Part 7

It relates how Queen Guinevere requires Galiot to let her dispose of his love as he had disposed of hers. To this he consents, and she commends him to the Lady of Mallehault. Next, they arrange for the promised _parlement de eulx quatre_; and the queen points out to Lancelot the lady who had so many a day kept him in prison, i.e., the Lady of Mallehault. At recognizing his old acquaintance, Lancelot feels somewhat distressed, but is reassured by observing the new love-making between her and Galiot. Seated in a wood, the four “demourerent grant piece, ne oncq{ue}s ne tindrent parolles, fors tant seullement de accoller & de baiser comme ceulx qui voulentiers le faisoyent.”

We next hear of Gawain’s recovery, and of the separation of the party of four above spoken of. Galiot takes Lancelot home with him to his own country, whilst the Lady of Mallehault remains for a time with the queen and Arthur. When Lancelot is next spoken of, he is in Galiot’s country, where we will now leave him.

NOTES TO THE APPENDIX.

P. xxiii. _Descosse_ = _d’Écosse_, of Scotland. In Old French, words are frequently run together; thus we have _labbaye_ for _l’abbaye_, _sesmeurent_ for _s’émeurent_, etc. Also the letter _s_ is often replaced in modern French by an acute or circumflex accent; so that _Escosse_ = _Êcosse_; _chasteau_ = _château_, etc. The word _si_ often occurs below with a great variety of meanings, _viz._ I, he; and, also; so, thus; etc.

P. xxiv. _baille_, given, entrusted. _brouyr_ (_brûler_), being burnt. _monstier_, monastery. _gauues_, so in the original throughout; _gaunes_ is used in other romances.

P. xxv. _auecques_ = _avec_, with.

P. xxvi. _aduision_, vision. _behourdys_, tournament. _naure_, wounded. _deffera_ = _desferra_, un-ironed; it means that Lancelot drew the weapons out of the knight’s wounds. _deuers_, “Préposition relative au temps et au lieu dont on parle; près, vers, contre, proche; de _versus_.” Roquefort. _octroya_, permitted (authorized). _mouille_, _lit._ wetted; insulted.

P. xxvii. _veirent_, saw. _escript_ (_écrit_), written. _lassemblee_, the gathering; _i.e._ the war, strife. _rua_, overthrew.

P. xxviii. _mire_, physician. _gue_, ford, pass. _tresues_, a truce; spelt _treues_ on p. xxix.

P. xxix. _esbatre_, to divert oneself. In modern French, _s’ébattre_.

P. xxx. _orrions_, shall hear. _deust_ = _dût_. _cheoient_, from _cheoir_, to fall. Compare _chûte_. _poilz_, hairs. _esbahy_, amazed. _ortelz_, toes. _chaille_; from _chaloir_, to be anxious about. _dilacion_, delay.

P. xxxi. _paour_, fear. _mire_, physician. _veufue_, old.

P. xxxii. _cheuauche_, rides. _boutte_, buts, pushes. _iecte_ (_jeté_), cast. _cuyde_, I believe. _Si maist dieu_, so God aid me. Here _maist_ is put for _m’aist_. _oncques_, ever. _ennuyt_, this night, to-night. _lottroyera_, will grant him his request. _conroy_, troops.

P. xxxiii. _derrains_ (_derniers_), last. _busines_, trumpets. _Or y perra_, now it will appear. _cuidoit_, believed; from the old verb _quider_. _cheuauchent_, ride. _ia_, already. _tertre_, a small hill.

P. xxxiv. _adresse_, a cross-path. _huy_, just before; _lit._ this day. Lat. _hodiè_. _se pasme_, swoons. _leans_, thither.

P. xxxv. _ores_, now. _huy_, to-day. _preudhomme_, a wise and prudent man. _lottroye_, permits him. _tref_, tent. _nenny_, no! _ains_, before. _guerpiront_, will leave. _deduys_, amusements, diversions.

