Sir Degare

by: Anne Laskaya (Editor) , Eve Salisbury (Editor)

from: The Middle English Breton Lays  1995

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Lysteneth, lordinges, gente and fre, Ich wille you telle of Sire Degarre: Knightes that were sometyme in londe    Ferli fele wolde fonde    And sechen aventures bi night and dai, Hou thai mighte here strengthe asai;    So dede a knyght, Sire Degarree: Ich wille you telle wat man was he.    In Litel Bretaygne was a kyng Of gret poer in all thing, Stif in armes under sscheld, And mochel idouted in the feld. Ther nas no man, verraiment, That mighte in werre ne in tornament, Ne in justes for no thing, Him out of his sadel bring, Ne out of his stirop bringe his fot, So strong he was of bon and blod.       This Kyng he hadde none hair    But a maidenchild, fre and fair; Here gentiresse and here beauté Was moche renound in ich countré. This maiden he loved als his lif,    Of hire was ded the Quene his wif: In travailing here lif she les.    And tho the maiden of age wes Kynges sones to him speke, Emperours and Dukes eke, To haven his doughter in mariage, For love of here heritage; Ac the Kyng answered ever That no man sschal here halden ever But yif he mai in turneying Him out of his sadel bring, And maken him lesen hise stiropes bayne. Many assayed and myght not gayne.    That ryche Kynge every yere wolde A solempne feste make and holde On hys wyvys mynnyng day,    That was beryed in an abbay In a foreste there besyde. With grete meyné he wolde ryde, Hire dirige do, and masse bothe,    Poure men fede, and naked clothe, Offring brenge, gret plenté, And fede the covent with gret daynté. Toward the abbai als he com ride,    And mani knyghtes bi his side, His doughter also bi him rod. Amidde the forest hii abod. Here chaumberleyn she clepede hire to And other dammaiseles two And seide that hii moste alighte To don here nedes and hire righte; 1 Thai alight adoun alle thre, Tweie damaiseles and ssche, And longe while ther abiden, Til al the folk was forht iriden.    Thai wolden up and after wolde, And couthen nowt here way holde.    The wode was rough and thikke, iwis, And thai token the wai amys. Thai moste souht and riden west 2 Into the thikke of the forest. Into a launde hii ben icome, And habbeth wel undernome    That thai were amis igon. Thai light adoun everichon And cleped and criede al ifere, Ac no man aright hem ihere.    Thai nist what hem was best to don; 3 The weder was hot bifor the non; Hii leien hem doun upon a grene, Under a chastein tre, ich wene,    And fillen aslepe everichone    Bote the damaisele alone. She wente aboute and gaderede floures, And herknede song of wilde foules. So fer in the launde she goht, iwis, That she ne wot nevere whare se is. To hire maidenes she wolde anon. Ac hi ne wiste never wat wei to gon. Whenne hi wende best to hem terne, Aweiward than hi goth wel yerne. "Allas!" hi seide, "that I was boren!    Nou ich wot ich am forloren! Wilde bestes me willeth togrinde Or ani man me sschulle finde!" Than segh hi swich a sight: Toward hire comen a knight, Gentil, yong, and jolif man;    A robe of scarlet he hadde upon; His visage was feir, his bodi ech weies; Of countenaunce right curteis; Wel farende legges, fot, and honde: Ther nas non in al the Kynges londe More apert man than was he. "Damaisele, welcome mote thou be! Be thou afered of none wihghte: Iich am comen here a fairi knyghte; Mi kynde is armes for to were,    On horse to ride with scheld and spere; Forthi afered be thou nowt: I ne have nowt but mi swerd ibrout. Iich have iloved the mani a yer, And now we beth us selve her, Thou best mi lemman ar thou go,    Wether the liketh wel or wo."    Tho nothing ne coude do she    But wep and criede and wolde fle; And he anon gan hire at holde, And dide his wille, what he wolde. He binam hire here maidenhod, And seththen up toforen hire stod. "Lemman," he seide, "gent and fre, Mid schilde I wot that thou schalt be;    Siker ich wot hit worht a knave; 4 Forthi mi swerd thou sschalt have, And whenne that he is of elde That he mai himself biwelde, Tak him the swerd, and bidde him fonde To sechen his fader in eche londe. The swerd his god and avenaunt: Lo, as I faugt with a geaunt, I brak the point in his hed;    And siththen, when that he was ded, I tok hit out and have hit er, Redi in min aumener.    Yit paraventure time bith That mi sone mete me with: Be mi swerd I mai him kenne. Have god dai! I mot gon henne." Thi knight passede as he cam. Al wepende the swerd she nam, And com hom sore sikend,    And fond here maidenes al slepend. The swerd she hidde als she mighte, And awaked hem in highte, And doht hem to horse anon, And gonne to ride everichon. Thanne seghen hi ate last Tweie squiers come prikend fast. Fram the Kyng thai weren isent, To white whider his doughter went. Thai browt hire into the righte wai And comen faire to the abbay, And doth the servise in alle thingges, Mani masse and riche offringes; And whanne the servise was al idone And ipassed over the none, The Kyng to his castel gan ride; His doughter rod bi his side. And he yemeth his kyngdom overal Stoutliche, as a god king sschal.    Ac whan ech man was glad an blithe,    His doughter siked an sorewed swithe; Here wombe greted more and more; Therwhile she mighte, se hidde here sore.    On a dai, as hi wepende set, On of hire maidenes hit underyet. "Madame," she seide, "par charité, Whi wepe ye now, telleth hit me."    "A! gentil maiden, kinde icoren, Help me, other ich am forloren! Ich have ever yete ben meke and milde: Lo, now ich am with quike schilde! Yif ani man hit underyete,    Men wolde sai bi sti and strete    That mi fader the King hit wan And I ne was never aqueint with man! And yif he hit himselve wite, Swich sorewe schal to him smite    That never blithe schal he be,    For al his joie is in me," And tolde here al togeder ther Hou hit was bigete and wher.    "Madame," quad the maide, "ne care thou nowt:    Stille awai hit sschal be browt. No man schal wite in Godes riche Whar hit bicometh, but thou and iche."    Her time come, she was unbounde,    And delivred al mid sounde; A knaveschild ther was ibore: Glad was the moder tharfore. The maiden servede here at wille, Wond that child in clothes stille, And laid hit in a cradel anon, And was al prest tharwith to gon. Yhit is moder was him hold: Four pound she tok of gold, And ten of selver also; Under his fote she laid hit tho, - For swich thing hit mighte hove;    And seththen she tok a paire glove    That here lemman here sente of fairi londe, That nolde on no manne honde, Ne on child ne on womman yhe nolde, But on hire selve wel yhe wolde. Tho gloven she put under his hade, And siththen a letter she wrot and made, And knit hit with a selkene thred Aboute his nekke wel god sped That who hit founde sscholde iwite. Than was in the lettre thous iwrite:    "Par charité, yif ani god man This helples child finde can, Lat cristen hit with prestes honde, 5 And bringgen hit to live in londe, For hit is comen of gentil blod. Helpeth hit with his owen god, With tresor that under his fet lis; And ten yer eld whan that he his, Taketh him this ilke gloven two, And biddeth him, wharevere he go, That he ne lovie no womman in londe But this gloves willen on hire honde; For siker on honde nelle thai nere But on his moder that him bere."    The maiden tok the child here mide, Stille awai in aven tide,    Alle the winteres longe night. The weder was cler, the mone light; Than warhth she war anon    Of an hermitage in a ston: An holi man had ther his woniyng. Thider she wente on heying, An sette the cradel at his dore, And durste abide no lengore, And passede forth anon right. Hom she com in that other night, And fond the levedi al drupni,    Sore wepinde, and was sori,    And tolde hire al togeder ther Hou she had iben and wher.    The hermite aros erliche tho, And his knave was uppe also, An seide ifere here matines, And servede God and Hise seins. The litel child thai herde crie, And clepede after help on hie; The holi man his dore undede, And fond the cradel in the stede; He tok up the clothes anon And biheld the litel grom; He tok the letter and radde wel sone That tolde him that he scholde done.    The heremite held up bothe his honde An thonked God of al His sonde, And bar that child in to his chapel, And for joie he rong his bel. He dede up the gloven and the tresour And cristned the child with gret honour: In the name of the Trinité, He hit nemnede Degarre,    Degarre nowt elles ne is But thing that not never what hit is, Other thing that is neggh forlorn also; 6 Forthi the schild he nemnede thous tho.    The heremite that was holi of lif Hadde a soster that was a wif; A riche marchaunt of that countré Hadde hire ispoused into that cité. To hire that schild he sente tho Bi his knave, and the silver also, And bad here take gode hede    Hit to foster and to fede,    And yif God Almighti wolde Ten yer his lif holde,    Ayen to him hi scholde hit wise:    He hit wolde tech of clergise.    