n c lo an G n r Lau e t d ue eve e

A P oem in D r ama:

T H and th V . he oly G raal O er Fragments BY RIC HARD H O VEY

Ea r/z net

LAUN C ELOT AN D GUEN EV ERE A POEM IN D RAMAS THE Q UEST OF MERLI N A MASQUE THE MARR IAGE OF GUENEVERE

A T RAGEDY THE B IRTH OF GALAHAD A ROMANTIC D RAMA TALIESI N A MASQUE THE HOLY GRAA L AND OTHER FRAG MENTS OF THE UN G OM PLETED ARTHURIAN DRAMAS ALON G THE TRAIL C OLLECTED P oEM s ‘s

t

I n \ j ‘ i | fl r “ l I

AND O TH ER FRAG M ENTS BY RlARD DOVEY

BEIN G THE UN C OMPLETED PARTS OF THE ARTHURIAN D RAMAS

Edited w ith Introd uction a nd Note: by

M R S . R I C H A R D H O V E Y

A nd 4 Pr ef a ce by B L I S S C A R M A N

NEW YORK D UFFIELD CO M PANY 1907 C O P R G H T 1907 B Y I , , Y DUFFIELD C O MPANY

A ll R ight : R e s e r v ed

Published Se emb pt er, 1907

- N TE TM: 60 0 1 ha l s a s o be O en t opj r lght ed a : a d r a m atic r omp ox ition

2 0 0 7

o f W m CONTENTS

PREFACE INTRODUCTION SCHEMA TH E HOLY GRAAL

NOTES ON THE HOLY GRAAL

DIGEST OF THE H OLY GRAAL A STOLAT

NOTES ON ASTOLAT FATA MORGANA NOTES ON FATA MORGANA KING ARTHUR

NOTES ON KING ARTHUR DIGES T OF KING ARTHUR AVALON NOTES ON AVALON

PREFACE

THERE is an unusual interest in this book of fr ag m ents from th e Arthurian plays which Richard hi a Hovey left unfini s hed at the tim e of s de th, in that it throws n ew light on th e whole s eries of mas ques and dramas which he originally proj ected “ n e u der the title, Launcelot and Guenevere, A Po m ! in Dramas .

o f es and Four parts this work, two lyrical ma squ hi e two plays, w ere already publi shed during s lif ns of time . And although the s e are po etic creatio u n m arked bea ty a d power, they have alw ays lacked s om ething of the fulles t s ignificance which potenti ally b elongs to them as r elated portion s of a l arger and

n e e a th e more imposi g whol . We can nev r h ve pl ea s ure of reading thi s great cycl e of pl ays and interludes in th e b eauty of its entirety as Hovey an s ee would have written it, but now at la s t we c e of mor its full s cope and purport , and derive a d eepened s ati s faction from r ealizing its es s ential

u e s s nd s a a prof ndity, s riou ne s , a wi dom . Fr gment ry as e u it is, th refore, thi s vol me, with its illuminating e not s and introduction, will have a preciou s im portance to the lover of poetry and the student of me A rican letters . 7 Perhaps the chief thin g to b e kept in mind in ’ regard to Richard Hovey s treatment of the Arthu s a a rian l egends is thi , th t he w s not primarily in terested in them for their historic and picturesque

a e a a value s poetic mat ri l , great s that valu e un e as his doubt dly is . It w not aim to reproduce a distant fabulou s age for our near er view for the

s e of an se mere ak its glamour d romance. He cho the s tory of Guen evere and Launcelot for the sake of the p s ychological probl em it in volves and illu s es s n h old trat . It wa the i ward S ignificance of t e

s o a a e tale, apt and famili r a c s e in point, that form d e in as its supr me value his cons ideration . H e w not

f r as seeking a theme o his po etic activity, s o much m a serviceable e bodim ent for his poetic ideals . His e thought on the m ain s ubj ect was d efinitely form d,

as s x n h ad his t k wa to e emplify a d illustrate it . He at heart and in mind s ome frank s olution of perplex an e ing human relations hips, and needed ad quate n plot to m ake his s olution clear and telli g. The problem he felt called upon to d eal with is e a n l e e a per nni l o e, o d as the world , y t intens ly n e man modern , a d it appealed to him as a mod rn keenly alive to allthe social compl ex iti es of our a s e a civiliz tion . But for all th at, he wi h d to get aw y a so a from the modern s etting for his dram , th t the ex pos ition of his ideas might not be confu s ed by the s baffling counter interes t O f contemporary reali m . e s He was not attempting a comedy o f m ann r , but a h armonod f y o ethics . The farther away from the th e nineteenth c entury his scenes could be laid , more easily could our attention be concentrated on 8 h e f u and t interplay o ch aracter s , the o tcome Of acts , n u the fi al elucidation of a h man probl em .

e en e Two cours s were Op to him , th refore . He a a n a could either find some mple, pl stic, a d famili r — plot ready to hand , ample enough to l end dignity to a a an a e his ch r cters, Old d v gue enough to be treat d n m n a freely, and familiar e ough to ea s ily co m a d t tention ; or he could create a plot of his own and e p eople it with s trange and unaccu stomed nam s, s after the m anner of Maurice M aete rlinck . H e cho e h n s t e former alternative . And con s ide ri g the ba is of h i s e s s e find choice, we n ed not be urpri d if we

n i e ffe him ma ipulating h s m ateri al v ry freely, and di r ing in h is conception and portrayal Of th e ch aracters from other poets who have preced ed him in the e a e n s ame fi ld . The Arthuri n cycle provid d Ten y s on with the groundwork of a n ational epic of noble proportions and m aj e stic b eauty ; it has furni shed romantic data for numberl es s dr ama s and lyrics to many poets in many ages ; to Richard Hovey it f n e a forded a modern in stance stripp ed of moder dr ss .

This fund amental conception mu st be borne in mind , ’ if we would form a j ust appreciation Of Hovey s e achiev m ent .

s a a s f The e fr gment ry bit o his work, his notes ,

n a n f n s out j ottings , t e t tive sce arios , li s ts o p erso , m in r lines , s et down from ti e to time notebooks o on ea alle th e s ad n s stray l ves, were l ft in co fu ion of a bu s y works hop whence the craftsm an is s uddenly a e a r a a n c ll d aw y . Co ning upon such h erit ge , o one could have pi eced togeth er the variou s unfini s h ed and a lines s peeches , understood the innumer ble

9 r m emoranda, o brought any order out Of such a ’ s a m edley, who did not know all the workman pl ns as e Mr s e as th e for the intended m terpi ce . . Hov y w n n n s o ly one fitted for that und ertaking, for o o e el e was s o con s tantly in touch with him in his work h er es from day to day . He discussed with in endl s talks allthe debatabl e and crucial point s of his s ub

a ject and its treatment through many ye ars . Wh t he f s o f a n should mak e o thi character, what th t incide t ,

e e u a wh r the j ealou s y motive was to be bro ght in, wh t the final s olution of the tr agic complication was to be — u a , the h ndred and one question s O f p sychologic l n s and e n f as n i ight t ch ical nicety, o such unce i g i e s h e nd nt re t to t artist, were all canva s s ed again a a n h a ag i . So that s e alone is sufficiently famili r with his d etail ed plans for thi s great work to have

e e th e s en und rtak n pre t volume .

u h e In carrying o t her ta sk, s e h as s ucceed d , I a u f u e think, in m king a very s gge stive book, full o s btl

efl r ections and much valu able critici s m .

B I S L S CARMAN .

NE W O R K 1d Y , 7 ) , 1 90 7.

I O INTRO D UCTION

ar e e Par s ifal , P ercival , Galah ad, leg nd words in n us S our Northern mythology, r epres enti g to a pirit uale e e a e e or h ro . The leg nd s r g rding ach of th m ,

. a e e regarding the p ers onality, s ometimes c lled by ith r h h s name, u s ed t e phra s eology of t e Chri tian Church , “ and embodied their r el ation to Th e Cup of Mys ! h aa B u h s tery men called t e Gr l . t that t e poet hould , as a e in s e f ne did T li sin the ma qu o that name, k el in the ch apel of the Graal an d h ear wi s dom from the Graal Lord ; that the poet should gaze into th e a a s e a di mond cryst l ph re, upheld by Uri el in the bl ze of the Graal light, behind the gold en gates and the n n s s e h n h e cha ti g angel , to e t e truth, a d then, in t ’ fi f e i e of ce o s er, tell it through h s poet s art, w ait d for the end o f the nineteenth century and Richard ’ e Hov y s pen . The solemn recognition of the priestly Oflice of the e f art, proph t voice O the poet, is now a part of s our n thi North e r l egend .

The a a of th e a e e G l had e rly l g nd, the pure and e a h priestly knight, wh n he chi eves t e Graal , lays at th e s down his body gate of S arr as ; Talies in,

s u a s the poet, assume h m n holine s , and in th e won d er of the human form s p eaks through it in its a . s en v rious voices The prie t r ounced his body, s av

I I to his ing his soul . The poet, save soul, ultimates it h through t e body. The coming of the Church of Chris t to Britain culminated in the ascetic purity of the new Galahad, our n ame for Parsifal . The coming of Art to lib e t ate the Puritan ninete enth century from ascetici s m culminated in the apotheos is Of poetry under the name of Tali es in ; for in the Mas que of Talies in poetry is symbolized by the arti st who ex pres s es

h e e n poetry in words . It deals with t po tical eleme t

a n but in music, p i ting, sculpture, acting, dancing, a e s peci ally in literature under the guise of the b rd . Pars ifal is a typ e of tho s e whose ministry comes by e a n s - s se r nunci tion, Taliesi Of the arti t mini ter who powers come by consecration . Parsifal is a type of es r e a es s pri t o proph t , T li in Of eer and poet . Art ! should p ers uade by the good to perfect the heart .

a all In T liesin, the poet, the instinct of the body, n f all the i telligence o the mind, all the aspiration o f f r the soul, culminates in capacity o j oy in good i f ness . This s the perfection o the heart of man .

Groping of life after love till the s pirit aspire Into divinity ever transmuting the clod

! J oy, j oy, joy in the deep and the height o s e ermore l J y in the holi e t, j oy ev rmore, ev

In the Poem in Dram as we h ave the creation of a Gal ahad who could be to the thought of our time W hat the Galahad of th e legend was to the knightly - or to the new come Christi an thought of the Middl e

1 2 as a -e e e a a Ages . He w no witchcr ft ng nder d bnorm l was a en e e e in th e es ity . He Spirit g nd r d high t love,

as a na and his purity w ultim tion, not elimi tion . He is to the modern min d what th e Galahad of M alory or the Pars ifal of Es chenbach and Wagner is to the - a medieval minded Chri s tian . The immacul te con i ur cept on, an idea which Christianity brought to o c n Western world, is here held an ideal Of every o ’ i a e o f cept on . Gal had s pure soul gr w as the form “ ! n s bl es s ing which o ly the miracl e, the my tic love,

n e a can bri g to earth . It b longs to the realms th t ar a of a s e above the l ws soci l order . The e laws are l ess for the incarnating s oul than for the preserva tion Of th e h elples s stages O f early life and the d is

f a abl ed years o motherhood . Th t this high con

i in ll es cept on of birth is d eep the thought of a peopl , is s hown by the miraculous birth of the divinity of every religion . A modern version of the l egend must Show that

e a a b witched L uncelot could give only a body, not

a a -a as ceti m a s oul , to the child G l had . Middle ged s , on the contrary, degrading th e phys ical , beli eved

a f a E a e th t the child o virgin l in , with the stolen

a e o f a e e e f th rhood b witch d Launcelot , would b come .

e s n —an k a myst riou bei g, angel night , mor e rather

a ma Th than les s than a hum n n . e Galahad of the

f he a h e sword, o t witchcr ft birth, of t r enunciation

of e s ee s u a s eam pow r, m to s monki h dr , and the e e Graal a d egrad d s ymbol . Sur ly in thi s new time the Galah ad allegory mu s t rise to poetry and in

s e x fl ight . All trac of the Don Qui ote avor must be ! e e e eliminated . Somewh r in the Po m in Dramas 1 3 n Th u f s e men a th e aa . is th e li e, e c p o My t ry c ll Gr l Thi s is a conception which is to the modern mind n both religiou s a d poetical . Portions of the Round T able l egends h ave b een

n e e a s e h a h a told i ev ry gen r tion inc t e r ce d memory.

e the s as e s E ach ag e t ll s Old tory it s e m to itself . In fact no man could tell the s tory or any part of it without giving it the color of his own opinion and

me s a es n a th e his own ti . Thi l t t writi g long with

e s e es en s its and its a is oth r r pr t time uthor . It a n of its n s contributio ow moment in hi tory . The new s n is not be s e e a n as ver io to con id r d co tr t, but an or e addition revision. This work prec d ed by a few year s the romantic mov em ent which became so

e in the ea e and h n preval nt th t r t e ovel . Our time h as give n us three Gu eneveres : the

u n e O f e n s G e ev re T n y on, who sinned , and came to

e n a e r pe t nce and r mor s e ; the Gu enev ere of Morris ,

a ea h n who pp l s to t e tend er es s of the human he art , who ex pl ain s and asks human symp athie s ; and th e n f Gu e evere O Hovey, who only loves , who n ever

a uene s ins, who never repents . The truly tr gic G v ere is th e one Rich ard Hovey cho s e for the Poem ! — r in D ramas , a wom an who typifies in he s orrows anhood at the point in civiliz ation where th e — might of a system , which gives in its soci al struc tur e too little l atitude to the individual and too much its e n — in co omic sys tem , pres s es heavies t upon wom an ; and es p eci ally on th e type of wom an fur h e e t s t developed in emotional and int ell ectu al pow r . Th e broades t phys ical and intell ectual bas e is the preparation for the highest spiritual flight into the 1 4 a n es s r ealms O f love, the miracl e love th t i volv tho e wonder r ealms in which it may be hoped Gal ah ads

a m y be born . “ Th e problem of th e individu al choice is a line ’ a from one of Rich ard Hovey s notebooks . Sh ke n e a s p eare, he ofte s aid, s et him self to fre wom n from p arental tyranny in th e choice of a hu sband . This h e cons equ ently p as s ed lightly over in the firs t act ! as a ea of Th e M arri age Of Gu enevere, a work lr dy a e ma e our rtistically accompli s h d . B ut it re in d for day to d emand for woman power of purity in the f n e a relation o h er body to the emotio s , even wh n th t freedom clas hed with h er establi s hed r elation to the s oci al whole, th at is , th e rel ation through her hus

a B a n e o f K n as en b nd . y t ki g the tim i g Arthur r h e a -s vi onment, h e obliterated t e mod rn h lf olution, th at of divorce, and l eft th e probl em reduced to its s a simple t t erms . A Guenevere, having only form l

n s a ee marri age bonds to Ki g Arthur, love , t m ting,

L auncelot, who h as long before h er m arriage loved h er a n e . Rich rd Hovey u derstood, without b ing in the least unmindful of the right of the community to subordinate at n eed’ the good of th e individual

a to the right Of the many, that the soci l system was

v a defecti e one, in which the use of this right was

e an oth r than ex ception . ’ The poet s art is th e natural ex pre s s ion of great s n thought , and fur i s hes the mos t eloqu ent medium for s s s ea the di cu ion of gr t themes . These books ’ finish ed might h ave embodied the writer s thought on the e s n a s th me i volved , with pa sionate eloquence of song which no r eport of what the continued story IS was to be can in the l eas t compar e in convincing

ff Y e n s ee d ue ne e ect . et som thi g ms from o who was intimate in his thoughts during much of th e

a of e au e as prepar tion the seri s . The thor hims lf w i mos t avers e to ex plaining h s work in any respect .

