of Perceval, and records the fulfillment of an apparent prophecy in regard to what was considered to be the future or fate of the hero. To my mind, these lines sum up the essential theme of the poem,-namely, the hero was destined to become a knight and to avenge the death of his father in spite of all precaution to the contrary. This was the fate which that mother feared; this was the fate which she saw prophesied in the death of her lord.

The poem furnishes another curious bit of evidence as to what might be regarded as a definite prophecy concerning the future knightly achievement of the hero. Arthur has told him that one of his favorite knights, Syr Percyvelle, had been slain fifteen years before by a theffe on whom vengeance had not been taken. He then says (562-568):

"There is no mane apone lyfe,

With swerde, spere, ne with knyfe,
May stroye hym allane,

But if it were syr Percyvelle sone;
Who so wiste where he ware done,
The bokes says that he mone

Venge his fader bane."

Whether or not these lines point to an older version of the story in which some such formal prophecy received a great deal more emphasis, it is difficult to prove. There seems to be some evidence in favor of that view, which if correct makes strongly for my contention.1 On the other hand, if the present classification of the romance as a variant of the Fated Prince formula be correct, the existence of an older version of the story in which the formal prophecy is an important feature becomes almost certain.

These three incidents in the poem, then, the death of Perceval's father with its prophetic import, the record of

'See Nutt, Legend of the Holy Grail, p. 156.

the fulfillment of an apparent prophecy at the time Perceval brought home the horse, and the lines spoken by Arthur concerning the son's avenging the death of his father are sufficient, I think, to make clear the presence of the second incident of the Fated Prince formula in the romance. Perceval was fated to become a knight and to avenge the death of his father. Perceval's mother thought that in the process of the fulfillment of the vengeance her son would be killed; consequently, she was highly displeased at the prospect of his being destined to avenge his father's death at all.

III AND IV

The third and fourth incidents in the Fated Prince formula may be considered together. The third is the removal of the son to some remote district for the purpose of preventing the fulfillment of the prophecy. The fourth concerns the further precautions taken by the parents for the same purpose. The following lines from the romance show how faithfully these incidents are there preserved (161-192):

And now is Percyvelle the wighte
Slayne in batelle and in fyghte;
And the lady hase gyffene a gyfte,
Holde if scho may,

That scho schalle nevermare wonne

In stede with hir 3onge sonne,

Ther dedez of armez schalle be donne,
By nyghte ne be daye;

Bot in the wodde schalle he be,

Salle he nothyng see

Bot the leves of the tree,

And the greves graye:
Schalle he nowther take tent
To justez ne to tournament,

Bot in the wilde wodde went
With bestez to playe.

With wilde bestez for to playe,
Scho tuke hir leve and went hir waye,
Bothe at barone and at raye,

And went to the wodde.

Byhynde scho leved boure and haulle;
A maydene scho tuke hir withalle,
That scho myzte appone calle,

Whenne that hir nede stode:
Other gudez wolde scho nonne nayte;
Bot with hir tuke a tryppe of gayte,
With mylke of thame for to bayte
To hir lyves fode;

Off alle hir lordes faire gere

Wolde scho nozte with hir bere,
Bot a lyttille Scottes spere,

Agayne hir sone jode.

And (229-232),

Fyftene wynter and mare

He duellede in those holtes hare,

Nowther nurture ne lare

Scho wolde hym none lere.

Then (236-240) she asked him to pray

"To goddez sone dere

That he wolde helpe the,
Lorde, for his poustee,

A gude mane for to bee.

And longe to duelle here! "

In the fourth incident as represented in the romance, one important variation from the formula is noticeable: the large attending company in the flight has given place to one maid-servant, and the palace, which usually is erected for the son, has dropped out completely. This change may be due to the extra precautions which the author has Acheflour take; or it may be due to the presence

of the Male Cinderella formula in the same story. In the latter case, the author desiring to emphasize the unpromising character of his hero thought it necessary, in order to be completely consistent, to change the hero's youthful environment, making it in large measure responsible for his reputation and character.

V

Perceval, similarly to the hero in the Fated Prince story, is allowed some freedom by his mother. When Acheflour arrives at her destination, she gives the boy a spear and bids him "walke in the wodde" (230); and much of his time is spent in hunting "bestes and othere gere in the wild wood (209 ff.). It is to be noted here that Acheflour had no fear whatever that her son might be killed by wild beasts; the danger was connected only with deeds of arms, and it lay in her belief that her son was fated to avenge his father's death.

The result of allowing the youth such freedom is identical with what we find in the Fated Prince formula. Perceval's mother has taken him to the wood in order to keep him from contact with deeds of arms. She does not want him even to know what knights are, or to know anything that pertains to a knightly career. Arrived in her retreat, she allows her son the freedom of the wood, and as a result he meets three knights, the very beings who are most closely connected with his fate and from whom he has been jealously guarded (275 ff.).

VI

The hero of the Fated Prince story makes inquiries and learns certain facts concerning what he has just seen.

Perceval does the same in regard to the knights whom he has seen. He asks them what kind of "thynges they are (295); and learning that they are knights of King Arthur, he asks (315-16):

"Wille king Arthoure make me knyghte,

And I come hym tille?"

Shortly after Perceval leaves the knights whom he has met, he catches a mare and says (343-44),

"Thou salle bere me

To morne to the kynge."

He returns to his mother and gives the following account of his adventure (373-380):

"Moder, at zonder hille hafe I bene,
There hafe I thre knyghtes sene,
And I hafe spokene with thame, I wene,
Wordes in throo;

I have highte thame alle thre
Before thaire kyng for to be,
Siche one schalle he make me
As is one of tho!"

VII

The last incident tabulated under the Fated Prince formula is the departure of the youth from home and the fulfillment of his destiny. After Perceval has decided to leave home, and has made known that decision to his mother, she yields reluctantly and gives him friendly counsel and a ring. The youth then mounts upon his mare and sets out for Arthur's hall. After certain adventures on the way, he finally arrives at his destination, rides rudely up to Arthur, and demands knighthood, saying (527-28),