mance. Why did Erec treat
his wife with such severity? In the Mabinogi of "Geraint the Son of
Erbin", it is plain that jealousy was the hero's motive. The reader of
"Erec" may judge whether, as we believe, the hero's sudden resolve is
not rather that of a man piqued at being justly reproved by his wife
for a delinquency he had not himself remarked; irate at his wife's
imputation, and fearful of having forfeited her respect, he starts
out to redeem his reputation in her eyes, and to maker her retract any
insinuation she had made. Erec is simply angry with himself, but he
expends his wrath upon his defenceless wife until he is reassured of her
love and respect for him.]

[Footnote 128: The situation here is a common one. Parallels will be
found in the "Voyage de Charlemagne", in the first tale of the "Arabian
Nights", in the poem "Biterolf and Dietlieb", and in the English ballad
of "King Arthur and King Cornwall". Professor Child, in his "English and
Scotch Ballads", indexes the ballads in his collection, which present
this motive, under the following caption: "King who regards himself as
the richest, most magnificent, etc., in the world, is told that there is
one who outstrips him, and undertakes to see for himself whether this is
so, threatening death to the person who has affirmed his inferiority in
case this is disproved."]

[Footnote 129: The presence of the Irish in this connection is explained
by G. Paris in "Romania", xx. 149.]

[Footnote 130: Kay the Seneschal appears here for the first time in
Chretien's poems with the character which he regularly ascribes to him.
Readers of Arthurian romance are all familiar with Sir Kay; they will
find that in Chretien, the seneschal, in addition to his undeniable
qualities of bravery and frankness, has less pleasing traits; he is
foolhardy, tactless, mean, and a disparager of others' merit. He figures
prominently in "Yvain" and "Lancelot". His poetic history has not yet
been written. His role in the German romances has been touched upon by
Dr. Friedrich Sachse, "Ueber den Ritter Kei" (Berlin, 1860).]

[Footnote 131: No meat was eaten because it was the eve of Sunday.]

[Footnote 132: In the French epic poems and romances of adventure alike
it is customary for giants and all manner of rustic boors to carry
clubs, the arms of knighthood being appropriate for such ignoble
creatures. Other instances of this convention will be remarked in the
text.]

[Footnote 133: There f