^'ik.>^ '-'"'Vr f^ % ' - ^i'^t H1^ ri3i5r*»»Ts^v ^^|W ':^7^' i- .:-• >?:# '^i'«l \ \A\nT\r Vm^rTMb^ I )RNrA rURE J: IVERSITY I aON ^u. ft, s f//> / / : jta^yu^ rURE riVERSITY iTON 'ORNIA 1 iV*;'y. STUDIES AND NOTES PHILOLOGY AND LITERATURE Vol. IV Studies on the Libeaus Desconus WILLIAM HENRY SCHOFIELD PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OV THE MODERN LANGUAGE DEPARTMP:NT.S OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY By GINN & COMPANY, 13 Tremont Place, Boston 1895 i .. SANTA BAPvBARA ?? CONTENTS. Introduction ...... Comparison of the Four Poems . I. Introduction .... II. At the Court .... III. The Adventure at the Ford IV. The Fight with the Three Avengers V. The Adventure with the Giants VI. The Sparrow-hawk Adventure . VII. The Dispute about the Dog VIII. At the lie d'Or IX. The Adventure with Lampart , X. The Rescue of the Enchanted Lady XI. The Conclusion XII. Continuation of BI . Wherein the Poems agree LD-Car. opposed to BI LD-Car.-Wig. opposed to BI Relation of LD to BI I. Proper Names . II. Borrowings of BI from jErec Changes introduced by Renaud . Renaud's Use of the Perceval Renaud's Knowledge of Tristan PAGE I 4 4 6 12 i6 i8 25 32 36 42 47 53 54 56 56 58 59 59 60 106 139 145 iv Con tints. PACK The Origin anil Development of the Story , .145 Comparison with rerfdur . . . . . . . .147 Version A . . . • . . • 1 54 Version h . . . . . . . . . • '57 The Sparrow-hawk Adventure . . . . , . . .164 The Adventure with the Dog . ...... 171 Heads on Poles . . . '75 Ciliglois ............. 180 Carduino ............ -183 The Stay with the Enchantress ......... 197 Disenchantment by Means of a Kiss ........ 199 Wigalois ............. 208 The French Prose Redaction ......... 239 Wolfram's Parzival ........... 240 References to LD in Later English Literature 241 Appendix. Proper Names in Le Bel Inconnii ...... 243 STUDIES ON THE LIBEAUS DESCONUS. IN the following investigation ^ attention will be directed mainly to the following four poems : the Middle English Libeatis Des- conus, the old French Guinglain or Le Bel Inconnu, the Italian Cardidno, and the Middle High German Wigalois? The English poem contains some 2232 hnes in tail- rhyme strophe. It is in the dialect of the south of England, probably that of Kent or some neighboring district, and w as probably written about 1350. The author may be said to be entirely unknown to us, although Sarrazin^ and Kaluza* hold, on insufficient evidence, that the poem was written in whole or in part by Thomas Chestre, the author of the Launfal. It has been four times edited, by Ritson in 1802,^ by Hippeau in i860,® by Hales and Furnivall in 1868/ and by Kaluza from six MSS. in 1890. It is to Kaluza's excellent critical edition that I shall always refer in this investigation. 1 This study, in a form somewhat more extended, was presented on April 30th, 1895, *^° ^^ Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University for the acqui- sition of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. I take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to Professors Child and Sheldon for their counsel and encouragement in its preparation. I am, however, especially indebted to Pro- fessor Kittredge, whose constant help has been invaluable. He and Professor Sheldon have had the great kindness to read the entire work in proof. 2 The following contractions are regularly used in this paper : LD for the Middle English Libeaus Desconus (or its hero) ; BI for the Old French Bel Inconnu (or its hero); Car. for Carduino ; Wig. for Wigalois. 8 Sarrazin, Octavian, Heilbronn, 1885, Inirod., pp. xxv ff. * Altengl. Bibliothek, Vol. V, Inirod., p. clxiii. For all matters pertaining to the MSS., metre, grammar and the like, see the introduction to this edition. On the question as to Chestre's authorship of LD, see Mennung, Der Bel Inconnu, pp. 32-3; Breul, Engl. Studien, IX, 459-466; Hausknecht, Litblatt., 1886, col. 138; etc. 5 Ancient Engl. Met. Romance'es, London, 1802, H, 1-90; ed. Goldsmid, Edinb., 1885, II, 35-98. s At the end of his edition of Le Bel Inconnu, Paris, i860, pp. 241-330. ■^ Percy's Folio MS., London, 1868, II, 415-499; cf. Introd., pp. 404-415. B I 2 II : II. SchoficU. L/ Bel Iruonnu is preserved in a uni(iiic manuscript belonging to the library of the Due d'Aumale. The poet in concluding gives his name as Renals ile Hiauju, or, as usually written, Renaud de Beaujeu. He is only known to us otherwise as the author of a song, one stanza of which is preserved in Le Ronuiit n. u. eng. Lit., XI, 161-2; I/ist. lAtt., XXX, 184. ^ In the introduction to Servois's edition, pp. cviii ff. Even without external e>'idence one would at once suspect the song to be written by Renaud. The same ideas are expressed in the same language in the two poems. With the song cf., fur example, BI, 4094, 4457 ff-> 493i, 4i3i> 4734-5- • Mennung, Der Bel Tnconnu, Halle a. S., 1890, p. 15. ♦Cf. Zt.f. rom. Phil., II, 78. ' / Cantari di Carduino, in Poemetti Cavallereschi, Bologna, 1873, 1-44; cf. Introd., pp. v-xl. 6 Wigalois, Berlin, 1819. ' Dichtungen da deutschen Miltelalters, Vol. VI, Leipzig, 1847; see Introd., pp. xiv ff. On Wirnt's indebtedness to his predecessors see Meisner in Cer- mania, XX, 421 ff.; cf. Betbge, VVirnt von Gravenberg, Berlin, 1881. Studies on the Libeaiis Descojius. 3 The chief matter of dispute as to this cycle of poems concerns the relations between LD and BI. There are two opposite opinions in the matter — that of Gaston Paris, who holds that BI is not the original of LD,^ and that of Kaluza,- who holds that LD is directly derived from BI. The view of Paris was supported by the dissertation of A. Mennung^ (1890). Kaluza, however, in his review of Mennung,^ declared himself un- shaken in his own opinion. Btilbring ^ and Schroer ^ regard Kaluza's reply to Mennung as entirely adequate ; but Paris, in his review of Kaluza and Mennung/ maintains his original view. Suchier (1891)^ declined to take sides, and suggested that the whole question should be subjected to a more rigid examination. This is attempted in the present study. The results, it is believed, may serve to establish the view of Paris and to throw new light on the relations of all the poems in the cycle. It is hoped also that some contributions are made toward the solution of other problems in mediaeval literary history. 1 Romania, XV, 1-24 (1886), and Hist. Litt., XXX, 171- 199. This view was first expressed by Kolbing in Englische Studien, I, 121-169; cf. his review (^Engl. Stud., IV, 182) of Mebes, Ueber den Wigalois, 1879; but Paris was the first to use the Italian poem and so arrive at a complete and consistent theory. Cf. also Stengel in Zt. f. rom. Phil., I, 486, and Rhode in Engl. Stud., VII, 152. 2 In his edition of the Middle English poem, Leipzig, 1890, cxxxi ff. " Der Bel Inconnu des Renaut de Beaujeu in seinetn Verhaltnis zum Lybeaus Discomis, Cardtiino und Wigalois, Halle, 1890. * Litbl. f. germ. u. rom. Phil., 1891, coll. 84 ff. The works of Mennung and Kaluza appeared contemporaneously. ^ Engl. Stud., XVII, 119 f. Cf. also the review of Mennung in Giorn. Star., XVIII, 396. ^ Koch's Zt. f. veigl. Litteraturgesch.., N. F., V, 412. "^ Rom., XX, 297-302. ^ Lit. Centralbl., 189 1, pp. 762-3. Furnivall, Percys Folio MS., II, 407, says: " De Biauju's text tnay have given rise to some lost later version which the English adapters handled; but I see no reason why the early French text which M. Hippeau has printed may not have been before our early men." Ward, Cat. of Romances, I, 400, speaks of LD as " an abridged translation of the French metrical romance" of Renaud. Pollard in English Miracle Plays, Oxford, 1 890, p. 216, Brandl in Paul's Grundriss, 1892, II, i, 6, and Skeat in his recent edition of Chaucer, Oxford, 1894, V, 199, all accept Kaluza's view. 4 ir. //. Sc/tofifld. It is nccessar)' to begin our investigation with a somewhat minute analysis of the incidents in the four poems of the cycle, LD, BI, Car., and Wig.' COMP.VRISON OF TlIK FOUR POEMS. I. iNTRODUCnON. (LD, vv. 1-42 ; BI, vv. I-70 ; Car,, i, sts. 1-29.) I. LD opens with an invocation to Christ and Mary for aid in writing the book. The poet is to tell of Gini^ckin, who was begotten of Sir Gawein " be a forest side." His mother " all for doute of wikked loos " brought him up alone in the forest f^at he scholde se no kniit Y-armed in no nianere. (17-18.) He is so fair that she calls him only Bcaufis. One day he goes hunting in the woods and finds a knight lying dead. He clothes himself in the slain knight's armor and goes to Glastinbery, " J'er ley \t King Arthour." (42.) The author of BI begins his poem with an explanation of his reasons for writing the book : he loves a lady " outre mesure," and it is for her sake that he undertakes the work : " mostrer veul que faire sai " (10). Then follows a sixty-line description of the crown- ing of King .'\rthur at Charlion, " qui siet sor mer," in the presence of a large and distinguished assem.bly, and of the coronation feast. A Hst of kings and others present is given. Tant en i ot, ne puis center, Ne les Dames ne puis nommer. (55-6.) Mainte i en ot de mainte guise, Si com la letre le devise. (69-70.) They are all seated at table when a young knight approaches, 1 This analysis covers grounrl already traversed by Kolbing, Paris, Kaluza, and especially Mennung, but it has of course been made from the originals, and in arrangement has been adapted to the special requirements of this paper. In some particulars it will be seen to correct or supplement the work of these scholars. Stitdies on the Libemis Desco?ms. 5 nothing of whose history has as yet been told us. Indeed, the story of the boy's youth is entirely omitted in this version. In Cardumo there is first an introduction telling of the three wise men of the East and their significance, and closing with a prayer for aid in telling the story. There lived with Arthur at Camelot a very noble baron, whom the king especially loved. But certain barons, prompted by jealousy, contrived to murder him secretly. His wife, fearing lest her young son, Carduino, may also be killed, flees to the woods, taking her jewels and treasures with her, and there she lives for more than seven years, none at court knowing her whereabouts. The boy, constantly with the animals in the forest, is brought to believe that no other creatures exist. When he is ten years old, he asks his mother who his father is. She replies " God," and tells him that there are no other human beings besides themselves in the world. One day he finds two spears which have been left in the wood by some hunters. " O padre Iddio, che cosa e questa?" he exclaims, and rushes off to his mother to find out what they are. She tells him God has sent them, and teaches him how they are to be used. Afterwards he takes them with him wherever he goes, and roams about the forest, hunting wild beasts for food and clothing. Attired in skins and " grand e grosso e fiero nel visagio," he appears like a regular forest dweller and is twelve years old before he sees another man. One day the king is hunting in the forest. Car., hearing the strange noise, issues without fear from his lodging with his two spears, and is seen by the hunters, who, with a cry, " Eco un uon selvagio," pursue him ; but he escapes by hard running. His mother receives him in her arms and inquires anxiously what is the matter. Ed e' rispuose : '■ Dolcie madre mia, O madre, tummi gabi e tummi incaccia. Tu di' c 'al mondo nonn' a piu giente Se non no' due e Cristo 'nipotente.' (19, 8.) He no longer wishes to dwell in the forest, and so his mother col- lects her treasures, and they start off together. Soon they come to a great city, where the mother procures for Car. all the equipment necessary for a warrior, and he gives up his covering of skins. In the city he soon gathers about him a group of companions, who, 6 JJ: //. Si/iofieU. seeing his valor, urge him to go to Arthur's court, where he is sure lo win honor. He is eager to go to *' serve " the king, and his mother falls in with his request. She tells him that his father's name w.is DcnJinflh\ ami that he has been murdered by Afonhirctte and his brothers : K se sugietto sarai ellealc Vciulichcrai tuo padre naturale. (27, 7-8.) [Here there is a lacuna of 8 stanzas, in which it was probably told that the mother advises him to conceal his real name because of his enemies, ami that she herself is of lowly origin. He goes to Arthur and asks to be made a knight.] In Wig. the introduction is very different from that in the other versions (see below, pp. 235 ff.). n. At THE Court. (LD, 43-285; BI, 71-316; Car., i, 30-35, ii, 1-8; Wig., 44, 20-53, 23.; I. When LD comes to the court, he kneels, greets the knights with honor, and asks the king if he may " speke a word." He says he is a child " uncouthe," come from the South, and wishes to be made a knight. Arthur at once asks his name, and the boy replies that his mother " in her game " called him Beaufis. The king declares he shall be called Liheaus Desconus, " pe faire unknowe"; then he makes him a knight and gives him armor. He is given over to Gawein for instruction in knightly ways. LD now makes a request that he be allowed to undertake the first fight that any one asks of the king. The latter agrees, although he thinks the boy too young for any great encounter. They all wash and go to meat. In BI the knights are all at table, when an unknown warrior rides into the hall. All salute him. The king bids him dismount ; but he will not do so until he is given a promise that he shall be granted the first request he shall make. Attendants hasten to remove his arms, and soon he is clothed in a handsome mantle which Gauvain gives him. The king remarks on his excellent bearing : Tot oil qui Tvoient redisoient Que si biel homme ne savoient. (99-100.) He sits down at the table beside Gauvain. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 7 In Car. the king, hearing the boy's words, quickly takes him by the hand and asks him who his father and mother are and what his nationahty is. Car. repUes that he does not know anything of his father, but that his mother is "d'una vil giente." His wish is to serve the king faithfully. Arthur gives orders for him to be honored. The table is made ready, and all sit down to their meal. The barons marvel at seeing Car. tanto grosso e smisurato, E r uno insieme col' altro bisbiglia ; Per pill di sei baroni avie mangiato. (33, 2-4.) When Wigalois comes to the court, he is given a hearty welcome. The king at once inquires who he is, and he replies that he does not know who his father is (although, like Car., he really does know), but that he wishes to be made a knight. Arthur, delighted by his humble bearing (cf. BI) and courage, makes him a knight and gives him over to Gawein's charge. He is given a sword, shield, shaft, and rich apparel, and later they sit down to a great feast. (In all this Wig. agrees with LD or Car. and is unlike BI.) Wig. also makes a special request, but not until after the messenger has come to court. Arthur grants it before he knows what it is. 2. But soon a beautiful maid, accompanied by a dwarf, rides up to seek help from Arthur for her mistress, who is in distress. This incident is in all four poems. In Wig., however, the feast is not that which was held when the young man first came to court. The lady and the dwarf appeared ze den naehsten sunwenden, do der kiinec ze tische saz. (48, 13-14.) 3. In LD her name is at once given as Elene. In BI it is not mentioned until she has been described at length and her mission made known (57 lines). It is then given as Helie, No name is given her in Car. or Wig. 4. Elene is clothed in tars, " pelured wi)> blaunner." She is more beautiful than countess or queen, and rides on a milk-white steed. The English poet also adds the graphic detail that she is " all beswette for hete." H^lie is clothed in samite, and on her head is a " cercle d'or." s u: //. ScJtofuhi Her complexion is as the rose, her eyes are vairs, her mouth is lavishing, her linmls are white, her body is avcnant, her hair is blond, etc. She riiics a palfrey covered with cloth of silk, the oriic of fine gold, inlaid with precious stones. In Car. she is 7-ermi^/ia, dilicata, and piacienk. She is a sister (!) of the enchanted princess, who is called Bcatricie " dal viso rosato." (", 5. 6.) In Wig. she rides a white horse. There is no description of her, but only of her dress. (Cf. 48, 40.) 5. The dwarf in LD is clothed in I'nde, "stout and pert," with open surcoat, a beard yellow as wax, his hair hanging to his girdle. His shoes are adorned with gold, and he is " coped as a knijt : J^at seemed no poverte." He is far famed for his accomplishments. Miche he couhe of game : Citole, sautrie in same. Harpe, fil'ele and crouj'e. He was a noble disour Wil' ladies in her hour, A mery man of mouhe. (148 ff.) In BI he is " cortois et bien apris : Gent ot le cors et biel le vis." His only defect is that he is small. He wears a robe " de vai'r et d'eskerlate," which fits him well. In Car. he is called " il nano sagio." In Wig. he rides on a horse behind his lady with both hands on her shoulders. He sings a song so beautifully that all the listeners forget themselves. 6. In LD the name of the dwarf — Teodelain — is at once told. In BI it is Tidogolain, but is not given until he and H6He leave the court. He has no name in Car. and Wig. 7. In LD he suggests to Elene, when she reaches the court, that it is time to tell her errand. Afterward he declares that LD will not be worth a farthing to them in the battles he will have to endure, and adds : At he point perilous Be he chapell auntrous, Schall be his beginning. (202 flf.) In BI he says nothing while at court. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 9 In Car., when Arthur selects Car., the dwarf begs the king to send another. Such a wild-looking man will not answer the purpose. He cannot endure what will be before him if he goes. In Wig. he only sings the song. 8. Elene pleads for the lady of Sinadoun (!), who is in prison; and asks for a knight WiJ' herte good and lijt, To winne her wih honour. (167-8.) LD's duties, except in a very general way, are unknown to him until long after. H^lie bears greetings from the daughter of King Gringars, and prays that succor may be sent her, for she is in great distress. She asks for one of Arthur's knights, " trestot li millor que tu as " (183), and urges him for God's sake to make haste. The knight, if he succeeds, will win great honor ; but he will have to accomplish the fier baiser. In Car. the messenger tells the whole state of affairs, — how the city has been enchanted because its mistress will not marry the enchanter, and how all the inhabitants have been turned into wild beasts. She begs for a warrior " il quale sia valoroso e saciente," to rid the desolate regions of their tormentor, whose evil deeds Arthur must have heard of, for the city is his. In Wig. there is no mention of any definite undertaking. The messenger says her lady is in distress and needs help. It will be a very bitter fight, — even to the death. It requires the most valiant knight to perform it. 9. In LD the words are hardly out of Elene's mouth before LD has claimed the privilege of doing this deed, and Arthur must needs stick to his promise. In BI Arthur looks about and waits for some one to offer himself; but instead each one dreads lest he be forced to go. In Car. all the barons at once offer their services, but Arthur turns to Car. and says he wishes him to go. Wig. rises immediately and offers himself. The rest of the knights marvel at his request. (Cf. 50, 3 ff.) 10. In LD Arthur at once acknowledges the boy's claim and gives him encouragement. 10 u: /r Si/ioftfid. Arthur tries hard to dissuade RI from going, and ofTers him a seat .It the Round Tabic. In Wig. Arthur grants the youth's request and exhorts him to uphold his honor ; yet he is sorry to see him undertake such a peril- ous ailvcnture. He will enrich him if he stays at home. For Arthur's conduct in Car., see 9. 11. Elene declares that Arthur's fome is lost since he sends a child, " l>at is witles and wilde : to dele doujty dent," when he has such knights as Perceval and Gawein. H^lie says that she has sought the best, but is given the worst, — one who is of no use to her. She needs a knight who in chivalry is " esprovt^s et de millor los." (235.) In Car. she says nothing more. In Wig. also she is so angry " daz si ze niemen niht ensprach." (50» 30-) 12. In LD Arthur says they shall have no other; if they are not satisfied with LD, let them seek elsewhere. In BI, however, the king says he cannot help himself : he would if he could. In Car. the king receives the dwarfs protest with : To' quel ch' io ti dono ; Questi sark barone ardito e buono. (ii, 7, 7-8.) 13. During the dispute LD swears that he is not afraid of any man, and that he will never forsake the fight, " as hit is Arthours lawe." He hat fleh for drede, I wolde, by way or strata His body war to-drawe. (211 ff.) This point is not found in any other version. 14. At Arthur's command four of the best knights, Gawein, Per- ceval, Iwein, and Agrafain, arm LD with a gipell of silk, a bright hauberk, etc. Gawein puts about his neck " a scheld wij? a griffoun " and a rich steel helmet ; Perceval puts on his croufi ; Launcelet bears him a spear and a " fell fauchoun " ; Iwein brings him a splendid steed " egre as lioun." This scene is not described in any of the other poems ; yet it is one of the three places where the English poet refers to a French Studies on tJie Libeaiis Descontis. ii source. ("So seij' \q. frensche tale," 246.) The only one men- tioned in BI as assisting the boy to arm is Gawein, who has been sitting beside him. In Wig. there is a long description of the arming of the young knight. He puts on a coal-black shield with a red gold rad raised in the centre (whence his name, der Ritter mit dem Rade) and armor which Queen Guinovere has sent him. Gawein aids him, binds on his helmet, attaches a rich banner to his spear, etc. 15. Elene and the dwarf put up with what is offered them, but will eat nothing "for wre]'])e and hete " (223), and sit down discon- tented until dinner is over. Helie and the dwarf go away in anger and will have nothing to do with BI. Car. and the dwarf depart together. The lady follows them. In Wig. the messenger rides off angry. 16. LD, as soon as he is ready to start, rides to the king and asks his blessing, which Arthur " as corteis kinge and hende " gives with upraised hand. In BI it is simply said that the boy takes leave of the king. There is no mention of leave-taking in Car. Wig., when armed, goes before the king. dem milten kunege neig er sa und der messenie gar. * herr got, nu bewar dem riter sinen schoenen lip!' sprach da man unde wip. si wunschten im alia heiles nach. (51, 15 ff.) When he takes leave of Gawein, vil gr6zer jamer ane spot wart zwischen in beiden, d6 si sich muosen scheiden. (52, 14 ff.) 17. BI is given a squire Robert, who plays a very important part in the narrative. There is no hint of this character in LD, Car., or .Wig. 18. In LD all three start off together; and, though it is said that Elene chides LD for three days, there is no suggestion of her refusal to accept his services. I- IV. //. Schofiild. Ilclic ami the dwarf having do])arte(l, BI and Robert start off, spurring ihoir steeds through a Httle valley until they overtake the others. Iltilie turns round and asks BI where he is going. He says he wishes to accompany her and begs her to cease her railing and have mercy on him. She declares he shall not go with her permis- sion and urges him to return. Under no circumstances will he go back. The dwarf pleads for him, saying no one should be blamed until his cowardice has been proved, and God may be his support. All efforts at dissuasion proving of no avail, they go on together. When the dwarf in the German poem sees Wig. coming, he tells the maid, and says they ought to have waited for him : he looks like a valiant knight. But his companion says she knows nothing of him, she wanted the famous Gawein of whose valor she has heard so much. While they are speaking, Wig. appears, with his helmet in his hand, and begs permission to join them. At first she refuses, but after- A-ards assents, and they seem to go on together happily enough. (Cf.53, Wff-) III. The Adventure at the Ford. (LD, 286-468; BI, 317-5S6; Car., ii, 20-25; Wig., 53, 24-55, 29.) 1. The first adventure takes place at a point or pass called Peril- ous (in BI, Gue Perilleus) which in LD is " be pe chapell auntrous " (303). It is kept by a knight " ]'at wij) ech man will fijt " (287) and who is renowned for his valor. In LD he is called William Sale- braunche; in BI, Blioblieris (although the name of one of the three avengers is Willaume Salebrani) . 2. In BI the dwelling of BliobU^ris is described. When he sees them coming, he gives orders to his valets, and the scene is described in which they make ready for him. This is not found elsewhere. 3. In the description of the knight (which is given in LD by Elene, in BI by the author) in LD the most prominent thing is his green shield with three lions of bright gold. In BI his boots of iron, bound with cordieles, the " cote de soie d'outremer " over his hau- berk, and the horse "covert de ses armes " are especially noticeable. 4. Elene chides LD for not being stronger, but does not try to keep him from going on ; while H^lie urges BI not to cross the river, else he \vill lose his life. LD is always confident of victory. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 13 It never occurs to him to turn back. BI refuses to return because it would seem cowardly. 5. But in LD Whan he hadde of hem sijl, To hem he rod full rijt And seide : * Welcome, beaufrere! Who so rit her day oj'er nijt, Wil' me he mot fijt Oi'cr leave his armes her.' Quol' Libeaus Desconus : * For love of swete Jhesus, Nou lete us passe skere! We have> for)? to wende And beh fer from our frende, I and Ms meide in fere.' (st. 27.) But BI knows what he is to expect if he crosses the stream. He is nevertheless defiant, '■ S'il veut joster nos josterons, Et s'il desire la bataille Ja le porra avoir, sans faille! ' (382 fF.) He calls Robert to help him make ready, mounts his steed, takes his shield and lance, and passes over. He is quickly stopped by the knight, who tells him he shall pay dear for his folly. BI, however, begs to be allowed to pass ; he has been sent by King Arthur to succor a lady, he says, and his companion is the messenger who brought news of her distress. But the knight replies : '■ Avant n'ir^s-vos, sans bataille ; Del gud passer est tels Pusage ; Ensi I'a tenu mes lignages Et je certes plus de vii ans. Maintes geas 1 ai lai^ uolens, Et maint bon chevalier de pris I ai abatu et ocis.' (414 ff.) 6. In the ensuing fight LD, after knocking William over his horse's croupe, alights, at William's request, and fights on foot. He shaves his opponent's beard, and the latter, in his effort to return the stroke, breaks his sword in two. He pleads that it would be " greet vilanie " to kill a weaponless man, and LD spares him. 14 /K //. Schoficld. ^^■hcn lilioblicris is struck from his steed, he gets on an equality witli HI by kiUing the lattor's horse. I le is forced to succumb by a blow on the helmet which brings him to his knees, and he is too weak to resist longer. 7. In both poems the knight is forced to promise to go to Arthur. In LI) he is to tell that he has been sent by one |>at is y-cleped in us, Libeaus Desconus, Unknowe of keh and kende. (403 iT.) BI does not tell him his name, although Bliobli^ris later tells it to others. 8. BI has here a scene not in LD. The dwarf calls the attention of H^lie to BI's bravery ; but she replies : ' Ocis serra ; s'ert grans damages ; Que moult est buens 11 siens corages!' (497-8.) Of course BI refuses to return. H^lie then says they must hurry on, for night approaches. Further, Robert catches the wounded knight's horse and leads it to BI, who mounts, takes his shield and lance, and they continue their journey. 9. In LD William at once sets out for Arthur's court. By chance he meets three knights " proud in palle." They are his sister's sons. He explains what has happened and where he is going, and they (not he) at once suggest revenge and start off without delay to take it. In BI it is told how the valets carry the wounded Bliobli^ris to his lodging, take ofif his armor, and put him to bed ; how he expectantly awaits his companions (!), who are " Elins li blans Sires de Graies, li bons chevaHers des Aies," and Willaume de Salebrant. They are to return that night. When they finally appear, he exhorts them to revenge him, and hopes they will bring BI back and free him from prison. He does not mention Arthur. 10. After this encounter LD and Elene ride on "pas be pas" until it grows dark. They rest together. Mercy sche gan him crie, pat sche spak vilanie ; He forjaf her J>at trespas. (475 ff.) Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 15 The dwarf serves them in all things they need. In the morning they encounter the three nephews of Wilham, who are in pursuit. In BI, for some unhappy reason, Renaud has separated these two adventures. He makes the fight with the giants take place during this night. 11. The adventure in Car. which comes nearest to the one just described, follows the visit to the castle of the enchantress.^ While Car., the dwarf, and the messenger are riding along, Car. sees a knight coming towards them. This turns out to be Agueriesse, one of the murderers of the boy's father. Seeing the beauty of Car.'s companion, Agueriesse at once demands that she be given over to him : otherwise Car. shall lose his head. Car. says nothing, but immediately takes his spear and strikes him in the breast with it. When the knight falls dead from his horse, the dwarf exclaims : "What have you done? This is the nephew of King Arthur, the man who slew Dondinello." [It is indeed strange that the dwarf should know this.] Car. rejoices in his heart that he has to some extent avenged his father's death, and goes on happier than before. 12. In Wig. this adventure has been influenced by the introduction of one of the features of the fight with the steward (which comes later in the poem, see p. 46, below) ; viz., the information given Wig. by his companion that if he asks lodging at a castle near by he will first be forced to joust with the lord. If he wins, he will be well received ; if not, he will sufi'er indignity. On the introduction of this feature here, see pp. 226 ff. As evening comes on, the maid asks Wig. where they shall spend the night. He replies : " Where you will." She then tells him the custom of the place. If the knight is defeated, he must depart disgraced without his belongings. It would therefore be better to get rest elsewhere. This speech displeases Wig., who replies that he will meet the test (54, 14 ff.). But the house of the lord is so near that he sees Wig. riding up armed. He does not wait for Wig. to ask for lodging, but orders his arms, mounts his steed, and starts off at once. His attendants follow him past the city ditches. Wig. sees him coming and binds on his helmet. They run at each other. Each protects himself well, but Wig. finally kills his antagonist (55, 13-14). The messenger says it is not safe to 1 It is the visit to the castle of the enchantress which is misplaced. l6 II. /:. :iL/:ojii-/ii. stxy there, and they hasten on, leaving the lord's followers in bitter grief. IV. Thk Fight wrrn xnv. Tukki: Avkngers. (LD, 469-5SS; 151,947-1259.) 1. There is nothing corresponding to this adventure in Car. or Wig. In IJI it follows the rescue of the maiden from the giants. 2. The account differs greatly in LD and BI ; indeed, in many cases it is exactly opposite in the two poems, e.g., in LD the hero and his companions meet their foes as they are riding along (484), and it is expressly stated that it is day (48 1) ; while in BI it is night and the moon is shining. "Que de cler jor rien n'i avoit " (1028). BI is lying asleep on the grass beside the two maidens when Robert sees the three knights coming and flies to awake his master. 3. The three at once cry out to LD : ' fef, turne ajain and fi?t, Or leve her hy renoun! ' (491-2.) He at once replies that he is ready to ride against them all together, and spurs on his steed (497). In BI, however, after BI is aroused, there is a little discussion bet^veen all in the party, during which Robert keeps urging haste in getting ready. The assailants are robbers and appear " l^s le roce de valcolor." They express their joy at finding him whom they were seeking. H^lie reminds them that it is not chivalrous to fight with an unarmed man. Willaume Salebrant speaks in favor of lettinc: him arm, and the others agree. BI puts on his hauberk and laces his helmet ; then Ht'lie girds on his sword. She encourages him, reminds him of his duty to her lady, and hands him his shield after he is mounted. He puts it on his neck, takes his lance, and calls upon God to preserve him. The young ladies kneel and pray for him. 4. In LD the hero overcomes the first assailant, and then the other two attack him at once so that he exclaims : " Alias ! " ' Oon ajeines two To fijte, )'at is noujt good.' (547-8.) But in BI they come one at a time (William first) ; for, as the author says, in those times, when a man fought he had only to care Studies on the Libeans Desconiis. if for the one with whom he was engaged. The poet laments in twelve lines the evil customs of his own day, since " Tos est muds en autre guise " (1065). 5. In LD it is Sir C^d^rc/^r with whom the hero first fights. LD breaks Gower's thigh and makes him lame forever. He leaves him on the ground groaning with pain. BI pierces William's body, and he falls dead from his horse. 6. Of the second brother the author says : He [LD] hrew him in hat place, And in bat ilke space His left arm brast a two. (556 fF.) In BI the second knight is unhorsed with such violence that his right arm is broken ( 1 1 1 6 ) . 7. In LD, when the second brother is wounded the youngest yields at once. In BI the fight with the last knight is the fiercest, for he is maddened by the fate of his companions. After the first meeting they are both unhorsed ; then they fight with their swords, batter each other's helmets, and at dawn are still in conflict. At last BI deprives his foe of his helmet and makes him prisoner. 8. In LD all three are obliged to plight their troth to go to Arthur, yield up " tour and toun," and dwell in his bandoun ever without end. In BI only the last knight is required (on pain of losing his head) to go to the king. One of his companions is dead, and the other so sorely wounded that he must be carried away. 9. When LD fells the eldest brother, the dwarf takes the latter's steed by the rein, leaps into the saddle, and rides quickly to the place where the maid is sitting. She laughs and says : 'Hs ^ingfi kni§t Is chose for champioun.' (515-6.) (With this cf. Ill, 8, p. 14.) 10. LD rides on without any inquiry as to who his opponents are. BI questions the Sire des Aies, and finds out the names and the purpose of the assailants. 11. BI begs the Sire des Aies to take back Clarie (whom he had iS //://. Schofiehl rescued from tlu> Lri.uu^'i tD her iiarcnls. and ihc maid departs rejoicing. This struggle lias yet to take jilacc in LD and, as will be seen, 1. 1') takes the maiden home himself and she is offered him to wife. The author of BI here inserts (1225 {{?) 35 lines in a digres- bion in which he tells of his own loved one : Cil qui se font sage d amor, Cil en sent faus et traitor. Per 90, mius veul fa ire folia Que ne soie lolaus ni'amie. ^o qu'ele n'est I'ai apelee. Que dirai dont? La mult am^e. S'ensi I'apel, voir en dirai : S'amie di, lors mentirai ; Car nioi ne fait ele sanblant, Las! per li muir, et por li cant : Tos jors serai en sa merci ! (1250 ff.) Never under any circumstances does the personality of the English author appear. 13. In LD they ride on in a wild forest toward Sinadoun. They wish to rest, and In )e grene greves fey di>te a logge of leves Wih swordes hx'vX and broune : per inne l^ey dwelde all ni?t. (595 ff.) In BI they decide to stop in a grassy meadow, Robert performs his duties well. BI and H^lie go to sleep beside each other. The moon is shining, and the nightingales sing above them. In Car. the young knight and the dwarf, when they come to the wood in the evening, make ready a rich pavilion for the lady in a flower-covered meadow (cf. Wig., p. 19, below). V. The Adventure with the Gunts. (LD, 589-750; BI, 587-946; Car., ii, 26-39; Wig., 55, 30-60, 20.) I. This adventure is found in all four versions, in forms closely resembling one another. LD seems to vary most from the original. In the English poem the dwarf is ever waking up, in fear that the Studies on the Libeaiis Descomis. 19 horses may be stolen. His attention is attracted by the sight of a great fire and the smell of roasting. He wakes LD. BI himself is aroused by the cries of a woman in distress who is calling upon God for help. In Car. they are all engaged in eating their supper beside a fire they have lighted to warm themselves by, when they hear a voice crying to the Virgin for help. 2. LD does not wait. In a moment, without a word to any one, he is mounted and off to see what is the matter. BI first assures himself from Hehe, who has been aroused by the noise, that it is not a dream. She brings forward good practical reasons why he should go to sleep again, and not trouble himself about the matter ; but BI is a true knight, and will not be dissuaded by reasons of policy, for he cannot resist the cries of a woman calling for aid. He calls to Robert to get his horse, crosses himself, and as soon as the whole company can be got in motion, starts off, with Robert as a guide, in the direction whence the cries come. Car. asks the dwarf what voice it is he hears. The dwarf replies : " For God's sake do not speak. Let us put out the fire. Keep silence. Alas ! we cannot escape. If you should be heard by the giants, all the gold in the world could not save us." Again the voice cries : ^ Vergin madre di Dio, ora m' aita Mandami 1' angle! tuo chi mi difenda.' (30, 1-2.) Hearing this. Car. cannot hold back. He tells the dwarf that though his life be at stake he must defend her who is calling thus. He takes his spear without delay and runs (!) into the wood. Wig. and his companions stop in a grassy field where the nightin- gales "singen vaste gegen der naht " (53, 34). In a forest near by, Wig. and the dwarf prepare a lodge for the maiden, the dwarf break- ing off green boughs and placing them on the grass. After they have gone to bed they hear a voice crying bitterly in the forest by a lake : we! we! als daz da furhtet den tot. (56, 20-1.) Wig. asks his companion if she hears it. frouwe, ist ez iuwer rat, s6 wil ich riten dar daz ich uns rehte ervar waz ez si daz da klagct. (56, 24 ff.) 20 U: If. Sc/iofu-U. She answers: '• nu mot als ir welt" (cf. BI), and Wig. rides off alone. Tlie night is half gone and the moon is shining " gegcn dem lagc." Wig. rides about a mile " durch dome und durch gedrenge " (56, 38), until at last he sees two great giants sitting by a fire. 3. LI) sees two giants "grisly of chere," one "red and loj'lich," the other " swart as pich." The black one holds a maid in his embrace. Robert points them out to BI, and they are described as : " his et hisdels et mescr^ans " ( 700) } The maiden is weeping bitterly and crjing aloud because one of the giants wishes to kiss her. Ja nus hom ne demant plus bi^le, Se ele n' eiist tel paor. (702-3.) Car. sees the giants by the fire, one of whom is holding the maid in his arms. She seems to be about fifteen years old, and is weeping bitterly. In Wig. the young lady is trying to get away. The giants cannot still her cries. One of them has her pressed to him with both arms. When Wig. sees this, he desires to free her, for such shame should not continue. 4. In LD we read : Pe rede geaunt sterna A wilde boor gan terne Aboute upon a spite. >at fier brijt gan berne. (625 ff.) InBI: De Tautre part le feu, s^oit L'autre gaians qui rostissoit, Et aveuc son pointe faisoit Norrir le feu qui relusoit. (711 ff.) In Car. : e vide un gran giugante A un gran fuoco, ch' arostia 'na ciervia Con tutto il cuoio e tutte le zanpe. (ii, 31, 2 ff.) There is no parallel passage in Wig. ; but the author puts into his hero's thoughts a series of reflections on the pleasures which women give men (57, 33 ff.). 1 Cf. the giants in Claris et Laris^ ed. Alton, 22489 ff. with BI, 729 ff. Studies on the Libeatis Desconus. 21 5. LD, Car., and Wig. go alone to the rescue, and their compan- ions take no part in the scene before the fight. Robert guides BI, H^lie, and the dwarf to the place where they see the giants. BI points out the young woman to H^Iie and says he will fight for her. H61ie repUes that if he wishes to die, he had better go on. She informs him that these giants have laid waste the land about and killed the inhabitants, and advises him to flee from the devils. 6. LD attacks first the giant holding the maiden, and strikes him \iOXi liver, longe and herte, J^at never he mi;te arise. (647-8.) BI deals the same giant such a blow that he falls dead into the burning fire. In Car. the one who is roasting the meat sees the hero first, rises at once, and raises the roast as high as he can to strike him with it ; but the latter eludes the blow and strikes the giant with one of his spears so furiously that it passes through his breast and heart, and the giant falls dead to the earth. Wig. also chooses first the giant by the fire, and strikes him with his spear so that it pierces his heart. 7. In LD we are here told how the maiden at once rushes off, thanking " hevene quene " for her succor. Elene and the dwarf come up, take her by the hand, and lead her to their lodging, where they pray for LD's safety. 8. The red giant then strikes at LD wil> ^e bore : As man ]^at wolde awede. He kills LD's horse ; but LD leaps from the saddle and fights with his falchion. The giant's " spite brak atwo " (675), and then A tre in honde he cauU, To fijte a^ens his fo, And wi(' )ie ende of he tre He smitte his sclield a Ke. (677 ff.) Before he raises it up again, however, LD cuts off his right arm (684). He falls to the ground, and LD cuts off his head. 22 li: //. Sc/iojic-id. In lil the giant uses a club as a weapon. When he is making a violent onslaught on BI, it strikes a tree with such force as to make the tree quiver anil the branches foil. The club flies out of his hands, and before he can get it again \>\ has seized his opportunity and given him a blow on the head by which he is killed. In Car. the hero draws near the giant who holds the maiden and addresses him : ' Falso traditorc, Non fare alia donzella disinore.'' (ii, 34, 8.) The giant rises, seizes a great brand of oak from the fire, raises it on high, and strikes a fierce blow at Car. The latter avoids it, and in return strikes the giant on the head with his spear so that the iron passes even to the middle of his heart. In Wig. the second giant (the one who holds the maiden) also seizes a great branch of a tree. Wig. alights, and they begin to fight. The giant is very strong and forces Wig. to flee into a bush by the lake near by. Finally, however, the giant has to give himself up and to beg for life. Wig. grants this on certain conditions. Then follows a digression on the way men kept their oaths in former times. 9. In LD the hero cuts off the heads of both giants and bears them to the maiden he has freed, who thereupon thanks heaven he has been made a knight. [This is especially important, because this is one of the three places where the author says he is following a French source : In frensche as hit is y-founde, Him, >at he jaf er Avounde, He served so, aplijt. (688 ff.)] The incident is not found in any other version. 10. In BI Robert disarms his master and performs other duties, such as looking after the horses. The dwarf reproves H^lie for her former treatment of BI and induces her to apologize for her vilonie. She does so humbly, and BI graciously grants pardon. This does not occur in the other poems in this connection, but cf. LD at p. 14, above. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 23 11. LD inquires the name and family of the rescued maiden, and she tells him her father is '' of riche fame," dwelling near by. '■ An erl, an old, hore knijt, pat haj> be man of mist ; His name is Sir Antore^ (703 fF.) Her own name is Violette. The evening before she had been playing in the garden when the two giants sprang out of a cave and brought her to the fire. In BI the maiden is ignored for a while, and it is only some time after the fight that she reappears, is described again, and expresses her gratitude to BI, promising to be ever his servant. She falls at his feet. He Hfts her up and places her beside him on the grass. In reply to his inquiries she tells BI that her name is Clarie and that of her brother Saigremor. She was taken by one of the giants in her father's garden. He was "desous I'entr^e," found the door open, and carried her off to the wood where he met his companion. In Car. she is represented as a young lady of that land, the daughter of a count " di somo valore " ; but no names are given. She has been carried off by the tivo giants from her father, per farlle villania e disinore. (32, 4.) No name is given her in Wig. si [the giants] heten si gezucket dem milten klinege ArtCis ze Karid61 vor sinem bus. des was michel klage da. (57, 16 ff.) 12. In LD as soon as Violet has told her adventure they take horse "without more talking," and ride away together (721 ff.). In BI, on the other hand, Robert and the dwarf discover an abundant supply of provisions in the giants' cave, which had been obtained by ravaging the land round about, — thirty loaves of bread, white cloths, glasses, fowls all ready to eat, plenty of good wine, etc., and both rejoicing announce their good fortune. Soon the cloth is spread, and BI sits down opposite the two young ladies. The excel- lent way in which Robert, " qui s'entremet de tos mestiers," per- 34 li'. iL Schojldd. tonus his iluties, aided by the dwarf, is dilated upon. When they have eaten at their pleasure, the provisions are put away, and they again set out on their journey. Further details concerning Robert and his care of the horses. Car. without delay puts the stag on his shoulders, and he and the maiden (who carries his spear) return to the pavilion. The dwarf man-els greatly when he sees them. Then they eat together " Di quella cierbia ch' era grossa e bella " (ii, 38, 4). The dwarf (who is ** grazioso e sagio " ) also inquires in a fitting way who is the father of the maiden. She tells him all, and he does her great honor. See- ing Car.'s bravery, he serves him " piu che inprima di coragio." After a night of uninterrupted rest the party of four start off for the deso- late city. In Wig. the messenger does not, even after this victory, think the hero fit to cope with the enchanter, but Car. begs permission to ride with her that day, and promises never to do anything opposed to her wish. The dwarf speaks in favor of Wig. 13. LD goes with Violet to her home and tells her father what has happened. The earl offers him his daughter to wife, together with fifteen castles on the spot and all his possessions after he is dead ; but LD declines : he must first do his duty. The earl, however, gives him rich meed for his valor, — a shield, fine armor, and a noble steed, — and the three take their departure. As will be remembered, Clarie is taken home later by the Sire des Aies. In Car. nothing more is said of the maiden. They all go directly to the desolate city. In Wig. the second giant is forced to give his oath to take her back to Karidol and deliver her over to Arthur and Ginovere (who, by the way, is not mentioned in the other poems) . He at once sets out, complaining " ane maze " for his dead companion. All at Arthur's court rejoice when they come. 14. LD sends the giants' heads to Arthur " wil> moche gle and game," and his fame becomes great at court (cf. Wig. above). Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 25 VI. The Sparrow-hawk Adventure. (LD, 751-1056; BI, 1483-1850; Wig., 64, 5-87, 21.) I. The Induction. As LD and Elene are riding along they see a castle. LD remarks its beauty, and Elene tells him at once who owns it and how the owner " for love of his lemman " (769) has proclaimed the gift of a gerfalcon to any one who shall produce a fairer than she. If the applicant fails, he must fight with the lord. If he is defeated, his head is cut off and set up on a shaft whence it can be seen all the country round. On each carnell one or two heads are already to be } seen. LD says he will challenge the knight and propose Elene for | the prize of beauty. The dwarf advises him to be wary, for the \ knight is full of guile. They stay all night where they are. In the morning LD rides with the dwarf to the palace. Giffroun (for such is the knight's name), having risen early "to honoure swete Jhesus," sees LD, equipped with the armor Sir Antore had given him, come pricking " as prince in pride." Without more ado he rides to him and calls out with a loud voice to find out whether he is coming for good or ill. LD declares he has a fairer woman in the town than the knight's leman, and he intends to bear off the gerfalcon. The knight gently inquires how they are to settle the matter. LD replies that both women must be set in the midst of the market in Cardevile city, adding that if his leman loses he is ready to fight. Giffroun agrees to have the meeting at undern, and they hold up their gloves in com- pact. LD rides home in haste and bids Elene " buske and make her boun." Again the dwarf tells him his action is folly ; but to no avail. Elene arrays herself in a robe of samite "to do Libeaus profite," in "kercheves whit: araide wip gold wire" (894), a gray velvet mantle about her neck, and a circlet of precious stones and gold on her head. LD puts her on her good palfrey, and all three ride to the market. In BI the induction is entirely different. BI and his party issue at evening from a leafy wood and see a magnificent castle before them. H^lie (as usual) calls BI's attention to it. They stop at first to admire, but soon hasten on to reach it. On their way they meet a very beautiful young woman clothed in a splendid silk gown adorned with ermine, etc. No one ever saw a more beautiful woman. She 26 I.'' /A Sc/ti^Jii-hl \\.