Author: Chrétien Troyes
Publisher:
Published: 2018-01-02
Total Pages: 259
ISBN-13: 9781976786068
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →
This book is translated from the first volume of "Perceval le Gallois ou le contedu Graal"; edited by M. Ch. Potvin for 'La Societe des Bibliophiles Belges' in 1866,1from the MS. numbered 11,145 in the library of the Dukes of Burgundy at Brussels.This MS. I find thus described in M. F. J. Marchal's catalogue of that pricelesscollection: '"Le Roman de Saint Graal", beginning "Ores lestoires", in the Frenchlanguage; date, first third of the sixteenth century; with ornamental capitals.'2Written three centuries later than the original romance, and full as it is of faults ofthe scribe, this manuscript is by far the most complete known copy of the "Book ofthe Graal" in existence, being defective only in Branch XXI. Titles 8 and 9, thesubstance of which is fortunately preserved elsewhere. Large fragments, however,amounting in all to nearly one-seventh of the whole, of a copy in handwriting of thethirteenth century, are preserved in six consecutive leaves and one detached leafbound up with a number of other works in a MS. numbered 113 in the City Libraryat Berne. The volume is in folio on vellum closely written in three columns to thepage, and the seven leaves follow the last poem contained in it, entitled "Duremartle Gallois". The manuscript is well known, having been lent to M. de Sainte Palayefor use in the Monuments of French History issued by the Benedictines of theCongregation of St Maur. Selections from the poems it contains are given inSinner's "Extraits de Poesie du XIII. Siecle",3 and it is described, unfortunatelywithout any reference to these particular leaves, by the same learned librarian inthe "Catalogus Codicum MSS. Bibl. Bernensis", J.R. Sinner. 4M. Potvin has carefully collated for his edition all that is preserved of theRomance in this manuscript, comprising all the beginning of the work as far asBranch III. Title 8, about the middle, and from Branch XIX. Title 23, near thebeginning, to Branch XXX. Title 5, in the middle. Making allowance for variations ofspelling and sundry minor differences of reading, by no means always in favour ofthe earlier scribe, the Berne fragments are identical with the corresponding portionsof the Brussels manuscript, and it is therefore safe to assume that the latter is onthe whole an accurate transcript of the entire original Romance.The only note of time in the book itself is contained in the declaration at the end.From this it appears that it was written by order of the Seingnor of Cambrein forMessire Jehan the Seingnor of Neele. M. Potvin, without giving any reason for sodoing, assumes that this Lord of Cambrein is none other than the Bishop ofCambrai. If this assumption be correct, the person referred to was probably eitherJohn of Berhune, who held the see from 1200 till July 27, 1219, or his successorGodfrey of Fontaines (Conde), who held it till 1237. To me, however, it seems morelikely that the personage intended was in reality the 'Seingnor' of Cambrin, thechef-lieu of a canton of the same name, on a small hill overlooking the peatmarshesof Bethune, albeit I can find no other record of any such landedproprietor's existence.Be this as it may, the Messire Jehan, Seingnor of Neele, can hardly be otherthan the John de Nesle who was present at the battle of Bouvines in 1214, andwho in 1225 sold the lordship of Bruges to Joan of Flanders.5 These datestherefore may be regarded as defining that of the original Romance within fairlynarrow limits.This conclusion is confirmed by other evidence. An early Welsh translation ofthe story was published with an English version and a glossary by the Rev. RobertWilliams in the first volume of his "Selections from the Hengwrt MSS".6 The firstvolume of this work is entitled "Y Seint Greal, being the adventures of King Arthur'sknights of the Round Table, in the quest of the Holy Grail, and on other occasions.
