England；　who　may　keep　and　maintain　it　in　peace。　By　the　Council　it
  was　with　one　consent　entrusted；　as　I　think；　to　Count　Engres　of
  Windsor；　for　till　then　they　deemed　no　baron　more　loyal　in　all　the
  king's　land。　When　this　man　had　the　land　in　his　power；　King　Arthur
  and　the　queen　and　her　ladies　set　out　on　the　morrow。　In　Brittany
  folk　hear　tell　that　the　king　and　his　barons　are　coming：　the
  Bretons　rejoice　greatly　thereat。
  Into　the　ship　in　which　the　king　crossed　entered　neither　youth　nor
  maiden　save　Alexander　alone；　and　the　queen　of　a　truth　brought
  thither　Soredamors；　a　lady　who　scorned　Love。　Never　had　she　heard
  tell　of　a　man　whom　she　could　deign　to　love　however　much　beauty
  prowess　dominion　or　high　rank　he　had。　And　yet　the　damsel　was　so
  winsome　and　fair　that　she　might　well　have　known　Love　if　it　had
  pleased　her　to　turn　her　mind　to　it；　but　never　had　she　willed　to
  bend　her　mind　thereto。　Now　will　Love　make　her　sorrowful；　and　Love
  thinks　to　avenge　himself　right　well　for　the　great　pride　and
  resistance　which　she　has　always　shown　to　him。　Right　well　has　Love
  aimed；　for　he　has　stricken　her　in　the　heart　with　his　arrow。　Oft
  she　grows　pale；　oft　the　beads　of　sweat　break　out；　and　in　spite　of
  herself　she　must　love。　Scarce　can　she　refrain　from　looking
  towards　Alexander；　but　she　must　needs　guard　herself　against　my
  Lord　Gawain　her　brother。　Dearly　does　she　buy　and　pay　for　her
  great　pride　and　her　disdain。　Love　has　heated　for　her　a　bath　which
  mightily　inflames　and　enkindles　her。　Now　is　he　kind　to　her；　now
  cruel；　now　she　wants　him；　and　now　she　rejects　him。　She　accuses
  her　eyes　of　treachery　and　says：　〃Eyes；　you　have　betrayed　me。
  Through　you　has　my　heart　which　was　wont　to　be　faithful　conceived
  hatred　for　me。　Now　does　what　I　see　bring　grief。　Grief？　Nay；　in
  truth；　but　rather　pleasure。　And　if　I　see　aught　that　grieves　me；
  still　have　I　not　my　eyes　under　my　own　sway？　My　strength　must
  indeed　have　failed　me；　and　I　must　esteem　myself　but　lightly　if　I
  cannot　control　my　eyes　and　make　them　look　elsewhere。　By　so　doing
  I　shall　be　able　to　guard　myself　right　well　from　Love；　who　wishes
  to　be　my　master。　What　the　eye　sees　not　the　heart　does　not　lament。
  If　I　do　not　see　him　there　will　be　no　pain。　He　does　not　entreat　or
  seek　me：　if　he　had　loved　me　he　would　have　sought　me。　And　since　he
  neither　loves　nor　esteems　me；　shall　I　love　him　if　he　loves　me
  not？　If　his　beauty　draws　my　eyes；　and　my　eyes　obey　the　spell；
  shall　I　for　that　say　I　love　him？　Nay；　for　that　would　be　a　lie。　By
  drawing　my　eyes　he　has　done　me　no　wrong　of　which　I　can　complain；
  and　I　can　bring　no　charge　at　all　against　him。　One　cannot　love
  with　the　eyes。　And　what　wrong；　then；　have　my　eyes　done　to　me　if
  they　gaze　on　what　I　will　to　look　at？　What　fault　and　wrong　do　they
  commit？　Ought　I　to　blame　them？　Nay。　Whom；　then？　Myself；　who　have
  them　in　my　keeping？　My　eye　looks　on　nought　unless　it　pleases　and
  delights　my　heart。　My　heart　could　not　wish　for　aught　that　would
  make　me　sorrowful。　It　is　my　heart's　will　that　makes　me　sorrow。
  Sorrow？　Faith；　then；　am　I　mad？　since　through　my　heart　I　desire
