Old French Romances, Done into English — John Shaqi
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
So the knight sent for his chaplain, and brought thither his fair
daughter, and let affiance her to Robin, and set a day for the wedding.
But the third day thereafter, Robin spake to his lord, and prayed him
make him a knight, whereas it was nought meet that he should take to him
so high a wife and so fair before he was a knight. His lord had great
joy thereof, and the next day he was made knight, and the third day
wedded the fair maiden with great feast and joyance.
But when master Robin was made knight he spake thus to his lord: “Sir, ye
have made me knight; and true it is that against the peril of death I
vowed me to the road unto Saint Jamesward on the morrow of my knighting;
wherefore I pray thee take it not in dudgeon if to-morrow morn I must
needs go my ways so soon as I shall have wedded thy fair daughter;
whereas in nowise will I break mine oath.” “Forsooth, master Robin, if
thou leave thus my fair daughter and thus wise go your ways, ye shall be
much to blame.” “Sir,” said he, “I shall come back right soon if God
will; but this wayfaring I needs must perforce.” Whenas a certain knight
of the court of the lord heard these words he blamed Sir Robin much,
whereas he was leaving his fair wife at such a point, and Sir Robin said
that he needs must do it. “Certes,” said the knight, who had to name
Raoul, “if thou goest thus to Saint James without touching thy fair wife,
I will make thee cuckold before thine home-coming, and when thou comest
home I will give thee good tokens that I have had share of her. Now I
will lay my land thereto against thine, which our lord hath given thee,
for I have well four hundred pounds of land even as thou hast.”
“Forsooth,” said Sir Robin, “my wife is not come of such blood as that
she shall misdo against me, and I may not believe in it nowise: I will
make the wager with thee, if it please thee.” “Yea,” said Sir Raoul,
“wilt thou pledge thee thereto?” “Yea, verily,” said Sir Robin, “and
thou?” “Yea, and I also. Now go we to my lord and make record of our
covenant.” “That will I well,” said Sir Robin. Therewith they go unto
the lord, and the wager was recorded, and they pledged them to hold
thereto. On the morrow betimes Sir Robin wedded the fair maiden, and
straightway after mass was said, he departed from the house and left the
wedding, and took the road for St. Jakem.
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