He saw the shield
hanging outside the door, and looked at it: but naturally he did
not recognise it or know to whom it belonged, or who was the
bearer of it. He sees the door of the house standing open, and
upon entering, he sees Lancelot upon the bed, and as soon as he
saw him, he recognised him and crossed himself. And Lancelot
made a sign to him, and ordered him not to speak of him wherever
he might go, for if he should tell that he knew him, it would be
better for him to have his eyes put out or his neck broken.
"Sire," the herald says, "I have always held you in high esteem,
and so long as I live, I shall never do anything to cause you
displeasure." Then he runs from the house and cries aloud: "Now
there has come one who will take the measure! (23) Now there has
come one who will take the measure!" The fellow shouts this
everywhere, and the people come from every side and ask him what
is the meaning of his cry. He is not so rash as to answer them,
but goes on shouting the same words: "Now there has come one who
will take the measure!" This herald was the master of us all,
when he taught us to use the phrase, for he was the first to make
use of it.
(Vv. 5595-5640.) Now the crowd was assembled, including the
Queen and all the ladies, the knights and the other people, and
there were many men-at-arms everywhere, to the right and left.
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