P. xxxvi. _leans_, there. _gerrez_, will lie. _las_, tired. _Ains_, but.

P. xxxvii. _semondray_, shall ask. _esbahy_, amazed. _tollez_, take away. _creanca_, promised. _lees_, wide, full. _lices_, lists.

P. xxxviii. _emmy le pas_, in the midst of the passage. _hucher_, to cry aloud.

P. xxxix. _lieue_, lifts. _saisine_, disposal. _enseignes_, tokens. _aincoys_, first of all.

P. xl. _oncques mes_, never. _a resiouyr_ (_réjouir_), in amusing. _escondiroye_, will refuse. _me poyse_, it troubles me. _pieca_, long ago. _se embronche_, covers his face.

P. xli. _sen esueillerent_, awoke thereat. _Adonc_, then. _riens forfait_, anyway injured.

P. xlii. _ne me mescreez mye que_, do not doubt me more than.

P. xliii. _doint_, gives, were to give.

P. xliv. _mesgnie_, properly the _suite_ or household of a prince; see Roquefort s.v. _magnie_ and _maignee_. _nef_, a boat. _loue_, advise.

P. xlv. _vous esmayez_, afflict yourself. _courrouce_, wroth, displeased.

P. xlvi. _vergier_, orchard. _aual_, below. _se embroncha_, she veiled herself, or, hid herself. _iouxte_, beside.

P. xlvii. _maintes_, many. _ot_, heard. _len prise mieulx_, esteemed it better. _loe_, praises. _deffera_, dis-ironed, drew the weapons out of. _lestrief_, the stirrup.

P. xlviii. _leans_ (_la dédans_), there. _belif_. We find in Cotgrave’s French Dictionary, “_Belic_, a kind of red or geueles, in Blazon.” _enseignes_, tokens, message.

P. xlix. _mestier_, serviceable. _dillec_, thence. _pourneant_, for nothing, in vain. _voire_, truly. _commanday a dieu_, commended to God, bade farewell.

P. li. _mestier en est_, there is need of it. _greigneur bien_, exceedingly well, very highly.

P. lii. _greigneure_, greater. _anuytoit_, became night. _ie me doibz pener_, I ought to take pains.

P. liii. _ouen_, this year.

The Romans of Lancelot of the Laik.

[PROLOGUE.]

[Sidenote: In April, when the fresh luminary upriseth,] ++THe ſoft morow ande The luſtee Aperill, [Fol. 1.] The wynt{er} set, the stormys in exill, Quhen that the bry{ch}t {and} freſch illumynare Upriſith arly in his fyre chare 4 His hot courß in to the orient, [Sidenote: and sendeth from his sphere his golden streams,] And frome h{is} ſpere his goldine ſtremis sent Wpone the grond, in man{er} off meſag, One eu{er}y thing to valkyne thar curage, 8 That natur haith set wnd{er} hire mycht, Boith gyrß, and flour, {and} eu{er}y luſty vicht: And namly thame that felith the aſſay Of lufe, to ſchew the kalendis of may, 12 Throw birdis ſonge w{i}t{h} opine wox one hy, That ſeſſit not one lufar{is} for to cry, Leſt thai forȝhet, throw ſlewth of Ignorans, The old wſage of lowis obſ{er}uans. 16

[Headnote: THE POET BEWAILS HIS LOT.]

