V e r s i o n 1 . 1 Notes de lecture 101Le texte de base est celui de l’édition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics(2 vol.).BOOK V CHAPTER 12. How Sir Gawain returned to King Arthur with his prisoners, and how the King won a city, and how he was crowned Emperor § 1‘Now thanked be God,’said the noble King Arthur. ‘But what manner man is he that standeth by him- self, him see meth no prisoner?’‘Sir,’said Gawain, ‘this is a good man of arms, he hath matched me, but he is yolden unto God, and to me, for to become Chris tian; had not he have been we should never have returned, wherefore I pray yo u that he may be baptised, for there liveth not a nobler man n e better knight of his han ds .’Then the king let him anon be christened, and did do call him his first name Priamus, and made him a duke and knight of the Table Round. And then anon the king let do cry assault to the city, and there was rearing of ladders, breaking of walls, and the ditch filled, that men with little pain might enter into the city. Then came out a duchess, and Clarisin the countess, with many ladies and damosels, and kneel- ing before King Arthur, required him for the love of God to receive the city, and not to take it by as- sault, for then should many guiltless be slain. Then the king avaled his visor with a meek and noble countenance, and said, ‘Madam, there shall none of my subjects misdo you ne your maidens, ne to none that to you belong, but the duke shall abide my judge- ment.’Then anon the king commanded to leave the assault, an d anon the duke’s oldest son brought out the keys, and kneeling delivered them to the king, and besought him of grace. And the king seized the town by assent of his lords, and took the duke and sent him to Dover, there for to abide prisoner term of his life, and assigned certain rents for the dower of the duchess and for her children. § 2 Then he made lords to rule those lands, and law s as a lord ought to do in his own country. And
Transcript
8/20/2019 “Le Morte DArthur” : Notes de lecture ; volet 101
Le texte de base est celui de l’édition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).
BOOK V
CHAPTER 12. How Sir Gawain returned to King Arthur with his prisoners, and how
the King won a city, and how he was crowned Emperor
§ 1 ‘Now thanked be God,’ said the noble King Arthur. ‘But what manner man is he that standeth by him- self, him seemeth no prisoner?’
‘Sir ,’ said Gawain, ‘this is a good man of arms, he hath matched me, but he is yolden unto God, and to me, for to become Christian; had not he have been we should never have returned, wherefore I pray you that he may bebaptised, for there liveth not a nobler man ne better knight of his hands.’
Then the king let him anon be christened, and did do call him his first name Priamus, and madehim a duke and knight of the Table Round.
And then anon the king let do cry assault to the city, and there was rearing of ladders, breaking
of walls, and the ditch filled, that men with little pain might enter into the city.Then came out a duchess, and Clarisin the countess, with many ladies and damosels, and kneel-
ing before King Arthur, required him for the love of God to receive the city, and not to take it by as-sault, for then should many guiltless be slain.
Then the king avaled his visor with a meek and noble countenance, and said, ‘Madam, there shallnone of my subjects misdo you ne your maidens, ne to none that to you belong, but the duke shall abide my judge-ment .’
Then anon the king commanded to leave the assault, and anon the duke’s oldest son brought outthe keys, and kneeling delivered them to the king, and besought him of grace. And the king seized thetown by assent of his lords, and took the duke and sent him to Dover, there for to abide prisoner term
of his life, and assigned certain rents for the dower of the duchess and for her children.
§ 2 Then he made lords to rule those lands, and laws as a lord ought to do in his own country. And
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after he took his journey toward Rome, and sent Sir Florence and Sir Floridas tofore, with five hundredmen of arms, and they came to the city of Urbino and laid there a bushment, thereas them seemedmost best for them, and rode tofore the town, where anon issued out much people and skirmished withthe fore-riders. Then brake out the bushment and won the bridge, and after the town, and set upon thewalls the king’s banner. Then came the king upon an hill, and saw the city and his banner on the walls,by which he knew that the city was won. And anon he sent and commanded that none of his liege menshould defoul ne lie by no lady, wife ne maid; and when he came into the city, he passed to the castle,
and comforted them that were in sorrow, and ordained there a captain, a knight of his own country.And when they of Milan heard that thilk city was won, they sent to King Arthur great sums ofmoney, and besought him as their lord to have pity of them, promising to be his subjects for ever, and yield to him homage and fealty for the lands of Pleasance and Pavia, Petersaint, and the Port ofTremble, and to give him yearly a million of gold all his lifetime.