The litel child Degarre Was ibrout into that cité. The wif and hire loverd ifere Kept his ase hit here owen were.    Bi that hit was ten yer old, Hit was a fair child and a bold, Wel inorissched, god and hende;    Was non betere in al that ende. He wende wel that the gode man Had ben his fader that him wan, And the wif his moder also, And the hermite his unkel bo;    And whan the ten yer was ispent, To the hermitage he was sent,    And he was glad him to se, He was so feir and so fre. He taughte him of clerkes lore Other ten wynter other more; And when he was of twenti yer, Staleworth he was, of swich pouer    That ther ne wan man in that lond    That o breid him might astond.       Tho the hermite seth, withouten les, Man for himself that he wes,    Staleworht to don ech werk, And of his elde so god a clerk, He tok him his florines and his gloves    That he had kept to hise bihoves. Ac the ten pound of starlings Were ispended in his fostrings. He tok him the letter to rede, And biheld al the dede.    "O leve hem, par charité,    Was this letter mad for me?" "Ye, bi oure Lord, us helpe sschal! Thus hit was," and told him al. He knelede adoun al so swithe, And thonked the ermite of his live, And swor he nolde stinte no stounde Til he his kinrede hadde ifounde. For in the lettre was thous iwrite, That bi the gloven he sscholde iwite Wich were his moder and who, Yhif that sche livede tho, For on hire honden hii wolde, And on non other hii nolde. Half the florines he gaf the hermite, And halvendel he tok him mide, And nam his leve an wolde go. "Nai," seide the hermite, "schaltu no! To seche thi ken mightou nowt dure Withouten hors and god armure." "Nai," quad he, "bi Hevene Kyng, Ich wil have first another thing!" He hew adoun, bothe gret and grim, To beren in his hond with him, A god sapling of an ok;    Whan he tharwith gaf a strok, Ne wer he never so strong a man    Ne so gode armes hadde upon, That he ne scholde falle to grounde; Swich a bourdon to him he founde. Tho thenne God he him bitawt, And aither fram other wepyng rawt.    Child Degarre wente his wai    Thourgh the forest al that dai. No man he ne herd, ne non he segh, Til hit was non ipassed hegh; Thanne he herde a noise kete In o valai, an dintes grete. Blive thider he gan to te: What hit ware he wolde ise. An Herl of the countré, stout and fers, With a knight and four squiers, Hadde ihonted a der other two, And al here houndes weren ago. Than was thar a dragon grim,    Ful of filth and of venim, With wide throte and teth grete, And wynges bitere with to bete. As a lyoun he hadde fet, And his tail was long and gret. The smoke com of his nose awai Ase fer out of a chimenai. The knyght and squiers he had torent, Man and hors to dethe chent. The dragon the Erl assaile gan, And he defended him as a man, And stoutliche leid on with his swerd,    And stronge strokes on him gerd; Ac alle his dentes ne greved him nowt: His hide was hard so iren wrout. Therl flei fram tre to tre - Fein he wolde fram him be - And the dragon him gan asail; The doughti Erl in that batail Ofsegh this child Degarre; "Ha! help!" he seide, "par charité!" The dragoun seth the child com;    He laft the Erl and to him nom Blowinde and yeniend also Als he him wolde swolewe tho. Ac Degarre was ful strong; He tok his bat, gret and long,    And in the forehefd he him batereth That al the forehefd he tospatereth. He fil adoun anon right, And frapte his tail with gret might Upon Degarres side, That up-so-doun he gan to glide; Ac he stert up ase a man And with his bat leide upan, And al tofrusst him ech a bon, That he lai ded, stille as a ston.       Therl knelede adoun bilive And thonked the child of his live, And maked him with him gon To his castel right anon, And wel at hese he him made, And proferd him al that he hade, Rentes, tresor, an eke lond, For to holden in his hond. Thanne answerede Degarre, "Lat come ferst bifor me Thi levedi and other wimmen bold, Maidenes and widues, yonge and olde, And other damoiseles swete. Yif mine gloven beth to hem mete For to done upon here honde, Thanne ich wil take thi londe; And yif thai ben nowt so,    Iich wille take me leve and go."    Alle wimman were forht ibrowt    In wide cuntries and forth isowt:    Ech the gloven assaie bigan, Ac non ne mighte don hem on. He tok his gloven and up hem dede, And nam his leve in that stede. The Erl was gentil man of blod, And gaf him a stede ful god And noble armure, riche and fin, When he wolde armen him therin, And a palefrai to riden an, And a knave to ben his man, And yaf him a swerd bright, And dubbed him ther to knyght,    And swor bi God Almighti That he was better worthi    To usen hors and armes also Than with his bat aboute to go.    Sire Degarre was wel blithe, And thanked the Erl mani a sithe, And lep upon hiis palefrai,    And doht him forth in his wai; Upon his stede righte his man, And ledde his armes als he wel can; Mani a jorné thai ride and sette. So on a dai gret folk thei mette, Erles and barouns of renoun, That come fram a cité toun. He asked a seriaunt what tiding, And whennes hii come and what is this thing? "Sire," he seide, "verraiment, We come framward a parlement. The King a gret counseil made For nedes that he to don hade.    Whan the parlement was plener, He lette crie fer and ner, Yif ani man were of armes so bold That with the King justi wold, He sscholde have in mariage His dowter and his heritage, That is kingdom god and fair, For he had non other hair. Ac no man ne dar graunte therto, For mani hit assaieth and mai nowt do: Mani erl and mani baroun, Knightes and squiers of renoun; Ac ech man, that him justeth with, tit Hath of him a foul despit: Some he breketh the nekke anon, And of some the rig-bon; Some thourgh the bodi he girt, Ech is maimed other ihirt; Ac no man mai don him no thing Swich wonder chaunce hath the King. Sire Degarre thous thenche gan: "Ich am a staleworht man,    And of min owen ich have a stede, Swerd and spere and riche wede; And yif ich felle the Kyng adoun, Evere ich have wonnen renoun; And thei that he me herte sore, No man wot wer ich was bore. Whether deth other lif me bitide,    Agen the King ich wille ride!" In the cité his in he taketh, And resteth him and meri maketh. On a dai with the King he mette, And knelede adoun and him grette:    "Sire King," he saide, "of muchel might,    Mi loverd me sende hider anon right    For to warne you that he Bi thi leve wolde juste with the, And winne thi dowter, yif he mai; As the cri was this ender dai, Justes he had to the inome."    "De par Deus!" quath the King, "he is welcome.    Be he baroun, be he erl, Be he burgeis, be he cherl, No man wil I forsake. He that winneth al sschal take."    Amorewe the justes was iset; The King him purveid wel the bet, And Degarre ne knew no man, Ac al his trust is God upon. Erliche to churche than wente he; The masse he herde of the Trinité. To the Fader he offreth hon florine,    And to the Sone another al so fine, And to the Holi Gost the thridde; The prest for him ful yerne gan bidde. And tho the servise was idon,    To his in he wente wel son And let him armi wel afin, In god armes to justi in. His gode stede he gan bistride; His squier bar his sschaft biside; In the feld the King he abide gan, As he com ridend with mani a man, Stoutliche out of the cité toun, With mani a lord of gret renoun; Ac al that in the felde beth That the justes iseth    Seide that hi never yit iseghe So pert a man with here egye As was this gentil Degarre, Ac no man wiste whennes was he.    Bothe thai gonne to justi than, Ac Degarre can nowt theron. The King hath the gretter schaft    And kan inowgh of the craft. To breke his nekke he had iment: In the helm he set his dent, That the schaft al tosprong; Ac Degarre was so strong That in the sadel stille he set, And in the stiropes held his fet; For sothe I seie, withoute lesing, He ne couthe nammore of justing. "Allas!" quath the King, "allas! Me ne fil nevere swich a cas, That man that ich mighte hitte    After mi strok mighte sitte!" He taketh a wel gretter tre And swor so he moste ithe, "Yif his nekke nel nowt atwo, His rigg schal, ar ich hennes go!" He rod eft with gret raundoun And thought to beren him adoun, And girt Degarre anon Right agein the brest-bon The schaft was stef and wonder god, And Degarre stede astod, And al biforen he ros on heghth, And tho was he ifallen neghth; But as God Almighti wold, The schaft brak and might nowt hold, And Degarre his cours out ritte, And was agramed out of his witte. "Allas!" quath he, "for vilaynie! The King me hath ismiten twie,    And I ne touchede him nowt yete. Nou I schal avise me bette!"    