Le Vocabulaire de Marie de France by Denise McClelland (review)

Steiner's views at least deserve a hearing, and he offers a handy summary of Steiner's main ideas. Some of Barfield's own key ideas - such as the 'evolution of consciousness' - are not adequately explained here, but Adey does suggest enough of Barfield's ethic (which sees man as his own law-giver) and of his metaphysic to support the claim that Barfield's thought is 'both more original and more profound' than Lewis's. (R.P. BILAN) Denise McClelland. Le Vocabulaire de Marie de France Editions de l'Universite d'Ottawa 1977. 203. $9.00 paper Yet again we have a study of Marie de France and more particularly the vocabulary of the Lais. The prime justification for this meticulous work is the computer. Every word has been fed into the machine, disgorged, scrutinized, corrected where necessary, and categorized. In addition to the generally diachronic assessment of the language provided by Old French dictionaries, the author asserts that her study offets a synchronic classification of the vocabulary and citations of actual historical episodes which may help to clarify a meaning. The vocabulary is further examined on what are termed semantic and psychological planes. Under the first rubric a word is categorized according to its literal and figurative senses and according to whether it applies to man and/or beast. Under the rubric deSignated psychological a word is considered under a diversity of connotations which may arise from the circumstances under which it is used; for example, plurer is found to occur seventeen times associated with unpleasant situations and only twice with agreeable ones. In the broadest terms the vocabulary is organized under three general classifications: (1) man, in physical, moral, and spiritual evocations; (2) society; and (3) the universe. As an indication of the thoroughgoing nature of the study, the chapter on man finds the vocabulary associated with him considered under the following divisions: body, organic functions , voice, sensations, life, death gestures, needs, health, diseases, wounds, amorous feelings, and so on. In addition, charts, of which there are a number, provide further subdivisions, as for example 'sensations,' examined under the headings Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. The vocabulary referring to man as a·spiritual and moral being is scrutinized under wisdom and intelligence and their opposites, fear, love, hope, and jealousy and their contrary feelings, perception, judgment, memory, desire, aptitude, and so on. This is all one would expect from the careful and intelligent use of a computer. However, does the study provide any really new inSights? A few perhaps. The author enumerates some: a more precise clarification of HUMANITIES 421 the meaning of jagunce (pp 117-18); an elaboration of the social connotations of certain words, e.g., enaser (p 39); and the provision of hitherto unnoted, at least in the case of Marie de France, historical situations which explain or underline the Significance of certain passages concerning such m atters, for example, as marriage and disinheritance. However probably the greatest value of the work will be its use as a tool for those who wish to study the originality 01 Marie's vocabulary and style. This can only be achieved by a systematic comparison with contemporary works which have been given the same minute and careful treatment as the Lais have received in this volume. It is to be hoped that this study will provide the inspiration for such an undertaking. (ROBERT HARDEN) Michel Lemaire. Le Dandysme de Baudelaire aMallarme Les Presses de I'Universite de MontreallKlincksieck. 330. $15.50 D'une mode assez superfiCielle importee d'Angleterre au debut du XIX' siecle, certains ecrivains qui se voulurent eux-memes dandys, Baudelaire bien sur, mais aussi Barbey d'Aurevilly, Gautier, Villiers de l'lsle-Adam, auront fait, selon Michel Lemaire, une 'philosophie d'une haute portee morale et esthetique.' Ce dernier entend eflectivement demontrer que, chez ces ecrivains-dandys, Ie dandysme et I'ecriture etaient des manifestations complementaires d'une meme volante formelle , ala fois morale et esthetique. La premiere partie de son etude fournit une description de cette codilication des modes du paraitre londee sur Ie refus conjugue de la societe bourgeoise et de I'existence. Ce relus se manileste dans la distance qu...