The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)
General
The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)
Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
Of this story the following are repetitions, with variations: (1)
Miracle de la Marquise de Gaudine, MS. of about 1400, Paris et Robert,
Miracles de Notre Dame, II, 121 ff; (2) the German Volksbuch, Eine
schöne und liebliche History vom edlen und theuren Ritter Galmien,
printed 1539 or earlier, upon which Hans Sachs founded his play Der
Ritter Galmi mit der Hertzogin auss Britanien, Keller, VIII, 261; (3)
the Danish poem Den kydske Dronning, by Jeppe Jensen, 1483, Brandt,
Romantisk Digtning, II, 89 ff; (4) a tale of Bandello, Second Part,
No 44, Amore di Don Giovanni di Mendozza e della Duchessa di Savoia,
printed 1554; (5) the French prose-romance L'Histoire de Palanus,
Comte de Lyon, ed. A. de Terrebasse, 1833, put before 1539. In (1)
a dwarf is made to conceal himself in the lady's chamber; in (2) a
scullion to boast that he is the object of her passion; in (3) a
servitor is the instrument of treachery; in (4) a young gentleman;
in (5) this machinery is dropped, and a slanderous letter does the
mischief. In none of these is the lady a German empress; in (5) she is
an English queen; in (2) of British birth. In all there is a reciprocal
predilection on the part of the lady and her champion.
Spanish and Provençal chroniclers and a Spanish ballad relate a story
substantially according with what we find in The Earl of Toulouse, the
injured heroine being an empress of Germany, and her champion a count,
in all cases but one Count Ramon of Barcelona.
In the Spanish ballad 'Romance de cómo el conde don Ramon de Barcelona
libró á la emperatriz de Alemaña que la tenian para quemar,' Duran,
Romancero, II, 210, No 1228, Wolf y Hofmann, Primavera, II, 102, from
the Silva de Romances of 1550, two knights, with no motive given but
their own wickedness, tell the emperor that they have seen the empress
toying with her chamberlain. The empress is imprisoned, and casts
about for two knights to defend her life against the accusers. In all
the chivalry of the court there is none that will venture against
appellants so redoubtable, and she is to be burned in three days. The
Count of Barcelona hears the distressing intelligence, and sets out to
the rescue. No one being admitted to the lady except her confessor, the
count makes known to the holy father that he has come for the defence,
and begs, if possible, that he may first have a word with her majesty.
He has an interview, in the guise of a monk, and is properly welcomed
by the empress, who expresses her confidence that he will succeed
in establishing her innocence, but will not permit him even to kiss
hands. Asking only to take his adversaries one at a time, the count
speedily disposes of the first, when the other surrenders. The emperor,
delighted with the result, wishes to show due honor to the champion,
who, however, is not to be found, having returned to his estates
immediately after the fight; nor is the empress at liberty to tell who
he is until the third day. He is then revealed to be the flower of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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