Version 1.

Notes de lecture
70
Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).

BOOK IV

CHAPTER 9. Of the battle between King Arthur and Accolon

1 And then they dressed them on both parties of the eld, and let their horses run so fast that
either smote other in the midst of the shield, and their spears held, that both horse and man went
to the earth; and then they start up both, and pulled out their swords.
The meanwhile that they were thus at the battle, came the Damosel of the Lake into the eld,
that put Merlin under the stone; and she came thither for love of King Arthur, for she knew how
Morgan le Fay had so ordained that King Arthur should have been slain that day, and therefore
she came to save his life.
And so they went eagerly to the battle, and gave many great strokes, but always Arthurs
sword bit not like Accolons sword; but for the most part, every stroke that Accolon gave he
wounded sore Arthur, that it was marvel he stood, and always his blood fell from him fast. When
Arthur beheld the ground so sore bebled he was dismayed, and then he deemed treason that his
sword was changed; for his sword bit not steel as it was wont to do, therefore he dread him sore
to be dead, for ever him seemed that the sword in Accolons hand was Excalibur, for at every
stroke that Accolon struck he drew blood on Arthur.
2 Now, knight, said Accolon unto Arthur, keep thee well from me.
But Arthur answered not again, and gave him such a buet on the helm that it made him to
stoop, nigh falling down to the earth. Then Sir Accolon withdrew him a little, and came on with
Excalibur on high, and smote Sir Arthur such a buet that he fell nigh to the earth. Then were
they wroth both, and gave each other many sore strokes, but always Sir Arthur lost so much
blood that it was marvel he stood on his feet, but he was so full of knighthood that knightly he
endured the pain. And Sir Accolon lost not a deal of blood, therefore he waxed passing light, and
Sir Arthur was passing feeble, and weened verily to have died; but for all that he made countenance as though he might endure, and held Accolon as short as he might. But Accolon was so bold
because of Excalibur that he waxed passing hardy. But all men that beheld him said they saw never knight ght so well as Arthur did considering the blood that he bled.

 3 So was all the people sorry for him, but the two brethren would not accord; then always they
fought together as erce knights, and Sir Arthur withdrew him a little for to rest him, and Sir Accolon called him to battle and said, It is no time for me to suer thee to rest. And therewith he came
ercely upon Arthur, and Sir Arthur was wroth for the blood that he had lost, and smote Accolon
on high upon the helm, so mightily, that he made him nigh to fall to the earth; and therewith Arthurs sword brast at the cross, and fell in the grass among the blood, and the pommel and the
sure handles he held in his hands. When Sir Arthur saw that, he was in great fear to die, but always he held up his shield and lost no ground, nor bated no cheer.

