an unusually fertile place may be a reminiscence of Pseudo-Gautier's account of the Grail country. 1 However, Heinzel rejects the more important points made by Birch-Hirschfeld in favor of the priority of the Quete and the Grand St. Graal. In Perlesvaus, the white shield with the sign of the cross was originally the property of Joseph of Arimathia, the cross was not put on it until after the crucifixion ; the shield in the Quete and Grand St. Graal belongs to Evalach Modrain, at first Josephe (not Joseph) had adorned it with a cross of red cloth, then he painted a cross on it with his own blood. The Per- lesvaus account thus represents a simpler, and therefore older, form of the Joseph legend than the account of the other two works ; this fact is further confirmed by the circumstance that Josephus Flavius is named as the author of the Latin version of our romance. The general resemblance of Perceval's voyages with those of Galaad does not show that our romance was based on the Quete. Heinzel thinks rather that the model for Perceval's journey to the island of the monks was some version of the legend of Brendan. The kind of greeting extended to Perceval and the idea of an island inhabited only by monks suggest the Brendan legend. This view is further supported by the reference in Perlesvaus to the terra repromissionis. Nor can we accept Birch-Hirschfeld's belief that our romance follows the example of the Grand St. Graal in naming an angel as its source. The Grand St. Graal claims to have come from Christ Himself and to have been recorded at His command by a recluse, the boldness of which claim indicates that this work is a more recent composition than the Perlesvaus. Besides an angel as the source of a romance again suggests the Brendan, aber deren deutschen Fassung. 2 1 The land grows very fruitful after Gawain's visit to the Grail Castle. J Cf. Shroeder, Scmct Brandan, Erlangen, 1871, p. 14 ff. 30 A Study of the Perlesvaus. In accordance with the method of treatment pursued by Heiuzel in the case of each of the works he considers, the latter gives a detailed account of the leading characteristics of the Grail legend that appear in our romance. It is worth while noting his observa- tions regarding such of these characteristics as throw light especially on its relationship to the other romances of the Grail cycle. The Grail is a basin, in which the blood of the Saviour was caught as He hung on the cross. But it is uncertain who held the Grail ; the Perlesvaus contains several conflicting statements. 1 Je vi le Graal, fit li mestres avant que li Rois Peschieres Joseph, qui ce onques fu, recueUi le sane Jliesu- Christ ; from this passage we can- not determine whether or not the author also understood by the Grail the vessel used at the Last Supper (cf. Second Interpolation, Pseudo-Gautier). Joseph of Arimathia was the first possessor of the Grail and the Lance ; he was imprisoned by Pilate and went by the name Rois Peschierres (Fisher King). There is a curious passage in the text, 2 saying that on the island of the monks Perceval found an 1 mout biau leu 1 tonnel autre tel conme si fust d'ivoire, et estoit si granz que il avoit 1 chevalier dedanz touz armez. II (Perce- val) esgarde la dedans et voit le chevalier, et I'aresna meintesfoiz, mes onques li chevaliers ne vot respondre. The story goes on to say that Perceval enquired who this might be, but was told that he would not find out until he came to the island a second time. This second visit is mentioned, but not described, in the Perlesvaus. Heinzel thinks the knight in the tonnel was Joseph. In a simi- lar manner, he says, Malory's paraphrase of Huth's Continuation of Merlin 3 says (on the occasion of the douloureux coup inflicted on the Fisher King, Pellehan, in the Grail Castle) that Balaain fled from room to room, and at last entered a handsomely decorated place where someone lay upon a sumptuous bed, with the holy lance at his side ; this was Joseph of Arimathia. Now the fact that neither Joseph in Malory nor the knight in Perlesvaus (also Joseph) is dead, but is lying in a miraculous sleep, to Heinzel's mind shows that Joseph once took the same part in 1 Cf. Heinzel, op. cit. t p. 178. * Cf. Potvin, op. til., p. 328. s Cf. Merlin, ed. Gaston Paris et Jacob Ulrich, soc. des anc. textes franc., Paris, 1886, Vol. n, p. 27. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 31 legend that the father of the Fisher King has in Crestien, Bron (or Petrus) in Robert de Borron, Evalach-Mordrain in the Grand St. Graal; namely, Joseph was still to see the Grail champion. Perceval is descended from Joseph, probably in the same manner as in the Second interpolation in Pseudo-Gautier : Perceval's mother was the daughter of Joseph's sister, Veronica, and Nicodemus. Perceval is the nephew of the Fisher King. Crestien, 1 how- ever, considers them cousins. Perceval's father is Elain (Vilain, Villein, Vilan, Julien) li Gros, son of Glais li Gros, who had twelve sons. Heinzel does not attempt to explain definitely the relation of this Alain to the Alains mentioned in Robert, the Didot- Perceval, the Grand St. Graal; but from references he gives to other parts of his treatise 2 we learn the following : Robert de Borron's conception of Alain (one of twelve brothers, at first vowed to chastity, 3 then willing to marry in order to beget Perceval 4 ) is probably due to a confusion of a missionary Alain with Alain, the ancestor of an illustrious family. The author of the Grand St. Graal corrected this confusion according to older traditions, in which the two Alains are kept distinct. The second Alain, namely the ancestor, may be historical, as is apparently inferred from the Grand St. Graal and the Didot- Perceval, in which this Alain has the surname li Gros. 6 The Grail in the Perlesvaus probably represents the chalice of the mass as regards only the vessel itself and not its contents. 6 In this respect the Perlesvaus occupies an intermediate position between the Joseph of Robert, which confuses the service 1 of the Grail with the sacrifice of the mass, and the Grand St. Graal, in which, although the Grail is placed on the altar, mass is celebrated with a chalice containing bread and wine, by a regularly ordained priest. The question concerning the Grail (cui on en servoif) is not in Perlesvaus, as it originally was, the means by which the hero identi- fies himself (cf. the Joseph of Robert de Borron), but a charm which cures disease ; 8 it may be asked by Gawain and Lancelot as well as by Perceval. According to Crestien, Manessier and Didot- 1 Cf. v. 7789. J Cf. op. cii., p. 174. 1 Joseph, v. 2959. * Ibid., vv. 3091, 3467. 5 Cf. Heinzel, op. cit., p. 122. 6 Cf. ibid., pp. 87 and 232. 7 Cf. Joseph, v. 2682. 8 Cf. Heinzel, op. cit. t p. 15. 32 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Perceval, the asking of the question both identifies the hero and cures the Fisher King ; according to Gautier, it identifies the hero and restores the land to fruitfulness ; according to Pseudo-Gautier it has only the last effect. The admonition Gawain receives to ask the question, Heinzel considers an imitation of Pseudo-Gautier. 1 The idea that the Grail Castle is hard to find, which occurs in the Pseudo-Crestien, 2 the Domanda* and Parzival* and which must be presupposed for Gautier's Continuation and the Qu&te, Heinzel thinks originated from the motif of Robert de Borron that the last possessor of the Grail 5 has to seek for the previous keeper of it. Relative to (c), the agreements of the Perlesvaus with other works than those of the immediate Grail cycle, Heinzel brings forward a number of points. _ (1) The legend of Brendan was a source of the romance. 6 (2) The monastic government of the monks' island in Perlesvaus (a parallel to the theocratic dynasty of the Fisher Kings in Robert) is equipped with characteristics resembling the knightly orders, especially the Templars. The monks wear white garments with red crosses on the bosoms. Their authority extends over distant islands, in charge of which they place governors with royal prerogatives. If the latter manage well, they are advanced; if not, they are deposed and punished. 7 (3) The influence of the Evangeliwn Nicodemi is seen in the fact that Joseph rides a white mule, though our author attributes this feature to Josephus. That Pilate, who gives Joseph the body of Christ, 8 should also be the person who thrusts him into prison is probably a slip on the part of our author. (4) The burial of Lohot 9 bears a close resemblance to Geoffrey of Monmouth's description of the burial of Arthur in Avallon. (5) The adventure of Perceval's sister at the Dangerous Ceme- tery resembles the episode of the damsel at the G-aste Chapele in the Chevalier as deus espees. 10 1 Perceval, v. 20239. * Ibid., v. 99. s Fol. 17 a. 4 Parzival, 250, 29. 5 Joseph, vv. 2819, 3128. 6 Of. above. 7 Cf. Heinzel, op. cil., pp. 133, 176, for references to works in which this idea is mentioned. 8 Potvin, op. cil., Vol. I, p. 2. 9 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., p. 170. 10 w. 440-960. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 33 (6) Several of the relics mentioned by Perlesvaus are found in JSqjhelijn. The Lancelot of 1533 2 and Claris et Laris 3 have a king au cercle d'or. (7) Some of the features of the romance are found in Wolfram's Parzival : in Perlesvaus a flame descends upon the Grail Castle, in Parzival a dove brings a consecrated wafer to the Grail ; Gawaiu shows compassion for the Grail king in both works; 4 the monks on the island call to mind Wolfram's Templeisen. 5 (8) But Gaston Paris' assertion 6 that our romance was a source of the primitive prose Lancelot may be called in question. There is no special similarity, says Heinzel, between the extant Lancelot and the Perlesvaus ; the characters of Gawain and Lancelot are 4t entirely different" in the two romances, nor is Lancelot's con- nection with the Grail family the same ; further, Lancelot in the Lancelot is the father of the Grail hero (Galaad), an idea which is incompatible with the ascetic trend of the Perlesvaus. From the evidence at hand, Heinzel does not try to establish the date when the romance was composed (d). In the summary of results of his investigation 7 it is merely stated again that the Perlesvaus is based on the Perceval proper and probably on the Continuation of Pseudo-Gautier. Evidently Heinzel is unwilling to commit himself as to the other continuators. On the whole, however, he believes the work is a mixture of data relatively old and new. Signs of a more recent date are seen in the misinterpretation of the sources established above, and in the following : (1) The Fisher King is not sick but becomes so through the failure of Perceval to ask the question concerning the Grail. (2) The fact that Perceval has to conquer the Grail Castle from the King of Chastel Mortel, which is a special form of legend, -contradicting the older data of Robert de Borron. (3) The title, Fisher King, applied to Joseph of Arimathia. The romance certainly stands alone in this respect. Robert and the Grand St. Graal first use the name in reference to Bron or 1 Cf. Paul's Grundriss. Vol. ir, fols. 37 c, 39 c. v. 25038. 4 Parzival, 795, 29. 6 Cf. also A. V. Scharffenberg, Titurel. a Cf. above. 7 Heinzel, op. cil., p. 189. 3 34 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Alain ; but it may have been transferred directly from Petrus r whom Heinzel believes bore it first, to Joseph. (4) The five muances in which the Grail appears ; the mass of relics mentioned ; Gawaiu and Lancelot as contrasts to Perceval, whereas Crestien and his continuators, as well as the author of Didot- Perceval only mention Gawain ; the fact that Kei's character is wholly perverse. (5) The name Perlesvaus, Pellesvaus (sg. Parluifet) ; which- Heinzel terms etymologische spielerei. Among the characteristics of more remote date, Heinzel places r (1) The question concerning the Grail. 1 (2) The two Idealreiche, as Heinzel calls them, over which Perceval reigns : the kingdom of the Grail, and the monks' island in which Pelles was renowned. (3) The fact that the monks on the island at first do not possess the Grail, though they have charge of Joseph in a trance. This trait 2 is older than the story of Joseph and the Grail at the Grail Castle in the Huth Continuation (Merlin). Concerning the present text (e), Heinzel supposes that the romance- originally formed a part of a cycle, 3 from which this MS. (B) was copied. The work that followed the Perlesvaus in this cycle must have been a sort of Lancelot since the wars of Briant and Claudas- were still to be narrated. Heinzel gives reference to several worka which record wars between Claudas, Ban de Benoic and Lancelot ; but, he says, Briant des Hies is not mentioned as a participant in these wars. 4 However, as Gottfried's Tristan 5 tells us that Arondel was an island lying between Britanje and Engelant r Heinzel identifies the Briant of our romance with Briant d'Aron- del. 6 The kinship between Lancelot and Briant is authenticated by other sources, as, for example, the Lancelot. 1 In conclusion,. i Cf. Perceval, w. 4423, 4471, 4480. 'This may be a remnant of the primitive Joseph-legend, not yet united with, the legend of the Grail. 3 Cf. above. *Cf. the Vulgata Continuation of Merlin (at the end) and the beginning of the Lancelot ; also the third book of the Lancelot. For the references given by Hein- zel to works in which Briant is mentioned, cf. op. cit., p. 177. 6 v. 18692. 6 Durmart le Qallois, w. 6703, 7745. ' Cf. Heinzel, op. cit., pp. 178, 141, 157. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 35 the Perlesvaus and the romance which followed it in the cycle were intimately related since the Perlesvaus deals with incidents belong- ing in reality to the other work. DISCUSSION OF THE ABOVE VlEWS. Potvin's views on the Perlesvaus require no special consideration here as, in the main, they have already been implicitly refuted by the arguments of Birch-Hirschfeld and Heinzel. The falsity of Potvin's position in regard to the age and origin of the Perlesvaus is especially clear from the few proofs which these scholars adduce for the priority of Crestien's poem over the romance. There are, however, one or two points in Potvin's presentation of the subject which have not been settled by the later critics and which thus remain to be considered. These points are the suggestion that the Perlesvaus was a source of the Quete (Potvin is unques- tionably right in claiming that the Quete is not a source of Perles- vaus), 1 and the testimony drawn from Villehardouin that Jean de Nesle took the cross in 1200, and that consequently the present copy of the Perlesvaus, which is dedicated to Jean de Nesle, was written before this date. The latter point particularly should be considered as it bears directly on the question of the relationship of Perlesvaus to the Continuations of the Perceval. 2 The views of Hucher and Zarnke may be passed over without comment as they are not substantiated with adequate evidence; moreover, the article containing Zarnke's views was superseded soon after its publication by the treatise of Birch-Hirschfeld. As has been seen, this last scholar represents the extreme to Potvin in assigning the romance an unimportant position in the Grail cycle. The errors that Birch-Hirschfeld seems to have made in this respect, for the most part, have been corrected by Heinzel. For the reasons Heinzel mentions it is very likely that Perlesvaus is quite independent of the Quete and the Grand St. Graai instead of being derived in part from these works, as Birch-Hirschfeld maintained. On the other hand, as Heinzel admits, Crestien's Perceval must have been a source of our romance. The evidence adduced by 1 Of. above. *Cf. below. 36 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Birch-Hirschfeld to this effect cannot be disputed. However, as this evidence is taken mainly from one part (the first) of our romance, there may be further agreements with the Perceval in other parts of the work. Although Heinzel here supplements Birch-Hirschfeld's work by adducing further points (chiefly con- cerning the Grail), neither of these writ rs attempts to ascertain the extent to which the romance is based on the Perceval. Further- more, Birch-Hirschfeld apparently overlooks the possibility that the continuators of the Perceval and our author had a common source for some of the episodes l in question above. We not in- frequently come across stories in Arthurian literature which are the common property of several works, and the relationship of such stories is seldom the simple matter that Birch-Hirschfeld supposes in this instance. At all events, before we can accept his view that the Perlesvaus is based on the Continuations of the Perceval, it will be necessary to make a careful comparison of the episodes corresponding to one another in these works. As to the Beste Glapissante, a priori Gerbert's version of this story seems in no way superior to the version in our romance. Certainly Gerbert would have shown lack of skill had he not separated this episode from that of the Priests and the Cross (supposing he found them thus united), inasmuch as the church would then be seeking refuge at the foot of the Cross, a notion which Gerbert surely did not have in mind. Our writer's treat- ment of both episodes, however, is in harmony with the rest of his work ; the Beste Glapissante episode is connected with the greatest event in sacred history, and the noise of the Beste 1 's young is made to symbolize the revolt of the Jews against Christ, who was nevertheless to be regarded as their creator. The date of the romance, as I have said, has not been satisfac- torily established by Birch-Hirschfeld, and as Heinzel makes no effort to determine it more precisely, this point is yet to be settled. Paris' views, as they are not supported by proof, have only the value of suggestions. The fact, however, is to be emphasized that the French scholar holds the romance was a source of the original Qudte, in which belief he was in a way anticipated by Potvin. 1 For specific reasons why the Perceval proper and the Perlesvaus are not derived from a common source, see below, p. 57. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 37 But whether or not it originally had a versified form, seems likely to remain largely a matter of conjecture, unless additional MSS. are found which throw light on the question. Surely, the MSS. that are now known belong to one and the same prose redaction. The work of Heinzel on the Perlesvaus is thus the most serious contribution that has been made to the subject. Accuracy in deal- ing with his material explains largely the advance that this scholar has made on his predecessors. The reason that several questions, such as the kinship of the romance to the Continuations of Perceval. are still left open, is evidently that an adequate treatment of them could not be compressed within the bounds of his treatise. 1 Heiu- zel's work, however, is rich in single observations and suggestions, especially in regard to entirely new points of interest in the romance. To consider now, in detail, some of the special points which Heinzel brings forward. Our author's description of the fertility, etc. of the Grail country is taken to indicate a knowledge of Pseudo-Gautier's works. This argument does not convince. After all, this description of the Grail country may be a mere fore- shadowing of a later description of the same place as a paradise abode, 2 in which nothing is lacking that ministers to the needs of men. Even the first account 3 says that the Castle was avironnez de granz eves et planteureuse de tons biens ; and the second, in which 4 its proximity to the paradis terrestre is brought out, dis- tinctly states that it was " as rich and beautiful as many times you have heard related." Apparently, thus, our author conceived of the Grail country as a kind of Eden, 5 the fertility of which is not, as in the Continuation of Pseudo-Gautier, the result of Ga wain's visit. Again, it may be doubted that the Perlesvaus is closely connected with the Second Interpolation into Pseudo-Gautier's part of Perceval. It is true, the two works agree that the Grail was used to catch our Lord's blood as He hung on the cross, but Perlesvaus has the same agreement with the Continuation proper of Pseudo-Gautier, the Continuation of Manessier and the Didot- Perceval. It may be reasonably doubted, too, that the Perlesvaus imitated the Second Interpolation in giving Perceval's ancestry. The author could not have meant to imply that Perceval's mother was the daughter of ' Cf. Heinzel, op. cit., p. 1. * Of. Potvin, op. tit., Vol. i, p. 249. 3 Ibid., p. 83. * Ibid., p. 248. 5 The Castle is even called Eden. 38 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Joseph's sister, Veronica, and Nicoderaus. True, the Brussels MS. read : Oil qui _.'u chies du lignage de par sa mere ot non Nico- demus. But this is evidently a corruption. 1 It is said of the tomb at Kamaalot that Perceval had been told it was older than his great-grandfather. 2 Later the tomb opens, 3 and a knight, lying in full armor, comes to view ; from letters found with the body, it is learned that the knight was " one who aided in taking our Lord from the cros.." Of course, Nicodemus is meant. 