n e a O ce it was don , no word could be had bout it s its by anyone. To him a work of art mu t contain n own power of prese ting itself to mind and emotion, B ut P e a a all in full j u s tification . the o m in Dr m s

e e is es is le ft unfinish d, th refore it deemed b t to pub a li s h the s chem e, al s o s ome new materi al prep red but not yet u s ed for the unfini s hed pl ays . The force ful dramatic pres entation of allS ides Of th e s ubj ect would h ave won th e r ead er to an ever high er point

f e can b e s he e o vi w . It now only the po ing of t qu s tion without the an s w er contained in th e luminous and convincing bl aze of the vi s ion of the poet and

ee ea a a s r, for ch art is a s cr mental unit with the

x es s thing it e pr es . Und er the s tory in the Poem in Dramas lies e e a f mbodi d thought o life, a dram atic presentation of the whole s ocial and political structure— th e in a the a a hi s dividu l , f mily, the st te. What s conclu ions u a wo ld h ve been , how the balance would have b een drawn between the needs of freedom of growth of ea of es e e n i n ch th , w who k ow h s thoughts ca bet ter conclude for ours elves than ex pres s to others . “ ! B ecaus e he called Avalon a H armonody we know he s aw some pos s ible p eace th at j u s tified or eas e e th s a n A a at l t nd d e truggle . Th e l st li es of v ! lon, which were the firs t lines written for the whole - work, Show that to the honor tortured Launcelot

1 6 dreamed of a world at peace under a s ingl e rule ;

his ue n a his Arthur, who thought of q e not s wife, a m e s u but s the oth r of king ; Arth r , whos e ignorance of human h earts and p sychic forces was ruin to the e firs t rul e of broth rhood, the Northern dream of the

a O f the a es n democr cy Christian r c , the Rou d Table .

In he s e a e a t fir t volum no tr c of this thought appe rs .

e a a s e h e V ry n turally . It would h ve poil d t e whol tragic working out of th e r es ult of his blindnes s ;

e e a e n n th r would h ve b e n no drama, no i here t con fl B u u ea iet, no tragedy. t thi s m s t in s ome gr t elo u nc f q e e hav e been th e S pirit o th e tex t at the end, ’ for this was Richard Hovey s thought . “ ! Th e Po em in Dramas was undertaken l es s to ' ’ ’ x a ex cu s e or e pl in Launcelot s act or Guenevere s , ’ o r to Show Arthur s very natural p sychic blind

s h e s O f an s n n a u nes , t blindnes a good d tru ti g t re, th an to imp each the s oci al s ys tem that h ad not yet and h as not yet— gone far enough in evolution to become a medium in which alllives can move at all m n ti es a d in all re spects in freedom . This surely i h s t e ideal . Th e Sch ema which follows this introduction was

e in 1 e a an es e writt n out 898, and aft r th t no ch g w re H n th e e m ad e. ad the ni e volumes of which Po m

e a in Dramas was to cons i s t been writt n, this pl n would not h ave been publi s he d nor probably h ave

e s a B u a es en e of b en hown to nyone . t for pr tim nt min e that it must be on p ap er, mo s t likely it would

a all not have been written down t , for the author h ad now grown to hav e s uch a s trong grasp upon his thought that he could produce ' p ages or even

18 scenes of his best works with th e aid Of hardly a note . e unl One must not question a poet. Se ds Often h n ma covered Of t e earth do not grow . O e y make

can e and remarks which be receiv d as s uggestion ,

or e e . replied to , passed unnotic d if th y disturb There are moments when we mu s t not know j ust

an s e f e what we think. If y words but tho o the po m

e f x . could tell , po try were not j u s tified o e istence

B ut I h ad a desire to s ee the outline written, s o

n i n O e d ay I made a draft Of th e pl an, a d handed it to s n a as him, a ki g how ne r right it w . He took my and c m let No a pen wrote the o p e plan . w th t it is n eeded to help the unders tanding of the works l eft

n it a n e s unfi i s hed, s m king mu s t be co sid red a mo t s fortunate circumstance . Thi plan , which is repro u e h d c d in t e pres ent volume, he called the Schema . “ The books of Launcelot and Gu enevere, a Poem ! f es e in Dramas w ere to be nine . O th only four

re an s e we fini s h ed d publi h d by the author . It is thought that s omewhat o f the drift of the s tory and the trend of th e thought may b e deduced from the

e s an es f sc ne which follow, d th at even th e portions o scenes of the plays and mas ques may suggest an s wet s to some O f th e question s that in evitably ari s e in the mind of th e r eader at the end of the four e e s a e o compl t d volumes . The note are an tt mpt t e ou f 1 h lp t thes e suggestions . The plan o 898 gives the structure complete .

The as e m qu s w ere intended for music , were, in a f ct, librettos , and would by thems elves form a series for production at th e Opera house quite in 1 9 dependent of the s equence of the dramas at the the ater . Each play and each m asque is compl ete for pro f duction alone, or the series o m as qu es and dramas might have been produced with cumul ative cfi ect in their order as shown in the Schema . In a writing by Richard Hovey we find these W ords ! “ - f The poem is a r e telling o the central drama, about which the other legends o f the Arthuri an Th f cycle are grouped . e version o Malory has been followed as a basis, but in many details other au h ri i t o t es have been preferred, nor has the author thought it beyond his privilege to alter and invent largely for himself. SCHEMA AND COMMENTARY

' W ritten by

RICH ARD HOVEY

in 1 898

2 I S CHEMA .

LAUNCELOT AND GUENEVERE : A Po em in Dram as .

PART I.

TH E Q UEST OF MERLIN : a Masque

TH E MARRIAGE OF GUENEVERE : a Tragedy.

TH E BIRTH OF GALAHAD : a Romantic Drama .

PART II .

S : TALIE IN a Masque .

TH E a GRAAL : Tragedy.

a AS TOLAT : an Idyllic Dr ma .

PART III .

s FATA MORGANA : a Ma que .

’ MORTE D ARTH UR : a Tr agedy.

H armonod AVALON : a y .

2 2 RY COMMENTA .

Note that each of th e three parts is compo s ed of

u e . a s a a e ( I ) a M as q e, i . , mu ic l (Oper tic) int rlude n n or prelude, fores h adowi g the eve ts to follow, d ealing with the sup ernatural el emen ts of the myth n n and symbolizi g the philos ophic , aes thetic a d ethi cal elem ents Of the s eri es ; ( 2 ) a Tragedy ; and ( 3) a play ending with a parti al ( P arts I and II) or P complete ( art II) reconciliation and solution .

Launcelot and Gu enevere are placed in a pos ition where they mu s t e ither s acrifice the ex i s ting ord er of things to them s elves or themselves to the ex i s t n ing order of thi gs .

P I — e a art . They att mpt to s et their r elation to e ch e e t a oth r above th ir relation o the world . Tr gic s s e es s i u . (Th i )

— a Part II . They ttempt to set their rel ation to th e

E a world above their rel ation to each oth er . qu lly

u s s tragic iss e . (Antith e i . ) a -The e P rt III . r conciliation . ( Synthesi s ) a e ' Subordin t to this , as background Part I deal s with th e growin g power of th e Rou nd a e s e f n T bl , the ri o Arthur , a d culminates with ’ s a Arthur highest re ch of empir e. a e th e e s TH E R AR ( Gre t ev nt in l gend OMAN W . ) 2 3 Part II with the height ( s tationary) of the power of Arthur and the Rou nd Table and the fir s t mut

terin s n n a g of their impe di g f ll . (Great event in the legend s TH E Q UEST OF THE

GRAAL . ) Part I II with the fall of Arthur and th e Roun d

Table .

e TH ( Great event in the l gends E LAST W AR . )

There is an interval of nearly tw enty year s be tween Parts I and II , and of five or s ix years be

a s tween P rt II and III . But the dramas in each part are immediately suc

cessive.

TH E MASQUES The Q ues t of Mer lin foreshadows the events Of

f P e . the whole poem , but particularly o art I , i . , a f the marri ge o Arthu r to Guenevere . Sym bolicall hilo hic l of y, it suggests the p s op a drift

the poem . Talies in fore shadow s the events of P art II (the es s Graal s earch , Symbolically, it sugg t i the aes the t c drift of the po em . Fata M organa fores h adows the events of P art III ea f (the treachery of Mordred, d th o Arthur, he thical Symbolically, it suggests t e

d rift of the poem .

They might be called th e Masque Of Fate and ! “ ! “ s e Evolution , the M asque of Art and the Ma qu of Evil resp ectively. 24

TH E H OLY GRAAL

A TRA GEDY ARTHUR, Kin o B rit i g f a n. DUBRIC Ar ch , bis hop o Canter bur f y .

LAUNCELOT, GALAH AULT , LA M ORA CKE, B S DE GAN OR Ys ,

s on o Laun lo ALAHAD, ce t G f , I br PERC VAL, other of L amar ache , Knights of the GAW AIN B, R ound Tabl e. AGRAVAI NE, GAH ERIS , S ons o M or au f g s e.

GARETH ,

MORDRED. K AYE,

LI S a B TA E IN , ard .

DAGONET a J es , ter .

PANDER.

PORTER.

GUENEVERE ueen o B ri i , Q f ta n. MORGAU SE, ueen o Or kne Q f y . an MORGANA, E nchan tr es s ueen o G e , Q f or . M D L s is ter o P er ci l A E ON, f va . S L ENDA . GUI M ERE. LI N O ORs .

Kni hts L adies P g , , r ies ts M onks H ar l , ots S oldi r , , e s , Attendants P a es , g , etc.

2 8 TH E HOLY GRAAL .

ACT I .

— he Cas tle o MORGAUSE ueen o SCENE I. T f , Q f

MORGAUSE s tandin b ne A Chamber . Ork y. , g y

o . a wind w. MORGANA

his MORGAUSE. Is there no charm to overturn

s tate ?

NO magic net to cast about his legs And trip him in his triumph ? Where’ s that skill

For which the ignorant people call you witch

And even the learned, seeing the strange control

’ With which you make the laws of things o ercome

n e And co tradict th m s elves , call by your name

The emancipated worlds that hang in the clouds,

’ Fata Morgana— where s the use of witchcraft

o When Arthur lives and wax es ? Oh, for some horr r

s TO trike him helpless , paralyzed, aghast, 2 9 a With doom adv ncing on him ! Why, he grows

TOO great for this s mall world, and his vast stride

Will shortly pl ant one foot out on the moon

for e l And straddle space empir . The o d heroes

a Are cle n forgot, and every piping poet

s a f Must que k o Arthur, where the antique bards

n f f Sa g the divine deeds O the sons o gods .

a s a e ar MORGANA . Wh t hare h v we in it ? We e

s his isters,

s is . r Or el e he no king Wher e, then, ou part

’ I the p ageant and th e power ?

M R A s O G USE. H e know well

H e C n e We are no Sisters to him . is a ha g ling,

- a A base born upst rt, an abandoned bas tard

’ — a Who knows save Merlin ? Merlin s son, perh ps,

And grandson to the Devil .

h as s MORGANA . He corned

a You know that once I s tole Ex c libur,

x The sword and scabbard, and for pro y left

hi ed A false and brittle weapon by s b ,

Where he slept heavily beneath my s pell ;

And that Sir Accolon took th e great sword 30 u ’ m And fo ght with him , and y et the King o erca e,

n - Though weak with wou ds and well nigh weaponles s .

He slew Sir Accolon

M R A G USE. s O Ala , my si s ter !

a a n e MORGANA . Tut, can de d ma longer giv us

joy ?

s A ln He lew Sir cco o , but slew not me,

W h e lls o was his wors r foe. You knew a thi ,

But knew not that I sought his couch again

Where, seeing the sword clutched in his sleeping

hand,

I durst not touch it ; but the sheath I took

And cast it in the pool .

R An d ? MO GAUSE. to what end

s a Men fight not with their he ths .

th e n . MORGANA . There spoke u learned

Not by the forthright and the obvious way

s s a Is knowledge won or power . Upon thi he th

There is a prophecy th at his fortunes hang

ea And on its loss the loss of all his w l .

R A E e ? MO G US . And you b lieve this 3 1 MORGANA . I hav e s tudi ed

a a In le rning fe rsome to the general,

And a s a m rvel h ve become my commonpl aces,

And now I prophes y that from thi s hour

’ The flood of Arthur s des tiny stands s till i And l ap s es to ts ebb .

MORGA E e ! US . Look yond r ! Look

l— — me A rider in the road a knight Ah ,

If it were Lamoracke !

e MORGANA. Give h ed to me .

