at I am mad to tell
you how my matters stand? I thought I had come to you as to my lord and
my father; but that does not seem to be the case, for you insult me more
outrageously than I think you have any right to do; moreover, you can
give no reason for having addressed me thus." "Indeed, I can." "What is
it, then?" "Because I see nothing in thee but folly and wrath. I know
very well what thy courage is like, and that it will cause thee great
trouble yet. A curse upon him who supposes that the elegant Lancelot,
who is esteemed by all but thee, has ever fled from thee through fear.
I am sure that he is buried or confined in some prison whose door is
barred so tight that he cannot escape without leave. I should surely be
sorely grieved if he were dead or in distress. It would surely be too
bad, were a creature so splendidly equipped, so fair, so bold, yet so
serene, to perish thus before his time. But, may it please God, this
is not true." Then Bademagu said no more; but a daughter of his had
listened attentively to all his words, and you must know that it was she
whom I mentioned earlier in my tale, and who is not happy now to hear
such news of Lancelot. It is quite clear to her that he is shut up,
since no one knows any news of him or his wanderings. "May God never
look upon me, if I rest until I have some sure and certain news of
him!" Straightway, without making any noise or disturbance, she runs
and mounts a fair and easy-stepping mule. But I must say that when she
leaves the court, she knows not which way to turn. However, she asks no
advice in her predicament, but takes the first road she finds, and
rides along at random rapidly, unaccompanied by knight or squire. In her
eagerness she makes haste to attain the object of her search. Keenly she
presses forward in her quest, but it will not soon terminate. She may
not rest or delay long in any single place, if she wishes to carry out
her plan, to release Lancelot from his prison, if she can find him and
if it is possible. But in my opinion, before she finds him she will have
searched in many a land, after many a journey and many a quest, before
she has any news of him. But what would be the use of my telling you of
her lodgings and her journeyings? Finally, she travelled so far through
hill and dale, up and down, that more than a month had passed, and as
yet she had learned only so much as she knew before--that is, absolutely
nothing. One day she was crossing a field in