eading the proofs.

CLIGES

THE clerk who wrote the tale of Erec and Enid, and translated the
Commandments of Ovid and the Art of Love, and composed the Bite
of the Shoulder, and sang of King Mark and of the blonde Iseult,
and of the metamorphosis of the Hoopoe and of the Swallow and of
the Nightingale, is now beginning a new tale of a youth who was
in Greece of the lineage of King Arthur. But before I tell you
anything of him, you shall hear his father's life--whence he was
and of what lineage. So valiant was he and of such proud spirit,
that to win worth and praise he went from Greece to England,
which was then called Britain. We find this story that I desire
to tell and to relate to you, recorded in one of the books of the
library of my lord Saint Peter at Beauvais. Thence was taken the
tale from which Chretien framed this romance. The book, which
truthfully bears witness to the story, is very ancient; for this
reason it is all the more to be believed. From the books which we
possess, we know the deeds of the ancients and of the world which
aforetime was. This our books have taught us: that Greece had the
first renown in chivalry and in learning. Then came chivalry to
Rome, and the heyday of learning, which now is come into France.
God grant that she be maintained there; and that her home there
please her so much that never may depart from France the honour
which has there taken up its abode. God had lent that glory to
others; but no man talks any longer either more or less about
Greeks and Romans; talk of them has ceased, and the bright glow
is extinct.

Chretien begins his tale--as the story relates to us--which tells
of an emperor mighty in wealth and honour, who ruled Greece and
Constantinople. There was a very noble empress by whom the
emperor had two children. But the first was of such an age before
the other was born, that if he had willed he might have become a
knight and held all the empire. The first was named Alexander;
the younger was called Alis. The father too had for name
Alexander; and the mother had for name Tantalis. I will
straight-away leave speaking of the empress Tantalis, of the
emperor, and of Alis. I will speak to you of Alexander, who was
so great-hearted and proud that he did not stoop to become a
knight in his own realm. He had heard mention made of King
Arthur, who was reigning at that time; and of the barons which he
ever maintained in his retinue wherefore his Court was feared