brought　her　up　from　infancy；　was　named　Thessala；　and　was　versed
  in　the　black　art。　She　was　called　Thessala　because　she　was　born　in
  Thessaly　where　sorceries　are　made；　taught；　and　practised；　for　the
  women　who　are　of　that　country　make　charms　and　enchantments。
  Thessala　sees　that　she　whom　Love　has　in　his　power　is　wan　and
  pale；　and　she　has　addressed　her　secretly。　〃God！〃　quoth　she；　〃are
  you　enchanted；　my　sweet　lady　dear；　that　you　have　so　wan　a
  countenance？　Much　do　I　wonder　what　ails　you。　Tell　me；　if　you
  know；　in　what　part　this　sickness　possesses　you　most；　for　if　any
  one　can　cure　you　of　it　you　can　rely　on　me；　for　well　can　I　give
  you　back　your　health。　Well　know　I　how　to　cure　a　man　of　dropsy；
  and　I　know　how　to　cure　of　gout；　of　quinsy；　and　of　asthma；　I　know
  so　much　about　the　water　and　so　much　about　the　pulse　that　evil
  would　be　the　hour　in　which　you　would　take　another　leech。　And　I
  know；　if　I　dared　say　it；　of　enchantments　and　of　charms；　well
  proven　and　true；　more　than　ever　Medea　knew。　Never　spake　I　a　word
  of　it　to　you；　and　yet　I　have　brought　you　up　till　now；　but　never
  reproach　yourself　at　all　for　it；；　for　never　would　I　have　said
  aught　to　you　if　I　had　not　seen　for　a　surety　that　such　a　malady
  has　attacked　you；　that　you　have　need　of　my　aid。　Lady；　tell　me
  your　malady；　and　you　will　act　wisely　in　doing　so　before　it　gets
  further　hold　of　you。　The　emperor　has　set　me　in　charge　of　you　that
  I　may　take　care　of　you；　and　I　have　given　such　diligence　that　I
  have　kept　you　in　sound　health。　Now　shall　I　have　lost　my　pains　if
  I　heal　you　not　of　this　ill。　Beware　that　you　hide　it　not　from　me；
  be　it　illness　or　aught　else。〃　The　maiden　dares　not　openly
  disclose　her　whole　desire　because　she　is　greatly　afeard　that
  Thessala　may　blame　and　dissuade　her。　And　yet　because　she　hears
  her　greatly　vaunt　and　extol　herself；　and　say　that　she　is　learned
  in　enchantment；　in　charms　and　potions；　she　will　tell　her　what　is
  her　case；　why　her　face　is　pale　and　wan；　but　beforehand　she　will
  make　her　promise　that　she　will　hide　it　for　ever　and　will　never
  dissuade　her。
  〃Nurse；〃　quoth　she；　〃of　a　truth　I　thought　that　I　felt　no　ill；　but
  I　shall　speedily　think　that　I　am　sick。　The　mere　fact　of　my
  thinking　of　it　causes　me　much　ill　and　eke　alarms　me。　But　how　does
  one　know　unless　he　put　it　to　the　test　what　may　be　good　and　what
  ill？　My　ill　differs　from　all　other　ills；　forand　I　be　willing　to
  tell　you　the　truth　of　itmuch　it　joys　me；　and　much　it　grieves
  me；　and　I　delight　in　my　discomfort；　and　if　there　can　be　a　disease
  which　gives　pleasure；　my　sorrow　is　my　desire；　and　my　grief　is　my
  health。　I　know　not　then　whereof　I　should　complain；　for　I　know
  nought　whence　evil　may　come　to　me　if　it　come　not　from　my　desire。
  Possibly　my　desire　is　a　malady；　but　I　take　so　much　pleasure　in
  that　desire　that　it　causes　me　a　pleasant　grief；　and　I　have　so
  much　joy　in　my　sorrow　that　my　malady　is　a　pleasant　one。　Thessala；
  nurse！　tell　me　now；　is　not　this　sorrow　which　seems　sweet　to　me　；
  and　yet　which　tortures　me；　a　deceitful　one？　I　know　not　how　I　may
  recognise　whether　it　be　an　infirmity　or　no。　Nurse！　tell　me　now
