Arthurian Romances (81 page)

‘Sir, just for tomorrow, if you please, you could bear arms in the tourney for love of me.'

‘Tell me then, dear friend, if ever you have requested anything of a knight before?'

‘No, my lord.'

‘Don't pay any attention to what she says,' said her father. ‘Don't listen to her foolishness.'

But my lord Gawain replied: ‘Sir, as God is my helper, she has spoken well for such a little girl and I'll not refuse her request. Rather, since it pleases her, I'll be her knight for a while tomorrow.'

‘I thank you, dear sir!' she said, so happy that she bowed right down to his feet.

Then they parted without saying anything more. The lord carried his daughter before him on his palfrey's neck and asked her what had been the cause of this quarrel; and she told him the truth from beginning to end, saying: ‘Sir, I was very upset because my sister kept insisting that Meliant de Liz was the best and most handsome of all, yet in the meadow below I had seen this knight and I couldn't keep myself from replying to her and saying that I had seen one more handsome than Meliant. And because of that my sister called me a silly brat and pulled my hair – a curse upon anyone who enjoyed that! I'd let both my tresses be cut off at the back of my neck, though it would destroy my beauty, if only I could be sure that tomorrow morning in the combat my knight would defeat Meliant de Liz. That would put an end to his praises that the lady my sister keeps singing! She
never stopped talking about him today, which upset all the ladies – but from a great gale falls only a drop of rain!'

‘Sweet daughter,' said the gentleman, ‘I order and permit you to send him out of courtesy some token of your affection, either your sleeve or your wimple.'

And she modestly replied: ‘Most willingly, since you say so. But my sleeves are so little I wouldn't dare send them to him; I'm afraid that if I sent him one he wouldn't think much of it.'

‘My daughter, I'll see to this,' said her father. ‘Now don't fret, for I'm glad to do it.'

As they talked he carried her along in his arms, happy to be holding and hugging her, until at last they came to his palace. And when the elder daughter saw him coming holding her sister in his arms, her heart was filled with anger and she said: ‘Sir, where has my sister, the Maiden with the Little Sleeves been? She knows lots of tricks and ruses, for she's practised them a long while. Where did you bring her from just now?'

‘And what are you trying to achieve?' he asked. ‘You'd do well to keep quiet, for she's worth more than you. By pulling her tresses and hitting her you have made me angry. You haven't behaved properly at all.'

She was left very discouraged by her father's scolding reprimand. Then he had a piece of red samite taken from one of his coffers and ordered a long, wide sleeve be made from it; then he called his daughter and said: ‘My daughter, get up early tomorrow and go to the knight before he stirs. Give him this new sleeve as a token of love, and he'll wear it when he goes to the tournament.'

And she answered to her father that as soon as she saw the dawn break she intended to be awake, washed, and ready to set out.

Her father left upon hearing this and she, filled ‘with happiness, begged all her ladies-in-waiting not to let her sleep late in the morning but to awaken her promptly, as soon as they saw the dawn, if they wished to retain her favour. And they did exactly as she asked, for as soon as they saw dawn break in the early morning they awoke and dressed her. The maiden arose early and went all alone to where my lord Gawain was staying. But by the time she arrived there they had already arisen and gone to church to hear Mass sung for them. The damsel awaited them at the vavasour's until they had said all their prayers and completed their spiritual obligations. After they returned from church the maiden rushed up to my lord Gawain and said: ‘May God protect you and give you honour on this day! Please wear this sleeve that I give you as a token of my love.'

‘Gladly, my friend, and I thank you for it,' said my lord Gawain.

After this the knights did not delay in donning their armour. They congregated in their armour outside the town, and the damsels and all the ladies of the town climbed once more above the walls to watch the groups of brave and hardy knights assemble. Ahead of them all, Meliant de Liz charged furiously towards the opposing camp, having left his companions a full two and a half acres behind. The elder sister caught sight of her lover and could not hold her tongue: ‘My ladies, behold him who is the lord and flower of chivalry!'

Then my lord Gawain charged as fast as his horse could carry him towards Meliant; the knight showed no fear, but shattered his lance entirely to pieces. And my lord Gawain's blow did him great injury as he knocked him abruptly on to the ground. Then he stretched out his hand to Meliant's horse, took it by the bridle and gave it to a squire, telling him to go to the one in whose honour he was fighting and tell her that he sent her the first prize he had won that day, for he wanted her to have it. The squire led the horse with its saddle to the maiden, who had clearly seen, from where she was at a window in the keep, Sir Meliant de Liz fall.

She said: ‘Sister, now you can see Sir Meliant de Liz, whom you've bragged about so much, lying on the ground! Everyone will have to admit that what I said yesterday was right! So help me God, now we can see that there is one who's better than him!'

She went on deliberately provoking her sister in this fashion until she lost her head and said: ‘Shut up, you brat! If I hear you say another word today I'll hit you so hard your feet won't hold you up!'

‘Goodness, sister! Remember God,' replied the younger sister. ‘Since I've spoken the truth, you've no cause at all to hit me! Upon my oath, I clearly saw him knocked down, just as you did yourself; and I think he doesn't yet have the strength to get up again. And even if you die of shame, I still say there's not a lady here who can't see him lying there on his back with his legs in the air.'

Her sister would have slapped her had she not been restrained; but the ladies around her would not let her strike her. Just then they saw the squire coming, leading the horse by his right hand. He found the maiden seated at a window and presented her with the horse. The maiden thanked him more than sixty times, had the horse led off, and the squire returned to convey her gratitude to his lord – who appeared to be the lord and master of the tournament: there was no knight skilful enough, if he matched lances against him, not to be thrown from his stirrups. Never before had he been
so intent upon winning horses. He presented four that day, which he won with his own hands: he sent the first to the young girl; with the second he paid homage to the vavasour's wife, whom he pleased immensely; one of the vavasour's two daughters received the third, the other the fourth.

After the tournament broke up the knights re-entered the town by the main gate; my lord Gawain carried off the honours on both sides, though it was not yet midday when he left the combat. On his return my lord Gawain was accompanied by so many knights that the whole street was filled, and everyone who followed him wanted to ask and inquire who he was and where he came from. He met the younger maiden just before the door of her manor; her only reaction was to hold steady his stirrup while she greeted him, saying: ‘Five hundred thanks, good sir.'

He knew exactly what she meant and replied to her nobly: ‘I'll be white-haired and grey, my dear, before I fail in your service, wherever I may be. And no matter how far I may be from you, if ever I learn you need my help, nothing at all could prevent my coming at the first summons.'

‘I thank you sincerely,' said the damsel.

While they were conversing, her father came into the square and did everything in his power to persuade my lord Gawain to stay the night and take lodgings with him, but first he begged and requested him to tell him his name, if he would. My lord Gawain refused to stay, but told him: ‘Sir, I am called Gawain; I've never hidden my name anywhere it was asked, but I've never given it unless I was first asked for it.'

When the lord heard that it was my lord Gawain, his heart was filled with joy and he said to him: ‘My lord, please stay and accept my service tonight. Until now I've not served you in any way, but I can swear to you I've never in my life seen a knight I'd rather honour.'

He begged him repeatedly to stay, but my lord Gawain refused his every entreaty. And the younger sister, who was neither discourteous nor foolish, took him by the foot, kissed it, and commended him to God. My lord Gawain asked her what she had meant by this; and she replied that she had kissed his foot because she wanted him to remember her wherever he might go.

And he said to her: ‘Have no fear dear friend for, so help me God, I'll never forget you after I've left here.'

He departed as soon as he had taken leave of his host and the others, who all commended him to God.

My lord Gawain lay that night in a small monastery, where he was provided for in every way. Very early the next day he was riding on his
way when, as he passed, he saw some wild beasts grazing at the edge of a forest. He told his squire, Yonet, who was leading one of his horses – the best he had – and carrying a strong and stiff lance, to stop; then he told him to bring the lance and to harness up the charger he was leading with his right hand, and to take and lead his palfrey instead. His squire did not hesitate, but immediately handed over to him his horse and lance. Gawain set off after the hinds, hunting them with such skill and cunning that he overtook a white one beside a thorn bush and laid his lance across its neck. The hind leapt like a stag and fled; Gawain followed and pursued her and was about to catch her securely and stop her when his horse completely threw a shoe from a front hoof. So my lord Gawain rode on to overtake his supply horses, but it upset him to feel his horse stumbling under him; he did not know what had made it lame, but thought that perhaps a stick had stuck in its hoof. He called Yvonet at once and ordered him to dismount and care for his horse, for it was limping badly. Yvonet did as he was ordered: he lifted its foot high and discovered it was missing a shoe, and said: ‘Sir, it needs reshoeing. There's nothing to do but walk it gently until we are able to find a smith who can reshoe it.'

