THE MARRIAGE OF ARTHUR AND GONNORE: FOOTNOTES
6 remeved, departed.
8 moo, more.
11 ageins, toward.
12 meyné, company.
14 fonde, found.
15 strowed, bestrewn.
17 pris, worth; brake, broke.
18 bourdinge, sport; whereas, where.
20 whoso, whoever.
22-23 seynge hem alle, in sight of them all.
25 whereof, thereof.
29 agein, afterward.
30 fonde, found.
31 tho, those; moo, more.
32 yede, went.
33 aresoned, spoke to; spousen, wed.
35 whiche, whatever; abide, wait for.
37 Be, By.
38 recovered, received; ellis, also.
40 oweth, ought; wite, know.
41 er ought, before; seth, since.
42 Certes, Indeed.
44 spousaile, the wedding; toke thei day, they chose the day; the utas after, one week later.
45 clothes leyde, tablecloths in place.
46 mete, dinner.
50 wiste, knew.
52 untrouthe, deception.
53 merveile, wonder.
54 preied, asked; spede of, deal with.
54-55 With gode will, Gladly.
55 at even, in the evening; souped, supped.
56 graces, steps.
58 wiket, doorway; whereas, where.
59 sesed, seized.
60 not feynte, not afraid; yef, if.
62 lese, lose; seth, since.
65 lever, rather.
67 Tho, Then.
68 wente, go.
69 arise, arose.
73 oon, side.
75 conveien, accompany; be, by.
80 ledden, led.
81 discheveled, bare-headed.
82 sercle, circlet.
86 hight, was named; whiche, who.
87 avenaunt, comely.
93 abode, awaited; chapeleyn, chaplain.
99 jogelours, entertainers; Whereto, Why.
99-100 yow devise, relate to you.
100 deduyt, delight; cowde, could.
102 all the mete-while, all through dinner.
103 boordes were uppe, tables were removed; arered, raised; quyntayn, tilting board; thyder yede, thither went.
104 bourde, sport.
107 maistries, great deeds.
108 so that, and so; tidinges com, messages were taken.
109 undirstode, realized.
110 oversette, defeated.
111 dide on, put on; habergon, mail shirt.
113 nought for that, not because; thought to do, expected to be done.
114 douted ever, always suspected; debate, strife; thourgh, through.
115 musarde, trouble-maker; eny, some.
116 whereas, already.
117 evell ledde, ill-treated.
118 volunté, wishes.
120 wenten in, charged in.
123 Sowdiours, Soldiers.
124 tother, other.
131 suerté, pledges.
132 renged hem, ordered themselves; araide hem, readied themselves.
136 ordeyned, ordered; aray, formation.
144 bourdeyse, jousting.
145 redy araide, prepared; mete, meet each other.
148 ennoysed, praised.
153 belefte, remained.
154 purchesed, done; traied of, betrayed by; parentes, i.e., relatives.
155 yoven, given.
156 volunté, wishes.
160 saf, except; suerde, sword.
162 made dispoile, prepared.
164 quatte, hidden; ympe, tree; coy, quiet.
165 drough, drew.
166 her, their.
167 quat, hidden; steyres, stairs; theras, where.
168 aparceyved of, seen by.
173 wolde crye, wanted to cry out.
174 sore affraied, greatly frightened; yef, if.
176 wherein, in which.
179 comberouse, difficult; yef, if.
182 that, that which.
183 enbusshement, ambush; ascryed, rebuked; cleped, called.
184 and, i.e., that.
185 ascrye, acost; preised, valued.
188 maugré hire, despite her wishes.
189 braied rudely, jerked quickly.
190 ympe, tree; clippe, clasped.
191 thise, these men; yet, though.
192 woode, insane.
196 heede, head.
197 apeire, injure.
198 kepte hem so shorte, dealt with them so quickly.
199 peyned, tried.
200 sore, strongly; nygh, nearly.
201 rente, tore.
202 turnement, torment; ascried, acosted.
203 yaf, gave; theras, where.
204 atteyne, reach; slowgh, slew.
