The Betrothed is one of the Waverley novels written by Sir Walter Scott. It was published in 1825 and is set in the Welsh Marches during the 12th century. This novel is the first of two stories called Tales of the Crusaders; the second story is The Talisman.

Some parts of the novel were used in Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto for Giuseppe Verdi’s 1857 opera Aroldo. This opera was rewritten from an earlier Verdi opera called Stiffelio.

Composition and sources

In early April 1824, two months before finishing Redgauntlet, Scott planned to publish a four-volume work containing two stories, one of which would be about the Crusades. He started writing the first story, The Betrothed, in June, but progress was very slow. At first, interruptions from visitors to Abbotsford slowed his work. By mid-August, only the middle of the first volume had been completed. In September, Scott wrote only occasionally, and the first volume was not finished until early October. Later, James Ballantyne raised concerns about the novel, and it is likely Scott switched to writing the companion novel The Talisman during the autumn. On December 17, it was decided to stop working on The Betrothed, even though the second volume was nearly finished and the printed pages were stored. In mid-February 1825, this decision was reversed, and the novel was completed by mid-March. Scott later returned to revise the ending in early June.

Like all of Scott’s novels, The Betrothed includes many references to medieval stories. For its Welsh themes, Scott used two sources: a 12th-century text and a 19th-century translation. These included Sir Richard Colt Hoare’s 1806 translation of The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales by Giraldus Cambrensis, and The Cambrian Biography by William Owen (1803).

Editions

The first edition of the book was published in Edinburgh by Archibald Constable and Co. on June 22, 1825, as part of Tales of the Crusaders. It was also advertised for sale in London by Hurst, Robinson, and Co. on the same date, but it was not released there until July 11. The cost was two guineas, which was equal to £2.10. Like all Waverley novels until 1827, the author was not named. There is no clear proof that Scott returned to The Betrothed until the spring of 1831, when he revised the text and added an introduction and notes for the 'Magnum' edition. This version was published as Volume 37 in June 1832.

A standard modern edition, created by J. B. Ellis, J. H. Alexander, and David Hewitt, was published in 2009 as Volume 18a of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels. This edition is based on the first edition, with changes mainly from the original manuscript. The 'Magnum' version appears in Volume 25b of the same series, published in 2012.

Plot introduction

The story takes place in the Welsh Marches during the later years of Henry II's rule, after the year 1187. Eveline, a 16-year-old girl and daughter of Sir Raymond Berenger, is saved from a Welsh attack by the soldiers of Damian Lacy. She is promised in marriage to Damian's uncle, Sir Hugo, who departs on a crusade. Later, rebels led by Ranald Lacy try to take Eveline by force. Damian fights to protect her, but a series of confusing events leads the king to believe that Eveline and her lover are working against him.

Plot summary

Baldwin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, encouraged the Britons and Anglo-Normans living near the Welsh territories to stop their conflicts and join the third Crusade. Following this, Gwenwyn, the Prince of Powys, and Sir Raymond Berenger, the Knight of Garde Doloureuse, agreed to visit each other’s homes as a sign of friendship. Gwenwyn, at the advice of his chaplain, decided to divorce his wife, Brengwan, so he could marry Sir Raymond’s daughter, Eveline. However, a messenger arrived with a letter stating that Eveline was already promised to Sir Hugo de Lacy, the Constable of Chester. This upset the Welsh, who saw it as an insult. The bards sang a call to war, the Norman castle was attacked, and Sir Hugo was killed in battle with Gwenwyn. Eveline, who was on the castle walls, inspired the defenders, who were also helped by supplies sent by a Flemish weaver and the chaplain’s military knowledge. They held out until Damian Lacy arrived with a large force, defeating the Britons and killing Gwenwyn.

Eveline met with Sir Hugo, who escorted her to her aunt’s nunnery in Gloucester, accompanied by a large group. During the journey, she stayed overnight at the home of a Saxon relative, the Lady of Baldringham, where she spent the night in a haunted room and saw the ghost of an ancestor’s wife, who warned her about a future event.

At the nunnery, Eveline was officially promised to Sir Hugo. However, the Archbishop ordered Sir Hugo to go to Palestine for three years, and he offered to cancel their engagement. Eveline, against her aunt’s advice, decided to wait for Sir Hugo’s return. She was to live in Sir Hugo’s castle with Rose, Dame Gillian, and Damian as her guardian. Bored by her lonely life, Eveline joined a hawking trip without her usual guards and was captured by rebels secretly supported by Ranald Lacy. Damian, trying to rescue her, was seriously injured. Eveline cared for him in the castle while Amelot led soldiers to chase the rebels, whose actions had reached the king. Sir Guy Monthermer was sent to the castle, where he was denied entry. A herald then declared Eveline and those who supported her as traitors.