Then they rode along until they saw people pouring out from a castle and coming along a road. At the head of the procession were people in short robes, boys on foot leading hounds, and afterwards came huntsmen carrying sharp pikes; then there were archers and foot-soldiers carrying bows and arrows; and after them came the knights. Following all the other knights were two who rode on chargers, one of whom was just a youth and the most handsome of all. This one alone greeted my lord Gawain, taking him by the hand and saying: ‘Sir, stay with me. Continue on in the direction from which I've come and take lodgings at my manor. It is already high time to seek shelter, if you don't mind. I have a most courteous sister who will be happy to welcome you, and this lord you see here beside me will take you there.' He turned to his companion, saying: ‘Go along with this lord, my good friend, for I'm sending you to take him to my sister. Greet her first, then tell her that I order her by the love and great fidelity that should exist between herself and me, that if ever she loved a knight, she should love and cherish this one and do as much for him as she would for me, her brother: she should offer him good entertainment and good company until we have returned. When she has suitably taken charge of him, come swiftly to fetch us, for I wish to return to keep him company as soon as I possibly can.'

The knight set off at once, taking my lord Gawain to where everyone
bore him a mortal hatred; but since they had never seen him there before they did not recognize him and he did not think he was in any danger. He observed the site of the castle, which overlooked an arm of the sea, and saw that its walls and keep were so strong it feared no assault. He looked over the whole town, full of excellent citizens, and the booths of the money-changers covered with gold and silver coins, and saw the squares and the streets all filled with fine workers engaged in as many diverse occupations as there are different jobs: one made helmets, another hauberks; one made saddles, another shields; one made reins, another spurs, and others furbished swords. Some fulled cloth, while others wove and combed and clipped it. Others, still, melted down gold and silver for beautiful and costly metalwork: cups, goblets, and bowls; and jewellery inlaid with enamel; rings, belts, and clasps. It was easy to believe that every day was the day of the fair in the town, which was filled to overflowing with so much wealth: with wax, pepper and grains, with pelts of vair and miniver, and every sort of merchandise.

They stopped from time to time and looked at all these things, but finally they reached the keep where squires came forward to take all their harness and equipment. The knight entered the keep alone with my lord Gawain and led him by the hand to the maiden's chamber, where he said to her: ‘Fair friend, your brother sends you greetings and commands you to honour and serve this knight. Don't do it grudgingly, but just as whole-heartedly as if you were his sister and he your brother. Be careful not to skimp in fulfilling all his desires: be generous, noble, and good. See to him now, for I must follow my lord into the woods.'

Delighted, she replied: ‘A blessing upon him who sends me such excellent company as this! He surely loves me dearly to lend me a companion such as he. Dear sir,' continued the maiden, ‘please take a seat here beside me. Since you appear fair and noble and since my brother wishes it, I'll offer you generous companionship.'

The knight turned at once to go and stayed with them no more. My lord Gawain remained behind, having no objection at all to being left alone with the maiden, who was most courteous and attractive and who was so well brought up that she did not think anyone would watch over her even if she were alone with him. The two of them spoke of love, for had they talked of other things it would have been a great waste. My lord Gawain sought her love and implored her, saying he would be her knight for all his life; and she did not refuse him, but gladly granted him her love. Meanwhile a vavasour had entered who was to bring them sorrow: he found them kissing one another and bringing each other much pleasure and recognized my lord
Gawain. The moment he saw this happiness, he could not restrain his tongue, but shouted out for all to hear: ‘Woman, shame on you! May God destroy and damn you, for you are letting yourself be caressed, hugged, and kissed by the man whom you should most hate in all the world! Foolish, unfortunate woman: you are behaving in accord with your nature! You should be pulling out his heart with your hands rather than your lips. If your kisses have touched his heart, you've lifted his heart from his breast, but you'd have done much better to have ripped it out with your hands: that's what you should have done, if a woman could do anything right! A woman's not a woman if she hates evil and loves the good; they're wrong to call her a woman, for she's unworthy of the name woman if she loves only the good. But I can see you're a true woman, because this man seated beside you killed your father, yet you're kissing him! As long as a woman can have her pleasure, she doesn't care about anything else.'