Four Arthurian Romances
for anything that might happen. So he took me at my word, and I was
compelled to furnish bail that I would present within forty days a
knight to do battle against three knights. Since then I have visited
many courts; I was at King Arthur's court, but found no help from any
there, nor did I find any one who could tell me any good news of you,
for they knew nothing of your affairs." "Pray tell me. Where then was my
good and gentle lord Gawain? No damsel in distress ever needed his aid
without its being extended to her." "If I had found him at court, I
could not have asked him for anything which would have been refused me;
but a certain knight has carried off the Queen, so they told me; surely
the King was mad to send her off in his company. [322] I believe it was
Kay who escorted her to meet the knight who has taken her away; and my
lord Gawain in great distress has gone in search for her. He will never
have any rest until he finds her. Now I have told you the whole truth of
my adventure. To-morrow I shall be put to a shameful death, and shall
be burnt inevitably, a victim of your criminal neglect." And he replies:
"May God forbid that you should be harmed because of me! So long as
I live you shall not die! You may expect me tomorrow, prepared to the
extent of my power to present my body in your cause, as it is proper
that I should do. But have no concern to tell the people who I am!
However the battle may turn out, take care that I be not recognised!"
"Surely, sire, no pressure could make me reveal your name. I would
sooner suffer death, since you will have it so. Yet, after all, I beg
you not to return for my sake. I would not have you undertake a battle
which will be so desperate. I thank you for your promised word that you
would gladly undertake it, but consider yourself now released, for it is
better that I should die alone than that I should see them rejoice over
your death as well as mine; they would not spare my life after they had
put you to death. So it is better for you to remain alive than that we
both should meet death." "That is very ungrateful remark, my dear," says
my lord Yvain; "I suppose that either you do not wish to be delivered
from death, or else that you scorn the comfort I bring you with my aid.
I will not discuss the matter more, for you have surely done so much
for me that I cannot fail you in any need. I know that you are in great
distress; but, if it be God's will, in whom I trust, they shall all
three be discomfited. So no more upon that score: I am going off now to
find some shelter in this wood, for there is no dwelling near at hand."
"Sire," she says, "may God give you both good shelter and good night,
and protect you as I desire from everything that might do you harm!"
Then my lord Yvain departs, and the lion as usual after him. They
journeyed until they came to a baron's fortified place, which was
completely surrounded by a massive, strong, and high wall. The castle,
being extraordinarily well protected, feared no assault of catapult or
storming-machine; but outside the walls the ground was so completely
cleared that not a single hut or dwelling remained standing. You will
learn the cause of this a little later, when the time comes. My lord
Yvain made his way directly toward the fortified place, and seven
varlets came out who lowered the bridge and advanced to meet him. But
they were terrified at sight of the lion, which they saw with him, and
asked him kindly to leave the lion at the gate lest he should wound or
kill them. And he replies: "Say no more of that! For I shall not enter
without him. Either we shall both find shelter here or else I shall stay
outside; he is as dear to me as I am myself. Yet you need have no fear
of him! For I shall keep him so well in hand that you may be quite
confident." They made answer: "Very well!" Then they entered the town,
and passed on until they met knights and ladies and charming damsels
coming down the street, who salute him and wait to remove his armour as
they say: "Welcome to our midst, fair sire! And may God grant that you
tarry here until you may leave with great honour and satisfaction!" High
and low alike extend to him a glad welcome, and do all they can for him,
as they joyfully escort him into the town. But after they had expressed
their gladness they are overwhelmed by grief, which makes them quickly
forget their joy, as they begin to lament and weep and beat themselves.
Thus, for a long space of time, they cease not to rejoice or make
lament: it is to honour their guest that they rejoice, but their heart
is not in what they do, for they are greatly worried over an event which
they expect to take place on the following day, and they feel very sure
and certain that it will come to pass before midday. My lord Yvain was
so surprised that they so often changed their mood, and mingled grief
with their happiness, that he addressed the lord of the place on the
subject. "For God's sake," he said, "fair gentle sir, will you kindly
inform me why you have thus honoured me, and shown at once such joy and
such heaviness?" "Yes, if you desire to know, but it would be better
for you to desire ignorance and silence. I will never tell you willingly
anything to cause you grief. Allow us to continue to lament, and do you
pay no attention to what we do!" "It would be quite impossible for me
to see you sad and nor take it upon my heart, so I desire to know the
truth, whatever chagrin may result to me." "Well, then," he said, "I
will tell you all. I have suffered much from a giant, who has insisted
that I should give him my daughter, who surpasses in beauty all the
maidens in the world. This evil giant, whom may God confound, is named
Harpin of the Mountain. Not a day passes without his taking all of my
possessions upon which he can lay his hands. No one has a better right
than I to complain, and to be sorrowful, and to make lament. I might
well lose my senses from very grief, for I had six sons who were
knights, fairer than any I knew in the world, and the giant has taken
all six of them. Before my eyes he killed two of them, and to-morrow he
will kill the other four, unless I find some one who will dare to fight
him for the deliverance of my sons, or unless I consent to surrender my
daughter to him; and he says that when he has her in his possession he
will give her over to be the sport of the vilest and lewdest fellows in
his house, for he would scorn to take her now for himself. That is the
disaster which awaits me to-morrow, unless the Lord God grant me His
aid. So it is no wonder, fair sir, if we are all in tears. But for your
sake we strive for the moment to assume as cheerful a countenance as we
can. For he is a fool who attracts a gentleman to his presence and then
does not honour him; and you seem to be a very perfect gentleman. Now
I have told you the entire story of our great distress. Neither in town
nor in fortress has the giant left us anything, except what we have
here. If you had noticed, you must have seen this evening that he has
not left us so much as an egg, except these walls which are new; for he
has razed the entire town. When he had plundered all he wished, he set
fire to what remained. In this way he has done me many an evil turn."