Then he rideth into Tuscany, and winneth towns and castles, and wasted all in his way that tohim will not obey, and so to Spoleto and Viterbo, and from thence he rode into the Vale of Vicecountamong the vines.
§ 3 And from thence he sent to the senators, to wit whether they would know him for their lord.
But soon after on a Saturday came unto King Arthur all the senators that were left alive, and the no-blest cardinals that then dwelt in Rome, and prayed him of peace, and proff erred him full large, andbesought him as governor to give licence for six weeks for to assemble all the Romans, and then tocrown him emperor with chrism as it belongeth to so high estate.
‘I assent ,’ said the king, ‘like as ye have devised, and at Christmas there to be crowned, and to hold myRound Table with my knights as me liketh.’
And then the senators made ready for his enthronization. And at the day appointed, as theromance telleth, he came into Rome, and was crowned emperor by the Pope’s hand, with all the royaltythat could be made, and sojourned there a time, and established all his lands from Rome into France,and gave lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to every each after his desert, in such wisethat none complained, rich ne poor. And he gave to Sir Priamus the duchy of Lorraine; and he thankedhim, and said he would serve him the days of his life; and after made dukes and earls, and made everyman rich.
Then after this all his knights and lords assembled them afore him, and said, ‘Blessed be God, yourwar is finished and your conquest achieved, in so much that we know none so great ne mighty that dare make waragainst you: wherefore we beseech you to return homeward, and give us licence to go home to our wives, fromwhom we have been long, and to rest us, for your journey is finished with honour and worship.’
Then said the king, ‘Ye say truth, and for to tempt God it is no wisdom, and therefore make you readyand return we into England.’
Then there was trussing of harness and baggage and great carriage. And after licence given, hereturned and commanded that no man in pain of death should not rob ne take victual, ne other thing
by the way but that he should pay therefore. And thus he came over the sea and landed at Sandwich,against whom Queen Guenever his wife came and met him, and he was nobly received of all his com-mons in every city and burgh, and great gifts presented to him at his home-coming to welcome himwith.
Thus endeth the fi fth book of the conquest that King Arthur
had against Lucius the Emperor of Rome, and here
followeth the sixth book, which is of Sir
Launcelot du Lake.
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Sire Gauvain emmène ses prisonniers et retourne auprès du roi Arthur,qui s’empare d’une ville, puis est couronné empereur
§ 1 « Eh bien, grâces à Dieu ! s’exclama le noble roi Arthur. Mais quel est donc cet homme, debout, tout seul ? Il n’a pas l’air d’un prisonnier .
— Messire, lui répondit Gauvain, c’est un habile homme d’armes, il m’a égalé, mais il s’en remet à Dieu età moi pour devenir chrétien ; s’il n’avait pas été là, jamais nous ne serions rentrés, c’est pourquoi je vous prie deconsentir à c e qu’il reçoive le baptême , car nul ne le dépasse en noblesse, nul chevalier ne le surpasse au combat . »
Le roi le fit donc séance tenante baptiser sous le nom de Priamus et lui conféra la dignité de ducet de chevalier de la Table Ronde.
Aussitôt après, le roi déclencha les phases de l’assaut de la ville : échelles appuyées aux mu-railles, remparts abattus, fossé comblé, afin que ses hommes puissent pénétrer dans la ville sans grandedifficulté.
Alors parurent la duchesse, la comtesse Clarissine, une suite nombreuse de dames et demoiselles, qui s’agenouillèrent devant le roi Arthur, le priant pour l’amour de Dieu d’accepter la reddition de la
place, afin d’épargner la mort à de nombreux innocents. Relevant alors sa visière, son visage exprimant la douceur et la noblesse, le roi dit [ à la du-
chesse] : « Madame, aucun de mes sujets n’enfreindra mon ordre de ne pas vous maltraiter, ni vos servantes, ni les filles de votre suite, mais le duc devra subir ce que je déciderai. »
Le roi ordonna immédiatement d’arrêter l’assaut et, à l’instant même, le fils aîné du duc vintapporter les clefs, s’agenouilla, les remit au roi en implorant sa grâce. Le roi s’empara de la ville, avecl’accord de ses seigneurs, ordonna la prise de corps du duc et le fit transférer à Douvres pour y être dé-tenu le restant de ses jours, et affecta certaines taxes au versement d’une pension à la duchesse et à sesenfants.