\< x broaii toroiuMd, i.u i- ( uar and wliite as the lily, black, arched, \\ I- .1- formed I'vi'brows, a complexion like the rose in summer, shapely mouih. little teeth, fair hair like fine gold, vairs eyes, white hands, splendid figure. She ajipears to be in great grief, wringing her hands .md tearing her hair. She calls to BI, who goes at once to her and inquires the cause of her sorrow. She tells how her lover has been killed that day and how she herself is ready to die of sorrow ; how the chevalier of the castle owns a very valuable sparrow-hawk (kept in a plain by the monastery on a perch all of gold) which is promised to the most beautiful woman ; how her lover aspired to win it for her, but was killed by the chevalier. BI offers to obtain the bird for her and avenge her lover's death. She rejoices and invokes God's pro- tection on him. Her name is Margerie. She guides him past the bridge to the court. In Wig. they travel on over mounts and vales until they see a n^iiden riding alone towards them. (Here a digression of nearly 40 lines ; the author wishes great happiness to women.) She is in great sorrow. She rides a fine horse, whose mane reaches to its knees and is blood-red. Her equipment is of gold and precious stones. She wears a dress of blialt and has a cap of red sigldt in which is a swan- white feather. Her hair, golden and wavy, reaches to the saddle, and she wears a broad hat with peacock feathers. She calls out : ' owe niir armen wibe,. we! daz leit daz klage ich iemer me.' (66, 1-2.) Wig. obtams his companion's permission to ride to the stranger, yet si vorhte siner kintheit: da von was ir sin arbeit und sin riten mit ir leit. (66, 37 ff.) The stranger is very beautiful — no one like her in the land. If she is so handsome when in such great trouble, " owe, wem was si gelich : e si daz leit gewunne " (67, 9-10). Any fool could tell she is of king's kin. It can be seen from her rich clothes that she has never known poverty. Wig. offers her his aid, but she says it will be of no use. About three miles or better from there is one who is called the King of Ireland, He has the most beautiful horse ever Studies on the Libeaus Desconits. 27 seen, and a wonderful parrot kept in a cage of gold, which cost more than 1000 pounds. There are precious stones galore about it. The horse is white as a swan. His left ear and mane are red cinnabar- colored ; the right ear is coal-black. A black stripe runs along the back to the long, yellow tail. The horse had been placed in the midst of a crowd of women, to the most beautiful of whom it was to be given. She had been the choice of the knights ; but when she went to take the horse, a great red knight drew the horse forcibly away and gave it to his loved one. This saddened the other knights ; but none dared fight him, and the maiden rode away. The parrot complained bitterly when the Red Knight took it. The knights were to remain there until morning and then disperse. Wig. offers to fight for her, although the maiden tells him there is no hope of success. A child need not expect to win the bird from such a bold warrior ; but finally they all ride on together, and Wig. with many a good story tries to drive away her sadness. Soon they hear the sound of the great tournament. Wig. asks where the Red Knight is, and his companion points out a rich red and blue samite tent. They are received gladly by her cousin, the daughter of the King of Persia, who sits in her pavilion, while an attendant reads to her of the Trojan war and of ^neas and Dido. Wig., suitably attired, takes the maid by the hand, and rides to the tent of the Red Knight, whom he finds lying on a richly covered bed with his amie. The parrot, when it sees her, bids her welcome, says it is hers by right, and has been taken away by force. This comforts Wig. The knight asks him what he wants. He demands the return of the horse and tells the knight he will fight with him for it in the morning. The latter laughs : he has never been beaten. He tells Wig. to come after mass and summon all the knights and ladies. He reminds him, /// ^ however, that he has not full strength. der sinne sit ir gar ehi kint iuwer kraft diu ist ein wint wider einen starken man. ItZ, 9 fF.) But Wig. trusts in God and rides away winr his lady. The news of the coming fight is spread about, and all pray for good luck to Wig. The evening is spent in festivities. In'the morning the Queen of Persia and many other women arm him and conduct him to mass. f 28 jr. //. Si/iofu-U. After majiy blessings Wig. springs on his horse. The queen gives hira his shield, and the maid his spear, and he goes to the encounter with the Rcil Knight. 2. The CastU is simply described in LD as being "stout and stark," " in a pack," " rially adijt," " ywalled wi)> ston," " wij) carneles stifle and stoute " (757). In 1)1 it is named Bel Leu (148S). It is surrpunded by a river full of fish, much used for carrying merchandise and provided with plenty of mills, etc. On one side are vineyards of great extent. The castle is enclosed by deep ditches, surmounted by high walls. 3. The Attitude of the On-lookers. In LD the only remark made by observers as they pass is : Her cornel' a lady gay And semelich on to se. LD wears the new armor given him by Sir Antore. In BI they are all in a state of indignation at the chevalier for his treatment of Margerie's lover. When BI and his party come to the casde they are followed by a great crowd, " chevalier, borjois et serjant " (1645). Women and maidens leave their labors and ask about the new aspirant for the sparrow-hawk. Many answer : " We do not know ; but look at his battered helmet and shield, and his hauberk descloe ; he must be a good and tried knight." Then inquiries are made about the maidens, " qui tant sont beles " (1661). Margerie is at once recognized as the one whose lover had been killed the day before. Thus they ride to the place beside the orchard where the bird is kept. 4. Before the Fight. LD and Elene wait for the arrival of Giffroun. The gerfalcon is not exposed, but is brought by one of the two squires who accompany the knight. Giffroun is followed by his beautiful leman. The two women are placed on chairs in the cheping, and all decide that Elene is not comparable to her rival. Giffroun therefore claims the prize ; but LD declares he must fight for it, and the struggle begins. BI calls aloud to Margerie to take the hawk from its perch, for her beauty merits it. Just then the lord of the castle approaches, goes straight to Margerie, and in a very loud voice tells her not to Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 29 take the hawk. BI comes up and demands why she should not have it. The lord replies that his own love is more beautiful and he will prove it by fight. 5. The Knight is called by Elene at the very beginning Giffroim, and the dwarf adds the appellation le fludus, by which he is after- wards known. It is said of him : He bar l-e scheld of goules, j Of silver Ke white oules, Of gold was he bordure. Of he selve colours And of non oj^er floures Was lingell and trappure. (913 ff.) In BI we learn aftej- the fight that the knight's name is Giflet li fins Do. He rides "un bel ceval de moult grant pris." His shield is of silver, adorned, like the rest of his equipment, with red roses. In Wig. he has red hair and a red beard (a digression to discuss their significance). He is called Hoj'ir of Mannesvelt, and is well known in Spain for his bravery although he is a Sahse. (Digres- sion on how to win renown.) All his armor is also red, and on his shield Death is painted in very horrible guise. 6. The Lady ofi the Castle in LD attracts people from far and wide to see her beauty, which is described in all its details to the length of twenty-four lines. She rides "proud in pride," clothed in "pur- pel pall." No name is given her. In BI she is called Rose Espanie. She rides a short palfrey, and is really not beautiful, though she appears to be so to her lover. La laide fait bele sanbler, Tant set de guille et d'encanter! (1719-20.) 7. The Fight. In LD the two ride at each other and fight with such vigor that Har schaftes breke asonder ; Har dentes ferde as I'onder, \>2X comel> out of l>e skie. (979 ff.) 20 ir. //. Schoficld. Then follow's a uniiiuc ^l.mza : J?o gan GitVioun to speke: ' Bring a schaft, M ncll nouU breke, A scliaft \vi|> a coinall! X'xs yinge, ferly frek Sit in his sadell steke As ston in castcU wall. I schall do him stoupe Over his horses croupe And §eve him evell fall, pau5 he wer wijt werrour As Alisaunder oher Arthour, Launcelot ober Percevalll' (985 ff.) LD, however, smites Giffroun with such force that the latter's shield falls from his grasp. All the onlookers laugh and wonder. Again Giffroun attacks him "as man pat wold awede " (1014) ; but LD casts down both him and his steed, so that the former's back cracks, and men on all sides hear the sound. In BI the account is quite different. After a fierce struggle, " an- dui s'abatent des cevals " (1750). Neither being wounded, they jump up quickly and fight with " les brans vienois. " Finally BI gives Giflet so severe a blow that he falls " tos estordis " on the spot, and his face strikes on a stone. BI pulls off his helmet. Not being able to get up, Giflet exclaims : " Conquis m'av^s, ne 1' puis soufrir!" (1778). In Wig. the Red Knight comes preceded by boys calling " wicha, herre, wiche " (80, 16). They are used to his winning. Many spears are lost in a short time. Finally a strong one is given Wig., and he turns to the warrior as Gawein had tauglit him and knocks him off his horse. Wig. dismounts, and they fight on foot. The Red Knight fights with such vigor that Wig. is hard pressed, and all the ladies are in great sorrow for his sake. The maid offers up a prayer for him ; hearing which, he fights with renewed energy. The blood flows fast, but finally Wig. is victorious and wins the prizes. Amidst great tumult and rejoicing the Queen of Persia leads him to her tent, and he is followed by knights without number. 8. TJie Result. In LD all agree that the hero has won the ger- Studies on the Li beans Desconus. %\ falcon. They bear it to him and go, " lasse and more," with him to the town. Giffroun is borne home on his shield, and we hear no more of him. When BI has his opponent down, he makes him promise to go to Arthur. When Giflet gets up, they embrace, and Giflet leads BI and the others to the castle, where they are well received and spend the night in pleasure. Hojir also has to promise to go to Arthur and wait until Wig. comes. He is to say, if any one asks who has sent him, "daz hat der riter mit dem rade " (82, 39). But Hojir wants to know Wig.'s real name, and learns it. He wishes Wig. success, expresses the hope of seeing him again, and departs for Britain. 9. In the morning BI and his party are about to set out, when BI inquires of Margerie what she desires to do. She replies that she wishes to go home to Scotland to her father. King Agolans. Hearing this, BI calls Giflet aside and insists on her having a knight to accompany her. He agrees readily. H^lie now recognizes in her an old friend, presents her with her little dog, and, after a moving scene, bids her farewell. Margerie departs with her hawk and her dog, both of which are very dear to her. In Wig. it is midday before the fight ends, and as Wig. does not wish to remain until the next day, he and his party take an appro- priate farewell. The Queen of Persia wishes him to go with her, but he refuses. Nothing is forgotten which can minister to their comfort. Wig. and the young lady for whom he has fought ride together, after them the other maid and the two dwarfs. When about to separate the lady begs him to go home with her that she may repay him for his noble services. He feels he must go on to Korntin, but prays that God may protect and bless her. When she sees that her prayers are in vain, she is in much greater sorrow than before. She tells him she does not wish to take the prizes he has won for her : he should give them to his companion. This suggestion he follows. 10. LD, having got possession of the hawk, sends it to Arthur by a knight, Claudas, together with a written account of how it was won. Arthur is so delighted that he sends to Ca7-devile An hundred pound honest Of florins wi)? he best. (1045-46.) 32 U: //. Sc/iojiehf. Then LD holds a feast, which lasts forty days, "wij> lordes of renoun " (1050), and at the end of six weeks (!) he and the maid take their departure for Sinadoun. VII. The Dispute about the Dog. (LD, 1057-1296; BI, 1260-1482; Wig., 60, 20-64,4.) In BI and Wig. this adventure follows directly the one with the giants. I. The Induction. In LD the dwarf recognizes the sound of horns which are, he says, those of Sir Otes de Lile. While they ride on talking, fey 3156 a rach come flinge Overhwert he way. (i 070-1.) Elene expresses a wish to have it. ' Ne si?, I never no juell So likinge to my pay. God wold, hat I him amte ! ' (1079 ff-) There remains nothing for LD to do but to catch it and give it to her. This done, they ride forth And telde, how kni5tes fau5t For ladies briU and schene. (1085-6.) Before they have gone a mile, they see a hind pursued by two greyhounds. LD and his company stop under a linden to watch the result. WTien BI is riding along by a forest ("une aventure va contant," 1263), he sees a stag with sixteen antlers pass ("langue traite, vait effr^es," 1267). After it come leaping ^rar^/ of different colors, fol- lowed by one apart from the rest. This one, having a thorn in its foot, stops " en mi la voie " near H^lie. She, seeing its beauty, alights, seizes the dog, and mounts again, declaring she will carry it off to her lady. In Wig., immediately after the departure of the giant to Arthur's court, while the dispute as to Wig.'s ability to fight the enchanter is still in progress, a beautiful little dog appears. The maid desires it, Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 33 and Wig., glad to be able to do something to please her, catches it and lays it in her lap. They ride on " mit grozen frouden." 2. The Dog. In LD they all agree they never saw one so beautiful. He was of all colours, pat men may sen of flours Betwene midsomer and may. (1075 ^0 In BI it is white with black ears. On its right flank it has a black spot. It is small, — a little larger than an ermient, — no one ever saw a dog more beautiful. In Wig. the dog is entirely white, "daz niht schoeners mohte sin" (60, 25). One ear is val, the other red as blood. ^ 3. The Owner. The dwarf in LD says that the owner's name is Sir Otes de Lite. ' pat served my lady while In her semily sale. Whan sche was take wil' gile, He fli5 for greet perile West into Wirhale.' (1064 ff.) He is clothed in inde, and rides a bay steed. The notes of his bugle reveal his station. On being called a chert by LD, he retorts that his father was an earl, and his mother the Countess of Carhsle. In BI he is a hunter who comes pricking up, followed by his dogs. He holds a horn, and has a lance in his hand. Corte cote avoit d'un burel ; Le cors ot avenant et bel. D'une houses estoit hoses ; Estrangement estoit hastds. (1297 ff.) Later he is said to be a chevalier of high rank, who has had a castle built there for convenience in hunting. In Wig. he is a large man with coa LblackJ iair, — ieslich lok bewunden wol mit siden und mit golde, gezieret als er wolde. (61, 4 ff.) 1 Compare the Red Knight's horse, p. 27, above. D 34 n: //. Schoficld. He rides a good black horse. von bluomen fuort er einen liuot. mit griieriLMn tymit was er gekloit. (6i, 8-9.) He carries in his hand a club well wound with strips. 4. His Request. As LD and Elene are under the linden, the knight rides up and blows his bugle. He asks courteously for the rack : he has had it seven years. LD bluntly refuses : he has himself given it to his companion, and no gift of his shall be taken back. The knight's threats have no effect. He rides home and tells his followers he has been shamed by one of Arthur's knights. They all swear the offender shall be taken hau5 he wer grimmer gome Jian Launcelet du Lake ! (i 145-6.) They leap upon their steeds and soon come upon LD riding slowly on a hill. The hunter sees H61ie putting the dog under her mantle and begs her to let it go. She, however, repeatedly refuses to give it up. The owner appeals to BI, who advises Ht^lie to return it ; but the latter is obstinate and will not. Though unwilling to have her keep the dog, BI can do nothing but support her since she is deter- mined. The owner goes away muttering vengeful threats. His sen-ants come to meet him as he approaches his castle. He orders them to bring his steed and his arriis in haste. They equip him suitably, and he spurs off to recover the dog. In AVig. the owner, seeing his little dog in the lady's possession, is very angr)', tells her it is his, and inquires who gave it to her. When he learns it is Wig., he turns to him, asks how he dared do such a thing, and threatens violence. Wig. replies that such talk only suits a woman. Whatever happens to him, he will not give up the dog " durch bcese rede noch durch dro " (62,3). The knight turns his horse and rides off over the broad field to the forest to get his armor. The rest ride on happier than ever. mit manegem guoten maere vertriben si die selben zit. (62, 19-20.) The knight returns on the gallop. Studies on the Lib e aits Descomis. 35 5. The Fight. When LD sees the field full of men, he forecasts trouble, and has Elene ride into the forest. They shoot at him "wi)> bowes and wij) arblaste " (11 74) and make wide wounds; but he lets his steed run and bears them all down, so that they think : ' Ms is the fend Satan, ^at mankende will forfare.'' (1181-2.) He is soon beset again, "as deer is in a nette," by a new group of twelve, with the lord himself at their head. There is a fierce struggle. Sparks spring from shield and helmet. LD slays three ; four flee ; the lord and his four sons remain. Against these five LD fights on, but he is hard pressed. His sword breaks at the hilt. A fierce blow nearly strikes him from his saddle. His foes are ready to despatch him ; but he recovers, seizes his axe, and cuts off the heads of three steeds. The lord in terror flees ; but LD overtakes him under a chestnut tree and makes him promise to go to Arthur. In BI the hunter, now armed, comes up alone to the group and in a loud voice again demands the dog. Then follows a great struggle. Finally both are thrown from their horses and fight together on the ground. The hunter finally loses his sword; BI prevents his getting it again, and makes him vow to go to Arthur. Somehow or other he knows BI's name. BI inquires his name in return, and finds it to be L' OrguiUous de la Lajijiej.^ They take leave of each other. Helie keeps the dog. When Wig. sees the knight approaching, he tightens his horse's girth, and then spurs to meet him with such force that he drives his spear through the knight, whose shaft breaks without harming Wig. They tie his horse and relieve the knight of his equipment, thus depriving him of his honor. (Such was the custom in those times — digression of 35 Hues.) There is, of course, no sending to Arthur. The combats in Wig. are not detailed. 6. In LD we have a unique scene. LD goes home with the conquered lord to the latter's castle, fifteen knights conducting Elene thither. There she tells of LD's brave deeds, and the lord rejoices in such a knight. LD remains there a fortnight to let 36 U: 11. Schofield. his wounds heal ; and then the lord sets off to gladden Arthur's heart by telling him more of the prowess of the new knight of the Round Table. VIII. At iHE Ii.E d'Or. (LD, 1207-154S; BI, 1851-2470; Car., ii, 9-19.) 1. According to LD, the hero has ridden many a mile and seen terrible adventures in Ireland and Wales, when on a beautiful June day he sees a fair city by a river's side. BI, on the evening of the same day on which he leaves Margerie, comes to a beautiful castle. In Car. the first adventure is with the enchantress. 2. The City. Four lines suffice to describe it in LD. A fair cite WiJ' paleis proud in pride And castelles hi; and wide And jates greet plente. (131 1 ff.) Two pages are required in BI. The city is surrounded by an arm of the sea. Nothing can equal the beauty of the white marble walls. They are so high that Nus horn ne pooit engien faire Qui peiist k crenals tocier. (ii (1876-7.) There are two towers of red marble, and a wonderful palace (" cil qui le fist sot d'encanter "). The stone resembles crystal ; the vault above and the pavement below are both covered with silver, while a_. shining carbuncle at the top_ sheds Jightoji_the whole. Twenty towers support the castle ; they are all of one color. Much merchandise is carried to and fro from the city, which is therefore very rich. In Car. we hear only of a noble castle in a valley between two mountains. 3. The Lady of the Castle in LD is a lady of pris, Roddy as rose on rise. (1321-2.) In BI she is said to know the seven arts, much astrology, methods of enchantment, etc.: "Onques nus horn ne vit si bele " (1916). Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 37 She is her father's only heir, and still unmarried. She is " la pucele as blances mains." In Car. the castle belongs to a duchess, Giovane e bella e fresca di natura, Che molta giente avea a pericol messa, Perch' era d' arte maestra sicura. (ii, 9, 2 fF.) In LD the account is given by Elene ; in BI and Car., by the authors. 4. In BI the feature of the heads on poles is introduced here. Cf. LD, 778 ff. 5. Ttiduction to the Fight. While still a good way off, Elene tells LD how a horrible giant "hath beleide about" the beautiful lady in the castle. LD determines to fight. ' I have y-sein,' he says, ' gret okes Falle for windes strokes And smale stonde full stille.' (1351 ff.) So they ride to the city. The giant sees LD (" upon a bregge of tre ") and calls to him to turn back ; but he retorts that when Arthur made him a knight he vowed never to turn back, and advises the " deyell in blak " to make ready. In BI a knight has awaited adventure summer and winter in a pavihon at the head of a bridge. When he sees BI coming, he goes to meet him and tells him that he cannot pass without fighting. H^lie now (!) declares that such is the regular custom, and that if he . is killed, his head will be placed with the one hundred and forty-three j already set up here on stakes. If any one defends himself here against all comers for seven years, he shall have the lady of the castle to wife. The present knight has only two years more to serve. BI begs to be allowed to pass, for he is on a mission from Arthur and does not wish to stop. Seeing that he cannot avoid a fight, he takes his lance and makes ready. 6. The Heroes Opponent in LD is a giant who is described as follows : He is as black as pich ; Nowher l^er is non swich Of dedes sterna and stoute. 38 IV. 11. Schoficld. He is 1 ritty fotc of Icnghe And miche more of streng^e, f'an ober kniUes five : He berel- on everich browe As biistelles of a sowe, His heed greet as an hive; His amies be lengbe of an elle ; His fistes beb full felle, Dintes wib to drive. (1327-44.) He is later described as being Beld as wilde bore. His scheld was blak as pich Lingell, arnies, trappure swich ; pre maumettes her inne wore, Of gold gailich y-geld. (1362 ff.) He believes on Termagaunt. In BI he is a knight who is hated by the lady of the castle and all her following. II estoit fels de cuer et mals, Et trop tirans et desloyals. (2019-20.) His shield and other equipment bear the sign of the " blances mains." 7. The Fight. In LD both break their shafts, but at once draw their swords. LD knocks the giant's shield to the ground. The latter dashes out the brains of LD's horse. LD, without delay, seizes an axe which hangs at his saddle-bow and cuts off the head of the giant's horse. They fight from prime to evensong. Then LD thirsts and begs for permission to drink from the river. Maugis (for such is the giant's name) grants this, but while LD is lying on the bank drinking through his helmet, the giant treacherously strikes him into the river. LD, however, gets out, says he is twice as light as before, and that he will reward Maugis for this baptism. The fight is renewed. Maugis cuts LD's shield in two ; but LD runs and gets one Maugis has previously been obliged to drop, and they continue the fight on the river's side until dark. Then LD cuts off Maugis's Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 39 arm, and the giant runs away. LD follows, splits the giant's back in two, and finally strikes off his head. The fight in BI is very unlike this. They are at first more than an acre apart. Then they rush at each other at full speed, and engage in fierce conflict. They are both thrown down with their horses. When they recover from the shock, they catch sight of each other, draw their swords, and begin again. Helmets smash, hauberks break, sparks fly. At last BI knocks off the knight's helmet, and splits his head from brains to teeth. 8. The Attitude of the Crowd. In LD lords and ladies turn out "to se \dX selly sijt" (1386) and pray God "loude and still" to help the Christian knight. After the fight is over LD bears the giant's head into the town, and the people come to meet him "with a fair procession." The lady of the castle welcomes him and conducts him to a chamber, where she dede of all his wede And closed him in pell. (1496-7.) In BI old and young, of every condition, go to the fight, except the mistress of the castle, who with her ladies watches it from the windows of the tower. They one and all hate the knight and desire his death. During the fight the people get down on their knees and promise God "aumonnes et vels pent^is " (2142) if their lord be killed. He thinks they pray for him. Never was so great joy as when he is slain. They present themselves to BI, tell him he has slain the best chevalier that ever mounted a steed, that they and the kingdom are his, and that he has also won the most beau- tiful woman in the world. They lead him to the castle, where he is well received "a crois et a procession" (2192). The barons rejoice, conduct him to the palace, and there remove his armor. 9. The Lady of the Castle is called in LD la dame d^amour, and it is emphasized that she is an enchantress "fat moch of sorcery can" (1532). For I'is fair lady Coul'e more of sorcery, f'en o)5er swiche five. Sche made him melodie Of all maner menstralsy pat any man mijte descrive. 40 n: H. Schofield. When he sij her face, Him t'oujte, lat he was In paradis a live. Wih fantasme and fairie pus sche blered his ije, pat evell mot sche J)rive! (1513 ff.) In BI she is described in 35 lines of most extravagant adula- tion. Certainly " Onques nus horn ne vit tant bele " (2236). Her knowledge of sorcer)' is evident from the tricks later played on BI. 10. La dame d'atnour receives LD with gratitude for saving her from the giant, leads him to a chamber, and offers to give over her cit)' and castle to him and be his wife. He gives in to her fasci- nation and remains with her. In BI she enters laughing, throws her arms about BI's neck, declares that he has conquered her, and she will not part from him. She wishes to give him her lands and her love. They sit down on a seat with a covering of brown Thessaly silk and pledge affection. Many valiant chevaliers are in the castle. The lady says she will assemble her barons and on the eighth day take him as her husband. When evening comes, they wash and sit down to meat together, and are honorably waited on by all the attendants. Old and young rejoice. 11. The Night at the lie d' Or is not found in LD. In BI, after supper, the hero's bed is prepared for him. (It takes nine lines to describe its beauty.) After all the servants have retired, the lady appears to him in the night Avith a splendid mantle thrown loosely about her, revealing all her charms. He is rejoiced to see her, and they embrace. She confesses her great love for him ; but when he wishes to enjoy more, she draws back, declares that only when mar- ried will she give herself up to him, and leaves him alone. When she is gone, he is distracted with love, but finally falls asleep and dreams all the night that he holds her in his arms. At dawn he awakes and takes his departure. 12. Thus in BI at this time he only remains one night, while in LD he is said to have stayed " twelf monpe and more " (1507). 13. In both cases his departure is occasioned by a rebuke from the messenger. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 41 Elene meets LD one day by chance beside the castle tower. She tells him that his action is dishonorable and that he is "fals of fay " to King Arthur. LD's heart almost breaks for sorrow and shame. At once he steals away "at a posterne unsteke " (1540), gets his steed and armor, and leaves the place. After supper, H61ie, realizing BI's great temptations, calls him aside, reminds him that all the barons have been sent for, and begs him not to do a deed of vilonie and forget her lady in distress. He declares his willingness to go, and she plans the escape. With Rob- ert's assistance she will arrange to have the horses at the door leading to the chapel at daybreak. BI is to come there and tell the porter he wishes to go to church. She will have his armor and steed ready. BI praises her arrangements, and they separate. In the morning they depart together in great joy. 14. H^lie is urged to spend the night at the castle; but she refuses all solicitation, and goes to the town to make ready unob- served for the early start. No mention whatever is made of Elene after the fight, until it is told how she rebukes LD more than a year after. 15. In LD it is said that the hero on leaving the castle makes Gifflet the steward of the dame d'' amour his squire. 16. In Car. there is no opposing giant or knight, no fight, no staring populace, no offer of marriage, no love lost, no prompting to depart, no desire to return. The account is as follows : It is the custom of the castle that whenever a knight comes there bearing armor he shall spend the night with the lady of the castle. After supper she calls Car. to her and says to him : ' Ora m' ascolta, cavalier pregiato, Vo' che prendi di me gioia e disire : I' vo' che dormi co meco ne' letto ; Di mi arai gran gioia e gran diletto.' (ii, 12, 5 ff.) He is quite willing. The lady, however, adds this condition : when she calls him to her he must not come, when she tells him not to come then must he come. He must always do the opposite of what she says. He promises ; but when in the night she calls him to her, he does not hesitate, but starts up to obey the summons. When he is about to cross the threshold the lady roars loudly. It 42 U: II. Schofifld. sounds like the sea tossed about in a tempest. Car. stops in great fear. He sees no longer house or walls, but instead a great river. Four giants appear on the bank, who suspend him over the water just high enough for his feet to touch it, and he remains dangling there until day breaks the spell. The dwarf rises and finds Car. up. He tells him the horses are ready and they should depart. Car. says he is very willing, for he has spent an unhappy night. The omniscient dwarf assures him that many others have had a similar experience. Perch' ell 5 d' arte maestra saciente. (ii, 19, 8.) With this should be compared the description in BI of the first night BI spends at the castle after his return (see p. 55). IX. The Adventure with Lampart. (LD, 1549-1860; BI, 2471-2829; Wig., 102, 21-106, 30 (cf. 96, 2 ff.).) I. Induction, {a) In LD they ride fast for three days (on bay and brown steeds) before they reach the city Sinadoun. In the evening of the day on which BI and his party leave the He d'Or, they see the castle which is called Galigan. In Wig. this adventure is the first after Wig. leaves the court. ((5) In LD they come to a castell hi? and wide And paleis proud in pride, Work of fair fasoune. (1555 ff.) In BI this castle is described at length with its bridge, its towers, its high walls, the large number of houses in the town, the wood near by, the fertile lands about, etc. {/) LD's attention is attracted by a custom "fat he si^ do in toune." The citizens are gathering "gore and fen" which had been cast out. He asks Elene what it means. She replies that no knight ever gets ostell there for fear of the steward Sir Latnbard, but advises LD to try. He will first be asked to joust, and, if he loses, the steward's trumpets will be blown, and then maidens and boys will Studies on the Libeaus Descoims. 43 gather and throw fen on him, so that he will be forever shamed, and Arthur lose his honor. LD decides to go To do Arthur profit And make t'at lady quit. (1600-1.) (How?) He calls Gifflet to accompany him. BI inquires if they are to rest at the castle. H^lie's reply (40 lines long) informs him that the citizens never entertain any one. All reception is given by the lord of the castle, Lampart, and he gives lodging to no armed man without first jousting with him. If the stranger overcomes the lord, he is received with honor; if not, he is sent on foot into the city, and all the people shame him by throwing upon him a mixture of mud, ashes, and the Hke. She there- fore tries to dissuade him from going (cf. LD). He bids her not to fear. God can aid him, and he will fight with the chevalier. 2. The Crowd. In LD nothing is said of the on-lookers until the fight is in progress. They then comment on LD's bravery, and when he makes Lampart rock in his saddle As a child dol' in a cradell, Wi> oute main and mist. Ech man tok ol'er be J^e lappe And louje and gonne her hondes clappe Baroun, borgais and kni^t. (171 2 ff.) In BI, as they ride along the public streets to the castle, the people follow them, laughing, point them out to one another, get stuff ready to throw at them, and plan amongst themselves the best way of preparing for their sport. Robert calls his master's attention to them. 3. LD and Gifflet ride to the gate and ask for lodging. The porter (!) inquires who their governor is. They reply King Arthur. The porter goes to his lord and announces that two knights of the Round Table have come, one of whom is armed in rose-red armor with three lions of gold. The lord is glad, and sends word for LD to get ready to joust. The porter returns quickly and tells them first to equip themselves and then ride into the field to await his lord. They do this 44 IV. II. Schoficld. And beldly her abide, As bestes broujt to bay. (1652-3.) Lambard's shield is of fine azure, with three black boars' heads therein, f e bordure of ermine, Nas non so cjueinte of gin From Carlile into Kent, And of I'C same painture Was lingell and trappure. (1660 ff.) He has two squires, who bear two shafts. He rides to the field as light as a leopard. In BI they go straight to the lord of the castle, whom they find in joy over his chess, for he has mated a chevalier. He rises, and stands in his " robe d'eskerlate " and other fine apparel, while BI, who remains on horseback (as at Arthur's court) , salutes him. Lam- bard is willing to lodge him on the regular conditions, and leads him to the place where they are to joust. A carpet is spread out, and Lambard sits down on the image of a leopard portrayed in it. He is soon armed and mounted. It is as much as two valets can do to carry his lance. 4. The Fight. When LD sees his opponent, he rides to him and begins the fight. Both break their shafts. Lambard calls in great vexation for another. Finally LD knocks Lambard's shield from him, breaks his shaft, hits him in the lai7ier of his helmet with such force pat pisaine, ventaile and gorgere Fli;e for> wi)> ^e helm in fer. (1708-9.) Another helmet and shaft are brought him; but again his shaft breaks, and he falls backward from his steed. He is sore ashamed, and gives in when LD inquires if he wants more. In BI they run at each other from a distance, break their lances, the splinters going as high as one could throw. Each calls for a new lance. Robert selects the best, runs with it to his lord, and begs him, for the love of God, not to forget " les laides torces, ne les pos " (2646), for the streets are full of people who await his overthrow (cf. LD) . BI replies that he must not be dismayed : God will aid him. At last Lampart is knocked from his saddle. He rises Studies oil the Libea2is Desconns. 45 quickly, goes to BI, and admits that BI has won his lodging. BI dismounts ; valets remove his armor, and afterwards that of Lampart. 5. After the Fight. In LD Lambard declares LD must be of Gawein's kin, and he is welcome if he will fight for the knight's lady. LD replies that that is what Arthur bade him do, but he knows not Wherfore ne why, He who her doj' hat vilany, Ne what is her dolour. (1744 ff-) Elene is brought in by ten knights and tells of LD's bravery on the way. They sit down to supper with great glee. The two knights talk of adventures, and LD learns about the lady of Sinadoun. He is told that two clerks of necromancy, Maboicn and Irain, keep her confined in a castle which they prevent any one from entering. The lady is often heard to cry out ; but no one can see her. Her foes have sworn her death unless she gives herself over to them. She is the heiress of all the dukedom, and is meek and debonair. LD swears that " )'Our| help of swete Jhesus " he will win her and hew off the sorcerers' heads by the chin. They continue their revelry. Many barons and citizens come to hear of the fight, and find LD and the knight talking "of knijtes stout and stipe" (1836). In the morning LD is provided with fresh arms " of the best " and starts off. After the fight H^lie and Lampart go aside. The latter is the seneschal of H^lie's mistress. H^lie tells him of her journey to Arthur's court, and they rejoice at the outcome. Lampart goes to BI and praises him for his bravery. Then they sit down to supper. Directly after, they go to bed. In the morning they again hear mass, offer up prayers, partake of dinner, have the horses saddled, and depart. 6. In LD, Lambard accompanies the hero to the gate of the castle, but none are willing to go farther, except Gifflet, whose offer is refused. To Jhesu I'an bey cride, To sende hem tidinges glad Of hem, I'at longe had Destroied her wellies wide. (1857 ff.) 46 W. H. Schoficld. l.auipart goes with 111 also. BI and Robert ride ahead. H(51ie, Lampart, and the dwarf follow consillant. BI looks about and sees them thus engacred. 'o"o^ N'est mervelle se paor a. (2747.) In the evening they pass a forest and then come to the desolate city incite Gaste). The towers, palaces, etc., are described (2755 ff.). There the company stops. Lampart and H^lie weep. They arm BI, and when he goes, Robert swoons. "Jamais ne I'cuident rev^oir" (2S21). See X, I (p. 47, below). 7. As has been seen (p. 15 above), part of the adventure with the steward has been transferred in Wig. to the fight with the first knight, and is therefore not repeated at this point in the poem. The beginning of an episode foreign to our cycle (and therefore not regarded in the present analysis) intervenes in Wig. between the sparrow-hawk contest and the fight with the steward. The latter runs in Wig. as follows. After the sparrow-hawk adventure has been successfully accomplished and Wig. and the messenger are riding along together, the latter informs our hero that they are near the city of her mistress, tells him of the enchanter and the way the distress was brought about, and how Wig. is to undertake the adventure. They soon come before a beautiful city and see a knight riding out armed. Wig. asks who he is, and the messenger tells him : des libes ist er gar ein belt, unde ist truhsaeze hie. riterschaft die minneter ie. (103, 22 fF.) She advises him to avoid a fight ; but he scorns the idea. The two knights come together on the heath. They both fight so well, daz niemen kunde wizzen, wer daz sine baz hiet vertan. (104, 3-4.) The tncchsess goes up to him, bids Wig, welcome, and, seeing the messenger who had been sent out from the distressed city, greets her gladly. They all ride together to the castle, where the messenger and the dwarf tell of Wig.'s bravery, and exhibit the prizes he has Studies on the Libeaiis Descomis. 47 won. There is great rejoicing. Wig. is presented to the lady (Larie) and her mother, and from this point the narrative in Wig. differs from all the other versions. X. The Rescue of the Enchanted Lady. (LD, 1861-2196; BI, 2830-3427; Car.) ii, 40-66.) I. In LD and BI whatever information is given to the young hero before he enters the city is given by Lampart, in Car. by the dwarf. (There is no character hke Lampart in Car.) In LD very little is told (see p. 45, ix, above.) There are only 18 lines in LD corresponding to 100 in BI. In the latter Lam- part takes up 40 lines (2773-2814) in telling BI what he is to expect to see, what he ought to do, and what he should leave undone. In this speech he describes the desolation of the city, the palace with the thousand windows in each of which is a jogleor, their instruments, torches, and salutation. He adds a warning not to enter the chamber, but to await adventure in the middle of the hall.^ (Cf. Car., p. 48, below.) When Car. comes to the city, the dwarf says to him : " Now you will need to prove your valor and be a hero, for this is the city." Car. replies : " Che dite voi? I' non vegio niente " (ii, 40, 7). The dwarf then points out to him some large stones in a mound and tells him those were formerly towers and palaces. The change was brought about by magic. The paths in the middle were the streets along which the people were accustomed to go night and day. Car. looks towards what was formerly the gate of the city, and sees dra- gons and serpents coming towards him. He calls aloud in fear and begins to flee ; but the dwarf calms him and assures him he shall go among lions and all sorts of wild beasts, and not be harmed. The dragons are the transformed barons of the land ; the lions, the knights; the bears, the judges; the boars, the notaries; the stags, leopards, and goats, the common people ; the hares, rabbits, and fawns, little children ; and the beautiful white animals are all women and fair damsels. The dwarf tells him he must pass by these trans- 1 On this point cf. Paris, /\om., XV, 17, note I. 48 U: 11. Schofield. formed people and go on into the palace with its old towers " fatte con valore," and that from the open place there he must cry out in a loud voice : " Issue forth, traitor, thou who holdest this city in evil torment." Then shall appear an armed knight on a steed, who will ride fiercely at Car., and wish to strike him with a sword. Car. must be " ardito e posente." This is the magician who keeps the city and its inhabitants in this condition because the princess will not love him. He will appear as a great giant. If he flees, Car. must not enter at the same door he goes in at, nor go into the palace ; since, if he does so, he will be stnick down into the fire. If Car. knocks him to the earth, under no circumstances must he leave him alive. He must kill him immediately, then seek his girdle and break whatever he finds at once. When afterwards he shall see the great serpent in the square, he must go and kiss it on the mouth. The dwarf then commends him to God. He himself cannot go on the enchanted ground, else he also shall become a beast. 2. LD rides right into the palace, hears " trompes, homes, schal- meis " (1864) before the high dais, and sees a fire " stark and store " in the middle of the hall. He goes on, leading (!) his horse, sees no other persons but minstrels making glee. He goes on farther, seeking some one to fight with, sees pillars of jasper and crystal "y-flourished wil^ amall," brass doors, glass windows "wrou^t wi)) iraagerie " (1899), and the whole beautiful painted hall. He sits on the dais ; all the minstrels disappear ; the torches go out ; the doors and windows rattle ; the stones of the wall fall ; the dais begins to shake ; the earth quakes ; the hall-roof unlocks, " and J'e faunsere ek : as it wolde asonder" (1920). He sits there in dismay. BI has to cross a bridge over a stream which flows before the city. (The city is described in 16 lines.) He marks himself with the sign of a cross and enters by a gate which he finds broken down. He traverses the wide streets with the marble windows (the pillars are all fallen), and does. not stop until he comes to the hall. There he sees the jogleors in the windows, each with a torch before him. They are playing on all sorts of instruments. When they see him, they salute him as the chevalier * Qui est venus la dame aidier, De la maisnie Artur le roi.' (2880-1.) Studies on the Libeaus Descoims. 49 BI is in great terror, but curses them, as Lampart had instructed him. He rides on into the hall without stopping. A jogleor closes the door behind him. The hall is briUiantly lighted by the torches. In the centre is a large table resting on seven dormans. He stops in the middle of the hall, leans on his lance, and there awaits adventure. With the prayer " Idio m' aiuti," Car. passes the gate. When he enters, there is at once set up a great noise from the lions, serpents, and other beasts. Tutti s' apresentaron dov' egli era ; E rimiravan lui e suo destiere E pare' che '1 vedeser volentiere. (ii, 52, 6 fF.) His terrified horse has to be urged on by hard spurring. He soon reaches the square, and sees an immense beast. E 'n sua senbianza era molto piaciente, Con tre catena a collo d' ariento, E facie gran tenpesta e gran lamento. (ii, 54, 6 ff.) It rises on its tail, starts toward Car., and finally says, " Baron, fa che sia ardito e dotto " (55, 8). Car. answers nothing, but calls aloud for the magician. 3. While LD is sitting on the dais, he hears horses neigh (!) and his spirits revive. He soon sees two armed men with trappings of purple inde and "gold garlands gay" (1932). One of them tells LD he has to be " queinte of ginne " to win the lady " )'at is so precious." LD declares himself ready, leaps into his saddle, seizes his lance, and rides to meet his foe. Maboun's shaft breaks. LD bears him down over his horse's tail and nearly kills him. Irain, seeing this, comes on fresh to the fight. LD leaves Maboun, meets Irain, and tears off the latter's hauberk. They both break their lances, and fight with their swords. Maboun gets up to help his companion. Irain, encouraged, wounds the neck of LD's steed. LD, however, cuts in two Irain's thigh, and despite the latter's charm he falls down, " pat sory sire." LD alights to fight again with Maboun. Sparks fly from their helmets ; but at last Maboun breaks LD's sword. With his sword gone and his horse lamed, LD fears he shall lose his fame. However, he runs to Irain, seizes the 50 //'. //. Sc/iofeld. latter's sword, and again attacks Maboun with such vigor that he smites ofl" his left arm bearing the shield. Maboun offers to yield and give up the maiden if his life be spared. He had poisoned the swords, and fears death ; but LD only desists when Maboun's head is off. He then runs to kill Irain, but the latter is nowhere to be found. This makes him sigh sorely, for he dreads sorcery. While BI is on horseback leaning on his lance in the middle of the hall, he sees issue from a dark room a chevalier who rushes at him. They fight fiercely ; both are thrown from their horses ; often they are brought to their knees ; but at last the chevalier retreats hurriedly to his room. BI follows ; but just as he is about to cross the thresh- old he sees great axes ready to fall, remembers Lampart's injunctions, and saves his life. He is unable to find his horse, it is so dark. He calls upon God. The torches are again lit. The minstrels again play. BI's fear is dispelled. He catches his horse, seizes his lance, mounts, and returns gladly to the centre of the hall. Then there issues from the room another chevalier " grans et corsus." His steed has eyes like crystal, a horn in its forehead, and emits fire from its mouth. The chevalier, clad entirely in black armor, rides towards BI at full speed. The stone pavement nearly gives way. BI com- mends himself to God and spurs to meet his adversary. After both are unhorsed, they fight a fierce fight on foot with their swords until BI kills the giant. The body at once decays, and from it rises a horrible stench. BI touches it to see if there is still life in it ; but he finds it quite dead and the face already horribly disfigured. He crosses himself and goes for his horse. When Car. calls aloud in the hall, an armed knight issues from a palace of shining marble, draws his sword, and comes spurring at Car., who throws his spear at him. The giant is wounded and re- treats through the door of the palace. Car. not following him, he reappears through another door, and tries to strike Car. with a small axe ; but Car. throws his other spear at him unerringly. It passes through the shield into his cuirass, and he falls dead. Car. severs his head from his body, searches his girdle, and finds a rich shining gold ring, w-hich he at once breaks. As soon as it is broken, all the beasts of the city rush suddenly about the dead body and show it no mercy. " Non e niuno che abi pietade " (ii, 60, 6). Car. now mounts his horse, and goes to the place where the great serpent is. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 51 4. As LD sits lamenting the escape of Irain, a window in the stone wall opens, and a serpent with a woman's face appears. Her body and wings shine brightly. Her tail is unmete, her paws " grim and grete." LD sweats from terror as she draws near. " Er Libeaus hit wiste" (!) the serpent kisses him and coils about his neck. Immediately (!) the tail and wings fall off, and the fairest woman he has ever seen stands naked before him. In BI, after the fight the minstrels rush off with a terrific uproar ; the torches go out ; BI cannot stand at first, but at last makes his way to the table, leans against it, and prays to God for aid. He regrets his rude departure from *' la damoisele as blances mains," and determines to go to seek her if he can get out, and never to leave her again. Thus meditating, he is aware of a serpent coming from a closet, so bright she illumines the whole castle. Her eyes are as two carbuncles. In her tail are three knots. She seems to be gilded underneath. BI puts his hand to his sword. The serpent bows her head and makes signs of humility, and he puts it back. He repents ; but again the serpent shows signs of friendship. He remains still, marvelling at her beautiful mouth. She fascinates him by her look, darts to him, kisses him on the mouth, and turns away. BI is about to strike ; but her humble bows keep him from it. She returns to her closet, and shuts the door behind her. In Car., when the serpent sees Car. return to her she rises from her position and throws herself " a salto a salto " towards him. Come 1' aguglia quando va a ferire, Cosi fa quella biscia alio ver dire, (ii, 61, 7-8.) Car. is not eager to approach, and his horse is much afraid ; but at last he summons up courage, remembers the words of the dwarf, and with his drawn sword in his right hand " il cavalier sovrano " draws near the serpent, who is standing " umile e piano," and kisses her on the mouth. Then comes the glorious transformation. De! odi quia una nuova novella: Ch6 come quella serpe fu basciata Ella SI divcnU") una donzella Legiadra e adorna e tutta angielicata ; 52 J/: //. Sc ho field. De. paradiso uscita pare ella, D' ongni bellezza ell' era adornata ; E draghi e leoni e scrpenti Divcntar come prima, ch' eran gienti. (ii, 64.) It sounds like a thunderbolt leaving heaven when the lady turns into her former shape, for then are the powers of magic overcome. 