Arthurian Romances (54 page)

‘Lend me your hearts and ears, for words that are not understood by the heart are lost completely. There are those who hear something without understanding it, yet praise it; they have only the faculty of hearing, since the heart does not comprehend it. The word comes to the ears like whistling wind, but doesn't stop or linger there; instead it quickly leaves if the heart is not alert enough to be ready to grasp it. However, if the heart can take and enclose and retain the word when it hears it, then the ears are the path and channel through which the voice reaches the heart; and the voice, which enters through the ears, is received within the breast by the heart. So he who would hear me now must surrender heart and ears to me for I do not wish to speak of a dream, or a fable, or a lie, which many others have served you; instead I shall tell what I have seen myself.

‘It happened more than seven years ago that I, alone like a peasant, was riding along in search of adventures, fully armed as a knight should be; I discovered a path to the right leading through a thick forest. The way was very treacherous, full of thorns and briars; with considerable effort and difficulty I kept to this course and this path. For nearly the whole day I rode along in this manner until I emerged from the forest, which was named Broceliande.
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‘From the forest I entered into open country, where I saw a wooden brattice half a Welsh league away; if it was that far, it was no further. I rode that way at a good pace, saw the brattice and a deep and wide moat all around; and on the drawbridge stood the man to whom the fortress belonged, with a moulted goshawk upon his wrist. I had no sooner greeted him than he came to take hold of my stirrup and invited me to dismount. I had no inclination other than to do so, for I needed lodging; and he told me at once more than seven times in a row that blessed was the route by which I had arrived therein. With that we crossed the bridge and passed through the gate into the courtyard.

‘In the middle of the vavasour's courtyard – may God grant him as much joy and honour as he showed to me that night – there hung a gong; I don't believe it was made with any iron or wood, or of anything but pure copper. The vavasour struck three blows upon this gong with a hammer that was hanging from a little post. Those inside, hearing the voices and this sound, came out of the house and down into the courtyard. Some ran to my horse, which the good vavasour was holding. And I saw that a fair and noble
maiden was approaching me. I looked at her intently, for she was beautiful, tall, and proper; she was skilful in helping me disarm, which she did quickly and well. Then she dressed me in a short, fur-lined mantle of peacock-blue scarlet. Then everyone left, and no one remained there with me or with her; this pleased me, for I had eyes for no one else. And she led me to sit down in the most beautiful meadow in the world, enclosed roundabout with a small wall. There I found her to be so talented, so charming in speech, so gifted, so comforting, and of such a fine nature, that I was very delighted to be there and no duty could ever have caused me to leave.

‘But that night the vavasour laid siege to me by coming to fetch me when it was the time and hour to sup; since I could tarry no longer, I did his bidding at once. Of the supper I'll tell you in short that it was entirely to my liking since the maiden, who was in attendance, was seated opposite me. After dinner the vavasour told me that he couldn't recall how long it had been since he had given lodging to a knight-errant riding in search of adventure; he had not lodged any in a long while. Then he besought me to accord him the service and recompense of returning by way of his lodging; I responded “Willingly, sir.” For it would have been a shame to refuse him; I would have seemed ungrateful had I refused my host this boon.

‘That night I was lodged well, and my horse was saddled as soon as one could see the dawn; I had ardently requested it the evening before, and my request had been honoured. I commended my good host and his dear daughter to the Holy Spirit; I begged leave of everyone and set off as soon as I could. I was not far from my lodging when I discovered, in a clearing, wild bulls on the loose that were fighting among themselves and making such an uproar and commotion and disturbance that, if the truth be told you, I backed off a little way; for no beast is as fierce as or more bellicose than a bull.