[Sidenote: and when I espy his bright face,] And from̅e I can the bricht face aſſpy, It deuit me no langare fore to ly, Nore that loue schuld ſleuth In to me finde, [Sidenote: I walk forth, bewailing my sad life.] Bot walkine furth, bewalinge in my mynde 20 the dredful lyve endurit al to longe, Sufferans in loue of ſorouful harmys ſtronge, The ſcharpe dais and the hewy ȝerys, Quhill phebus thris haith paſſith al h{is} ſperis, 24 Vithoutine hope ore traiſtinge of comfort; So be such meine fatit was my sort. Thus in my ſaull Rolinge al my wo, [Sidenote: The sword of love carves my heart.] My carful hart carwing cañ In two 28 The derdful ſuerd of lowis hot diſſire; So be the morow set I was a-fyre In felinge of the acceß hot {and} colde, That haith my hart in ſich a fevir holde, 32 Only to me thare was noñe vthir eß Bot thinkine qhow I ſchulde my lady pleß. The ſcharp aſſay and ek the Inwart peine Of dowblit wo me neulyng{is} cañ conſtrein, 36 Quhen that I have remembrit one my tho{ch}t [Sidenote: My lady knoweth not how I am wobegone.] How sche, quhois bewte al my harm̅ haith wrocht, Ne knouith not how I ame wo begoñe, [Fol. 1b.] Nor how that I ame of hire ſ{er}uand{is} oñe; 40 And in my ſelf I cañ nocht fynde the meyne In to quhat wyß I ſal my wo compleine. [Sidenote: I walked thus in the field, and came to a well-beseen garden.] Thus in the feild I walkith to {and} froo, As tho{ch}tful wicht that felt of no{ch}t bot woo, 44 Syne to o gardinge, that weß weil beſeñ, Of quiche the feild was al depaynt w{i}t{h} greñ. The tendyre and the luſty flour{is} new Up thrōue the greñ vpone thar ſtalk{is} grew 48 Aȝhane the ſone, and thare levis ſpred, Quharw{i}t{h} that al the gardinge was I-clede; That pryapus, in to his tyme before, In o luſtear walkith nevir more; 52 [Sidenote: It was closely environed with leaves.] And al about enweronyt and Icloſit One ſich o wyß, that none w{i}t{h}in ſuppoſit Fore to be ſeñ w{i}t{h} ony vicht thare owt; So dide the levis cloſ it[T1] all about. 56 Thar was the flour, thar was the queñ alpheſt,[T2] Ry{ch}t wering being of the ny{ch}t{is} reſt, Wncloſi{n}g gañe the crownel for the day; [Sidenote: The sun illumined the sprays;] The bry{ch}t ſone illumynit haith the ſpray, 60 The ny{ch}t{is} ſobir ande the moſt ſchowr{is}, As criſtoll terys w{i}t{h}hong vpone the flour{is}, Haith vpwarpith In the luſty aire, The morow makith soft, ameyne, and faire; 64 [Sidenote: the birds sang till the woods resounded;] And the byrd{is} thar my{ch}ty voce out-throng, Quhill al the wood reſonite of thar ſonge, That gret confort till ony vicht It wer That pleſſith thame of luſtenes to here. 68 Bot gladneß til the tho{ch}tful, eu{er} mo The more he ſeith, the more he haith of wo. [Sidenote: the garden was adorned with flowers.]

[Footnote T1: MS. “cloſit.”] [Footnote T2: May we read “alcest”?]

[Headnote: HE SEES A VISION OF A GREEN BIRD.]

Thar was the garding w{i}t{h} the flour{is} ourfret, Quich is in poſy fore my lady set, 72 That hire Repreſent to me oft befor, {And} thane alſo; thus al day gan be ſor[T3] Of tho{ch}t my goſt w{i}t{h} torment occupy, 75 That I becam̅e In to one exaſy, [Fol. 2.] Ore ſlep, or how I wot; bot ſo befell My wo haith done my livis goſt expell, And in ſich wiß weil long I can endwr, So me betid o wondir aventur. 80 [Sidenote: I fell there into an ecstasy or sleep, and saw in my dream a green bird, who said:] As I thus lay, Ry{ch}t to my ſpreit vas ſeñ A birde, yat was as ony lawrare greñ, A-licht, and ſayth in to hir bird{is} chere;

[Footnote T3: MS. “beſor.”]

[Headnote: THE BIRD’S MESSAGE.]