§ 2 Il désigna ensuite des seigneurs pour gouverner ces territoires et édicta des lois, comme il in-combe à tout seigneur sur son propre domaine, puis entama sa marche sur Rome, se faisant précéder desire Florence et sire Floridas, à la tête de cinq cents hommes d’ armes ; lesquels, arrivant en vue de laville d’Urbin, embusquèrent le gros de la troupe à l’endroit qui leur parut le plus adéquat, tandis que lereste paradait en direction de la ville, provoquant la sortie d’une foule venue provoquer des escarmou-ches avec l’avant-garde. Le gros de la troupe jaillit alors de son embuscade, se rendit maître du pont-levis, puis de la ville, et planta sur les remparts l’étendard royal. Le roi parvint alors sur une hauteur,d’où il aperçut la ville et sa propre bannière flottant sur les remparts, signe de ville gagnée. Il fit aussi-tôt diffuser à tous ses vassaux l’interdiction de violer femmes mariées et jeunes filles ou d’avoir des rela-tions sexuelles avec elles, puis fit son entrée dans la ville, gagna le château, y réconforta les éprouvés, et
investit gouverneur militaire un chevalier du pays.En apprenant que cette ville était tombée, les [ seigneurs du] Milanais firent parvenir au roi Ar-
thur d’importantes sommes d’argent, le reconnaissant comme leur suzerain et, à ce titre, implorant sapitié, lui promettant d’être ses sujets à jamais, de lui transférer l’hommage et la féalté sur les terres dePlaisance, de Pavie, de Pietrasanta et de Pontremoli, et de lui faire un don annuel d’un million en or savie durant.
Puis il poursuit sa chevauchée en entrant en Toscane, gagne villes et châteaux, dévastant toutsur son passage quand on lui résiste, atteint Spolète et Viterbe, et passe de là dans le Val de V[ iterbe ?]au milieu des vignes.
§ 3 De là, il prit langue avec les sénateurs en vue de savoir s’ils le reconnaîtraient pour leur sei -gneur. Mais peu après, un samedi, tous les sénateurs survivants ainsi que les plus nobles cardinaux rési-dant alors à Rome vinrent en délégation trouver le roi Arthur, le priant de leur accorder la paix, lui fai-sant des off res très généreuses, lui demandant l’autorisation — en sa qualité de gouverneur —, pour une
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durée de six semaines, de réunir les Romains dans leur ensemble, puis de le couronner empereur, aveconction par le saint-chrême, comme il est de règle pour une si haute dignité.
« J’y consens, répondit le roi, dans les formes que vous avez prévues, avec couronnement à Rome à Noël ettenue de la Table ronde avec mes chevaliers à ma convenance. »
Les sénateurs s’occupèrent donc des préparatifs en vue de son intronisation. Au jour dit, rap-porte le récit, il fit son entrée dans Rome, fut couronné empereur des mains du pape, avec tout l’appa -rat possible, y resta un temps, pacifia toutes ses terres de Rome jusqu’en France, distribua terres et
royaumes à ses féaux et chevaliers, à chacun selon ses mérites, si bien qu’aucun des intéressés — richeou pauvre — ne s’en plaignit. À sire Priamus (qui l’en remercia et l’assura qu’il le servirait aussi long -temps qu’il vivrait), il fit don du duché de Lorraine, puis créa des ducs et des comtes et assura la riches-se de tout un chacun.
