Pentecostal Oath (Le Morte dArthur)
Yesterday I stumbled across Keith Baines' retelling translation and abridgement of Le Morte D'Arthur: "Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table". And I did not like it even in the slightest. One just cannot add to the book so freely in my opinion. Of course Baines' version is much, much easier to read, than Caxton's or even Pollard's, but still, that's just not right.
The oath of the Knights of the Round table, as it was written in Pollard's modernisation:
"Then the king stablished all his knights, and them that were of lands not rich he gave them lands, and charged them never to do outrageousity nor murder, and always to flee treason; also, by no means to be cruel, but to give mercy unto him that asketh mercy, upon pain of forfeiture of their worship and lordship of King Arthur for evermore; and always to do ladies, damosels, and gentlewomen succour, upon pain of death. Also, that no man take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law, nor for no world's goods. Unto this were all the knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young. And every year were they sworn at the high feast of Pentecost."
Source: Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table
William Caxton (1485), A. W. Pollard (1903), and Sir Edward Strachey (1868)
New York: Macmillan, 1903.
By the way, I still remember, how interesting it was to compare modern English with English spoken (or rather written) in the 15th century. Caxton's original translation:
"Thenne the kyng stablysshed all his knyghtes and gaf them that were of londes not ryche / he gaf them londes / and charged hem neuer to doo outragyousyte nor mordre / and alweyes to flee treason / Also by no meane to be cruel / but to gyue mercy vnto hym that asketh mercy vpon payn of forfeture of their worship and lordship of kyng Arthur for euermore / and alweyes to doo ladyes / damoysels / and gentylwymmen socour vpon payne of dethe / Also that no man take noo batails in a wrongful quarel for noo lawe ne for noo worldes goodes / Vnto this were all the knyghtes sworne of the table round both old and yong / And euery yere were they sworne at the hyghe feest of Pentecost."
Source: Le Morte dArthur (Syr Thomas Malory)
William Caxton, Oskar Sommer
London: David Nutt, 1889.
But what Baines did to this oath is unbelievable:
"This is the oath of a Knight of King Arther's Round Table and should be for all of us to take to heart. I will develop my life for the greater good. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth, I will never boast, but cherish humility instead, I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word, I will defend those who cannot defend themselves, I will honor and respect women, and refute sexism in all its guises, I will uphold justice by being fair to all, I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, I will abhor scandals and gossip-neither partake nor delight in them, I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help, I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven, I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward."
Source: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table
Keith Baines
New York: Bramhall House, 1983.
Where could he possibly get all that? And sexism? Really? What a nice wording for Middle Ages! :)
The oath of the Knights of the Round table, as it was written in Pollard's modernisation:
"Then the king stablished all his knights, and them that were of lands not rich he gave them lands, and charged them never to do outrageousity nor murder, and always to flee treason; also, by no means to be cruel, but to give mercy unto him that asketh mercy, upon pain of forfeiture of their worship and lordship of King Arthur for evermore; and always to do ladies, damosels, and gentlewomen succour, upon pain of death. Also, that no man take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law, nor for no world's goods. Unto this were all the knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young. And every year were they sworn at the high feast of Pentecost."
Source: Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table
William Caxton (1485), A. W. Pollard (1903), and Sir Edward Strachey (1868)
New York: Macmillan, 1903.
By the way, I still remember, how interesting it was to compare modern English with English spoken (or rather written) in the 15th century. Caxton's original translation:
"Thenne the kyng stablysshed all his knyghtes and gaf them that were of londes not ryche / he gaf them londes / and charged hem neuer to doo outragyousyte nor mordre / and alweyes to flee treason / Also by no meane to be cruel / but to gyue mercy vnto hym that asketh mercy vpon payn of forfeture of their worship and lordship of kyng Arthur for euermore / and alweyes to doo ladyes / damoysels / and gentylwymmen socour vpon payne of dethe / Also that no man take noo batails in a wrongful quarel for noo lawe ne for noo worldes goodes / Vnto this were all the knyghtes sworne of the table round both old and yong / And euery yere were they sworne at the hyghe feest of Pentecost."
Source: Le Morte dArthur (Syr Thomas Malory)
William Caxton, Oskar Sommer
London: David Nutt, 1889.
But what Baines did to this oath is unbelievable:
"This is the oath of a Knight of King Arther's Round Table and should be for all of us to take to heart. I will develop my life for the greater good. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth, I will never boast, but cherish humility instead, I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word, I will defend those who cannot defend themselves, I will honor and respect women, and refute sexism in all its guises, I will uphold justice by being fair to all, I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, I will abhor scandals and gossip-neither partake nor delight in them, I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help, I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven, I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward."
Source: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table
Keith Baines
New York: Bramhall House, 1983.
Where could he possibly get all that? And sexism? Really? What a nice wording for Middle Ages! :)