4 The authority, thus, of the Bern MS. ; that is, du lignage de par son peie, must be followed. This reading is further upheld by MS. G and the Welsh text. The Perlesvaus states clearly that Joseph took Christ down from the cross. 5 However, as Heinzel says, who collected Christ's blood is not easy to determine. If in preference to MS. B, we followed the Welsh text, " and he kept with him the spear and the vessel, in which he (Joseph) had collected the blood that was in the gore of the wounds, when He came down from the cross ; " we would have to admit that Joseph also received the Saviour's blood in Perlesvaus, though not until the body had been removed from the cross, an idea which conflicts with that stated above. But, the Welsh scribe probably felt the same indecision that we experience now, and gave us his translation in order, at least, not to disagree with the clear statement of fact found on this matter in other works (cf. the Joseph and the Grand St. Graal). The line, cil qui le creoient reeiurent peoureusement le sane qui decouroit de ces plaies, quant ilfu mis en la croiz, as Heinzel quotes it, must be the cor- rect reading for this passage; the Oxford, Grail-Lancelot and Bern MSS. agree in this. There were several persons (oil) who caught the Saviour's blood. There is, however, still another account of the crucifixion in Perlesvaus : 6 de I'autre part de la croiz avoit un homme qui ne sanbloit mie estre liez, mes il reconfortoit la dame le plus bien qu'il povet. II i avoit unes autres genz qui recoillent son sane an un seintime vessel que I' on tenoit. The un homme must be St. John 7 and the unes autres genz, the same persons referred to in the passage 1 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. i, p. 358. a Ibid., p. 18. 76id., p. 179. *Cf. below. 6 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. i, p. 176. 6 Potvin, op. dt., Vol. i, p. 318. 7 Cf. John xrx, 26, 27. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 39 above (ciF). It would simplify matters considerably if we might infer that Joseph and Nicodemus are referred to, but the objection to this inference is that none of the gospels represent Joseph as present at the crucifixion. 1 Thus it seems that Perlesvaus is really divided between the two set accounts of the first use made of the Grail ; namely, that in the Perceval, as exemplified especially by Pseudo-Gautier and Manes- sier, and that in the Metrical Joseph of Robert de Borron. Accord- ing to the former account, the Grail is the vessel in which Christ's blood was received as He hung on the cross ; and in the latter, it is the vessel used at the Last Supper ; that is, it existed before Joseph (or any one else) used it at the crucifixion, and it was the receptacle of Christ's blood after His body had been removed from the cross. But our author's account of the Early History was probably derived, at least, indirectly, from Robert de Borron. In proof of this, compare the following passages from the Perles- vaus and the Metrical Joseph : z Gawain is told at the Chateau de I'Anqueste that two of the sealed heads, which the damsel has in her cart, are those of Adam and Eve. Ele dist verite conme Joseph nos tesmoigne, car il nos dit par remanbrance que par envie fu Adanz traiz, etc. Continuing, the priest, who is addressing Gawain, says : Vos savez bien, que par la pome que Eve fist mangier a Adam, alerent autresint an anfer, aussint li bon comme li mauvais ; et, par son peuple giter d'anfer devint Diex hons, et gita ces anmis hors d'anfer par sa bonte et par sa puissance ; et por ce nos Jet Joseph reverance (remembrance) del chastel au noir hermit qui senefie anfer, et que li Bons Chevaliers an geitera ceus fors qui dedanz sont. Et vos di que li noirs hermites est Lucifer qui autresint est sires d'anfer comme il vost estre de paradis. 3 Cf. Le pueple que il (Christ) feit avoit D'Evein et d'Adam, convenoit Raiembre et giter hors d'enfer, Que tenoit enclos Lucifer Pour le pechie d'Adam no pere, Que il fist fere Eve no mere Par la pomme qu'ele menja Et qu'ele son mari donna.* 1 Cf. Matthew, xxvii, 57. 2 F. Michel : Roman du St. Graal, Bordeaux, 1841. 3 Perlesvaus (Potvin, op. cit., Vol. i), p. 79. 4 Metrical Joseph, vv. 81-88 40 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Joseph of Arimathia was sodoiers Pilate for seven years ; as- payment for his services, he asked permission only to take the Saviour's body down from the cross. This seemed little to Pilate for Joseph had served him well. If he had demanded gold or property, it would have been given to him willingly. When Pilate gave Joseph the body, it was thought that he would drag it through the city and cast it out into a foul place. But li bons soudoiers laid it in the sepulchre, and kept the lance with which Christ had been struck, and the holy vessel in which those that believed in Him received the blood taken from His wounds. 1 The tongs used at the crucifixion are found in the tomb of Nicodemus. 2 Nicodemus assists Joseph at the descent from th& cross 3 . . . la doulor que Damdiex soufri ; car Vangoisse fu si granz que la pierre enfondi* Cf. A lui (Pilate) servoit uns soudoiers Qui souz lui cut V. chevaliers.* Joseph comes to Pilate and says : . . . servi t'ei longuement Et je et mi V. chevalier Ne n'ei eu point de lanier, Ne ja n'en arei guerredon Fors tant que me donras un don De ce que touz jors promis m'as Donne-le-moi, povoir en has. 8 Pilate tells him to make his request : " Je demant le cors de Jhesu Qu'il ont a tort en croiz pendu. 1 ' Pilates mout se merveilla Quant si don demanda, Et dist Pilates : Je quidoie Et dedenz mon cuer pensoie Que greigneur chose voussiez Et, certes, que vous 1'eussiez. Pour ce que son cors demandez Pour vos soudes vous 1'arez." 7 1 Perlesvaus, p. 2. 2 Ibid., p. 179. s Ibid. 4 Ibid., p. 206. s Metrical Joseph, w. 119-120. 8 Metrical Joseph, v/442 ff. T Ibid., v. 455 ff. NOTE. As Heinzel has remarked, the accounts of Pilate in the Perlesvaus are contradictory. The reason for this is probably that our author confused the two- A Study of the Perlesvaus. 41 Joseph returns to Pilate without the body because of the angry crowd of Jews ; then Pilate sends Nicodemus with him : at the same time he gives Joseph le veissel (sc. Grail). Nychodemus si s'en entra Chies un fevre que il trova ; Tentilles prist et un martel Qu'ilec trouva, mout 1'en fu bel Et vinrent a la crouiz errant. 1 Finally : Et cil andui en haut munterent Et Jhesu de la crouiz osterent. Joseph entre ses braz le prist, Tout souef a terre le mist, Le cors atourna beleraent Et le lava mout nestement. Endrementier qu'il le lavoit, Vist le cler sane qui decouroit De ses plaies, qui li seinroient Pour ce que lavees estoient : De la pierre adonc li membra Quifendi quant li sans raia De sen coste, oufuferuz. Adonc est-il errant couruz A son veissel et si 1'a pris, Et lou li sans couloit 1'a mis. 2 Or fu li sanz touz receuz Et an veissel touz requeilluz.* Et en une pierre le mist (that is, the body of Christ) Qu'il a son wis avoit eslist.* The general course of the present study is now clear. The first step will be to determine more fully than has yet been attempted the relationship of the romance to the Perceval of Crestien. Here there are three possibilities to be taken, into account : either our author drew on the Perceval directly, with a copy of the poem, before him ; or, he made use of an intermediate stage, a more or distinct streams of Pilate tradition current in his day. For an account of the mediaeval legends of Pilate, cf. E. du Meril, Poesies popidaires latines du moyen age, Paris, 1874, p. 314 ff. 1 Metrical Joseph, v. 521 ff. Metrical Joseph, v. 549 ff. J Ibid., w. 573-74. 4 Ibid., vv. 578-79. 42 A Study of the Perlesvaus. less hackneyed version of the original poem ; or, indeed, as Birch- Hirschfeld suggested, he based his work on a mere recollection of the Perceval, which he had read or heard recited on some previous occasion. In a similar way the romance will be treated in its relation to the Continuations of the- Perceval : here the further possibility of the existence of a common source must be considered. Then an effort will be made to establish the date of the present text of the work. Finally, I trust, the discussion of these questions will point the way to the other bodies of romance and legend from which the Perlesvaus sprang. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERLESVAUS TO CRESTIEN'S PERCEVAL. THE GENERAL, PLAN OF THE Perlesvaus. Before considering the obligations of onr author to Crestien de Troyes one or two further facts about the Perlesvaus should be noted. The romance is very long, as we have seen, and the number of episodes in it is proportionately large. According to the MSS., it is divided into eleven principal branches or chapters, of which the first is a sort of prologue to the entire work. In this chapter the main facts of the hero's origin are given, and these are followed by an episode picturing the condition of the Arthurian Court at the time when the story begins. In so far as this episode reflects the spirit which pervades the work it is of importance to outline it here. One day, at Carduel, Guenevere suddenly begins to weep because she thinks Arthur has fallen under the wrath of God. In bygone days knights without number flocked to his court, but now it is deserted, and adventures, once of so frequent occurrence, take place there no more. The King's power has changed to weakness, and his desire to win honor and exercise bounty is almost gone. The only salvation from the present evil is for the King himself to undertake a pilgrimage to the Chapel of St. Augustine. The journey thither is fraught with peril, the Chapel can only be found through divine grace, and the place where it is situated is full of danger. Bad as things are, however, Arthur is no coward and is quite ready to undertake the quest. He even wishes to go unaided, but the Queen prevails upon him to take along a squire at least. Accordingly, Arthur chooses one Chaos, the son of Yvain PAoutre, and instructs him to make his preparations immediately for an early start the next day. Chaos gets ready what he needs and then lies down without undressing. Soon he falls asleep and 43 44 A Study of the Perlesvam. has a dream. He dreams the King had set out alone, leaving him to come after. When finally he followed, he came first to a chapel encircled by a grave-yard. Entering in, he found a knight in a bier, about which there were four lighted candles. For some reason he removed one of the candle-sticks, and having concealed it on his person, left the chapel. He had not ridden far into a wood, when an ugly black-man rode up to him and accused him of the theft of the candle-stick. In spite of the latter's threatening appearance, he refused to give it up, saying he would make a present of it to Arthur. Whereupon the black-man, enraged at his obstinacy, ran a knife into him. With a cry Chaos now wakes up, and finds that he is in fact seriously hurt ; and, curiously, the candle-stick is in his possession. The King and Queen are called and after confessing his sins, Chaos dies. The candle-stick remains with Arthur, who gives it later to St. Paul's Church in London,, which was at that time newly founded. The King, realizing it to be God's will, goes on his quest alone. After an adventure at a hermitage, where he hears angels and devils disputing over the soul of a hermit, who is about to breathe his last, he meets a damsel at the edge of a wood. From her he learns that the chapel is in a glade near by ; further, that no one ever returned from it alive without being cured of his ills. Arthur is not long in reaching the Chapel, and from the outside (he cannot enter because of an invisible barrier) listens to a mass and has a vision of Christ as Child and Saviour. When the mass is over, he is allowed to go 'in. The celebrant, a hermit, who knew Arthur's father, Pendragon, exhorts him to renounce his bad ways. Diex vos leist vostre vie amander, the hermit says, ainsint que vos puissiez aidier a esfacier la mauvaise loi et essaucier la hi qui est renouvelee par le crucefiement du seint prophete. Great distress had recently come upon the land through a young knight who, having stayed at the ostel au riche roi Peschour, had neglected to ask the purpose of the Holy Grail and the Bleeding Lance (li seintimes Graus, et la lance dequoi li fiers seigne par la poig(ri)te ; lie ne demanda de quoi ce servoit ne dont ce venoit ; var., ne cui on en servoiC), though he had seen them both. For this reason all countries are rent by war, and knights are contending among one another as he shall see. Surely the time is come for A Study of the Perlesvaus. 45 the sovereign court of the world to recover its power, and to set an example to mankind de bienfaire, et de largesce et d'onor. The cure of the King is now accomplished except that he still has to sustain the attack of a black knight, as the hermit had said. Of course the knight is overcome, and Arthur undergoes fresh danger in getting his head for the damsel at the edge of the wood. This damsel is in search of Perceval. From her lips Arthur learns the story of Perceval's youth, and the episode closes with Arthur's happy return to the Court. A few words concerning this episode will suffice as it really interprets itself. God has withdrawn his favor from knights and, in consequence, the whole court has fallen into a state of decadence, indicated by the lack of adventure and the (moral) languor of the Xing, because the ideals of knighthood are worldly and vain. As a result, the good suffer with the bad : Perceval has seen the Grail but was unable to speak the words which would deliver its keeper. The Chapel of St. Augustine, as its name shows, is the symbolic sanctuary of the British Church. That Arthur should go thither to be instructed in the true ideal of knighthood is significant for several reasons. First, it shows at once the standpoint of the author regarding his own work. The Arthurian stories are to be lifted out of the sphere of human aims and desires and interpreted in the spirit of religion. The beau ideal of Chivalry is not to be the practice of courtly love or the quest of mere adventure, but the service of Christianity. The knight that craves glory, shall fight for his faith and shall convert the heathen. Thus the quest of the Grail will be the successful accomplishment of a war waged for the good of the Church, and the holy vessel itself will stand for the spiritual goal which many will seek but only the perfect knight attain. Then, as Arthur is the political head of the world, his experi- ence at the Chapel indicates the union of the temporal with the spiritual order ; an inference, it seems, which the author intended his readers to make. The belief that human welfare is dependent upon the alliance of the State with the Church was a ruling idea of the Middle Ages', and one especially apt to be held by a church- 46 A Study of the Perlesvaus, man. This also explains why Arthur himself afterwards goes on the quest of the Grail." J Finally, the mention of St. Augustine's name here and, later, of that of Gregory 2 is interesting as it led PotvSn to connect the work with the conflict in the early English Church between the followers of the Roman bishop and those who looked to Ireland for the seat of the Christian faith. Without doubt, the author of Perlesvaus was an ardent supporter of the Roman party, if as it appears from the above, he was interested in the conversion of England and the extermination of the heathen, but that the Perlesvaus was a direct plea for the rights of the See of Rome over the refractory Celts is hardly to be supposed. The ecclesiastical future of England was decided at Whitby in 664, and we may be certain that the romance was not written before the last part of the twelfth century, 3 a long time after the above conflict had been settled. I am much more inclined to think that the purpose of the author of Perlesvaus was to advance the cause of a crusade by urging knights to fight for their faith. We know, for example, that monks, in preaching the crusades, borrowed similes for their sermons from Arthurian legend. 4 As to whether he had a definite crusade in mind, this question will have to be considered in its proper place, when the date of the romance is considered. For the present, we need to note only that it is animated with the crusade spirit. It expresses above all a new ethical ideal in the passionless, faultless, type of the hero ; an ideal which has apparently left its mark on subse- quent literature. 5 In this respect, especially, our author's con- ception differs from that of Crestien, whose higher poetic gift is evident in the human quality of his hero, susceptible to temptation and capable even of failure. With this idea of the shaping factor in the work, it is possible to detect a rough plan in the arrangement of the subject-matter. Branches II, III, IV, V and VI come practically under one head and treat of Gawain's quest of the Grail. In proof of his merit 1 Cf. Potvin, op. tit., Vol. i, p. 218 ; Arthur beholds two suns in the sky. It is plain that the author was connected with the Church. Cf. Ibid., p. 250. 3 Cf. above. 4 Cf. Hist. Litt, Vol. xxx, p. 250. 5 Viz., the Qu&e, Mort d' Arthur, etc. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 47 as a Grail-knight, he has to obtain, through various adventures and hardships, the sword with which John the Baptist had been beheaded, the latter being the leader of religious heroes. 1 Then the Grail Castle is open to him, the reason he fails in the object of his quest, is that he lacks grace ; without it the human will is powerless. 2 In the seventh branch, Perceval appears on the scene. He was sick when he left the castle of the Rich Fisher, 3 and since then has been at the hermitage of King Pelles. At this point he enters the story. The eighth branch is Lancelot's Grail adventure. In love with the Queen, he is the victim of his own faithfulness, since the Grail does not appear to any knight who is not, at least during the quest, austerely pure. In the ninth branch (termed in the MSS. : une des maitres branches), Perceval, the perfect knight, conquers the Grail Castle from his wicked uncle, the King of Chastel MorteL The Grail, which presumably had been carried off to heaven when the Castle passed into evil hands, is visible again in the chapel where it was woot to be, with many other relics. The Fisher King having died before the Perceval's coming, of course, the traditional ques- tion concerning the Grail is omitted. Branch X is concerned in particular with Arthur's search for the Grail. This has already been mentioned. 4 Strictly, the much- disputed wars of Arthur, which occur in this branch, form a sec- tion apart, the leading motif of which is an intrigue against Lancelot. 5 Gietmann, very correctly, has placed them in a separ- ate chapter in his translation of the Perlesvaus. 6 The closing chapter of the romance is an account of how Perceval roots out the last evil in the world, after which he ascends a ship and sails away to the land of double promise (terra repromissionis), whither the Grail had gone, and he is seen no more. Into this elastic framework a great number and variety of inci- J Cf. Gietmann, Ein Oralbuch, Freiburg, 1889, p. 410; also Matthew xi, 11. * Cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 90. 3 Cf. ibid., p. 105. 4 Cf. above. * Cf. Potvin, op. eit., Vol. i, pp. 254, 99. Op. cit., p. 301. Gietmann's work is of no scientific value but it gives at times a good interpretation of the allegory in the romance. 48 A Study of the Perlesvaus. dents, mainly Arthurian, have been set. For the most part, these incidents are found in a shorter form than that in which they originally occurred. Thus episodes which cover considerable space in some romances (for example, the episode of the Chessboard in Oautier's Continuation of Perceval) occupy but a few lines here. Many are given only in outline, 1 and some are almost frag- mentary. 2 Naturally, their meaning had frequently (and some- times their structure) to be changed in order to suit the aims of the author. 3 As in all such works, there are, however, quite a number of episodes that have no connection with the ground-work of the romance but seem to have been added to swell the narrative.* COMPARISON OF THE VERSIONS OF THE GRAIL EPISODE. The necessity of comparing the Perlesvaus with the Perceval in detail, episode for episode, was demonstrated above ; but until we reach the Grail episode, none of the adventures in the two works correspond. The Perlesvaus form of this episode will now be compared with the version in the French poem. Our author gives four separate accounts of the appearance of the Grail to knights, 5 though only two of these have any similarity with Crestien's narrative. These two 6 are partly the same account and when they differ merely supplement each other. They may thus be considered a single version. A somewhat minute analysis of the episode is as follows : I. Arrival at the Grail Castle. Crestien: 7 Perceval has recently left Biau-Repaire and is in search of his mother, when he comes to a river en la vallee d'une 1 Almost all of the Perlesvaus episodes impress one that way; compare, for instance, the Proud Damsel story (Potvin, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 55) with what is plainly a version of the same story in the Vengeance de Eaguidel (Hist. Lilt., Vol. xxx, p. 55). * Of. the version of the Chessboard episode outlined below. 1 Cf. the Besie Qlapissante story mentioned above. 