ELIDUC CARRIES GUILLARDUN TO THE FOREST CHAPEL
Guildeluec immediately picked the flower up, and returning with it to the altar where Guillardun lay, placed it on the maiden’s mouth. In a few moments she heard a sigh, and Guillardun sat up, and inquired if she had slept long. Guildeluec asked her name and degree, and Guillardun in reply acquainted her with her history and lineage, speaking very bitterly of Eliduc, who, she said, had betrayed her in a strange land. Guildeluec declared herself the wife of Eliduc, told Guillardun how deeply the knight had grieved for her, and declared her intention of taking the veil and releasing Eliduc from his marriage vow. She conducted Guillardun to her home, where they met Eliduc, who rejoiced greatly at the restoration of his lady-love. His wife founded 313 a convent with the rich portion he bestowed upon her, and Eliduc, in thankfulness for Guillardun’s recovery, built a fair church close by his castle and endowed it bountifully, and close beside it erected a great monastery. Later Guillardun entered the convent of which Guildeluec was the abbess, and Eliduc, himself feeling the call of the holy life, devoted himself to the service of God in the monastery. Messages passed between convent and monastery in which Eliduc and the holy women encouraged each other in the pious life which they had chosen, and by degrees the three who had suffered so greatly came to regard their seclusion as far preferable to the world and all its vanities.
The Lay of Equitan
The Lay of Equitan is one of Marie’s most famous tales. Equitan was King of Nantes, in Brittany, and led the life of a pleasure-seeker. To win approval from the eyes of fair ladies was more to him than knightly fame or honour.
Equitan had as seneschal a trusty and faithful knight, who was to the pleasure-loving seigneur as his right hand. This faithful servant was also captain of Equitan’s army, and sat as a judge in his courts. To his undoing he had a wife, as fair a dame as any in the duchy of Brittany. “Her eyes,” says the old lay, “were blue, her face was warm in colour, her mouth fragrant and her nose dainty.” She was ever tastefully dressed and courtly in demeanour, and soon attracted the attention of such an admirer of the fair sex as Equitan, who desired to speak with her more intimately. He therefore, as a subterfuge, announced 314 that a great hunt would take place in that part of his domains in which his seneschal’s castle was situated, and this gave him the opportunity of sojourning at the castle and holding converse with the lady, with whom he became so charmed that in a few days he fell deeply in love with her. On the night of the day when he first became aware that he loved her Equitan lay tossing on his bed, in a torment of fiery emotion. He debated with himself in what manner he should convey to his seneschal’s wife the fact that he loved her, and at length prepared a plot which he thought would be likely to succeed.
Next day he rose as usual and made all arrangements to proceed with the chase. But shortly after setting out he returned, pleading that he had fallen sick, and took to his bed. The faithful seneschal could not divine what had occurred to render his lord so seriously indisposed as he appeared to be, and requested his wife to go to him to see if she could minister to him and cheer his drooping spirits.
The lady went to Equitan, who received her dolefully enough. He told her without reserve that the malady from which he suffered was none other than love for herself, and that did she not consent to love him in return he would surely die. The dame at first dissented, but, carried away by the fiery eloquence of his words, she at last assured him of her love, and they exchanged rings as a token of troth and trust.
The love of Equitan and the seneschal’s wife was discovered by none, and when they desired to meet he arranged to go hunting in the neighbourhood of the seneschal’s castle. Shortly after they had plighted their troth the great barons of the realm approached 315 the King with a proposal that he should marry, but Equitan would have none of this, nor would he listen to even his most trusted advisers with regard to such a subject. The nobles were angered at his curt and even savage refusal to hearken to them, and the commons were also greatly disturbed because of the lack of a successor. The echoes of the disagreement reached the ears of the seneschal’s wife, who was much perturbed thereby, being aware that the King had come to this decision for love of her.
At their next meeting she broached the subject to her royal lover, lamenting that they had ever met.
“Now are my good days gone,” she said, weeping, “for you will wed some king’s daughter as all men say, and I shall certainly die if I lose you thus.”