Après quoi, chevaliers et seigneurs s’assemblèrent en sa présence et lui déclarèrent : « Dieu soitloué, votre guerre est terminée et votre conquête menée à bien , d’où il résulte que nul à notre connaissance n’a l’en-vergure ni la puissance pour oser vous faire la guerre : de ce fait, nous vous supplions de rentrer au pays et de nousautoriser à regagner nos foyers auprès de nos femmes dont nous sommes éloignés depuis longtemps, et à prendredu repos, car votre expédition s’est terminée dans l’honneur et la bravoure. »
À quoi le roi répondit : « Vous dites vrai et comme il n’est pas sage de vouloir tenter Dieu, prenez vos dis-
positions car nous rentrons en Angleterre. »On s’activa à ranger les équipements, faire les bagages et former les convois. Après avoir donné
le signal du départ, il prit le chemin du retour, interdiction étant faite à quiconque, sous peine de mort,de voler ou d’accepter de la nourriture ou quoi que ce soit d’autre sans s’être acquitté du montant cor -respondant. Il effectua la traversée et débarqua à Sandwich, où la reine Guenièvre, son épouse, vintl’accueillir ; il fut noblement reçu par son peuple dans chaque ville et chaque bourg, et reçut de grandsprésents de bienvenue pour fêter son retour.
Fin du cinquième Livre, relatant l’expédition victorieuse
du roi Arthur contre Lucius, empereur de Rome.
À suivre : le sixième Livre, qui traite deLancelot du Lac.
№ 1 himseemeth
no prisoner J. Cowen : “him seemed”, conforme à Caxton “hym ſemed”,difficilement défendable ; P.J.C. Field (2013) adopte la leçon de Winchester, folio 93v :“hym ſemys”.
№ 2 they of Milan heard that thilk city was won Voir volet 80, p. 2,№ 2.
№ 3 the Vale of Vicecount Caxton : “the vale of vycecou͂te”; Winchester, folio 94v : “ þe valeof vyſecounte” — Cf. “ þe vale of Vyterbe” (volet 90, Winchester, folio 72v)
La ressemblance avec Vaux-le Vicomte (Seine-et-Marne) est fortuite.
Le chapitre contient une esquisse du « Prince idéal ». — Il n’est plus question, parla suite, d’Arthur « empereur ». Alors, à quoi bon ?
Winchester de folio 93v, ligne 9 à folio 96r, ligne 18 :
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Ow thanked be god ſ ayde þe noble kynge but I mer folio 93v vayle muche of þat bourely knyght þat ſ tondyth by þe 10 ‘burly’
for hym ſ emys to be a ſ traungere for þerſ onere is he nonelyke Sir ſ eyde Sir Gawayne this is a good man of armyshe macched me ſ ore this day In þe mournyng and had nat hishelpe bene þat had I founden · And now is he yolden vnto « j’aurais péri »god & to me Sir kyng for to be com Cryſ ten and on good 15
beleve · And whan he is Cryſ tynde and In the fayth be levys There lyvyth nat a bettir knyght nor a noblere of
his hondis Than þe kynge In haſ te cryſ tynde hym fayreand lette conferme hym Priamus as he was a fore andlyghtly lete dubbe hym a deuke with his hondys And made 20 hym knyght of þe table rounde And a none þe kynge lette crya ſ awte vnto þe towne and þer was rerynge of laddyrs & ‘assault’ brekynge of wallys þe payne þat þe peple had was pyteto ſ e Than þe duches hir dreſſ ed with dameſ els ryche andþe countes of Claryſ yn with hir clere maydyns they kneled In 25 þer kyrtyls þer þe kynge hovyth and be ſ ought hym of ſ ocoure
for þe
ſ ake of oure lorde and ſ ey vs ſ om good worde AndCetyl · thy peple or þe cite ſ uddeynly be with a ſ awte wonne « calme tes gens »For than ſ hall dye many a ſ oule þat grevid þe neuer
Thekynge of walys lyff te vp his vyſ er with a knyghtly coun 30 tenaunce and kneled to hir myldely with full meke wordes
and ſ eyde ſ hall none myſſ e do you madam þat to me longis folio 94r for I graunte the Chartyrs and to thy cheff maydyns vn « lettres de pardon »to thy chyldern and to thy chyff men In chambir that to
þe
longis But thy deuke is In daunger my drede ys « captivité »þe leſſ e But ye ſ hall haue lyvelode to leve by as to thyne 5 aſ tate fallys Than Arthure ſ endyth on eche ſ yde wythſ ertayne lordis for to ceſ e of þer ſ awte for þe cite was yoldenand þer with þe deuke is eldyſ t ſ oune com with þe keyes & kneleddowne vnto þe kynge and be ſ ought hym of his grace