5. In LD the princess at once tells the hero that he must be of Gawein's kin, for only by kissing Gawein or one of his race could she be freed. She says she will give him fifty and five castles, and be his wife, if it be Arthur's will. LD is very glad ; but leaps on his horse at once and leaves the lady alone — fearing Irain, who is not dead. He rides to the palace and tells what has taken place. The steward sends handsome robes, kerchiefs, garlands, etc. They conduct her home and put on her head a crown of gold and stones with great rejoicing. All the lords do her homage. While BI is quietly ruminating over the " fier baiser," he hears a voice from above, which tells him that he is the son of Gawein and the Fee Blaticeinal^ and that his right name is Giglain. Being very tired, he falls asleep on the table, with his head on his shield. When he awakes, it is broad daylight, and there stands beside him a more beautiful woman than any other except "cell as blances mains." Her dress is described to the length of 25 lines. She takes nearly 100 more to tell him the situation. She is the daughter of the good King Gringars, three months after whose death she and the city were enchanted by Mabon and Eurain. She offers him her land. Gales, for him to rule, and begs to become his wife. He says that he is very willing, but that Arthur's permission must first be obtained. H^lie, Lampart, Robert, and the dwarf come to them with great joy. They remove BI's armor, and find him badly wounded. Every care is taken of him, and he is conducted to a superb apartment in which nothing is lacking. In Car. the disenchanted princess first gives thanks to Christ the Saviour, and then, holding out her arms to Car., says to him : ' Tu sarai V amor mio fino.' (ii, 65, 8.) 1 This is, according to Foerster, the correct form in the manuscript. See Hist. Lift., XXX, 176, note. Studies on the Lib cans Dcsconus. 53 Their joy surpasses description. The dwarf, knowing what has happened, hurries with his companion into the city, where a great feast is held. XI. The Conclusion. (LD, 2197-2232; BI, 3428-6122; Car., ii, 67-72.) Since the hero has attained the object with which he set out from Arthur's court, it is now fitting that he should hasten home to announce the happy accomplishment of his mission. The English poet, therefore, takes but 36 lines in which to complete the story. In these we are told summarily that, after seven days' stay with Lam- bard, LD and the rescued princess go to Arthur, who receives them gladly and gives the lady to LD to wife. The bridal ("which no tale tells of") is of the best. The feast lasts 40 days. Arthur with many knights conducts them home, and they live together for many years, " wip moche gle and game " (2228). In Car. also it requires but six stanzas to finish the poem. The news of the liberated city goes throughout all the land, even to Arthur. Car. is unwilUng to return until he has avenged his father ; but when Arthur learns who he really is, he sends ambassa- dors to make peace and beg him to come to court. Car. stops the war he is waging and returns with the ambassadors. His mother is sent for and comes eagerly to court. Calvano and his brother get on their knees before Car., and ask pardon for murdering his ftither. Car. pardons them. The king makes him his counsellor and one of his knights, and gives him the rescued princess to wife. They turn back to the city with the mother, and con giente assai, baroni, e donzelli. (ii, 71, 8.) The conclusion reads thus : E po' furon piu savi che Merlino, Secondo che raconti la scrittura, E 'n poco tenpo gli nacjue un banbino, Miglior di lui non porto armadura. Lo re Artu amava 11 paladino, E fue de' cavalier dclla ventura II i)iii prod' uomo e '1 piu forte di corte, Tutti vi guardi Idio dalla ria morte. (ii, 72.) 54 n: H. Schofidd. A striking contrast presents itself when we look at the French story. It is now not much more than half finished. The poem is continued for 2700 lines more, and the author follows BI through a series of adventures of a very different kind from those in which he has already figured. It will not be necessary to do more than give a brief summary of the rest of the poem, as it has no parallel else- where, being purely the invention of Renaud de Beaujeu. XII. Continuation of BI. When they hear of their lady's rescue, the barons and dignitaries of her land gather to the desolate city. The archbishop and clergy perform religious ceremonies to cleanse the city of sorcery. The princess tells her lords she wishes to marry Giglain. A large deputa- tion wait on the latter and ask him to accept her as his wife ; but he declares he must first have Arthur's consent. All the city is restored. The princess, Blonde Esmeree, gets ready to leave with a great reti- nue. Giglain is cured of his wounds in a fortnight, but is harassed by thoughts of the lady " as blances mains." He dreams continu- ally of her as he saw her last during the night. He feels himself dying of love for her, and laments his rudeness in leaving her so abruptly. He asks advice of Robert, who counsels him to slip off secretly to the He d'Or. On the fourth day after, the queen is ready to start off with 100 knights in her company. They await BI, who finally comes up armed. They wonder at this ; but he tells them he is called elsewhere ; they must go on without him ; he will follow as soon as he can. The queen is exceeding sad, but must submit. BI rides eagerly to the He d'Or. Outside the castle he meets a great company. His loved one is among them, and he draws aside to talk with her. He pours out his love ; but she is indignant at his former conduct, and leaves him alone in his despair. Robert gets lodging for them both at the place where they had stayed before, and tries to cheer his lord ; but Giglain is in imminent danger of death because of his unrequited love. Then comes a young lady bearing a message from the fee inviting him to her presence. He declares himself healed, and goes with the messenger to the palace, passing through an orchard of surpassing beauty. Giglain is par- doned by the fee, who tries unsuccessfully to conceal her love. Studies oil the Libeaiis D esc onus. 55 That night he is given a room next hers, and the door is left open ; but she warns him not to stir from his bed. The open door, however, is too much to be resisted. He finally decides to go to her ; but just when he thinks himself in her room, he finds himself instead on a plank over a tempestuous stream. It is so narrow he cannot go ahead or retreat, and in his terror he calls aloud for help. The ser- vants rush in with candles, and find him hanging from the sparrow- hawk's perch. He goes to bed much ashamed ; but when the servants are asleep he tries again. This time he fancies the ceiling is falling on him, and he again calls for aid. The servants find him with his pillow over his head. He gives himself up to his shame and remorse. All at once a maiden appears, and summons him to the presence of the fee. At first he fears he dreams ; but, being reas- sured, he goes with her to a chamber which seems to him like para- dise. His loved one no longer has scruples, and the two give themselves up to each other. Giglain tells her laughingly of his former terror, and she explains how she happened to know magic. She knew he would return to her. She had guided his whole life, had prompted Ht§lie to seek aid at Arthur's court, had aided him in all his adventures, and had revealed to him his name. As long as he will follow her counsel he shall want nothing ; but if he depart from it, he shall lose her. In the morning she summons her barons and commends Giglain to them as their lord. Meanwhile the queen has reached Arthur's court (having on the way met those whom Giglain had sent to the king), where she is welcomed. She tells of the bravery of Giglain, whom she declares to be the son of Gawein, and begs that he be given her for a husband. Arthur rejoices, and proclaims a great tourney in Valledon, by which he hopes to lure Giglain to court. News of it comes to the He d'Or, and our hero hears it gladly. The fee declares he must not go : if he does, he will never return to her. He protests his love, but is determined to go, and tells Robert to make ready. She, knowiuj^ that he is lost to her, transports him during the night to the woods, and when he awakes he finds everything ready and Robert beside him. He fears that through his folly his loved one is lost to him, but decides to go on to Valledon. There then follows a long- winded description of the tournament, covering many pages. Of course Giglain is victorious in every encounter, and we can give no 56 W. H. Schoficld. answer to the question of tlic author: "Que vos iroie je contant?" (5953) except to say that he has done his duty too well. Then follow scenes between Giglain and Arthur, Giglain and those he had before conquered, Giglain and the queen, etc. The hero agrees, at Arthur's request, to marry the queen, and with a great company they set out for Sinadoun, where they are received with great rejoicing. Giglain marries Blonde Esmerde and is crowned king. Puis fu rois de moult grant memore. Si com raconte li istore. (6101-2.) Renals de Biauju, the author, now finishes with another expression of his love, and prays his loved one, for God's sake, not to forget him. If she shows him " biau sanblant," he says he will bring (in a new romance) Giglaui back to his true love. If not, he will never speak of him again. Si art Giglains en tel esmai, Que jamais n'avera s'amie. (61 16-7.) WHEREIN THE POEMS AGREE. Having thus given a detailed comparison of the different features of the four poems, it is not necessary to repeat at length all the disagreements between LD and BI. There are at least 150 sig- nificant points in which the two poems differ. It is well, however, to call attention to points in which LD agrees with Car. as opposed to BI ; for, inasmuch as we cannot admit any connection between the Enghsh and the Italian poems, agreements between them as opposed to the French poem are of no little importance.-' These are, then, as follows : Agreements of LD and Car. as opposed to BI. I. The introductions are the same in general features. A young boy is brought up alone in a forest by his mother, and is strictly kept aloof from all men. He discovers by accident the existence of other human beings, and is unwilling to remain longer living in his isolation. ^ For the relations of this comparison to the work previously done by Kolbing, Paris, Mennung, and Kaluza, see above, p. 4, n. i. Studies on the Libeatis Descomis. 57 He finds his way to Arthur's court, and asks to be made a knight. — In BI nothing at all is told of his early history : he comes unex- pectedly and suddenly to court, and, before he will dismount, demands that Arthur grant the first request he shall make. 2. The king at once openly asks his name. — In BI it is not until they have been for some time seated at the feast that Arthur sends Bediver secretly to inquire who his guest is. 3. In Car. and LD it is not until after the welcome is extended to the stranger that they go to meat. — In BI they are at the table when he rides up. 4. The dwarf protests against the sending of the young knight. — In BI he says nothing while at court. 5. The king receives the protests with : " This knight, or none ! " — In BI he says he cannot help sending the young man : he would if he could. 6. The lady and the dwarf remain until the young knight is ready to accompany them. — In BI they ride off, and have gone some dis- tance before he overtakes them. 7. There is no hint in LD or Car. of Robert, who is one of the most important characters in BI. 8. Although the messenger is angry, she never refuses the boy's services. — In BI she is constantly begging him to return. He rides with her against her will. 9. In LD and Car. the hero hears the maiden in distress calling on the Virgin Mary. There are no definite words of the lament inBI. Cf. '■ O Vergine gloriosa Guardami, niadre, di crudele afanno, Che io non muoia cotanto penosa Ni mia verginita non ronpa panne' (ii, 28, 1-4.) with ' Nou help, Marie milde, For love of ^y childe, pat I be nou5t forjite!' Quo!) Libeaus : ' Be seint Jame! To save Ms maide fro schame Hit wer a fair aprise.' (634 ff.) 10. The hero starts off alone to the adventure with the giants. — In BI he has to wait until his horse is brought by Robert, and until 5S JV. II. Sc ho field the whole company get ready to join liim. Robert serves as a guide and discovers the giant for him. 11. The giant by the fire uses as a weapon the spit he is roasting with. — In BI he uses a ckib. 12. The maiden is the daughter of a knight near by. — In BI her father is not mentioned, though her brother is. 13. She had been carried off by /zc^ giants. — In BI one alone takes her and brings her to his companion in the wood. 14. The enchantress plays but a small part in LD and Car., com- pared with the part she plays in BI. She has no love for the young hero ; and he neither returns to her nor desires to return. The extent of the episode of the enchantress in BI, and the different treatment, have been recognized by all investigators as points of great importance. 15. When the hero is about to enter the enchanted city there is no sad farewell with his companions. — In BI there is much weeping. Robert even falls in a swoon to the ground. 16. The transformation of the enchanted lady takes place at once after the kiss is given. — In BI she returns to the closet whence she had issued, closes the door behind her, and does not return until the knight is awake from his sleep and it is broad daylight. 17. In Car. and LD the point just mentioned (16) is the real culmination of the story. — In BI the story is now not much more than half finished. Long descriptions of the return visit to the He d'Or and the great tournament remain to be given. There is no trace of these in LD or Car. 18. The young knight marries the disenchanted lady gladly. He has no desire for any one else. — In BI he does indeed, after a time, marry her at the request of the king; but the enchantress still remains his true love, to whom he is to return if the supplementary poem is ever written. 19. In Car. and two MSS. of LD (Ashmole and Naples) the boy's mother appears again at the end of the story. Agreements of LD, Car., and Wig., as opposed to BI. The agreements between LD and Wig. as opposed to BI, are also highly significant. Some of them occur in features (e.g. the advent- Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 59 ure with the dog) which are not found in Car. at all. For the whole matter, see the chapter on Wigalois, pp. 208 ff., below. At this stage of the argument it is important to indicate that while there is really no point in which all three poems, BI, Car., and Wig., agree as opposed to LD, there are several in which LD, Car., and Wig. agree as opposed to BI. These are the following: (i.) All three tell of the youth of the hero, and explain why he comes to court.^ (2.) He is humble and courteous in his demeanor while there. (3.) The king at once inquires his name. (4.) He asks to be made a knight. (5.) The table is made ready after he comes. (6.) He starts off alone to undertake the fight with the giants. (7.) There is no Robert, no return visit to the He d'Or, etc. BI has a host of details and other new features found nowhere else. Moreover, this list would be largely extended if all the adventures were found in all of the poems : Car. has some which Wig. has not, and Wig. has some not in Car. RELATION OF LD TO BI. Such considerations as these have convinced Paris, and those who accept his views, that the English Libeaus Desconus is not based on the poem of Renaud de Beaujeu, but that the two go back to a com- mon original ; yet, as we have seen, Kaluza and many other scholars are not affected by them. I shall now adduce certain additional arguments, which it is hoped may assist to demonstrate the sound- ness of Paris's position. I. Proper Names. Of the 177 proper names in BI 28 only occur in LD ;^ i.e. there are 149 names in BI which are not found in LD. ^ True, Kaluza holds {Introd., pp. Ix, cxxxiii) that the introductory strophes in LD did not originally belong there, merely because they differ slightly in metre from the rest of the poem, with one exception where the same metre is again used; but, as Kaluza admits, this change in form is not unexampled in English poetry, and it may be due merely to the caprice of the poet. Moreover, as Paris points out {Rom., XX, 299), this introduction is in all the MSS., recalls the essen- tial features of the opening of the Cardtdno, and (cf. pp. 191, 192) is exactly the account given of the birth of our hero (?) in one continuation of the Perceval. These considerations far outweigh any conclusions drawn only from a capricious change of metre. '^ According to Kaluga's index, there are in all 51 proper names in LD, but several of those in LD which are not in HI are merely saints' names used in 6o W. 17. Schoficld. Of these 149, some 140 are also missing in both Car. and Wig. Of course the author of LD might conceivably, if he were making over Renaud's poem, have omitted all these names inten- tionally. But, in this case, it would be strange that Wirnt, whose relations with Renaud's poem, whatever they may be, are not the same as those of the English author, and who, in any case, was in no kind of communication with LD, should have no name in that part of Wig. which is based on the same story as LD which is not in the English poem. And the complication of chances rises into impossi- bility when one observes that Car., standing in a very different rela- tion to Renaud's poem from both LD and Wig., and by no possibility derived from Renaud, also omits the 140 names in question. It is surely more reasonable to suppose that the names omitted in LD were, at least in great part, not in the original of LD nor in that of BI than to assume such an accidental coincidence of omission in LD, Wig., Car., — three poems written in different languages, at different times, and in different countries. IL Borrowings of B I from Erec. Under this head, I do not intend to consider borrowings of "saga-material," of which several probable instances have been pointed out by Mennung,^ but borrow- ings in the matter of phraseology, and even of long descriptions. Such borrowings have not, so far as I know, been hitherto noticed,^ and their importance for the decision of the question at issue is obvious. A few of the most striking parallels may be given first. In each case the BI passage is in the left-hand column.^ adjurations, of which the English poet is fond, e.g. Denis, Edward, Gile, Jame, John, Michell; and others are insignificant, e.g. Bedlem, June, Kent, Satan, Ter- magaunt, Wirhale. For a list of the proper names in BI, see the appendix to this volume. ^ Der Bel Inconmt, pp. 16, 49. Cf. Paris, Rom. XX, 299-300. These instances will all be discussed later (see below, pp. 133, 134). For a consideration of the way in which Renaud has modified some of the narrative features of his original in his desire to imitate the Erec, see below, pp. 106 ff. This last consideration will be found to add strength to the argument from phraseology, etc. 2 Paris, Rom., XX, 300, n. 4, says that Renaud " avait beaucoup lu Chretien." ^ Some of the most significant parallels will be found in the next chapter (pp. 112 ff.; see, e.g., pp. 130-1). In the passages from BI the edition of Hippeau has been followed, and no attempt has been made to correct his frequently absurd Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 6i Similar Passages in BI and Erec. Tant durement le tire et sace, Que Pelme del cief li esrace. Cil n'a pooir de relever ; Que que il doie li grever, Li convient dire et consentir : ' Conquis m'aves ! ' (1773 ff. ; cf. 1160.) Et sache et tire si que toz Les laz de son hiaume a deroz Ne n^a pooir de relever. Que que il li doie grever, Li covient dire et otroiier : 'Conquis m'avez.' (6003-10; cf. 5041-2.) Cf. Erec par le hiaume le sache, A force del chief li arrache. (985-6.) La dame par le main le guie Sor une kuite de brun pale Qu'aportee fu de Tesale, Iluec se sont andoi asis. (2256 ff.) An une chanbre fu assise Dessor une coute de paille, Qu'aportee fu de Tessaille. (2406 ff.) spelling and grammar. Foerster's excellent edition of Erec has been used for the extracts from that poem. On the one hand, then, the passages are taken from a very inexact transcript of a single MS., on the other from a text edited from several MSS. If we had the exact MS. of Erec which Renaud used, the parallels would doubtless show even greater similarity than appears here. We may note that there is also a text of Erec in the codex in the library of the Due d'Aumale which contains the unique text of BL Of the text of BI Foerster says {Zt. f. rom. Phil., II, 78) : " Der Ilippeau'sche Text kann nur ini uneigentlichen Sinne als eine Ausgabe des im Aumalecudex geschriebenen Textes angesehen werden. Nicht nur dass hunderte von Zeilen niclit allein dem Wortlaut, sondern auch dem Sinne nach gcandert sind, so sind etvva 80 Zeilen ausgelassen, 9 neue Verse statt der bestehenden, die II. offenliar niclU gefielcn, und 10 neue Verse statt der in der lis. fehlcnden von ihm selbst geschmiedet, ohne dass ctwas von all dem auch nur mit einem Sterbenswortchen angcdeutct wiirde." Cf. also the words of Mussafia, who in his review of BI has pointed out some necessary cor- rections in the text {yahrb. f. rom. u. engl. Lit., IV, 419 ff.). A good edition would in all probability only make the parallels closer. It is evident further that the text of Erec may be of importance in determining that of BI, or vice versa. 62 /K IL Schofidd. Un tapit a tait aporter. Quant ;\ terre fu estendus, Si est tost cele part venus ; Et puis est se Lanpars asis Sor I'image d'un lupart bis, Que el tapis estoit portraite. De lui aimer forment s'afaite. Cauces de fer li font caucier Qui moult faisoient k prisier. (2595 ff.) Es vos son ceval c'on amaine ; 11 i sailli de terre plaine. La pucele Tescu li tent, Et il par le grince le prent. Au col le mist, puis prist sa lance. (1037 ff.) Lors s'entrevienent anbedui Des lances de totes leur forces ; Ne leur valurent 11 escorces Li escus qui as cols lor pendent, Li cuir ronpent et les ais fendent, Les mailles ronpent des haubers, Par les cors se metent les fers ; Si durement se sont feru Que andoi se sont abatu ; Ne furent pas a mort blecid ; Isnement se sont redrecie. Cascuns a sa lance a lui traite, II n'i ot cele qui fust fraite ; El pavement les ont jetdes ; Del fuerre traient les espdes ; Grans cols se fierent des brans nus, Sor les elmes, sor les escus. (2992 ff.) Et fist un tapit de Limoges Devant lui a la terre estandre. Erec s'assist de Tautre part Dessus rimage d'un liepart. Qui el tapit estoit portreite. Por armer s'atorne et afeite : Premieremant si fist lacier Unes chances de blanc acier. (2628-38.) 4- Puis comande qu'an li amaint Son cheval, et Tan li amainne. Sus est sailliz de terre plainne. La pucele aporte Tescu Et la lance qui roide fu, L'escu li bailie, et il le prant. Par la guige a son col le pant. (718 ff.) As fers des lances s"'antranvient Anbedui de totes lor forces. Ne lor valurent deus escorces Li escu qui as cos lor pandent. Li cuir ronpent et les es fandent, Et des haubers ronpent les mailles. Anbedui jusque as antrailles Se sont des gleives anferre, Et li destrier sont aterre ; Car mout ierent li baron fort. Ne furent pas navre a mort, Mes duremant furent blecie. Isnelemant sont redreci^, S'ont a aus lor lances retreites ; Ne furent maumises ne freites. Anmi le chanp les ont gitees. Del fuerre traient les espees, Si granz cos sor les hiaumes fierent Les escuz fandent et esclicent. (3774-97-) Studies on the Liheaiis Descofius. 63 6. Et quant il le chevalier voit, A haute vois lors li escrie : ' Vasal, vasal, or est folie De mon cien qu'en faites porter ! Or le vos estuet conperer.' (1388 ff.) Cf. Folie fu del gue passer ; Je vos I'ferai cier comparer. (395-6-) and Le m'aves fait cier conperer. (4309; cf. 1384, 1349.) Eingois qu'Erec veil I'etist, Si s'escria : * Vassaus, vassaus ! Fos estes . . . Vos conparroiz ancui mout chier Vostre folie, par ma teste ! ' (5906-5913.) Cf. Folie t'a amen^ 9a . . . Moult le t'estuet conparer chier. (848-50.) Also * Vassaus,' fet il, 'folie feites.' (4027; see4oi5, 4418, 4428, 4818.) 7- Moult orent andui beles armes Les escu prendent as enarmes ; Cevals poingnent por tost aler, . . . Fendent escus, faussent haubers, . . Des lances les esclisses volent ; . . . Des tron(;ons donent grans coldes ; Apres revienent as espees. Si s'en vont eus entre ferir. Lors oissi^s elmes tentir, . . . Moult fiert bien cascuns de Tesp^e ; Moult est dure d'els la mellde ; Moult sont vasal, fier caple font, Lor elme tot embark sont Et lor escu tot decop^. Si furent andui moult lass^, . . . Li ceval se vont esloignant . . . A la terre caient andui : Moult prioit Deu cascuns por lui. (1400-29.) Et les escuz [pranent] par les enarmes. Andui orent mout beles armes. (2195-6.) Por assanbler les chevaus poingnent, Les lances esclicent et froissent, . . . Contre terre anbedui se ruient, Li cheval par le chanp s'an fuient . . . Des tranchanz granz cos s'antre- donent, Li hiaume quassent et resonent. Fiers est li chaples des espees : Mout s'antredonent granz colees, . . . Tranchent escuz, faussent haubers . . . Li chaples dure longuemant : Tant se fierent menuemant Que tot se lassent et recroient. Andeus les puceles ploroient : Chascuns voit la soe plorer, A Deu ses mains tandre et orer. (866-92.) Mais grant dol fait la damoisele. Ses puins tort, ses cevels decire Cele qui a et dol et ire, . . . La pucele aloit detirant Ses mains, et ses crins descirant. (4331-2) 64 u: II. Schoficid. Cil demanda h la pucele : ' Por coi plor<5s, amie bele, S'il vos plait, je le veul savoir.' (1538-49.) Cele qui Tesprevier ara Et a la perce le prendra, Si ara los de la plus bele, Et si convient a la pucele Qui vaura aveir I'esprevier, Que maint o soi I chevalier, Por desrainier qu'ele est plus bele Que nule dame, ne pucele. (1574 ff)i 9- Si li a demando et dit : • Dites moi, bele amie chiere, Por quoi plorez an tel meniere ? De quoi avez ire ne duel ? Certes je le savrai mon vuel.' (2514 fF. ; cf. i960.) Qui Tesprevier voudra avoir, Avoir li covandra amie Bele et sage sanz vilenie. S'il i a chevalier si os Qui vuelle le pris et le los De la plus bele desresnier, S'amie fera Tesprevier Devant toz a la perche prandre. (570 ff.) Ensi vers le castel s"en vont ; Passent les lices et le pont. (1640-1.) Einsi vers le chastel s'an vont, Passent les lices et le pont. (5493-4-) 'Ven^s avant, ma douce amie. Prendre a la perce I'esprevier. Par vos le veul je desrainier. Car vos le deves moult avoir, Tant av^s biaute et savoir, Ensement et pris et valor.' (1685 ff.) * Bele,' fet il, ' avant venez ! L'oisel a la perche prenez ; Car bien est droiz que vos I'aiiez. Del desresnier tres bien me vant, Que a vos ne s'an prant nes une, . Ne de biautd ne de valor.' (827-35-) Armes sor un ceval ferrant. (1695.) Arm^ sor un cheval ferrant. (1122.) 13- Vostre estre et vostre non me dites. Vostre estre et vostre non me dites. (1782.) (3862.) 1 The difference in these two passages is due to the fact that in one case Margerie needs a knight to support her, while Erec must get an a7}iie before he can enter the tournament. Studies on the Libeatis Desconus. 65 14. Taventure, Qui tant est perilleuse et dure! (3195-6.) s'aventure, Qui moult estoit greves et dure. (1953-4-) Cf. 4816-7: aventure : dure. Des fueres traient les espdes, Dont il se donnent grans colees. Les escus treient et esclissent, Haumes effondrent et debrissent, Les haubers rompent et desmaillent Des espees souvent s'asaillent ; Sor les elmes tels cols feroient Que estinceles en voloient. (2132 ff.) Cf. Escus fendent, hiaumes esclicent, Elmes esfondrent et deslicent. (5599-5600.) Et cil trait del fuere s'espde. (3148.) Tot cil qui cele joste virent Moult durement s'en esbahirent. (2126-7.) Et la dame s'i est asise, . . . Li Desconndus siet les li, Et Helie tot autresi. (2281-4.) Tavanture Qui tant est perilleuse et dure. (543 1 -2-) IS- Del fuerre traient les espees, Si granz cos sor les hiaumes fierent Qu'estanceles ardanz an issent, Quant les espees ressortissent. Les escuz fandent et esclicent, Lor haubers faussent et deslicent. (3790-8.) Cf. Del fuerre a fors I'espee treite. ^ (3054; cf. 4668.) 16. 17- Tuit cil qui ceste joste virent A mervoilles s'an esbairent. (221 1-2.) II se sont assis tuit troi, Erec et ses ostes lez soi, Et la pucele d'autre part. (481 ff.) Et deriere ot ses crins jetds ; D'un fil d'or les ot galonds. De roses avoit i capel Moult avenant et gent et bel D'un afrcmail son col frema. (2229 ff.) Les deus puceles d'un fil d'or Li out galond son crin sor; Mes plus estoit kiisanz li crins Que li fis d'or qui mout est fins, Un cercelet ovrc a flors 66 ii: 11. Schoficid. Les crins ot blons et reluisans, Coinme fin or reflanboians. D'un fil d'arge fu galonn<5e. (1 530 IT.) Or fu tant avenant et bele Que nus horn son per ne trovast, En tout le mont, tant le cerkast. (5078 ff.) Si Tavait bien nature ouvrde. (2206.) Plus de c. mars d'argent valoit. (2350-) al main que I'aube creva. Isnelement et tost leva ; Deus fermaillez d'or neelez An une cople anseelez Li mist au col une pucele. Or fu tant avenanz et bele Que ne cuit pas qu'an nule terre, Tant selist Tan cerchier ne querre, Fust sa paroille recovree ; Tant I'avoit bien Nature ovree. (1655-72.) 19. 20. Qui plus de ^ant mars d'arjant vaut. (1636.) Cf. Plus de cent mars dargent ualoit. (Forster's note to 2380, 1. 28.) L'andemain lues que Taube crieve Isnelemant et tost se lieve, Venus s'en est a la capele. (2449-53.) Cf. Au main quant li aube est crevde, Si se leve Blonde Esmerde. (6065-6.) Au mostier vont. (697-700.) Cf. L'andemain lues que il ajorne, Erec se lieve, si s"atorne. (4279-80.) Lances reprendent por joster Et laissent tost cevals aler ; Et puis durement s'entrevienent, Les lances alongdes tienent ; Si se fierent de tel angoisse Que I'une lance Tautre froisse. (2630 ff.) For the rhyme, (par tel) angoisse : froisse, see also BI, 4551-2; 5529- 30 : and Erec, 361 1-2. 22 Lors furent vallet aprestd Qui maintenant Pont desarmd. (2678-9.) Chascuns au plus tost que il pot A sa lance retreite a lui. Si s'antrevienent anbedui, Et revienent a droite joste. Li uns ancontre Tautre joste, Si se fierent par tel angoisse Que Tune et I'autre lance froisse. (5950 ff.) Lors furent vaslet aprestd, Qui le corurent desarmer. (1242-3; cf. 4283.) Studies on the Libeaus Desconui. 67 Cf. Vallet le corent desarmer. De sus la boucle, a Tor clarie, La si feru del fer tren9ant, Que Tescu li perce devant. La lance fu at roide at fors ; Et il Tenpaint par cal esfors. (2663 ff.) Cf. Lances orent roidas at fors ; Si se fierant par tals esfors De sor les boucles des escus, . , En fist cascuns passer le fer. (5623 ff.; cf. 5651-2.) Lances orant roides et fors ; Si s'entrefierant par esfors. (2116-7.)^ Or li portds moult grant honor. (2700.) 23- [Las lances] s'an furent plus roides at forz. Sor las ascuz par tal asforz S'antrafierent des fers tranchanz Que par mi les escuz luisanz Passe de chascune una toise. (5943 ff-) Cf. Que li escu percent (869) ; lance roide et fort (3686). For rhyme, forz : par tel esforz, see also 5015-6. 24. Si li portez mout grant en or. (472.) 25. Les armes font avant porter Por le Desconndu armar. A bones coroies de car Li lacant les cauces de far ; Le haubarc li ont el dos mis, Le hiaume aprfes el cief asis. Et quant il I'orant bien arm^. (2765 ff.) Cf. II vest Tauberc, Telme la9a, Et Helie li ^aint Tespde. (1030-1.) Les armes quiert et Tan li bailie. Lace li les chauces da far Et queust a corroie da car. Haubarc li vast de buana maille, Et si li laca la vantailla. Le hiaume brun li met al chief: Mout Tarma bien de chief an chief. Au costd Faspee li v^int. (708-17.) Cf. La pucele mei'smes Parme. (709) * Much stress cannot be laid on agreements in descriptions of fights. Cf. Raoul de Cambrai, ed. Meyer and Longnon (^Soc. des Anciens Texies Frattfais), 1882, pp. bcii ff. 68 W. II. ScJiofield. 26. Trestos Ji Diu les commanda, Et il i recommandent lui. Mais moult lor torne ^ grant anui, Que il le out vcu aler. Si commenci^rent k plorer. Jamais ne Tcuident rev^oir ; Or le gard Dius par son pooir! Lanpars ploroit et la pucele ; Robert ciet pasm^s h. la terre. De Tautre part plorait li nains, D'estrange guise grant dol fait ; Et le Desconneus s'en vait! (2816-28.) Sor les elmes, sor les escus, Ont grans cols et pesans ferus, De nule rien ne s'espargnoient. (2920 ff.) Moult fu la damoisele gente ; . . . Onques nus hom ne vit tant bele. Le front ot large et cler le vis, Et blanc come est la flor de lis. (1519-24.) Cf. une dame Tant bele, c'onques nule fame Ne fu de sa biautd formde ; Tant estoit fresse et alosde, Tant le sot bien nature ovrer, C'onques si bele n'ot el mont, Pe bouce, d'iols, de vis, de front, * Et ce que je vos voi plorer, Me fet grant nial et grant enui.' A Deu les comande, et il lui. Depart! sont a mout grant painne. Erec s'en va. (2762 flf.) Que ja mes reveoir nes cuident. (42930 Cf. [Les janz replorent d'autre part.] Dames et chevalier ploroient, Por lui mout grant duel demenoient. N'i a un seul qui duel n'an face. Maint s'an i pasment an la place. (2744 ff.) Cf. Enide a mout grant enui torne. (5676.) 27. Que de rien ne s'antrespargnierent. Si granz cos sor les hiaumes fierent. (3793-4-) 28. Mout estoit la pucele jante, Car tote i ot mise s'antante Nature qui feite Tavoit. De cesti tesmoingne Nature Qu'onques si bele criature Ne fu veiie an tot le monde. Plus ot, que n'est la flors de lis, Cler et blanc le front et le vis, Sor la blanchor par grant mervoille D'une color fresche et vermoille Que Nature li ot donee, De sa biaut^ est grans mervelle. Onques Deus ne sot feire miauz Le nes, la boche, ne les iauz. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 69 Issi I'avoit nature faite, Par grant estiide I'ot portraite. (3235-52.) and Mout i ot gente damoisMe ; La color ot fresse et noviele. (855-6.) li miudres chevaliers Li plus vaillans et li plus fiers De la mainie Artur le roi. Nesun millor ne sai que toi, Fors que tes pere Dans Gauvains, Qui est de totes bontes plains. (3330 ff-) Cf. Car millor ne savons el mont. (3494-) De robe porpre estoit vestue, Onques miudre ne fu veue ; Moult estoit riches ses mantials, II sebelins ot as tasials ; La pene fu et bone et fine ; Et si estoit de blance ermine. Les ataces qui furent mises Furent faites de niaintes guises ; De eel drap dont li mentials fu, Fu li blials qu'ele ot vestu ; Moult estoit ciers et bien ovrds ; D'une ermine fu tos forr^s. Plus de V onces d'or, sans faille, Avoit en tor le kieuetaille. As puins en ot plus de iiii onces, Par tot avoit ascs jaconces, Et autres picrres de vertu, Qui furent deseur Tor batu. (3253-74-) Cf. La pene d'edres fu bendde, D'ermine de gris geronde ; Que diroie de sa biaute? (4II-37-) Cf. fresche et novele, 620, 1586, 1607, 2153, 2198. 29. 30- 11 est chevaliers si buens Que Tan ne puet mellor trover, Ne cuit que soit ses parauz nus. (6300-5.) Car n'avoit an tote sa cort Mellor chevalier ne plus preu Fors Gauvain son tres chier neveu ; A celui ne se prenoit nus. (2286 iT.) Mout fu buens li mantiaus et fins : Au col avoit deus sebelins, Es tassiaus ot d'or plus d'une once ; D'une part ot une jagonce, La pane fu de blanc ermine ; Onques plus bele ne plus fine Ne fu veiie ne trovee. La porpre fu mout bien ovree A croisetes totes diverses, Les ataches li sont bailliees, Beles et bien aparelliees. (1609-26.) Et le bliaut qui jusqu'as manches Fu forrez d'erminetes blanches. As poinz et a la cheve9aille Avoit sans nule devinaille Plus de demi marc d'or batu ; Et pierres de mout grant vertu. (1595 ft.) Cf. Que vos diroie del mantel? 70 ]]'. H. Schoficld. Li sebclins moult bons estoit ; En mil pais niillor n'avoit. (1515 iT. ; cf. 2225-6,2376-81.) L'uns acole Tautre et enbrace ; N"i a celui joie ne face. Quant entreconjoi se furent, Por Giglain desarmer corurent, Si le desarment en la place Et Robeis son elme deslace. Quant de tot fu il desarmds Si Tont rait et plai^ trov^. Et quant ses plaies ont lavdes, Si les ont tantost rebend^es. Puis le mainent en une cambre. (3400-18.) Giglains en la cit^ sejorne ; Tot fu garis en la quinzaine. (3643-4.) Dame, ne puet estre autrement. Je m'en vois : a Diu vos commant. (3858-9-) Que il sont el castel venu. Si chevaliers, ses demoiseles, Dont il en i avoit de beles. (4015-9.) 31- Mout fu riches et buens et biaus ; Quatre pierres ot es tassiaus. (6804 ff.) Li rois les acole et salue, Et la reine doucemant Les beise et acole aussimant ; N'i a nul qui joie ne face. Iluec meismes an la place Li ont ses amies desvestues ; Et quant ses plaies ont velies, Si retorne la joie an ire. Quant ses plaies orent lavees, Ressuiiees et rebandees, Li rois lui et Enide an mainne An la soe tante demainne. (4208-32.) 32. 33- 34- Demorer quinze jorz toz plains, Tant qu'il soit toz gariz et sains. (4235-6.) Cf. A lui garir mistrent tel painne Les puceles qu' eincpois quinzainne Ne santi il mal ne dolor. (5217 ff.) Sire, ne puet estre autremant. Je m'an vois ; a Deu vos comant. (2737-8.) Cf. Bien voi qu'aler nos i estuet, Des qu'autremant estre ne puet. (5477-8.) Tant qu'il vindrent a un chastel De chevaliers et de puceles ; Car mout an i avoit de beles. (345-50-) Studies Oft the Libeaus Descomis. n 35- Laiens moult bon ostel avds. (4033-) La nuit, sont a I'ostel venu ; Liement ils i sont receu. Li ostes moult bel les refut. (4040 fF.) Une robe aporte moult bele, Partie de deus dras divers, De sole, d'un osterin pers, L'autre d'ermine bon et fin, Ki estoit d'un rice osterin ; Et li vairs el diaspe estoit. (4144-53.) Paree fu de dras de sole De mult cier pris. Que vos diroie Mais moult en i ot de divers, Bofus, tois, osterines, pers. (4658 fF.) En tot le mont n''ot sa parelle, Tant estoit bele, k grant mervelle. (4267-8.) Cf. Onques nus horn n'ot sa parelle ( : mervelle.) (4790-1 .) Lk faisoit on metre les tables, Car il estoit tans de souper. (4378-9; cf. 5937-42.) Car buen ostel et bel avez. (3200.) Tost furent a I'ostel venu, A joie furent receii, Li ostes mout bel les refut. (3203 flf.) 36. Ot Guivrez fet deus robes feire, L'une d'ermine et I'autre veire, De deus dras de sole divers. L'une fu d'un osterin pers, Et I'autre d'un bofu roiie, Enide ot la robe d'ermine Et I'osterin, qui mout chiers fii, Erec le ver et le bofu. ? (5225-34.) 37- Qui tant par est bele a mervoille Qu'an ne puet trover sa paroille? (535-6.) 38. Fist el palds metre les tables Et fist le mangier aprester ; Car tans estoit ja de soper. (4774 ff. ; cf. 4260-1.) 39- Por laver font I'iaugue crier ; Si se sont au mangier asis. Pain et vin ont h, table mis, De tot quanques mcstier lor fu Ont tot k lor voloir du. L'eve lor done an deus bacins. Tables et napes, pains et vins Tost fu aparelliez et mis. Si se sont au soper assis. Trestot quan que mestiers lor fu 72 W. H. Schoficld. Quant mangi^ orent h loisir, A grant aise et ^ lor plaisir, Se sont des tables levds tuit. (43S0 ff.) Cf. Quant mangit5 orent. h loisir. (2291 ; also 938, 941.) Ont a lor volantd eii. Quant a lor eise orent sopd Et des tables furent le €. (495 ff-) Cf. Quant orent mangie a plaisir. (note to 1. 6943 ; cf. 3181.) 40. ' Je m'en vais, k Diu vos commant.' ' A Deu,' fet il, '■ vos comant gid.' Giglains respont : ' Dame, et je vos ! ' Erec respont : ' Sire et je vos.' Ensi departirent andos. Einsi departent antr'aus dos. (4418 ff.) (3436 ff. ; cf. 5868-9.) Ensi le destraint et justise. (4457-) Amors le destraint et justise. (4894.) Apr&s s'est ens el lit coucies, Moult fu dolens et esmaids ; Ne puet dormir, ne reposer, Viller Testuet et retorner. Onques la nuit n"a pris somel. (4425-36.) Tant fu bien fait et tant fu bials, Qu'en tot le mont, ne en la mer, Ja nus horn ne poroit trover Poisson, beste, n'oisel volant Ne fust ouvr^s el pavement. (4675 ff.) Et Giglains quant il fu el lit, Desor ara de son delit. Ensanble li amant se jurent. 41. Einsi se justise et destraint. (3735-) 42. Erec an Tun couchier se vet ; An Tautre est Enide couchiee, Mout dolante et mout correciee ; Onques la nuit ne prist somoil : Tote la nuit vellier I'estuet. (3442-55.) 43- 44. Par veritd dire vos os Qu'an tot le monde n'a meniere De peisson ne de beste fiere Ne d'ome ne d'oisel volage, Que chascuns lone sa propre image N'i fust ovrez et antailliez. (6876 ff.) Cf. Ne soz ciel n'a oisel volant. (57S5-) la joie et le delit Qui fu an la chanbre et el lit. (2071-2.) Shidies on the Libeaits Descomis. 73 Quant il furent ensenble et jurent, Molt docement andoi s'enbracent ; Les levres des bouces s'enlacent ; Li uns k I'autre son droit rent ; Fors de baiser n'orent content ; Et cascuns en voloit plus faire De baiser dont son cuer esclaire. As baisers qu'il firent d'amors Del cuer se traient les dolors. Et si les aboivrent de joie. Amors les mainne bone voie, Les oils tornent k esgarder ; Les bras metent "k acoler, Le cuers s'atornent al voloir. L'uns velt de Tautre pr^s manoir ; Por Tamor qu'entr'els II estoit Veut Tuns 90 que I'autres voloit. Je ne sai s'il le fist s'amie, Car n'i fu pas, ne Pen vi mie ; Mais non de pucele perdi La dame dales son ami. Cele nuit restord se sont De quanques il demord ont. (4704 fif.) Cf. II avoit joie en sa baillie ; Entre ses bras avoit sa mie Que il souvent acole et baise ; Moult estoit k joie et k aise. C4772 fif.) Giglains se couce Ifes sa drue. Dal(!;s li se jut tote nuit, Si orent moult de lor deduit. (5294 fif.) Son pis sor le sien retenoit Nu h. nu, que rien ni avoit. (2413-4-) Dalis li se jut tote nuit, Si orent moult de lor deduit. (5295-6.) La nuit jurent h, grant deduit. (5943-) [Or ot sa joie et son deduit, Ansanble gisent par la nuit.] (5239-40.) La ou il jurent an un lit, Ou orent eii maint delit. Boche a boche antre braz gisoient, Come cil qui mout s'antramoient. (2475 ff-) Lor droit randent a chascun manbre. Li oel d'esgarder se refont, Cil qui d'amors la voie font Et lor message au cuer anvoient ; Que mout lor plest quan que il voient. Apr^s le message des iauz Vient la dou^ors, qui mout vaut miauz, Des beisiers qui amor atraient. Andui cele dou^or essaient, Et lor cuers dedanz an aboivrent Si qu'a grant painne s'an desoivrent ; De beisier fu li premiers jeus. Et Tamors, qui est antr'aus deus, Fist la pucele plus bardie De rien ne s'est acoardie ; Tot sofri, que que li grevast. Eingois qu'ele se relevast, Ot perdu le non de pucele ; Au matin fu dame novele. (2090 ff.) Cele nuit ont bien restord Ce que il ont tant demord. (2087-8.) Cf. Or fu acolee et beisiee, Or fu de toz biens aeisiee, Or ot grant joie et grant delit ; Que nu a nu sont an un lit Et li uns I'autre acole et beisc ; N'est riens nule qui tant lor pleise. (5245 ff. ; cf. 1424.) De li fist s'amie et sa drue. Tot mist son cuer et s'antandue 74 IV. //. Schofield. Quant il I'enprist \ souvenir, De rire ne se puet tenir. Quant la dame en rire le vit, Se li a tot maintenant dit : • Dites le moi, fait ele, amis, Por quel cose vos av^s ris. Ri avds, je ne sais por coi : Biaus ciers amis, dites le moi. Moi ne I'dev^s vos celer mie.' Cil li respont : ' ma douce amie.' (4780 flf.) Et quant I'a vdu la roine. Si le salue et si Tencline. (5095-6.) De s'amie ot tot son voloir Tot 90 que il voloit avoir. (5235-6-) 45- 46. 47- An li acoler et beisier. (2439 ff-) An un lit certes nu a nu. (3399-) Quant il I'an prist a sovenir, De plorer ne se pot tenir. (2483-4.) Que si formant plorer la vit, Si li a demandd et dit : ' Dites moi, bele amie chiere, Por quoi plorez an tel meniere ? De quoi avez ire ne duel ? Certes je le savrai mon vuel. Dites le moi, ma douce amie, Et gardez, nel me celez mie.'^ (2513 ff. ; cf. also 2742, 3552.) La u Yders vit la reine, Jusque devant ses piez Tancline, Saluee I'a tot premiers. (1183 ff.) Or ot totes ses volantez. (5241.) Quant Giglains au matin s'esvelle, De ce qu'il vit ot grant mervelle. (5303-4-) 49- Au main quant Paube fii crevde, Li saint sonnent au grant mostier ; Tuit sont levd li chevalier. Giglains s'est lev^s et s'amie ; Au mostier de Sainte-Marie s'esvella Et de ce mout se mervella Que si formant plorer la vit. (25 1 Iff.) L'andemain lues que I'aube crieve Isnelemant et tost se lieve, Et ses ostes ansanble o lui Au mostier vont orer andui Et firent de Saint Esperite 1 The only real difference between the two passages lies in the fact that Renaud makes an inquiry after the cause of laughter, instead of grief, as in Erec. Studies on the Libeans Descomis. 7S S'en alerent andoi orer ; La dame fist messe canter. Quant la messe cantde fu Si se sont el palais venu. (4932 ff.) Cf. Quant li saint sonent au mostier, A messe vont li chevalier. (5945-6.) Messe chanter a un hermite . . Quant il orent la messe oie, . . Si s'an repeirent a I'ostel. (697-706.) Cf. Ja estoit la messe sonee Si s'an vont a la mestre eglise Oir la messe et le servise ; A I'eveschie s'an vont orer. (6888 ff.) and Quant tote la messe oi'e orent, Si sont el palds retorn^. (6918-9; cf. 2385-6.) SO. Quant arm^ furent li baron En la plaingne sous Valedon, La vdissi^s tant elme cler Et tante ensaigne venteler, Et tans destriers, bauchant et bai, Plus nombreus que dire ne sai, Et tans escu reflanboier, Et tante guimple desploier, Sor elmes tantes connissances, Tant blanc hauber et tantes lances, Paintes k or et k ason, Fremir tant vermel siglaton Et tant pingnon et tante mance Et ^ainte tante espce blance, Et tant brocher ceval de pris. (5498 ff.) SI- Onques cele de Cornouaille Del grant Morholt, ne de Tristant, Ne fu tels bataille v^ue. (3010-5.) Dorenavant vos veul conter Briement, sans trop longue raison, Li tornois assanble et ajoste Desoz Tenebroc an la plaingne. La ot tante vermoille ansaingne . . . Et tante guinple et tante manche, . . Tant i ot lances aportees D'arjant et de sinople taintes : D'or et d'azur an i ot maintes ; Tant blazon et tant hauberc blanc, Tante espee a senestre flanc, Tanz buens escuz fres et noviaus, . . Tant buen cheval bau^ant et sor, Fauves et blans et noirs et bes. (2136-57.) Cf. Sor chevaus bes, sors et bauganz. (2344-) Onques, ce cuit, tel joie n'ot, La ou Tristanz le fier Morhot (1247 ff.) vamqui. 52. Mes je vos an dirai la some Bri(5mant et sanz longue parole 76 W. H. Schofield. Comment de Galles li baron Et li evesque et li aW Et tot li prince, et li casd, Vinrent, quant sorent la novele Qu'estorse fu la damoisele, Et qu'ensi est cose avenue. Puis n'i ot nule retenue, Que tot ne venissent k cort, Por la grant joie qui lor sort. Tot li palais vint cele part, Petis et grans, moult lor est tart, Qu' il aient lor dame veue Moult i est grans lies m^ue. Arcevesque, dvesque et abd Et tot 11 autre clerc letrd, S'est venu a porcession. Et canterent a moult haut ton ; Et portent crois et encensiers, A casses, k tot les cors sains. (3429-50.) Trestout ensanble k la rescousse Sor lui cascuns sa lance estrousse. Cil se tient bien qu'il ne ca'i. (5537 ff-) Et fiert si Keu le senescal, Qui venus estoit asanbler, L'escu li fist au bras hurter, Et les estriers li fist laissier, Si qu'envers I'abat del destrier. (5574 ff-) 53- Novele par le pais vole Qu'einsi est la chose avenue. Puis n'i ot nule retenue, Que tuit ne venissent a cort. Trestoz li pueples i acort. (6174 ff.) Liez est li rois et sa janz liee : N'i a un seul cui mout ne siee Et mout ne pleise ceste chose. (6165 ff.; cf. 6364-71.) Maintenant sent avant venu Tuit li prelat, juene et chenu ; Car a la cort avoit assez Venuz evesques et abez. (6861 ff.) Ancontr' aus s'an ist tote fors . . . La processions del mostier. Croiz et textes et ancansier Et chasses a toz les cors sainz, Ne de chanter n'i ot po fet. Onques ansanble ne vit nus Tant rois, tant contes ne tant dus Ne tant barons a une messe. (6899-6909.) Cf. moi fu tart Que 9a m'amenast avuec lui. (6284-5-) Quant Erec point a la rescosse, Sor un des lor sa lance estrosse. (2241-2.) Mes bien se tint qu'il ne chei. (3825.) 54- Keus li seneschaus. (1091.) Si bien le fiert que il abat Et lui et le destrier tot plat. (3035-6.) L'escu giete jus et la lance, Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 77 Celui laisse et autre i abat A terre del cheval tot plat. (5909-10.) Chevaliers prent, cevals gaaigne. (57630 A vii^ chevaliers mult pros. Les regnes prendent par le nos. (5869-70.) Vers le cief dou rent a vdu Erec, un moult bon chevalier, Sor un cheval fort et legier. Por joster avoit Tescu pris, Et la lance sor fautre mis. Giglains encontre lui s'adrece, L'anste brandist, I'escu enbrece, Des esperons au cheval donne ; Li uns envers I'autre esperonne. Moult tr^s durement se requierent ; Par si grant vertu s'entrefierent, Que li escu percent et croissent, Et les lances brisent et froissent. (5675 ff.) Cf. Lances briser et escus fendre. (5858.) Si se leisse cheoir a terre. (3069-70.) 55- Chevaliers prant, chevaus gaaingne. (2228 ; cf. 2222.) 56. Qui mout estoit vaillanz et preuz. Les resnes pranent par les neuz. (2 1 93-4-) 57- Erec sist sor un cheval blanc, Toz sens s'an vint au chief del ranc Por joster, se il trueve a cui. De Tautre part ancontre lui Point li Orguelleus de la Lande Chevaliers fu de grant proesce. Li uns contre Fautre s'adresce. (2171-86.) Erec I'escu formant anbrace. (2878.) Erec cele part esperone, Des esperons au cheval done. (205-6.) As fers des lances se requierent, Par si grant vertu s'antrefierent Que li escu percent et croissent, Les lances esclicent et froissent. (867 ff.) Cf. Lances brisent et escu troent. (2163.) 58. De totes parts fremist li rans ; Moult par i ert la noise grans, Des cols et des lances li frois. (5897 ff.) Li un keurcnt por les fors prendre ; Li autre keurcnt por desfendre. (5891-2.) 59- D'anbes deus parz fremist li rans , An I'estor lieve li escrois, Des lances est mout granz li frois. (2160 ff.) Li un corent por Ics foiz prandre Et li autre por le defandre. (2169-70.) 7S W. II. Schofichl 60. A son ceval lasque Ic frain, Si le fiert, si de grant ravine, En Tescu deseur la potrine. Si le fiert si, sor le mamele, Ne Tpot tenir potrails ne sele, Que ne Tabatist del destrier, Et ne le fist tost trebucier. (5776-86.) Cf. Si le fiert si en Tescu haut, Qu'estriers ne sele ne li vaut, Que del destrier ne I'abatist. (5849 ff.) Feru Ta par si grant puissance, Droit en mi le pis, de la lance, Que nule riens ne Tpot tenir, Qu'k terre ne I'fesist venir. (5704 ff.) Aguissans point, baisse sa lance Et fiert Flore, le due de France, En mi le pis, par tel air, Que del destrier le fist partir. (5871 ff.) Si saillirent atant les vespres. (5930-) Moult bien le refaisoit Giglains ; Maint chevalier prist k ses mains. (591 1-2.) Bien Tavait fait Giglains devan Mais or le fist il ass^s mieus. Car ainc on ne vit as plus pre Chevalier qui mius le fesist. (5954 ff.) Que tuit li portent garantie Qu'il avoit vencu le tornoi. (5926-7 ; cf. also 5966, 5972-3 Et sist sor un cheval d'Irlande, Qui le porte de grant ravine. Sor Tescu devant la peitrine Le fiert Erec de tel vertu Que del destrier Ta abatu. (2176 ff.) Si bien le fiert sor la memele Que vuidier li covint la sele. (2243-4.) Cangle ne resnes ne peitraus Ne porent le roi retenir, Ne I'estuisse a terre \enir. Einsi vola jus del destrier, NH guerpi sele ne estrier. (2204 ff.) Cf. Andui poingnent, si s'antrevienent, Les lances esloigniees tienent ; . . . Sor I'escu fiert par tel air, . . . Anmi le piz le fausse et ront, . . . Et cU chei. (2861-73.) 61. 62. Les vespres salirent a tant. (2252.) Si bien le fist Erec le jor Que li miaudre fu de I'estor ; Mes mout le fist miauz Fandemain. Tant prist chevaliers de sa main. (2253-6.) Car n'avoit an tote sa cort Mellor chevalier ne plus preu. (2286-7.) 63- Trestuit d'anbes deus parz disoient Qu"il avoit le tornoi veincu. .) (2260-1.) Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 79 64. Quant entre conjoi se furent, For aler a la cort se murent A son ostel trovent Artus. Quant il les vit, si lieve sus, Giglan com vit, va le baisier Et de ses deus bras Tenbracier. Lors v^issids grant joie faire, Les chevaliers vers Giglan traire Et saluer et conjoir. . (5975-87-) Plus bele avoir vos ne po^s ; Et si est de moult grant parage ; Ne por biaute, ne por lignage, Ne le deves vos laissier mie, II vit la dame bele et sage. (6040-9.) Ne fus nus hom plus bien venus N'k plus grant joie rectus Com Giglains fu en cele terre. (6089 flf.) Tant ont chevauci^ par les plains, Et tant ont lor cemin tenu, Qu'il sont a Valedon venu. (5978 ff.) Cf. Or cevaucent plains et boscages, Et landes, et vals, et rivages ; Tant ont com par les contrdes Et tant errd par lor jorndes, Et tant lor droite vole tinrent, Qu'al castel des Puceles vinrent. (5355 ff) Quatre jorndes, voire plus, Avoit chevauchd la roine. (4966-7.) Quant bien et bel atornd furent, Por aler a la cort s'esmurent. A cort vienent : li rois les voit Si beise Erec et puis Guivret, Enide au col ses deus braz met, Si la rebeise et fet grant joie. Chascuns del conjoir se painne. (6457-70 ; cf. 6454.) 65. La pucele est et bele et sage, Et si est mout de haut parage. (1277-8.) Ne por biautt^ ne por lignage Ne doi je pas le mariage De la pucele refuser. (1565 ff.) 66. Onques nus rois an son reaume Ne fu plus lieemant veiiz, N'a greignor joie receiiz. (2398 ff.) 67. Le bois trespassent et la plainne. Tote la droite voie tindrent Tant que a Caradigan vindrent. (1086 ff.) Cf. Tant trespassent puis et pandanz, Forez et plaingnes et rivieres Quatre granz jornees plenieres Qu'a Carnant vindrent au quint jor. (2312 ff.) and Tant ont errd el chevauchid Qu'il vindrent . . . (3667-8.) 8o U: 11. Schofidd. Et chevauchierent bos et plains. (246S.) Tant ont cevauchd et errd, Que il sent h Londres venu. (6006-7.) Que tant com la hanste 11 dure, L'abati k la terre dure. (5553-4-) 68. Erec tant con hante li dure Le trebuche a la terre dure. (2189-90.) 69. Or veul je votre non savoir. (1469.) * Sire/ fait il, • tot vraiement Vos en dirai la verity. Jci mos ne vos en ert cele. Je sui/ fait il, ' sire des Aies.' (ii9off.) Cf. Se li demanda . . . Et conment a non, que li die Qui est, ne dont ne li coilt mie. (870-4.) H^lin a non. (1195; cf. 1472; cf. also 392: 4742, 4788.) Mes vostre non savoir desir. * Sire,' fet il, ' vostre pleisir. Quant vos mon non savoir volez Ne vos doit pas estre celez. Cadoc de Tabriol ai non.' (45 1 Iff.) Cf. *Mes dites moi, nel me celez, Par quel non estes apelez?' Et cil respont : ' Jel te dirai, Ja mon non ne te celerai. Erec ai non.' (1055-61 ; cf. also 2699, 4075> 4152, 5050, 6257.) Et rivieres et praeries, Et si est grans gaagneries, D'autre part les vignes estoient. (1495 ff-; cf. 3544-5-) 70. De forez et de praeries, De vingnes, de gaeigneries, De rivieres et de vergiers. (2319 ff.) 71- II ne remaint arme el castel, Li villart et li jovencel. (2086-7.) Trestot s'en vont, petit et grant, Ni a remds keu ne serjant. (2363-4.) An tot le chastel n'a remds Home ne fame, droit ne tort, Grant ne petit, foible ne fort, Qui aler puisse, qui n'i voise, (5698 ff)_ II n'i remaint juenes ne viauz. (2688 ; cf. 4870.) Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 8i 72. Qui bien soc prendre mon consel, Et k la lune at au solel. (4851-2.) Et portent ostoirs et faucons Et ostoirs et bons espreviers. (3809-10.) Espreviers portent et faucons, Ostoirs, tercets, esmerillons. (390^7.) Li castels fu clos de fosses Grans et parfons, et loncs et Ids ; Sor les fossds hals mors avoit, Dont li castels tos clos estoit. (1499 ff- ; cf- 2830 ff.) Ceste ne trove sa parelle, Tant estoit bele k grant naervelle. Sa biaute tel clarte jeta. (2198 ff.) Une escarboucle sus luissoit, Plus que solaus resplendissoit, Et par nuit rent si grant clartd Com se ce fust en tens d'estd. (1897 ff.) Qui jetoit une tel clartd Com I cierge bien enbras^. Tot le palais enluminoit, Une si grant clartd jetoit. Hom ne vit onques sa parelle. (3103 ff-) Qui as estoiles se consoille Et a la lune et au soloil. An autre leu ne prant consoil. (6782 ff.) 73- Espreviers et faucons de mues Et li autre aportoient fors Terciaus, ostors muez et fors. (352 ff. ; cf. also 5362-3.) 74- une haute tor, Qui close estoit de mur an tor Et de fosse le et parfont. (3671 ff.) 75- Auoit une escharbocle dor Assises furent par meruoille Nus ne uit onques sa paroille Chascune tel clarte gitoit De nuiz con se il iorz estoit Au matin grant li solauz luist Si grant clarte randoit par nuit. (p. 88, 11. 16 ff.) Cf. D'escharboncles anluminees ; . . . Nule riens n'est clartez de lune A la clartd que toz li mandre Des escharboncles pooit randre. Por la clartd qu'eles randoient, Tuit cil qui el palds estoient . . . (6842-8 ; cf. 429-34, 6844-5.) 76. Tant estoit biaus h, demesure Et fu tant biaus qu'an nule tcrre Qu'en tot le mont, tant com il dure, N'estovoit plus bel de lui qucrre. Ne trovast on un chevalier Mout estoit biaus et preuz ct janz. Ne qui tant fesist Ji proisier : (87 ff.) 82 U: II. Schofield. Sages et pros et coilois fu. (4301 ff.) Cf. Moult estoit bials .\ demesure. (3S92 ; cf. 3649.) Haumes lacitfs, haubers vestus. (5371) les cevals poingnent, Et por joster si s'entreloingnent, Si s'entrevont entreferir, Que les escus se font croissir, Andui s'abatent des cevals. Ne furent navr^ ne blecid ; Isnelement sont redreci^, . . . tron(;:ons des espies, S'entre donnent moult grans col^es. En tos sanblans bien se requierent, Sor les elmes sovent se fierent. (1743-60.) Cf. si s'eslongent, Por tost aler lor cevals poingent. Molt aloient tost li ceval. Si s'entrefierent li vasal Des lances grans cols h. devise. (2618 ff.) Sor les escus haut se requierent De lances tels cols sentrefierent, Que des cevals s'entr'abatirent. (2915 fif.) U ne fu navres ne bleci^s. Isnelement est redrecies. (2670-1.) Lors s'entrevinrent fierement, Sor les escus se vont ferir, n- 78. Cf. Car mout es biaus a desmesure. (5520; cf. 1484.) Mout est preuz et sage et cortoise. (3642.) Hiaumes laciez, haubers vestuz. (4965.) Cil plus d'un arpant s'antresloi- ngnent, Por assanbler les clievaus poingnent, As fers des lances se requierent, Par si grant vertu s'antrefierent Que li escu percent et croissent, Contre terre anbedui se ruient, Li cheval par le chanp s'an fuient. Cil resont tost an piez sailli, Des tranchanz granz cos s^antre- donent, Li hiaume quassent et resonent, Fiers est li chaples des espees : Mout s'antredonent granz colees. (865 ff.) Cf. Ne furent pas navre a mort, Mes duremant furent blecid. Isnelemant sont redrecid. (3784 ff-) 79- Andui poingnent, si s'antrevienent, Sor Tescu fiert par tel air, Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. ^l Le Biaus Desconndus fiert lui ; L'escu perce, I'auberc desront, Dedens le cors le fer repont. Mort le trebuce del ceval. (1082-97.) Cf. Et cil r'a si tr^s-bien feru Helin de Graies, par vertu, De sa lance, ens el pis devant L'auberc li ront et vait faussant ; De I'un chief an Pautre le fant ; Ne li haubers ne le defant : Anmi le piz le fausse et ront, Et de la lance li repont Pi^ et demi dedanz le cors. Au retreire a son cop estors, Et cil clie'i. Morir I'estut. (2861-73.) Del bon ceval le fist cair. (1 109-14.) Devant le roi en vint tot dreit . . . Le roi salua maintenant, Et puis les autres ensement. (75-8.) Cf. Li un les autres saluerent. (5098 ; cf. also 3276, 35 1 1, 3854, 4162, 4167, etc.) Ne porions vile trover, Ne maison, en ceste contrde, Environ nos, d'une jornde. (596 ff.) Robers i vint isnelement, Ki le desarma en la place ; L'elme fors de cief li esrace. Puis li a desceinte Tespde, Quant ot la teste desarm^e, L'auberc li traist, de blance maille, Quant deslacid ot la ventaille. (804 ff.) 80. 81. 82. 83. Qu'il li pardoinst b, ceste fois. (839-) Jusque devant le roi s'an vindrent, Si le saluent maintenant, Et la reine einsemant. (6596 ff.) Cf. Li un les autres saluerent. (2354; cf. also 5533, 5548, 6231, 6373> etc.) une jornee tot an tor N'avoit chastel, vile ne tor, Ne meison . . . (3137 ff-) Li escuiiers Erec desconbre De son hiaume, si li deslace La vantaille devant la face. (3170 ff.) Hauberc li vest de buene maille, Et si li lace la vantaille. Le hiaume brun li met el chief . . . Au costd I'espee li 9aint.^ (713-17-) Ceste foiz vos iert pardonee. (2854.) ^ Positive statement (arming) instead of negative (disarming). 84 IV. II. Schofidd. 84. Seur destriers sors, bais et bau9ans, O V"* chevaliers urmJs. (5455-6.) Cf. Et avoit en sa conpaignie %*« chevaliers de maisnie. (5446-7.) Quant venus fu tos li barn^s, Qui k la cort fu asamblds, Grans fu la cors qui fu mand^e, Quant i fii la cors asambMe. La veisies grant joie faire, As jogleors vieles traire, Harpes soner et estriver, As canteors can9ons canter. (17 ff.) Chevaliers i ot bien cine S.) Devant le roi fait son servise. (62.) Moult les savaient bel servir. (933; cf. 67, 931, 1802.) Qui son servise pas no pert. (3179-80.) Li serjanz fu de bel ser\'ise. (3165; cf. 1896, 2010, 5213, 6191, 6390-1, 6567.) 46. Es-vos venant les chevaliers Tos trois armcs sor lor destriers. (543-4-) Ci voi venir iii chevaliers Trestos amids sor lor destriers. (978-9.) Quant voient le chevalier Venu sor son destrier armd. (2877-8 ; cf. 366, 953 fF., 2504, 2965-6, 5380, 5421, 5804.) Quant il virent un chevalier Venir arme sor un destrier. (139-40.) Et s'estoient armd tuit ti^oi. (2799; cf. 1 107.) en nule guise. (462,4172, 5120.) ploroient de pitid. (1850.) de joie plorer. (868.) venir as fenestres. (2098.) ariere se trait. (2936.) grant aleure. (2886.) 47- an nule guise. (1576, 3344, 4256, 4497, 6062.) 48. de pitid ploroient. (1471 ; cf. 1465.) de joie plorer. (683, 4473, 6892.) 49. venir as fenestres. (1142; cf. 1522.) 50. arrieres se tret. (411 1 : cf. 3835.) 51- grant aleure. (254, 2768, 2774, 2900, 3959, 4188, 4674, 4934.) Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. lOI Cil le vit venir. (291 1 ; cf. 3142, 3837, 5524, 5699, 5735.) 52. Cil le voit venir. 4256, (2859; cf. 3572, 4205.) 53- A son cief a son escu mis. A son chief a mis son escu. (3229; cf. 5307.) (3096.) 54- Puis a mis la main k I'esp^e. Lors met a Pespee la main. (5787. 445. 3129.) (4033-) 55- mien enscient. mien esciant. (3678.) (855,4318,4530,5910.) 56. aport^rent or et argent. porter arjant et or. (3625-6 ; cf. 4656.) (2714.) 57- Ne sait que face. ne set que face. (4026.) (3064.) 58. moult li plot. Mout li plot. (4373-) (1676; cf. 3290, 6283.) 59- u mors u pris. ou morz ou pris. (575 ; cf. 999.) (4971, 5040, 2834.) 60. sor son ceval isnel. Sor un cheval . . . isnel. (S377-) (3573; cf. 2197.) 61. bel et cler. cleres et beles. (5401.) (618, 6853.) 62. k mult grant conpaigne. a mout riche conpaingne. (5419; cf. 5481.) (1940.) XJNTVr:^'="^'^v OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA I02 ;/; n. Schojieid. 63- ses escus d'asur estoit. Un chevalier i ai v(5u Qui porte un escu d'azon. (5818-9.) Hardis estoit comme lupars. (5458.) Isneleniant leva. (203. 2450, etc.) Tespee d'acier. (57I5-) C. chevaliers. (5378, 5730, 5739, 5792.) uns clicvaliers aiinez D'unes amies d'azur et d'or. (584-5; Cf. 2I42fT.) 64. 6s. Orent sanblance de liepart (672S.) Levez isnelemant. (3470.) 66. espi^ d'acier. (3585.) 67. 9ant chevaliers. (1942.) 68. Iluec le guerredon li rent. (4736; cf. 4748.) aler c(h)evau9ant. (691, 1264, 5735.) Es vos poi('n)gnant. (1293, 1099, 1 120.) je randrai le guerredon. (632 ; cf. 4566, 4569.) 69. aler chevauchant. (2801, 5768-9.) 70. Ez vos poignant. (3589-) Par la forest s"en vait poi(n)gnant. Parmi la forest a droiture (1385 ; cf. 275, 769, 1 1 27, 1365, S"en vet poignant grant alelire 1381.) (3619-20; cf. 106,4308.) 71- moult durement le vait fdrir. L'uns anvai'st Pautre et requiert : (447 ; cf. 5710.) Erec si duremant le fiert Moult tr&s durement se requierent ; Que li escuz del col li vole. Par si grant vertu s''entrefierent. (3013 ff-) (5684-5.) (For the rhyme, le requiert: le L'escu le fait del col voler. fiert, see 953-4) (432-) Studies oil the Libeaus Desconus. 103 (For durement, see 1141, 1424, 1431-3, 2632, 5821.) (For the rhyme, le requiert : le fiert, see 3023-4, 463-4; fierent : requierent, 1139-40.) vos ne targer^s gaire. (3766.) 72. 73- a or broudee. (5075-) Ne tarda gueires. (1915-) brosdd a or. (5881.) 74- For expressions of grant joie, see grant joie. 272, 1 1 79, 1480, 2462, 2466, (68r, 1247, 1301, 1316, 1445, 2702, 3219, 3397, 4374, 4618, 1535, 1900, 2039, 2069, 2338, 4635, 5026, 5144, 5974, 5994, 235s, 2369, 2372,2387,2782, 6004, 6010. 4007, 4192, 4595, 61 18, 6296, 6334, 6352, 6356, 6469, 6582, 6593, 6632, 6657, 6945.) 75- For accounts of arming, see 260, Arming. 343j 387, 67s, 1040, 1369, 1805, (2626, 2660, 3696, 4302, 4885, 1950? 1957, 2048, 2065, 2457, 496555332,5691-) 2610, 5343. Disarming. Disarming. (607, 805, ii6r, 1440, 2679, (988, 1298, 3260, 4206, 4683, 3407, etc.) 5132, etc) 76. li^s ; joianz. joianz et liez. (Cf. 482, 3909, 3921, 4175, (372, 685; cf. 3208, 3409, 3513, 4365, 4703, 5244.) Commendation to God. (2434, 3614, 3859, etc.) 77- 78. vermelles : h. mervelles. (1706-7, 1 88 1 -2; cf. 2039-40, 4299-4300.) 4198, 4560, 4723, 5061, 5238, 5299, 6165, 6339, 6897.) Commendation to God. (271, 274, 1454, 1457, 2302, 3423, 3928, 4303, 4374, 6403.) vermoilles : a mervoilles. (5899-5900; cf. 429, 1755. 4334-) 104 IV. 11. Schoficld. 79- Ceval (destrier) Gascon. Lc bai de Gascoingne. (loSo. 5758, 5856; cf. armds (2663.) sor le Gascont, 1699.) So. Daybreak. Daybreak. (1 147. 11S2, 2449, 3233, 4932, (69, 1347, 3461, 3499, 4244, 5944,6065.) 4278, 5271.) 81. L'uns acole I'autre et enbrace. Li uns I'autre beise et acole. (1 794-) (3920.) Tenbrace et acole. I'acole et anbrace. (26S2, etc.) (4158, etc.) ferir tot h. bandon. (5584; cf. 5782.) quites serra. (2249.) ferir tot a bandon. (975 ; cf. 3022, 6687.) 83- soiiez toz quites. (5458.) Car tant en ai o'i parler : aler. (2493) Parmi la porte entrent errant. (2546.) Les cevals fisent enseler. (2726; cf. 1 1 80, 6070.) Quant il les vit, si ot vergoigne. (4568 ; cf. 3930.) 85. 86. 87. J 'an ai sovant 01 parler : aler. (5434-) Parmi la porte antre an la cort. (383-) Ses chevaus comande anseler. (1432, 4281 ; cf. 3489, 6440.) Vergoingne an ot. (447-) Moult fesistes grant mesprison (39650 tra'ison Vers vos feroie et mes- prison. (5640 ; cf. 6098.) Puis resont k Tostel venu. (2719.) Tost furent a I'ostel venu. (3203) Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 105 90. Ki ne fu ne fols, ni vilains. (4360; cf. 154.) D'un drap de soie estoit vestue ( : veiie). (1513-4-) Quant I'aube esclarci. (3803.) Moult forment crie et pleure. (629.) Artus n'i vaut plus demorer. (5831-) Li murs en furent rice et bel, Dont li castels tos clos estoit. (186S-9.) Moult fu li castels bien asis. (1861.) Sor son puing porte Pesprevier. (18150 91. 92. 93- Ele n'estoit mie vilainne. (475-) De dras de soie . . . Que d'autre robe fust vestue (: veiie). (I57S-8.) Quant Taube est esclarcie. (H30-) Por quoi si formant plore et crie. (4336.) 94. 95- Erec ne voloit pas antandre. (2215.) Qui close estoit de mur an tor. (3672.) 96. 97- un chastel Mout bien seant. (345-6.) Peissoit sor son poing I'esprevier. (1308.) un ceval d'Espaigne. (5760.) Que vos iroie je contant ? (5953, 6095, 4337-) Que feroie longes noveles? (6069, 3627.) Un corant destrier d'Espaingne. (23950 99. Por quoi vos feroie lone conte? (1084O I soient andoi courond. (6057 ; cf. 6034, 6100O corond seront andui. (6549O io6 ]\'. JI. Si/ioJhU. lOI. Ci taut li rounians ct define. Li contcs fine ci a tant. (6103.) (6958.) These lists, though they contain a number of passages where the agreement is not very striking, or wliere the agreement is due to the existence in the poetic language of a considerable stock of current phrases, are yet sufficient to establish the fact of very extensive bor- rowing by Renaud from the Efcc. The effect of this observation on the question of the relations between LD and EI is clear. LD shows no trace of these borrowings. It is inconceivable that the author of LD, if, as Kaluza thinks, he based his work on BI, should have eliminated all. The arguments drawn from the comparison of proper names, and especially from these parallel passages, combined with the consider- ations previously adduced,^ ma y fai rly be held to demonstrate that the English poem is not derived from that of Renaud de Beaujeu. CHANGES INTRODUCED BY RENAUD. The establishment of this proposition makes much simpler the dis- cussion of the remaining questions. Since it is now certain that many things in Renaud's poem are due to modifications introduced by him in an original which has perished, we may proceed to examine what these changes are, as well in details, as in general features. No table amon g the latter are : the omission of all account of the hero's youth ; the added imp^rtance_given to the stay at the He d'Or, and the return visit ; the introduction of the squire Robert ; and the account of the tournament. It is almost certain that there was in the original Desconus story an introductory part, such as is found in all versions but BI, telling of the youth of the hero, his solitary life in the woods, and his going to Arthur's court. Why, then, did Renaud omit this ? The reason seems to be that, as he was forming his poem on the model o f Ergt^ ^ Another argument will be found below, pp. 120 f. ; cf. also p. 150. * It was natural for Renaud to turn to Erec, for this was the very poem from which borrowings had been made by the author of his original (see pp. 113, 133, 145, 152, below). Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 107 Jie decided to begin it in the same way. Chretien opens his poem by giving us his name and telling us his desires in writing the story, which, he says, Tret d\in conte d'avanture Una mout bele conjointure. (13-14.) He adds : Tant con Deus la grace Tan done . . . Des or comancerai Pestoire. (18-23.) Renaud follows suit, and begins in the same way by telling of him- self and his motives in writing the book : _ For li veul un roumant estraire^ DM n nioult biel conte d'aventure ; • . . Vos veul ristoire commander ; En poi d'eure puet Dius aidier. (4-8.) Chretien goes on directly to tell of Arthur and his court, and intro- duces us to the chief characters of his story without any previous explanations. In this point also Renaud wished to follow him, and therefore he had to omit everything which in his original preceded the boy's coming to court. It may be, however, that Renaud was the more disposed to make this change because, as we shall see later, he to some extent iden- tified himself with his hero, and so was not likely to make prominent the latter's wild Hfe in the woods. In fact, the hero's youth is not emphasized in the way in which we should expect, and "as we find it emphasized in LD. It is remarkable that Renaud nevertheless leaves clear traces that this introduction was an essential part of his original,^ for the boy declares, when asked his name, that he knows nothing of his father, and that his mother called him only Belfil, just as LD's mother called him only by the same name, Beaufis. Moreover the words of the fee to BI also show that Renaud knew the introduction of the story. She tells BI that she had always known him to be a son of the valiant Gawein. Por ce vos amai je forment, Cids vostre mire moult sovent 1 Cf. Paris, Rom., XV, 15, n. 3. lOS J/'. //. Si/iofn-hi. Aloie je por vos V(5ir ; Mais nus ne m"en fosist issir. Votre m6re vos adoba All roi Artur vos envoia. (4877 fF.) This clearly implies the solitary life of the mother, and states plainly that she had given him armor and sent him to Arthur (as in Car.). The motives which Renaud avows in writing the book also help us to understand the changes he has made. He was not a poet by profession. This poem was probably the first he ever wrote, and it he began to write with a conscious purpose, — to evince his love to one whom he adored, and to sTiow her what he could do (" Mostrer vuel que faire sai," 10). It was to be a means ot pressing his suit. To attain his twofold purpose he therefore, it is evident, decided on two things. First, he would show his love by identifying his loved one with one of the characters of the stor}', whom he would describe as the most beautiful being in the world and the possessor of irresistible charms. Secondly, he would j endeavor to write as good a poem as he could, that her respect for ' him and his powers might be heightened.* There was but one character whom he could identify with his loved one, and that was the enchantress of the He d'Or. To bring about this end he has to change the whole ending of the story. He represents the young hero as in love with her, and her only. He goes on to free the enchanted princess, from a sense of duty, that he may not lose his honor. Hardly has he accomplished his end before he longs for her whom he has left. His only desire now is to return to her and obtain her forgiveness for his having gone away before. He feigns a reason for not accompanying the disenchanted princess, whose proffered hand he declares he cannot then accept. He travels back to the He d'Or, and when he gets an opportunity pours out his love with ardor to the fee. She, however, scornfully repulses him, for he has done her a wrong, albeit it was to maintain his honor. The young hero is so overwhelmed with grief that he is like to die, and his companion's comforting avails little. There is but one thing that saves his life : his loved one relents and bids him 1 On the second point cf. Paris, Rom., XV, 10. Studies on the Libcaiis Descomis. 109 come to her. She has only been testing him, and now that she sees his love is sincere, she gives herself up unreservedly to him, and his fidelity has its reward. Here we can see Renaud expressing his hopes, and perhaps even alluding to his own experiences. He had offended his loved one, it may be, and had been repulsed ; but his love had kept on increas- ing until his distress was too great to bear. He hoped that his aniie was only testing him, and that the evidence he gave her in his poem of the ardor of his affections and the constancy of his devotion would secure for him the object of his hopes, and restore him to happiness. But Renaud could not neglect entirely the original ending of the story. After a while he brings BI back to Arthur, at whose request he marries the princess and goes home to live with her. Despite this apparent inconstancy, however, his heart is still fixed on the fee, and in the concluding lines of his poem Renaud, while reiterat- ing the expression of his own affection, says that if his loved one will show him biau sanblant, he will, in a new story, bring Giglain back to his true love. If not, he will never speak of him again. Si art Giglains en tel esmai, Que jamais n^avera s'amie. (61 16-7.) We must believe, as Paris says, that his " mult am6e " remained relentless, for we do not know of any other poem on this subject by Renaud. It is, then, because of this avowed affection that Renaud intro- duces at different places in his poem personal digressions of various kinds,^ notably that very interesting passage where he speaks of his " mult am^e," whom he would fain call his ajnie (1226-59). Having thus made the fee the leading figure in his poem, with the exception only of the hero himself, and having identified her with his own loved one, Renaud does not surprise us when we see the inci- dents in which she plays a part increased in importance, and her marvellous beauty and skill dwelt upon at length. It is not surpris- ing, further, that she should be the one to reveal to him his noble birth. It is but fitting that she should return his love and avow affection for him from the beginning of his career. 1 "lis rappellent les interruptions du meme genre qui se trouvent dans Farle- nopeus de Blois." Paris, Rom., XV, 10. no jj: //. Si-/iojuiJ. Hut the original Desconus poem must have been comparatively short, while Etrc, which Renaud hatl chosen as a guide in matters of form and expression, was much longer. The story, then, had to be extended, and the means our poet took are well known to us. Had he followed his original, even expanding as much as he has done in the corresponding parts, his poem would have been shorter by at least the 2500 lines now taken up mainly by the account of the return visit to the He d'Or and the great tournament which was proclaimed to lure BI back to court. The Squire Robert. It has always been one of the strongest argu- ments of Kolbing, Paris, and the others who have held that the English poem was not drawn from BI, that there is in the latter a squire who is the hero's constant attendant and helper from the time he leaves the court, while no such character is to be found in LD, Car., or Wig. Kaluza, however, still maintains that the author of LD leaves clear signs that he knew such a figure by the mention of Gifflet, the steward of the He d'Or, whom LD takes as his man when he leaves the castle.^ It is then evidently Kaluza's opinion that the English poet made up his mind at the beginning that the character of Robert was unnecessary, and sedulously avoided men- tioning him or making the slightest reference to his constant inter- ference in the French story. This must have required strict attention from the author, and caused him no little trouble. The only reason for introducing the squire at the end would surely be because the poet found that some one was needed to do what Robert did in BI. Has Kaluza, however, even this justification for his theory? If we follow Robert's doings in BI from the time when Gifflet enters the story in LD, we see that it is he who grows anxious at the way the people of Galigan treat his master as they ride along, and who calls the latter's attention to them. It is he- who during the fight selects the best shaft he can get and bears it to his master, who has broken his own. It is he who begs him for the love of God not to forget " les laides torces, ne les pos," for the streets are full of people who await his overthrow. It is he who swoons from grief when BI enters the enchanted city and who greets him with joy after 1 " Es ist dies offenbar eine reminiscenz an den knappen Robers des frz. gedichtes." Kaluza, Lib. Desc, p. cxxxiv. Studies on the Lib cans Deseonus. iii he is victorious in the encounter. It is he, moreover, who afterwards remains his faithful helper in every extremity, and who returns with him to the court of King Arthur. If now we turn to Gifflet, we see that he accompanies LD to Lambard's house, but says not a word and gives no help ; and that he offers to go with LD to the enchanted city, but has his offer refused. Then he disappears from the narra- tive. His name is thus mentioned only three times, and he prac- tically does nothing at all. If the author of LD had been sedulously keeping Robert out of his story, would he have introduced him just at the end without a reason? Robert is certainly an invention of Renaud's ; and it seems to me far easier to suppose that he was developed out of Gifflet rather than that Gififlet was a useless "reminiscence " of him. It is easy to put a drop of ink into a glass of clear water and color the whole ; but it is not easy to make the colored water clear again. Further considerations seem to settle the matter. We shall later have occasion to discuss some possible relations between the Welsh Perediir and our cycle.^ It is necessary at this point to anticipate that discussion so far as to remark that as Peredur was nearing the end of his journey, and as he was about to leave the scene of one of his adventures, he took with him a certain knight who offered to be his man. The latter did nothing of importance, and was soon lost sight of. May not this knight represent the original of Gifflet ? Be it noted that Wig. has no character corresponding to Gififlet, the steward of the mistress of the He d'Or, because there is no account in it of a visit to the castle of the enchantress. We have, however, an example in the German poem of the same sort of thing, for our hero makes Adan his assistant when near the end of his adventures, even though he had got along without a helper up to that time.^ The Tournament. The only other important addition is the tournament, whicli is the means of getting BI back to court. Just as Erec, in the rapture of his delights with Enide, forgets his old- time pursuits until his companions mourn and he is stimulated to seek adventure again by their suggestion, so BI's abandoning himself to pleasure causes all his friends to grieve, and they suggest to Arthur ^ See below, pp. 147 ff. ^ We might ask also if the porter in Lambard's house in LD is a reminiscence of the porter of the city of the lie d'Or in BL 112 //://. Sc/iofuld. that a great tournament be proclaimed, in the hope of winning the young knight back to a chivalrous life.' Aside from these important changes, which have been made by Renaud for reasons already examined, there are many smaller changes in which the influence of Enr is noticeable. 1. When Renaud introduces the dwarf, he provides him with a cor^'e, such as the dwarf has in Erec. The dwarf's smallness, which caused him shame, is also commented on, as in Erec. There is no parallel to these features in the other poems.^ 2. When Ht^lie appeals to the king against the sending of BI, Arthur replies that he, as king, cannot break his promise.^ 3. It seems probable that the speech of Bliobli^ris in BI in which he asserts that he has kept his place for mo7'e than seven years and slain many a knight — a point in which, as will be seen (p. 226), Renaud clearly varies from his original — is a reminiscence 01 the passage in E?-ec in which Erec is told of the knight he is to meet in the adventure of lajoie de la cort. Cf. BI, 417 ff. : Et je cartes plus de vii ans Maintes gens i ai fais dolens, Et maint bon chevalier de pris I ai abatu et ocis. with Erec, 5435 ff- Et passd a set anz ou plus Que del chastel ne revint nus Qui Tavanture i alast querre ; Si sent venu de mainte terre Chevalier fi6r et corageus. . . . L'avanture don nus n'estort, Qu'il n'i receive honte ou mort. 1 Cf. the description of the tournament in Diirmart, 6969-8738, with that in BI, 5498-5960. Cf. also the return of Fergus to take part in a tourney proclaimed by Arthur {Fergus, pp. 172 ff.). See the note in Jessie L. Weston's trans, of Parzival, London, 1894, I, 304. 2 Cf. BI, 163 ff., with Erec, 143 ff., 161-2. There are verbal resemblances between the passages. ' Cf. "Rois sui: si ne dei pas mentir," BI, 241 (see also 217), with Erec, ^793 '■ " Je sui rois, ne doi pas mantir." The phrase is, however, proverbial : of., e.g., the prose Tristan, ed. Loseth, p. 215, and Chaucer, Merch. T., 1067 ff. Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 113 4. Erec hears the cries of a woman in distress in a wood, and calls the attention of Enide, his companion, to the sound.^ Tot maintenant Enide apele. '• Dame,' fat 11, ' une pucele Va par eel bois formant criant. Ele a par le mien esciant Mestier d'aie et de secors. Cele part vuel aler le cors, Si savrai quel besoing ele a.' (4315 ff-) In like manner, when BI hears the young woman's cries, he arouses H^Ue and exclaims : 'Ha! Pucele, oes-vos crier? ... Ce semble mestier ait d'aie, Por ce reclaime Diu et prie. Jo vel aler poi li aidier, Si je voi qu'ele en ait mestier, Haiderai li a men pooir.' (637-49.) 5. The maiden who is freed from her trouble, in both poems,^ offers to be the servant of her rescuer in the same words : Tos jors mais serai vostre ancele. (BI, 865.) Toz jorz serai mes vostre ancele. (E., 4366.) 6. In Erec, as well as in BI, the hero has a fight with three war- riors who come against him.^ BI was evidently influenced by this episode in the following points : 1 In this and the sparrow-hawk adventure (see No. 8, below), we must suppose that borrowings in these incidents were made by the author of the original of LD and BI; but there is no need to believe that these were of a verbal nature, as were those of Renaud from Erec (see pp. 133 ff., below). 2 Cf. the following passages from the descriptions of the fight : Mes Erec tint I'espee treite, Car cil li cort atot I'esp^e, Une anvaie li a feite, Si fdri moult bien le jaiant; Dont li jaianz fu mal serviz, Un cop li donne moult pesant, Si le fiert paimi la cerviz Sus en la teste, en la cervfele, Que tot jusqu'as arcjons le fant. De si &s dens met Talimele. Si li a tolue la vie . . . Et li cors chiet toz estanduz. (E., 4465-71.) Li jaians ciet sor I'erbe drue. (BI, 794-801.) ^ Cf. Mennung, pp. 16, 49. I 14 Ji: //. Si/iofu-/,i. (<;) Erec is warned by ICnidc of their approach, as is BI by Robert. Cf. "~^ ' Biaus sire, ou paiisez vos ? Ci viciiciit poignant aprds vos Troi chevalier qui mout vos chacent. Pcor ai que mal ne vos fixcent.' (E., 2S45 flf.) with ' Sire, fait il, tost vos armds, ... De bien faire apensds soiiis, . . . Ci voi venir in chevaHers, Trestos arnicas sor lor destriers ; Je pense et voir vos en cuic dire, Prendre vos vienent, u ocire.' (BI, 973-80.) {b) Both Enide and Ht^He are alarmed at the prospect of a fight one to three, and fear that their companion will be " killed or taken." Cf. Or iert ja morz ou pris mes sire ; Que oil sont troi, et il est seus. (E., 2834-5.) with Pris u ocis fust maintenant. (BI, 999-) II n"a pas force vers'vos trois. (BI, 1013.) {c) Renaud, unlike the author of LD, makes the three come sep- arately at the knight, and goes out of his way to make an explana- tion of it. In this he follows Chretien. Cf. Adonc estoit costume et us Que dui chevalier a un poindre Ne devoient a un seul joindre. (E., 2826 ff.) with Et a eel tens costume estoit Que quant i hom se conbatoit, N'avait garde que de celui Qui faisoit la bataille a lui. (BI, 1055 ff.) {d) It is important to observe that in Erec the three are said to be robbers, pure and simple ("qui de roberie vivoit," 2797), although they have these knighdy customs, and that they set upon Erec and Enide merely for the sake of plunder. Mout covoitent le palefroi Que Enide va chevauchant. (2800-1.) Studies on the Libemis Deseonus. 1 15 The one who first sees them claims the right to begin the fight. All he wants for his share of the spoil is the palfrey ; his compan- ions are welcome to the rest. In BI, on the other hand, as in LD, the three, far from being robbers bent on plunder, are the companion knights of Bliobli^ris (in LD, WilUam's nephews), and attack BI solely to avenge their friend's disgrace. Yet by a slip Renaud calls them " robbers " (" Vinrent poingnant li rob^or," 991), showing that he had Chretien's poem in mind when writing this passage. (if) The descriptions of the fight with the first knight in the two poems show verbal agreement. Cf., e.g., E., 2861-74, with BI 1082-97. (/) In Erec the result is told as follows : L'lin an a mort, Fautre navrd, Et del tierz s'est si delivre Qu'a pie Pa jus del destrier mis. (2905 ff.) This is exactly the result in BI, where Willaume de Salebrant is killed, Helin de Graies wounded, and Le Sire des Aies unhorsed and obhged to submit. (See 1097, 1119, 1152 ff.) In LD none are killed. On the contrary, all are forced to go to Arthur. Quant cil le vit vers lui venir. Si s'an coman^a a foi'r. (E., 2S89-90.) with Robers les vit vers lui venir ; Si s'en commen^a a fu'ir. (BI, 965-6.) {h) In Erec the horse of the first of the robbers is described as " blans " : — " Li premiers fu blans come lez " (291 1). In BI we seem to have a curious reminiscence of this, for there the first of the three companions is E/ins li blans. Indeed, it is possible that it was the use of this adjective in Erec which suggested to Renaud the introduction of this particular name, which could not have been in the original, but which occurs elsewhere in the romances of chivalry.^ (/) The part Enide and Hdlie play in the two adventures is very ^ Cf., e.g., the Prose Romance of Tristan, cd. Loscth, p. 283 (sgs"), and P- 351- Ii6 W. //. Schofiild. similar, and diflcrs much from that played by Elene in LD. Enide is in great distress lest ICrcc should suffer mishap. Enide vit les robcors Mout Tan est prise granz peors. (2831-2.) So in BI, Ht^lie is the centre of the excitement. It is she who pleads earnestly that BI be allowed to arm, and declares that it is not fair for three men to attack one. 7. One curious agreement of Erec with LD should be noted here. In Erec after all are conquered, we read : Toz trois an a les chevaus pris Ses loie par les frains ansanble. (2908-9.) In LD after the first is wounded, t>e dwerj Teodolein Tok he stede be J'C raine (508-9) and rode away with it to Elene. In BI this feature is not brought in in this connection. It is after the fight with Bliobli^ris that we read : Robers avait pris le destrier Qui ert a I'autre chevalier ; A son signor tantost le maine. (505 if.) This seems to indicate that in this point in which LD and BI differ, LD is nearer the original.^ 8. The adventure with the sparrow-hawk will be treated in a sep- arate section. It is well to compare here, however, two long passages which are identical in spirit and substance, and show marked verbal agreement as well. There is no similar passage in LD. In BI we read : Vers le cort vont, et Margerie Tot droit vers Tesprevier le guie. Grant gent le vont aprcs sivant, Chevalier, borjois et sergant ; ^ Erec agrees with BI, (i) in their coming separately, (2) in the course of the fight, and (3) in the result; with LD in (i) LD's being ready and riding at once against them, (2) the taking of the horses, and (3) the fear of the third knight when the other two are slain. These features in LD may have been taken from Erec by the author of the original of LD and BI, or they may be merely acci- dental agreements with Chretien's poem. The former view is the more probable; but in themselves they are of no importance. and in Erec Studies on the Libemts Desconus. ii/ Dames et puceles issoient De lor ouvrois et demandoient Del chevalier, qui il estoit, Qui Tesprevier querre venoit. Pluisor respondent : ' Ne savons. Mais itant dire nos poons Que ses elmes est effondrds ; Bien pert qu'il a este portds. Maint chevalier i ont feru! Tot est effondres son escu ; De cols d'espees est orlds, Et ses haubers est desclocfs,' Ce dist cascuns : ' sans devinaille, II est bons chevaliers, sans faille. Ha Dius! qui sont ces damoiseles Qu'il maine o lui, qui tant sont bales? ' (1642 fF.) Apres lui ot grant bruit de jant. ' Li chevalier et li serjant Et les dames corent aprds Et les puceles a esles. Mout chevauche orguelleusemant Vers I'esprevier isnelemant. (789-96.) ' Qui est, qui est cil chevaliers ? Mout doit estre hardiz et fiers Qui la bele pucele an mainne.' (753 fF.) Et mainz an i ot qui disoient : 'Deus! qui puet cil chevaliers estre, Qui la bele pucele adestre ? ' ' Ne sai.' — ' Ne sai,' ce dist chascuns. (762 fF.) Mes mout a cos an son escu, Ses haubers est ansanglantez, Mout est hurtez et debatuz ; Bien i pert qu'il s'est conbatuz. Savoir poons sanz nule faille. Que fiere a este la bataille. (1150-60.) 9. In Erec the feature of the head-crowned stakes is found in the description of the orchard in which the adventure called La Joie de la Cort took place (5774 ff.). This is a magic orchard surrounded lis jr. H. Schoficld. by an invisible air wall, which barred passage. It is possible that this feature was transferred in BI to the lie d'Or because of the similarity of the place, inhabited as it is by an enchantress, and surrounded, as we find later, by a wonderful orchard. In LD it is part of the description of the castle of Giffroun, the owner of the sparrow-hawk, and it looks as if this were a shift on the part of the English author for reasons of his own. (See p. i68.) In Erec there are many pointed lances, on all but one of which is the armed head of a knight, and on this one hangs a horn. This is to be blown when the knight who dwells in the orchard is over- come, and he who succeeds in this adventure will be honored by all. As soon as the empty lance is covered, a new one regularly appears. The following passages in Erec and BI should be compared : Car devant aus sor peus aguz Avoit hiaumes luisanz et clers, Et s'avoit dessoz les carders Teste d'orae dessoz chascun. (E., 5780 fF.) and Mult bien faite de pels agus, Aguisies desos et desus. En cascun pel ficie avoit Une teste, c'armde estoit ; Cascune avoit Telme lacie, Qui ens el pel estoit ficie. (BI, 1941 ff.) 10. The reception of BI at the castle of the He d'Or, after he has slain the knight, resembles that of Erec and Enide, the newly wedded pair, after they have taken leave of the king and returned to Erec's home. In Erec they come to un chastel de grant delit. Onques nus niiauz seant ne vit. (2317-8.) InBI II esgarde, voit i castel ; Onques nus horn ne vit si bel. Moult fu 11 castels bien asis. (1859 ff.) In Erec we read further : Tote la janz est aiinee Por veoir lor novel seignor. Einz nus ne vit joie greignor Studies on the Libemis Descomis. 119 Que feisoient jeune et chenu. Premiers sont au mostier venu, La furent par devocion Receii a procession. A tant fors del mostier s'an vont, El palds real venu sont ; La coman9a la joie granz. (2370-87.) After BI has slain the knight, the people of the land come to him and declare themselves his subjects. (" Vien ton roiaume recevoir," 2184.) He mounts a horse they bring him. Or Penmainent vers le castel U receus fu bien et bel A crois et a procession. Grant joie en fisent 11 baron ; El grant palais le ont mend. (2190 ff.) Par la vile font joie grant Et li viellart et li enfant. (2289-90.) Renaud probably had in mind also the description of the corona- tion just at the end of the poem. Ancontr'aus s'an ist tote fors O reliques et o tresors La processions del mostier. Croiz Lor fu a Pancontre fors tret. (E., 6899-905.) II. In both poems all are eager to be of service. Cf. Onques nus rois an son reaume Ne fu plus lieemant veiiz, N'a greignor joie receiiz. Tuit de lui servir se penerent. (E., 2398 if. ; cf. 2427 ff.) with Moult font le valet grant honor. Trcstote s'entente et s'amor A mis la dame en lui servir ; Car faire voloit son plaisir. (BI, 2285 ff.) 120 //;//. Sc/ioficU. 1 2. Enide is spoken of here as follows : Aussi iert Enide plus bele Que nule dame ne pucele Qui fust trovee an tot le monde, Qui le cerchast a la reonde. (E., 2413 ff.) and the lady of the He d'Or in BI : Si bele riens ne fu velie. Ceste ne trove sa parelle, Tant estoit bele i grant mervelle. Que plus bel vis, ne plus bel front, N'avoit feme qui fust el mont. (2197 ff.) 13. Both Erec and BI are inclined to forget their serious missions and to give themselves up to pleasure, the former with Enide, the latter with the fee. ^^' Tot mist son cuer et s'antandue An li acoler et beisier. (E., 2440-41.) and Ains le commence k enbracier Entre ses bras molt docement. (BI, 2358-9.) This is a source of grief to their companions, and in both cases the heroes are prompted to start off again in quest of adventure. 14. A word seems fitting here as to the character of the messen- ger. In BI it is considerably altered, and certainly not always for the better, Helie is a very inconsistent creature. At first she scorns the young knight, then she begs him to go back for fear he may lose his life, and says it would be a pity to have such a worthy knight slain. She selfishly tries to prevent his going to the relief of the maiden in distress in the wood, because it would be uncomfortable for her if anything happened to him. Soon, however, she seizes the dog and obstinately refuses to give it up, although her cause is mani- festly unjust and she knows that BI will be obliged unwillingly to risk his Hfe to satisfy her caprice. She leads him up to the castle of the He d'Or, knowing well the customs of the place, and that no one, knight or king, has passed for five years without being slain, and refrains from telling the young knight the facts until he has got him- self inextricably entangled in the snare. Studies on the Libeaus Dcscojuis. 121 Elene, on the other hand, is a much more pleasing, reasonable personage, and does not treat LD as H^lie treats BI. She acknowl- edges him to be a brave champion of her own accord, while H61ie has reluctantly to be urged by the dwarf to make this confession. In the forest scene in LD we have Elene praying for the hero's safety, but never objecting in any way to his going to the help of another unfortunate woman, while in BI H^lie abuses him for his desire to go. Elene, moreover, always takes pleasure in telling of the brave deeds of her companion, and she throughout occupies a suitably modest attitude with regard to him. There is one other important place in which the contrast is sig- nificant. When in BI they draw near the castle of the steward of the enchanted princess, which is their destination, H^Ue urges BI strongly not to go near the place. When he asks if they had not better lodge there, she replies " nenil mie : De la aler n'ai^s envie " (2491-2). Suppose he had taken her advice, what would have happened ? In the English poem, however, the situation is different. The messenger, who, up to this time, has in no way led LD into danger, now advises him to go to the castle. She knows it is the place towards which their journey has been directed and which they must enter, and, therefore, although she tells him of the danger he will incur from a fight with Lambard, she encourages him to go on. '■ Rid in to l^e castell §ate And axe Hn inn I'er ate, BoJ'C faire and well.' (1579 flf.) She stimulates him also by saying that, if he fails, he will ever after be known as a coward. 'And hus may King Arthour Lesen his honour For hy dedes slowe.' (1594 ff-) Indeed, it seems as if she told him that the rescuing of the maiden depended on the fight, for LD rephes : ' To do Arthour profit And make \>at lady quit, To him I will drive.' (1600 flf.) This account is exactly what we should expect. That in BI appears to be an unfortunate perversion. It looks as if it were a \22 U: J/. Sc/iojlehf. reminiscence of the inlluence brought to bear on Erec not to under- t.ike ZS'> £.,1698. Orguilloiis de la Lande. 1472 ; E., 21 75. Parcevals le Galois. 5406; E. , 1526. Li rois de la Roge Cite. 5386; E., 2192. Sagremors. 5905; E., 1733. Tors, li fius le rois Ares {Atels). 42 (5487); E., 1728. Tristans. 5488; E., 1713. Truerein. 5420; E., 1941 (Treverain). Tintaguel. 51 ; E., 1959. Uriens. T,y, E., 1706. Ydes. 5460; E., 1724 (Yders). It is well also to examine to some extent the names of those per- sons called differently in the two poems, LD and BI. 1 In E7igl. Studien, I, 1 21-169. 2 Cf. Paris, Hist. Litt., XXX, 118: "La plupart des noms qui y figurent ne sont pour nous que des noms : au poete et 'k ses auditeurs ils rappelaient les aventures des heros qui les portaient." The names in the accompanying list are spelt as in BI. Only one of the places where each name occurs is usually given. '^ Cf. Zimmer, Zt. f. frayiz. Sprache u. Litt., XIII, i ff. BI should have no influence in settling the form. * Cf. the name of King Grigorz (with long t) in Wolfram, Parzival, iv, 926. Cf. Perc, 8480. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus, 135 1. William Salebraunche is the name in LD of the first knight whom the hero encounters. Of the three avengers only one has a name : the eldest is called Sir Gower. In BI the knight is called Blioblieris, the three avengers : Elins li blans, sires de Graies Et li bons chevaliers des Aies ^ Et Willaume de Salebrant. (521 ff.) The only name common to both is JVilliam Salebrant (Sale- braunche). Sir Goivcr is probably an addition of the English poet. In the original, as in Erec, probably none of the avengers were named, and William Salebrant was doubtless the name of the first knight, as in LD. The name Blioblieris" is in Erec, and Renaud perhaps had one other name suggested by the Erec passage^ (see above, p. 115). 2. The maid rescued from the giants in LD gives her name as Violette, and that of her father as Sir Antore} In BI she says it is Clarie, and that of her brother Saigremor. Here we have nothing to guide us to the original names. It is possible that the original story did not give any special names to either the maiden or her father 1 I adopt this reading in accordance with the suggestion made by Seiffert in his Navtenbuch zu den altfranz. Artusepen, Part I, Greifswald, 1882, p. 42. 2 It is of frequent occurrence. See Heinzel, Ueber die franz. Gralromane^ in the Denkschriften der Wiener Akad., XL, 1892, Part III, p. 80, note. Cf. Frey- mond, I.e., pp. 81, 116. 3 It is curious to note the following passage in the spurious introfluction to Perceval li Galois, ed. Potvin, I, 7, which, if we put the name of the son for the father, would describe the adventure in BI. Li premiers chevaliers conquis Ot h. nom Blihos Bliheris; Sel conquist mesire Gauwains, Par grant proece dont ert plains; Au roi Artu I'envoia rendre; Cil monta, ains n'i vot atendre, Tresqu'h. la cort si fu rendus. * In Version P of the Livre d'Arius, ed. Freymond, p. 63, alongside the story of the love of Gawain and Florie, we read : " Claudas wird von An/or [brother of Ban and Bohor] besiegt und scin Land wird verwiistet. Claudas zieiit mit einem neuen Heer vor die Stadt Trebes, wo sich die Konigin Helaine befand." 136 U: II. ScJioficId. (brother); but we may note that, (i) the names in LD have a French form, and arc not the sort the luigUsh poet would be Hkely to make up ; (j) it is more probable that the maiden would give the name of her fiithcr than brother, and (3) Saigrcmors is found in ^'■'•'■» 1733- 3. In LD the owner of the dog is called Sir Otes de Lilc ; in BI, Orguilloui de la Lande. Here again we note that the former is obviously a French name,^ and the latter is in Ercc, 2175. 4. The lady of the He d'Or is in LD called La dame d^ Amour, which would not be a word invented by the English author,- and was almost surely in his original. It suggests clearly the seductive char- acter she must have had at first (see pp. 197 ff.). In BI we find her called ia^ucele {dame) as blatices mains, and we remember that the most beautiful woman in Erec was also called la pucele au chainse blanc. Of course the latter appellation would not be suitable in BI ; but the idea of calling the fee always by a name made up from a peculiar feature of her dress or appearance still lingers. The expres- sion used in BI was very common,^ and would naturally suggest itself. 5. The knight who defends the sparrow-hawk is called in LD Giffroun or Giffroun le fludiis, in BI, Gifles li fins Do. Some have regarded these names as identical, and le fliidus is generally con- sidered a corruption of // fitis Do. We have, however, another character in LD called Gifflet. Gi{r)fies li Jius Do was a well-known personage, and the name is in Erec (1729). It is just possible that Renaud, dropping out the character of Gifflet tlie squire in LD, made ^ Bartsch, Die Eigennamen in Wol/ram^s Parzival, Germanistische Studien, II, 142, says that Schionatulander may be Li joenet h Palant, "The Youth with the Dog," in allusion to the cause of the knight's death. Such a name would be very appropriate here. It could easily become confused with the more familiar name which Renaud writes, probably following Chretien. It is well to note that the owner of the dog in the Lay of the Great Fool (see below, p. 171), is called "the Gruagach (enchanter ?) of the white hound." The hero swears he shall have to give up the name thereafter. 2 Cf. Paris, Rom., XX, 299. 2 It was, as is well known, regularly applied to Ysolde. In Meraugis, p. 5, last line, we read of her who claimed the sparrow-hawk : " ot la pucele et blanches mains." Ci. Yvaifi as blances fiiains, Perceval, 2gi^o; Tiose Tristan, p. 12;^. In Peredur, Ygharat has the appellation "^ la main d'or." See note by Loth, in Les Mab., II, 75. Studies 071 the Libeaus Dcscon?is. 137 use of the name in another connection, having before him the exact form he has used. A few other names deserve notice : 1. In BI the knight who takes Margerie home is not named. In LD the corresponding knight, who takes the hawk to Arthur, is called Claudas. This is not an English name, but occurs frequently in French.