diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/clige10.txt | 4251 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/clige10.zip | bin | 0 -> 97705 bytes |
2 files changed, 4251 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/clige10.txt b/old/clige10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a665119 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/clige10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4251 @@ +Project Gutenberg's etext, Cliges: A Romance by Chretien de Troyes + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +Cliges: A Romance + +by Chretien de Troyes + + +November, 2000 [Etext #2414] + + +Project Gutenberg Etext, Cliges: A Romance by Chretien de Troyes +******This file should be named clige10.txt or clige10.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, clige11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, clige10a.txt + + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any +of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. + +Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. To be sure you have an +up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes +in the first week of the next month. Since our ftp program has +a bug in it that scrambles the date [tried to fix and failed] a +look at the file size will have to do, but we will try to see a +new copy has at least one byte more or less. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release thirty-six text +files per month, or 432 more Etexts in 1999 for a total of 2000+ +If these reach just 10% of the computerized population, then the +total should reach over 200 billion Etexts given away this year. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only ~5% of the present number of computer users. + +At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third +of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 3,333 Etexts unless we +manage to get some real funding; currently our funding is mostly +from Michael Hart's salary at Carnegie-Mellon University, and an +assortment of sporadic gifts; this salary is only good for a few +more years, so we are looking for something to replace it, as we +don't want Project Gutenberg to be so dependent on one person. + +We need your donations more than ever! + + +All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/CMU": and are +tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. (CMU = Carnegie- +Mellon University). + +For these and other matters, please mail to: + +Project Gutenberg +P. O. Box 2782 +Champaign, IL 61825 + +When all other email fails. . .try our Executive Director: +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> +hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org +if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if +it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . . + +We would prefer to send you this information by email. + +****** + +To access Project Gutenberg etexts, use any Web browser +to view http://promo.net/pg. This site lists Etexts by +author and by title, and includes information about how +to get involved with Project Gutenberg. You could also +download our past Newsletters, or subscribe here. This +is one of our major sites, please email hart@pobox.com, +for a more complete list of our various sites. + +To go directly to the etext collections, use FTP or any +Web browser to visit a Project Gutenberg mirror (mirror +sites are available on 7 continents; mirrors are listed +at http://promo.net/pg). + +Example FTP session: + +ftp metalab.unc.edu +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg +cd etext90 through etext99 or etext00 +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET GUTINDEX.?? [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99] +GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books] + +**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor** + +(Three Pages) + + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG- +tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor +Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association at +Carnegie-Mellon University (the "Project"). Among other +things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this +etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, +officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost +and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or +indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: +[1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification, +or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- + cessing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the + net profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon + University" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Carnegie-Mellon University". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +Cliges: A Romance by Chretien de Troyes, trans. L. J. +Gardiner. + +This translation was published with no copyright notice in 1966. +"T. Camp" <campt +miralink.com> + +CLIGES: A ROMANCE + +NOW TRANSLATED BY L. J. GARDINER, M.A. +FROM THE OLD FRENCH OF CHRETIEN DE TROYES + +COOPER SQUARE PUBLISHERS, INC. +NEW YORK 1966 +Published 1966 by Cooper Square Publishers, Inc. +59 Fourth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10003 +Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 66-23315 +Printed in the United States of America +By Noble Offset Printers, Inc., New York, N. Y. 10003 + +INTRODUCTION + +IT is six hundred and fifty years since Chretien de Troyes wrote +his Cliges. And yet he is wonderfully near us, whereas he is +separated by a great gulf from the rude trouveres of the Chansons +de Gestes and from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was still +dragging out its weary length in his early days. Chretien is as +refined, as civilised, as composite as we are ourselves; his +ladies are as full of whims, impulses, sudden reserves, +self-debate as M. Paul Bourget's heroines; while the problems of +conscience and of emotion which confront them are as complex as +those presented on the modern stage. Indeed, there is no break +between the Breton romance and the psychological-analytical novel +of our own day. + +Whence comes this amazing modernity and complexity? From many +sources:--Provencal love-lore, Oriental subtlety, and Celtic +mysticism--all blended by that marvellous dexterity, style, +malice, and measure which are so utterly French that English has +no adequate words for them. We said "Celtic mysticism," but there +is something else about Chretien which is also Celtic, though +very far from being "mystic". We talk a great deal nowadays about +Celtic melancholy, Celtic dreaminess, Celtic "other-worldliness"; +and we forget the qualities that made Caesar's Gauls, St. Paul's +Galatians, so different from the grave and steadfast Romans--that +loud Gaulois that has made the Parisian the typical Frenchman. A +different being, this modern Athenian, from the mystic Irish +peasant we see in the poetic modern Irish drama!--and yet both +are Celts. + +Not much "other-worldliness" about Chretien. He is as positive as +any man can be. His is not of the world of Saint Louis, of the +Crusaders, of the Cathedral-builders. In Cliges there is no +religious atmosphere at all. We hear scarcely anything of Mass, +of bishops, of convents. When he mentions Tierce or Prime, it is +merely to tell us the hour at which something happened--and this +something is never a religious service. There is nothing behind +the glamour of arms and love, except for the cas de conscience +presented by the lovers. Nothing but names and framework are +Celtic; the spirit, with its refinements and its hair-splitting, +is Provencal. But what a brilliant whole! what art! what measure! +Our thoughts turn to the gifted women of the age--as subtle, as +interesting, and as unscrupulous as the women of the +Renaissance--to Eleanor of Aquitaine, a reigning princess, a +troubadour, a Crusader, the wife of two kings, the mother of two +kings, to the last, intriguing and pulling the strings of +political power--"An Ate, stirring him [King John] to blood and +strife." + +The twelfth century was an age in which women had full scope--in +which the Empress Maud herself took the field against her foe, in +which Stephen's queen seized a fortress, in which a wife could +move her husband to war or to peace, in which a Marie of +Champagne (Eleanor's daughter) could set the tone of great poets +and choose their subjects. + +If, then, this woman-worship, this complexity of love, this +self-debating, first comes into literature with Chretien de +Troyes, and is still with us, no more interesting work exists +than his earliest masterpiece, Cliges. The delicate and reticent +Soredamors; the courteous and lovable, Guinevere; the proud and +passionate Fenice, who will not sacrifice her fair fame and +chastity; the sorceress Thessala, ancestress of Juliet's +nurse--these form a gallery of portraits unprecedented in +literature. + +The translator takes this opportunity of thanking Mr. B. J. +Hayes, M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, for occasional +help, and also for kindly reading the proofs. + +CLIGES + +THE clerk who wrote the tale of Erec and Enid, and translated the +Commandments of Ovid and the Art of Love, and composed the Bite +of the Shoulder, and sang of King Mark and of the blonde Iseult, +and of the metamorphosis of the Hoopoe and of the Swallow and of +the Nightingale, is now beginning a new tale of a youth who was +in Greece of the lineage of King Arthur. But before I tell you +anything of him, you shall hear his father's life--whence he was +and of what lineage. So valiant was he and of such proud spirit, +that to win worth and praise he went from Greece to England, +which was then called Britain. We find this story that I desire +to tell and to relate to you, recorded in one of the books of the +library of my lord Saint Peter at Beauvais. Thence was taken the +tale from which Chretien framed this romance. The book, which +truthfully bears witness to the story, is very ancient; for this +reason it is all the more to be believed. From the books which we +possess, we know the deeds of the ancients and of the world which +aforetime was. This our books have taught us: that Greece had the +first renown in chivalry and in learning. Then came chivalry to +Rome, and the heyday of learning, which now is come into France. +God grant that she be maintained there; and that her home there +please her so much that never may depart from France the honour +which has there taken up its abode. God had lent that glory to +others; but no man talks any longer either more or less about +Greeks and Romans; talk of them has ceased, and the bright glow +is extinct. + +Chretien begins his tale--as the story relates to us--which tells +of an emperor mighty in wealth and honour, who ruled Greece and +Constantinople. There was a very noble empress by whom the +emperor had two children. But the first was of such an age before +the other was born, that if he had willed he might have become a +knight and held all the empire. The first was named Alexander; +the younger was called Alis. The father too had for name +Alexander; and the mother had for name Tantalis. I will +straight-away leave speaking of the empress Tantalis, of the +emperor, and of Alis. I will speak to you of Alexander, who was +so great-hearted and proud that he did not stoop to become a +knight in his own realm. He had heard mention made of King +Arthur, who was reigning at that time; and of the barons which he +ever maintained in his retinue wherefore his Court was feared and +famed throughout the world. Howe'er the end may fall out for him +, and whate'er may come of it for the lad, there is nought that +will hold him from his yearning to go to Britain; but it is meet +that he take leave of his father before he goes to Britain or to +Cornwall. Alexander the fair, the valiant, goes to speak to the +emperor in order to ask permission and to take his leave. Now +will he tell him what is his vow, and what he would fain do and +take in hand. "Fair sire, that I may be schooled in honour and +win worth and renown, a boon," quoth he, "I venture to crave of +you--a boon that I would have you give me; never defer it now for +me if you are destined to grant it." The emperor had no thought +of being vexed for that, either much or little; he is bound to +desire and to covet honour for his son above aught else. He would +deem himself to be acting well--would deem? ay, and he would be +so acting--if he increased his son's honour. "Fair son," quoth +he, "I grant you your good pleasure, and tell me what you would +have me give you." Now the lad has done his work well; and right +glad was he of it when is granted him the boon that he so longed +to have. "Sire," quoth he, "would you know what you have promised +me? I wish to have in great store of your gold and of your silver +and comrades from your retinue such as I shall will to choose; +for I wish to go forth from your empire, and I shall go to offer +my service to the king who reigns over Britain, that he may dub +me knight. Never, indeed, on any day as long as I live shall I +wear visor on my face or helm on my head, I warrant you, till +King Arthur gird on my sword if he deign to do it; for I will +receive arms of no other." The emperor without more ado replies: +"Fair son, in God's name, say not so. This land and mighty are +diverse and contrary. And that man is a slave. Constantinople is +wholly yours. You must not hold me a niggard when I would fain +give you so fair a boon. Soon will I have you crowned; and a +knight shall you be to-morrow. All Greece shall be in your hand; +and you shall receive from your barons--as indeed you ought to +receive--their oaths and homage. He who refuses this is no wise +man." + +The lad hears the promise--namely, that his father will dub him +knight on the morrow after Mass--but says that he will prove +himself coward or hero in another land than his own. "If you will +grant my boon in that matter in which I have asked you; then give +me fur both grey and of divers colour and good steeds and silken +attire; for before I am knight I will fain serve King Arthur. Not +yet have I so great valour that I can bear arms. None by entreaty +or by fair words could persuade me not to go into the foreign +land to see the king and his barons, whose renown for courtesy +and for prowess is so great. Many high men through their idleness +lose great praise that they might have if they wandered o'er the +world. Repose and praise agree all together, as it seems to me; +for a man of might who is ever resting in no wise becomes famous. +Prowess is a burden to a cowardly man; and cowardice is a burden +to the brave; thus the twain to his possessions who is ever +heaping them up and increasing them. Fair sire, as long as I am +allowed to win renown, if I can avail so much, I will give my +pains and diligence to it." + +At this, without doubt, the emperor feels joy and anxiety--joy +has he; for that he perceives that his son aims at valiant deeds; +and anxiety on the other hand, for that he is leaving him. But +because of the promise that he has made him it behoves him to +grant his boon whatever anxiety he feel about it; for an emperor +must not lie. "Fair son," quoth he, "I ought not to fail to do +your pleasure, since I see that you aspire to honour. You may +take from my treasury two barques full of gold and silver; but +take care that you be very generous and courteous and well-bred." +Now is the youth right glad; for his father promises him so much +that he puts his treasure at his free disposal and exhorts and +commands him to give and to spend liberally; and also he tells +him the reason wherefore: "Fair son," quoth he, "believe me in +this; that open-handedness is the lady and queen who illumines +all virtues; and it is not a whit difficult to prove this. In +what place could one find a man, however mighty and magnificent +he be, that is not blamed if he be a niggard; or any man, however +ill-reputed he be, whom liberality does not render praised? +Liberality of itself makes a man of honour--which neither high +Rank, nor courtesy, nor knowledge, nor noble birth, nor wealth , +nor strength, nor chivalry, nor courage, nor lordship, nor +beauty, nor any other thing, can do. But just as the rose is +fairer than any other flower when she buddeth fresh and new; so +where liberality comes she holds herself above all virtues, and +she multiplies five hundredfold the virtues that she finds in an +honourable man who proves his worth. There is so much to say +about liberality that I could not tell the half of it." Well has +the lad succeeded in whatsoever he has requested and asked; for +his father has found for him all that his desire conceived. +Exceeding sorrowful was the empress when she heard of the road +which her son must needs follow; but whoever has grief and +anxiety thereof, or whoever deems his conduct but folly, or +blames and dissuades him, the youth as quickly as he could bade +his ships be got ready; for he had no wish to stay longer in his +own country. The ships were loaded that night by his command with +wine with meat and with biscuits. + +The ships are loaded in the harbour and on the morrow with great +joyance came Alexander to the sandy shore; and with him his +comrades who were fain of the journey. The emperor convoys him +and the empress who was sad at heart. In the harbour they find +the mariners in the ships beside the cliff. The sea was peaceful +and smooth the wind gentle and the air serene. Alexander first of +all, when he had parted from his father and on taking leave of +the empress whose heart was sad within her, enters from the boat +into the ship and his comrades with him. Four, three, and two , +they simultaneously strive to enter without delay. Full soon was +the sail spread and the anchor of the barque weighed. Those on +land, who were sore at heart for the lads whom they see +departing, follow them with their eyes' ken as far as they can; +and so that they may watch them the better and the further, they +go off and climb together a high peak by the shore. Thence they +watch their sorrow as far as they can see them. They gaze at +their own sorrow in sooth; for great is their sorrow for the +lads: may God lead them to port without disaster and without +peril! + +They were at sea all April and part of May. Without great peril +and without alarm they made land above Southampton. One day +'twixt Nones and Vespers they cast anchor and have made the port. +The youths, who had never previously learned to suffer discomfort +or pain, had stayed on the sea which was not wholesome for them +so long that all are pale and all the strongest and most healthy +are weakened and nerveless. And, nevertheless, they show great +joy; for that they have escaped from the sea and come hither +where they would be. And because they were suffering greatly, +they lie that night above Southampton and show great joy and let +ask and inquire whether the king is in England. They are told +that he is at Winchester; and that they can be there full soon if +they will depart with morning provided that they keep to the +right way. This news pleases them well; and on the morrow, when +the day is born, the lads wake up with morning and equip and +prepare themselves. And when they were equipped they have turned +from above Southampton and have kept to the right way till they +have reached Winchester where the king was tarrying. Before Prime +the Greeks had come to Court. They dismount at the foot of the +steps, the squires and the horses stayed in the court below; and +the youths ascend to the presence of the best king that ever was +or ever may be in the world. And when the king sees them come, +they please and delight him much; but ere they had come before +him, they throw off the cloaks from their necks that they might +not be taken for clowns. Thus all having thrown off their cloaks +have come before the king. And the barons one and all keep +silence; for the youths please them mightily for that they see +them fair and comely. Never do they dream that they are all sons +of counts or of a king; yet truly so they were, and they were in +the flower of their youth, comely and well set up in body; and +the robes that they wore were of one cloth and one cut, of one +appearance and one colour. Twelve were they without their lord of +whom I will tell you this much without more ado; that none was +better than he; but without arrogance and yet unabashed he stood +with his mantle off before the king, and was very fair and well +shaped. He has kneeled down before him, and all the others from +courtesy, kneel beside their lord. + +Alexander, whose tongue was sharpened to speak well and wisely, +greets the king. "King," quoth he, "if renown lie not concerning +you since God made the first man, no king with faith in God was +born so powerful as you. King, the report that is in men's mouths +has brought me to your Court to serve and honour you, and if my +service is pleasing I will stay till I be a new-made knight at +your hand, not at that of another. For never shall I be dubbed +knight if I be not so by you. If my service so please you that +you will to make me a knight, keep me, gracious king, and my +comrades who are here." Straightway the king replies: "Friend," +quoth he, "I reject not a whit either you or your company; but ye +are all right welcome; for ye have the air, I well think it, of +being sons of men of high rank. Whence are ye?" "We are from +Greece." "From Greece?" "Truly are we." "Who is thy father?" +"Faith, sire, the emperor." "And what is thy name, fair friend?" +"Alexander was the name given me when I received salt and chrism +and Christianity and baptism." "Alexander, fair dear friend, I +keep you right willingly; and much does it please and joy me, for +you have done me exceeding great honour in that you are come to +my Court. It is my good pleasure that you be honoured here as a +noble warrior, wise and gentle. Too long have you been on your +knees: rise, I bid you, and henceforth be free of my Court and of +me; for you have arrived at a good haven." + +Forthwith the Greeks rise. Blithe are they for that the king has +thus courteously kept them. Alexander is welcome; for there is no +lack of aught that he wishes nor is there any baron in the Court +so high that he does not speak him fair and welcome him. For he +is not foolish nor boastful nor doth he vaunt his noble birth. He +makes himself known to Sir Gawain and to the others one by one. +He makes himself much loved by each; even Sir Gawain loves him so +much that he hails him as friend and comrade. The Greeks had +taken in the town at the house of a citizen the best lodging that +they could find. Alexander had brought great possessions from +Constantinople: he will desire above aught else to follow +diligently the emperor's advice and counsel--namely, that he +should have his heart wide-awake to give and to spend liberally. +He gives great diligence and pains thereto. He lives well at his +lodging and gives and spends liberally as it beseems his wealth, +and as his heart counsels him. The whole Court marvels whence his +store is taken; for he gives to all horses of great price which +he had brought from his land. So much trouble has Alexander given +himself, and so much has he prevailed by his fair service, that +the king loves and esteems him dearly as well the barons and the +queen. + +At that point of time King Arthur desired to pass over into +Brittany. He bids all his barons assemble in order to seek +Counsel, and ask them to whom till he return he can entrust +England, who may keep and maintain it in peace. By the Council it +was with one consent entrusted, as I think, to Count Engres of +Windsor; for till then they deemed no baron more loyal in all the +king's land. When this man had the land in his power, King Arthur +and the queen and her ladies set out on the morrow. In Brittany +folk hear tell that the king and his barons are coming: the +Bretons rejoice greatly thereat. + +Into the ship in which the king crossed entered neither youth nor +maiden save Alexander alone; and the queen of a truth brought +thither Soredamors, a lady who scorned Love. Never had she heard +tell of a man whom she could deign to love however much beauty +prowess dominion or high rank he had. And yet the damsel was so +winsome and fair that she might well have known Love if it had +pleased her to turn her mind to it; but never had she willed to +bend her mind thereto. Now will Love make her sorrowful; and Love +thinks to avenge himself right well for the great pride and +resistance which she has always shown to him. Right well has Love +aimed; for he has stricken her in the heart with his arrow. Oft +she grows pale; oft the beads of sweat break out, and in spite of +herself she must love. Scarce can she refrain from looking +towards Alexander; but she must needs guard herself against my +Lord Gawain her brother. Dearly does she buy and pay for her +great pride and her disdain. Love has heated for her a bath which +mightily inflames and enkindles her. Now is he kind to her, now +cruel; now she wants him, and now she rejects him. She accuses +her eyes of treachery and says: "Eyes, you have betrayed me. +Through you has my heart which was wont to be faithful conceived +hatred for me. Now does what I see bring grief. Grief? Nay, in +truth, but rather pleasure. And if I see aught that grieves me, +still have I not my eyes under my own sway? My strength must +indeed have failed me; and I must esteem myself but lightly if I +cannot control my eyes and make them look elsewhere. By so doing +I shall be able to guard myself right well from Love, who wishes +to be my master. What the eye sees not the heart does not lament. +If I do not see him there will be no pain. He does not entreat or +seek me: if he had loved me he would have sought me. And since he +neither loves nor esteems me, shall I love him if he loves me +not? If his beauty draws my eyes, and my eyes obey the spell, +shall I for that say I love him? Nay, for that would be a lie. By +drawing my eyes he has done me no wrong of which I can complain; +and I can bring no charge at all against him. One cannot love +with the eyes. And what wrong, then, have my eyes done to me if +they gaze on what I will to look at? What fault and wrong do they +commit? Ought I to blame them? Nay. Whom, then? Myself, who have +them in my keeping? My eye looks on nought unless it pleases and +delights my heart. My heart could not wish for aught that would +make me sorrowful. It is my heart's will that makes me sorrow. +Sorrow? Faith, then, am I mad? since through my heart I desire +that which makes me mad. I ought , indeed, if I can to rid myself +of a will whence grief may come to me. If I can? Fool, what have +I said? Then were I weak indeed if I had no power over myself. +Does Love think to put me in the way which is wont to mislead +other folk? Thus may he lead others; but I am not his at all. +Never shall I be so; never was I so; never shall I desire his +further acquaintance." Thus she disputes with herself, one hour +loves and another hates. She is in such doubt that she does not +know which side to take. She thinks she is defending herself +against Love; but she is in no need of defence. God! Why does she +not know that the thoughts of Alexander, on his side, are +directed towards her? Love deals out to them impartially such a +portion as is meet for each. He gives to them many a reason and +ground that the one should love and desire the other. This love +would have been loyal and right if the one had known what was the +will of the other; but he does not know what she desires, nor +she, for what he is lamenting. The queen watches them and sees +the one and the other often lose colour and grow pale and sigh +and shudder; but she knows not why they do it unless it be on +account of the sea on which they are sailing. Perhaps, indeed, +she would have perceived it if the sea had not misled her; but it +is the sea which baffles and deceives her so that amid the +sea-sickness she sees not the heart-sickness. For they are at +sea, and heart-sickness is the cause of their plight, and +heart-bitterness is the cause of the malady that grips them; but +of these three the queen can only blame the sea; for +heart-sickness and heart-bitterness lay the blame on the +sea-sickness; and because of the third the two who are guilty get +off scot-free. He who is guiltless of fault or wrong often pays +dear for the sin of another. Thus the queen violently accuses the +sea and blames it; but wrongly is the blame laid on the sea, for +the sea has done therein no wrong. Much sorrow has Soredamors +borne ere the ship has come to port. The king's coming is noised +abroad; for the Bretons had great joy thereof and served him +right willingly as their lawful lord. I seek not to speak more at +length of King Arthur at this time: rather shall ye hear me tell +how Love torments the two lovers against whom he has taken the +field. + +Alexander loves and desires her who is sighing for his love; but +he knows not, and will not know aught of this until he shall have +suffered many an ill and many a grief. For love of her he serves +the queen and the ladies of her chamber; but he does not dare to +speak to or address her who is most in his mind. If she had dared +to maintain against him the right which she thinks is hers in the +matter, willingly would he have told him of it; but she neither +dares nor ought to do so. And the fact that the one sees the +other, and that they dare not speak or act, turns to great +adversity for them; and love grows thereby and burns. But it is +the custom of all lovers that they willingly feed their eyes on +looks if they can do no better, and think that because the source +whence their love buds and grows delights them therefore it must +help their case, whereas it injures them: just as the man who +approaches and comes close to the fire burns himself more than +the man who draws back from it. Their love grows and increases +continually; but the one feels shame before the other; and each +conceals and hides this love so that neither flame nor smoke is +seen from the gleed beneath the ashes. But the heat is none the +less for that; rather the heat lasts longer below the gleed than +above it. Both the lovers are in very great anguish; for in order +that their complaint may not be known or perceived, each must +deceive all men by false pretence; but in the night great is the +plaint which each makes in solitude. + +First will I tell you of Alexander: how he complains and laments. +Love brings before his mind the lady for whose sake he feels such +Sorrow; for she has robbed him of his heart, and will not let him +rest in his bed; so much it delights him to recall the beauty and +the mien of her as to whom he dare not hope that ever joy of her +may fall to his lot. "I may hold myself a fool," quoth he. "A +fool? Truly am I a fool, since I do not dare to say what I think; +for quickly would it turn to