‘A peasant who resembled a Moor, ugly and hideous in the extreme – such an ugly creature that he cannot be described in words – was seated on a stump, with a great club in his hand. I approached the peasant and saw that his head was larger than a nag's or other beast's. His hair was unkempt and his bare forehead was more than two spans wide; his ears were as hairy and as huge as an elephant's; his eyebrows heavy and his face flat. He had the eyes of an owl and the nose of a cat, jowls split like a wolf's, with the sharp reddish teeth of a boar; he had a russet beard, tangled moustache, a chin down to his breast and a long, twisted spine with a hump. He was leaning on his club and wore a most unusual cloak, made neither of wool nor linen; instead, at his neck he had attached two pelts freshly skinned from two bulls or two oxen.

‘The peasant leapt to his feet as soon as he saw me approaching him. I didn't know if he wanted to strike me, or what he intended to do, but I made ready to defend myself until I saw that he stood there perfectly still, without moving. He had climbed up on a tree trunk, where he towered a good seventeen feet high. He looked down at me, without saying a word, no more than a beast would have; and I thought he didn't know how to talk and was mute. None the less I summoned enough nerve to say to him: “Come now, tell me if you are a good creature or not?”

‘And he answered: “I am a man.”

‘ “What sort of man are you?” I asked.

‘ “Just as you see; and I'm never anything else.”

‘ “What are you doing here?”

‘ “I stand here and watch over the beasts of these woods.”

‘ “Watch over them? By Saint Peter in Rome, they've never been tamed! I don't believe anyone can watch over wild beasts on the plain or in the woods, nor anywhere else, in any way, unless they are tied up and fenced in.”

‘ “I watch over these and herd them so they'll never leave this clearing.”

‘ “How do you do it? Tell me truly.”

‘ “There's not a one of them that dares move when it sees me coming. For whenever I catch hold of one, I grab it by its two horns with my tough and strong hands so that the others tremble in fear and gather around me as if crying out for mercy. No one except me could have confidence among them, for he would be killed at once. Thus I am lord over my beasts. Now it's your turn to tell me what sort of man you are and what you're seeking.”

‘ “I am, as you see, a knight seeking what I cannot find; I've sought long and yet find nothing.”

‘ “And what do you wish to find?”

‘ “Adventure, to test my courage and my strength. Now I pray and beseech you to advise me, if you know, of any adventure or marvellous thing.”

‘ “In this,” he replied, “you will surely fail: I know nothing of adventure, nor have I heard any talk of it. But should you wish to go to a spring near here, you will not return untested if you abide by the custom of the place. Nearby you will soon find a path that will take you there. Follow the path straight ahead if you don't wish to waste your steps, for you could easily stray: there are many other paths. You will see the spring that boils and yet is colder than marble. It is shaded by the most beautiful tree that Nature ever formed. Its leaves stay on in all seasons; it doesn't lose them in even the
harshest winter. Also there is an iron basin hanging on a chain that is just long enough to reach the spring. Beside the spring you'll see a stone. I can't tell you what kind it is, as I've never seen any like it. And on the other side is a chapel, small but very beautiful. If you will take some of the water in the basin and cast it upon the stone, then you'll see such a storm come up that no beast will remain in this wood: stags, does, deer, boar, and even birds will fly before it. There'll be so much lightning that if you escape without great trouble and distress you will be more fortunate than any knight who ever went there.”

‘I left the peasant as soon as he had shown me the way. It was probably after the hour of tierce and might even have been near midday when I saw the tree and the spring. I know for a fact that the tree was the most beautiful pine that ever grew upon the earth. I don't believe it could ever rain so hard that a single drop could penetrate it; rather it would all drip off. From the tree I saw the basin hanging, made of the purest gold that was ever sold at any fair. As for the spring, you can be assured that it was boiling like hot water. The stone was of emerald hollowed out like a cask, and it sat upon four rubies, brighter and redder than the morning sun when it first appears in the east – everything I say is the truth, so far as I know it. I was eager to see the miracle of the storm and tempest, but this was unwise on my part and had I been able I would immediately have retracted my action, after sprinkling the hollow stone with the water from the basin. But I poured too much, I fear, because I then saw the heavens so rent apart that lightning blinded my eyes from more than fourteen directions; and all the clouds pell-mell dropped rain, snow, and hail. The storm was so terrible and severe that a hundred times I feared I'd be killed by the lightning that struck about me or by the trees that were split apart. You can be sure that I was very frightened until the storm died down.

