. I agreed to her desire; but when I had agreed, she would have it,
too, that I should swear. I would have done more than that for her, but
she took me at my word. I made her a promise, without knowing what. Time
passed until I was made a knight. King Evrain, whose nephew I am, dubbed
me a knight in the presence of many honourable men in this very garden
where we are. My lady, who is sitting there, at once recalled to me my
word, and said that I had promised her that I would never go forth from
here until there should come some knight who should conquer me by trial
of arms. It was right that I should remain, for rather than break my
word, I should never have pledged it. Since I knew the good there was in
her, I could nor reveal or show to the one whom I hold most dear that
in all this I was displeased; for if she had noticed it, she would have
withdrawn her heart, and I would not have had it so for anything that
might happen. Thus my lady thought to detain me here for a long stay;
she did not think that there would ever enter this garden any vassal who
could conquer me. In this way she intended to keep me absolutely shut up
with her all the days of my life. And I should have committed an offence
if I had had resort to guile and not defeated all those against whom I
could prevail; such escape would have been a shame. And I dare to assure
you that I have no friend so dear that I would have feigned at all in
fighting with him. Never did I weary of arms, nor did I ever refuse to
fight. You have surely seen the helmets of those whom I have defeated
and put to death; but the guilt of it is not mine, when one considers it
aright. I could not help myself, unless I were willing to be false and
recreant and disloyal. Now I have told you the truth, and be assured
that it is no small honour which you have gained. You have given great
joy to the court of my uncle and my friends; for now I shall be released
from here; and because all those who are at the court will have joy of
it, therefore those who awaited the joy called it 'Joy of the Court'.
They have awaited it so long that now it will be granted them by you who
have won it by your fight. You have defeated and bewitched my prowess
and my chivalry. Now it is right that I tell you my name, if you would
know it. I am called Mabonagrain; but I am not remembered by that name
in any land where I have been, save only in this region; for never, when
I was a squire, did I tell or make known