4 Cf. the following episodes: the Green Knight (cf. below), the Proud Damsel (cf. note, above), the Cercle d'Or (cf. above) and Marin le Jalous (cf. Potvin, op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 48-52). 6 Pot., op. cit., Vol. i; pp. 83-90, 128 ff., 208-217, 248-51. 6 Ibid., pp. 83-90 and 128 ff. 7 w. 4150-4259. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 49 engarde. The river is swift and deep, and he fears to cross it. Proceeding along the bank to a cliff, which apparently blocks the road, he suddenly beholds a boat on the river, in which are two men. En mi 1'ewe tout coi esturent E tres bien aancre se furent ; E cins qui devant fu pescoit A la ligne, et si assachoit Son amencon d'un poissonet Petit plus grant d'un vaironet. Perceval enquires the way of those in the boat and is directed, by the fisher, to the top of the cliff whence, he is told, he will see a castle in a valley beyond, pres de riviere et pres de bois. Perceval rides to the summit of the cliff but perceiving at first only land and sky, he blames the fisher for misdirecting him. Finally, however, the tower of a castle hard by comes to view. Perceval is not long in reaching the castle where he is royally welcomed by four squires. Two of the squires help him to dis- arm, the third looks after his horse, and the fourth provides him with a scarlet cloak. He then waits in an ante-room until sum- moned by the host of the castle, who is in fact the fisher. Perlesvaus: 1 The first of the two versions here ; namely, Gawain's visit to the Grail Castle, differs entirely from the Crestien story until after the arrival at the castle; hence it may be disregarded for the present. We find the passage for comparison in Lancelot's quest of the Grail : 2 After visiting many strange places, Lancelot comes one day to a stream flowing through a meadow. The meadow, which is skirted by a forest on two sides, is covered with flowers. In front of him, on the stream, Lancelot sees a boat in which there are two white-haired knights and a damsel, holding a truncated human head in her lap. In the center of the boat there is a knight, qui peschoit a { enmecon dont la verge sanble d'or et prenoit mout granz poissons. 3 The boat has a smaller one in tow into which the knight throws his fish. 1 Pot., Vol. i, pp. 83-90, 128 ff. 'Ibid., p. 128. * John, xxi, 11 : " and drew the net to the land, full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three. 4 50 A Study of the Perlesvaus. At the sight of the party, Lancelot stops to ask whether he may find shelter near by. In reply, they direct him to a castle beyond a mountain (outre cele monteigne.) In a short time Lancelot has reached the foot of this mountain, and comes upon the cell of a hermit. In view of his quest (a si haust ostel) he enters the cell to confess his sins ; but notwithstanding the hermit's entreaties, he refuses to renounce his love for the Queen. The rest of this account, how Lancelot persists in cherishing this love and how, consequently, the Grail is not visible to him, con- tains few points of interest and may be safely omitted. It is note- worthy only that the Grail Castle has not the same appearance to him that it has to Gawain. To revert now to the first account : Over the gate of the Grail Castle, Gawain sees an image of the Saviour, between images of St. John and the Virgin, and a figure of an angel pointing to the chapel in which the Grail is kept. The angel has a jewel in his breast, showing that the lord of the castle is pure. In the gate- way a lion keeps guard, but at the sight of Gawain it lies down. Having placed his shield and his spear against the wall of the castle, Gawain ascends by marble steps into a hall. The hall is de leus en leus a ymages d'or peinte. In the center of it, on a couch, he finds an empty chess-board. 1 Presently two knights come to wait on him, and two damsels bring him a cloak of silk and gold. Although no candles are visible, the hall is as bright as by daylight. II. In the presence of the Fisher King. Crestien : 2 Now, two squires lead Perceval into a hall before their lord. The latter is seated on a bed ; his hair is gray and ses cies ert encapeles D*un sabelin noir come meure, D'une porpre vols par deseure, Et d'autel fu la reube toute. A large fire is blazing in front of him in the chimney, which is supported by four columns of solid brass. In the space round the fire four hundred men could be seated. 1 The Welsh text makes no mention here of the chess-board. w. 4259-4365. A Study of the Perksvaus. 51 The host excuses himself for not rising to greet Perceval, and bids him sit down next to him. While they are conversing about Perceval's journey, a youth enters with a sword on which is written that it will never break, save in one peril known only to its maker. It is a present from la sore pucele, the host's niece ; the host may give it away provided it is put to good use. Only three of the kind exist, and he who made them will make no more after this one. The host bestows it upon Perceval for whom it was intended. After girding it on to see how it looked, Perceval hands it to the squire who has charge of the armor at the castle. Perlesvaus: 1 Gawain is conducted into the presence of the Fisher King. The room is strewn with erbe vert et de rosel. 2 The King is lying on un lit cordeiz dont li quepou estoient d'ivoire ; under ,him, une coute de paille, over him, a cover of sable with costly lining. He wears un chapel de sebelin convert d'un vermeil samiz de soie, and his head is resting on a scented pillow, which has brilliant gems at its corners. A pillar of copper, surmounted by the image of an angel holding a cross (part of which is the true cross), and four candle-sticks of gold are part of the riches of the room. After receiving the King's greeting, Gawain presents him with the sword of St. John ; this the King entrusts to a damsel's care, his niece. In the meanwhile two damsels come and sit down at the King's feet. The strong light in the castle, Gawain is told, is due to his arrival. He would have received a better welcome if the King had not fallen sick through the failure of a certain knight (Perceval) to speak une soule parole (that is, in regard to the Grail). The King cautions Gawain not to commit the same error when he is shown the Grail. Then Gawain and the host's niece begin to talk about Perceval. III. The Passing of the Grail. Crestien : 3 A squire issues from a room bearing a lance with a white blade ; from the point of the lance drops of blood are falling into his hand. Perceval is anxious to inquire concerning 1 p. 86. *Cf. Nutt, op. cit., p. 27 (in the summary of Diu Krone). 3 vv. 4365-4513. 52 A Study of the Perlesvaus. the marvel but refrains because be has been taught (by Gonemans,. his uncle) not to speak unless spoken to. Next come two squires- each holding a candlestick, and along with them a damsel, carry- ing un graal. The graal is so brilliant that it outshines the light of the candles as the sun and the moon outshine the stars. This damsel is followed by another with a plate. The finest gems in the world adorn the graal. After passing by, the procession goes into another room, and still Perceval does not dare to ask about the graal : qui on en ser- voit. Then supper is served : the abundance of things to eat and the splendor of the occasion surpass anything ever before seen. The table is d'ivoire ; the cloth, whiter than any a legate, a cardinal or a pope ever used ; the plate, talleoir d'argent. Cerf de graisse au poivre caut is served as the chief dish, and dades, figes et nois moscades, Et geroufles, puns de grenades, etc., follow. The bever- ages are of various kinds, among them piument u n'ot fie miel ne poiwe. In the meanwhile, the graal is brought by again, Qu' a cascun mes que 1'on servoit, Par devant lui trespasser voit Le graal trestout descovert ; yet Perceval chooses to put off asking about it until the morrow. Perlesvaus : l Gawain is lead away from the host of the castle, back into the hall. There he now finds twelve hoary knights, each older than a hundred years though seeming to be scarce forty. He is placed at a moid riche table d'ivoire and the knights take their places about him. He is told to remember the King's entreaty to ask about the Grail. The dishes served are : lardez de cerf, venison de cenglier and many others. On the table were riche veisselment d'argent et les granz coupes d'or couvesclees. Candles, too, were lighted yet la grant clartez qui la dcdenz aparoit esconssoit la lour* This light proceeds from the Holy Grail, which a damsel now brings forth from the chapel (of the castle). She is accompanied by a damsel, carrying the Lance. From the point of the Lance 1 pp. 87-89. 8 Wolfram ( 235) only mentions the unusual brightness of Repanse's (the- bearer of the Grail) countenance, saying nothing of the brilliancy of the GraiL A Study of the Perlesvaus. 53 drops of blood trickle into the Grail. Side by side, the damsels walk past the knights, who forget to eat because of the si douce et si seintime odour. As they pass, Gawain has visions of a chalice in the Grail l and two angels with lighted candles. The damsels then carry the relics into une autre chapele, and Gawain, who has become pensive, is reminded only of God. In this way the Grail is shown three times. 2 The second time Gawain sees the figure of a child in the Grail and three angels instead of two ; moreover, three drops of blood, presumably from the Lance, fall on the table. Gawain stoops to kiss these, but failing to touch them, grows more thoughtful than before. Though urged by one of the knights to speak, he remains silent. The third time, his vision becomes a King nailed to a cross (Christ). Again his companions beg him to speak, but the sympathy he feels for the suffering King seals his lips. Thereupon the Grail and Lance are carried back to the chapel whence they proceeded. IV. The Departure from the Castle. Crestien : 3 The host bids Perceval good- night and is carried into his room. Perceval also goes to bed, attended by several squires ; however, in the morning when he awakes he is alone. He tries to go into other rooms of the castle but is prevented by bolted doors. Finally he obtains egress from the castle, and finds outside his horse in readiness for him. Thinking that the inmates of the castle have gone into the forest to hunt, he starts over the drawbridge which is down. Before he is quite over, it is raised by unseen hands and he is saved only by a leap of his horse. Although he calls, no answer is given. He then rides into the forest. Perlesvaus:* The table, etc., is removed, when the Grail has disappeared, and Gawain is left alone in the hall. At the end of the hall, the doors of which are now all closed, his eye again falls on the chessboard, which now has gold and silver men on it. 1 dont il ni iert geires a icest tens. 1 The second time, the damsels comes from la Chambre (?). 3 vv. 4513-4600. * pp. 89, 90. 54 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Gawain goes up to it and begins to move the silver men ; there- upon the gold men play against him of their own accord, and he is checkmated twice. He avoids a third defeat by interrupting the game. A damsel then comes out of a room and orders a youth to- take away the board. At last, Gawain, who is very tired, falls asleep and does not awake until roused by a horn in the morning. He is unable to bid the Fisher King good-bye as the doors are all bolted. Service is going on in the chapel but he cannot get in. A damsel tells him this is due to his mout pen de parole* although he is not to blame for not having had leave to speak. Again the horn sounds and Gawain hears a voice, crying to hurry for the bridges are now lowered ; soon they will be raised against the king of Chastel Mortel, who is besieging the castle. Gawain goes out, finds hi& horse and arms ready and rides into the forest. RELATION OF THE VERSIONS TO EACH OTHER. From the foregoing analysis the general agreement of the two versions is seen to be striking. The only marked difference between them consists in the incidents of Gawain's entry to the Grail Castle (by the marble steps and the painted hall) and his subse- quent experience with the chessboard, for which the Perceral has no equivalents. I shall discuss this point in full later, but I will say here that the presence of these features in our romance may be due to the influence of Gautier. 2 It is now necessary to determine more precisely wherein the versions agree and wherein they differ* I. In both it is only the Fisher King that fishes; 3 the hero (Perceval or Lancelot) is directed to a castle beyond a mountain, though no mountain would be expected in the prose work, in which the river flows through a meadow, 4 not la vallee d'une Cf. Wolfram (247). . . . . ir sit ein gans moht ir gerxieret ban den flans, und het den writ gevraget ! vil priss iuch bit betraget. J Cf. below. 1 Both describe his amenfon, which is not mentioned in Didot-Perceval. 4 Cf. Didot-Perceval (Hucher, Le Saint Graal, Mons, 1874), Vol. i, p. 463. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 55 angarde; at the castle the hero waits in an ante-room until called by the host. On the other hand, the flowery meadow and other minor descriptive features of our romance are lacking in the Perceval; further, Lancelot and Gawain have no difficulty in at once finding the castle, hence do not doubt the host's word. II. The descriptions of the host agree in most of the details. The pillar of copper may be a reminiscence of Crestien's columns of brass. A sword figures prominently in both stories : in the Perceval the hero is presented with a sword, in the Perlevaus he presents one to the host ; in each instance the host'sjniece has a hand in the transaction. But our romance has no direct equiva- lent for the history of the sword and makes no mention of a fire. To be sure, the sword which Gawain gives away is connected with the history of John the Baptist and several incidents concerning it were previously told. 1 Our romance gives a new explanation of the Fisher King's illness ; namely, Perceval's failure to enquire concerning the Grail. The inference to be drawn from this pre- supposed visit to the Grail Castle was pointed out above. 2 III. At this point the agreement is less marked. In Perceval the Grail and the Lance are brought into the hall successively, in the order indicated ; in our work they appear side by side, in such proximity that the blood dropping from the Lance falls into the Grail. Crestien relates that the meal is served before the host and Perceval together, in the hall where they met; whereas, according to our author, Gawain leaves the host, passes into a hall and takes a seat at the table with twelve hoary knights. The description of these knights is a further sign that the author was acquainted with legends like the Brendan? The prose version has no parallel to the tailleor d' argent, which Crestien associates with the Grail. But both versions agree that the resplendence of the Grail sur- passes the light of candles, though the author of the prose work does not distinctly state that the " gleam " springs from the vessel itself, and the candles he has in mind are those of the hall. How absurd then it was to introduce a set of candles into the Grail 1 Potvin, 1. c., p. 74. Cf. p. 24. 3 Cf. above ; also Potvin, 1. c., p. 38 : quant Fan i a este un an, ne sanble il que Pan t ait esle un mois. 56 A Study of the Perlesvaus. procession, since Crestien's only reason for mentioning candles was to compare them to the Grail, and this comparison had already been made in our romance. Moreover, Crestien alone explains the question concerning the Grail. He states that the Grail gives sustenance to the host's father ; on this account it is carried into another room. But in our work, cui on en servoit refers to no par- ticular person, and why the Grail should be carried into une autre chapele is just as obscure. Other reasons underlie Gawain's silence than an uncle's advice, which is the cause of Perceval's reticence. Gawain's re very over the three drops of blood suggests another well-known incident of the Perceval. 1 One night, while Perceval sleeps, there is a snow- storm, and a flock of wild geese, blinded by the snow, has one of its number wounded by a falcon. Three drops of blood fall on the snow from the wounded goose, and when Perceval rises in the morning and sees them, he falls into deep thought over the red and white in his love's face. Several of Arthur's knights, who arrive on the scene, try to rouse him, but none succeeds until Gawain entreats him with kind words. 2 The fact that Perceval's 1 v. 5545; cf. also, Loth, Les Mabinoyion, Paris, 1889, Vol. n, p. 70 (Peredur ab jEtwoc), in which the simile is elaborated. In Diu Krone (Nutt, op. cit., p. 27) the Grail contains three drops of blood, and three streams of blood flow from the lance in Peredur (Loth, op. cit., Vol. n, p. 60). * Consult on this episode : Heinrich Zimmer, Keltische Sludien, zweiter Theil, Berlin, 1884. Professor Zimmer gives an Irish analogue from the book of Leinster, containing the Peredur-form of the simile. On Zimmer's article in turn, consult Golther, Chrestien's conte del Gracd in seinem Verhaeltniss zum wael- schen Peredur und zum englischen sir Perceval, Sitzunb. der K. Bayer. Acad. der Wissensch., 1890, n, 2, p. 185. I agree fully with Golther that the Peredur ver- sion of the episode is a combination of the Crestien version and the Irish tale (or a story like it) cited by Zimmer. Doubtless Golther would have strengthened his view considerably by citing the list of similar stories adduced in a commentary on this episode by the Grimms ( AltdeuL Waelder, Vol. I, Cassel, 1813). But it is worthy of remark that Golther and Zimmer, in fact everybody except Hertz (Parzivdl, zweite Auflage, Stuttgart, 1898, p. 509), overlooked the work that the Grimms had already done. The Grimms, for example, give in full (p. 10) the Irish story in which Prof. Zimmer fancied he had discovered the common source of the Peredur and Crestien versions of the episode under discussion. Furthermore, in a note (to p. 2) they write : " Auch in Roman du S. Graal versinnt sich Gauvain ueber die drei Blutstrop- fen der heiligen Lanze, welche Sage halb hierher gehoert (edition de 1521, fol. 145 a)." This must be our romance, although the only incunabula of it with which I am acquainted are those of 1517 and 1523 (cf. above). A Study of the Perlesvaus. 57 revery here has the same motive as Gawain's above, of course, may be accidental ; each writer may have hit upon the motive independently. Nevertheless, if the Perlesvaus is based on the portion of Perceval written by Crestien, as there is reason to believe, this motive probably was one of the many features which our author borrowed. The fact then that the subject of the revery was changed would be explained by the religious nature of the Perlesvaus, in which an adventure of love would have been quite out of place. 1 IV. The important features of Perceval's departure also occur in the prose version, but in a somewhat obscure form. Gawain is left alone at night, instead of being surprised (like Perceval) to find the hall deserted when he awakes in the morning ; and the drawbridge of the castle is not raised while he is crossing it, but he is told by a voice to hasten for presently it will be raised. What now is the inter-relation of the two versions? The decisive points in proof of the general priority of the Perceval were already adduced by Birch-Hirschfeld and Heinzel. These are : the question concerning the Grail, the carrying of the Grail into une autre chapele, the reason given for the host's fishing, and the presupposed visit of Perceval to the Grail Castle. To these features may be added: the fact that the castle lies beyond a mountain, while all along the country was said to be flat, and the candles which the angels carry by the side of the Grail ; traits which it is impossible to believe our author invented. It is 1 It should be noted here that one of the striking features of the Qudte, observed hy Nutt, is that the Grail strikes its beholders dumb, Nutt remarks (op. cit., p. 76) : " It is in any case difficult to believe that if the writer of the Queste, with his strong tendency to mystic allegory, had had before him the highly spiritual pre- sentment of the Grail-power in B (sc. Robert), he would have neglected it in favor of the materialistic description he uses. In one point this version differs from all others, the dumbness with which the Grail strikes those to whom it appears." The last observation, concerning the dumbness, is interesting. Gaston Paris (op. til., 60) holds that the original Quett, now lost in French, but preserved in Portuguese, was partly based on Perlesvaus. The above trait disagrees wholly with the rest of the description in the Qudte ; hence, a very plausible explanation of its origin is to attribute it to the influence of the Perlesvaus, in which the dumbness which overcomes Gawain at the sight of the blood of the Lance is the cause of his silence in regard to the Grail. 58 A Study of the Perlesvaus. thus evident either that the versions are derived from a common original, or that the prose version is based on the Perceval account. The first supposition may at once be set aside ; yet a few words by way of explanation are necessary. No third version that might serve as a source for the two works is known to exist. While a number of other Grail works contain an episode with many of the characteristics detailed above, a direct relationship to any of these works is out of question. 