Peredur, son of Efrawc
part 2
Then Peredur returned to his mother and her company, and he said to her, "Mother, those were not angels, but honourable knights." Then his mother swooned away. And Peredur went to the place where they kept the horses that carried firewood, and that brought meat and drink from the inhabited country to the desert. And he took a bony piebald horse, which seemed to him the strongest of them. And he pressed a pack into the form of a saddle, and with twisted twigs he imitated the trappings which he had seen upon the horses. And when Peredur came again to his mother, the Countess had recovered from her swoon.
"My son," said she, "desirest thou to ride forth?"
"Yes, with thy leave," said he.
"Wait then, that I may counsel thee before thou goest."
"Willingly," he answered, "speak quickly."
"Go forward," then she said, "to the Court of Arthur, where there are the best, and the boldest, and the most bountiful of men. And wherever thou seest a church, repeat there thy Paternoster unto it. And if thou see meat and drink, and hast need of them, and none have the kindness or the courtesy to give them to thee, take them thyself. If thou hear an outcry, proceed towards it, especially if it be the outcry of a woman. If thou see a fair jewel, possess thyself of it, and give it to another, for thus thou shalt earn praise. If thou see a fair woman, pay thy court to her, whether she will or no; for thus thou wilt render thyself a better and more esteemed man than thou wast before."
After this discourse, Peredur mounted the horse, and taking a handful of sharp pointed forks in his hand, he rode forth. And he journeyed two days and two nights in the woody wildernesses, and in desert places, without food and without drink. And then he came to a vast wild wood, and far within the wood he saw a fair even glade, and in the glade he saw a tent, and seeming to him to be a church, he repeated his Paternoster to the tent. And he went towards it, and the door of the tent was open. And a golden chair was near the door. And on the chair sat a lovely auburn-haired maiden, with a golden frontlet on her forehead, and sparkling stones in the frontlet, and with a large gold ring on her hand. And Peredur dismounted, and entered the tent. And the maiden was glad at his coming, and bade him welcome. At the entrance of the tent he saw food, and two flasks full of wine, and two loaves of fine wheaten flour, and collops of the flesh of the wild boar.
"My mother told me," said Peredur, "wheresoever I saw meat and drink, to take it."
"Take the meat, and welcome, chieftain," said she.
So Peredur took half of the meat and of the liquor himself, and left the rest to the maiden.
"My mother," said he," told me, wheresoever I saw a fair jewel, to take it."
"Do so, my soul," said she.
So Peredur took the ring. And he mounted his horse, and proceeded on his journey.
After this, behold the knight came, to whom the tent belonged; and he was the Lord of the Glade. And he saw the track of the horse, and he said to the maiden, "Tell me who has been here since I departed."
"A man," said she, "of wonderful demeanor."
And she described to him what Peredur's appearance and conduct had been.
"Tell me," said he, "did he offer thee any wrong?"
"No," answered the maiden, "by my faith, he harmed me not."
"By my faith, I do not believe thee; and until I can meet with him, and revenge the insult he has done me, and wreak my vengeance upon him, thou shalt not remain two nights in the same house."
And the knight arose, and set forth to seek Peredur.
|
Pwyll