Cliges

'Cliges' is generally thought to be the second of Chretien's Arthurian romances, probably written between 1185-87. It tells of the love of Alexander and Soredamors, and of their son Cliges for Fenice, and much of the action takes place in Constantinople. The story, though not central to Arthurian legends, illustrates how Chretien, through skilful use of Arthurian detail (just as he had been the first to refer to the Round Table as a centre of chivalry, so he is the first toname Arthur's capital Camelot) is able to draw seemingly unrelated stories into the great web of Arthurian romance. This critical edition of 'Cliges' is the first since Wendelin Foerster's, published in 1884, to take account of all the manuscripts. Based on the Guiot manuscript, it contains many emendations, to produce a text closer to that of Chretien. The variant apparatus contains the rejected readings, including those individual to the base manuscript. The critical notes, on the page, are mainly concerned with the emendations, and the glossary covers usages other than those in modern French. The editors provide a description of the manuscripts, examine the manuscript tradition of the text, describe their use of the base manuscript, and set out the most important linguistic features of the critical text and the text of Guiot. Dr STEWART GREGORY is in the Department of French, Leicester University; Dr CLAUDE LUTTRELL was formerly in the English Department at the same university, and is well-known for his books and articles on twelfth-century French Arthurian romance.