my bane. I have set my thought on +folly. Then is it not better for me to meditate in silence than +to get myself dubbed a fool? Never shall my desire be known. And +shall I hide the cause of my grief, and not dare to seek help or +succour for my sorrows? He who is conscious of weakness is a fool +if he does not seek that by which he may have health if he can +find it anywhere; but many a one thinks to gain his own advantage +and to win what he desires, who pursues that whereof he sorrows +later. And why should he go to seek advice when he does not +expect to find health? That were a vain toil! I feel my own ill +so heavy a burden that never shall I find healing for it by +medicine or by potion or by herb or by root. There is not a +remedy for every ill: mine is so rooted that it cannot be cured. +Cannot? Methinks I have lied. As soon as I first felt this evil, +if I had dared to reveal and to tell it, I could have spoken to a +leech, who could have helped me in the whole matter; but it is +very grievous for me to speak out. Perhaps they would not deign +to listen and would refuse to accept a fee. No wonder is it then +if I am dismayed, for I have a great ill; and yet I do not know +what ill it is which sways me nor do I know whence comes this +pain. I do not know? Yes, indeed, I think I know; Love makes me +feel this evil. How? Does Love, then, know how to do evil? Is he +not kind and debonair? I thought that there would have been +nought in Love which was not good; but I have found him very +malicious. He who has not put him to the test knows not with what +games Love meddles. He is a fool who goes to meet him; for always +he wishes to burden his subjects. Faith! his game is not at all a +good one. It is ill playing with him; for his sport will cause me +sorrow. What shall I do, then? Shall I draw back I think that +this would be the act of a wise man; but I cannot tell how to set +about it. If Love chastises and threatens in order to teach me +his lesson, ought I to disdain my master? He who despises his +master is a fool. Needs must I store up in my mind Love's lesson +for soon can great good come of it. But he buffets me greatly: +that sets me in alarm! True, neither blow nor wound is visible +and yet dost thou complain? Then art thou not wrong? Nay, indeed, +for he has wounded me so sore that he has winged his arrow even +to my heart; and not yet has he drawn it out again. How then has +he struck his dart into thy body when no wound appears without? +This shalt thou tell me; I would fain know it. In what member has +he struck thee? Through the eye. Through the eye? And yet he has +not put out thine eye? He has done me no hurt in the eye; but he +wounds me sorely at the heart. Now speak reason to me: how has +the dart passed through thine eye in such wise that the eye is +not wounded or bruised by it? If the dart enter through the midst +of the eye, why does my heart suffer pain in my body? Why does +not my eye also feel the pain, since it receives the first blow? +That can I well explain. The eye has no care to understand aught +nor can it do anything in the matter in any way; but the eye is +the mirror to the heart, and through this mirror passes the fire +by which the heart is kindled; yet so that it neither wounds nor +braises it. Then is not the heart placed in the body like the +lighted candle which is put inside the lantern? If you take the +candle out, never will any light issue thence; but as long as the +candle lasts the lantern is not dark; and the flame which shines +through neither harms nor injures it. Likewise is it with regard +to a window: never will it be so strong and so whole but that the +ray of the sun may pass through it without hurting it in any way; +and the glass will never be so clear that one will see any better +for its brightness if another brightness does not strike upon it. +Know that it is the same with the eyes as with the glass and the +lantern; for the light penetrates into the eyes, the heart's +mirror; and the heart sees the object outside whatever it be, and +sees many various objects, some green, others dark of hue, one +crimson, the other blue; and it blames the one and praises the +other, holds the one cheap and the other precious; but many an +object shows him a fair face in the mirror when he looks at it, +which will betray him if he be not on his guard. My mirror has +much deceived me; for in it MY heart has seen a ray by which I am +struck, which has taken shelter in me; and because of this my +heart has failed me. I am ill-treated by my friend who deserts me +for my enemy. Well can I accuse my mirror of treachery; for it +has sinned exceedingly against me. I thought I had three +friends: my heart and my two eyes together; but methinks they +hate me. Where shall I find any more a friend , since these three +are enemies who belong to me yet kill me? My servants presume +overmuch who do all their own will and have no care of mine. Now, +know I well of a truth from the action of those who have injured +me: that a good master's love decays through keeping bad +servants. He who associates with a bad servant cannot fail to +lament it sooner or later, whatever come of it. + +"Now will I speak to you again of the arrow which is given in +trust to me and tell you how it is made and cut; but I fear much +that I may fail in the matter; for the carved work of it is so +magnificent that twill be no marvel if I fail. And yet I will +apply all my diligence to say what I think of it. The notch and +the feathers together are so close that if a man looks well at +them there is but one dividing line like a narrow parting in the +hair; but this line is so polished and straight, that without +question there is nought in the notch which can be improved. The +feathers are of such a hue as if they were gold or gilded; but +gilding can add nothing; for the feathers, this know I well, were +brighter still than gold. The feathers are the blonde tresses +that I saw the other day at sea. This is the arrow that makes me +love. God! What a priceless boon! If a man could have such a +treasure, why should he desire any other wealth all his life? For +my part, I could swear that I should desire nothing more; for +merely the feathers and the notch would I not give away in +exchange for Antioch. And since I prize these two things so much, +who could duly appraise the value of the rest which is so fair +and lovable, and so dear and so precious, that I am desirous and +eager to behold myself mirrored again in the brow that God has +made so bright that nor mirror nor emerald nor topaz would make +any show beside it. But of all this, he who gazes at the +brightness of the eyes has not a word to say; for to all those +who behold them they seem two glowing candles. And who has so +glib a tongue that he could describe the fashion of the +well-shaped nose, and of the bright countenance where the rose +overlays the lily so that it eclipses something of the lily in +order the better to illuminate the face, and of the smiling +little mouth which God made such on purpose that no one should +see it and not think that it is laughing? And what of the teeth +in her mouth? One is so close to the other that it seems that +they all touch, and so that they might the better achieve this, +Nature bestowed special pains, so that whoever should see them +when the mouth opens would never dream that they were not of +ivory or silver. So much there is to say and to recount in the +describing of each thing--both of the chin and of the ears--that +it would be no great marvel if I were to leave out something. Of +the throat, I tell you, that in comparison with it, crystal is +but dim. And the neck beneath her tresses is four times whiter +than ivory. As much as is disclosed from the hem of the vest +behind, to the clasp of the opening in front, saw I of the bare +bosom uncovered, whiter, than is the new-fallen snow. My pain +would indeed have been alleviated if I could have seen the whole +of the arrow. Right willingly if I had known would I have said +what the tip of the arrow is like: I did not see it; and it is +not my own fault if I cannot tell the fashion of a thing that I +have not seen. Love showed me then nought of it except the notch +and the feathers; for the arrow was put in the quiver; the quiver +is the tunic and the vest wherewith the maid was clad. Faith! +This is the wound that kills me; this is the dart; this is the +ray with which I am so cruelly inflamed. It is ignoble of me to +be angry. Never for provocation or for war shall any pledge that +I must seek of love be broken. Now let Love dispose of me as he +ought to do with what is his; for I wish it, and this is my +pleasure. Never do I seek that this malady should leave me; +rather do I wish it to hold me thus for ever; and that from none +may health come to me if health come not from that source whence +the disease has come." + +Great is the plaint of Alexander; but that which the damsel +utters is not a whit less. All night she is in so great pain that +she neither sleeps nor rests. Love has set in array within her a +battle that rages and mightily agitates her heart; and which +causes such anguish and torture that she weeps all night and +complains and tosses and starts up, so that her heart all but +stops beating. And when she has so grieved and sobbed and moaned +and started and sighed, then she has looked in her heart to see +who and of what worth was he for whose sake Love was torturing +her. And when she has recalled each wandering thought, then she +stretches herself and turns over; and turning, she turns to folly +all the thinking she has done. Then she starts on another +argument and says: "Fool! What does it matter to me if this youth +is debonair and wise and courteous and valiant! All this is +honour and advantage to him. And what care I for his beauty? Let +his beauty depart with him--and so it will, for all I can do; +never would I wish to take away aught of it. Take away? Nay, +truly, that do I not assuredly. If he had the wisdom of Solomon, +and if Nature had put so much beauty in him that she could not +have put more in a human body, and if God had put in my hand the +power to destroy all, I would not seek to anger him; but +willingly if I could would I make him more wise and more +beautiful. Faith! then, I do not hate him at all. And am I then +on that account his lady? No, indeed, no more than I am +another's. And wherefore do I think more of him if he does not +please me more than another? I know not: I am all bewildered, for +never did I think so much about any man living in the world. And +if I had my wish I should see him always; never would I seek to +take my eyes off him so much the sight of him delights me. Is +this love? Methinks it is. Never should I have called on him so +often if I had not loved him more than another. Yes, I love him: +let that be granted. And shall I not have my desire? Yes, +provided that I find favour in his eyes. This desire is wrong; +but Love has taken such hold of me that I am foolish and dazed +and to defend myself avails me nought herein; thus I must suffer +Love's attack. I have indeed guarded myself thus wisely and for +long against Love; never once before did I wish to do aught for +him, but now I am too gracious to him. And what thanks does he +owe me, since he cannot have service or kindness of me by fair +means? It is by force that Love has tamed my pride; and I must +needs be subject to his will. Now I wish to love; now I am under +his tuition; now will Love teach me. And what? How I ought to +serve him. Of that am I right well apprised. I am full wise in +his service, for no one could find fault with me in this matter. +No need is there henceforth for me to learn more. Love would have +me, and I would fain be wise without pride, gracious and +courteous towards all, but the true love of one only. Shall I +love them all for the sake of one? A fair mien should I show to +each; but Love does not bid me to be a true love to every man. +Love teaches nought but good. It is not for nothing that I have +this name, and that I am called Soredamors. I ought to love, and +I ought to be loved, and I wish to prove it by my name, if I can +find fitting arguments. It is not without meaning that the first +part of my name is the colour of gold; for the most beautiful are +the blondest. Therefore I hold my name the fairer because it +begins with the colour with which accords the finest gold. And +the end recalls Love; for he who calls me by my right name ever +calls Love to my mind. And the one half gilds the other with +bright and yellow gilding; for Soredamors means the same thing as +'gilded with love'. Much, then, has Love honoured me, since he +has gilded me with himself. Gilding of gold is not so fine as +that which illumines me. And I shall set my care on this, that I +may be of his gilding; nevermore will I complain of him. Now I +love and shall always love. Whom? Truly, a fine question! Him +whom Love bids me love; for no other shall ever have my love. +What does it matter as he will never know it unless I tell him +myself? What shall I do if I do not pray him for his love? For he +who desires a thing ought indeed to request and pray for it. How? +Shall I then pray him? Nay, indeed. Why not? It never happened +that a woman did aught so witless as to beg a man for love unless +she were more than common mad. I should be convicted of folly if +I said with my mouth aught that might turn to my reproach. If he +should know it from my mouth, I deem that he would hold me the +cheaper for it, and would often reproach me with having been the +first to pray for love. Never be Love so abased that I should go +and entreat this man, since he would be bound to hold me the +cheaper for it. Ah God! how will he ever know it, since I shall +not tell him? As yet I have scarce suffered aught for which I +need so distress myself. I shall wait till he perceives it, if he +is ever destined to perceive it. He will know it well of a truth, +I think, if ever he had aught to do with Love or heard tell of it +by word of mouth. Heard tell! Now have I said foolish words. +Love's lore is not so easy that a man becomes wise by speaking of +it unless good experience be there too. Of myself I know this +well; for never could I learn aught of it by fair speaking or by +word of mouth; and yet I have been much at Love's school, and +have often been flattered; but always have I kept aloof from him, +and now he makes me pay dear for it; for now I know more of it +than an ox does of ploughing. But of this I despair--that he +never loved , perhaps, and if he does not love, and has not +loved; then have I been sowing in the sea where no seed can take +root; and there is nothing for it but to wait for him and to +suffer till I see whether I can bring him into the right way by +hints and covert words. I will so act that he will be certain of +having my love if he dares to seek it. Thus the end of the whole +matter is that I love him and am his. If he does not love me, I +shall love him all the same." + +Thus both he and she complain, and the one hides the case from +the other; they have sorrow in the night and worse by day. In +such pain they have, it seems to me, been a long while in +Brittany until it came to the end of summer. Right at the +beginning of October came messengers from the parts about Dover +from London and from Canterbury to bring the king tidings that +have troubled his heart. The messengers have told him this--that +he may well tarry too long in Brittany; for he to whom he had +entrusted his land, and had consigned so great a host of his +subjects and of his friends, will now set himself in battle array +against the king; and he has marched into London in order to hold +the city against the hour that Arthur should have returned. + +When the king heard the news he calls all his barons; for he was +indignant and full of displeasure. That he may the better stir +them up to confound the traitor, he says that all the blame for +his toil and for his war is theirs; for through their persuasion +he gave his land and put it into the hand of the traitor who is +worse than Ganelon. There is not one who does not quite allow +that the king has right and reason; for they all counselled him +to do so; but the traitor will be ruined for it. And let him know +well of a truth that in no castle or city will he be able so to +protect his body that they do not drag him out of it by force. +Thus they all assure the king and solemnly affirm and swear that +they will give up the traitor or no longer hold their lands. And +the king has it proclaimed through all Brittany that none who can +bear arms in the host remain in the country without coming after +him quickly. + +All Brittany is moved: never was such a host seen as King Arthur +assembled. When the ships moved out it seemed that everybody in +the world was on the sea; for not even the waves were seen, so +covered were they with ships. This fact is certain, that it seems +from the stir that all Brittany is taking ship. Now have the +ships made the passage; and the folk who have thronged together +go into quarters along the shore. It came into Alexander's heart +to go and beg the king to make him a knight; for if ever he is to +win renown he will win it in this war. He takes his comrades with +him, as his will urges him on to do what he has purposed. They +have gone to the king's tent: the king was sitting before his +tent. When he sees the Greeks coming he has called them before +him. "Sirs," quoth he, "hide not from me what need brought you +here." Alexander spoke for all and has told him his desire: "I am +come," quoth he, "to pray you as I am bound to pray, my lord, for +my companions and for myself, that you make us knights." The king +replies: "Right gladly; and not a moment's delay shall there be, +since you have made me this request." Then the king bids there be +borne harness for twelve knights: done is what the king commands. +Each asks for his own harness; and each has his own in his +possession, fair arms and a good steed: each one has taken his +harness. All the twelve were of like value, arms and apparel and +horse; but the harness for Alexander's body was worth as much--if +any one had cared to value or to sell it--as the arms of all the +other twelve together. Straightway by the sea they disrobed and +washed and bathed; for they neither wished nor deigned that any +other bath should be heated for them. They made the sea their +bath and tub. + +The queen, who does not hate Alexander--rather does she love and +praise and prize him much--hears of the matter. She wills to do +him a great service; it is far greater than she thinks. She +searches and empties all her chests till she has drawn forth a +shirt of white silk very well wrought very delicate and very +fine. There was no thread in the seams that was not of gold, or +at the least of silver. Soredamors from time to time had set her +hands to the sewing, and had in places sewn in beside the gold a +hair from her head, both on the two sleeves and on the collar to +see and to put to the test whether she could ever find a man who +could distinguish the one from the other, however carefully he +looked at it; for the hair was as shining and as golden as the +gold or even more so. The queen takes the shirt and has given it +to Alexander. Ah God! how great joy would Alexander have had if +he had known what the queen is sending him. Very great joy would +she too have had, who had sewn her hair there if she had known +that her love was to have and wear it. Much comfort would she +have had thereof; for she would not have loved all the rest of +her hair so much as that which Alexander had. But neither he nor +she knew it: great pity is it that they do not know. To the +harbour where the youths are washing came the messenger of the +queen; he finds the youths on the beach and has given the shirt +to him, who is much delighted with it and who held it all the +dearer for that it came from the queen. But if he had known the +whole case he would have loved it still more; for he would not +have taken all the world in exchange, but rather he would have +treated it as a relic, I think, and would have worshipped it day +and night. + +Alexander delays no longer to apparel himself straightway. When +he was clad and equipped he has returned to the tent of the king; +and all his comrades together with him. The queen, as I think, +had come to sit in the tent because she wished to see the new +knights arrive. Well might one esteem them fair; but fairest of +all was Alexander with the agile body. They are now knights; for +the present I say no more about them. Henceforth shall I speak of +the king and of the host which came to London. The greater part +of the folk held to his side; but there is a great multitude of +them against him. Count Engres musters his troops, all that he +can win over to him by promise or by gift. When he had got his +men together he has secretly fled by night; for he was hated by +several and feared to be betrayed; but before he fled he took +from London as much as he could of victuals of gold and of +silver, and distributed it all to his folk. The tidings is told +to the king--that the traitor is fled, and all his army with +him, and that he had taken so much of victuals and goods from the +city that the burgesses are impoverished and destitute and at a +loss. And the king has replied just this: that never will he take +ransom of the traitor, but will hang him if he can find or take +him. Now all the host bestirs itself so much that they reached +Windsor. At that day, however it be now, if any one wished to +defend the castle, it would not have been easy to take; for the +traitor enclosed it as soon as he planned the treason with treble +walls and moats, and had strengthened the walls behind with +sharpened stakes, so that they should not be thrown down by any +siege-engine. He had spent great sums in strengthening it all +June and July and August, in making walls, and bastions, and +moats, and drawbridges, trenches, and + +breast-works, and barriers, and many a portcullis of iron, and a +great tower of stones, hewn foursquare. Never had he shut the +gate there for fear of attack. The castle stands on a high hill +and below it runs Thames. The host is encamped on the river bank; +on that day they had time for nought save encamping and pitching +their tents. + +The host has encamped on Thames: all the meadow is covered with +tents, green and vermilion. The sun strikes on the colours and +the river reflects their sheen for more than a full league. The +defenders of the castle had come to take their pleasure along the +strand with their lances only in their hands, their shields +locked close in front of them, for they bore no arms but these. +To their foes without they made it appear that they feared them +not at all inasmuch as they had come unarmed. Alexander, on the +other side, perceived the knights who go before them, playing a +knightly game on horseback. Hot is his desire to meet with them; +and he calls his comrades one after the other by their names: +first Cornix, whom he greatly loved, then the stout Licorides, +then Nabunal of Mycenae, and Acoriondes of Athens, and Ferolin of +Salonica, and Calcedor from towards Africa, Parmenides and +Francagel, Torin the Strong, and Pinabel, Nerius, and Neriolis. +"Lords," quoth he, "a longing has seized me to go and make with +lance and with shield acquaintance with those who come to tourney +before us. I see full well that they take us for laggards and +esteem us lightly--so it seems to me--since they have come here +all unarmed to tourney before our faces. We have been newly +dubbed knights; we have not yet shown our mettle to knights or at +quintain. Too long have we kept our new lances virgin. Why were +our shields made? Not yet have they been pierced or broken. Such +a gift avails us nought save for tour or for assault. Let us pass +the ford, and let us attack them." All say: "We will not fail +you." Each one says: "So may God save me, as I am not the man to +fail you here." Now they gird on their swords, saddle and girth +their steeds, mount and take their shields. When they had hung +the shields from their necks, and taken the lances blazoned in +quarterings; they all at once rush on to the ford; and the enemy +lower their lances and ride quickly to strike them. But Alexander +and his comrades knew well how to pay them back; and they neither +spare them nor shirk nor yield a foot before them; rather each +strikes his own foe so doughtily that there is no knight so good +but he must void his saddle-bow. The Greeks did not take them for +boys for cowards or for men bewildered. They have not wasted +their first blows; for they have unhorsed thirteen. The noise of +their blows and strokes has reached as far as to the army. In a +short time the melee would have been desperate, if the enemy had +dared to stand before them. The king's men run through the host +to take their weapons, and dash into the water noisily, and the +enemy turn to flight; for they see that it is not good to stay +there. And the Greeks follow them, striking with lances and +swords. Many heads there were cut open; but of the Greeks there +was not a single one wounded. They have proved themselves well +that day. But Alexander won the greatest distinction; for he +leads away four knights bound to his person and taken prisoners. +And the dead lie on the strand; for many there lay headless, and +many wounded and maimed. + +Alexander from courtesy gives and presents the first fruits of +his knighthood to the queen. He does not wish that the king +should have possession of the captives; for he would have had +them all hanged. The queen has had them taken and has had them +guarded in prison as accused of treason. Men speak of the Greeks +throughout the army; all say that Alexander is right courteous +and debonair as regards the knights whom he had taken inasmuch as +he had not given them up to the king, who would have had them +burned or hanged. But the king is in earnest in the matter. +Forthwith he bids the queen that she come and speak to him and +keep not her traitors; for it will behove her to give them up or +he will take them against her will. Then the queen has come to +the king; they have had converse together about the traitors as +it behoved them; and all the Greeks had been left in the queen's +tent with the ladies. Much do the twelve say to them, but +Alexander does not say a word. Soredamors observed it; she had +sat down near him. He has rested his cheek on his hand, and it +seems that he is deep in thought. Thus have they sat full long +till Soredamors saw on his arm and at his neck the hair with +which she had made the seam. She has drawn a little nearer him, +for now she has opportunity of speaking with him; but she +considers beforehand how she can be the one to speak, and what +the first word shall be; whether she will call him by his name; +and she takes counsel of it with herself. "What shall I say +first?" thinks she. Shall I address him by his name, or as +'friend'. Friend? Not I. How then? Call him by his name? God! The +word friend is so fair and so sweet to say. What if I dared to +call him friend? Dared? What forbids it me? The fact that I think +I should be telling a lie. A lie? I know not what it will be; but +if I lie it will be a weight on my mind. For that reason it must +be allowed that I should not desire to lie in the matter. God! He +would not lie now a whit if he called me his sweet friend. And +should I lie in so calling him? Both of us ought indeed to speak +truth; but if I lie the wrong will be his. And why is his name so +hard to me that I wish to add a name of courtesy? It seems to me +there are too many letters in it, and I should become tongue-tied +in the middle. But if I called him friend, I should very quickly +say this name. But just because I fear to stumble in the other +name, I would have given of my heart's-blood if only his name +might have been 'my sweet friend'." + +She delays so long in thus thinking that the queen returns from +the king, who had sent for her. Alexander sees her coming, and +goes to meet her, and asks her what the king commands to be done +with his prisoners, and what will be their fate. "Friend," says +she, "he requires me to yield them up to his discretion and to +let him do his justice on them. He is very wroth that I have not +yet given them up to him and I must send them; for I see no other +way out." Thus they have passed this day; and on the morrow the +good and loyal knights have assembled together before the royal +tent to pronounce justice and judgment as to with what penalty +and with what torture the four traitors should die. Some doom +that they be flayed, others that they be hanged or burnt, and the +king himself deems that traitors should be drawn. Then he bids +them be brought: they are brought; he has them bound, and tells +them that they shall not be quartered till they are in view of +the castle, so that those within shall see them. When the parley +is done, the king addresses Alexander and calls him his dear +friend. "Friend," quoth he, "I saw you yesterday make a fair +attack and a fair defence. I will give you the due guerdon: I +increase your following by 500 Welsh knights and by 1000 footmen +of this land. When I shall have finished my war, in addition to +what I have given you, I will have you crowned king of the best +realm in Wales. Market-towns and strong castles, cities and +halls, will I give you, meanwhile, till the land shall be given +to you which your father holds and of which you must become +emperor." Alexander heartily thanks the king for this grant; and +his comrades thank him likewise. All the barons of the Court say +that the honour which the king designs for him is well vested in +Alexander. + +When Alexander sees his men his comrades and his footmen, such as +the king willed to give him, then they begin to sound horns and +trumpets throughout the host. Good and bad all, I would have you +know, without exception take their arms, those of Wales and of +Brittany of Scotland and of Cornwall; for from all sides without +fail strong reinforcements had come in for the host. Thames had +shrunk; for there had been no rain all the summer; rather there +had been such a drought that the fish in it were dead and the +ships leaky in the harbour; and one could pass by the ford there +where the water was widest of a hair and has delight and joyaunce +thereof; but the host has crossed Thames; some beset the valley +and others mount the height. The defenders of the castle perceive +it, and see coming the wondrous host which is preparing outside +to overthrow and take the castle; and they prepare to defend it. +But before any attack is made the king has the traitors dragged +by four horses round the castle, through the valleys, and over +mounds and hillocks. Count Engres is sore grieved when he sees +those whom he held dear dragged round his castle; and the others +were much dismayed; but for all the dismay that they feel thereat +they have no desire to surrender. Needs