Four Arthurian Romances
this plan does not meet with your favour, tell me what you think, for
I am ready, whatever may happen, to abide by your decision." And she
replies: "This is my answer: I will never go off with you thus; for
after we had gone away, every one would speak of us as they do of Iseut
the Blond and of Tristan. And everywhere all men and women would speak
evil of our love. No one would believe, nor is it natural that they
should do so, the truth of the matter. Who would believe that I have
thus, all to no purpose, evaded and escaped from your uncle still a
maid? I should be regarded simply as wanton and dissolute, and you would
be thought mad. It is well to remember and observe the injunction of St.
Paul: if any one is unwilling to live chaste, St. Paul counsels him to
act so that he shall receive no criticism, or blame, or reproach. [238]
It is well to stop evil mouths, and therefore, if you agree, I have
a proposal to make: it seems best to me to consent to feign that I am
dead. I shall fall sick in a little while. And you in the meantime may
plan some preparations for a place of burial. Put all your wits to work
to the end that a sepulchre and bier be so constructed that I shall not
die in it, or be stifled, and that no one shall mount guard over it at
night when you come to take me out. So now seek such a retreat for me,
where no one may see me excepting you; and let no one provide for any
need of mine except you, to whom I surrender and give myself. Never, my
whole life long, do I wish to be served by other man than you. My lord
and my servant you shall be; whatever you do shall seem good to me; and
never shall I be mistress of any empire unless you are its master. Any
wretched place, however dark and foul, will seem brighter to me than
all these halls if you are with me. If I have you where I can see you,
I shall be mistress of boundless treasure, and the world will belong to
me. And if the business is carefully managed, no harm will come of it,
and no one will ever be able to speak ill of it, for it will be believed
throughout the empire that I am mouldering in the ground. My maid,
Thessala, who has been my nurse, and in whom I have great confidence,
will give me faithful aid, for she is very clever, and I trust her
fully." And Cligés, when he heard his sweetheart, replies: "My lady, if
this is feasible, and if you think your nurse's advice reliable, we have
nothing to do but make our preparations without delay; but if we commit
any imprudence, we are lost without escape. In this city there is an
artisan who cuts and carves wonderful images: there is no land where he
is not known for the figures which he has shapen and carved and made.
John is his name, and he is a serf of mine. No one could cope with
John's best efforts in any art, however varied it might be. For,
compared with him, they are all novices, and like a child with nurse.
By imitating his handiwork the artisans of Antioch and Rome have learned
all they know how to do--and besides there is no more loyal man. Now I
want to make a test, and if I can put trust in him I will set him and
all his descendants free; and I shall not fail to tell him of all
our plan if he will swear and give his word to me that he will aid me
loyally, and will never divulge my secret."
(Vv. 5401-5466.) And she replies: "So let it be." With her permission
Cligés left the room and went away. And she sends for Thessala, her
maid, whom she brought with her from her native land. Thessala came at
once without delay, yet not knowing why she was summoned. When she asked
Fenice privately what was her desire and pleasure, she concealed none
of her intentions from her. "Nurse," she said, "I know full well that
anything I tell you will go no further, for I have tried you thoroughly
and have found you very prudent. I love you for all you have done
for me. In all my troubles I appeal to you without seeking counsel
elsewhere. You know why I lie awake, and what my thoughts and wishes
are. My eyes behold only one object which pleases me, but I can have no
pleasure or joy in it if I do not first buy it with a heavy price. For I
have now found my peer; and if I love him he loves me in return, and if
I grieve he grieves too for my pain and sorrow. Now I must acquaint you
with a plan and project upon which we two have privately agreed." Then
she told and explained to her how she was willing to feign illness, and
would complain so bitterly that at last she would pretend to be dead,
and how Cligés would steal her away at night, and then they would be
together all their days. She thinks that in no other way she could
longer bear to live. But if she was sure that she would consent to lend
her aid, the matter would be arranged in accordance with their wishes.
"But I am tired of waiting for my joy and luck." Then her nurse assured
her that she would help her in every way, telling her to have no further
fear. She said that as soon as she set to work she would bring it about
that there would be no man, upon seeing her, who would not certainly
believe that the soul had left the body after she had drunk of a potion
which would leave her cold, colourless, pale, and stiff, without power
of speech and deprived of health; yet she would be alive and well, and
would have no sensations of any kind, and would be none the worse for a
day and a night entire spent in the sepulchre and bier. [239]
(Vv. 5467-5554.) When Fenice heard these words, she thus spoke in reply:
"Nurse, I commit myself to you, and, with full confidence in you, will
take no steps in my own behalf. I am in your hands; so think of my
interests, and tell all the people who are here to betake themselves
away, for I am ill, and they bother me." So, like a prudent woman, she
said to them: "My lords, my lady is not well, and desires you all to
go away. You are talking loud and making a noise, and the noise is
disagreeable to her. She can get no rest or repose so long as you are in
the room. I never remember her to have complained of such a sickness
as this so violent and serious does it seem. So go away, and don't feel
hurt." As soon as she had issued this command, they all quickly go away.
