cliges-第1节

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Cliges：　A　Romance

by　Chretien　de　Troyes





TRANSLATED　BY　L。　J。　GARDINER；　M。A。
FROM　THE　OLD　FRENCH　OF　CHRETIEN　DE　TROYES





INTRODUCTION



IT　is　six　hundred　and　fifty　years　since　Chretien　de　Troyes　wrote
his　Cliges。　And　yet　he　is　wonderfully　near　us；　whereas　he　is
separated　by　a　great　gulf　from　the　rude　trouveres　of　the　Chansons
de　Gestes　and　from　the　Anglo…Saxon　Chronicle；　which　was　still
dragging　out　its　weary　length　in　his　early　days。　Chretien　is　as
refined；　as　civilised；　as　composite　as　we　are　ourselves；　his
ladies　are　as　full　of　whims；　impulses；　sudden　reserves；
self…debate　as　M。　Paul　Bourget's　heroines；　while　the　problems　of
conscience　and　of　emotion　which　confront　them　are　as　complex　as
those　presented　on　the　modern　stage。　Indeed；　there　is　no　break
between　the　Breton　romance　and　the　psychological…analytical　novel
of　our　own　day。

Whence　comes　this　amazing　modernity　and　complexity？　From　many
sources：Provencal　love…lore；　Oriental　subtlety；　and　Celtic
mysticismall　blended　by　that　marvellous　dexterity；　style；
malice；　and　measure　which　are　so　utterly　French　that　English　has
no　adequate　words　for　them。　We　said　〃Celtic　mysticism；〃　but　there
is　something　else　about　Chretien　which　is　also　Celtic；　though
very　far　from　being　〃mystic〃。　We　talk　a　great　deal　nowadays　about
Celtic　melancholy；　Celtic　dreaminess；　Celtic　〃other…worldliness〃；
and　we　forget　the　qualities　that　made　Caesar's　Gauls；　St。　Paul's
Galatians；　so　different　from　the　grave　and　steadfast　Romansthat
loud　Gaulois　that　has　made　the　Parisian　the　typical　Frenchman。　A
different　being；　this　modern　Athenian；　from　the　mystic　Irish
peasant　we　see　in　the　poetic　modern　Irish　drama！and　yet　both
are　Celts。

Not　much　〃other…worldliness〃　about　Chretien。　He　is　as　positive　as
any　man　can　be。　His　is　not　of　the　world　of　Saint　Louis；　of　the
Crusaders；　of　the　Cathedral…builders。　In　Cliges　there　is　no
religious　atmosphere　at　all。　We　hear　scarcely　anything　of　Mass；
of　bishops；　of　convents。　When　he　mentions　Tierce　or　Prime；　it　is
merely　to　tell　us　the　hour　at　which　something　happenedand　this
something　is　never　a　religious　service。　There　is　nothing　behind
the　glamour　of　arms　and　love；　except　for　the　cas　de　conscience
presented　by　the　lovers。　Nothing　but　names　and　framework　are
Celtic；　the　spirit；　with　its　refinements　and　its　hair…splitting；
is　Provencal。　But　what　a　brilliant　whole！　what　art！　what　measure！
Our　thoughts　turn　to　the　gifted　women　of　the　ageas　subtle；　as
interesting；　and　as　unscrupulous　as　the　women　of　the
Renaissanceto　Eleanor　of　Aquitaine；　a　reigning　princess；　a
troubadour；　a　Crusader；　the　wife　of　two　kings；　the　mother　of　two
kings；　to　the　last；　intriguing　and　pulling　the　strings　of
political　power〃An　Ate；　stirring　him　＇King　John＇　to　blood　and
strife。〃

The　twelfth　century　was　an　age　in　which　women　had　full　scopein
which　the　Empress　Maud　herself　took　the　field　against　her　foe；　in
which　Stephen's　queen　seized　a　fortress；　in　which　a　wife　could
move　her　husband　to　war　or　to　peace；　in　which　a　Marie　of
Champagne　（Eleanor's　daughter）　could　set　the　tone　of　great　poets
and　choose　their　subjects。