Sir Hugo and his squire, who had been thought dead, returned from Syria disguised as travelers. At the same time, the castle was taken by Prince Richard’s forces, and Eveline was sent to a convent while Damian was imprisoned. Learning of these events from old Raoul and his wife, Sir Hugo traveled to King Henry’s camp. There, Ranald Lacy, who had falsely claimed Eveline’s lands and pretended to be Sir Hugo, was about to present a royal charter to Flemish settlers. Cadwallon, a Welsh bard who had joined Sir Hugo as a minstrel, mistakenly attacked Ranald, thinking he was Sir Hugo. Sir Hugo revealed himself, was welcomed by the king, and the assassin was executed. Realizing Eveline loved Damian, Sir Hugo gave her to him and joined the campaign to conquer Ireland.

Characters

Principal characters in bold

• Gwenwyn, the Prince of Powys-land
• Brengwain, his wife
• Father Einion, his chaplain
• Jorworth ap Jevan, his messenger
• Cadwallon, his principal bard
• Caradoc of Menwygent, another bard
• Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Sir Raymond Berenger, of Garde Doloureuse
• Eveline Berenger, his daughter
• The Benedictine Abbess at Gloucester, his sister
• Father Aldrovand, his chaplain
• Dennis Morolt, his squire
• Reinold, his butler
• Raoul Gillian, his huntsman
• Dame Gillian, his wife
• Sir Hugo de Lacy, Constable of Chester
• Damian de Lacy, his nephew
• Randal de Lacy, their kinsman
• Wild Wenlock, another kinsman
• Philip Guarine, Sir Hugo's squire
• Amelot, Damian Lacy's page
• Ralph Genvil, his banner-bearer
• Wilkin Flammock, a Flemish weaver
• Rose Flammock, his daughter, and Eveline's waiting-maid
• Ermingarde, the Lady of Baldringham
• Berwine, her housekeeper
• Hundwolf, her steward
• Guy de Monthermer, in command of the King's troops
• King Henry II of England
• Prince Richard and Prince John, his sons

Chapter summary

Introduction (to Tales of the Crusaders): "Minutes of a meeting held by shareholders who want to create a group to write and publish a series of books known as the Waverley Novels."

Chapter 1: The Welsh prince Guenwyn wants to marry Eveline, the daughter of his former Norman enemy Raymond Beranger. He starts the process of ending his marriage to Brengwain.

Chapter 2: Guenwyn receives a letter from Raymond refusing his proposal. He decides to prepare for war.

Chapter 3: As Welsh forces move toward the Garde Douloureuse, Raymond tells his squire Morolt and Wilkin Flammock that he will give Guenwyn a fair chance in battle. Wilkin is placed in charge of defending the castle and drinks heavily to prepare.

Chapter 4: Raymond is killed during the battle.

Chapter 5: Wilkin and Father Aldrovand plan to defend the castle. Wilkin tricks Iorworth, Guenwyn’s messenger, into thinking the castle will surrender.

Chapter 6: Eveline promises the Virgin Mary that she will marry any knight who saves the castle. Rose defends her father against Aldrovand’s accusation of betrayal.

Chapter 7: Wilkin explains his trick to Aldrovand and sends Iorworth away after receiving supplies through his deception.

Chapter 8: Eveline prepares for the attack. The Welsh are driven back during their first attempt to capture the castle.

Chapter 9: Sir Hugo de Lacy, the Constable of Chester, arrives and defeats the Welsh. His nephew Damian enters the castle.

Chapter 10: Damian tells Eveline that Guenwyn has died. During Raymond’s funeral, Dame Gillian speaks with a disguised merchant, Randal de Lacy, about Eveline’s future, suggesting Damian might be a better match than Sir Hugo.

Chapter 11: Damian arranges for Eveline to meet his father, Sir Hugo, in a pavilion, where Sir Hugo asks her to marry him. She asks for time to think, planning to consult her aunt, the Benedictine Abbess at Gloucester.

Chapter 12: Rose advises Eveline not to accept Sir Hugo’s proposal.

Chapter 13: Sir Hugo accompanies Eveline on her journey to Gloucester. Along the way, she stays overnight at Baldringham, the home of her grandmother’s sister, Ermingarde, who disapproved of her sister’s Norman marriage.

