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
[47] This technical title is usually if not invariably given to Ywain
and Gawain as eldest sons of recognised kings. "Prince" is not used in
this sense by the older Romancers, but only for distinguished knights
like Galahault, who is really a king.
[48] There is one admirable word here, _enbarnis_, which has so long
been lost to French that it is not even in Littre. But Dryden's
"_burnish_ into man" probably preserves it in English; for this is
certainly not the other "burnish" from _brunir_.
[49] "Car moult en parole diroit la parole."
[50] Puzzled by the number of new thoughts and emotions.
[51] Ywain suggests one of the commonest things in Romance.
[52] Arthur had, by a set of chances, not actually girded on Lancelot's
sword.
[53] Whose prisoner Lancelot had been, who had been ready to fall in
love with him, and to whom he had expressly refused to tell his own
love. Hence his confusion.
[54] The day when Lancelot, at her request, had turned against the side
of his friend Galahault and brought victory to Arthur's.
[55] By the way, the Vulgate Mordred is a more subtle conception than
the early stories gave, or than Malory transfers. He is no mere traitor
or felon knight, much less a coward, from the first; but at that first
shows a mixture of good and bad qualities in which the "dram of eale"
does its usual office. Here once more is a subject made to the hand of a
novelist of the first class.
[56] Some poet or pundit, whether of East or West, or of what place,
from Santiago to Samarcand, I know not, has laid it down, that men can
love many, but without ceasing to love any; that women love only one at
once, but can (to borrow, at fifty years' memory, a phrase of George
Lawrence's in _Sans Merci_) "drop their lovers down _oubliettes_" with
comparative ease.
[57] It is excusable to use two words for the single verb _savoir_ to
bring out the meaning. King Bagdemagus does not "know" as a fact that
Lancelot has slain his son, though he fears it and feels almost sure of
it.
CHAPTER III
ROMANS D'AVENTURES
[Sidenote: Variety of the present groups.]
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