Lancelot of the Laik Part 2

Thus, in l. 2843, _?ha_ = "yes, I admit that I do;" but in l. 514, _yis_ = "yes, but you had better do so;" in l. 1397, _?his_ = "yes, indeed I will;" and in l. 3406, _?is_ = "yes, but I cannot accept your answer."[P14] The true distinction between _thou_ and _ye_ (_William of Palerne_, Pref. p. xli) is also generally observed. Thus the Green Bird, in the Prologue, considers the poet to be a fool, and calls him _thou_; but the clerks, in addressing Arthur (l. 498) politely say _ye_. And again, Amytans, when rebuking Arthur, frequently calls him _thou_, without any ceremony. Cf. ll. 659, 908, 921, 2839, &c.

[Footnote P14: "This _?is_ is the common form in the Scottish writers, though _ay_ is largely the modern vernacular." --J. A. H.

Murray.]

As regards the vocabulary, we find that some Northumbrian terms have been employed, but others thrown aside. Thus, while we find the Northumbrian words _thir_ (these), _traist_ (trust), _newis_ (neives, fists), _radour_ (fear), etc., we do not, on the other hand, meet with the usual Scottish word _mirk_, but observe it to be supplanted by _dirk_ (l. 2471). So, again, _eke_ is used in the sense of _also_, instead of being a verb, as more usual in Northern works. We may note, too, the occurrence of _frome_ as well as _fra_, and the Scottish form _thyne-furth_ (thenceforth) in l. 2196.

The spelling is very various. We find even four forms of one word, as _cusynace_, _cusynece_, _cusynes_, _cwsynes_; and, as examples of eccentric spelling, may be quoted _qsquyaris_ (squires, l. 3204), whilst in l. 3221 we find _sqwar_.

Both in the marginal abstract and in the notes I have chiefly aimed at removing minor difficulties by explaining sentences of which the construction is peculiar, and words which are disguised by the spelling.

For the explanation of more uncommon words, recourse should be had to the Glossarial Index.

[Transcriber's Note:

Most of the French text was printed as a single continuous block, except where decorative initials mark new paragraphs. It has been broken up to accommodate the sidenotes.]

APPENDIX.

EXTRACTS FROM THE FRENCH ROMANCE OF "LANCELOT DU LAC."

As it seems impossible to do justice to the story of Lancelot without giving due attention to the famous French Romance, and since a portion of the French text is really necessary to complete even that fragment of it which the Scottish author proposed to write, the following extracts have been made with the view of shewing (1) the general outline of the earlier part of the story, (2) the method in which the Scottish author has expanded or altered his original, and (3) the completion of the story of the wars between Arthur and Galiot.[A1]

[Footnote A1: The extracts are from the Paris edition of 1513, 3 vols. folio, a copy of which is in the King's Library in the British Museum. There are also two other editions in the Museum, one in the Grenville Library, 3 vols. Paris, 1494, folio; the other in one folio volume, Paris, 1520.]

I. Headings of the chapters of the French Romance, from its commencement to the end of the wars with Galiot.

[The commas are inserted by the present editor, and the expansions marked by italics.]

-- Cy commence la table du premier volume de la table ro{n}de lancelot du lac.

[Sidenote: Claudas, king of Scotland, deprives king Ban and king Boort of their lands.]

-- Comment apres la mort de vterpandragon roy du royaulme de logres, & apres la mort aramon, roy de la pet.i.te bretaigne, le roy claudas de la terre Descosse mena guerre contre le roy ban de benoic et le roy boort de gauues ta{n}t quil les desherita[A2] de leurs terres. Fueillet. i.

[Footnote A2: See ll. 1447-1449.]

[Sidenote: Claudas besieges Ban in the Castle of Trible.]

-- Comment le roy claudas a.s.siegea le chasteau de trible auquel estoit le roy ban de benoic, et comment ilz parlementerent ensemble. f. i.

