The Lay of Marie and Vignettes in VerseBetham, Matilda
General
The Lay of Marie and Vignettes in Verse
Betham, Matilda
Marie, de France, active 12th century -- Poetry; Women poets -- Poetry
departure of her lover; she would gladly have wasted herself to the
lightness of air for the purpose of diminishing his labour. She wore
only a single robe which closely enveloped her. Her lover catching her
up with one hand, and bearing the precious vial in the other, appeared
perfectly unconscious of the burthen, and bore her, with the rapidity of
lightning, more than half way up the mountain: but here she perceived
his breath began to fail, and conjured him to have recourse to his
medicine. He replied, that he was still full of vigour; was too much
within sight of the multitude below, that their cries on seeing him
stop, even for an instant, would annoy and dishearten him; and that,
while able to proceed alone, he would not appeal to preternatural
assistance. At two-thirds of the height she felt him totter under the
weight, and again repeated her earnest entreaties. But he no longer
heard or listened: exerting his whole remains of strength, he staggered
with her to the top, still bearing the untasted vial in his hand, and
dropped dead on the ground. His mistress, thinking he had only fainted,
knelt down by his side, applied the elixir to his lips, but found that
life had left him. She then dashed the vial on the ground, uttered a
dreadful shriek, threw herself on the body, and instantly expired. The
king and his attendants, much surprized at not seeing them return,
ascended the mountain, and found the youth fast locked in the arms of
the princess. By command of her father they were buried on the spot in a
marble coffin, and the mountain still retains the name of "The Two
Lovers." Around their tomb the ground exhibits an unceasing verdure; and
hither the whole country resort for the most valuable herbs employed in
medicine, which owe their origin to the contents of the marvellous
vial.[77]
No. VII.--YWONEC.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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