If；　then；　this　woman…worship；　this　complexity　of　love；　this
self…debating；　first　comes　into　literature　with　Chretien　de
Troyes；　and　is　still　with　us；　no　more　interesting　work　exists
than　his　earliest　masterpiece；　Cliges。　The　delicate　and　reticent
Soredamors；　the　courteous　and　lovable；　Guinevere；　the　proud　and
passionate　Fenice；　who　will　not　sacrifice　her　fair　fame　and
chastity；　the　sorceress　Thessala；　ancestress　of　Juliet's
nursethese　form　a　gallery　of　portraits　unprecedented　in
literature。

The　translator　takes　this　opportunity　of　thanking　Mr。　B。　J。
Hayes；　M。A。；　of　St。　John's　College；　Cambridge；　for　occasional
help；　and　also　for　kindly　reading　the　proofs。








CLIGES

THE　clerk　who　wrote　the　tale　of　Erec　and　Enid；　and　translated　the
Commandments　of　Ovid　and　the　Art　of　Love；　and　composed　the　Bite
of　the　Shoulder；　and　sang　of　King　Mark　and　of　the　blonde　Iseult；
and　of　the　metamorphosis　of　the　Hoopoe　and　of　the　Swallow　and　of
the　Nightingale；　is　now　beginning　a　new　tale　of　a　youth　who　was
in　Greece　of　the　lineage　of　King　Arthur。　But　before　I　tell　you
anything　of　him；　you　shall　hear　his　father's　lifewhence　he　was
and　of　what　lineage。　So　valiant　was　he　and　of　such　proud　spirit；
that　to　win　worth　and　praise　he　went　from　Greece　to　England；
which　was　then　called　Britain。　We　find　this　story　that　I　desire
to　tell　and　to　relate　to　you；　recorded　in　one　of　the　books　of　the
library　of　my　lord　Saint　Peter　at　Beauvais。　Thence　was　taken　the
tale　from　which　Chretien　framed　this　romance。　The　book；　which
truthfully　bears　witness　to　the　story；　is　very　ancient；　for　this
reason　it　is　all　the　more　to　be　believed。　From　the　books　which　we
possess；　we　know　the　deeds　of　the　ancients　and　of　the　world　which
aforetime　was。　This　our　books　have　taught　us：　that　Greece　had　the
first　renown　in　chivalry　and　in　learning。　Then　came　chivalry　to
Rome；　and　the　heyday　of　learning；　which　now　is　come　into　France。
God　grant　that　she　be　maintained　there；　and　that　her　home　there
please　her　so　much　that　never　may　depart　from　France　the　honour
which　has　there　taken　up　its　abode。　God　had　lent　that　glory　to
others；　but　no　man　talks　any　longer　either　more　or　less　about
Greeks　and　Romans；　talk　of　them　has　ceased；　and　the　bright　glow
is　extinct。

