Version 1

Notes de lecture
153

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

BOOK VII
CHAPTER 34. How Sir Gareth acknowledged that they loved each other to
King Arthur, and of the appointment of their wedding
1
And among all these ladies she was named the fairest, and peerless. Then when Sir Gareth met
with her there was many a goodly look and goodly words, that all men of worship had joy to behold them.
Then came King Arthur and many other kings, and Dame Guenever, and the Queen of Orkney.
And there the king asked his nephew, Sir Gareth, whether he would have that lady as paramour, or to
have her to his wife.
My lord, wit you well that I love her above all ladies living.
Now, fair lady, said King Arthur, what say ye?
Most noble king, said Dame Lyonesse, wit you well that my lord, Sir Gareth, is to me more lever to have
and wield as my husband, than any king or prince that is christened; and if I may not have him I promise you I will
never have none. For, my lord Arthur, said Dame Lyonesse, wit ye well he is my first love, and he shall be the
last; and if ye will suffer him to have his will and free choice I dare say he will have me.
That is truth, said Sir Gareth; and I have not you and wield not you as my wife, there shall never lady
ne gentlewoman rejoice me.
What, nephew, said the king, is the wind in that door? For wit ye well I would not for the stint of my
crown to be causer to withdraw your hearts; and wit ye well ye cannot love so well but I shall rather increase it
than distress it. And also ye shall have my love and my lordship in the uttermost wise that may lie in my power.
And in the same wise said Sir Gareths mother.
2
Then there was made a provision for the day of marriage; and by the kings advice it was provided that it should be at Michaelmas following, at Kinkenadon by the seaside, for there is a plentiful
country. And so it was cried in all the places through the realm. And then Sir Gareth sent his summons
to all these knights and ladies that he had won in battle tofore, that they should be at his day of marriage at Kinkenadon by the sands.

And then Dame Lyonesse, and the damosel Lynet with Sir Gringamore, rode to their castle; and a
goodly and a rich ring she gave to Sir Gareth, and he gave her another. And King Arthur gave her a rich
bee of gold; and so she departed.
And King Arthur and his fellowship rode toward Kinkenadon, and Sir Gareth brought his lady on
the way, and so came to the king again and rode with him.
Lord! The great cheer that Sir Launcelot made of Sir Gareth and he of him, for there was never
no knight that Sir Gareth loved so well as he did Sir Launcelot; and ever for the most part he would be
in Sir Launcelots company; for after Sir Gareth had espied Sir Gawains conditions, he withdrew himself from his brother, Sir Gawains, fellowship, for he was vengeable, and where he hated he would be
avenged with murder, and that hated Sir Gareth.