He turned his stede with herte grim, And rod to the King, and he to him, And togider thai gert ful right, And in the scheldes here strokes pight That the speres al toriveth And up right to here honde sliveth, That alle the lordings that ther ben That the justing mighte sen Seiden hi ne seghe never with egye Man that mighte so longe dreghye, In wraththe for nothing,    Sitten a strok of here King; "Ac he his doughti for the nones, A strong man of bodi and bones."    The King with egre mod gan speke: "Do bring me a schaft that wil nowt breke! A, be mi trewthe, he sschal adoun! Thai he be strengere than Sampson; And thei he be the bare qued,    He sschal adoun, maugré his heved!" He tok a schaft was gret and long, The schild another al so strong; And to the King wel evene he rit; The King faileth, and he him smit; His schaft was strong and god withal, And wel scharped the coronal. He smot the Kyng in the lainer: He might flit nother fer ne ner. The King was strong and harde sat; The stede ros up biforn with that, And Sire Degarre so thriste him than    That, maugré whoso grochche bigan, Out of the sadel he him cast, Tail over top, right ate last. Than was ther long houting and cri; The King was sor asschamed forthi; The lordinges comen with might and mein And broughte the King on horse agein, An seide with o criing, iwis, "Child Degarre hath wonne the pris!"    Than was the damaisele sori, For hi wist wel forwhi: That hi scholde ispoused ben To a knight that sche never had sen,    And lede here lif with swich a man That sche ne wot who him wan,    No in what londe he was ibore; Carful was the levedi therefore.    Than seide the King to Degarre, "Min hende sone, com hider to me: And thou were al so gentil a man As thou semest with sight upan, And ase wel couthest wisdomes do As thou art staleworht man therto, Me thouwte mi kingdoms wel biset:    Ac be thou werse, be thou bet, Covenaunt ich wille the holde.    Lo, her biforn mi barons bolde, Mi douwter I take the bi the hond, And seise the her in al mi lond. King thou scalt ben after me: God graunte the god man for to be!" Than was the child glad and blithe, And thonked the Kyng mani a sithe. Gret perveaunce than was ther iwrout: To churche thai were togidere ibrout, And spoused that levedi verraiment,    Under Holi Sacrement. Lo, what chaunse and wonder strong Bitideth mani a man with wrong, That cometh into an uncouthe thede And spouseth wif for ani mede And knowes nothing of hire kin, Ne sche of his, neither more ne min, And beth iwedded togider to libbe    Par aventoure, and beth neghth sibbe! So dede Sire Degarre the bold Spoused ther is moder    And that hende levedi also Here owene sone was spoused to, That sche upon here bodi bar. Lo, what aventoure fil hem thar! But God, that alle thingge mai stere, Wolde nowt that thai sinned ifere:    To chirche thai wente with barouns bolde; A riche feste thai gonne to holde; And wan was wel ipassed non And the dai was al idon, To bedde thai sscholde wende, that fre, The dammaisele and Sire Degarre. He stod stille and bithouwte him than Hou the hermite, the holi man, Bad he scholde no womman take For faired ne for riches sake But she mighte this gloves two Lightliche on hire hondes do. "Allas, allas!" than saide he, "What meschaunce is comen to me? A wai! witles wrechche ich am!    Iich hadde levere than this kingdam That is iseised into min hond That ich ware faire out of this lond!" He wrang his hondes and was sori, Ac no man wiste therefore wi.    The King parceyved and saide tho, "Sire Degarre, wi farest thou so? Is ther ani thing don ille, Spoken or seid agen thi wille?" "Ya, sire," he saide, "bi Hevene King!" "I chal never, for no spousing, Therwhiles I live, with wimman dele, Widue ne wif ne dammeisele, But she this gloves mai take and fonde And lightlich drawen upon hire honde." His yonge bride that gan here,    And al for thout chaunged hire chere    And ate laste gan to turne here mod: Here visage wex ase red ase blod: She knew tho gloves that were hire. "Schewe hem hider, leve sire." Sche tok the gloves in that stede And lightliche on hire hondes dede, And fil adoun, with revli crie, And seide, "God, mercy, mercie! Thou art mi sone hast spoused me her, And ich am, sone, thi moder der. Ich hadde the loren, ich have the founde; Blessed be Jhesu Crist that stounde!"    Sire Degarre tok his moder tho And helde here in his armes two. Keste and clepte here mani a sithe; That hit was sche, he was ful blithe.    Than the Kyng gret wonder hadde    Why that noise that thai made,    And mervailed of hire crying,    And seide, "Doughter, what is this thing?"    "Fader," she seide, "thou schalt ihere: Thou wenest that ich a maiden were, Ac certes, nay, sire, ich am non: Twenti winter nou hit is gon That mi maidenhed I les    In a forest as I wes, And this is mi sone, God hit wot: Bi this gloves wel ich wot." She told him al that sothe ther, Hou the child was geten and wher;    And hou that he was boren also, To the hermitage yhe sente him tho, And seththen herd of him nothing; "But thanked be Jhesu, Hevene King, Iich have ifounde him alive!    Ich am his moder and ek his wive!"    "Leve moder," seide Sire Degarre, "Telle me the sothe, par charité: Into what londe I mai terne To seke mi fader, swithe and yerne?" "Sone," she saide, "bi Hevene Kyng, I can the of him telle nothing But tho that he fram me raught, His owen swerd he me bitaught, And bad ich sholde take hit the forthan Yif thou livedest and were a man." The swerd sche fet forht anon right, And Degarre hit out plight. Brod and long and hevi hit wes: In that kyngdom no swich nes.    Than seide Degarre forthan, "Whoso hit aught, he was a man! Nou ich have that ikepe,    Night ne dai nel ich slepe Til that I mi fader see, Yif God wile that hit so be." In the cité he reste al night. Amorewe, whan hit was dai-lit, He aros and herde his masse; He dighte him and forth gan passe. Of al that cité than moste non Neither with him riden ne gon    But his knave, to take hede To his armour and his stede. Forth he rod in his wai Mani a pas and mani jurnai; So longe he passede into west That he com into theld forest Ther he was bigeten som while. Therinne he rideth mani a mile; Mani a dai he ride gan; No quik best he fond of man, Ac mani wilde bestes he seghth And foules singen on heghth. So longe hit drouwth to the night,    The sonne was adoune right. Toward toun he wolde ride, But he nist never bi wiche side.    Thenne he segh a water cler, And amidde a river, A fair castel of lim and ston: Other wonying was ther non. To his knave he seide, "Tide wat tide, O fote forther nel I ride, Ac here abide wille we, And aske herberewe par charité, Yif ani quik man be here on live." To the water thai come als swithe; The bregge was adoune tho, And the gate open also, And into the castel he gan spede. First he stabled up his stede; He taiede up his palefrai. Inough he fond of hote and hai; He bad his grom on heying    Kepen wel al here thing. He passed up into the halle, Biheld aboute, and gan to calle; Ac neither on lond ne on hegh No quik man he ne segh. Amidde the halle flore A fir was bet, stark an store, 7 "Par fai," he saide, "ich am al sure He that bette that fure Wil comen hom yit tonight; Abiden ich wille a litel wight." He sat adoun upon the dais, And warmed him wel eche wais, And he biheld and undernam Hou in at the dore cam Four dammaiseles, gent and fre; Ech was itakked to the kne.    The two bowen an arewen bere,    The other two icharged were With venesoun, riche and god. And Sire Degarre upstod    And gret hem wel fair aplight, Ac thai answerede no wight, But yede into chaumbre anon And barred the dore after son. Sone therafter withalle Ther com a dwerw into the halle. Four fet of lengthe was in him;    His visage was stout and grim; Bothe his berd and his fax Was crisp an yhalew as wax; Grete sscholdres and quarré; Right stoutliche loked he; Mochele were hise fet and honde Ase the meste man of the londe; He was iclothed wel aright, His sschon icouped as a knight;    He hadde on a sorcot overt, Iforred with blaundeuer apert. Sire Degarre him biheld and lowggh, And gret him fair inowggh, Ac he ne answerede nevere a word,    But sette trestles and laid the bord, And torches in the halle he lighte, And redi to the soper dighte. Than ther com out of the bour A dammeisele of gret honour; In the lond non fairer nas; In a diapre clothed she was With hire come maidenes tene, Some in scarlet, some in grene, Gent of bodi, of semblaunt swete, And Degarre hem gan grete; Ac hi ne answerede no wight,    But yede to the soper anon right. "Certes," quath Sire Degarre, "Ich have hem gret, and hi nowt me; But thai be domb, bi and bi Thai schul speke first ar I."    The levedi that was of rode so bright, Amidde she sat anon right, And on aither half maidenes five. The dwerw hem servede al so blive With riche metes and wel idight; The coppe he filleth with alle his might.    