Four Arthurian Romances
else to look upon. Then she took me to sit down in the prettiest little
field, shut in by a wall all round about. There I found her so elegant,
so fair of speech and so well informed, of such pleasing manners and
character, that it was a delight to be there, and I could have wished
never to be compelled to move. But as ill luck would have it, when night
came on, and the time for supper had arrived. The vavasor came to look
for me. No more delay was possible, so I complied with his request. Of
the supper I will only say that it was all after my heart, seeing that
the damsel took her seat at the table just in front of me. After the
supper the vavasor admitted to me that, though he had lodged many an
errant knight, he knew not how long it had been since he had welcomed
one in search of adventure. Then, as a favour, he begged of me to return
by way of his residence, if I could make it possible. So I said to him:
'Right gladly, sire!' for a refusal would have been impolite, and that
was the least I could do for such a host."
(Vv. 269-580.) "That night, indeed, I was well lodged, and as soon as
the morning light appeared, I found my steed ready saddled, as I had
requested the night before; thus my request was carried out. My kind
host and his dear daughter I commended to the Holy Spirit, and, after
taking leave of all, I got away as soon as possible. I had not proceeded
far from my stopping-place when I came to a clearing, where there were
some wild bulls at large; they were fighting among themselves and making
such a dreadful and horrible noise that if the truth be known, I drew
back in fear, for there is no beast so fierce and dangerous as a bull. I
saw sitting upon a stump, with a great club in his hand, a rustic
lout, as black as a mulberry, indescribably big and hideous; indeed,
so passing ugly was the creature that no word of mouth could do him
justice. On drawing near to this fellow, I saw that his head was bigger
than that of a horse or of any other beast; that his hair was in tufts,
leaving his forehead bare for a width of more than two spans; that his
ears were big and mossy, just like those of an elephant; his eyebrows
were heavy and his face was flat; his eyes were those of an owl, and his
nose was like a cat's; his jowls were split like a wolf, and his teeth
were sharp and yellow like a wild boar's; his beard was black and his
whiskers twisted; his chin merged into his chest and his backbone was
long, but twisted and hunched. [35] There he stood, leaning upon his
club and accoutred in a strange garb, consisting not of cotton or wool,
but rather of the hides recently flayed from two bulls or two beeves:
these he wore hanging from his neck. The fellow leaped up straightway
when he saw me drawing near. I do not know whether he was going to
strike me or what he intended to do, but I was prepared to stand him
off, until I saw him stop and stand stock-still upon a tree trunk, where
he stood full seventeen feet in height. Then he gazed at me but spoke
not a word, any more than a beast would have done. And I supposed that
he had not his senses or was drunk. However, I made bold to say to him:
'Come, let me know whether thou art a creature of good or not.' And
he replied: 'I am a man.' 'What kind of a man art thou?' 'Such as thou
seest me to be: I am by no means otherwise.' 'What dost thou here?' 'I
was here, tending these cattle in this wood.' 'Wert thou really tending
them? By Saint Peter of Rome! They know not the command of any man.
I guess one cannot possibly guard wild beasts in a plain or wood or
anywhere else unless they are tied or confined inside.' 'Well, I tend
and have control of these beasts so that they will never leave this
neighbourhood.' 'How dost thou do that? Come, tell me now!' 'There is
not one of them that dares to move when they see me coming. For when
I can get hold of one I give its two horns such a wrench with my hard,
strong hands that the others tremble with fear, and gather at once round
about me as if to ask for mercy. No one could venture here but me, for
if he should go among them he would be straightway done to death. In
this way I am master of my beasts. And now thou must tell me in turn
what kind of a man thou art, and what thou seekest here.' 'I am, as
thou seest, a knight seeking for what I cannot find; long have I sought
without success.' 'And what is this thou fain wouldst find?' 'Some
adventure whereby to test my prowess and my bravery. Now I beg and
urgently request thee to give me some counsel, if possible, concerning
some adventure or marvellous thing.' Says he: 'Thou wilt have to do
without, for I know nothing of adventure, nor did I ever hear tell
of such. But if thou wouldst go to a certain spring here hard by and
shouldst comply with the practice there, thou wouldst not easily come
back again. Close by here thou canst easily find a path which will
lead thee thither. If thou wouldst go aright, follow the straight path,
otherwise thou mayst easily go astray among the many other paths.