1 Moreover, it is to be noted that the prose version contains no important vari- ation from the Perceval which cannot be attributed to a difference of setting, to the substitution of prose for verse, or to the influence of the mystical views of the writer. If then it is certain that the prose version is based on the Perceval, the question to consider is the nature of the dependence. In determining this the minor differences between the versions are of importance. The number of details in which the versions dif- fer shows that their relationship is not close. But most significant is the different order in which certain details, common to both, are arranged in each version. It is this difference which leads in the prose version to such inconsistencies as a mountain in a country termed level and candles illuminating an object which itself emits light. If we suppose that our author was actually transcribing a a copy of the Perceval at least, of that part of it which contains the Grail episode, we must assume that in making changes he had a plausible end in view. His aim may have been nothing more nor less than to adapt Crestien's episode to the plan and spirit of his own composition, without claiming the. credit of having invented the story. Or, it may have been his aim to be considered original, though from the character of his modifications we should never suspect that it was. It is incredible, however, that the above in- consistencies could have been purposely made in compliance with either of these aims. This discussion is sufficient to prove that the Perlesvaus version was not modelled directly upon the Perceval. Even the possibility 1 Namely, Parzival (Bk. v), Didot- Perceval, Welsh Peredur, Diu Krone, and the Q^ete. The chronological argument excludes Parzival, the Didot- Perceval has been assigned its true place by Heinzel (op. cil., p. 117 ff.) ; with the other works the agreement is slight. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 59 that it was derived from an intermediate source, a popularized form of Crestien's poem vanishes, if we consider the absolutely senseless way in which certain traits of the Perceval have been retained. Obviously, the easiest conclusion is to agree with Birch- Hirschfeld that the author wrote the version wholly, or in part, from memory. That is, he followed the Perceval blindly for as much of the story as he remembered and as suited his special purposes. In this way, he may at times have varied from the original while under the impression that he was true to it. The fact that the version apparently contains no borrowings from Crestien in the matter of phraseology lends strength to this view of its origin. ORIGIX OF THE CHESSBOARD STORY IN Perlesvaus. We now have to consider the incidents of Gawain's entry into the Grail Castle (by way of the marble steps and the painted hall) and his experience with the chessboard, which are not related by Crestien, either in connection with the vision of the Grail or else- where in his portion of the Perceval. Although these incidents are separated in the prose version by a series of events, they are parts of an identical story. It is probable that this story was originally distinct from the Grail episode. An independent ver- sion of it is found in the Continuation of Gautier. 1 Briefly out- lined, the Gautier version runs as follows : Arriving one day before a certain castle, Perceval dismounts from his horse, leans his shield against the base of the main-tower, and ascends by a flight of stairs into a hall. The hall is described as being very beautiful ; it is decorated with all sorts of armor, lances and swords, but no living soul is in it. Perceval sits down for a while on a couch and lets his eye wander about : Et vit la sale toute painte N'i avoit angle ne fust tainte. Presently he becomes aware of a door which opens into another room. Entering this room, which is filled with a sweet odor, he comes upon a chessboard. 1 v. 22400 ff. 60 A Study of the Perlesvaus. For point d'asur et de fin or Moult 1'eurent fait par grant sens Mor: Li rices eskes d'or polis D'esmeraudes et de rubis. He moves a pawn (paonnet errant), and noticing that his move produces a counter-move on the opposite side of the board, he begins a game with no other opponent than the chessmen them- selves. In this way he is mated three times. After the third defeat, however, filled with anger, he seizes the chessmen, goes to the window and is about to cast them into the moat below, when suddenly a beautiful damsel rises to the window and intercedes for the chessmen. Perceval is at once so struck with her beauty that he promises to restore the chessmen to the board, provided she will grant him her love. 'This the damsel is willing to do on stipulated conditions, which Perceval proceeds to fulfill. The story is also found in the Welsh Peredur * and the Didot- Perceval, 2 though for reasons stated above it is improbable that either of these forms was the source of our version. It is to be noted, moreover, that they contain no reference to the painted hall (with the steps leading to it), which Gautier and our author both record, furthermore, the latter alone describe the chessboard and in similar terms. Both state that the knight is in a deserted hall, in which there is this beautiful chessboard. The chessmen of one color play against him of their own accord, and mate him twice. During the third game he grows angry and resorts to violence. According to Gautier, the damsel prevents him from destroying the chessmen; and in Perlesvaus, a damsel simply has the board and men removed. In the absence of other possible sources there is thus no reason to question that the version in our romance is based on that of Gautier. Certainly, there is much less reason to believe that our author originated the story. The episode is not told by Crestien, and of the romances in which it is found, Gautier's Continuation is in every respect nearest to our romance. But in Perlesvaus the details of the story are neither so com- plete nor so clear as in Gautier's poem. The appearance of the 1 Cf. Loth, Les MaAinogion, Paris, 1889, Vol. n. s Cf. Hucher, op. cit., Vol. i, p. 439. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 61 damsel, for example, is as pointless as are many details in other episodes of Perlesvaus', her presence was not required, since Gawain was not going to destroy the chessman as Perceval intended to do according to Gautier. Indeed, the inter-relation of the two ver- sions does not seem to differ from the relationship we found above to exist between our romance and the Perceval proper. Further, the manner in which this story is confounded with the Grail epi- sode confirms the view that our author composed his work from memory. OTHER AGREEMENTS WITH CRESTIEN'S POEM. No further agreements of importance between the two romances are to be found. There is, to be sure, a story in Perlesvaus of a damsel in a beleaguered town, whom Perceval rescues and whose affection he thus wins calling to mind the Blanchefleur 1 episode of Crestien ; but the similarity here is entirely too vague to be due to imitation. Moreover, this story has certain general traits in common with Crestien's Yvain a and the experience of Gawain at the Castle of Wonders in Perceval, 5 a fact which indicates rather that our author and Crestien followed similar forms of the well- known legend of the Land of Women. 4 The fact that the remainder of the Perlesvaus presents no im- portant situations resembling those of the Perceval proper is not surprising. We saw above what a different construction from Crestien our author places on the Grail quest. The principal epi- sode of the Perceval, the pivot so to speak on which the poem turns, and the salient facts of the hero's origin were, as we observed turned to account in the composition of the prose work. But we cannot suppose that the author ever intended to imitate even as regards the framework those episodes of Perceval in which the hero is fitted for the accomplishment of his quest. Crestien's idea that experience of the world is essential to man's happiness is 1 Cf. Perlesv., pp. 113 ff., 136 ff. A knight, Clamadex, plays a part in the Per- lesvaus tale ; cf. the role of Clamados in Perceval (v. 3197). 2 Perceval is in reality the damsel's greatest enemy, yet she falls in love with him at first sight; cf. Perlesv., p. 117. 3 Perceval like Gawain breaks a spell; the damsel's castle being a sort of fairy-land. 4 Cf. Meyer and Nutt, The Voyage of Bran, London, 1895, Vol. I, p. 164. 62 A Study of the Perlesvaus. surely incompatible with our author's austere convictions as to the chief aim in life. Besides, so far as this experience meant practice in arms, it was a stage of development which his hero had long ago reached. Hence, even if it were proved that he was acquainted with additional episodes of Crestieu's work, it is easy to see why he might have disregarded them. In Perlesvaus, Perceval first appears on the scene at the cell of the Hermit King, his uncle. By this fact the author may have wished to indicate that his story (proper) was to begin precisely where Crestieu's main narrative breaks off; namely, with the noted repentance of Perceval on Good Friday. The remainder of Crestien's share of Perceval is concerned with the expedition of Gawain to Moutesclaire, to rescue a damsel, and the adventures which befell him on the way. In this portion there is little or nothing which could have appealed to our author's fancy. The Perlesvaus, however, contains several minor traces of the Perceval proper, which are worth noting : 1. It is possible to assume that the Damsels of the Cart 1 (not " Chair," as the Welsh translator supposed) were suggested by Crestien's Loathy Messenger. 2 The Damsels come with a message from the Fisher King ; that is, from the Grail Castle, much as the Loathy Messenger comes, who knows all about the unfortunate events at the Grail Castle and is incensed because of them. The leader of the Damsels refuses to dismount from her mule ; she may not dismount where there are knights, until the Grail be won. Crestien straightway says of his Messenger : 3 Jusque devant le roi se lance La damosele sor la mule. 4 Whilst the Damsels of the Cart are not noted for their ugliness, as Crestien's Messenger is, they all suffered more or less harm from Perceval's failure to inquire as to the use of the Grail. The first of them, upon a mule whiter than snow, is beautiful of body but not of countenance ; she carries her right arm in a sling and her head is quite bald. The second Damsel rides like an esquire with a wallet. The third goes on foot and carries a whip with 1 Perlesvaus, p. 24 ff. 8 v. 5981. J v. 6016. 4 Perceval is to blame for her discourtesy. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 63 which she drives along the horses of her companions. Further- more, the leader says : mes chies estoit mout biaus et cheveluz et galonez de riches trecours d'or, au point que li chevaliers vint an I'ostel le riche roi Pescheor, mes je deving chauve por ce qu'il nefist la demande. On that very account, the Fisher King fell ill : toutes les terres an furent conmeues en gerre: ne chevalier n'an contre puis outre ou il n'eust contacon d'arme sans nule autre achoison. The Cart which is drawn after her is a symbol of Fortune : car autre- sint comme li chars vet sor les roueles, demaine ele le siecle aus .11. damoiseles qui la suivent. With these features may be compared : the fact that the Loathy Messenger rides a fauve mule, carrying a whip in her right hand ; that she is so hideous que riens si laide a devise nefu neis dedens infer; the greeting she gives Perceval : Ha ! Perceval, fortune est cauve Derriere et devant chevelue . . . tu ne 1'as desiervi mie Fortune quant tu 1'encontras. Further, that the Fisher King's illness would have been cured had the question about the Grail been asked now, however : Dames en perdront lor maris, Tieres en seront essilies, Et pucieles desconsellies ; Orfenes, veves en remanront ; Et maint chevalier en morront; Tout cil mal avenront par toi. At the same time this notion of the Damsels of the Cart may antedate the composition of the Perceval. They evidently are under the protection of some Re'me de Puceles, a common figure in Breton lays, and the Loathy Messenger may occupy a similar rank. But the Damsels and their Cart typify Fortune, while the Messenger merely refers to Fortune. In the literature of the time, invocations etc. of Fortune and her wheel abound, we have but to glance through the Romans d'aventures to find them ; and there is scarcely an Arthurian romance which does not contain a damsel- messenger. 64 A Study of the Perlesvaus. 2. The Lonely Forest is also mentioned in Perlesvaus: la. soteinne forest, 1 la forest souteinne. 2 Compare Crestien : li fius a la vaive dame De la foriest soutaine? Si (Perceval) se met esfories soulaines.* 3. Gawain never conceals his name : " Mes nons nefu onques celez puis que i'an le me demandast. L'an m'apele Gauvain, le neveu le roi Artu." 5 " Damoisele," fet-il, " mon non vos doi-je bien dire. L'an m'apele monseigneur Gauvain le neveu le roi Artu." 6 Compare Crestien : " Onques mes noms ne fu celes En lieu ou il me fust requis ; N'onques encore ne li dis S'ancois demandes ne fu." T 4. In Perceval, the first knight that Perceval sends to Arthur's court is Clamados; the latter has instructions from Perceval to console the damsel whom Kex had slapped on the cheek for intimating (by laughter) that Perceval is the flower of chivalry. Further on in the poem we read : De la bufle que ele ot prise Estoit-ele bien respassee ; Mais oubliee ne passee La honte n'avoit-ele mie Que mout est mauvais qui oblie S'on li fait honte ne laidure. 8 A scene similar to this occurs in Perlesvaus 9 where a damsel is the means by which Kex is convicted of murdering Lohot, the son 1 Perlesv., p. 151. 2 Ibid., pp. 181, 187. 3 Perceval, V. 1288. * Ibid., v. 2895. 5 Perlesv., p. 57. 6 Ibid., p. 29. 7 Crestien, v. 7000 ff. Of. also Pseudo-Gautier, v. 12073. This is one of Gawain's commonest characteristics ; cf. for other romances in which it is found, Hist. Lilt., Vol. xxx, pp. 1-270. Crestien, however, is the first author, in point of time, to mention it. 8 v. 4076. 9 p. 222. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 65 of Arthur. The romance says : La damoisele qui le coffre aporta se fut bien vengiee de la honte que misires Kex li seneschauz lifist un jor qui passa, car ceste chose ne fust pas si toste seue se par lui nefust. What this honte was, the romance does not state. There is no objection, however, against connecting it with the above account in Perceval. 5. In view of the advice Perceval receives from Gonemans in Perceval: 1 " ne soies trop parliers .... Li sages le dist et retrait qui trop parole pechie fait," it is significant that in praising the hero in Perlesvaus Joseus the Hermit says : 2 Si ne vost onques gaster sa parole. So, too, (Dresden's Veve Dame sums up her counsels to her son, before he departs into the world, with the words : . . . " Ne deceez De son lignage (his father's) ne del mien" 3 At Kamaalot, in Perlesvaus* she expresses about the same sentiment in : " Si ne forligneroiz mie vostre lignage." 1 v. 2840. 2 p. 151. 3 v. 1615. *p. 185. 5 RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERLESVAUS TO THE CONTINUATIONS OF THE PERCEVAL. . PSEUDO-GAUTIER. The first continuator of Crestien's poem carried the work down to v. 21916, completing the Gawain episode, but leaving unfinished the main narrative which relates to the Grail. His name is not known, but as his portion of the work was formerly incorporated, without distinction, in that of Gautier de Dourdan, he is now generally called Pseudo-Gautier. The celebrated story of Carados and his supernatural father, which for a long time was ascribed to Gautier, properly belongs to his share of the poem. In this story, it will be remembered, Birch- Hirschfeld saw the origin of Lance- lot's adventure at Gaste Oite, 1 related in our romance. Considering that there are altogether eight versions of this story extant, five of which had been brought to light before Birch - Hirschfeld's treatise was published, it is surprising that this writer should dispose of the Lancelot version in the brief manner we observed above. He claims to be satisfied that our author took the story from the work of Pseudo-Gautier, because " der ihm doch als Fortsetzer von Chrestiens Gedichte am ehesten zur Hand sein konnte." ' But he offers no evidence in confirmation of this view, which has thus the value only of supposition. Since Birch-Hirschfeld's book appeared, light has been thrown on the Lancelot version in another connection. The Middle Eng- lish form of the story, that of Syr Gawayne and the Grene Knyght, early became the subject of investigation because of its distinctive poetic qualities. 3 In a study of this version, Miss Martha C. 1 Cf. above, p. 24. 2 Birch-Hirschfeld, op. cit., p. 138. 8 Ed. Richard Morris, E. E. T. S., London, 1869, 2nd edition. The other ver- sions of the story are found in : Heinrich v. d. Tuerlin, diu Krone, ed. J. H. F. Scholl, Stuttgart, 1852 ; IM Mule sam Frein in Me"on, Nouveau Recueil, I, 15 ; the 66 A Study of the Perlesvaus. 67 Thomas, 1 following a suggestion of Sir Fred. Madden, adduced reasons to show that the English poet united in his work individual traits of the Carados and Lancelot versions. That is, the fact is there brought out that our romance and the English poem possess in common characteristics of the story which are not mentioned by Pseudo-Gautier. Furthermore, these characteristics are shown to be more archaic than those of the Pseudo-Gautier version. This agreement between our romance and the English poem Gaston Paris, in his criticism of Miss Thomas' work, 2 admits to be true, although he later rejects 3 the idea that the English poet used either of the French versions mentioned. The source of the Eng- lish poem, according to Paris, was rather an Anglo-Norman work, which is now lost, but which may have been the prototype also of the Perlesvaus and Pseudo-Gautier versions. 4 Irish tale Fled Bricrend, of which G. Paris gives an outline in the Hist, litt., vol. xxx, p. 77 ; the same in another form, in the Book of the Dun Cow, from which it was translated by Kuno Meyer ( Revue Celtique, vol. xi v, p. 455 ) ; Gauvain et Hun- baut in MS. of the Chantilly library, for contents cf. Hisl. Hit., vol. xxx, p. 69. 1 Syr Gawain and the Green Knight, Zuerich, 1883. 2 Romania, xn, 377. 3 Hist, litt., vol. xxx, p. 71 ff. *The episode is probably originally a "test" story, pure and simple, like the lit merveilleux, for example (cf. Chev. a Vepee, ed. Armstrong, Baltimore, 1900, vv. 453-781). This type is represented in the Fled Bricrend, where the episode is used to prove the valor of Cuchulinn. In this early type, the form of the chal- lenge reveals the superhuman nature of the challenger : the hero knows from the start that he is dealing with a magician (contrast with this the "one stroke for another" of the Grene Knyght version). If allowance be made for certain dif- ferences in detail, etc., the Carados and Grene Knyght versions may be classed with this type. On the other hand, in diu Krone, Mule sans frein and Lancelot versions, the episode is found connected with a visit to an enchanted castle or city, whither the hero goes and submits to the " test" in order to break a spell. In general, we thus have two distinct types of the story. Others have already pointed out that the Lancelot and Grene Knyght versions agree, as against the other versions, in the fact that the hero flinches at the first return blow. In all the versions, except the Carados, the challenger uses an axe ; in only the Dun Cow, Mule sans frein and Grene Knyght is he a giant. In the Irish versions and, of course, the Mule sans frein and diu Krone, the return strokes are given the next day ; in the other versions they are given the next year. On that occasion, according to the Grene Knyght and Mul,e sans frein, the hero sees the challenger come forth from a cave. Further, the Lancelot, diu Krone and Mule sans frein differ fiom the other versions in the form of the challenge (the hero has the choice of accepting the " test" or of losing his head on the spot). A thorough study of the episode remains to be made. 68 A Study of the Perlesvaus. This discussion suffices to show that the latter must be regarded as in the main independent of one another. In several features the Lancelot version agrees with the form of the story embodied in the romance La mule sans frein ; but the question of this relation- ship cannot be discussed here. It would be interesting to know whether our author was acquainted with two versions of the story : the one being the Carados version ; and the other, a version similar to the Mule sans frein type. Then we might suppose that he received the suggestion for his own version from the poem of Pseudo- Gautier, and the material for it from some other work. But as there is no means of answering this question, it may also be dis- missed. Suffice it to add that the Carados adventure, interesting as it is in itself, has long been recognized to be out of place in the poem of Pseudo-Gautier ; * it has no direct bearing on the princi- pal narrative, and apparently serves to throw the entire work into confusion. The independence of our romance and the present continuation with respect to this episode is all the more striking, as there are at least two agreements between them which apparently show that they are related. The story at the basis of the first of these agreements is told thus by Pseudo-Gautier : In a combat with Brun de Bralant Gawain had received a wound ; until this wound is healed, he is in Arthur's care and must remain quiet. In the course of time, however, he grows weary of doing nothing and longs for a combat ; so one morning he has himself hastily armed and makes his escape. But Kei, the seneschal, sees him ride forth and at once reports the fact to the King. " Vostre neveu aves perdu.'' 