Sire Degarre couthe of curteisie: He set a chaier bifore the levedie, And therin himselve set, And tok a knif and carf his met; At the soper litel at he, But biheld the levedi fre, And segh ase feir a wimman Als he hevere loked an, That al his herte and his thout Hire to love was ibrowt. And tho thai hadde souped anowgh, The drew com, and the cloth he drough; The levedis wessche everichon And yede to chaumbre quik anon. Into the chaumbre he com ful sone.    The levedi on here bed set, And a maide at here fet, And harpede notes gode and fine;    Another broughte spices and wine. Upon the bedde he set adoun    To here of the harpe soun. For murthe of notes so sschille, He fel adoun on slepe stille; So he slep al that night. The levedi wreith him warm aplight, And a pilewe under his heved dede,    And yede to bedde in that stede.    Amorewe whan hit was dai-light, Sche was uppe and redi dight. Faire sche waked him tho: "Aris!" she seide, "graith the, an go!" And saide thus in here game: "Thou art worth to suffri schame, That al night as a best sleptest, And non of mine maidenes ne keptest."    "O gentil levedi," seide Degarre, "For Godes love, forgif hit me! Certes the murie harpe hit made, Elles misdo nowt I ne hade;    Ac tel me, levedi so hende, Ar ich out of thi chaumber wende, Who is louerd of this lond? And who this castel hath in hond? Wether thou be widue or wif, Or maiden yit of clene lif? And whi her be so fele wimman Allone, withouten ani man?" The dameisele sore sighte, And bigan to wepen anon righte, "Sire, wel fain ich telle the wolde, Yif evere the better be me sscholde. Mi fader was a riche baroun, And hadde mani a tour and toun. He ne hadde no child but me; Ich was his air of his cuntré. In mené ich hadde mani a knight And squiers that were gode and light, An staleworht men of mester, To serve in court fer and ner; Ac thanne is thar here biside A sterne knight, iknawe ful wide. Ich wene in Bretaine ther be non So strong a man so he is on. He had ilove me ful yore; Ac in herte nevere more Ne mighte ich lovie him agein; But whenne he seghye ther was no gein, He was aboute with maistri For to ravisse me awai. Mine knightes wolde defende me, And ofte fowghten hi an he; The beste he slowgh the firste dai, And sethen an other, par ma fai, And sethen the thridde and the ferthe, - The beste that mighte gon on erthe! Mine squiers that weren so stoute, Bi foure, bi five, thai riden oute, On hors armed wel anowgh: His houen bodi he hem slough.    Mine men of mester he slough alle, And other pages of mine halle. Therfore ich am sore agast Lest he wynne me ate last." With this word sche fil to grounde, And lai aswone a wel gret stounde. Hire maidenes to hire come And in hire armes up hire nome. He beheld the levedi with gret pité. "Loveli madame," quath he, "On of thine ich am here: Ich wille the help, be mi pouere." "Yhe, sire," she saide, "than al mi lond Ich wil the give into thin hond, And at thi wille bodi mine, Yif thou might wreke me of hine." Tho was he glad al for to fighte, And wel gladere that he mighte    Have the levedi so bright Yif he slough that other knight.    And als thai stod and spak ifere, A maiden cried, with reuful chere, "Her cometh oure enemi, faste us ate! Drauwe the bregge and sschet the gate, Or he wil slen ous everichone!" Sire Degarre stirt up anon And at a window him segh,    Wel i-armed on hors hegh; A fairer bodi than he was on In armes ne segh he never non. Sire Degarre armed him blive And on a stede gan out drive. With a spere gret of gayn, To the knight he rit agein. The knighte spere al tosprong, Ac Degarre was so strong And so harde to him thrast, But the knight sat so fast,    That the stede rigge tobrek    And fel to grounde, and he ek; But anon stirt up the knight    And drough out his swerd bright. "Alight," he saide, "adoun anon; To fight thou sschalt afote gon. For thou hast slawe mi stede, Deth-dint schal be thi mede; Ac thine stede sle I nille, Ac on fote fighte ich wille." Than on fote thai toke the fight, And hewe togidere with brondes bright. The knight gaf Sire Degarre Sterne strokes gret plenté, And he him agen also, That helm and scheld cleve atwo. The knight was agreved sore That his armour toburste thore: A strok he gaf Sire Degarre, That to grounde fallen is he; But he stirt up anon right, And swich a strok he gaf the knight Upon his heved so harde iset    Thurh helm and heved and bacinet    That ate brest stod the dent; Ded he fil doun, verraiment. The levedi lai in o kernel, And biheld the batail everi del. She ne was never er so blithe: Sche thankede God fele sithe. Sire Degarre com into castel; Agein him com the dammaisel, And thonked him swithe of that dede. Into chaumber sche gan him lede, And unarmed him anon, And set him hire bed upon, And saide, "Sire, par charité, I the prai dwel with me, And al mi lond ich wil the give, And miselve, whil that I live." "Grant merci, dame," saide Degarre, "Of the gode thou bedest me: Wende ich wille into other londe, More of haventours for to fonde; And be this twelve moneth be go, Agein ich wil come the to." The levedi made moche mourning For the knightes departing, And gaf him a stede, god and sur, Gold and silver an god armur, And bitaught him Jhesu, Hevene King. And sore thei wepen at here parting.    Forht wente Sire Degarre Thurh mani a divers cuntré; Ever mor he rod west. So in a dale of o forest He mette with a doughti knight Upon a stede, god and light, In armes that were riche and sur, With the sscheld of asur And thre bor-hevedes therin Wel ipainted with gold fin. Sire Degarre anon right Hendeliche grette the knight, And saide, "Sire, God with the be;" And thous agein answered he: "Velaun, wat dost thou here,    In mi forest to chase mi dere?"    Degarre answerede with wordes meke: "Sire, thine der nougt I ne seke: Iich am an aunterous knight, For to seche werre and fight." The knight saide, withouten fail, "Yif thou comest to seke batail, Here thou hast thi per ifounde: Arme the swithe in this stounde!" Sire Degarre and his squier Armed him in riche atir, With an helm riche for the nones, Was ful of precious stones    That the maide him gaf, saun fail, For whom he did rather batail. A sscheld he kest aboute his swere That was of armes riche and dere, With thre maidenes hevedes of silver bright, With crounes of gold precious of sight. A sschaft he tok that was nowt smal, With a kene coronal. His squier tok another spere; Bi his louerd he gan hit bere. Lo, swich aventoure ther gan bitide - The sone agein the fader gan ride, And noither ne knew other no wight! 8 Nou biginneth the firste fight.    Sire Degarre tok his cours thare;    Agen his fader a sschaft he bare; To bere him doun he hadde imint. Right in the sscheld he set his dint; The sschaft brak to peces al, And in the sscheld lat the coronal. Another cours thai gonne take; The fader tok, for the sones sake, A sschaft that was gret and long, And he another also strong. Togider thai riden with gret raundoun, And aither bar other adoun. With dintes that thai smiten there, Here stede rigges toborsten were. Afote thai gonne fight ifere And laiden on with swerdes clere. The fader amerveiled wes Whi his swerd was pointles, And seide to his sone aplight, "Herkne to me a litel wight: Wher were thou boren, in what lond?" "In Litel Bretaigne, ich understond: Kingges doughter sone, witouten les, Ac I not wo mi fader wes." "What is thi name?" than saide he. "Certes, men clepeth me Degarre." "O Degarre, sone mine! Certes ich am fader thine! And bi thi swerd I knowe hit here: The point is in min aumenere." He tok the point and set therto; Degarre fel iswone tho, And his fader, sikerli, Also he gan swony;    And whan he of swone arisen were,    The sone cride merci there His owen fader of his misdede, And he him to his castel gan lede, And bad him dwelle with him ai. "Certes, sire," he saide, "nai; Ac yif hit youre wille were, To mi moder we wende ifere, For she is in gret mourning." "Blethelich," quath he, "bi Hevene Kyng." Syr Degaré and hys father dere,    Into Ynglond they went in fere. They were armyd and well dyghtt. As sone as the lady saw that knyght, Wonther wel sche knew the knyght; Anon sche chaungyd hur colowr aryght, And seyd, "My dere sun, Degaré,    Now thou hast broughtt thy father wyth the!" "Ye, madame, sekyr thow be! Now well y wot that yt ys he." "I thank, by God," seyd the kyng, "Now y wot, wythowtt lesyng, Who Syr Degaré his father was!"    The lady swounyd in that plass.    Then afterward, now sykyrly, The knyghtt weddyd the lady. Sche and hur sun were partyd atwynn,    For they were to nyghe off kyn.    Now went forth Syr Degaré; Wyth the kyng and his meyné,    His father and his mother dere. Unto that castel thei went infere Wher that wonnyd that lady bryght That he hadd wonne in gret fyght, And weddyd hur wyth gret solempnité    Byfor all the lordis in that cuntré.    Thus cam the knyght outt of his care; God yff us grace well to fare.       Amen     The lyff of Syr Degaré Both curteys and fre.

