Tell
me now if thou art not well disposed toward him who has performed
such a marvellous feat. Make peace and be reconciled with him,
and deliver the Queen into his hands. Thou shalt gain no glory
in battle with him, but rather mayst thou incur great loss. Show
thyself to be courteous and sensible, and send the Queen to meet
him before he sees thee. Show him honour in this land of thine,
and before he asks it, present to him what he has come to seek.
Thou knowest well enough that he has come for the Queen
Guinevere. Do not act so that people will take thee to be
obstinate, foolish, or proud. If this man has entered thy land
alone, thou shouldst bear him company, for one gentleman ought
not to avoid another, but rather attract him and honour him with
courtesy. One receives honour by himself showing it; be sure
that the honour will be thine, if thou doest honour and service
to him who is plainly the best knight in the world." And he
replies: "May God confound me, if there is not as good a knight,
or even a better one than he!" It was too bad that he did not
mention himself, of whom he entertains no mean opinion. And he
adds: "I suppose you wish me to clasp my hands and kneel before
him as his liegeman, and to hold my lands from him? So help me
God, I would rather become his man than surrender to him the
Queen! God forbid that in such a fashion I should deliver her to
him! She shall never be given up by me, but rather contested and
defended against all who are so foolish as to dare to come in
quest of her.
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