Melusine. Part I

Cap. IX. How Raymondyn retourned toward hys lady, and sawe a Chapell whiche neuer he had seen before./

THystory telleth to vs that so longe rode Raymondyn that he camme into the Forest of Coulombyers, & passed thrugℏ the lytel toune, & went vpon the mountayne and yede so longe that he perceyued the medowes whiche were vnder the roche, that was aboue the Fontayne of Soyf, and sawe a hous made of stone in a manere of a Chapeƚƚ. And knowe ye that Raymondyn had be there many [a] tyme, but neuer tofore he had seen it / and went neuer to hit; And before the place he perceyued many ladyes, knyghtes, & Squyers whiche made to hym grete feste and praysed hym gretly. Wherfor he meruaylled gretly, For one of them said to hymme: [folio 20] 'Sire, alight & come toward my lady that abydeth aftir you within her pauyllon or tente.' 'By my feyth,' sayd Raymondyn / 'hit plaiseth me wel so for to doo.' Soone he descendid from hys hors & yede with them, whicℏ conueyed hym toward the lady moche honourably. And thanne the lady camme to mete hym, & toke hym by the hand and ledd hym into her tente, And satte both vpon a bed of parement moche ryche / and all the other abode without. Thanne byganne the lady for to raisonne with Raymondyn, & said to hym in this manere: 'My dere frende, wel I wote that wel ye haue hold alle that I introduysed, or taught you of, And therfore fro hens fourthon I shall trust you the more.' 'Lady dere,' sayd Raymondyn / 'I haue founde so good a bygynnyng̘ in your wordes, that nothing ye shall commande to me that humayn body may or oughte to comprehende or vndertake / but that I wyl & shal doo it after your playsire.' 'Raymondyn,' said she / 'for me ye shall vndertake

no thing̘, but that of it ye shal comme to your worship /.' Thenne camme there a knyght whiche kneled before her / and after his reuerence made / dressed hys wordes toward her, & said: 'My lady, al thing̘ is redy / ye shal comme whan it playse you.' And the lady ansuerde & said / 'Couere your heed, fayre sire.' Thanne the lady & Raymondyn wesshe theire handes & sette them at a moche ryche table. and within the sayd pauyllon were many other tables dressed, where dide sette many knightes and ladyes / and whan Raymondyn saw this appareyll, he meruaylled moche / and demanded of hys lady fro whens so grete a felawship was comme vnto her. And to hys demande the lady ansuerd̛ nothing̘. Wherfore Raymondyn asked of her ayen, 'My lady, fro [folio 20b] whens are comme vnto you so many of gentyl men and ladyes?' 'By my feyth, Raymondyn, my frend̛,' sayd̛ the lady, 'it is no nede to you for to be meruaylled therof, For they be all at your commandement, & redy for to serue you / & many other also that now ye see not.' Thanne held Raymondyn hys peas / and so many courses & of dyuerse metes were before them brought, that meruayll it was to see it. And whan they had dyned, they weshe theire handes / and graces said & all thinges doon / the lady toke Raymondyn by the hand & ledd hym beside the beed, & euerychon voyded the pauyllon, and wheras they lyst went, or wher they oughten for to haue goo, eche one aftir theyre estate /.

THannne said the lady to Raymondyn: 'My frend̛, to morowe is the day that the barons shal comme for to doo theire homage vnto the yong Erle Bertrand. And know you, my frend, that there must ye be / & shal doo as I shal telle you, yf it playse you so to doo / Now vnderstand & reteyne wel my wordes. Ye shal abyde þer vnto the tyme that all the Baronnes shal haue doo their homages, and thenne ye shal putte your self

fourth byfore the said Bertrand, and of hym ye shal demande a yefte, for the salary & remuneracioun of alle the seruyse that euer ye dide vnto his fader. And telle to hym wel, how that ye ne demande of hym nothre toune, ne Castel, nor other thing of no grete value. and I wote wel that he shal acorde or graunt it to you. For the barons shalle counseylle hym for to doo soo, And as soone as he shal haue graunted your requeste / demande of hym to haue on this roche & about it / as moche of ground̛ as the hyd̛ or skynne of a hert may comprehende./ and freely he shal gyue it to you. In so moche that none shal now lette nor empesche you therof, by reason of [folio 21] homage, nother by charge of rente or other ordynaunce, and whan he shall haue graunted it to you, take þerof his lettres, vnder hys grete Seele, and vnder the seelles of the peris, or lordes pryncipal of the land. And whan that al this ye shal haue doo / on the morow next folowing̘ after that / as ye shalbe comyng homward agayn / ye shal mete on your way a good man, which shal bere within a sac the skynne of a hert / and ye shall bye it / and for it ye shal pay asmoch as the said man shal aske you for it / and after ye shall make it for to be cutte in the smallest and narrowest waye that is possible for to be cutte, after the manere of a thonge. And after, lette your place be delyuered vnto you / the wiche ye shal fynd all marked & kerued, and all the trees pulled to the ground, there as it shal plaise me for to be / And as for to bryng̘ the two endes of the sayd̛ thong̘ of the hyd̛ togidre about the said place / yf it happe that greter ground̛ may be comprysed within it ye shal doo it to be leyd dounward vnto the valey / & there, at both thendes of the said thonge or leder / shal spryng out of the roche a fayre fontaynne, whiche in tyme to comme shalbe full necessary

and conuenable. Goo þenne fourth, my dere frend / and doo hardyly doubtles all that I haue said. For all your werkes shalbe of good expedicioun, and without eny trouble or lettyng̘ / and on the mornne next after that your yefte shalbe graunted and your lettres delyuered to you, ye shall retourne hither to me.' Raymondyn thanne ansuerde, 'My lady, after my power I shal fulfylle al your playsire' / And thenne they embraced and kyssed eche other / and toke leue one of other./ Here cesseth thystory of them / and begynneth for to spek of Raymondyn, whiche toke hys hors, and rode toward Poiters as [folio 21b] hastly as he myght./