You were not wont to be a lovesick girl

a In your mours . I go to Cam elot,

a e s n e e Where I would h v your o , Sir Mordr d, com

M R A E on ? O G US . Mordred, my s

MORGANA You s hudder at his name .

R A e a are a MO G USE. He and his nam like dre dful

to me .

MORGANA . Your s on, Sir Mordred, whom you

bore to Arthur,

B e fore you found him so unlovable . 32

N ’ MORGANA . ay, farewell then ! I ll not stay - To listen love songs .

LAM RA E. O CK Not s o fas t, fair lady,

For I have news to make you gas p with wond er .

MOR A N G USE. O tenderer greeting ! DO you fear

my sister ?

’ I do not s ay that she s not dangerous ;

But since when have we loved like timid wives

And startled cavaliers that m eet by s tealth

’ And dare not fling their deeds in the world s face

And scoff at s candal ? Would allCamelot

Knew with wh at scorn th eir cow ard decencies

And creed s that have no birth behind the lips

’ a Why, wh t s the matter, Sir ?

LAM al ORACKE . Though lmy soul

n Cry out to reach you , I may not adva ce .

I have sworn a vow.

s MORGANA . This is mo t strange .

MOR A G USE. A vow !

’ LA M ORACK a e ou E. Tis but three days go I l ft y .

34 Three days will serve as well as thirty years

a To m ke the world all over. I have s een

It is another kind of world than that

a I thought it . I accept wh t I have seen .

. e ! MORGANA Mor mysteries Your news , s ir .

LAM ORA KE C . Yesterday

e e lad th e — a Th r came a young to Court, by he ven ,

ea s as A b rdl e s boy, frail as some s lim girl

With pale thin face and s ad unheeding eyes

e e a That men rem mb r when they h ve pas sed by .

This child— wh at think you that he came to s eek ? - Kn ighthood the heavy arms of strong men and

s f a B ! The stre s o err ntry. y God, no les s

Then came Sir Launcelot and called him s on

And knighted him ; and in the j ou s t that d ay

a He did unhorse me, me whose nanie men spe k

’ ’ i r m h e With Launcelot s and T r st a s . This did,

’

son. This striplin g, G alahad, Sir Launcelot s

MORGANA. What, has the faithful Launcelot proved untrue ?

LAM ‘ N a ORACKE. o man dare s y that Launcelot

’ e er was false 35 i h e e . s s t e a e e e To Guenev r Thi t l th y t ll .

E a e the a e Of K P e eas l in , d ught r ing ll ,

e Lov d him , and knowing him too tru e to s ee l ’ al one n In the world but fair woma s love,

t “ e a n Go her Old nurs , D me Bri s en, with ench antme ts

h To clothe her in the likenes s of t e Qu een .

e Th n came s he in to Launcelot and h e,

Unwitting was deceived ; and in this wis e

as a a W G lah d engendered .

MORGAUSE. Come, your vow

s th e a e h e uene e e MORGANA. Thi is t l told to G v r ; b How eas ily men think us to e gulled .

’ R A a e ? e e s MO G USE. What c r I for this boy Th r

more behind .

The s e s a e the s b e LA M ORACKE. lf m night , j ou ting

in g done,

lhault An d th e King being abs ent with Sir G a a ,

n ff f s a e Sir Kaye and others o a airs o t t ,

s s bo W e s at uS down to fea t ; whereat thi y ,

- e our Thi s Gal ahad, being new com to board,

- a e Cast but a glance about the great Round T bl , 36 And with the sudden surenes s Of a shaft

n i - s a -a e e e Gai ed h s quick cho s en e t, thron wh r in

’ es Not the great King him s elf e er d ared to r t,

And Merlin called it the Siege Perilou s .

For it was written that no man might s it

n a e Within th at seat, s ave o e it w it d for,

Bu n bo at t he should die . Therei the y s down

his a e s ee e e And died not , but f c m d glorifi d,

And a great marveling went about the hall .

I . ee s at MORGANA . So had it b n with you , had you

there,

Or e is any oth r knight . Now it strange

m n n n How en will dread their ow imagi i gs .

LAM ORA K x f a e C E. There as we s at, e p ectant o str ng

things,

A sudden storm aros e, and the quick lightnings

M ade pale and lurid in recurrent change

Th e torches Of our fe ast ; and each man Spoke

Hoarse or in whi s pers or with meas ured voice

As each one felt in his own way th e awe

a air Th t calms the befor e prodigiou s births .

‘ a a e e Wh t h pp n d then I cannot well r eport, 37 For I was all con fu sed ; but Percival

My brother s aith it was the Holy Graal

a a s e e ur e s Th t p s d b fore o ye , the very Cup

e ur s s is Wher in O Lord fir t hed h my stic Blood ,

‘ Brought by the saint from P alestin e and Shrined

e e At Glastonbury many c nturi s .

Long s ince it vanish ed and it now returns

T n a o bri g the golden ages b ck to us .

I saw it not but s aw its radiance

e its S O s n And f lt power . , ile t for a spac e

i h s n We s tood , till Gawa ne broke t e hu h a d swore

An oath that for a tw elvemonth and a d ay

No lu s t of body nor no lu st of prai s e

- Nor aught that ch ain s us to this middle earth

Should intercept him but h e should attain him s . e s e a e . This que t . And all w wor it ft r

n H a ! Th e K s Of MORGANA. Virgi s ! H a ! night

Camelot

Sworn virgins for a year !

i ur a LA M RA s o . O CKE. It o th

ma e a MORGANA . Then I y saf ly le ve you with my

sister. 38 ’ i for a e Farewell, s r . I m in haste C m lot

ar e a no Where lords welcome more than l dies w.

n t s n . Sister, forget o to end o a man

Farewell ! La ! virgins ! [Ex it laughing ]

M R A Lamor cke ! O G USE. a

L E AM ORACK . Morgause

I could not l eave— I could not go away

— — Upon so far s o vagu e I know not what

Without a last farew ell .

M far ORGAUSE. SO ? Would you be further

If you in truth had found the Holy Graal

On the other side Of Nowhere ?

‘ L M a e A ORACKE. I h v sworn .

MORGAUSE Sworn what ? Sworn infidelity ? Sworn hate ?

Then why are you come here ? 0 Lamor acke !

a Say it is false, s y that my ears have lied ,

You no K said it t, you swore no vow. i s s me

a And s y it is not true .

LAM ORACKE is . u . It the tr th . 39 MORGAU E W h S . y should you take a quest like this upon you ?

Y are no s ou vi ionary.

LAM ORACKE e e e. . The r st swor and I swor

MORGAUS E H li tle . . ow t we are to you ? Why, a woman

a And you betr y us for a summer dream .

L M ORA K e a A C E. Look you , I h ave no gr at f ith in

this quest .

Such things may be for Galahad— not for

But I have undertaken it . Stand not you

e B tween me and the trial . I have come

Straining a bond which yet I will not break

a For parting and not pleasure. Let us p rt.

m th e MORGAUSE. Since it ust be, then, and

you swore

u as Is all SO weak, since all o r j oy must p s

An d that sweet season when life san for us

l e With lips that half forgot o d cruelti s, - Do you remember when you ki s sed me first ?

n e Ah, I remember, for the s u seemed th n 40

M R A E Li in O G US . onors ! [S gs ]

O merry when the owl et calls Across the moonlit snow !

’ And merry in the Devil s halls

Where such as we must go

Lionors

E LI N R [ nter O O S . ] l Quick, uncor s et the good kn ight

Or s n a tay, no hands but mi e shall do th t office .

B e ready with a bowl to lave his hands — In ori ent p erfumes and fetch in a mantle

Of s s e ofte t sarsnet, rich in broid ries . [Ex it LIONORS]

i r o [S ings as s he und oes h s a m r . ]

It was a Knight and a fair Lady

n all ! Si g, the winds are still

She took the helmet from his head

- And Oh but her cheeks were rosy red

a e ! And hark, the p rtridg over the hill

- l nd Attendant [R e en ter LIONORS with mant e, a i h l . w t bow , etc ] 42 It was a Knight and a fair Ladyb

'

Sing, all the winds are stirring !

She loved him more than love can tell ,

But h e l eft h er s oul to the hounds of hell

h en ? ! A soul or a bird, in t e wind w t whirring

[Ex eunt LIONORS and A ttendan t ]

[ The con tex t of this s ong of M orgaus e is

among the los t ma ter ial]

’ 0 e a I ve com b ck to h ell , My D ears , 0 ’ I ve come back to hell .

' a is lon a The bliss of the s ints g compl ints,

’ S O I ve come back to hell .

’ 0 I ve come back to h ell , My D ears,

’ m a e 0 I ve co e b ck to h ll .

’ S u fl e Love s j oy is weet b t bitter e t ,

’ e So I ve come back to h ll .

’ c 0 I ve come ba k to hell , My D ears ,

’ 0 I ve come back to hell .

’ Love s j oy being done what better fun

Than back to th e j oys of hell .

43 — u d Fountain la in A Co r t ar . SCENE II . y p y g,

r and on a bench flowe s , etc. PANDER PORTER ,

dice thr owing .

’ ’ th e a PANDER . The devil s in dice. I ll pl y no

- be s e e more to day . God prai ed , trade was n v r

s more brisk, and we have the finest piece of

’ s fl s in ea E u s e women e h fifty l gu es . l s e yo r cur d - luck h ad drained me as dry as a worm eaten

a w lnut .

’ ne s a a us e PORTER . Fortu b lky filly ; you m t rid

i i h ard whil e sh e s n mood to carry you .

[Knocking ]

’ e a an s ! e s ee en s s PANDER . Mor g ll t W ll , I V u i n t

un od es s ed E x it R g yet . [ PORTE ]

H e a e e es s es th t would g t gold, let him s ell the n c iti

of life .

[Enter PERCIVAL and GALAHAD ]

n n a e n Good evening, gentl eme , a d m rry ight to

’

Ex i E . a es . t you . I ll go call the l di [ PAND R ]

’ a PERCIVAL. That s an odd v rlet .

L A ? a GA AHAD. y I did not m rk him .

n t s is eas ant PERCIVAL. I liked him o . Thi a pl

place. 44 ea es ! S ee e GALAHAD . How b utiful are lili th m

Their crowned heads like royalties above

’ e e s n n ea Their lowli r f llow . There s o ki g on rth

- ‘ SO s imply allsufiicrent to his life

in i a f e . As the s e . There s touch o God th m

R th e of man a h e s PE CIVAL . It is glory th t mu t

s trive .

a e e GALAHAD . Th at he m y reach th ir round d life

a a t l st .

N an es e ? PERCIVAL . O mor e th th

A A e a es e n G LAHAD . y, mor th n th , o

B ut filling out his vas ter orb Of life

And love and contemplation with the s ame

s S erene compl eteness and untroubl ed poi e,

Not fretful , not uns ati s fied, not eager,

But calm , great, un

Like lili es in the garden of th e Lord .

[E n ter SENDAL and G UI M ERE ]

GUI M ERE .

45 ACT II .

— lo l me t. a h D S . Ca H lo alace CENE III f t e P . U

BRIC and LAUNCELOT.

D BRI d be a s U C. Now Go pr i ed th at thou , Sir

Launcelot,

s s Art wrought to thi re olve . One act of thine

u rm n w e — S art O ts e o s my hol Lent, O much thou

- - The secret heart O f every Knight at arms

s M ade m anife t, his p attern and d es ire .

For what thou h as t reveal ed , I h av e entomb ed it.

n s a e a Even had co fes ion no s f guarding o th ,

e n ea Yet were my love for th e , my so , too gr t

And my desire to h elp thee to an end

e — B a a SO nobly vowed, too k en e not fr id ;

a Thi s s l eep s , for me, until the great aw kening

At the Last Day. 46 LAUNCELOT. My Sin has rent my heart ;

I have s een day by d ay unworthy loves

Taking in vain the nam e Of that which was;

’ s e n SO help me Chri t, howe r a act of s in,

our ea s In both h rt a holy mystery.

I have seen mys elf, unworthy th at I am,

Chosen of men a captain and ex emplar,

And by th e sam e lip s that ex alt ed me

Debas ed with attribution of vile thought

Until th e holies t s ecrets of my h eart

Showed shameful and malign, and s o deformed

B ecame a s cripture for the vulgar s pirit

s To j u tify its filth with . S O I s aw f That th at which was the cause o s in in others ,

’ Howe er itself immaculate at h eart,

a e Must be by circum st nc made interdict .

D RI s UB C. Man cannot live unto him elf alone,

But every deed returns upon the doer

a e one A thousandfold . Wh t he hath don to ,

H e a allma doth admit th t y do to him ,

And who s h all s ay how many will accept

The gage ? 47 h LAUNCELOT. I ad a qu arrel with the world ;

It h ad done me wrong ; th erefore I put it by

o n s o u B ut And took my w , or I tho ght . now,

E e a e u v n to t k my own, I wo ld not do

e This vil to my fellows .

B BR U IG. Ay, well s aid ;

n n And yet do ot too much forget, my s o ,

’ e That h ows oe er your heart betr ay your cons ci enc ,

in Confu s ing good and ill, it was a s ,

E in s s entially a s , for coveting

es n e Giv o true titl , though it l ead to theft .

’ S elf m as qu es s o oft as cons ci ence th ere s no s afety

a e in u n s e e an S v s bmitti g con cienc , s lf d all,

To her who only can dis tinguis h th em

ne U rringly, the Church . To her hath God

Committed this , and what s h e bind s on earth

s in a n nd s s e e I bound h e ve , a what She loo e h r

Is s e e loo d th r e al s o .

a LAUNCELOT. I would in llthings

Submit mys elf to Holy Church as unto

God vi s ible and audible on earth .

e Ther fore, resigning all pretence to j udge , 48

GALAH A LT Or an U . e y way mploy your soul .

’ ‘ as You too have known at l t life s wearines s .

e Ah w ll, pray God you find a better cure

Than I !

LAUNCELOT. Will you not com e with me, my

fri end ?

GALA H AULT . Not I ; I am too far gone in weari

s ne s .

I have not faith enough to serve a flea

s ea To j ump from dog to dog . Beside , you l ve

The King alon e ; scarce one of his great knights

s a s me But goes upon the quest . Need must th t o

li r inue Remain nor leave him a ld s et d .

