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diff --git a/36658.txt b/36658.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a5f0f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/36658.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4818 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales from the Old French, by Various + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Tales from the Old French + +Author: Various + +Translator: Isabel Butler + +Release Date: July 8, 2011 [EBook #36658] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES FROM THE OLD FRENCH *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, David Garcia and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + + + +Tales from the Old French + +Translated by Isabel Butler + + London + Constable & Co. Ltd. + Houghton Mifflin Co. + Boston and New York + Mdccccx + + + COPYRIGHT 1910 BY ISABEL BUTLER + ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + +[Illustration] + + + + +Contents + + + * Lais + + THE LAY OF THE BIRD 3 + THE WOFUL KNIGHT _Marie de France_ 17 + THE TWO LOVERS _Marie de France_ 26 + ELIDUC _Marie de France_ 35 + MELION 73 + THE LAY OF THE HORN _Robert Biquet_ 93 + + + * Fabliaux + + THE DIVIDED BLANKET _Bernier_ 111 + OF THE CHURL WHO WON PARADISE 125 + THE GRAY PALFREY _Huon Leroi_ 131 + + * Contes devots et didactiques + + THE KNIGHT OF THE LITTLE CASK 173 + THE ANGEL AND THE HERMIT 207 + THE JOUSTING OF OUR LADY 228 + THE ORDER OF CHIVALRY 232 + + * Epilogue 249 + + * Bibliography 263 + + * Translator's Note 264 + + + + +Lais + + + + +The Lay of the Bird + + +[Illustration] + +Once upon a time, a hundred years and more agone, there lived a rich +villein; his name I know not for certain, but he was rich as beseemeth +a great lord in woodland, stream and meadow, and in whatsoever else +longeth to a puissant man. And to tell you the sum thereof, his manor +was so goodly no town, or burg, or castle hath its like, for to tell +you true, in all the world is none other so fair and delectable; and if +any were to show you its form and fashion, the tale would seem to you +but fable, for none, methinketh, could ever make such a keep, or so +mighty a tower. Round about it ran a river, encircling all the close, +that the orchard, which was of great price, was all walled in by wood +and water. Wise was the gentle knight who contrived it, but from him it +went to his son, who sold it to this villein; so passed it from hand to +hand: and wit ye well, an ill heir ofttimes bringeth thorpe and manor +into dishonour. + +Fair as man can desire was that orchard, and therein grew many an herb +whose name I know not; yet may I tell you of a truth there were roses +and flowers that gave forth a strong and pleasant fragrance; and such +manner of spices grew there that if any creature, suffering from +sickness and infirmity, were brought thither in a litter, and lay in +that orchard but for the space of a single night, he would go forth +healed and strong; so rich it was in goodly herbs. And the meadow was +so level even that in it was neither hill nor hollow, and all the +tree-tops were of one height; no other orchard close so fair was there +in all the world. Ask ye not of its fruit, for none such shall ye find; +but in the garden they ripened in every season. Wise was he who contrived +it, and by enchantment he wrought it, whereof within was many a proof. + +Full great was the orchard and wide, like a round ring in its form; and +in its midst was a fountain whose waters were clear and fresh, and ran +so swiftly they seemed to boil in fury, yet was it colder than marble. +A goodly tree gave shade there, wide reaching were the branches and +cunningly trained; good store of leaves there were, for in the longest +day of summer, when came the month of May, ye could not see a ray of +the sun, so leafy was it. Full dear should that tree be held, for its +kind was such that it kept its leaves in all seasons, and neither wind +nor storm had might to strip its bark or its branches. + +Pleasant and delectable was that green tree; and to it twice each day, +and no more, came a bird to sing, in the morning namely, and again at +eventide. So wondrous fair was the bird it were over long to tell you +all its fashion. More small it was than the sparrow, yet somewhat +greater than the wren, and it sang so sweetly and fairly that know +ye of a sooth, not nightingale, nor merle, nor mavis, nor starling, +methinketh, nor voice of lark or calender, were so good to hear as was +its song. And it was so ready with refrains and lays and songs and +new tunes, that harp, or viol, or rebec were as nought beside it. So +wondrous was its song that never before was its like heard of living +man, for such was its virtue that no man might be so sorrowful, but if +he heard it sing, he must straightway rejoice, and forget all heaviness +and grief; and though he had never before spoken of love, now was he +kindled by it, and deemed himself worshipful as king or emperor, though +he were but villein or burgess; and even had he passed his hundredth +year, if, as he yet lingered in the world, he heard the song of the +bird, he deemed himself then but as a youth and a stripling, and so +comely, he must be loved of ladies and maids and damsels. But yet +another wondrous virtue had it; for that orchard might not endure, if +the bird came not thither to sing its sweet refrain; for out of song +issueth love, which giveth their virtue to flower and tree and coppice; +whereas, if the bird were gone, the orchard would straightway wither, +and the fountain run dry, for that they kept their virtue only by +reason of the song. + +Now it was the wont of the villein, who was master there, to come twice +each day to hear this sweetness. So on a morning, he came to the fountain +beneath the tree to wash his face in the waters; and from the branches +the bird sang to him loud and clear a song of most delectable cadence; +good was the lay to hear, and ensample might one draw therefrom whereby +one were bettered at the last. For in his language the bird said: +"Listen ye to my song, both knight and clerk and layman, all ye who have +to do with love, and suffer his torments; and to ye likewise I speak, ye +maids fair and sweet, who would have the world for your own. And I tell +you of a sooth, ye should love God before all things, and hold his law +and his commandments; go ye with good heart to the minster, and give +heed to the holy office, for to hear God's service cometh not amiss to +any man; and to tell you true, God and love are of one accord. For God +loveth honour and courtesy, and true Love despiseth them not; God hateth +pride and treachery, and Love likewise holdeth them in despite; God +giveth ear to sweet prayer, and from it Love turneth not away; and above +all else God desireth largesse, for in him is nought of ill, but good +only. The misers are the envious hearted, and it is the jealous who +are the covetous; the churlish are the wicked, and the traitors are the +vile; but wisdom and courtesy, honour and loyalty uphold Love; and if ye +hold to this ye may have both God and the world." So sang the bird his +lay. + +But when he saw the churl, who was cruel and envious, sit listening +beneath the tree, then sang he in another manner: "Flow ye no more, +O river; waste to ruin, ye donjons; and towers, fall ye down; fade, ye +flowers; dry and wither, ye herbs; bear no more fruit, ye trees; for +here, of old, clerks and knights and ladies were wont to give ear to me, +who held the fountain full dear, and drew delight from my song, and +loved the better _par amors_; and by reason of it they did much largess, +and practised courtesy and prowess, and upheld chivalry; but now am I +heard only by a churl, who is full of envy, and to whom silver and gold +are more dear than the service of Love; the knights and ladies came to +hear me for delight, and for Love's sake, and to lighten their hearts, +but this man cometh only that he may eat the better and drink the +better." + +And when the bird had so sung it flew away; and the churl, who yet +lingered there, bethought him if he might not take it; easily might he +sell it full dear, or, if he could not sell it, he would shut it up in a +cage that it might sing to him early and late. So he contrived a device, +and arranged it; he sought and looked and spied until he made sure of +the branches whereon the bird sat oftenest; then he maketh a snare and +spread it,--well hath he contrived the thing. And when eventide came, +the bird returned again to the orchard, and so soon as it lighted on +the tree was straightway taken in the net. Thereupon the villein, the +caitiff, the felon, climbeth up and taketh the bird. "Such reward hath +he ever that serveth a churl, methinketh," saith the bird. "Now ill +hast thou done in that thou hast taken me, for of me shalt thou get +small ransom." "Yet shall I have many a song of this capture," quoth the +villein; "before, ye served according to your own will, but now shall ye +serve after mine." + +"This throw is evilly divided, and the worser half falleth to me," +saith the bird. "Of old, I had field and wood and river and meadow, +according to my desire, but now shall I be prisoned in a cage; never +again shall I know joy and solace. Of old, I was wont to live by prey, +now must I, like any prisoner, have my meat doled out to me. Prithee, +fair, sweet friend, let me go; for be ye sage and certain never will +I sing as prisoner." "By my faith, then I will eat you up; on no other +terms shall ye escape." "Poor victual shall ye find in me, so small and +slight am I; and if ye kill so frail a thing, in no wise shall your +worship be increased. To slay me were very sin, but it were a good deed +to set me free." "By my faith, ye speak idly, for the more you beseech +me the less will I do." "Certes," saith the bird, "ye say well, for so +runneth the law; and often have we heard it said that fair reasoning +angers the churl. But a proverb teacheth and showeth us that necessity +is a hard master; here my strength may not avail me, but if you will +set me free, I will make you wise with three wisdoms that were never +yet known to any man of your lineage, and which would much avail you." +"If I may have surety thereof, I will do it straightway," saith the +villein. "Thereto I pledge you all my faith," the bird made answer; +and forthright the villein let him go. + +So the bird that had won his freedom by ready speech, taketh flight to +the tree; all spent he was, and ruffled, for he had been rudely handled, +and all his plumage turned awry. With his beak as best he might, he +smoothed and ordered his feathers; but the churl, who was fain of the +three wisdoms, admonished him to speak. Full of craft was that bird, and +he saith: "If thou givest good heed, great lore shalt thou learn: _Set +not thy trust in all thou hearest._" But the villein frowned in anger: +"That knew I already," quoth he. "Fair friend, henceforth hold it well +in mind, and forget it not." Quoth the churl: "Now in sooth may I look +to learn wisdom! He who biddeth me bear this in mind, doth but jibe; +but certes, when you escape me again, no man else shall you mock:--but +I brag over late. Wherefore, now tell me the next wisdom, for this one +I know well." + +"Give good heed," saith the bird, "fair and goodly is the second: _Weep +not for that thou hast never had._" Then the churl could not hold his +peace, but answered all in anger: "Thou hast belied thy pledge to me; +three wisdoms thou wert to teach me--so thou didst promise me--that were +never yet known to any of my kin; but every man knoweth this, for there +is none so foolish, or ever was, that he would weep for what was never +his. Sorely hast thou lied to me." Thereupon the bird made answer: +"Wouldst thou that I say them over to thee lest thou forget them? Ye are +so ready of speech I fear for thy memory; methinketh ye will not bear +the wisdoms in mind." "I know them better than you yourself," quoth the +churl, "and long ago knew them. Foul fall him who shall ever thank you +for showing him that in which he was already wise. By my head, I am not +so untaught as ye deem me, and it is but because ye have escaped me that +ye now mock me. But if ye hold by your covenant with me, ye will tell +me the third wisdom, for of these two I have full understanding. Now +speak out at your will, in that I have no power over you; tell me its +substance, and I will give heed to it." + +"Listen well, and I will tell you: the third is of such a nature that +whosoever knoweth it will never be a poor man." Greatly the churl +rejoiced when he heard the virtue of that wisdom, and saith: "This I +needs must know, for riches I dearly desire." Lo, how he urgeth the +bird, and saith: "It is time to eat, so tell me now speedily." And when +the bird heard him, it maketh answer: "I warn thee, churl, that ye _Let +not fall to your feet that which you hold in your hand_." All angry was +the villein: for a long time he spoke not, and then he asketh: "And is +there nought else? These are the sooth-sayings of children, for well +I ween that many a man poor and in want knoweth this, even as thou +knowest; ye have duped me and lied to me, for all that ye have shown +me I was wise in before." + +Then the bird maketh answer: "By my faith, and if thou hadst known this +last wisdom, never wouldst thou have let me go, for if thou hadst killed +me as thou didst think to do, never, by my eyes, had there dawned a day +ye had not been the better for it." "Ha, in God's name, what good had ye +been?" "Ahi, foul churl, ill son of an ill race, thou knowest not what +hath befallen thee; thou hast sorely miscarried. In my body is a gem of +great worth and price, and of the weight of three ounces; its virtue is +so great that whoso hath it in his possession may never wish for aught, +but straightway he hath it at his hand." + +Now when the churl heard this, he beat his breast, and tore his +garments, and rent his face with his nails, and cried out woe and alas. +But the bird, who watched him from the tree, had great joy thereof. It +waited until he had torn all his raiment, and wounded himself in many a +place; then it said to him: "Wretched churl, when thou didst hold me in +thy hand I was smaller than sparrow, or tit, or finch, which weigheth +not so much as half an ounce." And the villein who groaneth in anger, +saith: "By my faith, ye say true." "Churl, now mayest thou see well I +have lied to thee concerning the gem." "Now I know it of a sooth, but +certes, at first I believed thee." "Churl, now have I proved to thee on +the spot thou knewest not the three wisdoms; and, for what thou didst +say to me, that no man is, or ever was, so foolish he would weep for +that he had never had, now, meseemeth, thou thyself makest lament for +what was never thine and never will be. And when you had me in your +snare, then did you cast down to your feet that which you held in your +hand. So have you been brought to shame by the three wisdoms; henceforth, +fair friend, hold them in mind. Good it is to learn goodly lore, for +many a one heareth yet understandeth not, many a one speaketh of wisdom +who is yet no whit wise in thought, many a one speaketh of courtesy who +knoweth nought of the practice thereof, and many a man holdeth himself +for wise who is given over to folly." + +Now when the bird had so spoken, it took flight, and departed, never to +return again to the garden. The leaves fell from the tree, the orchard +failed and withered, the fountain ran dry, whereby the churl lost all +his delight. Now know ye one and all that the proverb showeth us clearly +that he who covets all, loses all. + +_explicit_ li Lais de l'Oiselet. + + + + +The Woful Knight + + +[Illustration] + +Gladly would I call to remembrance a lay whereof I have heard men speak; +I will tell you its name and its story, and show you the city whence it +sprang. Some call it The Woful Knight, but many there are who name it +The Four Sorrows. + +At Nantes in Bretaigne dwelt a lady who was rich in beauty and wisdom +and all seemliness. And in that land was no knight of prowess who, and +if he did but see her, straightway loved her not and besought her. She +could in no wise love them all, yet none did she wish to renounce. And +better it is to love and woo all the ladies of the land than to rob +one fool of his motley, for he will speedily fall to fighting over it, +whereas a lady doth pleasure to all in fair friendliness. And though it +be not her will to hearken to them, yet ought she not to give them ill +words, but rather hold them dear and honour them, and render them +service and thanks. Now the lady of whom I would tell you was so besought +in love by reason of her beauty and worth that many a one had a hand +therein. + +In Bretaigne, in those days, lived four barons; their names I cannot +tell you, but though they were young of age, yet were they comely, +brave, and valiant knights, generous, courteous, and free-handed; of +gentle birth were they in that land, and held in high honour. These four +loved the lady, and strove in well doing for her sake; and each did his +uttermost to win her and her love. Each sought her by himself, and set +thereto all his intent; and there was not one but thought to succeed +above all the rest. + +Now the lady was of right great discretion, and much bethought her to +inquire and discover which it were best to love; for all alike were of +such great worship that she knew not how to choose the best among them. +And in that she was not minded to lose three for one, she made fair +semblance to each, and gave them tokens, and sent them messengers; of +the four not one knew how it stood with other, and none could she bring +herself to reject. So each one hoped by entreaty and loyal service to +speed better than the rest. And wheresoever knights come together, each +wished to be the first in well doing, if that he might, to thereby +please his lady. All alike called her their love, each one wore her +favour, whether ring or sleeve or pennon, and each cried her name in +the tourney. + +And she on her part loved them all, and bore them all in hand, until it +fell that after an Easter time, a tournament was cried before the city +of Nantes. To learn the worth of the four lovers, many a man came from +other lands,--Frenchmen and Normans, Flemings and Angevins, and men of +Brabant, and of Boulogne, and likewise those from near at hand; all +alike came thither with good will, and long time sojourned there. And +on the evening of the tourney they joined battle full sharply. + +The four lovers had armed themselves and issued out of the city: and +though their knights followed after, on them fell the burden. Those from +abroad knew them by their pennons and shields, and against them they +sent four knights, two Flemings and two Hainaulters, ready dight for the +onset; not one but was keen to join battle. And the four lovers on their +part, when they saw the knights come against them, were of no mind to +give back. At full speed, with lowered lance, each man chooseth his +fellow, and they come together so stoutly that the four out-landers are +brought to ground. No care had the four comrades for the horses, rather +they let them run free, and they took their stand above the fallen +knights, who anon are rescued by their fellows. Great was the press in +that rescue, and many a blow was struck with sword. + +The lady, meantime, was on a tower, whence she might well behold her men +and their followers; she seeth her lovers bear themselves right bravely, +and which among them deserveth best she knoweth not. + +So the tourney was begun, and the ranks increased and thickened; and +many a time that day before the gate was the battle renewed. The four +lovers did right valiantly, that they won praise above all the rest, +till evening fell and it was time to dispart. Then far from their men, +too recklessly they set their lives in jeopardy; dearly they paid for +it, for there three were slain, and the fourth hurt and so wounded in +thigh and body that the lance came out at his back. Right through were +they smitten, and all four fell to ground. They who had slain them threw +down their shields upon the field; unwittingly had they done it, and +right heavy were they therefor. So the noise arose and the cry; never +was sorrow heard like unto that. They of the city hasted thither, for no +whit did they fear those outlanders. Two thousand were there that for +sorrow for the four knights unlaced their ventails, and tore their hair +and their beards. All alike shared that grief. + +Then each of those four was laid upon a shield, and carried into the +city to the lady who had loved them, and so soon as she heard the +adventure, she fell down on the hard ground in a swoon. When she +recovered her wit, she made sore lament for each by name. "Alas," saith +she, "what shall I do? Never more shall I know gladness. These four +knights I loved, and each by himself I desired, for of great worship +were they, and they loved me more than aught else that liveth. By reason +of their beauty and prowess, their valour and generosity, I led them +to set their thoughts on love of me, and I would not lose all three by +taking one. Now I know not which I should pity most; yet can I not +feign or disemble herein. One I see wounded and three slain; nothing +have I in the world to comfort me. Now will I let bury the dead; and if +the wounded knight may be healed, gladly will I do what I may herein, +and fetch him good doctors of physic." So she made him be carried into +her own chambers. Then she directed that the others be made ready; +richly and nobly she appareled them with great love. And to a rich +abbey, wherein they were buried, she made great gifts and offerings. +Now may God grant them sweet mercy. + +Meantime she had summoned wise leeches, and had set them in charge of +the knight, who lay wounded in her own chamber until he began to mend. +Often she went to see him, and sweetly she comforted him; but much she +regretted the other three, and made great lament for them. + +And one summer day after meat, when she was talking with the knight, +she remembered her of her great sorrow, and bent low her head. So she +fell deep in thought, and he, beginning to watch her, perceived her +thoughtfulness. Courteously he addressed her: "Lady, you are in +distress. What is in your thoughts? Tell me, and let be your sorrow. +Surely you should take comfort." "Friend," saith she, "I fell +a-thinking, and remembered me of your comrades. Never will any lady of +my lineage, however fair and worthy and wise she may be, love another +such four, or in one day lose them all, as I lost all,--save you alone, +who were wounded and in sore jeopardy of death. And in that I have +so loved ye four, I would that my griefs were held in remembrance, +wherefore of you I will make a lay, and call it The Four Sorrows." +When he had heard her, quickly the knight made answer: "Dame, make the +new lay, but call it The Woful Knight. And I will show you why it should +be so named: the other three long since died, and spent all their +worldly life in the great torment they endured by reason of the love +they bore you. But I, who have escaped with life, all uncounselled and +all woful, often see her whom I love most in the world come and go, +and speak to me morning and evening, yet may I have neither kiss nor +embrace, nor any joy of her, save that of speech only. A hundred such +sorrows you make me endure; rather had I suffer death. For this reason +shall the lay be named for me; The Woful Knight shall it be called, and +whosoever termeth it The Four Sorrows will change its true name." "By my +faith," saith she, "this pleaseth me well; now let us call it The Woful +Knight." + +Thus was the lay begun, and thereafter ended and spread abroad; but of +those that carried it through the land some called it The Four Sorrows. +Each of the names suiteth the lay well, for the matter demandeth both; +but commonly it is called The Woful Knight. Here it endeth and goeth no +farther; more there is not so far as I have heard or known, and no more +will I tell you. + + + + +The Two Lovers + + +[Illustration] + +In Normandy, of old, there fell an adventure oft recounted; 'tis a tale +of two children who loved one another, and how both through their love +died. Of this the Bretons made a lay and called it "Les Dous Amanz." + +Know ye that in Neustria, which we call Normandy, is a great mountain +marvellous high, and on its summit lie the two lovers. Near to this +mountain on one side, a king with great care and counsel built him a +city; lord he was of the Pistreis, and because of his folk he called the +town Pitres. Still has the name endured, and there to this day may ye +see houses and city; and all that region, as is well known, men call +the Vale of Pitres. + +This king had a daughter, a fair damsel and a courteous; no other child +had he, and much he loved and cherished her. She was sought for in +marriage by many a great lord, who would gladly have taken her to wife; +but the king would give her to none, for that he could not bear to part +with her. No other companion had he, but kept her with him night and +day, for since the death of the queen she was his only solace. Yet many +a one held it ill done on his part, and even his own household blamed +him for it. And when he knew that men talked thereof, much it grieved +and troubled him; and he began to bethink him how he might so contrive +that none would willingly seek his daughter. And he let it be known far +and wide, that whosoever would have the maiden, must know one thing of +a sooth: it was decreed and appointed that her suitor should carry her +in his arms, with no stop for rest upon the way, to the summit of the +mountain without the city. When the news thereof were made known and +spread abroad through the land, many a one assayed the feat but none +might achieve it. Some there were who with much striving carried her +midway up the mountain; then they could go no farther but must needs +let be. So for a long space the damsel remained unwedded, and no man +would ask her in marriage. + +In that same land was a damoiseau, son to a count he was, and full fresh +and fair; and much he strove in well doing that he might have praise +above all others. He frequented the king's court and often sojourned +there; and he grew to love the king's daughter, and ofttimes besought +her that she would grant him her favour, and love him with all her love. +And in that he was brave and courteous, and much praised of the king, +she granted him her grace, and in all humility he rendered her thanks +therefor. + +Often they held speech together, and loyally each loved the other, yet +they concealed it as best they might, that none should know thereof. +Grievous was this time to them, but the youth bethought him that it was +better to endure this evil than to make haste over much only to fail; +yet was he brought to sore anguish through love. And it fell on a time +that the damoiseau who was so fair and valiant came unto his love, and +speaking, made her his plaint. Piteously he besought her that she should +flee thence with him, for he could no longer endure his pain; yet he +knew full well that were he to ask her of her father, he loved her so +much he would give her to none who did not first bear her in his arms +to the top of the mountain. Then the damsel made answer: "Dear heart, +I know full well you could not carry me so far, for your strength is +not great enough; yet were I to flee with you my father would suffer so +great dolour and grief it were torment for him to live; and of a sooth +I hold him so dear and love him so much I would not willingly bring him +sorrow. Other counsel must you find, for to this I will not hearken. +But in Salerno I have a kinswoman, a rich dame and a wealthy; more than +thirty years has she dwelt there, and she is so practised in the art of +physic that she is wise in medicines and healing. So learned is she in +herbs and roots, that if you will but go to her, taking with you letters +from me, and tell her all your plight, she will give you help and +counsel. Such electuaries will she prepare for you, and such cordials +will she give you that they will comfort you and renew your strength. +When you return again to this land, seek ye my father. He will deem you +but a child, and will show you the covenant whereby he will give me to +no man or take thought of none, save him who shall carry me in his arms +to the top of the mountain, without once resting by the way; and ye +shall freely agree with him that only in such wise may ye win me." + +The youth hearkened to the words and the counsel of the damsel; full +glad was he thereof, and gave her his thanks. And thereafter he asked +leave of her; and straightway returned into his own land, and speedily +gathered together money and rich stuffs, palfreys and sumpters; and +took with him such of his men as were most worthy of trust. So he goeth +to Salerno, and seeketh speech with the aunt of his sweet friend, and +giveth her the letter. And when she had read it from end to end, she +kept him with her till he had told her all his plight. Thereafter she +strengthened him with medicines, and gave him such a draught that were +he ever so weary and spent and fordone, it would yet refresh all his +body, alike his bones and his sinews, that so soon as he had drunk it, +he would have his full strength again. Then, bearing the draught in a +phial, he returned to his own country. + +Joyous and glad of heart was the damoiseau when he was come again to +his own land; yet he lingered not in his domain, but went straightway +to the king to ask of him his daughter, and that he might take her and +carry her up the mountain. The king did not deny him, yet he deemed it +but folly, for the youth was young of age and many a sage and valiant +man had assayed the feat, yet none might achieve it. But he named and +appointed a day, and summoned all his friends and vassals, and all those +whom he could assemble together, nor would he suffer any to disobey his +call. So, for the sake of the king's daughter and the youth who would +assay the adventure of carrying her to the top of the mountain, they +came from all the country round about. The damsel on her part prepared +herself, and to lighten her weight oft she fasted and forebore from +meat, for she would fain help her friend. + +On the appointed day, of all those that came thither the damoiseau was +the first, nor did he forget his draught. Then into the meadow beside +the Seine, among all the great folk there assembled, the king led forth +his daughter; no garment wore she save her shift only. And so the youth +took her in his arms; and in that he knew she would not betray him, he +gave her the phial that contained the potion, to carry in her hand. +Yet I fear it will avail him nought, for he hath in him no measure. + +With the damsel in his arms he set off at a swift pace, and climbed +midway up the mountain, and for the joy that he had of her he took no +thought of his draught. But she felt that he was growing weary, and +said: "Dear heart, I pray you drink. I know that ye are weary; drink and +renew your strength." But the youth made answer: "Sweet, I feel my heart +strong within me; for no price would I stop long enough to drink, while +I am yet able to go three steps. The folk would cry out to us, and their +noise would confound me, and so might they hinder us. I will not stop +here." But when he had gone two thirds of the way, he was near to +falling. Ofttimes the maid besought him, "Dear heart, drink now the +potion." But he would not heed or hearken to her, and in sore pain he +yet pressed forward. Thus he came at last to the top of the mountain, +but so wearied and spent was he that there he fell down and rose up no +more, for his heart failed within him. + +The maid as she looked on her love deemed him in a swoon; so she knelt +down at his side, and sought to give him the drink. But he could speak +no word to her, and so he died even as I tell you. With great outcry +she lamented him, and she cast from her the vessel containing the +potion that it was scattered abroad. By it the mount was well sprinkled, +whereby all the land and country was much bettered, for many a precious +herb hath been found there that sprang from that potion. + +But now speak we again of the damsel. Never was she so woful as now in +losing her love. She lieth down beside him, and taketh him in her arms +and straineth him close, and many a time she kisseth him on eyes and +mouth, till her grief for him pierceth her heart. There died the maid +who had been so valiant, wise and fair. + +Now when the king and those that were awaiting them saw that the twain +came not again, they followed after and found them. And there the king +fell to the ground in a swoon; and when he recovered his speech he made +great lament, and so did all the stranger folk. Three days they kept the +twain above earth; and caused two coffins of marble to be brought, and +in them they laid the two lovers, and by the counsel of all, buried them +upon the top of the mountain; and then they all went their ways. + +Because of the adventure of these twain the mountain is still called by +the name of Les Deux Amants. So it fell, even as I have told you, and +the Bretons turned it into a lay. + + + + +Eliduc + + +[Illustration] + +Now will I tell you all the matter and story of a most ancient Breton +lay, even as I have heard it, and hold it for true. + +In Bretaigne dwelt a knight, brave and courteous, hardy and bold; Eliduc +was his name, methinketh, and in all the land was no other man so +valiant. And he had for wife a woman wise and honourable, of high +parentry and goodly lineage. Long they lived together, and loyally they +loved one another; but at length it fell that by reason of