Durham E-Theses An Investigation of the dierences in ideas and emphases in ve middle English romances (Floris and Blauncheour; King Horn; Havelok the Dane; Amis and Amiloun; Ipomadon) and the old French versions of the same subjects, with special reference to narrative technique, characterisation, tone and background Burnley, J. E. How to cite: Burnley, J. E. (1967) An Investigation of the dierences in ideas and emphases in ve middle English romances (Floris and Blauncheour; King Horn; Havelok the Dane; Amis and Amiloun; Ipomadon) and the old French versions of the same subjects, with special reference to narrative technique, characterisation, tone and background, Durham theses, Durham University. 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Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Abstract of a Thesis preae'ted for the ttef-ree of Mae tor of Arte in the University of Durbum, entitled* •An tnvoetiation of the Difference*) in Jdoae and Fjnphaeee in f ive *'i«Jtile J&igliah Tiomance.s (Floria and Blauuchoflour; KinL'. Horoi havelok the V>ane; Anie and Awiloun; Iponai-on) and the -fid French Versions of the same Jubjecte* vith asocial refer- ence to Narrative Tec imique. Characterisation* Tone and f)ack<T«Hmd« J.H. Burnley* May V;H,7 Corawarativo criticism of Old FrencI? and Middle English Romance hau usually boon incidental to < t ior f concernst and eit. ior oxtremoly general or narrowly a -ocific. The ain of the present study is closely and systematically to compare t'10 important English and French versions of the chosen romances, and to ascertain any consistent difforonceo. The approach to each story sias DO on divided into two aoctions: flratly on tone mid backcround, secondly on character*- isation and narrative technique• Within tJioue divio- ione, eub-Iioudivi ,s are auygosted by critical exped• iencyt but on attempt is nade to oGtab.r.ish the sottin; and tone or eacl i)oeri frotu the opening scenos and interesting discoveries are pursued by selection frota the rest of the wor«i, Tho study of character• isation involves on examination of the ioet'& presentation of the raait* characters, their eiaotioisu and thoir rolatieno:;i£>s« Finally, a conr>arioon io made of tbo ewploynextt of otylietic devices in the narrative* Tbo results of a study of this kind suffer in originality in ^ro^ortion to their comic ;out Lou. ftevert^eleos, it nay be uaid t-iat tiio cTtAof differ** encos between tho English o2id French romances reflect o Uifforosjco in traditions, ox .ror.ei.ulo either ii? ooolal or literary ton.is« The earlier isnfjl&s*1 noome, lacking doocri^tion and psychological exposition, «ih»r.)lo in etrueturo, fomulaic in diction, their narrator vigorous and assertive, their sotting ordinary and t?ieir battle- scenoB wrought from popularised epic, reveal a deocent from a popular, oral tradition. The French poono, with tlioir delicate narrative irony, didactic and thematic concorne, peyc olo,;icr>l aubtloty, graceful amplification of litorary theses and allusions, and their courtly ethos, clearly belong to a courtly and literary tradition. The later Middle English 2,<o riado: exouplli ios an interesting coalition of the two traditions( yet, a nundrod and oi($ity years aftor the composition of its original, it can siot equal the subtle psychology and courtly grace of the Anglo-TJoraon peon. An Investigation of the Differences in Ideas and Emphases in five Middle English. Romances (Floris and Blauncheflour; King Horn; Havelok the Dane; Amis and Amiloun; Ipomadon) and the Old French Versions of the same Subjects, with special reference to Narrative Technique, Characteris• ation, Tone and Background. Volume II J.D. Burnley. May, 1967. AMIS AND AMILOUN 286 AMIS AND AMILOUN 1. Introduction The story of Amis and Amiloun was extremely widely dissemin• ated in Mediaeval Europe, almost equalling Floris and Blanncheflour in the number of languages into which it was adopted. Its ubiquity was greatly assisted by its early divison into two distinct trad• itions, called by Leach the •Romantic1 and the1 Hagiographic1. The latter versions have as their ultimate source the twelfth century Vita Sanctorum Amici et Amelii. The background to their action is the court of Charlemagne and the emphasis is upon the pious and 1 miraculous. The Romantic versions are numbered by Leach at seven: l) Vatican lib. MS. 1357. Latin