This unseemly antiquarian
detail, of course, is omitted in the Idyll.
An abstract of the Welsh tale will show how closely Tennyson here
follows his original. News is brought into Arthur's Court of the
appearance of a white stag. The king arranges a hunt, and Guinevere
asks leave to go and watch the sport. Next morning she cannot be
wakened, though the tale does not aver, like the Idyll, that she was
"Lost in sweet dreams, and dreaming of her love
For Lancelot."
Guinevere wakes late, and rides through a ford of Usk to the hunt.
Geraint follows, "a golden-hilted sword was at his side, and a robe
and a surcoat of satin were upon him, and two shoes of leather upon
his feet, and around him was a scarf of blue purple, at each corner
of which was a golden apple":-
"But Guinevere lay late into the morn,
Lost in sweet dreams, and dreaming of her love
For Lancelot, and forgetful of the hunt;
But rose at last, a single maiden with her,
Took horse, and forded Usk, and gain'd the wood;
There, on a little knoll beside it, stay'd
Waiting to hear the hounds; but heard instead
A sudden sound of hoofs, for Prince Geraint,
Late also, wearing neither hunting-dress
Nor weapon, save a golden-hilted brand,
Came quickly flashing thro' the shallow ford
Behind them, and so gallop'd up the knoll.
A purple scarf, at either end whereof
There swung an apple of the purest gold,
Sway'd round about him, as he gallop'd up
To join them, glancing like a dragon-fly
In summer suit and silks of holiday.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132