“O woful wrech, that levis in to were! 84 To ſchew the thus the god of loue me ſent, That of thi ſ{er}uice no thing is content, [Sidenote: “The God of Love is discontent with thee.] For in his court yhoue lewith i{n} diſſpar, And vilfully suſtenis al thi care, 88 And ſchapith no thinge of thine awn remede, Bot clepith ay and cryith apone dede. Yhow callith the bird{is} be morow fro thar bour{is}, Yhoue devith boith the erbis and the flour{is}, 92 And clepit hyme vnfaithful king of lowe, Yow dewith hyme in to h{is} rigne abufe, Yhow tempith hyme, yhoue doith thi ſelf no gud, Yhoue are o moñ of wit al deſtitude. 96 [Sidenote: You are destitute of wit.] Wot yhoue no{ch}t that al liwis creatwre Haith of thi wo i{n} to h{is} hand the cwre? [Sidenote: Though you call on trees, your lady hears not.] And ſet yhoue clep one erbis and one treis, Sche her{is} not thi wo, nore ȝhit ſche ſeis; 100 For none may know the dirkneß of thi tho{ch}t, Ne blamyth h{er} thi wo ſche knowith no{ch}t. And It is weil accordinge It be so He ſuffir harme, that to redreß h{is} wo 104 Previdith not; for long ore he be ſonde, Holl of his leich, that ſchewith not h{is} vound. [Sidenote: Ovid says it is better to shew, than to conceal love.] And of owid ye autor ſchall yhow knaw Of lufe that ſeith, for to conſel or ſchow, 108 The laſt he clepith althir-beſt of two; And that is ſuth, and ſal be eu{er} mo. And loue alſo haith chargit me to ſay, 111 Set yhoue preſume, ore beleif, ye aſſay [Fol. 2b.] Of his ſ{er}uice, as It wil ryne ore go, Preſwme It not, fore It wil not be so; Al magre thine a ſ{er}uand ſchal yow bee. [Sidenote: As touching thine adversity, seek the remedy.”] And as tueching thine adu{er}ſytee, 116 Complen and sek of the ramed, the cwre, Ore, gif yhow likith, furth thi wo endure.” And, as me tho{ch}t, I anſuerde aȝaiñe [Sidenote: Then answered I:] Thus to the byrde, in word{is} ſchort and plane: 120 “It ganyth not, as I have harde Recorde, The ſ{er}uand for to diſput w{i}t{h} ye lord; [Sidenote: “Love knows the reason of my wo.”] Bot well he knowith of al my vo the quhy, And in quhat wyß he hath me ſet, quhar I 124 Nore may I not, nore can I not attane, Nore to hir hienes dare I not complane.” [Sidenote: “Fool,” said the bird, “despair not;] “Ful!” q{uo}d the bird, “lat be thi nyß diſpare, For in this erith no lady is ſo fare, 128 So hie eſtat, nore of ſo gret empriß, That in hire ſelf haith viſdome ore gentrice, Yf that o wicht, that worthy is to be Of lovis court, ſchew til hir that he 132 Seruith hire in lovis hartly wyß, That ſchall thar for hyme hating or diſpiß.

[Headnote: SHE BIDS HIM WRITE A POEM.]

[Sidenote: the God of Love charges thee to speak out your love, or else to write thy plaint;] The god of love thus chargit the, at ſchort, That to thi lady yhoue thi wo Report; 136 Yf yhoue may not, thi plant ſchall yhov vrit. Se, as yhoue cane, be man{er} oft endit In metir, quhich that no ma{n} haith ſuſſpek, Set oft tyme thai contenyng gret effecc; 140 Thus one ſume wyß yhow ſchal thi wo dwclar. And, for thir ſedulis and thir billis are So gen{er}all, and ek ſo ſchort at lyte, And ſwme of thai{m} is loſt the appetit, 144 [Sidenote: write, then, some treatise for her to read;] Sum trety ſchall yhoue for yi lady ſak, That wnkouth is, als tak one hand and mak, Of love, ore armys, or of ſu{m} othir thing, That may hir one to thi Reme{m}bry{n}g brynge; 148 Qwich ſoundith Not one to no hewynes, [Fol. 3.] Bot one to gladneß and to luſteneß, [Sidenote: one that may please her and get her thanks.] That yhoue belevis may thi lady pleß, To have hir thonk and be one to hir eß; 152 That ſche may wit in ſ{er}uice yhow art one. [Sidenote: Farewell, and be merry.”] Faire weil,” q{uo}d ſche, “thus ſchal yhow the diſpone, And mak thi ſelf als mery as yhoue may, It helpith not thus fore to wex al way.” 156 W{i}t{h} that, the bird ſche haith hir leif tak, [Sidenote: Thereon I awoke, and wondered what it might mean.] For fere of quich I can onone to wak; Sche was ago, and to my ſelf tho{ch}t I Quhat may yis meyne? quhat may this ſig{n}ify? 160 Is It of troucht, or of Illuſioune?