And þer he ceſ ed þe ſ awte by aſſ ente of his lordis and the 10 deuke was dreſſ ed to douer with þe kynges dere knyghtes · For todwelle In daunger and dole dayes of his lyff Than þe kynge with his crowne on his hede recouerde þe cite and thecaſ tell and þe Captaynes con͂eſ tablys knew hym for lorde
and þer
he delyuer
de and dalte by fore dyuer
ſ e lordis a dowre 15 for þe deuches and hir chyldryn Than he made wardes͂to welde all þat londis And ſ o In Lorayne & Lumbardy he lodgedas a lorde In his owne and ſ ette lawys In þe londis as hymbeſ te lyked And than at Lammas he yode vnto Luſ arne Lucerne/Luzernhe ſ ought and lay at his leyſ er with lykynges I nowe Than 20 he mevys ouer þe mountaynes and doth many mervaylesand ſ o goth In by Godarte that Gareth ſ one wynnys col du Saint-Gothard
Than he lokys in to Lumbardy and on lowde ſ pekythin yondir lykynge londis as lorde woll I dwelle ſ ir Flo rence and Sir Floridas that day paſſ ed with ·v·C· good men 25
of armys vnto þe
cite of Urbyn they ſ ought at þe
gaynſ te Urbino (Pesaro e Urbino, Marche) and leyde þer a buyſſ hement as hem beſ te lykys · So þer comoute of þat cite many hundretthis and ſ kyrmyſſ hed wythoure fore ryders as hem beſ te ſ emed · Than broke oute
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oure buyſſ hemente and þe brydge wyn͂ ys and ſ o rode 30 vnto þer borowys with ban͂ers vp dyſ played There fledde
much folke oute of nu͂bir for ferde of Sir Florence and folio 94vhis fers knyghtes · Than they buſked vp a ban͂er a bovyn þe
gatis and of Sir Florence in fayth ſ o fayne were theyneuer · The kynge than hovyth on an hylle and lokythto þe wallys and ſ ayde ſ e be yondir ſ ygne þe cite is won͂e 5 Than he lete make a cry thorow all þ e oſ te that vpponpayne of lyff a lym͂e and alſ o leſ ynge of his goodysþat no lyege man þat longyth to his oſ te ſ holde lye be nomaydens ne ladyes noþer burgeſſ is wyff þat to the citelongis So whan this Conquerrour com In to þe cite he paſ 10 ſ ed in to þe caſ tell and þer he lendis and comfortis þe care full men with many knyghtly wordis & made there aCaptayne a knyght of his owne contrey & þe com͂ons
accorded þ
er
tyll
Whan þ
e
ſ ou
er
aygnes of Myllayne her
de þat þe cite was wonne they ſ ente vnto kynge Arthure 15 grete ſ om͂ ys of Syluer Syxty horſ ys well charged &be ſ ought hym as ſ ouerayne to haue ruthe of þe peple « pitié » (cf. ‘ruthless’) and ſ eyde they wolde be ſ ubgectes vntyll hym for euer and yelde hym ſ eruyſ e & fewte ſ urely for hir lordysbothe for Pleſ aunce and Petreſ aynte and for þe porte 20 Trembyll and ſ o mekly to gyff for Myllayne a mylly on of golde and make homage vnto Arthure all hirlyff tymes · Than þe kynge by his counceyle a conduyte « sauf-conduit »hem ſ endys ſ o to com In and know hym for lorde Than
in to Tuſ kayne he turned whan hym tyme ſ emed & there25
he wynnys towrys and townys full hyȝe and all he waſ ted in his warrys þer he a way ryddys Than heſ pedys towarde Spolute with his ſ pedfull knyghtys Spoleto (Perugia, Umbria) and ſ o vnto vyterbe he vytayled his knyghtes and to þ e Viterbo (Lazio)vale of vyſ ecounte he devyſ ed þer to lygge in þat vertuouſ e 30 vale amonge vynys full And þer he ſ uggeournys that
ſ oueraigne with ſ olace at his harte for to wete wheþer the folio 95r
Senatours wolde hym of ſ ucco
ur
be ſ eke
But ſ one aft
er
on a Saturday ſ ought vnto kynge Arthure all þe Sena toures þat were on lyve and of þe cun͂ yngyſ t Cardynallis that dwelled in þe courte and prayde hym of pece and 5
fird hym full large and be ſ ought hym as a ſ oueraynemoſ te gouernoure vndir god for to gyff them lycencefor ·vi· wekys large þat they myght be aſſ embled allAnd than in þe cite of Syon that is Rome callyd tocrowne hym þer kyndly with Cryſ emed hondys with Septu 10 « sceptre » re for ſ othe as an Em oure ſ holde I aſſ ente me ſ ey de þe kynge as ye haue devyſ ed and comly be Cryſ tmas
to be crowned here aft
er
to reigne in my aſſ tate and tokepe my rounde table with þe rentys of Rome to ruleas me lykys And than as I am avyſ ed to gete me 15 ouer þe ſ alte ſ ee with good men of armys to deme for his (projet de croisade)deth · that for vs all on þe Roode dyed · Whan þe Sena ‘Holy Rood’
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tours had this anſ were vnto Rome they turned andmade rydy for his corownemente in þe moſ te noblewyſ e and at þe day aſſ igned as þe Romaynes me tel 20 lys he was crowned Em oure by the Poopys hondiswith all þe Royalte in þe worlde to welde for euer
þerethey ſ uggeourned þat ſ eſ on tyll aftir þe tyme and ſ tabelyſ ſ hed all þe londys frome Rome vnto Fraunce & gaff
londis & rentys vnto knyghtes that had hem well deſ
er 25
ued þer was none þat playned on his te ryche nothir ‘complained’ poore · Than he com͂aunded Sir Launcelot and SirBors to take kepe vnto þer fadyrs landys þat kyngeBan & kynge Bors welded & her fadyrs loke þat yetake ſ eynge in all your brode londis and cauſ e youre 30 lyege men to know you as for þer kynde lorde & ſ uffir
neuer your ſ oueraynte to be alledged with your ſ ubiectes noþer the folio 95v
ſ ou
er
aygne of yo
ur
ſ one and londys
Alſ o þ
e
myghtykynge Claudas I gyff you for to te be twyxte youevyn for to mayntene your kynrede þat be noble knyȝtesSo þat ye and they to þe rounde table make your repeyre 5
Sir Launcelot and Sir Bors de gaynys thankedþe kynge fayre and ſ ayde þer hertes & ſ eruyſ e ſ holde euer be his owne Where art þou Priamus thy fee is yetbe hynde / here I make þe and gyff þe deukedom ofLorayne for euer vnto þe and thyne ayres · And whan 10 we com in to Ingelonde for to purvey the of horſ emete and a Ml·li quarterly for to mayntene thy
ſ
er
uauntes ſ o þ
ou
leve not my felyſ hip this gyff te ysthyne owne The knyght thankys þe kynge with a kynde wylle and ſ ayde as longe as I lyve my ſ er
15 vys is youre owne Thus þe kynge gaff manylondys there was none þat wolde aſ ke þat myghteplayne of his te · For of Rycheſſ e & welth theyhad all at her wylle Than the knyghtes & lordisþat to þe kynge longis Called a counſ ayle vppon a 20 fayre morne and ſ ayde Sir kynge we be ſ echethe for to here vs all we ar vndir youre lordſ hipwell ſ tuffid blyſſ ed be god of many thynges And alſ o
we haue wyffis weddid we woll be ſ eche youregood grace to Reles vs · to ſ porte vs with oure wyffis « prendre du 25 bon temps »for worſ hyp be Cryſ te this Journey is well ouer com « expédition » ye ſ ay well ſ eyde þe kynge for I nowȝe is as good « qui trop embrasse mal étreint »as a feſ te for to attemte god ouer muche I holde « tenter le diable »hit not wyſ edom And þer fore make you all redyand turne we in to Ingelonde Than there was 30 truſſ ynge of harneyſ e with caryage full noble and þe
kynge toke his leve of þ
e
holy fadir þ
e
Pope and Pa
folio 96rtryarkys and Cardynalys and Senatoures fullryche and leff te good governaunce in þat noble cite andall þe contrays of Rome for to warde and to kepe onpayne of deth þat in no wyſ e his com͂aundement be 5
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brokyn · Thus he paſſ yth thorow þe contreyes of alltyes and ſ o kyng Arthure paſſ ed over þe ſ ee vnto
Sandwyche haven Whan quene Gwenyvere her de of his com͂ ynge ſ he mette with hym at london &ſ o dud all oþer quenys and noble ladyes · for þer was 10 never a ſ olempner metyng in one cite to gedyrs forall maner of Rycheſſ e they brought with hem at þe full
Here endyth þ
e
tale of þ
e
noble kynge Arthure that was Em our hym ſ elf thorow dygnyte of hishondys · And here folowyth aff tir many noble 15 talys of Sir Launcelot de Lake
Explycit the noble tale be twyxt kynge
rthure and Lucus the Em our of Rome
Geoff rey of Monmouth :
Adueniente uero æstate, dum Romam petere a ff ectaret et montes transcendere incepisset, nunciatur eiModredum nepotem suum, cuius tutelæ permiserat Britanniam, eiusdem diademate per tirannidem et pro-ditionem insignitum esse reginamque Ganhumaram uiolato iure priorum nuptiarum eidem nefanda uenerecopulatam fuisse.