206 sette no force, made no attempt; enchace, chase.
212 wolde, wished; noon aparceyved her covyne, no one knew where she was confined.
213 demened, thwarted.
215 the kynge, i.e., Leodegan.
217 Wherefore . . . maistresse, Why is not the mistress sufficient.
219 in ese, relieved.
223 sooll, alone.
228 reynes, loins.
229 upon, begotten upon.
232 hym ageins, to him.
238 be2, by.
239 annoye, difficulties.
240 the kynge, i.e., Arthur; lefte, abandoned; yer, years.
242 hilde in avoutrye, held in adultery.
243 toke, took; that made, made it so that.
245 enderdited, under interdict.
246 centense, sentence.
249 here, hear.
255 cosin germain, first cousin; wiste, knew.
256 diffouled, raped; ne deyned not, chose not; no playnt, a complaint.
257 diffied, challenged; awaited hym after, watched for him.
261 anoon, immediately.
262 slowgh, slew.
264 parties, sides; brennynge, burning.
267 braied, wept.
268 birie, bury.
271-72 fre and debonair, [one] generous and courteous.
273 wrought, acted.
275 yef, if.
276 as, thus.
279 yeve, give.
282 stilliche, quietly; wiste, knew.
283 anoon as, as soon as; war, aware; yede hem ageins, went to him.
284 abaisshed, hesitant.
286 wrought, done; notwithstondinge, despite the fact.
289 fayn I wolde purchace, happily would I cause; worship, honor; encrece, increase.
292 Se, See.
293 be, been.
294 me behoveth for, I am required.
295 hit behoveth, it is right for.
296 sein of, seen by; will, wish.
298 ne was, was.
299 wolde hit don, would it do.
300 hadde lever, would rather; be biried all quyk, been buried alive.
301 Ne, Nor; ne aperteyned nothinge, means nothing at all.
303 here, hear.
305 take, taken; appareiled hym, prepared himself.
306 lenger respite, further hesitation.
307 wilde, desolate.
309 fonde, found; engyn, devices; as, for.
310 saf, except.
THE MARRIAGE OF ARTHUR AND GONNORE: NOTES
The Marriage of Arthur and Gonnore
[Fols. 158v (line 5)-166v (line 12)]
The PM, in contrast to Malory's Morte D'Arthur, offers an extensive account of the events surrounding the wedding of Arthur and Gonnore. Included among these events is the Tournament at Toraise, in which feelings of rivalry and jealousy are revealed among the major groups of Arthur's knights. Also described here is the plot to abduct Gonnore and replace her with her half-sister, the False Gonnore. This abduction attempt is foiled through the wits of Merlin and the brave efforts of Sir Ulfin and Sir Bretell. Also introduced here is the figure of Bertelak (who has been alluded to earlier), a man whose cause is just but who makes the grave mistake of taking the law into his own hands and pays a heavy penalty for so doing.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 449-52.
127-29 For dere sholde be bought . . . he ther dide. As this line suggests, the resentment and envy the Knights of the Round Table harbor toward Gawain and the other young knights will come to a head in the Tournament at Logres, which is described in the next section of the PM. In that tournament the rancor reaches such a high level that a great many knights are killed.
Summary Based on EETS 36, pp. 455-62.
150-51 after was the bedde of Arthur blessed. The final event in the celebration of the nuptials of Arthur and Gonnore, as was often customary for medieval marriages, is the priest's blessing of their wedding bed.
227-28 the signe of the crowne upon hire reynes. Gonnore and her half-sister look so much alike that the only sure way to tell them apart is by the crown-shaped birthmark that Gonnore has on her reynes. The word "reynes" is the common term for the kidneys, or the seat of emotions, and thus, by metaphoric extension, the loins, where the kidneys (and the passions) find egress.
238-45 Thus sholde the queene . . . and stode acursed. The PM contains several references to the treachery that will occur later on, when the spiteful Bertelak tricks Arthur into abandoning Gonnore in favor of her sister, the False Gonnore. But the text of the PM ends before these events actually occur.