“Son, go take thine arms, mount thine horse, and hold thy land, and help thy men, for if they see thee among them, more stoutly will they keep in battle their lives and lands, and thine and mine.”

“Father,” answered Aucassin, “what are you saying now?  Never may God give me aught of my desire, if I be a knight, or mount my horse, or face stour and battle wherein knights smite and are smitten again, unless thou give me Nicolette, my true love, that I love so well.”

“Son,” said the father, “this may not be.  Let Nicolette go.  A slave girl is she, out of a strange land, and the viscount of this town bought her of the Saracens, and carried her hither, and hath reared her and had her christened, and made her his god-daughter, and one day will find a young man for her, to win her bread honorably.  Herein hast thou naught to make nor mend; but if a wife thou wilt have, I will give thee the daughter of a king, or a count.  There is no man so rich in France, but if thou desire his daughter, thou shall have her.”

“Faith! my father,” said Aucassin, “tell me where is the place so high in all the world, that Nicolette, my sweet lady and love, would not grace it well?  If she were Empress of Constantinople or of Germany, or Queen of France or England, it were little enough for her; so gentle is she and courteous, and debonnaire, and compact of all good qualities.”

IMPRISONMENT OF NICOLETTE

When Count Garin of Beaucaire knew that he would not avail to withdraw Aucassin, his son, from the love of Nicolette, he went to the viscount of the city, who was his man, and spake to him saying:—­“Sir Count:  away with Nicolette, thy daughter in God; cursed be the land whence she was brought into this country, for by reason of her do I lose Aucassin, that will neither be a knight, nor do aught of the things that fall to him to be done.  And wit ye well,” he said, “that if I might have her at my will, I would burn her in a fire, and yourself might well be sore adread.”

“Sir,” said the Viscount, “this is grievous to me that he comes and goes and hath speech with her.  I had bought the maid at mine own charges, and nourished her, and baptized, and made her my daughter in God.  Yea, I would have given her to a young man that should win her bread honorably.  With this had Aucassin, thy son, naught to make or mend.  But sith it is thy will and thy pleasure, I will send her into that land and that country where never will he see her with his eyes.”

“Have a heed to thyself,” said the Count Garin:  “thence might great evil come on thee.”

So parted they each from the other.  Now the Viscount was a right rich man:  so had he a rich palace with a garden in face of it; in an upper chamber thereof he had Nicolette placed, with one old woman to keep her company, and in that chamber put bread and meat and wine and such things as were needful.  Then he had the door sealed, that none might come in or go forth, save that there was one window, over against the garden, and quite strait, through which came to them a little air.