ARTHUR AND GONNORE; AND THE BATTLE AGAINST KING RION: FOOTNOTES
1 the kynge, i.e., Leodegan.
2 er, before; ascape, escapes.
3 all naked, i.e., vulnerable; by the condicion, with the result.
4 at soche myschef, in such a plight; but that, because.
6-7 asspie ne ribaude, spy nor robber.
8 ordenaunce, plans; devise, arrange.
9 wardes, companies; bateilles, divisions.
10 hem, them.
11 esely, slowly; and, so.
13 wite, know.
14 flessh, meat.
15 vitaile, food; foyson, amounts.
16 wacche in, guard on; playnes, fields.
17 closed, blocked off; charietts, wagons; oon, one.
18 hem mysdo, harm them.
19 whereas, where.
20 yef, if; will, wishes.
21 envay, assault; corage, desire.
22 werrye, make war.
23 what, who.
24 beheilde, studied.
25 koy, quiet; o, one.
27 yaf, gave; corage, heart.
28 right, very; cowde thinke, realized.
29 errour, emotion; teeres, tears; yien, eyes.
30 unethe, scarcely; sowne oute o, say one.
31 her, their.
33 all lese yef, everything lose if; warant, protection.
34 at erthe, on the ground.
38 reson, explanation; fayn wite, happily know.
38-39 what we ben, who we are.
43 whatsoever he be, whoever he is.
46 yeve, give.
47 What, Why.
48 holden, considered.
49 defaute, lack.
50 yef, if; yeve, give.
51 mo, more.
52 discesse, death.
54 fecche, fetch.
55 be, by.
56 route, company.
61 hem ageyns, to meet them.
64 therto, also.
65 yeve, give.
67 stode, stepped.
69 debonerly, courteously.
72 heringe, in the hearing of.
73 yoven, given.
75 wite, know.
76 tho, those.
77 yoven, given.
80 wightly, swiftly.
81 werryen, war upon.
82 do, want.
83 oon, one; cleped, called.
86 castelleynes, constables.
91 riall, royal; over alle other, beyond all others.
94 withoute eny moo, but to no one else.
95 eure, fortune.
96 yove, given.
97 seth, since.
99 yede, went.
100 tho parties, those companies; whereas, where.
101 wardes, divisions; bataile, army.
109 prise, great value.
111 puyssaunt, powerful.
114 drough, drew.
121 this chese oute, i.e., he chose.
123 what oon and other, all told.
124 lif ne lym, life nor limb.
125 dissevered, separated.
126 acorded, agreed.
128 the Witsonday, Whitsunday.
130 deyse, dais.
131 hem, them; wonder like, wondrously alike; saf, except that.
132 heigher, taller.
135 unethe, scarcely; oon, one.
137 chierté, affection; wolde, desired.
141 right wele cowde her therof entermete, i.e., very much wished to be involved.
142 saf, safe.
144 shewde to, showed.
144-45 hir entermeted, involved herself.
145 peyned hym to serve, took pains to serve him.
146 fin, end; guerdon, reward.
147 mysaventure, ill fortune.
148 lough, laughed.
149 the kynge, i.e., Arthur; jape, joke.
151 sey, say.
152 hens, hence.
154 but yef, unless; to grete, too hard.
159 no reprof ne, no blame.
162 baisyers, kisses; yef, if.
163 leve, fail.
164 lese, fail; but that, so that.
165 preyen, ask; also well, just as much.
169 apareiled, readied; yaf, gave.
170 bountee, strength.
170-71 comaunded other, commended the other.
171 ganfanouns folden, standards furled.
172 a softe pas, at a slow pace; guyded, directed.
173 passages, backroads.
174 pantoneres, spies.
175 kepte, watched.
176 dide condite, conducted.
178 trouble, darkly.
179 strongeliche, deeply; relented, remained.
180 hete, heat.
181 sette in, placed them; presse into, attack.
183 abode, awaited.
188 do yow to wete, want you to know.
190 slaked, loosened.
191 ravyne, rage.
192 reverse, fall.
193 trobellion, wind; nother, neither.
194 parties, sides.
195 slowgh, slew; what, whoever; areche, find.
196 were aparceyved, realized.
197 brayes, shouts.
203 Cristin, Christians.
204 araied, stood.
207 tho apered, then appeared.
208 drowen up, were drawn up; appereilled hem, arranged.
209 flekered, flapped.
210 glistered, glistened; bright, brightly.
212-13 nygh wode for ire, nearly mad with rage.
213 swight, swift.
216 cleped, called.
219 wolde well, would.
221 wight, able.
222 hym ageins, toward him.
223 hym disfigured, disguised himself; it bar saf, the dragon carried except.
226 yaf, gave.
227 feyntise, cowardice.
229 in fewtre, in their holders.
233 And, And when; he, i.e., Jonap.
234 douted, feared.
235 smyte, smitten.
236 rudely, strongly; lifte, left.
241 astonyed, stunned; ton, one.
242 tother, other.
243 crased, shattered; stour, clash.
245 traveyled, labored; parties, sides.
246 stoure, battle.
247-48 noon harneys, no weapons.
248 warde, troop; sheltron, company.
249 he, i.e., Arthur; atteyned in, reached.
254 moo, more.
255 maneced, challenged.
256 dispite, insult; saugh, saw.
257 betell, club, hammer; targe, shield.
258 bon, bone; olyfaunte, elephant.
260 maletalentif, angrily; pris, praise.
261 covetouse, desiring.
262 betill, club.
264 plites, layers.
