Arthurian Romances (69 page)

‘Indeed,' said she, ‘I do agree to this, because I'd be guilty of perjury if I did not do everything I could to make peace between us. So if you please, I grant it to you.'

‘My lady,' said he, ‘five hundred thanks! And as the Holy Spirit is my help, nothing in this mortal life that God could give would have brought such happiness.!'

Now my lord Yvain is reconciled, and you can be sure that he had never before been so happy for anything. Although he has been through suffering, now everything has turned out well, for he is loved and cherished by his lady, and she by him. He didn't recall any of the times of hardship, because the joy he felt for his sweet love made him forget them all. And Lunete, too, was very happy: she lacked for nothing now that she had established an unending peace between the noble Sir Yvain and his dear and noble lady.

Thus Chrétien brings to a close his romance of the Knight with the Lion. I've not heard any more about it, and you'll never hear anything more unless one adds lies to it.

EXPLICIT THE KNIGHT WITH THE LION

This manuscript was copied by Guiot; his shop is set up permanently before the church of Our Lady of the Valley.

H
E WHO
sows sparingly, reaps sparingly, but he who wishes to reap plentifully casts his seed on ground that will bear him fruit a hundredfold;
¹
for good seed withers and dies in worthless soil. Chrétien sows and casts the seed of a romance that he is beginning, and sows it in such a good place that it cannot fail to be bountiful, since he does it for the most worthy man in all the empire of Rome: that is, Count Philip of Flanders,
²
who surpasses Alexander, whom they say was so great. But I shall prove that the count is much more worthy than he, for Alexander had amassed within himself all the vices and wickedness of which the count is pure and exempt. The count is not the sort of man to listen to wicked gossip or vain words and if he hears evil spoken of another, no matter whom, it grieves him. The count loves true justice, loyalty, and Holy Church, and despises all wickedness. He is more generous than one realizes, for he gives without hypocrisy or deceit, in accord with the Gospel injunction that states: ‘Let not your left hand know the good your right hand is doing.'
³
But the receiver of his largesse knows, as does God, who sees all secrets and knows all that is hidden in our innermost hearts.

Why does the Gospel state: ‘Hide your good deeds from your left hand'? The left hand, according to tradition, stands for vainglory, which is derived from false hypocrisy. And what does the right stand for? Charity, which does not boast of its good deeds, but hides them, so that only He whose name is God and Charity knows of them.
⁴
God is Charity, and he who abides in charity, according to the Holy Writ – Paul states it and I read it there – abides in God and God in him.
⁵
Know truly therefore that the gifts given by the good count Philip are gifts of charity; for he consults no one except his noble honest heart, which urges him to do good. Is he not more worthy than Alexander, who cared not for charity or any good deeds? Indeed yes, have no doubt! Therefore Chrétien's efforts will not be in vain, since he
aims and strives by command of the count to put into rhyme the greatest story that has ever been told in royal court: it is the Story of the Grail, the book of which was given to him by the count. Hear now how he acquits himself of it.

It was in the season when trees flower, shrubs leaf, meadows grow green, and birds in their own tongue sing sweetly in the mornings, and everything is aflame with joy, that the son of the widow lady of the Waste Forest arose, effortlessly placed the saddle upon his hunter and, taking three javelins, left his mother's manor. He thought that he would go to see some harrowers in his mother's service, who were harrowing her oats with twelve oxen and six harrows.

As soon as he entered the forest his heart leapt within his breast because of the gentle weather and the songs he heard from the joyful birds; all these things brought him pleasure. Because of the sweet calm weather he lifted the bridle from his hunter's head and let it wander along grazing through the fresh green grass. Being a skilled thrower, he began to cast his javelins all around him: sometimes behind him, sometimes in front, sometimes low and sometimes high, until he heard five armed knights, in armour from head to toe, coming through the woods. And the approaching knights' armour made a great racket, for the branches of oak and hornbeam often slapped against the metal. Their hauberks all clinked, their lances knocked against the shields, and the metal of hauberks and the wood of shields resounded.

The boy heard but could not see the swiftly advancing knights; he marvelled and said: ‘By my soul, my lady mother spoke the truth when she told me that devils are more frightening than anything in the world. She instructed me to make the sign of the cross to ward them off, but I scorn her teaching and indeed I won't cross myself; instead, I'll strike the strongest of them at once with one of the javelins I am carrying so that none of the others, I believe, will dare approach me.'

Thus spoke the boy to himself before he saw them. But when he caught sight of them coming out of the woods, he saw the glittering hauberks and the bright, shining helmets, the lances and the shields – which he had never seen before – and when he beheld the green and vermilion glistening in the sunshine and the gold, the blue and silver, he was captivated and astonished, and said: ‘Lord God, I give You thanks! These are angels I see before me. Ah! In truth I sinned grievously and did a most wicked thing in saying they were devils. My mother did not lie to me when she told me that angels were the most beautiful creatures alive, except God, who is the most beautiful of
all. Yet here I see God Almighty in person, I think, for one of them – so help me God – is more than ten times more beautiful than any of the others. And my mother herself said that one must believe in God and adore, worship, and honour Him. So I shall adore that one there and all the angels with Him.' He flung himself to the ground at once and recited his entire Creed and all the prayers he knew that his mother had taught him.

And the leader of the knights saw him and said to the others: ‘Stay back, for the sight of us has made this boy fall to the ground in fright. If we all approach him together, I think he would be so frightened that he would die and not be able to answer any questions I might put to him.'

They pulled up, and their leader rode swiftly on towards the boy and greeted and reassured him, saying: ‘Don't be afraid, young man!'

