Four Arthurian Romances
wished to tell again."
(Vv. 581-648.) "By my head," cries my lord Yvain, "you are my own
cousin-german, and we ought to love each other well. But I must consider
you as mad to have concealed this from me so long. If I call you mad, I
beg you not to be incensed. For if I can, and if I obtain the leave, I
shall go to avenge your shame." "It is evident that we have dined," says
Kay, with his ever-ready speech; "there are more words in a pot full of
wine than in a whole barrel of beer. [38] They say that a cat is merry
when full. After dinner no one stirs, but each one is ready to
slay Noradin, [39] and you will take vengeance on Forre! Are your
saddle-cloths ready stuffed, and your iron greaves polished, and your
banners unfurled? Come now, in God's name, my lord Yvain, is it to-night
or to-morrow that you start? Tell us, fair sire, when you will start for
this rude test, for we would fain convoy you thither. There will be no
provost or constable who will not gladly escort you. And however it may
be, I beg that you will not go without taking leave of us; and if you
have a bad dream to-night, by all means stay at home!" "The devil,
Sir Kay," the Queen replies, "are you beside yourself that your tongue
always runs on so? Cursed be your tongue which is so full of bitterness!
Surely your tongue must hate you, for it says the worst it knows to
every man. Damned be any tongue that never ceases to speak ill! As for
your tongue, it babbles so that it makes you hated everywhere. It cannot
do you greater treachery. See here: if it were mine, I would accuse it
of treason. Any man that cannot be cured by punishment ought to be tied
like a madman in front of the chancel in the church." "Really, madame,"
says my lord Yvain, "his impudence matters not to me. In every court my
lord Kay has so much ability, knowledge, and worth that he will never be
deaf or dumb. He has the wit to reply wisely and courteously to all that
is mean, and this he has always done. You well know if I lie in saying
so. But I have no desire to dispute or to begin our foolishness again.
For he who deals the first blow does not always win the fight, but
rather he who gains revenge. He who fights with his companion had better
fight against some stranger. I do not wish to be like the hound that
stiffens up and growls when another dog yaps at him."
(Vv. 649-722.) While they were talking thus, the King came out of his
room where he had been all this time asleep. And when the knights saw
him they all sprang to their feet before him, but he made them at once
sit down again. He took his place beside the Queen, who repeated to him
word for word, with her customary skill, the story of Calogrenant. The
King listened eagerly to it, and then he swore three mighty oaths by the
soul of his father Utherpendragon, and by the soul of his son, and of
his mother too, that he would go to see that spring before a fortnight
should have passed; and he would see the storm and the marvels there by
reaching it on the eve of my lord Saint John the Baptist's feast; there
he would spend the night, and all who wished might accompany him. All
the court thought well of this, for the knights and the young bachelors
were very eager to make the expedition. But despite the general joy and
satisfaction my lord Yvain was much chagrined, for he intended to go
there all alone; so he was grieved and much put out because of the King
who planned to go. The chief cause of his displeasure was that he knew
that my lord Kay, to whom the favour would not be refused if he should
solicit it, would secure the battle rather than he himself, or else
perchance my lord Gawain would first ask for it. If either one of these
two should make request, the favour would never be refused him. But,
having no desire for their company, he resolves not to wait for them,
but to go off alone, if possible, whether it be to his gain or hurt. And
whoever may stay behind, he intends to be on the third day in the forest
of Broceliande, and there to seek if possibly he may find the narrow
wooded path for which he yearns eagerly, and the plain with the strong
castle, and the pleasure and delight of the courteous damsel, who is
so charming and fair, and with the damsel her worthy sire, who is so
honourable and nobly born that he strives to dispense honour. Then he
will see the bulls in the clearing, with the giant boor who watches
them. Great is his desire to see this fellow, who is so stout and big
and ugly and deformed, and as black as a smith. Then, too, he will see,
if possible, the stone and the spring itself, and the basin and the
birds in the pine-tree, and he will make it rain and blow. But of all
this he will not boast, nor, if he can help it, shall any one know
of his purpose until he shall have received from it either great
humiliation or great renown: then let the facts be known.
(Vv. 723-746.) My lord Yvain gets away from the court without any one
meeting him, and proceeds alone to his lodging place. There he found all
his household, and gave orders to have his horse saddled; then, calling
one of his squires who was privy to his every thought, he says: "Come
now, follow me outside yonder, and bring me my arms. I shall go out at
once through yonder gate upon my palfrey. For thy part, do not delay,
for I have a long road to travel. Have my steed well shod, and bring him
quickly where I am; then shalt thou lead back my palfrey. But take good
care, I adjure thee, if any one questions thee about me, to give him no
satisfaction. Otherwise, whatever thy confidence in me, thou need never
again count on my goodwill." "Sire," he says, "all will be well, for no
one shall learn anything from me. Proceed, and I shall follow you."
