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Lancelot and the Tower of Babel
Polish your helmets and climb into your saddles, because a furor has arisen lately in Westminster, over a newly discovered manuscript of Sir Thomas Malory's tales of King Arthur that has just been discovered. Edgar Haywood, a local accountant, was renovating his basement when he discovered the book behind a wall.
"It was obviously pretty old, and the name seemed familiar, though I could hardly read it, so I figured I would have it looked at, see if it was worth anything," said Mr. Haywood.
When he took it to a rare bookseller, he found out that he had come across a marvel. It was an early proof of Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory's famous compilation of stories about the knights of the round table. This valuable find (previously only two copies of the original printing were known to exist) became even more exciting when experts examined the tome. It contained several sections not present in any other known manuscript.
A printing of the new edition is expected to be available this fall. Below is an excerpt from book seventeen of the work, containing a sampe of the newly discovered text. The spelling has been updated, but otherwise it is exactly what was written five hundred years ago.
And Launcelot and Galahad sailed many days on their ship. Then, the tale saith, that one morn a wind came and drove them up against a shore; and their ship would not move after, in despite of the wind and the waves. Therefore they dressed themselves and rode onto the strand for to seek what adventures the land they were in had.
They rode for three days, and never saw no man, nor beast. But when the third night fell, they saw a light in the sky. "Me seemeth a lamp in some high tower," said Galahad.
And they rode on, for they were weary of sleeping on the earth, and sought lodging. But anon, they came to where it seemed the light had been, and nothing was to be seen among the trees. And their horses were full tired, so they sware each to other that they would follow this adventure in the morn, and they laid them down.
And when the sun rose, they saw before them one of the marvellousest sights that ever knight saw: above them was a huge cloud, and the cloud bare on it a broken tower. They fain would have climbed it, for to see who dwelt there. "Forsooth," said Launcelot, "this is some miracle of God. It were much worship to attain such a place."
They blessed themselves and searched. But they could not see any way up. And so they abode a while, and thought what they might do. While they bade, a great wind rose up, and it moved the cloud and tower. And they thanked God for moving it to where they might enter, and they followed.
They rode again three days, and a mountain rose up before them. And the cloud ran against the mountain with a noise like a thousand knights crashing against each other, and there it held.
The hill was steep and the stones sharp. But, as the book says, Launcelot and Galahad were jewels of knighthood, and neither feared the perilousness of that slope, even when the ground trembled beneath them, or stone brake under a foot.
Anon they reached the height of the tower. A stone bridge crossed the edge of the cloud. Launcelot gave a loud cry that whoever held the tower should let them in, for they sought lodging. He had no answer, wherefore they started across the bridge. They reached the door and still saw no guards, nor any motion whatever. Sir Galahad reached out, and the great doors swung open at a touch.
"I mislike this entrance, that neither will the men here have ado with us, nor greet us," said Galahad.
"Ah my son," said Launcelot, "Thou art a fine knight, but thou art yet young. I suppose that the lord is out hunting, or else there be no lord of this castle. And that seemeth the more likely, sithen I have never heard of no king with such a keep."
The walls were of white stone, that shone in the sun. And the stone was masterly cut and fitted. There was no mortar, yet a needle might not fit between the blocks. And they saw now from the base, that the tower reached wonderly high, and what they had thought the day before to be clouds were but greater heights of the tower. And when they wist that they marveled greatly.
And there was all manner of furnishing. And all this was wrought of fine samite, in gold and in red and every other colour. Every wall was hung with tapestries, these shewed scenes that were wonders to tell. In gold thread they battles made by winged horses that bare spears though never no knight was seen to ride them, and many other strange things.
In another room they found parchment laid all about them, on the floor and on the walls. Much was written there, but they knew not the language nor the signs. The scrolls all bore strange devices. At length they found one with our letters, but still they wot not what it said. But Launcelot remembered him what letters they were, and on a stone at Glastonbury where Launcelot later became an hermit is written:
But they never saw any Christian tongue.
They wandered the halls a long time, seeking what adventures the tower held. But never saw they any man. And after the wonders of the first rooms, they came to a long hall, and every chamber that the hall entered into held nothing, but only had black soot over all the walls and floor, as if the very stone had burned. And they marveled that the stone had burned.
