Aucassin and Nicolete [14]
the Queen was, and lo! men were warring with baked apples, and with eggs, and with fresh cheeses, and Aucassin began to look on them, and made great marvel.
Here one singeth:
Aucassin his horse doth stay, From the saddle watched the fray, All the stour and fierce array; Right fresh cheeses carried they, Apples baked, and mushrooms grey, Whoso splasheth most the ford He is master called and lord. Aucassin doth gaze awhile, Then began to laugh and smile And made game.
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
When Aucassin beheld these marvels, he came to the King, and said, "Sir, be these thine enemies?"
"Yea, Sir," quoth the King.
"And will ye that I should avenge you of them?"
"Yea," quoth he, "with all my heart."
Then Aucassin put hand to sword, and hurled among them, and began to smite to the right hand and the left, and slew many of them. And when the King saw that he slew them, he caught at his bridle and said,
"Ha! fair sir, slay them not in such wise."
"How," quoth Aucassin, "will ye not that I should avenge you of them?"
"Sir," quoth the King, "overmuch already hast thou avenged me. It is nowise our custom to slay each other."
Anon turned they and fled. Then the King and Aucassin betook them again to the castle of Torelore, and the folk of that land counselled the King to put Aucassin forth, and keep Nicolete for his son's wife, for that she seemed a lady high of lineage. And Nicolete heard them, and had no joy of it, so began to say:
Here singeth one:
Thus she spake the bright of brow: "Lord of Torelore and king, Thy folk deem me a light thing, When my love doth me embrace, Fair he finds me, in good case, Then am I in such derray, Neither harp, nor lyre, nor lay, Dance nor game, nor rebeck play Were so sweet."
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
Aucassin dwelt in the castle of Torelore, in great ease and great delight, for that he had with him Nicolete his sweet love, whom he loved so well. Now while he was in such pleasure and such delight, came a troop of Saracens by sea, and laid siege to the castle and took it by main strength. Anon took they the substance that was therein and carried off the men and maidens captives. They seized Nicolete and Aucassin, and bound Aucassin hand and foot, and cast him into one ship, and Nicolete into another. Then rose there a mighty wind over sea, and scattered the ships. Now that ship wherein was Aucassin, went wandering on the sea, till it came to the castle of Biaucaire, and the folk of the country ran together to wreck her, and there found they Aucassin, and they knew him again. So when they of Biaucaire saw their damoiseau, they made great joy of him, for Aucassin had dwelt full three years in the castle of Torelore, and his father and mother were dead. So the people took him to the castle of Biaucaire, and there were they all his men. And he held the land in peace.
Here singeth one:
Lo ye, Aucassin hath gone To Biaucaire that is his own, Dwelleth there in joy and ease And the kingdom is at peace. Swears he by the Majesty Of our Lord that is most high, Rather would he they should die All his kin and parentry, So that Nicolete were nigh. "Ah sweet love, and fair of brow, I know not where to seek thee now, God made never that countrie, Not by land, and not by sea, Where I would not search for thee, If that might be!"
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
Now leave we Aucassin, and speak we of Nicolete. The ship wherein she was cast pertained to the King of Carthage, and he was her father, and she had twelve brothers, all princes or kings. When they beheld Nicolete, how fair she was, they did her great worship, and made much joy of her, and many times asked her who she was, for surely seemed she a lady of noble line and high parentry. But she might not tell them of her lineage, for she was but a child when men stole her away. So sailed they till they won the City of Carthage, and when Nicolete saw the walls of the castle, and the country-side, she knew that there
Here one singeth:
Aucassin his horse doth stay, From the saddle watched the fray, All the stour and fierce array; Right fresh cheeses carried they, Apples baked, and mushrooms grey, Whoso splasheth most the ford He is master called and lord. Aucassin doth gaze awhile, Then began to laugh and smile And made game.
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
When Aucassin beheld these marvels, he came to the King, and said, "Sir, be these thine enemies?"
"Yea, Sir," quoth the King.
"And will ye that I should avenge you of them?"
"Yea," quoth he, "with all my heart."
Then Aucassin put hand to sword, and hurled among them, and began to smite to the right hand and the left, and slew many of them. And when the King saw that he slew them, he caught at his bridle and said,
"Ha! fair sir, slay them not in such wise."
"How," quoth Aucassin, "will ye not that I should avenge you of them?"
"Sir," quoth the King, "overmuch already hast thou avenged me. It is nowise our custom to slay each other."
Anon turned they and fled. Then the King and Aucassin betook them again to the castle of Torelore, and the folk of that land counselled the King to put Aucassin forth, and keep Nicolete for his son's wife, for that she seemed a lady high of lineage. And Nicolete heard them, and had no joy of it, so began to say:
Here singeth one:
Thus she spake the bright of brow: "Lord of Torelore and king, Thy folk deem me a light thing, When my love doth me embrace, Fair he finds me, in good case, Then am I in such derray, Neither harp, nor lyre, nor lay, Dance nor game, nor rebeck play Were so sweet."
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
Aucassin dwelt in the castle of Torelore, in great ease and great delight, for that he had with him Nicolete his sweet love, whom he loved so well. Now while he was in such pleasure and such delight, came a troop of Saracens by sea, and laid siege to the castle and took it by main strength. Anon took they the substance that was therein and carried off the men and maidens captives. They seized Nicolete and Aucassin, and bound Aucassin hand and foot, and cast him into one ship, and Nicolete into another. Then rose there a mighty wind over sea, and scattered the ships. Now that ship wherein was Aucassin, went wandering on the sea, till it came to the castle of Biaucaire, and the folk of the country ran together to wreck her, and there found they Aucassin, and they knew him again. So when they of Biaucaire saw their damoiseau, they made great joy of him, for Aucassin had dwelt full three years in the castle of Torelore, and his father and mother were dead. So the people took him to the castle of Biaucaire, and there were they all his men. And he held the land in peace.
Here singeth one:
Lo ye, Aucassin hath gone To Biaucaire that is his own, Dwelleth there in joy and ease And the kingdom is at peace. Swears he by the Majesty Of our Lord that is most high, Rather would he they should die All his kin and parentry, So that Nicolete were nigh. "Ah sweet love, and fair of brow, I know not where to seek thee now, God made never that countrie, Not by land, and not by sea, Where I would not search for thee, If that might be!"
Then speak they, say they, tell they the Tale:
Now leave we Aucassin, and speak we of Nicolete. The ship wherein she was cast pertained to the King of Carthage, and he was her father, and she had twelve brothers, all princes or kings. When they beheld Nicolete, how fair she was, they did her great worship, and made much joy of her, and many times asked her who she was, for surely seemed she a lady of noble line and high parentry. But she might not tell them of her lineage, for she was but a child when men stole her away. So sailed they till they won the City of Carthage, and when Nicolete saw the walls of the castle, and the country-side, she knew that there