d beauty,
generosity and strength. He possessed the wood as well as the bark;
he knew more of fencing and of the bow than did Tristan, King Mark's
nephew, and more about birds and hounds than he. [228] In Cliges there
lacked no good thing.

(Vv. 2793-2870.) Cliges stood in all his beauty before his uncle, and
those who did not know who he was looked at him with eager curiosity.
And on the other hand, the interest was aroused of those who did not
know the maiden: wonderingly they gaze upon her. But Cliges, under the
sway of love, let his eyes rest on her covertly, and withdrew them again
so discreetly that in their passage to and fro no one could blame his
lack of skill. Blithely he looks upon the maid, but does not note that
she repays him in kind. Not flattering him, but in sincere love, she
gives him her eyes, and takes back his. This exchange seems good to her,
and would have seemed to her better still had she known something of who
he was. But she knows nothing except that he is fair, and that, if she
is ever to love any one for beauty's sake, she need not seek elsewhere
to bestow her heart. She handed over to him the possession of her eyes
and heart, and he pledged his in turn to her. Pledged? Rather gave
outright. Gave? Nay, upon my faith, I lie; for no one can give away his
heart. I must express it some other way. I will not say it, as some have
done who make two hearts dwell in one body, for it bears not even the
semblance of truth that there should be in one body two hearts; and even
if they could be so united, it would never seem true. But if it please
you to heed my words, I shall be able explain how two hearts form but
one without coming to be identified. Only so far are they merged in one
as the desire of each passes from one to the other, thus joining in one
common desire; and because of this harmony of desire, there are some who
are wont to say that each one has both hearts; but one heart cannot be
in two places. Each one always keeps his own heart, though the desire
be shared by both, just as many different men may sing a song or tune
in unison. By this comparison I prove that for one body to contain two
hearts it is not enough to know each other's wish, nor yet for one to
know what the other loves and what he hates; just as voices which are
heard together seem to be merged in one, and yet do not all come from
one mouth, so it is with a body which can contain but one heart. But
there is no need of furthe