m and listen to the
romance a lady, who was the mother of the damsel, as the gentleman was
her father; they had good reason to enjoy seeing and hearing her, for
they had no other children. She was not yet sixteen years old, and
was so fair and full of grace that the god of Love would have devoted
himself entirely to her service, if he had seen her, and would never
have made her fall in love with anybody except himself. For her sake he
would have become a man, and would lay aside his deity, and would smite
his own body with that dart whose wound never heals unless some base
physician attends to it. It is not fitting that any one should recover
until he meets with faithlessness. Any one who is cured by other means
is not honestly in love. I could tell you so much about this wound, if
you were pleased to listen to it, that I would not get through my tale
to-day. But there would be some one who would promptly say that I was
telling you but an idle tale; for people don't fall in love nowadays,
nor do they love as they used to do, so they do not care to hear of it.
[328] But hear now in what fashion and with what manner of hospitality
my lord Yvain was received. All those who were in the garden leaped to
their feet when they saw him come, and cried out: "This way, fair sire.
May you and all you love be blessed with all that God can do or say." I
know not if they were deceiving him, but they receive him joyfully and
act as if they are pleased that he should be comfortably lodged. Even
the lord's daughter serves him very honourably, as one should treat a
worthy guest. She relieves him of all his arms, nor was it the least
attention she bestowed on him when she herself washed his neck and face.
The lord wishes that all honour should be shown him, as indeed they do.
She gets out from her wardrobe a folded shirt, white drawers, needle and
thread for his sleeves, which she sews on, thus clothing him. [329] May
God want now that this attention and service may not prove too costly to
him! She gave him a handsome jacket to put on over his shirt, and about
his neck she placed a brand new spotted mantle of scarlet stuff.
She takes such pains to serve him well that he feels ashamed and
embarrassed. But the damsel is so courteous and open-hearted and polite
that she feels she is doing very little. And she knows well that it is
her mother's will that she shall leave nothing undone for him which she
thinks may win his gratitude. That night at