120 F. B. Luquiens, 



sila ; then follows the deliberate presentation of Marsila's message ; 

 then the calling of the fatal council ; then, as a climax, the dramatic 

 quarrel. It is significant of the poet's skill that in the last part of 

 the chapter short strophes are used freely, whereby the action 

 attains additional rapidity.^ After the climax there is just one strophe. 

 It describes the departure of Ganelon for the Paynim court, ending 

 with the words : 



Entret en sa veie, si s'est achiminez. 

 The chapter is well ended — the next one is well anticipated. 



I have said that most of the chapters are perfectly composed. 

 To be definite, all but one are so. This one exception shows 

 several flaws : let us see if they may be plausibly attributed to 

 copyists. 



That chapter which I have called The Rearguard contains two 

 minor imperfections. The first is the strophe consisting of vv. 

 725-736. The technical sins of this strophe are : (1) that it is not 

 necessary ^ ; (2) that it is not clear. The second minor imperfection 

 of the chapter is the strophe consisting of vv. 803-813. Here the 

 sins may be enumerated as follows: (1) the strophe is not neces- 

 sary ; (2) it is not clear ; (3) it contains two padded lines 3 ; (4) it 

 contains a prophecy of exceeding prosiness : 



Gualtiers desrenget les destreiz et les tertres, 

 N'en descendrat pur malvaises nuveles, 

 Enceis qu'en seient VII C espees traites. 

 Reis Almaris del regne de Belfeme 

 Une bataille lur livrat le jur pesme. 



The technical flaws of these two strophes are to a certain extent 

 proofs of their spuriousness. For example, it is hardly probable 

 that the prophecy just quoted was written by the same man w'ho 

 prophesied the death of Roland in the following words : 



. . . prient Deu qu'il guarisset Rollant, 



Jusque il viengent el camp cumunement ; 



Ensembr od lui i ferrunt veirement. 



De go qui calt? Car ne lur valt nient. 



Demurent trop, n'i poedent estre a tens.'* 



1 Cf. nifra, p. 122. 



- At least, it is iniinitely less necessary than 717—724 ; cf . 8.35-837. 



3 808 and 813. 



* 1837—1841. All of 0"s prophecies are of the same poetical nature 

 (cf. 9, 95, 179, 716, 8.59, 1405, 1806), except one (1408-1411), which is in 

 a strophe imputable in part to copyists (cf. sitpra^ p. 115, Note 2). 



