Alliterative Morte Arthure, Part I from King Arthur’s Death: The Middle English Stanzaic Morte Arthur and Alliterative Morte Arthure

主題 Topic	Medieval English alliterative poetry
書刊名 Title	Alliterative Morte Arthure, Part I From King Arthur’s Death: The Middle English Stanzaic Morte Arthur and Alliterative Morte Arthure
作者 Author	Ed. Larry D. Benson; rev. Edward E. Foster
出版社 Publisher	Medieval Institute Publications
出版年 Year	1994
語言 Language	English
裝訂 Binding	□ 平裝 Paperback　　　　□ 精裝 Hardcover
頁數 Pages	304
ISBN (10 / 13)	978-1879288386
Bibliography Reference	(STC, Duff, GW . . .)
來源網址 Web Link	https://goo.gl/xL3QAu
劇本簡介撰稿者	郭如蘋、洪沛茵
撰寫日期 Date	Aug. 28, 2016

A.   簡介 Introduction (within 100 words, Chinese or English)

本詩寫於15世紀，為4346行長的頭韻詩，存於單一手抄本(Lincoln Thornton Manuscript)。相較於其他亞瑟王系列的故事，本詩處理亞瑟事蹟的手法較為寫實，在某層次而言，讀來甚至像編年史。此詩極少提及法術或象徵，梅林也從未現身，只有描寫亞瑟夢到龍與熊爭鬥的場景。本詩將故事場域放眼在整個歐洲。故事的開場是羅馬元老院議員在亞瑟王宮廷上要求進貢，宣稱亞瑟的領地隸屬羅馬帝國。亞瑟王與旗下騎士遂而向在法蘭西的Lucius宣戰，並且誓言成為羅馬軍王。經過數場爭鬥後，亞瑟王領軍前往羅馬，途中攻陷Metz。本詩的亞瑟王明顯地展現其基督君王的一面。例如，在Metz女伯爵的懇求下，亞瑟王允諾不傷害婦孺、品德高尚的騎士與教士。在Lombardy與Milan前後向亞瑟稱臣後，教宗也投降了。亞瑟王進一步宣告要拿回聖地，不久便做了個夢，命運轉盤呈現史上9位重要人士的成敗興衰。亞瑟王遂而發現他即將面臨衰敗，加上Mordred篡奪王位、大肆揮霍財庫，將土地瓜分給外國人如撒拉遜人，甚至還宣稱關妮薇為他妻子。高威在與Mordred大戰中喪命，亞瑟王發誓要為姪子報仇，之後也與Mordred雙雙戰亡。最終亞瑟將皇冠交給姪子Constantine，並重申自己為Hector的後裔。

B.   文本摘錄 Extracts (4-6 Pages)

Here beginnes Morte Arthure. In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen pur Charite. Amen.
 
(ll. 1-115)
Now grete glorious God   through grace of Himselven
And the precious prayer   of his pris Moder
Sheld us fro shamesdeede   and sinful workes
And give us grace to guie   and govern us here
In this wretched world   through virtuous living,
That we may kaire til his court,   the kingdom of heven
When our soules shall part   and sunder fro the body
Ever to beld and to bide   in bliss with Himselven;
And wisse me to warp out   some word at this time
That nother void be ne vain   but worship til Himselven
Plesand and profitable   to the pople that them heres.
  
   Ye that lust has to lithe   or loves for to here
Of elders of olde time   and of their awke deedes,
How they were lele in their law   and loved God Almighty
Herkenes me hendely   and holdes you stille,
And I shall tell you a tale   that trew is and noble
Of the real renkes   of the Round Table
That chef were of chivalry   and cheftains noble
Both wary in their workes   and wise men of armes,
Doughty in their doings   and dredde ay shame,
Kind men and courtais   and couth of court thewes,
How they won with war   worshippes many,
Slogh Lucius the lithere   that lord was of Rome,
And conquered that kingrik   through craftes of armes;
Herkenes now hiderward   and heres this story!
  
