cliges-第21部分

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guest；　for　there　are　rooms　and　baths　and　in　the　baths　hot　water；
which　comes　through　a　pipe　below　the　earth。　That　man　who　would
seek　a　convenient　spot　to　place　and　hide　his　lady　would　have　to
go　far　before　he　found　one　so　delightful。　You　will　deem　it　a　very
fitting　refuge　when　you　have　been　all　over　it。〃　Then　has　John
shown　him　all；　fair　chambers　and　painted　vaults；　and　he　has　shown
him　much　of　his　workmanship；　which　pleased　him　mightily。　When
they　had　seen　the　whole　tower；　then　said　Cliges：　〃John；　my
friend；　I　free　you　and　your　heirs　one　and　all；　and　I　am　wholly
yours。　I　desire　that　my　lady　be　here　all　alone；　and　that　no　one
ever　know　it　save　me　and　you　and　her；　and　not　another　soul。〃　John
replies：　〃I　thank　you。　Now　we　have　been　here　long　enough；　now　we
have　no　more　to　do；　so　let　us　start　on　the　return　journey。〃　〃You
have　said　well；〃　Cliges　replies；　〃let　us　depart。〃　Then　they　turn
and　have　issued　forth　from　the　tower。　On　their　return　they　hear
in　the　town　how　one　tells　another　in　confidence：　〃You　know　not
the　grave　news　about　my　lady　the　empress。　May　the　Holy　Spirit
give　health　to　the　wise　and　noble　lady；　for　she　lies　in　very
great　sickness。〃

When　Cliges　hears　the　report；　he　went　to　the　court　at　full　speed；
but　neither　joy　nor　pleasure　was　there；　for　all　were　sad　and
dejected　on　account　of　the　empress；　who　feigns　herself　ill；
feignsfor　the　evil　whereof　she　complains　gives　her　no　pain　or
hurt；　she　has　said　to　all　that　as　long　as　the　malady　whereby　her
heart　and　head　feel　pain　holds　her　so　strongly；　she　will　have　no
man　save　the　emperor　or　his　nephew　enter　her　chamber；　for　she
will　not　deny　herself　to　them；　though　if　the　emperor；　her　lord；
come　not；　little　will　it　irk　her。　She　must　needs　risk　great
suffering　and　great　peril　for　Cliges'　sake；　but　it　weighs　on　her
heart　that　he　comes　not；　she　desires　to　see　naught　save　him。
Cliges　will　soon　be　in　her　presence　and　stay　there　till　he　shall
have　related　to　her　what　he　has　seen　and　found。　He　comes　before
her　and　has　told　her；　but　he　remained　there　a　short　time　only；
for　Fenice；　in　order　that　people　may　think　that　what　pleases　her
annoys　her；　has　said　aloud：　〃Away！　Away！　You　tire　me　greatly；　you
weary　me　much；　for　I　am　so　oppressed　with　sickness　that　never
shall　I　be　raised　from　it　and　restored　to　health。〃　Cliges；　whom
this　greatly　pleases；　goes　away；　making　a　doleful
countenancefor　never　before　did　you　see　it　so　doleful。
Outwardly　he　appears　full　sad；　but　his　heart　is　blithe　within；
for　it　looks　to　have　its　joy。

The　empress；　without　having　any　illness；　complains　and　feigns
herself　ill；　and　the　emperor；　who　believes　her；　ceases　not　to
make　lamentation；　and　sends　to　seek　leeches　for　her；　but　she　will
not　let　that　one　see　her；　nor　does　she　let　herself　be　touched。
This　grieves　the　emperor；　for　she　says　that　never　will　she　have
leech　except　one；　who　will　know　how　to　give　her　health　quickly；
when　it　shall　be　his　will。　He　will　make　her　die　or　live；　into　his
keeping　she　puts　herself　for　health　and　for　life。　They　think　that
she　is　speaking　of　God；　but　a　very　different　meaning　has　she；　for
she　means　none　other　than　Cliges。　He　is　her　God；　who　can　give　her
health　and　who　can　make　her　die。

