ve if thou go not
first to prove thyself at King Arthur's court on both the Britons
and the French. If fate lead thee thither, so bear and demean
thyself that thou remain unknown till thou hast proved thyself on
the flower of the knighthood at the court. I counsel thee that
thou believe me in this matter; and that if opportunity comes
thou fear not to put thy fortune to the test with thy uncle, my
Lord Gawain. Prithee forget not this."

After this exhortation he lived not long. Soredamors had such
grief thereat that she could not live after him. For sheer grief
she died when he died. Alis and Cliges both mourned for them as
they were bound; but in time they ceased to mourn. For all
mourning must come to an end; all things needs must cease. Ill is
it to prolong mourning, for no good can come of it. The mourning
has ceased; and for a long time after the emperor has refrained
from taking wife, for he would fain strive after loyalty. But
there is no court in all the world that is pure from evil
counsel. Nobles often leave the right way through the evil
counsels to which they give credence, so that they do not keep
loyalty. Often do his men come to the emperor, and they give him
counsel, and exhort him to take a wife. So much do they exhort
and urge him, and each day do they so much beset him, that
through their great importunity, they have turned him from his
loyalty, and he promises to do their will. But he says that she
who is to be lady of Constantinople must needs be very graceful
and fair and wise, rich and of high degree. Then his counsellors
say to him that they will make ready and will hie them into the
German land to sue for the daughter of the emperor. They counsel
him to take her; for the emperor of Germany is very mighty and
very powerful and his daughter is so fair that never in
Christendom was there a damsel of such beauty. The emperor grants
them all their suit; and they set out on the way like folk well
equipped. They have ridden in their days' journeys until they
found the emperor at Ratisbon, and asked him to give his elder
daughter for their lord's behalf.

The emperor was full blithe at this embassy and gladly has he
promised them his daughter; for he in no wise abases himself by
so doing and abates not one jot of his dignity. But he says that
he had promised to give her to the Duke of Saxony; and that the
Greeks could not take her away unless the emperor came and
brought a mighty force, so that the