At length night fell. They made their beds just were they were. They had far liefer sleep in an empty castle than on the slope of the mountain.
Galahad and Launcelot talked as they made them ready to sleep. "Methinketh it were a great pity, to leave so fine a castle as this lordless," said Sir Launcelot, "Certes, it is a large fortress and a strong. And even Camelot would be like a poor town an these walls loomed over it. Sithen we are here and there be no other men, nor any damosel me seemeth it would be a fine prize for King Arthur, that only the Sangreal could surpass." And he thanked God that he had been given the adventure, and prayed his help to enchieve it.
But as he prayed thus, sleep came on them. And Launcelot dreamed a dream. And him seemed that he was on a battlefield, at the head of a great army. And all the knights bare shields with the same device, which was a tower on a black field. And they all rode as one, and whatever foe came before them could not withstand them, but Launcelot charged and his men with him, and he smote them, and his spear never brake. Every man smote down an hundred knights and never tired.
And then he saw a single knight before all his host, and all his arms were white that it was painful to look at. And this knight blew a great horn, and him seemed that every man's shield was changed and none had the same colors as another. And it befell the men began to fight among themselves, and everych slew other. And Launcelot had need to defend himself, and he slew those who had been his brethren. And the white knight dressed himself and took a spear and rode against Sir Launcelot. And Launcelot got him a spear in his hand and rode also. But when they met, his spear brake upon the knights shield. But he received such a blow that horse and man fell to the earth, and he felt himself sore wounded. Yet he stood and drew his sword. And the white knight avoided his saddle and drew his sword. But at one stroke he clave through shield and helmet, and Launcelot fell, sore astonied and awoke. And that was the vision that Sir Launcelot saw.
And also Galahad had a vision. And it seemed him that Sir Percivale's sister stood before him, who had bled for the sake of a lady and died therefore. And her hair that she had cut away for to make the girdle to his sword, was again on her head in golden locks; and the wound in her arm bled continuously. She said unto him: "My knight, beware ye fall not into sin, for ye stand in danger of your life."
And then he thought that he was in a wood. And two knights were before him, and either fought with other. And seemed him that both men were his father, Sir Launcelot. And one ware black armor, and the other white. And everych gave many great strokes. And the white Launcelot gave the black a buffet on the head, that he fell to the ground, grovelling. But or he could dash off his head, the black rose again and smote other, and he fell in a swoon. And he would have slain him, but he was so sore wounded and had bled so much that he could not; he fell dead.
And Galahad approached him, and blessed him, and he died there.
Then Galahad woke. And Launcelot said to Sir Galahad, "Let us hence; Me liketh this place not, for I have had an vision." So then they left the black rooms they were in, and the strange ones. And they returned down the slope of the mountain. And it befell that when they reached the bottom, they heard a thunderous sound, and saw stones falling from they sky: for the cloud moved and carried away the tower. And they were passing glad they had fled it.
And as they rode back to the shore they passed through a valley, and in the valley was a hermitage. And they took their rest with the hermit. And Launcelot told him all he had dreamed and asked him what it signified.
"O Jesu," said the hermit, "Ye may thank god that ye left with your lives. For that was the very tower of Babel which men built in despite of God. And the army with which you rode signifieth the paynim who strove to overthrow God, and the one device on their shields signifieth the one tongue men shared in those days, and the white knight betokeneth the Lord God himself who scattered them."
"Alas," said Launcelot, "I repenteth now my pride, for I thought I might rule that tower myself, or else take it for my lord King Arthur." And he shrived him to the hermit.
And Galahad told the hermit also what he had seen. So the hermit said, "The maiden, meseemeth, you know well; be thou glad, therefore, she awaiteth heaven and bliss, for she shewed you her wound, which bleeds like those of Christ. As to the battle you saw, it foretold what Launcelot hath just confessed, that the sin and pride in his soul sought the tower and put him in peril of his life, and other sins too. But what the end of the battle betokeneth, methinketh it is not for ye to know."
And as the tale saith, on the morn they rose and heard mass, and they returned to their ship which carried them to yet more adventures.