‘I'm not, by the Saviour I believe in,' replied the boy. ‘Are you God?'

‘No, by my faith.'

‘Who are you, then?'

‘I am a knight.'

‘I've never before met a knight,' said the boy, ‘nor seen one, nor ever heard tell of one; but you are more beautiful than God! Would that I were like you, so shining and so well formed!'

Upon hearing these words, the knight drew near him and asked: ‘Have you seen five knights and three maidens cross this clearing today?'

But the boy had his mind made up to inquire about other matters; he reached out for the knight's lance, took it, and asked: ‘Good sir, you who are called “Knight”, what is this you carry?'

‘Well, I've really arrived at the ideal place!' said the knight. ‘I had intended to get information from you, my fair sweet friend, but you are seeking it from me. I'll tell you: it is my lance.'

‘And do you launch it, would you say, as I do my javelins?'
⁶

‘Not at all, young man. You're such a dolt! One thrusts with it instead.'

‘Then any one of these three javelins you see here is better, because I can kill as many birds and beasts as I want or need, and I can kill them from as far away as one can shoot a crossbow bolt.'

‘I'm not interested in this, young man; but give me an answer about the knights. Tell me if you know where they are and whether you saw the maidens?'

The boy grasped the bottom of his shield and spoke directly: ‘What's this and what is it used for?'

‘Young man, this is some trick! You are leading me on to subjects I didn't even ask you about! I intended, so help me God, to get information from
you rather than have you draw it from me – yet you want me to inform you! So I'll tell you, come what may, because I've grown to like you. What I'm carrying is called a shield.'

‘It's called a shield?'

‘Exactly,' he said, ‘and I shall never despise it, for it is so true to me that, if anyone thrusts or shoots at me, it stands firm against all blows: that is the service it renders me.'

Just at that moment those who had remained behind came swiftly along the path to their lord and said to him at once: ‘My lord, what is this Welshman telling you?'

‘He doesn't know his manners, so help me God,' replied the lord, ‘because he won't answer anything I ask him in a straightforward way; instead he asks the name of everything he sees, and what it is used for.'

‘Sir, you must be aware that all Welshmen are by nature more stupid than beasts in the field:
⁷
this one is just like a beast. A man is a fool to tarry beside him, unless he wants to while away his time in idle chatter.'

‘As God is my witness, I don't know,' the knight replied. ‘But before I leave I'll tell him everything he wants to know – otherwise I shall not depart!'

Then he asked him anew: ‘Young man, don't be upset if I insist: tell me whether you have seen or encountered the five knights, and also the maidens.'

But the boy grasped him by the edge of his hauberk and tugged at it: ‘Now tell me,' he said, ‘good sir, what is this you're wearing?'

‘Young man,' he replied, ‘don't you know?'

‘No, I don't.'

‘It's my hauberk, young man, and it is as heavy as iron – for it is made of iron, as you can clearly see.'

‘I don't know anything about that, but it is very beautiful, so help me God. What do you use it for? What good is it?'

‘Young man, that's easy to say: if you tried to throw a javelin or shoot an arrow at me you couldn't do me any injury.'

‘Sir knight, I hope God will never let the hinds and stags have such hauberks, for I wouldn't be able to kill any and could never hunt them again.'

And the knight asked him once more: ‘Young man, as God is your help, can you give me any information about the knights and maidens?'

And the boy, who lacked instruction, said to him: ‘Were you born like this?'

‘No indeed, young man, it's impossible for anyone to be born like this.'

‘Then who fitted you out in this fashion?'

‘Young man, I'll tell you who.'

‘Then tell me.'

‘Most willingly. It hasn't been five full days since King Arthur knighted me and gave me all these trappings. But now you tell me what became of the knights who passed by here escorting the three maidens: were they proceeding slowly, or were they in flight?'

He answered him: ‘Sir, now observe the woods that encircle the top of that mountain. There lie the passes of the river Doon.'
⁸

‘And what of them, good brother?'

‘My mother's harrowers are there, sowing and ploughing her lands. If these people passed by there, and if they saw them, they would tell you.'

And the knights said that they would accompany him there, if he would take them to those who were harrowing the oats. So the boy took his hunting horse and went to where the harrowers were harrowing the ploughed ground where the oats were sown. When they saw their master they all trembled in fright. And do you know why? Because they saw armed knights coming along with their master; and they were well aware that if these knights had explained to him what knighthood was he would want to become a knight, and his mother would go mad with grief – for they had sought to keep him from ever seeing knights or learning of their ways.

And the boy said to the ox-drivers: ‘Have you seen five knights and three maidens pass this way?'

‘This very day they went through these woods,' replied the ox-drivers.

And the boy said to the knight who had spoken to him at such length: ‘My lord, the knights and maidens passed this way. But now tell me news of the king who makes knights, and where he can usually be found.'

‘Young man,' he said, ‘I wish to tell you that the king is staying in Carlisle; and it can't have been more than five days since he was there, for I was there and saw him. And if you don't find him there, someone will surely tell you where he is; he will not have gone too far.'

At that the knight galloped off, for he was most eager to catch up with the others. And the boy was not slow in returning to his manor, where his mother was grieving and sad of heart because of his delay. She was filled with joy the moment she saw him and could not conceal the joy she felt, for like a deeply loving mother she ran towards him calling to him: ‘Fair son, fair son!' more than a hundred times. ‘Fair son, my heart was most
distressed because of your delay. I've been overwhelmed with grief and almost died of it. Where have you been for so long today?'