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. (28)
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.
Pages:
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555