^ 2. The name of the castle Bel Leu in BI was probably an inven- tion of Renaud's, and may have been suggested by Erec. Cf. Un fort chastel, Qui mout seoit et bien et bel, and Car mout estoit pleisanz 11 leus. (E., 5185-go.) Un castel de pris ont veii, Qui moult estoit et bous et bels. Bel leus avoit non 11 castels. (BI, i486 fF.) 3. The name of the steward in LD and BI, viz. Lampart {Lam- bard), is also found elsewhere. It is, e.g., the name of Perceval's great uncle, and occurs in the Prose Tristan, ed. Loseth, p. 357. See further, Zimmer, Zt. f. franz. Spr. u. Litt., XIII, 47, 52 ff. 4. As to Guinglain, Zimmer points out^ that there is no form Winwaloen (given by Paris), although the Breton Winwaloe exists. JVinwatoeusJ is a Breton saint of the sixth century, whose life was written before 884, — nowadays called Saint Guenole. Of this saint it is told how, a serpent having bitten the foot of one of the saint's disciples, he not only cured the wound, but, calling the serpent, forced it to leave its cave, and made it perish by the application of the sign of the cross. Since the names of the heroes are so similar, we are reminded of the serpent transformation in our poems ; and we remember that in Peredur and Wig. the sign of the cross availed the knight. But the coincidence is doubtless only accidental. As ^ Cf., e. g.. Prose Tristan, ed. Loseth, p. 36, etc. In the Livre d^Artus, ed. Freymond, p. 63, he is the vassal of the King of Gaul. 2 In Zl.f. franz. Spr. u. Litt., XIII, 17 ff. ' See Mennung, pp. 65-6. Cf. Revue Celtiqite, XV, 245. ?. ijs ir. J/. Sciiofuid. Paris says/ " C'est un miracle familier aux saints, et notamment aux Siiints celtiques, que de guerir de la morsure des serpents et de faire p^rir ceux-ci." We have here, then, in his opinion, probably a purely ecclesiastical legend, of a kind similar to those associated with the names of St. Paul and St. Patrick. Zimmer also points out that the form Guiglain (without the first ny occurs in Pen., 33402, 33435, 33592, in the Prose lyistan, etc., and makes it probable that this was the original form. He suggests a form ^Giiigafilois (cf. Guigan-bresil ; Loies appears in numerous Breton names), ^ giving *Gingai{l)ois, which he compares with JVi'ga- lois and the form Gingeleus (or Gin'gelcus) of a MS. of the Par- zival of Philipp Colin of Strassburg (^Hie vindet gawin sinen sun gingeleus, Keller, Romva7-t, p. 672). The change of Guigalois to Guiglain ( Guinglain') might have taken place, he thinks, under the influence of Gauvain (cf. Gau-vains, Y-vains, and Agra-vains, who are brothers, as also are Aglo-val and Perce-val), with which the name is often united, in rhyme even, since Gauvain is the father of Guinglain. The latest suggestion (March 27, 1895) on this point is that of E. Freymond,* based on likenesses to our poems, especially to Wig., in the prose Liv7-e d^Artus; viz. that the name is due to *Gui{7i)- galois + Alain, the latter being in that text the grandfather of * Gui- galois. This does not seem so probable as Zimmer's supposition, on the whole. 5. The situation of Arthur's court is different in the four poems of our cycle : in LD, Glastinbery ; in BI, Charlion ; in Wig., Karidol (=Carduel, Cardevile, = Carlisle) ; in Car., Camelot (see p. 186). 6. The city of the enchanted princess is called Sinadoun, which is, of course, S7iowdon. As Paris notes, it occurs also in the Latin 1 Romafiia, XX, 302. He adds, " Le rapprochement meme des noms s'efface si on reflechit que le nom de Guinglain n'a ete mis que tardivement, dans les contes celtiques, en rapport avec I'aventure du fier baiser." - In the French prose romance it is written Giglan. Giglain is the form in the Hippeau text of BI; but Foerster says (Z/. / roin. Phil., II, 79) that Guinglain is the constant form in the MS. of the Due d'Aumale. 8 See Zt.f.franz. Sp. u. Litt., XII, 237. * Zt.f.franz. Sp. u. Litt., XVII, 50, note 2, Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 139 romance of Meriadocus in the British Museum.^ Ward speaks of the name as " essentially English." In the Lai du Cor"- of Robert Biket, it is the king of Sinadoun who tries the horn next after Arthur. RENAUD'S USE OF THE PERCEVAL. BI shows traces of Renaud's acquaintance with Chretien's Perce- val. It also contains passages which, but for possible chronological difficulties/ one would unhesitatingly pronounce borrowings from the continuation by Gautier (Gaucher). Thus in two places BI seems to show the influence of Gautier's account of Perceval's visit to the Castle of Maidens : the description of events at the He d'Or, and at the castle of Senaudon. First as to the latter. Perc. and BI come to a castle, which in both cases is " mout rices " and surrounded by a stream, over which the hero passes. In Perc. the castle is described as follows : Si vit .1. moult rice castiel, Dont tout li mur at li quariel Erent de marbre couloure, De Vermel at de gausna ovrd ; Tour i avoit haute at bien falte, Ausi com s'ele fust portraite. (26487 if.) In BI we read Li murs estoiant bon at bal, De mabre sent tot li quartel ; Et furent da maintas colors ; Taillie a biatas et a flors. Et sont li quartel bien asis, Indes et vers, gaunes et bis ; Et a V toises tot enter Ot adit's una haute tor. (2835-44.) 1 Hist. Litt., XXX, 174, n.; see Ward, Caial. of Romances, I, 375. 2 F. Wulff, Le Lai du Cor [1888], v. 415. * Birch-Hirschfeld, Gral., p. no, and Nutt, Studies, p. 95, think that Gautier followed Chretien after no long interval. Heinzel, Gralroinane, p. 3, expresses no opinion. Mennung, p. 17, believes that Gautier borrowed some incidents from BI (but see p. 192, below). I40 IV. //. Schoficld. The city is apparently uninhabited. In both cases it (or the liall) is said to be gaste. Pierchevaus moult s'esmervella Por v'oii que il ne vit nului. (26504-5 ; cf. 26916.) In BI : Et la citti home n'avoit Tote gaste la vile estoit. (2847-8.) This does not deter him. Ens est entrds parmi la porta. {Perc, 26499.) Par la porte dedans entra. (BI, 2S50.) Nothing delays him : Perchevaus ne s''est atargies. {Perc, 26496.) Que de rien ne s'en va targant. (BI, 2888.) When he enters the hall the door is closed behind him. In Perc. : la porte estoit frem^e Tantost com Toi je hui passee. (26879-80; cf. 26505-6.) and in BI : Derier Tuis ot i jougldor Qui en sa main tint i tabor, Et li a Puis apr^s ferm^. (2889 ff.) The hall is splendidly lit by torches. In Fe>-c. : I ot moult cierges alumds Que moult fu grande la clartes. (26837-8.) and in BI : En la sale avoit grant clartd Des cierges qui laiens ardoient. (2892-3.) In the centre of the hall was a table. Cf. Une table ot mise desus Bien .v. pies, au mien ensient. {Perc, 26517-21.) with Une grant table en mi avoit. Qui s^oit desus vii dormans. (BI, 2896-7.) He remains beside the table, waiting to see what will happen. Cf. Perc, 26703-4 with BI, 2899 ff. Studies on the Li beans Desconus. 141 Getting separated from his horse, he finds it again. In Pen.: Revenus est a son cheval Lk u premiers ot pris estal. (26621-2.) and in BI : Iluec estoit tot a estal ; Lies fu quant il ot son ceval. (2961-2.) After the meeting he is in great terror, and returns to the centre of the hall. Cf. Perc, 26618 ff. with BI, 3065 ff. But the hero is exhausted and goes to sleep, and when he wakes up it is day. In Perc. : Si lassds ert et si aquis, Del^s la dame est endormis. (26945-6.) Travellids estes et penes. (26958.) So in BI : Moult estoit Giglains travillies ; De dormir li est talens pris, Car lasses est et travillies. Dormi a, puis est esvillids. Grant jors estoit, quant s'esvilla ; En la sale grant clarte a. (3227-34.) Perchevaus toute nuit dormi Tant que li biaus jors esclarci, Et que li solaus fu leves. (26971 ff.) Perc. is told that the castle " si biel " was built without the aid of masons or laborers (26899 ff.). With this and the description of the castle already given, compare that of the He d'Or in BI : Moult i avoit rice castel, Li murs en furent rice et bel, Dont li castels tos clos estoit. (1867 ff.) En la vile ot 11 tors vermelles ; Qui beles 6rent h, mervelles, Et furent de marbre vermeil, Qui moult reluist contre soleil. Un palais i ot bon et bel. Cil qui le fist sot d'encanter, Que nus horn ne Tpuet deviser Cf. Perc. 142 //'. //. Sc/iofu'ld. De coi il fu ; mais bel estoit. Cristal la piere resanbloit, Dont li palais estoit tot fait Et h conpas tiestos portrait. (1881-94.) When Perc. is well received by the maidens, it seems to him **qu'il soit entr^s en paradis " (26770) ; so to BI, when he entered the room of his loved one, it " sanbloit paradis " (4655),^ Moreover (and the agreement here is specially striking), we find both Perc. and BI going to sleep in the evening in the castle, and, when they awake in the morning, they are out in a forest with their arms and equipment, and marvel at the change.^ Cf. Perc. : Deles la dame est endormis. (26946.) with BI : S'est endormis dales s'amie. (5299.) Then also cf. Perc, 26974 fif. : Esvellids s'est, si s'est trouvds Desous .1. grant caisne fuellu ; Lds lui sa lance et son escu Et ses armes et son diestrier, Tout atourne por chevaucier. Quant Giglains au matin s'esvelle, De ce qu'il vit ot grant mervelle ; and BI, 5303 ff. ^ Cf. also Perc.'s asking explanation from the beautiful lady of the strange experiences he had in the castle (26879 ff.) with that asked by BI of his enchant- ment at the He d'Or (4776 ff.). 2 In the Prose Tristan, ed. 'Loseth, § 290% we learn of Erec's going to sleep in a castle and the next morning finding himself when he wakes up in a boat in the middle of a lake. When he reaches the bank, he finds his horse and arms. In Li Romans de Claris et Laris, ed. Alton, Marine and her company meet with a similar adventure on their way to Denmark (see p. 820). Heinzel says {^Ueb. die franz. Gralromane, p. 31): " Ein marchenhaftes Motiv ist benutzt, wenn Gawan, nachdem er in der Gralburg eingeschlafen ist, den andern Morgcn auf freiem Feld erwacht, 20304; s. erste Interpolation zu Pseudo-Gautier, Potvin, III, S. 372, V. 170. Heinrich vom Thiirlein Krone 14884. . . . Das Erwachen Percevals bei seinem ersten Besuch auf der Gralburg, Crestien 4537, hat nichts Zauberhaftes. Er wird nur in unhoflicher Weise allein gelassen. Gleichwohl wird diese Einsamkeit des Gastes am Morgen nach der glanzenden Geselligkeit den Abend vorher den Anlass zu Einfiihrung des Marchenmotivs geboten haben." Studies on tJie Libeaus Desconus. 143 Car il se trova en un bois. Dales lui trova son harnois, Son cief tenoit sor son escu Et devant lui si r'a veu Son ceval qui fu atachies. In both cases the hero is astonished. In BI, Robert, of course, takes part. Perchevaus moult s'en esmervelle. (26981.) In BI. : Quant li uns a I'autre veu ; Moult en sont andui esperdu. (5315-6.) The hero gives expression to his surprise. Cf. Dont a primes garde entor lui ; ' Diex aie ! ' fait-il, ' jou fui Anuit el castiel as Puceles Or ne voi horde ne maison, Ne mur ne porte ne riens n^e ; Mais de chou ne me douc je mie Que ne fusee mout aaisies Et en trop rice lit chouci^s ; Et or sui ci desous ce kaisne.' (Fere, 26987-27003.) with Li uns a Tautre regarde : 'Robert, dist Giglains, que dis tu? Avons nos ci a nuit jeu ? Er soir me couc^ai je aillors, Dales m'amie a grant honor ; Or me sui en un bois troves, Tos esbahis et esgares. Et tu, venis tu ci er soir?' Ce dist Robers : ' Naie por voir. Er soir en mon lit me dormi ; Or me resui troves ici.'' (BI, 5318 fF.) But both decide to arm and ride on. Cf. Sans atargier le hauberc vest, Le hiaume lace sans arriest, 144 ly- it- Schoficld. L'cscu au col, Tcspce au Ids, Est desus son cheval montds. {Terc.^ 26983 ff.) with Atant cauce ses esperons. Li escuiers Taubert toisa Et cil sor son cheval nionta. (BI, 5342 ff.) They commence their journey. Cf. Tant a ern5 par la gaudine Qu'il vint en line grant valee. {Perc, 27006-7.) with Tant [ont] errd par lor jorndes, Et tant lor droite vole tinrent, Ou'al castel des Puceles vinrent. (BI, 5358 ff.) This last line in BI would almost be sufificient to suggest borrow- ing, for we have the Castle of Maidens ^ introd uced here without any reason. It was surely not in Renaud's original. BI is made to come to the castle at which the adventure in Fe/r. took place. The agreements in the above passages are too close to permit of any other theory than borrowing, whether by Renaud or by Gautier (see p. 192, below). It looks also as if from this passage an explanation might be found for the origin of two of the proper names in BI which are in no other version. In Fere. (26582) the lady who first appears at the castle is said to be esmarie, and also " moult avenans et bele." In BI, also, she is very beautiful, and is given the name of Esmeree. Further, the chief of the maidens is compared in Fere, to a " Rose de noviel espanie'''' (26797), and we remember that the amie of Gifflet in BI was called Rose espanie. We have already noted, also, that in both cases the epithet gaste is applied to the places in the two poems which are described in similar words ;^ and elsewhere (p. 137) a suggestion is made as to the origin of the name Bel Leu. If these be accepted, most of the names which Renaud made up have been explained.^ 1 On this name see Ernst Martin, Fergus, Einl., p. xix. 2 Cf. above, p. 140. ^ There is a gaste cite in the prose romance of Perceval li Galois, which later becomes peopled (as Mennung points out, p. 18). Studies on the Libeatis Desconus. 14$ RENAUD'S KNOWLEDGE OF TRISTAN. Renaud must also have known some form of the Tristan story ^ (probably that by Chretien), for the name of that hero occurs in BI no less than ten times. He is among the knights at Arthur's feast at Charlion (35), and he is one of the barons whom the king calls to counsel him how to induce Giglain to return (5160). He takes also a prominent part in the tournament (see 5210, 5488, 55 18-5541, 6018). The fight of BI with the enchanter was not equalled by that "del grant Morholt, ne de Tristant " (301 1) ; and of BI and the fairy it is said : Car plus I'uns por Tautre se deut. Qui ne fist Tristans por Yseut. (4335-6.) We hear also of Lex la btonde in 4260, of Yseuls la bele in 5492 ; and Mars de Cornouaille is mentioned in 5448. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STORY. No satisfactory theory has as yet been offered to explain the origin of our cycle of poems. Mennung^ thinks that the most primitive elements are the episodes with the fee and the enchanted princess. These, he holds, first existed amongst the Bretons as independent tales, but were later told by some Breton singer as the adventures of a single hero. This fusion he calls Version Y (the Breton elements being X ^ and X ^) . To the combination Y was added a new adven- ture ; viz., the fight with the giants, which was, he thinks, taken from Erec. These three incidents are found united in Version Z, and from this form are drawn independently the Itahan Car. and another version, which he calls U. In U the earlier story is lengthened by a second borrowing of several incidents from Eree. In this version the hero is for the first time called Guijiglain, "The Fair Unknown," and is also made a son of Gawein. From U, LD and BI are drawn independently ; and from BI comes Wig. ^ Cf. Leopold Sudre, Les Allusions h la Legende de Tristan dans la Litll-rature du Moyen Age, in Rom., XV, 534 ft".; see also pp. 598, 602. 2 Der Bel Inconnu, pp. 44 ff. L 146 Ji: n. Schofield. Paris' regards all this as "jiulicieux et vraisemblable," except as to the first borrowing from Erec, which he is right in thinking unnecessary. He thinks," moreover, that the author of Version Z added the account of " I'enfance solitaire et sauvage du h^ros." We thus see that, in the opinion of Paris and Mennung, the kernel of the story is the mlirchen of \\\t fier baiser, which became combined with another m'drchen (the fee episode), and one hero was made to perform both adventures. From this was elaborated, by the addition of different episodes taken at different times from other poems, a biographical romance telling the deeds of a young knight, who finally received the name of Guinglain and was called by Arthur and his knights Libeaus Desconeus. In the course of the development of this romance it occurred to some one to make the hero a young boy brought up alone in the woods, ignorant of his noble parentage and of the outer world, who came to Arthur's court anxious to be knighted. He is made to undertake the series of adventures which had already become collected around the original 7?idrchen. This prefatory account, which now is tacked on to a story with which it had origi- nally nothing to do, is most familiar to us as the account which is regularly given of the youth of Perceval, although a similar story is told of the boyhood of other heroes, e.g., Cuchulinn, Tyolet, Fergus, The Great Fool, etc. This is, then, the only connection which the Desc. poems, in the opinion of Paris and Mennung, have with the Perceval cycle. I should like now to propose an entirely different theory, which will, I think, be found to explain the situation much more clearly and simply. I hope to be able to show that ihejier baiser, instead of being the beginning of the whole cycle, was not attached to it until a series of other adventures had grown up around a young hero who had been brought up in the woods ; and that the account of the latter's boy- hood was part of the story from the beginning, and not a late addi- tion. In a word, that Libeaus Desconus is only Perceval with a new name, and that originally the adventures ascribed to the former in 1 Rom., XX, 299-300. 2 Mennung (p. 43) thought wrongly that this might have been first added by Pucci. Studies on the Libcaiis Dcsconiic 147 the early versions of our cycle of poems were those that had pre- viously been ascribed to the latter only, with the single exception of the elaborated account of Xhtfier haiser. These conclusions are based on the similarity which will be seen to exist between that form of the Fair Unknown story which is the most primitive attainable by analysis and one version of the Perceval story, namely the Peredur, not merely in the account of the hero's youth, but in the general framework of his subsequent adventures. The Welsh story, Peredur,^ contains, amongst others, the following features : 1. A mother, having lost her husband and several sons in battle or tournament, determines to prevent her only remaining son, who is very young, from suffering a like fate, and flees with him to a forest, where she brings him up in entire ignorance of the outside world. Discovering by accident the existence of other human beings, he is seized with a desire to go to Arthur's court. His mother, unable to dissuade him from going, gives him instructions as to his future con- duct. He starts off, leaving her behind in sorrow (pp. 45-49). 2. He goes to the court, anxious to be made a knight. Just then a man is needed for an adventure demanding great valor and strength. No one of the courtiers wishing to undertake it, the young man offers himself, and at once sets out. Much to the sur- prise of all, he is successful. Owein helps him to put on his new armor, taken from the knight whom the boy has just slain, and he departs in quest of adventure, bent also on revenge for a wrong done him by one of Arthur's knights (51-55). 3. He first has an encounter with a single knight who has robbed and killed many knights before, and who refuses to let him pass. P. overthrows him ; but the knight begs for mercy, and his life is spared on condition that he go and give himself up to Arthur, telling him by whom he has been conquered. The knight swears to do so, and at once fulfils his promise (55-56). 4. P. rides on and next meets several knights, all of whom he overthrows and disgraces, and sends to Arthur as before (56). 5. As he is riding through a wood, he hears the piercing cries of a woman in distress. He fights with the one who has caused her ^ The translation of Loth has been used. 148 ir. II. Schojicld. trouble and conquers him. The vanquished man is forced to go and deliver himself up to Arthur, promising further to look after the woman he has caused to mourn (cf. Wig.). There is joy at court (60-62). 6. Soon P. comes to a great castle surmounted by numerous strong towers. He is welcomed there, and his armor is removed. A woman enters the room who is more beautiful than any he has ever seen. She also welcomes him, throws her arms about his neck, and sits down beside him. A meal is prepared, and they place them- selves at the table. When the suitable time comes, a room is pre- pared for P. and he retires to his bed. Later the young woman comes to him and offers to be his wife or mistress. She is the sole heir to the lands about, but is in distress because of a knight who wishes to marry her. She is anxious to get rid of him, as are also her people. The time has almost arrived when she must submit to him. Nothing further, however, passes between P. and the lady that night. P. frees her from her oppressors, but is unwilling to marry her, and departs (62-68). He then comes to another castle ruled over by a lady, where he is again well received. They sit down to a repast, after which he is advised to leave the place, for the land is in the power of sorcerers. Nevertheless, he stays one night, during which he hears frightful cries, goes to the rescue of the one in trouble, and overcomes a sor- ceress, who declares he alone could have done this : fate had so decreed (69-70). 7. The next day he departs. Later he comes to a hall where some valets are playing chess. One of three ladies near by weeps because she knows the fate that is to attend him if he is like all previous comers ; for all who come there without permission must risk their lives in combat with the lord of the castle. P., however, is permitted to defer the fight until the next day, and in the evening there is eating, drinking, and conversation. According to the rules of the place, he fights with the knight, and finally forces him to beg for mercy (82-84). 8. This knight then gives information of a great serpent not far away who has injured him. He instructs P. how to find the monster. On his way P. meets a wonderfully beautiful woman. She knows the object of his coming, and tells him that the addanc, whom he must Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 149 first overcome, kills his victims " non par vaillance, mais par ruse." The monster, invisible himself, Hes in wait at the threshold and slays every comer with a poisoned dart. On condition that P. will love her (which he already does), this lady gives him a stone which makes him invisible and the addanc visible. With this aid P. slays the addanc. On coming out, he finds three companions, who greatly rejoice and offer him a share of the kingdom (84-89). 9. A knight now begs to be taken as P.'s attendant. The latter is willing, and they ride on together (89). 10. The serpent is then found and killed. P. shows his prowess in a tournament, marries the princess who has aided him, and governs the land with her for many years, " a ce que dit I'histoire " (91-96). 11. In the course of the story we also learn that Arthur's court is at Kaerllion ; that P. becomes famous there, and that at each bit of news from him the knights long for his safe return ; that some of them start out to bring him back ; that Gavvain and he are special companions and friends ; and that P. has his revenge before he goes back to court. It is impossible not to see in these incidents a striking resemblance with what must have been an early form of the story of the Fair Unknown. Practically the culmination of that part of the Welsh narrative which here concerns us is the killing of a serpent. The young knight does this with the aid of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, — one for whom he has already avowed his affection. As a result she marries him, and together they govern her land for many years. All that was really needed was for some one familiar with the widespread marchen of the fier baiser to combine, under the influence of this marchen, the serpent killed by P. and the beauti- ful woman who aids him into the single character of the princess in serpent form, and to adopt the special incident of the disenchanting kiss. This easy combination once made, the next step, also a very natural one, would be to make this disenchantment the special mission on which the young knight leaves Arthur's court. Natu- rally, upon the happy conclusion of his mission, he would return to Arthur, and the story would end with the marriage of the lovers and their joint rule over the wife's lands. These changes would necessi- tate the coming of the messengers to court to obtain aid, and their 150 //; y/. Schofield. accompanying the champion who is given them. Other than this little tliat is new is neeilecl. I do not maintain, of course, that Peredur is the source from which our Desc. poems had their origin, for it itself must in all probability be regarded as a working over of an earlier narrative ; but I think its likeness to the poems of our cycle shows clearly that the latter are origiiially nothing but stories of the exploits of the youthful Perceval. It is important here to observe : 1. That we need, under any circumstances, to assume the influence of the Perceval saga to explain the introduction, telling of the boy- hood of the hero, his life in the woods, his going to court, etc. 2. That practically every incident in Car. is accounted for by the Welsh story modified as above. 3. That LD contains only two new features; viz. the dispute about the dog, and the sparrow-hawk incident. 4. That BI has only such further additions as can readily be explained (see above, pp. 106 ff). 5. That the incidents in the Welsh come in precisely the same order as in LD. Moreover, Peredur explains unique features in the different poems. I. It agrees, e.g., with LD in the following points : (i) the boy is furnished with armor at Arthur's court, and he is clad in this armor by one or more of Arthur's knights;^ (2) the adventure with the company of hostile knights follows directly that with the single knight, and all are sent to Arthur (unlike BI, where another adventure inter- venes, and only one of the company is made to go to the court) ; (3) the hero takes a knight as his attendant when he is near the end of his journey, although the latter has really little to do ; ^ (4) the addanc uses poisoned weapons. II. Peredur agrees with BI in the description of the events at the He d'Or: (i) the reception by the beautiful lady; (2) the hero's retiring after their meal to the bedcham"ber prepared for him ; 1 In Peredur it is Owein; in Perc. and Wig. it is Gawein; in LD, which here appeals for authority to a French source, we have both Owein and Gawein, as well as Perceval and Agrafain, bidden to do this service. I may add that, except Gawein, who is now made the boy's father, Perceval is the one of Arthur's knights oftenest mentioned in LD. 2 See p. Ill, above. Studies on the Lib cans Descomts. 151 (3) the visit of the lady after he is there ; (4) the fact that the hero and she do not pass the night together ; (5) disturbance of the hero's rest by sorcery (for the features of the two castles ruled over by women would easily become united) ; (6) the piercing cries in the night ;^ (7) the knight who wishes to marry the lady, but whom she and her people dislike ; (8) the fact that the duration of her resis- tance has almost reached its limit. Peredur also strengthens the contention tliaT the He d'Or episode was only an incident in the journey, and that there was no love lost in the whole affair, for in the Welsh the lady is forced to act as she does by her brothers. We may also note that (i) the great danger in the struggle with the addanc is on crossing the threshold; (2) the hero is warned of his foe's deceits before he goes to the conflict; (3) when he returns victorious he finds his three companions awaiting him ; (4) it is specially stated that he alone can overcome the sorcerers : it had been so decreed by fate. But it is with Car., even more than with LD and BI, that we should expect Peredur to correspond in points in which the four poems of our cycle disagree. For Car. is admitted to be based on a version earlier than the source of LD-BI, — on a version, in fact, in which Gawain had not become the father of the hero, and in which the boy was not yet called Libeaus Desconeus or Guinglain. Our expectations in this regard are not disappointed ; for if we com- pare Car. and Peredur, we find that in both: (i) the father of the boy has been killed, and it is to keep her son from any knowledge of warfare that the mother flees to the woods; (2) when she finds him determined to leave her, she gives him instructions as to his future conduct; (3) the boy leaves the court intent on revenge for a wrong done him by one of Arthur's knights ; (4) he has absolutely no real affection for the lady at whose castle he lodges ; (5) it is not necessary to fight before he is offered the privilege of spending a night with her ; and (6) he does not lie with her. The correspondences pointed out in the last four paragraphs cer- tainly support our hypothesis (p. 146) as to the development of the Desc. story. ^ I.e., in BI, the cries of the hero when in terror from the enchantment prac- tised by they?,f / in Peredur, the cries of the victim tormented by a sorceress. I5J n; //. Si/iofu-u. Mcnnung's view/ that there were hvo distinct borrowings made from the Enc before the composition of BI, is thus made improb- able. The adventure with the giants in Erec is no more hke that in the Desc. jioems than is that in the Pt-rcJur, and certainly gives no ground for belief in a " direkte Entlehnung."- There is no neces- sitv. then, for version Z in Mennung's Filiations-Tafel, and, conse- quently, for putting the composition of the version from which Car Jit i no is drawn after the year 1160. Doubtless the Erec was (I used by the author from whose poem LD and BI are drawn ; but ll I can see no ground to suppose that it had any influence on the form of the story on which the Italian poem was based. A\'e must believe that there was some version of the story such as that of which I have already spoken, containing, perhaps, all the adventures which are common to Peredur and the Fair Unknown story, with the changes necessary to unify them into a continuous account of the young hero, his boyhood, his arrival at Arthur's court, his undertaking the adventure proposed by messengers, which had as its aim the freeing of an enchanted princess, the difficulties and bat- tles on the way, the final success, the journey of the princess with her deliverer to the court, their marriage and return to the wife's country, over which they rule happily for many years. It seems probable that the Italian poet had before him more than he used, e.g., the fight with several knights and the adventure with the knight who was later called Lampart. Still one cannot be cer- tain, and there is no need to dogmatize. Though Peredur has been used in the foregoing comparison, it should be observed that the soundness of the results arrived at does not depend on a particular theory as to the position of the Welsh story in the Perceval cycle. Peredur is, as Nutt says,^ " an obvious piecing together of all sorts of incidents relating to its hero, the only connecting link being that of his personality," and " its author may be supposed, when compiling his work, to have stretched out his ^ Der Bel Inconnit, p. 45. 2 Paris {I\o>n., XX, 300) has already, for other strong reasons, rejected Men- nung's view on this point. He holds " que I'episode des geants dans la source de Carduino et du BI ne provient pas ^ Erec, qu'il represente un lieu commun des contes celtiques." 3 Studies, p. 144. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 153 hand in all directions for material ; " but, of course, no one would hold that the agreements between Per. and the Desc. poems could be due to a borrowing by the former from the latter. Only a few of the elements which we have regarded as significant in our comparison are peculiar to Per. and are not found in other forms of the Perceval story.^ These few features are matters of detail which are much more likely to be remnants of a primitive form than to be modifica- tions produced by outside influence. It is hardly conceivable that the author of Per. or of its source should have been so impressed by these details as intentionally to have altered his original in accord- ance with them or to have had his memory confused by them. Nor would any one contend that the Desc. poems are taken from Peredur. That, of course, is out of the question. What we may well hold, however, is that they both are, to some extent, based on one original, from which they have developed independently of each other, worked over for different purposes by different hands. This investigation may then, I think, be said to show that Peredur is not a mere work- ing over of the Conie dii Graal, but is based to a large extent upon some earlier version of the Perceval story, which, we may add, went back, in all probability (though not necessarily directly) to a Celtic story. But it is not with the origin of the Peredur that we have now to do. When we return to the Desc. poems we see, as I have said, that not only the introduction, but the groundwork of the form we have thought most primitive, is but a development of the Perceval saga. Here, however, the story branched out along different lines. The author of the earliest poem of our cycle had doubtless no desire to keep close to his original. Indeed, he could better show his originality by choosing, as he has done, a few only of the incidents to elaborate in a way peculiar to himself. He added the 7?idrehen of the Jier baiser, and changed his story to suit the new situation. The hero is given a new name, and the separation of the poem from its original cycle is now complete. We are now in a position to decide with comparative certainty what were the leading features of the oldest ascertainable form of ^ Cf. Nutt, Studies, pp. 132 ff. That the serpent episode is not found in the other versions does not interfere with our argument. The adventure of the fier baiser might easily have become attached to our hero, even if there was no such hint in the original. 154 '^' i^- Schofidd. our story. In this reconstruction we are justified in including (with some reservations) those significant features which Pcrcdur has in common with Car. or BI or LD, and those which Car. has in common with LD or BI or Wig. Version A. In all probability, then, there was a form of the story which ran somewhat as follows : 1. Introduction. A possible invocation for help in telling the story (as in Car., LD) ; then, in brief, an account of the death of the hero's father (P. and Car.) ; of the flight of his mother to the woods to keep her son ignorant of warfare ; his being brought up in isola- tion there ; his roaming about the woods hunting wild beasts until he learns by accident of the existence of other human beings than those he had before known, and his determination, despite his mother's wishes, to go to King Arthur's court (P., Car., LD) ; his mother's instructions as to his future conduct ; a possible stop at some place on the way (P., Car.) ; and his arrival at court, unknown and unexpected (P., Car., LD, BI). 2. At the Court he is welcomed by the king, who at once inquires who he is, and is told by the boy that he does not know anything of his father, but that he himself wishes to be made a knight. His request is granted and a feast is prepared for him. While all are at table, a beautiful young lady rides up, accompanied by a dwarf, and begs that some very brave knight be given her to free a lady who is in distress. The young knight at once offers himself, and the king approves; but his youth being apparent, he is declared by one of the messengers to be unequal to the task, and a request is made for a more experienced warrior. The king, however, holds to his decision, and the messengers must accept him or none. The boy is properly equipped, takes leave of the king, joins the messengers, and as they ride to the land of the princess in distress they meet with several adventures. 3. The first of these is with a knight whose habit it is to fight with and plunder all knights who come that way. He challenges our hero, who, not being able to pass otherwise, accepts the struggle, in which he overthrows his opponent. The latter calls for mercy, and Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 155 this is granted on condition that he go and deliver himself up to Arthur, telling him who has sent him.^ 4. The agreement of P. with LD and BI makes it probable that there came next a fight with several knights, all of whom are over- thrown and sent to Arthur. 5. Then follows a fight with two giants for the rescue of a maiden of noble family whom they have carried off by force from her father's castle near by, and whom one of them is then holding in his embrace, whilst the other is roasting some flesh on a spit over a great fire. The travellers, after they have settled down to spend the night in a wood, hear the cries of the unhappy ntiaiden. The hero cannot refrain from rushing off to her rescue alone. In his fight with the giant by the fire, the latter probably defends himself by using as a weapon the spit he is roasting with ; but the young knight pierces him to the heart with a spear. The second giant probably defends himself with a stick of some kind which is near by, but he also is killed. The maiden, now freed from her persecutors, tells who she is and how she happens to be in that plight. They all sit down full of joy and regale themselves with some food taken from the giants (probably the flesh they were roasting). When morning comes, the hero, the messenger, and the dwarf continue their journey (and pos- sibly nothing more is said of the rescued maiden) ? 6. Then follows a stay of one night at the home of an enchantress. 1 One cannot be certain whether the first adventure took precisely this form so early. In P. and Car. the boy is incited by motives of revenge, and it is possible that the knight may have been killed outright, as in Car. and Wig. 2 As this account is almost the same in Car., LD, and BI, we are justified in supposing it to be the form of the version which we are reconstructing; but some of the details are not in Peredtir. These may have been introduced from some source other than the Perceval saga, or their absence in Peredtir may be due to omission. We have the cries of the woman in distress heard by the young knight in the wood, and his hastening to the rescue, in both P. and Erec ; but in both cases her cries are caused by her lover's being ill-treated or killed. There is no fire or roasting, and the adventure is not one of the night when the company have settled down for rest. On the whole, we may conjecture that the incident as told in P. gave the suggestion, which was filled out with considerable changes by the author of the version now under consideration. Wig. agrees with P. in having one giant's life spared on condition that he look after the maiden and go to Arthur. lie does so at once, and there is great rejoicing at court. In LD the heads of the giants are sent to Arthur. 156 II '. H. Schoficld. This was not a specially important feature of the story. It was merely an incident in the journey, and was never again referred to. There is no love lost between the young hero and the enchantress, and he has no desire to return. He probably seeks lodging at the castle and is received in a friendly way by the people, as well as by the lady of the place, who is sole ruler and is much skilled in sorcery. They have a repast, and then the knight retires. During the night he is subjected to some sort of unpleasant deception, probably because he disobeys orders which the enchantress has previously given him. He may have received a warning from his companion, after the meal, not to linger in the place. In the morning he is quite willing to set out on his journey. Whether there was as yet a fight to free the lady from the power of some one who wished to marry her is hard to tell. The Welsh makes it probable, whilst its absence in Car. and the lady's general character as a sorceress make against it. 7. He probably comes next to another castle and obtains admit- tance, but is obliged by the customs of the place to fight with the lord.^ He is expected to suffer the fate so many others have met before him ; but he surprises all by overthrowing his opponent. The evening is spent in eating, drinking, and conversation. The next day the young knight is given information by this same lord about the serpent near by and the way to reach it. 8. At any rate, before he enters the place where the serpent is, he is told something of what he is to expect and what he is to do and what to leave undone there. 9. This serpent is a transformed princess who is kept in this shape by magic. There is probably but one magician, and he possibly makes an attempt to lure the hero over a threshold, to cross which would have caused his death ; but the knight, being informed of his cunning, does not fall into the snare. The hero kills the magician, and then voluntarily, although with much trepidation, kisses the ser- pent on the mouth. Immediately she is transformed into a most beautiful woman, who at once offers her love to her rescuer. He accepts it gladly, and, after a time of great rejoicing at the disen- ^ For this not uncommon feature cf. Foerster, Erec^ Einl., p. xv {Yvain; P. Paris, Horn, de la Table Honde, III, 359); prose Lancelot (P. Paris, op. ciL, V, 266); Claris et Laris, 41 71 ff., 26855 ff-J Livre d'Arlus, Version P (Freymond, Zi. f. franz. Sp. u. Litt., XVII, 46, 65); Blancandin, ed. Michelant, 894 ff. Studies on the Libcaiis Descomis. 157 chanted city, the two set out together for Arthur's court, where they are heartily welcomed. The parentage of the young man is made known ; possibly his mother appears ; and he, receiving the king's approval, marries the princess. A great throng accompanies the wedded pair on their way back to the wife's country. The hero is made ruler there, and lives happily for many years with his beautiful wife (who perhaps bears him a son who later rivals the glorious achievements of his father). This version I shall call A. We do not know in what language it was written, but it was probably French. Version B. Version A is next worked over by a French poet, in whose hands it becomes longer and more detailed. The hero is made to under- take at least two new adventures on his way to the enchanted city, while new features are added and changes are made in the adven- tures of version A. I. The introduction is left much as it was; but the following changes are made : (a) There is now no question of a slain father, for we are told at once that the boy's father is no other than Gawein, and that his own name is Gtiinglain, although he has always been called Belfil by his mother \ that he comes to court in ignorance of his own name, and that the king, because of his beauty and the mystery of his birth, calls him Li Beans JDescojieus. After having been favorably received, he begs Arthur for permission to undertake, as a test of his valor, the first adventure that presents itself. His request is granted, and he is given over to Gawein for instruction in knightly ways. He receives suitable attire. All the court wash and go to meat. {b) The name of the messenger is {H)e/ie {Elene). She rides a white horse, and some little account is given of her appearance. (^) The dwarf is called Tidogolain. He is skilled in music, and is also described. Probably he, as well as Elie, makes objection to the sending of Libeaus. {d) Lib. at once claiming the adventure, the king readily accedes, and is not moved by the entreaties and sneers of the messengers. They must be satisfied with Lib. or none. 158 U: II. Schoficld. (t-) Trobably the messenger rides away in anger without the prof- fered kniglit, who overtakes her later.' (/) Possibly at Arthur's command four of the best knights, Gawein, Perceval, Iwein, and Agravain, arm Lib. with splendid arm or. - (c) Lib. receives Arthur's blessing. He sets out for the city Senaudon. 2. The first adventure with the single knight occurs at a place called Perilous. The knight's appearance is described. He is always there on the lookout for passing knights, and is ever ready to fight with them. If defeated, they suffer shame and are deprived of their belongings. Contrary to expectation, Lib. is the victor. Up to this time at least, t'ne messenger has had no confidence in him, and has not ceased to chide him. The knight is forced to promise to go to Arthur. He is to say that he has been sent by Li Beans Desconeiis. 3. The result of this conflict paves the way for a new adventure which is now introduced. The conquered knight meets on his way to Arthur's court three other knights (possibly his nephews). He tells them how he has been shamed, and gives them the young knight's name. They start off at once to take revenge. The next morning they overtake Lib. and his companions going along gleefully, challenge Lib. to fight, and find him ready for them. He conquers all, and one or more of them are sent to Arthur. Lib. and his com- panions continue their journey until nightfall, when they prepare a place in which to spend the night. 4. In the adventure with the giants Uttle change is made. The giant holding the maiden is the one who is killed first. The rescued maiden expresses her gratitude to Lib., and tells how she was carried away from her father's garden by the two giants, who were in a place of concealment there. We cannot be sure how the young woman was disposed of. 5. A new adventure was probably inserted here. As they are riding along, they see a most beautiful little dog of all colors, which 6lie at ^ In this point BI and Wig. agree. In Car. the hero and the dwarf go together, the messenger apart. In LD all three go together. 2 This is only inserted because the English author declares it was in his French source. His statement may or may not be true. ' Studies on tJie Libeaus Desconiis. 159 once admires and covets. Lib. catches it and gives it to her, and they go on, talking joyfully by the way. Soon, however, the owner rides up. He is finely dressed and carries a bugle. He asks for the dog, but Lib. refuses to return it, and meets his threats with defiance. The knight goes back in anger to his castle to get his arms, and returns later. There is a fierce conflict, but at last the knight is overcome and forced to go to Arthur. Elie keeps the dog. 6. Another new adventure now follows, viz. the competition for the sparrow-hawk. This needs to be discussed by itself, and is there- fore left for a separate section (see below, p. 164). 7. Some important changes have been made in the visit to the castle of the enchantress, although probably the general features remain the same. As we have only BI and LD to help us here, and as they are almost entirely unlike in this part of the story, we cannot with any certainty tell just what was the exact form of their original. There are, however, some new features which must have distinguished it from the older version. {a) The name of the city is the lie cf Or. {b) The privilege of lying with the enchantress can only be had by overcoming a knight (or giant) who is ever in readiness to fight with all who come to the castle. {c) His name is Malgiers, and he has been at his post for some time. (rt^) He is heartily disliked by the lady of the castle, as well as her followers, and all long to get rid of him. ( arblaste To him I'ey schote faste And made him woundes wide. (1174 ff-) But this -does not trouble the hero. He soon dispatches them all. He is now afflicted "wij) grimly woundes sare ; " but what matter? Twelve fresh knights put in an appearance, the lord himself among them, with no mild intent. pay smitte to him at ones And hou5te to breke his bones And fille liim doun in fi5t. (1198 ff.) LD slays three, and four flee. The lord and his four sons remain " to sell har lives dere," and LD fights all five at once. He is knocked off his horse ; but three strokes of his axe suffice to remove the heads of three of his opponents' horses, and the lord deems it policy to flee. LD, however, has energy enough left to ride after Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 163 him, and he succeeds in overtaking him and making him promise to go to Arthur. Not satisfied with this, the Enghsh poet summons " gentill men fiftene " to accompany Elene to the castle. Far from being offended at the death of such a goodly company of his friends, pe lord was glad and blile And honked fele si^e God and saint Michell, t?at swich a noble kni^t Schulde winne in fijt His lady fair and hende. (1270 ff.) To complete the confusion, the author thus makes this very knight a some-time follower of the princess of Senaudon, who has fled for fear into Wirral(!) on the enchantment of his mistress. It is surely impos- sible, in the light of these facts, to maintain such a contention as that made by Kaluza. But to return from this long digression, we may say tnat it seems probable that the head-covered lances were a feature of the castle of the He d'Or, as in BI, and not of the castle belonging to the owner of the sparrow-hawk, as in LD. 8. It is quite probable that in Version B it was told that, on leaving the castle. Lib. took with him the steward and made him his squire. 9. A good many new features have been introduced into the advent- ure with the last knight, which now runs as follows. Just before the party reach Senaudon, they arrive at a beautiful castle, where every knight who comes obtains lodging only by jousting with the lord, who is called Lavipart. If the stranger wins, he is treated with distinc- tion ; if he loses, he is turned away in shame and pelted with mud and fen by the people of the town. This information is given Lib. by ifclie, who fears for his safety if he goes to the place, but never- theless urges him to go. A fight is soon arranged with the lord, who is delighted at the prospect of an encounter. The conflict is fierce. Lances are broken ; but finally Lampart is knocked off his steed, and he yields to Lib. He is the steward of the transformed princess, and receives the young hero gladly. They sit down to supper, and in the morning Lib. sets out for the enchanted city. 10. The account of the adventures at Senaudon probably remained in B much as it was in A, B contained, however, the following i64 //'. //. Schoficld. variations : (e men gonne hem bring Two chaiers into he cheping, Har beaute to descrie. pan seiden eld and jinge, For so)', \\\\> oute lesing, Betwene hem was partie. ' Giffrouns lemman is clere, As rose in erbere, For sol' and nou^t to lie. Elene. he messengere, Semel' but a lavendere Of her norserie.' In no other poem is the decision given against the hero's compan- ion ; but the reason why it is so in LD is not far to seek. Here alone is that companion a mere messenger and not a loved one. This relation is emphasized in the passage just quoted. The decision, however, seems in no case to have been final. If ^ Vv. 2005 ff. 2 Raoul de Houdenc, Meraugis de Portlesguez, ed. Michelant, Paris, 1869, pp. 8 ff. ^ See Kirchrath, Li Romans de Durmart le Gallois (in Stengel, Ausgaben u. Abhandhmgen, XXI), 1884, p. 62. Cf. Mennung, p. 17. Studies on the Lib cans D esc onus. 167 * any knight was dissatisfied, he could still win the prize by overcoming the champion of the successful young woman. LD, BI, Wig., and the rest all have to fight with another claimant ; but, of course, in each case the hero of the story is victorious. In Meraugis, prob- ably by confusion, these two features have no connection. There are two prizes, one for the most beautiful woman, and the other for the most valiant knight ; and the fight which takes place is only to decide the claims of the knights for the latter. The change which the author of LD seems to have made, in that the adventure is not the great event of a tournament but merely due to a passing challenge, explains some other variations in his account. In Erec, BI, etc., the hawk is placed on its perch, in sight of all, before the claimants arrive, while LD and Elene are obliged to wait until one of Giffroun's squires brings it with him to the place. More- over, the knight is not prepared to fight at once when LD comes. Both have to wait until preparations are made. It is not an event anticipated by either party. LD agrees with Erec, as opposed to BI, in the following points : 1. There is no special provoking cause for the hero's undertaking the fight. 