The morrow, as the day began to clear,
We took our way along the country brown,
Far as that hill where stood the castle near
Like pilgrims were we clad in hood and gown: —
Alas, we went to gain but dule and teen
From blowing on love's torch burnt wholly down
The castle with close windows seemed, I ween,
Refusing Blanche to us with sad aspect,
And heaved his thick wall with denying screen
But we our steps stayed not, nor purpose checked,
Ere thither we arrived, and passed the gate.
(So they who sail to rocks must needs be wrecked.)
Then in a chamber we were bidden wait
The coming of that lady sweet and rare,
Who was to him the bitterness of fate.
She came, nor she alone: her husband there
Came with her, step by step: and round his neck
Her arm was cast: in sooth she left him ne'er,
What time she talked with us: nor sought to check
Her fondness for him, deeming us to be
Religious men, of whom no need to reck.
Slow was her gait, thus led on tenderly;
Most noble was her face: yea, fairer now
Than when her beauty drew all men to see,
And o'er bold eyes made droop their eyelids low;
But pale she was, albeit so sweet of face,
And plain it was to see by signs enow
That very soon a babe should be in place.
Pity and love pulled both our hearts, I ween,
At her behaviour and her gallant grace
Never so fair was Blanche the Fair yet seen:
For transport and love's plenitude were shed
On her great loveliness with ray serene
Then with pleased voice, as one who sees the thread
Of his own dream confirmed by wayside thing,
While still he walks with dreams, to us she said:
" Ye holy men, from Italy who bring
News of the Normans there, welcome are ye:
And that ye tarry in your journeying,
" And to this castle turn aside for me,
The cause is not unknown, and must be told
Before mine husband, what it seems to be.
" Ye are from that knight Mano, who of old
(For old is that which is of other day)
To that same land his armed course did hold:
" No other thing than this espy I may. "
— " No other thing is true, " I soon answered,
" By Mano bidden we have turned this way,
" To know of the thee what tidings might be heard.
For thee he held for lady of his thought,
When here he stood: and thee in heart revered. "
— " Then tell him, since by right thus much is sought
And granted, that thou sawest me, " she said,
" In happiness, to which all else in nought,
" With this dear knight, with whom my days are led:
Tell him that thought of all the past is gone,
That this sweet present makes the past more dead;
" Since every living moment liveth on
In the same joy which to the next it gives:
And this dear knight, this sweet and perfect one,
" Ordains that as my joy in him, his lives
In me: in each the other's joy alone:
Joy that with life increase of joy receives. "
While thus she spoke, still round his neck was thrown
Her long and heavy arm; nor ceased she
With his large head to play, whose short curls shone:
And ever on him leaned she lovingly,
Staying on him her body's tender weight.
And Sir Giroie failed nought of courtesy,
And gave to us good looks and welcome great,
Though Mano held himself but dumb the while.
" Ye holy men, " then she, " this happy state
" Which ye be come to witness many a mile,
Report to him who sent you hitherward;
And, since ye go, heaven on your journey smile
" But bid him of our joy think nothing hard,
For noble heart sees other's joy content;
And he one day may meet his joy prepared,
" His lover true, by God unto him sent:
Which is the only joy preserved to man. "
Then thus in parting words toward her I went.
" Lady, the man thou namest never wan
That gift of human fortune, nor may win.
But leave we him: he with fair star began,
" And so may end, e'en as he did begin,
Without the aid of love's all-moving power,
Which oftest works but sorrow, pain, and sin. "
This said, of other converse in that hour
In courteous gentleness did much ensue,
While yet we tarried in that happy bower:
And of Diantha and Joanna true
Somewhat that day we learned, which in right place
Shall be related and set forth to view
And therewith parted we: and face to face
Mano and Blanche the Fair met never more,
And she in childbirth died in no great space:
Whom always her sad love lamented sore,
And from possession passed to vacancy:
Whom this, her lover of a day before,
Unknown beheld unknowing silently.
So love, but not of him, brought her to end,
So passeth she out of this history.
And now we took our leave, and made to wend
Out from the chamber on our backward road:
The fair white clouds above the woods did bend,
And measured out round hills and valleys broad,
And the light sunbeam travelled with the cloud
But dark was Mano's heart with anger's goad,
And in the court he chafed in his dark shroud:
But if he had been known, full well I ween
No pity to his pain had she allowed:
For where was yet the woman ever seen
Who pitied the distempers of the mind?
He smote his hand against the iron keen
Whose heavy bar her lordly gates confined,
And from the stroke some drops of blood there flowed:
She to such wound had shown herself more kind
Than to his wounded mind she ever showed. —
Oh, ordered well, lest earthly creature steal
That highest love to creature never owed!
And here I add that which de Montreuil
Told me long after of this interview,
When kindness had no favour to conceal: —
That all the while he well Sir Mano knew,
But seeing that he kept himself unshown,
Gave never sign, neither his covert drew,
To find if Mano guessed that he was known.