gentle; noble; (see note)     were once; (see note) Wonderfully many; discover     How they; their; try; (see note)     I; what Brittany power Staunch; shield feared was not any; truly war nor jousts by any means         (see note) heir; (see note) noble Her gentleness each as; (see note)     childbirth; lost; (see note) But when                 But shall ever have her Unless; tournament     lose; both tried; succeed; (see note) year     wife's minding-day (memorial); (see note) buried     company of men requiem; (see note)         monastery abbey; (see note)     rode they     maidens they must dismount (see note) They dismounted Two; she     had ridden forth; (see note)     their; (see note) wood; thick I imagine took the wrong way (see note)     land they came realized; (see note) had gone amiss     called; all together But; heard them at all; (see note)     weather; twelve o'clock They lay themselves chestnut tree; think; (see note) everyone; (see note) Except gathered flowers listened to; birds far; goes; indeed knows not where she is her; would [return] quickly But she didn't know which way she thought; return to them she; eagerly (see note) Now I know; lost beasts will eat me Before any; shall find me saw; such     handsome; (see note)     face; in every way courteous well-shaped     attractive     afraid of no man     nature; (see note)     Therefore afraid nothing; brought I have loved you are here by ourselves You must become my lover before you go Whether you like it or not; (see note) Then nothing could she do; (see note)     began to seize her as he desired bereft soon afterward     With child I know; (see note) (see note)     age protect himself Give; attempt seek is good; fitting giant broke; its head; (see note) soon thereafter it [the point]; here purse; (see note) Yet sometime may come     By: know Have a good day; must go disappeared weeping; she took came home sorely sighing; (see note) found her maidens all sleeping     them in haste ordered them     saw she at last Two; riding swiftly     To learn where     came gladly to the abbey did         nones was past         rules Boldly; good But; and joyful; (see note) sickened and sorrowed greatly grew she hid herself wretchedly she sat weeping One; perceived     Why do you weep chosen one otherwise; lost     living child (i.e., pregnant) If any man should perceive it sty; path; (see note) begot intimate learns of it (see note) (see note) joy told How; begotten don't worry; (see note) Stealthily away domain     (see note) with sound health             Wrapped immediately ready Yet his mother; faithful         then be of aid; (see note) then; (see note) her lover; from would not fit any human Neither; they would not [fit] she knew those gloves; head     tied; silken quickly know written should any good         rear it i.e., noble its own goods treasure; lies when he is Give him these     not love any Unless; [fit] her hands they will not ever fit Except with her evening; (see note)         she became aware soon, (i.e., remembered)     dwelling in haste     dared     second downcast; (see note) (see note)         early     together their matins saints     called; in haste door unlocked step     boy read what he should do     blessings brought     put away         named; (see note)     knows not ever (see note) child; named     sister merchant married her child     bade her; heed; (see note) (see note)     Grant him ten years of life; (see note) Again; bring about; (see note) doctrine         her husband together as if it were their own; (see note) By the time     nourished; courteous; (see note) region thought; good begot     uncle too; (see note)     (see note)     fair; noble     Another ten winters or more     such power; (see note) no one; (see note) Who could withstand one blow from him lying That he was capable of being his own master do each task for his age gave him; (see note) fulfill his needs But; sterling spent in his fostering gave (see note) dear uncle; (see note) made Who shall help us     quickly hermit for would wait not a moment kindred had found written know Who his mother was If she still lived would [fit] would not gave half; with him took     seek; kin; endure Without a horse; good armor by God     cut down; massive; ugly     stout; oak; (see note)     Never was there; (see note) weaponry bore     pilgrim's staff commended to weepingly departed (see note) day saw well past nones heard; loud a valley, one great blow Eagerly; hasten observe Earl; strong; fierce     hunted a deer or two their; lost fierce; (see note)         bitterly i.e., feet like a lion massive     As fire out of a chimney mortally wounded sent     himself (see note) struck these blows as wrought iron The Earl fled             Saw     saw; (see note) left; went yawning         cudgel; (see note) forehead; battered shattered soon fell down struck     upside down he [Degaré] lept cudgel smashed; each bone (see note) The Earl; humbly for his life made him go with him     ease gave also land             noble         suitable put; their     (see note) say goodbye and leave brought forth; (see note) sought; (see note) gloves to try on But; put them on picked them up took; from that place     horse         palfrey         (see note)     (see note)             time (see note) went forth suitably [rides]; squire     journey; set upon         fortress man-at-arms from whence             convened; (see note) in full session         would joust             heir consent attempted         instantly humiliation     backbone thrusts     cause him any harm good fortune began to reflect (see note)     armor         hurt sorely knows where; born befall; (see note) Against lodging         greeted; (see note) (see note) lord; now; (see note)     permission     other He would undertake to joust with you By God; (see note)     burgess; churl             himself purveyed                 one florin; (see note)         eagerly did pray when; done; (see note) To his inn presently joust     carried his lance                     saw; (see note) they; saw distinguished; their eyes     knew where he came from     knew nothing lance; (see note) knew enough intended helmet; landed; blow splintered                     knew experienced; situation (see note)     lance prosper will not backbone; before once more; violence     struck against strong reared as before nearly         altered enraged     twice; (see note) yet advise myself better; (see note) fierce     thrust were placed broke to pieces split         Said they never saw; eyes continue Even in serious combat; (see note) Endure; from their But he is valiant certainly     eager mood (anger)     Ah! By my Even though though; devil himself; (see note) despite all his strength     child (Degaré); equally met him in mid-course faltered; smote     sharpened; spear head shield strap escape firmly reared thrust; (see note) grudge         shouting             one shout indeed prize; (see note)     she knew     (see note)     begot; (see note) Nor; born Sorrowful; lady     noble If     i.e., good deeds Since would be well served; (see note)     (see note) here give you endow her to you with     you be a good man     time preparations; wrought     married; lady truly; (see note)     chance; great marvel misfortune ignorant people whatever reward     less live; (see note) close kinsmen     Marry there his mother; (see note) noble lady     bore befell guide together; (see note)         when; i.e., late afternoon             remembered         fairness                 Ah woe!; (see note) rather given departed     no man knew why perceived why do you behave             shall     widow try on     (see note) remembrance; countenance; (see note) mood blood hers dear place     revellous             lost you; found you moment then     Kissed; embraced; time blissful; (see note) (see note) (see note) (see note) (see note) hear thought not     (see note)     God knows By these gloves: I know truth begotten; (see note)         since then     (see note) also Dear truth; please     quickly; eagerly         when; departed bestowed on me give it to you then     fetched right away plucked     such [sword was] known; (see note) consequently Whoever owned it kept [in my possession]; (see note) I will not             daylight     prepared himself     (see note) squire         step; a journey Before long the ancient Where he was begotten         living [domestic] beast saw birds singing; high continues until; (see note)         never knew by which direction         mortar dwelling Happen what will happen One step; will not But shelter living     bridge     hasten     tied oats; hay knave in safe keeping; (see note) their         on ground floor or above living person; saw     (see note)     kindled; fire     while at the high table every way perceived         bare-legged (tacked up); (see note) carried bows and arrows; (see note) laden     stood up; (see note) greeted them politely not at all proceeded soon afterwards     dwarf (see note)     hair and yellow shoulders; square     Large biggest men well-clothed shoes slashed; (see note) an open surcoat Trimmed with white fur laughed hailed (see note) set; table     prepared bedchamber         fabric with patterned figures ten             no one; (see note) went     they Unless; mute     complexion         dwarf; swiftly adorned cup     chair; lady         ate     saw; woman ever looked upon thought     when dwarf; withdrew washed everyone went; right away (see note)         (see note)     (see note)     pleasure; agreeable         wrapped; warmly I assure you head placed; (see note) went; in that place             dress yourself and depart     suffer beast guarded; (see note)         caused [the sleep] (see note) gentle Before; depart lord     Whether; widow virgin there; many women     sorely sighed     gladly If it should do me any good     tower     heir For company (suitors) active skill     But powerful; known I know; none as; one for a long time     in return saw; gain force ravish, i.e., abduct     they and     a second                     [By] his own hand; (see note) skill; slew                 in a faint; while     took         One power Yes     desire rid; him Then (see note)     If spoke together     quickly toward us bridge; shut slay every one of us     (see note)             himself quickly     worth rode broke into pieces     thrust (see note) horse's backbone broke in two; (see note)     (see note) drew     on foot, i.e., hand-to-hand slain Death blow; reward horse; will not         clashed; swords     Fierce in return cut in two     broke to pieces there                 head so vigorously brought down (see note) at the breast the blow stopped truly battlement         many times     To him swiftly for                         myself     For; offer     adventures; attempt after twelve months             steady     commended him to     Forth Through; diverse         doughty, i.e., strong active     azure boars' heads costly     Graciously greeted         Villain; (see note) (see note)     I seek none of your deer dutiful seek war         you've found your match Arm yourself swiftly; place     attire splendid helmet (see note) without earlier cast around; neck heraldic ornament; precious heads     lance sharp head     lord                 (see note) Against intended blow pieces left; point             even as force neither bore     horses' backs together bright was astonished When he realized that emphatically Listen; for a moment     Brittany Son of a king's daughter; lie But I don't know who     Deservedly; call     Truly     pouch     into a swoon surely began to swoon; (see note) arose from his swoon; (see note) begged forgiveness for     forever     if you are willing         Gladly (see note) together decorously appointed     Wondrously     son; (see note)     right you are         without a doubt (see note) place         divorced; (see note) too close of; (see note)     retinue; (see note)     together         (see note)         give; (see note)