[Sidenote: King Ban, his wife, and his son Lancelot repair to the court of Arthur.]

-- Comment le roy ban de benoic, accompaigne de sa femme et de son filz lancelot, auecq{ue}s vng seul escuyer, se partirent du chasteau de trible pour aller querir secours deuers le roy Artus a la grant bretaigne. Fueillet ii.

[Sidenote: The Castle of Trible is treacherously given up to Claudas.]

-- Comment apres ce que le roy ban fut party de son chasteau de trible, le seneschal a qui il auoit baille la garde trahit ledit chasteau, et le liura es mains du roy claudas. Fueillet. ii.

[Sidenote: King Ban dies of grief, and Lancelot is taken away by the lady of the lake.]

-- Comment le roy ban mourut de dueil quant il veit son chasteau ardoir et brouyr. Et comment la dame du lac emporta son filz lancelot.[A3] Fueillet. iiii.

[Footnote A3: Lines 215, 220.]

-- Comme{n}t la royne helaine, apres que le roy fut mort et elle eut perdu son filz, se rendit nonnain en labbaye du monstier royal. Fueillet. v.

[Sidenote: The two sisters, widows of kings Ban and Boort, retreat to a monastery.]

-- Comment le roy de gauues mourut & co{m}ment la Royne sa femme, pour paour de claudas, sen part.i.t de son chasteau pour aller au monstier royal, ou sa seur estait rendue, et comment ses enfans Lyonnel et Boort luy furent ostez. Fueillet vi.

-- Comment la royne de Gauues, apres que son seigneur fut mort et que elle eut perdu ses deux enfans, se vint rendre au monastere ou estoit sa seur la royne de benoic. Fueillet vi.

[Sidenote: Merlin's love for the lady of the lake.]

-- Comment merlin fut engendre du dyable: Et comment il fut amoureux de la dame du lac. Fueillet vii.

[Sidenote: Sir Farien secretly nourishes the two sons of king Boort, and is made seneschal to king Claudas.]

-- Comme{n}t le cheualier farien, qui auoit tollu a la royne de Gauues ses deux enfans, les emporta en sa maison et les feist nourrir vne es.p.a.ce de temps. Et comment le roy claudas fut amoureux de la femme du dict Farien et pource le fist son seneschal.

Fueillet viii.

[Sidenote: Claudas accuses Sir Farien of treason.]

-- Comment le roy claudas fist appeller son cheualier farien de trahison par ladmonnesteme{n}t de sa femme, disant quil gardoit les deux enfans du roy boort de gauues. Fueillet. viii.

[Sidenote: Claudas, in disguise, visits Arthur's court.]

-- comment le roy claudas en maniere de cheualier estrange, se part.i.t du royaulme de gauues pour aller en la grant bretaigne a la court du roy artus pour veoir sa puissa{n}ce & son gouuernement.

Fueillet x.

[Sidenote: The lady of the lake informs Lancelot that he is a king's son.]

-- Comment la dame du lac bailla a lancelot vng maistre pour linstruyre comme il appartenoit a filz de roy. Fueillet xii.

-- Comme{n}t la royne helaine alloit faire chascun io{u}r son dueil au lieu ou son seigneur mourut et de la alloit au lac ou elle perdit son filz. Fueillet xv.

-- Comment le bon Religieux qui auoit dit nouuelles a la royne helaine de son filz lancelot, print conge de elle, et sen vint au roy artus en la grant bretaigne. Fueillet xvi.

[Sidenote: The lady of the lake seeks to deliver the sons of king Boort.]

-- Comment la dame du lac enuoya sa damoyselle a la court du roy claudas, pour delyurer les deux enfans au roy boort que claudas tenoit en prison. Fueillet xvii.

-- Comment farien, seneschal du roy claudas par le comma{n}dement de son seigneur, alla querir en prison les deux filz au roy de Gauues. Fueillet xviii.