2 "Tos quide estre garis et sains; Puis qu'il sera fors as plains, Se il trueve aucun chevalier Qui le voelle contraloier Tantost a lui se combatra, La cars novele desrompra Si morra ileuc maintenant." 3 Arthur rides in pursuit, but on reaching Gawain learns that the latter has no intention to engage in combat : 1 Cf. Heinzel, op. tit., p. 32. z v. 11945. 3 v. 11953. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 69 " Ains me voel deduire et esbatre " and " Pour assaier et pour sentir Se d'armes me poroie aidier Se j'en avoie onques mestier." So the King permits him to proceed. After riding some distance, Gawain crosses a stream and Viers une lande s'adreca A .1. bruellet qu'il ot veu Mervelles bel et bien fuellu. The weather is fair, and the grove is filled with birds, Que cantent cler et docement ; Mesire Gauvains les entent S'arestut por oir les sons Et les dous cans des oisselons Et, quant un poi les ot ois, Ses cuers en fu moult esjois ; II point et fist .1. grant esles He now feels that his old strength has come back, and before he is aware of having gone far, he has passed several such groves. N'a talent de venir arriere, Ains pense qu'en nule maniere Arriere en Post ne tornera Tant c'aucune noviele ora' Que il ait trovet aventure. This wish is fulfilled, for presently he arrives before a tent, the sole inmate of which is a beautiful damsel. The damsel receives him with joy and offers him favors which he is only too ready to accept. As a consequence of his relations with her, he is soon after waylaid by her father and brother. A conflict ensues, which is about to be decided in his favor, when suddenly his old wound begins to bleed and he has to sue for peace. The passage corresponding to this in Perlesvaus runs as follows : * A longing for combat drives Perceval who has been ill forth from the cell of his uncle, the Hermit King, while the latter is away. Parluifet (sc. Perceval) se santi plus heitiez et plus viguereus 1 p. 105. 70 A Study of the Perlesvaus. qu'il ne souloit estre. II ot les oisiax chanteler en la forest et li cuers li conmance a espandre de chevalerie, et li souvient des aventures qu'il souloit trouver es fores et des damoiseles et des chevaliers que souloit ancontrer, ne fu onques mes plus antalantis d'armes qu'il estoit lores, por ce qu'il avoit tant sejorne. II sant la vigor an son cuer et la force en ces manbres et la volante an sa panssee, il s'est armez tantost et met la sel sor son cheval et monte tantost. Perceval enters the forest which was large and shady ; riding until he conies to a large glade (lande), he stops under .1. arbre foillu qui estoit au chief de la lande } and longs for a combat. By and by, he hears a horse neighing in the forest. He prays God that a knight may be near : " si que je puisse esprouver se il a force ne valor ne chevalerie en moi. Quar je ne sai ore de quel povoir je sui, ne mes tant que je sens mon cuer sein et mes membres haitiez." Hence, he hopes that the knight may be a match for him, but God grant " qu'il ne m'ocie ne je lui." Thereupon a knight appears and Perceval challenges him. While the knight and Perceval are measuring lances, the Hermit King returns to the cell, and seeing that his nephew is gone, sets out to find him. Attracted by the sound of blows, he comes upon the two fighting. Fearing for the welfare of Perceval, he proceeds at once to interrupt the conflict. His arrival proves indeed to be opportune as Perceval and the stranger, who turns out to be Lancelot, are both wounded. The second passage of Pseudo-Gautier which has a close parallel in our romance, goes thus : l On returning to the Court, from the Grail Castle, Gawain, over- come by fatigue, repairs early to bed and falls into deep slumber. Arthur, however, is kept awake by a severe thunder-storm. A cele nuit que je vos di, Plut et touna et esparti, Li airs fu par la grant color Commens en grant tenebror. Despairing of repose, he slips over a cloak (chape") hurriedly brought by his chamberlains, and thus scantily clad, has himself carried into a room facing the sea. The poet here remarks : 1 v. 20857. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 71 Je vos di issi com je pans Que on poroit d'iluec aler Por une posterne a la mer. From a window of the room, Arthur watches the storm. When it has somewhat abated, he discerns a light over the sea, which seems to be a star. Seeing that the light approaches, he calls his chamberlains, and they all wonder what it can be. Presently, however, they are able to make out a beautiful skiff drawn by a swan. Arthur is not a little concerned over this unusual sight. When the boat reaches the foot of the castle (sor les estres), the swan shrieks and flaps its wings. Arthur immediately has the postern opened and steps into the boat. Ens est entres, adonques voit As .11. cies .11. cierges ardans Ains mais n'avoit veu si grans. In the middle of the boat there is . . . . un cier pale roe" Tant a fin or fait et onore". On this was lying a knight, grans et membrus, who was pierced through the body. Never had the King beheld a knight so fair in death. A letter is found with the body giving instructions as to what is to be done with it. Accordingly, the King has the knight carried into the hall and the next morning Gawain and the other knights of Arthur's court find him there, much to their surprise. Arthur feigns ignorance as to the knight's origin, ainsi qu'il n'en seust noient, having previously imposed silence upon bis chamberlains. The swan, of course, had gone away with the boat the night before Le cisne crie et braiot et fe"ri Forment les elles en la mer, Et si conmencha a tourner Son calant moult isnelement, A une caine d'argent ; .1. aniel d'or el col avoit Qui a la caine tenoit ; Li cierge estaignent lor clarle Et tout tourna en obscurte. Si demenoit por son signor Li cisnes si tres grant dolor. 72 A Study of the Perlesvaus. The event in Perlesvaus, 1 which may be compared to this, is as follows : One night Arthur awakes in the middle of his " first slumber " and is unable to sleep again. So he arises, and throwing over a chape grise, passes into the main-hall of the castle, which faces the sea. From the window he sees that the sea is unusually calm, " without a trace of a storm." Pleased with the sight, he remains at the window to gaze. Very soon he sees far in the distance the gleam of a candle, as it were. Wondering what this may be, he is amazed to see a ship appear, which in spite of the calm rapidly approaches the castle. At first there seems to be no one aboard save an old man at the helm. On the arrival of the ship at the castle, Arthur has trouble in reaching it on account of the flot de la mer. This difficulty, however, is overcome by the help of the steersman, who lowers a small boat which takes him alongside. Upon the ship, Arthur now finds a knight in full armor, lying on an ivory table. The knight's head rests on his shield, and il avoit a son chevez deus gram teurtiz de chandeles en chandeliers d'or et a ces piez autresint. His hands are crossed on his breast. Arthur thinks he has never before seen so fair a knight. The context shows that the knight is Perceval. By and by, he arises and goes into the palace, where he takes possession of the hound and shield left there for him by the Damsels of the Cart. But he cannot be induced to stay; returning with these to the ship, he quickly sails away, in the same mysterious way he came. The following morning the knights of the Court hear of his visit and regret having missed him. In the case of both stories, it is noticeable at a glance that the Perlesvaus agrees with the poem of Pseudo-Gautier only up to a certain point. In the first instance, the agreement stops with the arrival at the tent ; in the second, with the removal of the knight to the hall. Both stories may be roughly divided into two parts : (a) an introduction, in which a special trait of a knight is brought out, (6) an episode composed of incidents springing more or less from this trait. The two works agree on (a), while they differ as 1 p. 142. A Study of the Perksvaus. 73 to (6). Thus the presumption is that our romance is not based here on a different source from the work of Pseudo-Gautier, since the agreement is not between complete episodes, which may have existed in other forms, but between special incidents employed in a similar way. The resemblance consists as much in the mode of composition as in the kind of material used. To my mind, therefore, the passage in Perlesvaus relating to Perceval's eagerness in arms was undoubtedly modelled upon the account of Pseudo-Gautier. As to the other story, the resemblance here is less marked because the Pseudo-Gautier version is evidently colored with the Chevalier au cygne legend. The arrival of a knight in a mysterious ship from some unknown shore is a common incident in Arthurian literature. But the account in Perlesvaus is, so far as I know, the only version, which is as complete as that of Pseudo-Gautier, 1 or which agrees with it in most details. 2 6. GAUTIER. In considering the Grail episode we already had a proof of our author's familiarity with Gautier's portion of the Perceval. 3 Our inference then was drawn from the fact that, barring a few varia- tions of detail, the two writers give identical accounts of the Chess- board story. This story, including the incidents based on it, occu- pies the greater part of Gautier's work. Its influence on our romance may be seen in one or two additional points. 1 There is, it is true, a version resembling in outline that of Pseudo-Gautier in the Vengeance de Raguidd (ed. Hippeau, Paris, 1862, vv. 82-174). A comparison of the two, however, will show that they differ on several important points on which our romance and the work of Pseudo-Gautier agree. J The following minor agreements may be noted : At Castel Orguellous (Perceval, v. 18680 ff.) nothing is done from Saturday until Monday prime. U face biel, u face lait La mere Dieu est honeree Ens el castiel et celebree So, too, in Perlesvaus, no one may enter the Grail Chapel (ja home ne prouvoire) where services are held in honor of the Virgin from Saturday noon until Mon- day after early mass, on account of the relics that are kept there (pp. 89, 176). The continuation of Pseudo-Gautier is really a glorification of the character of Gawain ; cf. our author's characterization of him (pp. 153, 241). 3 vv. 21917-34934. 74 A Study of the Perlesvaus. For the stag-hunt, which Perceval undertakes in behalf of the Damsel of the Chessboard, he is given a valuable hound. After overtaking the stag and cutting off its head, he is robbed of the hound by a " maid of ill-chance." He succeeds in getting it back, but only to have both it and the stag's head stolen by a knight who is riding by. Finally, Perceval recovers the head and the hound, and they are delivered to the damsel, though not without considerable trouble. In Perlesvaus , l one of the things by which Perceval could be recognized was a white stag painted on his shield. Perceval keeps this shield until he comes to Arthur's court and obtains there the one he is to carry on his Grail quest. On that occasion, it will be remembered, he also obtains a hound which had been brought thither for him. 2 The opinion of Birch-Hirschfeld, that these features were derived from the work of Gautier, may thus be upheld. There is another link between the two works in the main Grail narrative. On his way back to the Chessboard Castle, Perceval according to Gautier meets in a forest a remarkably beautiful damsel, who is pursuing a runaway mule. He soon catches the mule for her and aids her to mount on its back. Then he rides along with her, though evidently against her wish. While he wonders what her objection to him can be, his attention is attracted by a great light in the forest ; turning to question his companion about it, he finds that she has disappeared. Thereupon it sud- denly grows dark and a violent storm breaks loose. p. 21. 2 Of. in the following passages the joy of the hound at the sight of its master : Quant li brakes parler 1'oi Del lit saut sus encontre li, Si saut et trep et cler glati ; Cel moult biel le conjoi Et aplanoie de la main. (Gautier, v. 30029 ff.) Tantost conme il oi la damoisele (the sister of his master, Perceval), il vint a lui et li fet la greiynor joie que Can veist onques feire a bracket. La reine et ces puceles s'en merueillent mout et la damoisele meismes a qui li brachez feisoit joie, car, onques puts qu'tt u en la sale aportez, ne lui virent conjoir nuttui. (Perlesv., p. 141). it bracket, qui en la sale estoit, oi le chevalier, il vient vert lui le le cours et li saust entre les janbes, i li fet mout grant joie. Et li chevaliers le conjoil (p. 143). A Study of the Perlesvaus. 75 Et une pluie a amende Si grant et si desmesure'e Que c'ert vis que trestout fondiat Et la grans fories ca'ist. 1 The storm grows so in fury that Perceval has to cover his head with his shield, and take shelter under a tree until it is over. The next day he meets the damsel again and learns from her that the light came from the Grail ; she, however, had seen no storm : " Nenil, fait ele, sire, voir : Ains ne me poc apierchevoir Que pleuve caist ne tormente : Ains estoit la nuis bele et gente Et coie et sans vent et sieVie, Et de la clarte que veistes, Ne sai s'onques parler oistes Del rice roi ki est pesciere, Si pres maint outre une riviere ; Si vint anuit en la foriest." 2 The Perlesvaus mentions a similar storm which is also felt only by the Grail-seeker. 3 Gawain is caught in it just after he has left the Grail Castle, while still in the neighboring forest. Here the storm seems to be the merited punishment for his reticence while in the presence of the Grail. At least, a squire tells him : " vos I' avez deservi" though the same squire adds : " car itele est la coutume de la forest." The main points of the Perlesvaus version are : Gawain rides into the forest ; so great a storm comes on that he believes the trees will be uprooted. The rain pours down in torrents. He has to cover his horse with his shield to keep it from drowning. In this sad plight he rides on till he reaches a stream. Beyond the stream, a knight and a damsel are riding in great comfort through a meadow. Above them the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly. Gawain is amazed that it rains so hard on him whilst the knight and his lady have fair weather. Turning again to Gautier, we notice that before Perceval and the damsel part, she lends him her mule which will conduct him in safety wherever he may wish to go, provided he wears on his finger a ring that she has given him. In fact : " Et del pout de voirre passer Ne vos estuet estre en paour." J v. 27925. 2 v. 28056 ff. 3 p. 92. 76 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Our author attributes similar qualities to the mule of Joseph of Arimathea. Before Perceval makes his final assault on the Grail Castle over the nine bridges the hermit to whom he confesses gives him Joseph's mule with the words : Vos I'amenroiz avec vos, die vos suivra mout volentiers, et si porterez un /anon (of. the ring in Gautier). . . . quant vos seroiz grevez de vostre chevalerie, montez desor la mule et prenez le fanon, si perdront vostre anemi ausques de lor force. The above descriptions of the storm agree in too marked a way x not to be in some way related. At first glance, owing to the briefer form of the Perlesvaus account, one would suppose that they were derived from a common source. The fact, however, that our romance shows traces of borrowing from Gautier in other places, makes it possible to assume that our author took the inci- dent directly from Gautier's work. But as concerns the mule and the ring, I do not think that any importance can be attached to the occurrence of like features in Perlesvaus. 2 A white mule is found also in La Mule sans frein, which will bring its rider in safety to a place where there is a magic bridle ; so that this notion of safe- conduct by a faithful animal, notably a mule, may have been common. The portrayal of Perceval's visit to his old home 3 seems to be the last noteworthy point in which our author followed Gautier. A discussion of this incident is scarcely necessary as the borrowing is evident from the fact that he gives us the same situation as Gautier, while no other form of the incident is known which he could have used. Gautier 4 begins the story with Perceval's arrival in the Waste Forest, u mainte fois este avoit. But it is so long ago since he was there that he barely recognizes the place. By and by, he thinks he must be nearing the manoir of his mother. He passes the tree where he met the knight : . . . . " ki m'ensegna Le roi Artu qui me douna Les armes taintes en vermel." 1 Gautier and our author apparently stand apart from the other romancers in describing a storm which only the Grail-seeker undergoes. 1 Cf. above, p. 32, for the probable origin of Joseph's mule. 3 p. 171. *v. 25760. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 77 On he goes, becoming more and more anxious about his mother : De sa mere pities le prent, Car bien li venoit de nature. At last he reaches the memoir, is hospitably received and Une moult tres cointe puciele, Blance com flours en may novele, comes to greet him ; it is his sister. Perceval knows for sooth : .... que c'est sa suer ; Mais ne vot descovrir son cuer, Car il voloit ancois atendre. A demander et a aprendre Combien a que morte est sa mere, etc. But the damsel, whom he reminds of her brother, begins to weep. Thereupon Perceval weakens, and confesses that in fact he is her brother. In Perlesvaus 1 we read that Perceval has just left a hermit's cell and is riding alone through a forest, when suddenly he feels his heart stirred with an irresistible desire to see his mother. In a few moments, he comes upon a damsel, kneeling under a tree, who prays aloud for assistance. She begs that Perceval may come soon to rescue her mother from the Sires des Mores. Seeing the knight, she implores his aid without knowing who he is. He, however, set bien qu* ele est sa soeur, mes il ne veust encore descouvrir ne demonstrer la pitie par defors. Nevertheless, he promises his aid. Leaving her, he rides to the end of the forest, whence he sees the castle of Kamanlot in the distance, dont il oissi vallez quant il odt le chevalier au vermeil escu. The sight pleases him much. His sister suddenly rejoins him, and they ride thither. On the way Perceval " opens " a tomb, whereupon he hears great rejoicing at the castle where they know that this feat can only be accomplished by Perceval himself. 2 1 P . 171. 2 As a minor agreement, compare the frequent allusions in both works to the fact that Perceval is li miudres chevaliers. Perlesvaus, pp. 21, 43, 131, 142, 171, 179, 208, etc. Gautier: v. 24341 (at the amorous ford), Pot. iv, p. 295 (the bridge of glass), v. 29471 (the tournament held by Arthur), Pot. iv, p. 318 (the Knight of the Tomb says so), v. 34040 (ibid., the Damsel of Mont Dolourous), Pot. v, p. 149 (the Fisher King says God made him so).. 78 A Study of the Perlesvaus. c. MANESSIEE. Thus far the results of our study have been comparatively simple and definite. Though the body of the romance is made up of materials drawn from various and often unrelated sources, the central theme and many accessory episodes are clearly traceable to the Perceval and its first two Continuations. The relationship of the work to the remaining Continuations is more difficult to determine. The agreements here are inconclusive as a class ; and the fact that they are not connected with the main Grail story increases the probability that they were derived from a common source. Birch-Hirschfeld maintains that our author's relations to Man- essier, the first of the later continuators, are apparent from " certain borrowings." But the only instance of borrowing he gives is the tale of the Craven Knight. He observes that the incident of the latter's death is not related by Manessier, and adds that the story being thus amplified in our romance proves that our author did not invent it. As the German scholar adduces no further evidence in support of his view, its ultimate acceptance or rejection seems to hinge on the derivation of the Craven Knight tale. Before entering upon a discussion of this story, it will thus be advisable to re-examine Manessier's poem in order to make sure that it con- tains no further agreements with our work which the previous commentators may have overlooked. At first glance, the name Camaalot, as the location of Arthur's court, suggests a connection between the two works as the name occurs also in the Perlesvaus. To be sure, our author thus desig- nates Perceval's former home in the isle of Wales, but he clearly distinguishes this place from the Camaalot * in Logres (England), where he says the " tellers of tales " place Arthur's court. In the Perlesvaus the court is usually held at Carduel or Pannenoiseuse, while Manessier 2 regularly locates it at Camaalot. 