let　that　be　granted。　And　shall　I　not　have　my　desire？　Yes；
  provided　that　I　find　favour　in　his　eyes。　This　desire　is　wrong；
  but　Love　has　taken　such　hold　of　me　that　I　am　foolish　and　dazed
  and　to　defend　myself　avails　me　nought　herein；　thus　I　must　suffer
  Love's　attack。　I　have　indeed　guarded　myself　thus　wisely　and　for
  long　against　Love；　never　once　before　did　I　wish　to　do　aught　for
  him；　but　now　I　am　too　gracious　to　him。　And　what　thanks　does　he
  owe　me；　since　he　cannot　have　service　or　kindness　of　me　by　fair
  means？　It　is　by　force　that　Love　has　tamed　my　pride；　and　I　must
  needs　be　subject　to　his　will。　Now　I　wish　to　love；　now　I　am　under
  his　tuition；　now　will　Love　teach　me。　And　what？　How　I　ought　to
  serve　him。　Of　that　am　I　right　well　apprised。　I　am　full　wise　in
  his　service；　for　no　one　could　find　fault　with　me　in　this　matter。
  No　need　is　there　henceforth　for　me　to　learn　more。　Love　would　have
  me；　and　I　would　fain　be　wise　without　pride；　gracious　and
  courteous　towards　all；　but　the　true　love　of　one　only。　Shall　I
  love　them　all　for　the　sake　of　one？　A　fair　mien　should　I　show　to
  each；　but　Love　does　not　bid　me　to　be　a　true　love　to　every　man。
  Love　teaches　nought　but　good。　It　is　not　for　nothing　that　I　have
  this　name；　and　that　I　am　called　Soredamors。　I　ought　to　love；　and
  I　ought　to　be　loved；　and　I　wish　to　prove　it　by　my　name；　if　I　can
  find　fitting　arguments。　It　is　not　without　meaning　that　the　first
  part　of　my　name　is　the　colour　of　gold；　for　the　most　beautiful　are
  the　blondest。　Therefore　I　hold　my　name　the　fairer　because　it
  begins　with　the　colour　with　which　accords　the　finest　gold。　And
  the　end　recalls　Love；　for　he　who　calls　me　by　my　right　name　ever
  calls　Love　to　my　mind。　And　the　one　half　gilds　the　other　with
  bright　and　yellow　gilding；　for　Soredamors　means　the　same　thing　as
  'gilded　with　love'。　Much；　then；　has　Love　honoured　me；　since　he
  has　gilded　me　with　himself。　Gilding　of　gold　is　not　so　fine　as
  that　which　illumines　me。　And　I　shall　set　my　care　on　this；　that　I
  may　be　of　his　gilding；　nevermore　will　I　complain　of　him。　Now　I
  love　and　shall　always　love。　Whom？　Truly；　a　fine　question！　Him
  whom　Love　bids　me　love；　for　no　other　shall　ever　have　my　love。
  What　does　it　matter　as　he　will　never　know　it　unless　I　tell　him
  myself？　What　shall　I　do　if　I　do　not　pray　him　for　his　love？　For　he
  who　desires　a　thing　ought　indeed　to　request　and　pray　for　it。　How？
  Shall　I　then　pray　him？　Nay；　indeed。　Why　not？　It　never　happened
  that　a　woman　did　aught　so　witless　as　to　beg　a　man　for　love　unless
  she　were　more　than　common　mad。　I　should　be　convicted　of　folly　if
  I　said　with　my　mouth　aught　that　might　turn　to　my　reproach。　If　he
  should　know　it　from　my　mouth；　I　deem　that　he　would　hold　me　the
  cheaper　for　it；　and　would　often　reproach　me　with　having　been　the
  first　to　pray　for　love。　Never　be　Love　so　abased　that　I　should　go
  and　entreat　this　man；　since　he　would　be　bound　to　hold　me　the
  cheaper　for　it。　Ah　God！　how　will　he　ever　know　it；　since　I　shall
  not　tell　him？　As　yet　I　have　scarce　suffered　aught　for　which　I
  need　so　distress　myself。　I　shall　wait　till　he　perceives　it；　if　he
  is　ever　destined　to　perceive　it。　He　will　know　it　well　of　a　truth；
  I　think；　if　ever　he　had　aught　to　do　with　Love　or　heard　tell　of　it
  by　word　of　mouth。　Heard　tell！　Now　have　I　said　foolish　words。
  Love's　lore　is　not　so　easy　that　a　man　becomes　wise　by　speaking　of
  it　unless　good　experience　be　there　too。　Of　myself　I　know　this
  well；　for　never　could　I　learn　aught　of　it　by　fair　speaking　or　by
  word　of　mouth；　and　yet　I　have　been　much　at　Love's　school；　and
  have　often　been　flattered；　but　always　have　I　kept　aloof　from　him；
  and　now　he　makes　me　pay　dear　for　it；　for　now　I　know　more　of　it
  than　an　ox　does　of　ploughing。　But　of　this　I　despairthat　he
  never　loved　；　perhaps；　and　if　he　does　not　love；　and　has　not
  loved；　then　have　I　been　sowing　in　the　sea　where　no　seed　can　take
  root；　and　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　wait　for　him　and　to
  suffer　till　I　see　whether　I　can　bring　him　into　the　right　way　by
  hints　and　covert　words。　I　will　so　act　that　he　will　be　certain　of
  having　my　love　if　he　dares　to　seek　it。　Thus　the　end　of　the　whole
  matter　is　that　I　love　him　and　am　his。　If　he　does　not　love　me；　I
  shall　love　him　all　the　same。〃
  Thus　both　he　and　she　complain；　and　the　one　hides　the　case　from
  the　other；　they　have　sorrow　in　the　night　and　worse　by　day。　In
  such　pain　they　have；　it　seems　to　me；　been　a　long　while　in
  Brittany　until　it　came　to　the　end　of　summer。　Right　at　the
  beginning　of　October　came　messengers　from　the　parts　about　Dover
  from　London　and　from　Canterbury　to　bring　the　king　tidings　that
  have　troubled　his　heart。　The　messengers　have　told　him　thisthat
  he　may　well　tarry　too　long　in　Brittany；　for　he　to　whom　he　had
  entrusted　his　land；　and　had　consigned　so　great　a　host　of　his
  subjects　and　of　his　friends；　will　now　set　himself　in　battle　array
  against　the　king；　and　he　has　marched　into　London　in　order　to　hold
  the　city　against　the　hour　that　Arthur　should　have　returned。
  When　the　king　heard　the　news　he　calls　all　his　barons；　for　he　was
  indignant　and　full　of　displeasure。　That　he　may　the　better　stir
  them　up　to　confound　the　traitor；　he　says　that　all　the　blame　for
  his　toil　and　for　his　war　is　theirs；　for　through　their　persuasion
  he　gave　his　land　and　put　it　into　the　hand　of　the　traitor　who　is
  worse　than　Ganelon。　There　is　not　one　who　does　not　quite　allow
  that　the　king　has　right　and　reason；　for　they　all　counselled　him
  to　do　so；　but　the　traitor　will　be　ruined　for　it。　And　let　him　know
  well　of　a　truth　that　in　no　castle　or　city　will　he　be　able　so　to
  protect　his　body　that　they　do　not　drag　him　out　of　it　by　force。
  Thus　they　all　assure　the　king　and　solemnly　affirm　and　swear　that
  they　will　give　up　the　traitor　or　no　longer　hold　their　lands。　And
  the　king　has　it　proclaimed　through　all　Brittany　that　none　who　can
  bear　arms　in　the　host　remain　in　the　country　without　coming　after
  him　quickly。
  All　Brittany　is　moved：　never　was　such　a　host　seen　as　King　Arthur
  assembled。　When　the　ships　moved　out　it　seemed　that　everybody　in
  the　world　was　on　the　sea；　for　not　even　the　waves　were　seen；　so
  covered　were　they　with　ships。　This　fact　is　certain；　that　it　seems
  from　the　stir　that　all　Brittany　is　taking　ship。　Now　have　the
  ships　made　the　passage；　and　the　folk　who　have　thronged　together
  go　into　quarters　along　the　shore。　It　came　into　Alexander's　heart
  to　go　and　beg　the　king　to　make　him　a　knight；　for　if　ever　he　is　to
  win　renown　he　will　win　it　in　this　war。　He　takes　his　comrades　with
  him；　as　his　will　urges　him　on　to　do　what　he　has　purposed。　They
  have　gone　to　the　king's　tent：　the　king　was　sitting　before　his
  tent。　When　he　sees　the　Greeks　coming　he　has　called　them　before
  him。　〃Sirs；〃　quoth　he；　〃hide　not　from　me　what　need　brought　you
  here。〃　Alexander　spoke　for　all　and　has　told　him　his　desire：　〃I　am
  come；〃　quoth　he；　〃to　pray　you　as　I　am　bound　to　pray；　my　lord；　for
  my　companions　and　for　myself；　that　you　make　us　knights。〃　The　king
  replies：　〃Right　gladly；　and　not　a　moment's　delay　shall　there　be；
  since　you　have　made　me　this　request。〃　Then　the　king　bids　there　be
  borne　harness　for　twelve　knights：　done　is　what　the　king　commands。
  Each　asks　for　his　own　harness；　and　each　has　his　own　in　his
  possession；　fair　arms　and　a　good　steed：　each　one　has　taken　his
  harness。　All　the　twelve　were　of　like　value；　arms　and　apparel　and
  horse；　but　the　harness　for　Alexander's　body　was　worth　as　muchif
  any　one　had　cared　to　value　or　to　sell　itas　the　arms　of　all　the
  other　twelve　together。　Straightway　by　the　sea　they　disrobed　and
  washed　and　bathed；　for　they　neither　wished　nor　deigned　that　any
  other　bath　should　be　heated　for　them。　They　made　the　sea　their
  bath　and　tub。
  The　queen；　who　does　not　hate　Alexanderrather　does　she　love　and
  praise　and　prize　him　muchhears　of　the　matter。　She　wills　to　do
  him　a　great　service；　it　is　far　greater　than　she　thinks。　She
  searches　and　empties　all　her　chests　till　she　has　drawn　forth　a
  shirt　of　white　silk　very　well　wrought　very　delicate　and　very
  fine。　There　was　no　thread　in　the　seams　that　was　not　of　gold；　or
  at　the　least　of　silver。　Soredamors　from　time　to　time　had　set　her
  hands　to　the　sewing；　and　had　in　places　sewn　in　beside　the　gold　a
  hair　from　her　head；　both　on　the　two　sleeves　and　on　the　collar　to
  see　and　to　put　to　the　test　whether　she　could　ever　find　a　man　who
  could　distinguish　the　one　from　the　other；　however　carefully　he
  looked　at　it；　for　the　hair　was　as　shining　and　as　golden　as　the
  gold　or　even　more　so。　The　queen　takes　the　shirt　and　has　given　it
  to　Alexander。　Ah　God！　how　great　joy　would　Alexander　have　had　if
  he　had　known　what　the　queen　is　sending　him。　Very　great　joy　would
  she　too　have　had；　who　had　sewn　her　hair　there　if　she　had　known
  that　her　love　was　to　have　and　wear　it。　Much　comfort　would　she
  have　had　thereof；　for　she　would　not　have　loved　all　the　rest　of
  her　hair　so　much　as　that　which　Alexander　had。　But　neither　he　nor
  she　knew　it：　great　pity　is　it　that　they　do　not　know。　To　the
  harbour　where　the　youths　are　washing　came　the　messenger　of　the
  queen；　he　finds　the　youths　on　the　beach　and　has　given　the　shirt
  to　him；　who　is　much　delighted　with　it　and　who　held　it　all　the
  dearer　for　that　it　came　from　the　queen。　But　if　he　had　known　the
  whole　case　he　would　have　loved　it　still　more；　for　he　would　not
  have　taken　all　t