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 he fell to telling her all that she well knew, and of John his
esquire, who had done him so much good, and said that he was so troubled
whereas he had thus lost him, that he would make never an end of
wandering till he had found him, and that he would bestir himself thereto
the morrow’s morn. “Sir,” said the lady, “that were folly; and how
should it be then; wouldst thou leave me, then?” “Forsooth, dame,” said
he, “e’en so it behoveth me. For none did ever so much for another as he
did for me.” “Sir,” said the dame, “wherein he did for thee, he did but
duly. Even so he was bound to do.” “Dame,” said Sir Robin, “by what
thou sayest thou shouldst know him.” “Forsooth,” said the lady, “I
should ought to know him well, for never did he anything whereof I wotted
not.” “Lady,” said Sir Robin, “thou makest me to marvel at thy words.”
“Sir,” said the lady, “never marvel thou hereof! If I tell thee a word
for sooth and for certain, wilt thou not believe me?” “Dame,” said he,
“yea, verily.”
“Well, then, believe me in this,” said she; “for wot of a verity that I
am the very same John whom thou wouldest go seek, and I will tell thee
how. For I knew that thou wert gone for the great sorrow thou hadst for
my misdoing against thee, and for thy land which thou deemedst thou hadst
lost for ever. Whereas I had heard tell of the occasion of the wager,
and of the treason Sir Raoul had done, whereof I was so wroth as never
woman was more wroth. Straightway I let shear my hair, and took the
money in my coffer, about ten pounds of Tournais, and arrayed me like an
esquire, and followed thee away to Paris, and found thee at the tomb of
Ysore; and there I fell into company with thee, and we went together into
Marseilles, and were there together seven years long, where I served thee
unto my power as my rightful lord, and I hold for well spent all the
service that I did thee. And know of a truth that I am innocent and just
of that which the evil knight laid upon me; as well appeareth whereas he
hath been shamed in the field, and hath acknowledged the treason.”
Therewith my lady Jehane embraced Sir Robin, her lord, and kissed him on
the mouth right sweetly; for Sir Robin understood well that it was she
that had so well served him; and so great joy he had, that none could say
it or think it; and much he wondered in his heart how she could think to
do that which so turned to her great goodness. Wherefore he loved her
the more all the days of his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account