r at Paris marked the festival, on June
11, of St. Denis, the patron saint of the city. (F.)]

[Footnote 413: "Donbes" (=Dombes) is the reading chosen by Foerster from
a number of variants. None of these variants has any significance, but
a place-name rhyming with "tonbes" in the preceding verse is required.
Modern Dombes is the name of a former principality in Burgundy, between
the Rhone and the Saone, while Pampelune is, of course, a Spanish city
near the French frontier. (F.)]

[Footnote 414: The topography of the kingdom of Gorre, the land where
dwell the captives held by King Bademagu, is much confused. One would
suppose at first that the stream traversed by the two perilous bridges
formed the frontier of the kingdom. But here (v.2102), before reaching
such a frontier, the captives are already met. Foerster suggests that we
may be here at a sort of foreground or borderland which is defended by
the knight at the ford (v. 735 f.), and which, though not within the
limits of the kingdom, is nevertheless beneath the sway of Bademagu. In
the sequel the stream with the perilous bridges is placed immediately
before the King's palace (cf. Foerster's note and G. Paris in "Romania",
xxi. 471 note).]

[Footnote 415: For magic rings, see A. Hertel, op. cit., p. 62 f.]

[Footnote 416: This "dame" was the fairy Vivian, "the lady of the lake".
(F.)]

[Footnote 417: A good example of the moral dilemmas in which Chretien
delights to place his characters. Under the displeasing shell of
allegory and mediaeval casuistry we have here the germ of psychological
analysis of motive.]

[Footnote 418: The legendary origin of this ointment, named after Mary
Magdelene, Mary the mother of James, and Mary Salome, is mentioned in
the epic poem "Mort Aimeri de Narbonne" (ed. "Anciens Textes", p. 86).
(F.)]

[Footnote 419: The universities of Montpellier and of Salerno were the
chief centres of medical study in the Middle Ages. Salerno is referred
to in "Cliges", v. 5818.]

[Footnote 420: The hero of the poem is here first mentioned by name.]

[Footnote 421: The classic love-story of Pyramus and Thisbe, told by
Ovid et al., was a favourite in the Middle Ages.]

[Footnote 422: Here he have the explanation of Guinevere's cold
reception of Lancelot; he had been faithless to the rigid code of
courtesy when he had hesitated for even a moment to cover himself with
shame for her sake.]

[Footnote 423: The expression "or est venuz qui aunera",