CHAPTER VI

THE PROSE LANCELOT--THE 'ENFANCES' OF THE HERO

Necessity of examining _all_ the existing MSS. before a critical study of the legend can be attempted--Present studies concerned only with leading points of story, and certain variants in printed texts 89-90

Arthurian cycle in present form redacted under influence of completed _Lancelot_ story 91-93

_Enfances_ of hero in prose _Lancelot_ a modified form of story related by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven--Points of contact between prose _Lancelot_ and _Parzival_ of Wolfram von Eschenbach 93-96

MS. evidence of contact with _Perceval_ story 96-97

Parallel with _Bel Inconnu_ poems--The _Lancelot_ later than either _Perceval_ or _Bel Inconnu_--Connection with Lady of the Lake alone of the essence of the story--Necessity for studying character of fairy protectress before deciding original form of _Enfances_ 97-99