“Great lord, he was, as doth comport such honoured and brave knight, who hath nor grief nor fear. Naught else but good can harbour with his name; and it were sweet to laud, if that his acts did not upraise him more than words can ever reach. When you shall know from what most cruel fate his valour hath snatched me, you will indeed be full of wonderment. But this recital must before the queen and all her dames be made.”
The king at once commanded unto Quex to go and seek the queen; the seneschal obeyed, when meeting her,—
“Lady,” said he, “if it so meet your wish, the king, your lord and mine, bids you to come and list a message brought by valiant knight who heads a great escort.”
The queen at once proceeded to the hall with all her dames and damsels; and when she placed herself beside her spouse, Melyan, the worthy knight, addressed them thus:
“Lady, from brave Sir Jaufry, Dovon's son, I bring high reparation to yourself and all your train. I bring you Taulat, hight of Rugimon, that you may vengeance take for the affront that he hath done to you, and for the cruelty he's heaped on me. Learn, without motive he my father slew, and me he wounded with such grievous hurt, that ne'er shall I be healed. I was his captive in his castle kept; and when my wound had closed, he to a stake did have me bound, and scourged by cruel hands until the wound again was open laid. Each month did I this martyrdom endure; which caused such dire despair throughout my lands, that, thrice by day and thrice again by night, they gave aloose to tears and doleful cries.”
“By Heaven,” exclaimed the worthy king at this, “what felon act!”
“By all the saints of heaven,” said the queen, “this was the reign of haughty pride run wild!”
“Yea,” from the litter did Taulat respond, “I had, good sooth, most wicked, foolish pride; but I have lost it all. A leech appeared, who in a space most brief did work a cure. I sought in vain a knight who could make head against me, and I've found my match. Never did better jouster wield a lance: modest as brave, and generous as good, spite of my insults,—which did merit death,—Sir Jaufry gave me grace, and granted pardon. You, noble sire, who are the best of kings, deign but to imitate his clemency, find pardon give for that most foolish crime I here did madly do.”
The worthy king, alway to good inclined, his pardon freely granted to the knight; nay more, he used such reasons with the queen, that Guenever, as generous, noble dame, her pardon likewise gave. Melyan alone remained inflexible. Rejecting all entreaty, he resolved, as was his right, since his was corporal shame, that Taulat should be judged by legal court.
At once they called a hundred legists in, who, when they'd heard the cause, the following sentence did at once proclaim: