APPENDIX. C. S. Lewis's Commentary on the Lay of Leithian I give here the greater part of this commentary, for which see pp. 150-1.* Lewis's line-references are of course changed throughout to those in this book. The letters H, J, K, L, P, R refer to the imaginary manuscripts of the ancient poem. For the text criticised in the first entry of the commentary see pp. 157-8, i.e. text B(1). Meats were sweet. This is the reading of PRK. Let any one believe if he can that our author gave such a cacophany. J His drink was sweet his dishes dear. L His drink was sweet his dish was dear. (Many scholars have rejected lines x - 8 altogether as un- worthy of the poet. 'They were added by a later hand to supply a gap in the archtype,' says Peabody; and adds 'The more melodious movement and surer nar- rative stride of the passage beginning with line g [But fairer than are born to Men] should convince the dullest that here, and here only, the authentic work of the poet begins.' I am not convinced that H, which had better be quoted in full, does not give the true opening of the Geste. That was long since in ages old When first the stars in heaven rolled, There dwelt beyond Broseliand, While loneliness yet held the land, A great king comely under crown, The gold was woven in his gown, The gold was clasped about his feet, The gold about his waist did meet. And in his many-pillared house Many a gold bee and ivory mouse And amber chessmen on their field Of copper, many a drinking horn Dear purchased from shy unicorn Lay piled, with gold in gleaming grot. All these he had etc.) (* An account of it, with some citation, has been given by Humphrey Carpenter in The Inklings, pp. 29-31, where the view expressed in his Biography, p. 145, that 'Tolkien did not accept any of Lewis's suggestions', is corrected.) [It seems virtually certain that it was Lewis's criticism that led my father to rewrite the opening (the B (2) text, p. 154). If the amber chessmen and ivory mice found no place in the new version, it is notable that in Lewis's lines occur the words 'And in his many-pillared house'. These are not derived from the B (1) text which Lewis read, but in B (2) appears the line (14) in many-pillared halls of stone. It seems then that Durin's many-pillared halls in Gimli's song in Moria were originally so called by C. S. Lewis, thinking of the halls of Thingol in Doriath.] 40. The description of Luthien has been too often and too justly praised to encourage the mere commentator in intruding. 68. tall. Thus PRKJH. L east. Schick's complimentary title of 'internal rime' for these cacophanies does not much mend matters. 'The poet of the Geste knew nothing of internal rime, and its appearance (so called) is an infallible mark of corruption' (Pumpernickel). But cf. 209, 413. 71-2. The reader who wishes to acquire a touchstone for the true style of the Geste had better learn by heart this faultless and characteristic distych. 77. HL Of mortal men at feast has heard [The line in B(1) was of mortal feaster ever heard. With hath for has Lewis's line was adopted.] 99 - 150. This is considered by all critics one of the noblest passages in the Geste. 112. Notice the double sense of within (macrocosmic and microcosmic). That the original poet may have been unconscious of this need not detract from our plea- sure. [Lewis was clearly right to suspect that the original poet had no such double sense in mind.] 117. H The legions of his marching hate [Lewis was criticising the original line in B his evil legions' marshalled hate. With retention of marshalled for marching Lewis's line was adopted.] [In the following comment the reading criticised was: swift ruin red of fire and sword leapt forth on all denied his word, and all the lands beyond the hills 125 were filled arith sorrow and with ills.] 124. The relative understood. I suspect both the construc- tion and the word denied, neither of which has the true ring. H reads: And ruin of red fire and sword To all that would not hail him lord Came fast, and far beyond the hills Spread Northern wail and iron ills. And therefore in wet woods and cold etc. 130. 'A weak line' (Peabody) . [The original reading in B which Lewis criticised was who had this king once held in scorn, changed to who once a prince of Men was born] 137. Some emend. The rhythm, however, is good, and probably would occur more often if the syllabic prudery of scribes had not elsewhere 'emended' it. ...
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