strife the +knight went to seek service abroad, and there he grew to love a maid, +daughter to a king and queen; Guilliadun was the name of the damsel, and +she was the fairest of that realm. Now Eliduc's wife was called among +her own folk Guildeluec, and from these twain the lay hath taken the +name of Guildeluec and Guilliadun; of old it was called Eliduc, but now +is its title changed, in that the adventure from which the lay is drawn +turneth upon the two dames. Now even as it befell so will I recite it, +and tell you all the truth thereof. + +Eliduc had for liege lord the king of Britain the Less, who showed him +much love and favour, and to whom he gave faithful service. Whenever +the king must needs be absent, it was given to him to guard the land, +and hold it by his prowess. Yet even better fortune befell him, for he +was made free to hunt in the king's forest, nor was there any forester +therein so bold he dared gainsay him, or speak him grudgingly. But as +often falleth through other men's envy of our fortune, he was estranged +from his lord, and so slandered and belied, that without hearing he was +banished from the court, though on what grounds he knew not. Ofttimes he +besought the king not to give ear to calumny, but to show him justice, +in that he had long served him with right good will; yet ever the king +would give him no answer. + +Now when Eliduc saw he could win no hearing, he must needs depart. He +went back to his own house, and called all his friends together, and +told them of the wrath of the king, his liege lord, whom he had served +as best he might,--never should the king have borne him hate. But as the +villein saith in proverb when he chideth his plowman, "Lord's love is no +fief"; so is he wise and discreet who keeps faith with his liege lord, +yet spendeth his love on his good friends. Now the knight was minded to +abide no more in that land, but would, he said, cross the sea and go +into the kingdom of Logres, to solace himself there for a space. His +wife he would leave in his domain, and bade his friends and liegemen +that they guard her loyally. + +So he abode by this judgment, and prepared him full richly for the +journey; but his friends were right sorrowful that he should depart from +them. He took with him ten knights, and his wife conducted him on the +way. At parting with her lord she made exceeding great dole, but he +assured her he would keep good faith with her. With that she left him, +and he held straight on his way till he came to the sea, and passed over +it, and came into Totness. + +In that land were divers kings, and between them was war and strife. One +dwelt near Exeter, full puissant, but an old man and an ancient. No heir +male had he, but only a daughter yet unwedded; and in that he would not +give her in marriage to his neighbor, that other made war upon him, and +laid waste all his land, and besieged him in his castle; nor was there +among those within any man who dared issue out to risk onset and battle. +When Eliduc heard thereof, he was fain to go no farther, but to abide in +that land wherein was war, and to seek service with, and help as best he +might, the king who was so harried and hard pressed and beset. Wherefore +he sent messengers thither, and by letter showed the king how he had +issued out of his own land and stood ready to his aid; furthermore, he +prayed him to make known his pleasure herein, and if he would have none +of him, to grant him safe conduct through the land, that he might seek +service elsewhere. + +Now when the king saw the messengers, he looked on them kindly and made +them good cheer. He called his constable to him, and bade him straightway +make ready an escort to bring thither the knight, and prepare a hostel +where he and his men might lodge, and furthermore, bade give and grant +them as much as they would spend for a month. The escort made them +ready, and set out to fetch Eliduc; and he was received with great +honour, for right welcome was he to the king. He was given lodging in +the house of a burgess full discreet and courteous, who gave up to his +guest his own fair tapestried chamber. Eliduc bade the board be well set +forth, and invited all needy knights that lodged in the town to share +his victual. And moreover, he commanded his men that none be so forward +that he take either gift or denier for the first forty days. + +Now three days after his coming, a cry arose in the city that their +enemies were upon them, and overspread all the land thereabouts, and +pressed up to the very gates, for that they would assail the town. +Eliduc heard the noise of the folk, who were sore dismayed, and +forthright he armed himself, and his comrades likewise. Now though many +a man had been slain and many a one made prisoner, fourteen mounted +knights were yet left in the town, and when they saw Eliduc get him to +horseback, they hastened to their lodgings to arm themselves; and with +him they issued out of the gate, without waiting for summons. "Sir," +they cried to him, "we will go with thee, and what thou dost we likewise +will do." "Gramercy," he made answer. "Now is there none among you who +knows of some hidden way or ambush where we may take them unawares? If +we await them here, it may be we shall do battle with them, but to no +purpose, if any have better counsel." And they made answer: "In faith, +sir, near this wood through a bed of reeds runneth a narrow cart-road, +whereby they are wont to take their way back. When they have won their +booty they will repair thither; ofttimes they ride there unarmed upon +their palfreys, and so put themselves in jeopardy of speedy death; right +soon could we do them damage, and hurt and annoy." And Eliduc answered +them: "Friends, I give you my word, he who doth not often venture where +he thinketh to lose, will never win much, nor achieve high honour. Ye +are all the king's liegemen, and ye should keep good faith with him. +Come with me where I shall go, and what I do, do ye in likewise; I +pledge you my faith, ye shall suffer no hurt so long as I can help you +in aught. And if it chance we win somewhat, the damage we do to the foe +will be turned to our praise." Thereupon they all made pledge, and +thereafter drew towards the wood. + +Thus they took ambush near the roadside until those others should +return; and Eliduc commanded his men, and showed and devised to them how +they should cry out upon their foes, and how they should spur against +them. So when the outlanders drew near to the pass ... Eliduc cried his +cry, and called to his comrades, and bade them do their best. Rudely +they laid on with their swords, and spared no whit, that their enemies +were all abashed,--speedily were they broken and scattered, and within +short time vanquished. Their constable was taken, and likewise many +another knight, and Eliduc's men gave them into the charge of their +squires. Twenty-five were they of the town, and thirty they captured of +those without; eagerly they seized upon the armour, and good booty had +they therein. So they returned again, and glad were they in that they +had well prospered. + +The king was upon a tower, in sore dread because of his men; and much +he complained of Eliduc, who, he feared, had brought his knights into +jeopardy through treason. And now they draw near, riding close ranked +and laden with spoils. Many more were they at the return than at the +outgoing, wherefore the king knew them not, but was full of fear and +misgiving. He bade the gates be closed, and commanded his folk that they +mount the walls to draw their bows and cast down missiles,--but of this +there will be no need. Eliduc had sent before a squire spurring fast, +who now made known the adventure to the king, and told him of Eliduc, +how he had vanquished the besiegers, and how bravely he had borne +himself; he had wounded many and slain many, and had taken captive their +constable and nine-and-twenty more,--never was there such a knight. +Great joy had the king of these tidings; he left the tower and rode out +to meet Eliduc, and thanked him for his well doing. And Eliduc on his +part gave over the prisoners to the king, and divided the armour among +the knights; his own share he dealt out to the prisoners and other folk, +nought kept he for his profit save three of the horses he had heard well +praised. + +After the deed whereof I have told you, he was loved and cherished of +the king, who retained him in his service a whole year, and his comrades +likewise. And Eliduc gave his oath to the king, and was made warden of +the land. + +Eliduc was wise and courteous, a comely knight, brave and free-handed. +So it fell the king's daughter heard him named, and his valour +recounted; and she sent one of her own chamberlains to him, to pray and +entreat that he come to her for talk and for disport, that they might +learn to know one another,--much she marveled that he had not yet +sought her. Eliduc made answer he would go, gladly would he make her +acquaintance. So he mounted his horse, and taking with him one knight, +goeth forth to speak with the damsel. But when he was about to enter her +bower, he sent the chamberlain before, and lingered somewhat, delaying +until the man returned again. + +Then with gentle bearing, frank courtesy, and right noble cheer he +addressed Guilliadun that fair damsel, as one ready of speech, and gave +her his thanks for that it had pleased her to call him to speak with +her. The damsel hath taken him by the hand, and side by side they sat +upon a couch, speaking of many things. The maiden looked at him long, at +face and body and bearing, and to herself she said: "He hath in him no +fault"; greatly she commended him in her heart. And love sent thither +his messenger, who commanded her that she love the knight, and caused +her to sigh and turn pale. Yet she would not speak her thought, lest he +should misprize her. + +He tarried there a long space, then asked leave to go away; sorrowfully +she granted it, and he hath departed and returned again to his hostel. +Heavy was he and full of thought, and sore disquieted by reason of the +fair damsel, the daughter of the king his lord, for that she had so +sweetly summoned him, and that she had sighed. Much it misliked him +that he had been so long in the land, and yet had not often seen her; +but when he had so thought, much he repented him, and he called to +remembrance his wife, how he had pledged him to keep good faith with +her, and to live loyally. + +Now when the maiden had seen him she would fain have had him for her +lover; none had ever seemed to her so goodly, and if she may she will +bind him fast to her. Thus she lay awake all night long, and neither +rested nor slept. On the morrow she rose early, and went to the window, +and called to the chamberlain, and showed him all her thought. "By my +faith," saith she, "it goes hardly with me, I have fallen into an evil +plight, for I love the new man of arms, Eliduc, the good knight. No rest +had I this night, nor once closed my eyes in sleep. If he will but love +me in very love, and give himself to me, I will do all his desire, and +he shall win great good thereby, for he shall be king of all this land. +But if he will not give himself to me, I must die in great dolour, for +love of his wisdom and courtesy." When she had said what she would, the +chamberlain gave her true counsel,--let none blame him therefor. "Lady," +saith he, "if you love him, send to him and tell him. And it were well +done to give him a girdle, a ring, or a scarf; if he receive it gladly, +and if he have joy of the sending, you may be sure of his love. There is +no emperor under heaven who would not be rejoiced if you chose to love +him." When she heard his counsel, the damsel made answer: "But how shall +I know by my gift whether he hath desire to love me? I never yet saw +knight who, whether he loved or hated, had to be prayed in like matter, +or would not willingly keep the gift sent him. Much would it mislike me +that he should scorn me. Yet none the less, can one learn somewhat from +a look; so make yourself ready and go." "I am ready now," saith he. +"Take him a ring of gold, and give him my girdle, greet him from me +a thousand times!" + +Thereupon the chamberlain set forth, but the damsel was in such a plight +that well nigh had she called him back to her; yet none the less she let +him go, and thus began to lament her: "Woe is me, how is my heart taken +captive by a man from a strange land. I know not even if he be of high +kindred, and belike he will go hence suddenly, and I shall be left +unhappy. Foolishly have I set my heart. Never till yesterday did I speak +with him, and now I would beseech his love. I fear lest he scorn me; +yet if he be courteous, he will show me grace. Now have I set all at +adventure, and if he desire not my love I shall be in an evil plight. +Never in all my life shall I know joy." + +Now while she made lament the chamberlain went on in all haste until he +came unto Eliduc. Privately he gave him greetings from the damsel, and +offered him the ring and the girdle. The knight said him thanks; the +golden ring he put on his finger, and the girdle he bound about him. +Nought else said he to the varlet, nor asked him aught, save that he +offered him somewhat of his own treasure, but the youth would take +nothing, and went his way and returned again to his lady. In her chamber +he found her, and gave her the knight's greetings and thanks for her +gift. "Say on," saith she, "and hide nought from me; will he love me in +very love?" "So I believe," he answered; "but the knight is not light +minded, rather I deem him to be wise and courteous, one who knoweth well +how to hold his own counsel. I gave him your greetings and your gifts; +your girdle he bound about him; tightly he girt it around his waist, and +the ring he set on his finger. Nought else said I to him, or he to me." +"And he did not take it for love? If this be so, I am undone." "By my +faith," saith he, "I know not. Yet hear me; if he had not wished you +well, he would have had nought to do with your gifts." "Ye speak folly," +saith she, "I know right well he doth not hate me, for never have I done +him any ill, save that I love him bitterly, and if he hate me for this, +then is he worthy of death. Never again by you or any other will I ask +him aught till I may have speech with him: I myself will tell him how I +am constrained by love. But I know not if he is to abide here." "Lady," +the chamberlain maketh answer, "the king hath bound him by oath to a +year's loyal service. Thus you will have time in plenty to make known +your pleasure to him." + +When she heard the knight was to stay she rejoiced greatly, right glad +was she of his sojourn. But nought knew she of the trouble he endured +since seeing her; never knew he joy or delight save only as he thought +of her. And for this he deemed himself given over to evil, in that +before he left his own land he had promised his wife to love none save +her only. Now is his heart in sore torment; he would fain keep faith, +yet can he not withhold him from loving the damsel, Guilliadun, who was +so fair to see and hold speech withal, to clip and kiss. Yet hath he +resolved not to seek her love, deeming that dishonour, in that he would +keep faith with his wife, and in that he was in the king's service. In +sore distress was Eliduc. But now he tarries no longer; he mounts his +horse, and calls his comrades to him, and goeth to the castle to speak +with the king. And if he may he will see the damsel likewise; it was for +this chance he went. + +The king had risen from meat, and entered into his daughter's chamber; +and now he played at chess with a knight from over sea, and thereby +taught his daughter who sat on the other side of the board. Eliduc came +forward, and the king made him fair semblance, and gave him a place at +his side. "Damsel," he saith to his daughter, "you should in truth know +this knight, and do him great honour, for among five hundred you will +find none better." Now when the maid heard her father's command, she was +right glad; and she riseth and calleth to her the knight, and they sat +together apart from the rest. Both were kindled with love; she dared not +speak to him, and he feared to address her, save to thank her for the +gift she had sent him,--none had he ever had so dear and goodly. She +answered the knight that of this she was right glad, for she had sent +him the ring and the girdle in token she had given herself to him, for +she loved him with such a love that she longed to make him her lord; and +if she might not have him, one thing she knew of a sooth, never would +she have living man,--now let him make known his will. "Lady," said he, +"grateful am I for your love, and great joy have I therein; that I am so +prized by you maketh me dearly glad, and on my side there will be no +withholding. Yet though I remain a year with the king--for I have given +him my word not to depart until his war is ended--thereafter I must go +back into my own land, for I would not longer remain here, if I may have +my leave of you." "Friend, good thanks to you," the damsel maketh +answer. "Before that time you, who are so wise and courteous, will well +devise what to do with me; I love and trust in you beyond all living +creature." Thus they came to good accord, and at that time spoke no +more together. + +Eliduc goeth to his hostel glad at heart, in that he hath well prospered. +Often may he have speech with his friend, and great is the love between +them. And thereafter he so bestirred himself in the strife that he +seized and captured him who had made war upon the king, and brought +peace to all the land. Greatly was he honoured for his prowess, wisdom +and largess; and high fortune was his. + +Now in time already past, the king of Bretaigne, his liege lord, had +sent three messengers from out his land to seek him, in that he was +beset and beleagered and harried and pillaged; many of his castles were +taken, and all his land laid waste. Right often he repented him that he +had parted with Eliduc; ill counsel had been his when that he looked +askance upon him. But now the traitors who had slandered and accused him +had been banished from the land, and exiled forever; and now he conjured +him by his great need, and summoned and besought him by the faith he +owed as liegeman and by the oath of his vassalage, that he come now to +aid him, for right great was his need. + +Eliduc heard the message, and he was full heavy of heart because of the +damsel, for he loved her sorely, and she him so much it might not be +more. But between them was no lightness or folly or wrong doing, and +their love showed itself only in speech and sweet customs and goodly +gifts. Her hope and thought was that he should be wholly hers, and that +she would hold him to her; for she knew nought of his wife. "Alas," +saith he, "ill have I done; too long have I tarried in this region, and +on an ill day saw I this land. Here have I loved a maiden, Guilliadun +the king's daughter, right sorely, and she me. If I needs must part with +her, one of us will die, or both mayhap. And yet it behooves me to go; +my liege lord hath sent for me by letter, and conjured me by my oath, +and so hath my wife likewise. Now it beseems me to have care. I may +not longer abide here, but must needs depart. Were I to marry my love, +christianity would not suffer it; all paths lead to ill; on all sides +lieth sorrow. God! how she feareth the parting. But I will deal fairly +with her, let whoso will blame me; I will do her will, and act according +to her counsel. The king her father hath fair peace; no man, I think, +will again make war upon him; and so because of my liege lord's need, I +will ask leave of him before the day of the term set for my service, and +I will go to the damsel and make known to her this matter; she shall +tell me her desire herein, and I will fulfil it as well as in me lieth." + +The knight tarried no longer, but goeth to ask leave of the king. He +speaketh and telleth all the story, and showed and read him his liege +lord's letter that had summoned him at need. The king heard the summons, +and that the knight would abide there no longer, and he was right +grieved and sorry. He offered him good share of his havings, the third +part of his heritage, and what was left of his treasure. "If you will +but abide here," he saith, "I will do so much for you that you will +thank me all the days of your life." "In God's name," saith the knight, +"in that my liege is so hard pressed, and hath sent to me from afar off, +I must go to him in his need; nor will I in anywise abide here at this +time; but if you again have need of my service, I will gladly return +unto you, and with good force of knights." For this the king gave him +thanks and sweetly granted him leave. And the king further made him free +of all the goods of his household, gold and silver, horses and dogs, and +stuffs of silk goodly and fair; and of all these he took in measure. + +Then he said courteously to the king that with his leave he would gladly +go speak with his daughter. "Right willingly," the king made answer, +and sent with him a damsel to open the chamber. So Eliduc goeth to +speak with the maiden, and so soon as she saw him she called him to her, +and gave him greeting a thousand times. He showed her his affair, and +briefly maketh known to her his going; but before he had told her all, +or had asked leave of her, she lost her colour, and swooned for very +sorrow. Now when Eliduc saw her swoon, he began to make lament; many +times he kissed her on the mouth, and weepeth right tenderly; and he +took her and held her in his arms until she recovered her senses. "In +God's name, sweet friend," saith he, "suffer me to speak to you for a +little; you are my life and my death, and in you lies all my comfort, +wherefore now I would take counsel with you because of the faith that +is between us. 'Tis for dire need that I return into my own land and +have asked leave of your father; yet will I do your pleasure herein, +whatsoever may befall me." "Take me with you," saith she, "sith ye will +not remain here; or if you will not have it so, then will I slay myself, +for without you never shall I know joy or gladness." Eliduc answered her +gently, for much he loved her with true love: "Fair one, I am of a truth +pledged by oath to your father's service until the day when our term was +set, and if I take you with me now I shall belie my faith. But truly +I swear and promise you that if you will grant me leave, and appoint +a respite, and name a day when you would have me return to you again, +nothing in the world shall keep me from you if I be a living man and +sound. My life is wholly in your hands." When the damsel heard his great +love, she appointed a term, and named a day when he should come and take +her away with him. Great sorrow they made at parting; they exchanged +rings of gold, and sweetly each kissed the other. + +Then Eliduc rode down to the sea. The wind was fair and the passage +short; and when he was come into his own land again, his liege lord +rejoiced and made merry. So did his friends and kinsmen, and other folk +likewise, but more than all others his good wife who was so fair and +wise and valiant. But always he was sad because of the love by which he +was held captive, and never for any thing he saw would he show joy or +gladness; never will he be of good cheer till he see his sweet friend +again. Well he guarded his secret and ever he kept his own counsel. +His wife was grieved at heart and knew not what it might mean, and to +herself made great lament. Often she asked him if he had heard any say +that she had misdone while he was out of the land; willingly would +she clear herself before his people, whensoever it should please him. +"Lady," saith he, "none hath accused you of fault or misdeed. But in +the land where I have been I have given oath and pledge to the king that +I will return to him again, for that he hath right great need of me. If +the king my lord were at peace I should not abide here eight days. Sore +travail must I endure before I can return thither, and never shall I +know joy or gladness until I have so done, for I would not belie my +oath." Thereafter the dame let be. + +Eliduc, meantime, was with his lord; much he aided and strengthened +him, and the king acted ever after his counsel and maintained all the +land. But when the term drew near that the damsel had appointed, he set +himself to make peace, and brought all his enemies to accord. Thereafter +he made him ready to set forth, together with such folk as he desired +to take with him,--his two nephews whom he greatly loved, his squire, +and one of his chamberlains, who was in the counsel of those twain and +carried their messages. He had no care for other folk, and these he made +swear and promise to keep his counsel. + +He tarried no longer, but took the sea, and speedily won the other +shore, and came into the country where he was so sore desired. Eliduc +was right cunning, and took lodging far from the haven, for that he +desired not to be seen or known or discovered. He made ready his +chamberlain and sent him to his love, and made known to her that he had +come, well had he obeyed her commandment; and he bade her that night, +when all was dark, that she should issue out of the city, together with +the chamberlain, and that he would meet her. The messenger changed his +garments and set forth on foot in all haste; straight to the city he +went where dwelt the king's daughter, and he so sought and contrived +that he entered into her chamber. He gave greeting to the damsel and +told her that her love had come. When she heard the news she was sore +abashed and shaken, full softly she wept for joy, and many a time she +kissed the messenger. He told her how at dusk she was to go with him; +and all day they were together and devised well concerning their going. +At night when it was wholly dusk, the youth issued out of the city and +the damsel with him, and none other save those two only. She was dressed +in stuff of silk but scantly broidered with gold, and all wrapped about +in a short mantle; in great fear was she lest she be seen. + +A bow's shot from the gate was a wood enclosed by a goodly paling, +and beside it her friend awaited their coming. Thither the chamberlain +brought her, and the knight lighted down from his horse and kissed her; +great joy was theirs at being together again. Then he set her upon his +horse, and mounted likewise, and took the reins and rode off in all +haste. They came unto the haven of Totness, and entered into the ship +forthright; no other company was there save only Eliduc's followers and +Guilliadun his friend. The wind was fresh and fair and the weather +serene. + +But when they were about to come to land, there was a storm upon the +sea, and a head wind arose that drave them far from the haven, and broke +and splintered their masts, and tore all their sails. They called +devotely upon God and Saint Nicolas and Saint Clement, and Our Lady, +Saint Mary, that she beseech aid of her son, that he save them from +destruction and suffer them to come into the haven. Now forward and now +back, so are they driven along the shore; right sore was their peril. +Then one of the shipmen cried aloud: "What can we do? Sir, here within +you have with you her by reason of whom we perish; never shall we reach +land. You are married to a loyal wife, yet besides, you carry with +you this other, against God and the law, against right and faith and +justice. Let us cast her into the sea, then shall we straightway come to +shore." Eliduc heareth what he saith and is well nigh burnt with anger. +"Dog," he saith, "foul traitor, say not so a second time. If I could +leave my love I would make you pay dear." But even then he was holding +her in his arms, and was giving such comfort as he might against the +sickness she had from the sea, and for that she had heard her lord had +a wife other than herself in his own land. She turned all pale and fell +down in a swoon, and so she remained, and neither revived nor breathed +forth even a sigh. And those who helped her friend bear her thence +thought of a truth that she was dead. As for him he made great sorrow; +and sprang to his feet and ran swiftly towards the sailor who had +spoken, and struck him with an oar that he felled him flat, then he +seized him by the leg and cast him over the ship's side that the waves +bore away his body. Then after he had cast him into the sea, he took the +helm, and so guided and directed the boat that he brought her into the +haven and came to land; and when she rode safe, they lowered the bridge +and cast anchor. + +But Guilliadun still lay in a swoon and seemed as one dead. Eliduc made +right great sorrow and was full fain of death likewise. He asked of his +companions what counsel they could give him as to where he might carry +the damsel, for he would not part with her, and she should be buried in +holy ground with great honour and high estate, in that she was a king's +daughter, and such was her right. But his comrades were all abashed and +could in no wise counsel him. So Eliduc set himself to think to what +spot he should bear her. His house was so near the sea he might be +there at the hour of meat, and round about his house lay a forest a good +thirty leagues of length. Therewithin dwelt a hermit, and near his cell +he had a chapel; forty years had he dwelt there, and Eliduc had ofttimes +spoken with him. To him, he saith, he will bear the damsel, and bury her +there in the chapel, and he will give of his land enough to found an +abbey, and to establish there a convent of monks and nuns and chanons, +who every day shall pray for her that God grant her sweet mercy. Then he +let bring the horses, and bade all mount, but first he had them all give +oath that they would keep his secret. Thereafter they set out, and he +himself bore his love before him on his palfrey. + +They followed the highroad so long that they entered into the forest and +came to the chapel; there they knocked and called, but found none to +answer or open to them, and at last the knight sent one of his men +forward to unbar the door. Eight days before, the holy hermit, that +perfect one, had died, and within they found the new made tomb. Right +sorry was Eliduc and sore troubled; his comrades would fain have made +ready a grave wherein he might lay his friend, but he thrust them back, +saying: "This shall not be until I have taken counsel with the wise +folk of the land how I may sanctify this place with abbey and minster. +Meanwhile, we will lay her before the altar and commend her to God." + +So he let bring his cloak, and straightway a couch was made whereon they +laid the damsel, and left her as one dead. But when the knight came to +depart he thought to die of sorrow. He kissed her eyes and face: "Fair +one," saith he, "may it not be God's will that I bear arms henceforth, +or live the life of the world. Fair friend, on an ill day did you set +eyes on me, and on an ill day you followed me, sweet love. Fair one, a +queen you were, and the love with which you loved me was loyal and true. +Right sore is my heart for you, and that day whereon I shall bury you I +will receive the order of monkhood; and each day will I lay my sorrow +upon your tomb." Therewith he departed from the damsel and shut behind +him the door of the chapel. + +He sent a messenger to his house, and let his wife know he was coming, +but was weary and spent. When she heard the tidings she was right glad +thereof, and made herself ready against his coming. Right fairly she +received her lord, but little joy had he thereof, for he made no good +cheer, nor said any fair word; and no one dared ask him aught. Two days +he spent in the house in this manner: early in the morning he heard +mass, and then set forth on the highway, and rode to the chapel in the +wood where lay the damsel. He found her ever in the swoon, and ever she +gave forth no sigh, nor revived, nor recovered her wit; yet it seemed to +him a great marvel that she was still so red and white, and save that +she was a little pale had not changed colour. Right bitterly he wept for +her, and prayed for her soul; and when he had made his prayer, he +returned home again. + +One morning as they came from mass his wife had him watched by one +of his servants, and she promised the varlet if he rode far, and saw +whither her lord went, she would give him horse and arms. The youth did +her commandment; he entered into the wood, and followed after the knight +in such wise that he should not be seen. Well he watched, and saw how +he entered the chapel, and heard the lament he made there; but before +Eliduc issued forth, he returned again to his lady. All he had heard he +told her: the grief, the noise and the outcry her lord had made in the +chapel hermitage. All her heart was moved thereby, and she saith: "Let +us go straightway, and seek through the chapel. My lord, methinketh, +will ride forth soon, for he goeth to the court today to speak with the +king. The hermit died a while agone, and I know that my lord loved him +well, yet never for him would he make such sorrow." So at that time she +let the matter be. + +That same day past noon, Eliduc goeth to hold speech with the king, and +his wife setteth forth with the varlet, who bringeth her to the +hermitage; so she entered into the chapel, and saw the bed of the damsel +who was like unto a fresh rose; she turned back the coverlet, and saw +her slender body, her fair arms and white hands, and her long, smooth, +delicate fingers. Now she knoweth the truth, and why her lord maketh +such sorrow. She calleth to her the varlet, and showed him the wonder: +"See now this woman who is like unto a gem for beauty. She is the love +of my lord, and 't is for her he maketh such