powere,
    Ye finde bet than thou hast here.” 
    The maiden grant, and to him trist,
    And stole away, that no man wist;
    With her took she no thing
    But her pel and her ring. 
      When the abbess gan aspy
    That she was with the knight owy,[72]
    She made mourning in her thought,
    And her bement,[73] and gained nought. 
      So long she was in his castel,
    That all his meynie loved her well. 
    To rich and poor she gan her ’dress,
    That all her loved more and less;
    And thus she led with him her life,
    Right as she had been his wedded wife. 
      His knightes com, and to him speke,
    And holy church commandeth eke,
    Some lordis daughter for to take,
    And his leman all forsake. 
    And said, him were well more fair
    In wedlock to get him an heir,
    Than lead his life with swiche one,
    Of whose kin he knew none. 
    And said, “Here besides, is a knight
    That hath a daughter fair and bright,
    That shall bear his heritage,
    Taketh her in marriage!”
    Loth him was for that deed to do,
    Oc, at last, he granted therto. 
      The forward[74] was y-marked aright,
    And were at one, and troth plight. 
    Allas! that he no had y-wit,
    Ere the forward were y-suit! 
    That she, and his leman also,
    Sistren were, and twinnes two! 
    Of o father begeten they were,
    Of o mother born y-fere:[75]
    That hi[76] so were ne wist none,
    Forsooth, I say, but God alone. 
      The new bride was graithed with oil,
    And brought home to the lord is host,
    Her father come with her also,
    The levedi her mother, and other mo. 
    The bishop of the lond, withouten fail,
    Come to do the spousail.

* * * * *

The young rival of Le Frain was distinguished like her sister, by a sylvan appellation; her name was Le Codre (Corylus, the Hazel), and the knight’s tenants had sagaciously drawn a most favourable prognostic of his future happiness, from the superiority of nuts to vile ash-keys; but neither he nor any of his household were disposed to augur favourably of a marriage which tended to deprive them of the amiable orphan.  The feast was magnificent, but dull; and never were apparent rejoicings more completely marred by a general feeling of constraint and formality.  Le Frain alone, concealing the grief which preyed on her heart, was all zeal and activity; and, by her unceasing attentions, conciliated the pity and esteem of the bride, and even of her mother, who had hitherto felt the utmost anxiety to procure her dismissal.  At the conclusion of the banquet she employed herself in the decoration of the bridal chamber, and having observed that the covering of the bed was not sufficiently costly, spread over it the magnificent mantle she had received from