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--But then there's "D U Z, D U Z, D U Z does everything!" Randall Jarrell, thou should'st be living at this hour. Cheers, Jim On Sun, 2 Oct 2011 11:49:54 -0700 Harry Berger Jr <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > All, Jim, All. Less foam. Easier on your inner duds. > > > On Oct 2, 2011, at 11:30 AM, James C. Nohrnberg wrote: > >> It's the occurrence of Argante's name in the (dire) >>situation at the end of Layamon's/Lawman's Brut that's >>suggestive--the fatally wounded and dying Arthur is >>speaking to his designated heir/legatee the boy >>Constantine. I have Eugene Mason's serviceable >>archaic-modern prose version to hand: >> >> "... I give thee here my kingdom, and defend thou my >>Britons ever in thy life, and maintain them [sic] all the >>laws that have stood in my days, and all the good laws >>that in Uther's days stood. And I will fare to Avalun, >>to the fairest of all maidens, to Argante the queen, an >>elf most fair, and she shall make my wounds all sound; >>make me whole with healing draughts. And afterwards I >>will come again to my kingdom, and dwell with the Britons >>with mickle joy." Even with the words there approached >>from the sea that was a short boat, floating with the >>waves; and two women therein, wondrously formed; and they >>took Arthur anon, and bare him quickly, and laid him >>softly down, and forth they gan depart. Then was it >>accomplished that Merlin whilom said, that mickle care >>should be of Arthur's departure. (Layamon's Brut: p. >>264 in Everyman's Lib., Arthurian Chronicles.) >> >> If Avalon, reached by boat, is a sempiternal isle of the >>dead or lost, then compare the situation in store for the >>Squire of Dames, as the cougar-like Argante's prey in FQ >>III.vii: >> >> But over all the countrie she did raunge >> To seeke young men to quench her flaming thrust, >> And feed her fancy with delightfull chaunge: >> Whom so she fittest findes to serve her lust >> Through her maine strength, in which she most doth >>trust, >> She with her bringes unto a secret Ile, >> Where in eternall bondage dye he must, >> Or be the vassal of her pleasures vile, >> And in all shamefull sort himselfe with her defile. >>(Stanza 50) >> >> Thus Spenser chooses legendary names for both twins, one >>from Arthurian legend, or the matter of Briton, and the >>other from Charlegmagne's peerage, or the matter of >>France. (I.e., phallic Ollyphant suggests Roland's >>(elephant-) horn Olifant.) And this is so even if >>Argante is "A corruption of the name Morgan, that of >>Arthur's faery sister," and Arthur's conveyance to Avalon >>is ultimately a Breton tradition. (So Roger Sherman >>Loomis.) The last word of The Brute is "Bruttes" -- re >>Arthur's return "to help the Brits," we might translate. >> Argante is being chased by Britomart. >> >> [Layamon, as I think I've somewhere elsewhere noted, >>also provides a kind of etiological tale for the name >>Uther Pendragon that gives us a possible ultimate or >>remote source for the Welsh hood ornament on Arthur's >>helmet. This relic-like effigy (or two such) is >>manufactured in honor of Merlin by Uther: "...ever since >>they called Uther, who for a standard bare the dragon, >>the name they laid on him, that was Uther Pendragon; >>Pendragon in British, Dragon's-head in English." (P. 168, >>EL vol. cit.) Uther's man Gorlois is also introduced >>hereabouts.] >> >> -- But back to Prof. N.'s Sunday Morning Service, at the >>altar of the Maytag with a chalice of Cheer. >> >> >> >> On Sun, 2 Oct 2011 11:52:06 -0400 >> Anne Prescott <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> Dear list--for a note to the new Norton (yes! at last! a >>>preliminary MS is >>> due in four weeks and may even make it)--is there any >>>chance that Spenser >>> could have read Layamon? Or is the latter's queen >>>Argante's name just one of >>> those overlaps and coincidences? Argante's name does >>>recall brightness and >>> speed (now I know where the Argo may have got its name, >>>although it hardly >>> was the "white streak" that I'm told is what the Greeks >>>called our "blue >>> streek"). My classicist sister, whom I consulted on the >>>Greek, says that the >>> name reminds her of Narnia's White Queen but faster >>>moving. For me Argante >>> is too hot for that. I like the thought of her, though, >>>as a sort of comet >>> swooping down on incautious young men. >>> Andrew Hadfield and I are cutting back on >>>interpretative notes (it's a >>> new world since the Third Edition with more Google and >>>more ways to check up >>> on who says what about which passage), avoiding >>>identifying characters >>> before Spenser does, something that requires heroic >>>self-restraint, but we >>> do want to give as much basic information as we think >>>the kids who might use >>> the edition would need. And we've added MHT and RR, >>>dropping some to make >>> room. Sorry about the drops. >>> So: any reason to think Spenser might have known >>>about Layamon's nice >>> Argante (well, as a version of Morgan she may be only >>>sort of nice)? Or even >>> have heard of Layamon--and I do know I'm spelling him in >>>an ignorant modern >>> American way. All suggestion welcome, on or off list. >>>Anne. >> >> [log in to unmask] >> James Nohrnberg >> Dept. of English, Bryan Hall 219 >> Univ. of Virginia >> P.O Box 400121 >> Charlottesville, VA 22904-4121 [log in to unmask] James Nohrnberg Dept. of English, Bryan Hall 219 Univ. of Virginia P.O Box 400121 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4121