1 p. 251 ; our author spells the name, Kamaalot. * vv. 35635, 42543. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 79 The name does not occur in any portion of the Perceval which we have thus far discussed. We do, however, find it in the Qu&te as the accepted location of the Round Table. It may therefore be supposed that Manessier derived it thence since his use of the Queie is admitted. 1 But it is not necessary to hold that Manessier transmitted the name to our author, who generally places the court elsewhere. Exactly how our author became acquainted with the name in its Arthurian sense is impossible to say. The .Quete and Grand St. Graal, presumably being unknown to him, could hardly have suggested it. 2 A much more plausible view is to refer his knowledge of it to Crestien's Lancelot, 3 or to some similar work, not of necessity connected with the Grail legend. Again, we notice a certain kinship between the experience Perceval passes through at the Chapel haunted by the Black Hand and the visit his sister pays in Perlesvaus to the Dangerous Cemetery. 4 A perusal, however, of the two stories will show that, although they agree on several features, their general divergence is too great to permit of their being in any sense identified. More- over, as Heinzel has stated, a closer parallel to the Dangerous Cemetery story is to be found in the Chevalier as deus espees. 6 But it should be observed that all of the stories here mentioned, as well as the adventure 6 of Arthur's squire in the first section of our romance, are variations of the same type of episode, and are per- haps descended from a common original. Further than those stated, the Continuation of Manessier has no points of resemblance with our work which cannot be ascribed to , the fact that the two authors treat the same theme and have, in part at least, the same literary antecedents. 7 We can now pass on, 1 Cf. Heinzel, op. cil., pp. 73 and 186. 2 Cf. Sommer : Malory's Morte d' Arthur, London, 1890, vol. II, p. 157 and Rhys : Studies in the Arthurian Legend, Oxford, 1891, pp. 15 and 50. 3 v. 34. 4 Cf. vv. 39816, 39866, 39970 (Manessier), 34434, ff, 35434 (Gautier). 6 Cf. above, p. 32. 8 This story is quoted in L'histoire de Foulkes Fitz-Warin (ed. F. Michel, Paris, 1840; p. 110) of the latter part of the thirteenth century, a valuable com- mentary on the popularity of our romance. 7 Cretien, Pseudo-Gautier and Gautier; cf. Heinzel, op. cit., p. 186. 80 A Study of the Perlesyaus. without further delay, to a consideration of the Craven Knight episode, an analysis of which, according to Manessier and our author respectively, is as follows : Manessier 1 : One day, while riding along, Perceval meets a strange knight going at great speed. The latter so says the poet is either overburdened with sorrow or out of his wits. His hauberk, his shield and his helmet are dangling from his neck against the crupper of his horse, and his lance is fastened lengthwise to its side. Perceval, of course, is much surprised at the strange appearance the knight presents. The stranger, however, is extremely courteous and very good- looking. Et fu li plus biaus chevaliers C'on trouvast en .XXX. millers; Onques si biaus, a son avis, Ne vit de cors ne de vis : He is large and powerful but more timid than a hare. The reason he rides thus, he tells Perceval, is that he will fight with no one : .... car il n'a cure Que nus li face ja laidure ; N'a que faire de soi combattre Ne ke nus del cheval 1'abate ; " Mious voel en pais parmi la terre Aler por mes affaires querre Que moi faire batre et ferir, Que biens ne ni'en poroit venir ; Et k'aroie jou gaengie Se on m'avoit a rnort plaie U navre por gesir au lit ? " Perceval replies that he ought to be ashamed of such conduct, and speedily induces him to adjust his armor. But the knight insists that he will not use his arms. " En pais voel ma vie aciever Et tote folie eskiver." They ride along, however, together, and before long hear cries of 1 vv. 42125-42519, 43719-44057. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 81 distress in the distance. Going in the direction whence the cries proceed, they come upon two damsels about to be burned at the stake by a band of (ten) robber-knights. True to his word, the strange knight refused to lift a hand in behalf of the damsels, while Perceval naturally hastens to their rescue. Meantime while Perceval is fighting, his companion looks on trembling. When attacked by any of the robbers, he claims to have no part in the affair. This plea the former ignore, and deal him blow after blow until he is wounded. Thereupon he suddenly grows angry, and turning on his assailants, he stretches several of them dead on the ground. Finally, with his help Perceval suc- ceeds in subduing the whole band. Together they then accompany the damsels back to their home. Perceval and his unknown companion appear again at the tournament which King Baudemagus is holding with the " King of the Hundred Knights." There the strange knight and Perceval enter the lists against the knights of the Round Table, and are very successful. Perceval fights Gahariet and the strange knight, Mordret. After the tournament the strange knight is pleased with the good blows he has dealt : Ains mais n'en fist tout en sa vie ; Or li prent talens et envie De si bien faire ke nului Ne puisse mes dire de lui Chose ki tourt a vilonie ; Toute couardie renie. Now Perceval parts company with the stranger, but beforehand he asks him his name ; the knight answers : " Li Biaus Mauvais m'apele-on ; Icestui nom me fu donnes Le jour ke je fu adoubes." Perceval says rather ought he to be called li Biaus Hardi ; " Car biaus, sages et hardis estes Et chevaliers preus et honestes, Si 1'ai moult bien apierceu A ceste assemblee et veu." 82 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Perceval, in turn has revealed his name, and li Biaus Hardi is very sorry to leave him ; Car, se il fust a son talent, Ja ma is a mil jour de sa vie Ne partist de sa compagnie. Later on, 1 relating his adventures to King Arthur, Perceval mentions the strange knight's name as Chevalier Hardi. 2 Perlesvaus 3 : Gawain is passing through the forest adjoining the castle of Marin the Jealous, 4 when he suddenly sees before him a knight riding in a very curious fashion : a recullons an mout sauvage meniere ce devant derriere, et avoit les reignes de son chevel ires parmi son piz. His shield and sword are upside down ; his hauberk and choses defer are tied to his neck. The knight, as soon as he perceives Gawain, begs not to be harmed, and says that he is the Craven Knight, the vassal of the Damsel of the Cart. 5 Recognizing Gawain, he proceeds to re- adjust his armor on the spot. While they are talking, a stranger rides up and suddenly attacks Gawain. In the combat, which follows, the .Craven Knight has a chance of witnessing Gawain's prowess. This leads him to remark afterward that he would have fled, if he had been in Gawain's place, for he prizes peace above all things : " car il ne vient de gerre semalnon; nejen'oi onques plaiene bleoeure .... etje voi vostre viaire tot depfaie et navre an plusors leus. y> He gives Gawain some further news of the Damsels of the Cart, whereupon the two separate. We read of him again further on in the Perlesvaus. 6 This time in connection with Perceval. The Grail hero meets him in a forest, where he appears grant et bel et bien forni et adroit et tout ^.45149. 2 This name, however, is not given him, as Birch-Hirschfeld claims (cf. above, p. 24 ; Sage vrnn Oral, p. 139), in v. 43300. 3 pp. 52 ff., 189 and 301. * Ibid., pp. 48-52. 5 Cf. above, p. 62 ; the knight's cowardice is connected here with the failure of the Grail quest. 6 p. 189 ; cf. also p. 148, where a second meeting with Gawain is related, but this passage has no importance. ^i Study of the Perlesvaus. 83 arme sor son cheval, though he frankly confesses his cowardice and his fear of being slain. Perceval replies that he shall be made courageous : cest grant doumache que couardie est herbergiee en si biau chevalier. But the knight objects to having either his courage or his name changed ; he even tells Perceval : vos me volez ocirre. They have not proceeded far together, when they hear cries of distress in a distant part of the forest. Perceval makes the knight go thither with him, though the latter protests. They find there a powerful knight unmercifully beating two forlorn damsels, in whom they recognize the sisters of Gawain's friend, the Poor Knight. Instead of braving the oppressor in person, Perceval forces his companion to oppose him. Unable to escape, the Craven Knight at first sustains blow upon blow unmoved. Finally, how- ever, inflamed at the sight of his own blood, he strikes his assailant such a stroke that the latter rolls on the ground. The Craven Knight then cuts off his head, and presents it to Perceval. Now he realizes the folly of his former cowardice, and gladly accepts from Perceval the name Chevaliers Hardiz. In proof of his courage, he leaves Perceval in order to escort the damsels back to their home. A final reference to him occurs toward the close of the romance * : The merciless Aristot is attempting to carry off Perceval's sister, and the ( Bold Knight ' is defending her. Aristot is the embodi- ment of cruelty and tries to kill all knights that come his way. Happily, Perceval arrives in time to rescue his sister, but her brave defender is seriously hurt. He dies soon after in a hermit's cell, whither Perceval has carried him, consoled by the fact that he had seen Perceval again. The last incident, the knight's death at the hands of Perceval's great enemy, is of course the main point upon which the romances differ. And yet one must admit that this conclusion in Perlesvaus is somewhat more than a mere addition. In a measure our author lets us expect it from the start, again and again the Craven Knight expresses his fear of being killed. On the other hand, Manessier gives but one reference to such a possibility, v. 42161 ff. : 1 p. 301. 84 A Study of the Perlesvaus. . . . . " k'aroie jou gaengie Se on m'avoit a mort plaie U navre por gesir au lit," and the context shows that no emphasis can be put on the reference. The above difference, however, dwindles in importance when we consider that the versions agree on the change wrought in the character of the knight, which is after all the dominant feature of the episode. The question arises what is the nature of the story itself? Do the poets intend to record an actual experience of Gawain and Perceval? This is hardly possible. Upon reading the adventure, one is at once struck by the fact that the chief actors in it are pre- eminently types of knighthood. It matters little whether the knight is corrected of his cowardly ways by Gawain or by Perceval as long as both are distinguished for valor and hence worthy to be imitated. The incidents of the story are likewise arbitrary and made to illustrate a special idea. Obviously the story has a didactic purpose. We cannot go far wrong in calling it a knightly fable, if the term be admissable. Regarded in this light, it is possible to assume that the versions have different morals. According to Manessier, the Craven Knight's main characteristic beside his cowardice in his beauty. Apparently, he does not fear death half as much as the loss of his good looks : E fu li plus biaus chevaliers C^on trouvast en .xxx. millers ; . . car il n'a cur Que nus li face ja laidure. It is this fear of being scarred and disfigured which keeps him from becoming a valiant knight. Consequently, the story-teller'a object may be considered fulfilled when he had represented the knight as disdainful of his looks in the face of imminent combat. Chivalry is a stern mistress, who claims of the true knight the sacrifice of every selfish thought. Above we saw Gawain yield his pride * ; here a knight must give up his beauty. Such is without doubt the fundamental idea of the Manessier version, though Manessier would have added much to the force of A Study of the Perlesvaus. 85 the tale by representing the knight at the end as really disfigured. We must suppose either that this idea was not grasped by our author, who confused also the details of Manessier's version, or that he was not acquainted with Manessier's work and derived the story, and possibly the moral as he gives it, from some other source. As I intimated above, our author indicates that he conceived of the knight's cowardice as having its roots primarily in a fear of death. At any rate, the Coward's actions when he meets Perceval, and ever afterward until he is made brave, seem to be ruled by this motive. The fearless way in which he lays down his life for his friend is therefore noteworthy. Nevertheless, his first appearance on the scene, in Gawain's company, places him in much the same light as in Manessier. His hauberk and choses de fer are tied to his neck, he desires peace and avoidance of plaie et bleceure. He even remarks (a trait lacking in Manessier) that Gawain's face is scarred and ugly from the battles he has waged. But he adjusts his armor as soon as he sees Gawain, and says that he is the * Craven Knight ' before Gawain has a chance to taunt him ; incidents which are evident corruptions of the original story. The beauty of the knight is mentioned only once in our romance, and then in the second part of the version where the death idea is uppermost. On the whole, the details of this part are worked out along the same lines as the Manessier form : Perceval and the Coward rescue two damsels from the clutches of robbers, the knight will not fight until wounded, etc. The name 'Bold Knight,' however, is given the Coward directly after the rescue ; whereas the change of name is not made in Manessier until he has proved his valor, alone, in a tournament against the very flower of chivalry, the knights of the Round Table. Since Manessier's version is so clearly the superior one, both in conception and execution, the first of the above alternatives seems the more acceptable ; namely, that our version is a reproduction of the Manessier form of the story, altered, and rearranged because incompletely remembered. Against this conclusion, however, the following points may be urged : 1. Manessier is evidently not the originator of this story. A sure sign of this we find in the names Siaus Mauvais and Biaus Hardi, neither of which is mentioned until the knight makes his 86 A Study of the Perlesvaus. final appearance. From what we saw of the meaning of the Manessier version, the name Biaus Mauvais (or better still, Biaus Couarz) would have been more appropriate before the fighting takes place, inasmuch as the knight is then handsome but craven ; while after the combat in which he distinguishes himself, if the story is to be carried out consistently, he should have been called Li Laiz Hardis being brave but ugly. For, although the disfigurement of the knight is not recorded by Manessier, it is an essential part of the original story. The poet should have made some reference to the sacrifice of the knight's beauty, if for no other reason than to point iiis moral. 1 The fact that, on the con- trary, Manessier again emphasizes the knight's beauty, shows that his version is distinctly second-hand. It is interesting to note that the name Li Laiz Hardis, postulated by me, actually occurs in the Erec of Crestien de Troyes. 2 It is also mentioned in Le Bel Inconnu? a romance of Gawain's son, although its occurrence there is to be attributed to influence of the Erec.* Crestien mentions the name in the long list he gives of the knights at Arthur's Court, and curiously the name which imme- diately preceeds it in this list is li -Biaus Couarz. Et li quinz fu li Biaus Coarz. Li sistes fu li Lez Hardiz. Our episode shows us that these knights were originally one per- son. Crestien frequently confused the material he uses ; we have a notable example of his blundering in one of the chief episodes in Erec. 6 The important thing, however, is that Crestien's mention of these names bears out our view that Manessier did not originate 1 The omission of the last incident of the Perlesvaus version from this discussion calls for some explanation. Is the Coward's death a part of this episode ? If in Manessier the knight has to sacrifice his beauty, should he not in our romance give up his life ? That the version may be thus interpreted, can, I think, be admitted. But I do not believe that two distinct forms of the story existed originally. Manessier, it seems to me, represents not only the more artistic but the more primitive form of the story. Thus, I hold that our author grafted this feature upon his source merely in order to complete the biography of the knight or, indeed, in order to enforce the special moral of his version. 2 Ed. W. Foerster, Halle, 1896, v. 1691. 3 Ed. Hippeau, 1860, v. 5394. * Cf. W. H. Schofield, Studies on Libeaus Desconiis, Boston, 1895, p. 106. 8 v. 5465 ff. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 87 the episode but derived his version of it from an earlier and prob- ably more perfect form. To this earlier form the references in Erec are probably to be traced. 2. In like manner we might say that the Perlesvaus version is independently descended from this unknown original, though the question is not one that admits of direct proof. In one point this version seems to be more primitive than Manessier : the knight at once notices the scars Gawain has in his face and remarks on them. While the examination of this episode thus points to no definite conclusion, the evidence is by no means of a kind to lead one to accept the view that our romance is necessarily based on the work of Manessier. This is the only episode which our author and Manessier have in common, and the indications at present are that they derived it separately from the same source, or from sources which were closely related. d. GERBEBT. The means at our disposal to determine our author's literary relationship to Gerbert are not much better than they were in the case of Manessier. The problem here is further complicated by the fact that scholars J have as yet reached no definite understanding as to the precise connection of Gerbert's work with the other Continuations of Crestien's poem. Nor have we any certain knowledge concerning the original form of Gerbert's poem. The work is extant in but one MS., and as found there, interposed between two other works, Gaston Paris 2 supposes that its beginning and end have suffered abbre- viation. Moreover, Potvin did not publish this MS. in full but only such parts of it as he deemed essential for an understanding of the story ; the trend of the remaining parts is stated in his own words. Fortunately, the portion published contains everything of importance for our purpose. Let us now consider briefly the origin of Gerbert's work. Heinzel 3 holds that it shows traces of the influence of Crestien 1 Cf. the contradictory statements of Heinzel (op. dt., p. 78) and Gaston Paris (Hist. Litt., vol. xxx, p. 42.) I agree with Paris, cf. below. a Cf. Paris, Manuel, 2nd ed., 1890, p. 99. 3 Cf. op. eit., p. 186. 88 A Study of the Perlesvaus. and the other continuators. At the same time he maintains that, by drawing also on the Quete, Gerbert flatly contradicts the data 1 of Manessier. The last observation, however, is seen to lack force when we consider that Gerbert's use of Manessier's work may be seriously questioned. Heinzel 2 himself admits certain notable differences between the two Continuations. The points in which they agree, and on which their relationship has been based, are these: 1. Both writers describe a visit to the Chateau des Puceles ; 2. Perceval breaks his sword in both narratives ; 3. In both Perceval is tempted by the Devil in the guise of a woman. 3 The first reason Heinzel tacitly concedes to be poor, since he remarks in a foot-note 4 that Gerbert's version of the incident differs (weicht a&) from Manessier's, as well as from the versions of Gautier and the Quite. But the second and third reasons are also inadequate. Gerbert relates that Perceval breaks his sword against the gate of Paradise ; there is a mystery about the occurrence : the smith, whom Perceval meets later, knows how the sword was broken as soon as he sees it. But, according to Manessier, the sword breaks off quite naturally in a conflict with a band of ten knights. Again, Manessier's version of the temptation, as Heinzel remarks further on, 6 resembles more closely the account in the Quete than that given by Gerbert. In Manessier and the Quete, the Devil first tries to drown Perceval, but no't succeeding, he comes to him in the shape of a beautiful woman ; on each occasion Perceval saves himself by making the sign of the cross. In Gerbert, on the other hand, (so far as we can tell from Potvin's brief summary) Perceval is simply tempted by the woman to commit carnal sin and resists, and afterward he is tempted again, with the promise that if he yields the secrets of the Grail will be made known to him. Thus, Manessier and Gerbert having both drawn on the Quete, it is more probable that these incidents are 1 Ibid., p. 76. * Op. cit., pp. 75-76. 