death in Rome, she left her father and journeyed to the knight's
bedside, where, to make him happy before he died, she consented to marry
him on the spot.
Eglamour rallied under the care of his beloved Crystabell; but, after
they had spent some happy months together, Count Prinsamour found out
his daughter's place of retreat, and carried her off from her husband,
abusing him as a vile thief and imposter.
Crystabell cried and lamented continually for her lost husband. After a
while, a son was born to her, which made the count more angry than
before. He took the unfortunate mother and child, put them, without
food, into an open boat, and set them adrift upon the sea. The boat
drifted for five days, and at last reached the shores of a country whose
king proved to be the brother of Crystabell's own mother. He took the
wayfarers under his care, and devoted himself to bringing up the boy,
named Degrabell, to be a valiant knight.
After a time, Eglamour travelled to Artois, and entering the count's
hall by force, confronted his cruel father-in-law in the presence of all
the knights and squires. He had heard of the fate of his wife and child,
and his wrath was terrible to see. He cast the dragon's head, wings, and
tail before the count, reminded him that his daughter had been fairly
won, and called down God's judgment upon the unnatural father who had
bereaved Eglamour of all he held dear in life. The count retreated to
his strongest citadel in fear before the righteous anger of this mighty
champion; but Eglamour seized the property of his late master, divided
it among the count's worthy and needy subjects, and ordering masses to
be sung in all the churches for the soul of his lost Crystabell,
departed for the Holy Land, where, during many years, he distinguished
himself both in battle and in tournament against the Saracens.
When her son, Sir Degrabell, had reached the age of eighteen, Crystabell
was more beautiful than ever, and the king, her uncle, resolved to marry
her to some knight who might make happy the remainder of her days.
Crystabell, who still cherished the memory of her lost Sir Eglamour,
begged her son to help her in this emergency. Sir Degrabell went to the
king and insisted that all of the knights aspiring to his mother's hand
should first meet him in the lists, and that only the one who should
overthrow him might claim the princess as a wife.
The king smiled at the pretentions of this beardless youth, and gave his
consent. A tournament was announced, and to it came from all parts of
the country persons of high rank seeking adventure. Knight after knight
presented himself in the lists, and was swiftly unhorsed by the gallant
Degrabell. At length the boy, flushed with conquest, turned to a
stranger of distinguished appearance who stood gazing at the spectacle,
without seeming to take any great interest in it, and asked if he too
had a mind to break a lance. The stranger knight hesitated, then said
that, to amuse himself, he would do so. Mounting his horse, he rode with
the speed of a lightning flash against Degrabell, who was borne to the
earth on the spot. Princess Crystabell had been watching the tourney
with pride, but screamed aloud at her son's overthrow, and rushed into
the arena, throwing herself on her knees before the stranger and
imploring him to spare her boy. Trembling, she looked upon the victor's
shield, and there saw depicted a rude device of a golden boat containing
a lady and a child about to perish in the waves.
On his side, the knight gazed at the lady in trembling, then bending his
knee before her, revealed himself the long-lost Eglamour. Crystabell
would have swooned for joy, had not her husband caught her in his arms.
Eglamour, equally astonished and delighted, had still in store for him
the rapture of recognizing in his brave young antagonist the son so
worthy of his sire.
Sir Eglamour and Lady Crystabell, thus happily reunited, lived together
for the remainder of their days in prosperity. Degrabell became a famous
champion. The old Count Prinsamour broke his neck by falling from his
tower; and so, my tale is told!