  the　name；　and　the　manner；　and　the　nature；　of　it。　But　be　well
  assured　that　I　have　no　care　to　recover　in　any　wise；　for　I　cherish
  the　anguish　of　it　exceedingly。〃　Thessala；　who　was　right　wise　as
  regards　Love　and　all　his　ways；　knows　and　understands　by　her
  speech　that　that　which　distracts　her　proceeds　from　Lovebecause
  she　calls　and　names　it　sweetit　is　certain　that　she　loves；　for
  all　other　ills　are　bitter　save　that　alone　which　comes　from
  loving；　but　Love　transmutes　its　own　bitterness　into　pleasure；　and
  sweetness　often　turns　to　its　opposite。　But　Thessala；　who　well
  knew　the　matter；　replies　to　her：　〃Fear　nought；　I　will　tell　you
  well　both　the　nature　and　the　name　of　your　disease。　You　have　told
  me；　methinks；　that　the　pain　which　you　feel　seems　to　you　to　be　joy
  and　health：　of　such　a　nature　is　love…sickness；　for　there　is　in　it
  joy　and　sweetness。　Therefore　I　prove　to　you　that　you　love；　for　I
  find　pleasure　in　no　sickness　save　only　in　love…sickness。　All
  other　ills　as　a　rule　are　always　grievous　and　horrible；　but　Love
  is　pleasant　and　tranquil。　You　love；　I　am　fully　certain　of　it。　I
  regard　it　not　as　base　in　you；　but　I　will　hold　it　baseness　if
  through　childishness　or　folly　you　conceal　your　heart　from　me。〃
  〃Nurse；　truly　you　are　talking　to　no　purpose；　for　first　I　mean　to
  be　certain　and　sure　that　never　by　any　chance　will　you　speak
  thereof　to　any　living　creature。〃　〃Lady；　certainly　the　winds　will
  speak　of　it　sooner　than　I　unless　you　give　me　permission；　and　of
  this　I　will　make　you　surethat　I　will　help　you　with　regard　to
  this　matter；　so　that　you　may　know　of　a　surety　；　that　by　me　you
  will　have　your　joy。〃　〃Nurse；　in　that　case　you　would　have　cured
  me；　but　the　emperor　is　giving　me　in　marriage　whereat　I　am
  grievously　afflicted　and　sad　because　he　who　pleases　me　is　nephew
  of　him　whom　I　am　to　wed。　And　if　this　man　have　his　joy　of　me；　then
  have　I　lost　mine；　and　there　is　no　more　joy　to　be　looked　for。
  Rather　would　I　be　torn　limb　from　limb　than　that　the　love　of
  Iseult　and　of　Tristram　should　be　renewed　in　the　case　of　us　twain；
  for　of　them　are　such　mad　actions　told　that　I　am　ashamed　to
  recount　them。　I　could　not　reconcile　myself　to　the　life　that
  Iseult　led。　Love　in　her　became　exceeding　base；　for　her　body
  belonged　to　two　masters　and　her　heart　entirely　to　one。　Thus　she
  spent　her　whole　life；　for　she　never　refused　the　two。　Reason　was
  there　none　in　this　love；　but　mine　is　ever　constant；　and　at　no
  cost　will　a　partition　ever　be　made　of　my　body　or　of　my　heart。
  Never　of　a　truth　shall　my　body　be　debased；　never　shall　there　be
  two　partners　of　it。　Let　him　who　owns　the　heart　have　the　body
  also；　he　excludes　all　others　from　it。　But　this　I　cannot　knowhow
  he　to　whom　my　heart　yields　itself　can　have　my　body　since　my
  father　is　giving　me　to　another；　and　I　dare　not　gainsay　him。　And
  when　he　shall　be　lord　of　my　body　if　he　do　aught　with　it　that　I　do
  not　wish；　it　is　not　meet　that　it　welcome　another。　Moreover；　this
  man　cannot　wed　wife　without　breaking　faith；　but　if　he　wrong　not
  his　nephew；　Cliges　will　have　the　empire　after　his　death。　But　if
  you　can　contrive　by　your　arts；　that　this　man　to　whom　I　am　given
