The lady, observing the big book about the Round Table, said to the
servant who had it in his keeping--
“I am surprised that young folk can waste their time in reading such
foolishness.”
The servant replied that he marvelled even more that people accounted
sensible and of mature age should have a still greater liking for it
than the young; and he told her, as matter for wonderment, how her
cousin the Bastard would spend four or five hours each day in reading
this fine book. Straightway there came into the lady’s mind the
reason why he acted thus, and she charged the servant to hide himself
somewhere, and take account of what the Bastard might do. This the man
did, and found that the Bastard’s book was the window to which Rolandine
came to speak with him, and he, moreover, heard many a love-speech which
they had thought to keep wholly secret.
On the morrow he related this to his mistress, who sent for the Bastard,
and after chiding him forbade him to return to that place again; and in
the evening she spoke of the matter to Rolandine, and threatened, if she
persisted in this foolish love, to make all these practices known to the
Queen.
Rolandine, whom nothing could dismay, vowed that in spite of all that
folks might say she had never spoken to him since her mistress had
forbidden her to do so, as might be learned both from her companions and
from her servants and attendants. And as for the window, she declared
that she had never spoken at it to the Bastard. He, however, fearing
that the matter had been discovered, withdrew out of harm’s way, and was
a long time without returning to Court, though not without writing to
Rolandine, and this in so cunning a manner that, in spite of the Queen’s
vigilance, never a week went by but she twice heard from him.
When he no longer found it possible to employ monks as messengers, as
he had done at first, he would send a little page, dressed now in one
colour and now in another; and the page used to stand at the doorways
through which the ladies were wont to pass, and deliver his letters
secretly in the throng. But one day, when the Queen was going out into
the country, it chanced that one who was charged to look after this
matter recognised the page, and hastened after him; but he, being
keen-witted and suspecting that he was being pursued, entered the house
of a poor woman who was boiling her pot on the fire, and there forthwith
burned his letters. The gentleman who followed him stripped him naked
and searched through all his clothes; but he could find nothing, and so
let him go. And the boy being gone, the old woman asked the gentleman
why he had so searched him.
“To find some letters,” he replied, “which I thought he had upon him.”
“You could by no means have found them,” said the old woman, “they were
too well hidden for that.”
“I pray you,” said the gentleman, in the hope of getting them before
long, “tell me where they were.”
However, when he heard that they had been thrown into the fire, he
perceived that the page had proved more crafty than himself, and
forthwith made report of the matter to the Queen.
From that time, however, the Bastard no longer employed the page or any
other child, but sent an old servant of his, who, laying aside all fear
of the death which, as he well knew, was threatened by the Queen against
all such as should interfere in this matter, undertook to carry his
master’s letters to Rolandine. And having come to the castle where she
was, he posted himself on the watch at the foot of a broad staircase,
beside a doorway through which all the ladies were wont to pass. But a
serving-man, who had aforetime seen him, knew him again immediately and
reported the matter to the Queen’s Master of the Household, who quickly
came to arrest him. However, the discreet and wary servant, seeing that
he was being watched from a distance, turned towards the wall as
though he desired to make water, and tearing the letter he had into
the smallest possible pieces, threw them behind a door. Immediately
afterwards he was taken and thoroughly searched, and nothing being found
on him, they asked him on his oath whether he had not brought letters,
using all manner of threats and persuasions to make him confess the
truth; but neither by promises nor threats could they draw anything from
him.
Report of this having been made to the Queen, some one in the company
bethought him that it would be well to look behind the door near which
the man had been taken. This was done, and they found what they sought,
namely the pieces of the letter. Then the King’s confessor was sent for,
and he, having put the pieces together on a table, read the whole of the
letter, in which the truth of the marriage, that had been so carefully
concealed, was made manifest; for the Bastard called Rolandine nothing
but “wife.” The Queen, who was in no mind, as she should have been, to
hide her neighbour’s transgressions, made a great ado about the matter,
and commanded that all means should be employed to make the poor man
confess the truth of the letter. And indeed, when they showed it to him,
he could not deny it; but for all they could say or show, he would say
no more than at first. Those who had him in charge thereupon brought him
to the brink of the river, and put him into a sack, declaring that he
had lied to God and to the Queen, contrary to proven truth. But he was
minded to die rather than accuse his master, and asked for a confessor;
and when he had eased his conscience as well as might be, he said to
them--
“Good sirs, I pray you tell the Bastard, my master, that I commend the
lives of my wife and children to him, for right willingly do I yield up
my own in his service. You may do with me what you will, for never shall
you draw from me a word against my master.”
Thereupon, all the more to affright him, they threw him in the sack into
the water, calling to him--
“If you will tell the truth, you shall be saved.”
Finding, however, that he answered nothing, they drew him out again, and
made report of his constancy to the Queen, who on hearing of it declared
that neither the King nor herself were so fortunate in their followers
as was this gentleman the Bastard, though he lacked even the means to
requite them. She then did all that she could to draw the servant into
her own service, but he would by no means consent to forsake his master.