2. The hero remains where he is when he first hears of the affair all that night, and sets about the undertaking early in the morning. BI does not wait at all. 3. In both cases he makes two trips in the morning, first with only one companion (although with a different object in the two poems), returning later to fetch the maiden who is to compete for the prize. The object in Erec is to attend mass. In LD it is for this object that the lord of the castle is up. 4. The young knight wears armor in which he has never before fought, — armor given him by a friendly old knight with whom he has lodged, in Erec by his host, in LD by Sir Antore ; while in BI special attention is called to the way his helmet, shield and hauberk are battered ; no new armor is given him. The fact that BI agrees with LD, unhke Erec, in making the lord of the castle the rival claimant, seems to settle that this was in their original B ; and, if so, it becomes less probable that there was a great concourse of knights to contend with the knight who was their host. Perhaps, after all, LD represents best Version B in this point also. i6S II '. //. Schoficld. This does not mean, of course, that LD represents the original and best form of the general sparrow-hawk story as it is found in so many places ; but merely that it is perhaps most like the adapted form which the author of Version B made to suit the changed conditions. Having made the changes he did, it was quite suitable for the English poet to bring in here the feature of the armed heads on the lance points, for this gives a reason for the willingness of the lord of the castle to receive any one who may care at any time to claim the prize. His offer is a perpetual wager ' — a means by which he lures people to the place that he may fight with them. The knowledge of this wager is sufficient to incite a young knight, himself eager to dis- play his prowess, to undertake so perilous an exploit despite the persuasions of his companions. In the description of the fight there is, for obvious reasons, much more resemblance between BI and Erec than between LD and Erec. The incident in Version B must have been very much shortened, for even Renaud has only sixty lines corresponding to two hundred in Erec. What conclusion the adventure had in Version B it is hard to decide. Erec discovers that his opponent is the knight on whom he was anxious to revenge an insult to himself and Queen Guinovere and sends him to Arthur. BI, bearing him no ill-will, spends the night with him in enjoyment, having, however, made him promise to go to the court. Wigalois also sends Hojir, whom he conquers, to Arthur ; but LD's opponent has to be borne from the place on his shield and we hear no more of him. The gerfalcon is, however, sent to Arthur by a knight, Claudas, together with a letter telling how the prize was won. There is thus practical unanimity in all versions except LD in the sending of the conquered knight himself to the court, and we must conclude that this was probably the result in Version B. It is well to note, nevertheless, that the English author is consistent in the account he gives. Elene has expressed no desire for the prize, and does not really deserve it for her beauty, and it ^ For a curious account of a sparrow-hawk used as a perpetual challenge to a trial of strength, see Mandevile's Travels, ed. Warner, Roxb. Club, p. 73, where is told of " Le Chastel Despuere," or " \>& Castell of be Sperhawke," and of the hawk sitting on a perch, kept by " a fair lady of Fairye " who rewards all those who fulfil certain conditions. Cf. also Lady Charlotte Q'OlZ'sX's Mabinogion, II, 153. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 169 can therefore appropriately be sent to Arthur ; whereas Margerie has travelled far to win it and does deserve it. The whole question hinges on the introduction of this last-mentioned character. In Erec there is great rejoicing at court on the arrival of the van- quished knight. In LD, when the news is received, Arthur is so dehghted that at once An hundred pound honest Of florins wHj |'e best He sente to Cardevile toun. (1045 if.) With this money LD gives a great feast. But in BI a long time after, when the disenchanted princess, having seen her deliverer's wounds healed, her affairs put in order, and extensive preparations made for her journey, overtakes on her way to the court a company of knights, she finds it to be composed of all those whom at different times BI has forced to promise to go to Arthur, and who in some inconceivable way have come together and are still (!) on their way. They must surely have been in a pitiful condition and badly used up by BI to have made such poor time. The young woman for whom our hero fights in BI and Wig. has to be got rid of again. BI finds she is a daughter of King Agolans of Scotland, and obtains from Gifflet a knight to take her home (cf. Claudas in LD). In Wig. it is said in the beginning that any one can tell from her appearance that she is of king's kin. Renaud now works in another feature from a different place in Erec} After Erec has succeeded in \\\^joie de la cort, Enide discovers, when the young woman in the garden gives an account of her parentage, that they are relatives. In the same way filie learns from Margerie's words that the latter is an old friend. We have yet to speak of the prize in the different versions. In Erec^ BI and Durmart, it is a sparrow-hawk {esprevier') ; in LD it is also a gerfalcon or hawk ; while in Wig. there are two prizes, — a marvellous horse, and a wonderful parrot kept in a cage of gold. In Meraugis there are also two prizes, — a swan for the bravest knight, and a sparrow-hawk for the most beautiful woman. Kirchrath^ 1 Cf. W. Foerster, Erec, p. xvi. It is just possible that, as Mennung thinks, this feature may have been in the common original of LD and BI. (See p. 133.) 2 See Li Romans de Durmart le Callois, pp. 5 5 ff. i;o li: II. Schofield. thinks we have in the last poem a misunderstanding. A swan is cer- tainly a remarkable present for a brave knight, and the two presents seem to be due to a confusion. In LD the gerfalcon is described (773) as "whit as swan," and in Wig. (2543) we read: "das pfert was blanc aisam ein swan." It looks as if Version B described the sparrow-hawk as being white as a swan and it was this version that Raoul de Houdenc knew. This might help also to account for the peculiar relations which exist between Meraugis, Erec, BI, and Ditr- mart, as to which see Kirchrath, pp. 50 ff. Kirchrath thinks that BI is the medium between Erec and Di/r- marf, and that Raoul borrowed about the same time as Renaud, but independently, from E7-ec. Inasmuch, however, as Meraugis also shows agreements with Durmart, he is of the opinion that " Durmars bildet eine Erweiterung und theilweise Verschmelzung des Desconeu [i.e., BI] mit Meraugis." I may call attention to the following points in which Durmart agrees in this adventure with BI. (i) In both the meeting with the lady for whom the hero fights is accidental. (2-) It is from her that he learns first about the whole affair. (3) In both he is incited to fight for her by her weeping for the loss of her previous companion. The lady had been attracted to the tourney by her desire to win the prize of the most beautiful, hav- ing confidence in the powers of a defender who has failed her in her need, and the hero comes to her rescue to save her from sorrow. (4) She is of royal birth — in BI the daughter of a king, in Dur. a queen herself (cf. Wig.). In these four points the two poems differ from E7-ec, where (i) the lady plays a very subordinate part and is not by any means the leading figure. (2) It is from her father that Erec learns the custom of the place. (3) He is prompted to fight by mingled feelings of love, desire for adven- ture, and revenge. (4) The maid whom he defends has never before entered the contest, and has had no other lover or defender. She has not thought of competing for the prize. (5) She is the daughter of an extremely poor knight. (6) The hero marries her later. The name of the lord of the castle is in BI Giflet li fius Do ; in LD Giffroun le fludous (as to which see p. 136 above). In Wig. he is identified with the Red Knight. Studies on the Li beans Descomis. lyi The Adventure with the Dog. ' We have seen that in Version B two new adventures were intro- duced, — the sparrow-hawk contest and the capture of the dog. The former, it seems, was borrowed from jErec. I should Uke now to call attention to the fact that we have a very close parallel to the latter in Celtic tradition. It is to be found in the Lay of the Great Fool, which presents other features in common with the Perceval stories.^ I shall quote from O'Daly's translation of the Lay in his Fenian Poems, Second Series." Amadan Mor (= The Great Fool) and his beautiful companion are making their way through a pleasant valley when To the place in which they stood A deer approaches with antlers fierce ; And a red-eared white hound Barking loudly in his track. The Great Fool kills the deer. He then lays hold of the white hound And ties him gently with a thong ; * I shall keep thee to amuse me Until pursuers or some one follows me.' " 'Twas not long till they saw approach them in the valley " the owner of the dog. He comes up and salutes them. The Great Fool demands his name and station, and the other gives his name as " The Knight of the Mantle," and says he is the owner of the white hound. The Great Fool retorts that the knight shall not any longer be called by the latter name. The knight begs that the dog be given back to him, but the rough hero refuses bluntly. ' 'Twas I that slew the deer,' Saith the Amadan in firm tone, 'And whoever of us has the stoutest arm, Let him have the deer and white hound.' The knight is forced to give in. 1 See Nutt, Studies in the Legend of the Holy Grail, pp. 152 fif. 2 Transactions of the Ossianic Soc.for 18^8, Vol. VI, Dublin, 1861, pp. 169 ff. 172 U: J/. Schoficld. Then the gentle young woman said, * Give to me the white hound ; ' and it is given over to her charge. Campbell's version in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands^ corresponds to this closely. The following additional feature is of interest. The scene opens thus : They heard the hunt in the glen, The voice of the hound and music sweet. With this should be compared the opening in the English poem LD : As l>ey ride on a lowe, Homes herde hey blowe And houndes grete of gale. (1057 ff.) There can be no question that we have here the same story which is told in LD and BI." As has been noted, the Celtic poem agrees with LD, as opposed to BI, in the opening. It also agrees with the former in the whole course of the poem. It is the hero himself (a strong, burly fellow — no polished chevalier, be it noted) who catches the dog and refuses scornfully to surrender it at the demand of the knightly owmer. He gives it to his companion, and tells the knight that if he wants it he must fight for it. Moreover, the latter is pro- voked by the hero so that he tells his name and station before the fight. It will be remembered that in this adventure Wigalois is very similar to the account in LD, and very unlike that in BI. It is curi- lEdin., 1860-62,111, 160; orally collected. The stor>' is also told in prose by Patrick Kennedy in The Bardic Stories of Ireland^ Dublin, 1871, pp. 152-3. Nutt gives a summary of the Lay in his Studies on the Legend of the LJoly Grail, pp. 160 ff. 2 There are some slight analogies to this adventure in Durmart, 1675 ^-5 ^^^ they are of no moment. On the recurrence of this episode in Gautier's Perceval, see Mennung, p. 17, and below, p. 192. Nutt (Studies, pp. 161-2) compared the Lay of the Great Fool in this adventure with the Conte du Graal, and concluded thus : " While the general idea is the same, the way in which it is worked out is so different that it is impossible to conceive of the one story having been borrowed from the other. What can safely be claimed is that the Great Fool counterpart of Peredur-Perceval in the adventures of his youth and up-bringing, is also, to a certain extent, his counterpart in the most prominent of his later adventures, that of the stag-hunt." Cf. Rev. Celt., XII, 202, 203. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconiis. 173 ous that Wig. preserves a feature in common with the Celtic not found elsewhere. BI and Wig. agree in describing the dog as being white, having ears of a djfferent color, while LD is content to say that th e dog was "of all colours." Cf. das was blanc iiber al. (Wig., 60, 26.) with Plus estoit blans que nulla nois. (BI, 1275.) Only, however, in Wig. is it said as in the Celtic that one of the dog's ears was red. Niwan ein 6re was im val, das ander 7-dt alsam ein bluot. (60, 27-8.) In BI-, on the contrary, we read : O relies noires comme pois. (1276.) LD and Wig. also describe the owner of the dog as being finely dressed. In LD he is "y-clothed in inde," and the notes of his bugle reveal ''in what stede he wer " (iioi). In Wig. every lock of his hair is " bewunden wol : mit siden und mit golde : gezieret als' er wolde " (61, 4 ff.), and he is dressed "mit griienem tymit." In the Celtic tale he comes " in full splendour of gold " and is "of the handsomest mien." In BI, however, we learn that he wears a "corte cote . . . d'un burel " : D'une houses estoit hoses ; Estrangement estoit hastes, (i 299-1 300.) Further, BI varies from the Lay as well as from LD and Wig. in hav- ing the owner see the maiden catch the dog. The last three repre- sent a little time as elapsing between the taking of the dog and the arrival of the knight. There is one point, however, in which BI is closer to the Lay : viz., in representing the hound as following a deer "with antlers fierce." Un cerf vit, qui l^s lui passa, Langue traite, vait effreds ; De XVI rains estoit arrays. (1266 fF.) But the resemblance of the Lay to our poems does not end here. As in LD, the hero and his companions go with the knight to his castle and are well received ; tales are told of the hero's valor. 1/4 11'. IT. Sclioficld. 'Twas not long till they saw in the valley A city that shone like unto gold ; There was no colour which eye had seen That was not in the mansion, and many more. Twas then the young maiden asked, ' What golden city is that Of the finest appearance and hue, Or could it be betrayed or traversed?' She is told that it is called Dun an Oir (Fort of the Gold), and, moreover, that the glen through which they have passed is full of magic. They found a woman in the Dun, A sight like it was never seen ; Her person was fairer than the snow, Blue her eyes and bright her teeth. She is also gifted with a knowledge of magic, and it is at this castle that the Great Fool gets back his legs, of which he had been deprived by drinking an evil potion. This continued agreement is remarkable. It is especially to be noted that in LD the adventure at the city of the He d'Or follows directly that with the hound, while in BI the sparrow-hawk episode intervenes. Moreover, in LD the owner of the dog rides back to his castle cordially with the hero and his companions, while in BI they part as soon as the knight is conquered, the latter starting off at once for Arthur's court. The descriptions in LD of the Golden City and of its lady are very general. In BI they are more definite, and are closer to the Celtic. In the French we read : En la vile ot ii tors vermelles ; Qui beles erent a mervelles, Et furent de marbre vermeil. Qui moult reluist contre soleil, etc. (1881 fF.) This is, indeed, the City of the Golden Isle,^ or, in the words of Campbell's version, the city " filled with the glitter of gold." ^ As we have seen (p. 158, above) this name is supposed to have entered our cycle (in Version B) at the same time with the adventure with the dog. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 175 Of the mistress of the place, BI says : El palais ot une pucele, Onques nus hom ne vit si bele. (191 5-6.) Further, "les oels ot vairs " (2214), and a line wanting in the MS. of BI at this point very probably told of the beauty of her teeth. In LD, also, she is called "a lady, whit as flour" (1489), which is like the French "Plus estoit blance d'une flor" (2210). Compare now with these passages the last stanza of the Great Fool here quoted (p. 174, above), which reads as follows in Campbell's version (stanza 32) : A young wife that I found in the tower The sight of an eye no better was, Whiter than very snow is her form, Gentle her eye, and her teeth like a flower. We have already seen reason to believe that the Desc. poems had their origin in some form of the Perceval cycle. The fact that we have some of the episodes in them closely paralleled in a Celtic poem which itself shows other points of agreement with the same cycle, is certainly of interest and importance. It will doubtless give some comfort to those who advocate the Celtic origin of the Perceval stories.^ Heads on Poles. "This grim stroke of fancy " (as Professor Child calls it) is of very common occurrence. As we have seen, it is a feature of one of the castles in Erec, LD and BI.^ I. In Old French it is found, for example : (i,V«4. l88 //: //. Schofield. returned home. In Tristan they were away from Arthur's court in search of liini. My behef that Car. is based partly on the account of Perceval given in the prose Tristan is strengthened by the fact that there occurs in the same codex (Riccardiana, 2873) with it a Uttle poem entitled, Cantare quando Tristano e Lancielotto coiihatetero al petro7ie di Mer- lino, first edited by Rajna, along with the Carduino, in 1873, and, of course, founded on the Tristan story. The greater part of it might, indeed, almost be taken from the very form before us. This will be seen if we glance only at the short resume of MS. 758, printed in the Preface (pp. vi ff.) of Loseth's edition of the prose romance. On pp. x-xi we read : " Messire Tristans, qui s'estoit partis blechies de cest tournoieinent, jeut grant piesche viallades a ung chastel nomine Daras \Je chastel Daras^ qui estoit asses pres du chastel aux Pucellez. Et quant ilfu garis il prist congie au seigneur de laiens et cevaulcha plusieurs journees sans plente d'avetitures trouver qui a center faiche. Et tant esra qu'il vint a ung perron no7n??ie le Perron Merlin, asses pres de Kamaelot, et pour che que luy et Pallamedes avoient prins Jour de combatre en ce lieic. Lancelot arrive ; Tristan le prend pour Pala- mede et le d^fie. lis s'abattent I'un I'autre, les chevaux sur les corps. Puis ils chamaillent, et le combat devient terrible ; leurs armes sont mises en pieces, et ils sont couverts de blessures ; a la fin leurs 6p6es leur tournent dans leurs mains. lis se reposent, forc^ment, et Tris- tan demande a Lancelot son nom. Apprenant qui il est, Tristan est ravi, s'excuse de I'avoir combattu et lui exprime son affection et son admiration; \\% s^entrejirent la plus grant Joie du monde"^ Whether this poem was in reality drawn from the French Tristan or the Italian translations does not concern us now. It is sufficient that in direct connection with the Carduino we have another little poem in the same style dealing with Tristan. But this is not all. Rajna brings forward three other ItaHan poems, the Bataglia de Tristano e Lance- lotto e della Reina Isotta, the Morte, and the Vendetta di Trista?io, and concludes (p. lix) that these three formed part of a series of 1 With this cf. further §§ 202-203. ^^ it noted that this account makes Tristan arrive at the stone first, that we have the court at Camelot, and mention of the castle of Daras. For a summary of the Italian poem see Rajna, Introd., pp. xliv ff., and for a discussion of the source see pp. xlvi ff., and P. Paris, Rom., IV, 143. Studies on the Libeaiis Dcscomis. 189 little poems which had Tristan for their principal subject. He is disposed to put the date of our poem, along with the Morte and the Vendetta, in the second half of the fourteenth century. Gaspary ^ fixes the position of these three poems and Car. more definitely, at about the year 1379. Thus we have before us a series of short poems of chivalry dealing with separate adventures of knights of the Round Table, in all of which Tristan is the prominent figure. They are all in the same oitava rima and in the same style. Is it remarkable that the author of Carduino (who may have been the author of the rest of the series) should have reverted to the story of Tristan for his version of the boyhood of his hero ? But who was this poet ? And would the style of poem we have before us in Car. and the method of treatment of the subject be in accord with what we know of him? D'Ancona and Rajna feel con- fident that the author of our poem was Antonio Pucci, the Florentine poet, who was born in the beginning of the fourteenth century and died about 1390. He was not of noble birth, but, as D'Ancona says,^ he represented the most perfect type of the popular poet of his age ; indeed, he was a sort of higher ballad-singer, even if he did not use his calling to earn money. Almost all of his poems were intended for the people. They were written with an eye single to popular presen- tation, and not for lengthy recitation in the halls of the nobility. We should not then be surprised to find that he treats his sources with free- dom ; and his poems would have been unsuited to their purpose had they been long and detailed. This explains why the little Italian poems deal briefly with a few episodes only, extracted from the gen- eral fund of the stories of chivalry. It helps us to understand the mode of treatment of the story in Car., where we have the whole account given in 115 stanzas of ottava riinn, while the Tristan poem following is completed in 42 similar stanzas. Be it noted, moreover, that the former poem, being longer than the others, is divided into two cantari, as if arranged for recitation on two occasions. In it we have also (what was undoubtedly an addition of Pucci's) the three opening stanzas telling of the significance of the wise men ^ See Gesch. der ital. Lit., II, 256-7. ^ La Poesia Popolare Ltaliana, Leghorn, 1878, p. 43; cf. D'Ancona and Bacci, Man. delta Lett. Ltal., Florence, I, 530, and Gaspary, II, 81 ff. 1 90 Ji: II. Schoficld. of the East. The second cantarc opens in a like manner, and both openings ' bear witness to the popular character of Pucci's works. They remind us of the opening of the English poem, which was also a popular production ; but they contrast markedly with that of BI, written, as it was, for a very different purpose. But, as Gaspary points out in his discussion of die Ritterdichtung; the knightly poetry flourished in its Franco-Italian form in upper Italy at the end of the thirteenth and the first half of the 'fourteentl\ centuries, and from there went to Tuscany, where it generally clotlied itself in the ottava riina, and became somewhat ennobled in style. For a long time, however, it remained the property of the people. " Die hoheren Kreise der Gesellschaft interessirten sich nicht weniger ftir die aus Frankreich gekommenen Erzahlungen ; aber sie bedurften nicht so sehr der Uebertragungen und Umformungen und konnten die Originale selbst lesen." Of the romances of the Breton cycle, adds Gaspary, " finden sich nur wenige altere Versionen in italieni- scher Sprache." These are especially the two prose redactions of the Tavola Rotonda, one in a MS. (Riccardiana) perhaps of the begin- ning of the fourteenth century, the other (Laurenziana) much later and showing reminiscences of Dante's Comedy, together with those poems we have already spoken of as belonging approximately to the year 1379. The people had before preferred the French national cycle of Charlemagne and his paladins, the stories of Arthur, Tristan, and Lancelot being more suited to please the cultivated classes. Heretofore Car. has been regarded as occupying a somewhat unique position among Italian Arthur romances. The position to which we have been able to assign it by the help of the light thrown on the subject by the prose Tristan, accords better with what we know of the history of the Arthur cycle in Italy. Mennung's view (p. 43), " dass wir es hier [i.e. in the enfances of Car.] unbedingt mit einer primitiven Gestalt der Parzival-Sage zu thun haben," can no longer be maintained. If Car. preserves some primitive elements, they are remnants of the form of the story on which it is based. It is clear that most of the account in Car. is drawn from a late, distorted prose version. "Mennung's second idea that all ihe Dummlingsmdrchen (as 1 Cf. also the opening stanza of Tristano e Lancidotto. 2 See Gesch. der Ital. Lit., II, 256 (chap. xx). Studies on the Libeatis Descomis. 191 he calls it) is an addition of Pucci's, and had no place in his original, the present investigation has shown to be erroneous. We have not to do with a fusion of two elements which were previously distinct and separate, — a fusion which therefore "notwendig irgend einem Reimer zugeschrieben werden muss," for an account of the hero's youth was almost certainly an essential part of the Desc. cycle from the beginning (see pages 146 ff., above). The fact that it is found in the English poem LD shows that it was, at any rate, in the original on which Car. was based.^ In regard to this introductory part of the Desc. stories, it is impor- tant to remember that in the first continuation of the Perceval (that by the so-called Pseudo-Gautier) it is twice related how Gauvain had a son by a maiden whom he found in a tent^ in a forest, and that an imperfect summary of this boy's youthful exploits is given,'' — a sum- mary which shows some resemblances to the enfances of Perceval and those of the hero of the Desc. poems, but which has nothing to say of the fier baiser and which does not give the boy any name. Paris {Hist. Litt., XXX, 185, n. 2) calls attention to a possible rela- tion between the Pseudo-Gautier story and the account of LD's origin given at the outset in the English poem (see LD, 8-9). The second continuator of the Perceval, Gautier (or Gaucher), introduces Li Beaus Desconeus by name as the son of Gawain,'* and in a fashion which suggests that he knew the story in Pseudo-Gautier and intended to identify Li Beaus with the unnamed boy told of by the latter.^ The name itself Gautier may have got from Version B of the Desc. story." It is hazardous, however, in the present state of Perceval investigation, to attempt to fix precisely the relation be- tween Gautier and the Desc. poems. Mennung thinks that Gautier ^ Paris, Rom., XX, 299. 2 Pseudo-Gautier, 11987-12450, 16856-17525. Cf. Paris, Ilisi. Litt., XXX, 192, n, 2 ; Waitz, Die Fortsetzungen von Chretiens Perceval le Gallois, Strass- burg, 1890, pp. 6, 22, 27, 28. 8 Pseudo-Gautier, 20380-831. See Paris, Hist. Litt., XXX, 192-194. * Gautier, 24584; see also 33402-4. Cf. Paris, LList Litt., XXX, 194. ^ This may perhaps serve as a reason (in addition to those given by Heinzel, Gralrotnane, pp. 52, 53) for believing that the work of Pseudo-Gautier was not (as Paris thought, LList. Litt., I.e. ; Litt. fr. an. Moyen-Age, 2d ed., p. 99) un- known to Gautier. <* See p. 157, above. 102 n: //. schoficid. borrowed two features from BI and perhaps a third:' (i) the stealing of the dog (cf. BI, 1260 ff., with Perc, 22603 ff.) ; (2) the kniglu in love with an ugly lady (cf. BI, i 70S ff., with Perc. 253S0 ff.); (3) the gue amorous (cf. BI, 318 ff., with Perc, 24207 ff.). In the first and third of these places there is no necessity of postulating an obligation on the side of either author. In the second instance, if there was any borrowing (which is by no means certain) a strong case could be made out for Renaud as the borrower. In a previous section (see pp. 139 ff., above) it has been pointed out that indications of Renaud's having borrowed from Gautier are not lacking. If, now, Gautier may be supposed to have been acquainted with Version B and Renaud to have been acquainted with Gautier's work, all the apparent relations between BI and Gautier would be explained, and we should have made some advance towards a chronology at once of the lost Desc. poems and of the continuators of Chretien's Perceval. But I refrain from entering upon these dubious matters at present, reserving a discussion of them for a future opportunity. In his effort to make the introduction in Car. represent a very early form of the Perceval story, IMennung has laid much stress on the agreements between Car. and the late English metrical romance of Sir Perc yvelle^ where also there is no reference to the Grail Quest, and has even gone so far as to believe (see pp. 43-4) that Pucci got his account of the boy's youth from an Englishman who made known the Percyvelle form of the story when on a visit to Italy. The relations I have pointed out between Car. and the prose Tristaii of course make this conjecture impossible ; but, inasmuch as Pucci has preser\'ed in Car. some of the features of the original Desc. story, combined with his borrowings from the Tristan, it is well to examine the points wherein his poem agrees with the English Perc. and the French Perceval li Galois. Mennung points out (pp. 40 ff.) the following agreements of Car. with the English Percyvelle : I. In P. the boy's father is a brother-in-law of the king and beloved by him. In Car. he also is a favorite of the king. ' Der Bel Inconnu, pp. 17, 1 8. With regard to the third feature Mennung expresses himself with some reserve. - Thornton Romances, ed. Hallivvell, 1844. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 193 2. The death of the father is explained, and the boy later takes revenge on the slayer. [But Car. is told of the whole situation before he leaves his mother, and she prompts him to revenge. As to P., " he wiste never that he hade a fader to be slayne " (571-2)-] 3. The murder was due to jealousy. [But in the one case the victim is killed openly in a tournament, without any secrecy, by one knight only. In the other several knights conspire and slay him secretly. They do not incur the displeasure of the king, for they are not known. In P. the Red Knight becomes the plague of the king. In Car. the murderers stay peaceably at his court.] 4. Spears play an important part in both poems, and in each case it is said that they were found. [But in Car. the boy accidentally finds two in the woods which have been left there by hunters. His mother is disturbed by the accident, for all her efforts have been directed against his seeing anything which may arouse his curiosity to know of the outer world. In P. the mother gives him one little Scots spear which she had carefully brought with her from home. She merely tells him she found it.] 5. There are, however, certain agreements in the way in which he questions his mother as to his new treasure. *0 madre mia, de! dimmi inmantanente : che e questo che lucie e taglia tanto?' (i, 13, 1-2.) ' Swete modir,' sayde he 'What manere of thyng may this bee, That je no we hafe takene mee?' (197 ff.) He asks also how they are called. Cf 'Come son chiamat[e]?' (i, 12, 8) with 'What calle ^ee this wande?' (200). 6. In each case he is clothed in skins. [This is common to all versions.] It will be noticed that whatever agreement there is between Car. and the English Perc. is, then, in the part of the latter which pre- cedes that in which the English author follows Chrt^tien's narrative closely. We find,also, that Car. presents the following points of resemblance to the interpolated introduction to the French Perceval in places iji 194 //• /^- ScJiofichl which the latter differs from the EngHsh Penyvelle? (i) The mother takes her treasures with her to the woods. Cf. Perc. 1 1 1 7-8 with Car. i, 6, 8. (2) It is told how, when she had reached the depths of the forest, she had a dwelling built. Cf. Perc. 1 197-9 with Car. i, 7- '-3- (3) Mention is made of the trouble at court because of their friends' ignorance of their whereabouts. Cf. Perc. i2o8ff. with Car. i, 7, 5-8. (4) The boy believes what his mother tells him of their condition. Cf. Perc. 1224 {{. with Car. i, 10, 4-8. (5) There is an account of the boy's going out into the woods twice. It is on the second occasion that he sees human beings like himself. On his return home each time he is welcomed by his mother. (6) Javelins are his sole weapons in both. He always carries them {Perc. 1263). All thes e agreements are, as I h ave said, with a part of Perc. not written b y Chretien. With the main body of the poem Car. shows no significant agreement, and we are safe in concluding that Pucci did not know it. The English Perc, on the other hand, cannot be said to show any agreement of importance with the part by the interpo- lator, but is strikingly like Chretien's narrative.^ Why may we not conclude that the author of the spurious Perceval introduction, the author of the original of Car., the author of the English Perceval, and the rest, drew from similar stories which are not now preserved ? That stories of youthful heroes of this kind were very common out- side of our cycle and without any connection with the Quest of the Grail, is well known.^ ^ Rajna {Introd., pp. xvi ff.) has cited some of these agreements; cf. Mennung, PP- 41-3- 2 See Steinbach, Ueber den Ein/luss des C. v. T. auf die altengl. Lit., Leipzig, 1885; cf. Golther, Chrestiens Conte del Graal, in Sitzungsberichte der k. b. Akad. der Wiss. zu Miinchen, June 7, 1890, pp. 203 ff. ; and Kolbing, Germ., XIV, 180. On Das Percevalmotiv ohne den Oral, see Heinzel, Ueber die franz. Gralro- mane, in Vienna Denkschrifleti, 1892, XL, iii, 22. On the similarity of the Pseudo-Chretien introduction with that of Wolfram, see Martin, Ziir Grahage, p. 16 (cf. Heinzel, p. 81). ^ Some of the most important of these are: (i) Cuchulinn in the Tain bo Cualgne : analysis in O'Curry, Manners and Customs, II, 358 ff. ; cf. Zimmer, Zt. f. vergl. Sprachforschung, XXVIII, 446 ff., 661 ff.; GM. Gel. Anz., 1890, p. 519, n. I. (2) Fergus, ed. Martin, 1872; see Einl, pp. xvii ff. (3) The lai of ^'''?^'_?4li?iby Paris, Rom.,y\\\, 29 ff., cf. 40 ff. (cf. Golther, Munich Acad., Studies on the Libemis Desconus. 195 It is now necessary to discuss the relations between Car. and LD and BI. I have already accounted for about half of the Italian poem in showing the origin of the introduction and of the fight with one of the ,- murderers of the boy's father. The striking agreements between the remainder and the LD-BI group admit of two theories only : either Pucci borrowed from LD or BI (or their direct orjginal), or from a form of the story such as might come from Version A. Tliat the former of these is almost impossible all will admit. Pucci shows no trace of ever having known LD or BI or Version B. We cannot imagine his turning the father of the young hero (Gawain, above all others) into the murderer of the boy's father, the latter becoming an unimportant knight.' It is surely incredible that he could have omitted such striking incidents as the adventures about the dog, the sparrow-hawk, and the like, and have reverted in the adventures he did relate to a more primitive form of the story, at the same time leaving no trace of any of the striking names which are peculiar to the Desc. cycle. . We can only believe that Pucci had before him / some form of the story drawn from Version A. Some will doubtless be disposed to ask why, if Car. is in parts so much like the story of Perceval as told in the prose Tristan, and if this latter work is supposed to be largely based on Chretien's lost poem," we may not suppose that Pucci, or the author of his original, drew directly from Chretien's Tristan. This, indeed, is a tempting theory, for, if Chretien had embodied in his earlier poem some account of the youth of Perceval, this would explain, perhaps, why, when it later occurred to him to connect Perceval with the story of the Grail, he began in the middle of the account of the boy's youth, taking it for granted that his readers were familiar with the previous account of the father's death, etc., and thus leaving a lacuna, which, being soon observed, caused an interpolator to prefix the omitted beginning. I refrain from following this theory farther at this time. We may confidently put aside the suggestion that the Sitzungsberichte, 1890, p. 214). (4) The prose introduction to the Lay of the Great Fool, Campbell, Pop. Tales of the West Highlands, 1862, III, 146 ff.; cf. Nutt, Studies, pp. 154 ff., and Folk- Lore Recoxd, IV (Aryan Expulsion-and- Return Formula). See also Paris, Hist. Litt., XXX, 194. ^ Cf. Mennung, pp. 46-7. ^ See Loseth, Preface, p. xxv. 196 W. II. Schoficld. introduction to Car. may have been drawn from Chretien's poem, because it is not credible that in the early accounts Gawain could have been represented in such an unfavorable light as that in which he appears in Car. and the prose romance. This is not only at vari- ance with Chretien and all the early poets, but also with the rest of the poems of our cycle. Even Wirnt von Gravenberg was unwilling to believe that Gawain had to give in to another knight, albeit the latter wore a magic girdle, and declares that he would never have put such a thing into his narrative had it not been positively asserted by his squire in spite of the poet's " striving" with him in the matter (Wig., p. 20, vv. 15 ff.). Whether Pucci followed his original closely or not is, of course, uncertain, and is a point we can never hope to settle definitely. It seems probable that, except in the points which I have already pointed out, he did not vary much from the story he was following ; but he probably introduced new details of his own invention, or from other stories with which he was familiar, and relied for some of his material on the popular tradition of his own land. This accords, it will be noticed, with what we know of the Italian poet.^ There can be little doubt that Car. was specially prepared for recitation in the open air to an audience of common people, who delighted in the marvellous but cared little for the refinements of chivalry. Indeed, there was no possibility of detailed elaboration, for the poem had to be of such a length as would not weary its hearers. Pucci, therefore, doubt- less felt no qualms of conscience about departing from his original. He was not writing for critics ; he was merely striving to please an ignorant populace. It was for this latter reason, as we have seen, that he gave the distinctively Christian tone to the whole poem, which is not found in BI. There the characters go to mass occa- sionally, and sometimes call on God for aid, in a formal way ; but it is quite evident that the author is worldly-minded. The people for whom his BI was intended were not anxious for moral lessons, nor did the writer feel any desire to give them. His aim was to interest, not to edify, his hearers or readers. We find also in Car. rude touches which would appeal to an uncultivated audience : for example, the 1 Cf. D'Ancona, Una Poesia ed una Prosa di Antoiiio Pucci in 11 Propugnatore, II, 2, p. 407; also separately, Bologna, 1870. S Indies on the Li beans Des conns. 197 great eating powers of the hero, the roasting of the hind with its skin and hoofs on, Car.'s sUnging it over his shoulders to carry it off, and the like. It may be that Car.'s always keeping by him the primitive weapons he used in the forest may be due to a similar reason.' THE STAY WITH THE ENCHANTRESS. That which is of most interest to us in connection with this part of our story is the character of the enchantress, in which regard LD, BI, and Car. differ. In BI she is very human, and her powers as a sorceress do not make her unlike other women. She only differs from them in being more beautiful. She confesses to having placed all her love on one man. When he thoughtlessly leaves her, she determines to have revenge ; but, when she sees him again, she finds it impossible to conceal her love. She makes him uncomfortable for a time by playing tricks on him ; but later they laugh heartily over them together, and she explains to him how she came to have her skill in magic. It was taught her by her father as a special sign of his love to her, his only heir. She was a diligent student and profited by his teaching. There is nothing remarkable, then, according to her own report, in her knowledge. She is simply the daughter of a king " qui moult fu sages et cortois," and her knowledge of sorcery was an accomplishment laboriously acquired. All traces of the supernatural element in her nature have nearly faded away, and the reason is not hard to see : Renaud identified her with his own loved one.^ In LD this change had not yet been made, and the lady of the He d'Or is there a regular sorceress, who has no real affection for LD, but keeps him with her by continued exercise of her magic. Her 1 Before going on to consider some of the important incidents in Car., I should like to suggest that the lines in which the messenger tells Arthur that he ought to know about the enchanted city, for it was under his sway (i, 35, 1-4), may be due to the fact that Pucci was confused at having Gales made the land of the princess whilst Carduel was also put in that country. 2 Bethge, Wirnt von Gravenberg, Berlin, 1 881, p. 36, gives an odd reason for the omission, by Wirnt, of the fee episode : " Es bewog ihn dazu auch wol die absicht seinen helden nirgend in schlechtem licht erscheinen zu lassen : dass Guinglain bei dem zweimaligen verlassen der dame die er doch liebt and die ihm ihre voile liebe geschenkt hat nicht gerade als ein edler charakter erscheint ist klar." Golther, Gesch. der dentschen Ltd., 1893, ^> '7°> repeats this idea. 198 U\ //. Sc/iojic/d. retention of him must surely have been for purposes of sensual enjoy- ment. Therefore the author laments that LD was not " chast," and curses the enchantress for her deception of the hero. LD stayed merely because he was victimized by her wiles. " Sche blered his ije," we are told, with " fantasme and fairie " (see 15 16 ff.).' There was doubtless in the original some account of different deceptions to which she subjected LD ; but these the English author passed by, making general statements, which, however, point back to specific enchantments. When LD finally breaks away, it is as if he had got happily out of a bad scrape. The woman is not mentioned again. The hero was fascinated by her wiles, not overcome by love.- Be it noted that sheis suitably called la dame d^ amour. AMien we come to Car., we find ourselves really in the domain of folk-lore, for we are now introduced to a being resembling in some measure a Lamia. She is a charming and attractive " gientil donna," who fascinates our hero. She has, however, no love for him, and her desires are purely sensual. She even excites his passions by telling him of the " gran gioia e gran diletto " he shall have with her, and he waits impatiently for the desired time to come. Any knight would have served her purpose as well. Indeed, it was the rule of the castle that every man who came there armed should lie with her, if he satisfied one condition, which was that he should come to her only when she told him not to come and refuse to obey when she called him. That this was too hard a request to make of most mor- tals is evident from the fact that knight after knight, according to the dwarfs statement, had been victimized by her (ii, 19, 7-8). As in LD, so in Car., she has no distinct personality. She is the represen- tative of a type. In Car. also the hero is glad to get away, and no mention is made of her again. It is important to note that in this adventure in Car. the hero does not in any way act as a deliverer. He has no fight to free the young lady from the persecutions of a hostile knight or giant. There is, indeed, nothing honorable for him in the whole encounter. He is only a befooled searcher after sensual pleasure. This could then 1 Cf. Paris, Hist. Litt., XXX, 186. 2 Cf. the visit of Filisel de Montespin and the lady messenger to the castle of the magicienne. Aviadis de Gattle, Antwerp ed., 1572, bk. xiii, chap. xvi. Studies on the Liheaiis Dcseonus. 199 hardly have been the form in the original. Every other adventure which the young hero undertakes is calculated to show his heroism and redound to his honor. This is the case, moreover, with this very adventure in LD, BI, and Feredur, and must surely have been so in Version A. It thus seems probable that the author of Car. reverted to some popular tale, such as were common in Italy, and changed his original to suit. The specific enchantments which he underwent during the night need not be dwelt upon. In Car., as he is crossing the threshold, the lady roars loudly like the sea in a tempest. House and walls disappear, and soon he finds himself suspended by four giants on the end of a huge fork over a great river, where he remains until morn- ing with his feet danghng just above the water.^ In BI he is twice deceived. His first attempt to cross the threshold results in his imagining himself on a narrow plank over a tempestuous stream, whereas he is really hanging to the perch of the sparrow-hawk. Again he tries ; and this time he fancies the ceiling to be falling upon him, but the servants, attracted by his cries, find him with his pillow over his head. Similar enchantments seem to have been common enough in Italian stories. Examples may be found in the tricks which Filenia plays upon her suitors in // Mambriano of II Cieco da Ferrara, and many analogues have been collected by Rua and Prato.^ DISENCHANTMENT BY MEANS OF A KISS. The idea of the fier baiser is one of the most widely spread in the domain of folk-lore, and in some places is in full force to the present day. It occupies such an important position in our stories that we must enter to some extent into an examination of the subject. For instances of disenchantment by this means see the following places :' iCf. Paris, Rom.,XY, 16. 2 To these Professor Kittredge has kindly called my attention. See Rua, NovelU del Mambriano esposte ed illustrate, Turin, 1 888, pp. 85 f. ; and Prato, Zt.fiir Volkskitnde, I, 112-3. ^ The majority of these are collected by Professor Child {Ballads, Pt. II, 306-8; IV, 502 ff. ; VI, 504). Others were communicated to Mennung (p. 20) by Rein- hold Kohler. 200 JV. H. Schoficld. (i) Ulrich von Zatzikhovcn's Lanzekt, 7836 fT., translated from the French before 1194 and "sans doute scnsiblement plus ancien.'" (2) Legend of the daughter of Hippocrates in Maundeville.^ (3) An account of the liberation of the daughter of Hippocrates by Espertius in Tiran le Blanc, written about 1400.^ (4) Historia del principe Sferamundi in the 13th book of Ainadis of Gaul} (5) The English ballad of Kemp Owyne, preserved in a number of \ er- sions.* (6) The Laidly Worm of Spindles ton Heughs^ (7) Hjdlm- ters ok Olvers Saga, caps. 10, 22.' (8) The Danish hdWsid Jo mfruen i Ormehatn? (9) Angelo de Tummulillis, Notabilia Temporum? (10) Bojardo, Orl. Lmamorato, ii, 26, 7 ff. (11) Mone, Anzeiger f. Kunde des deutschen Mittelalters, HI, 89.^*^ (12) Miillenhoiif, Sagen, Mdrchen ti. Lieder der Herzogthilmer Schleswig-Holstein u. Lauen- ^ Paris, Rom., XX, 301 ; cf. Golther, Gesch. der deutschen Litt., II, 168-9, 225. 2 Ed. Warner, Roxburghe Club, 1889, p. 12; pp. 23 ff. of Halliwell's ed., 1839. Clouston, Orig. and Analogues of some of the Catit. Tales, pp. 518 ff., tries to connect this with the Wife of Bath's Tale, and in this he is followed by Professor Skeat, IVorks of Chaucer, III, 449, but the Wife's Tale belongs to a different cycle. Andre Dacier gives a delicious bit of interpretation by way of explaining the legend of the daughter of Hippocrates as a medical allegory {Vie d^ Hippo- crate'), prefixed to his translation of the CEuvres d'Hipp., Paris, 1697, I> '^^'J ^' The legend is repeated in Faber's Evagatorium, ed. Hassler, III, 267. See also Sathas, La Trad, hellenique et la Leg. de Phidias, etc. [1882], pp. 13 ff.; Paris, Liist. Litl., XXX, 191. 3 Ed. Caylus, II, 334-9. Dunlop (ed. Wilson, I, 406) notes " a like story in the 6th tale of the Contes Amoureux de "Jean Flore,'' written towards the end of the 15th century. * Pt. II, c. 97, pp. 458-62, Venice, 1610. See Child, Ballads, Pt. II, 308-9. 5 Child, Pt. 11,306 ff.; IV, 502 ff.; VI, 504; IX, 213. 6 Child, Pt. II, 311-13. This, though the composition of a Mr. Lamb, is, in Professor Child's words, " not only based on popular tradition, but preserves some small fragments of a popular ballad." It is closely related to Kemp Ozvyne. Another version of The Laidly Worm is The Hagg Worm (Child, Pt. IV, 503 ff.). ■^ Rafn, Fornaldar Sogur, III, 473 ff., 514 ff. See Child, Pt. II, 307. 8 Grundtvig, D. G. F., No. 59, II, 177. For further references as to similar Danish stories, see Child, Pt. II, 307; VI, 504; VIII, 454. "^ Ed. Corvisieri, Rome, 1890, pp. 124-6; see the review in Giornale Storico, XVII, 161 f. Angelo tells of the adventure as an historical fact occurring in Cesena in 1464. Professor Kittredge kindly called my attention to this version. ^''' Also in Desaivre, L.e My the de la Mere L.usine, 1S83, p. 202 (see review in Melusine, II, 22) . Cf. Schonhuth, Die Burgen u. s. w. Badens «. der Pjah, T, 105. Studies on the Libcaus Dcscoiius. 201 burg, Kiel, 1845, No. 597, p. 580. (13) Panzer, Bayerische Sagen u. Braiiche, Munich, 1848, No. 214, I, 196. (14) Vernaleken, Alpensagen, Vienna, 1858, No. 100, p. 123. (15) Menghin, Aus dem deiitschen Sildtirol, Meran, 1884, p. 8. (16) Stober, Die Sagen des Elsasses, St. Gallen, 1852, No. 190, p. 248. (17) Somraer, Sagen, Mdrchen u. Gebrauche aus Sachsen u. Thiiringen, Halle, 1846, No. 16, p. 21, etc. (iS) Curtze, Volksiiberlieferungen aus dem Filrsten- thum Waldeck, Arolsen, i860, p. 198. (19) Id., p. 201. (20) Walliser Sagen gesammelt u. erzahlt v. Sagenfreunden, Sitten, 1872, p. 150. (21) Grimms, Deutsche Sagen, Berlin, 1816, No. 222, I, 304;^ cf. p. 17. (22) Lenggenhager, Volkssagen aus dem Kantoti Baselland, Basel, 1874, p. 91.