must they defend +themselves; for the king displays openly to all his displeasure +and his wrath; and full well they see that if he held them he +would make them die shamefully. + +When the four had been drawn and their limbs lay o'er the field, +then the attack begins; but all their toil is vain; for howsoever +they may hurl and throw their missiles, they can avail nought. +And yet they try hard; they throw and hurl a thick cloud of bolts +and javelins and darts. The catapults and slings make a great din +on all sides; arrows and round stone fly likewise in confusion as +thick as rain mingled with hail. Thus they toil all day: these +defend, and those attack until night separates them, one from the +other, nor need they trouble to flee, nor do they see. And the +king on his part has it cried through the host and made known +what gift that man will have of him by whom the castle shall have +been taken: a goblet of very great price, worth fifteen golden +marks, the richest in his treasure, will he give him. The goblet +will be very fair and rich; and he whose judgement goes not +astray ought to hold it dearer for the workmanship than for the +material. The goblet is very precious in workmanship, and if I +were to disclose the whole truth, the jewels on the outside were +worth more than the workmanship or the gold. If he by whom the +castle will be taken is but a foot soldier, he shall have the +cup. And if it is taken by a knight, never shall he seek any +reward besides the cup; but he will have it if it can be found in +the world. When this matter was proclaimed Alexander, who went +each evening to see the queen, had not forgotten his custom. On +this evening he had again gone thither; they were seated side by +side, both Alexander and the queen. Before them Soredamors was +sitting alone nearest to them; and she looked at him as gladly as +though she would not have preferred to be in Paradise. The queen +held Alexander by his right hand, and looked at the golden thread +which had become greatly tarnished; and the hair was becoming yet +fairer whereas the gold thread was growing pale; and she +remembered by chance that Soredamors had done the stitching and +she laughed thereat. Alexander observed it and asks her, if it +may be told, to tell him what makes her laugh. The queen delays +to tell him, and looks towards Soredamors, and has called her +before her. She has come very gladly and kneels before her. +Alexander was much joyed when he saw her approach so near that he +could have touched her; but he has not so much courage as to dare +even to look at her; but all his senses have so left him that he +has almost become dumb. And she, on the other hand, is so +bewildered that she has no use of her eyes, but fixes her gaze on +the ground, and dares not direct it elsewhere. The queen greatly +marvels; she sees her now pale, now flushed, and notes well in +her heart the bearing and appearance of each and of the two +together. She sees clearly and truly, it seems to her, judging by +the changes of colour, that these are signs of love; but she does +not wish to cause them anguish: she feigns to know nothing of +what she sees. She did just what it behoved her to do; for she +gave no look or hint save that she said to the maiden: "Damsel, +look yonder and tell--hide it not from us--where the shirt that +this knight has donned was sewn, and whether you had a hand in +it, and put in it somewhat of yours?" The maiden is ashamed to +say it; nevertheless, she tells it to him gladly; for she wishes +that he should hear the truth; and he has such joy of hearing it +when she tells and describes to him the making of the shirt, that +with great difficulty he restrains himself when he sees the hair +from worshipping and doing reverence to it. His comrades and the +queen, who were there with him, cause him great distress and +annoyance; for on account of them he refrains from raising it to +his eyes and to his lips where he would fain have pressed it if +he had not thought that they would see him. He is blithe that he +has so much of his lady-love; but he does not think or expect to +have ever any other boon of her. His desire makes him fear; +nevertheless, when he is alone he kisses it more than a hundred +thousand times when he has left the queen. Now it seems to him +that he was born in a lucky hour. Very great joy does he have of +it all night, but he takes good care that no one sees him. When +he has lain down in his bed, he delights and consoles him self +fruitlessly with that in which there is no delight; all night he +embraces the shirt, and when he beholds the hair he thinks he is +lord of all the world. Truly Love makes a wise man a fool: since +he has joy, he will change his pastime before the bright dawn and +the sunlight. The traitors are holding counsel as to what they +will be able to do and what will become of them. Long time they +will be able to defend the castle; that is a certainty if they +apply themselves to the defence; but they know that the king is +of so fierce a courage that in all his life he will never turn +away until he has taken it; then they must needs die. And if they +surrender the castle they expect no grace for that. Thus the one +lot or the other; it has fallen out ill for them; for they have +no reinforcement, and they see death on all sides. But the end of +their deliberation is that to-morrow, before day appears, they +resolve to issue forth secretly from the castle, and to fall on +the host unarmed, and the knights asleep, since they will still +be lying in their beds. Before these have awakened, apparelled +and equipped, themselves, they will have made such slaughter that +ever hereafter shall be related the battle of that night. To this +plan all the traitors cling from desperation, for they have no +confidence as to their lives. Lack of hope as to the outcome +emboldens them to the battle, for they see no issue for +themselves except through death or prison. Such an issue is no +wholesome one, nor need they trouble to flee, nor do they see +where they could find refuge if they should have fled; for the +sea and their enemies are around them, and they in the midst. No +longer do they tarry at their council: now they apparel and arm +themselves, and issue forth towards the north-west by an ancient +postern towards that side whence they thought that those of the +host would least expect to see them come. In serried ranks they +sallied forth: of their men they made five battalions; and there +were no less than two thousand foot-soldiers well equipped for +battle and a thousand knights in each. This night neither star +nor moon had shown its rays in the sky; but before they had +reached the tents the moon began to rise, and, I believe that +just to vex them, it rose earlier than it was wont; and God who +wished to injure them lit up the dark night, for He had no care +of their army; rather He hated them for their sin with which they +were tainted for traitors and treason which God hates more than +any other crime; so the moon began to shine because it was doomed +to injure them. + +The moon was veritably hostile to them; for it shone on their +glittering shields; and the helmets likewise greatly embarrass +them, for they reflect the light of the moon for the sentries who +were set to guard the host see them; and they cry throughout all +the host: "Up, knights! Up, rise quickly! Take your arms, arm +yourselves! Behold the traitors upon us!" Through all the host +they spring to arms; they rouse themselves and don with haste +their harness, as men must do in case of stress. Never did a +single one of them stir forth till they were fully equipped; and +all mounted on their steeds. While they are arming, the enemy, on +the other hand, who greatly desire the battle, are bestirring +themselves, so that they may take them unawares and likewise find +them unarmed; and they send forth their men whom they had divided +into five bands. Some kept beside the wood; others came along the +river; the third placed themselves in the plain; and the fourth +were in a valley; and the fifth battalion spurs along the moat +that surrounded a rock, for they thought to swoop down +impetuously among the tents. But they have not found a road that +they could follow, or a way that was not barred; for the king's +men block their way as they very proudly defy them and reproach +them with treason. They engage with the iron heads of their +lances, so that they splinter and break them; they come to close +quarters with swords; and champion strikes champion to the ground +and makes him bite the dust; each side strikes down its foes, and +as fiercely as lions devouring whatsoever they can seize rush on +their prey; so fiercely do they rush on their foe--aye, and more +fiercely. On both sides, of a truth, there was very great loss of +life at that first attack; but reinforcements come for the +traitors, who defend themselves very fiercely, and sell their +lives dear when they can keep them no longer. On four sides they +see their battalions coming to succour them; and the king's men +gallop upon them as fast as they can spur. They rush to deal them +such blows on the shields, that together with the wounded they +have overthrown more than five hundred of them. The Greeks spare +them not at all. Alexander is not idle, for he exerts himself to +act bravely. In the thickest of the fray he rushes so impetuously +to smite a traitor, that neither shield nor hauberk availed one +whit to save that traitor from being thrown to the ground. When +Alexander has made a truce with him forsooth, he pays his +attentions to another--attentions in which he does not waste or +lose his pains. He serves him in such valiant sort that he rends +his soul from his body; and the house remains without a tenant. +After these two Alexander picks a quarrel with a third: he +strikes a right noble court knight through both flanks in such +wise that the blood gushes out of the wound on the opposite side; +and the soul takes leave of the body, for the foe man has +breathed it forth. Many a one he kills; many a one he maims; for +like the forked lightning he attacks all those that he seeks out. +Him whom he strikes with lance or sword, neither corselet nor +shield protects. His comrades also are very lavish in spilling +blood and brains; well do they know how to deal their blows. And +the king's men cut down so many that they break and scatter them +like common folk distraught. So many dead lie o'er the fields and +so long has the scour lasted, that the battle-array was broken up +a long while before it was day; and the line of dead down along +the river extended five leagues. Count Engres leaves his standard +in the battle and steals away; and he has taken seven of his +companions together with him. He has returned towards his castle +by so hidden a way that he thinks that no one sees; but Alexander +marks him; for he sees them flee from the host, and thinks to +steal away and meet them, so that no one will know where he has +gone. But before he was in the valley he saw as many as thirty +knights coming after him along a path, six of whom were Greeks, +and the other four-and-twenty Welsh; for they thought that they +would follow him at a distance until it should come to the pinch. +When Alexander perceived them he stopped to wait, and marks which +way those who are returning to the castle take until he sees them +enter. Then he begins to meditate on a very hazardous venture and +on a very wondrous stratagem. And when he had finished all his +thinking, he turns towards his comrades, and thus has related and +said to them: "Lords," quoth he, "without gainsaying me, if ye +wish to have my love, whether it be prompted by folly or wisdom, +grant me my wish." And they have granted it; for never will they +refuse him anything that he may choose to do. "Let us change our +insignia," quoth he; "let us take shields and lances from the +traitors that we have slain. Thus we shall go towards the castle, +and the traitors within will think that we are of their party, +and whatever the requital may be the doors will be opened to us. +Know ye in what wise we shall requite them? We shall take them +all or dead or living if God grant it us; and if any of you +repent you know that as long as I live, I shall never love him +with a good heart." + +All grant him his will: they go and seize the shields from the +Dead; and they arrive with this equipment. And the folk of the +castle had mounted to the battlements of the tower, for they +recognised the shields full well and think that they belong to +their own men; for they were unsuspicious of the ambush which +lurks beneath the shields. The porter opens the door to them and +has received them within. He is so beguiled and deceived that he +does not address them at all; and not one of them breathes a +word, but they pass on mute and silent, feigning such grief that +they drag their lances behind them and bend beneath their +shields, so that it seems that they are sorrowing greatly; and +they go in whatever direction they wish until they have passed +the three walls. Up yonder they find so many foot-soldiers and +knights with the count, I cannot tell you the number of them; but +they were all unarmed except the eight alone, who had returned +from the army; and these even were preparing to take off their +armour. But they might well prove over-hasty; for those who have +come upon them up yonder no longer hid themselves, but put their +steeds to the gallop. All press on their stirrups and fall upon +them and attack them, so that they strike dead thirty-and-one +before they have given the challenge. The traitors are much +dismayed thereat and cry, "Betrayed! Betrayed!" But Alexander and +his friends are not confused; for as soon as they find them all +unarmed they test their swords well there. Even three of those +whom they found armed have they so served that they have only +left five. Count Engres has rushed forward, and before the eyes +of all goes to strike Calcedor on his golden shield, so that he +throws him to the ground dead. Alexander is much grieved when he +sees his comrade slain; he well-nigh goes mad with the fury that +comes upon him. His reason is dimmed with anger, but his strength +and courage are doubled, and he goes to strike the count with +such a mighty force that his lance breaks; for willingly, if he +could, would he avenge the death of his friend. But the count was +of great strength, a good and bold knight to boot, such that +there would not have been a better in the world if he had not +been disloyal and a traitor. The count, on his side, prepares to +give him such a blow that he bends his lance, so that it +altogether splinters and breaks; but the shield does not break +and the one knight does not shake the other from his seat any +more than he would have shaken a rock, for both were very strong. +But the fact that the count was in the wrong mightily vexes and +weakens him. The one grows furious against the other, and both +have drawn their swords, since they had broken their lances. And +there would have been no escape if these two champions had wished +further to prolong the fight; one or the other would have had to +die forthwith at the end. But the count does not dare to stand +his ground, for he sees his men slain around him, who, being +unarmed, were taken unawares. And the king's men pursue them +fiercely, and hack and hew, and cleave, and brain them, and call +the count a traitor. When he hears himself accused of treason, he +flees for refuge towards his keep; and his men flee with him. And +their enemies who fiercely rush after take them captive; they let +not a single one escape of all those that they catch. They kill +and slay so many that I do not think that more than seven reached +a place of safety. When the traitors entered the keep, they are +stayed at the entrance; for their pursuers had followed them so +close that their men would have got in if the entrance had been +open. The traitors defend themselves well; for they expect +succour from them who were arming in the town below. But by the +advice of Nabunal, a Greek who was very wise, the way was held +against the reinforcements, so that they could not come in time, +for they had tarried over-long from lukewarmness and indolence. +Up there into that fortress there was only one single entry; if +the Greeks stop up that entrance, they will have no need to fear +the coming of any force from which ill may befall them. Nabunal +bids and exhorts that twenty of them go to defend the outer +gateway; for easily there might they press in that way to attack +and overwhelm them--foemen who would do them harm if they had +strength and power to do so. "Let a score of men go to defend the +gateway, and let the other ten assail the keep from without, so +that the count may not shut himself up inside." This is what +Nabunal advises: the ten remain in the melee before the entrance +of the keep; the score go to the gate. They have delayed almost +too long; for they see coming a company, flushed and heated with +desire of fighting, in which there were many crossbow-men and +foot-soldiers of divers equipment, bearing diverse arms. Some +carried light missiles, and others, Danish axes, Turkish lances +and swords, arrows and darts and javelins. Very heavy would have +been the reckoning that the Greeks would have had to pay, +peradventure, if this company had come upon them, but they did +not come in time. By the wisdom and by the prudence of Nabunal, +they forestalled them and kept them without. When the +reinforcements see that they are shut out, then they remain idle, +for they see well that by attacking they will be able to +accomplish nought in the matter. Then there rises a mourning and +a cry of women and of little children, of old men and of youths, +so great that if it had thundered from the sky those within the +castle would not have heard aught of it. The Greeks greatly +rejoice thereat; for now they all know of a surety that never by +any chance will the count escape being taken. They bid four of +them mount in haste to the battlements of the wall to see that +those without do not from any quarter, by any stratagem or trick, +press into the castle to attack them. The sixteen have returned +to the ten who are fighting. Now was it bright daylight, and now +the ten had forced their way into the keep, and the count, armed +with an axe, had taken his stand beside a pillar where he defends +himself right fiercely. He cleaves asunder all who come within +his reach. And his followers range themselves near him; in their +last day's work they take such good vengeance that they spare not +their strength at all. Alexander's knights lament that there were +no more than thirteen of them left though even now there were +twenty-and-six. Alexander well-neigh raves with fury when he sees +such havoc among his men who are thus killed and wounded, but he +is not slow to revenge. He has found at hand, by his side, a long +and heavy beam, and goes to strike therewith a traitor; and +neither the foeman's shield nor hauberk availed him a whit +against being borne to the ground. After him , he attacks the +count; in order to strike well he raises the beam ; and he deals +him such a blow with his square-hewn beam that the axe falls from +his hands; and he was so stunned and so weak, that if he had not +leaned against the wall his feet would not have supported him. + +With this blow the battle ceases. Alexander leaps towards the +count and seizes him in such wise that he cannot move. No need is +there to tell more of the others, for easily were they vanquished +when they saw their lord taken. They capture them all with the +count and lead them away in dire shame even as they had deserved. +Of all this, King Arthur's host who were without, knew not a +word; but in the morning when the battle was ended they had found +their shields among the bodies; and the Greeks were raising a +very loud lamentation for their lord but wrongly. On account of +his shield which they recognise they one and all make great +mourning, and swoon over his shield, and say that they have lived +too long. Cornix and Nerius swoon; and when they come to +themselves they blame their lives for being yet whole in them. +And so do Torins and Acoriondes; the tears ran in streams from +their eyes right on to their breasts. Life and joy are but +vexation to them. And above all Parmenides has dishevelled and +torn his hair. These five make so great a mourning for their lord +that greater there cannot be. But they disquiet themselves in +vain; instead of him, they are bearing away another; and yet they +think that they are bearing away their lord. The other shields +too cause them much sorrow by reason whereof they think that the +bodies are those of their comrades; and they swoon and lament +over them. But the shields lie one and all; for of their men +there was but one slain who was named, Neriolis. Him truly would +they have borne away had they known the truth. But they are in as +great distress about the others as about him; and they have borne +and taken them all. About all but one they are mistaken; but even +like a man who dreams, who believes a lie instead of truth, the +shields made them believe that this lie was true. They are +deceived by the shields. They have set out with the bodies of the +slain, and have come to their tents where there were many folk +lamenting; but one and all of the others joined in the lament the +Greeks were making. There was a great rally to their mourning. +Now Soredamors, who hears the wailing and the lament for her +friend, thinks and believes that she was born in an evil hour. +For anguish and grief she loses memory and colour; and this it is +that grieves and wounds her much, but she dare not openly show +her grief; she has hidden her mourning in her heart. And yet, if +any one had marked it, he would have seen by her countenance and +by her outer semblance, that she suffered great pain and sorrow +of body; but each one had enough to do to utter his own grief and +recked nought of another's. Each was lamenting his own sorrow; +for they find their kinsmen and their friends in evil case; for +the river-bank was covered with them. Each lamented his own loss +which is heavy and bitter. There the son weeps for the father, +and here the father for the son; this man is swooning over his +cousin, and this other, over his nephew; thus in each place they +lament, fathers and brothers and kinsmen. But conspicuous above +all is the lament that the Greeks were making although they +might, with justice, expect great joy; for the greatest mourning +of all the host will soon turn to joy. + +The Greeks are raising great lamentation without; and those who +are within are at great pains how to let them hear that whereof +they will have much joy. They disarm and bind their prisoners who +beg and pray them to take now their heads; but the king's men do +not will or deign to do this. Rather, they say that they will +keep them until they deliver them to the king, who then will give +them their due, so that their merits will be requited. When they +had disarmed them all they have made them mount the battlements +in order to show them to their folk below. Much does this +kindness displease them; since they saw their lord taken and +bound they were not a whit glad. Alexander, from the wall above, +swears by God and the saints of the world that never will he let +a single one of them live, but will kill them all; and none shall +stay his hand if they do not all go to yield themselves up to the +king before he can take them. "Go," quoth he, "I bid you to my +lord without fail, and place yourselves at his mercy. None of you +save the count here has deserved death. Never shall ye lose limb +or life if ye place yourselves at his mercy. If ye do not redeem +yourselves from death merely by crying 'Mercy', very little +confidence can ye have in your lives or in your bodies. Issue +forth, all disarmed, to meet my lord, the king, and tell him from +me, that Alexander sends you. Ye will not lose your pains; for +the king, my lord, will remit for you all his wrath and +indignation, so gentle and debonair is he. And if ye will do +otherwise, ye will have to die; for never will pity for you seize +him." All of them together believe this counsel; they do not stop +till they reach the king's tent; and they have all fallen at his +feet. Now is it known throughout the host what they have told and +related. The king mounts, and all have mounted with him; and they +come spurring to the castle, for no longer do they delay. + +Alexander issues forth from the castle towards the king to whom +his sight was well pleasing; and he has yielded up to him the +count. And the king has no longer delayed to do justice on him +immediately; but he greatly praises and extols Alexander; and all +the rest greet him with ceremony and praise and extol him loudly. +There is none who does not manifest joy. The mourning that they +were formerly making yields to joy; but no joy can be compared +with that of the Greeks. The king bids them give him the cup +which was very magnificent and worth fifteen marks; and he tells +and assures him that there is nought however dear, save the crown +and the queen, that he will not yield to him if he will to ask +it. Alexander dares not utter his desire in this matter, yet +knows well that the king would not disappoint him if he asked for +his lady-love; but he greatly fears that he might displease her, +who would have had great joy thereat; for rather does he wish +grief for himself without her than to have her without her will. +Therefore he begs and requests a respite; for he does not wish to +make his request till he know her pleasure in the matter; but he +has sought neither respite nor delay in possessing himself of the +golden cup. He takes the cup and generously entreats my Lord +Gawain until he accepts this cup from him; but with exceeding +great reluctance has that knight accepted it. When Soredamors has +heard the true news about Alexander much did it please and +delight her. When she knew that he is alive she has such joy +thereof, that it seems to her never can she have grief for an +hour; but too long it seems to her does he tarry to come as he is +wont. Soon she will have what she desires; for the two vie with +each other in their yearning for the same thing. + +Alexander greatly longed to be able to feast his eyes on her if +only with one sweet look. Already for a long time would he fain +have come to the queen's tent if he had not been kept elsewhere. +Delay displeased him much, so soon as ever he could he came to +the queen in her tent. The queen has met him; for she knew much +of his thought without his ever having spoken; but well had she +perceived it. As he enters the tent she salutes him and takes +pains to greet him with due ceremony; well she knows what +occasion brings him. Because she wishes to serve him to his +liking she puts Soredamors by his side; and they three were alone +conversing far from the others. The queen is the first to begin; +for she had no doubt at all that they loved each other, he her, +and she him. Well she thinks to know it for a certainty and is +convinced that Soredamors could not have a better lover. She was +seated between them and begins a discourse which came aptly and +in season. + +"Alexander," quoth the queen, "Love is worse than hatred, for it +grieves and bewilders its devotee. Lovers know not what they do +when the one hides his feelings from the other. In Love there is +much grievous toil: he who does not make a bold beginning in the +laying of the foundation can scarce put on the coping-stone. The +saying goes that there is nothing so difficult to cross as the +threshold. I wish to instruct you about Love; for well I know +that Love is using you badly. For this reason have I taken you to +task; and take care that you conceal nought of it from me, for +clearly have I seen from the countenances of each, that of two +hearts you have made one. Never seek to hide it from me. You act +very foolishly in that the twain of you tell not your thoughts; +for you are killing each other by this concealment; you will be +Love's murderers. Now, I counsel you that you seek not to satisfy +your love by rape or by lust. Unite yourselves in honourable +marriage. Thus as it seems to me your love will last long. I +venture to assure you of this, that if you have a mind for it I +will bring about the marriage." + +When the queen had disburdened her heart Alexander on his side +disclosed his. "Lady," quoth he, "I deny nought whereof you +charge me; rather do I quite admit all that you say. Never do I +seek to be free from Love, so as not always to devote myself to +it. This that you of your pity have told me greatly pleases and +delights me. Since you know my will, I know not why I should any +longer conceal it from you. Very long ago if I had dared I would +have confessed it; for the concealment has pained me much. But +perhaps this maiden would in no wise will that I should be hers, +and she mine. If she grants me nought of herself, yet still I +give myself to her." At these words she trembled; and she does +not refuse this gift. She betrays the wish of her heart both in +words and looks; for trembling she gives herself to him, and says +that never will she make any reservation of will or heart or +person; but will be wholly at the queen's command and will do all +her pleasure. The queen embraces them both and gives the one to +the other. Laughing, she says: "I yield to thee, Alexander, the +body of thy love. Well I know that thou art not alarmed thereat. +Let who will look askance thereat; I give you the one to the +other. Hold, thou, what is thine, and thou, Alexander, what is +thine." She has what is hers, and he, what is his; he, all of +her, and she, all of him. The betrothal took place that very day +at Windsor, without a doubt with the consent and permission of my +Lord Gawain and the king. None could tell, I ween, of the +magnificence and feasting, of the joy and pleasure so great that +at the wedding there would not have been more. But inasmuch as +it would displease most people, I will not waste or spend one +word thereon, for I wish to apply myself to the telling of +something better. + +On one day at Windsor had Alexander so much honour and joy as +pleased him. Three joys and three honours he had: One was for the +castle that he took; the second, for that which King Arthur +promised that he would give him when the war was ended--the best +realm in Wales--that day Arthur made him king in his halls. The +greatest joy was the third because his lady-love was queen of the +chessboard whereof he was king. Before five months were passed +Soredamors was great with human seed and grain; and she bore it +till her time. Such was the seed in its germ that the fruit came +according to its kind. A fairer child there could not be, before +or after. They called the child Cliges. + +Born was Cliges, in memory of whom this story was put into +French. Ye shall hear me tell fully and relate of him and of his +knightly service, when he shall have come to such an age, that he +will be destined to grow in fame. But meanwhile it happened in +Greece that the emperor who ruled Constantinople came to his end. +He was dead; he needs must die, for he could not pass the term +appointed. But before his death he assembled all the high barons +of his land in order to send and fetch Alexander, his son, who +was in Britain where right willingly he tarried. The messengers +depart from Greece; o'er the sea they take their voyage; and +there a tempest overtakes them which sorely distresses their ship +and their folk. They were all drowned in the sea save one +treacherous fellow, a renegade, who loved Alis, the younger son, +more than Alexander, the elder. When he had escaped from the sea +he has returned to Greece; and related that they had all been +drowned in a storm on the sea when they were returning from +Britain; and were bringing away their lord; not one of them had +escaped save he, only, from the storm and the peril. His lying +tale was believed. Unopposed and unchallenged they take Alis and +crown him: they give to him the empire of Greece. But it was not +long ere Alexander knew for a certainty that Alis was emperor. +Forthwith he has taken leave of King Arthur; for by no means will +he resign his land to his brother without a fight. The king in no +wise deters him from the plan; rather he bids him lead away with +him so great a multitude of Welsh Scots and Cornishmen, that his +brother will not dare to stand his ground when he shall see the +host assembled. Alexander might have led away a great force had +he willed. But he has no care to destroy his people if his +brother will answer him in such wise as to perform his promise. +He led away forty knights and Soredamors and his son. These two +would he not leave behind; for they were meet to be greatly +loved. They sailed from Shoreham where they took leave of the +whole court; they had fair winds; the ship ran much more swiftly +than a fleeing stag. Before the month had passed, I ween, they +came to anchor before Athens, a city very magnificent and strong. +The emperor, in sooth, was staying in the city; and there was a +great gathering there of the high barons of the land. As soon as +they were arrived Alexander sends a trusted servant into the city +to know if he could have a fitting welcome there or if they will +deny that he is their rightful lord. + +The bearer of this message was a courteous and prudent knight +whom men called Acorionde, a man of wealth and eloquence; and he +was much esteemed in the land, for he was a native of Athens. +>From of old his forbears had always had very high lordship in +the city. When he had heard told that the emperor was in the city +he goes to contend with him for the crown on behalf of Alexander, +his brother; and he cannot pardon him for that he has kept it +unjustly. Straight into the palace has he come; and finds many a +one who greets him fair; but he gives no answer nor does he say a +word to any man who greets him; rather he waits until he may hear +what will and what mind they have toward their true lord. He does +not stop till he reaches the emperor; he greets him not, nor bows +to him, nor calls him emperor. "Alis," quoth he, "I bear thee a +message from Alexander who is out yonder in this harbour. Hear +what word thy brother sends to thee: He asks of thee what is his +and seeks nought that is contrary to justice. Constantinople +which thou holdest ought to be his; and will be his. Neither +reasonable nor right would it be that there should be discord +'twixt you twain. Take my counsel, and come to terms with him, +and give him the Crown in peace; for it is right meet that thou +yield it to him." + +Alis replies: "Fair sweet friend, thou hast taken on thyself a +foolish errand in that thou hast brought this message. No comfort +hast thou brought to me, for I know well that my brother is dead. +It would be a great consolation to me if he were alive and I knew +it. Never will I believe it till I see him. He is dead a while +ago; and that is a grief to me. Not a word that thou sayest do I +believe. And if he is alive wherefore comes he not? Never need he +fear that I will not give him land in plenty. He is mad if he +keeps aloof from me; and if he serve me he will never be the +worse for it. Never will there be any man that will hold the +crown and the empire against me." Acorionde hears that the +emperor's reply is not favourable; but by no fear is he withheld +from speaking his mind. "Alis," quoth he, "may God confound me if +the matter is left thus. On thy brother's behalf I defy thee, and +on his behalf, as is meet, I exhort all those that I see here to +leave thee and come over to his side. It is meet that they cleave +to him; him ought they to make their lord. He who is loyal, let +now his loyalty appear." + +With this word he leaves the court; and the emperor, on his side +, summons those in whom he most trusts. From them he seeks +counsel as to his brother who thus challenges him, and seeks to +know if he can fully trust them not to give support or aid to him +in this attack. Thus he hopes to prove each one; but he finds not +even one to cleave to him with regard to the war; rather do they +bid him remember the war that Eteocles waged against Polynices, +who was his own brother, in which the one killed the other with +his own hands. "A like thing may chance with regard to you if you +are bent on pursuing war; and the land will be ruined by reason +thereof." Therefore they counsel him to seek such a peace as may +be reasonable and honourable; and that the one make no +unreasonable demands on the other. Now Alis hears that if he does +not make a fair covenant with his brother, all the barons will +desert him; and he said they will never desire an arrangement +which he cannot equitably make; but he establishes in the +covenant that whate'er the outcome of the matter the crown remain +to him. + +In order to make firm and lasting peace Alis sends one of his +masters-at-arms and bids Alexander come to him and rule all the +land; but that he do Alis so much honour as to allow him to keep +the name of emperor and let him have the crown; thus, if he will, +can this covenant be made 'twixt the twain of them. When this +thing was related and told to Alexander, his folk have mounted +with him and have come to Athens. With joy were they received; +but it does not please Alexander that his brother should have the +lordship of the empire and of the crown if he give him not his +promise that never will he wed woman; but that after him, Cliges +shall be emperor of Constantinople. Thus are the brothers +reconciled. Alexander makes him swear; and Alis grants and +warrants him that never as long as he shall live will he take +wife. They are reconciled and remain friends. The barons manifest +great joy; they take Alis for emperor; but before Alexander come +affairs great and small. Whatever he commands and says is done; +and little is done except through him. Alis has no longer +anything but the name--for he is called emperor--but Alexander is +served and loved; and he who does not serve him through love, +must needs do so through fear. By means of love and fear he rules +all the land according to his will. But he whose name is Death +spares no man, weak or strong, but slays and kills them all. +Alexander was destined to die; for a sickness for which there was +no remedy took him in its grip; but before death came upon him he +sent for his son and said: "Fair son, Cliges, never canst thou +know how much prowess and valour thou shalt have if thou go not +first to prove thyself at King Arthur's court on both the Britons +and the French. If fate lead thee thither, so bear and demean +thyself that thou remain unknown till thou hast proved thyself on +the flower of the knighthood at the court. I counsel thee that +thou believe me in this matter; and that if opportunity comes +thou fear not to put thy fortune to the test with thy uncle, my +Lord Gawain. Prithee forget not this." + +After this exhortation he lived not long. Soredamors had such +grief thereat that she could not live after him. For sheer grief +she died when he died. Alis and Cliges both mourned for them as +they were bound; but in time they ceased to mourn. For all +mourning must come to an end; all things needs must cease. Ill is +it to prolong mourning, for no good can come of it. The mourning +has ceased; and for a long time after the emperor has refrained +from taking wife, for he would fain strive after loyalty. But +there is no court in all the world that is pure from evil +counsel. Nobles often leave the right way through the evil +counsels to which they give credence, so that they do not keep +loyalty. Often do his men come to the emperor, and they give him +counsel, and exhort him to take a wife. So much do they exhort +and urge him, and each day do they so much beset him, that +through their great importunity, they have turned him from his +loyalty, and he promises to do their will. But he says that she +who is to be lady of Constantinople must needs be very graceful +and fair and wise, rich and of high degree. Then his counsellors +say to him that they will make ready and will hie them into the +German land to sue for the daughter of the emperor. They counsel +him to take her; for the emperor of Germany is very mighty and +very powerful and his daughter is so fair that never in +Christendom was there a damsel of such beauty. The emperor grants +them all their suit; and they set out on the way like folk well +equipped. They have ridden in their days' journeys until they +found the emperor at Ratisbon, and asked him to give his elder +daughter for their lord's behalf. + +The emperor was full blithe at this embassy and gladly has he +promised them his daughter; for he in no wise abases himself by +so doing and abates not one jot of his dignity. But he says that +he had promised to give her to the Duke of Saxony; and that the +Greeks could not take her away unless the emperor came and +brought a mighty force, so that the duke could not do him hurt or +injury on the way back to Greece. + +When the messengers had heard the emperor's reply they take their +leave and set out once more for home. They have returned to their +lord and have told him the reply. And the emperor has taken +chosen men, knights proven in arms, the best that he has found, +and he takes with him his nephew, for whose sake he had vowed +that he would never take wife as long as he lived. But in no wise +will he keep this vow if he can win to reach Cologne. On a day +appointed he departs from Greece and shapes his course towards +Germany; for he will not fail for blame nor for reproach to take +a wife. But his honour will wane thereby. He does not stop till +he reaches Cologne where the emperor had established his court +for a festival held for all Germany. When the company of the +Greeks had come to Cologne there were so many Greeks and so many +Germans from the north, that more than sixty thousand had to find +quarters outside the town. + +Great was the gathering of folk, and very great was the joy that +the two emperors showed, for they were right glad to meet face to +face. In the palace which was very long was the assembly of the +barons; and now the emperor sent for his beautiful daughter. The +maiden did not tarry. Straightway she came into the palace; and +she was fair, and so well shaped, just as God Himself had made +her; for it pleased Him greatly to show such workmanship as to +make people marvel. Never did God who fashioned her give to man a +word that could express so much beauty, that there was not in her +still more beauty. + +Fenice was the maiden named, and not without reason; for just as +the bird Phoenix is fairest above all others and there cannot be +more than one phoenix at a time, so Fenice, I deem, had no peer +for beauty. It was a wonder and a marvel, for never again could +Nature attain to framing her like. Inasmuch as I should say less +than the truth, I will not in words describe arms nor body nor +head nor hands; for if I had a thousand years to live and each +day had doubled my wisdom I should still waste all my time, and +yet never express the truth of it. I know well that if I meddled +with it I should exhaust all my wisdom upon it and should +squander all my pains; for it would be wasted pains. The maiden +has hastened and has come into the palace with head uncovered and +face bare; and the sheen of her beauty sheds greater light in the +palace than four carbuncles would have done. Now Cliges had +doffed his cloak in presence of his uncle, the emperor. The day +was somewhat cloudy but so beauteous were the twain, both the +maid and he, that there shot forth from their beauty a ray with +which the palace glowed again, just as the sun shines bright and +ruddy in the morning. + +To describe the beauty of Cliges I will limn you a portrait, the +traits of which shall be very briefly told. He was in the flower +of his youth, for he was about fifteen years old. He was fairer +and more comely than Narcissus' who saw his own reflection in the +fountain beneath the elm, and loved it so much when he saw it +that he died--so folk say--because he could not have it. Much +beauty had he, and little wit, but Cliges had greater store of +both, just as fine gold surpasses copper, and yet more than I can +say. His hair seemed like fine gold and his face a fresh-blown +rose. His nose was well shaped, and his mouth beautiful, and he +was of great stature as Nature best knew how to frame him; for in +him alone she put all at once what she is wont to dole out to +each in portions. In framing him Nature was so lavish that she +put everything into him all at once and gave him whatsoever she +could. Such was Cliges who had in him wisdom and beauty, +generosity and strength. He had the timber together with the +bark, and knew more of fencing and of archery, of birds and of +hounds, than Tristram, King Mark's nephew; not one grace was +lacking to Cliges. + +Cliges in all his beauty was standing before his uncle; and those +who did not know him were in a fever to see him; and also those +who do not know the maiden are eagerly straining to see her; all +look at her with wonder; but Cliges, in love, directs his eyes to +her secretly, and withdraws them so prudently that neither in the +going or the coming of the gaze can one consider him a fool for +his action. Right lovingly he regards her; but he does not pay +heed to the fact that the maiden pays him back in kind. In true +love not in flattery he gives his eyes into her keeping, and +receives hers. Right good seems this exchange to her; and it +would have seemed to her far better if she had known somewhat of +his worth. But she knows no more than that she sees him fair; and +if she were ever destined to love aught because of the beauty +that she might see in it, it is not meet that she should set her +heart elsewhere. She has set her eyes and her heart there; and he +in his turn has promised her his. Promised? Nay, but given for +good and all. Given? Nay, in faith, I lie; he has not, for no +one can give his heart. Needs must I say it in a different +fashion. I will not speak as they speak who join two hearts in +one body; for it is not true, and has not even the semblance of +truth to say that one body can have two hearts at once. And even +if they could come together such a thing could not be believed. +But, and it please you to hearken to me, I shall be able well to +render you the reason why two hearts blend in one without coming +together. In so far as only they blend in one, the will of each +passes from one to the other, and the twain have the same desire, +and because they have the same desire, there are folk who are +wont to say that each of them possesses both the hearts. But one +heart is not in two places. Well may their desire be the same, +and yet each, always, his own heart, just as many different men +can sing in harmony one song or verse; and I prove to you by this +parable that one body cannot have two hearts because one knows +the other's will, or because the second knows what the first +loves and what he hates. A body cannot have more than one heart +any more than the voices which sing in harmony, so that they seem +to be but a single voice, can be the voice of one person alone. +But it profits me not to dwell on this; for another task demands +my care. Henceforth I must speak of the maiden and of Cliges; and +ye shall hear of the Duke of Saxony who has sent to Cologne a +nephew of his, a mere stripling, who discloses to the emperor +what his uncle, the duke, bids him deliver--that the emperor +expect not from him truce or peace if he send not to him his +daughter; and let not that man feel confident on the way who +thinks to take her thence with him; for he will not find the way +void of foes; rather will it be right well defended against him +if she is not given up to the duke. + +Well did the stripling deliver his message, all without pride and +without presumption; but he finds none, nor knight nor emperor, +to reply to him. When he saw that they were all silent and that +they did it from contempt, he is for quitting the court +defiantly. But youth and audacity made him challenge Cliges to +joust against him ere he departed. They mount to horse in order +to tilt; on both sides they count three hundred so were equal in +number. The whole palace is empty and deserted; for there remains +there neither man nor woman, nor knight nor damsel, who does not +go and mount on the palace roof, on to the battlements, and to +the windows, to see and behold those who were to tilt. Even the +princess has mounted thither, she whom Love had conquered and won +to his will. She is seated at a window where she greatly delights +to sit because from thence she can see him whom she has hidden in +her heart, nor hath she desire to take him away from that +hiding-place; for never will she love any save him. But she knows +not what is his name nor who he is or of what race nor does it +become her to ask; and yet she longs to hear aught whereat her +heart may rejoice. Through the window she looks out on the +shields where the gold shines, and on those who carry them slung +round their necks, and who take delight in the jousting; but her +thought and her glance she has wholly set in one direction, for +she gives no thought to aught else. She is eager to gaze on +Cliges and follows him with her eyes wherever he goes. And he, on +his part, tilts strenuously for her before the eyes of all, only +that she may hear that he is valiant and very skilful; for in any +case it would be meet that she should esteem him for his prowess. +He turns himself toward the nephew of the duke who rode apace, +breaking many lances and discomfiting the Greeks; but Cliges, who +is mightily vexed thereat, presses with all his weight on his +stirrups, and rides to strike him so rapidly that the Saxon, in +spite of himself, has voided his saddle-bows. There was a great +stir as he rose again. The stripling rises and mounts, and thinks +to avenge thoroughly his shame; but many a man thinks to avenge +his shame if he is permitted, who increases it. The youth rushes +towards Cliges; and Cliges lowers his lance to meet him; and +attacks him with such violence that he bears him once more to the +ground. Now has the youth redoubled his shame, and all his folk +are dismayed thereat; for well they see that never will they +leave the fray with honour; for none of them is there so valiant, +that if Cliges comes attacking him he can remain in his +saddle-bow to meet him. Right glad thereof are they of Germany +and they of Greece when they see that their side are sending the +Saxons about their business; for the Saxons depart as though +discomfited, while the others pursue them with contumely until +they catch them up at a stream. Many of the foe do they plunge +and immerse therein. Cliges, in the deepest part of the ford, has +thrown the duke's nephew, and so many others with him , that to +their shame and their vexation, they flee, mournful and sad. But +Cliges returns with joy, bearing off the prize for valour on both +sides; and he came straight to a door which was close to the +place where Fenice was standing who exacts the toll of a sweet +look as he enters the door, a toll which he pays her, for their +eyes have met. Thus has one conquered the other. + +But there is no German whether of the north or of the south so +much as able to speak who does not say: "God! who is this in whom +so great beauty blooms? God! whence has the power come to him so +early that he has won so great distinction?" Thus asks this man +and that, "Who is this youth, who is he?" till throughout the +city they soon know the truth of it, both his name and his +father's, and the promise which the emperor had made and granted +to him. It is already so much told and noised abroad that even +the maiden hears tell of it, who had great joy in her heart +thereat because now she can never say that Love has scorned her, +nor can she complain of aught; for he makes her love the fairest, +the most courteous, and the most valiant man that one could ever +find anywhere; but she must needs have as her husband one who +cannot please her; and she is full of anguish and distress +thereat; for she does not know with whom to take counsel +concerning him whom she desires save only with her own thoughts +as she lies awake. And thought and wakefulness so deal with her +that they blanch her and altogether change her complexion, so +that one can see quite clearly by her loss of colour that she has +not what she desires; for she plays less than her wont, and +laughs less, and disports herself less; but she hides it well and +denies it stoutly if any ask what ails her. Her nurse, who had +brought her up from infancy, was named Thessala, and was versed +in the black art. She was called Thessala because she was born in +Thessaly where sorceries are made, taught, and practised; for the +women who are of that country make charms and enchantments. + +Thessala sees that she whom Love has in his power is wan and +pale, and she has addressed her secretly. "God!" quoth she, "are +you enchanted, my sweet lady dear, that you have so wan a +countenance? Much do I wonder what ails you. Tell me, if you +know, in what part this sickness possesses you most; for if any +one can cure you of it you can rely on me, for well can I give +you back your health. Well know I how to cure a man of dropsy, +and I know how to cure of gout, of quinsy, and of asthma; I know +so much about the water and so much about the pulse that evil +would be the hour in which you would take another leech. And I +know, if I dared say it, of enchantments and of charms, well +proven and true, more than ever Medea knew. Never spake I a word +of it to you; and yet I have brought you up till now; but never +reproach yourself at all for it;, for never would I have said +aught to you if I had not seen for a surety that such a malady +has attacked you, that you have need of my aid. Lady, tell me +your malady, and you will act wisely in doing so before it gets +further hold of you. The emperor has set me in charge of you that +I may take care of you; and I have given such diligence that I +have kept you in sound health. Now shall I have lost my pains if +I heal you not of this ill. Beware that you hide it not from me, +be it illness or aught else." The maiden dares not openly +disclose her whole desire because she is greatly afeard that +Thessala may blame and dissuade her. And yet because she hears +her greatly vaunt and extol herself, and say that she is learned +in enchantment, in charms and potions, she will tell her what is +her case, why her face is pale and wan; but beforehand she will +make her promise that she will hide it for ever and will never +dissuade her. + +"Nurse," quoth she, "of a truth I thought that I felt no ill; but +I shall speedily think that I am sick. The mere fact of my +thinking of it causes me much ill and eke alarms me. But how does +one know unless he put it to the test what may be good and what +ill? My ill differs from all other ills; for--and I be willing to +tell you the truth of it--much it joys me, and much it grieves +me, and I delight in my discomfort; and if there can be a disease +which gives pleasure, my sorrow is my desire, and my grief is my +health. I know not then whereof I should complain; for I know +nought whence evil may come to me if it come not from my desire. +Possibly my desire is a malady; but I take so much pleasure in +that desire that it causes me a pleasant grief; and I have so +much joy in my sorrow that my malady is a pleasant one. Thessala, +nurse! tell me now, is not this sorrow which seems sweet to me , +and yet which tortures me, a deceitful one? I know not how I may +recognise whether it be an infirmity or no. Nurse! tell me now +the name, and the manner, and the nature, of it. But be well +assured that I have no care to recover in any wise, for I cherish +the anguish of it exceedingly." Thessala, who was right wise as +regards Love and all his ways, knows and understands by her +speech that that which distracts her proceeds from Love--because +she calls and names it sweet--it is certain that she loves; for +all other ills are bitter save that alone which comes from +loving; but Love transmutes its own bitterness into pleasure, and +sweetness often turns to its opposite. But Thessala, who well +knew the matter, replies to her: "Fear nought, I will tell you +well both the nature and the name of your disease. You have told +me, methinks, that the pain which you feel seems to you to be joy +and health: of such a nature is love-sickness; for there is in it +joy and sweetness. Therefore I prove to you that you love; for I +find pleasure in no sickness save only in love-sickness. All +other ills as a rule are always grievous and horrible; but Love +is pleasant and tranquil. You love; I am fully certain of it. I +regard it not as base in you; but I will hold it baseness if +through childishness or folly you conceal your heart from me." +"Nurse, truly you are talking to no purpose; for first I mean to +be certain and sure that never by any chance will you speak +thereof to any living creature." "Lady, certainly the winds will +speak of it sooner than I unless you give me permission; and of +this I will make you sure--that I will help you with regard to +this matter, so that you may know of a surety , that by me you +will have your joy." "Nurse, in that case you would have cured +me; but the emperor is giving me in marriage whereat I am +grievously afflicted and sad because he who pleases me is nephew +of him whom I am to wed. And if this man have his joy of me, then +have I lost mine; and there is no more joy to be looked for. +Rather would I be torn limb from limb than that the love of +Iseult and of Tristram should be renewed in the case of us twain; +for of them are such mad actions told that I am ashamed to +recount them. I could not reconcile myself to the life that +Iseult led. Love in her became exceeding base; for her body +belonged to two masters and her heart entirely to one. Thus she +spent her whole life; for she never refused the two. Reason was +there none in this love; but mine is ever constant; and at no +cost will a partition ever be made of my body or of my heart. +Never of a truth shall my body be debased; never shall there be +two partners of it. Let him who owns the heart have the body +also; he excludes all others from it. But this I cannot know--how +he to whom my heart yields itself can have my body since my +father is giving me to another; and I dare not gainsay him. And +when he shall be lord of my body if he do aught with it that I do +not wish, it is not meet that it welcome another. Moreover, this +man cannot wed wife without breaking faith; but if he wrong not +his nephew, Cliges will have the empire after his death. But if +you can contrive by your arts, that this man to whom I am given +and pledged might never have part or lot in me, you would have +done me good service according to my will. Nurse, prithee strive +that this man break not his faith; for he gave his pledge to the +father of Cliges, promising just as Alexander had made him swear, +that never would he take wedded wife. His pledge is about to be +broken, for straightway he intends to wed me. But I cherish +Cliges so dearly that I would rather be buried than that he +should lose through me a farthing of the inheritance which ought +to be his. May never child be born of me by whom he may be +disinherited! Nurse, now bestir yourself in the matter that I may +be yours for ever." Then her nurse tells her and assures her that +she will weave such spells and potions and enchantments that she +would be ill-advised to have concern or fear for this emperor; so +soon as he shall have drunk of the potion that she will give him +to drink, and they will both lie together; but however close she +will be to him, she can be as secure as if there were a wall +between the two of them. "But let not this and this only vex you +if he has his pleasure of you in dreams; for, when he shall be +sound asleep, he will have joy of you in dreaming; and will quite +surely think that he has his joy of you waking, nor will he +imagine that it is a dream, or vision, or falsehood. He will +delight in you so that he will think he is awake while he is +sleeping." + +The maiden loves and approves and esteems this boon and this +service. Her nurse, who promises her this, and vows to keep faith +with her, puts her in good hope; for by this means she will think +to come to her joy however long she have to wait. For never will +Cliges be so ill-disposed to her--if he knows that she loves him; +and for his sake lives so as to guard her maidenhead in order to +shield for him his inheritance--as not to have some pity on her +if he prove himself of a noble stock, and if he is such as he +ought to be. The maiden believes her nurse, and trusts and +confides in her greatly. The one vows and swears to the other +that this plan will be kept so secret that never will it be known +in the future. Thus the parley is ended; and when it came to the +morning the emperor of Germany sends for his daughter. She comes +at his command--but why should I spin out my story? The two +emperors together have so arranged matters that the marriage +takes place and joy begins in the palace. But I will not delay to +speak of each thing severally. I will turn my tale of Thessala, +who does not cease to make and mix potions. + +Thessala crushes her potion; she puts therein spices in plenty +for sweetening and blending. Well does she pound and mix it, and +strains it till the whole is clear, and there is nought acid nor +bitter there; for the spices which are in it make it sweet and of +pleasant odour. When the potion was prepared, then had the day +run its course, and the tables were placed for supper, and the +tablecloths laid; but she delays the supper. It is Thessala's +task to spy out by what device, by what messenger, she will send +her potion. They were all