lament, and by my faith, +I marvel not thereat, sith so fair a woman hath perished. What for pity +and what for love, I shall never know joy again." Then she began to weep +and make lament for the maiden. + +Now as she sat weeping beside the bed, a weasel issued out from under +the altar and ran thither, and in that it had passed over the body, the +varlet struck it with his staff and killed it. He cast it aside, but +before a man might run a league, its mate sped thither and saw the spot +where it lay. The small beast ran about the head of its fellow, and +stirred it gently with its foot, and when it failed to rouse that other, +it seemed to make great sorrow, and issued out of the chapel and sought +among the herbs of the wood. There it seized in its teeth a flower, all +bright red of colour, and sped quickly back, and placed the blossom in +the mouth of its dead mate, in such wise that, lo you, it forthwith came +to life. The lady saw this and cried to the boy: "Stop it, throw your +staff, good youth, let it not escape you." So the varlet threw and +struck it, that it let fall the blossom. The lady riseth and taketh it, +and speedily returneth again, and layeth the flower upon the lips of the +maid who was so fair. And when it had rested there a little space, she +breathed forth a sigh and revived, and thereafter opened her eyes and +spake: "God! how I have slept," saith she. + +Now when the dame heard her speak, she gave thanks to God, and asked the +maid who she was; and she made answer: "Lady, I am of Logres, daughter +to a king of that land. Greatly I loved a man of arms, Eliduc, the good +knight. He carried me away with him, but he sinned in that he deceived +me, for that he is married to a wife, yet never told me, nor made any +sign thereof. When I heard speak of his wife I must needs swoon for the +sorrow that I had; and churlishly he hath left me all uncounselled in a +strange land; he hath betrayed me, yet wherefore I know not. Great is +her folly who setteth her trust in a man." + +"Fair one," the dame answered her, "there is nought living in all the +world that can give him joy,--this I can tell you of a sooth. He thinketh +you to be dead, and he is so out of all comfort that it is marvel to +see. Each day he cometh to look on you, and deemeth you lifeless beyond +all doubt. I am his wife, and my heart is heavy for him; because of the +grief he showed I wished to know whither he went, and I followed after +him and found you; great joy have I that you are on live. I will take +you with me and give you back to your friend. For my part I will cry him +quit of all, and will take the veil." In this wise the dame comforted +her, and led her away. + +The lady made ready her servant and sent for her lord. The boy rideth +until he findeth Eliduc; he greeted him courteously and told him all the +adventure. The knight mounteth a horse, nor stayeth for any squire, and +that same night he reached his own house. When he found his love living, +right sweetly he thanked his wife. Full joyful was Eliduc, never on any +day was he so glad; often he kissed the maid, and she him right sweetly, +and together they made great joy. When his wife saw their countenance, +she bespoke her lord, and asked and besought his leave that she might +depart from him, for that she would fain be a nun and serve God. And +she besought him that he give her part of his land whereon to found an +abbey; and further, she bade him take to wife the maid he so loved; for +it is not meet or seemly that a man maintain two wives, nor will the +law suffer it. Eliduc accorded to her wish, and took leave of her in all +gentleness, saying he would do her will in all things, and would give +her of his land. + +In a boscage, not far from the castle and hard by the chapel and the +hermitage, she established her church and let build her houses; wide +lands and goodly possessions her lord joined to these, that she may have +good maintenance there,--well will she have wherewithal to live. And +when all was well brought to an end, the lady let veil her head, and +thirty nuns with her, and there took up her life and her order. + +Eliduc wedded his love; with great honour and rich service was the feast +held on the day he married her. Long they lived together, and right +perfect was the love between them. Many deeds of goodness and of alms +they did, until at last they turned them wholly to God. Then near the +castle upon the other side, Eliduc let build a church, and added thereto +the more part of his land, and all his gold and silver; and men of good +religion he placed there to maintain the house and the order. And when +all was made ready he delayed no longer, but he, together with his wife, +surrendered themselves to the service of God omnipotent. + +The lady whom he held so dear he placed with his first wife, who +received her like a sister and did her great honour, and furthermore +admonished her to serve God, and instructed her in the rules of the +order. Together they prayed God for sweet mercy for their love, and he +on his part prayed for them. Ofttimes he sent his messengers to know +how it was with them, and what comfort each had. And all three strove to +love God with good faith, and all made a right fair ending, by grace of +God the true and holy. + +In olden time, the Bretons of their courtesy made a lay of these three +for remembrance, that of men they be not forgotten. + + + + +Melion + + +[Illustration] + +In the days when Arthur reigned, he who conquered lands and dealt out +rich gifts to knights and barons, there was with him a young lord whose +name, I have heard, was Melion. Full brave and courteous was he, and +made himself beloved of all; and he was of right great chivalry and +goodly fellowship. + +The king had a full rich following, and throughout all the world he was +famed for courtesy and prowess, and bounty and largess. Now on that day +when all the knights made their vows--and know ye that well they held +to them--this same Melion pledged him to one that thereafter brought +him sore mischance. For he said he would never love any maid, howsoever +noble and fair, who had ever loved any other man, or had been talked +of by any. For a long time matters went on in this wise: those who +had heard the vow spread it abroad in many places, and told it to the +damsels, and all maids who heard it, had great hatred of Melion. And +they who were in the royal chambers and served the queen, and of such +there were above a hundred, held a council concerning the matter, and +swore they would never love him, or hold speech with him. No lady +desired to look on him, or any maid to talk with him. + +Now when Melion heard this he was right heavy thereof; no more did he +desire to seek adventure, and no will had he to bear arms. Full heavy he +was and sorrowful, and he lost somewhat of his fame. Now the king had +news of the matter and had great grief thereof, and he called the knight +to him, and spoke with him. "Melion," saith King Arthur, "what hath +befallen thy wisdom and thy worth and thy chivalry? Tell me what aileth +thee and conceal it not. If thou would have land or manor, or any other +thing--so that it be in my realm--it shall be thine according to thy +desire; for gladly would I lighten thy sorrow," so saith the king to +him, "if that I might. Now upon the sea shore I have a castle, in all +the world is not such another; fair it is with wood and river and forest +which are full dear to thee, and this castle will I give thee for thy +cheer; good delight may ye find therein." + +So the king gave it to him in fee; and Melion gave him thanks thereof, +and went away to his castle, taking with him an hundred knights. Right +pleasant was that country to him, and so was the forest that he held +full dear; and when he had lived there a year through, he grew greatly +to love the land, for he sought no disport but he found it in the +forest. + +Now on a day, Melion and his foresters rode to the chase; with him he +took his huntsmen, who loved him with true love, inasmuch as he was +their liege lord, and all honour was found in him. Soon they came upon +a great stag, and forthright let loose the dogs upon him. Thereafter +it fell that Melion drew rein amid a heath that he might the better +listen for his pack. With him was a squire, and in his leash he held two +greyhounds; and anon, across the heath, the which was green and fair, +he saw come a damsel on a fair palfrey, and right rich was her array. +For she was clothed in scarlet samite, laced full seemly, and about +her neck hung a mantle of ermine, never did queen wear better. Well +fashioned was she of body, and comely of shoulder; her hair was yellow, +her mouth small and shapely, and red as any rose; gray-blue were her +eyes, and clear and laughing; right fair was all her seeming, full +winsome and gracious; and all alone without fellows came she. + +Melion rideth to meet her, and courteously he greeted her: "Sweet, +I salute you in the name of the Glorious One, of Jesus the King; tell +me of what house you are, and what bringeth you hither." And the damsel +maketh answer: "Even that will I tell you in all truth: I am of good +parentry and born of noble lineage, and from Ireland have I come to you. +Know ye that I am much your lover. Never have I loved any man save you +only, and never will love any; so great praise have I heard of you that +no other save you alone have I ever desired to love, and never shall I +feel love for any other." + +Now when Melion heard that his vows were fulfilled, he clipped her about +the middle, and kissed her thirty times over. Then he called together +his folk, and told them the adventure; and they looked upon the damsel, +and in all the realm was none so fair. So Melion took her to his castle, +and the people rejoiced greatly. He married her with great splendor, +and made great cheer thereof, that for fifteen whole days the tourneys +lasted. + +For three years he dearly cherished her, and during those three years +they had two sons, whereof he was right glad and joyful. And on a day he +rode into the forest, taking with him his much loved wife, and a squire +to carry his bow and arrows. He soon came upon a stag, and they pursued +it, but it fled away with lowered head. Thereafter they came into a +heath, and in a thicket the knight saw standing a right great stag; +laughing, he looked down at his wife. "Dame," saith he, "if I would, +I could show you a right great stag. Look ye, he is yonder in that +thicket." "By my faith, Melion," said she, "know ye that if I have not +the flesh of that stag never more will I eat morsel." Therewith she +falleth in a swoon from her palfrey. Melion raised her up, but might +not comfort her, and bitterly she began to weep. + +"Dame," saith he, "mercy in God's name. Weep no more, I beg of thee. +Here in my hand I have a ring; see it now on my finger. Two gems it +hath in its setting, one white and one red, never were any seen of like +fashion. Now hear ye a great marvel of them: if ye touch me with the +white, and lay it upon my head when I am stripped naked, I shall become +a great wolf, big of body; and for your love I will take the stag, and +bring you of its flesh. But I pray you, in God's name, that ye await +me here, and keep for me my garments. With you I leave my life and my +death; for I shall have no comfort if I be not touched with the other +gem, for never again shall I become man." Therewith he called his squire +to take off his shoes; the youth stepped forward and unshod him, and +Melion went into the wood and laid aside his garments, and remained +wholly naked, save that he wrapped his cloak about him. Now when his +wife saw him stripped of all his raiment, she touched him with the ring, +and he became a great wolf, big of body. So fell he into sore mischance. + +The wolf set off running full swiftly to the place where he saw the stag +lie; forthwith he set himself upon the track,--now great will be the +strife before he hath taken and caught it, and had its flesh. Meantime +the lady saith to the squire: "Now let us leave him to take his fill of +the chase." Therewith she got her to horseback; no whit did she tarry, +but she took with her the squire, and straightway turned her towards +Ireland, her own land. She came to the haven, where she found a ship; +forthwith she addressed her to the sailors, and they carried her to +Dublin, a city upon the seashore, that held of her father, the king of +Ireland. Now hath she all that she asks. And so soon as she came to the +port, she was received with great joy: with this let us leave her, and +speak we again of Melion. + +Melion, as he pursued the stag, pressed it wondrous hard, and at length +he drove it into a heath where he soon brought it down. Then he took a +great collop of it, and carried it away in his mouth. Swiftly he returned +again to the place where he had left his wife, but did not find her, for +she had taken her way towards Ireland. Right sorry was he, and knoweth +not what to do when he findeth her not in that spot. But none the less, +though he was a wolf, yet had he the sense and memory of a man. So he +lurked and waited until evening fell; and he saw men loading a ship that +was to set sail that night and go straightway to Ireland. Thither he +went, and waited till it grew quite dark, when he entered into it at +adventure, for he recked little of his life. There he crouched down +under a wattle, and hid and concealed himself. Meantime, the sailors +bestirred themselves, for the wind was fair, and so they set forth +towards Ireland, and each had that he desired. They spread aloft their +sails, and steered by the sky and stars; and the next day, at dawn, +they saw the shore of Ireland. And when they were come into port Melion +tarried no longer, but issued out of his hiding-place, and sprang from +the ship to the sand. The sailors cried out upon him, and threw their +gear at him, and one struck him with a staff, so that well nigh had they +captured him. Glad was he when he escaped them; and he went up into a +mountain, and looked long over the land where he knew his enemies dwelt. +Still had he the collop he had brought from his own domain, but now, in +that his hunger was great, he ate it; sorely had the sea wearied him. + +And then he went away into a forest, where he found cows and oxen, and +of these he killed and destroyed many. So began his war, and in this +first onset he slew more than a hundred. The folk that dwelt in the +greenwood saw the damage he wrought to the beasts, and ran flocking into +the city, and told and recounted to the king that there was a wolf in +the forest that wasted all the land, and had slain many of their horned +beasts. And for all this they blamed the king. + +So Melion ran through the forests and waste places, and over the +mountains, until he joined company with ten other wolves; and he so +cajoled and blandished them that they followed after him, and did all +his desire. Far and wide they wandered through the land, and sore +mishandled both men and women. So lived they a year long, and wasted all +that region, harrying the land and slaying the folk. Well knew they how +to guard themselves, and by no means could the king entrap them. + +One night they had wandered far, and wearied and spent, they lay in a +wood near Dublin, on a little hill by the sea shore. Beyond the wood was +a meadow, and all round about was plain country. There they entered to +rest, but there they will be ensnared and betrayed. They had been seen +of a countryman, who ran forthright to the king: "Lord," saith he, "in +the wood yonder lie the eleven wolves." And when the king heard him he +was right glad, and spoke to his men of the matter. + +Now the king called together his men: "Barons," saith he, "hearken to +this: know ye of a sooth this man hath seen all eleven wolves in my +forest." Then round about the wood they let spread the snares with which +they were wont to take the wild boar. And when the snares were spread, +the king went thither without tarrying, and his daughter said she would +come with him to see the chase of the wolves. Straightway they went +into the forest in all quiet and secretness, and surrounded the whole +wood, for they had folk in plenty, who bore axes and staves, and some +their naked swords. Then they cheered on their dogs to the number of +a thousand, and these soon found the wolves. Melion saw that he was +betrayed, well knew he that sore mischance had befallen him. The wolves +were hard pressed by the dogs, and in their flight they came upon the +snares, and all were torn to pieces and slain, save only Melion. He +sprang over the traps, and fled into a great wood; so by his wit he +escaped them. Meantime the folk went back to the town, and the king made +great joy. Greatly he rejoiced that he had ten of the eleven wolves; +well was he revenged on them, in that one only had escaped. But his +daughter said: "That one was the biggest. And yet will he work you woe." + +When Melion had stolen away he went up into a mountain; full heavy and +sorrowful was he because of the wolves he had lost. Great travail had +been his, but anon he shall have help. Now at this time Arthur came into +Ireland to make peace, for there was war in the land, and he was fain +to bring the foes into accord, in that it was his desire to subdue the +Romans, and he wished to lead these men with him to battle. The king +came privately, bringing with him no great host; some twenty knights +only had he in his train. Sweet was the weather, and fair the wind, and +the ship was full rich and great; trusty was her helmsman, and full +well was she dight, and plenteously garnished with men and arms. Their +shields were hung along the side,--right well Melion knew them. First +he spied the shield of Gawain, then saw he that of Iwain, and then the +shield of Idel the king; and all this was dear and pleasant to him. Then +saw and knew he the shield of Arthur, and wit ye well, he had great joy +thereof; glad and blithe was he, for he hoped yet to have mercy. So came +they sailing towards the land; but now the wind was contrary to them, +and they might not make the port, whereof they were right sorry. So +turned they towards another haven some two leagues from the city, where, +of old, had been a great castle which was now ruined; and when they were +come thither, darkness fell, and it was night. + +So the king is come into port; sore wearied and spent is he, for the +ship had much discomforted him. And he called his seneschal: "Go forth," +saith he, "and see where I may lie this night." The seneschal turned +back into the ship, and called the chamberlain, saying: "Come forth +with me, and let us make ready the king's lodging." So they issued out +of the ship, and came to the castle; and they had two candles brought +thither, and forthwith had them lighted; and they let bring carpets and +coverlets, and speedily was the chamber well garnished. Then the king +issued forth, and went straight to his lodging, and when he came therein +right glad was he to find it so fair. + +Now Melion had not tarried, but straightway went to meet the ship. Near +the moat he halted; right well he knew them all, and well he knoweth +that if he hath not comfort of the king, he shall come to his death in +Ireland. Yet he knoweth not what to do, for he is a wolf, and so hath no +power of speech; yet none the less will he go thither, and set himself +at adventure. When he came to the king's door, right well knew he all +the barons; for nought staid he, but hath passed straight in to the +king, though it be at the hazard of death. At the king's feet he cast +himself down, nor would he rise; whereof, lo you, Arthur hath great +wonder, and he saith: "A marvel see I; this wolf hath come hither to +seek me. Now see ye well that he is of my household, and woe to the man +who shall lay hands on or hurt him." + +When supper was made ready and the barons had washed, the king likewise +washed and seated himself. Napkins were spread before them; and the king +called to Idel and made him sit at his side. And Melion lay at the +king's feet,--well knew he all the barons. Oftentimes the king looked +down at him, and anon gave him a piece of bread the which he took and +began to eat. Then greatly the king marvelleth, and saith to King Idel: +"Look now, know ye of a sooth this wolf knoweth our ways." Then the king +gave him a piece of roast meat, and gladly the wolf ate it; whereat +Gawain saith: "Lords, look you, this wolf is out of all nature." And the +barons all say one to another that never saw they so courteous a wolf. +Thereupon the king let wine be set before the wolf in a basin, and so +soon as he seeth it, he drinketh it, and certes, he was full fain of it; +good plenty he drank of that wine, as the king well saw. + +Now when they arose from meat and the barons had washed, they issued out +upon the sands. And always the wolf followed after the king, and might +not be kept from him, wheresoever he went. And when the king desired to +go to rest, he commanded that his bed be made ready. So he withdrew him +to sleep, for he was sore wearied; but with him went the wolf, and he +lay at the king's feet, nor might any man dispart them. + +Passing glad was the king of Ireland in that Arthur had come to him; +great joy had he thereof. Early at dawn, he rose, and went to the haven +together with his barons. Straight to the haven they came riding, and +each company gave fair welcome to other. Arthur showed the king much +love, and did him much honour. When he saw him come before him, he would +not be proud, but raised him up and kissed him. And anon the horses were +made ready, and without any tarrying they mounted and rode towards the +city. + +The king mounteth upon his palfrey, and good convoy he hath of his wolf, +who would not be disparted from him, but kept always at his stirrup. +Passing glad was the king of Ireland because of Arthur, and the company +was rich and mighty. So came they to Dublin, and lighted down from their +horses before the high palace. And when Arthur went up into the donjon +tower, the wolf held him by the lap of his garment; and when King Arthur +was seated, the wolf lay at his feet. + +The king hath looked down at his wolf, and hath called him up close +to the dais. Side by side sit the two kings, and right rich is their +following; right well are the barons served, for throughout all the +household great plenty is dealt out. But Melion looketh about him, +and midway down the hall he saw him who had brought thither his wife; +well knew he that she had crossed the sea and was come into Ireland. +Forthwith he seized the youth by the shoulder--no stand can he make +against the wolf--but Melion brought him to the ground amid the hall. +And he would have straightway killed and destroyed him, had it not been +for the king's sergeants, who ran thither in sore disorder; and from out +all the palace they brought rods and staves, and anon they would have +slain the wolf had not Arthur cried out: "By my faith, ill befall whoso +layeth hands on him, for know ye, the wolf is my own." + +Then saith Idel, the son of Irien: "Lords, ye misdo herein; the wolf +would not have set upon the youth, and if he had not sore hated him." +"Thou sayest well, Idel," quoth the king; and therewith he left the +dais, and passed down the hall to the wolf, and saith to the youth: +"Thou shalt tell us why he set upon thee, or else thou shalt die." +Melion looked up at the king, and gripped the youth so hard he cried +out, and prayed the king's mercy, and said he would make known the +truth. So now he telleth the king how the lady had brought him thither, +and how she had touched Melion with the ring, and how she had borne it +away with her into Ireland; so hath he spoken and told all, even as it +befell. + +Then Arthur bespoke the king: "Now know I well this is sooth, and right +glad am I of my baron; let the ring be given over to me, and likewise +thy daughter who stole it away; evilly hath she betrayed her lord." So +the king went thence, and entered into his daughter's chamber, and with +him went King Idel, and he so coaxed and cajoled her that she gave him +the ring, and he brought it to King Arthur. Now so soon as Melion saw +the ring right well he knew it; and he came to the king, and knelt down +and kissed his two feet. King Arthur would fain have touched him with +the ring, but Gawain would not so have it: "Fair uncle," saith he, "do +not so, but rather lead him into a chamber apart where ye twain may be +alone together, that he have not shame of the folk." + +Then the king called to him Gawain, and Idel likewise he took with him: +so led he the wolf into a privy chamber, and when they had come within, +shut the door fast. Then he laid the ring upon the wolf's head, and +all his visage changed, and his face became human. So turned he to man +again, and he spoke, and fell down at the king's feet. They covered him +over with a mantle; and when they saw him very man, they made great joy. +But the king fell a-weeping for pity, and weeping asked him how it fell +that by sin he had lost him. And then he let summon his chamberlain, and +bade him bring rich raiment. Fairly they clothed and arrayed him, and so +led him into the hall; and all they of the household greatly marvelled +when they saw Melion come in amongst them. + +Then the king of Ireland led forth his daughter, and gave her over to +Arthur that he might do as he would with her, whether it were to slay or +to burn her. Saith Melion: "I will touch her with the ring, nor will +I forbear." But Arthur said to him: "Do not so, rather let her be, for +the sake of thy fair children." All the barons likewise besought him, +and Melion accorded it. + +Now King Arthur abode in Ireland until he had assuaged the war; then he +went again into his own land, and with him took Melion; full glad and +blithe was he thereof. But his wife he left in Ireland, and commanded +her to the devil; never again would he love her for that she had done +him such wrong; never would he take her unto him again, rather would he +have let burn or hang her. And he said: "Whoso believeth his wife in all +things cannot help but come into mischance at the end, for it is not +meet to set your trust in all her sayings." + +True is the lay of Melion, so all good barons declare. + + + + +The Lay of the Horn + + +[Illustration] + +Once upon a time, King Arthur held a mighty feast at Carlion. Our tale +saith that the king hath sent through all his realm; and from Esparlot +in Bretagne into Alemaigne, from the city of Boillande down even into +Ireland, the king, for fellowship, hath summoned his barons, that they +be at Carlion at Ascension tide. On this day all came, both high and +low; twenty thousand knights sat at the board, and thereto twenty +thousand damoiselles, maidens and dames. It was of great mark that each +man had his mate, for he who had no wife yet sat with a woman, whether +sister or friend: and herein lay great courtesy. But before they may eat +one and all shall be sore angered; for now, lo you, a youth, fair and +pleasing and mounted upon a swift horse, who cometh riding into the +palace. + +In his hand he held a horn banded about four times with gold. Of ivory +was that horn, and wrought with inlay wherein amid the gold were set +stones of beryl and sardonyx and rich chalcedony; of elephant's ivory +was it made, and its like for size and beauty and strength was never +seen. Upon it was a ring inlaid with silver, and it had a hundred little +bells of pure gold,--a fairy, wise and skilful, wrought them in the +time of Constantine, and laid such a spell upon the horn as ye shall now +hear: whoever struck it lightly with his finger, the hundred bells rang +out so sweetly that neither harp nor viol, nor mirth of maidens, nor +syren of the sea were so joyous to hear. Rather would a man travel a +league on foot than lose that sound, and whoso hearkeneth thereto +straightway forgetteth all things. + +So the messenger came into the palace and looked upon that great and +valiant company of barons. He was clad in a bliaut, and the horn was +hung about his neck, and he took it in his hand and raised it on high, +and struck upon it that all the palace resounded. The bells rang out in +so sweet accord that all the knights left eating. Not a damsel looked +down at her plate; and of the ready varlets who were serving drink, and +bore about cups of maplewood and beakers of fine gold filled with mulled +wine and hippocrass, with drinks spiced and aromatic, not one of these +but stopped where he was, and he who held aught scattered it abroad. +Nor was there any seneschal so strong or so skilful but if he carried +a plate, let it tremble or fall. He who would cut the bread cut his own +hand. All were astounded by the horn and fell into forgetfulness; all +ceased from speech to hearken to it; Arthur the great king grew silent, +and by reason of the horn both king and barons became so still that no +word was spoken. + +The messenger goeth straightway to the king, bearing in his hand the +ivory horn; well knew he the ten kings by their rich array; and still +because of the horn's music all were silent about King Arthur. The +comely youth addressed him, greeted him fairly, and laughing, bespoke +him: "King Arthur, may God who dwells above save you and all your +baronage I see here assembled." And Arthur answered him: "May he give +you joy likewise." Saith the messenger: "Lord, now give heed to me for +a little space. The king of Moraine, the brave and courteous, sendeth +you this horn from out his treasure, on such a covenant--hearken to +his desire herein--that you give him neither love nor hate therefor." +"Friend," then saith the king, "courteous is thy lord, and I will take +the horn with its four bands of gold, but will return him neither +love nor hate therefor." So King Arthur took the horn which the varlet +proffered him: and he let fill with wine his cup of pure gold, and then +bespoke the youth: "Take this beaker, sit you down before me, and eat +and drink; and when we have eaten I will make you a knight, and on +the morrow I will give you a hundred _livres_ of pure gold." But +laughing the youth maketh answer: "It is not meet that the squire sit +at table with the knight, rather will I go to the inn and repose me; +and then when I am clothed and equipped and adorned I will come again +to you, and claim my promise." Thereupon the messenger goeth his way; +and forthright he issueth out of the city, for he feareth lest he be +followed. + +The king was in his palace, and his barons were gathered about him: +never before was he in so deep a study. He still held the horn by its +ring, never had he seen one so fair; and he showeth it to Gawain and +Iwain and Giflet; the eighty brethren looked at it, and so likewise did +all the barons there gathered. Again the king took the horn, and on +it he saw letters in the gold, enameled with silver, and saith to his +chamberlain: "Take this horn, and show it to my chaplain, that he may +read this writing, for I would know what it saith." The chamberlain +taketh it, and gave it to the chaplain who read the writing. When he +saw it he laughed, and saith to the king: "Sir, give heed, and anon +I will tell you privately such a marvel that its like was never heard in +England or any other realm; but here and now it may not be spoken." None +the less the king will not so suffer it, rather he swore and declared +that the chaplain should speak out before them all, and that his barons +should hear it. "Nor shall a thing so desired be kept from the dames and +demoiselles and gentle maidens here assembled from many a far land," so +saith the king. + +One and all rejoiced when they heard from the king that they should know +what the writing said; but many a one made merry who thereafter repented +him, many a one was glad who thereafter was sorry. Now the chaplain, who +was neither fool nor churl, saith: "If I had been heeded what is here +written would not be read out in this place; but since it is your will, +hear it now openly: 'Thus saith to you Mangon of Moraine, the Fair: this +horn was wrought by an evil fay and a spiteful, who laid such a spell +upon it that no man, howsoever wise and valiant, shall drink therefrom +if he be either jealous or deceived, or if he hath a wife who has ever +in folly turned her thoughts towards any man save him only; never will +the horn suffer such a one to drink from it, rather will it spill out +upon him what it may contain; howsoever valiant he be, and howsoever +high, yet will it bespatter him and his garments, though they be worth +a thousand marks. For whoso would drink from this horn must have a wife +who has never thought, whether from disloyalty, or love of power, or +desire of fortune, that she would fain have another, better than her +lord; if his wife be wholly true, then only may he drink from it.' But +I do not believe that any knight from here to Montpelier who hath taken +to him a wife will ever drink any whit therefrom, if it so be that the +writing speaketh truth." + +God! then was many a happy dame made sorrowful. Not one was there so +true but she bowed her head; even the queen sat with bent brow, and so +did all the barons around and about who had wives that they doubted. The +maidens talked and jested among themselves, and looked at their lovers, +and smiled courteously, saying: "Now will we see the jealous brought to +the test; now will we learn who is shamed and deceived." + +Arthur was in great wrath, but made semblance of gladness, and he +calleth to Kay: "Now fill for me this rich horn, for I would make assay, +and know if I may drink therefrom." And Kay the seneschal straightway +filled it with a spiced wine, and offered it to the emperor. King Arthur +took it and set his lips to it, for he thought to drink, but the wine +poured out upon him, down even to his feet. Then