The Fall of Arthur by J. R. R. Tolkien
Gawain guessed not but Mordred watched. At length Mordred told Gawain and his brothers Agravain and Gareth and said that as they were of the king’s kin they should warn him. Agravain jealous of Lancelot’s estate and favour on his brother’s behalf told the king. The court was rent with feud. [Added: Agravain slain by Lancelot.] Mordred told Guinevere and Lancelot that the betrayal was by Gawain’s purpose out of envy, and Lancelot believed the lie – though Gawain was in truth the one of all the knights who was not envious and thought only of the king and not himself. The king condemned the Queen to [illegible word struck out and replaced by and Lancelot to die] and men accused Lancelot of cravenhood since he had fled. But as the Queen was led to the stake Lancelot appeared at the head of his kindred and rescued her and carried her off. Gareth [? and others] of Gawain’s kin were slain. But Lancelot’s mood sickened and he returned the Queen – but Arthur would not look on him again and he went back to Benwick.
Neither he nor his kindred fought any more for Arthur, not even when they heard of the attacks on Britain, nor of Arthur’s sortie East. This chafed his followers and they mourned for his mood – repenting penitence and his humbled pride after losing himself for love and now love for loyalty spurned.
Now word came of Mordred’s treachery – and Arthur arming against his own kingdom. Lancelot saw clearer the guile he was ensnared in. Half he thought of gathering his host to help Arthur. Then pride withheld him and the thought of Gawain whom he had wronged and his cold scorn. He thought he would go nonetheless if the king called. Where was Guinevere – he had not the might to go to Britain without joining with Arthur. Was she fair and false as men said (and Mordred)? Lightly she had left him and seemed not to pity his anguish or comprehend his penitence. If she sent to tell him of peril he would come. But no word came from Arthur whom Gawain guided. No word came fom Guinevere who waited upon the times. Lancelot went not forth, but abode in Benwick. The sun shone out after storm and his heart lightened. He called for music and bade men be merry for life has still hope, but he knew not that the tides of chance had changed and he had missed the flood.
Synopsis II begins with a fairly close repetition of the opening of Synopsis I, as far as ‘his will was bent and he fell from loyalty’. Then follows:
Gawain guessed but Mordred watched. Thus came the feud and the sundering of the Round Table which many have sung. [Illegible word] first cloud gathered over the glory of Arthur. Mordred moving darkly warns both Lancelot and the king. The king’s great anger, which Gawain tries to temper, but Mordred has for the time the king’s ear. He vows that both Lancelot and Guinevere shall suffer death for treason – according indeed to just law. But Lancelot warned has taken Guinevere and fled to safety (this as Mordred intended) proclaiming guilt. In the attack on the castle many are slain including Agravain and Gareth, Gawain’s kinsmen. Only then will Gawain join in. He challenges Lancelot, that no more noble knights be slain. But Lancelot’s mood has changed: he repents the ruin he has wrought, and the Queen is frightened and unwilling to risk the peril of Lancelot’s failure. First blow to Lancelot’s love. Lancelot therefore treats and yields Guinevere on condition that she shall be pardoned and received in full honour. But the king will not pardon Lancelot – nor does Gawain urge it – and banishes him, and he departs with his kindred to Benwick.
Beside the number III of the third synopsis my father noted ‘followed in poem’. This begins with a greatly reduced version of the openings of the previous two synopses, and there is a good deal of repetition from synopsis I in the concluding passage, but I will cite this text in full.
Lancelot was deemed doughtiest of Arthur’s knights, and the fairest of all men – dark and splendid beside the gold of Gawain. Gawain only was almost his equal, but sterner in mood, and he loved the king only above men and above women, but mistrusted the Queen even ere the shadow fell. But the Queen loved Lancelot, and Lancelot rejoiced in the Queen’s beauty and served her ever gladly, and loved her above women and above men. Honour and renown only loved he almost as dear. Therefore long was he loyal to his lord. But the net closed on him, and the Queen drew the toils ever tighter – for she released seldom that which she had or ceased to grasp for what she desired. Fair as fay-woman but fell-minded in the world walking for the woe of men. Thus with smiles and tears she bent Lancelot’s will.
Thus came the feud that many have sung and the first cloud over the glory of Arthur, when swords were drawn in the king’s house and brethren of the Round Table slew one another. [Struck out: Mordred contrived it, envying Lancelot, desiring the Queen, he betrayed Lancelot.] With cruel justice the Queen was condemned to the fire, but Lancelot rescued her and carried [her] afar. That day fell many knights by the hand of Ban’s kindred, and among them Gawain’s brother. But his mood sickened and the Queen disliked exile. He repented the slayings and returned the Queen – obtaining full pardon for her; but not for himself. He departed to Benwick with his kin and went no more to war with Arthur.
