The Allegory of de Lorris' " Romance of the Rose."Author(s): Elizabeth Deering HanscomSource: Modern Language Notes, Vol. 8, No. 5 (May, 1893), pp. 151-153Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2918597 .

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301 iJiaY, I893. MODERN LANGUAGE NOTES. Vol. Viii, No. 5. 302

imaginary, contrary to plhonetic law, and unnecessary. Diez' etymology has been adopt- ed by 13rachet, Scheler, Littre, Grdber (who, howeveir, prefers ̀'C dLCiTTNUM, proparoxyton: Arch. f. Lta. Le-r. i 556), G. Io6rting ('Lat.- Rom. WVfrterb.'), and Skeat (s. v. cushion), whence it is reproduiced in the English anid Americaln clictioncaries.

COXINUuI ('the thinlg to be placed nnlder the thighs,' COXA, 'a thigh ') is doubtless the prototype of Old Fr. and Prov. coissin, Cat. coi,li, Sp. cojiln and Ital. coscinio, cuscino. Bnit becatnse it satisfies Old Fr. coissini, etc., C0XiNUi\I canniiot at the samie time be accepted as the etymon of cozssis, which evidently has had a different history.

Ital. cot/rice CULTRfCAE by metathesis for CULCITRAE leads m-le to suspect the same traiss- position for CtLC1TA illtO *CULTICA for the French. CULTICULA occnirs for CULCITULA in Festus; CULTICIARIUS for CULCIT (R) ARIUS inl a charl/e fromn th-ie Abbey of St.-Germain-des- Pres, anzo 1200, as folloxws: " pta/caz .....

con /ziguai dcowini Fabizni cut/iciarii..

(Dn Cange, s. v:). We are then justified in writing a form

*CIULT1CINUAJ, xvbich reguilarly gives tus colt//s'inz con/'s/in cozussin, the medial / of the group t/c being lost in the / of the fronted k>/j>/'s'.

The treatmenit of the medial / pilaces this vorcd in the same category with PuLLfCINUM

Poznssini. For tle latin form,cf.,outside of Diez' 'WXVrterb.' (3rd1 e(l.) ii, 404, examples of PeULCI- NUS,-A in Diefenbach, 'Novtum Glossarium,' and also Muratori, 'Antiq. Ital.,' ii, col. I69, wlhere is quotecl a diploma of Ludwig III (king, afterwards emuper-or) of abouit the year goo. This diplomna has: ciiiz a/iis inzszltis [in the Po ?] quae vlu4go tllticini vocan/nr. Alturatori adds: "Ughellius corrupte habet pulcinii." Compare also -'DULC1NA (DULCIANA Dti Caluge, a musical inistrumiient) dotcinie, doucine; ro'is- sinl is possibly RII,NtCINU I+SULCUS,'agrestis,'- 5 RduLCiNUMI (Cf. ROSCINUlI u - SULCATORIUM, TIrier MAS. of the Heicrici Suninzarinmn, Diefen- baclh s. v. Rztncinus).

Ascoli (Ar-ch. Glo/., ix, I03 niote) wvas the first to point oUt that *CbLICYNuuI-Diez (di- mmii. of C'ULBX)-does not satisfy phonetic law for Fr. cousin, 'gnat,' on accounit of the voiced s. Furtlher invx-estigation will probably slhow

this wvord of Provengal origin, where the earlier vocalization of the I placed the I's' in in- tervocalic position. (Suclhier, ' Grnndriss,' i, 582). Cf. PULLICINUM Prov. poizisi, pozizi.

Frenclh cozc/ke, co/ckier, coickzer can well be derived from *COLT1CA (for COLCITA) *CUL- TiCARE, the verb by levelling from the stemn- accented forms: *CULTICAT colcliel in Roland. For the / preceded by a liquid, cf. PERTICA

pcrc/ze; PORTICUMI porclze (see Z.f.R.P., xiv, 561) REVTNDCWAS r evencZes.

I need niot say that this etymology removes the difficulty (stopposed or real) of the French o wvvhich is folnnd instead of the o expected from the ordinary etymology COLLOCARE

(Diez). In my opinioni, the definite idea of 'a bed to lie onl ' is too well preserved in coniche, conce/ie and their derivatives for these words to be derived from a form of such general significatioln as COLLOCARE.

THOMIAS A. JENKINS.

Jo/ins Hopkins University.

THE ALLEGORY OF DE LORRIS' "ROMIJANCE OF THE ROSE."

THE allegory of the first par-t of the 'Romiiaince of the Rose,' the four tlhousand lines written by Guillauiie de Lorris, is simply plannied and consistently developed. Nearly half a century after deatlh interrupted his work, Jean de Meun took the body anid desecrated the soul of the poem, adding to it eighteen thousand lines \vhich have given to the work of de ILorris their own well-deserved repu- tation for bad art and bad morals. The con- nection between the txwo portions-or rather the two poems comprised unlder the onie title- does not, however, extend beyonid the names of a few characters and the barest outline of plot.

