第22章 The Marriage of Geraint (6)

Then suddenly she knew it and rejoiced,And answered,'Yea,I know it;your good gift,So sadly lost on that unhappy night;Your own good gift!''Yea,surely,'said the dame,'And gladly given again this happy morn.

For when the jousts were ended yesterday,Went Yniol through the town,and everywhere He found the sack and plunder of our house All scattered through the houses of the town;And gave command that all which once was ours Should now be ours again:and yester-eve,While ye were talking sweetly with your Prince,Came one with this and laid it in my hand,For love or fear,or seeking favour of us,Because we have our earldom back again.

And yester-eve I would not tell you of it,But kept it for a sweet surprise at morn.

Yea,truly is it not a sweet surprise?

For I myself unwillingly have worn My faded suit,as you,my child,have yours,And howsoever patient,Yniol his.

Ah,dear,he took me from a goodly house,With store of rich apparel,sumptuous fare,And page,and maid,and squire,and seneschal,And pastime both of hawk and hound,and all That appertains to noble maintenance.

Yea,and he brought me to a goodly house;

But since our fortune swerved from sun to shade,And all through that young traitor,cruel need Constrained us,but a better time has come;So clothe yourself in this,that better fits Our mended fortunes and a Prince's bride:

For though ye won the prize of fairest fair,And though I heard him call you fairest fair,Let never maiden think,however fair,She is not fairer in new clothes than old.

And should some great court-lady say,the Prince Hath picked a ragged-robin from the hedge,And like a madman brought her to the court,Then were ye shamed,and,worse,might shame the Prince To whom we are beholden;but I know,That when my dear child is set forth at her best,That neither court nor country,though they sought Through all the provinces like those of old That lighted on Queen Esther,has her match.'

Here ceased the kindly mother out of breath;

And Enid listened brightening as she lay;

Then,as the white and glittering star of morn Parts from a bank of snow,and by and by Slips into golden cloud,the maiden rose,And left her maiden couch,and robed herself,Helped by the mother's careful hand and eye,Without a mirror,in the gorgeous gown;Who,after,turned her daughter round,and said,She never yet had seen her half so fair;And called her like that maiden in the tale,Whom Gwydion made by glamour out of flowers And sweeter than the bride of Cassivelaun,Flur,for whose love the Roman Caesar first Invaded Britain,'But we beat him back,As this great Prince invaded us,and we,Not beat him back,but welcomed him with joy And I can scarcely ride with you to court,For old am I,and rough the ways and wild;But Yniol goes,and I full oft shall dream I see my princess as I see her now,Clothed with my gift,and gay among the gay.'

But while the women thus rejoiced,Geraint Woke where he slept in the high hall,and called For Enid,and when Yniol made report Of that good mother making Enid gay In such apparel as might well beseem His princess,or indeed the stately Queen,He answered:'Earl,entreat her by my love,Albeit I give no reason but my wish,That she ride with me in her faded silk.'

Yniol with that hard message went;it fell Like flaws in summer laying lusty corn: