Old French Romances, Done into EnglishMorris, William
General
Old French Romances, Done into English
Morris, William
French literature -- To 1500 -- Translations into English; Romances; Tales, Medieval
I will be thy warrant for all.” “Sir,” said Robin “I will nought naysay
it; fair is the gift since I know that is soothfast.” “Robin,” said the
knight, “now hast thou the rights thereof.”
Then the knight delivered to him his glove, and invested him with the
land and his fair daughter.
Then rode the knight so far by his journeys, that he came into his land,
and when he was come thither, his wife, who was a much fair lady, made
him right great joy, and said to him: “Sir, for God’s sake think of thy
fair daughter, that she be wedded.” “Dame,” said the lord, “so much hast
thou spoken hereof that I have wedded her.” “Sir,” said the lady, “unto
whom?” “Forsooth, dame, I have given her to such a man as shall never
lack of valiancy: I have given her to Robin my squire.” “Robin! Alas!”
quoth the lady; “Robin hath nought, and there is no knight so mighty in
all the land, but will take her with a good will; of a surety Robin shall
never have her.” “Yea, but have her he shall, dame,” said the knight,
“and I have invested him with four hundred pounds of my land; and all
that I ought to warrant him, warrant him I will.” When the dame heard
that, she was much sorry, and said to her lord that Robin should have her
never. “Nay, dame,” said the lord, “have her he shall, wilt thou or wilt
thou not; for even so have I made covenant and I will hold to the same.”
When the lady heard her lord, she entered into her chamber and fell
a-weeping and making great dole; after the dole which she made she sent
to seek her brothers and her nephews and her cousins germain, and showed
them that which her lord would do; and they said to her: “Dame, what will
ye that we do? We have no will to go against thy lord, for he is a
knight valiant and hardy and weighty withal: and on the other hand he may
do with his daughter according to his will, and with his land which he
hath gotten withal. So wot thou well that we will not hang shield on
neck herein.” “Nay? alas, then!” said the dame, “so shall my heart never
have joy if I lose my fair daughter. At least, fair lords, I pray you
that ye show him that if he does thus he will neither do well nor
according to his honour.” “Dame,” say they, “this setting forth will we
do with a good will.”
So they came unto the knight, and when they had showed him their business
he answered them right courteously: “Fair lords, I will tell you what I
will do for the love of you; if it please you I will put off the wedding
in this wise as I shall tell you; to wit: Amongst you ye be rich and of
great lands; ye are nigh friends of my fair daughter, whom I love much.
If ye will give her four hundred pounds of land I will set aside the
wedding, and she shall be wedded elsewhere according to your counsel.”
“A-God’s name,” quoth they, “we be nought fain to lay down so much.”
“Well, then,” said the knight, “since ye will not do this, then suffer me
to do with my daughter as I list.” “Sir, with a good will,” said they.
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