was the king in sore +wrath. "This is the worst," crieth he, and he seized a knife, and would +have struck the queen in the heart below the breast, had not Gawain and +Iwain and Cadain wrung it from him; they three and Giflet between them +took the knife from his hand, and bitterly blamed him. "Lord," then +saith Iwain, "be not so churlish, for there is no woman born who, if she +be brought to the test, hath not sometime thought folly. No marvel is it +that the horn spilled its wine. All here that have wives shall try it, +to know if they can drink from it,--thereafter may ye blame the queen of +the fair face. Ye are of great valiance, and my lady is true; none ever +spoke blame of her." "Iwain," saith the queen, "now may my lord let +kindle a fire of thorns, and cast me into it, and if one hair of my head +burneth, or any of my garments, then may he let me be dragged to death +by horses. No man have I loved, and none will I ever love, save my lord +only. This horn is too veracious, it has attacked me for a small cause. +In years past I gave a ring to a damoiseau, a young boy who had slain +a giant, a hateful felon who here in the court accused Gawain of sore +treason. The boy, Gawain's cousin germain, gave him the lie, and did +battle with him, and cut off his head with his sword: and as soon as the +giant was slain the boy asked leave of us. I granted him my favour, and +gave him a ring, for I hoped to retain him to strengthen the court, but +even had he remained here, he had never been loved by me. Certes," saith +the queen, "since I was a maid and was given to thee--blessed was that +hour--no other evil have I done on any day of my life. On all the earth +is no man so mighty--no, not though he were king of Rome--that I would +love him, even for all the gold of Pavia, no, nor any count or amiral. +Great shame hath he done me who sent this horn; never did he love lady. +And until I be revenged, I shall never know gladness." + +Then said Arthur, "Speak no more of this. Were any mighty neighbor, or +cousin or kinsman, to make war upon Mangon, never more would my heart +love him; for I made the king a covenant before all my folk, and by all +that is true, that I would hate him no hate for his gift. It is not meet +to gainsay my word,--that were great villany; I like not the king who +swiftly belies himself." "Lord," saith the queen, "blessed was I when +as a maiden I was given to you. When a lady of high parentry who hath a +good lord seeketh another friend, she doth great wrong. He who seeketh +a better wine than that of the grape, or better bread than that of +the wheat, such a one should be hung and his ashes given to the winds. +I have the best one of the three who were ever king under God, why then +should I go seeking a fairer or a braver? I promise you, lord, that +wrongfully are you angry with me. Never should a noble knight be offered +this horn to the shaming of his lady." But the king saith, "Let them do +it. All shall try it, kings and counts and dukes; I alone will not have +shame herein." + +So Arthur giveth it to the king of Sinadone, but so soon as he took it, +the wine spilled out upon him; then King Nuz taketh it, and it spilled +out upon him; and Angus of Scotland would fain drink from it by force, +but the wine all poured out upon him, at which he was sore angered. The +king of Cornwall thought certes to drink from it, but it splashed all +over him that he was in great wrath; and the horn splashed over King +Gahor, and spilled great plenty upon King Glovien, and it spilled out +upon King Cadain as soon as he took it in his hands. Then King Lot +taketh it, and looketh on himself as a fool; and it splashed the beard +of Caraton; and of the two kings of Ireland there was not one it did not +bespatter; and it splashed all the thirty counts, who had great shame +thereof; nor of all the barons present who tried the horn was there one +who might take a drop therefrom. It poured out over each king, and each +was in great wrath; they passed it on and were in great sorrow by reason +of it; and they all said, may the horn, and he who brought it and he who +sent it, be given over to the devils, for whoso believeth this horn +shameth his wife. + +Now when King Arthur saw it spilled out upon all, he forgot his sorrow +and wrath, and began to laugh and made great joy. "Lords," he saith to +his barons, "now hear me. I am not the only one bemocked. He who sent +me this horn gave me a good gift: by the faith I owe all those here +gathered, I will never part with it for all the gold of Pavia; no man +shall have it save he who shall drink from it." The queen grew bright +red because of the marvel whereof she dared not speak; fairer than the +rose was she. The king looked on her and found her most fair; he drew +her to him and three times he kissed her: "Gladly, dame, I forget my +ill will." "Lord, gramercy," saith she. + +Then all, high and low, tried the ivory horn. A knight took it and +laughed across at his wife; he was the most joyous of all the court, +and the most courteous; none boasted less, yet when he was armed none +was more feared; for in Arthur's court there was no better warrior, none +mightier of his hands, save only my lord Gawain. Fair was his hair, his +beard russet, his eyes gray-blue and laughing, his body comely, his feet +straight and well arched; Caradoc was his name, a well skilled knight, +and of full good renown. His wife sat at his left; she was sister to +King Galahal and was born at Cirencester. Full true was she, and thereto +comely and gracious, featly fashioned and like unto a fay; her hair was +long and golden; fairer woman was there none, save the queen only. She +looked upon Caradoc, nor changed colour, but bespoke him, saying: "Fair +friend, fear not to drink from the horn at this high feast; lift up your +head and do me honour. I would not take any man for lord however mighty; +no, though he were amiral, I would not have him for my husband and leave +you, friend; rather would I become a nun and wear the veil. For every +woman should be as the turtle dove, who after she has had one mate will +never take another: thus should a lady do if she be of good lineage." + +Full glad was Caradoc, and he sprang to his feet; fair he was, a well +skilled and a courteous knight. When they had filled the horn it held +a _lot_ and a half; full to the brim it was of red wine; "Wassail," he +saith to the king. He was tall and strong, and he set the horn to his +lips, and I tell you truly that he tasted the wine and drank it all +down. Right glad was he thereof, but all the table started in wonder. +Straightway he goeth before Arthur, and as he goeth he saith to him, nor +did he speak low-voiced: "Lord, I have emptied the horn, be ye certain +thereof." "Caradoc," saith the king, "brave and courteous are you; of +a sooth ye have drunk it, as was seen of more than a hundred. Keep you +Cirencester; two years is it since I gave it in charge to you, and never +will I take it from you, I give it to you for life and to your children; +and for your wife--who is of great worth--I will give you this horn +which is prized at a hundred pounds of gold." "Lord, I give you good +thanks," Caradoc made answer, and sat down again at the board beside his +wife of the fair face. Now when they had eaten, each man took leave and +went back to his own domain whence he had come, taking with him the +woman he best loved. + +Lords, this lay was first sung by Caradoc, who wrought its adventure. +And whoso goeth to a high feast at Cirencester, will, of a sooth, +see there the horn: so say I, Robert Biquet, who have learned much +concerning the matter from an abbot, and do now, by his bidding, tell +the tale,--how in this wise the horn was tested at Carlion. + + + + +Fabliaux + + + + +The Divided Blanket + + +[Illustration] + +In goodly words and speech, it behooves every man, as best he may, to +show and relate and tell clearly in the common tongue the adventures +that befall in this world. For as a man goeth to and fro he heareth +many a thing told that is good to tell again; and those who know and +may venture the emprise, should give to it all care and heed and study, +even as did those who came before us, the good masters of old time; for +they who would live hereafter must be no wise idle. But in these present +days, which are evil, men grow slothful, wherefore now the gentle +minstrels will venture little; for know ye of a sooth it is no light +thing to tell a goodly tale. + +Now will I show you an adventure that befell some seventeen years agone, +or twenty mayhap. A rich man of Abbeville, well garnished with goods and +gold, departed out of his town, both he and his wife and his son, because +he had come into dispute with folk that were greater and stronger than +he, and much he feared and dreaded to abide among his enemies. So from +Abbeville he came unto Paris. There he lived peacefully, and did homage +to the king and became his liegeman and burgess. Now inasmuch as the +good man was discreet and courteous, and his dame of good disport, and +the lad showed himself no wise foolish or discourteous or ill-taught, +the neighbors in the street wherein they came to dwell were full glad +of them, and often visited them and did them much honour. So many a one +with no great endeavour on his part may make himself well loved, and by +mere fair and pleasant speech win much praise of all; for whoso speaketh +fair, getteth a fair answer, and whoso speaketh ill or doth ill, must +perforce win evil for himself again; even so is it ofttimes seen and +known, and the proverb saith, "Ye shall know the master by his works." + +So for seven years and more the good man lived at Paris, and bought and +sold such goods as came in his way; and he so bartered here and there +that always he saved what he had, and added somewhat more thereto. So he +traded prosperously and lived plenteously until he lost his companion, +whenas God wrought his will in the wife who had been his fellow for +thirty years. No other child had they save the youth of whom I have told +you, who now at his father's side was all woful and discomforted; often +he swooned for grief and wept, and sorely he lamented the mother who had +reared him full softly. But his father comforted him, saying: "Fair son, +now thy mother is dead, let us pray God that he grant her pardon. Wipe +thine eyes and dry thy face for nought will tears avail thee; know of +a sooth we must needs all die, all must pass by the same road; none can +thwart death, and from death there is no return. Yet is there comfort +for thee, fair son, for thou art growing a comely youth, and art near +of an age to marry; whereas I am waxing old. If I can compass for thee +a union with persons of high estate, I will part with good share of my +havings; for thy friends are afar off and no wise speedily couldst thou +come by them at need, none hast thou in this land and if thou dost not +win them by thine own might. Now if I may but find a dame well born and +rich in kindred and friends, who hath brethren and uncles and aunts and +cousins germain, of good lineage and of good estate, I would help thee +to win that which would profit thee, nor would I forbear on the score +of my moneys." + +Now, lordings, the story telleth us there were in that same land three +knights who were brethren. On both father's side and mother's side they +came of high parentage, and they were of much worship and honour in +arms, but all their inheritance had been put in pawn, lands and forests +and holdings, that they might follow tourneys; three thousand pounds at +usury had they borrowed on their inheritance, whereby they were sore +tormented. Now the eldest had a daughter born of his wife who was no +longer living, and from her mother the damsel held a goodly house in +Paris, face to face with the dwelling of the burgess of whom I have told +you. This house did not pertain to the father, and the friends of the +mother took good heed that he put it not in pawn, inasmuch as the rent +thereof was reckoned at forty pounds of Paris, nor had he ever been at +any pain or trouble for the ingathering of this sum. + +Now because this damsel, by reason of her kin, had friends and power, +the good man sought her in marriage of her father and friends. The +knights questioned him of his goods and havings, how great they might +be, and readily he answered them: "What in chatel and what in moneys I +have of pounds one thousand and five hundred; I were but a liar and if +I boasted me of more, and at the most I would add thereto one hundred +pounds of Paris; honourably have I come by my fortune, and the half +thereof am I ready to give over to my son." But the knights made answer: +"This we may not agree to, fair sir; for if you were to become a templar +or a white monk or a black monk, anon you would leave all your havings +to the temple or the monastery; wherefore no such covenant will we make +with you; no, sir, no, in faith, fair sir." "What other covenant then, +tell me now I pray you." "Right gladly, fair, dear sir," quoth they. +"Whatsoever ye can render, we would that you should give your son +outright, that you should make over all to him, and that he should be +so invested therein that neither you, nor any other, may in any manner +dispute it with him. And if ye will agree to this, the marriage shall be +made, but other wise we would not that your son should have our daughter +and niece." The good man bethought him for a space, and looked at his +son; still he pondered, but little good did his thought bring him, for +soon he answered them, saying: "Sirs, whatsoever ye demand even that +will I fulfil, but it shall be on this covenant: let my son take your +daughter to wife, and I will give to him all that is mine, and since +ye will so have it that I withhold nothing, let him receive all and +take it for his own, for with it I endow and invest him." So the good +man stripped himself bare, and before all the folk there gathered, +disinvested and disinherited himself of all that he had in the world; +so was he left bare as a peeled wand, for, and if his son did not give +it him, he had neither chatel nor denier with which to buy his bread. +All he gave him and declared him free of all; and when the word was +spoken, the knight straightway took his daughter by the hand and gave +her to the young man, who forthwith espoused her. + +So for two years thereafter they lived content and at peace as husband +and wife, at which time, meseemeth, the lady bore a fair son to the +young master; heedfully was he reared and cherished, and the lady +likewise was dearly cared for, and often went to the bath and enjoyed +much ease. And still the good man abode with them, but he had done +himself a mortal hurt when he stripped himself bare of all that he had +to live at another's mercy. Yet for twelve years and over he dwelt in +that house, until such time as the child was well grown and of wit to +see what passed about him. Often he heard told what his grandfather had +done for his father who thereby had espoused the dame his wife, and ever +the child kept it in his memory. + +Meantime the good man had waxed in years, and age had so weakened him +that now he must needs support himself with a staff; and right liefly +would his son have bought his winding sheet, for it seemed to him +the old man had tarried over late above ground, and his long life was +grievous to him. And the wife, who was full of pride and disdain, could +not let be, but held the good man always in despite, and bore him such +malice that she could not withhold her from saying to her lord: "Sir, +for love's sake I pray you send hence your father, for by the faith +I owe my mother's soul, so long as I know him to be in this house, no +morsel shall pass my lips, for full fain am I that ye drive him hence." +"Dame," said he in answer, "even so will I do." + +So, for that he feared and doubted his wife, he went to his father and +said to him forthright: "Father, father, now get thee gone, for I tell +thee here is nought to make or mend with thee or with thy lodging; +for these twelve years and over hath meat been given thee here in +this hostel, but now rise up and that speedily; go seek other lodging, +wheresoever else ye may find it, for so it must needs be." At these +words the father wept full sorely, and often he cursed the day and the +hour in that he had lived so long in the world. "Ah, fair, sweet son, +what sayest thou? For God's sake do me so much honour that ye suffer me +to abide within thy gates; no great place do I need for my bed, nor will +I crave of thee fire or carpet or rich coverlet, but let there be spread +for me a few handfuls of straw beneath the pent-house without there. +Never cast me out from thy house for reason that I eat of thy bread; +that my bed be made without yonder irketh me not, if ye do but grant +me my victual, but nowise should ye deny me wherewithal to live; and +soothly, if thou shouldst wear the hair, thou shalt not so well expiate +thy sins as if thou dost some comfort to me." "Fair father," quoth the +young man, "sermon me no sermons, but make haste and get thee gone, lest +my wife goeth out of her wit." "Where would ye that I should turn, fair +son, I that have not so much as a farthing in the world?" "Go ye out +into the city wherein there are a good ten thousand that seek and find +whereby to live; each one there abideth his adventure; great mischance +it were and if you likewise did not find sustenance; and many a one that +hath acquaintance with you will lend you hostel." "Lend me, son? Will +chance folk so do, when thou thyself deniest me thine house? Since thou +wilt give me no comfort, how should those that are nought to me grant me +anything ungrudgingly, when thou that art my son, failest me?" "Father," +quoth he, "no more can I do herein, and I take upon me all the burden; +know ye that this is my will." + +Thereat was his father so in dole that his heart was near to bursting, +and weak as he was, he riseth and goeth out of the house, weeping. +"Son," said he, "I commend thee to God. But since ye are fain of my +going, in God's name, give me a fragment of a strip of thy coverlet--no +very precious thing is that--for in truth I am so scantly clad I may not +endure the cold, and it is from this I most suffer; wherefore I ask of +thee wherewith to cover me withal." But his son, who ever shrank from +giving, made answer: "Father, I have none; this is not the season of +gifts, and none shall ye get at this time, and if I am not robbed and +pillaged." "But fair, sweet son, all my body is a-tremble and greatly do +I doubt the cold; do but give me such a covering as thou usest for thy +horse, that the frost may do me no hurt." And the young man who was fain +of his departure, saw that he could not be quit of him and if he did not +grant him somewhat; so, for that he desired to be rid of him, he bade +his son give the old man what he asked. + +The child sprang up when he was called, "And what is your will, sir?" +asked he. "Fair son," quoth the young master, "I would that if ye find +the stable door open, ye give my father the blanket that is upon my +black horse; give him the best, and if it be his will, he may make of it +a covering or cloak or capuchon." "Fair grandfather, now come with me," +said the child who was ready of wit. So the good man all in anger and +sorrow departed with him. The child found the covering, and he took the +newest and the best, the biggest and the widest, and folded it adown +the middle, and as fair and even as he might, cut it atwain with his +knife, and gave the half thereof to his grandfather. "Fair boy," quoth +the old man, "what would ye? Thy father hath given the cloak to me, +wherefore then hast thou cut it atwain? Herein hast thou done a great +wrong, for thy father had commanded that I should have it whole and +undivided, so now will I go my ways back to him again." "Go wheresoever +it pleaseth you, for no more shall you get of me," saith the boy. + +So the good man issued out of the stable. "Son," quoth he, "all thy +sayings and doings are as nought. Why dost thou not chastise thy son +that he may hold thee in fear and dread? See ye not, he hath kept +back one half of the blanket?" "Foul fall thee, boy," saith the young +master, "now give him the whole thereof." "Certes, that will I not," +quoth the child, "for then how would you be paid? This half will I lay +by for you, and no more shall ye get from me. And when I come to the +mastery here, I will turn you out, even as you now turn him. And as he +gave you all he had, so I would fain have all, and you shall take from +me only just so much as you now give him. And if it so be that ye let +him die in want, even so will I let you, and if I live." The young man +heareth him, and deeply he sigheth, and bethinketh and questioneth +himself; great heed he gave to the words of the child. Then he turneth +his eyes to his father, and saith: "Father, come hither again; it was +sin and the devil that laid an ambush for me, but please God, this shall +not be; rather I will make you from this day forth lord and master in my +house. And if my wife will not keep peace, and if she will not suffer +you, ye shall be served elsewhere. Hereafter, pillow and rich coverlet +shall be given you for your ease, and I pledge you by Saint Martin, that +I will never drink wine nor eat a rich morsel, but you shall have a +better; and you shall dwell in a cieled chamber, and keep a good fire in +the chimney place; and garments shall ye have, like unto mine. For ye +dealt fairly by me, sweet father, and if I am now rich and puissant, it +is by reason of thy silver." + +This tale showeth clear and beareth witness how the child turned his +father from his ill intent. And moreover all they who have marriageable +children should give heed to it. Do not after the manner of the good +man, and when you are foremost, yield not up your place; give not so +much to your son but that ye may recover somewhat again; set not your +trust in him, for children are without pity, and speedily they weary of +the father that waxeth helpless; and whoso falleth into the power of +another in this world liveth in great torment. And he who liveth at the +mercy of another, and looketh to another for his very sustenance, should +be to you as a warning. + +Bernier told this ensample that teacheth so goodly matter, and of it he +made what he might. + + + + +Of the Churl who won Paradise + + +[Illustration] + +We find in writing a wondrous adventure that of old befell a churl. He +died of a Friday morning, and it so chanced, neither angel nor devil came +thither, and at the hour of his death when the soul departed out of his +body, he found none to ask aught of him or to lay any command upon him. +Know ye that full glad was that soul for he was sore afraid. And now as +he looked to the right towards Heaven, he saw Saint Michael the +Archangel who was bearing a soul in great joy; forthright he set out +after the angel, and followed him so long, meseemeth, that he came into +Paradise. + +Saint Peter who kept the gate, received the soul borne by the angel, +and after he had so done, turned back towards the entrance. There he +found the soul all alone, and asked him who had brought him thither: +"For herein none hath lodging and if he have it not by judgment. +Moreover, by Saint Alain, we have little love for churls, for into this +place the vile may not enter." "Yet greater churl than you yourself is +there none, fair Sir Peter," saith the soul, "for you were ever harder +than a stone; and by the holy Paternoster God did folly when he made you +his apostle, little honour shall be his thereby, in that three times you +denied your Lord. Full little was your faith when thrice you denied him, +and though you be of his fellowship, Paradise is not for you. Go forth, +and that straightway, ye disloyal soul, but I am true and of good faith, +and bliss is rightfully mine." + +Strangely shamed was Saint Peter; quickly he turned away, and as he +went, he met Saint Thomas, to whom he told all his misadventure word +for word, and all his wrath and bitterness. Then saith Saint Thomas: +"I myself will go to this churl; here he shall not abide, and it please +God." So he goeth into the square to the countryman. "Churl," quoth the +apostle, "this dwelling belongeth of right to us and to the martyrs and +confessors; wherein have you done such righteousness that you think +to abide in it? Here you cannot stay, for this is the hostel of the +true-hearted." "Thomas, Thomas, like unto a man of law ye are over quick +to make answer; yet are not you he who, as is well known, spake with the +apostles when they had seen the Lord after his resurrection? Then you +made oath that never would you believe it and if you felt not his wounds +with your hands; false and unbelieving were ye." Then Saint Thomas hung +his head, and yielded him in the dispute; and thereafter he went to +Saint Paul and told him of his discomfiture. "By my head," quoth Saint +Paul, "I will go thither, and try if he will argue." + +Meantime, the soul who feareth not destruction taketh his delight down +in Paradise. "Soul," quoth Saint Paul, "who brought thee hither, and +wherein have you done such righteousness that the gate should be opened +to you? Get you gone out of Paradise, you false churl." "How is this, +Don Paul of the bald pate, are you now so wrathful who erst was so fell +a tyrant? Never will there be another so cruel; Saint Stephen paid dear +for it when you had him stoned to death. Well know I the story of your +life; through you many a brave man died, but in the end God gave you a +good big blow. Have we not had to pay for the bargain and the buffet? +Ha, what a divine and what a saint! Do ye think that I know you not?" +Then had Saint Paul great sorrow. + +Swiftly he went thence, and met Saint Thomas who was taking counsel +with Saint Peter, and privately he told him of the churl who had so +vanquished him: "Rightfully hath he won Paradise of me, and I grant it +to him." Then all three went to bring complaint to God. Fairly Saint +Peter told him of the churl who had spoken shame of them: "By his tongue +hath he silenced, us, and I myself was so abashed that never again will +I speak thereof." Then spoke Our Lord: "I will go thither, for I myself +would hear this new thing." + +He cometh to the soul and bespeaketh him, and asked how it chanced that +he had come there without leave: "For herein without consent hath no +soul, whether of man or woman, ever entered. My apostles you have +slandered and scorned and outraged, yet none the less you think to abide +here!" "Lord," saith the churl, "if judgment be accorded me, my right to +dwell here is as good as theirs: for never did I deny you, or doubt you, +nor did any man ever come to his death through me, but all these things +have they done, and yet are now in Paradise. While I lived on earth my +life was just and upright; I gave of my bread to the poor, I harboured +them morning and evening, I warmed them at my fire, and saw that they +lacked not for shirt or hose; I kept them even till death, and bore them +to holy church: and now I know not if I did wisely. Furthermore, I made +true confession, and received your body with due rites; and we are told +that to the man who so dies God forgiveth his sins. Well know you if I +speak the truth. I entered in and was not denied, and now I am here, why +go hence? Were it so, you would gainsay your word, for surely you have +declared that whoso entereth here goeth not out again; and you would +never lie because of me." "Churl," saith the Lord, "I grant it. You have +made good your case against Paradise, and have won it by debate. You +were brought up in a good school; ready of tongue are you, and know +right well how to turn a tale." + +The countryman saith in proverb that many a man who hath sought wrong +hath won it by argument; wit hath falsified justice, and falsity hath +conquered nature; wrong goeth before and right falleth behind. Wit is +mightier than force. + + + + +The Gray Palfrey + + +[Illustration] + +This tale is set in writing to portray and call to remembrance the +worth, gentleness and honour that can be drawn from women; for well +should we hold in mind the virtues that may be seen in them. Right sorry +am I, and much it irketh me that they are not exalted and praised of all +men to the height of their deserts. God! if but their hearts were sound +and steadfast, strong and true, there were in all the world no treasure +like unto them. It is great loss and great pity that they take not more +heed to themselves; at the lightest breath a woman will change and shift +and vary; her heart seemeth a very weather cock, for oft it chances that +in a little space her spirit changeth more quickly than the storm wind. + +Now in that I have been commanded to that I have set my hand, I will not +leave it for dread of faithless cowards who envy those whose hearts are +brave and valiant, nor fail to run my race out, to make me known and win +me fame. In the lay of the Gray Palfrey, hear now the wisdom of Huon +Leroy wisely come down to you; and inasmuch as he knoweth how to listen +to reason, he would fain display his sayings,--right well he turns them, +methinketh. + +Now know ye that a valiant knight, courteous and right chivalrous, high +of heart but poor in havings, dwelt in the land of Champagne. Full meet +it is I portray his worth and the valour wherewith he was kindled; in +many a place he proved his prowess, for he had wisdom and honour and +a heart of great valiancy. Had he but been as rich in gear as he was +in desire for good--provided always he did not worsen by reason of his +wealth--he would have known no peer, equal or fellow. And now I make +me ready for the story, for meet it is the deeds of a man of prowess +be told from end to end, that we may take therefrom a fair and goodly +example. Now this knight was praised of all folk. + +Wheresoever he went his valour was confessed, for those who knew him +not yet loved the fame of him by reason of the good that sprang from +him. When he had helm on head and rode into the tourney, no thought +had he for the wooing of ladies, nor did he linger on the outskirts. +There where the press was greatest he smote right hardily. Armed and +ahorseback he was full fair to see; ever he went gaily clad, even in +midwinter; and of some he was blamed for his gaiety of heart. Little +wealth of land he had; at the most it yielded him no more than two +hundred pounds a year; but ever he rode far and wide in search of +honour. + +In those days in Champagne the woodland was wilder than it is today and +likewise the open. Now it came to pass this knight fell to dreaming +of a love fair and valiant,--a damsel, to wit, daughter to one of the +foremost men of that land, one no wise wanting in riches, rather was he +well supplied with goods and gear, and dwelt within strong walls. A full +thousand pounds each year his land brought him; and often men came to +him to seek his daughter in marriage, in that all folk were won by her +great beauty. No other children he had, nor any wife living, and his +time was almost spent. His dwelling stood in a wood, and all round about +it the forest was great and thick. + +Now the young knight of whom I told you made bold to seek the damsel, +but her father gainsaid him, no desire had he that the youth should +love her, or win him honor by means of her. The young knight's name was +Messire Guillaume of a sooth, and he abode in that same forest wherein +the old vavasour had his stronghold, with its riches and its wide lands. +The one manor was two leagues distant from the other; but on both sides +love could not fail to spring up, and on nought else was their thought +set save its maintenance. And when the knight wished to go to her he +loved, he made a path through the deep forest that was great and thick +thereabouts, a way traversed by no living man save him only. By it he +rode secretly to the damsel many a time, he and his palfrey, all still +and quietly. Sore vexed was he that he could not speak to her face +to face, but the court was right strongly enclosed, and high was the +barrier; the damsel dared not issue out, but her comfort was that she +spoke to him many a time through the timbers of the wall. Without, the +fosse was wide, and the hedge thick and strong, so they could not come +close to one another. The house stood upon a rock, and was full strongly +enclosed. At the entrance was a drawbridge; moreover, the old knight who +was in all ways crafty, and who had well nigh run out his time, seldom +stirred out of the house, for he could no longer ride abroad, but sat at +home in peace. He had his daughter well watched; and for his delight he +made her sit with him, which ofttimes irked her in that thereby she lost +that joy to which her heart was rooted. But the young knight who was +wise and valiant did not forget the way to her; he asketh only to see +her. + +Inasmuch as he saw that matters could not be otherwise, ofttimes he +returned to her dwelling, but never could he enter in, and never could +he see her, who was so close a prisoner, as nigh at hand as his heart +desired. Oft he came to see her, yet never could he look upon her, for +she could not so stand that he could see her face all clearly. And the +heart of each was sore stricken. + +The knight, whom it beseemed to love the maid who was of such marvellous +worth her like was not known, had--so the tale telleth us--a palfrey +of great price; a _vair_ it was, of wondrous colour, that no man might +conceive of any colour, or the semblance of any flower so perfect in its +beauty; know ye that in no kingdom was there its like in those days for +goodliness, and none that went so soft an amble. The knight loved it +much, and certes, he would not part with it for any treasure; long had +the folk of that land seen it