Version 1

Notes de lecture
84

Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).

BOOK IV

CHAPTER 23. How Sir Pelleas loved no more Ettard by mean of the Damosel of the Lake,
whom he loved ever after
1
Sir knight Pelleas, said the Damosel of the Lake, take your horse and come forth with me out of this
country, and ye shall love a lady that shall love you.
I will well, said Sir Pelleas, for this Lady Ettard hath done me great despite and shame, and there he
told her the beginning and ending, and how he had purposed never to have arisen till that he had been
dead. And now such grace God hath sent me, that I hate her as much as ever I loved her, thanked be our Lord
Jesus!
Thank me, said the Damosel of the Lake.
Anon Sir Pelleas armed him, and took his horse, and commanded his men to bring after his pavilions and his stu where the Damosel of the Lake would assign.
So the Lady Ettard died for sorrow, and the Damosel of the Lake rejoiced Sir Pelleas, and loved
together during their life days.

La passion de sire Pellas pour Ettard steint grce la Demoiselle du Lac,

qui devient lamour de sa vie
1
Messire chevalier Pellas, lui dit la Demoiselle du Lac, prenez votre cheval et quittons ensemble ce
pays : vous allez aimer une dame qui vous aimera.
Jaccepte, rpondit sire Pellas, car cette dame Ettard ma fait subir grande honte et humiliation , et
l il lui raconta son histoire de bout en bout, et comment il avait rsolu de ne plus se lever jusqu la
rsurrection. Et maintenant Dieu ma fait cette grce que je ressens envers elle autant de haine que jai pu

prouver damour : grces en soient rendues Notre Seigneur Jsus !

moi, plutt , corrigea la Demoiselle du Lac.
Aussitt, sire Pellas sarma et prit son cheval, ordonnant ses hommes de faire suivre ses tentes et ses aaires lendroit que dsignerait la Demoiselle du Lac.
La dame Ettard mourut de chagrin, la Demoiselle du Lac prit sire Pellas pour poux et ils saimrent jusqu la n de leurs jours.

1 the Damosel of the Lake rejoiced Sir Pelleas

Middle English Dictionary, rejoisen, 3 : To have (sb.) as a husband or wife; take (sb.) as a
lover; possess (a woman); also, sexually enjoy (sb.).
(?a1439) Lydg. FP (Bod 263) 3.5005: Darie cate..Hir to reioyhe ageyn his fadris will.
c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn) 107: at I myght hafe hir to my wyfe And reioye hir all my lyfe, To blye
an ware I broghte.
a1450(?1420) Lydg. TG (Tan 346) 238: Whi wil god don o gret a cruelte To eny man..To maken him o
mych wo endure For hir..whom he hal in no wie Reioie neuer?
c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185) 132/7: I dovte that ye hall not reioe hir long.
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C) 270/25: She hath ordeyned by enchauntemente that..none other dameell
ne lady hall rejoyce you. VI, 10, volet 111
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C) 281/17: Sytthen I myght nat rejoye the nother thy body on lyve, I had
kepte no more joy in this worlde but to have thy body dede. VI, 15, volet 116
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C) 1079/8: God graunte..that aythir of you may rejoye othir. XVIII, 14,
volet 444
?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8) 56/168: i neyborys wyff ou nevyr rejoye; kepe e clene as evyr ou can to
in owyn wyff and in owyn choye.
a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2) 3625: Here I loue..here to reioye I wold haue ought the wayes.
a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2) 3696: This is the comon voye In all the courte that he hall hir
reioye.

Malory a modi la n de lhistoire, quil a tire de la Suite du Roman de Merlin

(du 444 au dbut du 469) : dans la version originale, Pellas et Arcade (Ettard) se
marient, et le chevalier pardonne Gauvain***. Il est surprenant que Christopher W.
Bruce ny ait pas fait la moindre allusion sous Ettard [voir IV, 20, volet 81, 8, p. 4] alors
quil en fait tat sous Arcade.
*** Cest aussi le cas chez Malory, du moins en apparence :
But Pelleas loved never after Sir Gawain, but as he spared him for the love of King Arthur; but ofttimes at
jousts and tournaments Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawain, for so it rehearseth in the book of French.
IV, 28, volet 89.

Je joins (voir montage la page suivante) un extrait de ce quil faut bien considrer comme une table des matires du manuscrit ; ce rsum prsente lintrt de complter le chapitre quil est cens condenser.

Winchester folios 447r-447v

r Pelleas that loved e lady Ettarde and he had dyed for her ake had nat bene one of e ladyes of the lake
whose name was dame Nynyue and he wedde r Pelleas and he aved hym euer aftir that he was neu er layne
by her dayes and he was a full noble knyght
sire Pellas, qui aimait la dame Ettard et serait mort [damour] pour elle, net t une des dames
du Lac, du nom de dame Nynve, qui pousa sire Pellas, et veilla dsormais sur sa vie, si bien
quil chappa la mort tant quelle vcut, et ctait un chevalier plein de noblesse