^ (23) Kreutzwald, Ehst7iische M'dr- chen, tr. by F. Lowe, Halle, 1869, No. 19, pp. 268 ff. (24) Wucke, Sagen der mittleren Werra, Salzungen, 1864, I, i.^ (25) J. W. Wolf, Hessische Sagen, Leipzig, 1853, No. 46, p. 33. (26) H. von Pfister, Sagen u. Aberglaube aus Hessen u. Nassau, Marburg, 1885, P- 75' (27) Sagen vom Thurmbergbei Durlach, Mone's Anzeige?; VH C1838), 476. (28) Schonhuth, Die Bmgen u. s. w. Badens u. der Pfalz, I, 107. (29) Traditions et Legendes de la Suisse Romande, Lausanne, 1872, pp. 103-5. (3°) Decurtins, Mdrchen aus dem Biindfier Oberlande, in Jecklin, Volksthihnliches aus Graubi'tnden, Zurich, 1874, p. 126. (31) A Breton tale in Rev. des Trad. Popu- laires, HI, 475. (32) Another, contributed by Luzel to the Annu- aire des Trad. Pop., H, 53 ff. (33) Kuhn, Westfdlische Sagen, Leipzig, 1859, No. 276, p. 242.^ (34) Schambach u. lAvi\[tx, Nieder- sdchsische Sagen, Gottingen, 1855, No. 132 (cf. Nos. 124-31). A comparison of all these tales with one another and with Car., LD, and BI, yields the following results : I. TJie Person transfonned, when her station is mentioned, is always of noble birth and beautiful. It is often said that she is the 1 Also in Stober, Sagen des Elsasses, p. 346. 2 Also in Dobeneck, Des deutschen Mittelalters Volksglauhen, Berlin, 181 5, 1, 18; and in Grimms, D. S., No. 13, who get it from Praetorius, Welibeschreibufrg, 1666, I, 661 ff. Praetorius dates it 1520 and insists upon its truth. 3 Cf. Witzschel, Sagen, Sitten u. Gebrauche aus Thiiringen, ed. Schmidt, Pt. II, Vienna, 1878, No. 71. * Cf. Nos. 12, 379, 383, 392, in the same collection (with the references given by Kuhn). 202 U: II. Schofiehl daughter of a king, and frequently the only heir. She always has great treasures in her possession. We Hnd the story definitely attached in some cases to the daughter of Hippocrates (2, 3, 4), but even then the reward of success in loosing the spell, is joint rule with tiie maiden of the isle she inhabits. — This accords well with the account in Car., LD, and BI, in which we have the woman in serpent form, the daughter of a king, the heir of his lands, of exceeding beauty. 2. The Cause of the Transformation is usually not told. In some cases it is a retribution for sin. In 21, it is because of the young lady's former pride. In 1 6, it is because of her vanity and avarice when alive, for here, as in 29, the punishment is one inflicted after death. In some (e.g., 20) the curse seems to have been given by her father, that she might guard certain treasures. In others it is pure malice. A stepmother is envious of her stepdaughter's beauty in the English ballads (5, 6). Diana is angry with the daughter of Hippoc- rates (2). In 32 we have a definite magician who has carried the princess off from the kingdom of her father and kept her transformed mth hini.-j-In Car., LD, and BI, the princess is thus kept trans- formed by a magician, and here because she has refused to accede to his wishes. There is no case of two magicians or two persons causing the spell except in LD and BI, and there this number is probably due to a misunderstanding on the part of the author of their original (see pp. 126, 164). 3. The Animal into which the woman is transformed is always of some hideous or fierce sort. If there is but one form, it is oftenest a serpent. The other single forms are toad, dragon, bear, black wolf, etc. In the early forms, the maiden usually takes but one shape ; but in the later usually three, a kiss (or three kisses) being required to be given in each form. In 1 2, we have frog, wolf, snake ; in 13, maiden, snake, toad; in 20, toad, snake, lion; in 21, snake, toad, maid; in 24, snake, beast of prey, dragon; in 25, snake, bear; in 26, frog, snake, dragon ; in 32, serpent, salamander, toad ; in 33, maiden, bear, ox. In some cases (as in 31, the toad) the same animal grows bigger and bigger until the third kiss is given. In 11, we have first a woman without fingers and with a dragon's tail, then the same with bat's wings, finally with toad's head as well. In 30, it works the other way : on the first kiss the head is made natural, and Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 203 on the second, the body ; the third completes the retransformation. Usually, however, the third form is the hardest and the one before which the rescuer quails, although he has been brave up to that time. In 13, the final test is made more severe by representing the devil as constantly snapping with shears at the cord from which is suspended a millstone over the head of the toad which is to be kissed. In Car., LD, and BI, there is but one animal, a serpent (a guivre in BI). In LD and BI, it is said to be wondrously glittering, shedding light in the place. This feature is also in 29. In BI it spews fire from its mouth, as in 13, 24, 27. In LD, it has a woman's face, and in BI a beautiful mouth. This reminds us of the M^lusine stories, which are much mixed up with those we are discussing (see 11, 22). In them, the upper part of the body of the princess is beautiful, the lower part of serpent form. Almost invariably the princess, even when transformed, is able to talk as a human being, and converses with the hero. In our poems this feature occurs only in Car. In LD and BI, she says nothing while in serpent form. Often she can take human form, part of the time, by day, or on certain days, or at certain hours (28, 29, 30, etc.). Not so in Car., LD, or BI ; but compare the father in Wig. Usually in the tales she urges her rescuer to be brave (this only in Car.). She is frequently a "white maiden" (13, 18, 19, 23, 25, 26, 27). In Or'L Inn. (10) she is dressed in white when released from the spell. In Car. also all the women are transformed into " bestie bianche cosi belle " (ii, 45, 7). In several cases she is provided with a bunch of keys (12, 13, 18, 19, 27). This seems to have connection with the fact that in these forms (as in most) she controls a hidden treasure. In 15 she has a single golden key which she would lay on her rescuer's tongue, and which would open the door to her treasure. In 16 one of the conditions is that he take the golden key from her tongue. In 25 this last feature also appears. It is possible that we have here the reason for the words in the English ballad (6) : She has knotted the keys upon a string, And with her she has them taen. (St. 2.) Rarely do these hideous creatures seem to be in any way harmful. In 6, however, the venomous serpent is the plague of the country and has to be fed with vast quantities of food, and it is said of Wcisse 204 JJ- tl. ScJwficld. Frauen that, although when let alone they are quite harmless, when angered by remarks of passers-by they often draw very close to the latter, breathe upon them, and cause them sickness or death. 4. The Place of Abode, when mentioned definitely, is generally a cave (e.g., 2, 6, 10) or underground dwelling (22). In many cases it is at or hard by a ruined castle (11, 14, 16, 18, 25). Sometimes the enchanted women are met in a forest (9, 11, 12). — In Car., LD, and BI the serpent dwells in an enchanted city. In Car. the inhabi- tants also are transformed into different kinds of animals, and the city is in ruins. In BI we are told that the magicians came one day, enchanted the five thousand inhabitants, and destroyed the city by their terrible enchantments. In Car. the dwarf points out to the hero the ruins and tells how a noble castle has been reduced to this form "perllo incantesmo." He directs his attention also to the trans- formed inhabitants who he says " mostreranti tutte i' lor dolore," and who appear to see the hero gladly. In LD the serpent comes out of a window in a stone wall, in BI out of an aumaire. These seem vestiges of the cave idea. In Car. there is no hint of this. As in many other stories, she seems free to wander about the castle. 5. The Rescuer in all the early forms has to be a knight or king's son. In Maundeville, indeed, it is told how a man is sent back to his ship to be made a knight so that he can make the attempt. In the later forms, however, the situation is completely changed. The rescuer is invariably of lowly station, induced to undertake the dis- gusting and perilous task by the desire of gaining treasure, not of gaining honor. He is, for example, a bailiff's son (n), schoolmaster (12), keeper of a vineyard (15), glazier (16), herdsman (17), shep- herd (18, 24), tailor's son and simpleton (22), peasant (25), villager (29), orphan beggar (31), servant (32), — in one case even the daughter of a herdsman (28), in another, a servant-girl (34). In many cases the rescuer has to be specially destined for the task, most frequently one who has been rocked in a cradle made out of a certain tree ^ (24, 25, 27, 28, 33; cf. 30). In the English ballads none but Owein, a definite knight, can do the deed. This shows us how essential is the featu re emph asized in LD (2 131 ff., cf. 1736) ^ On this requirement cf. further Kuhn, Westfalische Sagen, p. 243, No. 276, and note; Wolf, Hessische Sagen, No. 49, etc. Studies on the Libeaiis Descojms. 205 that only Gawein orone of his kin can succeed. In BI the knight has only to be one of the best at Arthur's court : nothing special in Car. as fo this. Other requirements in the stories are that he should be of a definite age, twenty (in 31), eighteen (in 28). More impor- tant, however, is the fact that in several cases it is essential that he be pure in body and never have sinned with woman. ^ This fits admir- ably with the hero in Car., LD, and BI. Indeed, it may have been one element in causing the combination of the fier baiser with the Perc. story. Our hero is brought up alone in the woods, entirely ignorant of the existence of other human beings except his mother. The innocent youth goes to court, but starts off immediately from there. On his way, in Car. and BI, he nearly gives way to the temptations of the enchantress ; but her sorcery preserves his purity for the nonce. If this suggestion be sound, a new significance is added to these enchantments. The author of LD does not seem to have understood this feature, for, in his vague, general remarks, he laments the fact that LD was not "chast,"- although nothing definite is told of the youth's amour. 6. Conditions of Change. In the early forms and some of the later (1-4, 7-9, 16, 17, 29), only one kiss seems to have been necessary, as in Car., LD, and BI. Very often, however, three is the required number (5, 11-14, 20-27, 30-32), usually given on three separate days. In 11, we have three kisses on each of three successive occa- sions (cf, 32). Frequently they must be given on certain days or at certain times of the day: in 11, at nine in the morning; in 12, between twelve and one at night; in 26, 27, between eleven and twelve in the morning ; in 15, precisely at midnight ; in 25, at noon ; in 21, on three consecutive Friday mornings; in 24, on three Johannistage. In 20 the princess appears only every tenth year on Easter morning; in 23, once in twenty-five years; in 18, once in a hundred years. The kiss is almost invariably on the mouth (not ^ Cf. J. W. Wolf, Beitr. zur deutschen Mythologie, II, 245. 2 Could it be that the " traie and tene" which the Enghsh author makes LD suffer because of his lack of chastity indicates some penance the hero had to undergo for this sin before he could free the enchanted princess? We may note that in some forms of the story, when the rescuer departs from the conditions imposed, he is finally able to redeem himself, but only after undergoing great hardship (cf. 30, 31). Jo6 //'. II. Schofidd. so in 4, II, 24). In most cases the freeing of the maiden by kissing is entirely at the will of the rescuer. If he refrains from giving the kiss, — if, indeed, in some cases he even shudders or shows his repugnance, — the opportunity is lost. If there are three kisses, all three have to be given. Two are of no avail, and often bring down evil on the head of the rescuer and the serpent as well. In 29, the serpent lifts its head up even with the man's mouth, and waits for the kiss ; but he lacks courage, and the maiden is not retransformed. Car. agrees with the great majority in requiring the kiss to be given by the rescuer, while LD and BI differ. In LD, the serpent comes towards him and he is kissed " er he it wiste." In BI, as it approaches, it fascinates him by its look, then it darts to him and kisses him. In both he is thus an involuntary instrument in the mat- ter. There is support for the giving of the kiss by the dragon in LD and BI, in the story of Espertius, and that told by Kreutzwald (23), which, by the way, presen'es many features agreeing with our group of poems. The kissing by the hero certainly puts the latter's bravery in a much clearer light, and is in itself more natural, besides being the account given in the great majority of the stories. It would thus appear that in this point Car. represents a more primitive form of the story than LD and BI. In LD we have here also a feature which appears to have been original : viz., the snake's coiling about the hero's neck (2 11 2). This is found in the story just referred to (23) and in 13 and 15. Car. and BI agree in making the hero draw his sword to defend himself. This occurs in two old versions, 6 and 10, which see. In both of these, moreover, he is told to put it up : the serpent will do him no harm. In Car. and BI, the animal shows this by its humble bows. In 15, the man uses his sword and the maiden is not freed. There is no case in which the rescuer does not dread the approach of the hideous beast. In Car. and Orl. Inn. he, moreover, expresses his fear. 7. The Breaking of the Spell, which brings about the lady's return to human form, is in most cases immediate (1-5, 8-10, 31, 32, etc.). Car. and LD agree in this primitive feature. In BI, however, she first withdraws as a serpent to her aumaire. The English ballad (5) has both forms, immediate and delayed change (cf also 7). In 23, again, we have the rescuer, as in BI, going to sleep, and awaking to Studies on the Libcatis Desconus. 207 find a beautiful lady beside him. In LD, much is made of the fact that after the change she is entirely naked ; this feature is the same in 6. In Lanzelef, she has first to bathe in a stream, and then the change at once takes place (cf. 20, 21). This feature is well founded in popular belief.' In Car. there is a great tumult when the spell is broken ; this is an additional feature in which 23 agrees. We may note here that lack of courage in the would-be rescuer is sometimes followed by evil effects. In 2, the two sailors who fail meet their death. In 10, if Brandimarte had not put back his sword, he would have died. In 20, the men are cursed to the ninth genera- tion. In 24, the unsuccessful man soon dies, and in%29 he soon disappears after his failure. In 11, he is poisoned when he under- takes to wed. With these may be compared the words of the princess in Car., who, when freed, tells the hero, "Tu sarai I'amor mio fino " (ii, 65, 8). Indeed, it seems as if in some cases the undertaking of the task were a pledge to marry the maiden when she is trans- formed. The breaking of promises to preternatural beings often meets with dire results.- After one unsuccessful attempt, the entrance to the cave or castle becomes invisible in 6 (note), 22, 26. 8. The Result, when the spell is broken, is that the rescuer is gener- ally offered the hand and treasures of the princess, who expresses her gratitude to him. When her father is a king, the young man later becomes the ruler of her land, and they have descendants (cf. 30, 31). In I, Lanzelet takes the king's daughter to Arthur's court. — Car,, LD, and BI agree in making the princess express her gratitude to her deliverer and offer him her hand and kingdom. They both go to Arthur's court, marry, and rule over the wife's land. In Car. the people resume their natural shapes and the city is restored. This reminds us of the story told by Toeppen^ of a hand- some prince transformed into a hideous animal and immediately changed back when voluntarily kissed by a beautiful maiden, "und ^ Child, Ballads, Pt. II, 338 {Tarn Liii), where other references are noted (cf. IV, 505; VI, 505). 2 Cf. Child, Ballads, Pt. II, 372. ^ Aberglanben aus Masuren, Danzig, 1867, pp. 144-5. Professor Child cites this feature from other forms of Beauty and the Beast ; Mikulicic, Narodiie Pripo- vietke, p. I, No. i; Afanasief, VII, 153, No. 15; Coelho, Contos populares portU' guezes, p. 69, No. 29. 208 ir. U. Schofield. im Schlosse Icbte Alles wieder auf, was bis dahin sich nicht geregt hatte, die Eltern und Geschwister des Prinzen und alles Gesinde. Der Prinz umarmte das Madchen und erzahlte ihr, dass er ver- wiinscht gewesen sei, und nur ein Kuss eines reinen unschuldigen Miidchens bei einer abschreckenden Gestalt hatte ihn erlosen kon- nen." They are, of course, married and live happily. WIGALOIS. The relation of Wigalois to the poems which we have already examined is not easy to determine. The first one to discuss at any length the relation of the German poem to its original was Meisner." In his opinion, Wirnt had before him " eine franzosische schriftliche aufzeichnung des Wigalois " (p. 23), which he had translated aloud to him by a squire, inasmuch as he himself was not familiar with French. Kolbing- agreed entirely with Meisner in this view. He, however, made a much more thorough examination of the question, and concluded that as LD, BI, and Wig. were unlike in so many points, Wig. at one time agreeing with LD, at another with BI, and as both Wirnt and the author of LD appeared to follow their sources with little change, there must therefore have been three French poems dealing with the same subject, all of which were, however, based directly or indirectly on one common primitive form. Mebes^ was the next to take up the question. Unfortunately he does not appear to have seen Kolbing's important article, and did not let LD influence his judgment in the matter. Indeed, he dis- misses the English poem from his consideration with these words (p. 4) : " Eine eingehende Vergleichung dieser Redaction mit dem 1 Wirnt von Gravenberg, Beitr. zur Beiirtheilting seiner literarhistorischen Bedetttung, Breslau, 1874, pp. 19-25. 2 Engl. Studien, I, 166 ff. See for other matters, the dissertations of Pud- menzky, Ueber Wirnts Ausdrucksweise, Halle, 1875; Eckert, Wirnt v. Grav. u. sein Sprackgebrauch, Stettin, 1875; Medem, Ueber das Abhangigkeitsverh'dUniss Wirnfs von Grav. von Hartmann von Aue und Wolfram v. Eschenbach, Dan- zig, 1 880; etc. ' Ueber den Wigalois von Wirnt von Gravenberg und seine altfranz. Quelle, Neumunster, 1879; cf. Kolbing, Engl. Studien, IV, 182; Foth, Litbl. f. germ. u. rom. Phil, 1880, col. 1 14. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 209 Bel Inconnu von Renaud de Beaujeu zeigt unzweideutig, dass sie nach Renaud de Beaujeu gearbeitet ist, jedoch nach einer andern als der von Hippeau veroffentlichten Handschrift." He sums up the results of his investigation in the following statement (p. 20) : " Der Wigalois von Wirnt von Gravenberg ist nach dem Bel Inconnu von Renaud de Beaujeu gedichtet. Wirnt hat fur den einen Theil seiner Dichtung ein Bruchstuck einer Handschrift des Bel Inconnu beses- sen, wahrend er den andern Theil seiner Dichtung nach der miind- lichen Erzahlung eines Knappen, der sich des Inhaltes des Bel Inconnu nur dunkel erinnert verfasst hat." In recent years scholars who have dealt with this subject have usually accepted Mebes's view. Paris,^ Mennung/ and Kaluza ^ all agree that, for the part of Wig. which clearly belongs to the Desc. cycle, Wirnt had a fragment of a manuscript of Renaud's poem before him, and that for the rest of his narrative he relied on the story of the squire. It is necessary to observe, in the first place, that, despite the confident statements of Mebes, Bethge, Kaluza, and others to the contrary, there can be now no doubt that LD is not based on BI. It is important for our argument to have this point settled in advance. In exact terms Mebes's theory is that for vv. 15 18-3285 (43, 14- 87, 21) of Wig. Wirnt had a fragmentary manuscript of BI (con- taining BI, 1-315, 2471-2726, 687-1850) before him, but that for vv. 3286-1 1 708 {end^ he depended on the oral narrative of a squire. (The introduction in Wig., i.e., vv. 1-1517, Mebes leaves out of account.)* Wirnt resorted to the squire, Mebes thinks, to supply the lacunae of the manuscript, and the squire (to whom the imperfect manuscript had probably belonged, and who had himself merely 1 Rom., XV, 21, note 4; cf. Rom., XX, 300. Paris speaks elsewhere (Za Litt. fran^. au Moyen Age, 2d ed., 1890, § 58) of Wig. as an "imitation allemande " of Renaud's poem. * Der Bel Inconnu, pp. 58 ff. * In Litbl. f. germ. u. rom. Phil., 1891, coll. 84 ft. * According to the concluding paragraph of his essay (p. 20), though in an- other place (p. 4) he mentions vv. 1-1517 as a part of the poem that seems to have Ijecn composed, like vv. 3286-1 1708, "nach der mundlichen Erzahlung des Knappen." jio 11 '. II. ScJwficld. lieard the rest of the story of BI by word of mouth) remembered astonishingly little of what Wirnt desired to know. Mebes is not always quite clear, but he seems to suppose that this supplementary narrative of the squire's was not very long or very full, and conse- quently to ascribe the abundance of details (foreign to all other versions of the story) which vv. 3286-1 1708 (by far the larger part of ^Vig.) contain, to Wirnt's own attempt to fill up holes in the squire's tale. The portion of Wig. which, according to Mebes, was derived from the fragmentary manuscript of BI, contains the following adventures : At the Court (II ; p. 6, above) ; ^ Adventure at the Ford (III ; p. 12, above); Adventure with the Giants (V; p. 18, above); Dispute about the Dog (VII ; p. 32, above) ; Sparrow-hawk Adventure (VI ; p, 25, above). The supplementary oral narrative then furnished what remnants Wig. 102,21-106,30 shows of the Adventure with Lampart (IX; p. 42, above)^ and what is left of the Rescue of the Enchanted Lady (X; p. 47, above). The squire, however, remembered " nur in den allgemeinsten Ziigen " what he had heard. He knew nothing of either the first or the second visit to the He d'Or,^ and hence Wig. has no mention of the fee. Similarly it is to the squire's con- fused and defective memory that we must ascribe the complete omission of the most striking feature of the whole story, the fier baiser, as well as a number of other extraordinary variations in the catastrophe. In Wig. : ( I ) The princess has herself suffered no bodily injury from the magician.'* It is her father who has been transformed into 1 Mebes would have done better to designate v. 1564 (44, 20) or perhaps 1554 (44, 10) as the beginning of the part of Wig. derived from his hypothetical manu- script; but the difference of these few lines does not affect the argument. 2 Mebes does not expressly mention this passage, but it falls within that part of Wig. which he refers to the squire's story, and Mennung (p. 61) lays great stress on it. See a full discussion of the latter's argument, below, p. 229. ^ His ignorance appears to be ascribed by Mebes partly to his possessing a (hypothetical) manuscript which belonged to a different class from that of which the Due d'Aumale's is a member, partly to his own forgetfulness (pp. 13, 15); but this is a detail of no importance in the argument. * Hence there is no Jier baiser. Wig. has to slay the great serpent Pfetdn, and this adventure, which is one of the two things necessary to the relief of the princess's country and the securing of her hand, is thought to be a dim reminis- Studies oil the Libeatis Descomis. 21 1 an animal. He seems, however, to have had the power at certain times of changing back to man's shape. Moreover, even as an animal, he is able to show by his actions that he is friendly to Wig. (Cf. Car.)^ (2) Larie has been removed with her mother to the city Roimunt ( = Kunigsberc) . Wig. comes there, is welcomed, falls desperately in love with the princess, and is promised her hand if he is successful in overcoming Roaz von Glois, the enchanter. (3) Roaz comes out of a door, preceded by a magic cloud invisible to Wig. but visible to those with the enchanter. He wishes to overcome Wig. by cunning ; but the knight's cross prevents the cloud from coming nearer. (Cf. Fsredur.y (4) Strangely enough, Roaz has a loved one, Japhite, cence of the enchanted princess. It is to be observed, however, that Pfetan is not a result of the magician's arts. In fact, he is the magician's enemy and wastes his comitry (123, 26-31). There is great confusion here. 1 Larte's father is said to have been treacherously killed at his castle of Koriittn by the magician, who, as the occupant of a fief in the neighborhood, seems to have been his vassal (97, 10 ff.; 204, 21). The dead king's soul (125, 31) in the form of a beast with a leopard's head appears daily before the castle of Roimunt and takes the road to Kornttn (loi, 27 ff.). Wig. follows the beast, whose bear- ing is friendly, to the castle of Korntin (117, 16 ff.). Before the castle is a kind of park (on a rock), on reaching which the beast becomes a beautiful man (121, 4). The man explains, in effect, that he is doing purgatorial penance and that he is released therefrom for a certain time each day, this park being the place of his respite. He tells Wig. of the serpent and of Roaz, and informs him that every night he, and the knights slain with him in the traitorous onslaught of Roaz, suffer torment in Korntin castle, which he and the knights (whom Wig. has seen jousting with heated weapons before the castle) enter at the end of his conversation with Wig. Kornttn castle and its environs, it is plain, have become a demesne of Purgatory (125, 31 ff.). This accounts for the fact, which Wig. has learned at Roimunt, that Kornttn appears to be on fire every night, but that m the morning it always stands uninjured as before (112, t^t, ff.). This burning castle is thought by Mebes to be a reminiscence of the squire's of the brilliantly lighted hall of \!n^ gaste cite in BI. It is to be observed that Wig.'s fight with the dragon takes place in the Korntin territory, but not in or near the castle, and that his combat with the enchanter Roaz takes place at the castle of Glois, the home of Roaz, which is at some distance from Kornttn castle (161, 26 ff.). 2 All this takes place at the castle of Glois (see preceding note). The cloud contains the devil to whom Roaz has sold himself (18S, 13 ff.). Before he enters Glois castle. Wig. has to overcome a dwarfish knight who guards the road (169- 174), a monster, Marrten, half man and half horse (178, 27 ff.), and two old knights. Of the latter, one is killed and the other, Count AdSn, is wounded and 212 IF. //. Sc/iojichl thoughts of whom inspire him in the fight with Wig. When he is killed, her distress is indescribable. She finally dies of grief beside him. (5) There are no dwellers in Glois but women,' for Roaz is jealous lest any one come between him and his wife. These five features are enough to show that the whole conclusion of the story has been altered. (6) There is a general conversion to Christianity after Wig.'s victory.- (7) News comes to him while he is on his way to the court that his mother is dead. Gawein^ laments her loss. She sends her son a ring as her last gift in witness of her love. (8) When they reach the court, Arthur takes Gawein and his son into the hall and honors them. (9) After the festivity, when Wig. and Larie depart, Gawein rides back part of the way with them, and there is an affecting parting. (10) Larie bears Wig. a son, whose name becomes widely known as Lifort Gawanides. All or most of these changes Mebes would ascribe to the error of the squire's memory. He thinks, however, that the account as just summarized (in text and foot-notes) betrays sufficient resemblance to that in BI to show that the squire's narrative was based on that poem, if one further passage, which he regards as particularly impor- tant, be considered. This is as follows : In BI the voice of the Fairy of the lie d'Or (see 4903-10), who is invisible, tells the hero after his fight with the giant that he was baptized by the name of Giglain, and that he was wrongly called by Arthur, Li Biaus Desconeus ; that Gauvain was his father, and the F^e promises fealty to Wig. (185, 8). As to the lights in the hall at Senaudon, the twelve candles borne by the maidens at Glois (187, 32-35) furnish a better com- parison than the nightly burning of Kornttn castle. ^ With the exception of those mentioned in the preceding note. 2 This conversion takes place at Kornttn castle (242-243), where the marriage is celebrated. Kornttn has suddenly ceased to be a place of purgatory. Larte's father has informed Wig. that his own term of penance was on the point of ex- piring (125, 31-37), and we must suppose that the castle has resumed its former appearance (222, 13-18; 226, 7-18; 231, 30 ff.). '^ Gawein has unexpectedly appeared at Kornttn castle while the wedding party is there (244, 18 ff.). Mebes remarks that, after the enchanter is overcome, Larte declares to her assembled vassals, " ganz wie bei Renaud," that she " Wiga- lois, der im Gegensatz zu der Darstellung Beaujeu's sofort einwilligt, heiraten woUe" (see 240, 7 ff.). It must be remembered that there is nothing about the fee in Wig. from beginning to end. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 213 a Blanchemal his mother ; that the latter had given him armor and a sword, and sent him to Arthur, who had entrusted to him the task of helping the maiden (3205-15). This VVirnt narrates "in fast gleicher Weise " ('according to Mebes), thus: Wig. after his fight with the dragon [in no way connected with the enchanter] hes stunned on the ground for a long time. When he later recovers consciousness he finds himself naked (for his clothing has been stripped from him by a man and woman who have robbed and well-nigh killed him), and cannot make out where he is. He tries to remember and says : " If I remember correctly, my mother was Queen Florie of Syria; my uncle was called Joram, who was strong and wise and won the victory over all the knights at Karidol ; my father was Gawein, and was one of the best knights in the world ; Larie was the name of ' diu frouwe min,' " etc. (150, 30-151, 6). This agreement Mebes cites as " characteristischund von nicht zu unterschatzender Bedeutung." But the merest glance shows that the two passages have little in common. All the circumstances are entirely different. Wig. learns nothing whatever of his parentage that he did not know before. Indeed, there is no question of his gaining information ; he is merely recalling, while in a semi-conscious state, his own earlier experiences.^ But BI, in the passage cited, is having his parentage, of which he is ignorant, revealed to him by a magic voice. Mebes might have found a far better parallel in the account which the father of Larie, changed for the nonce from his animal form, gives Wig. of the latter's birth. With regard to the numerous adventures^ which the last part of Wig. (that is, the part that follows the sparrow-hawk [parrot] adventure) contains, — altogether many thousand lines affording ma- terial quite foreign to our cycle, — Mebes supposes that they were inserted by Wirnt to make up for what seemed to him lacunae in the squire's story. Obviously Mebes's opinion that what he regards as the squire's 1 Wirnt is here imitating Hartmann's Iwein, 3505 ff.; see Bethge, p. 59. 2 Such are : the fight with the rival suitor (87, ■^t, ff.) ; the part played by the lord and lady of Joriphas (127, 5 ff.) ; the stripping of Wig. liy the poor man and his wife (138, 10 ff.); the fight with the wild woman RQel (162, 20 ff.); some of the features in the fight at Glois; the campaign of Wig. against Lion (250, 15 ff.), which occupies about 1500 lines. Mebes does not specify these adventures: indeed, his language on this whole matter is very vague. 214 U: H. Schoficld. narrative was derivoil from RI, depends for its acceptance on the acceptance of his theory that in the previous part of the story (i.e., Wig. 43. 14-S7, 21) Wirnt was drawing from BI. For Mebes expresses in the most emphatic terms his sense of the dissimilarity of Wig. to BI in that part of tlie former which he supposes was founded on the oral narrative. We must then consider whether there is any proof that Wirnt knew a fragmentary manuscript of BI, and, in the next place, whether Wirnt's poem was based on BI at all. Mebes quotes four passages of some length from Wig., with the corresponding passages in BI, as fair specimens of those corre- spondences between the two poems that have convinced him that Wirnt had a manuscript of BI. Of these four parallels we need consider but one, — that which Mennung (pp. 58, 59), who accepts Mebes's view, has selected as in itself convincing. This is Wig., 53, 24-54, 12 : BI, 2487-2514. After a long comparison (the very elaboration of which suggests that the resemblance is not quite exact), Mennung concludes that no one will doubt that the one is, in Mebes's words, only a " ziemlich getreue Uebersetzung " of the other. Surely, however, there is ample room for doubt. The point under discussion, I repeat, is not : Did Wirnt have a French or any version of the Desc. story as his original? but. Did he have before him a manuscript of the particular poem BI ? When this is remembered, it is impossible to call the passage in Wig. a " pretty close translation," or, indeed, a translation at all. When a Middle High German poet translates, he does so unmistakably ; indeed, his words can even be used for the textual criticism of his original. In the present instance there is no real verbal agreement between the two passages : the German throws no hght whatever on the readings of the French text. Imagine a textual critic using Wig. 1930 (" ichn weiz ab wie sin name si") to determine the text of BI, 2501 (" Et Lampars a a non li sire"). But Mennung makes another remark on these passages : " Hierbei," he says (pp. 59-60), "ist ein besonderer Nachdruck darauf zu legen, dass die Uebereinstimmung sowohl eine qualitative ah auch vor allem eine quantitative ist, denn die 28 frz. Verse entsprecheji den 2g mhd. genauy The fact that one poem takes twenty-nine lines to describe what in another, dealing with the same event, occupies twenty-eight, surely proves nothing unless there is a line-for-line agreement, as Studies 071 the Libeaics Descotius. 215 is not the case in the present instance. But the force of Mennung's remark disappears altogether when we observe that the " quantitative agreement " is not true of the messenger's speech as a whole, for in BI Helie goes on with fifteen and a half lines more in which she adds important information. The only fair basis for a quantitative com- parison would be the whole of the messenger's speech in each case. The additional lines are too significant to have been omitted by a close translator or by any translator. H^lie explains that, if a knight is defeated, the citizens all gather and throw at his face torces enbodes Qui sont de la boe loees, Et puis plains de cendre et d'ordure (2517 ff.) ; while the result in Wig. is merely : so muoz er danne blozer wider scheiden gar an sine babe. (54, 8-9.) As to the three other parallels adduced by Mebes, they are not near enough to give ground for the opinion that Wirnt used any part of a manuscript of the BI of Renaud. Of course there is some resem- blance in each case, for both poets are telling the same story ; but this very fact makes the resemblances even less significant. A slight resemblance was inevitable. The agreements must, in a case like this, be very decided to establish the borrowing of one specific ver- sion of a story from another. The parallels adduced by Mebes and Mennung are thus shown to be quite insufficient to support their view that Wirnt had a manu- script of BI before him.' Indeed, they might well be held to prove the opposite view. It seems clear that in the part of Wig. which resembles the Desc. poems Wirnt was not following a manuscript of any of the extant poems of our cycle. But what relation does the general form of the story as told in Wig. bear to these other Desc. poems? Meisner and Kolbing thought that Wirnt had before him a French working-over of a primitive poem, which he followed throughout. This view is, how- ever, entirely untenable, as will appear later. Nearly all other inves- tigators of this subject, for example, Mebes, Mennung, Paris, Kaluza, ^ Cf. Bethge, JVirtU von Gravenberg, pp. 24 ff. 2i6 ir. J/. Schoficld. and Bethge, have been confident that Renaud's poem was the one to which Wig. went back more or less directly. It is essential, then, that we should examine this opinion. It is not going too far to say that, if Wirnt followed Renaud, he must surely have shown traces of the latter's marked peculiarities and have agreed with him in some points in which Renaud varied from his original. If he has done this, the question is at once settled in favor of BI as the source of Wig. ; if not, this theory has no prop. We remember that the incidents due to the relations between BI and the enchantress occupy by all odds the leading place in Renaud's poem. They must have been unquestionably the parts most easily remem- bered,' and yet they are not even hinted at in Wigalois. Further, the other important change which we know Renaud to have made, is the introduction of the squire Robert, who is ever at hand, always doing or saying something ; but he is not mentioned in Wig. If Wirnt had him in his original,^ he has with great care cut him out of the story, so that he has been able to make it more primitive and simpler, more hke LD and Car. But, if we examine the poems more closely, we find that Wig. agrees with BI, as opposed to LD in the following points : (i) The dwarf at court does not object to the sending of Wig. His singing a song will not, it is to be hoped, be urged as an objection. (2) The messenger and dwarf ride away without Wig., who follows later and asks to be allowed to accompany them. In LD all three leave the court together. (3) It is said that on the evening of the fight with the giants the nightingales were singing and the moon was shining. (4) Wig. inquires of his companion if she hears the cries of the maiden in distress. LD says nothing to Elene at this time. 1 Even as late as 1777 the Comte de Tressan picked them out for narration. Bethge also argues that it is inconceivable that Wirnt or his squire could have forgotten these parts of the story. He explains their omission as due to moral scruples on Wirnt's part. " Wirnt," he says, " ist ein ausserst sittenstrenger maniv, er vermeidet alles was auch der grosten priiderie irgend anstossig sein konte," etc. Golther, Gesch. der deuischen Lilt., I, 226, adopts this somewhat amusing explanation. 2 I say Wirnt's original, for it matters little here whether we believe he had a manuscript before him or was following the tale of a squire. If the latter, then I mean the form of the story which the squire learned. Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 217 (5) The dwarf stands up for Wig. against the messenger's chiding. (6) The little dog is said to be mostly white. (7) The sparrow- hawk adventure is preceded by the meeting of the hero with a beau- tiful young maiden, "evidently of king's kin," riding along alone. She is in great sorrow because she had been deprived of the prize of beauty, which was justly hers. There is no such character in LD. (8) The hall of the enchanter becomes suddenly dark, and Wig. cannot see his hand before him. (9) After the fight Wig., exhausted, goes to sleep, and, when he awakes, the daylight has come. (10) He has his wounds washed and bound up. (11) The place is puri- fied from enchantment. On the other hand, Wig. agrees with LD as opposed to BI in the following points besides those already mentioned : 1. It has an account of the youth of the hero and gives good reasons for his coming to Arthur's court. In BI he appears there suddenly, and we know nothing of his early life nor of what has attracted him thither. 2. He is courteous in his demeanor and shows due respect to the king. In BI he rides into the hall and remains obstinately on horse- back before the king until he is granted an unreasonable request. 3. We all know him from the first to be the son of Gawein. In BI this is first revealed after he has gone through many adventures. 4. The king asks him his name at once and the stranger gives him the name by which he is known. In BI it is not until they are seated at *the feast that the king thinks it well to find out. He then sends Beduier to inquire quietly, and the speeches of Arthur to Beduier, Beduier to BI, BI to Beduier, and Beduier to Arthur are all given. 5. The stranger wishes to be made a knight. 6. He is given over to Gawein for instruction in knightly ways. 7. The feast is prepared for the young knight. In BI they are at table when he comes. 8. He is given a sword, shield, and spear, together with rich ap- parel. BI comes armed, and nothing of the kind is bestowed on him. 9. The messenger rides a white horse (cf. Lai de Tyolet). 10. The dwarf is gifted in music.^ 1 Cf. also the description of the dwarf who accompanies the maiden in Dur- tnart, 1786 : "A grosse vois venoit chantant." Cf. also Perc, 18785 £f. 2l8 /;■.//. ScJwficId. 11. There is no specific mention of what the hero must do. In BI it is said he will have to perform the " fier baiser." 12. The hero offers his services immediately without giving the others a chance. In RI, .Arthur looks about waiting for some one to present himself. 13. In the fight with the giants, when the hero is aroused he starts off at once and alone to the fight. In BI he has to wait until he has overruled all H^lie's objections and crossed himself, and until the whole company is got in motion. Then follows Robert, who acts as guide. When they see the maiden, BI has a parley with H^lie, who tells him all about the giants and advises him not to go unless he wishes to be killed. The companion has no objection to his going in LD and Wig. 14. At the conclusion of the fight Arthur is remembered : in one case the heads are sent, in the other the young lady is taken to him ; in both mention is made of the joy at Arthur's court. Arthur is not spoken of in BI in connection with this adventure. 15. The hero's companion expresses a desire for the little dog, and he catches it and presents it to her. In BI she herself dis- mounts and gets it, being able to catch it because it has a thorn in its foot. 16. The dog comes alone. In BI it comes, with other dogs, pur- suing a stag. 17. The companions go on " mit grozen frouden," or telling tales of knightly deeds. In BI the owner of the dog appears at once. ■ 18. The hero meets the owner's threats with ridicule. In BI he begs his companion to give the dog back. 19. He finds to his dismay that the magician with whom he has fought and whom he has left lying on the ground, has been carried off mysteriously. 20. Only one sword can harm the magician. 21. The hero himself announces the latter's death. 22. The young woman whom he saves from her trouble goes with him to Arthur's court. These agreements between Wig. and LD in points in which the latter is at variance with BI are very striking, and seem to me to put out of the question the theory that Wirnt was following Renaud's poem, even in a second-hand account. Taken in connection with Studies oil the Libeaiis Dcscomis. 219 the agreements between Wig. and BI as opposed to LD (pointed out above, p. 216), they suggest the theory that Wig., in those parts of the poem which resemble the other members of the Desc. cycle, is derived either from the common original of BI-LD, or from some form closely allied to that original.^ We must consider what bearing the proper names in the three poems have on this theory. As we have seen (above, pp. 59, 60), there are one hundred and forty names in BI which are not in LD. None of these are in Wig. either. There is no name in the borrowed part of Wig. which is in BI and not in LD. Indeed, if I mistake not, Erec, Kay, and Miljanz are the only names in the whole poem which are in BI but not in LD, and in no case are the actions of these characters in any way similar. In BI, Kay is Arthur's seneschal, and Melians is mentioned once among the knights at the tournament. In Wig. they are two of those who fight unsuccessfully with the owner of the girdle. As for Erec, he is mentioned in BI but twice, once in the list of those at court, and again in the list of those at the tourna- ment. In Wig., Erec, Lanzelet, and Iwein are the knights who are associated with Gawein to go and congratulate the boy on his victory. In BI, " Lasselos dou Lac " and Yvain are both mentioned in lists of warriors, but nowhere are they associated with Gawein. In LD, however, Gawein, Iwein, and Launcelet are three of the five knights who are sent to get the boy ready to start out. Obviously the argu- ment from proper names does not interfere with the theory suggested, but on the contrary strengthens it. As to the large part of Wig. (some 9000 verses) which does not correspond to the Desc. poems, what shall we say? Are we to agree with Mebes that it was in this part of the poem only that Wirnt depended on the narrative of his squire ? And if so, are we to sup- pose that the faint reminiscences of the Desc. story which these lines contain are all that Wirnt derived from the squire or, with Men- nung, that most of the extraneous matter came from the squire's stores of information? The author of Wig. opens his poem with some account of himself, 1 Kolbing, Engl. Stzidien, I, 121-69, long ago pointed out some of the agreements between Wig. and LD in important points in which LD and BI differ. 220 U: //. Schofield. giving his name and asking leniency of his readers "wan ditz ist sin erstez were " (8, 40). He explains to us : * nu wil ich iu ein maere sagen, als cz »iir ist geseit? (8, 31-2.) In many other places also he refers to an oral account for his source, and he appeals to his authorities thirty-four times in all. Such refer- ences may be in general merely conventional phrases, and much weight cannot be given them. Without exception they either take up a whole line or the latter part. of one, and are thus convenient rhyme-resources. It is, however, very striking that, in the part which shows pretty close relation to the Desc. cycle, there is practically not a single reference of this kind. In the first 47 columns which precede the main event with which the Desc. stories begin, we have 10 references to a source. Then come the 58 columns which corre- spond to our cycle, and in these there are but three such references.-^ Immediately after the resemblance ceases, they begin again, and before the poem closes we find 21 more. It certainly looks as if the poet felt himself on fairly secure ground when he was following, more or less closely as his fancy dictated, the Desc. story ; but as if in all the rest, where he used no such guide, he felt he had to prop up his account by appeals to his authorities. We cannot but feel that our author " doth protest too much." He knows his narrative is rambling and extravagant, and he betrays over-anxiety lest his readers get the impression that he is inventing. So far no one has been able to say definitely where Wirnt got all his new material.^ The introductory part shows some resemblances to other stories of the Arthur cycle ; but the latter part is mostly foreign to it. This continuation is full of stories, such as were especially common 1 Just at the beginning there are two in the part where the two accounts over- lap, but in both cases they are used to explain the introduction of features not in the Desc. poems. The first (48, 5) tells how lavish Arthur was with his presents to his guests; the second how the dwarf rode behind the maiden wherever she went, with his hands on her shoulders. Moreover, just at the end an episode foreign to our cycle is introduced before the last corresponding adventure is told, and there too we have an appeal to authority (102, 6) when the author tells how the dragon emits all-destroying fire from its mouth. See Mennung's list (p. 64; cf. p. 61); cf. also 9, 5; 23, 24; 138, 7; 204, 20. - See Bethge, Wirnt von Gravenberg, kap. ii. Studies oil the Libeaiis Dcsconus. 221 in the East, telling of marvellous monsters and monstrous marvels. Indeed, the combination of the several parts forms a very incongruous mixture. We read (p. 257) of the arrival at a place of Gawein, Erec, Owein, and Lancelot, in the same breath with that of the different kings of Asia. The Queen of Persia begs Wig. to go home with her a few days after he has left Karidol. No regard is paid to limitations of time and space. Syria, Lybia, and India are near at hand. Larie, the princess whom Wig. marries, goes with him to Arthur's court on an elephant, in true Eastern fashion; and so on. It is my belief that Wirnt is himself responsible for this conglomerate. He probably gathered in materials from different sources and joined them together ; and parts may be sheer inventions of his own. Meis- ner's view,^ that he followed closely an old French original throughout, merely begs the question. Wirnt himself, however, asserts that his poem follows the oral narrative of a squire.- Speaking of Gawein's defeat by an unknown knight and Arthur's sorrow because of it, he evidently realizes that it was a perilous thing to depart from the traditional view, which always represented Gawein as invincible, and so he adds : ez enquceme ouch niemer fur minen munt, hiet mirz ein knappe niht geseit ze einer ganzen warheit, wider den ich alia wile streit. (20, 15 fF.) The object of this is of course to inspire us with confidence in the narrator, who thus assures us that he has allowed nothing which is at variance with accepted views to pass into the book without being well attested. In concluding he again speaks of the squire as his authority : Ich wil daz maere volnden hie, als michz ein knappe wizzen lie der mir ez ze tihten gunde. niwan eines von sinem tnunde enpfie ich die dventiure. (297, 22 fF.) ^ See above, p. 208. 2 Tliere is a paper MS. of Wig. of the year 1468 in the British Museum (Addit. 19,554); see Ward, Catal. of Romances, I, 398 fl. The hero there gives his name as Wigaleis von Galoys instead of Givi von Galois in the printed editions. At the end the author says he had learned the story from a " maister," not a " knappe." 222 ir. //. Schofldd. It is of course possible to regard all this as merely a literary subter- fuge, but I see no reason for such incredulity. If we accept the author's statement so far as to believe that he derived a part of his poem from the squire, it must surely have been not the part foreign to our cycle, but rather the Desc. part ' which the squire is responsible for. This- is the only part of Wig. which can really be called the storx. The rest is mainly a hotch-potch of miscellaneous adventures added, with the idea of lengthening and, doubtless, as the writer thought, of improving his narrative. When, then, Wirnt says that the storv was told him by a squire, we must understand by that the parts which correspond to the account in the Desc. poems, Moreover, if Wirnt was only told the story by word of mouth by a squire, who may himself have received it in like manner, and who at any rate could hardly have remembered it exactly, this accounts for the variations of Wig. in the Desc. part from any other account of our hero's advent- ures. It might well account also for the almost complete omission (in the Desc. part) of the names familiar to us in both LD and BI, and therefore in their original, as contrasted with the plethora of strange names in the continuation.