L a a e LAUNCE OT. M yh p your service will be mor

than ours ;

am s e B s ? B ut I hu h d with hope . What tidings, or

Is all m ade ready for our setting forth ?

r at th e a BORS . Ou steeds stand saddled pal ce

gates ,

’ ’ P a own. Yours, Galahad s , erciv l s and my 50 C LAUN ELOT. And where

Is Galahad ?

R P BO S . With ercival . They are

Ins ep arabl e as doves . Even such a pair

Mes eemeth you and I in the old days

Dreamed and a spired together . Twenty years

u f e a Sink o t O time, and ov r the long g p

My soul l eap s back to boyhood when I s ee them ,

e And my ey s fill with tears .

LAUNCELOT. God gr ant that they

Make good our failures ! Though I los e all el s e,

a I am mos t h ppy that I have my s on,

s M G h , h o if y ala ad in w ole m re perfect l e I shall not be l eft a lunj ustified . i E n B ln n. [ ter AGONET, w th a a ter )

ALAH A LT G U . What do you with the lantern, Fool ?

DAGONET n . I am a philosopher hunti g mice .

all When the wise men turn fools , it is time

for the fool to turn wise man . And, in truth ,

I think my search will bring me to a bottle be

fore th eirs will th em to a cup . 5 1 RI L not as e . DUB C. et your folly grow bl ph mous

N K le n DAGO ET. Nay, the ing will not t my to gue

The e be slit ; he is too poor in advisers . whol

a - ir lh ul Court is Gra l mad, and S Ga a a t and I are

i f n all that s left o the Privy Cou cil .

ALAH A LT E n - e G U . ve s o, fellow couns ellor . Wher left you the King ?

’ B AGONET. At his wit s end .

A A T G LAH UL . No ; but whereabouts ?

N T es s e DAGO E . B ide him lf.

a GALAH AULT. But in wh t pl ace ?

f r s e e DAGONET. In a tight one ; o his knight l av

s of the him to chas e firefli es , while all the lamp

— ’ kingdom ar e left untrimmed all s ave the Fool s

e lantern, and that s erves but to s how mpty

e B ut th e K n is bench s . , in good sooth , i g com

ing hitherward quite outcaptain ed and helples s

t his x even o Show own ve ation .

Ent r n o h rs [ e ARTHUR, KAYE a d t e ; PERCIVAL

and TALIES IN ] 52 e ? ARTHUR. Is it true, Launc lot

W as there no thought of me or my great dream

To build the perfect State (whereto ye all — Wer e bound with a great oath) d id naught Of thi s

Speak for me in your heart ? Heaven may b e s erved

s s n In many way . I trust I erve o less ,

’ Who would ex tend God s j u s tice and knit clo se

a s a s The solid r ce, than they that eek new w y

n u a s To bri g the grace of heaven into o r he rt . E ven to do good, will you forsake that good

Whereto your hands are s et ?

LAUNCELOT. My lord , believe me,

s e e es in I rv you b t thi s .

Na ARTHUR . y, go thy way.

Thou art th e nobl es t man my swarming life

Has yet been fronted with . What thou doest

Mu s t have some glory in it ; nor would I

Have anyone for me break s acred vow s ,

u Yet s e a Tho gh they were madnes s . I mu t b w il

e e That which d priv s my kingdom of thy s word,

of ! My heart thy great Spirit . God be with thee

53 ACT III .

SCENE II

me the ARTH UR O Guenevere, you have made happiest man

T - s O night in all my kingdom . I have craved

e Long years, and have not spoken . I have h ld

Your selfhood far mo re royal than my crown

’ And your soul s privacy more sacred from

Irreverent entrance than the sanctuary.

s Your husband, I have held your lovelines

’

x . E empt ; your King, I ne er profaned your will

0 S ir ou e . GUENEVERE . , y hav been royal

n ARTH UR. Nay, I thi k

’ so ea That I have b een but j ust . There s nought d r

To man or woman as that crag of life

’ on ea Where each walks lonely. There s no bond rth ,

n Nor wedlock nor the sacred rule Of ki gs ,

SO strong that it may overbear this right

s e Of each soul to it elf. The holy plac

’ Of the heart s temple no man lawfully

e May nter, save he bear the high election 54 Of priest to the divinity within .

You have withheld from me ; it was your right

B u a ou And I have not complained . t now th t y

h e e us Hav e razed the wall you chose s ould be b twe n ,

I am more laureled and V ictorious

r Than with ten empires o a thousand battles .

A f s y, though the flower o my fair knights be lo t ,

r Following a quest that few o none may gain,

— e Even Launcelot, my greatest why, I have mad

A fellowship that fifty knights were lost in .

And when our children take our place and th eirs

GUENEVERE . Children !

A of ARTHUR. y, sweetheart, when the throne

[ Britain

e Shall have an h ir to keep wh at we have won ,

’ There ll not be fagots in the wood en ough

e e a e e To feed the bonfires . Guen ver , you h v don A deed to-night that sets a star i ’ the brow

Of a f wom nhood, and rounds my dream o empire

To n t e e its proportioned close . I will o s iz

- a My new found j oy too violently, to m ke

Your bounty, like the first bud s of the spring 55 as O f a M et by a bl t M rch, shrink back again

s e . s ee ee And hriv l in the bark Good night , w t Qu n ,

And God be with us and our house !

[Ex it ]

GUENEVERE. Children

hear him O d ea To children ! N , Go strike me d d !

N CURTAI .

56

The temptations Of phys ical life, which mostly to t h e knights Of legendary days meant the life of the

fl n a a a esh mi us the soul, would not tempt G l h d more than th ey would m any Galahad s of later civiliza ion — ll m n t S, a thos e e by whom the sacramental

a of h as ee ea e n ture love b n r lly p erc ived . That Gal ahad was to b e s hown in r el ation to

e a a en W e a he a Of wom n is pp r t . h ve t n mes women introduced in the li s t of p e r s on s of the Holy Graal ’ n a a s who are shown by the otes to b e in G al h d s tory. “ ! a n a a h as It is pl i th t if Gal ah d ad di ed a maid ,

e are a a n w told in very e arly fr gm e t of Avalon, it mus t have been from the absence from his life Of a

e as e as a b lov pur th t of which he was born , and e cau s e by h is v ery natu re nothing le s s th an the spirit ualit s s u y of pa ion co ld to him have th e nam e Of love . However portentous is the subj ect of sex u al

u a is s a a u s e p rity in wom n , it till p rtly q e tion of l gal

e f l gitim acy, of social res p ectability, and o economic

n n conve i e ce. Th n e Galah ad, or ma s culi e idea of purity, The ! u P re Kn ight, one who s tood above a knighthood in which loyalty to his l ady in all h er interest s was ’ n s a f s the v ery bas i s of every k ight o th O arm , would be one in whom the renunci ation was not a sacri fi e s ce of the pas s ional but of the merely s n ual . H e would be one whom th e cons ciou sness of the s acramental love lifted to a pl ain quite beyond r e nuncia i n — s a s one t o , to in pir tion . And uch a , el ected to the redemption of lo s t womanhood by ’ e re storing woman s faith in hers el f and lov , through her faith in the untempting and untemptable man , 58 the Gal ahad of the Poem in Dramas would have b e e n .

The Holy Graal brings into direct contras t the s s e cha racte rs of two illegally born on , Mordr d and

ne is O f s u e an es s Gal ahad . O p rhum goodn and

of a a e s es . e power, the other di bolic l s lfi hn s Modr d, f a a e tool o fate, gives Opportunity to draw a ch r ct r brui s ed and marred by his untoward rel ation to his n m n n u e viron ent ; o e, havi g not only a s o l born to f n he di s cord s , but a life full o deprivatio s in t di f n n rection O family life and love a d soci al Opportu ity , by lack of l egal inh eritance ; all this with that viril ity in brain an d body so often found outs ide of birth - - from the easy debauchery of married life propin uit q y . n Galahad o e d ay finds him s elf called bastard . B ut h e is one Of tho s e who may wear the word as a S n h is his e an tar o brow, a consecration on lif , invisible angel thought— such as s ome s ouls feel fl a e — in o ting over th m, and the great moments of

e u e s lif to ching upon cons ciousn s . There are p arents wickedly b elow th e law of a e e e ar e what m kes a whol some ord er for all . Th r al s o those SO subj ect to psycho logical law that they ’ a th e a M or d r ed s live bove order Of the m ny. ill ’ s e a s im tarred lif ro e among the former, Gal ahad s m acul ate conception gave him being among the lat

ter .

One a s a that s of might lmost y . the whitene s Gala h ad h ll was like t e whiteness Of light, m ade up of a ou f ll colors, t o which, as in diamond brilliance, a 59 a n e of color could flas h , r th er tha any m re purity u a e s nne cl eanly, Op aq e, e rthly whit . In thi co ction one remembers the diamon d sphere which Taliesin s aw in the Graal ch apel when Uri el knighted him

e a a e s e poet, the diamond sph re transp r nt light it lf,

fl n s a n n as hi g all colors , s ymbol Of a wi dom cont i i g

m ea n th e all knowing, fro clear h ve ly blue through burning s pirit of yellow to the w arm red flame of

a s e rthly thing .

It was in the Holy Graal that Launcelot and Gu enevere were to renounce their pers onal good in

s e f s e n the rvice o oci ty, Launcelot to go o the quest of the Graal and Gu enever e to t ake up h er cro s s by returning to Arthur and h er rOle as mother of the

ea na e a s a n e r lm . How i d qu te a solution thi ctio prov d may be sugges ted by the one p age of thi s play in e e e e s s ua is which Guen v r m et Arthur . The it tion once

e a u u mor truly tr gic, there being no sol tion . T rn a i which w y she would She s aw S n and suffering, the sacrifice of inner purity if s h e returned and th e a f s crifice o the p eace of the re alm if sh e did not . ’ The dignified ending Of Tennys on s Guenevere in

e a conv nt, full of gentl e d eeds and r ep entance for “ ! ea es her gr t sin in not having loved the high t, s tands in marked contrast to her rOle in Rich ard ’ ’ e em n es s n D ubr ic Hov y s po . Lau celot s conf io to and s m his oliloquy before Ro e bring to view, how h ever, the p ain e s uffered at thi s point of his ex p er ience and Show once mor e that th e central char acter in the whole s eri es of dram as is one not pl aced

60 i h f n a a a e is th e s a n t e li s t o p ers o s . Th t ch r ct r oci l

h a s ys tem of t e ge. After the d eparture of th e knights on the ques t

h e a e r e of the Graal , t e court at Cam lot would h v n ‘ sumed its ordinary routi e o f life. All through Southern and Northern Europe during the few hundred years in which we pl ace th e s tory f f e e e of e O the Round Tabl e, Courts o Lov w r fr quent n W a of was occurre ce. e find th t a Court Love “ ! planned for on e Of th e acts Of The Holy Graal . The falcon carrying th e s croll with th e l aws which w e re to govern in th es e courts was s aid to come

B roc liand e a e e a the from e , som tim loc tion in Arthur i e s . S O u es s a e and myth , do btl , this n v interesting cod , admini stered by a concour s e of the gre at ladie s of

a h fl e ch locality, s eems to h ave ad great in uence in the formation of th e Stan dards and cu stoms regard Ing the behavior of both ladi es and lovers through allEu e e e f rop . Th s Courts o Love are credited by

a as n a e an e high uthority havi g cre t d m n rs . This could not be without there b eing underneath a

a e fl e n m rk d in u enc upo morals .

In a th e ea s f f ct, rly hi tory o woman, firs t in an a e a e a n an n ccid nt l r l tio ship to m , then as s om ethi g

ne an ow d, d l ate r as p arty to a m arri age bargain without any pr etens e to what h as l ately b een called

a e e rom ntic lov , culminat d in a condition of society in which s piritu al and mys tical p ers onal attractions e e e — an w re r cogniz d d liv ed, with loyalty according ! to the ordinances of thes e Courts by p ers ons not marr i ed to one another and also when either party

s a s might be t bly married to ome other.