However, by the latter’s leave, he at last entered the Queen’s service,
in which he lived in happiness and contentment.
The Queen, having learnt the truth of the marriage from the Bastard’s
letter, sent for Rolandine, whom with a wrathful countenance she several
times called “wretch” instead of “cousin,” reproaching her with the
shame that she had brought both upon her father’s house and her mistress
by thus marrying without her leave or commandment.
Rolandine, who had long known what little love her mistress bore her,
gave her but little in return. Moreover, since there was no love between
them, neither was there fear; and as Rolandine perceived that this
reprimand, given her in presence of several persons, was prompted less
by affection than by a desire to put her to shame, and that the Queen
felt more pleasure in chiding her than grief at finding her in fault,
she replied with a countenance as glad and tranquil as the Queen’s was
disturbed and wrathful--
“If, madam, you did not know your own heart, such as it is, I would set
forth to you the ill-will that you have long borne my father (13) and
myself; but you do, indeed, know this, and will not deem it strange that
all the world should have an inkling of it too. For my own part, madam,
I have perceived it to my dear cost, for had you been pleased to favour
me equally as you favour those who are not so near to you as myself, I
were now married to your honour as well as to my own; but you passed
me over as one wholly a stranger to your favour, and so all the good
matches I might have made passed away before my eyes, through my
father’s neglect and the slenderness of your regard. By reason of this
treatment I fell into such deep despair, that, had my health been strong
enough in any sort to endure a nun’s condition, I would have willingly
entered upon it to escape from the continual griefs your harshness
brought me.
13 Of all those with pretensions to the Duchy of Brittany,
the Viscount de Rohan had doubtless the best claim, though
he met with the least satisfaction. It was, however, this
reason that led the Queen [Anne of Brittany] to treat him
with such little regard. It was with mingled grief and
resentment that this proud princess realised how real were
the Viscount’s rights; moreover, she never forgave him for
having taken up arms against her in favour of France; and
seeking an opportunity to avenge herself, she found one in
giving the Viscount but little satisfaction in the matter of
his pretensions.”--Dora Morice’s _Histoire ecclésiastique et
civile de Bretagne_, Paris, 1756, vol. ii. p. 231.--L.
“Whilst in this despair I was sought by one whose lineage would be as
good as my own if mutual love were rated as high as a marriage ring; for
you know that his father would walk before mine. He has long wooed and
loved me; but you, madam, who have never forgiven me the smallest fault
nor praised me for any good deed, you--although you knew from experience
that I was not wont to speak of love or worldly things, and that I led a
more retired and religious life than any other of your maids--forthwith
deemed it strange that I should speak with a gentleman who is as
unfortunate in this life as I am myself, and one, moreover, in whose
friendship I thought and looked to have nothing save comfort to my soul.
When I found myself wholly baffled in this design, I fell into great
despair, and resolved to seek my peace as earnestly as you longed to rob
me of it; whereupon we exchanged words of marriage, and confirmed them
with promise and ring. Wherefore, madam, methinks you do me a grievous
wrong in calling me wicked, seeing that in this great and perfect love,
wherein opportunity, had I so desired, would not have been lacking, no
greater familiarity has passed between us than a kiss. I have waited in
the hope that, before the consummation of the marriage, I might by the
grace of God win my father’s heart to consent to it. I have given no
offence to God or to my conscience, for I have waited till the age of
thirty to see what you and my father would do for me, and have kept my
youth in such chastity and virtue that no living man can bring up aught
against me. But when I found that I was old and without hope of being
wedded suitably to my birth and condition, I used the reason that God
has given me, and resolved to marry a gentleman after my own heart. And
this I did not to gratify the lust of the eye, for you know that he is
not handsome; nor the lust of the flesh, for there has been no carnal
consummation of our marriage; nor the ambition and pride of life, for he
is poor and of small rank; but I took account purely and simply of the
worth that is in him, for which every one is constrained to praise him,
and also of the great love that he bears me, and that gives me hope
of having a life of quietness and kindness with him. Having carefully
weighed all the good and the evil that may come of it, I have done what
seems to me best, and, after considering the matter in my heart for two
years, I am resolved to pass the remainder of my days with him. And so
firm is my resolve that no torment that may be inflicted upon me, nor
even death itself, shall ever cause me to depart from it. Wherefore,
madam, I pray you excuse that which is indeed very excusable, as you
yourself must realise, and suffer me to dwell in that peace which I hope
to find with him.”
The Queen, finding her so steadfast of countenance and so true of
speech, could make no reply in reason, but continued wrathfully rebuking
and reviling her, bursting into tears and saying--
“Wretch that you are! instead of humbling yourself before me, and
repenting of so grievous a fault, you speak hardily with never a tear
in your eye, and thus clearly show the obstinacy and hardness of your
heart. But if the King and your father give heed to me, they will put
you into a place where you will be compelled to speak after a different
fashion.”
“Madam,” replied Rolandine, “since you charge me with speaking too
hardily, I will e’en be silent if you give me not permission to reply to
you.”