^ I open the German poem at random, and find in cols. 257-8 the following names: Korntin, Rial, JerapMn, Zaradech, Panschafar, Liamere,Roimu7it, Elaviie, Marin, Lion, Addn von Alarie, Darel, Gamer, Ariun, Medarie, Belaa'm, Bejolarz, Leo- darz. Moral, Ursin, Ambigdl, Sdlie, — twenty-three names unknown to our cycle in less than fifty short lines. Under ordinary circumstances, this absence of names in one part of a story and abundance of them in another would be taken to indicate that in the one case the author was following an oral account, and in the other a manuscript ; and yet it is precisely the opposite view which is maintained in this case by Mebes and those who agree with him. Surely Wirnt could not have had any object in deliberately concealing or changing the names of his characters if he had had these in a manuscript before him. 1 This is the part which Mebes and those who accept his view regard as derived from a MS. of BI. I have tried to show that this theory is untenable. 2 With the few bits of genuine Desc. matter in the non-Desc. portion. These bits may also be ascribed to the squire, though not in the form in which we find them. 3 Strangely enough, the messenger, who has no name in the body of the narra- tive, receives one at the beginning of the continuation (107, 5). Studies on the Libeaiis Desconiis. 223 We must conclude, therefore, that it was the Desc. part of Wig. which the German poet learned from the squire. Even in the part in which Wirnt adheres in general features to the Desc. poems he does not do so closely.^ He is ever ready for digressions of his own of all kinds. He expands and works over the original story at will (witness the account of the sparrow-hawk adventure), introducing new features which could never have belonged to the French original, and leaving his own personality very clearly stamped on the whole work.^ When Wig. sees the young lady in the power of the giants, Wirnt makes him stop and soliloquize at length how much joy men would lose if there were no women. When he makes the giant promise to go to Arthur, he takes thirteen new lines to explain how men kept their oaths in former times. When he sees the maiden in distress because she has been deprived of the prize, riding alone, he takes the opportunity of introducing another discussion about women and the manners in olden times, which he spreads over thirty-eight lines. These are only examples of the way in which Wirnt regularly treats his subject. He is no mere translator. He purposes to work in his own opinions, and feels no necessity of following closely the story which he is using to serve his purpose. It is possibly to this indi- viduality and to the conversational element which he introduces into the poem that it owes the wide popularity attested by the frequent mention of the poem in other works, the numerous manuscripts, and the existence of VolksbUcher in other languages as well as German, treating the same subject.^ But, even if we agree that the Desc. part of Wig. was told Wirnt by his squire, the question still remains : What form of the story did the latter know ? I have already suggested that this part of Wig. is based on the 1 Cf. Paris, Rom., XV, 21. 2 It should be observed that Wirnt tells his story in such a way that there are no breaks discernible to a reader unfamiliar with other works of the Desc. cycle. 3 Schonbach {Haupfs Zt., XXIV, 168) knew twenty-four manuscripts and fragments of Wig. For references by Wirnt's contemporaries and by later writers, see Pfeiffer, Vorwort, p. xvi, and Meisner, Wirnt von Gravenberg, cap. i. Sarrazin, Qiiellen u. Forschimgen, XXXV, 7, points out that IVigamur shows the influence of Wigalois ; cf. Golther, Gesch. der deutschen. Litt., I, 245. 2^4 J^' ^^- Sc/ifljicld. original of T.D and BI, or on so in r form closely allied to it. I have put in the itahcized phrase in order to avoid being too definite in a matter which is purely hypothetical, and in which the facts may well be more complicated than one is disposed to think them at first sight. I cannot refrain, for example, from calling attention to the fact that Wig. has points in common with the late prose redaction of Renaud's poem ; and, more important still, with Car. also. The former will be noted in the section dealing with the Claude version (p. 239, below). Let us now see wherein Wig. and Car. agree as opposed to LD and BI. (i) In both Wig. and Car. the mother plays an important part. She tries to dissuade her son from leaving her ; and when he insists, she herself procures him an equipment. (2) The boy is informed by his mother who his father is before he goes to court, but this knowledge is concealed. He bears, however, a definite name from the start, not one given him by the king. -The information given him by his mother of his parentage affects his conduct from first to last. (3) He has many admiring friends in the city where he dwelt before going to Arthur. (4) He does not ask for a promise that an undefined adventure be given him to perform. (5) The messenger does not chide the king after the latter has given his decision that the young knight is to go. (6) The hero fights first with the giant seated by the fire. (In LD and BI with the other.) (7) The princess whom he marries bears him a son, of whom it is specially noted that he became celebrated. (8) There is only one enchanter. (9) In addition to this, Wig. and Car. show a striking agreement in the combat between the hero and the single knight; cf. Wig. 55, 7-14, 19-21, with Car. ii, 23. This conflict varies greatly in LD and BI. In the latter the part corresponding occupies 56 lines (425-4S0) ; in the former, 72 lines (337-408). In both the knight is not killed, but compelled to beg for mercy, and allowed to live only on condition that he give his promise to go to Arthur. Further, in Wig. and Car., when the knight is seen to be dead, one of the hero's company is in great alarm lest they pay dear for the deed. In Wig. the messenger exclaims : ' nu nemt war welch ein mort ir habt getan! ' (55, 24-5.) Studies on the Libeans Desconus. 225 and says they must hurry on to escape vengeance. In Car. the dwarf exclaims, "ome ! che a* tu fatto?" (ii, 24, i) and tells Car. that he has slain a great lord. Pucci here, however, introduces new features of his own, as we have seen (pp. 15, 186). Of course these agreements may be accidental ; but they seem to indicate that there were other versions, varying more or less from those few that we can definitely establish. It may be that the changes are only due to different manuscripts of the same version. Gordon de Percel (I'Abb^ Lenglet-Dufresnoy), in 1734,^ knew a quarto manuscript of "Giglan fils de Gauvain en vers." It is evident we have not all the materials at hand for a complete solution of the questions which arise. It is important now to examine more carefully some of the inci- dents which Wig. and LD have in common (cf. p. 217, above). This comparison will, it is hoped, not only strengthen the conten- tion already made as to the closeness of relationship between Wig. and LD, but also serve to correct some wrong impressions which have obtained heretofore. First, then, let us compare the first adventure which each hero has after leaving the court. It will be remembered that in both poems the messenger chides the young knight and does not hesitate to express her disappointment. 1. Together, they approach, however, a place where a knight is wont to fight with all who pass, and the messenger explains in LD that *' |>is pase kepep a kni^t, fat wi)> ech man will fijt." (286-7.) He is an exceedingly good fighter and is always victorious. LD, however, is riot afraid, but declares that he will fight at all hazards. In Wig. also the messenger tells the hero of a knight, " des hus ist hie nahen bi " (53, 29), whose custom it is to fight with every one who comes there. She advises Wig. to avoid a fight ; but he will not listen to her. 2. When this knight (in both LD and Wig.) sees them coming, he starts for them straightway. Cf. LD, 313-4, with Wig. 54, 24-26. 1 De VUsage des Romans, Amsterdam, 1734, II, 245. Pointed out by Bethge, p. 7, note i. Mennung's statement (p. 2) that Gordon de Percel knew four viattuscripls, comes from a misapprehension of the phrase "in 4. ntanuscrit." Q t 226 //'. n. Scl 10 field. 3. In LD the conditions of the fight are explained by the knight : ' Who so rit her day ol'cr ni5t, Wil' me he mot fijt Oper leve his amies her.'' (316 ff.) In Wig. the situation is influenced by the introduction of a character istic of the fight with the steward later. Every one who asks for lodging at the castle must fight with the lord, and, if he wins, he gets all his heart desires ; if he loses, he must suffer a penalty. It is important to observe, however, that the penalty is as follows : • stichet ab in der wirt nider, s5 muoz er danne blozer wider scheiden gar an sine habe.'' (54, 7 ff.) In the corresponding place in both LD and BI (the fight with Lam- part) defeat will expose the knight to the insults of the citizens, who will pelt him with " foul fen." In BI, on the other hand, in this first adventure, there is no such condition as that in Wig. and LD. We merely read that the little company comes to a ford on the other side of which is a lodging in which a knight " atendoit I'aventure " (329). Helie sees him making ready, and warns BI not to go over, " que tu ja ne soies ocis " (373). BI crosses, nevertheless, and is stopped by the knight, who explains : ' Folia fu del gue passer ; Je vos I'ferai cier comparer.' (395-6.) The knight then explains the situation thus : ' Avant n'irds-vos, sans bataille ; Del gue passer est tels Pusages ; Ensi I'a tenu mes lignages ; Et je certes plus de vii ans Maiiites gens i a fais dolens, Et maint bon chevalier de pris I ai abatu et ocis.' (414 ff.) There is thus no mention of any penalty for defeat, or of any way to avoid a fight. The knight's family has merely had for a long time the pleasant custom of killing all other knights who passed the ford, and he himself has done his duty in the matter faithfully for seven years. Studies on the Libeans Descofiiis. 227 It is clear that we have in this one incident an important argument against the view that Wirnt knew Renaud's poem, for we have a striking agreement of Wig. with the Enghsh poem in a point where it varies from the French of Renaud. And yet, be it noted, this is the very passage, and the only one, which Mennung picks out to prove that Wig. is taken from Renaud's poem. Moreover, it is evident that the feature of asking for lodging was not originally present here, but is introduced from the later advent- ure with Lampart, for we see that in Wig. the conditions and situ- ation do not fit. Wig. does not ask for lodging at all. As in LD, the knight sees him coming and makes for him. Er wande im solde gelingen als im ofte e was getan. (54, 29-30.) He is on the lookout for knights who happen to be passing and is ever ready to fight. As in LD also, he sees LD and his companions before they see him. How stupid, then, to have the fight depend on the asking for lodging ! Moreover, the companions do not stop after the fight ; they continue their journey as in LD and BI. It may be noted also that there is no question of a gue in LD or Wig. We thus see that Wirnt introduces at the proper place the fight with the single knight, making it the first adventure after the hero leaves court ; and his account, moreover, agrees in details with that given in LD, and is opposed to that in BI. The opinion, then, which has heretofore prevailed, that Wirnt omitted this first incident, is erroneous. All he has done is stupidly to introduce here a char- acteristic of a later incident, and yet not make it fit. He tells the second incident in its proper place, but is careful to avoid repeating himself, as will be seen if we compare the adventure with the steward in Wig. with that in LD and BI. An adventure foreign to our cycle intervenes between the sparrow- hawk episode and that with which we have to deal. Afterwards when Wig. and the messenger are riding along together, the latter informs the hero that they are near the city of her mistress, tells him of the enchanter, informs him how the distress was brought about, and instructs him how to perform the adventure. They soon come before the beautiful city and see a knight riding out armed. Wig. asks who he is, and the messenger tells him that he is " truhsreze hie " 228 //: //. Sc/iofifU. (103, 21). He and Wig. fight together on the plain ; but the contest is undecided. Finally the knight, recognizing the merit of his oppo- nent, comes to Wig. and bids him welcome (104, 8), Then he sees the maiden whom his lady had sent to Arthur for aid (104, 11). He welcomes her also, and all ride together to the castle. They are joyfully received. The messenger tells of her journey and Wig.'s braver}-, and there is great rejoicing. In LD also, whilst LD and the messenger are riding along, the latter gives the hero information as to the " steward " or " constable " of the castle which they are approaching, and which belongs to her mistress. As in Wig., after the fight which ensues betvyeen this knight and LD, the former bids the latter welcome (i 739 ; cf. 1 75 1 ) . AVhen he sees the messenger, his joy is increased, especially when she gives an account of the bravery of LD and his victories on their way thither. Cf. the following passages of Wig. and LD (BI is quite different): Owe, waz da wart gesaget maere von ir reise ! si zalte manege freise die si von vorhten leit dd ir geselle streit. ir getwerc daz pfert fur si reit und fuorte den sitech unt den hunt. diu magt begunde meren dem jungen liter sinen pris : si lobte in manes;en wis and er wolde verliesen sinen lip durch si, das waer im gedaht. (105,39-106,24.) Anon hat maide Elene Was fet \\'i\> knijtes ten Before sir Lambard. Sche and W dwcrj bedene Telde of six dedes kene, pat he did Mdirward, And hou Jat sir Libewe Faujt wi)' fele schrewe And for no de> ne spard. (1753 fF.) Studies on the Libeaus Desconus. 229 Up to this time LD has known nothing definite of his mission, and, hke Wig., he therefore inquires about it. In each case he is told the name(s) of the enchanter (s) and the method of enchantment, and vows to go to the rescue. We read also in Wig. of the information given to the hero of the people of the enchanted city. ' man hoeret da niwan we ! we ! schrien die langen naht. ez ist uns ein sweere daz wir des niht miigen gesehen wa von ode wie ez si geschehen.' (113, S-H-) With this should be compared the information given to LD. ' Ofte we herel? her crie, But her to se wib ije, per to have we no mijt.' (1801 fif.) We thus see that we have here in Wig. the fight with the steward in its proper place. The feature as to the conditions for obtain- ing lodging, being told before, is of course not repeated. The agreements with LD, as opposed to BI, are again remarkable. We have in both, for example, the bidding the hero welcome, the joy of the people, the recounting by the messenger and the dwarf of the knight's brave deeds on the way, his willingness to risk his life, his being told the name(s) of the enchanter(s) before he enters the city, and the information given him at the castle that they can hear the cries of the people of the enchanted city, whom they cannot see. It is interesting now to see what Mennung has to say about these two adventures, for they play an important part in his argument. He is of the opinion that Wirnt did not include in Wig. any incident parallel to that with the first knight in LD and BI, but that he related "ein und dasselbe Abenteuer" (viz., that with the steward) twice. The reason for this repetition, he thinks, is easily seen. " Auf der einen Seite folgte er der korrekten schriftlichen Vorlage, und daher die genaue Uebereinstimmung der mitgeteilten Textstlicke, auf der andern hingegen den dunkeln Reminiscenzen des Knappen, der das Abenteuer derartig vortrug, dass Wirnt die Identitat beider Quellen nicht erkannte. Dass dieser Irrtum eintreten konnte, lag einesteils daran, dass der Knappe weiter nichts mehr wusste, als dass Guinglain 230 ■ J/'. //. Sc/iojicld. mit dem Truchsess der zu erlosenden Jungfrau gekampft, andernteils aber auch, dass der Stand dieses Gegners in der schriftlichen Vorlage erst ganz spat nach dem Kanipfe genannt wird. Brach die Vorlage vorher ab, so konnte Wirnt nicht wissen, dass es sich in beiden Berichten urn ein und dieselbe Person des Seneschalls oder Truch- sesses handelte. Dieser bedeutungsvollc Irrtum spricht nach meiner Ansicht sehr fiir die Benutzung zweier verschiedenen Quellen." (P-6i.) How unfortunate this ingenious explanation is, will surely be apparent to all. In disproof of Mennung's last conjecture we may note that the position of the hero's opponent in LD is told before LD goes to the castle. LD inquires about the castle in the distance, and Elene tells him that no knight can get lodging there ' For doute of a stiward, pat men clepel' sir Lambard, Constable of Jns castell.' (1576 ff.) And we remember that Wirnt is following a version very near this and very unlike BI. Moreover, a comparison of LD and BI shows that in the former the characters are almost always named when they appear first, while Renaud repeatedly makes the mistake of not tell- ing their names until long after, in some cases not until they are to be dismissed from the narrative. (E.g., H^lie, Tidogolain, Orguillous de la Lande, Margerie, Giflet li fius Do, Malgier, Mabon and Eurain.) 4. I should like also to call particular attention to the agreements bet\veen Wig. and LD, as opposed to BI, in the adventure with the dog. To this end compare the following passages : an der selben stunde lief vor in ein brakelin, daz niht schoeners mohte sin. daz was blanc iiber al : niwan ein ore was im val, daz ander rot alsam ein bluet. des wart diu maget wol gerauot : wande si des selbe jach daz si nie deheinez gesach daz ir z'ihte masre wider daz selbe waere. and Studies on the Libeatis Desconus. 231 des wart der riter harte vro. daz hundelin vienger do und leit ez fiir si I'lf ir kleit. des wart diu maget vil gemeit, mit grozen frouden si do reit. (60, 23 flf.) As hey ride talkinge, pey si§e a rach come flinge Overl'wert ^e way. pan seiden eld and ainge, From her ferst ginninge fey ne sije never non so gay. He was of all colours pat man may sen of flours Betwene midsomer and may. pe maide saide also snell : < Ne si§ I never no juell So likinge to my pay. God wold, hat I him au^te ! ' Libeans anoon him cau§te And jaf him to maide Elene. pey ride forJ> all sau^t And telde, hou kniates faujt For ladies bri^t and schene. (1069 fF.) With this ending cf. also Die straze riten si als e. ir frbude was d6 michels me denne ir da vor wasre. Mit manegem guoten maere vertriben si die selben zit. (62, 16 fF.) In BI the whole of this episode is changed, and certainly for the worse. We must, however, say that BI shows some likeness to Wig. in a place where the author of LD is in no way opposed, but con- tents himself with generalities. The dog is thus described in BI : Plus estoit blans que nulle nois ; Orelles noires comme pois, (Celi qui fu au les senestre ;) De Tautre part, sor le flanc destre, Ot une tace tote noire. (1275 ff.) 232 jr. //. Sc/iofi'U. This agreement is not by any means exact enough to warrant us in assuming translation ; and LD hints at the same features clearly. On the other hand, it will be remembered that in BI H^lie herself alights and catches the dog, being able to do so because it has a thorn in its foot, etc. In Wig. and LD they ride on ; but soon the owner appears and demands his dog. When it is refused, he begins to threaten ; but the hero is defiant. Cf. Er sprach : ' Wie getorst ir ie gevahen minen schoenen hunt? heizt in lazen an dirre stunt balde uf die straze nider, ode irn kumet niemer wider mit deheinen iuwern eren, und miiezet wider keren mit ungesundem libe.' ' diu rede zasm einem wibe ' sprach her Wigalois der degen. ' swaz ab uns da von geschiht, wirn geben iu des hundes niht durch boese rede noch durch dro.'' (6l, 24-62, 3.) and 'Frendes, leteb him go!' Libeaus answerde \>o : ' pat schall never betide ! ' Quo> sir Otes de Lile : * pou puttest he in greet perUe, Biker jef hou abide.' Libeaus seide : ' Be seint Gile! I ne jeve nou?t of \>y gile, Cherl, J)au5 )'0U chide.' ' per of do Vy best pis rach wih me schall wende!' (i 105-31.) We need not enter into the variations in BL Suffice it to remember that BI even pleads with H^lie to give the dog back. Studies on the Li beans Desconus. 233 In LD after this adventure we read : Libeaus rod many a mile And sij aventurs file In Irland and in Wales. (1300 fF.) With this cf. Mit frouden riten si do dan, der getwerc einez in began sagen schoeniu meere, wer sin lierre waere der in dar het gesant, und wie ez stuende in Irlant. (87, 22 fT.) The passage in LD is hard to understand. How could LD ride about at this time, and see terrible adventures in Ireland and Wales? The idea is preposterous. The passage is probably due to a misunderstanding of the original, which we may suppose was somewhat like the passage in Wig. just given. It is well to observe, at any rate, that there is no passage in BI in which Ireland is men- tioned in this way. In fact, the name occurs only twice in the poem, in both cases merely as the name of the land from which come two kings mentioned as taking part in the tournament. There is surely no need to continue the discussion. It must now be clear (i) that Wirnt in writing Wigalois had no knowledge of _Renaud's poem, and (2) that thefojrm of the story told to Wirnt by his squire (i.e. what we have called " the Desc. part " of Wig.) was drawn either from the common source of LD and BI, or from some form closely allied to it. This theory will be seen to differ in almost every particular from that of Mebes. It is also very dissimilar to Bethge's view. Bethge first placed,' as he thought, " iiber jeden zweifel " the opinion that " kein andres werk als der BI Renaulds de Beaujeu die quelle Wirnts gewesen sein kann " (p. 77). He then declared (p. 77) : "Wirnt hat nicht das franzosische gedicht selbst gekant oder gar wie herr dr. Mebes wahnte teilweise in einer handschrift vor sich gehabt, sondern er folgte wie er selbst angibt der einmaligen miindlichen erzahlung 1 Wirnt von Gravenberg, eine literarhislorische Untersiichimg, Berlin, 1881. See the disparaging review by Rhode in Engl. Studien, VII, 150 ff. ; and cf. Paris, Hist. Lilt., XXX, 187, n. i; Kaluza, Einl., p. cxxxii. 234 n: //. Sc/iofu-id. eines knappen die von anf^xng an ungenau war und gegen das ende hin immer liickenhafter und verworrener wurde. Die abweichungen des deutschen gedichts von dem franzosischen beruhen zuva teil auf vergesslichkeiten teils des dichters teils seines gewahrsmannes zum teil aber audi auf absichtlichen veranderungen, auslassungen und zusatzen Wirnts." Bethge, then, holds that the squire's story (which, in his opinion, was derived from BI ') was confused and defective, especially toward the end, and that Wirnt himself did not remember well what the squire told him. The variation in the catastrophe of Wig. (including the omission of ihtfier baiser) he ascribes to lapses of memory on the squire's part.' The fee episode he supposes was omitted by Wirnt on moral grounds. My opinion, on the contr^y, is that Wirnt followed the squire's story more or less closely until he reached the catastro- phe, viz., the disenchantment of the princess,^ but that at this point he decided to lengthen the narrative according to his own fancy. He therefore foisted in various incidents taken from various sources or drawn from his own imagination, and postponed the catastrophe until he had thus conducted the hero through a series of discon- nected adventures. He then wound up the story proper in a way which resembled remotely the conclusion of his original,* and 1 It is true Bethge says (p. 17) : " dass der knappe eine altera franzosische bear- beitung kante ist ganz sicher zu widerlegen; eine solche hat es niemals gegeben "; and again (p. 19) : " nirgend vor Renauld de Beaujeu wird von Guinglain oder Libiaus gesagt oder gesungen"; but these opinions are plainly erroneous. Rhode QEfigl. Studien, VII, 150 f.) advances the argument that if Renaud's poem had been the first on the subject it must have jumped into remarkable popularity all at once, to have been worked over after so very short a time by the German poet. 2 Bethge, like Mebes, supposes that most of the additions in the non-Desc. part of Wig. were made by Wirnt rather than by the squire, but he ascribes a considerable activity in this regard to the latter also (p. 51). The additions were, he thinks, in great part made to fill up gaps in the squire's imperfect story. 3 It will be remembered that in my opinion the squire was not following Renaud's poem, and that therefore the return visit to the lie d'Or, the tourna- ment, and the rest of Renaud's additions were unknown to him, and consequently to Wirnt. Bethge did not learn of the existence of Car. until he had finished his essay, nor does he give any evidence of having carefully compared LD with BI. * Bethge's idea that the variation at this point is due to the squire's weak memory is peculiarly improbable. The incident of the Jier baiser is certainly too striking to have been forgotten either by the squire or his master. Studies on the Libeaiis Desconus. 235 inserted a long adventure after the narrative had really come to an end. If the conclusion at which we have arrived as to Wirnt's source is correct, the agreements of Wig. with BI as opposed to LD, and with LD as opposed to BI, are accounted for, and Wig. becomes an im- portant factor in determining what were probably the features in Version B. We must ascribe to Version B at least two important features in which Wig. agrees with BI and is unlike LD, viz., the messenger's leaving the court without the young knight (p. 158, above), and the meeting with the young woman which leads to the sparrow-hawk adventure (p. 165, above). Moreover, I am of the opinion that the squire's story included a short introduction telling of the youth of the hero, and that Wirnt amplified this by means of another story with which he was familiar. Bethge, of course, con- siders the introduction in Wig. to be entirely an addition made by Wirnt, inasmuch as Renaud's poem (the only Desc. story, according to Bethge, which the squire could have known) contains nothing that could have suggested it.^ We must now give some account of the part of Wig. which precedes the boy's reception at court. After a long introduction, in which Wirnt tells us his name and somewhat of himself (1-144), he opens the narrative by a description of Arthur and his glorious residence at Karidol (145-247). The king had a custom not to sit down to meat until he had had some advent- ure.^ Once it was past midday before any offered itself. An un- known red knight rides up and begs the queen to accept a beautiful girdle with magic powers,^ which he reaches up on a spear to her ; if not, to choose a knight to fight with him. On Gawein's advice she returns it in the morning, and the stranger rides off to the plain to await adventure (248-435). One after another the knights are con- quered, and finally even Gawein has to yield (436-61 8). He goes 1 Mebes also seems to ascribe the introduction to Wirnt, but he is confused on this point (see p. 209, above). 2 On this common feature of the Arthur poems, see Child, Ballads, Part II, p. 257, note %. Cf. Loseth, Tristan, p. 280; Freymond, Zt. f. fr. Sp. u. I.itt., XVII, 46, etc. ^ Cf. Cuchulinn's girdle, theories as to the connection of which with Siegfried's invulnerability may be seen in Zimmer, Haupt's Zeiischrift, XXXII, 319. 236 JV. II. Schofidd. with the unknown knight to the latter's land, being given the magic girdle whilst they are on their journey. He is well received by the king and queen, and by their wonderfully beautiful niece, whom it takes over five pages to describe (619-950). Gawein is in raptures when the king tells him he may have her to wife. They are married and live together happily. Gawein becomes famous in the land ; but after half a year longs to see his old companions. He leaves his wife sorrowful, although he promises to be but a very short time away, and in twelve days is at Karidol. His coming causes great joy. Soon, however, he decides to return, and leaves the court secretly. As he has left the magic girdle behind with his wife (instructing her that if anything happens to him, it shall be given to his child, if a son), he cannot find his home again, and after a year's vain searching goes back to Arthur (951-1220). Meanwhile his wife, Florie, has given birth to a son,^ to whose training she gives her most assiduous atten- tion, with the result that all love and honor the boy for his virtue and powers. He is told of the bravery of his father, and determines to go in search of him. His mother tries to dissuade him, but finally tells him more of his father and gives him the girdle. He takes leave of her in sorrow (1221-1410). On his way he meets a messenger sent by Arthur to summon knights to a tournament at which three thou- sand are to be present. The boy is shown the way to the court, and finds a great celebration going on (1411-1475). Beside a linden he sees a beautiful variegated stone, which has such powers that no one can touch it unless he is without sin.^ He ties his horse to a bough and sits down on the stone. Nobody at court can do this but x\rthur, not even Gawein. News of this marvel is at once brought to Arthur, ^ Wirnt is not alone in making Gawein marry a beautiful princess Florie, and have by her a distinguished son. This is the case in Version P of the Livre d'Arius, which has just been made accessible by Freymond. Floree is there the daughter of King Alain of Escavalon, and before the birth of her son it was prophesied by Merlin that he should become a brave knight of the Round Table. As the editor says (p. 50, note 2), " Eine ganze Reihe von Punkten in unserem Text erinnern, was ich hier nicht weiter ausfiihren will, an ahnliches in den ver- schiedenen Versionen des Guinglain." A number of these will be found noted in their proper places. 2 On this feature see Child, Ballads, Part II, 257 ff., especially 269, note J; also IV, 502 J VI, 503; VIII, 454; IX, 212. See also Bethge, p. 44. Studies on the Libeaus Descomis. 237 who starts off with the ladies and knights to verify the report. The boy is given a hearty welcome by the king and queen. Arthur asks him what he wishes and who he is. He replies that he cannot tell who his father is. (In Car. also he knows his father's name, but con- ceals it.) He gives his name as Gwi von Galois, and makes his request : ' mit minem dienest wold ich erwerben des ich ie han gegert : ob ich der eren wsre wert daz ich riter wurde hie.' His request is granted ; he is given over to Gawein for instruction ; a feast is made in his honor when he is knighted, after which Arthur distributes presents freely to his guests (1475-1716). At the next solstice, when they are again at table, the messenger and the dwarf appear. The introductory part in LD is told very briefly. In BI it is omitted altogether. It is therefore likely that the author of Version A, know- ing that this part of his story was familiar to his hearers or readers, passed over it lightly, merely outlining the story, and hastening on to the part which he was to develope in a new way. In Car., as I have pointed out, the author reverted to the story of Perceval's youth as he found it in a late prose account ; ^ in Wig. to some other story of a young knight coming unknown to Arthur's court, and later performing wonderful feats. This story Wirnt probably treated freely, as he did the rest of his material. We have, for example, in Meriaduec or Li Chevaliers as deus Espees ^ some features in common with the introductory part of Wig. and with later incidents in the other poems of our cycle. The fol- lowing resemblances to Wig. are noteworthy : (i) Mer. opens with a description of a great feast at Arthur's court at Cardueil, where all the knights are gathered. (2) The king is worried because no adventure has yet offered itself, and it is time to begin the feasting. (3) A stranger comes to the court in possession of a wonderful girdle and sword. (4) All the knights in turn try to perform the task she assigns ; but one after another they are baffled. (5) A boy, who has been in Gawein's charge and is not twenty- 1 Cf. Paris, Hist. ,Litt., XXX, 239, note i. 2 See Hist. Liit., XXX, 237 ff. 238 U: //. Si/tojicld. two years of age, comes to Arthur and begs to be made a knight. (6) All marvel at his beauty and courageous appearance. (7) He is knighted with due religious ceremonies, and provided with the best of armor. ^ft'r. also presents the following points of resemblance to LD and BI : (i) A young woman and a dwarf come to the court. The for- mer makes Arthur accede to an undefined request before she will dismount. (2) A repast is made ready. (3) The young knight begs to be allowed to undertake the adventure she has proposed. All are surprised at his temerity ; but the king accedes to his request. (4) This boy knows neither who was his father nor what his own name is, and is known at court merely as le biel vallet, the only name by which his mother had called him. He has been brought up by his mother in ignorance of his parentage, and has received no definite name. (5) The young knight rides in quest of adventure. Every- where he is victorious, and his fame reaches Arthur's court, whither he sends those whom he conquers to promise submission, and say they were sent by the chevalier as deus espees, the name first given him at court. Amongst his adventures are : {a) his assisting a woman in distress, whom he meets in a forest lamenting the death of her lover (7770 ff.) ; {b) his forcing Gerflet li fius Do to go to Arthur (8739) ; (r) his conquering a red knight du val Ferilleus, who is Arthur's avowed enemy (10918). But it should especially be noted that in this poem (6) Gawein frees a beautiful young lady from the necessity of marrying a knight whose offer she has refused and who has therefore besieged her. The time is just about come when she must give in. Gawein succeeds in his fight with the knight, and sticks his opponent's head up on a pole with those of forty-four other knights whom the latter has conquered. There is great joy in the castle when the people see themselves freed. After a rich meal, Gawein betakes himself to bed. The mother brings her daughter to the room and gives her over to him. After a part of the night spent in embraces, Gawein will fulfil his further wishes, but is prevented by the young woman's withdrawal. (Cf. Peredur.) (7) It is at the wish of the king that M^r. marries the beautiful queen of Caradigan, whom he loves. There is a great celebration and feast at their wedding. They then leave the court for Caradigan, \vhere M^r. is made king. The lady is called Lore (cf. Larie), and bears M^r. children. SUidies on the Libeaus Descomis. 239 THE FRENCH PROSE REDACTION. The French prose redaction of BI made by Claude Platin, is known to me only from the analysis of the Comte de Tressan/ and from the account of it given by Paris.^ Platin professes to have translated from a Spanish poem ; but, according to Paris, this state- ment must be understood as referring to that part of his work which is taken from the Provencal yh:z//;r' (Platin having mistaken Provencal for Spanish).^ The only source admitted by Paris for the Desc. part of Platin's version is Renaud, and, Paris tells us, he follows his original in general pretty faithfully. The analysis of the Comte de Tressan, however, has " inexactitude et les enjolivements qui carac- t^risent les ' extraits ' de ce galant vulgarisateur." To Tressan, then, we infer, must be due the remarkable form of the story in the " extrait," — the entire omission of Xkit fier baiser, the match-making of Queen Guinovere, the death of the fee de la Blanchevalee (as the lady of the He d'Or is called) from sorrow at Giglan's inconstancy, the introduction of episodes foreign to our cycle, such as the fight between Gawain and his son, and the like. We infer also that the boy's bringing up "dans un lieu desert et ^loign^ du commerce des hommes " was introduced, say from the Perceval, by the Comte de Tressan; and that the account of his coming to court, begging a boon of Arthur, etc., was shifted by him from the Desc. part to that devoted to Geoffroy de Mayence. [Just in time to be noted here a communication from the author, now in Paris, has been received, in which he gives additional details about the contents of Platin's work. He has examined two editions of it in the Bibliothcque Nationale, one lacking the last page, the other dated 1539 and published at Lyons, not, however, by Claude Nourry, but by Hilles et Jaques Huguetan freres. " The analysis of the Comte de Tressan," writes Dr. Schofield, " bears little likeness to the romance itself, and a careful reading of the latter shows that on the whole Claude's redaction follows Renaud's poem very closely." There is not space here to note differences in details. — £(ls.'\ 1 Bibl. univ. des Romans, October, 1777, pp. 59 T- 2 Rom., XV, 22-24; also Hist. Lilt., XXX, 196-199. 8 Cf. Grasse, Die grossen Sagenkreise des Mittelalters, 1842, p. 225. 240 J/'. //. Schofichi. WOLFRAM'S PARZIVAL. The bearing of the results of the present investigation^ on the important problems in connection with Wolfram's Parzival and the Grail stories in general is obvious, I refrain from entering into these questions now because they do not affect my conclusions in the more definite problems with which we are dealing, and because I hope before long to publish a careful examination of the whole matter. I shall only say now that in those poems which seem to depend on Chretien, the young knight, when he comes to court, rides abruptly before the king and makes his rough demand ; while Wolfram agrees with LD, Car., and Wig. in that the boy first salutes the king and his courtiers suitably and then proffers his request. We have, moreover, in Wolfram an adventure which is remarkably like two episodes found in LD only. Parziv^al goes to a castle, where he is well treated, and his wounds received in a recent fight are attended to. Fine apparel is given him. The knight of the castle offers him the hand of his only daughter, and his lands after him ; but Parzival is unwilling to marry, and, after a stay of a fortnight, rides away. In LD after the fight with the giants, LD goes to the home of the rescued maiden, where he receives rich apparel. The knight offers him the hand of his only daughter, and his lands after him ; but he replies that "nougt wive get I ne may" (741), and leaves them. After the fight with Sir Otes he goes to the knight's castle, where he is well received. He dede him helen his wounde, >at he was hoi and sounde Be )>e fourtenijt ende. (1279 fF.) Then the hero takes his departure. These two episodes united pre- sent all the features of the account in Wolfram. It is curious to note also that the knight in LD who offers his daughter's hand to LD is there, and there alone, called Antore, and the only name I have noticed in any of the Perc. stories at all like this is Antanor, which 1 See also Mennung, p. 40. Studies on the Libeaus Desconns. 241 is in Wolfram, iii, 1099. We may add also that Parzival, when asked his name, replies as follows : ' bon fiz, schier fiz, bM fiz, ^ alsus hat mich genennet der mich da heime erkennet ; ' (iii, 722 ff.) and that when he first goes to court all marvel at his beauty. One knight, for example, exclaims : * owol der muoter diu dich bar ! i'ne gesacli nie lip so wol gevar.' (iii, 903-4.) LATER HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH ROMANCE. The English romance was undoubtedly very popular, as is evident from the number of references made to it in later works. It was a doubtful honor to have it included by Chaucer in Sir Thopas as one of the ''romances of prys," but still this shows how well it was known. In The Squyr of Lowe Degree, as Kaluza points out (p. clxiv ff.), our hero is mentioned, attention is directed to a specific scene in LD, and an extract given from the poem.^ The name of the hero is also mentioned in The Carle of Carlile^ and, as Ritson notes. III, 253,'' by Skelton and Henry Crosse.^ Professor Kittredge calls my attention to the following passage in the Weddynge of Syr Gawene : ^ Syr Gawen gat on her Gyngolyn, That was a good knyght of strength and kynn, And of the Table Round. 1 In Wolfram, ix, 1225, we also have a Lybbeah, one of the Grail knights, who, curiously enough, comes from the land of Prienlascors, which is said to be from the Prov. priendre las cortz, and to mean " der die Hofe der Fiirsten aufsucht " (Bartsch, Germanistische Studien, II, 149). 2 See vv. 78, 611-632; HazHtt, Early Popular Poetry, II, 26, 46-47; Ritson, Anc. Engleish Metrical Romancees, III, 148, 1 70-1 71. 3 Ed. Madden (in Syr Gawayne, p. 188), v. 55; ed. Hales and Furnivall, Percys Folio Matiuscript^ III, 278, v. 33. * Phyllyp Sparowe, 649-650. ^ Vertues Common wealth or the Iliglnvay to Honour, 1600. Cf. Hales and Furnivall, II, 414. •^ Vv. 800 ff. (Madden, Syr Gawayne, p. 298 jt). K 243 Jr. 11. Schofidd. There is still another interesting reference to our hero in the inter- lude Thersites'^ written by an unknown author, and acted in 1537. Thersites boastfully challenges the knights of the Round Table : 'Where arte thou Gawyn the curtesse and Cay the crabed? Here be a couple of knightes cowardishe and scabbed ! Apere in thy likenesse Syr Libeus Disconius, Yf thou wilt liave my clubbe lyghte on thy hedibus.'' I should like also to call attention to the f^ict that an incident in LD (viz., the fight of the hero with the heathen giant Maugis, who had beset the lady of the He d'Or, 132 1 {{.^, is, it seems, clearly pre- served in the semi-historical ballad of The Earl of Westmoreland, sts. 54 ff.' In both poems: (i) A Christian knight comes from a distance to a place where the people are all in fear of a heathen warrior. (2) The land is ruled by a woman, and none of her fol- lowing dares oppose the heathen. (3) The knight determines to meet the giant, and his determination causes joy among the people, whose sympathies are all with him. (4) The giant is " both fowle and uglye for to see." (5) When he sees the young knight approach he greets him with derision, for he thinks him no match. (6) In LD (and this is important) the hero is a child, and in the ballad he has a child's voice. (7) He replies, however, that he is ready for his opponent, and does not fear. (8) They fight by the water's edge. (9) In the first encounter they both break their swords; they con- tinue the fight on foot. (10) Thus they keep up the struggle for a long time, dealing each other severe blows until both are weary. (11) Finally the young man cuts off the heathen's head, which (12) he takes up and carries off. (13) The people of the city come to meet him "with a fair procession." (14) The lady-ruler receives him in person, and at once offers to marry him and give him control of her land. (15) He, however, is obliged to refuse and depart from her.^ 1 Child, Four Old Plays, p. 58 ; Pollard, English Miracle Plays, etc., pp. i3off. 2 Child, Ballads, Pt. VI, 421-23. 8 We may also compare with LD's fight with Lampart (1681 ff.), sts. 27-29, 31, of Hugh Spencer^ s Feats in France, Version B, Child, Pt. VI, 280; see par- ticularly LD, I705ff. APPENDIX. PROPER NAMES IN LE BEL INCONNU.i 1. Adant, 2167. 2. Agolans (rois d'Escoce), 1814, 5159. 3. Aguillars, 31. 4. Aguissans (li rois), 5815, 5867, 5871, 5877, 5931; cf. Aguizans (rois d'Escoce), 5372; Aguisel {\q x.o\) , 5971- 5. Aies (land of Elin?), 521, 960, iioo, 1 120, 1 149, 1 165, 1 183, 1 193, 1213; Sire des, 503 1; cil de, 5915- 6. Alixandre (gold of), 3419. 7. Almauie, 3479. 8. Amangons (rois), 47, 5162, 5172, 5452, 5735. 5747. 6016. 9. Ample bois (dus de 1'), 5399. 10. Aqttins d^ Orbie, 50. 11. Ares (rois), 42. 12. Artti{s), 15, 32, 83, 251, 406, 410, 475' 479. "77. i455. 1785.2075, 2690, 2881, 3205, 3213, 3287, 3332, 3378, 3580, 3854. 4882, 4965, 4985, 5012, 5153, 5440, 5472, 5497, 5801, 5809, 5861, 5981, 6000, 6004, 6067, 6072. 13. Atels (le roi. Tors li fius de), 5487. B 14. Baladi{n)gan{t) (li valles de), 46, 5408, 5548, 5561. 15. Balant (Brus de), 5562. 16. Ban Regomer (li rois), 5384. 17. Bans de Gomertel (rois), 5737. 18. Baradigan (li rois de — Caraan — ), 5380. 19. Baudris, 5606. 20. Beduiers, 37, 61, 105, 109, II9. 21. Beduer de Normendie, 5480. 22. Bel fil, 124. 23. Bel leus, 1488. 24. Blances Mains (la fee as), 321 1, 3650, 3878, 5111 (?). 25. Bliblis, 4260. 26. Blioblieris, 333, 431, 459, 517, 535, 824, 1201, 5029, 5913. 27. Blonde Esmeree, 3638, 3804, 3842, 4963, 5466, 5793, 6002, 6009, 6053, 6066. 28. Braimant, 3013. 29. Bretaingne, 3484, 3569, 3632, 5736. 30. Bretons (les), 5695, 5762, 5767. 31. Bruians des Illes, 5454; (li rois) 5601, 5605, 5619, 5654, 5961, 6017. 32. Brus de Balant, 5562. 33. Sues de Gonefort, 35. 34. Cadoalens (li rois), 5657. 35. Cadoc (le roi), 5694, 5702, 5708. 36. Caraan (rois de Baradigan), 5381. 37. Carados, 44. 38. CaraeSf/^i. 1 Those numbered in black-faced type are also in LD, 243 -44 Appendix. 39. Carentins, 44. 40. Cartre (Gervis de), 36. 41. Catehtiels, 54S6. 42. tX/4)(/r//(V/, II, 2691. 43. Cil <> la cote matitaillie, 49. 44. Clarie, S77, 1216. 45. CoHiirins iV IllattJe, 5603. 46. ConsiiintinobU, 4667. 47. Cortiouailh, 1844, 3010, 5394, 5448, 5594- D 48. Dius, 8, 308, 310, 312, etc. 49. Dinaus, 43. 50. Durains (roi), 5428. 51. Dunelrie (Geldras li rois de), 5390. 52. Do (Gifles li fius). See Gifles. E 53. Elaine^ 4258. 54. Elemagne cite (roi de), 5848. 55. Elias (li dus), 5414. 56. Elins (li blans, Sire des Aies (?)), 521, 959- 57. Etiaud (rois), 38. 58. Enee, 4262. 59. Eoars (li biaus), 48. Efire (?), 5219. 60. Erec, li fius Lac, 39. 61. Erec d^Estregales, 5479. 62. Erians, 36. 63. Escoce, 1813, 1828, 5372, 5867. 64. Espai{n)gne, 3485, 5760. 65. Esqes d^Estrans, 50. 66. Estregales (Erec d'), 5479. 67. Eurains, 3341. 68. Eineposterne (Grahelens de), 5424. 69. Elore (le due de France), 5482, 5872. 70. Floriens, 34. 71. France (Flore le due de), 5872. 72. Franfois, 5482. 73. Frise (bon ceval de), 5780. 82 Gale li cals, 5162, 6020 {ca 14/(7), 41). Gal{l)es, 3358, 3431, 3813, 4964, 5123, 5129, 6079. Galoain (le rice conte), 5775. Galigans, 2485. Gandelus, 5432. Gascont, 1699. Gaste cite, 1224, 2751, 3363. Gaudins (li rois d'lllande), 5444; cf. le roi Gaudi, 5617. Gauvains (li nies Artu), 37, 102, 261, 266, 3190, 3200, 3209, 5010, 5 1 10, 5139, 5154, 5158, 5472, 5477. 5772; li cortois, 93; li dials, 3483; dans Gauvains, 3334- . Geldain (li rois), 5725, 5749. Geldras (li rois de Dunebrie), 5390. . Gervis de Cartre, 36. 6^?;?^j (li fius Do), 1788, 1789, 1795, 1S08, 1820, 1824, (D'eu (?)) 5035. 5964. 6017. Giglains, 3207, 3224, 3227 (104 times). , Gohenet (li rois Hoel de), 5376. Gomertel (Bans de), 5737. Gorhout (Gormans de), 5434. Germans (de Gorhout), 5434. Grahelens de Eineposterne (freres de Guingamer), 5424. Graies (li bons chev. de), 522, 1099, mo, 1119, 1194. Gramadone (ridden by Celui des Aies), II 23. Gringair^s, (roi) father of the en- chanted princess, 173, 3283, 3948, _5I93- (?). Gue Perillous, 319, 533, 997, 1202, 5914. Guingamer (freres de Grahelens de F.), 5426. Guinglains (see Giglains). Appendix. 245 98. Guinlains {de Tintaguel), 51. 99. Guivres (li rois : qui ot amenes les Irois), 5388-9; li sire des Irois, 5729- 100. Gunes (nies d'Olrecestre), 5476. H 101. Haute Montaigne (cil de la), 5418. 102. Helie, 193, 719, 814, 829, 1000, 1003, 1031, 1220, 1827, 1852, 1929. 1975. 2284, 2292, 2335, 2681, 3391, 3402, 4895. 103. Helin (de Graies ?), mo, I194- 5, 1214; cf. 1 1 19. 104. Hoet (li rois de Gohenet), 5376, 5484, 5595, 5656, 5668. 105. Horels (li rois), 34. 106. Hungrie, 4150. 107. Illande (Gaudins, li rois d'), 5445; (Condrins d') 5603. 108. Ille Noires (sire de 1'), 5423. 109. He d'Or, 1914, 3653, 3773, 3886, 3902, 5228. no. Irois (Guivres li Sire des), 5389, 5729- III. Isex la blonde, 4260 (cf. 5492). 112. Jhesus, 2167. K 113. Kakadist, 5398. 114. Kais, li senescals, 53, 63, 5161, 5574, 6019. 115. Lac (Erec li fius), 39. 116. Lais hardis de Cornouaille, 5394. 117. Lampars, 2501, 2564, 2576, 2590, 2598, 2658, 2662, 2680, 2682, 2687, 2702, 2721, 2737, 2764, 2772, 2823, 3402, 3505, 5470, 5790, 5795, 5964, 6019. 118. Lasselos (Lancelot) dou Lac, 40, 5412. 119. Lavine de Lombardie, 4261. 120. Libiaus Desconneus, 131, 201, 277, etc. (56 times). 121. Libnus, 5496. 122. Limors, 3889. 123. Lindezie (Yvains li rois de), 5369, 5659- 124. Lombardie (Lavine de), 4261, 125. Londres, 5040, 6001, 6007, 6064. 126. Los (freres d'Artu), 33. M 127. Mabons, 3321, 3342, 3460, 4904. 128. Mainet, 301 3. 129. Malgiers li Gris, 2171. 130. Marcel (le cors saint), 1605. 131. Margerie, 1639, 1642, 1684, 1809. 132. Marie (mere de Deu), 2645. 133. Mars (li rois), 47; (de Cornou- aille) 5448, 5593. Martin (saint), 903. Melians de Lis, 5435. Montbesiee (I'ille de la — dw^elling of the fee who made the mantle of Bl. Es.), 3264. Montesclair (le rois de), 5212; (li Sors de) 5400, 541 1, 5517, 5543- Mordrh (li rois, freres de Se- grantes), 45, 5474, 5637. Morge (la fee), 4263. Morholt (le grant), 3011. 134- 135- 136. 137- 138. 139- 140. N 141. Nantes (Hoel de), 5484. 142. Norgales (li riches dus de), 5478. 143. Normendie (Beduer de), 5480, O 144. Oduins (li cuens), 43. 145. Oirecestre (Gunes nies de), 5476. 146. Olivier, 3012. 147. Orbie (A(|uins d'), 50. 146 Appendix. 1 4S. OrguiHous de la Lande, 1^'J2, 5033, 5915- 149. Paris, 4259. 150. Perce-jal li Galois, 5406. 151. Pua-les (castel as), 5208, 5360. R 152. Kenals de Bianjii, 6105. 153. Riders (quens), 38. 154. Robcrs, 273, 505, 509, etc. (44 times). ^55- ^°S' ^'^'' (li rois de la), 5386. 156. Pollatit, 3012. 157. Rose espaiiie, 1709, 158. 5a(?")^r^;«orj, 5905, 6020; (brother of Clarie) 879. 159. Sainte-Marie (mostier), 4936. 160. Salebrant (Willaumes), 523, 961, 1197. 161. Segranies{ixtx^% At Mordret), 5475. 162. Segures, 45. 163. Senaudon, 3361, 3822, 6078, 6085. 164. Sors {de Moutescler), 5400, 541 1, 5517. 5528, 5536, 5543. 5549. 165. Table Rconde, 222, 245, 5496. 166. Tesale, 2258. 167. Tidogolaiiis, 256. 168. Tintaguel (home of Guinlains), 57. 169. Tors (li fius le roi Ares, Atels), 42, 5487- 170. /"riVirm, 35,3011,5210,5488,5518, 5S2i> 5530. 553i> 5541, 6018. 171. Truer em (li quens de), 5420. U 172. Uriens (brother of Arthur), 33. V 173. Valcolor (le roce de), 992. 174. Val{l)edon, 5209, 5211, 544I.5499» 5980, 5998. W 175. IVillaumes (de Salebrant), 523, 961-2, 1020, 1052, 1076, 1087, I 197-8. Y 176. yder(s) (U rois), 5430, 5460, 5553, 5564, 5579- 177. Vvains (li rois de Lindezie), 5369, 6018. "ll»'l"llllllll ,1, /» 'i 3 1205 01904 2264 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 001378 414 5 ^%* ^m- A n 'f: ■"•J-: m "O, M