of
her knights and men-at-arms. And my lord Yvain was so handsome that they
all marvelled to look at him, and all, rising to their feet, salute and
bow to my lord Yvain, guessing well as they did so: "This is he whom
my lady will select. Cursed be he who opposes him! For he seems a
wonderfully fine man. Surely, the empress of Rome would be well married
with such a man. Would now that he had given his word to her, and she to
him, with clasped hand, and that the wedding might take place to-day
or tomorrow." Thus they spoke among themselves. At the end of the hall
there was a seat, and there in the sight of all the lady took her place.
And my lord Yvain made as if he intended to seat himself at her feet;
but she raised him up, and ordered the seneschal to speak aloud, so
that his speech might be heard by all. Then the seneschal began, being
neither stubborn nor slow of speech: "My lords," he said, "we are
confronted by war. Every day the King is preparing with all the haste he
can command to come to ravage our lands. Before a fortnight shall have
passed, all will have been laid waste, unless some valiant defender
shall appear. When my lady married first, not quite seven years ago, she
did it on your advice. Now her husband is dead, and she is grieved. Six
feet of earth is all he has, who formerly owned all this land, and who
was indeed its ornament. [314] It is a pity he lived so short a while.
A woman cannot bear a shield, nor does she know how to fight with lance.
It would exalt and dignify her again if she should marry some worthy
lord. Never was there greater need than now; do all of you recommend
that she take a spouse, before the custom shall lapse which has been
observed in this town for more than the past sixty years." At this, all
at once proclaim that it seems to them the right thing to do, and they
all throw themselves at her feet. They strengthen her desire by their
consent; yet she hesitates to assert her wishes until, as if against
her will, she finally speaks to the same intent as she would have done,
indeed, if every one had opposed her wish: "My lords, since it is your
wish, this knight who is seated beside me has wooed me and ardently
sought my hand. He wishes to engage himself in the defence of my rights
and in my service, for which I thank him heartily, as you do also. It is
true I have never known him in person, but I have often heard his name.
Know that he is no less a man than the son of King Urien. B