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Footnotes

SIR DEGARÉ: FOOTNOTES

1 relieve themselves as they must do

2 should have gone south but rode

3 They didn't know what it would best be to do

4 For sure I know it will be a boy

5 Let it be christened by a priest's hands

6 Or something; nearly lost

7 fire; kindled, strong and vigorous

8 But neither knew who the other person was

SIR DEGARÉ: NOTES

Abbreviations: A: Auchinleck; C: Cambridge; R: Rawlinson; F&H: French and Hale; Ru: Rumble; S: Schleich; L: Laing.

1-3 The upper corner of fol. 78 has been cut out. Thus the first two lines and any designation of title are missing along with lines 36-42 on the verso of the leaf. C provides the first three lines of the opening. George P. Faust contends that C stands closer to A than any of the other MSS (Sir Degaré, p. 15) and is the primary text used to fill lacunae in L, S, and F&H. "Lysteneth, lordinges" constitutes a conventional exhortation to the audience.

3 C reads some tyme in land.

6 thai. MS: 3he. The scribe frequently uses 3 for the initial sound in pronouns, whether th, s, or y. It also serves as a sign for back gutteral consonants where we would supply g or gh. I have transcribed all such uses with letters of the modern alphabet indicative of the sound used by the scribe elsewhere in the MS, whether th- as in thei, s- as in she or sche, or y- as in you or yow.

18 strong. A: stron. L's emendation, followed universally.

19-20 A smudge on the MS obscures the latter halves of these lines. L supplies he hadde none (line 19) and fre and (line 20), which F&H accept. S reads: the kyng he hadde none [other] hair (line 19).

23-24 Several scholars have noted the Catskin Cinderella motif in these lines, i.e., the death of the Queen and the suggestion of father/daughter incest. See lines 168-176 for a more explicit indication of the motif.

25 she. The A scribe occasionally uses the yogh for the sibilant, where elsewhere he uses s-, sc-, ss-. I have silently transcribed all such uses as s.

36-42 These lines are supplied by C. See note to lines 1-2.

39 F&H note that "a minding day is one set apart for prayers and penances for the soul of a dead person. Giving to the poor was thought an act of merit; and maintaining religious houses insured constant prayers toward any desirable object" (p. 289). See lines 147-49. Almsgiving is an important feature of a number of Middle English romances particularly those with penitential themes.

43-46 The initial letters of these four lines have been obliterated in A, but are clear in C.

47 toward. A: towar.

54 To don here nedes and hire righte. The poet considers "nature's call" to be a natural right whereby the woman can stop the entourage according to her will and privilege.

58 forht. The scribe reverses the usual order of h and t. I have followed F&H in retaining the idiosyncracy.

60 S follows C and emends to: and couþen nowt here ri3t way holde.

63 souht. S emends to south. See note 58.

66 S follows C and inserts ri3t after habbeth to improve the meter.

70 aright. S follows C with mighte.

74 chastein tre. The chestnut tree has particular significance in the Breton lay; not only does it constitute a liminal area between the Celtic Otherworld and fictional reality, but in Christian iconography represents chastity; the chestnut in its husk is surrounded by thorns but remains unharmed by them. See notes on Sir Orfeo, Sir Gowther, and Sir Launfal.

75 F&H suggest that "sleep signals enchantment." Quite literally it marks the movement into the symbolic realm. Many scholars have noted that the language of the poem, much like that of dream, myth, and fairytale, encourages psycho-analytic readings. See Derek Brewer, "Medieval Literature, Folk Tale, and Traditional Literature," Dutch Quarterly Review of Anglo-American Letters 11.4 (1981), 243-56, and Cheryl Colopy, "Sir Degaré: A Fairy Tale Oedipus," cited above; also note to line 855, below.

85 The scribe often uses yoghs for thorns and vice versa. I have followed S by replacing one with the other where sense is otherwise impeded.

85-86 This passage finds a close analogue in Lay le Freine, a companion text in A. In that poem Freine's mother laments woefully after having given birth to twin girls, for it implicates her as an adulterer. Some believed that each child born required separate paternity; twins, therefore, would result from two separate fathers. The Degaré poet uses the passage to describe the king's daughter's fear of being lost in the woods and eaten by wild beasts.

"Allas," sche seyd, "that y was born!
Withouten ende ich am forlorn!
        (Lay le Freine, lines 95-96)

91-97 Superlative descriptions of appearance are usually reserved for the romance heroine. The description of the fairy knight is the first in the poem following the introduction of the king's daughter, who is left undescribed.

101-02 Knights often rode unarmed, arming themselves (with the help of a squire) only in preparation for battle.

108 wel or wo: "in gladness or grief," i.e., "under any circumstances."

109-14 The rape of a woman by a supernatural being, according to Clark H. Slover, belongs to the Sohrab and Rustem tale type, which includes a theme of combat between father and son. See note for line 1032. Many Middle English romances depict seductions of mortal women by supernatural beings usually in the guise of the husband, e.g., Sir Gowther, or, as in Sir Orfeo, where "ravishment" by the fairy king simply means "abduction," but rape seems to be a rare occurrence. For this reason, the similarity between this episode and the rape in the Wife of Bath's Tale is worth noting:

In th' olde dayes of Kyng Arthour,
Of which that Britons speken greet honour,
Al was this land fulfild of fayerye . . . .
And so bifel it that this kyng Arthour
Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler,
That on a day cam ridynge fro ryver;
And happed that, allone as she was born,
He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn,
Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed,
By verray force, he rafte hir maydenhed.
       (lines 857-59; 882-88)

Laura Hibbard Loomis, in "Chaucer and the Breton Lays of the Auchinleck MS," suggests that, though Degaré is not an Arthurian tale, Chaucer had it in mind when he wrote the Wife's story:

In these two preliminary episodes in the Wife's Tale and in Degaré, each serving as the incidental opening to a more important main story, we have the same association of "Britoun land" with fairy folk, the same emphasis on a king's noble knight, and the same situation, a helpless maiden ravished by this "noble" knight. When we reflect that no other known version of the Loathly Lady story has the rape incident for its introduction, that this was again, so far as we know anything about it, Chaucer's private and peculiar contribution, the probability that he borrowed it from something already associated in his mind with Britoun fairy tale is heightened (p. 31).