in his possession. Now ofttimes on this +palfrey he rode to seek the damsel through the fair and solitary forest +where he had worn a path, known to none save to him and to the palfrey. +Little noise he made as he rode to seek his love; right great care must +he take that he be not seen of her father, for full bitter was her life +to her. + +Thus then they spent their days, each longing for the other, for they +could never comfort themselves with kiss or embrace, and I tell you of a +sooth that if ever the lips of the one might have touched those of the +other, right sweet had it seemed to the fellowship of those twain. Full +fierce was the fire they could in no wise quench, for if they might have +drawn each other close, and kissed and embraced full sweetly as they had +great will and desire to do, then could no man have wrought them annoy, +but their joy had been perfect. Now right great was their pain in that +they might in no wise touch or solace one another. + +Little joy could they have in one another save that of speech and +hearing, and rarely they saw one another, for too cruel was the interdict +between these two lovers. She was in fear of her father, for were he to +know of the intercourse between those twain, he would more quickly give +her in marriage elsewhere; and the knight on his part desired to do +nought that might undo the love that was between them, and would not +risk a quarrel, for much he feared that old man who was rich out of all +measure. + +Now the knight bethought himself, and day after day pondered the life he +led, for ever he held it in mind. And at length the thought came to his +heart that let it be for good or for ill, he would go speak to the old +vavasour, and ask him for his daughter to wife, let what so will come +of it, for he knoweth not what his present life will bring to him. Every +day of the week he is denied that which he coveteth, for over narrow is +the path. + +So one day he made him ready and went to hold speech with the old man in +his own house, there where his daughter was. Right well was he received, +for full well was he known to the old man and to his household. And the +knight who was brave and courteous, and ready of speech like a man of +worth in whom naught lacketh, spoke, saying: "Sir, I am come hither, and +of your grace I pray you hearken to my words. I have come into your +house to ask a boon, may God let you grant it me." The old man looked +upon him, and thereafter asked: "What may it be? By my faith, I will help +you herein, if I may, saving my honour." "Yea, sir, this much I know of +your matters that right well ye may do it; now may God grant you concede +it." "I will if it liketh me, but if it liketh me not, right well shall +I know how to give denial; and if it is not my will to vouchsafe it, +I will not deceive you by either token or promise." "Sir," he saith, +"I will tell you now the gift I would ask of you. You know somewhat of +my estate; well knew ye my father, my house and dwelling, and right +well know ye the time and manner wherein I take my delight; and now in +guerdon of this, sir, I would ask of you your daughter, if it be your +will. Now may God grant that no thought so trouble your heart that by +reason of the presumption of my request ye refuse me this gift. And +I would that you know I was never of her acquaintance; right glad and +joyous had I been if I might have spoken with her, and seen for myself +the goodliness for which she is famed. Greatly is she beloved in this +land by reason of her virtues; meseemeth she hath not her like in all +the world. So tell me all those who know her, though but to few is she +known, in that she lives imprisoned herewithin. An overbold thought was +mine when I dared ask her of you, but if I have your consent, and ye +deign to give me the gift of her by way of service and guerdon, right +glad and joyful shall I be thereof. Now have I made my prayer and do +you answer me at your pleasure." + +Then forthright and without staying for any counsel the old man saith +to him: "Right well do I understand all ye have said, for all is plain +therein. My daughter is young and fair and wise and a damsel of high +lineage; and I am a rich vavasour, sprung of a noble house, and my land +yieldeth a good thousand pounds each year. Now I am not so out of my +wit that I would give my daughter to a knight who lives by what he may +chance to win; for I have no other children save her only, nor has she +failed my love, and after my time all will be hers, wherefore I desire +to marry her well. I know of no prince in this kingdom, nor from here +even to Lorraine, who howsoever wise and valiant he may be would not +do well in having her to wife. Awhile agone, scarce a month since, one +asked her of me in marriage whose land yieldeth a good five hundred +pounds a year, which would now be made over to me, if I would give +assent to his offer. But my daughter can well wait a little, for I am so +rich in goods and gear that she will not lose her price or her value in +marriage. The man of highest lineage in all this land or from here to +Alemaigne, save only king or count, may well be hers." + +Now when the knight heard this he was sorely abashed, nor did he make +any tarrying but took leave and went away. But he knew not what to do in +that he was so swayed and constrained by love, wherefore he made bitter +lament. + +When the damsel knew of the dismissal, and what her father had said, +she was full sorrowful, for she was not light of love but had given her +heart wholly to the knight, more so than words can tell. Before he who +was wrathful with grief returned home again, they held speech together +without the wall, and both spoke their thought. The knight told her all +he had said to her father and of their falling out. "O lady, frank and +free," saith the knight, "now what shall I do? Meseemeth I must leave +this land and ride at errantry, for all I desired is vanished. You I may +not win, and I know not what will become of me. On an ill day I came to +know the great riches whereon your father so prides himself; liefer +would I have you poorer, for had your father not been so rich he would +have looked with favour on what I may win." "Certes," saith she, "and I +might have my way, gladly would I have less than I am to have. Ah, sir, +if my father would but give thought to your valour and worth, by my +faith, he would not gainsay your wooing me, and making a covenant with +him; if he but weighed your riches over against your valiancy surely he +would grant the compact. But his heart is overladen with prudence; he +does not desire what I desire, nor sorrow at my sorrow. If he were at +one with my thought, right soon were the thing granted. But the heart +that beats in old age giveth no thought to youth nor to the desire of +youth, for the heart of the old is not as that of the young, methinketh. +Yet if you will do according to my counsel you cannot fail of winning me." + +"Yes, by my faith, even so will I do, damsel; now without fail tell me +your will." "I have bethought me," she saith, "of a thing on which my +mind hath often dwelt. You know right well you have an uncle who is of +great wealth, and a strong manor he hath within his defences. Even so +rich as my father is he, and he hath neither wife nor child nor brother, +nor any heir nearer than you yourself. 'T is well and fully known that +after his death all will be yours, and his money and rents are well +worth sixty marks of fine gold. Now go to him straightway, old he is and +frail, as ye know right well; tell him that you have had such words with +my father that never can you be of accord with him unless he aid you +in the matter. Let him promise you as much land as will bring in three +hundred pounds yearly, and let him come to ask this thing of my father, +who greatly loves him. Your uncle looks on my father as a sage, and each +deems the other a man of worth; both are old and full of years, each +wholly trusts the other; and if your uncle will graciously do so much +for your love that you can induce him to promise you so much of his +havings that he can say to my father: 'My nephew shall have three +hundred pounds of my land in return for your daughter whom he seeketh,' +then the marriage will indeed come to pass, for I truly believe my +father would yea-say it, if your uncle spoke in this wise. And when you +shall have married me, you will return to him again all the land which +he will have promised to you on these terms; and I have so given myself +over to your love that I shall be well content of the bargain." "Fair +one," he saith, "now know ye of a sooth that never did I desire anything +so much, and straightway will I speak with my uncle." + +So he took his leave and returned home again; but his thoughts were +sad and sombrous because of the refusal he had met with. Thus he rideth +through the forest upon his gray palfrey; in sore wrath is he, and yet +right glad at heart by reason of the wise and good counsel the damsel +had given him. So he rode without let or hindrance to Medet where his +uncle dwelleth. Straightway he came before him and maketh to him sore +complaint and lament. Thereafter they went into an upper chamber, and +there he told his uncle plainly all his plight and his covenant. "Uncle, +if you will do so much," saith he, "that you will speak to him of the +matter, and tell him that you have given over to me three hundred pounds +of your land, I will without condition pledge you, and my hand in your +hand, herewith promise you, that when I shall have married the damsel +who is now denied me you shall have your land again all quit, as guerdon +and reward; now do as I beseech you." "Nephew," saith his uncle, "right +willingly, for I am well pleased and content with the project. By my +head, you would marry the best in the land, and I think I can bring it +to pass." "Uncle," saith he, "prithee hasten my suit, and so press it +that he consent to the marriage, for I would fain no longer waste my +time; and meantime, I will go to the tournament at Galardon; I shall be +full richly accoutred, and may God grant me as guerdon that I do so well +that my suit may thereby be bettered. And do you bethink you to so +contrive that the wedding may be on my return." "Right willingly, fair +nephew," saith he, "I am right glad of your tidings, in that the maid is +frank and free." Then Messire Guillaume rode away forthwith; and he made +great joy in that his uncle had said that he should of a sooth have to +wife her whom he so desired,--of no other joy is he fain. So all alight +with happiness he rode to the tourney as one who is well wont thereto. + +The next morning at dawn of day, his uncle got him to horseback, and six +more with him, and before the hour of prime came to the spot where dwelt +the old vavasour, who maintained a full rich household, and who was +father to her whose beauty knew no fault. He was received with full +great state, for he was much beloved of the old man whose fellow he was +in years, in that he was his neighbour and mightily rich. So the old man +made great cheer and joy, in that this other who was of high estate had +come to see him, and forgot not to say: "Right welcome are you, fair +sir." And a goodly feast was spread, for the old man was frank and free, +and knew well how to honour him whom he would. + +When the tables were removed there were tales told,--old meetings of +lance and sword and shield; and of old deeds was many a fair word said. +But the uncle of the good knight did not over long forget himself, but +laid bare his thought, and all openly he saith to the old man: "Where am +I wandering? As God may aid me, I love you right well, as you shall now +hear. I am come to you to seek help in a matter; may God so incline your +heart that my prayer be heard in such wise and manner that I may attain +it." And the old vavasour maketh answer: "By my head, I have so taken +you into my heart, that even though it be to my hurt, nothing sought +by you shall be refused, but rather shall the boon be granted you." +"Sir, thanks and guerdon will I gladly give you," saith the old man, who +delayeth no longer to speak his thought: "Fair sir, I have come to ask +for your daughter who is wise and discreet; fain would I take her to +wife, and before I marry her, she shall receive a dower from my own +store, for I am passing rich. Ye know I have no heir of my own flesh +and blood, which sore grieveth me, and to her I will be of good faith +inasmuch as you are right dear to me. When I shall have taken your +daughter to wife, I shall not be fain to leave you, or to dispart my +wealth from yours, rather all shall be one; and together we will hold in +common that which God hath given us." Then he who was prudent and wise +was right glad, and said: "Sir, without any nay-saying I will give her +to you, and right willingly, inasmuch as you are a man of worth and +honesty. Full glad am I that you have asked her of me; had I been given +the best castle in all Friesland I would not have known such joy; to +none would I give her in marriage so gladly as to you, for I have found +you discreet and a man of wisdom in all points wherein I have known +ought of your affairs." + +Thereupon he promised and affianced to him the damsel who had no desire +for him, but thought surely to have another. Now when the damsel knew +the truth she was in sore grief and dismay. Ofttimes she maketh oath to +Saint Mary that she would never be married to that old man; all woful +she was, and weeping, ofttimes she made lament: "Alas, unhappy that +I am, how am I undone. What treason hath this old man wrought! Surely he +deserves death. How he hath deceived his nephew, that brave and gentle +knight who is all compact of goodness. And now, lo you, I am given +to this old man, all only because of his riches. May God give him his +reward for it. Surely he hath wrought great folly; never will he know +gladness, and on the day he weddeth me he will win a mortal enemy. Alas, +that I should ever see the day. Nay, may God not grant me life so long +that I do see it. Now hath my friend sorrow and great anguish; never +have I heard of such treason. If I were not so imprisoned right soon +would I end this matter; but I can do nought, nor even issue out of this +house. I must needs abide here and endure my father's will; but the pain +is over cruel. Ah, God, what can I do, and when will he who hath been so +cruelly betrayed return again? If he knew how his uncle had dealt by him, +and had sinned towards me, I know full well that all joyless I would die +and cease to be; and if he knew this, by my head, I think he would come +to his end; and my great woes would cease. God, how my heart is torn; +better would I love death than life. What envy and what treason! How did +that old man dare think this thing? None can dispute with him for me, +for my father loveth covetousness which doth overmuch tempt and allure +him. Fie upon old age, fie upon wealth! Shall no man ever win a wife +rich and of high lineage unless he have great possessions? Certes, +I ought to hate him who separateth me from the one in whom I claim a +part, and who thought of a surety to have me, but now meseemeth, I shall +fail him." + +Thus the damsel made lament in her sore distress, for her heart was +so bound in love to the young knight that scarce can she conceal her +thought from any; and contrary wise, she hateth him to whom her father +hath given her. She thinketh herself evilly bestowed, for he is old and +of great age, his face is all wrinkled and his eyes red and hateful. +From Chalons even unto Beauvais was no knight older than he seemed +in all points, nor even unto Sens any of greater riches, so men say. +But the folk of that land held him for coward and felon, whereas she +so shone with beauty and valiancy that in all the kingdom of France +was no woman so fair, or so frank and courteous. Full diverse was the +portioning, on one side bright, on the other dark; nor was there any +shadow in the light, or any glimmer in the darkness. Fain would the +damsel whom love so grieved and tormented have changed her plight. +But he who had betrothed her and had great joy of her well devised his +affair, and set term for the wedding, even as one who had no suspicions, +and knew nought of the debate and grief in her whom love held captive, +even as ye have heard me relate. + +Now I must not fail to tell you of the conclusion of the marriage. +He who was wise and a man of worth made himself ready full richly. +And before the third day dawned the old vavasour had bidden all the hoary +old heads sprung of that land and countryside, those he deemed men of +most wisdom, to be present at the high marriage of his daughter,--she +who had set her heart elsewhere. She had given her love and desire to +the brave and far-famed knight, but now 't is seen how without hope she +is tricked and betrayed. The two old knights have assembled a goodly +company, for they were well known to all the men of years and worth in +that land, and the more part came thither, a good thirty in number; not +one of them but had revenue and safeguard from the old vavasour, and now +they are come together in his house. + +So the word is gone forth that the damsel shall be married at dawn of +day. And the maidens who attend her are bidden to make her ready; but +they give thought to the day and the hour, which sorely displeases them, +and assume looks of great dismay. The old knight asketh them on whom +his command is laid if his daughter is fully prepared, and if she is in +doubt about aught, and if anything lacketh whereof she hath need. "No, +fair sir, nought that I can see," so made answer one of the damsels, +"if but we had palfreys and saddles to carry us all to the minster; for +there will be, methinketh, great company of ladies, cousins and kindred +who dwell nigh at hand." "There need be no fear for palfreys," quoth +he, "methinketh there will be enough and to spare." And there was not a +baron in the land from whom he did not command one; and he to whom the +message was given went straightway to the dwelling of him whose heart +was all fulfilled with valour,--he who shone with prowess. + +Now Messire Guillaume, the brave and wise, knew not that the marriage +had been plotted to this point, but love which goaded his heart had +hastened his return. Of nought could he think save that which tormented +him; and his love waxed and flourished. Yet he had come back from the +tourney as one no wise unglad, for he still thought to have for his own +her he has now lost,--unless it please God and some adventure betide. +Each day he expected fair and pleasant tidings, and that his uncle would +send word to him that he might marry the damsel. So he went singing +through the house, and he made a minstrel play new songs upon the viol; +full of joy and mirth he was, for furthermore, he had won every prize at +the tourney. But ever he looks towards the door to see if anyone cometh +with news. + +Much he wonders when they will send to him, and at the last he stops +his singing, for love forbids him to set his thought on aught beside. +And now, lo you, without more tarrying, a varlet enters the court. When +Messire Guillaume saw him his heart leaped and trembled with joy; and +the varlet saith to him: "God save you, sir; the old vavasour who has +long been your friend, as ye well know, hath in great need sent me to +you. You have a palfrey of great price, no other in the world goeth so +soft an amble; now my lord prayeth and commandeth that you loan it to +him of your love, and send it to him this same night." "And wherefore, +friend?" saith he. "Sir, to bear his daughter to the minster, our lady +gracious and fair." "And to what end goeth she thither?" "Fair sir, +there she is to marry your uncle to whom she is affianced; and tomorrow +morning at dawn she is to be escorted to the waste chapel that lieth on +the edge of the forest. But ye delay too long, sir, prithee haste; lend +now to your uncle and my liege lord your palfrey, the best in the +kingdom as I well know, for oft has it been so proven." + +Messire Guillaume heareth him. "God," saith he, "hath my uncle whom I so +trusted, and besought so fairly that he help me in my need, now betrayed +me? May the Lord God never forgive him his misdeed and his treason! +Scarce can I believe he has done this; methinketh you speak not truly." +"You may know it of a truth tomorrow," saith he, "before the hour of +prime; and already great is the assembly at his house of ancient knights +of the land." "Alas," saith he, "how I have been tricked and deceived +and betrayed." And for sorrow he well nigh fell to the ground in a +swoon; in sooth, had he not feared blame from the folk of the household +he would have done otherwise than he did. All hot he was with wrath and +sorrow, and knew not what to do or say. Unceasingly he made lament; but +despite his sore distress, the messenger urgeth him and changeth his +thought: "Sir, let your good palfrey be saddled straightway, and my lady +will ride upon him to the minster, for softly he goeth." And he who was +easily moved still maketh sorrow, even while he masters his grief in +bethinking what he will do, namely, to know of a truth if he will indeed +send his gray palfrey to him he needs must hate above all others. "Yes," +saith he straightway, "she who is of such high excellence, and whom I +have now lost, hath no blame herein,--much it irketh me. My palfrey will +go to serve her, and requite the high honour I have always found in her, +for I have proven her at all points; but never more will she be mine, +this I may know of a truth. + +"Now I have not spoken wisely, rather have I lost my wit and fallen +short of the mark, when I thought to send my palfrey for the joy and +delight of him who has betrayed me and brought me to nought. Hath he not +forced me to turn away from her whom I thought to have for mine own? +No man should love one who seeketh his betrayal. Over bold is he who +asketh for my palfrey; nothing of mine will I send to him of whom I have +nought. Hath he not disinherited me of the sweetness, beauty and great +courtesy for which my lady is praised? + +"Long time I served her in vain; well had I deserved the sovereign +honour of her; but now no joy of her shall I have henceforth. How send +him who maketh me so sorrowful anything whereof he will be glad? But +none the less, though it cost me somewhat that she who is of such +goodness should ride upon my palfrey, well I know that when she looks +on him, he will recall me to her remembrance. I have loved her in good +faith, I do love her and shall love her always, but her love costs me +too dear. All solitary I will be her lover, yet I know not if she put +her heart into the old intimacy that hath made my heart so heavy and +sorrowful; methinketh it was not dear to her; Cain the brother of Abel +did no greater treason. Now is my heart in sore torment by reason of +her of whom I have no comfort." Thus he made lament unceasingly; but +he let saddle the palfrey and called the squire; to his enemy he sent +the gray palfrey, and the messenger set out straightway. + +Messire Guillaume had no respite from his sorrow, he shut himself into +his chamber all wrathful and sorrowful, and said to all his sergeants +that were any so bold as to attempt to make merry, he would have him +hung or put to the sword. No heart had he for joy, rather he was fain to +lead a life without cheer, for he could no wise drive out the heaviness, +the grief and the pain from his heart. Meantime, he to whom he had given +the palfrey led it away, and returned forthwith to the house of his +master, who made great joy. + +The night was clear and still, and within the house was a great company +of ancient knights. When they had eaten plenteously, the old man bade +the watch, and said to all and commanded them, that an hour before +daylight they be all awake and ready, and horses and palfreys be saddled +and accoutred without noise or disorder; and thereafter they all went to +rest and sleep. But she whom love caused to sigh and tremble with dread +had no thought of sleep, not once that night did she slumber; all others +slept, she watched. Nor was her heart asleep but all intent on making +moan; and if it might have been, she would never have waited for the +stirring of the men or the coming of the dawn, but would have fled away +forthwith. + +After midnight, the moon arose, and lighted all the heavens and the air; +and when the watch, who had drunk deep, saw the great light round about +him, he thought the dawn was breaking. "The high company of knights +should have been astir before now," he thought; and he sounded the dawn, +and called aloud and cried: "Up lordings, the day breaketh." So cried he +who was all bemuddled from the wine he had drunk over night. And they +who had scarce rested or slept arose all bewildered, and hastily the +squires saddled the horses, for they thought the day had come. But +before ever the dawn shall break they may well ride and travel a good +five leagues. + +The palfreys were saddled, and all the old men who were to escort the +damsel to the waste chapel on the edge of the forest had mounted, and +the maiden was committed to the care of the most discreet. The gray +palfrey had been saddled, and when it was led forth, she made greater +sorrow than ever she had made before. But the wise old men guessed +nothing, nor knew her thought, rather they deemed she wept because she +was leaving her father's house; nought they understood of her tears +or the sorrow that she made; all wofully she got her to horseback. + +So they rode forth together, and turned straight towards the forest, +methinketh. They found the path so narrow that no two could ride +abreast; now they who accompanied the damsel were in the rear, and the +others went on before; and he who was her escort, in that he saw the +path was narrow, made her go before him, while he rode behind by reason +of the straitness of the way. + +Long was the cavalcade, but inasmuch as they had slept little they were +wearied and worn, and somewhat dispirited; also they rode the more +heavily in that they old were and ancient, and by reason it was long +before day they were the more given over to slumber. So drowsing upon +the necks of their horses they rode up hill and down dale; and he who +had been chosen as the most discreet escorted the damsel; but passing +little rest had he had in his bed that night, and sleep tricked him +into forgetfulness, for great was his desire of slumber. + +Now as for the damsel she was distressed by nought save her love and +her grief. And while she was in this narrow path whereof I have spoken, +the great company of knights and barons passed on; the more part were +bent low over their saddles, some few watched, but their thoughts were +on other matters than the escort of the damsel; and ever they rode on +swiftly through the deep forest. The damsel was in deep distress, even +as one who would fain be elsewhere, in London or Winchester. + +The gray palfrey well knew this old and narrow way, for many a time had +he traversed it. Anon they rode down a steep hillside where the forest +grew so thick that the light of the moon was hidden; full dusky there +was the wood, for right deep was the valley. Loud was the noise of the +horses, and the more part of the barons rode before her. Some bent low +in sleep over their comrades, some waked and talked; and so they all +fared on together. Now the gray palfrey which the damsel rode, following +in the rear of the company, did not know the way of the highroad that +ran straight before them, but chose a by-path to the right which led +directly to the house of Messire Guillaume. The palfrey seeth the path, +full oft had he traversed it, and straightway left the road and the +cavalcade of horses. As for the knight who accompanied the damsel, he +was so overtaken with sleep that ever and again he let his palfrey stop +short in the roadway. And now no one guides the damsel, save God only; +she gives her palfrey the rein and he turns into the tangled by-way. Not +one of the knights discover that the damsel is no longer following them, +more than a league they ride before they take note thereof; little care +hath her guide and leader given her. And she did not wittingly take +flight, but rather rode on as one who knoweth not the way nor to what +land the road leadeth. + +The palfrey follows the path nor goeth astray, for often, both summer +and winter, had he been there before. The damsel all woful ofttimes +looketh about her, but sees neither knight nor baron. Full perilous +seemed the forest, sombre and darksome; and she was right fearful in +that she was without companions. No great marvel is it that she was +afraid, and much she wondered what had become of the knights who had +borne her company. Full glad she was of the mischance, yet woful that +she had no guide, save God alone, for herself and the palfrey who had +often passed that way before. But she committed her to God, and the +palfrey bore her away. She who was sore discomforted gave him the rein, +nor did she utter a single cry, for she had no wish that those others +should hear her, or return to her again. Rather would she die in the +wild wood than make such a marriage. + +Thus she rode deep in thought, and the palfrey, which knew the path well +and was eager to get him home again, went at so swift a pace that he +speedily traversed that great forest. On a hillside was a stream which +ran swift and dark; the palfrey went straight thither, for he knew the +ford, which was not very deep or wide, and he passed over it as fast as +might be. Scarce had they left it behind when the damsel heard the sound +of a horn from the side whither the gray palfrey was bearing her. The +watch was above the gate, and played upon his horn to herald the day, +and thither rode the damsel. Straight to the house she came, all abashed +and astray, even as one who knoweth neither the road nor the pass nor +how to ask the way. Thus the palfrey left the path, and came out upon +the bridge which led across a deep water that enclosed all the manor. + +And the watch on guard sounding his horn heard the noise and clatter of +the palfrey upon the bridge, which had crossed there many a time before. +He stopped his horn blowing for a little and cometh down from his place, +and asketh forthright: "Who is it rides so hard over the bridge at this +hour?" And the damsel maketh answer: "Surely the most unhappy lady ever +born of woman. In God's name let me within until the day dawneth, for I +know not whither I should go." "Certes, damsel," he maketh answer, "that +I dare not do, nor to bring anyone into this house, save by the leave +of my lord; and never hath any man been in greater grief than he now is; +right sorrowful is he in that he hath been cruelly betrayed." + +Now even as he spoke in this wise, he put his face and eyes to an +opening in the postern; neither torch nor lantern had he, for the +moon shone clear, and he seeth the gray palfrey; right well he knew +it,--often had he looked on it aforetime. Much he wondered whence it +came; and long he looked upon the damsel who held it by the rein, and +who was richly dight in new and goodly raiment. Speedily the watch +goeth to his master, who lay upon his bed all joyless. "Sir," saith he, +"a damsel is come hither out of the wood, all uncounselled is she, and +young of look and seeming; rich is her array, full rich her garments; +meseemeth, she is wrapped about in a mantle richly furred, and her gown, +methinketh, is of fine scarlet. Sad and downcast she rideth upon your +gray palfrey; no whit unpleasing is her speech, but fair and gracious: +I would not willingly lie to you, sir, but I believe in all this land +is no maid so fair and winsome. Methinketh she is a fay that God hath +brought hither to you, to make good the loss that hath rendered you so +heavy hearted; fair amends will she make you for her ye have lost." + +Messire Guillaume heareth him, and forthwith springeth to his feet; with +a surcoat upon his back and nought beside he cometh to the door, and +bade it be speedily opened. The damsel crieth out to him, sighing: +"Ah, gentle sir, sore travail hath been mine this night. Sir, in God's +name, be not angry, but let me enter now your house,--I ask not to abide +there. I am in sore distress by reason of a company of knights who are +now in great dismay inasmuch as they have lost me. For safeguard I have +come to you, even as chance has led me; right sorrowful am I and all +astray." + +Messire Guillaume heard her and had great joy thereof. He knew the +palfrey that had long been his own, and he looketh hard upon the +damsel,--a more joyful man there might not be. So he leadeth her into +his house; he hath set her down from her palfrey, and taking her by the +hand hath kissed her more than twenty times. And she made no denial, for +right well she knew him. One looked upon the other, and right great joy +made they between them; and in one another they forgot all their griefs. +He took from her her mantle, and joyfully they sat them down upon a +cushion of rich silk bordered with gold. Each maketh the sign of the +cross a good twenty times, for scarcely can they believe it is not a +dream they look upon. And when the serving-men were gone, much they +solaced themselves with kisses, but no other misdoing was there between +them. + +Freely the damsel told him all her plight; now she saith blessed was +the hour of her birth, in that God that led her thither, and hath, as +fortune willed it, delivered her from that other who thought to make her +his own in return for his chatels and gear. Now in the morning at dawn +of day, Messire Guillaume arrays himself, and lets bring the damsel into +his court and chapel, and without delay he lets summon his chaplain. +Speedily the knight had himself married