Torrent of Portyngale Part 5

In fifty-one lines the text of the fragments is evidently correcter than the MS.:

_Fragments._ _Ma.n.u.script._

The kyng of Nazareth sent hym me, The kyng of Portynggall seyd, 'So mot I the!

Torent, I wot-saue hym on the. 466 Torrent, I wet-saffe of the.

The kyng wolde fayne that he ded were, The kyng wolde fayne that he wer ded,

And he wyst nat on what manere. 472 And hym wyst in what maner.

To Torent that was true as stele, 477 To Torrent trew ase styll,

In what londe that they brede. 487 In what lond they ne bred.

He bestrode a n.o.ble stede. 502 Tho he bestrod another stede.

Cf. 489, 498, 507-10, 512-15, 822, 825, 831, 833, 834, 837, 845, 848, 851, 929, 932, 933, 935, 947, 948, 951, 952, 958, 965, 968-70, 1807, 1808, 1810, 1827, 1828, 1831, 1834-36, 1844, 1854, 1866.

Forty-eight lines are coincident: 468, 470, 474, 479, 480, 486, 487, 495, 499, 501, 504, 505, 520, 823, 832, 842, 844, 846, 917, 918, 921, 922, 927, 928, 936, 938, 953, 957, 962, 1809, 1813-17, 1819-21, 1823, 1830, 1832, 1838, 1847, 1850, 1851-52, 1863, 1865.

In ninety-one lines it is doubtful which reading is to be considered as the original one:

_Fragments._ _Ma.n.u.script._

As they walkyd by the ryvers syde. 469 Ase the went be the watyres syd.

Howe he myght hym shent. 473 How he schuld be schent.

The kyng sayde 'what may this be?

Lorde, it is sent to me For a faucon shene. 483-85 Syr, he seyd, what may thys be?

Loo, lord, come ner and see Abowght a facon schene.

Than sayde the kyng vntrue, 'And ye fynde hawes of great value, Brynge me one with the! 492-94 And than seyd the kyng ontrew, 'Yf thow get hawkys of great valew, Bryng on of them to me!

Of thy dowghter hende. 836 Of yowr dowghttyr hend.

Cf. 467, 475, 476, 478, 481, 482, 488, 496, 497, 500, 506, 511, 516-20, 821, 824, 826, 827, 829, 830, 835, 838-41, 843, 847, 850, 919, 920, 923, 925-26, 930-31, 934, 937, 939, 940-43, 945, 946, 949, 950, 954, 955, 959, 960-61, 963, 964, 966, 967, 1811, 1812, 1818, 1822, 1825, 1826, 1829, 1837, 1840, 1842, 1843, 1845-46, 1848-49, 1853, 1855-62, 1864.

In eleven lines the text of the MS. is superior to that of the fragment:

_Fragments._ _Ma.n.u.script._

'Ye, by my trouthe!' sayd Torente. 828 'Ye, be trouthe!' seyd Torrent than.

Delycyous notes on hyghe. 944 Delycyous nottis on hyght.

Frowarde the se. 956 Froward the sytte.

Cf. 488, 503, 820, 849, 924, 1824, 1833, 1839.

As to the sixth fragment, 1014-36, and the beginning of the first (in Halliwell's edition the third), 462-64, in which, as above mentioned, not much more than the rhyming words are preserved, they have nearly the same relation to the MS. as the other ones.

In the following pa.s.sages they correct the rhymes of the MS.: 1017, 1018, 1028, 1033. Coincident rhymes: 1014, 1015, 1019, 1026, 1027, 1032, 1034-36. Undecided: 1020, 1021, 1023-24, 1029-30, 462-64. The rhymes of the MS. are preferable in ll. 1016, 1022, 1025, 1031.

I need only add, that all the discrepancies between the MS. and the fragments, however numerous they may be, concern, for the most part, things of little importance; they are caused especially by the frequent change of synonymous terms, by the difference of expletive words and phrases, the transposition of words, the change of tenses, and so on.

But as there is nowhere any essential difference to be traced, we may conjecture with great probability that the early printed edition of the romance was taken from a ma.n.u.script which was pretty nearly related to the Manchester MS., though somewhat more correctly written.

I gladly take the present opportunity of acknowledging my very great obligation to Prof. Koelbing, from whom I have received ample a.s.sistance throughout the whole of this work. It would be absolutely impossible to me entirely to discriminate his part from mine. He carefully revised the introduction, notes, and the glossary, before they went to press, and after they came from it, and he looked several times through the proofs of the text. Nor am I less indebted to Mr. Joseph Hall at Manchester, who not only kindly read the proofs of the text with the MS. in the Chetham Library, but also contributed some valuable notes, which are marked by his name. The Director has added the head-lines and side-notes.

Torrent of Portyngale.

Here bygynneth a good tale f. 76a.

Of Torrente of Portyngale.

(1)

[Sidenote: May G.o.d give us grace to win Heaven! I'll tell you of a doughty knight.]

+G+od, that ys worthy and Bold, _leaf_ 1]

Heuen~ and Erthe haue In hold, Fyld, watyr, and wynde, Yeve vse g{ra}ce hevyn~ to wyne, And brynge vs owt off Dedly synne 5 And In thy s{er}uyse to Ende!

A stounde and ye woll lyst be-Dene, Ale dowghtty men~ {a}t Euyr hathe b{e}n~, Wher So that they lende, I Schall yow tell, ore I hense pase, 10 Off a knyght, {a}t Dowghtty wase, In Rome ase clarkys ffynde.

[Linenote: 8. _byn_ MS.]

(2)

[Sidenote: He dwelt in Portugal, and fought well when 18.]

In Portynggall, that Ryche londe, An Erell that wase wonande, That curtese wase and {wyght}; 15 Sone aftyr he had a sone, The feyerest {a}t on fot myght gon, Tyrrant, men seyd, he hyght.

Be tyme he wase XVIII yer~ old, Of dedd{es} of armys he wase bold, 20 To felle bothe kyng and knyght; And now com{m}ythe dethe appon a day And takythe hys father~, ase I yow sey, For G.o.d ys most of myght.

[Linenotes: 15. _wyght_] _Dowghtty_ MS.

21. _felle_] first _l_ above the line MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT LOVES DESONELL.]

(3)

[Sidenote: The King gives Torrent an earldom, and he falls in love with the King's daughter Desonell,]

The kyng of Portynggall wase fayne, 25 To-warde hym he takythe Torrayne, That Dowghtty ys in~ dedde; And ther he fesomnyd in~ hys hond A good Eyrldom in~ that lond, Bothe forest and {fede}. f. 76b. 30 The kyng hathe a dowghttyr {whyte} ase {fame}, Dys{o}ne{ll} wase her name, Worthyest in wede.

When Torrent had of her~ a syght, More he lovyd that swet{e} wy{gh}t 35 Than~ all ys fathyrys l{e}de.