8 Heinzel mentions as a further agreement " the knight in the tomb," who treacherously asks Perceval's aid. But this point Manessier has in common with Gautier, not Gerbert, as the reference to v. 29682 shows. Heinzel later (p. 76) corrects the mistake. * Op. cit., p. 76. ;p. 76. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 89 part of their common gleanings than that Gerbert derived them from Manessier and then varied from him to the extent noted. This being the case, it is plain that our author may have used either one of these Continuations without having used the other ; if he is indebted to Gerbert for material, we do not on that account have to assume that he is also indebted to Manessier, and moe versa. As we noted above, 1 the question whether he was acquainted with Gerbert must be decided from three episodes. The first of these, in point of order, is the well-known story of the Beste glapissante. Allusions are also made to this remarkable animal in the Huth Merlin 2 and the Portuguese Domanda? and an account of its birth and doings is found in the prose Tristan, of which Loeseth has made an analysis. 4 But a mere glance at these works will show that the accounts they give of the animal have but a vague connection with the episode our author and Gerbert relate. All that is necessary, therefore, is to compare the Perlesvaus version of the episode with that of Gerbert in order to see whether Birch-Hirschfeld is correct in making the one the derivative of the other. As the episode, however, is found linked to that of the Priests and the Cross, the two stories will here be considered together. An outline of them follows. Perlesvaus: 5 Having staid with his mother as long as she wished, Perceval again enters the grant forest soutine and rides until he enters a beautiful glade. In the center of the glade he sees a red cross and at the further end of it, seated in the shade of the forest, a knight arrayed in white, who is holding a golden vessel in his hand. Opposite the knight sits a damsel, young and fair, clad in white samite. Presently a white doe comes forth from the forest into the glade. In size it is between a fox and a hare. 6 It is much frightened 1 Cf. p. 24. 1 G. Paris and J. Ulrich, Merlin (Soc. des anc. textes franc.) Paris, 1886, vol. I, pp. 149, 160. s K. von Reinhardstoettner, o Historia dos Cavalleiros da Mesa Redonda e da Demanda do Santo Graal, Berlin, 1887, p. 59. * Le Roman en Prose de Tristan, analyse critique, by E. Loeseth, Paris, 1891, p. 498. 6 p. 187ff. The text says: "larger than a fox and smaller than a hare,'' evidently a corruption. 90 A Study of the Perlesvaus. because there are fawns in its womb which bark like hounds. Fleeing from the sound, it comes toward Perceval, who is about to take it on his horse when the knight in white calls out to him to let it feire sa destinee. The doe then runs to the cross, and its young are brought forth. But they are not of the mildness or the beauty of the mother. The latter crouches before them comme se ele lor criast mem. They surround her and tear her to pieces, but they cannot eat of her body or remove it from the cross. The head, however, they devour ; whereupon they become mad and run into the forest. The knight and the damsel now approach the spot where the doe is lying and each puts some of its flesh into the golden vessel, then they kiss the spot and worship at the cross. When they are through, Perceval kneels down at the cross to pray. By and by, two priests issue from the forest on foot and inter- rupt his devotions. Perceval then withdraws from the cross, and one of the priests takes his place, " kissing the cross and showing great joy." Before long the other priest drives away the first with a stick, and approaching the cross himself, smites it and laments at the same time. Perceval inquires why he commits so sacrile- gious an act but receives no answer. According to Gerbert, 1 Perceval sees two priests before a cross : the one strikes it with a stick, as if he wished to upset it, until his breath is exhausted ; and the other worships it on bended knees, a jointes mains. Perceval addresses one of them, Gerbert does not say which. Mais d'autre chose ara entente Perchevax, a poi de saison. This is an animal grant a merveille. It flees at once from Perceval. Its young within it bark like dogs that might be chasing it. Perceval pursues it an entire day. Finally, the young are born and at once devour the mother, leaving only the bones. Then they go mad and eat up one another. The meaning attached to the acts of the priests is the same in both works : the one rejoices over the liberation of the damned 1 Potvin, op. cit., vol. yi, pp. 219-222. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 91 from hell by the death of the Saviour, and the other sorrows over the agony Christ suffered. The Perlesvaus states that the priests were called Jonas and Aliexes, but Gerbert does not mention their names. The allegory of the Beste was explained above. 1 It should be noted here that before this explanation is given in Gerbert, the Hermit King says to Perceval : " Biax amis, ne vous anois Se je mec alques a respondre, Et contra volra despondre, Je li proveroi orendroit Que j'en dirai raison et droit Qu'en la vie de Dieu me fie." These words, primarily an apology for the length of what follows, may also have been intended as a vindication of the meaning given the episode. The Hermit King intends to prove that he tells the truth about the story. Gerbert seems to have realized that the episode could be interpreted in other ways too. Possibly even, his own explanation is a substitution for one that was previously current. As I remarked above, 2 the light in which Gerbert regards the two episodes explains the form and the order he has given them. As a matter of fact they are not 'separated,' but placed in the inverse order of the Perlesvaus versions : while Perceval is still pondering over the behavior of the . priests, the Beste appears. Thus, while the arrangement of the episodes in our romance admits the possibility that Gerbert derived them thence, the additional allegory of the knight and the damsel in Perlesvaus argues against such an hypothesis. However, then the other possibility remains that Gerbert and our author drew on a common original. 3 Before attempting to settle the problem definitely, let us consider the third episode common to the two romances : the story of the Chevalier au dragon. The Perlesvaus * version runs thus : Coming to Kardeil (Carduel), Perceval finds the Court in great distress because the land is being laid waste by a knight with a fiery shield, whom no one has been able to resist. The knights of 'pp. 25, 36. J p.36. 3 Cf. p. 42, above. * pp. 192-201 . 92 A Study of the Perlesvaus. the Court greet Perceval with joy and for a while their anxiety subsides. But the destroyer claims other victims, and one day when the Court is at dinner, a damsel-messenger appears and invokes Perceval's aid. Elinant de Cavalon, Perceval's cousin, beloved by the messenger's mistress La Damoisele au cercle d'or, has recently been slain by the dreaded enemy. The messenger has brought along the corpse of Elinant, and promises Perceval the Cercle d'or, if he succeeds in avenging him. Perceval yields to her entreaty, and they set out together, accompanied by Lancelot and Gawain. Presently, they come to a castle, "turning more swiftly than the wind." Lancelot and Gawain are here left behind, and Perceval and the damsel ride into the castle alone. The inhabitants of the place are under the spell of the * old law.' * From this Perceval promptly delivers them, thereby pleasing the damsel, who is now certain that he will avenge his cousin. They then ride on, the damsel taking the lead, and soon reach the Hies des Oliphanz. This is the abode of the damsel's mistress ; it was the most beautiful spot on earth until the Chevalier au dragon the knight with the fiery shield made it desolate. They find the destroyer under an olive tree with four of his victims lying dead about him. A short distance away the Queen of the Cercle d'or stands at the window of her castle, weeping. Seeing the cross on Perceval's shield, she vows to become a Christian if he is victorious. Perceval and his companion now approach the fiend. The latter is immensely tall; his shield is noirs et granz et hideus, there is a dragon-head on it which belches forth feu etflanbe, creating a horrible stench. This is so bad that the messenger is forced to fall back, leaving Elinant's corpse at Perceval's side. After eyeing Perceval with scorn, the Chevalier au dragon comes toward him with a huge 'red-hot' sword. The lance with which Perceval defends himself is at once consumed by the flames from the dragon-head. The latter, however, are powerless against his shield, which contains relics of the Lord. Unable to harm Perceval in this way, the destroyer burns up the body of 1 Cf. above, p. 9. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 9& Elinant. This serves only to enrage Perceval, who redoubles his efforts. He gives the destroyer several blows with his sword. In return the knight wounds him in the shoulder. Exasperated, Perceval drives his sword through his opponent's shield. A great turmoil then ensues : the dragon-head utters a loud cry, turns on its master in great rage (sic), burns him tout en poudre, and leaving the shield it goes off into the sky like lightning (sic). Perceval is immediately cared for by the Queen and her messenger, who binds up his wound. The Queen then summona her knights, and having given Perceval the Cercle d'or, she and her people receive baptism at his hands. I now give Gerbert's version. 1 Just how the story is here introduced is difficult to tell. It seems the damsel (whether it is the one of the Cercle d'or in person is not stated) meets Perceval and knows by the shield he carries that he is to avenge her on the Chevalier au dragon. The latter, she tells him, is the brother of King Maragon ; he lives on one of the islands of the sea, which he has peopled with an evil race. Sometime ago he surrendered to the Devil with the agreement that he was to prevail over all his enemies in battle. Thus far no one has been able to withstand him because of the ' black ' shield given to him by the Devil. The shield is : . . . . " orrible et rubeste D'un dragon i a une teste Assise en 1'escu par tel art Qu'il enflambe de fu et art Celui qui a lui se combat." She seems to think, however, that Perceval's shield is more powerful. Perceval is anxious to measure his strength against a knight qui tant est plains de cruautez, and so the damsel offers to direct Perceval to him. They come first to an abbey, the inmates of which, though half-starved, rejoice at the sight of Perceval's shield. Riding on, they meet victims of the knight, who try in vain to dissuade Perceval from his perilous undertaking. Finally the damsel's castle is reached, near which the knight is encamped. 1 Potvin, op. eit. t vol. VI, pp. 223-241. 94 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Perceval immediately challenges him by sounding a bell that hangs from a tree near by : Tant durement le cloqne sone Que toz 11 chastiax resone Et toute Tost est estormie. At the sound of the bell, all of the inhabitants of the castle mount on the walls, even the lame and crippled. Et la dame J monte en la tour Et ses puceles tout entour. The Chevalier au dragon can tell from the continued ringing of the bell that his challenger is one of Arthur's knights. He at once has himself armed, meanwhile boasting a great deal. The four youths that wait on him hate the desloiax, li mals tirans. This induces Gerbert to remark : Bien doit avoir doel et contraire Li home qui au deable sert ; En la fin a che qu'il desert ; (7 est permanablement infer, etc. Having mounted his charger, the knight takes his lance, which is grosse, roide etfors, and starts at full tilt for Perceval. .Quant Perchevax venir le voit Et voit 1'escu que il avoit Plus noir qu'airement destempre, Et vit le fu qui art le pre Ki saut par la guele au dragon, II sist al destrier arragon Son escu devant lui mis. But when the Devil in the dragon-head perceives the cross on Perceval's shield, he roars like a bull : Por che que Jhesucrist li rois Venquist en la crois la bataille, Por coi brisa infer sanz faille Et en geta ses amis fora Qui souffroient les tormens fors. By this time the knight and Perceval have met, with lances set. A flame shoots forth from the mouth of the dragon-head and burns Perceval's lance to the hilt : 1 Of the Oerde d'or. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 95 Car ce estoit li fu d'enfer Qui tout art quanques il ataint. But the knight's shaft is also shattered. The force of the attack is such that their horses do not rebound but are thrown together in a heap. Et si com li livres m'aprent, Li fus art, trestot en esprent As chevox les coles et les teates, Qui trop estoient beles bestes. Of course everybody expects to see Perceval consumed by the flame. " Non fu" says Gerbert, " oiez merveille:" the red cross on Perceval's shield comes into contact with the dragon-head on the shield of his opponent ; a terrible noise ensues and the Devil leaves the ' dragon/ disappearing into the air in the shape of a crow. The spectators shout to the knight to repent, but to no avail : the fight is continued on foot. Realizing the advantage Perceval has in his shield, the knight tries to snatch it from him. The xcitement now reaches a high pitch : La pucele au cercle d'or bat Ses palmes, moult est esmarie, Et reclame eainte Marie Qu'ele deprit a son cher fil Qu'il salve celui de peril Qui por li a bataille prise. Both knights fall to the ground exhausted. Perceval lets his sword slip from his grasp j before he is able to recover it the knight has dealt him a severe blow. Thus the conflict rages to and fro until the knights decide to fight it out with their swords alone. Accordingly, they lay down their shields in the field. Th,e combat is renewed with fresh vigor, and before long Perceval seriously wounds his opponent. Suddenly a damsel appears, who picks up Perceval's shield and rides off with it. The knight now succumbs to his wound and asks Perceval for mercy. He says he would give a kingdom to be "cured." Perceval replies that this is possible but in another sense than the knight means : he must send for a priest and confess his sins. 96 A Study of the Perlesvaus. Gerbert uses this opportunity to make Perceval the mouth-piece of several sententious remarks about the corruption of the world and the wickedness of certain ' clerks ' who make their living by deceiving others. 1 The knight, however, repents as Perceval wishes. Eu orant va a Dieu morant L'ame s'en va, li s'entent. Perceval is praised by the Lady of the Cercle d'or, and, having attended to the burial of the knight, he rides away in search of his shield. Undeniably these versions constitute a striking likeness between the two works. With the exception of the prolongation of the fight and the pardon granted the knight in Gerbert, they differ only in matters of detail. From a purely narrative point of view, however, Gerbert has the better version, notwithstanding his tendency to moralize and to extend the story beyond its natural length. If either version thus is secondary as compared with the other, it is our author's. This characteristic is especially evident from the fact that the knight is himself consumed by the dragon's flames (instead of succumbing to the hero's superior knighthood), and that the episode is made a sort of wager for the conversion of the Queen, a trait of the story which is scarcely original but rather the product of our author's religious ideas. Nevertheless, there are several reasons for thinking that Gerbert did not originate the episode. Foremost among these is the line : * Et si com li livres m'aprent. To support this statement, several passages from Gerbert might be cited, showing that he must have relied to some degree on another work. The precise nature of this work is of course unknown, but it is safe to assume that it contained the episode in question. We have negative evidence to the same effect in the mass of details used in the acccount of the combat, and the long moraliza- tions in which Gerbert indulges, which are frequently not even to the purpose. 3 1 A special attack on lawyers. l Cf. Heinzel, op. cit., p. 82. 1 Cf. that on the evil ways of lawyers. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 97 It is to be regretted that Potvin says so little about the damsel in whose behalf Perceval undertakes the adventure in Gerbert. As one of the verses informs us, she is the Damsel of the Cercle d'or but that is all we are told concerning her, and the episode seems to have been introduced into the poem more on its own merits than because it signifies her deliverance. The fact that the damsel is apparently of no importance makes it appear that Gerbert took the story out of its original background, which was, as in the Perlesvaus, a special set of incidents connected with the Cercle d'or, 1 and turned it merely into an illustration of Perceval's prowess. Potvin distinguishes the versions on the basis of the pardon granted the knight, a feature which is peculiar to Gerbert. Another noteworthy difference is the manner in which the dragon is overcome. According to our author, Perceval drives his sword through the 'head' in his adversary's shield. But Gerbert has the distinctive trait that the Devil cannot resist the sign of the cross, and is therefore powerless against Perceval's famous shield. This shield is like that given Galaad in the Quete:"* no one but he for whom it is destined can take it " and go unslain or unhurt." As Gerbert is believed to have drawn on the Qudte, it is quite probable that he borrowed the notion of the shield from it. Whenever the Evil One attacks him, Galaad makes the sign of the Cross and the Devil disappears with a crash (escrois). The same expedient is employed by Perceval in Manessier and also in Gerbert, 3 and always with the same result. If our author took the episode from Gerbert, it is unusual, to say the least, that he should have omitted a trait which tallies so well with the symbolism of the rest of his work. We thus see that none of these episodes throw much light on the present question. Judging only by the versions outlined, we may assume either that our author derived the episodes from Gerbert, or that both writers appropriated them, quite indepen- dently of one another, from some other work. The lack of strong evidence in favor of either possibility is noteworthy. Of course, 1 Cf. above, p. 9. a Cf. Nutt, op. cit., p. 40. 3 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., vol. vi, p. 175. 7 98 A Study of the Perlesvaus. as stories the Perlesvaus versions are inferior to those of Gerbert. I agree fully with Heinzel that in almost every case the former impress one as the more recent versions. They bear the stamp of 1 re-workings/ if any of them do. Nevertheless, they may just as well have been derived from Gerbert's source as from his own poem. That Gerbert had an outside source, especially for the story of the Chevalier au dragon, cannot be disputed. It now remains to bring whatever external evidence there is to bear on the problem of the relations between our work and these last two Continuations. Gautier wrote his Continuation at the end of the twelfth century. Manessier is thought to have completed the Perceval between the years 1214 and 1220, and Gerbert's portion of the poem is dated before 1225. 1 As concerns our work, all that can be considered certain is that it was composed after the Crestien, Pseudo-Gautier and Gautier portions of the Perceval had appeared; that is, not before the year 1200. Hence, if any further light is to be thrown on its relationship to Manessier and Gerbert, the approximate date of its composition must first be determined. f. W. Hertz, Pareival, Stuttgart, 1898, p. 417. THE DATE OF THE PERLESVAUS. We reached the conclusion above that the composition of the romance was inspired by the crusades. 1 In fact, it appears from certain references in the work 2 that it was intended as a sort of crusade propaganda, although there are no indications that the author had any particular crusade in mind. The dedication to Jean de Nesle seems of little value in this connection because it is found in but one MS., which is not the original. Nevertheless, this dedication is the only reference we possess to the fact that the work at least, the B version of it 3 was intended for a special purpose. We have seen that all of the MSS. now known belong to the same redaction. The original of MS. B must have been written at about the same time that the original of the other MSS. was composed. Consequently, were the date of the B version determined, this would at least furnish us with a terminus ad quern for the composition of the romance ; a downward limit being the year 1200. 4 As regards Jean de Nesle, Potvin 5 identified him with the feudal lord of this name who was castellan of the town of Bruges from 1170 to 1212. The copy of the Perlesvaus, he thinks, was presented to him as an incentive to join the crusades. Villehar- douin, to whom Potvin refers, relates 6 that Jean de Nesle, castellan of Bruges, was in charge of a part of the Flemish con- tingent in the Fourth Crusade. The party under his leadership, who were to join Baldwin in Venice and proceed thence for the 1 Cf. p. 46. * Especially pages 1 and 15 of the Perlesvaus. 