"It was obviously pretty old, and the name seemed familiar, though I could hardly read it, so I figured I would have it looked at, see if it was worth anything," said Mr. Haywood.
When he took it to a rare bookseller, he found out that he had come across a marvel. It was an early proof of Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory's famous compilation of stories about the knights of the round table. This valuable find (previously only two copies of the original printing were known to exist) became even more exciting when experts examined the tome. It contained several sections not present in any other known manuscript.
A printing of the new edition is expected to be available this fall. Below is an excerpt from book seventeen of the work, containing a sampe of the newly discovered text. The spelling has been updated, but otherwise it is exactly what was written five hundred years ago.
Chapter XIV
How Launcelot and Galahad came to a marvelous tower.
How Launcelot and Galahad came to a marvelous tower.
And Launcelot and Galahad sailed many days on their ship. Then, the tale saith, that one morn a wind came and drove them up against a shore; and their ship would not move after, in despite of the wind and the waves. Therefore they dressed themselves and rode onto the strand for to seek what adventures the land they were in had.
They rode for three days, and never saw no man, nor beast. But when the third night fell, they saw a light in the sky. "Me seemeth a lamp in some high tower," said Galahad.
And they rode on, for they were weary of sleeping on the earth, and sought lodging. But anon, they came to where it seemed the light had been, and nothing was to be seen among the trees. And their horses were full tired, so they sware each to other that they would follow this adventure in the morn, and they laid them down.
And when the sun rose, they saw before them one of the marvellousest sights that ever knight saw: above them was a huge cloud, and the cloud bare on it a broken tower. They fain would have climbed it, for to see who dwelt there. "Forsooth," said Launcelot, "this is some miracle of God. It were much worship to attain such a place."
They blessed themselves and searched. But they could not see any way up. And so they abode a while, and thought what they might do. While they bade, a great wind rose up, and it moved the cloud and tower. And they thanked God for moving it to where they might enter, and they followed.
Chapter XV
How Launcelot and Galahad gained entrance to the tower.
How Launcelot and Galahad gained entrance to the tower.
They rode again three days, and a mountain rose up before them. And the cloud ran against the mountain with a noise like a thousand knights crashing against each other, and there it held.
The hill was steep and the stones sharp. But, as the book says, Launcelot and Galahad were jewels of knighthood, and neither feared the perilousness of that slope, even when the ground trembled beneath them, or stone brake under a foot.
Anon they reached the height of the tower. A stone bridge crossed the edge of the cloud. Launcelot gave a loud cry that whoever held the tower should let them in, for they sought lodging. He had no answer, wherefore they started across the bridge. They reached the door and still saw no guards, nor any motion whatever. Sir Galahad reached out, and the great doors swung open at a touch.
"I mislike this entrance, that neither will the men here have ado with us, nor greet us," said Galahad.
"Ah my son," said Launcelot, "Thou art a fine knight, but thou art yet young. I suppose that the lord is out hunting, or else there be no lord of this castle. And that seemeth the more likely, sithen I have never heard of no king with such a keep."
Chapter XVI
Of the tower, and the divers marvels therein.
Of the tower, and the divers marvels therein.
The walls were of white stone, that shone in the sun. And the stone was masterly cut and fitted. There was no mortar, yet a needle might not fit between the blocks. And they saw now from the base, that the tower reached wonderly high, and what they had thought the day before to be clouds were but greater heights of the tower. And when they wist that they marveled greatly.
And there was all manner of furnishing. And all this was wrought of fine samite, in gold and in red and every other colour. Every wall was hung with tapestries, these shewed scenes that were wonders to tell. In gold thread they battles made by winged horses that bare spears though never no knight was seen to ride them, and many other strange things.
In another room they found parchment laid all about them, on the floor and on the walls. Much was written there, but they knew not the language nor the signs. The scrolls all bore strange devices. At length they found one with our letters, but still they wot not what it said. But Launcelot remembered him what letters they were, and on a stone at Glastonbury where Launcelot later became an hermit is written:
Ŝinara Konstruadfirmao
Ni deziras subprozistojn
Haveblas multaj postenoj por nova kontstruprojekto
Turego Babela
Ĉu vi lacas laboraĉi en koton? Prenu la stelojn.
