be no one to
utter such advice as this: 'My lady, give this vair mantle, this cloak,
and this garment to such and such an honest dame! Truly, such charity
will be well employed, for she is in very dire need of them.' No such
words as these shall be uttered henceforth, for there is no one else who
is frank and courteous; but every one solicits for himself rather than
for some one else, even though he have no need."

(Vv. 4385-4474.) Thus they were bemoaning their fate; and my lord Yvain
who was in their midst, heard their complaints, which were neither
groundless nor assumed. He saw Lunete on her knees and stripped to her
shift, having already made confession, and besought God's mercy for her
sins. Then he who had loved her deeply once came to her and raised her
up, saying: "My damsel, where are those who blame and accuse you? Upon
the spot, unless they refuse, battle will be offered them." And she, who
had neither seen nor looked at him before, said: "Sire, you come from
God in this time of my great need! The men who falsely accuse me are all
ready before me here; if you had been a little later I should soon have
been reduced to fuel and ashes. You have come here in my defence,
and may God give you the power to accomplish it in proportion as I am
guiltless of the accusation which is made against me!" The seneschal and
his two brothers heard these words. "Ah!" they exclaim, "woman, chary
of uttering truth but generous with lies! He indeed is mad who for thy
words assumes so great a task. The knight must be simple-minded who has
come here to die for thee, for he is alone and there are three of us. My
advice to him is that he turn back before any harm shall come to him."
Then he replies, as one impatient to begin: "Whoever is afraid, let him
run away! I am not so afraid of your three shields that I should go off
defeated without a blow. I should be indeed discourteous, if, while yet
unscathed and in perfect case, I should leave the place and field to
you. Never, so long as I am alive and sound, will I run away before
such threats. But I advise thee to set free the damsel whom thou hast
unjustly accused; for she tells me, and I believe her word, and she has
assured me upon the salvation of her soul, that she never committed,
or spoke, or conceived any treason against her mistress. I believe
implicitly what she has told me, and will defend her as best I can, for
I consider the righteousness of her cause to be in my favour. F