d before the palace, come to the door and
through a little crack catch sight of the torture and anguish which they
were inflicting upon the lady, as with coal and flame they accomplished
her martyrdom. They bring clubs and hammers to smash and break down the
door. Great was the noise and uproar as they battered and broke in the
door. If now they can lay hands on the doctors, the latter will not have
long to wait before they receive their full deserts. With a single rush
the ladies enter the palace, and in the press is Thessala, who has no
other aim than to reach her mistress. Beside the fire she finds her
stripped, severely wounded and injured. She puts her back in the bier
again, and over her she spreads a cloth, while the ladies go to give
their reward to the three doctors, without wishing to wait for the
emperor or his seneschal. Out of the windows they threw them down into
the court-yard, breaking the necks, ribs, arms, and legs of all: no
better piece of work was ever done by any ladies.

(Vv. 6051-6162.) Now the three doctors have received their gruesome
reward at the hands of the ladies. But Cliges is terror-stricken and
filled with grief upon hearing of the pain and martyrdom which his
sweetheart has endured for him. He is almost beside himself, fearing
greatly, and with good reason, that she may be dead or badly injured by
the torture inflicted upon her by the three physicians who now are dead.
So he is in despair and despondency when Thessala comes, bringing with
her a very precious ointment with which she has already gently rubbed
the body and wounds of her mistress. When they laid her back in her bier
the ladies wrapped her again in a cloth of Syrian stuff, leaving her
face uncovered. All that night there is no abatement of the cries they
raise unceasingly. Throughout the city, high and low, poor and rich, are
beside themselves with grief, and it seems as if each one boasts that he
will outdo all others in his woe, and would fain never be comforted. All
that night the grief continues. The next morning John came to the court;
and the emperor sends for him and issues to him this command: "John, if
ever thou wroughtest a fine piece of work, now put forth and show all
thy skill in constructing such a sepulchre as for beauty and workmanship
shall have no match." And John, who had already performed the task,
says that he has already completed one which is very fine and cleverly
wrought; but when he began the work h