verse. Late 11th century. This is the second of a series of verse letters written by Radulfus Tortarius, a monk of the abbey of Fleury. It is simply an anecdote of friendship, entirely devoid of Christian moralising. Seventy- nine of the poem1s two hundred and four lines are occupied by the central heroic combat in which Amicus proves his fidelity to his friend, Amelius. The final miracle is of greatly reduced import• ance and there is no link between the tricked combat and the onset of leprosy. The only moral is contained in the antepenultimate lines "Tanta fides purae prestat amicitiae." The poem is published as an appendix to K. Hofman's Amis et Amilea und Jourdains de Blaivies, Erlangen 1882 XXIV-XXX. An English 1. MacEdward Leach, Amis and Amiloun E.E.T.S.203 (1937) gives a comprehensive list of all the versions. 287 translation is appended to Leach's edition of the English poem. 2) The Anglo-Norman poem. K Corpus Christi College,Cambridge. MS.50,fol.946-102a (C 1200) L British Museum MS. Royal 12 C. xii,fol.69a-766 (14th century) C Codex Durlac 38, fol. 52-61 in the Grand-Ducal Library Carlaruhe. (Second half of the 14th century) A critical edition of the MSS is printed by E. KOlbing in Amis and Amiloun, Altenglische Bibliothek. II, Heilbron,1884* This text i3 based on the Cambridge MS. 3) The Chanson de Geste. MS. B.N. anc.f.fr. 860,fol.93a-llla (First half 13th century) Edited by Hofman op. cit. ,4) The Middle English Romance. A Auchinleck W.4.1. fol.49a-6l6, The Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, (c 1330). S Egerton 2862 (formerly known as the Sutherland or Trentham MS.) fol.135a-147c* British Museum, London. (End of the 14th century). D Douce 326 fol.1-13, Bodleian Library, Oxford. (Second half of 15th century). H Harleian 2386 fol. 131a-137d, British Museum, London. (l5th century) Edited by M.Leach Amis and Amiloun E.E.T.S. 203. (1937). The text is based on the Auchinleck MS. 5) The Miracle Play MS. B.N.anc. f.fr. 820,ii,fol.la-l4c Printed by G.Paris and Ulysse Robert, Miracles de Notre Dame, S.A.T.F. , (Paris 1871) 6) The version in the Latin prose Historia Septem Sapientum Romae. According to Gaston Paris the story was included in the Vaticinium of the Hiatoria in about 1330. It is edited by G.Buchner, Erlanger Beitrage V. 288 7) MS. B.N. anc. supp. f.fr. 12547 fol.1-162 15th century. This is an unprinted French poem of 14,000 lines which combines the stories of Amis and Amiloun and Girart de Blaives. Hofman op. cit prints two extracts. The versions chosen for the present study are the Anglo-Norman, the Middle English and the Old French Chanson de Geste. References are to the editions quoted above. The original form of the story is difficult to trace. B6dier saw the ultimate source as a iffrench Chanson de Ge3te which combined feudal and Christian elements.^ Leach opposes this view with the argument that the oldest and most primitive versions, Radulfus Tortariu3, the Anglo-Jforman and the English version, show little hagiographical interest. The miracle of the separate tombs which spontaneously come together is missing entirely from these earliest versions, and the Virgin is merely a convenient dea ex machina. According to Leach the original of the extant versions of Amis and Amiloun was a Chanson de Geste which was "non-Christian and non- hagiographic, and...its theme was the exposition of perfect 2 friendship." The original story is drawn from folk-lore. Taking up a suggestion by Huet, Leach presents a pressing argument for two widespread folk tales, The Two Brothers and The Faithful Servitor 3 as furnishing the basis of the plot. 1. Romania xxxvi, 343• 2. Op. cit. Intro, xxxii. 3. Intro, xxxii-lxxxix. 289 The Romantic treatments of the story are closest to this original source, yet they have no demonstrable relationships between themselves. The English poem is probably a redaction of an Anglo-Norman poem close to the versions represented in K, L and C. It is closest of all to version C, which itself is so individ• ual in treatment, and even in incident, as to compel KClbing to print extensive extracts as footnotes to his edition. Versions K and L are similar, deriving from a common lost antecedent. It is unfortunately impossible to use C; which harks back to a stage before the common origin of K and L; as the basis of a text, owing to the fragmentary state of the manuscript.