Book I · GAMURET, part 3 of 11

¶'Nay, that I know not, Lady, nor the land that shall see my face, But wherever I take my journey, thou hast shown unto me such grace As befitteth knightly honour: and the king he hath dealt with me 175 In such wise that grateful service his rewarding shall ever be. And this trust have I, O Lady, that for this thou wilt love him more Henceforward, whate'er the future yet keepeth for me in store.' And as the venture telleth, to the hand of this dauntless knight, Thro' the favour he won from a woman, and the working of true love's might, 180 Came a token fair, and its value was full thousand marks, I trow, E'en to-day an a Jew were craving a pledge, he would deem enow Such jewel, and ne'er disdain it--'Twas sent by his lady true, And fame did he win in her service, and her love and her greeting knew, Yet seldom his pain found easing--Then the hero he took his leave 185 Of mother, brother, and brother's kingdom, and many I ween must grieve Since his eyes never more beheld them. And all who his friends had been, Ere he passed from the land of his fathers, tho' the grace were but small, I ween, He gave them of thanks full measure; he deemed they too much had done, And, courteous, little thought him, that of right he their love had won! 190 Straighter his heart than straightness; did one of his praises speak In a full and fitting measure, then doubt were not far to seek, But ask ye of those his neighbours, or of men who in distant lands Had seen his deeds, then the marvel ye were swifter to understand.

¶And Gamuret he trode ever where Temperance aye should guide, 195 And naught else might rule his doings, nor he boasted him in his pride But bare great honour meekly; from loose ways he e'er had flown; And he thought him, the gallant hero, that none bare on earth a crown, Were they King, or Queen, or Kaiser, whom he deemed of his service worth Were they not the mightiest reckoned of all monarchs that be on earth. 200 This will in his heart he cherished--Then men spake, at Bagdad did reign A monarch so strong and powerful, that homage he well might claim From two-thirds or more of earth's kingdoms. The heathen his name held great, And they spake of him as the Baruch, and kings did on his bidding wait, And crownèd heads were his servants; and his office it lasts to-day-- 205 See how Christian men baptizèd to Rome wend their pilgrim way, So there was the heathen custom. At Bagdad was their papal right, And the Baruch as 'seemed his office purged their sins with his word of might.

¶From Pompey and Ipomidon, two brothers of Babylon, Nineveh, the town of their fathers, the Baruch with force had won, 210 And bravely 'gainst him they battled. Then came the young Angevin, And the Baruch he showed him favour, yea, he did to his service win Gamuret the gallant hero--And he deemed it were well he bore Other arms than Gandein his father had given to him of yore. Then the hero he well bethought him; on his charger's cloth they laid 215 An anchor of ermine fashioned, and the same at his will they made For shield alike and vesture--And green as the emerald rare Was his riding-gear, and 'twas fashioned and wrought of Achmardi fair, ('Tis a silken stuff,) and he bade them to make of it at his will Both blazoned coat and surcoat, (than velvet 'tis richer still;) 220 And he bade them to sew upon it the anchor of ermine white, And with golden threads inwoven was the badge of this gallant knight.

¶And his anchors they never tested or mainland or haven fair And found in that place abiding--But the hero must further bear Thro' many a land, a brave guest, the load of this heraldry, 225 And behind the sign of this anchor but short space might his resting be, And nowhere he found abiding--The tale of the lands he saw, And the vessels in which he sailed him? If the truth unto ye I swore, On mine own oath must I swear it, and my knightly honour true In such wise as the venture told me; other witness I never knew! 230

¶And men say that his manly courage held the prize in far heathendom, In Morocco's land, and in Persia, and elsewhere he high honour won, At Damascus and at Aleppo, and where knightly deeds should be: In Arabia and lands around it was he held of all conflict free, For no man might dare withstand him, he won him such crown of fame; 235 And his heart for honour lusted, and all deeds were brought to shame, And became as naught before him, as all men bare witness true Who a joust with him had ridden, and Bagdad of his glory knew.

¶And his heart never failed or faltered, but onward his course he bare To Zassamank's land and kingdom; there all men wept that hero fair, 240 Eisenhart, who in knightly service gave his life for a woman's smile; Belakané thereto constrained him, sweet maid she, and free from guile. (Since her love she never gave him, for love's sake did the hero die,) And his kinsmen would fain avenge him, and with force and with subtlety Their armies beset the maiden, but in sooth she could guard her well 245 Ere Gamuret came to her kingdom, and her wrath on her foemen fell. For the Prince Friedebrand of Scotland, and his host that against her came By ship, ere he left her kingdom had she wasted with fire and flame.

¶Now hear what befell our hero; storm-driven he was that day, And scarce might he win to safety, and his boat in the haven lay 250 Beneath the royal palace; and the folk they beheld him there, And he looked around on the meadow, and he saw many tents stand fair Around the town, save the sea-coast, and two armies he thought to see. Then he bade them to tell the story, and whose that fair Burg should be? Since he knew it not, nor his shipmen--And an answer they straightway gave, 255 'Twas Patelamunt; then the townsfolk a boon from the knight would crave, And their speech it was soft and friendly--In the name of their gods they'ld pray He should help them, so great their peril that in danger of death they lay.