Book VIII · ANTIKONIE, part 4 of 7

¶And thus spake the noble maiden, 'Now had it but been God's will, That I, a man born, might sword bear, and knightly tasks fulfil, To strive with me hadst thou come here, methinks thou hadst come too late,-- 275 But now am I all defenceless, a maiden, and no man's mate. And yet a shield I carry, and fair its device shall be, And honoured of all--Its blazon would I read here, Sir King, to thee, That thou henceforth mayst know it--Pure heart and upright mind, That true man beneath its cover a shelter may ever find. 280 And that, o'er the gallant hero whom thou sentest unto my care, Did I hold, and 'gainst thee, his foeman, I did, as beseemed me, bear, For none other armour had I--And if thou repent the ill Thou hast done to thy guest, me, thy sister, hast thou wronged more deeply still; For this is the right of woman, so ever 'twas told to me, 285 That if ever unto the shelter of a maiden a knight shall flee, Then they who as foemen follow shall straightway leave their chase-- In such wise they ever bear them who would not their shield disgrace-- Now, Sir Vergulacht, that thy guest fled to me as his hope of life, Hath loaded with shame thine honour, since thou aided, nor checked, thestrife!' 290

¶Then Kingrimursel quoth sternly, 'Yea, Sire, 'twas at thy command, That on Plimizöl's plain I bade him, Sir Gawain, to seek this land. On thy royal word safe conduct I sware him, that should he ride Hither we twain were pledged him no evil should here betide, Save but from one foeman only--Now, Sire, thou hast here done ill 295 In that, spite of thine oath so knightly, thy word thou didst not fulfil. And here shall my fellows hearing give judgment betwixt us twain, If thus thou wrongest princes, what as king mayst thou hope to gain From us of faith and honour?--If honoured thou fain wouldst be, Then, courteous, make confession that near of kin are we; 300 True cousin am I, no bastard, and e'en if such chance had been, Even then, in this thy dealing, thou hadst done me a wrong, I ween! A knight am I in whom no man hath found a taint of shame, And I think me that free from falsehood, yea, to death will I guard my fame, For in God have I ever trusted, and, methinks, He holds not in store 305 Such fate for the days of the future as I knew not in days of yore. Yet they who shall hear the story, how the nephew of Arthur rode To Schamfanzon 'neath my safe-conduct, where'er shall be his abode-- An he come from the land of the Breton, or from France, or from Provence fair, Burgundian he, or Gallician, or the arms of Punturtois bear-- 310 When he hear of the grief of Gawain then my fame shall be swiftly sped, And shame be my meed for the danger that threatened that knightly head. At the tale of this strife shall my glory wax narrow, and blame grow wide; And, as joy in the past dwelt with me, so henceforward shall shame abide.'

¶As he made an end of speaking stood a vassal the king before, 315 And, as Kiot himself hath told us, Liddamus was the name he bore. And I speak here of Kiot the singer, and so sweet was I ween his song That none wax of the hearing weary, tho' the days of their life be long. And I rede ye to wit that Kiot of old was a Provençal, Who found writ in a book of the heathen this story of Parzival. 320 And in French again he sang it, and I, if no wit shall fail, Would fain in his footsteps follow, and in German would tell the tale.

¶Quoth the Prince Liddamus in his anger, 'Now say, what doth he do here In the house of my lord, who his father hath slain, and hath brought anear The brand of shame? My king's courage is known thro' many a land, 325 'Twould better beseem his honour to avenge him with his own hand; One death for the other payeth--and the need waxeth here as there.' And Gawain he stood in sore peril, and fear for his life must bear.

¶Quoth Kingrimursel, 'Who to threaten is swift, he as swift should be To mingle in strife, yet but lightly thy foeman he holdeth thee! 330 An wide were the field or narrow, yet Sir Liddamus, I know well This man were safe from thine onslaught e'en tho' shame at his hand befell, For ne'er wouldst thou dare to avenge it, who yet dost so loudly boast-- And swifter were we to hearken if ever in battle host We had seen thee ride the foremost! But strife ever wrought thee pain, 335 And afar from the field of battle to linger thou aye wast fain. Yea, more hast thou learnt--The beginning of strife didst thou ever see, Then hence wouldst thou fly as swiftly as a maiden is wont to flee. And the prince who thy counsel hearkens, and doeth as thou shalt say, Shall find that the crown he weareth but loosely shall sit alway!' 340

¶'And fain, in a joust so knightly, were I to have faced Gawain, Nor feared me aught, for such combat had we sworn fast betwixt us twain. And here had we fought, as fitting, 'neath the eye of the king my lord, And wroth am I now, for dearer, methought, had he held his word! Now swear thou to me, Sir Gawain, when a year from this day be past, 345 To meet me again in combat--If thou 'scape my lord's wrath at last, And thy life for a prey he leave thee, yet we twain must fight our fight. At Plimizöl first I bade thee; at Barbigöl, if it seem thee right, Before Meljanz, the youthful monarch, the strife shall methinks be fought; And around my heart till the day come shall sorrow's wreath be wrought, 350 And gladly I'll hail that dawning, and face thee, thou hero bold, Tho' the guerdon be but of sorrow, that shall there by thine hand be told.'

¶So there, as the Landgrave bade him, the hero Gawain swore, And his oath, and his pledge so knightly, he plighted as erst of yore. But Duke Liddamus, he bethought him of words that he fain would say, 355 And with cunning skill and wisdom his speech did he weave that day.