6 1 e a of the ea B tter world with the love lh rt in it, f a a e a al. a a even outs ide O m rri g , th n not at N tur lly e hus j ealousies and di s s ensions arose, and by d grees n bands and wives b ega to s ee as the ideal , and to s e s ex p ect in m arriage; friends hip, and tho my tic relation s of affectionate loyalty which h ave now so completely become the id eal , that we mu s t read his

n s x e a e tory to remi d us that our pre ent e p ct tion, ev n u n n d if it is not o r cons ta t att ai ment, is a wide a

a in a e av vance upon m rital conditions e rli r days . H ing foun d the relations between love and th e doc f trine o the trinity in hum an kind , we now s ee that the greates t happines s and th e bes t birth have their n origin in an i ex tricable combination of phys ical, an n a a mental, d emotio l ttraction . Our pres ent ideal of lov e has come to include on a e— s s a s the physical pl n en tion, sympathy, in tinct ; s n h then entim e t, adoration, intuition in t e emotion s ; and j udgment and conscience as the res ults of rea

s on . Such an ideal of love had the author of Launce lot and Guenevere . D P DIGEST OF TH E HOLY GRAAL, MA E U FROM TH E FRAGMENTS AND STRAY Y NOTES LEFT BY MR . H OV E .

f r au e The pl ay op en s at the Cas tle o Mo g se, Qu en

f s e s e ee o Orkney, with a cene of vil coun l betw n Mor u an s ga s e d Morgana, her ister . a r ck he f M r aus e Then L mo a e, t lover o o g , comes

h r - h h s a to bid e good by, s aying that e a s worn vow Since he left her three d ays b efore ; that a great wonde r h as happened at the Court of King

a a f a Arthur, for G lah d , son o Launcelot, has t ken s ea the t at the Round T able which Merlin , the

Magician, had called th e Si ege P erilous, in which no man might sit and live until one came for whom it waited ; that a vi s ion of the Holy Graal h ad appear ed to th em ass embled ; and that Gawain e n swore a o ath , which they had all sworn after him , that for a twelvemonth and a d ay they would seek the Graal . Morgaus e lures Lamoracke away from the idea o f es an a the qu t d wins him to her s elf ag in , he thu s being th e first knight to fail in the performance of the vow. a L uncelot, b e fore going on the quest confes ses to Dubr ic ‘ , Archbishop of Canterbury , who gives him i h s bles s ing . 63 e s his h Arthur do s not wi h, knights to l eave t e Court an d go on th e quest of the Graal ; but on

a e e e seeing th t Launc lot is d t rmined to go, he bids him God s p eed . Gal ahad then enters the hall and is by Launcelot pres ented to the king ; then Arthur an d Gal ah ad n are left alo e together . In the gard en of Camelot we are introduced to

a e th e s a s s e of P e a S en! M ld lon, intly i t r Sir rciv l , and d a th e e s Th nfl n f , e t mptr s . e i u e ce O thes e two wom en follows Gal ahad throughout lth e pl ay ; and the e e a M a a n s a from not s we b lieve th t d o di e , s in ’ a and a a s ea M lory s s tory, th t Sen d l rep ent on r lizing

n as es the purity and stre gth of Gal ahad , who rel e h er from h er own evil n ature as he did th e pris oners “ ! n in the Cas tl e of th e M aiden s in the early lege d . n nd a a a B efore l eaving th e Cou rt , Lau celot a G l h d — bid Gu enevere good by, and a s cene between these three is the end of th e firs t act. After th e departure of th e Graal knights a Court

f h a a o Love is held in t e g rden t Cam elot, at which s e B a n the Arthur the King, Talie in the po t, go et

es K e es a th e s ad Galahault j ter, aye the Lord S n ch l , ,

r e a a a and Mordred , Ag avaine, Gu enever , F t Morg na h n e and t e women of the Court are pre s e t . Mordr d A a ain n a e th e gr v e, who h av e li gered ft r departure f h e e a e e in o t oth r knights , s ay th t they n v r really tended to s eek the Graal . L k At Tintagel , Morgaus e, amorac e and Agra i vaine plot together to s end S endal and Gu mere, dis ’ e me s h aa s on gui s d in n cloth es , to meet t e Gr l knight the road pretending to be des irous of j oin ing the 6 4

a r pl y, Astolat, cared for by Elaine and finally e

e en es a as s s tor d to s tr gth , go to C melot only to p through new s underings in the ex p eri ence of th e death n h of Elaine and th e j ealous y o f Guenevere, a d t e f death o Arthur in the nex t play. as c i e The l t a t is at Camelot . The Court s ass m bled in the garden when Bors and Launcelot return . The pl ay closes with a s cene between Launcelot and Guenevere .

6 6 ASTOLAT

AN IDYLLIC

67 P ERS ONS .

Kin o B ri i ARTHUR, g f ta n.

RI T T S RA M , Knights of the R ound Table E D LAUNC LOT U LAC,

B B a hr is tian P r ies t U RIG, C .

TALIESIN , a B ar d .

B R s on o Lionors ille itimate s on o Ar thur and OR E, f , g f ,

d is ci le o Talies in p f .

TH E D B UM MAN .

ue o B r itain GUENEVERE, Q en f .

I ELA NE.

S I EULT. ’ AUTH OR S NOTES FOR ASTOLAT.

Firs t M in A tion —Re- s a a c . e tablishment of rel tions

between Launcelot and Gu enevere . — S econd M ain Action Life and death of El aine.

( P athos . ) l— Under ot . p . Tristram and Iseult

Leading persons in second main action th e moral

n agents in res olving complication of fir st mai action .

P ersonage s of underplot th e phys ical agents .

Tr i stram has brought his friend Launcelot to

’ E e laine s to be cured, and V isits him ther .

— Centralid ea The neces s ity for ex perience in order

’ t e to come o one s s lf.

f n f Insanity o Lau celot at beginning o play . ASTOLAT.

’ E GUENEVER It is God s will .

LAUNCELOT. Not from our wills it

n spra g,

This love of ours that overcame our will ,

Then from the will of God— for every effect

e Must have a will som where behind it . h O , Guenevere, in th e s ad s ep arate days

When Silence and abse nce had bred in my s oul the thought of the possibility that you h ad ceas ed to love me a s , I have cried out in horrified imagination , F l e,

“ ’ a us n f lse ! Then, more j t, moa ed to myself, All s

s h er s not lo t yet . I love till . Who was I that she

! ever s hould have loved me ?

70 NOTES ON ASTOLAT

The story in thi s play was to be the reunion of the lovers after the ex periment of renunci ation of s e a s lf had failed, al s o the r eunion fter the di cord “ of a a e the Elaine epi sode . AS The M rri g Of Guene ! vere embo di es his thought about th e influ ence Of and parents over the marri age of their children, “ ! The Birth of Galahad Show s the d eeper ex p er i “ ences of mother and wife in what he call s Th e ! True Family ; as Tali esin deals with art and the n Graal with th e probl em of renunciation a d chivalry , “ ! s o as S a , Astolat w to how forth the intric cy Of

s x e e as a a a n th e per onal e peri nc . It w l te dditio to series and was planned for the purpos e of touching

s f he s s a e the p ychology o t di cord in lov . The greater the love th e bett er th e environm ent required to keep it in that growth which is its only

f s n i life. The gr eat difficulty o adj u ti g love to ts e n o h nvironment, however, mu s t t hid e t e po s s ibility of e h n d struction from within , t e da ger treated in “ ! s r A tolat . Until two lovers a e p erfect human s

h as a e n is every love d ng rs from withi . For love a n d i h rmony, a love s at every point d ependent upon ’ every point Of th e lover s love and every qu ality of ’ the lover s character . 7 I Love is at once the ultimate desire and ultimate f f or gift o the lover. Doubt o the entire gift the a f a s entire desire is the found tion o j e lou y, and this does not of necessity n eed a third pers on to be the e ex Obj ect Of envy or hatr d . But the third party

rn lz he is a a a a e te a i es t situation and dr m tic lly v luabl , e speci ally in a poem intended for the theater, as was ! Astolat . r e e To a wom en like Guenevere, to whom love pr n s s ented the i nevitablenes s of the nature of thi g , a real j ealou sy would have m eant destruction of all h n f f s e had ex perie ced o the harmonie s o life, and ne have brought about, not temper like the j ewel sce ’ n of Ten ys on s Guenevere, for ex ample, but tragic s es s a of deed . Destruction doubtl , perh ps Launcelot, perhap s of th e network of relations b etween them ;

s f h h po s ibly o t e small and h elpless Elaine, w o would have had to be put out of the po s s ibility of harming in a great love like theirs, as one might di smi s s any tru s i e ve, unr lated thing from a great pres ence . ’ Guenevere was too s ure of Launcelot s love to envy any t end ernes s he seemed to give Elaine or any

h er other, but anger, that, in the face of feelings of such mystic might, there should be any moment

Of a lesser emotion , any cause for fear of a discord a a u e s in the h rmony, was n tural ; and s ch a natur a ’ Launcelot s would in all loyalty have be en be auti an a h fully tender d symp thetic to t e lovelor n Elaine, giving thus more than provocation to any half un d er standin Of g his character in Guenevere . An inherent element of j ealou s y comes from the e wound to p rsonal dignity, a thing it i s one of th e 72

The common us e of the word j ealou sy covers many s a f a s s s h des o me ning . Confu ion som etimes ari es a n to the dividing li e between envy and j ealousy . One is j ealous of a thing he considers his own and

s o f wishes to k eep . One is enviou that which he

hi h e wishes to have for s own, although admits it ’ be e One s -be to anoth r s . who is enviou is a would one is a s s elfish thief, who j e lous is only selfi h . The s ma n far ne s y even degenerate i to greed . So as the one he loves is concerned it is pure selfis hnes s s n nd unrelieved by tho e magnanimous , ge erous a lov ing attitudes in which he would be willing to let the loved one have the small liberties of kindn ess and s a e s or ympathy tow rd oth r , to receive the gift Of

e f s r e x the lov o others . The e a the e acting ones about the p aym ent of that which was originally a. e u h fre gift . It wo ld s eem th at t e s en s e of owner s hip should be h eld loos e enough to give p ersonal liberty, and the pos s ibility of continual giving with an e s e es out dem d . J alou y b com more ignoble in pro

n n n e e e e s portion as it co tai s e vy . The ignobl l m nt in

a s ar s u s e s s s ea j e lou y e spicion, lfi hne , the m gre faith, all h h n implying doubt of t e loyalty of t e loved o e, a f — h e s a a os lso doubt o s elf worth , t la t degr d tion p s u ible, and the las t insult to one who h as loved s . A lesser love is proven and a greater insulted by ea s j lou y. — e There is but one cure for j ealou s y love . Lov f ne a for the intruder, or such love o the loved o s s gives gladness of his delight even at pers onal los . ’ How a wi s e and generous pers on s ability to con quer the pass ion by rou s ing through great love s ome 74 overmastering kindly emotion ; how love of the Of e e s fending rival may drown j alousy ; how g nero ity,

and s pity even, all the kindly passions furni h the means of conquering j ealousy ; were sure to h ave “ ! ’ n been embodied in Astolat, wher e Lau celot s oh ligation of gratitude and fri ends hip to Elaine w ere ’ e e e - n n to cau s e Guenev r s j alousy . The all co queri g a a e s ub love that bre eds a f ith th t has no f ar, that merges even pride and arms against s corn and ridi

f x a a e cule, was the type o love e mpled by L unc lot and Gu enevere in the culmination Of their lives in “ ! in a s ea u ma be the Po em Dr ma . How j lo sy y ’ prevented by cl ear Sight of on e s worth in th e ey e

f h e e e O e s sn es s Of th e o t b lov d bj ct , by con ciou gift

n f of h e o e gives, o its suitability to the need t e oth r, n m by uns wervi g continu ed gi ft , even under circu s a es a s t nc th t might cau e fear of los s , was p art of the “ ! e of a th me Astol t . P sychological j ealou sy demand s m ental p erception of value and enthu s iasm or emotional force in en

th e e e a a a e j oying p rc ption . A ch r cter is al s o c p abl Of gu ardin g j ealou s ly a love d thing in proportion

its a a a n an as s to c p city for ppreciatio . All hum p ions admit of evolution into mor e and more ex alted a e ph s s , according to the great admix ture of qu ali ti es in the pers ons or th e complex ity of environing e e and ea i n t n x “ v nts, j lousy s o a e ception . In con S id erin a us as g j e lo y a low er p as s ion, it might be sugges ted that even love would s eem s o if only its e es s e common st phas were con id red . All th e poets a e of at its e es e e e B u h ve writt n love lov li t d v lopm nt . t j ealousy has been thus far chiefly described in its 75 and s On simplest mo t brutal conditions . e might say s n n that j ealou y is as yet u writte by the poets . The contending reindeer drives Off th e other male to win e his doe . The j alous man of littl e moral and in tellectualgrowth kills his rival to have a cl ear path O e to his love . th llo , grand es t o f j ealous h eroes in E nglish poetry, goes a step high er , p aying Des de mona the compliment of blaming h er , and also the compliment of not being willing to live when s h e is

a e n e s de d and prov n i noc nt . Thi s i j ealou s y at its — s . all a wor t, producing the de struction po s sible de th to and n both Othello Desdemo a . The pas sion s m ay be cons idered as destructive or s a n is productive . Jealou y, if m i ly d estructive, also preservative of that ex clu s iv e unity of relation which

s n s is doubtle s benefici al to the magnetic co dition , in the e x clu s ion of inharmoniou s m agn eti s ms s o im

s a s f e portant to the ensitive st te o moth rhood. The r eas on then why we r equire all th e attentions of a lover is an instinct res ulting from racial ex r i nd s e s s p e ence a through ocial n ce ity . n NO pa s sion wholly pai ful , and so largely de

e a h e s e structiv , could have re ched t pre nt develop m ent of j ealou s y as a human attribute h ad it not some inherent nece s s ity for being. n i x As with other bad p as s io s , s not j ealou sy the e ces sive development of a good one ? f s n This purity o relation hip , mystic a d m agnetic he as well as emotional , seems to have lain in t ’ author s mind as an ultimate attainment for which no sacrifice was too great a price to pay ;— the

s empire, the church , friend hip , an d loyalty to a royal 76 ' allbein here s et a s friend, g over ag in t the preser f a vation o the true f mily. Since the marri age of Gu enevere m ade the attain ment of this condition more difficult than in the e usual family, j ealousy adds anoth r element to the a e tr g dy . Here in the merest s ketch of the theme are a few Of the many facets Richard Hovey would have re “ ! flected the light from in Astolat.

77

FATA

A MA SQ UE

79 ’ H FOR AUT OR S NOTES FATA MORGANA.

o f LAUNCELOT ( C stume o novice). Plumbing the

s e of his my t ry evil (at and after his devotions . )

’ e The oth r knight monks (Job s comforters).

P e a The rsi n guest .

The descent into Hell .

Devil s and Sins .

Lucifer . - Angro Mainyus . i Fuit s cut Deus , s cientes bonum et malum .

a is . Persian . Serve then my m ster since he evil

e h e e e th e . Laun . Knowing t vil, now I choos good

h e T e . The cell again . Ang l

a a Thou hast repented . See th t thou rep ir .

NOTES ON FATA MORGANA

Of Fata Morgana h e s ays in the Schema : It ! sugges ts the ethical drift of th e series . in a a The foregoing early s tudy indicates that F t “ Morgana — s ometimes called The M asque of

Ethics -h e would have embodied his views t e garding the Trinity . The three masques would have involved his philos

h a a was a e e Op y . The Morg n to h ve treat d thics s somewhat as the m asque of Tali es in treats aesthetic .

It is eas y to s ee th at from the unity, which means n c n unrel ated ess through the du ality, which means o

n n to th e a tentio by Oppositio , trinity, which me ns n e - i t r action, personality is a p sychological evolution had fo which he outlined r this ma s que . The word

e e e ea f r H ll nic us d here inst d o Hegelian , modern, o s a ' Chri ti n , probably indicates that he would h ave u s ed the Trinity in physical beauty as his symbol in s the ma que.