And Cligés sent for John to come quickly, and thus in private spoke to
him: "John, dost thou know what I am about to say? Thou art my slave and
I thy master, and I can give away or sell thy body like a thing which is
my own. But if I could trust thee in an affair I meditate, thou wouldst
go for ever free, as well as the heirs which may be born of thee." John,
in his desire for freedom, replies at once: "My lord, there is nothing
I would not gladly do to see myself, my wife, and children free. Tell me
what your orders are, for nothing can be so hard as to cause me any
work or pain or be hard for me to execute. For that matter, even were
it against my will, I must needs obey your commands and give up my own
affairs." "True, John; but this is a matter of which I hardly dare to
speak, unless thou wilt assure me upon thy oath thou wilt faithfully
give me aid and never betray me." "Willingly, sire," John makes reply:
"have never a fear on that account! For I will swear and pledge my word
that, so long as I live, I will never say a word which I think will
grieve you or cause you harm." "Ah John, even were I to die for it,
there is no man to whom I would dare mention the matter in which I
desire thy counsel; I would rather have my eye plucked out; I would
rather be put to death by thee than that thou shouldst speak of it to
another man. But I hold thee to be so loyal and prudent that I will
reveal to thee all my thought. I am sure thou wilt observe my wishes,
both by aiding me and holding thy peace." "Truly, sire so, help me God!"
Then Cligés speaks and explains to him openly the adventurous plan.
And when he had revealed the project--as you have heard me set it
forth--then John said that he would promise to construct the sepulchre
in accordance with his best skill, and said that he would take him to
see a certain house of his which no one yet had ever seen--not even his
wife or any child of his. This house, which he had built, he would show
him, if he cared to go with him to the place where in absolute privacy
he works and paints and carves. He would show him the finest and
prettiest place that he had ever seen. Cligés replies: "Let us go
thither then."
(Vv. 5555-5662.) Below the city, in a remote spot, John had expended
much labour in the construction of a tower. Thither he conducted Cligés,
leading him through the different storeys, which were decorated with
fine painted pictures. He shows him the rooms and the fire-places,
taking him everywhere up and down. Cligés examines this lonely house
where no one lives or has access. He passes from one room to another,
until he thinks he has seen it all, and he is much pleased with the
tower and says he thinks it is very fine. The lady will be comfortable
there as long as she lives, for no one will know of her dwelling place.
"No sire, you are right; she will never be discovered here. But do you
think you have seen all of my tower and fair retreat? There still remain
rooms so concealed that no man could ever find them out. And if you
choose to test the truth of this by investigating as thoroughly as you
can, you can never be so shrewd and clever in your search as to find
another story here, unless I show you and point it out. You must know
that baths are not lacking here, nor anything else which a lady needs,
and which I can think of or recall. The lady will be here at her ease.
Below the level of the ground the tower widens out, as you will see,
and you cannot anywhere find any entrance-door. The door is made of hard
stone with such skill and art that you cannot find the crack." Cligés
says: "These are wonderful things I hear. Lead on and I will follow you,
for I am anxious to see all this." Then John started on, taking Cligés
by the hand, until he came to a smooth and polished door, all coloured
and painted over. When John came to the wall, he stopped, holding Cligés
by the right hand. "Sire," he says, "there is no one who could see a
window or a door in this wall; and do you think that any one could pass
through it without using violence and breaking it down?" And Cligés
replies that he does not think so, and that he will never think so,
unless he sees it first. Then John says that he shall see it at once,
and that he will open a door in the wall for him. John, who constructed
this piece of work, unfastens the door in the wall and opens it for him,
so that he has to use no strength or violence to force it; then, one
stepping before the other, they descend by a winding-stair to a vaulted
apartment where John used to do his work, when it pleased him to labour
at anything. "Sire," he says, "of all the men God ever made, no one but
us two has ever been where we are now. And you shall see presently
how convenient the place is. My advice is that you choose this as your
retreat, and that your sweetheart be lodged here. These quarters are
good enough for such a guest; for there are bedrooms, and bathrooms
with hot water in the tubs, which comes through pipes under the ground.
Whoever is looking for a comfortable place in which to establish and
conceal his lady, would have to go a long way before he would find
anything so charming. When you shall have explored it thoroughly you
will find this place very suitable." Then John showed him everything,
fine chambers and painted vaults, pointing out many examples of his
work which pleased Cligés much. When they had examined the whole tower,
Cligés said: "John, my friend, I set you free and all your descendants,
and my life is absolutely in your hands. I desire that my sweetheart be
here all alone, and that no one shall know of it excepting me and you