  and　pledged　might　never　have　part　or　lot　in　me；　you　would　have
  done　me　good　service　according　to　my　will。　Nurse；　prithee　strive
  that　this　man　break　not　his　faith；　for　he　gave　his　pledge　to　the
  father　of　Cliges；　promising　just　as　Alexander　had　made　him　swear；
  that　never　would　he　take　wedded　wife。　His　pledge　is　about　to　be
  broken；　for　straightway　he　intends　to　wed　me。　But　I　cherish
  Cliges　so　dearly　that　I　would　rather　be　buried　than　that　he
  should　lose　through　me　a　farthing　of　the　inheritance　which　ought
  to　be　his。　May　never　child　be　born　of　me　by　whom　he　may　be
  disinherited！　Nurse；　now　bestir　yourself　in　the　matter　that　I　may
  be　yours　for　ever。〃　Then　her　nurse　tells　her　and　assures　her　that
  she　will　weave　such　spells　and　potions　and　enchantments　that　she
  would　be　ill…advised　to　have　concern　or　fear　for　this　emperor；　so
  soon　as　he　shall　have　drunk　of　the　potion　that　she　will　give　him
  to　drink；　and　they　will　both　lie　together；　but　however　close　she
  will　be　to　him；　she　can　be　as　secure　as　if　there　were　a　wall
  between　the　two　of　them。　〃But　let　not　this　and　this　only　vex　you
  if　he　has　his　pleasure　of　you　in　dreams；　for；　when　he　shall　be
  sound　asleep；　he　will　have　joy　of　you　in　dreaming；　and　will　quite
  surely　think　that　he　has　his　joy　of　you　waking；　nor　will　he
  imagine　that　it　is　a　dream；　or　vision；　or　falsehood。　He　will
  delight　in　you　so　that　he　will　think　he　is　awake　while　he　is
  sleeping。〃
  The　maiden　loves　and　approves　and　esteems　this　boon　and　this
  service。　Her　nurse；　who　promises　her　this；　and　vows　to　keep　faith
  with　her；　puts　her　in　good　hope；　for　by　this　means　she　will　think
  to　come　to　her　joy　however　long　she　have　to　wait。　For　never　will
  Cliges　be　so　ill…disposed　to　herif　he　knows　that　she　loves　him；
  and　for　his　sake　lives　so　as　to　guard　her　maidenhead　in　order　to
  shield　for　him　his　inheritanceas　not　to　have　some　pity　on　her
  if　he　prove　himself　of　a　noble　stock；　and　if　he　is　such　as　he
  ought　to　be。　The　maiden　believes　her　nurse；　and　trusts　and
  confides　in　her　greatly。　The　one　vows　and　swears　to　the　other
  that　this　plan　will　be　kept　so　secret　that　never　will　it　be　known
  in　the　future。　Thus　the　parley　is　ended；　and　when　it　came　to　the
  morning　the　emperor　of　Germany　sends　for　his　daughter。　She　comes
  at　his　commandbut　why　should　I　spin　out　my　story？　The　two
  emperors　together　have　so　arranged　matters　that　the　marriage
  takes　place　and　joy　begins　in　the　palace。　But　I　will　not　delay　to
  speak　of　each　thing　severally。　I　will　turn　my　tale　of　Thessala；
  who　does　not　cease　to　make　and　mix　potions。
  Thessala　crushes　her　potion；　she　puts　therein　spices　in　plenty
  for　sweetening　and　blending。　Well　does　she　pound　and　mix　it；　and
  strains　it　till　the　whole　is　clear；　and　there　is　nought　acid　nor
  bitter　there；　for　the　spices　which　are　in　it　make　it　sweet　and　of
  pleasant　odour。　When　the　potion　was　prepared；　then　had　the　day
  run　its　course；　and　the　tables　were　placed　for　supper；　and　the
  tablecloths　laid；　but　she　delays　the　supper。　It　is　Thessala's
  task　to　spy　out　by　what　device；　by　what　messe