seated at the banquet; they had had +more than six courses and Cliges was serving his uncle. Thessala, +who sees him serve, reflects that he is wasting his Service; for +he is serving to his own disinheritance, and this is a great +sorrow and anxiety to her. Then like the courteous dame that she +is, she bethinks herself that she will make him to whom it will +be joy and profit serve the potion. Thessala sends for Cliges, +and he went straightway to her, and has inquired, and asked of +her why she had sent for him. "Friend," quoth she, "at this +banquet I wish to pay the emperor the flattering meed of a potion +that he will greatly esteem. I will not that he drink to-night, +either at supper or at bedtime, of any other drink. I think that +it will give him much pleasure; for never did he taste of aught +so good nor did any beverage ever cost so much; and take good +care--I warn you of this--that no other drink of it because there +is too little of it for that. And, moreover, I give you this +advice, that he never know whence it came; but let him think it +came by accident, that you found it among the presents, and that +because you tested it, and perceived by the scent of its bouquet +the fragrance of good spices, and because you saw that it +sparkled, you poured the wine into his cup. If by chance he +inquire of it, that will doubtless be the end of the matter. But +have no evil suspicion anent aught that I have said; for the +beverage is pure and wholesome, and full of good spices, and it +may be, as I think, that at some future time it will make you +blithe." When he hears that good will come of it he takes the +potion and goes away; for he knows not that there is aught wrong. +In a cup of crystal he has set it before the emperor. The emperor +has taken the cup, for he has great trust in his nephew. He +drinks a mighty draught of the potion; and now he feels the +virtue of it; for it penetrates from the head to the heart, and +from the heart it returns to his head, and it permeates him again +and again. It saturates his whole body without hurting him. And +by the time the tables were removed, the emperor had drunk so +much of the beverage which had pleased him, that never will he +get free of it. Each night while asleep he will be intoxicated; +and yet it will excite him so much that though asleep, he will +dream that he is awake. + +Now is the emperor mocked. Many bishops and abbots there were at +the benediction and consecration of the bed. When it was bedtime +the emperor, as it behoved him, lay with his wife that night. "As +it behoved him"--therein have I lied, for he never embraced or +touched her though they lay together in one bed. At first the +maiden trembles; for greatly does she fear and feel alarm lest +the potion take no effect. But it has so bewitched him that never +will he have his will of her or of another save when asleep. But +then he will have such ecstasy as one can have in dreaming; and +yet he will hold the dream for true. In one word I have told you +all: never had he other delight of her than in dreams. Thus must +he needs fare evermore if he can lead his bride away; but before +he can hold her in safety a great disaster, I ween, may befall +him. For when he will return home, the duke, to whom she was +first given, will be no laggard. The duke has gathered a great +force, and has occupied all the marches, and his spies are at the +court, and inform him each day of all he wants to know, and tell +him all the measures he must take, and how long they will tarry, +and when they will return, through what places, and by what +passes. The emperor did not long tarry after the wedding. +Blithely he departs from Cologne; and the emperor of Germany +escorts him with a very great company because he greatly fears +and dreads the might of the Duke of Saxony. + +The two emperors proceed and stop not till they reach Ratisbon; +and on one evening they were lodged by the Danube in the meadow. +The Greeks were in their tents in the meadows beside the Black +Forest. The Saxons who were observing them were encamped opposite +them. The duke's nephew was left all alone on a hill to keep a +look-out, and see whether, peradventure, he might gain any +advantage over those yonder or wreak any mischief upon them. +>From his post of vantage he saw Cliges riding with three other +striplings who were taking their pleasure, carrying lances and +shields in order to tilt and to disport themselves. Now is the +duke's nephew bent on attacking and injuring them if ever he can. +With five comrades he sets out; and the six have posted +themselves secretly beside the wood in a valley, so that the +Greeks never saw them till they issued from the valley, and till +the duke's nephew rushes upon Cliges and strikes him, so that he +wounds him a little in the region of the spine. Cliges stoops and +bows his head, so that the lance glances off him; nevertheless, +it wounds him a little. + +When Cliges perceives that he is wounded he has rushed upon the +stripling, and strikes him straightway with such violence that he +thrusts his lance right through his heart and fells him dead. +Then the Saxons, who fear him mightily, all take to flight and +scatter through the heart of the forest while Cliges, who knows +not of the ambush, commits a reckless and foolish act; for he +separates himself from his comrades, and pursues in that +direction in which the duke's force was. And now all the host +were preparing to make an attack on the Greeks. Cliges, all +alone, without aid, pursues them; and the youths all dismayed +because of their lord whom they have lost, come running into the +duke's presence; and, weeping, recount to him the evil hap of his +nephew. The duke thinks it no light matter; by God and all his +saints, he swears that never in all his life will he have joy or +good luck as long as he shall know that the slayer of his nephew +is alive. He says that he who will bring him Cliges' head shall +verily be deemed his friend, and will give him great comfort. +Then a knight has boasted that the head of Cliges will be offered +to the duke by him; let the duke but rely on him. + +Cliges pursues the youths till he swooped down on the Saxons, and +is seen by the knight who has engaged to carry off his head. +Straightway, that knight departs and stays no longer. But Cliges +has retreated in order to elude his enemies; and he returned at +full gallop thither where he had left his comrades. But he has +found none of them there; for they had returned to the tents to +relate their adventure. And the emperor summoned Greeks and +Germans alike to horse. Through all the host the barons speedily +arm themselves and mount. But the Saxon knight, all armed, his +visor laced, has continued to pursue Cliges at a gallop. Cliges, +who never wished to have aught in common with a recreant or +coward, sees him come alone. First of all the knight has assailed +him with words: he stoutly calls him baseborn fellow, for he +could not conceal the mind he had of him. "Fellow," quoth he, +"here wilt thou leave the forfeit for my lord, whom thou hast +slain. If I bear not off thy head with me, then esteem me not +worth a bad Byzantine coin. I will to make the duke a present of +it, for I will not accept any other forfeit in its stead. So much +will I render to him for his nephew; and he will have had a good +exchange for him." Cliges hears that the Saxon is abusing him as +a madman and low-bred fellow. "Man," quoth he, "now defend +yourself; for I defy you to take my head, and you shall not have +it without my leave." Forthwith the one seeks the other. The +Saxon has missed his stroke; and Cliges thrusts so hard that he +made man and steed fall all in a heap. The steed falls backwards +on his rider with such violence that it completely breaks one of +his legs. Cliges dismounts on the green grass and disarms him. +When he had disarmed him, then he dons the arms himself, and has +cut off his head with the victim's own sword. When he had cut off +his head, he has fixed it on to the point of his lance; and says +that he will present it to the duke to whom his enemy had vowed +to present Cliges' own head if he could meet him in the fight. No +sooner had Cliges placed the helmet on his head, taken the shield +, (not his own, but the shield of him who had fought with him), +and no sooner had he mounted on the foeman's horse, leaving his +own rider-less in order to dismay the Greeks, than he saw more +than a hundred banners and battalions, great and fully equipped, +of Greeks and Germans mingled. Now will begin a very fierce and +cruel melee between the Saxons and the Greeks. As soon as Cliges +sees them come, he goes straight towards the Saxons; and the +Greeks exert themselves to pursue him; for on account of his arms +they do not know him; and his uncle, who sees the head that he is +bringing, is marvellously discomforted thereat. No wonder is it +if he fears for his nephew. The whole host musters in his wake; +and Cliges lets them pursue him in order to begin the melee till +the Saxons perceive him coming; but the arms with which he is +clad and furnished mislead them all. He has mocked at them and +scorned them; for the duke and all the others as he advanced with +hoisted lance, say: "Our knight is coming! On the point of the +lance that he holds he is bringing the head of Cliges; and the +Greeks follow after him. Now to horse to succour him!" Then they +all give the rein to their horses; and Cliges spurs towards the +Saxons, covering himself behind his shield and doubling himself +up, his lance upright, the head on its point. Not one whit less +courage than a lion had he, though he was no stronger than +another. On both sides they believe that he is dead--Saxons, and +Greeks and Germans--and the one side are blithe thereat; and the +other side, grieved; but soon will the truth be known. For now +has Cliges no longer held his peace: shouting, he gallops towards +a Saxon, and strikes him with his ashen lance with the head on +it, full in the breast, so that he has lost his stirrups; and he +calls out, "Barons, strike! I am Cliges whom you seek. On now, +bold freeborn knights! Let there be no coward, for ours is the +first shock. Let no craven taste of such a dainty dish." + +The emperor greatly rejoiced when he heard his nephew, Cliges, +who thus addresses and exhorts them; right glad and comforted is +he thereof. And the duke is utterly dumfounded;, for now he knows +well that he is betrayed unless his force is the greater; he bids +his men close their ranks and keep together. And the Greeks, in +close array, have not gone far from them, for now they are +spurring and pricking. On both sides they couch their lances and +meet and receive each other as it behoved them to do in such a +fight. At the first encounter, they pierce shields and shatter +lances, cut girths, break stirrups; the steeds stand bereft of +those who fall upon the field. But no matter what the others do, +Cliges and the duke meet; they hold their lances couched; and +each strikes the other on his shield with so great valour that +the lances, which were strong and well wrought, break into +splinters. Cliges was a skilful horseman: he remained upright in +his saddle, never stumbling nor wavering. The duke has lost his +saddle, and in spite of himself has voided the saddle-bows. +Cliges thinks to take him and lead him away captive, and mightily +toils and strains; but the strength he needed was not his. For +the Saxons were all around, and they rescue their duke by force. +Nevertheless, Cliges leaves the field without injury; with a +prize; for he leads away the duke's steed which was whiter than +wool and which, for the use of a man of valour, was worth all the +possessions of Octavian of Rome: the steed was an Arab one. Great +joy manifest Greeks and Germans when they see Cliges mounted on +it; for they had seen the worth and the perfection of the Arab; +but they did not suspect an ambush nor will they ever perceive it +till they receive great loss therefrom. + +A spy has come to the duke with news at which he has waxed full +joyous. "Duke," quoth the spy, "no man has been left in all the +tents of the Greeks who can defend himself. Now can thy men take +the daughter of the emperor, if thou wilt trust my words, while +thou seest the Greeks desperately bent on the fight and on the +battle. Give me a hundred of thy knights and I will give them thy +lady-love. By an old and lonely path, I will lead them so +prudently that they shall not be seen or met by Saxon or German +till they will be able to take the maiden in her tent, and lead +her away so unhindered that never will she be denied them." The +duke is blithe at this thing. He has sent a hundred and more wise +knights with the spy; and the spy has led them in such wise that +they take the maiden as a prize, nor have they spent great force +thereon, for easily were they able to lead her away. When they +had taken her some distance from the tents, they sent her away +attended by twelve of them, nor did the rest accompany the twelve +far. Twelve of them lead away the maiden; the others have told +the duke the news of their success. Nought else was there that +the duke had desired, and straightway he makes a truce with the +Greeks till the morrow. They have given and accepted a truce. The +duke's men have returned; and the Greeks without any delay return +, each one to his tent. But Cliges remained alone on a hill so +that no one noticed him till he saw the twelve coming, and the +damsel whom they were taking away at full speed and at a gallop. +Cliges, who longs to gain renown, forthwith dashes in their +direction, for he thinks to himself, and his heart tells him that +it is not for nothing they are fleeing. The very moment that he +saw them, he dashes after them; and they see him; but they think +and believe a foolish thing. "The duke is following us," each one +says, "let us wait for him a little; for he has left the host +unattended and is coming after us very swiftly." There is not a +single one who does not believe this. They all desire to go to +meet him; but each desires to go alone. Cliges must needs descend +into a great valley between two mountains. Never would he have +recognised their insignia if they had not come to meet him, or if +they had not awaited him. Six of them advanced to meet him; but +soon will they have had an ill meeting with him. The others stay +with the maiden and lead her on, gently, at a walking pace. And +the six go at full speed, spurring incessantly through the +valley. He who had the swiftest horse outstripped all the rest, +crying aloud: "Duke of Saxony! God preserve thee! Duke! We have +regained thy lady. Now shall the Greeks never carry her off; for +she will now be given and handed over to thee." When Cliges has +heard these words that the other cries out, no smile had he in +his heart; rather is it a marvel that frenzy does not seize him. +Never was any wild beast: leopardess, or tigress, or lioness, who +sees her young taken, so embittered, and furious, and lusting, +for the fight as was Cliges who cares not to live if he fail his +lady. Rather would he die than not have her. Very great wrath has +he for this calamity and exceeding great courage does it give +him. He spurs and pricks the Arab; and goes to deal the blazoned +shield of the Saxon such a blow that--I lie not--he made him feel +the lance at his heart. This has given Cliges confidence. More +than a full acre's measure has he spurred and pricked the Arab +before the second has drawn near, for they came, one by one. The +one has no fear for the other; for he fights with each singly and +meets them one by one, nor has the one aid of the other. He makes +an attack on the second, who thought to tell the supposed duke +news of Cliges' discomfiture, and to rejoice thereat as the first +had done. But Cliges recks little of words or of listening to his +discourse. He proceeds to thrust his lance in his body so that +when he draws it out again the blood gushes out; and he bereaves +his foe of life and speech. After the two, he joins issue with a +third who thinks to find him overjoyed and to gladden him with +news of his own discomfiture. He came spurring against him; but +before he has the chance to say a word, Cliges has thrust his +lance a fathom deep into his body. To the fourth he gives such a +blow on the neck, that he leaves him in a swoon on the field. +After the fourth, he gallops against the fifth, and then after +the fifth, against the sixth. Of these, none stood his ground +against him; rather does Cliges leave them all silent and dumb. +Still less has he feared and more boldly sought the rest of them. +After this has he no concern about these six. + +When he was free from care as regards these, he goes to make a +present of shame and of misfortune to the rest who are escorting +the maiden. He has overtaken them, and attacks them like a wolf , +who famished and fasting rushes on his prey. Now seems it to him +that he was born in a good hour, since he can display his +chivalry and courage before her who is all his life. Now is he +dead if he free her not; and she, on the other hand, is likewise +dead; for she is greatly discomforted for him, but does not know +that he is so near her. Cliges, with feutred lance, has made a +charge which pleased her; and he strikes one Saxon and then +another so that with one single charge he has made them both bite +the dust, and splinters his ashen lance. The foemen fall in such +anguish that they have no power to rise again to hurt or molest +him, for they were sore wounded in their bodies. The other four, +in great wrath, go all together to strike Cliges; but he neither +stumbles nor trembles nor have they unhorsed him. Swiftly he +snatches from the scabbard his sword of sharpened Steel; and that +she who awaits his love may be right grateful to him, he +encounters with lightning swiftness a Saxon, and strikes him with +his sharp sword, so that he has severed from his trunk, his head +and half his neck: no tenderer pity had he for him. Fenice, who +watches and beholds, knows not that it is Cliges. Fain would she +that it were he; but because there is danger she says to herself +that she would not wish it. For two reasons is she his good +friend; for she fears his death and desires his honour. And +Cliges receives at the sword's point the three who offer him +fierce combat; they pierce and cleave his shield, but they cannot +get him into their power or cleave the links of his shirt of +mail. And nought that Cliges can reach stands firm before his +blow; for he cleaves and breaks asunder all; he wheels round more +quickly than the top which is urged on and driven by the whip. +Prowess and love entwine him and make him bold and keen in fight. +He has dealt so grievously with the Saxons that he has killed or +conquered them all, wounded some, and killed others; but he let +one of them escape because they were a match, one for the other, +and so that, by him, the duke might know his loss and mourn. But +before this man left him, he prevailed upon Cliges to tell him +his name; and went for his part to tell it to the duke, who had +great wrath thereat. Now the duke hears of his misfortune, and +had great grief and great care thereat. And Cliges leads away +Fenice, who thrills and tortures him with the pangs of love; but +if now he does not hear her confession, long time will love be +adverse to him; and also to her if she, on her side, is silent +and say not her will; for now in the hearing, one of the other, +can they reveal their inmost hearts. But so much do they fear +refusal that they dare not betray their hearts. He fears that she +might reject him; she, on her part, would have betrayed herself +if she had not feared rejection. And, nevertheless, the one +betrays his thoughts to the other with the eyes if they could +only have known it. They speak by glances with their eyes; but +they are so craven with their tongues that in no wise dare they +speak of the love which masters them. If she dare not begin it, +it is no marvel; for a maiden ought to be a simple and shy +creature. But why does he wait; and why does he delay, who is +thoroughly bold in her behalf, and has shown dread of none but +her? God! Whence comes this fear to him that he fears a single +maiden, weak and timid, simple and shy? At this, methinks, I see +dogs fleeing before the hare, and the fish hunting the beaver, +the lamb the wolf, the dove the eagle. So would it be if the +villein were to flee before his hoe by which he gains his +livelihood, and with which he toils. So would it be if the falcon +were to flee from the duck, and the gerfalcon from the heron, and +the great pike from the minnow, and if the stag were to chase the +lion; so do things go topsy-turvy. But a desire comes upon me to +give some reason why it happens to true lovers, that wit and +courage fail them to express what they have in their thoughts +when they have leisure and opportunity and time. + +You who are being instructed in Love, who faithfully uphold the +customs and rites of his court, and who never broke his law +whatever might have befallen you for your obedience, tell me if +one can see anything which affords Love's delight but that lovers +shiver and grow pale thereat. Never shall there be a man opposed +to me that I do not convince of this; for he who does not grow +pale and shiver thereat, who does not lose wit and memory like a +thief, pursues and seeks that which is not fittingly his. A +servant who does not fear his lord, ought not to stay in his +retinue or serve him. He who does not esteem his lord, does not +fear him; and he who does not esteem him, does not hold him dear; +but rather seeks to cheat him and to pilfer somewhat of his +property. For fear ought a servant to tremble when his lord calls +him or sends for him. And he who commends himself to Love makes +Love his master and his lord; and it is meet that he have him in +Reverence; and greatly fear and honour him if he wishes to stand +well with his court. Love without fear and without dread is fire +without flame and without heat; daylight without sun; honeycomb +without honey; summer without flowers; winter without frost; sky +without moon; a book without letters. Thus do I wish to refute +such an opponent; for where fear is lacking there is no love +worth mentioning. It behoves him who wishes to love to fear also; +for if he does not he cannot love; but let him fear her only whom +he loves; and in her behoof let him be thoroughly bold. +Therefore, Cliges commits no fault or wrong if he fears his +lady-love. But for this fear he would not have failed forthwith +to have spoken to her of love and sought her love, however the +matter had happed if she had not been his uncle's wife. For this +cause his wound rankles in him; and it pains and grieves him the +more because he dare not say what he yearns to say. + +Thus they return towards their company; and if they talk of +anything, there was in their talk nothing about which they cared. +Each sat on a white horse; and they rode quickly towards the army +where there was great lamentation. Throughout the host they are +beside themselves with grief; but they hit upon an untrue saying +when they say that Cliges is dead--thereat is the mourning very +great and loud. And they fear for Fenice; they deem not that they +will ever have her again; and both for her and for him the whole +host is in very great sorrow. But these two will not delay much +longer; and the whole state of matters will take a different +appearance; for already they have returned to the host and have +turned the sorrow into joy. Joy returns and sorrow flies. They +all come to meet them so that the whole host assembles. The two +emperors together, when they heard the news about Cliges and +about the maiden, go to meet them with very great joy; but each +one longs to hear how Cliges had found and rescued the lady. +Cliges tells them the tale; and those who hear it marvel greatly +Thereat; and much do they praise his prowess and valour. But on +the other side the duke, who swears and protests, is furious; and +declares that if Cliges dares there shall be a single combat +between the two of them; and that he will order matters in such +wise, that if Cliges wins the combat, the emperor shall go away +in safety, and take the maiden unhindered; but that if he kills +or conquers Cliges, who has done him many an injury, let there +for this be neither truce nor peace till after each has done his +utmost. This the duke essays; and through an interpreter of his, +who knew Greek and German, gives the two emperors to know that +thus he wishes to have the battle. + + +The messenger delivers his message in one and the other language +so well that all understood. The whole host resounds and is in an +uproar about it; and men say, that never may it please God, that +Cliges fight the battle; and both the emperors are in a very +great alarm thereat; but Cliges falls at their feet and prays +them let it not grieve them; but that, if ever he has done aught +that has pleased them, he may have this battle as a guerdon and +as a reward. And if it is denied him never will he for a single +day be a blessing and an honour to his uncle. The emperor, who +held his nephew as dear as duty bade him, with his hand raises +him up from his knees and says: "Fair nephew, greatly does it +grieve me that I know you to be so wedded to fighting; for after +joy I expect sorrow therefrom. You have made me glad; I cannot +deny it; but much it grieves me to grant this boon and send you +to the battle; for that I see you yet too young. And I know you +to be of such proud courage that in no wise dare I deny anything +that it please you to ask; for know well that it would be done +but to please you; but if my prayer availed aught, never would +you take on you this burden." "Sire, you are pleading in vain," +quoth Cliges, "for may God confound me if I would accept the +whole world on condition that I did not fight this battle. I know +not why I should seek from you a long respite or a long delay." +The emperor weeps with pity, and Cliges, on his side, weeps with +joy when he grants him the battle. There had he wept many a +joyful tear, nor had he secured delay, nor limit of time, before +it was the hour of Prime; by his own messenger was the battle +announced to the duke, just as he had demanded it. + +The duke, who thinks and believes and imagines that Cliges will +not be able to defend himself against him, but that he will soon +have slain or conquered him, quickly has himself armed. Cliges, +who is longing for the battle, thinks that he need have no care +as to how to defend himself against the duke. He asks the emperor +for arms, and prays him to dub him knight; and, of his grace, the +emperor gives him arms and Cliges takes them; for his heart is +enamoured of the battle and much does he desire and long for it. +He hastens full swiftly to arm himself; when he was armed from +head to foot, the emperor, who was full of anxiety, goes to gird +the sword on his side. Cliges mounts on the white Arab, fully +armed; from his neck he hangs by the straps a shield made of +elephant's bone, such that it will neither break nor split nor +had it blazon or device; the armour was all white, and the steed +and the harness were all whiter than any snow. + +Cliges and the duke are armed, and the one has announced to the +other that they will meet half-way, and that, on both sides, +their men shall all be without swords and without lances, bound +by oaths and their word of honour that never, as long as the +combat shall last, will there be any so bold as to dare to move +for any reason, any more than he would dare to pluck out his own +eye. Bound by this covenant they have met, and the delay has +seemed very long to each champion; for each thinks to have the +glory and the joy of victory. But before there was a blow struck, +the maiden, who is much concerned for Cliges, has herself +escorted thither; but on this is she quite resolved: that if he +dies, she will die. Never will any hope of consolation avail to +deter her from dying with him; for without him life has no charm +for her. + +When all had come into the field, high and low, young and hoary, +and the guards bad been set there, then have both champions taken +their lances; and they meet in no half-hearted way, so that each +breaks his lance, and both are unhorsed and fail to keep their +saddles. But quickly have they risen to their feet, for they were +not at all wounded, and again they encounter without delay. They +play a merry tune with their swords on the resounding helms, so +that their retinue are amazed; and it seems to those who watch +them that the helmets are on fire and ablaze. And when the swords +rebound, glowing sparks jet forth as from red-hot iron which the +smith hammers on the anvil when he draws it from the furnace. +Very lavish are both the warriors in dealing blows in great +Store; and each has a good will to pay back quickly what he +borrows; neither the one nor the other ceases from paying back +capital and interest immediately, all without count and without +stint. But the duke comes on in great anger, and right wroth and +furious is he because he has not quelled and slain Cliges at the +first encounter. He deals him a great blow, marvellous and +strong, such that at his feet Cliges has fallen on one knee. + +At the blow whereby Cliges fell was the emperor much amazed; he +was no whit less bewildered than if he had been behind the shield +himself. Then Fenice, so much was she amazed, can no longer +restrain herself, whatever might come of it, from crying: "God! +Aid!" as loud as ever she could. But she had called out but one +word when, forthwith, her voice failed, and she fell swooning, +and with arms outstretched so that her face was a little wounded. +Two noble barons raised her, and have held her on her feet till +she has returned to her senses. But never did any who saw her, +whatever appearance she presented, know why she swooned. Never +did any man blame her for it; rather they have all praised her; +for there is not a single one who does not believe that she would +have done the same for his sake if he had been in Cliges' place; +but in all this there is no truth. Cliges, when Fenice cried, +heard and marked her right well. The sound restored to him +strength and courage, and be springs swiftly to his feet, and +advanced furiously to meet the duke, and thrusts at him, and +presses him so that the duke was amazed thereat; for he finds him +more greedy for combat, more strong and agile than he had found +him before, it seems to him, when they first encountered. And +because he fears his onset he says to him: "Knight, so may God +save me, I see thee right courageous and valiant. But if it had +not been for my nephew, whom I shall never forget, willingly +would I have made peace with thee, and would have released thee +from the quarrel; for never would I have meddled any more in the +matter." "Duke," says Cliges, "what may be your pleasure? Is it +not meet that he who cannot make good his claim yield