Royal MS 20 B XIX

CHANSONS of the cycle of Guillaume d'Orange; see Ward, Cat. of Romances, i, 1883, p. 654, for fuller description. Most of the seven branches here given, chiefly concerned with Narbonne, and written in tirades of decasyllabic verse (except art. 5, which is in alexandrines) with a six-syllable verse (ending with an unaccented e) at the end of each tirade, are contained also in the more extensive (but later) MS. 20 D. XI, see below, and the first two and last three are also included in Harley MS. 1321, see Ward, p. 660. Contents:-

1. Girart de Viane, by Bertrand of Bar-sur-Aube poem in about 6950 lines. Divided here (f. 9 b) into two parts. See 20 D. XI, art. 2. A fragment is noticed by P. Meyer in Romania, xxxiv, p. 444. f. 1. Title:-

'Ci comence la geste cum dit li escriz. De Gaym (sic) de Monglanne, et de ses quatre fiz.'

Pt. i begins:-

'Bon chancon plest uos que ge uos die. De haute estoire et de grant baronnie.'

Pt. ii begins:-

'Oor fu Girart a Uienne el donion. Forment lamerent cil del resne enuiron.' Ends:-

'Cest daimeri qui tant par fu preudom Le seigneur de Nerbone.'

The last five lines are repeated.

2. Aimeri de Narbonne: in about 4730 lines. No title. Cf. 20 D. XI, art. 3, which, however, includes part of art. 3, see below. Printed from this and other MSS. by L. Demaison, Aymeri de Narbonne, Soc. des anciens textes français, 1887, and further discussed by H. Suchier, Les Narbonnais, ib. 1898, tom. ii. f. 39 b. Begins:-

'A ceste estoire dire me plest entendre, Ou len puet blen sens et essa[m]ple prendre.' The couplet is repeated with 'moult' for 'bien'. Ends:-

'Enuoiera les damoisiax gentis. Siront ennor conquerre.'

3. Les Enfans Aimeri. No title. Printed by Suchier as ll. 1-3675 of Les Narbonnais, tom. i. The first fourteen tirades (to f. 68 b, col. ii, ll. 1-465 of Suchier) correspond to part of the conclusion of 20 D. XI, art. 3, but Les Enfances Guillaume (art. 4 of 20 D. XI), in spite of some resemblance at the beginning, is a different chanson (the connecting links are printed by Suchier, tom. ii, pp. 3-28). f. 66. Begins:-

'Ce fu a pasques a une feste autor Biau fu li tans replandisent li ior.'

Ends:-

'Que Sarrazin qui dex puist mal doner Vindrent deuant Nerbone.'

4. Le Siége de Narbonne. No title. Suchier, l.c., as ll. 3676-8063 of Les Narbonnais. The text of the longer cycle (20 D. XI, art. 5) is in great part different (see Suchier, tom. ii, pp. 29-101). f. 86 b. Begins:-

'Ce fu en iung que la rose est florie Lorios chante et li rosignox crie.'

Ends:-

'Que il ot ia .c. milliers darrabiz Por uenir a Nerbone.'

5. Le Siége de Barbastre: in about 7450 lines. No title. Cf. 20 D. XI, art. 16. f. 110 b. Begins:-

'Plest uos oir chancon bien fait et conpasee Toute est de uielle estoire estraite et porpansee.' Ends:-

'Et a Guibert son fil ira prochienement Conquerre autre critaie.'

6. Guibert d'Andrenas: in about 2490 lines. No title. Cf. 20 D. XI, art. 17. f. 152. Begins:-

'Ce fu a pasques la feste seignoriz Dedenz Nerbone fu li quens Aymeris.'

Ends:-

'Et bien quidoit li bons rois seignoris Quil perdist la corone.' 7. La Mort d'Aimeri: in about 4640 lines. No title. The text printed by J. Couraye du Parc, La Mort Aymeri de Narbonne, Soc. des anc. textes français, 1884, is that of the longer cycle, see 20 D. XI, art. 118, f. 166. Begins:-

'Ce fu en mai que la rouse est florie Loriox chante et li rousignox crie.'

Ends:-

'Ne trouerez qui auant uos en die Sil ne fausse lestoire. Explicit.'

On the fly-leaf (f. 192 b) is a couplet in a 15th cent. hand, 'Terram terra tegat demon peccata resumat Mundus res habeat spiritus alta petat'.

Vellum; ff. 192. 111/2 in. x 73/4 in. Late XIII cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (xix⁴, last⁴), irregularly lettered, with catchwords. Double columns of 45 lines. Sec. fol. 'Ne borc'. One small miniature (f. 1) representing the King enthroned on the r. with the Queen behind him and Guarin (with sword) and three sons before him. Other initials flourished in blue and red. Not identified in the old catalogues.