The original plan of the Romance was, briefly: tUnier thie allegory of the plucking of a rose to sy mbolize the wooing of a woman. The convettional Lover, in the conventional dream of riedi,veval poetry, is admitted to the garden of Pleasure, and, after dancinlg with the merry company aroundl the God of Love, explores the garden. Beside the fountaini of Narcissus he becomes enamored of a rose, and, in attempting to pluck it, is pierced by Love's arrows.

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303 Altly, I893. MODERN LANGUAGE NOTES. Vol. viii, No. 5. 704

Evidently a rose could have no objection to being gathered, neither could it feel any re- sponsive regard for the enamored youth. It was, therefore, necessary to symbolize the sentiments of a maiden, and to make them independeint characteristics. De Lorris, with a stroke of genius which surpasses everything in his poem, comprehended the mind of a woman in the early days of a too vehement wooing, analyzed its conflicting emotions, alnd gave to each a personality and a name. They divide into two parties, those who aicl anid those who oppose the Lover. His most formidable foe is Daczgier-, which M. Gaston Paris translates "'the tendency, innate in a woman, not to yield without resistance to him who implores her." The Chaaucerian use of Danzger in the same sense is familiar. The strongest ally is BelA cueil; to quote TI. Paris again, " the favor which the same xvoman shows at another time." To me it seems rather that good fellowship which a woman may give to a man whom she does not consider as even a potential lover. Camaraderie in modern French, and C(ziumminiess in cuirrent Americaan, express the idea.

After many rebuffs, the Lover's coturse is prosperous, and Venus procuires for h-im per- mission to kiss the Rose. The initrodclction of Venutis is symbolic of the first response to the Lover's passion, the awakeninig of a reciprocal feeling in the lady of his choice. His bliss is brief, for a new set of foes arise against Ihim, personifications of the thoughts and con- ventions of the world, with which lovers are usually at strife. A varied conflict is xvaged; aided by the nex forces, the Lover's enemnies prevail; and xvhen his prospects seem milost hopeless, the poem abruptly stops.

The chief difficulty of an English tranislatioln or paraphrase of this wxork lies in finding equivalents for the names bestowed otl the allegorical characters. French readers have the advantage of employing practically the same nmediutm used in the construction of the original. The fourteenth century English versionl, xwhiclh wve may call Chaucerian even if we do not care to ascribe it to Chaucer, gives a literal translatioin, alld the connection be- tweenl the languiages justified the method. But xve havTe grown away from the French as

well as from thie Einglislh of the MIiddle Ages, and the direct adoption of words often fails to reprodtuce the original ideas. That the nmethod of literal translation is now inadequate is showln by iMr. He1nry Morley's paraphrase of the Romance iu hiis 'English WVriters.'

WVhen, for example, Dangier is rendered Danger, the ax-erage reader entirely loses the significance of the French vword. Fair Re- ceplioni is a dirct translation of Eel z4eceil; buit Fair Rec(tlion in I\Mr. MIorleyl's par-a- phrase does not meani whiat lEel Aceneil does in the original. There are ini the 'Romiiance of the Rose ' terms uised with two meaning-s; as, Honzle is one of the ar-rowx.s of Love, and is also one of the defenclers of the Rose; Doa-x Regard is the companion of the God of Love anid is also one of the comnforters promised to the ILover. When, therefore, Hon/c is tranis- latecl always as Slzaiie, anad Iloztx Regard in- variably as S7zeel Look, the interpretationi is needlessly confused; for wxhoever has read the poem must knoxv that D)oax Reg,-ard as Lhe kindly feeling attenldanit oni Love, anid DozUx Regard as the visionl of his lady that clheers the Lover are far from the samiie quiali- ty, anid that nieitlher is satisfactorily rendlered by Swee' Look.

The tranlslationi canl ofteni be best made fromii the conitext; as, for inistanice, in the case of the xvord last cited. The initrocdLuctioni of I)onz- Regard as the companioni of the God of Love, bearing hiis arrows wheni they ar-e 1not in uISe, but relinquislhing thenm wlxen actioni is reqUireCl, iakes it apparenit that he lher-e personiifies love potential or quiescenit, the senltiinenit of frielndliness.

In the folloxving paragraph, I have eni- cleavored to give moderni eqtivalenits for the originial woords, xvherever the Chalucerian x ersion is archaic or obsolete. \eNTlie no xvord appears in the thircl column, the MOdernl1 renlderilng is the same as the ClhaLucer-iani. PICTURES ON I HE OUTTER W' ( LL OF Tili1E GARD1II-:

ORIGINAL. CHAUCERIAN. C onvoitise Cov eitise Covetousness Envie Eiavye I'elonnie Felony Ilaine Ihate I-latred Papelardie Pope-I-Ioly I typocrisy Povret6 Povert Poverty

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305 1I/al', 1893. M%OL1ERiV LANVGUAXGE NVOTE,S. Vol. viii, No. 5. 306

1icuuiz E .s OwN ri[ 1 t1 O, ri R I \WALL O I EI, (GRI1DN:

ORIGINAL. CHAUCERIAN. Tr-istesse Sorowe Vieillesse Elde Age Vilenniiie Vilalny

INIABIl'TANTS OF ' l'TE CGARDEIN:

liaut6 Beaute Cortoisie Coltesie I)dtiut MIyrthe I'leasrl-e I)oux Regar(l Swete Lokyng Frieln(lliness FranchiSc Fr-auilchlise Fi eedom jolnesce Noutlh Largesce Largesse I iberality Liesce (Gladnless \Iirth Oiseuse N(lelnesse Ini(lolelnce R-ichece R-ichesse W.Xealtlh

ARROWS OF lIlx G-OD o0 LOVE:

I)esesp6rance \Wanhope I)espair Iolote Slhamiie Novel-Penser New-thought Fickleness Orguiex Pride Vilenie Vv'lanic Base ness Bliau Semblant FLir Semblauint Affability BiautC I3Peaute Coimipaigiiie Coimipalny Association Cortoisie Cortesie Fralnclhise Free(lolmi Si mplece Sy mplesse Sillmplicity

Com--oF -rl ERs 'RM misEr) To Tr LOT V,E 1R,

I)ous P'arlers Svete speche Pleasant Col verse D)ous 1'elnsels SwN\ete tlhelnkvlng Pleasant Tnhought I)ous Regars Swete lokyng Pleasaint VTisionj Esp6rance 1-I ope

AiLIivFS OF TE, IOLVER:

Bel Acueil 13ialacoil Colmira(lery FranchIise Faauinchise Frlalnkess Pitii6 Pite

L >1:MIVS.oF Tl E LovrERt:

Dangier Dtulnger Reser ve

I-lointe Slhamiie IModesty jalottlie jelousie Susspicioll La VTeille Vckke Conventionality Ntale-1B1oiche WYikkid-tuinge Sland(ler Paour I)]ede Fear

ELIzAlAI-rT l)I IDIRING HIANSCOM. Ki/e University.

SE- 4NIS/ LITERA TURE.

Ro1li-o-SI?/(lieJz. I. Jeain de Rotroti als Nach- alibmier JLope dcegVep?a's. Von1 GE,oIZG S'1 E.EF- FE, NS, Dr. Plhil., Berlin,Gronati: I891, 1). 104.

1-occaccios .NVovelle vON! IYalkzen uizid i/ire Vei-bleize1hg in der Lil/em-aliir. Nebst Lope cle Veg-as Komodie; 'El Halcoln ce Fetieri- co,' von RUDOLiF ANSCHUE-TZ. Erlan1ger Beitrnige zur Elglischen [Philologie u. verg- leicliende Litteraturgesclhichte. Erlangen: 1892, pp. IOO.

TIHE ilnfluence of the Spanish drama tipoin the French theatre in the sevenlteenth celnttury is a very interestinig field of research, alcl the w ork of l)r. Steffeins, til)Ol the particular athtliors he has choseln, is a very thorou-h and scholarly olne. At the outset, however, we are not a little sturpriseti to find tlhat, in the intro- tiuctory chapter " Zur 13iogiaphie Rotrou's util ztur Geschiclhte tier Rotrou-Forsclhtlng,'" the niame of Puib)usque is ConSPiCLoUS b)y its ab)sence. It is n1ow just fifty years ago since the latter's ' Histoire compare'e ties litterattires espagnole et franWaise ' appeared. D)r. Steff- ens frequently quotes Schac:k, ' Gesclhiclhte tier tiramatischcni Literatur unld Ktiinst in Spanien,' wx-hich was first printeti at Fralnkfurt, in 1845, twZo years later. Has l)r. Steffelns overlooked Puibusque ? Or, as the ilntroctictioi] is to colntaiin ' eilie kritische Ztusamiimelnstellunig ter xviclhtigsten Schrifteln ti)er tienl Dichter,' ditc he lnot thilnk hiim of sufficielnt importalnce ? To juldge fromii somiie of the x-try iinferior, alnd in our auithor's oWnI opinlionl, sometinmes alimlost xworthless books, that find a place in his list, this latter supposition is hardly prob)ab)le. We are well aware that it is fre(qLuelltly said nowx-a clays, that the work of PIUil)Us(lue is out of clate, that he is ofteln wrong--, antd oftelner in- acculrate, yCt it is e(lqLally true that lhe is often righlt, altl it seems that iii the tiiscLssion of tihe preselnl questioln, his )oo0k is worthy of meltioln. ['hat Ptli)Us(LIe was lnot so far wrolng in h-i:; estimlate of Rotrou is shownl b)y the folloxviiig:

TMais si Rotroti axait le pied pltus ferme et la maini pltu. haute que I lardy, Tristani, I\Jairet et tiu Ryer, il lne mettait gtiere pltus cle reguLlarite ( t ie sulite dalis sa marclhe, le te'sorclre t1 ses plalns et la negligence tie soIn style l'olnt empeche tie se souteniir atu rangr (qulil avait coliquis. Stur ses trelnte-sept pieces, trois ouL qu(itre setulemelnt onit mnerite cle vivre poUrquoi le caclher ? Le poete cle Dreux avait le laisser-aller cle La F oitaine, et l'eln avait pas le patri-ionie; hlarcele par des c-e'aniciers qui li denmldaient salns cesse dc lParg-ent ou

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