Geste des Bretuns en alexandrins, ou, Harley Brut par Beatrice Barbieri (review)

The substantial fragments of an Anglo-Norman Brut in London, BL, MS Harley 1605a¹(its Merlin prophecies also preserved in Lincoln, Cathedral Library 104, and London, BL, MS Add. 45103) have long stood in need of an edition. Hitherto, only the prophecies and the fifth fragment of the Brut have been edited. In her Introduction, Beatrice Barbieri provides excellent codicological descriptions of the manuscripts before proceeding to analyse carefully the complex of translations and adaptations of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae into medieval insular French. She establishes the precise version of the Historia used by the anonymous author of what she now calls the Geste des Bretuns, a title that reflects the nature of the text better than the traditional 'Harley Brut'. Barbieri then goes on to examine the stylistic features of the work, which situate it interestingly in the orbit of the chanson de geste. The use of parallel laisses, clichés, and formulaic expressions all lend an epic air to the 3449 surviving alexandrines, which probably constitute about a quarter of the original text. Given the early date of the Geste (second half of the twelfth century, probably after 1170), the alexandrines may be considered precocious. Another noticeable feature of the Geste is its increased emphasis on Arthur's standing through modifications and additions to the narrative of events during his reign, the purpose of which may be to elevate Arthur to the status of Alexander. The hermetic and obscure nature of the Merlin prophecies rendered them difficult to translate, although they were still considered interesting, and perhaps enigmatic, enough to circulate separately in the Lincoln and Additional manuscripts. Barbieri's introductory matter includes the usual sections on previous editions, manuscript relations, language and versification, and explanation of editorial principles. The text itself is impeccably edited, with rejected readings and variants at the foot of the page (where they should be) and an asterisk indicating the presence of a note after the text. A glossary, bibliography, and indices of proper names and places complete the volume. It is not clear why the bibliography has been placed between the glossary and the two indices rather than at the end of the Introduction. Despite the relative brevity of the surviving witnesses, the Geste des Bretuns assumes a significant place in the tradition of the vernacular Brut. Specialists in Anglo-Norman and Arthurian literature will welcome this addition to the corpus of accessible texts. They will also be grateful that this interesting work has benefited from the attention of someone well trained in the Italian philological tradition. Rumours of the death of editing may have been exaggerated, but our university authorities and those who presume to evaluate research still need reminding that critical editions can make serious and worthwhile contributions to scholarship.