(Vv. 3899-3956.) My lord Yvain listened to all that his host told him,
and when he had heard it all he was pleased to answer him: "Sire, I am
sorry and distressed about this trouble of yours; but I marvel greatly
that you have not asked assistance at good King Arthur's court. There is
no man so mighty that he could not find at his court some who would be
glad to try their strength with his." Then the wealthy man reveals and
explains to him that he would have had efficient help if he had known
where to find my lord Gawain. "He would not have failed me upon this
occasion, for my wife is his own sister; but a knight from a strange
land, who went to court to seek the King's wife, has led her away.
However, he could not have gotten possession of her by any means of his
own invention, had it not been for Kay, who so befooled the King that he
gave the Queen into his charge and placed her under his protection. He
was a fool, and she imprudent to entrust herself to his escort. And I
am the one who suffers and loses in all this; for it is certain that my
excellent lord Gawain would have made haste to come here, had he known
the facts, for the sake of his nephews and his niece. But he knows
nothing of it, wherefore I am so distressed that my heart is almost
breaking, for he is gone in pursuit of him, to whom may God bring shame
and woe for having led the Queen away." While listening to this recital
my lord Yvain does not cease to sigh. Inspired by the pity which he
feels, he makes this reply: "Fair gentle sire, I would gladly undertake
this perilous adventure, if the giant and your sons should arrive
to-morrow in time to cause me no delay, for tomorrow at noon I shall
be somewhere else, in accordance with a promise I have made." "Once
for all, fair sire," the good man said, "I thank you a hundred thousand
times for your willingness." And all the people of the house likewise
expressed their gratitude.
(Vv. 3957-4384.) Just then the damsel came out of a room, with her
graceful body and her face so fair and pleasing to look upon. She was
very simple and sad and quiet as she came, for there was no end to the
grief she felt: she walked with her head bowed to the ground. And her
mother, too, came in from an adjoining room, for the gentleman had sent
for them to meet his guest. They entered with their mantles wrapped
about them to conceal their tears; and he bid them throw back their
mantles, and hold up their heads, saying: "You ought not to hesitate
to obey my behests, for God and good fortune have given us here a very
well-born gentleman who assures me that he will fight against the giant.
Delay no longer now to throw yourselves at his feet!" "May God never let
me see that!" my lord Yvain hastens to exclaim; "surely it would not be
proper under any circumstances for the sister and the niece of my lord
Gawain to prostrate themselves at my feet. May God defend me from ever
giving place to such pride as to let them fall at my feet! Indeed, I
should never forget the shame which I should feel; but I should be
very glad if they would take comfort until to-morrow, when they may see
whether God will consent to aid them. I have no other request to make,
except that the giant may come in such good time that I be not compelled
to break my engagement elsewhere; for I would not fail for anything
to be present to-morrow noon at the greatest business I could ever
undertake." Thus he is unwilling to reassure them completely, for he
fears that the giant may not come early enough to allow him to reach
in time the damsel who is imprisoned in the chapel. Nevertheless, he
promises them enough to arouse good hope in them. They all alike join in
thanking him, for they place great confidence in his prowess, and they
think he must be a very good man, when they see the lion by his side as
confident as a lamb would be. They take comfort and rejoice because of
the hope they stake on him, and they indulge their grief no more. When
the time came they led him off to bed in a brightly lighted room; both
the damsel and her mother escorted him, for they prized him dearly, and
would have done so a hundred thousand times more had they been informed
of his prowess and courtesy. He and the lion together lay down there and
took their rest. The others dared not sleep in the room; but they closed
the door so tight that they could not come out until the next day at
dawn. When the room was thrown open he got up and heard Mass, and then,
because of the promise he had made, he waited until the hour of prime.