The vulgate version of the Arthurian romances Volume 1

_ THE VULGATE VERSION OF 13 Irfl rin t omantt EDITED FROM MANUSCRIPTS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM By H. OSKAR SOMMER VOLUME I LESTOIRE DEL SAINT GRAAL ' WASHINGTON THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON 9o9 THE VULGATE VERSION OF !e trt urfan t oman ez EDITED FROM MANUSCRIPTS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM By H. OSKAR S___OMMER VOLUME I LESTOIRE DEL SAINT GRAAL WASHINGTON THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON 909 PREFACE CHOLARS of various nationalities have devoted much time and 'gl effort during the last seventy years to the study of the origin and i growth of the Arthurian romances, but the results of their labours are comparatively insignificant and have done little to open up this vast tract of romantic literature. This unsatisfactory condition is mainly due to the inaccessibility of the great stores of manuscript material treasured in public and private libraries all over Europe. A small portion of this has been brought within easy reach of scholars through the efforts of Francisque Michel, San Marte, Eugen Hucher, W. J. A. Jonckbloet, Gaston Paris, F. J. Furnivall, H. B. Wheatley, Eugen Koelbing, and others; many scholars would be ready and willing to undertake the work, even as a labour of love, if pub- lishers were to be found, but such publications necessarily entail considerable expense and it is impossible to make them remunerative business enterprises. In the absence of reliable printed texts many scholars, whose ...