Chretien　begins　his　taleas　the　story　relates　to　uswhich　tells
of　an　emperor　mighty　in　wealth　and　honour；　who　ruled　Greece　and
Constantinople。　There　was　a　very　noble　empress　by　whom　the
emperor　had　two　children。　But　the　first　was　of　such　an　age　before
the　other　was　born；　that　if　he　had　willed　he　might　have　become　a
knight　and　held　all　the　empire。　The　first　was　named　Alexander；
the　younger　was　called　Alis。　The　father　too　had　for　name
Alexander；　and　the　mother　had　for　name　Tantalis。　I　will
straight…away　leave　speaking　of　the　empress　Tantalis；　of　the
emperor；　and　of　Alis。　I　will　speak　to　you　of　Alexander；　who　was
so　great…hearted　and　proud　that　he　did　not　stoop　to　become　a
knight　in　his　own　realm。　He　had　heard　mention　made　of　King
Arthur；　who　was　reigning　at　that　time；　and　of　the　barons　which　he
ever　maintained　in　his　retinue　wherefore　his　Court　was　feared　and
famed　throughout　the　world。　Howe'er　the　end　may　fall　out　for　him
；　and　whate'er　may　come　of　it　for　the　lad；　there　is　nought　that
will　hold　him　from　his　yearning　to　go　to　Britain；　but　it　is　meet
that　he　take　leave　of　his　father　before　he　goes　to　Britain　or　to
Cornwall。　Alexander　the　fair；　the　valiant；　goes　to　speak　to　the
emperor　in　order　to　ask　permission　and　to　take　his　leave。　Now
will　he　tell　him　what　is　his　vow；　and　what　he　would　fain　do　and
take　in　hand。　〃Fair　sire；　that　I　may　be　schooled　in　honour　and
win　worth　and　renown；　a　boon；〃　quoth　he；　〃I　venture　to　crave　of
youa　boon　that　I　would　have　you　give　me；　never　defer　it　now　for
me　if　you　are　destined　to　grant　it。〃　The　emperor　had　no　thought
of　being　vexed　for　that；　either　much　or　little；　he　is　bound　to
desire　and　to　covet　honour　for　his　son　above　aught　else。　He　would
deem　himself　to　be　acting　wellwould　deem？　ay；　and　he　would　be
so　actingif　he　increased　his　son's　honour。　〃Fair　son；〃　quoth
he；　〃I　grant　you　your　good　pleasure；　and　tell　me　what　you　would
have　me　give　you。〃　Now　the　lad　has　done　his　work　well；　and　right
glad　was　he　of　it　when　is　granted　him　the　boon　that　he　so　longed
to　have。　〃Sire；〃　quoth　he；　〃would　you　know　what　you　have　promised
me？　I　wish　to　have　in　great　store　of　your　gold　and　of　your　silver
and　comrades　from　your　retinue　such　as　I　shall　will　to　choose；
for　I　wish　to　go　forth　from　your　empire；　and　I　shall　go　to　offer
my　service　to　the　king　who　reigns　over　Britain；　that　he　may　dub
me　knight。　Never；　indeed；　on　any　day　as　long　as　I　live　shall　I
wear　visor　on　my　face　or　helm　on　my　head；　I　warrant　you；　till
King　Arthur　gird　on　my　sword　if　he　deign　to　do　it；　for　I　will
receive　arms　of　no　other。〃　The　emperor　without　more　ado　replies：
〃Fair　son；　in　God's　name；　say　not　so。　This　land　and　mighty　are
diverse　and　contrary。　And　that　man　is　a　slave。　Constantinople　is
wholly　yours。　You　must　not　hold　me　a　niggard　when　I　would　fain
give　you　so　fair　a　boon。　Soon　will　I　have　you　crowned；　and　a
knight　shall　you　be　to…morrow。　All　Greece　shall　be　in　your　hand；
and　you　shall　receive　from　your　baronsas　indeed　you　ought　to
receivetheir　oaths　and　homage。　He　who　refuses　this　is　no　wise
man。〃

The　lad　hears　the　promisenamely；　that　his　father　will　dub　him
knight　on　the　morrow　after　Massbut　says　that　he　will　prove
himself　coward　or　hero　in　another　land　than　his　own。　〃If　you　will
grant　my　boon　in　that　matter　in　which　I　have　asked　you；　then　give
me　fur　both　grey　and　of　divers　colour　and　good　steeds　and　silken
attire；　for　before　I　am　knight　I　will　fain　serve　King　Arthur。　Not
yet　have　I　so　great　valour　that　I　can　bear　arms。　None　by　entreaty
or　by　fair　words　could　persuade　me　not　to　go　into　the　foreign
land　to　see　the　king　and　his　barons；　whose　renown　for　courtesy
and　for　prowess　is　so　great。　Many　high　men　through　their　idleness
lose　great　praise　that　they　might　have　if　they　wandered　o'er　the
world。　Repose　and　praise　agree　all　together；　as