  that　which　makes　me　mad。　I　ought　；　indeed；　if　I　can　to　rid　myself
  of　a　will　whence　grief　may　come　to　me。　If　I　can？　Fool；　what　have
  I　said？　Then　were　I　weak　indeed　if　I　had　no　power　over　myself。
  Does　Love　think　to　put　me　in　the　way　which　is　wont　to　mislead
  other　folk？　Thus　may　he　lead　others；　but　I　am　not　his　at　all。
  Never　shall　I　be　so；　never　was　I　so；　never　shall　I　desire　his
  further　acquaintance。〃　Thus　she　disputes　with　herself；　one　hour
  loves　and　another　hates。　She　is　in　such　doubt　that　she　does　not
  know　which　side　to　take。　She　thinks　she　is　defending　herself
  against　Love；　but　she　is　in　no　need　of　defence。　God！　Why　does　she
  not　know　that　the　thoughts　of　Alexander；　on　his　side；　are
  directed　towards　her？　Love　deals　out　to　them　impartially　such　a
  portion　as　is　meet　for　each。　He　gives　to　them　many　a　reason　and
  ground　that　the　one　should　love　and　desire　the　other。　This　love
  would　have　been　loyal　and　right　if　the　one　had　known　what　was　the
  will　of　the　other；　but　he　does　not　know　what　she　desires；　nor
  she；　for　what　he　is　lamenting。　The　queen　watches　them　and　sees
  the　one　and　the　other　often　lose　colour　and　grow　pale　and　sigh
  and　shudder；　but　she　knows　not　why　they　do　it　unless　it　be　on
  account　of　the　sea　on　which　they　are　sailing。　Perhaps；　indeed；
  she　would　have　perceived　it　if　the　sea　had　not　misled　her；　but　it
  is　the　sea　which　baffles　and　deceives　her　so　that　amid　the
  sea…sickness　she　sees　not　the　heart…sickness。　For　they　are　at
  sea；　and　heart…sickness　is　the　cause　of　their　plight；　and
  heart…bitterness　is　the　cause　of　the　malady　that　grips　them；　but
  of　these　three　the　queen　can　only　blame　the　sea；　for
  heart…sickness　and　heart…bitterness　lay　the　blame　on　the
  sea…sickness；　and　because　of　the　third　the　two　who　are　guilty　get
  off　scot…free。　He　who　is　guiltless　of　fault　or　wrong　often　pays
  dear　for　the　sin　of　another。　Thus　the　queen　violently　accuses　the
  sea　and　blames　it；　but　wrongly　is　the　blame　laid　on　the　sea；　for
  the　sea　has　done　therein　no　wrong。　Much　sorrow　has　Soredamors
  borne　ere　the　ship　has　come　to　port。　The　king's　coming　is　noised
  abroad；　for　the　Bretons　had　great　joy　thereof　and　served　him
  right　willingly　as　their　lawful　lord。　I　seek　not　to　speak　more　at
  length　of　King　Arthur　at　this　time：　rather　shall　ye　hear　me　tell
  how　Love　torments　the　two　lovers　against　whom　he　has　taken　the
  field。
  Alexander　loves　and　desires　her　who　is　sighing　for　his　love；　but
  he　knows　not；　and　will　not　know　aught　of　this　until　he　shall　have
  suffered　many　an　ill　and　many　a　grief。　For　love　of　her　he　serves
  the　queen　and　the　ladies　of　her　chamber；　but　he　does　not　dare　to
  speak　to　or　address　her　who　is　most　in　his　mind。　If　she　had　dared
  to　maintain　against　him　the　right　which　she　thinks　is　hers　in　the
  matter；　willingly　would　he　have　told　him　of　it；　but　she　neither
  dares　nor　ought　to　do　so。　And　the　fact　that　the　one　sees　the
  other；　and　that　they　dare　not　speak　or　act；　turns　to　great
  adversity　for　them；　and　love　grows　thereby　and　burns。　But　it　is
  the　custom　of　all　lovers　that　they　willingly　feed　their　eyes　on
  looks　if　they　can　do　no　better；　and　think　that　because　the　source
