Old French Romances, Done into English by William Morris (best free e reader .txt) 📗

were in this joy, the father of the fair lady went to seek Sir Robin and bespake him thus: “Sir Robin, fair sweet son, tidings can I say thee exceeding joyous us between.”  “Certes,” said Sir Robin, “of joy have I great need, for none save God can set rede to it whereby I may have joy.  For I have lost thy fair daughter, whereof have I sore grief at heart.  And thereto have I lost the swain and the squire, who of all in the world hath done me most good; to wit, John the good, my squire.”  “Sir Robin,” said the lord, “be ye nought dismayed thereof, for of squires thou shalt find enough.  But of my fair daughter I could tell thee good tidings; for I have seen her e’en now; and, wot ye well, she is the fairest lady that may be in the world.”  When Sir Robin heard that, he trembled all with joy and said to his lord: “Ah, sir, for God’s sake bring me where I may see if this be true!”  “With a good will,” said the lord; “come along now.”

The lord went before and he after, till I they were come to the chamber, where the mother was yet making great feast of her daughter, and they were weeping with joy one over the other.  But when they saw their rightful lords a-coming, they rose up; and so soon as Sir Robin knew his wife, he ran to her with his arms spread abroad, and they clipped and kissed together dearly, and wept of joy and pity; and they were thus embracing together for the space of the running of ten acres, or ever they might sunder.  Then the lord commanded the tables to be laid for supper, and they supped and made great joy.

After supper, when the feast had been right great, they went to bed, and Sir Robin lay that night with the Lady Jehane his wife, who made him great joy, and he her in likewise; and they spake together of many things, and so much that Sir Robin asked of her where she had been; and she said: “Sir, long were it to tell, but thou shalt know it well in time.  Now tell to me what thou couldest to do, and where thou hast been so long a while.”  “Lady,” said Sir Robin, “that will I well tell thee.”

So he fell to telling her all that she well knew, and of John his esquire, who had done him so much good, and said that he was so troubled whereas he had thus lost him, that he would make never an end of wandering till he had found him, and that he would bestir himself thereto the morrow’s morn.  “Sir,” said the lady, “that were folly; and how should it be then; wouldst thou leave me, then?”  “Forsooth, dame,” said he, “e’en so it behoveth me.  For none did ever so much for another as he did for me.”  “Sir,” said the dame, “wherein he did for thee, he did but duly.  Even so he was bound to do.”  “Dame,” said Sir Robin, “by what thou sayest thou shouldst know him.”  “Forsooth,” said the lady, “I should ought to know him well, for never did he anything whereof I wotted not.”  “Lady,” said Sir Robin, “thou makest me to marvel at thy words.”  “Sir,” said the lady, “never marvel thou hereof!  If I tell thee a word for sooth and for certain, wilt thou not believe me?”  “Dame,” said he, “yea, verily.”

“Well, then, believe me in this,” said she; “for wot of a verity that I am the very same John whom thou wouldest go seek, and I will tell thee how.  For I knew that thou wert gone for the great sorrow thou hadst for my misdoing against thee, and for thy land which thou deemedst thou hadst lost for ever.  Whereas I had heard tell of the occasion of the wager, and of the treason Sir Raoul had done, whereof I was so wroth as never woman was more wroth.  Straightway I let shear my hair, and took the money in my coffer, about ten pounds of Tournais, and arrayed me like an esquire, and followed thee away to Paris, and found thee at the tomb of Ysore; and there I fell into company with thee, and we went together into Marseilles, and were there together seven years long, where I served thee unto my power as my rightful lord, and I hold for well spent all the service that I did thee.  And know of a truth that I am innocent and just of that which the evil knight laid upon me; as well appeareth whereas he hath been shamed in the field, and hath acknowledged the treason.”

Therewith my lady Jehane embraced Sir Robin, her lord, and kissed him on the mouth right sweetly; for Sir Robin understood well that it was she that had so well served him; and so great joy he had, that none could say it or think it; and much he wondered in his heart how she could think to do that which so turned to her great goodness.  Wherefore he loved her the more all the days of his life.

Thus were these two good persons together; and they went to dwell upon their land, which they had both wide and fair.  Good life they led as for young folk who loved dearly together.  Sir Robin went often to tournays with his lord, of whose mesney he was, and much worship he won, and great prize he conquered and great wealth, and did so much that he gat him as much land again as he had had.  And when the lord and his lady were dead, then had he all the land.  And he did so well by his prowess that he was made a double banneret, and he had well four thousand pounds of land.  But never might he have child by his wife, whereof he was much grieved.  Thus was he with his wife for ten years after he had conquered the battle with Sir Raoul.