‘But God brought me swift comfort, for the storm did not last long and all the winds diminished; they dared not blow against God's will. And when I saw clear, pure air, I was filled again with joy; for joy, as I've come to learn, causes great troubles to be soon forgotten. As soon as the storm abated, I saw gathered upon the pine tree so many birds – believe it if you will – that not a leaf or branch could be found that was not completely covered with birds. The tree was more beautiful because of them, and they were singing softly, in perfect harmony; yet each sang a different song, so that I never heard one sing what another was singing. I rejoiced in their joyousness and I listened until they had completely finished their service: I had never heard such perfect joy nor do I believe anyone would hear its
equal unless he too goes there to hear what pleased and delighted me so much that I was totally enraptured.

‘I stayed there so long that I heard what sounded like a knight coming; indeed I thought there might be ten of them, such a racket and clatter was made by a single knight who was approaching. When I saw him coming all alone, I caught my horse at once and did not delay in mounting; and he, as if with evil intent, flew at me swifter than an eagle, looking as fierce as a lion.

‘In his loudest voice he began to challenge me, saying: “Vassal, you have greatly shamed and injured me by not offering a proper challenge. If you had just cause you ought first to have challenged me, or at least claimed your rights, before bringing war against me. So now if I can, sir vassal, I'll make you suffer punishment for the manifest damage you've done. The evidence is all around me, in my woods that have been felled. He who is injured has the right to lodge a complaint: and I do claim, and rightly so, that you have driven me from my house with lightning and rain; you have wronged me (and cursed be he who justifies it!), for against my woods and my castle you have levelled such an attack that great towers and high walls would have been to no avail for me. No man would have been safe in any fortress whatsoever, whether of timber or solid stone. But rest assured that from now on you'll have no truce or peace from me!”

‘At these words we clashed together; we held our shields on our arms, each covering himself with his own. The knight had a good horse and a stiff lance, and was certainly a full head taller than I. Therefore I was in real trouble, because I was smaller than he and his horse was better than mine. (I am telling you the truth, you must understand, to explain the cause of my shame.) I dealt him the mightiest blow that I could, sparing him nothing, and struck the edge of his shield. All my strength was behind my blow, and my lance shattered to pieces. But his remained unbroken, since it was not light at all but weighed more, I think, than the lance of any other knight: I'd never seen a thicker one. And the knight struck me such a blow that it knocked me over my horse's crupper and flat upon the ground; he left me shamed and defeated there, without glancing even once at me. Leaving me behind, he took my horse and started back along the path. And I, not knowing what to do, remained there bewildered and dejected.

‘I sat for a while beside the spring and waited; I didn't dare follow the knight for fear of doing something rash. And even had I dared to follow him, I didn't know what had become of him. Finally I decided that I would keep my word to my host and return to him. This decision pleased me, so
that's what I did; but first I removed all my armour in order to proceed more easily, and I returned in shame.

‘When I reached his lodgings that night, I found my host quite unchanged, just as happy and as courteous as I had found him earlier. I did not in the least sense that either his daughter or he was any less happy to see me or paid me any less honour than they had the night before. In their goodness everyone in that house showed me great honour; and they said that never before had anyone escaped from where I had come, as far as they knew or had heard tell, but that everyone had been killed or captured. And so I went, and thus I returned; upon returning I considered myself a fool. Now like a fool I've told you what previously I have never wanted to tell.'

‘By my head,' said my lord Yvain, ‘you are my first cousin and we should love one another dearly, but I'd have to say you were a fool for having hidden this from me for so long. If I've called you a fool, I beg you not to be offended by this for I'll go forth to avenge your shame if I can.'