The Lais of Marie De France: With Two Further Lais in the Original Old French by Marie France

Author:Marie France
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Poetry, Medieval, European, French, General
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2011-10-27T05:19:35+00:00

lady whose hair is neither tawny nor brown. She is the most beautiful of all women in the world.’ Lanval heard this and raised his head, for he knew her well, and sighed. His blood rushed to his face and he was quick to speak: ‘In faith,’ he said, ‘it is my beloved! If she shows me no mercy, I hardly care if anyone should kill me, for my cure is in seeing her.’ The lady entered the palace, where no one so beautiful had ever before been seen. She dismounted before the king, and in the sight of all, let her cloak fall so that they could see her better. The king, who was well-mannered, rose to meet her, and all the others honoured her and offered themselves as her servants. [585–610] When they had looked at her and praised her beauty greatly, she spoke thus, for she had no wish to remain: ‘King, I have loved one of your vassals, Lanval, whom you see there. Because of what he said, he was accused in your court, and I do not wish him to come to any harm. You should know that the queen was wrong, as he never sought her love. As regards the boast he made, if he can be acquitted by me, let your barons release him!’ The king granted that it should be as the judges recommended, in accordance with justice. There was not one who did not consider that Lanval had successfully defended himself, and so he was freed by their decision. The maiden, who had many servants, then left, for the king could not retain her. Outside the hall there was a large block of dark marble on to which heavily armed men climbed when they left the king’s court. Lanval mounted it and when the maiden came through the door, he leapt in a single bound on to the palfrey behind her. He went with her to Avalon, so the Bretons tell us, to a very beautiful island. Thither the young man was borne and no one has heard any more about him, nor can I relate any more. [611–46]

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