(Vv. 747-906.) My lord Yvain mounts at once, intending to avenge, if
possible, his cousin's disgrace before he returns. The squire ran for
the arms and steed; he mounted at once without delay, since he was
already equipped with shoes and nails. Then he followed his master's
track until he saw him standing mounted, waiting to one side of the road
in a place apart. He brought him his harness and equipment, and then
accoutred him. My lord Yvain made no delay after putting on his arms,
but hastily made his way each day over the mountains and through the
valleys, through the forests long and wide, through strange and wild
country, passing through many gruesome spots, many a danger and many a
strait, until he came directly to the path, which was full of brambles
and dark enough; then he felt he was safe at last, and could not now
lose his way. Whoever may have to pay the cost, he will not stop until
he sees the pine which shades the spring and stone, and the tempest of
hail and rain and thunder and wind. That night, you may be sure, he had
such lodging as he desired, for he found the vavasor to be even more
polite and courteous than he had been told, and in the damsel he
perceived a hundred times more sense and beauty than Calogrenant had
spoken of, for one cannot rehearse the sum of a lady's or a good man's
qualities. The moment such a man devotes himself to virtue, his story
cannot be summed up or told, for no tongue could estimate the honourable
deeds of such a gentleman. My lord Yvain was well content with the
excellent lodging he had that night, and when he entered the clearing
the next day, he met the bulls and the rustic boor who showed him the
way to take. But more than a hundred times he crossed himself at sight
of the monster before him--how Nature had ever been able to form such
a hideous, ugly creature. Then to the spring he made his way, and found
there all that he wished to see. Without hesitation and without sitting
down he poured the basin full of water upon the stone, when straightway
it began to blow and rain, and such a storm was caused as had been
foretold. And when God had appeased the storm, the birds came to perch
upon the pine, and sang their joyous songs up above the perilous spring.
But before their jubilee had ceased there came the knight, more blazing
with wrath than a burning log, and making as much noise as if he were
chasing a lusty stag. As soon as they espied each other they rushed
together and displayed the mortal hate they bore. Each one carried a
stiff, stout lance, with which they dealt such mighty blows that they
pierced the shields about their necks, and cut the meshes of their
hauberks; their lances are splintered and sprung, while the fragments
are cast high in air. Then each attacks the other with his sword, and in
the strife they cut the straps of the shields away, and cut the shields
all to bits from end to end, so that the shreds hang down, no longer
serving as covering or defence; for they have so split them up that they
bring down the gleaming blades upon their sides, their arms, and hips.
Fierce, indeed, is their assault; yet they do not budge from their
standing-place any more than would two blocks of stone. Never were there
two knights so intent upon each other's death. They are careful not to
waste their blows, but lay them on as best they may; they strike and
bend their helmets, and they send the meshes of their hauberks flying
so, that they draw not a little blood, for the hauberks are so hot with
their body's heat that they hardly serve as more protection than a coat.
As they drive the sword-point at the face, it is marvellous that so
fierce and bitter a strife should last so long. But both are possessed
of such courage that one would not for aught retreat a foot before his
adversary until he had wounded him to death. Yet, in this respect they
were very honourable in not trying or deigning to strike or harm their
steeds in any way; but they sat astride their steeds without putting
foot to earth, which made the fight more elegant. At last my lord Yvain
crushed the helmet of the knight, whom the blow stunned and made so
faint that he swooned away, never having received such a cruel blow
before. Beneath his kerchief his head was split to the very brains, so
that the meshes of his bright hauberk were stained with the brains and
blood, all of which caused him such intense pain that his heart almost
ceased to beat. He had good reason then to flee, for he felt that he had
a mortal wound, and that further resistance would not avail. With this
thought in mind he quickly made his escape toward his town, where the
bridge was lowered and the gate quickly opened for him; meanwhile my
lord Yvain at once spurs after him at topmost speed. As a gerfalcon
swoops upon a crane when he sees him rising from afar, and then draws so
near to him that he is about to seize him, yet misses him, so flees the
knight, with Yvain pressing him so close that he can almost throw his
arm about him, and yet cannot quite come up with him, though he is so
close that he can hear him groan for the pain he feels. While the one
exerts himself in flight the other strives in pursuit of him, fearing to
have wasted his effort unless he takes him alive or dead; for he still
recalls the mocking words which my lord Kay had addressed to him. He
had not yet carried out the pledge which he had given to his cousin;
nor will they believe his word unless he returns with the evidence. The
knight led him a rapid chase to the gate of his town, where they entered
in; but finding no man or woman in the streets through which they
passed, they both rode swiftly on till they came to the palace-gate.
(Vv. 907-1054.) The gate was very high and wide, yet it had such a
narrow entrance-way that two men or two horses could scarcely enter
abreast or pass without interference or great difficulty; for it was
constructed just like a trap which is set for the rat on mischief bent,
and which has a blade above ready to fall and strike and catch, and
which is suddenly released whenever anything, however gently, comes in