and bound in holy wedlock; not +lightly may the twain be disparted. And when the mass was sung, maids +and serving-men and squires made great joy within the house. + +But great annoy was theirs who had heedlessly lost her. They were come +together at the waste chapel, and right weary were they from riding the +night long, not one of them but was the worse for it. Then the old man +demanded his daughter of him who had guarded her so ill; he knew not +what to say, but speedily he made answer; "Sir, she rode before me, +I was behind, for right narrow was the path and the forest great and +thick. I know not if she turned aside, for I drowsed in my saddle; now +and again I awoke and ever I deemed her near me, but certes, she is not +here, now, and I know not what hath become of her; right ill have we +guarded her." + +The old man looked for her up and down, and asked and inquired of all +where she was, and if they had seen her; sorely were they all abashed +thereat, and had no word to say. And he who was to wed the damsel was +yet more woful. He was not slow to seek her, but nought avails him +his search for the right scent was lost. Now even amid their dismay +a squire rode spurring down the path, and anon he cometh before the +old man. "Sir," saith he, "Messire Guillaume sendeth you his goodliest +fellowship. Very early this morning in the first dawn, he married your +daughter; wherefore right glad and joyful is he. Come ye to him, sir; +and likewise he biddeth his uncle who did so falsely by him, but now +he pardoneth him the offence, inasmuch as he hath the gift of your +daughter." + +The old man gave ear to the marvel, never had he heard its like. He +calleth and assembleth all his barons, and when, they were come together +he taketh counsel that he will go, and take with him that other to whom +he had pledged his daughter; the marriage he seeth to be a sooth, no +undoing may there be of that. So he who was right wise rode thither +quickly and all his barons with him. When they came to the house +they were received full richly, and Messire Guillaume made great joy, +even as one who is glad at heart by reason of his guerdon. The father +must needs grant the marriage whether he would or no, and the old man +of the twisted moustaches took what comfort he might therein. Even so, +lordings, the Lord God willed that this marriage which seemed good to +him be established. + +Messire Guillaume was brave, courteous and right valourous, and no +whit did his prowess abate, but rather he strove the more, and was well +looked on by counts and princes. Now before the third year, as the tale +telleth us, the old man died, this is sooth, and he gave and granted all +his wealth to the knight, who thereafter held all his lands which were +rich and plenteous. A good thousand pounds a year the land yielded +him.... And he held it quit of all claim. + +So the adventure I have related endeth in this wise, as truth telleth +you. + + + + +Contes devots et didactiques + + + + +The Knight of the Little Cask + + +[Illustration] + +Aforetime, in the wild land between Normandy and Bretaigne, there dwelt +a mighty lord who was of much great fame. Near to the border and beside +the sea, he let build a castle full well embattled, and so strong and so +well garnished that he feared neither count nor viscount, neither prince +nor duke nor king. And the high man whereof I speak, was, the tale +saith, most comely of body and countenance, rich in goods and noble of +lineage; and from his face it seemed that in all the world was no man +more debonair, but of a sooth, he was all falseness and disloyalty, so +traitorous and so cruel, so fierce and so proud, so fell and of so great +disdain he feared neither God nor man; and all the country round about +him he had laid waste,--this is the sum thereof. + +No man might he meet, but he did him some outrage of his body, so great +was his licence; he held all the roads and waylaid the pilgrims and did +the merchants annoy; and many were oft sore discomforted thereby. He +spared neither churchman nor cloistered monk, neither canon nor eremite; +and monks and nuns, whereas they are most bound unto God, he made to +live shamefully whensoever he had them in his might; and likewise dames +and damsels, and widows and maids. He spared neither the wise nor the +simple; and he laid his hand upon both the rich and the poor; and many +folk had he driven forth in dishonour, and of those he had slain the +tale may not be told. Nor would he ever take to him a wife but thought +to be abased thereby, for had he been married to a woman he had deemed +himself much shamed. And always he ate flesh, nor would he observe any +fast day; no will had he to hear either mass or sermon or holy writ, and +all good men he held in despite. Methinketh there was never yet man so +fulfilled with vile customs; for all the evil a man may do in deed or +word or thought he devised, and all were brought together in him. And +so he lived for more than thirty years and there was no let to his ill +doing. + +So the days came and went until a certain lenten tide, upon the morning +of Good Friday. He that was nowise tender of God had risen full early, +and said to his household after his wont: "Make ready now the venison, +for this is the hour to break our fast; I would eat betimes and then we +will ride out to win somewhat." The kitchen knaves were all abashed; +doubtful and troubled they made answer: "We will do your command, lord; +yet we would ye had said otherwise." But when his knights, whose hearts +were more inclined to God, heard him, they straightway said to him: +"Fool, what say ye? This is lent, a holy time, and it is that high +Friday whereon God endured the Passion to bring us to salvation; every +man should abstain this day, and you, you would break your fast and eat +meat in evil wise. The whole world is under chastisement, in fasting and +abstinence; yea, the very children do penance,--and you would eat flesh +this day. God must revenge himself upon you, and certes, he will in +time." "By my faith," he made answer, "it will not be straightway, nor +before I have done much malice, and many a man hath been hanged and +burned and undone." "Have ye no respite in doing despite to God?" quoth +they then. "Now ought ye incontinent to cry upon our Lord Jesus Christ +and beweep the sins with which ye are tainted." "Weep?" quoth he, "what +jest is this? I have no mind for such folly. But do ye make moan and +I will laugh, for certes weep will I never." + +"Hearken, sir," they make answer, "in this wood dwelleth a right holy +man, and to him those folk who would turn from their sin, go to make +confession; come, let us confess to him and give up our evil life; man +should not always live sinfully but rather should turn again to God." +"A hundred devils!" saith he. "Confess? shall I become a jest and a +by-word? Cursed be he that turneth his footsteps thither with such +intent, but if there be any spoils to be got I will go hang this +hermit." "Nay, sir," quoth they, "prithee come with us. Do this kindness +for our sake." "For your sake," he then made answer, "I will follow +you, but for God will I do nought; 't is but for fellowship I go +with ye. Bring up my horse, and I will forth with these hypocrites. +But liefer had I two good mallards, nay, two tiny sparrows than all +their confessions; yet will I go thither to make a jape of them. Whenso +that they are shriven they will go rob here or there; it is even as +the confession made between Reynard and the hen-hawk,--such repentance +falleth at a breath." "Sir," quoth they, "now mount your horse, that God +who knows no lie may do his will with you and give you true humility." +"By my faith," saith he, "may it never so fall that I become mild and +debonair and be feared of no man." And straightway thereafter they set +forth. He who is possessed of the devil rideth behind singing, and his +fellows go before weeping. And as his men fare on before him, ever he +gives them ill words, pricks and prods and misprises them; but they, +on their part, to humour him, say whatsoever he will. + +And they ride on by the straight paved way so long they come into the +forest to the hermitage. There they enter, and within the chapel they +find the holy man; but their lord has stayed without, for he was fell +and stark and full of malice, and fiercer than mad dog or werewolf; +ofttimes he looketh down at his feet and proudly he straighteneth +himself. "Lord," they say, "now light ye down and come within, amend +your ways, or at the least, pray God's mercy." "Nay, I will not stir +hence," quoth he; "and why should I pray his mercy when nought would +I do for his sake? But now speed ye your affair for therein have I no +part or portion; and much I fear lest I lose all my day through this +dallying. For even now the merchants and pilgrims, whom it behooveth me +to bring to ground, fare along the highroad, and now they will go their +way unhindered; and as God may aid me, this weighs heavy upon me. By +Saint Remi, I had liefer that ye were never shriven than that they go +hence unshamed." + +His men perceive that he will do no otherwise, and they pass into the +chapel before the altar and speak with the holy hermit. Each hath said +his matter as fairly as he might, and the hermit, as his wont was, +assoiled them full sweetly, but only by making covenant with them,--to +wit, that ever thenceforth they should withhold them from evil so much +as they might. Fairly they pledged them, and then gently they besought +him: "Lord, our master is without; for God's sake now call ye him, for +he would not come within for our asking, and who knoweth if he will come +for you." "Certes, lords," saith he, "I know not, but gladly will I make +assay; yet do I greatly fear him." + +So he issued out, leaning upon his staff, for he was feeble of body, and +saith forthright to the baron: "Sir, be ye welcome. It is meet we put +all evil from us, repent us and confess, and think full sweetly of God." +"Think ye of him, who forbiddeth you? But I will think of him no whit." +"Yea, that ye shall, fair sir, for you should be gentle of heart, you +that be a knight. A priest am I, and I require you, for the sake of him +who suffered death and offered up himself for us upon the cross, that +ye speak with me a little." "Speak? In the devil's name what would ye +I should say, and what have ye to make known to me? I am hot to depart +from your house and you, for by a fat bellwether would I set more +store." "Sir," the hermit made answer, "I believe ye, wherefore do it +not for my sake but only for that of God." "Proud and persistent are +ye," quoth the knight; "but if I go within, it will be for neither +prayer nor orison nor almsgiving." "Sir, at the least, ye will see our +chapel and convent." "I will go," he saith, "but on such conditions that +I shall give no alms nor say no paternoster." "Now come but within," +he maketh answer, "and if it pleases you nought, return again." And for +very weariness the knight lighteth down from his horse: "Methinks ye +will not have done to-day; to no good did I come hither this morn, and +alack that I rose so early." + +But the good man took him by the hand, and urging him on full gently, +led him into the chapel before the altar. "Sir," saith he then, "there +is no help, here are ye in my prison; now take it not ill of me that +ye perforce must speak with me. Ye may cut my head from off my body, but +for nought you may do shall you escape from me until that ye have told +me of your life." He that was stark and full of malice maketh answer: +"Certes, that will I not, and for this were I like to slay ye; never +shall ye learn aught from me, so let me go and that speedily." "My +lord," saith he then, "go you shall not, so please you, before you tell +me of your life and the sins with which you are tainted; I would know +all your deeds." "No, certes, that will I not, sir priest," saith he. +"Never shall ye know my doings. I am not so drunken with wine that I +will tell you aught." "Not for me, but for the sake of God the Glorious, +speak, and I will hearken." "Nay, certes, I will have nought to do +therewith. Is it to this end that you brought me hither? I am like to +slay you, and in truth the world were well rid of you. Methinks you are +either mad or besotted with wine that you would know my life, and +moreover would drive me to speak by force; now are you over-masterful, +in sooth, you that would make me say that to which I am not minded." +"Yet will ye do it," quoth he, "fair friend; and may he who was nailed +upon the cross bring you to true penitence, and grant you so deep +repentance that ye shall know your sin; now begin and I will listen." + +Then looked hard upon him the tyrant who was fell and a seeker of evil. +The good man was in sore dread, and every moment feared the knight +would strike him, but he set all at adventure, and calling to mind the +scriptures, said right gently: "Brother, for the sake of God omnipotent +tell me but one sin; and when you have once begun I know well God will +aid ye to tell truly all your life from end to end." "Nay, in sooth, +nought shall ye hear thereof," quoth the knight. "Yea, but in truth +I will." "Nay, ye shall not." "How now, ye will tell me nought! Have +ye then no mind for well doing?" "No, in sooth, ye may die in your +lament but nought shall ye hear from me." "Yet shall ye do my bidding, +whomsoever it grieves; rather shall ye stay here until nightfall than +that I hear nought. And now to make an end, I conjure you by God himself +and by his most high virtue; this is the day whereon Christ suffered +death and was nailed upon the cross, and I conjure you by that death +that slew and destroyed the arch-enemy, and by the saints and martyrs, +that you open your heart to me; yea, I command you," so spake the +hermit, "that ye tell me all your sins. Now delay ye no longer." "Nay, +ye go too far with me," quoth the baron, sore moved; and so confounded +and astonied was he that he became all shamed. "How now," said he, "are +ye such that I must perforce tell my story, may it be no other wise? +Despite me then I will speak, but, certes, no more will I do." + +Then wrathfully he began to tell over the tale of his sins one after +the other, word by word he told them, nor did he fail of any. And when +he had made his confession he said to the hermit: "Now have I told you +all my deeds; are ye well content, and wherein are ye bettered? By St. +James, meseems ye had not been appeased and if I had not told you the +whole tale of my deeds. But now all is said,--and what then? Will ye +leave me in peace henceforth? Now methinks I can go. By St. James, I +have no will to talk more with you, nor to let my eyes rest longer upon +you. Certes, without sword ye have won the day of me, ye that have made +me speak perforce." + +The good man had no will to laugh, but he weepeth full sorrowfully in +that the knight doth not repent him. "Sir," he maketh answer, "well have +ye said your say, save that it is without repentance; but now if you +will do some penance I shall hold me well repaid." "And a fair return ye +would make me," quoth he, "ye that would make me a penitent. Foul fall +him who hath aught to do herein or who would desire it of me. But if +it were my will so to do, what penance would ye lay on me?" "In sooth, +even that which ye would." "Nay, but tell me." "Sir, with good will; +to overcome your sins you should fast a space, each Friday these seven +years." "Seven years!" quoth he, "nay, that I will not." "Then for +three." "Nay, in sooth." "Each Friday for but a single month." "Hold your +peace, nought will I do herein for I may not achieve it." "Go barefoot +for but one full year." "No, by Saint Abraham!" "Go all in wool without +linen." "Anon my body would be preyed upon and devoured of vermin." "Do +but chastise yourself with rods each night." "That is ill said," quoth +he; "know that I may not endure to beat or mutilate my flesh." "Then go +a pilgrimage over sea," quoth the hermit. "That is too bitter a word," +answered the knight; "say no more of it; herein ye speak idly, for full +of peril is the sea." "Go but to Rome, or to the shrine of Saint James." +"By my soul," said he, "thither will I never." "Go then each day to +church and hear God's service, and kneel till that ye have said two +prayers, an ave and a pater noster, that God may grant you salvation." +"That labour were over great," made he answer. "All this ado avails not, +for certes, no one of these things will I agree unto." "How now! Ye will +nought of good? yet shall ye do somewhat, and it please God and please +you, before we twain dispart. Now do but take my water cask to yonder +stream for the love of God omnipotent, and dip it into the fountain, +no hurt will that be to you, and if ye bring it to me full, ye shall +be freed and absolved of both your sins and your penance, no more need +you be in doubt, but I will take upon myself all the burden of your +iniquity; lo, now your penalty is meted out to you." + +The baron heard him and laughed out in scorn, and then he spoke, saying: +"No great toil will it be and if I do go to the fountain; and speedily +will this penance be done. Now give me the cask forthwith for I am in +haste." The good man brought it to him, and lightly, as one untroubled, +he received it, saying: "I take it on this covenant, that, until I have +brought it back full to you I will never rest me." "And on this covenant +I give it unto you, friend." So the knight fared forth, and his men +would fain have followed him, but he would have none of them: "No, in +sooth, abide where ye are," he saith. + +So he cometh to the fountain and dippeth in the cask, but not a single +drop runneth into it, although he turns it this way and that until he +is well nigh beside himself. Then he thinketh something hath stopped the +opening and thrusteth in a stick, but finds it all free and empty. So +again in his wrath, he that was proud of heart dipped the little cask +into the fountain, but not a drop would enter therein. "God's death!" +saith he, "how is it that nought comes into it?" Then yet again he +thrust the cask into the water; yet were he to lose his head thereby +no whit might he fill it. + +Then in his chagrin he ground his teeth, and rose up in great wrath, +and went again to the hermit. Hot and ireful he hardened his heart, and +spoke, saying: "God! I have not a single drop. I have done my uttermost, +yet I could not contrive or so dip the cask that so much as a tear-drop +of water came therein; but by him who made my soul never will I rest, +nor will I cease night or day till that I have brought it to you again +filled to overflowing." And again he spoke to the hermit, saying: "Ye +have brought me into sore trouble by this cask of the devil. Cursed be +the day whereon it was shaped and fashioned, since by reason of it so +great toil must be mine, that never may I rest, nor know solace or ease +by day or by night, nor let my face be washen, nor my nails trimmed, +nor my hair or my beard be cut, till that I have fulfilled my covenant; +afoot will I travel, and penniless will I go, nor take with me so much +as a farthing in my doublet, nor yet bread nor meat." + +The hermit heareth him and weepeth full gently: "Brother," quoth he, +"in an ill hour were ye born, and most bitter are your days. Certes, and +if a child had lowered this cask into the fountain he would have drawn +it forth full to overflowing, and you have not gathered a single drop. +Wretch, it is by reason of your sins that God is in anger against you, +but now in his mercy he would that you should do your penance, and +torment your body for his sake; now be not unwise but serve God full +sweetly." But in wrath the baron made answer: "For God, certes, will I +do nought, but I will do it for very pride, and in wrath and vexation: +it is done neither for good, nor for the sake of my fellows." Then all +in pride he turned to his men, saying: "Now get ye gone forthright, and +take with you my horse, and bide you quiet in your own land. And if you +hear men talk of me, mind that ye tell them nought, neither one nor +other, nor this man nor his fellow, but hold your peace and be silent, +and live after your wont; for I have become such that never henceforth +shall I know a day without travail and toil, by reason of this cask +which is of the fiend,--may the cursed fire and the cursed flame devour +it! Meseems the devils have had it in their care and have laid a spell +upon it; but I tell you of a sooth that rather will I seek out all the +waters of all the world than not bring it back again full to +overflowing." + +Then without taking leave he fared forth, and passed out of the door +with the little cask hung about his neck. But know ye of a truth that, +save only the garments he wore, he took not with him so much treasure +as would buy him four straws; and alone he set forth, for none went with +him save God only. Now know ye what anon he will know, what hardships +will fall to him by night and by day, at morning and evening, for he +goeth forth into strange lands. Few will he have of those delights to +which he is wont, and he must lie hard and lodge ill, and cold victual +will be his and scanty bread; poverty will be ofttimes his neighbor, +and much toil and trouble will be his. + +So over hill and dale fared he, and to whatsoever water he cometh he +thrusteth in his cask and testeth it, but it avails him not, for nought +can he gather up. And his great wrath, that sways him overmuch, is ever +kindled and burning. Well nigh half a week it was before he bethought +him of food or had any desire thereof. Ever his great wrath consumed +him, but when he saw that hunger so beset him that he might not defend +him, it behooved him to sell and barter his robe, whatever else anyone +should tell you, for a paltry tunic that was worn and tattered and +shameful for so high a man. Nor had he any sleeves, whether full or +narrow, and neither hood nor capuchon. So he wandered by valley and +plain until his face, which of old had been fresh and fair, grew changed +and tanned and blackened. But whatsoever water he came unto, ever he +thrust in his cask and proved it, but little his labour profited him, +for howsoever much he toiled, he might not gather up a single drop; and +much he suffered and endured thereby. + +His sorry raiment soon grew worn and tattered. Barefooted he crossed +many a great hill and many a valley. He wandereth in cold and in heat: +he fareth through briars and thorns, and among the wild beasts; his +flesh is torn in many a place, and many a drop of blood falleth from +him, and sore pain and trouble is his. Now he passeth ill days and ill +nights: now he is poor and a-beggared; now rebuffs and ill words are his +portion, and he hath neither robe nor chattle; now he findeth no hostel, +and again he meeteth with folk full harsh, churlish and cruel, for in +that they see him so denuded, so stark and tall and great of limb, so +hideous and tanned and blackened, and bare legged even to the thighs, +many a one, forsooth, feareth to give him lodging, so that ofttimes +he must lie in the fields. Neither jest nor song had he, but ever great +wrath and sore torment. And I may tell you thus much, that never could +he humble himself, or lighten his sore heart, save in so far as he made +lament to God of the great travail and misease he endured; yet it was, +but for bewilderment, for he was nowise repentant. + +When that he had spent the money he won by the sale of his raiment, he +had not wherewith to buy bread; and if he would eat he must perforce +learn to beg. Now are all his woes exceeded, for never again shall he +know solace, but woe only so long as he liveth. Often he fasteth for two +days or three, and when his heart is so weakened that he may no longer +endure his hunger, in wrath he goeth aside to seek for bread or some +crumb or morsel, and then he fares on for a space. + +Thus he sought through all of Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Poitou, +Normandy and France and Burgundy, Provence and Spain and Gascony, and +all of Hungary and Moriane, and Apulia and Calabria and Tuscany, and +Germany, and Romagna, and all the plain of Lombardy, and all Lorraine +and Alsace; and everywhere he setteth his heart to the task. Methinketh +I need not tell you more; the day long I might tell ye of the woes he +endured, but in a word, from the sea that circles and encloses England +even unto Baretta that lieth on the Eastern shore, ye cannot name a land +that he hath not searched, nor any river that he hath not tested; nor +lake, nor mere, nor spring, nor fountain, nor any water foul or fresh, +into which he hath not dipped his cask, but never might he draw a single +drop; never would any whit come into it, howsoever much he strove; and +yet he did all his endeavour, and more and still more he laboured. + +And amid all his woe which was so great and grievous, a marvel befell +him, for never by any chance of adventure did he find any man who did +him aught of kindness, or spoke him fair in fellowship, but all men +hated him and mocked and chid him, nor spake with him, whether in field +or wood or hostel, and it were not to revile him; yet whatsoever shame +men might say to him, he would neither dispute with any nor defame any, +for he held them overmuch in scorn, and all men he hated and despised. + +What more should I tell you? He fared for so long, up and down, here +and there, that his body grew so tanned and stained and blackened that +scarce had any man known him that had seen him aforetime. His hair was +long and tangled and hung in locks about his shoulders; his fair hair +and face and forehead grew black as a flitch of bacon, and his neck that +had been great and thick, was long and thin to the bone. All lean from +hunger he was and hairy; his eyebrows had grown shaggy, his eyes sunken; +his sides were all uncovered, and his skin so hung about his bones that +you might count the ribs beneath; his legs were bared and brown and lean +and shrunken; his veins showed and his sinews, and from toe to groin no +shred of raiment had he, and black and brown and stained he was. Thereto +had he waxed so weary and spent that scarce might he stand upright; he +needs must have a stick to lean on as he walked, and much the cask, that +he had carried night and day for a year, now weighed upon him. What more +need I tell you? His body had been in so great torment the year through +that marvel it was how he had brooked it; and so much had he borne and +suffered that he knew right well he might not longer endure. Yet was +there a thing he must do. He holdeth he must return again,--never will +the hermit laugh when he seeth him, rather will he weep. So the knight +set forth leaning upon his staff, and often he maketh lament in a +loud voice, yet he strove so much that still he held on his way to the +hermitage. At the end of the year on the same day he had departed from +that most holy place, the high day of Good Friday, even in such guise +as I have told you, he came thither again. Now hear ye what befell him. + +All dolorous he entered; and the hermit, who had no thought of him, was +alone within, and he looked at him in wonder for that he saw in him a +man so weary and wasted. Him he knew not, but the cask, which was hung +about his neck, he knew right well that aforetime he had seen it. And +the holy man spoke, saying: "Fair brother, what need brings thee here, +and who gave thee this cask? Ofttimes have I seen it, and this same +day, a year past, I gave it forsooth to the fairest man in all the +Empire of Rome and to the starkest, methinketh, but if he be alive or +dead I know not, for never since hath he returned hither again; but +tell me now of thy courtesy, who thou art and how men call thee, for +never did I see so weary a man as thou seemest, nor one so poor and +disgarnished. Had the Saracens had you in their prison even so stripped +and denuded had ye seemed; whence thou art come I know not, but of a +sooth thou hast fallen among ill folk." But the other brake out in +anger, for still was his wrath great, and irefully he spoke: "Even to +such a plight hast thou thyself brought me!" "I, how so, friend? For +methinks I have never before set eyes upon thee. What wrong have I done +thee? Prithee tell me, and if I can, I will amend it." "Sir," quoth he, +"I will tell thee: I am he whom a year ago this day thou didst confess, +and gave me as a penance this cask which has brought me to such straits +as ye see." Then he told him all the tale of his travels, of all the +lands and countries he had travelled through, of the sea and the rivers +and the great and mighty waters. "Sir," saith he, "everywhere have I +sought, and everywhere have I tested the cask, but never a drop hath +entered therein, and yet I have done mine uttermost; and well I know +that anon I must die, and may endure no more." + +The good man heard him and was sore moved, and all in sorrow he began to +speak, saying: "Wretch, wretch," so spake the hermit, "thou art worse +than a Sodomite, or dog or wolf or any other beast. By the eyes of my +head, methinketh that had a dog dragged the cask to so many waters, and +through so many fords, he had drawn it full,--and thou hast not taken +up a single drop! Now I see of a sooth God hateth thee, and thy penance +is without savour, for that thou hast done it without repentance, and +without love or pity." Then he wept and lamented and wrung his hands, +and so rent was his heart that he cried aloud, "God, thou who seest and +knowest all things and canst do all, look now upon this creature who +has led so toilsome a life, who has lost both body and soul, and spent +his time to no purpose. Blessed Mary, sweet mother, now pray God your +sovereign father that it be his will to keep this man, and to rest his +fair eyes upon him. If ever I did aught of good, sweet and dear God, or +aught pleasing in thy sight, I pray thee here and now that thou grantest +mercy to this man who hath been brought to so great distress through +me; God, in thy mercy let not his misery be wasted, but lead him to +repentance. God, if he were to die through me, I must render account +thereof, and my grief were greater than I could bear. God, if thou +takest to thee one of us twain, leave me here at adventure, and take +thou this man." And he wept right tenderly. + +The knight looked long upon him yet spake no word, but all low within +himself he said: "Lo, here in sooth is a strange thing, whereof my heart +hath great marvel, that this man who is not of my house, and hath no +kinship with me save in God, should so harass himself for my sake, and +weep and lament for my sins. Now of a surety, I am the basest man living, +and the vilest sinner, that this man holds my soul so dear that he +destroyeth himself because of my offences, and I am so spotted with +evil, and have in me so little goodness that I have no compunction +thereof; and yet he is full of sorrow because of them. Ah, sweet God, +and thou wilt, through thy might and thy power, grant me such repentance +that this good man who is so out of all cheer may be given solace. God, +let not all my travail be vain and profitless to my soul; when all is +said, by reason of my sin was this cask laid upon me, and for my sins I +took it, sweet God, if I have done wrong herein, now do thou thy will; +lo, I am ready." And God straightway so wrought in him that his heart +was freed and discumbered of all pride and hardness, and fulfilled with +humility and love and repentance, and fear and hope, whereby his spirit +melteth, and he weepeth. Then he cast away the world from him, and the +tears flowed forth from his heart, that nought might staunch them, all +burning they were with repentance, and he drew such great sighs that at +each it seemed his spirit must issue out of him. His repentance was so +puissant that his very heart had been broke had it not been lightened +by tears; but he shed them in so great plenteousness his relief is no +marvel. Such dolour laid hold of his heart that he might not speak with +his lips, but he made covenant with God within his heart full sweetly, +that thenceforth he would sin no more, nor do more wrong towards him. + +Now God seeth well that he repents him. The cask which had caused him +such woe still hangeth about his neck, but still it was empty, and it +was all his desire that it should be filled. And God seeth his longing, +that his mind was bent on well-doing, and that he was no wise feigning; +and then God did a great bounty and a fair kindness,--but what need to +say it, for never did he unkindness. But now hear you what God did to +comfort his friend who had cause to be out of all comfort. In his sore +distress there sprang from his eyes a great tear which God drew forth +from a true source; with the flight of a bolt it sprang straight into +the cask, and the book telleth us that the cask was filled so full by +the tear that the overflow gushed out and ran down on all sides, for +this tear was so hot with repentance, and so boiling, that the froth +over-ran. + +And the hermit hastened to him, and cast himself down at his feet, and +kissed them both all naked as they were. "Brother," said he, "fair sweet +friend, the holy Ghost hath entered into thee. Brother, God hath heard +thee, God hath saved thee from hell's pit, never henceforth shalt thou +be defiled. God hath pardoned thee thy sins, now rejoice and be glad, +for thine expiation is complete." Then was the knight so glad methinketh +never again shall I see such joy in any man; and still he weepeth, this +is the sum thereof. Then he spake to the holy hermit, and told him all +his desire: "Father," saith he, "I am wholly thine; father, all good +hast thou done me. Fair, sweet father, and I might, how gladly would +I stay with thee. Never in sooth would I leave thee; but ever would I +serve thee and love thee; but I may endure no longer and I needs must +suffer death, most sweet father, through God's mercy. This day a year +past I was here, as vain and foolish as thou knowest, fair sweet father, +and told thee all my sins in anger and sore wrath, without fear or +repentance; and now I would tell them again in great love and great +compunction, if it may be that God, who is life eternal, grant me to-day +a good end." Saith the hermit: "Fair sweet brother, blessed be God who +hath given thee this thought; and behold, now I am ready, speak and +I will listen." + +Then the knight beginneth, and from his very heart telleth all his life, +weeping and with joined hands; nought did he mis-say, and from his heart +he sigheth full softly, and his tears spring forth in great plenty. When +the good man saw it was time to shrive him, he gave him absolution and +granted him great treasure, the body of Jesus Christ, to wit, and well +he showed its great virtue. "Dear son, lo, here is thy salvation, lo, +here is thy life and thy healing. Believest thou so?" "Yes, fair father, +well do I believe that this is my Redeemer and he that may save us all; +but haste thee, for death is near me." And the holy man giveth him all +the body of God; and the other taketh it, nor doth he delude himself, +and in all excellence receiveth it, in love and in truth, and in right +great humility. + +When he was houseled, and so cleansed and purified that there remained +in him no drop of the lees of folly and sin, he spake to the hermit, +and told him all his desire, saying: "Fair sweet father, now I go hence, +pray for me for I am near my end; here I may not tarry, but must seek +another dwelling; my heart faileth me, sweet father, and no more may I +speak with thee. Most sweet father, I commend thee to God, and now at +the last I pray thee that thou put thy arms about me." And straightway +the good man embraced him full gently and gladly and with good will. + +The knight lieth him down before the altar, and hath given all his heart +to God. He closeth his eyes and saith his _mea culpa_ and setteth all +his hopes in God. His little cask that had done him more good than ill, +lay upon his breast, nor would he let it be taken from him, for it was +all his desire to keep it in death as in life. So upon his heart lieth +his penance, and a flood of repentance hath so shaken him that God hath +wholly pardoned him all sin and sorrow. His heart travaileth and his +body is anguished, and it behooveth the twain to dispart, and the soul +to leave the body. And it hath issued forth so purged and cleansed and +purified that there is neither spot nor sin therein. So soon as the soul +is freed of the body and hath gone forth, the blessed angels that have +come thither, have received it. Great comfort hath come to the soul that +was snatched by the holy angels, and sore peril hath it escaped, for the +devil was waiting for it, and he thought to have it, in all certainty +and surety, but now he goeth thence discomforted. And all this was seen +of the good man from point to point to the end, for he was illumined by +the Holy Spirit. All clear he saw the angels that bore away the soul, +the while the body resteth barefoot and naked, and lieth under a sorry +covering. + +But hear ye now what adventure befell upon his death, for his knights, +who had been with him just a year before and to whom he had done so +great annoy, came that day by reason of prayer, as was right and +fitting, for it was the high day of Good Friday. Close upon noon the men +of arms came within and found their lord dead; well they recognized him +by his stature and all his form and seeming, and the cask they knew +right well; and that it was their lord whose body was so wasted, they +doubted not. Then were they sore troubled in that they knew not how he +came to his end, whether well or ill, and every man maketh great lament; +but the good man comforteth them and told them all the truth. From point +to point, he told them all as it befell,--how their lord had come to +him, and the hour and the time when he confessed and was repentant, and +how his soul was ravished above into life perdurable, and how he had +seen the angels all clearly that had borne it away. Then the knights +made great joy, and honoured the body full nobly, right gently they +shrouded it, and after mass, gave it due burial. And when that they +had eaten and drunk they took leave of the good man, and each went again +to his own land, and everywhere they told and recounted all they knew of +their lord; and the folk of that land had great joy thereof and great +pity, and gave thanks to Our Lord. + +Now have I told you all the tale of this high man, even as it hath come +down to us from holy men who mistell nought herein, but all they accord +in true telling, and disagree in nought of good. These men tell us how +the knight strove and how God redeemed him,--and ever God knoweth how to +work in this wise, and to ransom sinners who would return to him, for +no man may do so great wrong, but, if it be his desire to turn again to +God, God will not pardon him. And none should despise his fellow, but +should hold himself to be the worst, and God who hath power to create +men, knoweth their hearts, and hath the power rightfully to judge them; +and subtle are his judgments. Here endeth the story of the cask, and in +this wise the knight came to his death. Now let us pray God who created +all things that it be his will to lead us to that glory wherein he +dwelleth. + + + + +The Angel and the Hermit + + +[Illustration] + +There dwelt in Egypt, of old time, a holy father who while yet young +of age had withdrawn into a hermitage. There he set himself to great +toil and sore labour, fasting, weeping, and living ever in solitude; +and much pain and torment he endured of his body that he might bring +joy and content to his soul. But ofttimes it betideth that one man, be +he religious or layman, hath more of happiness than falleth to the lot +of two of his fellows. And to him of whom the tale telleth, it seemed +he had few of those delights which God giveth to his own, delights +spiritual, to wit, and fain would he have had such as were enjoyed by +certain of his acquaintance; for long had he served without reward, him +seemed. Now oftentimes God giveth fair gifts to one who doth him scant +service; and yet another who is more deserving, he leaveth, mayhap, +all his life days in poverty, misery and sore want. And the hermit +pondered much wherefore God's judgments are of so great diversity. Now +it is summer, now winter; now it is one man, and anon to-morrow no more +of him; and our life is even as a wheel that turns, abiding in no one +estate. Such judgments are dark, yet are they good and right and just +for God doth naught unwisely. And the good man so pondered the matter, +that he said to himself he would go forth into the world to see if any +man therein were of so great wisdom that he could show him wherefore +God made the world after this manner, and wherefore men are not equal +in good hap and ill hap. He was all desirous to know of this matter; +and albeit there was neither road nor highway near him to his knowledge, +he took his staff and set forth from his hut. + +He had not travelled far before he came to a footpath; and thereinto the +good man turned, and when he had walked on for a space, he looked behind +him and saw a youth that came after him with all speed. In his hand he +bore a javelin, and full comely he was, and well fashioned, and he was +girded up to the knee. His dress was seemly and such as befitteth a +sergeant; fair of face he was, and goodly of body; and well might it +be seen he served a rich lord and a mighty. + +So he drew near and bowed him and gave greeting; and the good man spoke +to him, saying: "Now tell me, brother, whom dost thou serve?" "By my +faith, sir, that will I full gladly; I am the servant of God who made +all things." "Certes, thine is a right good lord, none better canst thou +find. But tell me now where thou goest." "Sir," he saith, "I would fain +visit the friends and fair ladies I have known in this land." "Now and +if I might go with thee it would please me much, for never till to-day +was I in this land and naught know I thereof." "Sir, full fair of speech +are ye, and I were right glad of your company; so come with me, fair and +dear father, for full well know I the land." Thereupon they set forth +together; the varlet goeth before, and after him cometh the hermit, +praying to God. + +Thus they journeyed the day long, until that they came to a little wood +wherein they espied a dead man who had been traitorously slain there, +and who had lain so long upon the ground that, what with the summer and +the warm weather, the body stunk so foully that there is no man in this +earthly world were not sickened thereby, so be that he passed that way +and he did not well cover his face. The hermit held his nose and thought +to die because of the foul smell. But the varlet straightway went up +to the body, nor did he show by any sign that he perceived aught evil +therein. "Fair father," he saith, "now come with me, for God hath guided +us hither that here we may bury this dead man." "Fair, sweet brother, +in God's mercy know that I may not do this thing. Because of the foul +stink I cannot bring myself to set hand to him, for I am sore sickened +thereby." Then saith the varlet: "I myself will give him burial, if that +I may." And thereupon he dragged him into a ditch that he found hard by, +and covered the body over with earth. The hermit marvelled much that the +other smelt not the stink, or made no sign or semblance of so doing. + +Thereafter the varlet set forth again, and the hermit followed after, +striving to keep pace with him. When that they had gone on for a space +they encountered upon the way a train of knights and ladies; fast riding +they drew towards them, and right fair was their array. They came from +a feast, and I know not if they had drunk deep, but as they rode one +jostled other, and profligate they were of seeming. The varlet covered +over his face as well as he might, even as if he could not well endure +the odour that came from them, and turned aside from the path. The +hermit marvelled much that his comrade should so do, and that he should +hide his face because of the knights, he that had not so done for the +carrion. + +But why tell ye a long tale? They journeyed on after this manner +until night, when they lodged with a hermit who gave them shelter full +willingly. Such meat as he had he set before them, and gladly they +received it. And that evening as soon as they had supped they should +have turned to prayer; but the varlet saw that their host gave himself +much trouble because of a certain hanap or drinking-cup that he had, +and that he spent more pains in drying and rubbing it than he did in +praying to God. And the varlet took note where the good man bestowed +the hanap, and he stole it away and hid it, for he would not leave it +behind. On the morrow at dawn he carried it away, and thereafter showed +it to his comrade. Now when the hermit saw it he was full sorrowful, nor +might he hold his peace: "For love of God let us take it back again; +you have done me much wrong and hurt in that you have deceived that +good man, and robbed him of that which was his. Why have ye done such +wickedness?" "Hold your peace and say no more, fair and dear father," +saith the varlet; "know that there was need for this, and hereafter ye +shall learn the truth herein. And whatsoever ye see me do, be not angry, +but follow and be silent, for all is done in reason." And the youth so +wrought with the hermit that he durst say no more, but goeth after him +with bent head. + +At evening they came to a city and besought lodging in many places, but +could find none; ever it behooved them to pass on, for in that they were +penniless the simplest folk looked askance at them; for still in many +places do men love money dearer than God,--great is the pity and the +blame thereof. The hermit and the varlet who were weary and wet to the +skin, for it had rained the day long, sat them down upon the perron +before the door of a great house. Both entreated the master thereof, +but little they won thereby, for he refused them aught. Then saith the +hermit to the varlet: "Certes, fair brother, I am sore weary, and here +have we no shelter from the rain, let us rather creep under yonder +pent-house." "Nay," saith the varlet, "let us call out again, for yet +will I lodge within." And they so clamoured and beat upon the door that +for very weariness they were suffered to enter and take refuge beneath +the stairway, where was strewn a little of musty straw. "Here ye may +rest until the morning," quoth the damsel; and so withdrew her, and left +the twain in small comfort, for they had neither eaten nor drunk, nor +had they either light or fire. + +The master of the house was a usurer, full rich in gear and gold; but +rather would he go without bread the day long than give a farthing to +God, for the devil had him in his toils. Now that night when he had +taken his pleasure and eaten and drunk plenteously, a few peas were +yet left that might not be eaten, and these he sent to his guests. The +damsel brought them the dish, but if she gave them a light I know not. +Thus then they passed the night, and when the day dawned the hermit +saith: "Now let us go hence." "What say ye, sir?" the varlet made +answer; "for naught would I depart and if I did not first commend our +host to God. I go now to take leave of him, and inasmuch as he hath +given us lodging I would give him this good hanap that is neither of +pine nor maplewood but of fair and well polished mazer,"--the same it +was which he had taken from the hermit. Therewith the varlet mounted +the stairway, and in the chamber above he met with his host. "Sir," he +saith, "we would fain take leave of you; and in return for our lodging +we give you this hanap which is right fair, for we would be just and +naught beholden unto you." "Now as God may aid me, here is a proper +guest," saith the burgher, and taketh the cup. "Fair sir, come ye often +back hither; and may God keep ye, for fair is the bargain." So leave +taken, the varlet went his way, and with him the hermit. + +When they were without the city, "Varlet," saith the hermit, "I know not +whether it be in my despite thou dost so bear thyself; thou didst rob +the good hermit who was a religious, and now to this man who entertained +us so churlishly thou hast given a gift; such deeds are against reason." +"Good sir, I pray you hold your peace," saith the varlet, "you are no +sage, instead you were brought up in these woods and wastes, and know +not good from evil. Now follow me and fear naught, for as yet ye have +seen but little." + +That day they made good speed, and at night came to a convent wherein +the monks gladly gave them lodging, and let serve them freely and +bounteously; for great was the brotherhood and full rich in land and +rents and harvest, and thereto many a fair house was theirs; no fear +had they of times of dearth. Right well were those twain lodged; but in +the morning when they were shod for their journey, the varlet lighted +a brand and laid it at the foot of his bed. There was good plenty of +straw, and the room was low, and lightly the blaze caught. Then the +youth called to the hermit to hasten, saying: "Hie you fast, for anon +the fire will run through all the place." And the hermit made what speed +he might, for of the deed he was in sore fear. The varlet goeth before +him, and leadeth him up a great hill from the top whereof he looketh +abroad, and saith to the hermit: "Lo you, how clear and bright the abbey +burneth." But the hermit crieth out aloud, and teareth and beateth his +breast. "Woe and alas! what will become of me? Unhappy the father that +engendered me, unhappy she who bore me, and most unhappy me in that I +have lost all. Alack for my soul and my salvation! Lo now, I have become +a burner of houses; never was man so wofully betrayed. Alack the day +that I met this youth, and woe is me that I became his comrade, for he +hath robbed me of my life and my soul!" And sore he rendeth himself with +his nails. Thereupon the varlet cometh to him and beginneth to comfort +him. "Nay, I have no love for thee," saith the good man; "thou hast +taken from me my life." "Sir," the youth maketh answer, "ye do wrong to +make such sorrow for naught. In the beginning I covenanted with you to +do these things, and thereby to bring you to wisdom; now come away and +say no more." And he so soothed the good man that he led him away in +quietness. + +All that day they fared on together, and at night they came to a city +that stood beside a wide river, and whereof the burghers were rich and +of good conditions. The youth made great cheer in that he knew the place +well, and goeth straight unto a house wherein it seemeth him they might +lodge at their ease. He cometh to the door with his master and asketh +shelter in God's name. And right good cheer was theirs methinketh, for +the burgher was a goodly man. A wife he had, and one child, a boy whom +they dearly loved; no other had they and they were already waxing old; +and the boy was ten years of his age. They washed the feet of the two +travellers, and gave them to eat and to drink, and let them sleep until +the day. In the morning when the time was come to depart, "Fair host," +the varlet saith, "lend us the child for a little, that he may guide +us beyond the bridge since we must pass that way." "That will I gladly. +Come, fair son," and straightway the boy riseth up; he goeth before, +and the other twain follow after. Now when they were come to the bridge, +where there was neither edge-stone nor parapet, the varlet so jostled +the boy that he fell down into the water, and the stream swept him away +and drowned him. "Herein have we done well," saith the varlet; "and +stay, sir hermit, and ye will, for ye shall not be destroyed or slain." +But the hermit set himself to run, for he was all a-sweat with fear, and +well-nigh had he slain himself for sorrow. When he was come into the +fields he cast himself down. "Alas, unhappy that I am, what will become +of me," saith the hermit. "Woe worth the day whereon I was born, for +now I am come to despair and madness. Alas, caitiff that I am, why did I +leave the place whereto I was appointed and wherein I had come to my old +age? The devil hath betrayed and destroyed me. Never again shall I know +joy nor peace. Was I not a party to the burning of the abbey and the +death of the child? Christ! what will become of me? Now with mine own +hands will I slay myself!" + +Then saith the varlet within himself: "It behooveth me to go comfort +that old man and foolish." So he getteth his javelin into his hand and +cometh to the hermit, and saith: "Fond and simple that ye are, now give +ear unto me. I am nowise mad; and do ye hold your peace and hear reason +which shall bring you solace. Now shall be shown unto you the virtue of +my deeds which ye thought done against reason. Now give heed unto me, +fair, sweet sir; well know I that ye are a hermit, but ye were tempted +of the devil when ye thought to go forth into the world to seek out +a man of wisdom who knew all things, and who would tell you why God +made the world such as we now see it. You would seek to understand +his judgments, so do ye dote in your old age, whereas ye should have +amended and bettered thyself; no whit wouldst thou struggle against this +temptation, but thou didst wander forth from thy house, thou that wert +bewildered as a silly sheep. The devil would have put thee to shame, and +if God had not had pity upon thee, and sent a holy angel to thee to lead +and guide thee; for thy sake he sent me to the earth,--for know that I +am an angel. And I have shown thee that thou soughtest to know, and that +which it was thy will to seek in the world, but thou knewest it not. Now +listen and thou shalt learn. + +"And for the dead body which lay in the wood and rotted upon the ground, +and whereof ye smelt so great a stink that ye might not aid me +therewith,--it is but in the course of nature that a body should rot, +and therefore should it be buried; but such odour vexes me not, nor was +it displeasing to Jesus Christ, for it is nowise contrary to nature; +therefore I had no will to hide my face, but thou that wert neither God +nor angel might not endure it. But when I saw the knights and squires +and ladies that came from such a feast, each with a chaplet of flowers +upon his head, and all fulfilled with luxury, they so stunk in my +nostrils that it behooved me to hold my nose. Such evil odours rise even +to God in paradise, and he lamenteth them to his own; Jesus Christ will +revenge him of such sin and wickedness; and for them, they are filled +with such vileness I have no will to say more thereof; and for the stink +of them I covered my face. + +"And now I will tell thee of the hermit whose hanap I stole, which deed +seemed evil in thy sight. But the cup did him much hurt, for that he +gave himself more toil and trouble in the rubbing and polishing thereof +than he took in praying to God; to it he gave the greater part of his +days and thereby was he come to sore peril, for it is God's will that +a man should love naught save him only, and the more if that man be +a hermit and a religious. Now there are certain men who hold their +possessions so dear that they will lend them to none, and rather than +so do they hide them away; and this methinketh is a great sin, that they +should make of them an indulgence and an idol; and certes, he is but +foolish who enters into religion and giveth not his whole heart to God. +Now the hermit had set his heart upon the drinking-cup which he loved +overmuch, and therefore God willed that I should take it from him. + +"And again I will tell thee of the usurer who left us to call and +clamour at his door, and where we entered only through vexation. In the +morning when it was time to depart, I told thee I would take courteous +leave of our host and would give him the hanap; God willed that I should +so do, for else the usurer, when he received his damnation, might have +said: 'Lord, Lord, I gave lodging to thy people; can I in justice be +damned?' But God cares naught for the alms of such as he, and no usurer +shall be saved if he does not return that which he hath wrongfully +received of others; God will not permit or suffer him to give in charity +the goods which are not rightfully his. If he bringeth a poor man into +his house and shareth with him his bread, God will straightway return +it to him again. Here and now, in this world, he taketh his portion, for +into no other paradise shall he come. And therefore fair, sweet friend, +God willed that he should be doubly paid by us. Now judge if it were +well done." + +"I am content," saith the hermit; "but tell me now of the abbey, and +wherefore ye set fire to it; surely herein thou didst ill." Saith +the angel: "I will tell thee in all truth. When the order was first +established it was poor and unfavoured; the monks lived without +chattels or revenue, yet they had sufficient unto each day, for God +gave plenteously unto them that were their purveyors. In those days the +brethren of the convent led holy lives and served God with all their +might; and never, either morning or evening, did they neglect or fail +of prayer. But now they had come to such a pass the order was going to +destruction, their rule was no longer heeded by them, for they would not +look before, and feared neither God nor man. Despite all their rents +and goods they had no will to visit the poor nor aid them, nor do aught +in charity. To get money and heap up wealth that they might take their +pleasure, they grew false and cruel. Each one thought to be abbot, or at +the least, provost, steward or cellarer; and each one was all desirous +to have his the richest abbey. The churches and chapterhouses were +neglected, and the refectory and halls were given over to idle talk and +tale telling; and God willed that they should lose these things and +become poor. Never shall ye hear praise of a rich monk; but know ye +well a monk should be lowly, and he would be truly religious. Among +the poor shall ye find God, there is his true hostel upon the earth; and +therefore it was God's will to bring these monks again to poverty, to +amend them of their folly and sin. Those who desired power and place +will no longer, in that it would now yield them nought. They will build +them new houses nought so rich as before, and the poor labourer will +gain somewhat of the wealth of the monks, who henceforth will be more +compassionate. For such reasons God made me to kindle the fire that +destroyed all the convent." Quoth the hermit: "Well didst thou do, and +herein I hold me content. But why didst thou drown the child of the good +man who made us such cheer? For nought will I believe that was not very +murder." Saith the angel: "Now hear why this was done in all justice; +wise is he who learneth well. + +"Now know, fair and dear hermit, the good man ye saw yesterday and who +entertained us with such good will, had lived together with his wife for +thirty years uprightly. Never a poor man came to his house but he gave +him lodging and shared with him what he had, and so much of his fortune +he gave away for God's sake that little was left him thereof; and he +shone with charity. But much he desired to have a son, that he might +leave his lands to him and teach him to serve God with all his heart. +Many prayers he made to heaven, and many tears he wept, and at last God +granted them a child. Ten years of age or more he had come to be, and +the good man had grown hard of heart because of the son to whom he would +bequeath his goods, and had so set himself to the heaping up of money +that his heart had no other thought; that which had been his wont he +turned from, and had grown cold and fainthearted; his good deeds he +forgot, and within a short space he would have become a usurer rather +than see his child poor in goods and heritage; it was in his heart, and +such a thought would soon have come to him that all his well doing had +been undone, and he had lost his soul and that of his son. But now +through the loss of the child he hath escaped all peril, and the child +knew nought of sin, wholly pure he was, wherefore he was taken to such a +place that his soul is now in paradise. And his father will amend him, +and he and the mother will be more fearful, and will turn to deeds of +charity. So all three shall be saved, and God did graciously to the +parents in that he took the child to his profit. Now have I made known +to you, fair, sweet friend, the reason of my deeds. In this wise God +hath shown you how divers are his judgments, that in this world he taxes +his people and renders them poor and destitute; and ofttimes grants great +riches to his enemies, for that they shall have no part in heaven. So +it is even as I tell you; and now may I abide here no longer; bethink +ye of well doing, get ye back to your hermitage and do penance." And +forthright the youth changeth his semblance, and became a wondrous +angel; and he rose into heaven, singing, "Gloria in excelsis Deo." + +To the hermit it seemed he had heard him for too short a space, and fain +had he not been parted from such joy. He cast himself upon the ground +and stretched out his arms in the form of the cross, and weeping, gave +thanks to God for the goodness he had shown him. He returned again to +the hermitage which he had left in his folly; there he lived all his +life, and when death came to him God saved his soul, and crowned it in +paradise. + +Now may God grant us in this life such desire of well doing that we +shall win the light whereby we may know God and man. + + + + +The Jousting of Our Lady + + +[Illustration] + +Sweet Jesus, what a fair feat of arms he doth, and how nobly he bears +his part in the tourney who of good will entereth the minster wherein +is celebrated the holy mystery of the sweet son of the Virgin Mother. +To show this I will now tell a story, even as I found it in the book +of examples. + +A knight, sage and courteous, hardy and of great valiance, that none in +all chivalry was of so great worship, held ever in great love Mary the +Virgin. To prove his valiance and to exercise his body in feats of arms +he was on his way to a tourney, armed and fortified in his joy. So it +befell on the day of the jousting, that he to please God rode forth full +hastily, for fain would he be first in the field. But anon from a church +hardby he heard the bells give signal of the singing of holy mass. And +straightway the knight turned into the church to listen to the service +of God. Within they sang nobly and devoutly a mass in praise of Mary +the Holy Virgin; and then straightway they began another. Full well +the knight gave ear and prayed with good heart to Our Lady. + +Now when the second mass was done a third was begun forthright in the +same place. Thereupon his squire bespoke the knight: "Sir, by the holy +body of God the hour of the tourney is passing, and do you yet linger +here? Come away I pray you. Think you to turn hermit, or devotee, or +hypocrite? Go we now about our own proper trade." "Friend," the knight +then made answer, "he jousts right nobly who listens to the service of +God. When all the masses are said and sung we will ride our way; and +if it please God, we will not leave before; but afterwards, for God's +honour, I will go joust full hardily." Thereafter he spoke no more, +but turned his face to the altar and remained at prayer until all the +chanting was ended. + +Then the twain mounted their horses, as it behooved them to do, and +fared forth towards the place wherein they were to take their sport. +But even as they rode, they met other knights returning from the tourney +which already had been fought out from end to end. And lo you, the +knight who came even then from mass was he who had won the prize. They +who were returning, greeted him and praised him, and said that never +had any knight done so great feats of arms as he had that day done, and +always thenceforth would the honour thereof be his. Many there were who +surrendered themselves to him, saying: "We are your prisoners, this we +may not deny, nor that you won us by force of arms." Then was the knight +no longer abashed, for he understood speedily that she for whose sake he +had stayed him in the church had borne his part in the battle. + +Frank and free he called his barons about him, and said to them: "Now +give ear, all ye of your courtesy, for I would tell you of such a marvel +that never have ye heard its like." Then he told them point by point how +he had waited to hear out the masses, and had not entered the lists, nor +fought with either lance or shield, but he believed that the Maid whom +he had worshipped within the church had fought for him in his stead. +"Right wondrous is the tourney wherein she hath jousted for me, yet I +should make small account thereof and if I did not now do combat for +her; foolish and simple would I be and if I turned me again to the +vanities of the world." And so of a sooth he promised God that never +thenceforth would he tourney save before the true judge, who knoweth +all good knights and passeth sentence upon them according to their +deeds. Then he took leave full piteously, and many a one wept thereat +right tenderly. But he departed from them, and in an abbey of monks +thenceforth served the Virgin Mary, and methinks he held to the path +that leadeth to a good end. + +By this ensample we may well see that the gentle God, whom we worship, +loves and cherishes and honours him who gladly stays him to hear mass +in holy church, and who gladly does service to his fair, sweet Mother. +Fruitful is the custom thereof, and he who is sage and courteous +willingly practises good manners; for what the colt learneth in +teething time that will he hold to so long as he liveth. + + + + +The Order of Chivalry + + +[Illustration] + +Well it is when the wise man speaketh, for thereby may we win much of +wisdom and good and courtesy; well it is to haunt the company of him who +taketh heed to his ways and setteth not his heart upon folly. For as +we read in Solomon, the man who hath understanding doeth well in all +things, and if at whiles he fail in aught unwittingly, lightly should +he be forgiven, inasmuch as he would forsake his wrongdoing. + +But now it behooveth me to speak and tell and relate a tale I heard of +a king in the land of paynimry, who of old was a right great lord and a +full loyal Saracen. Saladin was his name; cruel he was, and many a time +did great hurt to our faith and damage to our folk by his pride and +outrageousness; until upon a time it fell that a prince came to do +battle with him. Hugh of Tabarie he hight, and with him was a great +company of knights of Galilee, for he was lord of that land. Many +good deeds of arms were done that day, but it was not the will of the +Creator, whom we call the King of Glory, that the victory should be with +us, for there Prince Hugh was taken prisoner. He was led away down the +streets, and forthwith brought before Saladin, who greeted him in his +own tongue which he knew right well. "By Mahomet," so saith the king, +"I am right glad of thy taking, Hugh; and now one thing I promise thee, +either thou must die or render great ransom." "Since you give me choice +herein," Hugh answered him, "I will take the ransom, if it be that I +have the wherewithal to defray it." "Yea," so saith the king to him, +"thou shalt give over to me a hundred thousand besants." "Ha, sir, that +could I not compass, even were I to sell all my land." "In sooth ye +shall do it," quoth Saladin. "But by what means, sir?" "Thou art of +great valiance