Chivalry · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Chivalry by James Branch Cabell.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to Anne Branch Cabell, expressing his devotion and obedience to her as his high and noble lady.
Chapter 2
Precautional
The author introduces the volume as a retelling of tales from Messire Nicolas de Caen, a partisan Yorkist and Burgundian chronicler, and discusses the nature of Chivalry as a pragmatic hypothesis and a code of conduct rooted in the idea of vicarship and a tangible, familial relationship with God.
Chapter 3
Chivalry
This chapter, titled 'Chivalry,' presents a dizain des reines, a poetic sequence of ten stanzas each devoted to a queen, exploring themes of love, power, sacrifice, and the complex interplay between illusion and reality within the chivalric code.
Chapter 4
The Prologue
Messire Nicolas de Caen dedicates his book to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess Dowager of Burgundy, explaining his purpose to write of queens and their love affairs. He reflects on the unique burdens of royal women, who must play the game of life on a loftier table, their choices affecting many lives, and invokes the themes of destiny, choice, and the necessity of proving oneself under the gaze of fate.
Chapter 5
The Story of the Sestina
Dame Alianora, Queen of England, seeks out the clerk Osmund Heleigh, a former troubadour who once loved her, to guide her through hostile territory to Bristol after the Barons' War. During their journey, old wounds and illusions are exposed, and Heleigh ultimately sacrifices his life in her cause, dying in a combat with Gui Camoys.
Chapter 6
The Story of the Tenson
Prince Edward, traveling southward, encounters a page who reveals that his wife, Princess Ellinor, plans to flee to Castile with the help of de Gâtinais. The Prince, initially unaware of her discontent, resolves to retrieve her and confronts de Gâtinais in a tense debate over honor, love, and possession. The chapter explores themes of chivalric duty, marital neglect, and the clash between idealistic love and cynical reality.
Chapter 7
III: The Story of the Rattrap
King Edward, having been cheated of Guienne and the Lady Blanch by King Philippe, devises a trap to capture the French king. He arranges a secret meeting with Blanch in a forester's hut, but the trap is turned around: Philippe plans to murder Edward there. Edward, however, has anticipated the treachery, arrives with hidden armed men, and captures Philippe and his lords. The chapter reveals Edward's cunning and ruthless pursuit of his goals.
Chapter 8
IV: The Story of the Choices
Queen Ysabeau, now ruling England after imprisoning King Edward, torments Sir Gregory Darrell and his beloved Rosamund Eastney. She reveals her own bitter history and tempts Rosamund with a vision of future despair, while Rosamund defends her love with a sermon on man's divine struggle. The chapter explores the Queen's inner turmoil and her manipulation of those around her.
Chapter 9
V: The Story of the Housewife
In 1326, exiled Prince Edward of England and his mother Queen Ysabeau seek refuge at the court of Count William of Hainault. The Count's daughter Philippa boldly declares her love for Edward, leading to an alliance that will restore his throne. Years later, as Queen, Philippa leads the English army against the Scots when no man will, inspiring loyalty and victory. Her steadfast love and courage contrast with King Edward's neglect and infatuation with Catherine de Salisbury. John Copeland, secretly devoted to Philippa, confronts the King, forcing him to recognize his wife's worth.
Chapter 10
VI: The Story of the Satraps
Queen Anne of Bohemia, lonely and childless, befriends the priest Edward Maudelain, a bastard son of Lionel of Clarence who bears a striking resemblance to King Richard. Their bond deepens through shared charity and theological discussion, while the King's uncles plot against him. Maudelain, torn between his love for Anne and his ambition to claim the throne, reveals his royal heritage and his intention to rule, leading to a poignant confrontation about power, sacrifice, and the limits of human agency.
Chapter 11
VII: The Story of the Heritage
The chapter recounts the tale of Edward Maudelain, who lived as the hermit Evrawc in Wales, tormented by demonic visions. A mysterious messenger from a Bohemian woman brings him a lock of hair and the message 'Time is!', prompting Maudelain to abandon his hermitage and impersonate his half-brother King Richard II. The narrative describes his successful imposture and eventual death at the hands of Piers Exton and his men, who strike him down from behind in a felonious blow.
Chapter 12
VIII: The Story of the Scabbard
King Richard, having escaped his usurpation by Henry of Lancaster, returns to Wales under the name Richard Holland. He meets Owain Glyndwyr, who has been plotting rebellion, but Richard declines to participate in the scheme to reclaim the throne, declaring himself indifferent to worldly power. He retreats to a shepherd's life at Caer Idion, where he falls in love with Branwen, the shepherd's daughter, finding peace and a new purpose beyond kingship.
Chapter 13
IX: The Story of the Navarrese
This chapter recounts the tale of Jehane of Navarre, her forced marriage to Duke Jehan of Brittany, her enduring love for Antoine Riczi, and her eventual imprisonment by King Henry on charges of witchcraft. It also follows the Vicomte de Montbrison's quest for vengeance and his subsequent political maneuvering.
Chapter 14
X: The Story of the Fox-Brush
In 1417, Princess Katharine of Valois, left at a convent near Chartres, encounters a huntsman who claims to be a harper named Alain. They fall in love, but she later discovers he is actually King Henry V of England, her country's enemy. Despite her horror and guilt, political necessity forces her to consider marrying him to secure peace for France. The chapter explores their tense reunion at a conference, her fury, and his persistent courtship.
Chapter 15
The Epilogue
Messire Nicolas de Caen addresses his completed book, instructing it to present itself to the lady who commissioned it and to any reader. He defends the truth of his tales by citing his sources—Dame Jehane, Dame Katharine, Messire de Montbrison, Richard Holland, and Madame Isabella of Portugal—and acknowledges the weaker foundation of the first three stories. He reflects on the demon-tainted blood of Edward Longshanks's line, tracing the suffering it caused to wives, heirs, and England, and notes that the final portion of this history is told in 'The Red Cuckold.' He ends with a song accepting the book's inevitable oblivion, yet finding solace in the craftsman's contentment.
Chapter 16
Endnotes
The endnotes provide scholarly references and commentary on the sources and historical details used in the chronicle, including Nicolas de Caen's work, Antoine Riczi's contributions, and the regency of a queen during the French wars.