AS Tali es m presented the education , consecration , ‘ “ f E ! and function of the artist, so the Masque o vil lf e or must have finally embodied the r O e o r ligion, th e f philosophy Of religions, in the evolution o evil or s di cord into good or harmony .

He found himself facing the Hindoo unity, then

82 O f a h a a the philos ophy du lity, which e dr m tically repres ented under the n am e of P ers ian in th e out

and P es h a a line, the ersian gu t in t e ch r cterization . Later the trinity brought him to what h e h ad called

x H ellenic Unity in Compl e ity, or what he later might have called Christian or Human Unity in

Trinity . “ The s f Ma qu e o Evil, a study of the problem of and e good vil , was a natural product from the “ ’ au th e s thor of e s ay The Duece, or Goethe s and ’ !

a a s . a e at M rlow s F u t This ess y, r ad the School of Philosophy at Farmington when he was twenty five a , w s doubtl es s to thi s poem wh at a sketch is

a a n : a to p i ting hardly a cartoon, but th e prelimin ry thought digested somewh at in mind but without the s acramental form which at once di s covers and mani ! fests . B ut the deeper development Of his conception of rOle f the o evil in the cosmos, which in those last ten years would h ave been prepared to be blaz ened “ The by his genius in Fata Morgana, Masque Of

Ethics , can only be guess ed by those who know the trend and deepening of his thoughts in that time.

An r o-main us e n ed om A on th This poem, g y , r pri t fr l g e ! u s h u h on the s u ec . Trail, s gge ts is tho g t bj t

83 ANGRO-MAINYUS

I am th e Mos t High God ;

Wors hip thou me !

Pu a t not up vain pr yers to avert my wrath,

For my wrath s h all fall like the thund erbolt

a a ak And thou sh lt be cleft sunder as an o .

An r —ma u s I am g o iny s , the Mo t High God .

e e s Cry not unto me for m rcy, for I am m rciles .

n Sin and D eath are my mi isters ,

And my w ays are w ays of torture and th e s hedding

of blood .

I am the Lord thy God .

h I am t e Destroyer .

My sword is as fire in the forest ;

My feet are inex orable.

Ask me not to deliver thee from E I am vil . - Ahura mazda is God too, 84 ! The beneficent one, the saviour

He dwelleth in the Sun,

f s But I in the terror o tempest .

one . There are two thrones, but God

The waves of the s ea war mightily,

But in the deeps there is calm .

- Ahura mazda and I are one God ;

ar e our ns There is w betwe n legio ,

But in us peace .

s and Behold, he knoweth my thought

And there is no di s cord in us .

He worketh in light

And I in darkness ;

s His ways and my ways are a under .

But blaspheme not, calling m e D evil ,

Neither saying, There are two Gods ;

I am the Mos t High God,

- n And I and Ahura mazda are o e.

In th e legends the quest o f the Holy Graal images - to the Anglo Sax on and Celtic p eoples the coming of Chri s tianity to replace the Druidic and Norse myth ologieslHence the necessity of showin g both the theology and mys ticisms of Christianity as he 85 s was about to do in Fata Morgana, and a well a s n a M contrasting s tate of beli ef, repre e ted by Fat or ! i h a th e aa gana, as t d been in Gr l by the develop s m ent of chivalry into Chri tianity in Galah ad . Al s o we might ex pect th e recurrence Of th e m agic of the wi s e Merlin to educe the philo s ophy of thos e pr imitve

s e ea s gropings in e ot ric r lm . an oak Dame B ri s en , Druidic Pri estes s , like Old ,

allth e l eft standing alone in a useful field , while h as forest has gone to the ax and t e mill, w a fitting link between the Druidic and Chri stian wor

Ship .

f s The power of faith , of the mind , O magneti m , Of a f ur pr yer, o suggestion , are neither lost in o time

us nor first discovered by . In the early years of the work he had much thought of a Th P a du lity . e introduction of the ers i n in the masque was evidently for the purpo s e o f giving a voice to that phase of thought an d to Show th e pro g r es s ion Of philosophy from metaphys ic s to that scientific psychology which gives the eas ier access to truth . His interest in Hegel perh aps arose from his ’ e a n s a s knowl dge Of Dr. Harris s H egeli n e thu i sm , also h e had a somewhat clo s e as s oci ation with D r.

e e an s to Mom rie, the great Engli sh Heg li . The e

as s se e gether with a deep study of the Trinity , a rt d , as au though not ex plained , by the Church and t ght as a s a a p rt of p sychology by Del s arte , who fir t p e plied the scientific method to psychic phen om na , turn ed his thoughts strongly to go on from du ality i do to tr nity, as all philosophers must inevitably in 86 s es s e -a of ea s time . A ynth i , or int r ction two, r ct , of

s n e and in a es h e cour e, o ach, all evolution c us t

x s e e of a e i t nc third . To his thought the doctrine of th e Trinity was not

e a f s mer ly a m tter o theology , but the ba s i for such a true analys i s o f the Trinity which man is foun d e as n s to b , provid es a m ea s of s olution for the mo t

es e e a e ee a es troubl om thic l probl m s . The thr n tur

man a bu a e in , ins epar bl e t di s tingui s h ble, b ing the as s m n as s b i for i pulse of thought , emotion a d p ion, contain in th eir l aw s of action th e model for all

f a es ar ee s action o the individu l . Th e e not thr thing ; e e they are a Trinity . And within ach memb r Of

s s s a e a a e thi trinity, di tingui h bl e but not s p r bl , save - in act and that only in an overbalancing p r epon — d erance of effect th ere lies again another trinity, and s s ffe e thi to infinity . Thi is the di rence betw en ad' an a tri d a trinity.

Th e s e a a n of one n p r tio i to two , fir s t an antagoni s m,

13 e e e a f u f follow d by oth r r l tions o th e two, and o t o e e th s the third inevitably arises .

87

P ER S ONS .

Kin o B r itain ARTHUR, g f . M on o Ar hur and M r aus e ORDRED, s f t o g . W 1 GA A NE, legitimate s ons of R AG AVAINE, hews M orgaus e, nep GA H ERIS , o Ar hur f t . GARETH ,

Ar thu o ter -br o her Lor d KAYE, s f s t ,

S enechol .

’ B V E Ar thur s ar t EDE ER , of p y .

LAUNCELOT.

LIONEL’ ’

Launcelot s br others .

ECTOR, ’

B S Launc lot s cous in . OR , e ’

LA AINE L auncelot s ar t . V , of p y T ter DAGONE , the J es . o W OLFGAR, a S ax n. F 1 GHOS T O GAW A NE.

ueen o B ritain GUENEVERE, Q f .

her Dams el. i i M s s ter o Ar thur ueen Gor e 0 tch . ORGANA, f , Q of , W A GHOST or MORG USE.

S : Camelo o u r d and laces be CENE t, J yo s Ga , p

tw een .

Au umn TIME : t . ACT I .

— A R ock Gor e in the I amelo . SCENE . Near C t y g u l i t nc B es . M ount in A Cas tle in th e d s a e. a s . g ni ht and Attendants in K1 NG ARTHUR. K g s , o a l lookin in e s a ear n ed e hunt g d r s , pp g , g l i her acr os s the chas m at the edge opp os te, w e

he d eer ha la d and dis a ear ed H unts men t s e p e pp . ,

with d o s s cr amble d o the s id e o the G or e g , wn f g — and begin to climb the opp os ite chili with them S IR LIONEL.

! a ! -h o-h o ! a ! HUNTSMEN . Hallo H llo Illo H llo

n h e LIONEL . S end rou d your hors e s by t e upp r

Di smount ! This way— thi s way !

[K1NG ARTHUR and o thers turn back with the h ors e n r u u s , a d a e afterwar d h ear d f r ther p,

cr os s in th Go Othe s amon them g e rg e. r , g

SIR SIR AGRA AINE IR ECTOR, V , S MORDRED, S IR GAW A INE IR A I IR R , S G H ER S and S GA ETH , ollo w AW AIN a i endin f LIONEL. G E f lls n d es c g the r ocks A . G H ERI S and G ARETH r us h to his ass is tance ] 9 1 i A RA INE ! MORDRED ( as d e to G VA ). Come back

Ex eun allbut A AINE H RI R [ t G W , GA E S, GA ETH ,

MORDRED and AGRAVAINE ]

i - B u les ECTOR [w thout] . Illo h o ! [ g . ]

R GA ETH . Are you hurt , broth er ?

GAH ERI S a ! . Pr y God, he be not killed

AGRA A i i V INE. n Ga n t rs He is but stun ed . [ wa e s ]

D G a aine ? MORDRE . Are you much hurt, w

GA AINE. W I hardly know. Give me your hand

again .

a — My he d is light What, all my brothers out ’ m 0 the chase for e ! This is too brotherly .

R R es MO D ED . That was a perilous fall . Are no bon

broken ?

- li o i i W wa k n m n h ar s etc. GA AIN [ g, v g s m , ]

es s a I feel no pain, only a numbn th t

a i n too a e Is less lready. Come, it s ot l t

To overtake them yet.

l u i and ui kl er and ho ds o t h s h [S tar ts q c y, s tagg s

to Mord r ed ] 92 Let me s it down .

’ e There s s omething sprain d here .

R R R s ou e e a MO D ED. e t y h r space ;

And when your rebel nerves grow ord erly,

’ a We ll help you to horse .

A AINE me G W . It irks much

s ee That Lionel , not I , hall kill the d r .

e GARETH . Ector will pr ss him close .

i i l GEW AINE [w th wh ms ica chagrin] . It will be

Lionel ;

r E s But, Lionel o ctor, till not I .

R R e a e is MO D ED. Mark d you th t Launc lot not with

the hunt ?

A I s i a e ? G W A NE. What ca tle s th t yond r

AGRAVAINE , You know it well,

Castl e Carniti el.

AH ERI e es G S. Wher the King confin

Our a a th e Aunt , Morgan , whom they c ll Fay .

G AW AINE a a . Wh t, h ve we come s o far ? 93 R R Confines ? H e MO D ED. might

nfin as the Co e well air .

a es ar GARETH . Weird t l e told

Of h er a h i enchantments there . Men s y , s e s s een

’ a a f I the clouds , and build s s tr nge p al ces o mi s t

Shot through with sunlight ; the which, as you ap

proach,

e n e s s a es f a fish M lt i to hid ou h p o bo r and ,

a a i ro e s B eaked horrors , j owled nd j g b w d monstrou

nes s ;

And at a sudden all will dis appear

And the bare world j ut forth like a bas el ess dream .

h f r all A IN s e s e s o o G W A E. Why, inc dwells near,

’ m en s tal es ,

’ We ll cl aim h er hospitality .

R The K GA ATH . ing

Will take it ill that any of his knights

— r hi — s e Mos t, we th at a e s kin hould hav

With one in his displeasure .

A INE I G W A . meddle not

She our a With their dissension . is yet unt 94 ’ As e as th e K s s e w ll ing si t r . She will hardly

— e es e e e . Bar us the door . Com , r t w th r to night

[ They wind the mor te without ]

R R as a MO D ED. The deer is slain . This w goodly

chase .

is e e a e The day n arly ov r . L unc lot

e s a e not. Has lack d good port . I marvel he c m

d o ou AGRAVAINE. I marvel not ; nor y neither,

brother,

a If you would speak your heart . And s for sport,

Our hunting is the manlier, and yet

a a I think he would not s y he had l cked sport .

GA AINE s a r W . Do I mi t ke o does the west begin

’ TO show a faint flush o er the mountain tops ?

AGRAVAINE a all . I wonder th t we are not ashamed

To see how Launcelot dallies by the Queen

n Daily and nightly, and we all k ow it so. d i By Go , it s disloyal of us all

That we should suffer such a noble king

To be so shamed ! 95 GA IN e . W A E. Pray you , no mor Of this

am f e e I not o your couns l, you know w ll .

R e . GA ETH . SO h lp me God, I will not go with you

ERI AH S . G . Nor I

R R . MO D ED . Then I will

A AINE e G W . I beli ve that well ;

e as e For n ver yet w brood of mischi f got ,

Thou didst not run to dandle it . Would ye both

‘ Would be less busy, for too well I know f What will befall o it .

A RA I NE a a G VA . Fall wh t f ll may,

I will unfold it to the King .

AIN GAW E. Nay, hear me ;

And do not in your folly pull your vengeance

n s and f Down o your elves all o us . Imperil not

The empire. Know you not, if war arise

’ r e Twix t Launcelot and ou hous , how many lords,

Great princes and the knightliest of our order,

B A r aine Will hold with Launcelot ? rother, Sir g av ,

You cannot have forgot how many times 96

B efore the s un goes down , goes down ,

h k of ten ; We s all slay thelbuc [B ug e: Tarantara . ]

s a a And the priest h ll s y benison, and we

venison,

When we come home again.

hi ea a Let him that loves s se, his e se,

Keep close and house him fair ;

[B ugle: Tarantara . ] He’ll still be a stranger to the merry thrill danger

of And the J oy the open air .

But he that loves the hills , the hills, - Let him come out to day .

u l [B g e: Tarantara . ]

For the horses are neighing, and the bounds

baying,

’ And the hunt s up and away .

Ex u un t l [ e nt H ts men wi h deer, the Knights fo

lo in di ers edl Th Kin e GA w g s p y. e g obs rves

i h r h W AINE and h s br ot e s, w o convers e apar t ]

GAW AINE. Be silent, brother . 98 not. AGRAVAINE. I will

R . MORD ED. Nor will I

o ! GAW AINE. Then g your gait

I will not hear your scandals nor abet you.

N r . GAH ERIS . o I

’ r f r GARETH . No I , o I will ne er speak evil

f a O L uncelot. Alas , now is the fate

Fallen on the Kingdom .

GAW AINE And the fellow s hip

Of the Round Table shall be cle an dispers ed .

A [Ex eunt G W AINE, GAR ERI S and GARETH . ]

R is ? A THUR. What quarrel this, nephews

A RA AIN G V E. Sir, we conceived,

Mordred and I , that duty is to speak,

s f Not ea y pleasant words men love us or,

But bitter truth and hard to him that hears

And perilous to the speaker.