Le roi Arthur et Accolon sarontent

1 Ils gagnrent alors chacun sa partie de lenceinte et lancrent leur chevaux dans un tel galop que
lun vint heurter en plein centre le bouclier de lautre, et les lances rsistrent au choc, projetant au
sol cavaliers et montures ; puis les adversaires se remirent sur leurs jambes et dgainrent.
Cependant quils croisaient ainsi le fer, arriva dans le champ clos la Demoiselle du Lac responsable de lentombement de Merlin, venue pour lamour du roi Arthur, car, sachant que la fe Morgane
avait tout mis en uvre pour que le roi Arthur soit tu ce jour-l, elle tait venue lui sauver la vie.
Ils se battaient donc avec acharnement, faisant pleuvoir les coups violents, mais aucun moment
lpe dArthur ne portait autant que celle dAccolon : dans la plupart des cas, chaque coup donn par
Accolon blessait grivement Arthur et ctait un miracle que ce dernier soit encore debout, tant il perdait de sang. Quand Arthur vit le sol tellement ensanglant, dabord constern, il en vint conclure
un acte de tratrise par lequel il y avait eu substitution dpe, car celle quil tenait ne mordait pas sur
lacier comme laccoutume ; par consquent, il apprhendait de mourir, lpe entre les mains
dAccolon lui paraissant chaque instant tre Excalibur, chaque botte pousse par Accolon dclenchant un nouveau saignement.
2 Voyons, chevalier, lana Accolon Arthur, pense bien parer mes coups.
Sans lui rpondre, Arthur lui assena sur le casque un tel coup que le chevalier plia sous le choc,
deux doigts de tomber par terre. Sire Accolon scarta alors un peu, puis revint la charge, Excalibur
leve, et le frappa si fort qu son tour le roi fut bien prs de seondrer. La rage sempara alors des
deux combattants qui changrent une vole de coups violents ; et sire Arthur continuait perdre
tant de sang quil tenait du miracle quil reste debout, mais il possdait un tel degr les qualits dun
chevalier que cest en chevalier quil supportait la douleur. Pour sa part, sire Accolon ne perdant
gure de sang y puisait un surcrot dnergie, tandis que sire Arthur, dans une extrme faiblesse,
croyait vraiment sa dernire heure venue ; mais il nen laissait rien paratre, donnant limpression
quil avait encore des forces en rserve, et tenait Accolon de court autant quil le pouvait. Mais Accolon poussa laudace que lui procurait Excalibur jusqu la tmrit. Et les spectateurs taient unanimes pour dire quon navait jamais vu quelquun se battre aussi bien quArthur, eu gard la quantit de sang quil perdait.
3 Lassistance unanime le plaignait, donc, mais les deux frres [Damas et Ontzlake] refusant de sentendre, larontement des chevaliers se poursuivit avec la plus extrme frocit. Sire Arthur scarta
pour avoir un instant de rpit ; sire Accolon lui lana un appel revenir se mesurer lui, avec ces
mots : Je nai pas le temps de taccorder de rpit et le chargea de toutes ses forces. Sire Arthur, enrag
davoir perdu tant de sang, mit une telle puissance dans le coup quil assena sur le casque de son adversaire que ce dernier fut bien prs de seondrer mais que sa propre pe se brisa au niveau des
quillons, la lame tombant dans lherbe au milieu dune mare de sang, ne lui laissant en main que le
pommeau et la garde. Devant ce dsastre, sire Arthur se sentit gagn par la peur de la mort, sans pour
autant baisser son bouclier, cder du terrain, ni perdre contenance.

 1 they dressed them cf. II, 17, volet 44, 5.

2 and their spears held

J. Cowen : with their spears heads

Winchester folio 52r et P.J.C. Field I, 111, 25 : and r perys helde

3 they start up both prtrit dj rencontr en II, 16, volet 43 ; MED :

sterten (v.) Also stert(e, stirt(e(n, stirtten, sturt(e(n, start(e & (in surnames) sterc-, stirc-, sturth-, sturch- &
(?error) stirdt. Forms: sg.3 sterteth, etc. & stert, start, (early SWM) stard & (error) strert; p. stert(e,
stirt(e(d, sturt(e, start(e, (early SWM) storte & (?errors) stret(e, strette, stryt, (error) strurte; pl. stert(e(n,
etc. & stirtte, stirtene, startun & (?error) strete; ppl. i)stert, stirt(e, start.
[OE *styrtan (attested only in Nhb. ppl. sturtende); cp. MDu. storten, OFris. sterta, MHG sturzen.]
Cf. ferme farm. Le passage de -e- -a- est d la centralisation de la vibrante subsquente au
cours de la priode du moyen-anglais : far vieil-anglais feor(r), all. fern, nerl. ver, etc.

4 Arthurs sword bit not

Winchester folio 52r : Arthurs werde bot nat

bten (v.(1)) Also bight(e. Forms: sg. 3 bteth, bt; p.sg. bt, N bt; p.pl. biten, bt, N bte(n; ppl. biten, ibite,
bten, ibeete, bitte(n.
[OE btann; bt, biton; biten.]

allemand beien, nerlandais bten, etc.