After the term of ten years, by the will of God, to whom we be all subject, the pain of death took hold of him, and he died like a valiant man, and had all his rights, and was laid in earth with great worship.  His wife the fair lady made so great sorrow over him, that all they that saw her had pity of her; but in the end needs must she forget her mourning and take comfort, for as little as it were.  Much abode the lady in her widowhood as a good dame and a holy, for she loved much God and Holy Church.  She held her much humbly and much she loved the poor, and did them much good, and was so good a lady that none knew how to blame her or to say of her aught save great good.  Therewithal was she so fair, that each one said who saw her, that she was the mirror of all ladies in the world for beauty and goodness.  But here leaveth the tale a little to speak of her, and returneth to tell of the King Florus, of whom it hath been silent a great while.

For saith the tale, that King Florus of Ausay was in his own country sore grieving, and ill at ease for the departure of his first wife.  Notwithstanding the other was brought unto him, and was both fair and dainty, but he could not hold her in his heart like as he did the first one.  Four years was he with her, but never child might he have of her; and when the said time was ended the pains of death took the a lady, and she was buried, whereof her friends were sore grieving.  But service was done unto her, as was meet to a queen.

Then abode King Florus in widowhood more than two years, and he was still a young man, whereas he was not of more than five-and-forty winters, wherefore the barons said to him that he behoved to marry again.  “Forsooth,” said King Florus, “so to do have I no great longing, for two wives have I had, and never child might I have by either.  And on the other hand, the first that I had was so good and so fair, and so much I loved her in my heart for the great beauty that was in her, that I may not forget her.  And I tell you well that never woman will I wed but may have her as fair and as good as was she.  Now may God have mercy on her soul, for she hath passed away in the abbey where she was, as folk have done me to wit.”  “Ha, sir,” said a knight, who was of his privy counsel, “there be many good dames up and down the country side, of whom ye know not all; and I know one who hath not for goodness and beauty her peer in the world.  And if thou knew her goodness, and saw but her beauty, thou wouldst say well that happy were the king who held the danger of such a lady.  And wot well that she is a gentle lady, and valiant, and rich, and of great lands.  And I will tell thee a part of her goodness so please thee.”

So the king said that he would well he should tell him.  Wherefore the knight fell to telling how she had bestirred her to go seek her lord, and how she found him and brought him to Marseilles, and the great goodness and great services which she did him, even as the tale hath told afore, so that King Florus wondered much thereat; and he said to the knight privily that such a woman he would take with a good will.

“Sir,” said the knight, who was of the country of the lady, “I will go to her, if it please thee, and I will so speak to her, if I may, that the marriage of you two shall be made.”  “Yea,” said King Florus, “I will well that thou go, and I pray thee to give good heed to the business.”

So the knight bestirred him, and went so much by his journeys that he came to the country where dwelt the fair dame, whom the tale calleth my Lady Jehane, and found her abiding at a castle of hers, and she made him great joy, as one whom she knew.  The knight drew her to privy talk, and told her of King Florus of Ausay, how he bade her come unto him that he might take her to wife.  When the lady heard the knight so speak, she began to smile, which beseemed her right well, and she said to the knight: “Thy king is neither so well learned, nor so courteous as I had deemed, whereas he biddeth me come to him and he will take me to wife: forsooth, I am no wageling of him to go at his command.  But say to thy king, that, so please him, he come to me, if he prize me so much and loveth me, and it seem good to him that I take him to husband and spouse, for the lords ought to beseech the ladies, and not ladies the lords.”  “Lady,” said the knight, “all that thou hast said to me, I will tell him straight; but I doubt that he hold not with pride.”  “Sir knight,” said the lady, “he shall take what heed thereof may please him but in the matter whereof I have spoken to thee, he hath neither courtesy nor reason.”  “Lady,” said the knight, “so be it, a-God’s name!  And I will get me gone, with thy leave, to my lord the king, and will tell him what thou hast told me.  And if thou wilt give me any word more, now tell it me.”  “Yea,” said the lady, “tell him that I send him greeting, and that I can him much good will for the honour he biddeth me.”

So the knight departed therewith from the lady, and came the fourth day thereafter to King Florus of Ausay, and found him in his chamber, whereas he was speaking with his privy counsel.  The knight greeted the king, who returned the greeting, and made him sit by his side, and asked tidings of the fair lady, and he told all her message how she would not come to him, whereas she was not his wageling to come at his command: for that lords are bound to beseech ladies how she had given him word that she sent him greeting, and could him goodwill for the honour he bade her.  When the King Florus had heard these words, he fell a-pondering, and spake no word for a great while.

“Sir,” said a knight who was of his most privity, “what ponderest