3 Cf. above, p. 14. By the B version I mean not only MS. B but also its original. *Cf. p. 98. 5 Op. tit., vol. I, p. 355. Jean de Nesle must have been dead by 1212 since he was then succeeded by his Ron. Cf. index to the work cited below, p. 100, note 1. La Gmqueste de Constantinople, ed. N. de Wailly, Paris, 1872, \\ 8, 9, 48, 103. 99 100 A Study of the Perhsvaus. East, sailed from Flanders in June, 1202, and spent the winter in Marseilles. They then set out to meet Baldwin, but missed him through ill-luck and went on alone to Syria (Surie). Villehar- douin does not state whether Jean de Nesle returned to Europe, or not. 1 The Jean de Nesle, whom we find fighting in Philip's army in 1214, is evidently his successor. 2 It was also the latter, who in 1224 sold the castellany of Bruges to the countess of Flanders, as the result of a long-drawn quarrel. 3 Obviously thus, as the romance can be dated shortly after 1200, we may accept the suggestion of Potvin that the Jean de Nesle of MS. B was the person of this name prominent in the Fourth Crusade. 4 Moreover, there is a reference, hitherto unnoticed, which tends to show that this Jean de Nesle was also a staunch friend of the Church at home, and might well have been the lord to whom the bishop of Carnbrai saw fit to dedicate such a work as the Perlesvaus. This reference is to be found in Migne, Dictionnaire des Abbayes et Monast&res, 5 and relates te the founding of the Abbaye aux Bois, near Nesle, 6 in 1202 (or 1200) by "Jean, seigneur de Neele, chatelain de Bouges (Bruges) et Eustachie de St. Paul (Pol), sa femrne." The marriage of Eustachie de St. Pol to Jean de Nesle, castellan of Bruges, is further corroborated 1 This was his second trip to the East. His first trip took place in 1188, probably under the standard of Philip Augustus ; at any rate, we find him with the army encamped before St. John of Acre in 1190. Cf. Rodulfus de Diceto (not Niceto, as Potvin says, cf. above, p. 22) in Recuett des historiens des Gaules et de la France, by M. J. J. Brial, new edition by L. Delisle, Paris, 1878, vol. xvn, p. 636. 2 Cf. De geslis Philippi Augusti in ibid., p. 99, and Potvin, I. c.. The second Jean de Nesle seems to have inherited the warlike instincts but not the pious and upright disposition of his father. The unknown chronicler describes him " procerus corpore et forme venustissimse, sed virtus animi venustati corporis in eo minime respondebat." Cf. also, Extraiis des chroniques de S. Denis (in ibid.) p. 405. 3 Cf. J. O. Delepierre: Precis des Annales de Bruges, Bruges, 1835, p. 21. The price paid was 24,545 livres pariaes, 6 escalins and 8 deniers. 4 The omission of the title chatelain in MS. B, does not prove anything. The references to Jean de Nesle in Rodulfus de Diceto and the Gestis Philippi Augusti (cf. above) do not give the title. Cf. the view of Birch-Hirschfeld, above, p. 27. 6 Third series (Troisieme et derni&re encyclopedic theologique ou troisi&me et dernidre eerie de dictionnaires sur toutes parties de la science religieuse), vol. XVI. 6 Cf. Larousse, Grand Dictionnaire Universel, vol. xi, p. 240. A Study of the Perlesvaus. 101 by Mas Latrie. 1 It is generally thought, too, that this Jean de Nesle was the patron whom Audefrois li Bastars addresses in his lyrics. 2 But Potvin is clearly wrong in claiming that the bishop of Cambrai, the seignor de Cambrein 3 of MS. B, was Roger de Wauriu, as the latter died in 1191. A more likely view is that it was John III of Bethune, who was consecrated in 1200, and who lost his life in the expedition against the Albigensians. 4 We may therefore infer that the Perlesvaus was composed during the early years of the thirteenth century; 1200 is the approximate date of Gautier's Continuation, and 1202 marks the departure for the East of Jean de Nesle, to whom the B version is dedicated. As Jean de Nesle made the Church a valuable gift before he sailed, the B version may have been intended not only as a spur to further service but also as an expression of deep-felt gratitude. Of course, it is improbable that 1202 will ever be accepted as the precise date of the B version, as this would place it too soon after the actual composition of the romance. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the exact date can be determined. But, however that may be, it is reasonably certain that the romance itself was written at about that period, and that the B text appeared before 1212. Accordingly, the work must be considered as independent of the Continuations of Mauessier and Gerbert, neither of which was written until after 1214. 5 NOTE. I have not considered it necessary to discuss the question, whether the romance existed originally in a Latin form. The mention of Josephus and several other passages in the romance (pp. 1, 79, 152) to my mind show clearly that the Latin original claimed by the author is a fiction. Cf. on this point, Heinzel, op. cit., p. 172. 1 Tresor de Chrvnique, col. 1675. * Cf. Hist. Litt., xviii ; also, Les plus ancient ehansonniers franfais (in Ausgaben und Abhandlungen, xciv), by Jules Brakelman, Marburg, 1896, p. 93. Audefrois mentions his patron as: Qui de Niele est sire, Li cortois et le sage. 'The bishops of Cambrai were suzerains of the territory in which Cambrai was situated. 4 Cf. Mas Latrie, op. cit., col. 1402. 6 Cf. above, p. 98. CONCLUSIONS. Light has, I hope, been thrown by this study on the relationship of the Perlesvaus to the Perceval and the Metrical Joseph. 1 Indi- cations that the other French Grail works were sources of the romance are entirely lacking, as Heinzel has already shown. 2 On the contrary, it would seem, as Gaston Paris originally proposed, 8 that the Perlesvaus was itself one of the sources from which the primitive Quele was compiled. With the Grand St. Graal and the Didot-Perceval the work appears to be in no way connected.* The results of the present study may be summed up as follows : 1. Our author followed the Joseph of Robert de Borron faith- fully in the references he gives to the so-called ' Early History,' except when the Joseph would have brought him into conflict with the Crestien portion of the Perceval; then he wavers between the Joseph and the Perceval. 2. The Perceval proper is the work with which he shows most familiarity, and which must have served principally as his model. The general design of the work, the account given of the hero's boyhood, the two Grail adventures of Gawain and Lancelot are proof that he knew it and that he used it abundantly. 3. His indebtedness was also shown to the first two Continua- tions of Crestien's poem, by Pseudo-Gautier and Gautier. As borrowings from Pseudo-Gautier we noted : the incident illustrat- ing Perceval's zeal as a warrior, and the account of his arrival at Arthur's court in the mysterious ship. From Gautier he took the Chessboard episode and one or two features based on it, the storm 1 Cf. above, p. 39 ff. 2 Op. cit., p. 173. 3 Cf. above, p. 27. *It mav be remarked here that it is impossible to bring the romance into connection with the English Sir Perceval of Oalles (Thornton romances, ed. by Halliwell, Camden Society, London, 1884) ; the latter is chiefly concerned with the Great Fool tale and has no incidents in common with our romance. 102 A Study of the Perlesvaus. 103 in the forest which befalls only the Grail seeker, and Perceval's return to his old home in the Lonely Forest. In addition, several minor points were mentioned which were probably suggested by these works. 4. But it cannot be supposed that he utilized the Continuations of Manessier and Gerbert. The relation of the romance to Manes- sier is in itself very doubtful. A possibility would exist that he drew on Gerbert, especially since we learned that Gerbert worked independently of Manessier, but that the date of the romance, which we had to place within the limits of 1200-1212, definitely establishes his independence of the last two Continuations. As to the manner in which our author treated his sources, we had the best illustration of his method in the Grail episode. Ex- cepting the changes made on religious or moral grounds, he seems to have been averse to altering the materials he wished to use, but as far as possible wove them bodily into his story. Most of the modifications we have found were probably unintentional. This is as true of the incidents derived from Pseudo-Gautier and Gau- tier as of those taken from Crestien. In fact, he apparently made no distinction between the Perceval proper and the first two Con- tinuations, seeing that borrowings from all three are intermingled in his work, and that we know in one instance an episode from Gautier was fused with one from Crestien. 1 Manessier informs us that he knew the first three parts of the Perceval as one continuous poem, 2 and our author was probably under the same impression. Thus, there is nothing strange in the fact that he should confuse them. But he was above all a compiler, and not even a very skillful one. Whatever originality he possessed is to be seen in the general plot of the romance and the mystical spirit it breathes. In the elaboration of his theme he depended upon others. That he added no new material need not surprise us as few writers of that time invented any of their stories. The adaptation of the old matter to some new end was all that could be expected of any poet. But unlike his great predecessor, Crestien, he shows no art in mbellishing his material and in moulding it into new forms. His 1 Cf. above, pp. 59-61. 3 Cf. Potvin, op. cit., vol. n, p. 307 ff. 104 A Study of the Perlesvaus. work is full of inconsistencies, which can only be explained by the supposition that it was written at least, for the most part from memory. For this reason so many features lack point when compared to the corresponding features of the Perceval. NOTE. Several parallels to parts of our romance came to my knowledge after the above pages had been written. I have brought them together here, but without attempting to arrange them in any particular order, or to establish their ezact relation to our work. Geoffrey of Monmouth's account of King Ritho (cf. Historia, vn, ch. v and Hist, litt., xxx, p. 243-245) was probably the prototype of the Chaslel de Barbes (p. 97), where shirts are made of the beards taken from the passers-by. Similarly, the story of Arthur's birth (p. 229) goes back to that of the Historia, viu, ch. 19. Gawain's adventurous history (p. 252) has been traced by J. D. Bruce (De Ortu Waluuani, Mod. Language Publications, xm, p. 372) to the legend of Gregory the Pope. Cf. in this connection, the account of the three Grigoires (Perlesv., p. 250) who bring the first church bells from the terre de promission (cf. above, p. 29). The bridges which Gawain crosses on hia way to the Grail Castle (p. 84) remind one of the Bridge of Souls in the mediaeval Visions (cf. Gaston Paris, Romania, Xli, p. 508 ff. and Becker, Mediceval Visions of Heaven and Hell, Baltimore, 1899, pp. 18 and 19). The Pont de PAnguile, the first bridge he crosses, has the same traits as the Mohammedan bridge al Sirat : it is extremely narrow at first but broadens beneath the foot-steps of the righteous. Khys (Arthurian Legend, p. 56) claims that it takes its name from the Irish 'Snake' or 'Rainbow' river, a stream of venom which according to Taliessen flows round the world. This would agree very well with the name Anguile, unless it could be shown that the original name was Aiguile; i. e., Needle. Owein crosses such a bridge in St. Patrick's Purgatory (cf. Krapp, The Legend of St. Patrick's Purgatory, Baltimore, 1900, p. 9). The punishment which Perceval inflicts on the Sires de Mores (p. 184) is another indication of the influence of Vision literature. According to the Visions, e. g. Dante, Inferno, xu, 21, homicides are punished by being cast into a lake of blood, "burning and filled with mire." The Sires de Mores is thrust headforemost into a vat filled with his accomplices' blood, in which his head is held submerged until he drowned. The chief points of resemblance with the legend of Brendan have been men- tioned by Heinzel (above, pp. 29 and 37) ; cf., for a full list of references, Gral- romane, p. 172. Professor Rhys (op. dt., p. 300) has identified the Turning Castle (p. 195 ; cf. above, p. 92) with Cser Pedryvan, called also Cser Sidi, which Taliessin describes in his poem on the harrying of Hades. Caer Pedryvan means the Four-horned or Four-cornered Castle, which brings to mind the City of the Four Horns in the 'Earthly Paradise' (Perlesv., p. 328). Cser Pedryvan and the Turning Castle both resemble the Island of the Open Door in the Voyage of Maelduin (cf. Meyer and Nutt, Voyage of Bran, vol I, p. 169). Lot, the name of Arthur's son (p. 169) is connected by Rhys (op. dt., p. 61} with the Welsh llachar, which means ' gleaming ' or ' flashing.' Lot's habit of A Study of the Perlesvaus. 105 going to sleep on the bodies of his dead foes is explained (I. c.) as the remnant of a nature myth, typifying the setting of the sun. But Khys is mistaken that the island visited ' weekly ' by the King of Chattel Mortel (p. 137) is the same as Puffin Island (cf. Khys, op. eit., p. 325), since the name Lannog, by which it is called in the Welsh text (p. 276), is not found in any of the French MSB. but is obviously an addition of the Welsh scribe. The romance abounds in references to the Scriptures. The King of Chattel Mortel is compared to Cain (p. 215). In regard to his death, it is said that " the end of the wicked is bad" ; cf. Prov. xi, 5. The cruelty of Perceval toward the Sires de Mores is justified by the ' Law,' which commands " que 1'on feist justise des homicides et des traitors." Perceval's mother would have preferred a more lenient course (p. 180), for " 1'escripture dit que 1'en ne doit mie feirc mal a ces (ses) anemis, mes prier a Dieu qui les ament " (cf. Matt, vii, 1). She also claims that it was Solomon who taught that " the sinner who curseth another curseth himself also" (p. 180). P. 204 we have a somewhat blurred account of the Manna story, cf. Exodus, xvi, 16. Judas Maccabee is cited (p. 32) as the founder of falconry a reference, however, which is more mediaeval in its nature than biblical. Finally, the influence of the Apocalypse is seen in the ' sealed heads ' which the Damsel of the Cart carries about with her (p. 27) ; cf. Rev. vn, 3 : " till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, a hundred and forty thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel." APPENDIX. I. TEXTS. I give here copies of the passage (cf. above, pp. 5 and 9) in which MS. B is deficient. For the copy taken from MS. O I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to Miss Tolrnin Smith. The copy from MS. P was made by myself. (Oxford, Ration MS. 82, /. 57 c.) la mainee damoisele apela lo roi artu sire fait ele u' auez les pi' riches armes de lasemblee, & si estes li mielz armez, or gardez que u' soiez hui bons ch?s por lamor de moi damoisele fait li rois den le motroit que ie puise estre bon cie ailors e u' fait lainee damoisele misire .G. gardez que Ion die bieii de u' & que Ion ne uous concise, si gardez bien q' u' aiez uolente au repairier de faire mon plaisir .da. fait il ml't grant merchiz quant u' le daigniez dire, puis se ptent de la tete les petiz galoz sor frain e porsailet lor ceuaus. II ont les esc' as cols fres e noueaus e les couu'tures aut e ces e les glaiues es poinz e les espees caintes. les damoi les esgardent en lor aler ml't uolentiers. si dient q'il perent bie estre bon ch?. damoi. fait la mainee done sui ie bien a ami p mo cief fait ele oil. mais misire .G. ne me respont mie a ma uolente. si licuit encore ml't bien merir. [Ajtant sunt li ch? asamble de totes pars e les roles uenues. li roi e misire .G. se fierent en lasamblee ausi 9me. .ii. lions e abatent en lor venir .ii. ch?s de coi misire .G. prent les ceuaus. si les 9mande si les 9mande au uaslet lo roi present as .ii. damoiseles onques puis ne cei[?]ndirent le ior anP gaaig faire ne omques nasem- blerent a rote que il ne pchassent. nos ne poeit sofrir lor meslee 106 A Study of the Perlesvaus. 107 longemt nabigans de la roche choisi misire G. & misire G. lui. il seutreuienent de fsg^nt radonee misire G. le fiert p telair enmi le piz que il abat e lui ceual tot en .i. mont. le roi artus neut mie oiseus daut e part, aiz li laisent li plusor la uoie. asez iot des autres ch?s bien faisanz mais il ne iot nul qui a lor bien fait sapuiast. il donerent le ior asez de cops, e asez e' recoillerent. la samblee se depti ala uesprer. li ch? se desarmerent as loges [ ] que cil as armes dor e cil as armes uermeiles lont miels fait que n' des autres. & dient que cil as armes [est] mout bos ch?s. li roi artur & misire .G. sunt desarme. les damoi lor font ml't grant ioie. atant es u' .i. nain uenu qui ert as (da)damoiseles fait il soiez ioiouses que toz sacor- dent que uostre ch? lont miels fait que tuit li autre. li roi e misire .G. sasiet au mangier, e les damoi a une riche table diuoire bendee dor enuiron a riches pieres. e orent mes de uenoison a grant plente. il furent serui en riche uaiselemente dor e darient. de uins & de pimenz. li roi artus maia auec la damoi mainee. & misire .G. auec laut e . il desiret ap's le mengier le dormir e le reposer car il estoient ml't traueiliez des cops quil auoient donez e recheuz. il se couchie- reut iusqua lendemain que li ior aparut beaus e clers e que li ch? fu[erent leue par les loges. li plusors sarmoiet ia car il desirroient la semblee. li roi e mibire furent leue. Atant ez u' les .ii. damo. ou uienent. Misire art' de bretaigne b5 ior e buene auenture u' otroit hui dex fait lamainee .da. e u' aiez ioie e honor fait li rois .da. fait li autre menbre uos hui don roi de la gaise ou u' uos h'beiattes quat uos eustes lespee comquise de coi saint iohan fu decolez. il la uolt detenir de coi u' fustes ml't dolanz. mais il la u' redi p icel coue- nant que u' feriez la p'miere chose q } da. u' diroit sanz 9tredit .da. fait misire G. de ce me mbre il bie dont estes u' ia en9t e . Da. se deu plaist ie ferai bien quant q' ie deurai se dex le me 9sent misire .G. ie u' requier & p' por u' esprouer se u' estes si loials 9 o[n] dit. que u' soiez hui a lasamblee li pis faisant de toz & que u' i faites totes les coardies que u' puet faire. si narez autres armes que les uos por uos miels conoistre. e se u' ainsi ne le faites u' aurez failli des couenances que u' eustes e' couet lo roi sor nre fiance, e ie meisme li irai dire .da. fait misire .G. ie ne failli onq's de chose que ieuse en couenant. por ce que ie le puise ateindre. non ferai ie de cestui se u' uolez. p mo cief fait ele oil. & si ne me priet u' dou relaier q' ie ne feroie niet. la mainee baila le ior lo roi artu .i. 108 A Study of the Perksvaus. bloues armes aut'si 9me dazur si li proia e requist q'l les portast por samor. lasablee fu 9mchie. misire .G. nout autres armes q' les soues. il senuindrent a lasemblee. q' ia estoit ml't granz e les rotes uenoiet de totes pars, li renc estoit deuise. li roi art' fiert eenaus des espons. & abat .ii. chrs e' so uenir. misire .G. sabandone entre .ii. rens (B. N. f. 1428, f. 103 c.) 1. 9. la maiznee damoisele apela le roi artu. sire fait ele uos auez totes les plus riches armes de lasamblee & si estes li plus biax armez q ie onqs mais ueisse. Ore gardez que uos soiez hui bons ch'rs por lamor de moi. Damoisele fait li rois damnedex le motroit que je puisse estre bons & ci & aillors. & vus missire .G. fait li ainznee damoisele gardez que Ion die merueilles de uos & que Ion ne uos reconoisse. si gardez bien q uos aiez coer & uolente an repairier de faire mon plaisir. Damoisele fait il molt grans merciz quant uos le deigniez dire, puis se partent de la tente les petiz galos soz frai' & porsaillent lor cheuax siq'l font la tere canbir desoz lor piez. II ont les escus as cols fors & noviax & les couertures ouvrees & les glaues espoiz & les espees caintes les damoiseles les esgardent en lor Fol. 103 d. aler molt volentiers [si dient q'l perent bien este bon ch'r. Da- moisele fait li mainznee dont ne sui io bien a ami par mon chief fait ele oil. mes mesire .G. ne me respont mie a ma uolente. si liq't encore ml't bien merir. [AJtant sont asamble li ch'r de totes pars. & les rotes venues li roit [s] & mesire .G. se fierent en lasamblee autresi 9me li lion. & abatent en lor venir .11. ch'rs de qi mesire .G. prent les cheuax. si les 9mande al uallet le roi presenter les deus damoiseles. Onqs puis nentendirent le jor anul gaaig faire. Ne onqs nasamblerent a route que il ne percasent Nus ch'r ne pooit soufrir lor mellee longuemet. Nabigans de la roche choisi monseignor .G. & mesire .G. lui. II sentrevienent de tres grant randonee. mesire .G. le fiert par teil air enmi le piz. Que il abat tot en un mont & lui & le cheval a tere. li rois art' ne rest mie oiseus dautrepart. Ainz li laisset li pluisor la uoie quant il le uoient venir. Asez i out des autres ch'rs bien faisanz. F. 104 a. Mais il nen i ot nul q' alor bie fait sapuiast. [II donerent le jor assez de couls & asez en recoillirent. lasamblee departi ala uesprer. li ch'r sedesarment as loges galesches. & dient entreux que cil as armes- A Study of the Perlesvaus. 109 dor & cil as armes uermeilles lont mielz fait que nus des autres. & tesmoignent & dient que cil as armes uermeilles est molt boens ck'rs