   When that the king Arthur   by conquest had wonnen
Casteles and kingdomes   and countrees many,
And he had covered the crown   of that kith riche
Of all that Uter in erthe   ought in his time:
Argayle and Orkney   and all these oute-iles,
Ireland utterly,   as Ocean runnes,
Scathel Scotland by skill   he skiftes as him likes,
And Wales of war   he won at his will,
Bothe Flaunders and Fraunce   free til himselven
Holland and Hainault   they held of him bothen,
Burgoigne and Brabaunt   and Bretain the less
Guienne and Gothland   and Grace the rich,
Bayonne and Bourdeaux   he belded full fair,
Touraine and Toulouse   with towres full high,
Of Poitiers and Provence   he was prince holden;
Of Valence and Vienne,   of value so noble,
Of Overgne and Anjou,   those erldoms rich,
By conquest full cruel   they knew him for lord
Of Navarre and Norway   and Normandy eek
Of Almaine, of Estriche,   and other ynow;
Denmark he dressed   all by drede of himselven
Fro Swynne unto Swetherwike,   with his sword keen!
  
   When he these deedes had done, he dubbed his knightes,
Devised ducheries and delt   in diverse rewmes,
Made of his cosins   kinges annointed
In kithes there they covet   crownes to bere.
When he these rewmes had ridden   and rewled the pople,
Then rested that real   and held the Round Table;
Sujourns that seson   to solace himselven
In Bretain the brodder, as him best likes;
Sithen went into Wales   with his wyes all,
Sways into Swaldie   with his snell houndes
For to hunt at the hartes   in those high landes,
In Glamorgan with glee   there gladship was ever,
And there a citee he set,   by assent of his lordes
That Caerlion was called,   with curious walles,
On the rich river   that runnes so fair,
There he might semble his sorte   to see when him liked.
Then after at Carlisle   a Christenmass he holdes,
This ilk kidd conquerour   and held him for lord
With dukes and douspeeres   of diverse rewmes,
Erles and erchevesques   and other ynow,
Bishoppes and bachelers   and bannerettes noble
That bowes to his banner,   busk when him likes.
But on the Christenmass-day   when they were all sembled,
That comlich conquerour   commaundes himselven
That ilk a lord sholde lenge   and no leve take
To the tende day fully   were taken to the end.
Thus on real array   he held his Round Table
With semblaunt and solace   and selcouthe metes;
Was never such noblay   in no mannes time
Made in mid-winter   in tho West Marches!
   But on the New-Yere day, at the noon even,
As the bold at the borde   was of bred served,
So come in sodenly   a senatour of Rome,
With sixteen knightes in a suite,   sewand him one;
He salued the soveraign   and the sale after
Ilk a king after king,   and made his inclines;
Gaynor in her degree   he grette as him liked
And sinn again to the gome   he gave up his needes: 8
"Sir Lucius Iberius,   the Emperour of Rome,
Salues thee as subjet,   under his sele rich;
It is credan, Sir King,   with cruel wordes;
Trow it for no troufles,   his targe is to shew! 9
Now in this New-Yeres Day,   with notaries sign,
I make thee summons in sale   to sew for thy landes,
That on Lamass Day   there be no let founden 10
That thou be redy at Rome   with all thy Round Table
Appere in his presence   with thy pris knightes
At prime of the day,   in pain of your lives,
In the kidd Capitoil   before the king selven
When he and his senatours   bes set as them likes,
To answer only   why thou occupies the landes
That owe homage of old   til him and his elders,
Why thou has ridden and raimed   and ransound the pople
And killed down his cosins,   kinges annointed;
There shall thou give reckoning     for all thy Round Table,
Why thou art rebel to Rome     and rentes them with-holdes!
Yif thou these summons withsit,     he sendes thee these wordes:
He shall thee seek over the se,     with sixteen kinges,
Brin Bretain the brode     and britten thy knightes
And bring thee buxomly as a beste     with brethe where him likes,
That thou ne shall route ne rest     under the heven rich
Though thou for reddour of Rome     run to the erthe!
For if thou flee into Fraunce     or Frisland other,
Thou shall be fetched with force     and overset forever!
Thy fader made fewtee     we find in our rolles,
In the regestré of Rome, who-so right lookes;
Withouten more troufling     the tribute we ask
That Julius Cesar won     with his gentle knightes!"