A catalogue of medieval literature, especially of the romances of chivalry, and books relating to the customs, costume, art, and pageantry of the middle ages.

  • Bernard Quaritch Ltd
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A catalogue of medieval literature, especially of the romances of chivalry, and books relating to the customs, costume, art, and pageantry of the middle ages. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    52/100 (page 46)
    edges, iy Bauzonnet, from the Yemeniz, Benzon, and SeilUere libraries ; enclosed in a case Paris, Jehan sainct denys. et Jehan longis . . Ban mil cinq cens trente (1530) 70 0 0 This copy fetched at Mr. Benzon’s sale 5800 francs (plus the usual commission). Another perfect copy fetched at the Double sale 4450 fr. The story of Peredur found in the Mabinogion preserves at least the original name of the hero, although the narrative owes much to the old French romance. When the raw Welsh youth became a knightly warrior and was called Per-ceval (= the Foremost Companion) the Quest of the Grail was assigned to him to accomplish, but it is quite likely that the epithet Perceval had been applied to Galaad likewise, and only stuck to Peredur because of the initial resemblance. The poem of Chrestien de Troyes is the oldest existing account of Perceval, but must have been preceded by a simpler form in which the Grail had not yet been incorporated. Chrestien, if he had known the Celtic tongue, would have written the name Perkeval; and his followers were equally ignorant.—The title of Le Gallois was not intended to be complimentary, as Chrestien who first used it had a low opinion of the Cymry. He makes one of his knights say— Que Galois sont tot par nature, Plus fol que bestes en pasture, but it has its value in showing that the character was not filtered through Breton sources, but came directly from Wales. 242 WOLFRAM VON ESCHENBACH, Romances of the Holy Grail. Vol. I.: Partzifal. Folio 1: (I)st zweiffel hertzen nachgebur I) as musz der selen werden fur Geschmehet vnd gezieret 1st wo sy parieret In eines verzagten marines mut . . . Folio 1596. (Und) diser auenteure endes zil Nicht me do von sprechen wil Ich wolffram von eschenbach . . . M. CCCC. LXXVII. Vol. II. . Tyturel. Fol. 1: (I)N anegengen vn an letze. Bist du got eewig lebende. Dein kraft an vnder setze Hymel vnd erde haltet enbor auff schwebende . . . Fol. 306: Ich wolfram bin vnschuldig. Ob schreiber recht vnrichtig machet. M.CCCC.LXXVII. Fol. 307 : Disz seind die capitel disz buchs . . . Folios 308, 309 blank; 2 vols. sm. folio, SClui00thifl printed in double columns.! 40 lines per column^ very fine copies in green morocco super-extra, gilt edges, the sides and hacks richly tooled after a Grolier pattern 1477 200 0 0 The first initial of the Parzifal is painted with the escutcheons of a German noble house. 243 Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parcival und Titurel iibersetzt von San- Marte, etc. 8vo. hf. bd, Magdeburg, 1836 0 7 6 Wolfram has been shown to have written his book about 1205. There is really no reason to doubt the prior existence of a French Perceval (different from Chrestien’s, and Robert de Borron’s) by Kyot the Provenqal, from which Wolfram had chiefly developed his work. Even if Wolfram made a mistake in calling his author a Proven9al (instead of de Provins?), that is no reason for denying that Guyot may have written on the same subject as Chrestien and Robert. It may be readily admitted that Wolfram made considerable use of Chrestien, even while he attacked the trouv^re for the incorrect statements in his narrative, but Mr. Nutt has pointed out differences which prove that Chrestien was not his only model. 244 LANCELOT DU LAC. [Leaf 1 of Table:'] Cy commence la table et registre des rubriches du premier volume du liure ou romat fait & copose a la perpetuation de memoire des vertueux faiz & gestes de plusieurs nobles & excelles cheualiers q furet au teps du tresnoble & puissat roy art’ copaignds de la table rode. Specialemet a la louege