But word came of Mordred’s treachery and of Arthur arming against his own kingdom. Half he resolved to gather his host and haste to the king. Pride withheld him, and the thought of the cold scorn of Gawain whom he had wronged. The king would summon him, if he had need. In thought of Guinevere anguish took him. Was she in danger – but he had no might to go to Britain without joining Arthur. Was she false as fair as some rumoured? Lightly she had left him with little pity. If she sent to him he would go at all peril against Mordred or Arthur. But no word came from Arthur who leaned on Gawain. No word came from Guinevere who waited upon the times to snatch the best from ruin. Therefore Lancelot abode in the tower of Ban torn in mind. The storm fell. The sun shone forth and his heart lifted. He told himself that life yet held hope, tides change, but he knew not that the tides of time had passed their flood and that he had missed his chance.
*
The evolution of Canto III can to a large extent be followed in the draft papers, although there are uncertainties that I have been unable to resolve. Some primary workings survive, among them pages at a level of illegibility that can only be interpreted at all from knowledge of subsequent texts; but it is notable that even when composing at this speed my father was capable of doing so within the alliterative and metrical patterns.
Following these is a series of manuscripts proceeding in my father’s common fashion, each one taking up the changes made to the previous one and then emended in its turn. The first of these, which I will call A, is evidently his first writing out of a text, though far from complete, of the canto. This is in rough but legible form, still with many uncertainties and substitutions as he wrote. The text begins (III.19.):
Sir Lancelot lord of Benwick
of old was noblest knight of Arthur …
Beyond this, the text A can be passed by, since it was soon (as I judge) overtaken by another manuscript, and noteworthy features in A reappear in this substantial and complex text, B29.
This manuscript opens with two pages, obviously written at the same time, neither with a title, and identical at almost all points save in the opening passage of the canto. In one of these, which I will call B 1, the opening is thus:
In Benwick the blessed once Ban was king,
whose fathers aforetime over fallow waters
in the holy lands their homes leaving
to the western world wandering journeyed,
Christendom bearing, kingdoms founding,
walls uprearing against the wild peoples.
Towers strong and tall turned to northward
had Ban builded; breakers thundered
loud below them in the looming shadows
of cavernous cliffs. Crowned with sunlight,
walled with splendour, wind-encompassed,
they watched the waters: war they feared not.
In the other manuscript page, B 2, the opening is the same, word for word, as that of LT (‘the Latest Text‘) III.1–10:
In the South from sleep to swift fury
a stor
over leagues of water loud with thunder
and roaring rain it rushed onward;
their hoary heads hills and mountains
tossed in tumult on the towering seas.
On Benwick’s beaches breakers pounding
ground gigantic grumbling boulders
with ogre anger. The air was salt
with spume and spindrift splashed to vapour.
After these different openings to the canto both manuscripts continue with ‘There Lancelot over leagues of sea …’ as in the final text, but they differ from it where that has (III.14–18):
Dark slowly fell. Deep his anguish.
He his lord betrayed to love yielding,
and love forsaking lord regained not;
faith was refused him who had faith broken,30
by leagues of sea from love sundered.
In their place both B 1 and B 2 have:
Dark slowly fell. Deep his anguish,
repenting repentance and his pride humbled,
that loyalty leaving at love’s calling
he had love now lost loyalty seeking.
A passage on a separate page is marked for substitution at this point in B2, after the words ‘Deep his anguish’:
he had left loyalty at love’s calling;
his loyalty no longer his lord trusted,
his love was forsaken beyond leagues of sea.
After the opening pages B 1 and B 2 the text continues without duplication for some distance, and can therefore be called simply B. There are a number of cases where LT differs from B, as follows (many of these instances are found in A also). The line-references in each case are to the readings of Canto III in LT as printed in this book.
(III.46–53) he long was loyal to his lord Arthur,
nobly striving. But the net was strong
that caught him captive. The Queen held it,
and the silken toils slowly tighter
drew about him. Dear she loved him …
The final version (‘among the Round Table’s royal order …’) is given on another page of the B manuscript as an alternative; and a further alternative is suggested for III.53, ‘darkly hoarded. Dear she loved him’:
dearer deemed them darkly hoarded
kept and counted as the Queen’s treasure
locked in dungeon. Dear she loved him
(III.57–9) Fate sent her forth. Few things she loosed
her desire seized on. As the sun at morning …
For the meaning compare Synopis III, ‘She released seldom that which she had’ (see here).
(III.62) steel well-tempered. Strong will she bent.
The original reading here, in the manuscript A, was ‘Strength was broken.’ Against ‘Strong will she bent’ in B marginal readings are ‘Strong her purpose’ and ‘Swords she broke’. LT as written had ‘Strong oaths she broke’, changed in pencil to ‘Strong oaths they broke’.
(After III.67, later marked for omission)
Many a minstrel mournful singing
of that time hath told, of trust broken,
friends divided and faith darkened.
(III.74–8)
There Ban’s kindred with blood reddened
the house of Arthur high and golden.
The Queen was taken. With cruel justice
fair as fay-woman they to fire doomed her;
to death they doomed her. But her doom came not.