Thou shalt see the spring which boils, though the water is colder than
marble. It is shadowed by the fairest tree that ever Nature formed, for
its foliage is evergreen, regardless of the winter's cold, and an iron
basin is hanging there by a chain long enough to reach the spring. And
beside the spring thou shalt find a massive stone, as thou shalt see,
but whose nature I cannot explain, never having seen its like. On the
other side a chapel stands, small, but very beautiful. If thou wilt take
of the water in the basin and spill it upon the stone, thou shalt see
such a storm come up that not a beast will remain within this wood;
every doe, star, deer, boar, and bird will issue forth. For thou shalt
see such lightning-bolts descend, such blowing of gales and crashing
of trees, such torrents fail, such thunder and lightning, that, if thou
canst escape from them without trouble and mischance, thou wilt be more
fortunate than ever any knight was yet.' I left the fellow then, after
he had pointed our the way. It must have been after nine o'clock and
might have been drawing on toward noon, when I espied the tree and the
chapel. I can truly say that this tree was the finest pine that ever
grew on earth. I do not believe that it ever rained so hard that a
drop of water could penetrate it, but would rather drip from the outer
branches. From the tree I saw the basin hanging, [36] of the finest gold
that was ever for sale in any fair. As for the spring, you may take my
word that it was boiling like hot water. The stone was of emerald, with
holes in it like a cask, and there were four rubies underneath, more
radiant and red than is the morning sun when it rises in the east.
Now not one word will I say which is not true. I wished to see the
marvellous appearing of the tempest and the storm; but therein I was not
wise, for I would gladly have repented, if I could, when I had sprinkled
the perforated stone with the water from the basin. But I fear I poured
too much, for straightway I saw the heavens so break loose that from
more than fourteen directions the lightning blinded my eyes, and all at
once the clouds let fall snow and rain and hail. The storm was so fierce
and terrible that a hundred times I thought I should be killed by the
bolts which fell about me and by the trees which were rent apart. Know
that I was in great distress until the uproar was appeased. But God gave
me such comfort that the storm did not continue long, and all the winds
died down again. The winds dared not blow against God's will. And when
I saw the air clear and serene I was filled with joy again. For I have
observed that joy quickly causes trouble to be forgot. As soon as the
storm was completely past, I saw so many birds gathered in the pine tree
(if any one will believe my words) that not a branch or twig was to be
seen which was not entirely covered with birds. [37] The tree was all
the more lovely then, for all the birds sang in harmony, yet the note of
each was different, so that I never heard one singing another's note. I,
too, rejoiced in their joyousness, and listened to them until they had
sung their service through, for I have never heard such happy song, nor
do I think any one else will hear it, unless he goes to listen to what
filled me with such joy and bliss that I was lost in rapture. I stayed
there until I heard some knights coming, as I thought it seemed that
there must be ten of them. But all the noise and commotion was made
by the approach of a single knight. When I saw him coming on alone
I quickly caught my steed and made no delay in mounting him. And the
knight, as if with evil intent, came on swifter than an eagle, looking
as fierce as a lion. From as far as his voice could reach he began to
challenge me, and said: 'Vassal, without provocation you have caused
me shame and harm. If there was any quarrel between us you should first
have challenged me, or at least sought justice before attacking me. But,
sir vassal, if it be within my power, upon you shall fall the punishment
for the damage which is evident. About me here lies the evidence of my
woods destroyed. He who has suffered has the right to complain. And I
have good reason to complain that you have driven me from my house with
lightning-bolt and rain. You have made trouble for me, and cursed be he
who thinks it fair. For within my own woods and town you have made such
an attack upon me that resources of men of arms and of fortifications
would have been of no avail to me; no man could have been secure, even
if he had been in a fortress of solid stone and wood. But be assured
that from this moment there shall be neither truce nor peace between
us.' At these words we rushed together, each one holding his shield well
gripped and covering himself with it. The knight had a good horse and a
stout lance, and was doubtless a whole head taller than I. Thus, I was
altogether at a disadvantage, being shorter than he, while his horse was
stronger than mine. You may be sure that I will tell the facts, in order
to cover up my shame. With intent to do my best, I dealt him as hard a
blow as I could give, striking the top of his shield, and I put all my
strength into it with such effect that my lance flew all to splinters.
His lance remained entire, being very heavy and bigger than any knight's
lance I ever saw. And the knight struck me with it so heavily that he
knocked me over my horse's crupper and laid me flat upon the ground,
where he left me ashamed and exhausted, without bestowing another glance
upon me. He took my horse, but me he left, and started back by the way
he came. And I, who knew not what to do, remained there in pain and
with troubled thoughts. Seating myself beside the spring I rested there
awhile, not daring to follow after the knight for fear of committing
some rash act of madness. And, indeed, had I had the courage, I knew not
what had become of him. Finally, it occurred to me that I would keep my
promise to my host and would return by way of his dwelling. This idea
pleased me, and so I did. I laid off all my arms in order to proceed
more easily, and thus with shame I retraced my steps. When I reached
his home that night, I found my host to be the same good-natured and
courteous man as I had before discovered him to be. I could not observe
that either his daughter or he himself welcomed me any less gladly,
or did me any less honour than they had done the night before. I am
indebted to them for the great honour they all did me in that house; and
they even said that, so far as they knew or had heard tell, no one had
ever escaped, without being killed or kept a prisoner, from the place
whence I returned. Thus I went and thus I returned, feeling, as I did
so, deeply ashamed. So I have foolishly told you the story which I never