[Headnote: HE RESOLVES TO DO SO.]

Bot finaly, as in concluſioune, Be as be may, I ſchal me not discharge, Sen It apperith be of lovis charg; 164 And ek myne hart noñe othir biſſynes Haith bot my ladice ſ{er}uice, as I geß; [Sidenote: I determined to take in hand this occupation.] Among al vther{is} I ſchal one honde tak This litil occupatioune for hire ſak. 168 Bot hyme I pray, the my{ch}ty gode of loue, That ſitith hie in to his ſpir abuf, (At {com}mand of o wyß quhois viſioune My goſt haith takin this opvnioune,) 172 That my lawboure may to my lady pleß And do wnto hir ladeſchip ſu{m} eß, So that my t{ra}uell be no{ch}t tynt, and I Quhat vther{is} ſay ſetith nothing by. 176 [Sidenote: I know it will but hurt my name, when men hear my feeble negligence.] For wel I know that, be this world{is} fam̅e. It ſchal not be bot hurting to my nam̅e, Quhen that thai here my febil negligens, That empit is, and bare of eloquens, 180 Of diſcreſſiou{n}e, and ek of Retoryk; The metire and the cu{n}ing both elyk So fere diſcording frome p{er}fecciou{n}e; [Sidenote: I submit my poem to the correction of the wise;] Q{uhil}k I ſubmyt to the correcciou{n}e 184 Of yai{m} the quhich that is diſcret {and} wyß, And ent{er}it is of loue in the ſ{er}uice; Quhich knouyth that no lovare dare w{i}t{h}ſtonde, [Fol. 3b.] Quhat loue hyme chargit he mot tak one honde, 188 Deith, or defam̅, or ony man{er} wo; And at this tyme w{i}t{h} me It ſtant ry{ch}t ſo, [Sidenote: for I dare not oppose Love’s command.] As I that dar makine no demande To quhat I wot It lykith loue co{m}mande. 192 Tueching his charg{is}, as w{i}t{h} al deſtitut, W{i}t{h}in my mynd ſchortly I conclud For to fulfyll, for ned I mot do ſo.

[Headnote: HE THINKS OF THE STORY OF LANCELOT.]

[Sidenote: At last I thought of the story of “Lancelot of the Lake,”]

Thane in my tho{ch}t rolling to and fro 196 Quhare that I my{hc}t ſu{m} wnkouth mat{er} fynde, Quhill at ye laſt it fell in to my mynd Of o ſtory, that I befor had ſene, That boith of loue and armys can conteñ, 200 Was of o kny{ch}t clepit lancelot of ye laik, The ſone of bane was, king of albanak; Of quhois fame {and} worſchipful dedis Clerk{is} in to diu{er}ß buk{is} red{is}, 204 [Sidenote: of whom I here think to write something.] Of quhome I thynk her ſu{m} thing for to writ At louis charge, and as I cane, endit; Set me{n} tharin ſal by exp{er}iens Know my conſait, and al my negligens. 208 [Sidenote: But because my ignorance cannot comprehend the French romance,] Bot for that ſtory is ſo paſing larg, One to my wit It war ſo gret o charg For to tranſlait the romans of that kny{ch}t; It paſſith fare my cu{n}yng and my mycht, 212 Myne Ignorans may It not comp{re}hende;

[Headnote: HE BRIEFLY ENUMERATES / LANCELOT’S EARLY DEEDS.]