it, one of +two evils; when one has to choose, one ought to choose the +lesser. When your nephew picked a quarrel with me, he acted +unwisely. I will serve you in the same way--be assured of it--if +I ever can, if I do not receive submission from you." The duke, +to whom it seems that Cliges was growing in strength every +moment, thinks that it is much better for him to stop short +half-way before he is altogether wearied out. Nevertheless, he +does not confess to him the truth quite openly, but he says: +"Knight, I see thee debonair and agile and of great courage. But +exceeding young art thou: for this reason I reflect, and I know +of a surety, that if I conquer and kill thee, never should I win +praise or esteem thereby, nor should I ever see any man of valour +in whose hearing I should dare to confess that I had fought with +thee, for I should do honour to thee and shame to myself. But if +those knowst what honour means, a great honour will it be to thee +for ever that thou hast stood thy ground against me, even for two +encounters only. Now a wish and desire has come to me, to release +thee from the quarrel and not to fight with thee any longer." +"Duke," quoth Cliges, "you talk idly. You shall say it aloud in +the hearing of all, and never shall it be told or related that +you have done me a kindness, or that you have had mercy on me. In +the hearing of one and all of these who are here, you will have +to declare it if you wish to make peace with me." The duke +declares it in the hearing of all. Thus have they made peace and +agreement; but whatever the issue of the matter, Cliges had the +honour and the renown of it; and the Greeks had very great joy +thereof. But the Saxons could not make light of the matter; for +well had they all seen their lord exhausted and worsted; nor is +there any question but that, if he had been able to do better for +himself, this peace would never have been made; rather would he +have rent the soul out of Cliges' body if he had been able to do +it. + +The duke returns to Saxony, grieved and downcast and Ashamed; for +of his men--there are not two who do not hold him a conquered +man, a craven, and a coward. The Saxons, with all their shame, +have returned to Saxony. And the Greeks delay no longer; they +return towards Constantinople with great joy and with great +gladness; for well by his prowess has Cliges assured to them the +way. Now the emperor of Germany no further follows or attends +them. After taking leave of the Greek folk and of his daughter +and of Cliges and of the emperor, he has remained in Germany; and +the emperor of the Greeks goes away right glad and right joyful. +Cliges, the valiant, the well-bred, thinks of his father's +command. If his uncle the emperor will grant him leave, he will +go to request and pray him to let him go to Britain to speak to +his uncle the king; for he craves to know and see him. He sets +out for the presence of the emperor, and begs him if it please +him to let him go to Britain to see his uncle and his friends. +Very gently has he made this request; but his uncle refuses it to +him when he has heard and listened to the whole of his request +and his story. "Fair nephew," quoth he, "it pleases me not that +you should wish to leave me. Never will I give you this leave or +this permission without great grief; for right pleasant and +convenient is it that you should be my partner and co-ruler with +me of all my empire." + +Now there is nothing which pleases Cliges, since his uncle denies +him what he asks and requests; and he says: "Fair Sire, it +becomes me not, nor am I brave or wise enough to be given this +partnership with you or with another so as to rule an empire; +very young am I and know but little. For this reason is gold +applied to the touchstone because one wishes to know if it is +real gold. So wish I--that is the end and sum of it--to assay and +prove myself where I think to find the touchstone. In Britain if +I am valiant I shall be able to put myself to the touch with the +Whetstone; and with the true and genuine assay by which I shall +test my prowess. In Britain are those valiant men of whom honour +and prowess boast. And he who wishes to gain honour, ought to +join himself to their company; for there the honour resides and +is won which appertains to the man of valour. Therefore, I ask +you this leave; and know of a surety that if you do not send me +thither and do not grant me the boon, then I shall go without +your leave." "Fair nephew, rather do I give it you freely when I +see you thus minded; for I would not have the heart to detain you +by force or by prayer. Now may God give you heart and will to +return soon since neither prayer nor prohibition nor force could +prevail in the matter. I would have you take with you a talent of +gold and of silver, and horses to delight you will I give you, +all at your choice." No sooner had he said his word than Cliges +has bowed to him. All whatsoever the emperor has devised and +promised was at once set before him. Cliges took as much wealth +and as many comrades as pleased and behoved him; but for his own +private use he takes away four different steeds: one white, one +sorrel, one dun, one black. But I was about to pass over one +thing that must not be omitted. Cliges goes to take leave of +Fenice, his lady-love, and to ask her leave to depart; for he +would fain commend her to God. He comes before her and kneels +down, weeping, so that he moistens with his tears all his tunic +and his ermine, and he bends his eyes to the ground; for he dares +not look straight in front of him, just as if he has committed +some wrong and crime towards her, and now shows by his mien that +he has shame for it. And Fenice, who beholds him timidly and +shyly, knows not what matter brings him; and she has said to him +in some distress: "Friend, fair sir, rise; sit by my side; weep +no more and tell me your pleasure." "Lady! What shall I say? What +conceal? I seek your permission to depart." "Depart? Why?" + +"Lady! I must go away to Britain." "Tell me, then, on what quest, +before I give you permission." "Lady, my father, when he died and +departed this life, prayed me on no account to fail to go to +Britain as soon as I should be a knight. For nothing in the world +would I neglect his command. It will behove me not to play the +laggard as I go thither. It is a very long journey from here to +Greece; and if I were to go thither the journey from +Constantinople to Britain would be very long for me. But it is +meet that I take leave of you as being the lady whose I am +wholly." Many hidden and secret sighs and sobs had he made on +setting out; but no one had eyes so wide open or such good +hearing as to be able to perceive for a certainty from hearing or +sight, that there was love between the twain. Cliges, grievous +though it be to him, departs as soon as it is allowed him. He +goes away lost in thought; lost in thought remains the emperor +and many another; but Fenice is the most pensive of all: she +discovers neither bottom nor bound to the thought with which she +is filled, so greatly does it overflow and multiply in her. Full +of thought she has come to Greece: there was she held in great +honour as lady and empress; but her heart and spirit are with +Cliges wherever he turns, nor ever seeks she that her heart may +return to her unless he bring it back to her, he who is dying of +the malady with which he has slain her. And if he recovers, she +will recover; never will he pay dear for it unless she too pay +dear. Her malady appears in her complexion; for much has she +changed and pale has she grown. The fresh, clear, pure hue that +Nature had bestowed has wholly deserted her face. Often she +weeps, often sighs: little recks she of her empire and of the +wealth she has. She has always in her memory the hour that Cliges +departed, the farewell that he took of her, how he changed +countenance, how he blanched, his tears and his mien, for he came +to weep before her, humble, lowly, and on his knees, as if he +must needs worship her. All this is pleasant and sweet for her to +recall and to retrace. Then to provide herself with a luscious +morsel, she takes on her tongue in lieu of spice a sweet word; +and for all Greece she would not wish that he who said that word +should, in the sense in which she took it, have intended deceit; +for she lives on no other dainty nor does aught else please her. +This word alone sustains and feeds her and soothes for her all +her suffering. She seeks not to feed herself or quench her thirst +with any other meat or drink; for when it came to the parting, +Cliges said that he was "wholly hers". This word is so sweet and +good to her, that from the tongue it goes to her heart; and she +stores it in her heart as well as in her mouth, that she may be +the surer of it. She dares not hide this treasure behind any +other lock; and she would never be able to store it elsewhere so +well as in her heart. In no wise will she ever take it thence so +much she fears thieves and robbers; but it is without reason that +this fear comes to her; and without reason that she fears birds +of prey, for this possession is immovable; rather is it like a +building which cannot be destroyed by flood or by fire, and which +will never move from its place. But this she knows not, and hence +she gives herself agony and pain to seek out and learn something +on which she can lay hold; for in divers fashions does she +explain it. She holds debate within herself; and makes such +replies as these: "With what intention did Cliges say to me 'I am +wholly yours' if love did not cause him to say it? With what +power of mine can I sway him, that he should esteem me so highly +as to make me his lady? Is he not fairer than I, of much nobler +birth than I? I see nought but his love that can bestow on me +this gift. From my own case, for I cannot evade the scrutiny, I +will prove, that if he had not loved me he would never have +called himself wholly mine; for just as I could not be wholly +his, nor could in honour say so if love had not drawn me to him, +so Cliges, on his side, could not in any wise have said that he +was wholly mine if love has him not in his bonds. For if he loves +me not, he fears me not. Love, which gives me wholly to him, +perhaps , gives him wholly to me; but this thought quite dismays +me, that the phrase is one in common use and I may easily be +deceived; for many a man there is who in flattery says, even to +strangers: 'I am quite at your service, I, and whatsoever I +have.' And such men are more mocking than jays. So I know not +what to think; for it might well be that thus he spake to flatter +me. But I saw him change colour and weep right piteously. To my +mind his tears, his shamefaced and cast-down countenance, did not +come from deceit; no deceit or trickery was there. The eyes from +which I saw the tears fall did not lie to me. Signs enow could I +see there of love if I know aught of the matter. Yea! I grant +that evil was the hour in which I thought it. Evil was the hour +that I learnt it, and stored it in my heart; for a very great +misfortune has happed to me from it. A misfortune? Truly, by my +faith! I am dead, since I see not him who has flattered and +cajoled me so much that he has robbed me of my heart. Through his +deceit and smooth words, my heart is quitting its lodging and +will not stay with me, so much it hates my dwelling and my manor. +Faith! then, he who has my heart in his keeping has dealt ill +with me. He who robs me and takes away what is mine, loves me +not; I know it well. I know it? Why then did he weep? Why? It was +not for nothing, for he had reason enow. I ought to apply nought +of it to myself because a man's sorrow is very great at parting +from those whom he loves and knows. I marvel not that he had +grief and sorrow, and that he wept when he left his +acquaintances. But he who gave him this counsel to go and stay in +Britain could have found no better means of wounding me to the +heart. One who loses his heart is wounded to the heart. He who +deserves sorrow ought to have it; but I never deserved it. Alas! +Unhappy that I am! Why, then, has Cliges slain me without any +fault of mine? But in vain do I reproach him; for I have no +grounds for this reproach. Cliges would never, never, have +forsaken me--I know this well--if his heart had been in like case +with mine. In like case I think it is not. And if my heart has +joined itself to his heart, never will it leave it, never will +his go whither without mine; for mine follows him in secret so +close is the comradeship that they have formed. But to tell the +truth the two hearts are very different and contrary. How are +they different and contrary? His is lord, and mine is slave; and +the slave, even against his own will, must do what is for his +lord's good and leave out of sight all else. But what matters it +to me? He cares nought for my heart or for my service. This +division grieves me much; for thus the one heart is lord of the +two. Why cannot mine, all alone, avail as much as his with him? +Thus the two would have been of equal strength. My heart is a +prisoner; for it cannot move unless his moves. And if his wanders +or tarries, mine ever prepares to follow and go after him. God! +Why are not our bodies so near that I could in some way have +fetched my heart back? Have fetched it back? Poor fool! If I were +to take it from where it is lodged so comfortably, I might kill +it by so doing. Let it stay there. Never do I seek to remove it; +rather do I will that it stay with its lord until pity for it +come to him; for rather there than here will he be bound to have +mercy on his servant because the two hearts are in a strange +land. If my heart knows how to serve up flattery as one is bound +to serve it up at court, it will be rich before it returns. He +who wishes to be on good terms with his lord and to sit beside +him on his right, as is now the use and custom, must feign to +pluck the feather from his lord's head, even when there is no +feather there. But here we see an evil trait: when he flatters +him to his face, and yet his lord has in his heart either +baseness or villainy, never will he be so courteous as to tell +him the truth; rather he makes him think and believe that no one +could be a match for him in prowess or in knowledge; and the lord +thinks that the courtier is telling the truth. He who believes +another anent some quality which he does not possess knows +himself ill; for even if he is faithless and stubborn, base and +as cowardly as a hare, niggardly and foolish and malformed, +worthless in deeds and in words, yet many a man who mocks at him +behind his back, extols and praises him to his face; thus then +the courtier praises him in his hearing when he speaks of him to +another; and yet he pretends that the lord does not hear what +they are speaking about together, whereas if he really thought +that the lord did not hear, he would never say aught whereat his +master would rejoice. And if his lord wishes to lie, he is quite +ready with his assent; and whatever his lord says, he asserts to +be true; never will he who associates with courts and lords be +tongue-tied; his tongue must serve them with falsehood. My heart +must needs do likewise if it wishes to have grace of its lord; +let it be a flatterer and cajoler. But Cliges is such a brave +knight, so handsome, so noble, and so loyal, that never will my +heart be lying or false, however much it may praise him; for in +him is nothing that can be mended. Therefore, I will that my +heart serve him; for the peasant says in his proverb: 'He who +commends himself to a good man is base if he does not become +better in his service'." Thus Love works on Fenice. But this +torment is delight to her, for she cannot be wearied by it. + +And Cliges has crossed the sea and has come to Wallingford. There +he has demeaned himself in lordly fashion in a fine lodging at a +great cost, but he thinks ever of Fenice; never does he forget +her for an hour. In the place where he sojourns and tarries, his +retinue, as he had commanded, have inquired and questioned +persistently till they heard told and related that the barons of +King Arthur and the king, himself, in person, had set on foot a +tournament in the plains before Oxford which is near Wallingford. +In such wise was the joust arranged that it was to last four +days. But Cliges will be able to take time to arm his body if he +lacks anything meanwhile; for there were more than fifteen whole +days to the tournament. He speedily sends three of his squires to +London, and bids them buy three different sets of armour: one +black, another red, the third green; and as they return he bids +that each set of arms be covered with new canvas, so that if +anyone meets them on the way he may not know what will be the hue +of the arms which they will bring. The squires now set out, 90 to +London, and find ready all such equipment as they seek. Soon had +they finished, soon did they return; they have come back as soon +as they could. They show to Cliges the arms that they had +brought; and he praises them much. With these that the emperor +gave him on the Danube when he dubbed him knight, he has them +stored away and hidden. If anyone now were to ask me why he had +them stored away, I would not answer him; for in due time it will +be told and related to you, when all the high barons of the land +who will come there to gain fame will be mounted on their steeds. +On the day that was devised and appointed, the barons of renown +assemble. King Arthur, together with the lords whom he had chosen +from out the good knights, lay before Oxford. Towards Wallingford +went the greater part of his chivalry. Think not that I tell you +in order to spin out my tale: such and such kings were there, +such and such counts, and such and such others. When the barons +were to meet, a knight of great prowess of King Arthur's peers +rode out all alone between the two ranks to begin the tourney, as +was the custom at that time. But none dares ride forward to come +and joust against him. There is none who does not stay where he +is; and yet there are some who ask: "Why do these knights wait? +Why does none ride forth from the ranks? Surely someone will +straightway begin." And on the other side they say: "See ye not +what a champion our adversaries have sent us from their side? Let +him who has not yet known it know that, of the four bravest +known, this is a pillar equal to the rest." "Who is he, then?" +"See ye him not? It is Sagremors the Lawless." "Is it he?" +"Truly, without doubt." Cliges, who hears and hearkens to this, +sat on Morel, and had armour blacker than a ripe mulberry: his +whole armour was black. He separates himself from the others in +the rank and spurs Morel who comes out of the row; not one is +there who sees him but says to his neighbour: "This man rides +well with feutred lance; here have we a very skilful knight; he +bears his arms in the right fashion; well does the shield at his +neck become him. But one cannot but hold him mad as regards the +joust he has undertaken of his own accord against one of the +bravest known in all this land. But who is he? Of what land is he +a native? Who knows him?" "Not I!" "Nor I!" "But no snow has +fallen on him! Rather is his armour blacker than monk's or +priest's cape." Thus they engage in gossip; and the two champions +let their horses go; for no longer do they delay because right +eager and aflame are they for the encounter and the shock. Cliges +strikes so that he presses Sagremors' shield to his arm, and his +arm to his body. Sagremors falls at full length; Cliges acts +irreproachably, and makes him declare himself prisoner: Sagremors +gives his parole. Now the fight begins, and they charge in +rivalry. Cliges has rushed to the combat, and goes seeking joust +and encounter. He encounters no knight whom he does not take or +lay low. On both sides he wins the highest distinction; for where +he rides to joust, he brings the whole tourney to a standstill. +Yet he who gallops up to joust with him is not without great +prowess; but he wins more renown for standing his ground against +Cliges than for taking prisoner another knight; and if Cliges +leads him away captive, yet he enjoys great distinction for +merely daring to withstand him in the joust. Cliges has the +praise and distinction of the whole tournament. And even secretly +he has returned to his lodging so that none of them might accost +him about one thing or another. And in case any one should have +search made for the lodging marked by the black arms, he locks +them up in a room so that they may neither be found nor seen; and +he has the green arms openly displayed at the door, fronting the +road so that the passers by shall see them. And if any asks for +him and seeks him, he will not know where his lodging will be, +since he will see no sign of the black shield that he seeks. Thus +Cliges is in the town and hides himself by such a device. And +those who were his prisoners went from end to end of the town +asking for the black knight; but none could tell them where he +was. And even King Arthur sends up and down to seek him; but all +say: "We did not see him after we left the tourney and know not +what became of him." More than twenty youths whom the king has +sent seek him; but Cliges has so utterly blotted out his tracks +that they find no sign of him. King Arthur crosses himself when +it was recounted and told him, that neither great nor small is +found who can point out his dwelling any more than if he were at +Qesarea, or at Toledo, or in Candia. "Faith!" quoth he, "I know +not what to say in the matter, but I marvel greatly thereat. It +was perhaps a ghost that has moved among us. Many a knight has he +overthrown today; and he bears away the parole of the noblest men +who will not this year see home or land or country; and each of +whom will have broken his oath." Thus the king spake his pleasure +though he might very well have kept silence in the matter. + +Much have all the barons spoken that night of the black knight, +for they spoke of nought else. On the morrow they returned to +arms, all without summons and without entreaty. Lancelot of the +Lake has dashed forth to make the first joust; for no coward is +he; with upright lance he awaits the joust. Lo! Cliges, greener +than meadow grass, galloping on a dun, long-maned steed. Where +Cliges pricks on the tawny steed, there is none, whether decked +with youth's luxuriant locks or bald, who does not behold him +with wonder; and they say on both sides: "This man is in all +respects much nobler and more skilful than he of yesterday with +the black arms, just as the pine is fairer than the beech, and +the laurel than the elder. But not yet have we learned who he of +yesterday was; but we will learn this very day who this one is. +If anyone know it, let him tell us." Each said: "I know him not, +never did I see him before to my thinking. But he is fairer than +the knight of yesterday and fairer than Lancelot of the Lake. If +he were arrayed in a sack and Lancelot in silver and gold, yet +this man would still be fairer." Thus all side with Cliges; and +the two prick their steeds as fast as they can spur and encounter +one another. Cliges proceeds to deal such a blow on the golden +shield with the painted lion, that he hurls its bearer from the +saddle and fell on him in order to receive his submission. +Lancelot could not defend himself and has given his parole. Then +the noise and the din and the crash of lances has begun. Those +who were on Cliges' side have all their trust in him; for he whom +he strikes after due challenge given will never be so strong but +that he must needs fall from his horse to the ground. Cliges, +this day, wrought so bravely, and threw down and captured so +many, that he has pleased those on his side twice as much, and +has had twice as much praise from them as he had the day before. +When evening has come he has repaired to his lodging as quickly +as he could; and speedily bids the red shield and the other +armour be brought forth. He orders that the arms which he bore +that day be stowed away; the landlord has carefully done it. Long +have the knights whom he had captured sought him that night +Again; but no news do they hear of him. The greater part of those +who speak of him at the inns laud and praise him. + +Next day the knights return to arms, alert and strong. From the +array before Oxford rides out a knight of great renown; Percival +the Welshman, was he called. As soon as Cliges saw him ride forth +and heard the truth as to his name--for he heard him called +Percival--he greatly longs to encounter him. Forthwith has he +ridden forth from the rank on a sorrel, Spanish steed; and his +armour was red. Then they, one and all, regard him with great +wonder, more than they ever did before and say that never before +did they see so comely a knight. And the two prick forward at +once; for there was no delay. And the one and the other spurs on +so that they give and take mighty blows on their shields. The +lances, which were short and thick, bend and curve. In the sight +of all who were looking on, Cliges has struck Percival, so that +he smites him down from his horse, and makes him give parole +without much fighting, and without great ado. When Percival had +submitted, then they have begun the tourney; and they all +encounter together. Cliges encounters no knight but he fells him +to the ground. On this day one could not see him a single hour +absent from the fight. Each for himself strikes a blow at Cliges +as though at a tower: not merely two or three strike, for then +that was not the use or custom. Cliges has made an anvil of his +shield; for all play the smith and hammer upon it and cleave and +quarter it; but none strikes upon it but Cliges pays him back, +and throws him from his stirrups and saddle; and no one, except a +man who wished to lie, could have said on his departure that the +knight with the red shield had not won that whole day. And the +best and most courteous would fain have his acquaintances, but +that cannot be so soon; for he has gone away, secretly, when he +saw that the sun had set; and he has had his red shield and all +his other armour taken away; and he has the white arms brought in +which he had been newly knighted; and the arms and the steed were +placed in front of the door. But now they begin to perceive (for +the greater part who speak of it say so, and perceive it to be +so), that they have all been discomfited, and put to flight by a +single man, who each day changes his outward show, both horse and +armour, and seems another than himself; they have now for the +first time perceived it. And my lord Gawain has said that never +before did he see such a jouster; and because he would fain have +his acquaintance and know his name, he says that he will be first +tomorrow at the encounter of the knights. But he makes no boast; +rather he says that he thinks and believes that Cliges will have +the best of it and will win the renown when they strike with +lances; but with the sword, perhaps, Cliges will not be his +master; for never could Gawain find his master. Now will he prove +himself tomorrow on the strange knight, who every day dons +different armour and changes horse and harness. Soon he will be a +bird of many moltings if thus daily he makes a practice of taking +off his old feathers and putting on new ones. And thus Gawain too +doffed his armour, and put on other, and the morrow he sees +Cliges return, whiter than lily-flower, his shield held by the +straps behind it, on his trusty, white, Arab steed, as he had +devised the night before. Gawain, the valiant, the renowned, has +not gone to sleep on the field; but pricks, and spurs, and +advances, and puts forth all his utmost efforts to joust well if +he finds any with whom to joust. Soon both will be on the field +for Cliges had no wish to delay; for he had heard the murmur of +those who say: "It is Gawain who is no weakling, afoot or on +horseback. It is he with whom none dares to measure himself." +Cliges, who hears the words, charges into the middle of the field +towards him; both advance and encounter with a spring more swift +than that of a stag who hears the baying of dogs barking after +him. The lances strike on the shields; and so mighty is the +crash of the blows, that to their very ends they shatter into +splinters, and split, and go to pieces; and the saddle-bows +behind, break; moreover, the saddle-girth and breast harness +burst. They both alike fall to the ground and have drawn their +naked swords. The folk have pressed round to behold the battle. +King Arthur came in front of all to separate and reconcile them; +but they had broken and hewn in pieces the white hauberks, and +had cleft through and cut up the shields, and had fractured the +helmets before there was any talk of peace. + + +The king had gazed at them as long a time as it pleased him; and +so did many of the others who said that they esteemed the white +knight no whit less in arms than my lord Gawain; and up till now +they could not say which was the better, which the worse, nor +which would overcome the other if they were allowed to fight till +the battle was fought out. But it does not please or suit the +king that they do more than they have done. He advances to part +them and says to them: "Withdraw! If another blow be struck, it +will be to your harm. But make peace. Be friends. Fair nephew +Gawain, I entreat you; for it does not become a valiant man to +continue a battle or fight where he has no quarrel or hatred. But +if this knight would come to my court to pass his time with us, +it would be no grievance or hurt to him. Pray him to do so, +nephew." "Willingly, Sire." Cliges seeks not to excuse himself +from this; willingly he consents to go thither when the tourney +shall end; for now he has carried out to the uttermost his +father's command. And the king says that he cares not for a +tournament which lasts long; well may they straightway leave it. +The knights have dispersed, for the king wishes and commands it. +Cliges sends for all his armour, for it behoves him to follow the +king. With all speed he may have, he comes to the court; but he +was attired well beforehand and garbed after the French fashion. + +As soon as he came to court each hastens to meet him, for neither +one nor the other remains behind; rather they manifest the +greatest possible joy and festivity. And all those whom he had +taken in the jousting acclaim him lord; but it is his wish to +disclaim it to all of them; and he says, that if they think and +believe that it was he who took them, they are all absolved of +their pledge. There is not a single one who did not say: "It was +you, well we know it. We prize highly your acquaintance, and much +ought we to love you, and esteem you, and acclaim you, lord, for +none of us is a match for you. Just as the sun puts out the +little stars, so that their light is not visible in the clouds +where the rays of the sun shine forth, so our deeds pale and wane +before yours; and yet our