Oni deziras lertajn laboristojn por konstruego. Oni nepre lertos pri brikfarado. Necesas atestilon de la Okupsan-kaj-sendanĝerca Administracio.
Konstruado laŭtakse daŭros dum kvardek tri jaroj. Ŝinara Konstruado ne kulpigos pro iaj agoj de dia interveno. Por pli da informoj kaj por aplikigi, venu al nia oficejo kaj petu diri kun Nimrodo.
But they never saw any Christian tongue.
They wandered the halls a long time, seeking what adventures the tower held. But never saw they any man. And after the wonders of the first rooms, they came to a long hall, and every chamber that the hall entered into held nothing, but only had black soot over all the walls and floor, as if the very stone had burned. And they marveled that the stone had burned.
At length night fell. They made their beds just were they were. They had far liefer sleep in an empty castle than on the slope of the mountain.
Chapter XVII
How Launcelot desired to take the tower, and of the dreams he had.
How Launcelot desired to take the tower, and of the dreams he had.
Galahad and Launcelot talked as they made them ready to sleep. "Methinketh it were a great pity, to leave so fine a castle as this lordless," said Sir Launcelot, "Certes, it is a large fortress and a strong. And even Camelot would be like a poor town an these walls loomed over it. Sithen we are here and there be no other men, nor any damosel me seemeth it would be a fine prize for King Arthur, that only the Sangreal could surpass." And he thanked God that he had been given the adventure, and prayed his help to enchieve it.
But as he prayed thus, sleep came on them. And Launcelot dreamed a dream. And him seemed that he was on a battlefield, at the head of a great army. And all the knights bare shields with the same device, which was a tower on a black field. And they all rode as one, and whatever foe came before them could not withstand them, but Launcelot charged and his men with him, and he smote them, and his spear never brake. Every man smote down an hundred knights and never tired.
And then he saw a single knight before all his host, and all his arms were white that it was painful to look at. And this knight blew a great horn, and him seemed that every man's shield was changed and none had the same colors as another. And it befell the men began to fight among themselves, and everych slew other. And Launcelot had need to defend himself, and he slew those who had been his brethren. And the white knight dressed himself and took a spear and rode against Sir Launcelot. And Launcelot got him a spear in his hand and rode also. But when they met, his spear brake upon the knights shield. But he received such a blow that horse and man fell to the earth, and he felt himself sore wounded. Yet he stood and drew his sword. And the white knight avoided his saddle and drew his sword. But at one stroke he clave through shield and helmet, and Launcelot fell, sore astonied and awoke. And that was the vision that Sir Launcelot saw.
And also Galahad had a vision. And it seemed him that Sir Percivale's sister stood before him, who had bled for the sake of a lady and died therefore. And her hair that she had cut away for to make the girdle to his sword, was again on her head in golden locks; and the wound in her arm bled continuously. She said unto him: "My knight, beware ye fall not into sin, for ye stand in danger of your life."
And then he thought that he was in a wood. And two knights were before him, and either fought with other. And seemed him that both men were his father, Sir Launcelot. And one ware black armor, and the other white. And everych gave many great strokes. And the white Launcelot gave the black a buffet on the head, that he fell to the ground, grovelling. But or he could dash off his head, the black rose again and smote other, and he fell in a swoon. And he would have slain him, but he was so sore wounded and had bled so much that he could not; he fell dead.
And Galahad approached him, and blessed him, and he died there.
Chapter XVIII
How, being warned by means of a vision, Launcelot and Galahad fled the tower, and also of the hermit that expounded their adventure.
How, being warned by means of a vision, Launcelot and Galahad fled the tower, and also of the hermit that expounded their adventure.
Then Galahad woke. And Launcelot said to Sir Galahad, "Let us hence; Me liketh this place not, for I have had an vision." So then they left the black rooms they were in, and the strange ones. And they returned down the slope of the mountain. And it befell that when they reached the bottom, they heard a thunderous sound, and saw stones falling from they sky: for the cloud moved and carried away the tower. And they were passing glad they had fled it.