116 schilde. S emends to child here and elsewhere in the text.

117 The prophecy of the child's birth is a motif also present in other medieval romances, e.g., Yonec, Sir Gowther, Arthour and Merlin, etc. Some critics have noted an allusion to the apocryphal story of Joachim and Anna who, at an advanced age, became the parents of the Virgin Mary. See note on line 56 in Sir Gowther.

125 F&H note that the headless spear functions as the means of identification in Voyage of Bran. Here the fairy knight has killed a giant, the very act that Degaré will perform later.

128 aumener. A purse or pouch, usually possessing magical qualities, as in Sir Launfal. Here it functions as the container for the sword point, the object by which the son is identified by the father (see line 1062).

135 S follows C and emends to read: And went away, sore sikend.

155 Indentation here and subsequently in the text indicate rubricated capitals in A.

168-76 The earlier suggestion of father/daughter incest is made more explicit in this passage. Similar situations occur in Apollonius of Tyre, a popular narrative extant in several versions, e.g., Greek, Latin, Old English, Middle English, and Modern English (see Elizabeth Archibald's Apollonius of Tyre: Medieval and Renaissance Themes and Variations [Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1991]), and Emaré, though the daughter here is not cast out of the kingdom. Alan Dundes in "To Love My Father All: A Psychoanalytic Study of the Folktale Source of King Lear," cites the Catskin Cinderella narrative as the source for the father/daughter incest motif in Shakespeare's King Lear. The motif also appears in Pericles, Shakespeare's retelling of Gower's Apollonius of Tyre story, where it helps to distinguish good kingship from tyranny. The tyrant is consumed by unnatural love for his daughter while the good king avoids the temptation.

172 S follows R and emends to: Swich sorewe to his herte wil smite.

173 blithe. A: bli3e.

177 S follows C to read: Gode madame, ne care þou nowt!

181-82 This passage has a close analogue in Lai le Freine. It may be significant that the births in both poems are described as sound or healthy, i.e. both mother and child survive:

When God wild, sche was unbounde,
And deliverd al with sounde:
        (Lay le Freine, lines 85-86)

193 mighte hove. A: my houe. S: behove. I follow F&H's emendation.

194 The gloves sent from fairy land constitute the garment of recognition for the mother/son relation. Cheryl Colopy suggests that "the gloves - like Cinderella's slipper - would appear to be a female symbol, betokening a particular sexual fit and insuring recognition of the proper mate" (p. 31). Here, of course, Degaré's mate is not "proper," and the function of the gloves is more protective than conjugal, though still a means of identifying the right woman, in this case, his mother. George P. Faust suggests that the glove motif is a late addition to the narrative; its lack of integration seems an afterthought (p. 81). Perhaps this is the case; however, Degaré's recognition of his mother by a feminine garment so effectively balances the equation of the recognition of his father by a "phallic" device (i.e., the sword point) that the motif seems appropriate.

219-22 This passage finds a close parallel in Lay le Freine. Because of the salacious implications of her birth to twins, Freine's mother decides to send her away. Degaré's birth is illegitimate, but it is the implication of incest that compels his mother to send him away:

The maide toke the childe hir mide,
And stale oway in an eventide,
And passed over a wild heth;
Thurch feld and thurch wode hye geth
Al the winterlong night.
The weder was clere, the mone was light.
  (lines 145-50)

219 child. A: chil.

231 A: drupni; F&H emend to drupi.

232 S emends was to swithe.

254 The name given to the child by the hermit is significant. Meaning "almost lost" it describes the situation of the hero whose task is to find his parents, establish his inheritance, and attain an individual identity. It is probably no accident that Emaré's chosen name, Egaré, resembles Degaré. Meaning "outcast" Emaré conceives the name for herself when, cast out of her own kingdom, she arrives in a new land. Sir Degaré, written before Emaré, may also be related to the lost French poem L'Egaré.

257 Other. A: Othe.

265 S follows C to read: And bad, she scholde take gode hede.

266 foster. A: forster; F&H's emendation.

268 S emends the short line to read: Ten yer his lif she scholde holde.

269 hi. A: i.

274 here. A: ere; S: here; F&H: there.

277 A: inorisscher; F&H have emended to innorissched.

282 bo. S emends to too.

284 hermitage. S emends to hermite.

290 A: Sstaleworth; F&H have emended to Stalworht.

291 wan. S emend to was.

297 florines. According to the OED a florin is "the English name of a gold coin weighing about 54 grams, first issued at Florence in 1252. From the Latin florem, flos, or 'flower,' the coin originally was so called because it was imprinted with a lily." The English florin was first issued by Edward III.

302 S supplies a subject: And he biheld . . . .

303 hem. The scribe frequently aspirates vowels, as his for is, hit for it, Herl for Erl, and hem for em.

327 It may be significant that Degaré chooses the oak as his weapon. According to George Ferguson in Signs & Symbols in Christian Art, the oak tree resonates symbolic value in both Celtic and Christian traditions:

Long before the Christian era, the ancient Celtic cult of Druids worshipped the oak. As was often the case with pagan superstitions, the veneration of the oak tree was absorbed into Christian symbolism and its meaning changed into a symbol of Christ or the Virgin Mary. The oak was one of the several species of trees that were looked upon as the tree from which the Cross was made. Because of its solidity and endurance, the oak is also a symbol of the strength of faith and virtue, and of the endurance of the Christian against adversity (p. 35).

329 Ne. S read Ac.

335 S inserts forþ for wente.

347 For an interesting discussion of dragon lore, see Anne Clark's Beasts & Bawdy (New York: Taplinger, 1975).

347-56 It has been noted by Muriel Carr, George Faust, and others, that the description of the dragon is closely related to that in Bevis of Hampton in some of the Degaré MSS. For a complete discussion of the borrowing see Faust's study, p. 22, or Carr's dissertation.

359 F&H note that "monsters usually could not be injured with manmade weapons; they had to be fought with their own (see also the sword in Beowulf) or with primitive things like the club here, or even with bare hands" (p. 299). The Earl cannot penetrate the tough hide of the dragon with his sword, yet Degaré accomplishes the killing of the mighty beast with his oak "bat."

369 A: dagroun; S and F&H emend to dragoun.

374 S inserts was after bat.

384 F&H add a to maintain the meter.

401 S inserts þat before þai to maintain meter.

403-06 The brideshow is another possible Cinderella motif and refers to a custom whereby emperors or kings seeking a bride would order a number of eligible women to be assembled for perusal and selection. See Photeine Bourboulis, "The Bride-show Custom and the Fairy-Story of Cinderella," Cinderella: A Casebook, ed. Alan Dundes (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1982), pp. 98-109.

404 A: wide cuntries and forth isowt; C: In that cuntre that myght be sowt. F&H and S replace this line with line 398 of C, but I have retained the original line because it suggests a more extensive pool of potential candidates than C.

416 Degaré is dubbed a knight by the Earl thereby marking his progression toward legitimation and manhood. To this point in the narrative he has only been referred to as Degaré or child Degaré.

418 S emends to: was wel bet.

423 A: palefrai hiis; F&H emend to hiis palefrai, thus maintaining the rhyme.

436 S inserts þer after counseil.

458 S heads the line with And seide to complete the octosyllabic line.

465 bitide. S emends to tide.

470 S inserts feir before him.

471 The OED defines sire as a term signifying both knighthood and paternity, particularly as grandsire.

472 anon. A: non. F&H's emendation.

478 S deletes quath the King.

489-91 F&H note that a knight's offering to the Trinity before a battle or a test of his prowess is also present in Havelok, Squire of Low Degree, The Song of Roland, Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, and Pelerinage of Charlemagne.