L’été approchant, alors qu’Arthur avait décidé de marcher sur Rome et commencé à franchirles Alpes, il apprit que son neveu Mo(r)dred, à qui il avait confié la régence, usurpait la couronne,et que la reine Guenièvre, violant sa foi conjugale, entretenait avec lui des relations adultères.
Malory+Caxton se sépare donc ici de sa source (aMA donne la même version), estimantpeut-être un peu facile le procédé qui consiste à élever le personnage le plus possibleafin de renforcer l’aspect spectaculaire de sa ruine (« tolluntur in altum, ut lapsu grauioreruant »1, plus dure sera la chute, ‘the harder they fall’).
Table des matières du sixième livre
VI 1 [volet 102]
How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lionel departed from the court for to seek adventures, and how
Sir Lionel left him sleeping and was taken
1 « on les élève à seule fin que leur chute en soit plus lourde » Claudien, In Ru finum (Invectives contre Rufin).
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How Sir Turquin was slain, and how Sir Launcelot bad Sir Gaheris deliver all the prisoners
Ayant tué sire Térican, sire Lancelot charge sire Guerrehet de délivrer tous ceuxque l’ennemi d’Arthur détenait prisonniers
VI 10 [volet 111]
How Sir Launcelot rode with a damosel and slew a knight that distressed all ladies and alsoa villain that kept a bridge
Escortant une demoiselle, sire Lancelot tue un chevalier qui maltraitait toutes lesdames, puis un vilain qui gardait un pont
VI 11 [volet 112]
How Sir Launcelot slew two giants, and made a castle free
Sire Lancelot tue deux géants et libère un château
VI 12 [volet 113]How Sir Launcelot rode disguised in Sir Kay’s harness, and how he smote down a knight
Sire Lancelot reprend sa chevauchée en se faisant passer pour sire Keu, dont il aendossé l’armure, et abat un chevalier
VI 13 [volet 114]
How Sir Launcelot jousted against four knights of the Round Table and overthrew them
Sire Lancelot joute contre quatre chevaliers de la Table Ronde, qu’il désarçonne
VI 14 [volet 115]
How Sir Launcelot followed a brachet into a castle, where he found a dead knight, and howhe after was required of a damosel to heal her brother
Sire Lancelot entre dans un château en suivant une chienne briquette et y décou-vre le cadavre d’un chevalier ; une demoiselle lui demande ensuite de guérir son frère
VI 15 [volet 116]
How Sir Launcelot came into the Chapel Perilous and gat there of a dead corpse a piece ofthe cloth and a sword
Sire Lancelot entre dans la Chapelle Périlleuse et y récupère sur un cadavre unlambeau de linceul et une épée
VI 16 [volet 117]
How Sir Launcelot at the request of a lady recovered a falcon, by which he was deceived
À la requête d’une dame, sire Lancelot délivre un lanier et tombe ainsi dans un
piègeVI 17 [volet 118]
How Sir Launcelot overtook a knight which chased his wife to have slain her, and how he
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