Sire Gahriet [et la dame Lionne] font au roi Arthur laveu de leur amour ;
on fixe la date de leur mariage
1
Et au milieu de cet aropage de dames, on la qualia de plus belle et dingalable. Lorsque sire
Gahriet la retrouva, il y eut change de paroles et de regards aimables, spectacle rconfortant pour
tous les hommes de bien.
Puis arrivrent le roi Arthur et bien dautres rois, dame Guenivre et la reine des Orcades. Le roi
voulut alors entendre de la bouche de son neveu, sire Gahriet, si son intention tait davoir cette dame
comme matresse ou bien comme pouse.
Monseigneur, jarme solennellement que je laime plus que toute autre dame.
Eh bien, chre dame, enchana le roi Arthur, quavez-vous dire ?
Trs noble souverain, dclara dame Lionne, jarme solennellement que mon seigneur, sire Gahriet,
est celui que je choisis pour avoir et traiter comme mon poux, de prfrence tout autre roi ou prince baptis ; et
sil mest impossible de lavoir pour tel, je vous assure que je nen aurai jamais aucun. Car, monseigneur Arthur,
poursuivit dame Lionne, jarme solennellement quil est mon premier amour et sera le dernier ; et si vous consentez lui laisser faire un choix libre et indpendant, je puis vous assurer que cest moi quil voudra.
Cest la vrit, acquiesa sire Gahriet, si ce nest pas vous que jai et traite comme mon pouse, jamais
dame, quelle que soit sa naissance, ne fera mon bonheur.
Alors, mon neveu, demanda le roi, est-ce l la tendance qui se dessine ? Car, je tiens ce que vous le
sachiez, je ne voudrais pas, pour tout lor du monde, contrarier vos sentiments ; sachez encore que, si grand que
puisse tre votre amour, je memploierai le renforcer et non laaiblir. Comptez en outre sur toute mon aection
et toute la protection qui est en mon pouvoir. La mre de sire Gahriet tint des propos allant dans le mme
sens.
2
On en vint ensuite aux arrangements pour le jour du mariage. Le roi dcida que le jour choisi
serait la saint-Michel suivante Kinknadon-sur-mer, car cest un pays dabondance. Des crieurs publics annoncrent la nouvelle partout dans le royaume. Puis sire Gahriet t parvenir des convocations
tous les chevaliers et dames quil avait auparavant vaincus au combat pour quils assistent ses noces
Kinknadon-lez-grves.
Puis dame Lionne, en compagnie de la demoiselle Lionette et de sire Guigemar, regagna son chteau ; elle et sire Gahriet avaient chang de beaux et prcieux anneaux, et le roi Arthur lui avait fait
prsent dun riche bracelet dor, aprs quoi elle tait partie.
Le roi Arthur et son entourage chevauchrent jusqu Kinknadon ; sire Gahriet accompagna sa
dame jusqu la route quelle devait emprunter, puis rejoignit le cortge du roi et t le trajet ses cts.
Seigneur ! Quelle joie laissrent clater sire Lancelot et sire Gahriet lors de leurs retrouvailles,
car jamais chevalier noccupa autant de place dans le cur de sire Gahriet que sire Lancelot : il tait la
plupart du temps en sa compagnie ; en eet, aprs avoir observ le comportement de sire Gauvain, sire
Gahriet vita la compagnie de son frre, car ce dernier tait vindicatif : quand il hassait, il se vengeait
en assassinant, et cela, sire Gahriet lavait en horreur.

 1 when Sir Gareth met with her

Winchester, folio 146r :

whan Sir Gareth mette with hir

Caxton :

whanne yr Gawayn awe her

J. Cowen adopte, dans le texte (I, p. 298), la leon de Caxton, et signale, dans les
notes en n de volume (p. xxxviii, non pagine), la leon de Winchester.
(Incidemment, on se demande pourquoi le spectacle des changes de regards et de
paroles entre dame Lionne et sire Gauvain (qui ne sont rien lun pour lautre) devrait
faire chaud au cur des tmoins.)
2 wit you well (5 fois) style formulaire (juridique ? cf. what say ye?)
3 to have and wield as my husband
MED : 7. To take (sb.) in marriage; be married
to (sb.); fig. accept (Christ); also, have (sb.) as a lover; also, possess (a lover); ~ as housbonde (wif), ~ to spouse (wif); ~ lemman, accept (sb.) as a lover; ~ lord, take (sb.) as
husband.
4 if ye will suffer him to have his will and free choice le suzerain a tout pouvoir pour sopposer au mariage
5 is the wind in that door? Vinaver :
This, to my knowledge, is the earliest example on record of the phrase Is the wind in that door?
meaning Is the wind in that quarter?, Is that the tendency of aairs? or simply: Is this what
you want? (Cf. Oxford Eng. Dict., s.v. door, 6 c.). It is used here in the same sense as in Falstaffs
remark in 1 Henry IV (Act iii, scene iii): How now, lad ! Is the wind in that door, i faith ? Must we all
march?

Benedick, Much Ado about Nothing: Sits the wind in that corner?
6 for the stint of my crown mme si cela devait me coter le [montant dune anne de]
revenu de ma couronne
7 all these knights and ladies that he had won in battle tofore il ne sagit pas de dames
quil aurait combattues la lance et lpe, mais de celles qui lui sont redevables grce
ses victoires.

 8 after Sir Gareth had espied Sir Gawains conditions cest lune des acceptions de lancien-franais et du moyen-franais : [ propos dune pers., souvent au plur.] Disposition, manire dagir, murs, comportement, habitudes (DMF)