And as they rode back to the shore they passed through a valley, and in the valley was a hermitage. And they took their rest with the hermit. And Launcelot told him all he had dreamed and asked him what it signified.
"O Jesu," said the hermit, "Ye may thank god that ye left with your lives. For that was the very tower of Babel which men built in despite of God. And the army with which you rode signifieth the paynim who strove to overthrow God, and the one device on their shields signifieth the one tongue men shared in those days, and the white knight betokeneth the Lord God himself who scattered them."
"Alas," said Launcelot, "I repenteth now my pride, for I thought I might rule that tower myself, or else take it for my lord King Arthur." And he shrived him to the hermit.
And Galahad told the hermit also what he had seen. So the hermit said, "The maiden, meseemeth, you know well; be thou glad, therefore, she awaiteth heaven and bliss, for she shewed you her wound, which bleeds like those of Christ. As to the battle you saw, it foretold what Launcelot hath just confessed, that the sin and pride in his soul sought the tower and put him in peril of his life, and other sins too. But what the end of the battle betokeneth, methinketh it is not for ye to know."
And as the tale saith, on the morn they rose and heard mass, and they returned to their ship which carried them to yet more adventures.
Pics
And in the wise words of Sir Mac, who resideth in Philadelphia, where the Sun is said to shine forevermore,
That's how I feel about the language in this story—I couldn't write in the style you've chosen to save my life, but I can say it was a complete barrier for me. Every other sentence takes several tries, and that makes whatever happened sail right overhead like a castle in the sky.
Sorry, author.
And lo, as it was foretold, following Peasant Miller Minus's foolish comment, the Knights of the Round Writeoff proceeded to understand the Tale of Lancelot and the Tower of Babel much better than he did, and he was thus condemned to shame.
That doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about stars to dispute it.
That's how I feel about the language in this story—I couldn't write in the style you've chosen to save my life, but I can say it was a complete barrier for me. Every other sentence takes several tries, and that makes whatever happened sail right overhead like a castle in the sky.
Sorry, author.
And lo, as it was foretold, following Peasant Miller Minus's foolish comment, the Knights of the Round Writeoff proceeded to understand the Tale of Lancelot and the Tower of Babel much better than he did, and he was thus condemned to shame.
I didn’t have much problems with the language used, and the use of Esperanto (or Volapük) to write the sign placed on the tower made me smile.
There is, however, a good deal to say about your linguistic choice. Mallory’s English is close to early modern English, but very far from what you used, as this snippet quoted by Wikipedia shows:
So, either you stick to the original – fine, but you’ll be likely met with ferocious opposition – or you choose the easiest way and go modern. Your choice of using a fac simile of Shakespearian language does you no favor: it impedes comprehension and does not make your writing feel like the original manuscript. So it’s a sort of no-win scenario.
As to the story, I’m on the fence. Was that supposed to be a comedy? Unfortunately I guess not, but at the same time it’s hard to take the text seriously. The way the plot unfolds and some characters’ thoughts are very much comical and make me think of Rabelais, for example. But somehow some passages seem to be very self-absorbed. It’s hard to come out with a definitve answer. I wish you’d taken the full comedy route, and most of all I wished that instead of setting this in an Arthurian background, you had chosen Don Quixote.
There is, however, a good deal to say about your linguistic choice. Mallory’s English is close to early modern English, but very far from what you used, as this snippet quoted by Wikipedia shows:
Doo after the good and leve the evyl, and it shal brynge you to good fame and renomme.
So, either you stick to the original – fine, but you’ll be likely met with ferocious opposition – or you choose the easiest way and go modern. Your choice of using a fac simile of Shakespearian language does you no favor: it impedes comprehension and does not make your writing feel like the original manuscript. So it’s a sort of no-win scenario.
As to the story, I’m on the fence. Was that supposed to be a comedy? Unfortunately I guess not, but at the same time it’s hard to take the text seriously. The way the plot unfolds and some characters’ thoughts are very much comical and make me think of Rabelais, for example. But somehow some passages seem to be very self-absorbed. It’s hard to come out with a definitve answer. I wish you’d taken the full comedy route, and most of all I wished that instead of setting this in an Arthurian background, you had chosen Don Quixote.