493 A: And to; S and F&H emend to And tho.

504 S inserts þer before iset.

511 S inserts wel after hath.

523 S inserts Þe before man.

542 twie. A: þrie. S's emendation followed by F&H. The third stroke results in the king's unhorsing and occurs later.

544 A: vise me; S emends to avise me to save the meter. F&H suggest me vise to improve the meter (see note, p. 304).

555 S begins the line with Nor.

563 bare qued. The term, literally translated, means "naked evil." Here it is a euphemism for the devil who, it was believed, could not be called by his "real" name for fear of attracting him.

575 S omits Sire.

584 Degaré's designation as a "child" is commonplace and simply means knight; he is beyond childhood chronologically, but has much to learn about chivalric codes of conduct and the vicissitudes of life.

588-91 The motif of marriage to a spouse of unknown genealogy is also present in Lay le Freine. See also line 618.

590 wot. S emends to wiste.

599 kingdoms. S reads an ellision with is and transcribes kingdom's wel.

601 A: Covonaunt; F&H emend to Covenaunt.

611 And. S emends to He.

619-25 Though the Oedipal myth is suggested here, another likely source for this situation derives from The Legend of Pope Gregory, a companion text in A. There are many similarities between the two poems. Gregory, born of an incestuous union between brother and sister, cast out in a small boat, found and subsequently educated by a cleric, returns to his homeland by chance and unknowingly marries his mother. The recognition does not occur before the consummation of the marriage. However, once the fact is discovered both mother and son perform a protracted penance to atone for their sin. Gregory exiles himself for seventeen years exposed to harsh weather conditions; later he is elected Pope. Thomas Mann's The Holy Sinner is based upon the German version of the story, Gregorius.

622 L adds to hold to fill the lacuna in the MS and meet the rhyme requirements. S reads his for is and adds to have and hold, F&H add hold, which they gloss as "gracious." Conceivably the rhyme word was old. C breaks off at line 615 and is no help is solving the omission.

628 thai. A: tha.

643 S emends to read: Awai! A witles wrechche ich am.

659 The yonge bride here is about 35 years old, rather mature by medieval standards.

660 S inserts sche before chaunged.

676 was. A: wa.

677 Than the. A: The. S's emendation.

678 A: What; F&H emend to Why. The motivations behind the noises Degaré and his mother make would be of interest to the king, since they would deviate from the kinds of noises he might expect to hear on his daughter's wedding night.

679 mervailed. A: mervaile.

680 S heads the line with Hou.

685-86 In A these two lines are copied as a single line.

690 A: Hou; F&H emend to When. I have returned to the original question.

695 Discovery of the lost or abandoned child is an important motif in medieval romance, both facilitating narrative progression and fulfilling the basic romance paradigm of separation and reunion. See also Octavian, Emaré, Lay le Freine, etc.

710 A: hyngdom; L emends to kyngdom; followed by S and F&H.

713 ikepe. L and S read: I kepe; F&H: in kepe.

722-3 F&H note that this was practiced "so that the hero could encounter the enemy unaided - the only terms on which success was possible" (p. 564). Degaré's need to attain his own identity may also be a factor (see the introduction).

735 A: longe he; F&H emend to longe hit. S emends to: So longe he rode, hit drouw3.

755 A: heþing; F&H emend to heying. The scribe of A did not consistently distinguish between yoghs and thorns.

762-64 The enchanted castle motif is also present in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Perceval, Voyage of Maelduin, Guingamor, etc. Laura Loomis suggests that the "special reference to a great fire burning in the hall, seem[s] closer to the text of Libeaus [Desconus]" (Medieval Romance in England, p. 305).

772 A: itakked. F&H emend to nakked; S to itukked. L follows A.

773 The motif of a land ruled by women may be linked to a tradition associated with Morgan le Fay and the Isle of Avalon. In this tradition, Morgan, who lives with nine sisters, brings Arthur to Avalon and heals his wounds. Helaine Newstead suggests that allusions to the tradition exist in narratives such as Fergus, Malory's Book of Gareth, Chrétien's Yvain, the French Lanzelet, and the Middle English Sir Launfal, among others. Often the community of women, under siege by a fierce knight, necessitates their lady's request for the aid of the hero whom she has healed or harbored. In return she gives him splendid gifts and profound promises of love.

776 Sire. Omitted in A. S's emendation.

783-87 The dwarf closely parallels that in Libeaus Desconus.

792 The shoe style worn by the dwarf, as noted by Ru and F&H, is that of a knight. F&H explain that the "upper part of the shoes was pierced in regular patterns so that the bright color of the stocking would show through" (p. 311). L notes that early editors of the poem used the shoe style as an aid in dating it to the first half of the fourteenth century.

797 The line indicates the dwarf's silence. For an interesting discussion of this line as it appears in R and its subsequent misunderstanding, see David F. Johnson, "The Dwerff seyd neyther 'bow ne be': 'Ne bu ne ba' and Sir Degaré, Line 703," Neuphilologische Mitteilungen 93 (1992), 121-23.

809 S inserts him before no.

835 F&H suggest that there is a lacuna after this line. Sone seems to be left without a rhyme, the couplet incomplete, but the sense of the scene is not disrupted by the omission. S adds a line to fill the lacuna with a false rhyme: Up at the gres his wai he nom.

838 Celtic harpers were known for their ability to induce an enchanted sleep.

840 the bedde he. A: Upon the he set adoun. F&H add bedde.

846 A: pilewer; F&H emend to pilewe. L and S follow A.

855 The gloss that F&H offer on this line, which I have retained, suggests that the lady is chastising Degaré for not having performed his professional duties as a protector of women. Derek Brewer, in his essay cited at line 75, asserts that the lady "mocks him for having slept like a beast all night and paid no attention to the ladies" (p. 253). Brewer seems to suggest that Degaré is neglecting his duties as a lover rather than as a knight.

859 nowt I ne hade. A: nowt ne hade. S and F&H add I thus providing a subject for the verb. Headless clauses are frequent in A, however; e.g., lines 926, 1017, 1066.

899 His houen. S emends to Here owen.

917 A: A wel; F&H emend to And wel. S emends to Ac wel.

926 S inserts he before him.

937 But the. F&H emend to And the.

938 Equine backbreaking is a common motif in medieval romance. Though the slaying of the knight's mount leaves the rider profoundly unhorsed, his loss does not imply his lack of jousting skill, but simply promotes hand-to-hand combat.

940 stirt. A: stir

961 A: That; F&H emend to Thurh. A bacinet is a steel skull cap worn underneath the chain-mail hood.

1004 A: Velaun; R: belamy. The distinction between the two terms may be significant. While the first means "villain" rather straightforwardly; the second could be used ironically as "rascal" or "knave." The latter term was often used in direct address to enemies or inferiors held in contempt.

1005 S begins the line And saide, for meter's sake.

1017 S begins the line with Hit to remedy the meter.

1032 See M. A. Potter, Sohrab & Rustem: The Epic Theme of a Combat Between Father and Son, for the literary significance of this confrontation, and Sigmund Freud on the psychological implications of this phase of the Oedipal complex. Derek Brewer suggests that Sir Degaré is more appropriately termed "anti-Oedipal," presumably because Degaré does not kill his father.

1065 A: swouþ; S reads swony; followed by F&H.

1066 A: whanne of; F&H add the subject when he of. S emends to place the subject before were: And whanne of swone arisen hi were. L leaves the verb headless.

1076-1109 The last page of Degaré in A has been cut out, except for some of the initial letters (fol. 84a). The ending is provided by R. I have followed S who also uses R to conclude the poem in his edition. L follows the black letter edition, which is somewhat different from R in wording.

1082 My dere is omitted in R. Ru supplies the phrase from Utterson who uses the Copland early print and the Percy Folio. S supplies the same phrase.

1088 Degaré his father. His functions as a sign of possession: Degaré's father.

1092 The marriage between Degaré and his mother is nullified (parted atwynn), which clears the way for the remarriage of Degaré to his lady and the marital consummation of his long-separated parents. See Lay le Freine where the annullment of the marriage between Guroun and Codre allows his remarriage to Freine, the twin he truly loves.

1093 were. R: we; Ru and S emend to were.

1095 S: With the kyng and his meyne.

1100 weddyd. S: wedd.

1103 R: yff; Ru and S emend to gyff. The benediction in L is more elaborate by two lines, adding and that we, upon Domes day, / come to the blysse that lasteth aye!