Eugene Mason (1862–1935)

According to Wikipedia, the title piece, Aucassin & Nicolette, is a chantefable. Once a cottage industry, this the only surviving example. So there’s bragging rights there if you want to go around saying you’ve read an entire genre. Mind you, if you do want to brag about that sort of thing, you probably only know the woman in the chip shop. Regardless, it’s worth reading in its own right. There’s actually a scene where a damsel knots bed sheets together and escapes from a tower. Later the hero murders a load of innocent people and has to be restrained. It reminded me of that scene in Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail where Herbert tries to escape out of the tower and John Cleese murders all those wedding guests. Terry Jones was a Medievalist and I suspect we have a direct reference here.

As for the rest of the collection it really is rather good and very charming. A wide range of different subjects that enticingly displays what dead Frenchmen have to offer.

As to the translation, it is written in faux Olde English. Annoying, but, in this case I must admit, rather endearing. However, I suspect that in some cases it may have altered the tone of the original. It’s also worth noting that Mason was working under conditions of tyrannical censorship. I also therefore suspect that he has not accurately translated some filthy French phraseology. Neither can I attest to the accuracy of the translation. Take ‘The Covetous Man and the Envious Man’. This is a translation of Jean Bodel’s Fabliaux ‘De Covoteus et de L’Envieus’. Comparing this to the Old French text we can see that Mason has entirely excised fully nine lines of verse from the beginning. Mason opens with:

“Once upon a time, more than one hundred years ago, there lived two companions, who spent their time very evilly.”

Compare this to the same point in Nathaniel E Dubin’s translation, which is virtually line for line, and you see the difference:

“Now, it is true beyond impeaching
that there were once two comrades, though
it was some hundred years ago,
who both led lives of mortal sin.”

These problems aside, I can’t fault the book.

For some reason Mason is rather shy of his sources. He only gives us his own English titles for each piece. I don’t have access to a library at the moment; there’s very little online and what there is is in French, a language with which I am almost entirely familiar. So it took me ages to work out what I was actually reading. And I’m the kind of man who likes to know what he’s reading, if you know what I mean, WINK WINK. If you’re looking for a particular text, read on:

The Story of King Constant, the Emperor - Li Contes dou Roi Coustant L’Empereur
Author unknown. 2nd half of the 13th Century.

Our Lady’s Tumbler - Li Tumbeor Nostre Dame
Author unknown. c. 1200

The Lay of the Little Bird - Le Lai de L’Oiselet
Author unknown. 13th Century.

The Divided Horsecloth - Le Houce Partie
Bernier. 13th Century.

Sir Hugh of Tabarie - Li Contes de Monseigneur Huon de Tabarie
Author unknown. 1st half of the 13th Century.

The Story of King Florus And The Fair Jehane - Li Contes dou Roi Floire et de la Bielle Jehane
Author unknown. 13th Century.

The Lay of Graelent – Look on Wikipedia, you lazy git.

The Three Thieves - De Barat et de Haimet
Jean Bodel. Before 1202.

The Friendship of Amis and Amile - Li Amitiez de Ami et Amile
Author unknown. 13th Century. Prose version. There are six versions of French and Anglo-Norman, to say nothing of the Middle English. Some connection to the Matter of Britain.

Of the Knight Who Prayed Whilst Our Lady Tourneyed in His Stead -
I have not been able to positively identify this. The story is in the Golden Legend. I’m not sure if this is an excerpt or an independent version.

The Priest and the Mulberries - Du Provoire qui Menga les Mores
2nd half of the 13th Century. This is Version 2, the anonymous one. If you’re looking for Garin’s version look in Dubin’s Fabliaux.

The Story of Asenath -
This has a particularly interesting back story. It was originally a Jewish pseudepigraphon that may be as old as 200 BC. You’ll find an English translation of the oldest surviving text in Volume 2 of Charlesworth’s Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. From there it was passed into Christian Europe and disseminated in a wide variety of languages and versions. Vincent de Beauvais condensed the story and included it in his Latin history of the world ‘Speculum Historiale’. I suspect the text here is a French translation of that.

The Palfrey – Du Vair Palefroi
Huon le Roi de Cambrai. 2nd half of the 13th Century.
I don’t think he was really a king, cheeky bugger.… (altro)