Add MS 36615

THE CHANSON of Godfrey of Bouillon, or (as it is more usually called, from its opening branch) Le Chevalier au Cygne. French. In about 55,000 lines of rhyming alexandrines. Without any formal division, but containing the following branches, according to the classification usually adopted (see L. Gautier, Bibliographiw des Chansons de Geste, 1897, pp. 77-81):-1. Helias, preceded by the " Seven at a birth" story in a form which combines the incidents of " Elioxe " with the nomenclature of " Beatrix." Imperfect at the end. f. 1 b ;-2. Enfances Godefroi (imperf. at beg.). f. 9;-3. Antioche. f. 47;-4. Les Chétifs. f. 82;-5. Jérusalem f. 101 b. This version is altogether distinct from that of the Brussels MS. published by Reiffenberg, Le Chevalier au Cygne (Brussels, 1846-54) forming vols. iv.-vi. of " Monuments pour servir à l'histoire des provinces de Namur, de Hainaut et de Luxembourg." Substantially, though with many variations, the text is, for Branch 1, that of La Naissance du Chevalier au Cygne, ed. H. A. Todd (Nos. 3 and 4 of the Modern Language Association of America publications, vol. iv., Baltimore, 1889), 11. 32-1508 (but with different nomenclature, see above), followed by Le Chevalier au Cygne (ed. C. Hippeau, Paris, 1874), 11. 197-380;-Branch 2, Hippeau's Le Chevalier au Cygne, ll. 4253-6980, and his Godefroi de Bouillon, 11. 1-5190, but with many important differences, the incidents sometimes agreeing much more closely with those of Reiffenberg's edition ;-Branch 3, La Chanson d'Antioche, adapted by Graindor de Douai from Richard Le Pèlerin (ed. P. Paris, 1848');-Branch 4 agrees, so far as can be judged by the extracts printed, with the MSS. used by Hippeau, Godefroi de Bouillon, pp. 193-276;-and Branch 5 with La Conquéte de Jérusalem, by Graindor and Richard, ed. Hippeau, 1868. A more detailed account will be given in vol. iii. of the Catalogue of Romances; see vol. i. p. 708, for the description of a much later and abridged version in Royal MS. 15 E. vi. ff. 273-292. The first page is stained and partly illegible, especially at the top, so that the opening lines cannot be quoted. The second tirade begins (11. 19-21). Seignur ceste chancon est de grant sapience Ainsi com li estoire le raconte en oiance Du bon duc Godefroy vus dirai la nessance." f. 1 b. The first eight leaves are wrongly bound, the proper order being ff. 1, 2, 5-8, 3, 4. Then comes a lacuna, probably of twenty leave.'Z. After f. 82 is another lacuna, apparently of three leaves ; f. 83 is inserted, but is very little later than the original. Only a little over a column of this leaf is occupied by the text (which is continued on f. 84), and the rest is filled with scribblings, including the name Jehan Fagot, and with (f. 83 b) a charm against illness, in French prose, beginnino, " Auxci verrament come Dieux fust est et serra," and consisting mainly of a paraphrase of the Apostles' Creed. Ff. 92-96 are inserted leaves (the text running on from f. 91 b to f. 97), containing the episode of the Serpent's Mother, which does not appear to be in ',Les Chétifs " as analysed and ]partly printed by Hippeau at the end of Godefroi de Bouillon (as above: see pp. 248-249), though a version of it occurs in Reiffenberg, vol. v. pp. 329-334. Vellum; ff. 281, in double columns of 48 to 53 lines. Early XIV. cent., in several hands. Initials in red and blue. A panel of carved ivory, of French 14th cent. work, has been inserted in the modern cover. lt is in four compartments:-(1) A knight, fully armed and wearing spurs though on foot, fighting a lion;-(2) A knight crawling on all-fours along the edge of a sword, which forms a bride over a torrent, while swords and darts rain down on him from the clouds;-(3) A knight sleeping, witli drawn sword, on a bed mounted on wheels and hung with bells; swords and darts rain on him as in No. 2, and a lion is attacking bis feet;-(4) Three ladies. Nos. 1 and 2 evidently represent, though in inverted order, Lancelot crossing the sword-bridge and fighting the phantom lion (see Lancelot du Lac, Paris, 1533, vol. ii. f. xi.; Le Roman de la Charrette, d'après Gauthier Map et Chrestien de Troies, ed. Jonckbloet, La Haye, 1850, pp. 31-2, 77-8). The shower of weapons is an addition. Of the many forms in which the Enchanted Bed episode occurs (see Le Chevalier à L'Épée, ed. E. C. Armstrong, Baltimore, 1900, pp. 59-62), No. 3 most closely resembles that of Gawain in Perceval le Gallois, ed. Potvin, Mons, 1865-1872, vol. ii. pp. 302-306, vol. iii. pp. 1-3; and No. 4 might represent the damsels who offer him their services after his victory over the lion (ib. iii. pp. 4-5). This interpretation seems the more probable from the agreement of Nos. 3 and 4 with one of the scenes on an ivory Belles-Lettres, vol. xviii. (1753), p. 322, and again by Ferrario, Romanzi di Cavalleria, vol. ii. (Milan, 1828), p. 100, where the additional detail of the lion's claw adhering to Gawain's shield is shown. On the other hand, it seems possible that No. 3 may be, intended to represent Lancelot in the Enchanted Bed (with details borrowed from the Gawain story), and No. 4 the mourning damsels whom he sees with Guinevere next day; see Le Roman de la Charrette, as above, pp. 60, 61. The same four scenes fill one side of an ivory casket, French, 14th cent., in the Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities (Maskell Collection). Formerly Barrois MS. 14 in the Ashburnham Library (sale-cat. 1901, lot 238).

10 3/8 in. x 7 1/2 in.

Ivory: Scenes from romance, French work: 14th cent.

Art. Illuminations and Drawings FRENCH: Scenes from romance, in ivory.: 14th cent.

Romances: Scenes from Arthurian romance, on ivory: 14th cent.

Romances: Chevalier au Cygne: 14th cent.: Fr.

Bindings FRENCH: Ivory panel: 14th cent.: inserted in modern binding.

Poetry: Chevalier au Cygne: 14th cent.

Chevalier au Cygne: Chanson of: 14th cent.

Godfrey of Bouillon: Romance of: 14th cent.: Fr.

Crusades: Chansons of the First Crusade: 14th cent.: Fr.

includes:

• f. 47 Antioch: Chanson of: 14th cent.: Fr.
• ff. 47, 101 b Graindor, of Douai: Chansons of Antioch and Jerusalem: 14th cent.: Fr.
• ff. 47, 101 b Richard Le Pèlerin: Chansons of Antioch and Jerusalem: 14th cent.: Fr.
• f. 83b Charms: Charm against illness: 14th cent.: Fr.
• f. 101 b Jerusalem: Chanson of: 14th cent.