[Sidenote: I shall not tell how he was born;] Quharfor thare one I wil me not depend How he was borne, nor how his fad{er} deid And ek his mod{er}, nore how he was denyed 216 Eft{er} thare deth, p{re}ſumyng he was ded, [Sidenote: nor how he was nourished by the Lady of the Lake;] Of al ye lond, nore how he fra that ſtede In sacret wyß wnwyſt away was tak, And nwriſt w{i}t{h} ye lady of ye lak. 220 [Sidenote: nor how he was brought to Arthur’s court,] Nor, in his ȝouth, think I not to tell The aue{n}tour{is}, quhich to hyme befell; Nor how the lady of the laik hyme had One to the court, quhare that he kny{ch}t was mad; 224 None wiſt his nome, nore how that he was tak [Fol. 4.] By loue, and was Iwondit to the ſtak, [Sidenote: and pierced to the heart by the beauty of Wanore (Guinevere),] And throuch {and} throuch perſit to ye hart, That al his tyme he cout{h} It not aſtart; 228 For thare of loue he ent{er}it in ſ{er}uice, Of wanore throuch the beute and franchis, [Sidenote: for whose service he wrought many wonders;] Throuch quhois ſ{er}uice in armys he has vro{ch}t Mony wond{er}is, and p{er}ell{is} he has socht. 232 Nor how he thor, in to his ȝoung curage, [Sidenote: nor how he made a vow to revenge a wounded knight,] Hath maid awoue, and in to louis rage, In the rewenging of o wondit kny{ch}t That cu{m}yne was in to the court that ny{ch}t; 236 [Sidenote: who had a broken sword in his head, and a truncheon of a broken spear in his body;] In to his hed a brokin[T4] ſuerd had he, And in his body alſo my{ch}t me{n} see The tronſione of o brokine ſper that was, Quhich no ma{n} out dedenyt to aras; 240 Nor how he haith the wapnis out tak, And his awow apone this wis can mak, That he ſchuld hyme Reweng at h{is} poware One eu{er}y kny{ch}t that louith the hurtare 244 Bett{er} thane hyme, the quhich that vas Iwond. Throw quich awoue in armys hath ben founde [Sidenote: a vow which caused the death of many a wight warrior;] The deth of mo{n}y wereoure ful wicht;[T5]

[Footnote T4: MS. “abrokin.”] [Footnote T5: The MS. wrongly transposes ll. 247 and 248.]

For, fro tho wow was knowing of the kny{ch}t, 248 Thare was ful mony o paſage in the londe By me{n} of armys kepit to withſtond This kny{ch}t, of quhome thai ben al set afyre Thai{m} to reweng in armys of deſir. 252 [Sidenote: or how he and Sir Kay were sent to defend the lady of Nohalt;] Nor how that thane in{con}tyne{n}t was ſend He and ſ{ir} kay togidd{er} to defend The lady of nohalt, nor how that hee Gou{er}nit hyme thare, nore in quhat degre. 256 Nor how the gret paſing vaſſolag He eſcheuit, thrōue the outragouß curag, [Sidenote: or how he conquered the Sorrowful Castle;] In conquiryng of the sorowful caſtell. Nor how he paſſith dou{n}e in the cauis fell, 260 And furth ye keys of Inchantme{n}t bro{ch}t, That al diſtroyt quhich that thare vas vro{ch}t. [Sidenote: or how he rescued Sir Gawane and his nine fellows;] Nore howe that he reſkewit ſ{ir} gawane, [Fol. 4b.] W{i}t{h} h{is} ix falouß in to preſone tane; 264 Nore mony vthere diu{er}ß aduenture, Quhich to report I tak not in my cwre, [Sidenote: nor of the many “assemblies” Gawane held to find out his name;] Nor mony aſſemblay that gawane gart be maid To wit h{is} name; nor how that he hyme hade 268 Wnwiſt, and hath the worſchip {and} empriß; Nor of the kny{ch}t{is} in to mony[T6] diu{er}ß wyß Throuch his awoue that hath thare dethis found;

[Footnote T6: We should perhaps omit “mony.”]