Book XIX. chap. ix.; also vol. iii. of _Arthurian Romances

Unrepresented in Malory_.

[215] =D. L.= always has the form _Walewein_.

[216] This name is spelt _Hestore_ throughout. On the whole the spelling of proper names in =D. L.= is very erratic, and varies greatly.

[217] This adventure of the Perilous Cemetery is one of the 'cross-references' to which I have referred earlier. It is mentioned both in _G. S. Graal_ and _Queste_. The wording here is not very clear, but it does not, I think, mean that Lancelot has already failed in the Grail adventure, but that he shall come to the cemetery after he _has_ failed; which is fulfilled in _Queste_. At the same time we must remember that in _Perceval li Gallois_, which knows nothing of Galahad or the _Queste_, Lancelot fails for the same reason, and more completely, as the Grail does not appear at all in his presence, so this _may_ refer to the earlier story.

[218] It may be noted that Chrétien knows nothing of a dove connected with the Grail, whereas Wolfram does.

[219] I have before remarked on the uncertain spelling of this name in =D. L.=, the above is the more usual form.

[220] From this it appears that Gawain's failure at the Grail castle was in no way due to any defect of _character_, but to his omission of the reverence due to the Grail, of the sacrosanct nature of which he was ignorant. This explanation appears to me to be peculiar to the _Lancelot_ version, which otherwise, as I have pointed out, regards Gawain with great respect.

[221] Certain details in this adventure recall that of the 'Joie de la court' in _Erec_.

[222] I think this is probably the explanation of A.'s vision, when he sees G. after death surrounded by the souls of poor men 'who have helped G. to conquer the heavenly kingdom.' Cf. Sommer, _Studies_, p. 266.

[223] These passages illustrate the difficulty previously referred to, of identifying the original of Gareth. I believe it can only be done by comparing the parallel adventures in =M=. and his source.

[224] In the account of the final battle all versions I have consulted give one hundred thousand on each side killed; the above is much more reasonable.

[225] There is a _lacuna_ of a few lines here in =D. L.=, so this may well have been in the text.

[226] This adventure of Ywein and the giant's shield should be compared with _Meraugis de Portlesguez_, ll. 1418 _et seq._ There lady has taken dwarf's horse; and it is the eye, not the hand, which the messenger loses. I believe the above to be the older version, as, though L'Outredotez is always spoken of as a knight simply, Meraugis once refers to him as a _giant_, which must have come from another version.

[227] This appears to be a reminiscence of Merlin and Vivienne. Cf. _Merlin_, Sommer's ed., chap. xix.

[228] Cf. this with _Studies_, p. 186; also remarks, _supra_, p. 153.

[229] It is quite possible that we have here the story of Urre of Hungary, which may well have been given at greater length in one of the _Lancelot_ MSS. Also the source of Malory's version of Lancelot being wounded by a maiden, Book XVIII. chap. xxii., where the prose _Lancelot_ gives one of his squires.

[230] M. Paulin Paris omits this adventure in his summary, which only records the _Lancelot_ sections. It is thus apparently lacking in the MS. used.

[231] This is one of the adventures referred to previously, cf. pp. 137-139, _Grand S. Graal_, vol. iii. p. 303 _et seq._ It is worth noting that it is only in the passages parallel to _Grand S. Graal_ that L.'s relations with queen are spoken of as sinful.

[232] This does not fit in with indications of story, which would place Galahad's birth considerably earlier, L.'s visit to Corbenic being some two or three years previous.

[233] All this section of Lancelot's adventures, from his meeting with Sarras of Logres, differs very much from M. Paulin Paris's summary. Cf. _Romans de la Table Ronde_, v. p. 322 _seq._

* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected, but other variations in spelling, punctuation, and the use of accents have been retained, except where in conflict with the index.

Italics are shown thus _italic_ and bold thus =bold=. The long s is represented by (s). The Old English letter yogh is represented by [gh].

A vertical elliptical symbol on page 174 (Chapter 5) is represented thus ().

A missing "the" was added in Chapter 5: "In these last instances the story may well have been in the _Lancelot_, and taken over by "the" compiler of _Grand S. Graal_; the _Queste_ makes very little of them; they only serve to keep up the connection between the 'secular' and 'religious' sections."