1a.
Of a weapon: to pierce, penetrate, cut, slash; make a dent, dent; also g.; ~ upon bord, nailed to the
cross, transxed [quot.: 1390]; (a) without or (b) with obj.
1b.
(a) Of a blow: to hit or land; of a ship: to land; (b) of vengeance, an enemy, etc: to strike; (c) to befall.
2.
(a) To bite or sting (sb.); injure by biting, jabbing, or stinging; lacerate; (b) ~ wounde, to inflict a
wound by biting; ~ dethes bite, inict a deadly bite; (c) fig. to hurt or harm (sb.).
3.
(a) To gnaw or bite; (b) to seize or hold (with teeth or mouth); (c) to bite into (sth., as from anger,
grief, vexation); biten lippes, bite (ones) lips.
4.
To cut (sth.) with the teeth, bite; biten awei, ~ of, bite o; ~ in (on) twinne, ~ in (on) sonder, bite in two;
g.?cut short (a note).
5.
(a) To take a bite (of food); partake of food, eat; of animals: feed (on herbs); often with of or on
phrase; (b) to eat (sth.); eat up, devour; ~ bite, take a bite, eat; also g.; (c) to drink (sth.), take (a
drink).
6.
(a) To sting, irritate, smart; (b) to corrode, be corrosive; (c) of cold weather: to strike.

7.
To stimulate, arouse; excite, irritate.
8.
(a) Of pain, grief, remorse, etc.: to smart, hurt, vex; (b) of love or desire: to make ardent, to burn.
9.
To oend, slander.
10.
Sayings: biten the gres, bite the dust, die; ~ the bridel, champ the bit, be restive.

La forme attendue au prtrit singulier est bot(e) cf. boot /bt/ chez Chaucer ; lemploi de
la forme canonique actuelle, bit (cf., en sens inverse, wrote se substituant writ), napparat quau XVIIe sicle.
5 the ground so sore bebled J. Cowen crit ici be-bled (avec trait dunion), mais bebled
(soud) en X, 34 (volet 272) et en XIX, 6 (volet 461) Geznk und Tod bringt Libitina / Auf die
beblutete Scene (Gtz) Komt een man binnen, zn gezicht is bebloed [trad. Franois Beukelaers, de Entre un homme, le visage ensanglant (Paul Emond, 1992)]
6 as it was wont to do
prononciation actuelle /wunt/; prononciation ancienne,
et qui sest maintenue aux tats-Unis, /wnt/ MED :
iwned (ppl.) Also iwuned, iwonet, iwunet, iwond(e, iwont(e.
[OE ewunod, p.ppl. of ewunian.]
(a) Accustomed (to do sth.), in the habit of (doing sth.); wont; (b) with innitive implied: accustomed to be or do something, wont to ask about, wont to give; ~ to, accustomed to resort to (sb.); ~
into, wont to go into (a place); (c) of things: ben ~, to be apt (to do or be sth.), be accustomed, be
wont; (d) with to phr.: accustomed to (sth.); familiar to (sb.).

Au vieil-anglais wunian, wunian correspondent allemand wohnen, nerlandais wonen, etc.

7 Arthurs sword brast dj en I, 23 the sword of the knight [King Pellinor] smote King Arthurs sword in two pieces
8 nor bated no cheer
Cf. VII, 15, volet 134 : Then Sir Beaumains abated his countenance Fair sir, said the damosel, abate not
your cheer for all this sight
MED : To alleviate or allay (suering, worry); subdue (lust); (b) ~ chere, ~ countenaunce, ~ mod, ~ herte,
lose ones courage or composure; of courage: to fail.

bate (bten) est la forme tronque (aphrse) de abate (abten) abattre ; cf. stoned III,
7, volet 53, 5.
Pour cheer, voir III, 8, volet 54, 2.