deeds were wont to be greatly renowned +throughout the world." Cliges knows not what reply to make to +them; for it seems to him that one and all of them praise him +more than they ought. Though it is very pleasant to him yet he is +ashamed of it. The blood rises into his face, so that they see +him all ashamed. They escort him through the hall, and have led +him before the king; but they all cease to address to him the +language of praise and flattery. Now was it the set hour for +eating, and those whose business it was, hastened to set the +tables. They have set the tables in the palace: some have taken +napkins, and others hold basins and give water to those who come. +All have washed; all are seated. The king has taken Cliges by the +hand and set him before him; for fain will he know this very day +who he is, if at all he may. No need is there to speak of the +food, for the dishes were as plentiful as though one could have +purchased an ox for a farthing. + +When all had had their meat and drink, then has the king no +longer kept silence. "Friend," quoth he, "I would know if it is +from pride that you forbore and disdained to come to my court as +soon as you entered this land, and why you thus withdraw yourself +from folk and change your arms. Now impart to me your name, and +say of what race you are born." Cliges replies: "Never shall it +be concealed." He has told and related to the king whatsoever he +demands from him; and when the king has learned his name then he +embraces him; then he rejoices over him; there is none who does +not greet him in clue form. And my Lord Gawain knew him, who, +above all, embraces and greets him. All greet him and fall on his +neck; and all those who speak of him say that he is right fair +and valiant. The king loves him and honours him more than any of +all his nephews. + +Cliges stays with the king until the beginning of summer; by that +time he has been over all Britain and over France and over +Normandy, and has wrought many a knightly deed, so that he has +well proved himself. But the love with which he is wounded grows +neither lighter nor easier. The wish of his heart keeps him ever +constant to one thought: he remembers Fenice who far from him is +torturing her heart. A longing seizes him to return home; for too +long has he abstained from seeing the lady more yearned for than +any lady, that ever heard of man has yearned for. And he will not +abstain longer from her. He prepares for the journey to Greece; +he has taken leave and returns. Much, I ween, did it grieve my +lord Gawain and the king when they can no longer keep him. But he +longs to reach her whom he loves and desires; and he hastens o'er +sea and land; and the way seems very long to him, so eagerly does +he yearn to see her who takes away and purloins his heart from +him. But she yields him a fair return; and well does she pay and +compensate him for the toll she has extorted from him; for she in +her turn gives her own heart in payment to him, whom she loves no +less. But he is not a whit certain about it; never had he pledge +or promise in the matter; and he grieves cruelly. And she also +laments; for her love of him is tormenting and killing her; and +nothing can give pleasure or joy in her eyes since that hour when +she ceased to see him. She does not even know if he is alive, +whereof great sorrow strikes her to the heart. But Cliges gets +nearer each day, and in his journey he has had good luck; for he +has had a fair wind and calm weather, and has anchored with joy +and delight before Constantinople. The news reached the city; it +was welcome to the emperor and a hundred times more welcome to +the empress. If anyone doubt this it will be to his own sorrow. +Cliges and his company have repaired to Greece, straight to the +port of Constantinople. All the most powerful and noble come to +the port to meet him. And when the emperor who had advanced in +front of all meets him, and the empress who walks by his side, +the emperor, before all, runs to fall on his neck and to greet +him. And when Fenice greets him, the one changes colour because +of the other; and the marvel is how when they come close to each +other they keep from embracing and kissing each other with such +kisses as please Love. But folly would it have been and madness. +The folk run up in all directions and delight to see him. They +all lead him through the midst of the town, some on foot and some +on horseback, as far as the imperial palace. Of the joy that +there was made will never word here be told, nor of the honour, +nor of the homage; but each has striven to do whatever he thinks +and believes will please Cliges and be welcome to him. And his +uncle yields to him all that he has save the crown. He is right +willing that Cliges take at his pleasure whatsoever he shall wish +to obtain from him, be it land or treasure; but Cliges makes no +account of silver or of gold, since he dare not disclose his +thought to her for whom he loses his rest; and yet he has leisure +and opportunity for telling her if only he were not afraid of +being refused; for every day he can see her and sit alone by her +side without anyone gainsaying or forbidding; for nobody imagines +or thinks evil of it. + +A space of time after he had returned, one day he came unattended +into the room of her who was not forsooth his enemy, and be well +assured that the door was not shut against the meeting. He was +close by her side and all the rest had gone away, so that no one +was sitting near them who could hear their words. Fenice first of +all questioned him about Britain. She asks him concerning the +disposition and courtesy of my lord Gawain, and at last she +ventures to speak of what she dreaded. She asked him if he loved +dame or maiden in that land. To this Cliges was not unwilling or +slow to reply. Quickly was he able to explain all to her, as soon +as she challenged him on the point. "Lady," quoth he, "I was in +love while yonder; but I loved none who was of yonder land. In +Britain my body was without a heart like bark without timber. +When I left Germany, I knew not what became of my heart, save +that it went away hither after you. Here was my heart and there +my body. I was not absent from Greece, for my heart had gone +thither, and to reclaim it have I come back here; but it neither +comes nor returns to me, and I cannot bring it back to me, and +yet I seek it not and cannot do so. And how have you fared since +you have come into this land? What joy have you had here? Do the +people, does the land please you? I ought to ask you nothing +further save this--whether the land please you." "Formerly it +pleased me not; but now there dawns for me a joy and a pleasure +that I would not lose, be assured, for Pavia or for Placentia; +for I cannot dissever my heart from it, nor shall I ever use +force to do so. In me is there nought save the bark, for without +my heart I live and have my being. Never was I in Britain, and +yet my heart has made I know not what contract in Britain without +me." "Lady, when was your heart there? Tell me when it went, at +what time and at what season, if it is a matter that you can +reasonably tell me or another. Was it there when I was there?" +"Yes, but you knew it not. It was there as long as you were there +and departed with you." "God! and I neither knew nor saw it +there. God! why did I know it not? If I had known it, certainly, +lady, I would have borne it good company." "Much would you have +comforted me and well would it have become you to do so, for I +would have been very gracious to your heart, if it had pleased it +to come there where it might have known me to be." "Of a surety, +lady, it came to you." "To me? Then it came not into exile, for +mine also went to you." "Lady, then are both our hearts here with +us as you say; for mine is wholly yours." "Friend, and you on +your side have mine, and so we are well matched. And know well +that, so may God guard me, never had your uncle share in me, for +neither did it please me nor was it permitted to him. Never yet +did he know me as Adam knew his wife. Wrongly am I called dame; +but I know well that he who calls me dame knows not that I am a +maid. Even your uncle knows it not, for he has drunk of the +sleeping draught and thinks he is awake when he sleeps, and he +deems that he has his joy of me, just as he fain would have it, +and just as though I were lying between his arms; but well have I +shut him out. Yours is my heart, yours is my body, nor indeed +will any one by my example learn to act vilely; for when my heart +set itself on you, it gave and promised you my body, so that +nobody else shall have a share in it. Love for you so wounded me +that never did I think to recover any more than the sea can dry +up. If I love you and you love me, never shall you be called +Tristram, and never shall I be Iseult, for then the love would +not be honourable. But I make you a vow that never shall you have +other solace of me than you now have, if you cannot bethink +yourself how I may be stolen from your uncle and from his bed, so +that he may never find me again, or be able to blame either you +or me or have anything he may lay hold of herein. To-night must +you bend your attention to the matter and to-morrow you will be +able to tell me the best device that you will have thought of, +and I also will ponder on the matter. To-morrow, when I shall +have risen, come early to speak to me, and each will say his +thought, and we will carry out that which we shall consider +best." + +When Cliges heard her wish, he has granted her all, and says that +it shall be right well done. He leaves her blithe, and blithe he +goes away, and each lies awake in bed all night and they think +with great delight over what seems best to them. The morrow they +come again together, as soon as they were risen, and they took +counsel in private, as there was need for them to do. First +Cliges says and recounts what he had thought of in the night. +"Lady," quoth he, "I think and believe that we could not do +better than go away to Britain: thither have I devised to take +you away. Now take heed that the matter fall not through on your +side. For never was Helen received at Troy with such great joy, +when Paris had brought her thither, that there will not be yet +greater joy felt throughout the whole land of the king, my uncle, +anent you and me. And if this please you not well, tell me your +thought; for I am ready, whatever come of it, to cleave to your +thought." She replies: "And I shall speak it. Never will I go +with you thus, for then, when we had gone away, we should be +spoken of throughout the world as the blonde Iseult and Tristram +are spoken of; but here and there all women and men would blame +our happiness. No one would believe or could be expected to +believe the actual truth of the matter. Who would believe then as +regards your uncle that I have gone off and escaped from him +still a maid, but a maid to no purpose? Folk would hold me a +light-of-love and a wanton, and you a madman. But it is meet to +keep and observe the command of St. Paul, for St. Paul teaches +him who does not wish to remain continent to act so wisely that +he may never incur outcry nor blame nor reproach. It is well to +stop an evil mouth, and this I think I can fully accomplish, if +it be not too grievous for you; for if I act as my thought +suggests to me, I will pretend to be dead. I will shortly feign +sickness, and do you on your side lavish your pains to provide +for my tomb. Set your attention and care on this, that both tomb +and bier be made in such fashion that I die not there nor +suffocate, and let no one perceive you that night when you will +be ready to take me away. And you will find me a refuge, such +that never any save you may see me; and let no one provide me +with anything of which I have need or requirement, save you to +whom I grant and give myself. Never in all my life do I seek to +be served by any other man. You will be my lord and my servant, +good will be to me whatsoever you will do to me, nor shall I ever +be lady of the empire, if you be not lord of it. A poor, dark, +and sordid place will be to me more splendid than all these +halls, when you shall be together with me. If I have you and see +you, I shall be lady of all the wealth in the world, and the +whole world will be mine. And if the thing is done wisely, never +will it be interpreted ill, and none will ever be able to point +the finger of scorn at me, for through the whole empire folk will +believe that I have rotted in the grave. And Thessala, my nurse, +who has brought me up and in whom I have great trust, will aid me +in good faith, for she is very wise and I have great confidence +in her." And Cliges, when he heard his love, replies: "Lady, if +so it can be, and if you think that your nurse is likely to +counsel you rightly in the matter, all you have to do is to make +preparations and to carry them out speedily; but if we act not +wisely, we are lost beyond recovery. In this town there is a +craftsman who carves and works in wood wondrous well; there is no +land where he is not famed for the works of art that he has made +and carved and shaped. John is his name, and he is my serf. No +handicraft is there, however peculiar it be, in which anyone +could rival him, if John set his mind to it with a will. For +compared with him they are all novices like a child at nurse. It +is by imitating his works that the inhabitants of Antioch and of +Rome have learned to do whatever they can accomplish, and no more +loyal man is known. But now will I put him to the test, and if I +can find loyalty in him, I will free him and all his heirs, and I +will not fail to tell him our plan, if he swears and vows to me +that he will aid me loyally therein and will never betray me in +this matter." She replies: "Now be it so." + +By her leave Cliges came forth from the chamber and departed. And +she sends for Thessala, her nurse, whom she had brought from the +land where she was born. And Thessila came forthwith, for she +neither lingers nor delays: but she knows not why her mistress +sends for her. Fenice asks her in private conference what she +counsels and what seems good to her. She neither hides nor +conceals from Thessala even the smallest part of her thought. +"Nurse," says she, "I know well that never a thing that I tell +you will afterwards become known through you, for I have proved +you right well and have found you very wise. You have done so +much for me that I love you. Of all my evils I complain to you, +nor do I take counsel elsewhere. You know well why I lie awake +and what I think and what I wish. My eyes can see nothing to +please me, save one thing, but I shall have from it neither +enjoyment nor comfort, if I do not pay very dearly for it +beforehand. And yet I have found my mate; for if I desire him, +he, on his side, desires me too; if I grieve, he, on his side, +grieves with my sorrow and my anguish. Now I must confess to you +a thought and a parley, in which we two in solitude have resolved +and agreed." Then she has told and related to her that she +intends to feign herself ill, and says that she will complain so +much that finally she will appear dead, and Cliges will steal her +away in the night, and they will be always henceforth together. +In no other way, it seems to her, could she continue firm in her +resolve. But if she were assured that Thessala would help her in +it, the thing could be done according to her wish; "But too long +do joy and good fortune for me delay and tarry." Forthwith her +nurse assures her that she will lend all her aid to the +enterprise, let her now have neither fear nor dread in regard to +aught; and she says she will take so much pains about the matter, +as soon as she shall undertake it, that never will there be any +man who sees her who will not believe quite surely that her soul +is severed from the body, when Thessala shall have given her a +drink that will make her cold and wan and pale and stiff, without +speech and without breath; and yet she will be quite alive and +sound, and will feel neither good nor ill, nor will she suffer +any harm during a day and a whole night in the tomb and in the +bier. + +When Fenice had heard it, thus has she spoken and replied: +"Nurse, I put myself in your care, I give you free leave to do +what you will with me. I am at your disposal; think for me, and +bid the folk here that there be none who does not go away. I am +ill and they disturb me." The nurse tells them courteously: "My +lords, my lady is unwell and wishes you all to go away, for you +speak too much and make too much noise, and noise is bad for her. +She will have neither rest nor case as long as you are in this +room. Never heretofore that I remember had she illness of which I +heard her complain so much, so very great and grievous is her +sickness. Depart, and it vex you not." They speedily go, one and +all, as soon as Thessala had commanded it. And Cliges has quickly +sent for John to his lodging, and has said to him privily: "John, +knowest thou what I will say? Thou art my serf, I am thy lord, +and I Can give thee or sell thee and take thy body and thy goods +as a thing that is my own. But if I could trust thee concerning +an affair of mine that I am thinking of, thou wouldst for +evermore be free, and likewise the heirs which shall be born of +thee." John, who much desires freedom, forthwith replies: "Sir," +says he, "there is no thing that I would not do wholly at your +will, provided that thereby I might see myself free and my wife +and children free. Tell me your will; never will there be +anything so grievous that it will be toil or punishment to me, +nor will it be any burden to me. And were it not so, yet it will +behove me to do it even against my will, and set aside all my own +business." "True, John, but it is such a thing that my mouth dare +not speak it, unless thou warrant me and swear to me, and unless +thou altogether assure me that thou wilt faithfully aid me and +will never betray me." "Willingly, Sir," quoth John, "never be +doubtful of that. For this I swear you and warrant you that as +long as I shall be a living man I will never say aught that I +think will grieve or vex you." "Ah, John! not even on pain of +death is there a man to whom I should dare to say that concerning +which I wish to seek counsel of thee; rather would I let my eyes +be plucked out. Rather would I that thou shouldst kill me than +that thou shouldst say it to any other man. But I find thee so +loyal and prudent, that I will tell thee what is in my heart. +Thou wilt accomplish my pleasure well, as I think, as regards +both thy aid and thy silence." "Truly, Sir! so aid me God!" +Forthwith Cliges relates to him and tells him the enterprise +quite openly. And when he has disclosed to him the truth, as ye +know it who have heard me tell it, then John says that he +promises him to make the tomb well and put therein his best +endeavour, and says that he will take him to see a house of his +own building, and he will show him this that he has made, which +never any man, woman, or child yet saw, if it pleases him to go +with him there where he is working and painting and carving all +by himself without any other folk. He will show him the fairest +and most beautiful place that he ever saw. Cliges replies: "Let +us then go." + +Below the town in a sequestered spot had John built a tower, and +he had toiled with great wisdom. Thither has he led Cliges with +him, and leads him over the rooms, which were adorned with images +fair and finely painted. He shows him the rooms and the +fireplaces, and leads him up and down. Cliges sees the house to +be lonely, for no one stays or dwells there. He passes from one +room to another till he thinks to have seen all, and the tower +has pleased him well, and he said that it was very beautiful. The +lady will be safe there all the days that she will live; for no +man will ever know her to be there. "No, truly, lord, she will +never be known to be here. But think you to have seen all my +tower and all my pleasaunce? Still are there lurking-places such +as no man would be able to find. And if it is allowed you to try +your skill in searching as well as you can, never will you be +able to ransack so thoroughly as to find more rooms here, however +subtle and wise you are, if I do not show and point them out to +you. Know that here baths are not lacking, nor anything that I +remember and think of as suitable for a lady. She will be well at +her ease here. This tower has a wider base underground, as you +shall see, and never will you be able to find anywhere door or +entrance. With such craft and such art is the door made of hard +stone that never will you find the join thereof." "Now hear I +marvel," quoth Cliges; "go forward; I shall follow, for I long to +see all this." Then has John started off, and leads Cliges by the +hand to a smooth and polished door, which is all painted and +coloured. At the wall has John stopped, and he held Cliges by the +right hand. "Lord," quoth he, "no man is there who could have +seen door or window in this wall, and think you that one could +pass it in any wise without doing it injury and harm?" Cliges +answers that he does not think he could, nor ever will think it, +unless he sees it with his own eyes. Then says John that his lord +shall see it, for he will open for him the door of the wall. +John, who himself had wrought the work, unlocks and opens to him +the door of the wall, so that he neither hurts it nor injures it, +and the one passes before the other, and they descend by a spiral +staircase to a vaulted room where John wrought at his craft, when +it was his pleasure to construct aught. "Lord," quoth he, "here +where we are was never one of all the men whom God created save +us two; and the place has all that makes for comfort, as you will +see in a trice. I advise that your retreat be here, and that your +lady-love be hidden in it. Such a lodging is meet for such a +guest, for there are rooms and baths and in the baths hot water, +which comes through a pipe below the earth. That man who would +seek a convenient spot to place and hide his lady would have to +go far before he found one so delightful. You will deem it a very +fitting refuge when you have been all over it." Then has John +shown him all, fair chambers and painted vaults, and he has shown +him much of his workmanship, which pleased him mightily. When +they had seen the whole tower, then said Cliges: "John, my +friend, I free you and your heirs one and all, and I am wholly +yours. I desire that my lady be here all alone, and that no one +ever know it save me and you and her, and not another soul." John +replies: "I thank you. Now we have been here long enough, now we +have no more to do, so let us start on the return journey." "You +have said well," Cliges replies, "let us depart." Then they turn +and have issued forth from the tower. On their return they hear +in the town how one tells another in confidence: "You know not +the grave news about my lady the empress. May the Holy Spirit +give health to the wise and noble lady, for she lies in very +great sickness." + +When Cliges hears the report, he went to the court at full speed; +but neither joy nor pleasure was there; for all were sad and +dejected on account of the empress, who feigns herself ill; +feigns--for the evil whereof she complains gives her no pain or +hurt; she has said to all that as long as the malady whereby her +heart and head feel pain holds her so strongly, she will have no +man save the emperor or his nephew enter her chamber; for she +will not deny herself to them; though if the emperor, her lord, +come not, little will it irk her. She must needs risk great +suffering and great peril for Cliges' sake, but it weighs on her +heart that he comes not; she desires to see naught save him. +Cliges will soon be in her presence and stay there till he shall +have related to her what he has seen and found. He comes before +her and has told her; but he remained there a short time only, +for Fenice, in order that people may think that what pleases her +annoys her, has said aloud: "Away! Away! You tire me greatly, you +weary me much; for I am so oppressed with sickness that never +shall I be raised from it and restored to health." Cliges, whom +this greatly pleases, goes away, making a doleful +countenance--for never before did you see it so doleful. +Outwardly he appears full sad; but his heart is blithe within, +for it looks to have its joy. + +The empress, without having any illness, complains and feigns +herself ill; and the emperor, who believes her, ceases not to +make lamentation, and sends to seek leeches for her; but she will +not let that one see her, nor does she let herself be touched. +This grieves the emperor, for she says that never will she have +leech except one, who will know how to give her health quickly, +when it shall be his will. He will make her die or live; into his +keeping she puts herself for health and for life. They think that +she is speaking of God, but a very different meaning has she, for +she means none other than Cliges. He is her God, who can give her +health and who can make her die. + +Thus the empress provides that no leech attend her, and she will +not eat or drink, in order the better to deceive the emperor, +until she is both pale and wan all over. And her nurse stays near +her, who with very wondrous craft sought secretly through all the +town, so that no one knew it, until she found a woman sick of a +mortal sickness without cure. In order the better to carry out +the deception, she went often to visit her and promised her that +she would cure her of her ill, and each day she would bring a +glass to see her water, till she saw that medicine would no +longer be able to aid her and that she would die that very day. +She has brought this water and has kept it straitly until the +emperor rose. Now she goes before him and says to him: "If you +will, sire, send for all your leeches, for my lady, who is +suffering from a sore sickness, has passed water and wishes that +the leeches see it, but that they come not in her presence." The +leeches came into the hall; they see the water very bad and pale, +and each says what seems to him the truth, till they all agree +together that never will she recover, and will not even see the +hour of None, and if she lives so long, then at the latest God +will take her soul to himself. This have they murmured secretly. +Then the emperor has bidden and conjured them that they tell the +truth of the matter. They reply that they have no hope at all of +her recovery, and that she cannot pass the hour of None, for +before that hour she will have given up the ghost. When the +emperor has heard the word, scarcely can he refrain from swooning +to the ground, and likewise many a one of the others who heard +it. Never did any folk make such mourning as then prevailed +through all the palace. I spare you the account of the mourning, +and you shall hear what Thessala is about, who mixes and brews +the draught. She has mixed and stirred it, for long beforehand +she had provided herself with all that she knew was needed for +the draught. A little before the hour of None she gives her the +draught to drink. As soon as she had drunk it, her sight grew +dim, and her face was as pale and white as if she had lost her +blood, nor would she have moved hand or foot even if one had +flayed her alive; she neither stirs nor says a word, and yet she +hearkens to and hears the mourning which the emperor makes, and +the wailing with which the hall is full. And o'er all the city +the folk wail who weep and say: "God! what a sorrow and a +calamity has accursed death dealt us! Greedy death! Covetous +death! Death is worse than any she-wolf, for death cannot be +sated. Never couldst thou give a worse wound to the world. Death, +what hast thou done? May God confound thee who hast extinguished +all beauty. Thou hast slain the choicest creature and the fairest +picture--if she had but remained alive!