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"Le Morte DArthur": Notes de Lecture Volet 151
"Le Morte DArthur": Notes de Lecture Volet 151
Notes de lecture
151
Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).
BOOK VII
CHAPTER 32. How Sir Gareth fought with a knight that held within his castle
thirty ladies, and how he slew him
1
So when they saw that they might not overcome him, they rode from him, and took their counsel to slay his horse; and so they came in upon Sir Gareth, and with spears they slew his horse, and then
they assailed him hard. But when he was on foot, there was none that he raught but he gave him such a
buet that he did never recover. So he slew them by one and one till they were but four, and there they
ed; and Sir Gareth took a good horse that was one of theirs, and rode his way. Then he rode a great
pace till that he came to a castle, and there he heard much mourning of ladies and gentlewomen. So
there came by him a page.
What noise is this, said Sir Gareth, that I hear within this castle?
Sir knight, said the page, here be within this castle thirty ladies, and all they be widows; for here is a
knight that waiteth daily upon this castle, and his name is the Brown Knight without Pity, and he is the periloust
knight that now liveth; and therefore sir, said the page, I rede you ee.
Nay, said Sir Gareth, I will not ee though thou be afeard of him.
And then the page saw where came the Brown Knight. Lo, said the page, yonder he cometh.
Let me deal with him, said Sir Gareth.
And when either of other had a sight they let their horses run, and the Brown Knight brake his
spear, and Sir Gareth smote him throughout the body, that he overthrew him to the ground stark dead.
So Sir Gareth rode into the castle, and prayed the ladies that he might repose him.
Alas, said the ladies, ye may not be lodged here.
Make him good cheer, said the page, for this knight hath slain your enemy.
Then they all made him good cheer as lay in their power. But wit ye well they made him good
cheer, for they might none otherwise do, for they were but poor.
2
And so on the morn he went to mass, and there he saw the thirty ladies kneel, and lay grovelling
upon divers tombs, making great dole and sorrow. Then Sir Gareth wist well that in the tombs lay their
lords.
Fair ladies, said Sir Gareth, ye must at the next feast of Pentecost be at the court of King Arthur, and
say that I, Sir Gareth, sent you thither.
We shall do this, said the ladies.
So he departed, and by fortune he came to a mountain, and there he found a goodly knight that
bad him, Abide sir knight, and joust with me.
What are ye? said Sir Gareth.
My name is, said he, the Duke de la Rowse.
Ah sir, ye are the same knight that I lodged once in your castle; and there I made promise unto your lady
that I should yield me unto you.
Ah, said the duke, art thou that proud knight that proerest to ght with my knights? Therefore make
thee ready, for I will have ado with you.
So they let their horses run, and there Sir Gareth smote the duke down from his horse. But the
duke lightly avoided his horse, and dressed his shield and drew his sword, and bad Sir Gareth alight and
ght with him. So he did alight, and they did great battle together more than an hour, and either hurt
other full sore. At the last Sir Gareth gat the duke to the earth, and would have slain him, and then he
yielded him to him.
Then must ye go, said Sir Gareth, unto Sir Arthur my lord at the next feast, and say that I, Sir Gareth of
Orkney, sent you unto him.
It shall be done, said the duke, and I will do to you homage and fealty with an hundred knights with me;
and all the days of my life to do you service where ye will command me.
to reach
stark dead ? mais cela nempche nullement le personnage de rapparatre dans
dautres pisodes [cf. volet 110, Il est des morts quil faut quon tue] sous dautres noms il
nen manque pas (avec variantes graphiques), et comme il fallait choisir pour la traduction, jai prfr Brhus sans Piti (ds le volet 175).
3 art thou that proud knight that proerest to ght with my knights?
Alors que le franais a conserv profrer (hrit du latin), peu attest en moyenanglais avant de sortir de lusage, langlais a toujours to proer, issu de lancien-franais
porofrir (do profrir, et profrer dans les Contes moraliss de Nicole Bozon) : Por ses pechiez Deu
porofrit le guant (Roland). Le sens de provoquer, der ressort bien dans rec et nide :
Li autres nel pot plus sofrir Quant il si lo porofrir De la bataille a tel vertu Lautre ne peut plus
supporter dentendre rec le provoquer au combat avec une telle audace.