Four Arthurian Romances | Page 9

Early French Narrative Poetry, 1150-1170 in "Modern Philology", iii.,

179-209; iii., 513-539; iv., 655-675). Poets in his own land refer to him with reverence,
and foreign poets complimented him to a high degree by direct translation and by
embroidering upon the themes which he had made popular. The knights made famous by
Chretien soon crossed the frontiers and obtained rights of citizenship in counties so
diverse as Germany, England, Scandinavia, Holland, Italy, and to a lesser extent in Spain
and Portugal. The inevitable tendency of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to reduce
poetry to prose affected the Arthurian material; vast prose compilations finally embodied
in print the matter formerly expressed in verse, and it was in this form that the stories
were known to later generations until revived interest in the Middle Ages brought to light
the manuscripts in verse.
Aside from certain episodes of Chretien's romances, the student will be most interested in
the treatment of love as therein portrayed. On this topic we may hear speaking the man of
his time. "Cliges" contains the body of Chretien's doctrine of love, while Lancelot is his
most perfect lover. His debt to Ovid has not yet been indicated with sufficient preciseness.
An elaborate code to govern sentiment and its expression was independently developed
by the troubadours of Provence in the early twelfth century. These Provencal ideals of the
courtly life were carried into Northern France partly as the result of a royal marriage in
1137 and of the crusade of 1147, and there by such poets as Chretien they were gathered
up and fused with the Ovidian doctrine into a highly complicated but perfectly definite
statement of the ideal relations of the sexes. Nowhere in the vulgar tongues can a better
statement of these relations be found than in "Cliges."
So we leave Chretien to speak across the ages for himself and his generation. He is to be
read as a story-teller rather than as a poet, as a casuist rather than as a philosopher. But
when all deductions are made, his significance as a literary artist and as the founder of a
precious literary tradition distinguishes him from all other poets of the Latin races
between the close of the Empire and the arrival of Dante.
-- W. W. COMFORT.

EREC ET ENIDE (1)
(Vv. 1-26.) The rustic's proverb says that many a thing is despised that is worth much
more than is supposed. Therefore he does well who makes the most of whatever
intelligence he may possess. For he who neglects this concern may likely omit to say
something which would subsequently give great pleasure. So Chretien de Troyes
maintains that one ought always to study and strive to speak well and teach the right; and
he derives from a story of adventure a pleasing argument whereby it may be proved and
known that he is not wise who does not make liberal use of his knowledge so long as God
may give him grace. The story is about Erec the son of Lac--a story which those who earn
a living by telling stories are accustomed to mutilate and spoil in the presence of kings
and counts. And now I shall begin the tale which will be remembered so long as
Christendom endures. This is Chretien's boast.
(Vv. 27-66.) One Easter Day in the Springtime, King Arthur held court in his town of
Cardigan. Never was there seen so rich a court; for many a good knight was there, hardy,
bold, and brave, and rich ladies and damsels, gentle and fair daughters of kings. But
before the court was disbanded, the King told his knights that he wished to hunt the
White Stag, (2) in order to observe worthily the ancient custom. When my lord Gawain
heard this, he was sore displeased. and said: "Sire, you will derive neither thanks nor

goodwill from this hunt. We all know long since what this custom of the White Stag is:
whoever can kill the White Stag must forsooth kiss the fairest maiden of your court, come
what may. But of this there might come great ill, for there are here five hundred damsels
of high birth, gentle and prudent daughters of kings, and there is none of them but has a
bold and valiant knight for her lover who would be ready to contend, whether fight or
wrong, that she who is his lady is the fairest and gentlest of them all." The King replies:
"That I know well; yet will I not desist on that account; for a king's word ought never to
be gainsaid. To-morrow morning we shall all gaily go to hunt the White Stag in the forest
of adventure. And very delightful this hunt will be."
(Vv. 67-114.) And so the affair is arranged for the next