R A THUR. Assuredly

’ He that deceives me of the enemy s force

’ To - save me from to day s discouragement,

eo ards o- J p my cause t morrow. 99 A AIN u ee s GRAV . Sir, o r thr brother

e e an H ld oth rwise d , as you s aw, for this

out us Fell with and left us .

R R A THU . For naught el se ?

’ Why, tis but thought . Think wrongly as you will ,

You e m n e harm no on in that . But e will se k Occasion for dispute in pimpernels

Ere they will lack a quarrel .

R R MO D ED. Put it that

A man had in his treasury much gold

’ n a hi And thought no more o t, having t s belt

The key that kept all s afely ; y et there was f An ingress to his b oard h e knew not o ,

And secretly by night another came

e Thereby and spoiled him . He, good soul , s cure

in In bolts and bars , rich only conceit,

s Went, carrying his key to empty pace,

e or no And dreamt no evil . Wer it well

To break in roughly on his easy smiling

T t o r With Sir, you are robbed ! oo late o save y u

gold,

t But time, small comfort, yet o catch the thief

IOO

u K u As yo , ing Arthur . If yo do u s wrong,

Will men think you do shame to your own blood, Unless for some strange secret ?

R ou A THUR . Will y dare ? - Before me P Have my kindred been so leal

That I should make them keepers of my honor ?

d o R f e . MO DRED. The bond o blood abid s I but

dr ead

Lest others should say this ; and say be s ides

Your love for Launcelot h ad made you rather

Be ignorant, s o you might deem him true,

Than seek the truth that haply might reveal

— Him traitor doubly traitor that your love,

be Yours whom he wrongs, so shield him . God

ness

’ I speak not only for my honor s sake,

Being of your blood, but for the love I bear you .

s ou ! a ARTHUR. Son, son, if I could tru t y Wh t

you work

ou That I hold evil, may seem good to y ;

B u At least I will believe so. t to be

102 e Assured you love me, to have evid nce

Your crooked seeming cloaks nobility,

That would so rest my h eart I could en dure

What else ill chance shall bring, and think it light.

s MORDRED. God pardon me my life and all ami s

I have done in it ; and you too, my lord,

s do no . Pardon me . But in thi I evil

My heart swells like a troubled s ea to think

o That y u should be so wronged .

AR e w THUR. I hav such ill

a u Th t you should be as fair as you wo ld seem ,

e I make my hope half credence. For this tal Of Launcelot and my Queen, I long have known

There were such slanders in the court, and paid

to no t . Small heed them . Ye know Launcelot Were the devotion that he shows the Qu een

— e Tenfold what it hath been nay, if he lov d her

ou As y would have it that he does , he would

on to- Not trespass my right . I might day

' Depart my kingdom and leave Guenevere

With him till my return , and be as safe I As had left her in a nunnery. 10 3 R R s s MO D ED. Alas, that such a noble tru t hould

So traitorously rewarded ! Send word

’ n - You ll ot return to Camelot to day,

But spend the night in yonder castle . Indeed,

’ Twill be dark traveling if we do return,

For n see, the sun is setting. Lau celot

o A r aine Will haste t Guenevere . Sir g av

And I will , with twelve others, secretly

e Steal back to Camelot, leaving you her ,

s a And take them in the deed . If we hould f il,

Then we ! will answer Launcelot in th e li st s

With the appeal to arms .

R A THUR. That would mean death f To both o you.

R R R e n MO D ED. ight w ll we k ow it, Sire,

God Unless fought with us .

R e be o. A THUR. W ll , it s

s a s be s Co t what it may, the sc ndal mu t topped

B or y proof disproof .

R R MO D ED. Go to the castle ;

A avaine u Sir gr will guid e yo . I will send 10 4

’ Men s ay ye are the Devil s ministers

s And run upon his errand . Se ek him , then,

s And croak the news in H ell ! Soft , I mi take ;

e For I s rve Heaven . I but bring to pass

’ s God s j u tice on the scorners Of His law .

E e ook [ nt r a H unts man. The ravens s tir and cr

again ]

Th e K n - e s he a i g to night r turn not to t p lace . h Go, call t e hunt togeth er and convey th em

as n f a To yonder c tle o the cli f. M ke speed !

Ex i H un an [ t ts m . ]

B rr ! It grows dark apace, and the night air

a e fl nd M k s the esh creep a s hiver .

‘ B u le fl allin nd an erin The aven [ g s , o , c g a sw g . r s

s udd enlr is e cr oak and fl awa with a y , y y

gr eat flapping of their wings ]

Enter R RDR s tar ts and fin ers his [ MO GANA . MO ED g

- swor d hilt nervous ly ]

R e MO GANA . It is I , Mordr d .

G awaine is at e e e the castl . So I l arn d

a e e e in a e Th t you w r h re, p arted from him ng r .

1 0 6 R A A ra aine MORD ED. y, we have lost him . g v must

n eed s,

Like a blunt fool , blurt out what I had el s e

a ur - a aine With cr ft suggested . O over nice G w ,

e h e I f ar, is frighted to t other side .

Bu h as t Arthur been won .

B u les f callin nd an er in [ g , o , g a sw g ]

H ear y ou the horns ?

s n th e e e of our a e They ou d pr lud m st ry .

s h h I, eeing t e wind in t e s ail s , j ump ed to th e h elm

Er e h e K n And gu ided all through s afely . t i g

s Could h ear of aught from others , I o wrought

e e He yi ld d to our plan .

R is be ? MO GANA. When it to

Th win i e in h r e oi o h i h [ e d r s s t e t es . N s es f t e n g t.

An occas ionalbugle far Lights app ear

at the cas tle ]

- R R . K n ee at MO D ED. To night The i g sl ps your

s ca tl e. I ,

A r a aine an e e es e e With g v d tw lv b id , r turn

To ame e e a C lot , W h re w do think to t ke

uee The Q n and Launcelot . IO7 MORGANA . I would it had

e ar e e Been later. Yet the auguri s w ll .

My presci ence bodes some mish ap on the way

B s a e in ut you h ll win . Last night, b ing a trance,

A hoo [ n owl ts . ]

’ ‘ s e s s h e e I aw your moth r s pirit . And cri d

u ! e O t with a loud voice, Mordred Mordr d ! dred !

’ Th rough him h is fath er s ancient wrong to me

a be a en e Sh ll v g d .

R R A th e h e n ! MO D ED. y, but crown , t crow

R Le ea he e . MO GANA . t him f r not, s cri d He

s be hall crowned .

The King s hall h av e no child by Guevener e ;

B ut s a e e h e h ll r nounc r , and acknowl edge Mordred, h i Though bas tard, for s

R s a MO DRED. It h all go h rd

B ut m I will make th e proph ecy co e true.

Come to th e c as tle !

E x eunt Nois es o the ni h The s cene lo s [ f g t. c s e ]

I 0 8

E K R NOT S ON ING A THUR .

e e As to the choic of the heir, ther is no author ita a e a u e a B tiv e note, but I h v a v g e m mory th t orre, the i nor had e e a child of L o s , who b en duc ted by the good as be a e B and wi s e Taliesin , w to n m d h eir . orre ap

n in the s p ears as a charmi g child fir t pl ay, the M ar ! i and a ea h e b r ag e of Guenev ere , without pp ring, e came a s trong dram atic fig ure in the lo s t m anuscript ,

i Li r s i where h s moth er , the lady ono , s being wrought upon by Morgaus e in the d epth of her wicked revel on f L the occas ion of the temptation o amoracke. Here mo s t dramatic word s p as s between th e moth er and

M r u e n s . o ga s , th e i s ol ent temptre s of the youth ’ B m i e orre s na e s firs t introduced by Morgaus e wh n , b e h efor t e marri age, sh e eas es her h atred of Arthur by hinting to Gu enevere that h e is not alls h e might

a e h r a e a h ve pictu r d in e id e l , r ferring to the l dy Li n n o ors a d her child , and linking her name by n innue do with that of Arthur . The play of King Arthur was to contain a final fl - con ict in the mind Of the honor tortured Launcelot, n between his love a d his fri endship . He had lost no time in rescuing Guenevere after Arthur had ex ecuted the law of the l and by condemning h er to be burnt— that being the puni s hment for high treason

I IO a h ad in queens . For more than twenty ye rs Arthur r efused to listen to rumors or in any way doubt e Guenev re, but once proven in guilt by Mordred and hi a s s ssociate , Arthur , who stood for public j u s tice, r condemned he . After the rescue, Launcelot, who

s a e l a puts per on l loyalty b fore the aw, felt th t Guene

hi a vere was now s . He took her to Joyous G rd, ’ which was the court of his fath er s kingdom before ’ the kings gave up their thrones to j oin Arthur s

Round Table . Arthur bes ieged Joyous Gard to recapture Guene e e e s a th e a e v r . Launc lot unhe it tingly defended pl c a e h Mor gainst Arthur . When , how ver, e knew that dred had s eized the throne and that Arthur mu s t n turn back to defend him s elf again Mordred, he w e t ’ a a forth to Arthur s a s s i stance, but not without gre t conflict between his de s ire to loyally see j u s tice done hi a to Arthur against Mordred , and s nger , probably n he the greatest anger of his knightly life, agai st t man who had condemned Guenevere to torturing ea fir d th by e .

e a T To Launc lot right was bove the law. o Arthur the n f To law was above a y vi ew o right or wrong . Du a bric, the prie s t, we remember, th e Church w s a o s e b ve either . And th ese three clas s continue to d a i this y, the Arthurs, the L auncelots , the Dubr cs . A gre at j uris t has said : H e who t aketh the law of the land for his s ole guide is neither a good ! neighbor nor an hones t man . In this discussion e s ee Guen vere j oins . Guenevere could Launcelot de e h er s f nd her but not revenge . She urge him to do

B s a s the generou s deed . or l o belongs to this scene ; I I I the noble , frank cou s in who from the firs t and always hi s tood s ideal s and L auncelot s ide by s ide. To Launcelot ther e was but one crime to be done in the a e of e and a a e e n m lov , th t w s love its lf . Lov

s ll n mu t ins pire to a good d eeds , to s acrifice, to ge ’ it t n es e eros o e s . y, forgiv e s . So he goes to Arthur s r cu Th e plot Of King Arthur is indicated in the scena

s e f th e e rio . The first cene is writt n . O second scen , a s being the love scene upon which Mordred bre k , we f as s d e hav e but a ew lines . It w planned to how the velopment and beauty of love after the p as s age of all

s x a tho e years, after the e p eriences of bsence, sorrow, r emors e, the attempt at renunciation, after the wound in a W e g and healing of the di s cord of j e lou s y. do not know how th e author would in thi s s cene have s hown a greater love than that pictured in th e temptation “ ! of f a Launcelot in The Birth o Gal h ad, but we s e know that was what he was to do . From thi tim ’ e on Launcelot s love would be ex pr essed by de ds, the ’ an e s e res cue and so forth , d Guenevere s by her def n of h erself in court an d h er general nobility of atti

a r n tud e in all m att ers, showing th t h e love bei g good h — h ad made er good more, noble. A noble love de el e e s s es v op s its lf and its lovers , ever to high r po ibiliti ;

e . or, if it be destroyed, to ever high r loves This - theory of the ever growing beauty of love was a cen ! P a a tral th eme in the oem in Dr m s . ’ The tri al scene would have be en Gu enevere s great s t s th e s e e e h er ea e nd t cene in ries . H r gr tn ss a good ness must all h ave been s hown to s tand in contrast he la as with the power of t w over her . It w long discussed whether th e rescue s hould be from the

1 12

DIGEST OF KING ARTHUR MADE UP FROM TH E FRAGMENTS AND STRAY NOTES

E B Y . O E L FT MR H V Y.

R M — NEA CA ELOT SUNSET.

R n a s . ocky gorge . Mou t in The Hunt. Mordred

i . and Ga a ne. e a w Morgana and Mordr d . Witchcr ft

n it (S ce e wr ten. ) M — CA ELOT NIGHT.

n e a e and u n I t rior of tower . L unc lot G e ever e. Love

h n a n n T e . Es e a e sce e. i terruption c p of L u c lot . Mor

’ s e u n e En n e s dr ed lov for G e ev re . tra c of con pirator s .

a u e f e Return and c pt r o Guenever .

M L — ! DAY CA E OT NE T .

a s a e Th Great h ll . Trial cene . The st k . e res cu e .

M — JTH E R CA ELOT G EAT HALL .

e and na. n h r Mordr d Morga The cou cil . T e wa

“ L a n a a n e . a g i s t unc lot The n mi g of the h eir. No m ’ s on ? a s n . r d r d e I your o Mo e s r s entment . Mor

e e es Th e ax . dr d det rmin revenge . S on

R — ! GA D NE T DAY. Th e a a n e e e . b ttlements . L u celot and Gu n v re Their

’ s a Th a j u tific tion . e pproach of Arthur s army. I I4 M — CA ELOT NIGHT.

B Tr ch s f Ka e and . ea A room . Carou e o y agonet

w K and be ery of Mordred, who remains ith aye

ax e a trays him to the S on . Mordr d is procl imed

K e f K E Da onet. ing. Captur o aye . scape of g

Y R — ! DAY J o OUs GA D NE T .

’ ’ i Ar e Ga a ne s ea D a on t. Arthur s t nt. w d th . g e

’ thur l earn s from Dagonet of Mord r ed s revolt and

a r ises Siege .

’ RDRED M P— MO S CA NIGHT.

Witchcraft .

Y — J O OUs GARD DAW N .

a s of a aine The b ttl ements . The gho t G w . Launce

’ lot e at s to the rescue . Launc lot furious Arthur

ea e of e tr tm nt Gu nevere . Guenevere persuades him B to go . ors .

TH E F — BATTLE IELD NIGHTFALL.

a a e a The l st b ttl , etc . De th of Mordred and Ar

. thur When Launcelot arrives , Mordred is dead “ . E and Arthur dying ntrance of Guenevere . The

e three que ns .