Chapter 14: After dinner at Baldringham, Eveline undergoes the traditional Red Finger ordeal.

Chapter 15: The next morning, Eveline leaves Baldringham, with Ermingarde making ominous predictions. On the road, she tells Rose about the ordeal, in which the ghost of the Druid Vanda, murdered by her husband, said: “Widow’d wife and married maid, Betroth’d, betrayer, and betray’d!” Eveline is impressed by Sir Hugo’s wisdom.

Chapter 16: Long discussions take place at Gloucester to prepare for Eveline’s betrothal to Sir Hugo. Randal de Lacy introduces himself to Eveline and asks her to invite him to the ceremony. Sir Hugo reluctantly agrees.

Chapter 1 (17): Damian arrives for the betrothal but is seriously ill. Archbishop Baldwin’s officer arrives to summon Sir Hugo. Sir Hugo refuses Randal’s offer to help him.

Chapter 2 (18): Sir Hugo cannot enter Damian’s sickroom. The archbishop convinces Sir Hugo not to delay his crusading mission for his marriage. A minstrel in unusual clothing, Renault Vidal (disguised as Guenwyn’s bard, Cadwallon), arrives with news that Damian is recovering.

Chapter 3 (19): After initially refusing, Sir Hugo agrees to let Vidal join him on his journey to the Holy Land. The abbess persuades Sir Hugo to let Eveline end their engagement, but she refuses and decides to leave the convent to go to the Garde Douloureuse.

Chapter 4 (20): Vidal sings unsettling songs to Sir Hugo and is sent to his quarters by the squire Guarine.

Chapter 5 (21): Wilkin convinces Sir Hugo that Damian, not Wilkin, should manage the Garde Douloureuse while Sir Hugo is away.

Chapter 6 (22): Eveline finds life at the castle boring for nearly three years, as she has only formal contact with Damian.

Chapter 7 (23): While on a hunting trip, Eveline is captured by Welsh soldiers.

Chapter 8 (24): Imprisoned beneath a giant cauldron (or in a cairn tomb in other editions), Eveline hears amplified sounds of battle. When they fade, she communicates with the wounded Damian. The return of Wilkin’s victorious group leads to her rescue, and she tends to Damian’s wounds.

Chapter 9 (25): The narrator explains how Eveline was rescued.

Chapter 10 (26): Eveline takes Damian to the castle, ignoring Rose’s suggestion that Wilkin provide him lodging to avoid scandal.

Chapter 11 (27): Eveline finds Damian mentally troubled. His page, Amelot, explains that rebels accuse Damian of supporting their uprising. Eveline insists her soldiers follow Amelot to help Damian rescue his cousin, Wild Wenlock. When the villagers surrender, Wenlock’s head is brought to Amelot, mistakenly believing Damian would approve of his execution.

Chapter 12 (28): Eveline comforts Damian and rejects Rose’s idea that Sir Hugo might not return. She refuses to let Guy de Monthermer arrest Damian in the King’s name.

Chapter 13 (29): Three months later, Sir Hugo and Guarine return from the Holy Land in disguise. They argue about Vidal’s loyalty. Vidal arrives with false news that the castle is now under the King’s control and claims Eveline and Damian are lovers who rebelled against the King.

Chapter 14 (30): Sir Hugo ignores Vidal’s admiration for his strength under pressure. Gillian and Raoul arrive with accurate news: Eveline and Damian are innocent, and Randal, who captured Eveline earlier, is the real villain. Randal falsely told the King that Sir Hugo is dead.

Chapter 15 (31): As Randal leaves to deliver a royal charter to the Flemings, Vidal kills him, believing him to be Sir Hugo. Vidal reveals his true identity as Cadwallon and is executed by the King’s order.

Conclusion: While confined in her aunt’s convent, Eveline learns from Rose that Sir Hugo has returned and Damian has been restored to the King’s favor. In a later story, Damian is tested by Sir Hugo, disguised as a pilgrim, and proves his honesty. Sir Hugo gives up his claim to Eveline in favor of his nephew.

Reception

The reviewers usually thought The Betrothed was not as good as The Talisman, and their articles focused more on the latter. However, more than half of the reviewers were very positive about The Betrothed, and only four were highly critical. The most common complaints were about parts of the book that felt slow and boring. The Introduction received more criticism than praise. Among the characters, Wilkin Flammock and his daughter Rose were often praised for their roles.