“That we shall prove right soon,” she made reply. “The age is spoiled by wicked usages: true courtesy is lost, and he who warmly vows that he doth love too oft but utters lies. If you full truly wish to have my love, I must be wed as well as wooed, my lord.”
Sir Jaufry cared not, you may well believe, such offer to refuse. He had just vowed by Peter and St.
Paul naught upon earth such joy could give to him, when a knight entered, heating on his shield, to announce the coming of the Lord of Brunissende.
“To horse, good knights, to horse!” the lady cried; when lords and damsels, mounting in hot haste, went out to meet their suzerain.
As thus the cavalcade rode gaily off, headed by Jaufry and fair Brunissende, they saw approach two ladies dressed in black, with eyes all red and swimming with fresh tears. Jaufry saluted them, and then inquired for tidings of Lord Melyan; but one of them in under-tone replied, and with a sigh, that of Lord Melyan nothing did she know; she thought but of her woes. *
* This is the original of Cervantes' Princess Micomicona:
“Es matar a un gigantazo que lo pide es la alta princesa
Micomicona, reyna del gran reyno Micomicon” (D. Quijote,
parte i. lib. iv. cap. xxix.).
“Tell us,” said Jaufry, “why you shed these tears.”
“Since you do wish to know, my lord, I'll speak the truth. A knight, misshapen, and ill-bred to boot, wishes to force on me his odious love; and I in grief have left King Arthur's court, where I have neither found advice nor aid.”
“You do astonish me,” Sir Jaufry cried; “where was Sir Gawain then? Ivan the courteous, Coedis that brave knight, Tristrem and Calogrant, Lancelot du Lac, Eric and Caravis, and bitter Quex,—pray, where were they?”
“I know it not, by Heaven, good my lord; nor have I any trust but in Sir Jaufry, that most famous knight, whom now I seek, that he may turn my fate, and my good right maintain.”