265 lifte, left; foyson, quantity.
267 remeve, budge from.
269 iyen, eyes; malentelent, hatred.
270 betill, club; tho, those.
275 malle, mallet; douted, feared.
276 rudely, strongly.
278 were reised, got up.
279 wight, agile; lifly, lively.
281 largely, at least.
283 yove, given.
284 hit yaf, it gave.
285 raught, dealt.
291 helve, handle; by, near.
292 rudely smyten, strongly struck.
293 bokill, buckle.
295 brasen malle, brass hammer.
297 flees, fleece.
299 failled, betrayed.
300 debonertee, courtesy.
307 saugh, saw; malle, mallet; drough, drew.
309 claretee, brightness.
314 here, hear.
315 wote never what, never knew who; do, done.
316 durste sue, dare to pursue.
318 Yeve, Give.
319 quyte, free.
321 dispite, insult; felly, fiercely; How wenest to, Why do you.
322 recreaunt, shamed.
324 outerly, entirely; thee assure but, promise you [nothing] but.
325 lowgh, laughed; in traverse, around.
326 what1, who; conjured, urged; creaunce, faith.
330 all quyte, entirely; yove, given; me, to me.
335 slough, slew.
337 do thee to wite, want you to know.
344 thee on lyve, you [are] alive.
345 disconfited, defeated.
346 dooll yef, sorrow if.
350 of, off.
352 yede, went.
354 fill, fell.
355 yaf, gave; yie, eye.
357 raile, flow.
358 wode, mad.
359 wende, hoped.
360 raught, struck.
361 atteyne, catch.
362 demened hem, conducted themselves.
364 oon hight, one was named.
366 rocher sore hem, field vigorously themselves.
368 brunt, tumult.
370 tho, those.
373 kutte, cut.
374 astoned, stunned; bowed on, slumped over.
375 recovered, received.
378 slayin, slain.
382 glenched, moved.
387 dide hym but gref, hindered him.
394 clippid, clasped.
395 drough, tugged; arace, remove.
398 douted, feared.
406 creaunce, religion.
410 do hem, cause them.
410-11 flayn all quyk, skinned alive.
411 weymentacion, lamentation.
416 shrewe, wretch.
420 yede, went.
425 ther, where.
427 ner, nearer to; wende, thought.
428 wight ne, able nor; done, do.
432 spousen, marry.
435 counseile, private.
437 repeire, return.
441 at his wille, i.e., as Merlin wished.
ARTHUR AND GONNORE; AND THE BATTLE AGAINST KING RION: NOTES
Arthur and Gonnore; and The Battle against King Rion
[Fols. 109v (line 23)-128v (line 12)]
The author of the PM treats the initial phase of the Arthur-Gonnore relationship at great length and with great tenderness, in contrast to Malory, who describes it in just two sentences -- "And there had Arthure the firste sighte of queene Gwenyvere, the kyngis doughter of the londe of Camylarde, and ever aftir he love hir. And aftir they were wedded, as hit tellith in the booke" (Vinaver, p. 26). Especially important in this section is Gonnore's desire to attend upon Arthur as he is armed for battle; and as Merlin insists, Arthur's arming is not completed until he has been armed with Gonnore's kiss.
The battle with King Rion is also treated at great length in the PM, although we have summarized much of it here. One especially notable aspect of the battle concerns King Rion's weapons. While it is mentioned at one point that he carries a huge ax, King Rion's preferred weapon is his betill of brass, a mighty hammer or club. Only after Arthur has destroyed the club does Rion resort to using his famous sword "Marmyadoise," about which the author provides a detailed background account. After King Rion loses his acclaimed sword to Arthur, Arthur delights in using it himself.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 312-17.
102 the dragon. This is the same fire-breathing battle standard that Merlin had used so effectively in earlier battles.
112-16 Ydiers . . . yow declare hereafter. Here the writer alludes to a marvelous deed that Ydiers will perform at a later time, when he will be able to do what no one else in Arthur's court can do -- remove five rings from a dead man's hand. Ydiers's deed is similar to other one-of-a-kind deeds in Arthurian literature such as Balyn's extracting the sword from the sheath and Lancelot's healing of Sir Urry.
131 the two Gonnores. As will be explained more fully later, Gonnore has a half-sister (also named Gonnore) who is practically her twin. They differ only slightly in physical appearance, but the real Gonnore surpasses her sister in virtue andcourteous speaking. One physical difference not noted here is Gonnore's birthmark, which will serve as an important recognition token later on.
147 Bertelaux the traitour. The initial phase of the Bertelaux (or Bertelak) story will soon be related in the PM. The later phase of his story, in which he commits his acts of treachery, occurs when he seeks revenge on Arthur for the harsh punishment he received for his alleged crime. It is probable that this figure is connected in some way to Bertilak de Hautdesert in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 326-38.
296-97 it was som tyme Hercules. King Rion's sword "Marmyadoise" had once belonged to Hercules, who is also King Rion's distant ancestor. This sword is a weapon of great distinction; it was originally made by Vulcan and subsequently owned by many men of great renown.
339-43 oon may never passe . . . it moste be fallen. This obscure passage seems to suggest that no one will be able to pass beyond King Rion's realm -- i.e., Iceland -- until the laws established by Judas Maccabeus (hero of 1 and 2 Maccabees in the Old Testament, and one of the Nine Worthies) are nullified by a Grail Knight (presumably Galahad), who will succeed in passing through the gates of the Gulf of Satan.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 342-46.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 347-59.
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 360-63.