  whence　their　love　buds　and　grows　delights　them　therefore　it　must
  help　their　case；　whereas　it　injures　them：　just　as　the　man　who
  approaches　and　comes　close　to　the　fire　burns　himself　more　than
  the　man　who　draws　back　from　it。　Their　love　grows　and　increases
  continually；　but　the　one　feels　shame　before　the　other；　and　each
  conceals　and　hides　this　love　so　that　neither　flame　nor　smoke　is
  seen　from　the　gleed　beneath　the　ashes。　But　the　heat　is　none　the
  less　for　that；　rather　the　heat　lasts　longer　below　the　gleed　than
  above　it。　Both　the　lovers　are　in　very　great　anguish；　for　in　order
  that　their　complaint　may　not　be　known　or　perceived；　each　must
  deceive　all　men　by　false　pretence；　but　in　the　night　great　is　the
  plaint　which　each　makes　in　solitude。
  First　will　I　tell　you　of　Alexander：　how　he　complains　and　laments。
  Love　brings　before　his　mind　the　lady　for　whose　sake　he　feels　such
  Sorrow；　for　she　has　robbed　him　of　his　heart；　and　will　not　let　him
  rest　in　his　bed；　so　much　it　delights　him　to　recall　the　beauty　and
  the　mien　of　her　as　to　whom　he　dare　not　hope　that　ever　joy　of　her
  may　fall　to　his　lot。　〃I　may　hold　myself　a　fool；〃　quoth　he。　〃A
  fool？　Truly　am　I　a　fool；　since　I　do　not　dare　to　say　what　I　think；
  for　quickly　would　it　turn　to　my　bane。　I　have　set　my　thought　on
  folly。　Then　is　it　not　better　for　me　to　meditate　in　silence　than
  to　get　myself　dubbed　a　fool？　Never　shall　my　desire　be　known。　And
  shall　I　hide　the　cause　of　my　grief；　and　not　dare　to　seek　help　or
  succour　for　my　sorrows？　He　who　is　conscious　of　weakness　is　a　fool
  if　he　does　not　seek　that　by　which　he　may　have　health　if　he　can
  find　it　anywhere；　but　many　a　one　thinks　to　gain　his　own　advantage
  and　to　win　what　he　desires；　who　pursues　that　whereof　he　sorrows
  later。　And　why　should　he　go　to　seek　advice　when　he　does　not
  expect　to　find　health？　That　were　a　vain　toil！　I　feel　my　own　ill
  so　heavy　a　burden　that　never　shall　I　find　healing　for　it　by
  medicine　or　by　potion　or　by　herb　or　by　root。　There　is　not　a
  remedy　for　every　ill：　mine　is　so　rooted　that　it　cannot　be　cured。
  Cannot？　Methinks　I　have　lied。　As　soon　as　I　first　felt　this　evil；
  if　I　had　dared　to　reveal　and　to　tell　it；　I　could　have　spoken　to　a
  leech；　who　could　have　helped　me　in　the　whole　matter；　but　it　is
  very　grievous　for　me　to　speak　out。　Perhaps　they　would　not　deign
  to　listen　and　would　refuse　to　accept　a　fee。　No　wonder　is　it　then
  if　I　am　dismayed；　for　I　have　a　great　ill；　and　yet　I　do　not　know
  what　ill　it　is　which　sways　me　nor　do　I　know　whence　comes　this
  pain。　I　do　not　know？　Yes；　indeed；　I　think　I　know；　Love　makes　me
  feel　this　evil。　How？　Does　Love；　then；　know　how　to　do　evil？　Is　he
  not　kind　and　debonair？　I　thought　that　there　would　have　been
  nought　in　Love　which　was　not　good；　but　I　have　found　him　very
  malicious。　He　who　has　not　put　him　to　the　test　knows　not　with　what
  games　Love　meddles。　He　is　a　fool　who　goes　to　meet　him；　for　always
  he　wishes　to　burden　his　subjects。　Faith！　his　game　is　not　at　all　a
  good　one。　It　is　ill　playing　with　him；　for　his　sport　will　cause　me
  sorrow。　What　shall　I　do；　then？　Shall　I