1 1 5

a e a s . ARTHUR. I h v laid in long mi take

e But now at la s t and s uddenly I s e.

h r e la of R a es t e w A GENT. [St t g at suddenness in

e n a of P and app earance . R co cili tion lutonic ’ N eptunian theori es (vide Hartmann s Un

n e a a uncon co s ciou s ). Slow pr p r tion in the of es s scious . Conscious sudden at end proc ]

a s e LAUNCELOT. The tmo ph re of soul s , the ether

e is In which th y swim like stars , God himself.

' e e In Him they live and move and have th ir b ing.

The power that holds each s pirit in its place

And melts the h eaven of s oul s in harmony

Is love that draws each spirit to its neighbor ; f h And as the various spaces o t e stars ,

e e So soul from soul is variously s ver d .

I love my fellows as earth loves th e stars

That move far off in their own silent courses,

Shedding on us a mild beneficence ; 1 19 e s Others I love as arth love Uranu s ,

u e and h Mars, Ven s, M rcury , Saturn t e s un,

For these are neare r to me and their cours e s

x Ine tricably intertwined with mine .

a But thee, my sweet, my greatest he rt of wom en ,

e h e Thee do I love as the arth loves t moon .

And yet the e arth hath something of its own

s It never told the moon, and the moon hide

A silent s ecret in its ch armed heart

The earth can never know.

120

LAUNCELOT. Arthur in Avalon has found his bride,

And there is peace between his soul and mine .

1 2 2 f LAUNCELOT . It doth not now repent me o my sins ;

of e e a a Bu e They t w r my s lv tion . t for th m

I might h ave lain forever in my dream

th - e In e child h earted valleys . They, lik wolves,

Rous ed me from my as yet unearned r epo s e

And drove me toiling up this arduou s hill

Where from the summit now mine eyes look out

a e e se At pe ce upon a p ac ful univer .

’ r - s Nay, sweet, our s ins a e but God s thunder cloud ,

That hide th e glorious sun a little whil e ;

An e e u d aft rwards the fields bring forth th ir fr it .

— NOTE This p age contains the s p eech firs t wr itten ’ o a llth L aun lo nd u r i i f e ce t a G eneve e s er es , and s d ated Nor malIllinois J anuar 188 an a in , , , y, 9 , d w s tend ed to be the las t eech in A alon s p v . ON NOTES AVALON .

Trying to fancy how he thought of Avalon let us find a littl e the grace of his soul by reminding ours elves of the s p eech of Uri el to P ercival in “ -P e th a a Taliesin , rcival , the good knight, e pr ctic l man s a of , when in contra t with T liesin, th e man prayer, vision, and song.

R P cx A . er al! U IEL Percival . v p f proach no nearer thy desire, thou o the Choice .

e he a e The t ime is not y t. Still t air thy spirit bre th s

too thickened is with nois e

- Of earth blown rumors for th e thin pul s ations of th e

interstellar voice

To stir its sluggard atoms to th e unbrok en theme the

e e deeps h ar and r j oice .

of Thy heart is yet too full of anger, and th e hate

evil clots thy soul ;

Too far from hell to hate it mu s t h e be whom God

shall breathe on as a coal I24

So Avalon would not have been mer ely t e li ious a s a g in the convention l sen e, but might h ve s oared to thos e mystic h eights where love alone is ac motive, and t, and reward . As was w ell s aid by one of his earlie s t revi ewers While the d evelopment of the succeeding dramas is dimly outlined and d arkly foresh adow ed in the enigm atic repli es o f the awe-inspiring Norns to Mer ’ i n r lin s questionings , th er e s s till a d eeper i tent , e ’ vealing in p art th e po et s philos ophy of being ;

a n ea s ea a a indic ti g, by m n of id l ch r cters , who , in turn, h p ers onify t e clas s ical , m edi eval , and Christian f h n myths, the growth o t e religiou s insti ct in man , through varied ph as es of terror or of beauty, to in n na a a s a ea . culmi te, t l s t, the Chri ti id l

a Let it, howeve r, b e rem embered that M erlin w s but a partial vi ew of the s ubj ect which was to h ave “ ! “ ! b een supplemented by T ali es in and Morgana ; and fin ally to r each some state of solution Of the whol e tangl e in a compl ex ity o f interaction without “ ! n th a ta gl e, which in e c s e of the masque Avalon, h a rm n e n med H a o ody .

! The scene of th e Qu es t of Merlin being chiefly a l id in Avalon, wh ere M erlin and allegorical folk of all h degree , from t e dryads to the angel s , ar e as e i s mbl ed, indicates that h s Avalon is the place of e n et r ity, the pl ace of the b eginn ing and the end . M e rlin deals with very primitive s eekings for this a the x i i l nd and e perience of its nfin ties . Prophecy is ea n and an sy thi g in a pl ace wh ere p as t , pre s ent future ar e visible ; and what matter if they are called

1 26 ’ n as Urd, Verda di , Skuld ! Merlin s questioning w a a very simple one ; whethe r two mortals s hould m rry . as a a a But the Avalon of the m que of th t n me, lthough

as . E the same, w to be another Avalon ven as those e ee s o equ al infi nities , past and futur , which s m dif n e fer ent relatively to us , are o e and r latively to them h s elves t e s ame. ! was For the H armonody Avalon, which to ! e a e th e end the P o em in Dramas , w h v in notes e e e but few ch aracter s named : Arthur, Gu nev r , B ut of Launcelot and Galahad . the evolution myth ologies running through th e ma s ques makes it s eem - likely that all th e p eople of his earth world and his

a unreal world as well s hould have as s embled, e ch making some essential part of the compl eted h ar n mo y. f An evolution o societies , governm ents , r eligions , e an volution of m ate ri al conditions , me ntal condi

a n a n tions , Spiritu l co dition s , was the gr e t grou dwork f “ ! o the Po em in Dramas . That work itself was

e as sugg sted evolving from simple to complex , from

s a n The as f n di cord to h rmo y . m que o M erli b egins with th e Norns and ends with the angels and final

a es e a es a n st r proph i s . T li in ag i begins with the m agic

th e of s a n of wood, phy ic l ature and our own nature, ’ and e nds with Tali es in s human song going on even

e s th e a e As n a ' t rm with ng lic choirs . Carm a s id “ Richard nev er for a moment doubted the ultimate en n a b ignity of ture . Whether this progression from primitive chaos to th e holie s t flights of human inspiration was to be t e eated p in Morgana, we do not find indicated in the 1 2 7 notebooks ; but there is no doubt that in its own vari ation thi s was what it was to be, and that a l ike progression was to p as s through th e m as qu es thems elves , each rising to a different height, s o that

be in the end the last, Avalon , should supreme .

A harmony is greater as — its components ar e the r more unlike, if they still a e in each part helpful to

E s s every part . ven o the tudy in ethic s , call ed a “ as Mas que of Evil, was need ed, s o th at the b ic contras t s hould produce a gr eater h armony as the di s cord s w ere res olved in Avalon . ll r e a a e a Somewh ere in ete nity, not r g rding pl c ,

x e a es s stages of th e human race mu s t coe i st, r g rdl of e e a or a s e e their pl ace in time, and th ir r l tion b nc of h e relation or their ex p erie nces . This condition uses as a place, and calls Avalon.

1 28

Launcelo t G uenevere

A Poem in D ra mas by R I C H A R D H O V E Y

he I II . T BI RTH of G ALAHAD . A Roman I 2 tic Drama . $ . S net.

Th e o f G a a a is the fi nes of the trilo both Birth l h d t gy h i n s us a ne s en t i d tr h of the poetr and in dramatic un ity . G ORG AM LI N I TCH in n ii'ancis co o icle E E H , S a I Chr n . is en no a e o n r It writt with t bl p wer , s howi g a s trong d a ma c u n e s an n and c a m c n nc ti d r t di g a le r d ra ati i s ti t. Mr. ’ H ovey took h is risk whe n he bo ldly ente red Te n nyson s c os bu — l e, t we cannot s ee t at he s uffe rs The I nde end ent h p , ew Y N ork. R ich ard Hovey mus t at l eas t b e called a true and ema e h n r rkabl poet in is field . H e can not o ly say n s i n a mas e manne h n thi g t rly r, but e h as somethi g impres s ive to sa . Nothi ng mode rn s i nce the appear y ’ ‘ ance o f Swmb ur ne s f Atal ant a in Calydo n surp as s es the m [ thes e dramas ] in V irility an d class ical clearness and p er fection of u ht — O L NTON in The ew Yor k i s tho g J E BE , N T me S atu r d ay R eview. IV T . AL S . A M IE IN asque. net.

“ ’ a es n is a o s o T li i p et p em. As 3 ar t o f the Poem ! i n D amas n o uces the ec n r , it i tr d s o d tr i ogy, and p r efi ure s “ ’ Th e es f h Q u t O t e Graal . It is in many ways th e ant or s . es c emen is th e high t a hiev t. It e great st s tudy of rhythm w e h ave in E nglis h . It is th e greates t poetic s tudy th at ’ we a e of h ar ti h v t e s t s relation to life , and O f his d eve lo p 0 . men And i s t. it a s ign ifican t s tud of life its elf in its h es as a on — CUR I i p . T s HIDDEN AGE in The ookman. gh t ir ti , B - No living poet wh ose mother ton ue is Englis h h as writ “ ! ten fi ne n s an ar e scattere g ou a n r thi g th thr gh T lies i . R I C ARD N RY S TO AR in The M iland Ex HE DD D, a pres s, New o r fi is s ee oe or i not n It h r p try it s hi g, th e roof of an ear and a vo ice which it s eems ill to h ave os t jus t at th e mome n Of e c m n n t th ir o pl ete trai i g. In his death th ere is n o dioubt th at America h as l os t one of h er bes t equipped . ca and ama c oc — E M N L N N lyri l dr ti ts D U D C ARE CE STEDM A , n An A i merican An tho ogy .

For s ale at allooks tor r B es , o se nt postpaid by the publis hers

DUFFI ELD si COM PANY NEW YORK L auncelo t G uenevere

A Poem in Dra mas by R I C H A R D H O V E Y

V . The H OLY G RAAL. Fragments Of the Five Unfinished Dramas of the Launcelot

81. G uenevere Series . net.

’ It h ad bee n Mr Hovey s i ntention to complete his notable A u n e es i n n ne m c rth ria S ri i dra as , O f whi h on ly four h ad ee n u s e t th e me f h i b p bli h d a ti o s d eath. H e le ft frag e n a o n m an sc f llh n m t ry p rtio s in u ript o a t e rema i ing fi ve , n e a men a e n n a n a d th se fr g ts h ve b e e dited a d rra ge d , with i s th o n s notes , by h s widow, a e ly po s ible attempt tow ard c o n o f m c e ss monumen f Am ompl eti this at hl t o erican vers e.

A L O N G T H E T R A I L

A B ook of Ly rics by R I C H A R D H O V E Y

1 c c e on e am 6 mo, brown loth , gold ov r decorati by B rtr n t G rosve or G ood hue. ne .

Richard Hovey h as made a defin ite pl ace for himse lf amon th oe s of od a s e o ume us a es g e p t t y. Thi littl v l ill tr t l i n n lh f ce o a d c c . a s good q ualities O S i rity, ferv r, lyri gra e ir n H e s in s the son 5 O f th e o pen a , o f battle a d comrade s 0 g o an o f coun — and e ar e alls on s e hip, l ve try, th y g w ll

n . n hi o k i n s e n s u g In additio , s w r s dis ti gu i h d by a fi e mas culin e Optim ism th at is alltoo rare in th e p oetry o f the — n . a t r E v ni n o t la a ou n e ener atio S u da e P s P i e . y g r y g , h d lphi — A s a w Ole it s ta nds th e mos t searching tes t y ou read it ns n incr again and aga in with co ta tly eas mg pleas ure, satis c n n m — o ton l fa tio , a d ad iration B s H er a d . o h as th e u ec n ca e u men f Mr. H vey f ll t h i l q ip t o the poet , ’ and h e has a oc s e son a to ex r es s — a e s ona t p r lity z p r lity new and es ealth and o ous man V o ous ea nest fr h , y j y , y, ig r , r . Added to this h e h as th e dramatic powe r which is es sential n H e i mas e Of h r n to a broad octic endowme t. s t r is a t a d m as e of e . H e is the oe of o an d e e in e H e t r li p t j y b li f lif . — is th e oe o f comradeship and courage CURTI S HIDDE N . p t A E n P G , i The B ookman.

For s ale a t lloo s to s or a B k re , s ent pos tpaid by the publis hers

DUFFIELD CO M PANY NEW YORK Songs from Vagabondia

M ore Songs fr om Vagabondia

Last Songs from Vagabondia

By BLISS CARMAN a nd RICHARD H OVEY

S z x inches a es a ox er i e 4 7 ; p g , 7 ( ppr ) p i o

n o r . V OL; bindi , paper b ar 5 ; price, s oo r og p e VOL ; s (1 separately.

H ail to the p oets ! Good p oets ! Real poets ! n amm e on o f me n ho n They ar e the free, u tr ell d s gs w s i g becaus e their h earts ar e full of mus ic ; and th ey h ave th e ir o f n n t o e se s on ou to o s n own way s i gi g , o . Th gs ght g i g in emse es n o e e a om Den e to o s e as g th lv i t v ry libr ry fr v r b th , f r r t kno ! e e is not one ne a o they a e good o w . h r li th t was made in th e sweat o f the brow —and s o th e book oes d anci ng and s inging in words and here and there s oun in the deeper note th at alwa s fills out th e s weet harmony 0 ’ ! o ou - ork m s a p et s th ght. New Ti e .

A NEW H OLIDAY EDITI ON

O F TH E THREE SE RIES OF SONG S FRO M VAG ABOND IA

This edition i n e on a fin E n a h s pri t d e glish p per , wit . eco n - e ar d nd o n d rative e d a e! b Tom B . M te , a is b u d i n s ec a r ou ggn is O e o n ca fs kin i to p i l h liv br w , with g lt p an d n tr imm d nd e and ack s am s in u e e es , a with s id b t p o i o e of o g ld! It s s ld 0 y in box d s ets three v l umes .

P ce net e r s et os 4 0 . , ri , p , by p t $3

For a e b llooks e ers or s ent os t aid b th u is her s l y a B ll , p p y e p bl s

SM AL L, M AYNARD CO . BOSTON