A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1: From the Beginning to 1800Saintsbury, George
History
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1: From the Beginning to 1800
Saintsbury, George
French fiction -- History and criticism
So she asked Monseigneur Ywain what was the Childe's name,
and he answered that he knew not. "And know you," said she,
"whose son he is and of what birth?" "Lady," said he, "nay,
except I know so much as that he is of the land of Gaul. For
his speech bewrayeth him."[49] Then the Queen took him by
the hand and asked him of whom he came. And when he felt it
[the touch] he shuddered as though roused from sleep, and
thought of her so hard that he knew not what she said to
him. And she perceived that he was much abashed, and so
asked him a second time, "Tell me whence you come." So he
looked at her very sheepishly and said, with a sigh, that he
knew not. And she asked him what was his name; and he
answered that he knew not that. So now the Queen saw well
that he was abashed and _overthought_.[50] But she dared not
think that it was for her: and nevertheless she had some
suspicion of it, and so dropped the talk. But that she might
not make the disorder of his mind worse, she rose from her
seat and, in order that no one might think any evil or
perceive what she suspected, said that the Childe seemed to
her not very wise, and whether wise or not had been ill
brought up. "Lady," said Messire Ywain, "between you and me,
we know nothing about him: and perchance he is forbidden[51]
to tell his name or who he is." And she said, "It may well
be so," but she said it so low that the Childe heard her
not.
[_Here follows (with a very little surplusage removed
perhaps) the scene which Dante has made world-famous, but
which Malory (I think for reasons) has "cut." I trust it is
neither Philistinism nor perversity which makes me think of
it a little, though only a little, less highly than some
have done. There is (and after all this makes it all the
more interesting for us historians) the least little bit of
anticipation of_ Marivaudage _about it, and less of the
adorable simplicity such as that (a little subsequent to the
last extract given) where Lancelot, having forgotten to take
leave of the Queen on going to his first adventure, and
having returned to do so, kneels to her, receives her hand
to raise him from the ground, "and much was his joy to feel
it bare in his." But the beauty of what follows is
incontestable, and that Guinevere was "exceeding wise in
love" is certain._]
[Sidenote: The scene of the kiss.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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