--that God ever laboured +to fashion. Too patient is God, since He suffers thee to have the +power to ruin His handiwork. Now should God be wroth with thee +and cast thee forth from thy dominion, for thou hast committed +too wanton and great arrogance and great insult." Thus all the +people storm, they wring their hands and beat their palms, and +the clerks read there their psalms, who pray for the good lady +that God may show mercy to her soul. + +Amid the tears and the wails, as the writings tell us, have come +three aged physicians from Salerno, where they had been a long +time. They have stopped on account of the great mourning, and ask +and inquire the reason of the wails and tears, why folk are thus +demented and distressed. And they tell them and reply: "God! +Lords, know ye not? At this ought the whole world, each place in +turn, to become frenzied together with us, if it knew the great +mourning and grief and hurt and the great loss which this day has +opened to our ken. God! whence then are you come, since you know +not what has happened but now in the city? We will tell you the +truth, for we wish to join you with us in the mourning wherewith +we mourn. Know you nought of ravenous death, who desires all and +covets all and in all places lies in wait for the best, and how +great an act of folly he hath to-day committed, as he is wont? +God had lit the world with a brilliance, with a light. But Death +cannot choose but do what he is wont to do. Ever with his might +he blots out the best that he can find. Now doth he will to prove +his power, and has taken in one body more worth than he has left +in the world. If he had taken the whole world, he could not have +done one whit worse, provided that he left alive and sound that +prey whom he now leads away. Beauty, courtesy, and knowledge, and +whatsoever appertaining to goodness a lady can have, has Death, +who has destroyed all good in the person of my lady the empress, +snatched from us and cheated us of. Thus hath Death slain us." +"Ah, God!" say the leeches, "thou hatest this city, we know it +well, for that we came not here a little space ago. If we had +come yesterday, Death might have esteemed himself highly, if he +had taken aught from us by force." "Lords, my lady would not for +aught have allowed that you should have seen her or troubled +yourself about her. There were enough and to spare of good +leeches, but never did my lady please that one or other of them +should see her who could meddle with her illness." "No?" "By my +faith, that did she truly not." Then they remembered Solomon, and +that his wife hated him so much that she betrayed him under a +pretence of death. Perhaps this lady has done the same thing; but +if they could by any means succeed in touching her, there is no +man born for whose sake they would have lied or would refrain +from speaking the whole truth about it, if they can see deceit +there. Towards the court they go forthwith, where one would not +have heard God thundering, such noise and wailing there was. The +master of them, who knew the most, has approached the bier. None +says to him: "You touch it at your peril." Nor does any one pull +him back from it. And he puts his hand on her breast and on her +side and feels beyond a doubt that she has her life whole in her +body; well he knows it and well he perceives it. He sees before +him the emperor, who is frenzied and readv to kill himself with +grief. He cries aloud and says to him: "Emperor, comfort thyself. +I know and see for a certainty that this lady is not dead. Leave +thy mourning and console thyself. If I give her not back to thee +alive, either slay me or hang me." Now all the wailing throughout +the palace is calmed and hushed, and the emperor tells the leech +that now it is permitted him to give orders and to speak his will +quite freely. If he brings back the empress to life, he will be +lord and commander over him; but he will be hanged as a robber, +if he has lied to him in aught. And he says to him: "I accept the +condition; never have mercy on me, if I do not make the lady here +speak to you. Without hesitation or delay have the palace cleared +for me. Let not one or another stay here. I must see privately +the evil from which the lady suffers. These two leeches alone, +who are of my company, shall stay here with me, and let all the +others go without." This thing Cliges, John, and Thessala would +have gainsaid: but all those who were there would have +interpreted it to their harm, if they had attempted to prevent +it. Therefore they keep silence and give the counsel that they +hear the others give, and have gone forth from the palace. And +the three leeches have by force ripped up the lady's +winding-sheet, for there was neither knife nor scissors: then +they say: "Lady, have no fear, be not dismayed, but speak in all +safety. We know for a surety that you are quite sound and well. +Now be wise and amenable, and despair of nought; for if you seek +advice from us, we will assure you all three of us, that we will +help you with all our power, where it be concerning good or +concerning evil. We will be right loyal towards you, both in +keeping your secret and in aiding you. Do not compel us to reason +long with you. From the moment that we place our power and +services at your disposal, you ought not to refuse us +compliance." Thus they think to befool and to cheat her, but it +avails nought; for she cares and recks nought of their service, +so that when the physicians see that they will avail nothing with +regard to her by cajolery or by entreaty, then they take her off +the bier and strike her and beat her; but their fury is to no +purpose, since for all this they draw not a word from her. Then +they threaten and frighten her and say that, if she does not +speak, she will that very day find out the folly of her action; +for they will inflict on her such dire treatment that never +before was its like inflicted on any body of caitiff woman. "Well +we know that you are alive and do not deign to speak to us. Well +we know that you are feigning and would have deceived the +emperor. Have no fear of us at all. But if any man has angered +you, disclose your folly, before we have further wounded you, for +you are acting very basely; and we will aid you, alike in wisdom +or in folly." It cannot be, it avails them nought. Then once more +they deal her blows on the back with their straps, and the +stripes that run downwards become visible, and so much do they +beat her tender flesh that they make the blood gush out from it. +When they have beaten her with straps till they have lacerated +her flesh, and till the blood which issues through her wounds +runs down from them, and when for all that they can do nothing +nor extort sigh or word promise her; they are meddling to no +purpose. And from her, and she never moves nor stirs, then they +tell her that they must seek fire and lead, and that they will +melt it and will pour it into her palms rather than fail to make +her speak. They seek and search for fire and lead; they kindle +the fire; they melt the lead. Thus the base villains maltreat and +torture the lady, for they have poured into her palms the lead, +all boiling and hot just as they have taken it from the fire. Nor +yet is it enough for them that the lead has passed through and +through the palms, but the reprobate villains say that, if she +speak not soon, straightway they will roast her till she is all +grilled. She is silent and forbids them not to beat or ill-treat +her flesh. And even now they were about to put her to the fire to +roast and grill, when more than a thousand of the ladies, who +were in front of the palace, come to the door and see through a +tiny chink the torture and the unhappy fate that they were +preparing for the lady, for they were making her suffer martyrdom +from the coal and from the flame. To break in the door and +shatter it they bring hatchets and hammers. Great was the din and +the attack to break and smash the door. If now they can lay hold +on the leeches, without delay all their desert shall be rendered +them. The ladies enter the palace all together with one bound, +and Thessala is among the press, whose one anxiety is to get to +her lady. She finds her all naked at the fire, much injured and +much mishandled. She has laid her back on the bier and covered +her beneath the pall. And the ladies proceed to tender and pay to +the three leeches their deserts; they would not send for or await +emperor or seneschal. They have hurled them down through the +windows full into the court, so that they have broken the necks +and ribs and arms and legs of all three; better never wrought any +ladies. Now the three leeches have received from the ladies right +sorry payment for their deeds; but Cliges is much dismayed and +has great grief, when he hears tell of the great agony and the +torture that his lady has suffered for him. Almost does he lose +his reason; for he fears greatly and indeed with justice--that +she may be killed or maimed by the torture caused her by the +three leeches, who have died in consequence; and he is despairing +and disconsolate. And Thessala comes bringing a very precious +salve with which she has anointed full gently the lady's body and +wounds. The ladies have enshrouded her again in a white Syrian +pall, wherein they had shrouded her before, but they leave her +face uncovered. Never that night do they abate their wailing or +cease or make an end thereof. Through all the town they wail like +folk demented-high and low, and poor and rich-and it seems that +each sets his will on outdoing all the others in making +lamentation, and on never abandoning it of his own will. All +night is the mourning very great. On the morrow John came to +court, and the emperor sends for him and bids him, requests and +commands him: "John! if ever thou madest a good work, now set all +thy wisdom and thy invention to making a tomb, such that one +cannot find one so fair and well decorated." And John, who had +already done it, says that he has prepared a very fair and +well-carved one; but never, when he began to make it, had he +intention that any body should be laid there save a holy one. +"Now, let the empress be enclosed within in lieu of relics; for +she is, I ween, a very holy thing." "Well said," quoth the +emperor, "in the minster of my lord Saint Peter shall she be +buried, there outside where one buries other bodies; for before +she died, she begged and prayed me with all her heart that I +would have her laid there. Now go and busy yourself about it, and +set your tomb, as is right and meet, in the fairest place in the +cemetery." John replies: "Gladly, sire." Forthwith John departs, +prepares well the tomb, and did thereat what a master of his +craft would do. Because the stone was hard, and even more on +account of the cold, he has placed therein a feather bed; and +moreover, that it may smell sweet to her, he has strewn thereon +both flowers and foliage. But he did it even more for this, that +none should spy the mattress that he had placed in the grave. Now +had the whole office been said in chapels and in parish churches, +and they were continually tolling as it is meet to toll for the +dead. They bid the body be brought, and it will be placed in the +tomb, whereat John has worked to such effect that he has made it +very magnificent and splendid. In all Constantinople has been +left neither great nor small who does not follow the corpse +weeping, and they curse and revile Death; knights and squires +swoon, and the dames and the maidens beat their breasts and have +railed against Death. "Death!" quoth each, "why took'st thou not +a ransom for my lady? Forsooth, but a small booty hast thou +gained, and for us the loss is great." And Cliges, of a truth, +mourns so much that he wounds and maltreats himself more than all +the others do, and it is a marvel that he does not kill himself; +but still he postpones suicide till the hour and the time come +for him to disinter her and hold her in his arms, and know +whether she is alive or not. About the grave are the lords, who +lay the body there; but they do not meddle with John in the +setting up of the tomb, and indeed they could see nought of it, +but have all fallen swooning to the earth, and John has had good +leisure to do all he listed. He so set up the tomb that there was +no other creature in it; well does he seal and join and close it. +Then might that man well have boasted himself who, without harm +or injury, would have been able to take away or disjoin aught +that John had put there. + +Fenice is in the tomb, until it came to dark night; but thirty +knights guard her, and there are ten tapers burning, and they +made a great light. The knights were sated and weary with +mourning, and have eaten and drunk in the night till they all lay +asleep together. At night Cliges steals forth from the court and +from all the folk. There was not knight or servant who ever knew +what had become of him. He did not rest till he came to John, who +gives him all the counsel that he can. He puts on him a suit of +armour, which he will never need. Both all armed go forth to the +cemetery at post haste; but the cemetery was enclosed all around +by a high wall; and the knights, who were sleeping, and had +closed the door within that none might enter, thought they were +safe. Cliges sees not how he may pass, for he cannot enter by the +door, and yet by hook or by crook he must enter, for love exhorts +and admonishes him. He grips the wall and mounts up, for right +strong and agile was he. Within was an orchard and there were +trees in plenty. Near the wall one had been planted so that it +touched the wall. Now has Cliges what he wished for; he let +himself down by this tree. The first thing that he did was to go +and open the door to John. They see the knights sleeping and they +have extinguished all the tapers, so that no light remains there. +And now John uncovers the grave and opens the tomb, so that he +injures it not at all. Cliges leaps into the grave and has +carried forth his lady, who is very weak and lifeless, and he +falls on her neck and kisses and embraces her. He knows not +whether to rejoice or mourn; for she moves not nor stirs. And +John has closed again the tomb with all the speed he may, so that +it does not in any wise appear that it had been touched. They +have approached the tower as quickly as ever they could. When +they had put her within the tower in the rooms that were +underground, then they took off the grave-clothes, and Cliges, +who knew nothing of the draught that she had within her body, +which makes her dumb and prevents her stirring, thinks in +consequence that she is dead, and he loses hope and comfort +thereat, and sighs deeply and weeps. But soon the hour will have +come that the draught will lose its force. And Fenice, who hears +him lament, tries and strains that she may be able to comfort him +either by word or by look. Her heart nearly breaks because of the +mourning she hears him make. "Ha! Death," quoth he, "how base +thou art, in that thou sparest and passest by worthless and +outcast creatures! Such thou dost allow to last and live. Death! +art thou mad or drunk that thou has killed my love without +killing me? This that I see is a marvel: my love is dead and I am +alive. Ah, sweet love! why does your lover live and see you dead? +Now might one rightly say that you are dead for my sake, and that +I have killed and slain you. Loved lady! then am I the Death who +has killed you; is not that unjust? For I have taken away my life +in you and yet have kept yours in me. For were not your health +and your life mine, sweet friend? And were not mine yours? For I +loved nought but you: we twain were one being. Now have I done +what I ought, for I keep your soul in my body, and mine is gone +forth of yours; and yet the one was bound to bear the other +company, wherever it was, and nothing ought to have parted them." +At this she heaves a sigh and says in a weak, low voice: "Friend! +friend! I am not wholly dead, but well-nigh so. But I hope nought +about my life. I thought to have a jest and to feign: but now +must I needs complain, for Death loves not my jest. A marvel +'twill be if I escape alive, for much have the leeches wounded +me, broken and lacerated my flesh; and nevertheless, if it could +be that my nurse were here with me, she would make me quite +whole, if care could avail aught herein." "Friend! then let it +not distress you," quoth Cliges, "for this very night I will +bring her here for you.....Friend! rather will John go." John +goes thither and has sought till he found her, and he imparts to +her how greatly he desires her to come; never let any excuse +detain her; for Fenice and Cliges summon her to a tower where +they await her; for Fenice is sore mishandled, and she must come +provided with salves and electuaries, and let her know that the +lady will live no longer if she succour her not speedily. +Thessala forthwith runs and takes ointment and plaster and an +electuary that she had made, and has joined company with John. +Then they issue from the town secretly and go till they come +straight to the tower. When Fenice sees her nurse, she thinks she +is quite cured, so much she loves her and believes in her and +trusts her. And Cliges embraces and greets her and says: +"Welcome, nurse! for I love and esteem you greatly. Nurse, in +God's name what think you of this damsel's illness? What is your +opinion? Will she recover? "Ay, sir! fear not that I cannot cure +her right well. A fortnight will not have passed before I make +her whole, so that never at any time was she more whole and gay." + +Thessala sets her mind on curing the lady, and John goes to +provide the tower with whatsoever store is meet. Cliges comes and +goes to the tower boldly, in view of all, for he has left there a +goshawk moulting, and says that he comes to see it, and none can +guess that he goes there for any other reason save only on +account of the hawk. Much does he tarry there both night and day. +He makes John guard the tower, that no one may enter there +against his will. Fenice has no hurt whereof she need grieve, for +well has Thessala cured her. If now Cliges had been duke of +Almeria or of Morocco or of Tudela, he would not have prized such +honour a berry in comparison of the joy he has. Certes, Love +abased himself no whit when he put them together; for it seems to +both when one embraces and kisses the other that the whole world +is made better for their joy and their pleasure. Ask me no more +about it; I will but say that there is nought that one wills that +the other does not welcome. So is their will at one as if they +twain were but one. All this year and some space of the next, two +months and more, I ween, has Fenice been in the tower, until the +spring of the year. When flowers and foliage bud forth, and the +little birds are making merry--for they delight in their +bird-language--it happened that Fenice heard one morning the +nightingale sing. Cliges was holding her gently with one arm +about her waist and the other about her neck, and she him in like +manner, and she has said to him: "Fair, dear friend, much joy +would an orchard afford me, where I could take my pleasure. I +have seen neither moon nor sun shine for more than fifteen whole +months. If it might be, full gladly would I sally forth into the +daylight, for I am pent up in this tower. If near by there were +an orchard where I could go to disport myself, great good would +this do me often. Then Cliges promises that he will seek counsel +of John as soon as he shall see him. And now it has happened that +lo! John has come thither, for he was often wont to come. Cliges +has spoken with him of Fenice's desire. "All is prepared and +already at hand," quoth John, "whatsoever she orders. This tower +is well provided with all that she wishes and asks for." Then is +Fenice right blithe and bids John lead her thither, and John +makes no demur. Then goes John to open a door, such that I have +neither skill nor power to tell or describe the fashion of it. +None save John could have had the skill to make it, nor could any +one ever have told that there was door or window there, as long +as the door was not opened, so hidden and concealed was it. + +When Fenice saw the door open and the sun which she had not seen +for a long time shine in, she has all her blood awhirl with joy +and says that now she seeks nothing more, inasmuch as she can +come forth out of the hiding-place, and seeks no refuge +elsewhere. By the door she has entered the orchard, and this +greatly pleases and delights her. In the midst of the orchard +there was a grafted tree loaded with flowers and very leafy, and +it formed a canopy above. The branches were so trained that they +hung towards the ground and bent almost to the earth, all save +the top from which they sprang, for that rose straight upwards. +Fenice desires no other place. And below the grafted tree the +meadow is very delectable and very fair, nor ever will the sun be +so high even at noon, when it is hottest, that ever a ray can +pass that way, so skilled was John to arrange things and to guide +and train the branches. There Fenice goes to disport herself, and +all day she makes her couch there; there they are in joy and +delight. And the orchard is enclosed around with a high wall +which joins the tower, so that no creature could enter it, unless +he had climbed to the top of the tower. + +Now is Fenice in great delight: there is nought to displease her, +nor lacks she aught that she could wish, when 'neath the flowers +and leaves it lists her embrace her lover. At the time when folk +go hunting with the sparrow-hawk and with the hound, which seeks +the lark and the stonechat and tracks the quail and the +partridge, it happened that a knight of Thrace, a young and +sprightly noble, esteemed for his prowess, had one day gone +a-hawking quite close beside this tower; Bertrand was the +knight's name. His sparrow-hawk had soared high, for it had +missed the lark that was its aim. Now will Bertrand consider +himself ill served by fate, if he lose his sparrow-hawk. He saw +it descend and settle below the tower in an orchard, and it +pleased him much to see this, for now he reckons that he will not +lose it. Forthwith he goes to scale the wall, and wins to get +over it. Under the grafted tree he saw Fenice and Cliges sleeping +together side by side. "God!" quoth he, "what has befallen me? +What kind of miracle is it that I see? Is it not Cliges? Yea, +faith. Is not that the empress by his side? Nay, but she +resembles her, for no other being ever was so like. Such a nose, +such a mouth, such a brow she has as the empress, my lady, had. +Never did nature better succeed in making two beings of the same +countenance. In this lady see I nought that I should not have +seen in my lady. If she had been alive, truly I should have said +that it was she." At that moment a pear drops and falls just +beside Fenice's ear. She starts, awakes, sees Bertrand and cries +aloud: "Friend, friend, we are lost! Here is Bertrand! If he +escapes you, we have fallen into an evil trap. He will tell folk +that he has seen us." Then has Bertrand perceived that it is the +empress beyond all doubt. Need is there for him to depart, for +Cliges had brought his sword with him into the orchard, and had +laid it beside the couch. He springs up and has taken his sword, +and Bertrand flees swiftly. With all the speed he might he grips +the wall, and now he was all but over it, when Cliges has come +after, raises now his sword, and strikes him, so that beneath the +knee he has cut off his leg as clean as a stalk of fennel. +Nevertheless, Bertrand has escaped ill-handled and crippled, and +on the other side he is received by his men, who are beside +themselves with grief and wrath, when they see him thus maimed; +they have asked and inquired who it is that had done it to him. +"Question me not about it," quoth he, "but raise me on my horse. +Never will this story be recounted till it is told before the +emperor. He who has done this to me ought not forsooth to be +without fear--nor is he, for he is nigh to deadly peril." Then +they have put him on his palfrey, and, mourning, they lead him +away in great dismay through the midst of the town. After them go +more than twenty thousand, who follow him to the court. And all +the people flock there, the one after the other, and the devil +take the hindmost. + +Now has Bertrand made his plea and complaint to the emperor in +the hearing of all, but they consider him an idle babbler because +he says that he has seen the empress stark naked. All the town is +stirred thereat; some, when they hear this news, esteem it mere +folly, others advise and counsel the emperor to go to the tower. +Great is the uproar and the tumult of the folk who set out after +him. But they find nothing in the tower, for Fenice and Cliges +are on their way, and have taken Thessala with them, who comforts +and assures them, and says that, even if perchance they see folk +coming after them who come to take them, they need have no fear +for aught, for never to do them harm or injury would they come +within the distance that one could shoot with a strong crossbow +stretched by windlass. + +Now the emperor is in the tower and he has John sought out and +fetched: he bids that he be tied and bound, and says that he will +have him hanged or burned and the ashes scattered to the wind. +For the shame that the emperor has suffered, John shall pay the +penalty (but it will be a bootless penalty!) because he has +secreted in his tower the nephew and the wife of the emperor. +"I'faith you speak the truth," quoth John; "I will not lie in the +matter; I will stick to the truth throughout, and if I have done +wrong in any point, right meet is it that I be taken. But on this +score I could well excuse myself, that a serf ought to refuse +nought that his rightful lord commands him. And it is known full +surely that I am his and the tower is his." "Nay, John, rather is +it thine." "Mine, sire? Truly, as his serf I am not even my own, +nor have I anything that is mine, save in so far as he grants it +to me. And if you would say that my lord has done you wrong, I am +ready to defend him from the charge without his bidding me so to +do. But the knowledge that I must die makes me bold to speak out +freely my will and my mind as I have fashioned and moulded it. +Now, be that as it may be, for if I die for my lord, I shall not +die in dishonour. Surely without a doubt is known the oath and +promise that you pledged to your brother, that after you, Cliges, +who is going away into exile, should be emperor. And if it please +God, he will yet be emperor. And you are to be blamed for this, +for you ought not to have taken wife, but all the same you took +one and wronged Cliges, and he has wronged you in nought. And if +I am done to death by you and die for him unjustly, if he lives, +he will avenge my death. Now do your utmost, for if I die, you +will die too. + +Beads of wrath break out on the emperor's brow when he has heard +the words and the insult that John has uttered against him. +"John," quoth he, "thou shalt have respite until what time thy +lord be found, for base has he proved himself towards me, who +held him right dear, nor thought to defraud him. But thou shalt +be kept fast in prison. If thou knowest what has become of him, +tell me straightway, I bid thee." "Tell you? And how should I +commit so great a treason? Of a surety, I would not betray to you +my lord, not though you were to rend my life out of my body, if I +knew it. And besides this, so may God be my guard, I cannot say +any more than you in what direction they have gone. But you are +jealous without a cause. Too little do I fear your wrath not to +tell you truly in the hearing of all how you are deceived, and +yet I shall never be believed in this matter. By a potion that +you drank, you were tricked and deceived the night that you +celebrated your wedding. Never at any time, save when you slept +and it happened to you in your dreams, did any joy come to you of +her; but the night made you dream, and the dream pleased you as +much as if it had happened in your waking hours that she held you +in her arms; and no other boon came to you from her. Her heart +clave so straitly to Cliges that for his sake she pretended to be +dead; and he trusted me so much that he told me and placed her in +my house, of which he is lord by right. You ought not to lay the +blame on me for it; I should have merited to be burnt or hanged, +if I had betrayed my lord and refused to do his will." + +When the emperor heard tell of the potion which it delighted him +to drink, and by which Thessala deceived him, then first he +perceived that he had never had joy of his wife--well he knew +it--unless it had happened to him in a dream, and that such joy +was illusory. He says that, if he take not vengeance for the +shame and the disgrace brought on him by the traitor who has +carried off from him his wife, never again will he have joy in +his life. "Now, quick!" quoth he, "to Pavia, and from there to +Germany, let neither castle, town, nor city be left where he be +not sought. He who shall bring them both prisoners will be more +cherished by me than any other man. Now, set well to work and +search both up and down and near and far!" Then they start with +great zeal, and they have spent all the day in searching; but +Cliges had such friends among them that, if they found the +lovers, they rather would lead them to a place of refuge than +bring them back. Throughout a whole fortnight with no small pains +they have pursued them, but Thessala, who is guiding them, leads +them so safely by art and by enchantment that they have no fear +or alarm for all the forces of the emperor. In no town or city do +they lie, and yet they have whatsoever they wish and desire, as +good as or better than they are wont to have, for Thessala seeks +and procures and brings for them whatsoever they wish, and no one +follows or pursues them, for all have abandoned the quest. But +Cliges does not delay; he goes to his uncle, King Arthur. He +sought him till he found him, and has made to him a complaint and +an outcry against his uncle the emperor, who, in order to +disinherit him, had taken wife dishonourably, when he should not +have done so, seeing that he had pledged his word to Cliges' +father that never in his life would he have a wife. And the king +says that with a navy will he sail to Constantinople, and fill a +thousand ships with knights and three thousand with infantry, +such that nor city nor borough nor town nor castle, however +strong or high it be, will be able to endure their onset. And +Cliges has not forgotten to thank the king then and there for the +aid which he is granting him. The king sends to seek and to +summon all the high barons of his land, and has ships and boats, +cutters and barques sought out and equipped. With shields, with +lances, with targes, and with knightly armour he has a hundred +ships filled and laden. The king makes so great a preparation to +wage war that never had even Cesar or Alexander the like. He has +caused to be summoned and mustered all England and all Flanders, +Normandy, France, and Brittany, and all tribes, even as far as +the Spanish passes. Now were they about to put to sea when +messengers came from Greece, who stayed the expedition and kept +back the king and his men. With the messengers who came was John, +who was well worthy to be believed, for he was witness and +messenger of nought that was not true and that he did not know +for certain. The messengers were high men of Greece, who were +seeking Cliges. They sought and asked for him until they found +him at the court of the king, and they have said to him: "God +save you, sire. On the part of all the inhabitants of your +empire, Greece is yielded and Constantinople given to you, +because of the right that you have to it. Your uncle--as yet you +know it not--is dead of the grief that he had because he could +not find you. He had such grief that he lost his senses: never +afterwards did he either eat or drink, and he died a madman. Fair +sire, return now hence, for all your barons send for you. Greatly +do they desire and ask for you, for they will to make you +emperor." Many there were who were blithe at this message, but on +the other hand there were man who would gladly have left their +homes, and who would have been mightily pleased if the host had +set out for Greece. But the expedition has fallen through +altogether, for the king sends away his men, and the host +disperses and returns home. But Cliges hastens and prepares +himself, for his will is to return into Greece, no care has he to +tarry longer. He has prepared himself, and has taken leave of the +king and all his friends: he takes Fenice with him, and they +depart and do not rest till they are in Greece, where men receive +him with great joy, as they ought to do their lord, and give him +his lady-love to wife; they crown them both together. He has made +his lady-love his wife, but he calls her lady-love and dame, nor +does she for that cease to be cherished as his lady-love, and she +cherishes him every whit as much as one ought to cherish one's +lover. And each day their love grew; never did he mistrust her +nor chide her for aught. She was never kept in seclusion, as +those who came after her later have been kept (for henceforth +there was no emperor who was not afraid lest his wife might +deceive him, when he heard tell how Fenice deceived Alis, first +by the potion that he drank and then by the other treason). For +which reason the empress, whoever she be, be she of never so +splendid and high degree, is guarded in Constantinople; for the +emperor trusts her not as long as he remembers Fenice. + + +Here ends the work of Chretien. + +THE END + + + + End of the Project Gutenberg etext of Cliges: A Romance by +Chretien de Troyes. + diff --git a/old/clige10.zip b/old/clige10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..16bec9b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/clige10.zip |