who might have been living in the Forest of Arden, so like were they to the clowns of Shakespeare. They were singing of Nicolette and her present, and the cakes and knives and flute they would buy with it. Aucassins jumped to the bait they offered him; and they instantly began to play him as though he were a trout:-- "Bel enfant, dix vos i ait!" "Dix vos benie!" fait cil qui fu plus enparles des autres. "Bel enfant," fait il, "redites le cancon que vos disiez ore!" "Nous n'i dirons," fait cil qui plus fu enparles des autres. "Dehait ore qui por vos i cantera, biax sire!" "Bel enfant!" fait Aucassins, "enne me connissies vos?" "Oil! nos savions bien que vos estes Aucassins, nos damoisiax, mais nos ne somes mie a vos, ains somes au conte." "Bel enfant, si feres, je vos en pri!" "Os, por le cuer be!" fait cil. "Por quoi canteroie je por vos, s'il ne me seoit! Quant il n'a si rice home en cest pais sans le cors le conte Garin s'il trovait mes bues ne mes vaces ne mes brebis en ses pres n'en sen forment qu'il fust mie tant hardis por les es a crever qu'il les en ossast cacier. Et por quoi canteroie je por vos s'il ne me seoit?" "Se dix vos ait, bel enfant, si feres! et tenes x sous que j'ai ci en une borse!" "God bless you, fair child!" said Aucassins. "God be with you!" replied the one who talked best. "Fair child!" said he, "repeat the song you were just singing." "We won't!" replied he who talked best among them. "Bad luck to him who shall sing for you, good sir!" "Fair child," said Aucassins, "do you know me?" "Yes! we know very well that you are Aucassins, our young lord; but we are none of yours; we belong to the Count." "Fair child, indeed you'll do it, I pray you!" "Listen, for love of God!" said he. "Why should I sing for you if it does not suit me? when there is no man so powerful in this country, except Count Garin, if he found my oxen or my cows or my sheep in his pasture or his close, would not rather risk losing his eyes than dare to turn them out! and why should I sing for you, if it does not suit me!" "So God help you, good child, indeed you will do it! and take these ten sous that I have here in my purse." "Sire les deniers prenderons nos, mais je ne vos canterai mie, car j'en ai jure. Mais je le vos conterai se vos voles." "De par diu!" faits Aucassins. "Encore aim je mix center que nient." "Sire, the money we will take, but I'll not sing to you, for I've sworn it. But I will tell it you, if you like." "For God's sake!" said Aucassins; "better telling than nothing!"