Book IX · TREVREZENT, part 13 of 16

¶'And, nephew, this thing would I tell thee, and my word shalt thou well believe, 1035 They who to the Grail do service, they take, and again they give. For they take to them tittle children, noble of birth and race-- If a land be without a ruler, and its people shall seek God's Face And crave of His Hand a monarch, then He hearkeneth to their prayer, And a knight, from the Grail host chosen, as king to that land doth fare. 1040 And well shall he rule that people, and happy shall be that land, For the blessing of God goeth with him and God's wisdom doth guide his hand.'

¶'God sendeth the men in secret, but the maidens in light of day Are given unto their husbands; thus none spake to his wooing, Nay, When King Kastis wooed Herzeleide, but joyful our sister gave, 1045 Yet ne'er might her love rejoice him for Death dug at his feet a grave. But in life had he given thy mother both Norgals and fair Waleis, Those kingdoms twain and their cities, Kingrivals and Kanvoleis. 'Twas a fair gift, and known of all men--Then they rode on their homeward way, But Death met them upon their journey, and he made of the king his prey, 1050 And over both Waleis and Norgals Herzeleide, as queen, did reign, Till Gamuret's right hand valiant won the maid, and her kingdoms twain.'

¶'Thus the Grail Its maidens giveth, in the day, and the sight of men, But It sendeth Its knights in the silence and their children It claims again,-- To the host of the Grail are they counted, Grail servants they all shall be, 1055 So the will of God standeth written on the Grail for all men to see.'

¶'He who would to the Grail do service, he shall women's love forswear: A wife shall none have save the Grail king, and his wife a pure heart must bear, And those others whom God's Hand sendeth, as king, to a kingless land-- But little I recked such counsel, to love's service I vowed my hand, 1060 As the pride of my youth constrained me, and the beauty of woman's eyes, And I rode full oft in her service, and I battled for knighthood's prize. Fain was I for wild adventure, on jousting no more I thought, So fair shone the love-light on me ever fiercer the strife I sought. And thro' far-off lands and distant, in the service of love I fared, 1065 And to win sweet love's rewarding right valiant the deeds I dared. If heathen my foe or Christian, what mattered it unto me? The fiercer the strife that beset me, the fairer my prize should be!'

¶'And thus, for the love of woman, in three parts of the earth I fought, In Europe, and far-off Asia, and in Afric' I honour sought. 1070 If for gallant jousting I lusted I fought before Gaurivon; By the mystic Mount of Fay-Morgan I many a joust have run. And I fought by the Mount Agremontin, where are fiery men and fierce, Yet the other side they burn not tho' their spears thro' the shield can pierce. In Rohas I sought for ventures, and Slavs were my foemen then, 1075 With lances they came against me and I trow they were gallant men!'

¶'From Seville I took my journey, and I sailed o'er the tideless sea Unto Sicily, since thro' Friant and Aquilea should my journey be. Alas! alas! woe is me, for I met with thy father there, I found him, and looked upon him, ere I from Seville must fare. 1080 For e'en as I came to the city he there for a space abode, And my heart shall be sore for his journey, since thence to Bagdad he rode, And there, as thyself hast spoken, in a knightly joust he fell, And for ever my heart must mourn him, and my tongue of his praises tell!' 'A rich man shall be my brother, nor silver nor gold would spare 1085 When in secret I forth from Monsalväsch at his will and his word did fare; For I took me his royal signet, and to Karkobra I came, Where Plimizöl to the wide sea floweth, and the land, Barbigöl, they name. And the Burg-grave he knew the token, ere I rode from the town again Of horses and squires, as failed me, he raised me a gallant train, 1090 And we rode thence to wild adventures, and to many a knightly deed, For nothing had he begrudged me of aught that might serve my need. Alone came I unto the city, and there at my journey's end Did I leave those who had fared thence with me, and alone to Monsalväsch wend.'

¶'Now hearken to me, my nephew, when thy father first saw my face 1095 Of old in Seville's fair city, there did he such likeness trace To his wife, fair Herzeleide, that he would me as brother claim, Tho' never before had he seen me, and secret I held my name. And in sooth was I fair to look on, as ever a man might be, And my face by no beard was hidden; and sweetly he spake to me, 1100 When he sought me within my dwelling--Yet many an oath I swore And many a word of denial, yet ever he pressed me more Till in secret at last I told him, his kinsman was I in truth, And greatly did he rejoice him when he knew that his words were sooth!'

¶'A jewel he gave unto me, and I gave to him at his will; 1105 Thou sawest my shrine, green shall grass be, yet that shineth greener still, 'Twas wrought from the stone he gave me--and a better gift he gave, For his nephew as squire he left me, Prince Ither, the true and brave. His heart such lore had taught him that falsehood his face did flee, The King of Cumberland was he, who, thou sayest, was slain by thee. 1110 Then no longer might we delay us, but we parted, alas! for aye. He rode to the land of Baruch, unto Rohas I took my way.

¶'In Celli three weeks I battled, and I deemed 'twas enough for fame, From Rohas I took my journey and unto Gandein I came, ('Twas that town from which first thy grandsire, his name of Gandein did take,) 1115 And many a deed did Ither, and men of his prowess spake. And the town lieth near the river, where Graien and Drave they meet, And the waters I ween are golden,--there Ither found guerdon sweet, For thine aunt, Lamire, she loved him, she was queen of that fair land, Gandein of Anjou, her father, he gave it unto her hand. 1120 And Lamire was her name, but her country shall be Styria to this day-- And many a land must he traverse who seeketh for knightly fray.'