Lo! Lancelot, lightning kindled,
radiant, deadly, riding thunder
(III.82–3) Where LT has
Gaheris and Gareth Gawain’s brethren
by the fire fell they as fate willed it
B has a single line, later struck through:
there Gareth died, dear to Gawain.
(III.88–90) He mourned too late
in ruth for the ruin of the Round Table,
the fellowship and freedom of his fair brethren,
for Gareth grieving, Gawain’s kinsman –
unarmed he slew him, by ill fortune,
love requiting as he least purposed.
The last three lines of this passage were struck out at the same time as was the previous reference to Gareth (and in the preceding text A they were bracketed for exclusion). As a result of these deletions Gaheris and Gareth were not mentioned in LT as written, but the lines III.82–3 were added in pencil.
(III.90–2) His pride he repented, his prowess cursing,
for the love yet longing of his lord Arthur;
he would heal yet honour .....
(After III.101)
and many saw she whose mood darkened,
[> hardened]
who Lancelot with love guarded, [> tended]
but to kingless queen, captive rescued,
were she fair as fay, friendship showed not.
(III.102) For ‘With searing words’ B has ‘With soft speeches’,
but ‘with searing words’ was the reading of A.
(III.104–8) The toils she weened for a time slackened
still in hand she held though his heart wavered.
Other times would come. Yet it irked waiting
and she stung him keenly. Strange he deemed her
from her self altered. Then sudden in vision
for a moment’s anguish as in mirror naked
her soul seeing and his self knowing
he stricken as stone stood there silent.
(After III.119)
Pride few pitied from its peak fallen,
and Gawain doubted his good purpose.
His return forbade they, unless trial sought he,
standing meekly before stern justice.
(III.124–7) Grief knew Arthur
in his heart’s secret that his halls regained
wife unfaithful and more worthy missed,
his noblest knight in his need losing.
Shortly after this the text B divides again into two, and at the point (III.143) where LT moves on to
From western havens word was rumoured
of Arthur arming against his own kingdom
these further twinned texts return, surprisingly, to the opening passages of the canto in B 1 and B 2 (see here), with their placing reversed, that is to say, in the manuscript where the canto opens with ‘In Benwick the blessed once Ban was king’ there appears here the passage beginning ‘In the South from sleep in swift fury’, while in the other manuscript the reverse is the case. In both versions the passage in question is followed by the verses telling of Lancelot gazing from a window over the sea (cf. III.11–14, 187–9):
Thence now Lancelot over leagues of sea
in heaving welter from a high window
looked and wondered alone musing
doubtful-hearted. Dark slowly fell.
(where the other manuscript has ‘Dark had fallen’).
My father seems to have decided eventually that of all these arrangements the most satisfactory was to retain ‘In the South from sleep to swift fury’ as the opening of the canto, and that there was no place for the passage beginning ‘Benwick the blessed’. See further.
From here the B text continues with ‘From western havens word was rumoured’ (III.143) in two successive forms, labelled ‘Version A’ and ‘Version B’. I give here differences in Version A (before emendation) from LT. It is clearest to set out the text of Version A from its beginning; this corresponds to III.143–173, but the passage III.148–157 is absent.
From western havens word had hastened
[struck out: of lords in Logres leagued in treason],
of Arthur arming against his own kingdom;
how a mighty navy manned with vengeance
he swift assembled, that the sudden fury
of striding storm stayed and hindered,
beaten backward by rebellious seas.
Now half he hoped and half wished not
to receive summons swift and urgent
to his king allegian
of Lancelot to his lord Arthur.
To Guinever again as to glad sunlight
thrust often back his thought wandered.
There was war in Britain, wild deeds were wrought –
was she false yet further to her faith renewed
or did danger press her? Dear he loved her.
Long she had left him, as were love ended,
in wrath and ruin, no ruth showing,
no pity feeling, proud and scornful.
Dear he loved her. If danger threatened,
if she sent him summons he would sail at night
against foe or tempest through furious seas
to lands forlorn as his lady bade him.
From this point Version A is the same as LT, from III.174 to the end of the canto, with a few minor variations:
(III.174–6) But there came neither from his king command
nor word from lady; only wind hurried
over wide waters wild and voiceless.
(III.179) ere his blood reddens the brim of evening
(III.187) And Lancelot over leagues of wind
(After III.194)
waves white-crested washed receding
(III.204) high whitewingéd, but on hills and dales
The following are differences in Version B from LT. The passage III.148–157 was absent, as in version A, but the text corresponding to III.157. is distinct both from Version B and LT.
of striding storm stayed and hindered;
beaten backward by rebellious seas
it was held in harbour. With heart in twain
now half he hoped, and half wished not,
to receive summons swift and urgent
to king his allegiance leal recalling
of Lancelot to his lord Arthur.
Yet pride pricked him prayer only
to hear and answer humbly spoken.
But there came neither claim nor entreaty,