a storm of wind and rain that she would be compelled perforce to make
peace with him; otherwise, there would be no end to the disturbance of
the spring, and to the rain and wind.

(Vv. 6527-6658.) As soon as my lord Yvain felt that he was cured and
sound again, he departed without the knowledge of any one. But he had
with him his lion, who never in his life wished to desert him. They
travelled until they saw the spring and made the rain descend. Think not
that this is a lie of mine, when I tell you that the disturbance was so
violent that no one could tell the tenth part of it: for it seemed as if
the whole forest must surely be engulfed. The lady fears for her town,
lest it, too, will crumble away; the walls totter, and the tower rocks
so that it is on the verge of falling down. The bravest Turk would
rather be a captive in Persia than be shut up within those walls. The
people are so stricken with terror that they curse all their ancestors,
saying: "Confounded be the man who first constructed a house in this
neighbourhood, and all those who built this town! For in the wide world
they could not have found so detestable a spot, for a single man is able
here to invade and worry and harry us." "You must take counsel in this
matter, my lady," says Lunete; "you will find no one who will undertake
to aid you in this time of need unless you seek for him afar. In the
future we shall never be secure in this town, nor dare to pass beyond
the walls and gate. You know full well that, were some one to summon
together all your knights for this cause, the best of them would not
dare to step forward. If it is true that you have no one to defend
your spring, you will appear ridiculous and humiliated. It will redound
greatly to your honour, forsooth, if he who has attacked you shall
retire without a fight! Surely you are in a bad predicament if you do
not devise some other plan to benefit yourself." The lady replies: "Do
thou, who art so wise, tell me what plan I can devise, and I will follow
thy advice." "Indeed, lady, if I had any plan, I should gladly propose
it to you. But you have great need of a wiser counsellor. So I shall
certainly not dare to intrude, and in common with the others I shall
endure the rain and wind until, if it please God, I shall see some
worthy man appear here in your court who will assume the responsibility
and burden of the battle; but I do not believe that that will happen
to-day, and we have not yet seen th