and full of high chivalry, and no man of worth will +refuse thee when thou askest for thy ransom, but will give thee a fair +gift; and in this wise thou shalt aquit thee." "Now I would fain ask +thee how I may depart from here?" And Saladin made answer: "Hugh, thou +shalt pledge me on thy word and thy law that two years from to-day +without fail thou shalt have paid thy ransom, or thou wilt return again +to my prison; on these terms ye may depart." "Sir," saith he, "I give +thee good thanks, and even so make pledge." + +Then he straightway asked leave in that he would return again to his own +country, but the king took him by the hand and led him away into his own +chamber, and gently besought him: "Hugh," he saith, "by the faith that +ye owe to the God of your law, make me wise for I am fain to know all +the Order of Chivalry, and how knights are made." "Fair sir," Hugh made +answer, "this I may not do." "Why so, fair sir?" "Even that will I tell +thee. In thee the holy order of knighthood would be ill bestowed, for +thou art of the false law, and have neither faith nor baptism. It were +great folly were I to deck and cover a dunghill with cloth of silk to +the end it should no longer stink; in no wise could I compass it; and +even so would I misdo, were I to invest thee with this order; never +would I dare do it, for much would I be blamed." "Not so, Hugh," saith +he, "no blame would be thine herein, for thou art my prisoner and +needs must do my will, howsoever much it mislike thee." "Sir, if I must +perforce do this thing, and no denial will avail, do it I will without +more caviling." + +Thereupon Hugh beginneth to show him all it behooved him to do, and let +dress his hair and beard and face right fairly, as is meet for a new +knight. And next he made him enter a bath, and when the soudan asked him +what this might signify, "Sir," he made answer, "this bath wherein you +are bathed is to signify that even as the child which is born in sin +issueth out of the font pure after baptism, even so, sir, should you +issue forth clean of all felony, and be fulfilled with courtesy; for you +should bathe in honesty and courtesy and kindliness, that you may come +to be loved of all men." "God! right fair is this beginning," then said +the king. And thereafter he was taken out of the bath, and laid in a +goodly bed which was dight right heedfully. "Hugh, tell me now without +fail what this bed betokeneth." "Sir, this bed signifieth to you that by +your chivalry you should win the bed of Paradise that God granteth to +his friends; for this is the bed of rest, and great is the folly of him +who will not lie therein." + +Now when he had lain in that bed for a little space, they raised him up, +and clothed him in white garments of linen. Then again Hugh spake in his +own tongue: "Take not this thing lightly, for these white garments that +cover your body give you to understand that a knight should always +study to keep his flesh pure if he would attain to God." Thereafter he +invested him with a robe of scarlet, whereat Saladin marveleth much why +the prince so dighteth him. "Hugh," he saith, "now what does this robe +betoken?" And Hugh of Tabarie maketh answer: "Sir, this robe giveth +you to understand that you must hold you ready to shed your blood for +the defense of holy church, that it be wronged of no man; for so it +behooveth a knight to do, if he would fain please God: this the scarlet +colour betokeneth." "Hugh," saith he, "much I marvel." Thereafter the +knight did upon his feet shoes of dark and fine-wrought say, and saith +to him: "Sir, of a sooth, this black foot-gear should remind you to hold +death ever in remembrance, and the earth wherein you shall lie, that +dust from which you came and to which you shall return again; upon this +you should set your eye, and fall not into pride; for pride should not +hold sway over a knight, nor have any place within him, but he should +seek simplicity in all things." "All this is right good to hear," saith +the king, "and rejoiceth me much." + +Thereafter he stood upon his feet, and Hugh girt him about with a white +girdle finely wrought. "Sir, by this girdle you are given to understand +that you should keep your flesh, your reins and all your body pure, even +as in virginity, and scorn and blame all luxury. For a true knight +greatly loveth purity of body, that he sin not herein, in that such +vileness is sore hated of God." And the king maketh answer: "Good is +uprightness." Next Hugh did two spurs upon his feet, and said to him: +"Even as swift as you would have your horse, and eager for the race when +you smite him with your spurs, and that he turn quickly this way or that +according to your will, even so these golden spurs betoken that ye be +eager to serve God all your life; for so do all knights that love God +with their very hearts, always they serve him loyally." Well pleased +therewith was Saladin. + +Thereafter he was girt with a sword, and asked what the blade might +signify. "Sir," saith Hugh, "ward and surety against the onset of the +foe. The sword is two-edged, even as you see, which giveth you to +understand that always should the knight have both justice and loyalty; +which is to say, meseemeth, that he should always protect the poor that +the rich may not tread them down, and support the weak that the strong +may not bring them to shame. Even such is the work of mercy." Saladin, +who hath given good heed to his words, agreeth well thereto. Next Hugh +set upon his head a coif all of white, and of this likewise the Sultan +asked the meaning. "Look you sir," saith Hugh, "even as you know the +coif to be without spot, but that, fair and white, clean and pure, it +crowneth your head, even so upon the Day of Doom must we straightway +render up the soul pure and clean of our sins and all the wrong that the +body ever doeth to God, that we may earn the delights of Paradise,--for +tongue may not tell, nor the ear hear, nor the heart dream what is the +beauty of that Paradise which God granteth to his friends." + +The king gave heed to all this, and thereafter asked if there were now +no more to be done. "Yes, fair sir, but this one thing I dare not." "And +what may it be?" "Sir, the accolade." "But why have you not given it to +me and told its significance?" "Sir, it is the reminder of him who girt +a knight with his gear and invested him with the order; but never will +I give it to you, for though I am in your power I ought to do no felony +for aught that may be said or done to me, wherefore I will not give you +the accolade; and this you must hold for true. But none the less I will +show and tell and teach you the four weightiest matters that a knight +should know and hold to all his life, if he would fain win honour. + +"First of all let him have no part in false judgments, or be in that +place wherein is treason, but flee from it right speedily, for if he may +not change the wrong, let him straightway depart from it. Full fair is +the second charge: that he in no wise miscounsel dame or damsel, but if +they have need of him, aid them he must with all his might, if he would +have glory and praise; for a knight should hold women in honour and do +high deeds in their defense. Now soothly the third point is that he +should practise abstinence; and truly I tell you that he should fast on +Friday in holy remembrance of Jesus Christ, that for our redemption he +was smitten with the spear and gave pardon to Longinus. All his life +through should the knight fast upon that day for the sake of our Lord +Jesus Christ,--if he be not forced to fail of it by reason of sickness, +or of fellowship, and if for such cause he fail of his fast it behooveth +him to make peace with God by alms-giving or other good deeds. And +lastly, the fourth charge is that he should hear mass each day, and if +he have the wherewithal should make offering, for right well is that +gift placed that is laid upon the table of God, for so it beareth great +virtue." + +The king hath given right good heed to all that Hugh telleth him, and +hath great joy therein. And now he riseth, dight even as he is, and +goeth straight into his hall, where were assembled fifty amirals, all of +his own land. He sitteth down in his great chair; and Hugh sat at his +feet, but right soon the king raised him up, and showed him to one of +the high seats, and spoke, saying: "Know now of a sooth that I would +fain make thee a fair gift in that thou art a man of valour and worth, +for I promise thee fairly that if any of thy folk are taken, in melee or +battle, they shall for thy sake go free, if thou wilt come to ask it. +But thou shalt ride through my land peacefully and without disorder; +hang thy helm on the neck of thy palfrey in all men's sight, that no man +may do thee any hurt. And of thy folk that are now in my prison I will +surrender ten of them to thee, if thou wouldst fain take them hence with +thee." "Gramercy sir," saith Hugh, "for this deed deserveth good thanks. +But I would not forget that thou didst bid me whenever I met with a man +of worth, that I ask him to aid me in my ransom; now none know I of so +great worth as thou thyself, sir king, wherefore give me somewhat, as +is meet in that thou didst bid me ask." Whereupon Saladin laughed and +spoke, even as a man well pleased, saying: "Thou hast begun right well, +and freely and fairly will I give thee fifty thousand good besants, for +I would not that thou shouldst fail through me." Thereafter he arose and +said to Hugh: "Go now to each baron and I will go with thee." And he +spoke to them, saying, "Lords, give us wherewith to help ransom this +high prince." Then the amirals there gathered began to give to him, so +that he had his full ransom, and thirteen thousand besants over and +above, so much they gave and promised him. + +Thereafter Hugh asked leave to go from the land of paynimry. "Nay," +saith the king, "go thou shalt not until thou hast received the residue +of that they have promised us, for out of my own treasury shall be taken +those thirteen thousand besants of pure gold." Whereupon he commanded +his treasurer that he give the besants to Hugh, and thereafter claim +them again from those who had made promise to give. And the treasurer +hath justly measured out the besants, and given them over to Count Hugh +who must needs take them, though liefer had he left them behind, for he +was fain to ransom his folk who were in thraldom and sore captivity in +the hands of the Saracens. But when Saladin heard this, he swore by +Mahomet that never should they be ransomed; and Hugh, when he heard him +say so, had great wrath in his heart, but inasmuch as the king had sworn +by Mahomet, he did not make bold to press him further, for he dared not +anger him. + +Then he bade array his ten companions, the which he was free to take +back into his own land. Yet thereafter he abode and tarried a good +eight days in high feasting and great delight, but at the end demanded +safe-conduct through that land of disbelief. And Saladin granted him +good store of his men, fifty there were who without pride or felony +escorted them through the land of paynimry, that they had no let or +hindrance on the way. Then the Saracens turned back, and each departed +into his own land; and the Prince of Galilee likewise returned home, +but sore he grieved because of his folk he must needs leave behind +him; he might no wise amend it, yet he was more wroth thereat than any +man beside. So into his own land he came with those ten and no more. +Thereupon he divided the great treasure he had brought with him, and +gave of it to many a man who thereby grew wealthy. + +Lords, this tale should be welcome to good folk, but to others it shall +be as nought, for they understand no better than silly sheep. By the +faith I owe to God in Paradise, he will of a sooth lose his jewels who +casteth them before swine, for know ye they will tread them underfoot, +and take no delight therein, for they have not wit thereto, rather they +will take them all awry. And whoso should tell this tale to such like, +he too would be spurned and held as nought by their folly. But whoso +would learn herein may find two things right goodly in this same tale: +one, in the beginning, telleth the manner wherein knights are made, such +as all men should honour, inasmuch as they defend us all. For if it were +not for chivalry little would our baronage avail, for 'tis the knights +defend Holy Church, and do justice against those who would mishandle us; +and I will not withhold me from their praise. He who loveth them not +showeth himself a fool, even as one who should steal away the chalices +from the table of God before our eyes, and might not be restrained +therefrom. Now their righteousness taketh heed that by them we have +good defense; for if they did not repulse evil folk the good might not +endure, and there would be none left save Albigenses and Saracens and +Barbarians and folk of the false law who would make us deny our faith. +But such as these stand in fear of knights, wherefore of us those same +should be held right dear, and exalted and honoured, and we should +always rise upon our feet when from afar we see them coming. Certes, we +should scorn those who hold them of little worth. And now I tell you of +a sooth the knight is privileged to have all his arms and to bear them +in holy church when he goeth to hear mass, that no ill man may interrupt +the service of the Son of Mary, or that of the Holy Sacrament whereby +we win salvation; and if any seek to hinder it, him the knight may slay +forthwith. + +Yet a little more it behooveth me to say: come what may, do ye the +right. This command is laid upon the knight, and if we are to hold him +dear, let him give good heed to it. And boldly I tell you that if he +live according to his order, he cannot fail of coming straight into +Paradise. So have I taught you this: do that you ought, and honour +knights above all other men, save only the priest who doth the sacrament +of God's own body. + +Now soothly I tell you by this tale ye may know the truth of what befell +Prince Hugh, who was right brave and wise. And inasmuch as he found him +full valiant, Saladin praised him, and bade great honour be done to him, +in that he did good with all his might, for thereby may one win great +worth. And I find writ in Latin, good deeds bring a good ending. And now +at the end let us pray to him who is without end, that when we come to +the end of all things, we may so end that we shall win that pure joy +which for the good hath no end. And for him who wrote this, may he dwell +with Jesus Christ, and in the love of Saint Mary; amen, amen, saith each +and all. + +Here endeth The Order of Chivalry. + + + + +Epilogue + + +[Illustration] + +The tales in this volume are among the earliest examples of the French +short story that have come down to us. They grew up in that little +renaissance of the XII and XIII centuries, when the tradition that +literature must be epic, that it must tell of national heroes or the +history of some great house, was passing, and the trouvere was free to +take his matter where he found it and make of it what he would. Celtic +traditions, stories from the East or the classics, every day happenings, +old legends and new manners, all were turned to account, and woven, it +might be, into a long romance full of leisurely digressions, or retold +in a tale admirably compact. + +The short stories, like most of the literature of the time, were +composed in octo-syllabic rhyming couplets, verse narratives for +minstrels to recite. Of their authors for the most part we know nothing. +Their very names have vanished save in the few cases where they were +wrought into prelude or epilogue, and made part of the text: and to none, +with the exception of Marie de France can more than one or two tales be +attributed. So impersonal, however, are the stories that their being +anonymous matters little. We look to them not for the flavour of any one +man's mind, but for an impression of the age in which they were +produced, its shows and fashions, its manners, its sentiments and +ideals, its inheritance of early legends, of old, word-of-mouth +story-telling, stories which the trouveres dressed anew and preserved +to us. + +The tales fall into three main groups: _lais_, _fabliaux_, and _contes +devots_. The _lais_, like the romances to which they are close akin, +belong to the courtly literature of the time and found their audience in +hall and castle. Denis Pyramus, a contemporary, in writing of Marie de +France, tells us her lays were "beloved and held right dear by counts +and barons and knights," and that "ladies likewise took great joy and +delight in them." Like the romances which they helped to foster and +which superseded them, the lays tell of love and adventure, of enchantment +and strange happenings. In them side by side with the knights and +squires and ladies move fays and giants and werewolves. Their material +is that of folklore and fairy-tale. A knight hunting in the _lande +adventureuse_ meets a maiden in the forest who leads him to a castle +with green walls and shining towers. There he spends three days, and +when he would return home again, learns that three hundred years have +gone by, that the king, his uncle is dead and his cities have fallen, +and there lingers but a legend of the king's nephew who went out to hunt +the white boar and was lost in the forest. Often in such lays the old +fairy-tale simplicity, its matter-of-fact narration of the marvellous +survives; and yet in their somewhat spare brevity they have a grace and +charm that lets one feel the beauty, the wonder, or the tragedy of the +story. + +But the interest in the lays is not always that of the land of faery; +sometimes it is human enough, as in The Two Lovers where, despite the +old-time test and the magic potion, our delight is all in the maid and +the damoiseau "who hath in him no measure." Sometimes, as in Eliduc, we +find old, rude material--here a primitive Celtic tale of a man with two +wives ill cloaked by its additions of mediaeval Christianity--retold with +a strange gentleness and sweetness, and turned at moments into a story +of emotion and scruple. + +Both types occur in the lays of Marie de France,--the best that have +come down to us. Besides her lays she versified a collection of fables, +_Isopet_, and translated from the Latin _The Purgatory of Saint +Patrick_,--one of those other-world journeys that preceded the Divine +Comedy. Yet apart from her works we have no record of her life. She +herself in the prologue of her fables, tells her name: "I am called +Marie, and I am of France"; but that is all, and it is only the internal +evidence of her writings, their Anglo-Norman dialect, and a few chance +hints and phrases that have made scholars decide that she was a Norman, +or from that part of the Isle de France which borders upon Normandy, +that she lived and wrote in England in the second half of the twelfth +century, and that the unnamed king to whom she dedicated the lays was +Henry II. + +Marie makes no claim to originality of theme; in her prologues she tells +us she is but rhyming anew the stories "whereof the Bretons have made +lays." Just what the source was of the Celtic matter used by Marie and +other French writers of the time is a point of dispute among scholars. +Some will have it the tales came wholly from the Celts of Brittany, +others that they are derived only from those of Wales. But there is +reason in both theories, and the tendency now is to unite them. The +Normans of the continent had not a little to do with their Breton +neighbors of Armorica; sometimes they fought as enemies and sometimes +as allies. Again, in England the Normans early settled in South Wales, +and intermarriages were frequent. In both regions, then, they may well +have learned to know the songs and tales of the folk about them. + +But were they Welsh or Armorican, both history and romance bear +testimony to the popularity of Breton minstrels in France during the +twelfth century. No feast was complete without their music. Their lays +were sung to the accompaniment of a little harp called the _rote_, and +seem to have been given in their own tongue. But constantly in Marie and +other writers we find a distinction between the _lai_ and the _conte_, +and it seems probable that the songs were preceded by a short prose +narrative, or that prose and verse were interspersed after the manner of +_Aucassin and Nicolette_. In just what form the tales came to Marie, how +much she added to them, we cannot tell. We only know that her rendering +of them was to the liking of the time and was long popular. Denis +Pyramus tells us her writings were often repeated and often copied, +and we have manuscripts of them that date from a hundred years after +her time. + +As the _lai_ was the favorite literature of the courts the _fabliau_ was +that of the bourgeoisie, the proper kind of tale for telling at fairs or +guild-hall feasts, at gatherings where women were not present. In time +they are a little later than the _lais_, for beginning in the twelfth, +the thirteenth century is their chief period. They deal not with the +fanciful and the sentimental, but with the real and the comic; they +forego magic and miracle for the happenings of every-day life. "When a +tale is historic," says M. de Montaiglon, who has given us a complete +edition of this type of story, "or when it is impossible, when it is +devout or didactic, when it is imaginative or romantic, lyric or poetic, +it can by no means be classed as a _fabliau_." + +At their worst they are often gross, often puerile, mere _contes pour +rire_ from which the laughter has long ago faded; but at their best they +interest by the very fact that they mark an early venture into the real. +They show us plainly the figures of the time, knights that put their +lands in pawn that they might follow tourneys, the rich bourgeois riding +armed to one of the great fairs, the minstrel ready to recite a _chanson +de geste_ or carry a love message. Light and gay, always brief and to +the point, they tell good humoredly of the odd chances of life, they +satirize manners and morals. Unlike the lays that idealize women, they +ridicule them; and they are ready to mock the villein, the lords of the +earth, or the saints in heaven. + +Often the story they tell is of eastern origin, often one of those +stories that reappear in all times and among many races. Sometimes it +is only a situation, a figure or two that they give us. Two minstrels +meet and mock one another; each boasts his skill and decries that of +the other, each enumerates his repertory, and in so doing hopelessly +confuses the names and incidents of well-known romances of the time: +"I know all about Kay the good knight; I know about Perceval of Blois, +and of Pertenoble le Gallois." Each, as he brags, sets before us the +stock in trade of the minstrel of the time; each shows his own utter +incompetence,--and that is all the story. If the tale has a moral, as in +_The Divided Blanket_, it is but the moral of common sense. If it tells +a romance, as in _The Gray Palfrey_, it is still kept within the solid +world of pounds and pence. We are told precisely concerning everybody's +income. The heroine shows herself as accurate in her knowledge of the +property of the hero's uncle as would one of the practical-minded damsels +of Balzac. Her rescue is brought about not by the help of magic or +knightly adventure, but by a lucky chance; the conclusion turns upon a +sleepy escort and a horse's eagerness for his stable. Time and place, +again, are definitely specified. In the lays it is usually, "Once upon a +time," or "Of old, there lived a king," but _The Divided Blanket_ begins: +"Some twenty years ago, a rich man of Abbeville left his home and came +up to Paris." + +More limited in scope than the other tales of the period, they at least +accomplish their aim, that is, they give us a swift and entertaining +narrative. "A little tale wearies less than a long one," says one of +the prologues, and most of the _fabliaux_ contrive to tell their story +in four or five hundred lines. Peculiarly Gallic in character, they +influenced the literature of other countries less than did the French +lays and romances, they were less often imitated and translated. In +France they were popular for two hundred years; then we hear no more +of them. But in the fifteenth century, when printed books and the stage +were taking the place of the minstrel, we find, as M. de Montaiglon +points out, similar plots and situations, the same shrewd though not +deep observation, the same fashion of treating the every-day incidents +of life from the comic point of view recurring again in the farces. + +The church in the middle ages looked askance upon the minstrels and +their stock in trade; the sermons of the time denounce their "ignoble +fables," their "tales all falsehood and lying." But the church did +not only censure, it tried to supplant, and produced within its own +boundaries, quite apart from its more learned work in Latin, a large +body of narrative literature in the vulgar tongue. These religious +stories were written by lay clerks or by monks in the monastery schools, +and like other tales were spread abroad by minstrels. Those who recited +them were shown some favour, and M. Petit de Julleville quotes a +_Somme de Penitence_ of the thirteenth century which would admit to +the sacraments those "jongleurs who sing the exploits of princes and +the lives of the saints, and use their instruments of music to console +men in their sadness and weariness." + +Besides the lives of saints we have tales of miracles performed by Our +Lady, tales of penitence, tales of good counsel. As a whole they are +less interesting than the lay literature of the time. Written for +edification, many of them are rather bare little "examples" and their +authors show themselves more concerned with the lesson in point than +with the story. Others are told with more elaboration and skill and +give us good tale-telling. Sometimes, as in _The Angel and the Hermit_, +an ancient story is given a mediaeval setting. M. Gaston Paris, in +_La Poesie au Moyen Age_, has traced the history of this tale, which, +originally of Jewish invention, has travelled all over Europe; a tale +that was given a place in the _Koran_, and that was told both by Luther +and Voltaire, besides its good rendering by some unknown clerk of +France. Another story, _Theophilus_, gives a version of the Faust +legend, and tells the story of a man who has made a compact with the +devil, but who in this case is saved in the end by Our Lady. + +But if among the _contes devots_ tales as vivid as that of the proud +knight on whom was laid the penance of the cask are rare, there are yet +not a few that charm us by their mere sincerity and simplicity, that +interest by revealing to us the superstitions and the beliefs of the +time. They show us how vividly present to men's minds was the triple +division of the world, how concrete that heaven and hell, whence issued +on the one side the demons, on the other the Virgin and the saints to +take share in the combat on earth for men's temptation and salvation. +To turn the pages of a collection of these stories is like looking up +at the dim, stiff figures of some early fresco, to see again, say, the +strife of angels and devils for souls in The Triumph of Death on the +walls of the Campo Santo in Pisa. + +Just as the spirit of the _fabliaux_ is found again in the farces, so +that of the _contes devots_ continues in the miracle plays. But when, +in the fifteenth century, prose drives out verse narrative, all three +types of tale cease. In the renaissance and for long after they were +neglected. It was in the eighteenth century, with its curiosity +concerning the mediaeval, that men turned back to the manuscripts so long +disregarded. Barbazan brought out a collection of texts, and Legrand +d'Aussy published a collection of abridgments of twelfth and thirteenth +century tales. Since then, various editors, both French and German, have +made the best of the tales available to us. + +Taken together, apart from the pleasure of the story for the story's +sake, they give us a fresh sense of the time in which they were written, +its feasts and tourneys bright with the gold and the vair; its wars, its +interrupted traffic and barter; its license, its asceticism; its prayers +and its visions. More than that, they interest us as standing midway +between the old and the new. In them one may look for fragments of +vanished stories, bits of myth and folklore, salvage of an age that told +its tales instead of writing them; and, at the same time, we find in +them the beginnings of modern literature, the first of that long and +goodly line, the French short story. For all their simplicity they show +the beginnings of a shrewd observation, of delicate description, and +above all of compact narrative where no words are wasted. Already there +is a conscious artistic pride; Marie de France tells us she has waked +many a night in rhyming her verses; and "Know ye," one of the _fabliaux_ +charges us, "it is no light thing to tell a goodly tale." + + + + +Bibliography + +List of Texts followed in These Translations + + +The Lay of the Bird, _Le Lai de l'Oiselet_, edited by Gaston Paris, + Paris, 1884. Privately printed. + +The Two Lovers, The Woful Knight (Chaitivel), Eliduc: _Die Lais der + Marie de France_, edited by Karl Warnke, Halle, 1900. + +Melion, _Lai d'Ignaures, Suivi des Lais de Melion et du Trot_, edited + by Monmerque et Francisque Michel, Paris, 1832. + +The Lay of the Horn: _Le Lai du Cor_, edited by F. Wulf, Lunt, 1888. + Also Tobler's notes on the same, _Zeitschrift fuer Romanische + Philologie_, XII., 266. + +Of the Churl who Won Paradise, The Divided Blanket, The Gray Palfrey: + _Recueil des Fabliaux des xii^e et xiii^e Siecles_, edited by + A. de Montaiglon and G. Raynaud, 6 vols., Paris, 1872-90. + +The Knight of the Little Cask: _Zwei Altfranzoesische Dichtungen_, + _La Chastelaine de Saint Gille_, _Du Chevalier au Barisel_, + edited by O. Schultzgora, Halle, 1889. + +The Angel and the Hermit: _Nouveau Recueil de Fabliaux et Contes_, + edited by M. Meon, 2 vols. Paris, 1823. + +The Jousting of Our Lady: Chrestomatie de l'ancien francais, Karl + Bartsch, Leipzig, 1880. + +The Order of Chivalry: _Fabliaux et Contes_, edited by E. Barbazan, + and revised by M. Meon, 4 vols., Paris, 1808. + + + + +Translator's Note + + +NOTE.--In recent years, in various small books, a number of mediaeval +French tales, chiefly the lays, have been rendered accessible to English +readers, but no attempt has been made to bring together in a single +collection examples of the different types of tales. The translator has +tried within a small compass to show something of the range and scope of +the Old French short story, and at the same time to choose, as far as +might be, tales that had not been previously translated. + +Three of those included in the volume have, however, already been done +into English. _The Two Lovers_ and _Eliduc_ appeared in _Seven Lays +of Marie de France_, by Edith Rickert, London, 1901; and a metrical +translation by William Morris of _The Order of Chivalry_ was printed +in the Kelmscott Press edition of Caxton's _Order of Chivalry_. Of the +others, I believe, no complete English version has been made. Condensed +renderings, however, of _The Order of Chivalry_ and _The Lay of the +Bird_ occur in Way's Selections of Fabliaux and Tales, London, 1796 and +1800. Also Leigh Hunt used the plot of _Le Vair Palefroi_ for his poem +_The Palfrey_; and in Parnell's _Hermit_ an often told story is again +repeated, and the anchorite and his divine comrade move, strange +figures, through the ordered, eighteenth century landscape. + +Many of the Old French tales have been preserved to us in but a single +manuscript, with the result we have few critical texts. Such excellent +editions as Warnke's _Lais of Marie de France_ are rare, and the +translator often encounters difficulties by the way. Some of the +readings must perforce be conjectural, and others can but reproduce +the ambiguities of the original. At the end of _The Gray Palfrey_ +I have omitted altogether a long but incomplete sentence that begins +to tell us what happened next between the hero and his uncle. Zorak's +text of _Melion_ (_Zeitsckrift fuer Romanische philologie_, vol. vi.) +unfortunately did not come to my notice until these translations were +in press, too late to do more than borrow a few readings where Michel +is most unsatisfactory. + +A word should be said as to the grouping of the tales. The types are not +so distinct but that there is a borderland between the _lai_ and the +_fabliau_ in which are found a few examples with the characteristics of +each. _The Lay of the Bird_ is a case in point. Gaston Paris, in his +_Litterature Francaise au Moyen Age_, classes it as a _fabliau_ because +the story is not of Celtic but Eastern origin; yet M. de Montaiglon does +not admit it to his complete edition of the _Fabliaux_. Indeed, the +enchanted orchard, the talking bird, the sentiments, the praise of love +are all in the manner of the courtly poetry. It is therefore, on account +of its accessories, here included among the _lais_. + + * * * * * + + The Riverside Press + CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS + U.S.A. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales from the Old French, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES FROM THE OLD FRENCH *** + +***** This file should be named 36658.txt or 36658.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/6/5/36658/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, David Garcia and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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