If he had taken my advice, he would not have
rashly undertaken, either this month or the next, the battle
which he so greatly desires. If thou makest over the Queen to
him, dost thou fear any dishonour in the deed? Have no fear of
that, for no blame can attach to thee; rather is it wrong to keep
that to which one has no rightful claim. He would gladly have
entered the battle at once, though his hands and feet are not
sound, but cut and wounded." Meleagant answers his father thus:
"You are foolish to be concerned. By the faith I owe St. Peter,
I will not take your advice in this matter. I should deserve to
be drawn apart with horses, if I heeded your advice. If he is
seeking his honour, so do I seek mine; if he is in search of
glory, so am I; if he is anxious for the battle, so am I a
hundred times more so than he." "I see plainly," says the king,
"that thou art intent upon thy mad enterprise, and thou shalt
have thy fill of it. Since such is thy pleasure, to-morrow thou
shalt try thy strength with the knight." "May no greater
hardship ever visit me than that!" Meleagant replies; "I would
much rather it were to-day than to-morrow. Just see how much
more downcast I am than is usual! My eyes are wild, and my face
is pale! I shall have no joy or satisfaction or any cause for
happiness until I am actually engaged with him.
Pages:
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684