Thus　the　empress　provides　that　no　leech　attend　her；　and　she　will
not　eat　or　drink；　in　order　the　better　to　deceive　the　emperor；
until　she　is　both　pale　and　wan　all　over。　And　her　nurse　stays　near
her；　who　with　very　wondrous　craft　sought　secretly　through　all　the
town；　so　that　no　one　knew　it；　until　she　found　a　woman　sick　of　a
mortal　sickness　without　cure。　In　order　the　better　to　carry　out
the　deception；　she　went　often　to　visit　her　and　promised　her　that
she　would　cure　her　of　her　ill；　and　each　day　she　would　bring　a
glass　to　see　her　water；　till　she　saw　that　medicine　would　no
longer　be　able　to　aid　her　and　that　she　would　die　that　very　day。
She　has　brought　this　water　and　has　kept　it　straitly　until　the
emperor　rose。　Now　she　goes　before　him　and　says　to　him：　〃If　you
will；　sire；　send　for　all　your　leeches；　for　my　lady；　who　is
suffering　from　a　sore　sickness；　has　passed　water　and　wishes　that
the　leeches　see　it；　but　that　they　come　not　in　her　presence。〃　The
leeches　came　into　the　hall；　they　see　the　water　very　bad　and　pale；
and　each　says　what　seems　to　him　the　truth；　till　they　all　agree
together　that　never　will　she　recover；　and　will　not　even　see　the
hour　of　None；　and　if　she　lives　so　long；　then　at　the　latest　God
will　take　her　soul　to　himself。　This　have　they　murmured　secretly。
Then　the　emperor　has　bidden　and　conjured　them　that　they　tell　the
truth　of　the　matter。　They　reply　that　they　have　no　hope　at　all　of
her　recovery；　and　that　she　cannot　pass　the　hour　of　None；　for
before　that　hour　she　will　have　given　up　the　ghost。　When　the
emperor　has　heard　the　word；　scarcely　can　he　refrain　from　swooning
to　the　ground；　and　likewise　many　a　one　of　the　others　who　heard
it。　Never　did　any　folk　make　such　mourning　as　then　prevailed
through　all　the　palace。　I　spare　you　the　account　of　the　mourning；
and　you　shall　hear　what　Thessala　is　about；　who　mixes　and　brews
the　draught。　She　has　mixed　and　stirred　it；　for　long　beforehand
she　had　provided　herself　with　all　that　she　knew　was　needed　for
the　draught。　A　little　before　the　hour　of　None　she　gives　her　the
draught　to　drink。　As　soon　as　she　had　drunk　it；　her　sight　grew
dim；　and　her　face　was　as　pale　and　white　as　if　she　had　lost　her
blood；　nor　would　she　have　moved　hand　or　foot　even　if　one　had
flayed　her　alive；　she　neither　stirs　nor　says　a　word；　and　yet　she
hearkens　to　and　hears　the　mourning　which　the　emperor　makes；　and
the　wailing　with　which　the　hall　is　full。　And　o'er　all　the　city
the　folk　wail　who　weep　and　say：　〃God！　what　a　sorrow　and　a
calamity　has　accursed　death　dealt　us！　Greedy　death！　Covetous
death！　Death　is　worse　than　any　she…wolf；　for　death　cannot　be
sated。　Never　couldst　thou　give　a　worse　wound　to　the　world。　Death；
what　hast　thou　done？　May　God　confound　thee　who　hast　extinguished
all　beauty。　Thou　hast　slain　the　choicest　creature　and　the　fairest
pictureif　she　had　but　remained　alive！that　God　ever　laboured
to　fashion。　Too　patient　is　God；　since　He　suffers　thee　to　have　the
power　to　ruin　His　handiwork。　Now　should　God　be　wroth　with　thee
and　cast　thee　forth　from　thy　dominion；　for　thou　hast　committed
too　wanton　and　great　arrogance　and　great　insult。〃　Thus　all　the
people　storm；　they　wring　their　hands　and　beat　their　palms；　and
the　clerks　read　there　their　psalms；　who　pray　for　the　good　lady
that　God　may　show　mercy　to　her　soul。

Amid　the　tears　and　the　wails；　as　the　writings　tell　us；　have　come
three　aged　physicians　from　Salerno；　where　they　had　been　a　long
time。　They　have　stopped　on　account　of　the　great　mourning；　and　ask
and　inquire　the　reason　of　the　wails　and　tears；　why　folk　are　thus
demented　and　distressed。　And　they　tell　them　and　reply：　〃God！
Lords；　know　ye　not？　At　this　ought　the　whole　world；　each　place　in
turn；　to　become　frenzied　together　with　us；　if　it　knew　the　great
mourning　and　grief　and　hurt　and　the　great　loss　which　this　day　has
opened　to　our　ken。　God！　whence　then　are　you　come；　since　you　know
not　what　has　happened　but　now　in　the　city？　We　will　tell　you　the
truth；　for　we　wish　to　join　you　with　us　in　the　mourning　wherewith
we　mourn。　Know　you　nought　of　ravenous　death；　who　desires　all　and
covets　all　and　in　all　places　lies　in　wait　for　the　best；　and　how
great　an　act　of　folly　he　hath　to…day　committed；　as　he　is　wont？
God　had　lit　the　world　with　a　brilliance；　with　a　light。　But　Death
cannot　choose　but　do　what　he　is　wont　to　do。　Ever　with　his　might
he　blots　out　the　best　that　he　can　find。　Now　doth　he　will　to　prove
his　power；　and　has　taken　in　one　body　more　worth　than　he　has　left
in　the　world。　If　he　had　taken　the　whole　world；　he　could　not　have
done　one　whit　worse；　provided　that　he　left　alive　and　sound　that
prey　whom　he　now　leads　away。　Beauty；　courtesy；　and　knowledge；　and
whatsoever　appertaining　to　goodness　a　lady　can　have；　has　Death；
who　has　destroyed　all　good　in　the　person　of　my　lady　the　empress；
snatched　from　us　and　cheated　us　of。　Thus　hath　Death　slain　us。〃
〃Ah；　God！〃　say　the　leeches；　〃thou　hatest　this　city；　we　know　it
well；　for　that　we　came　not　here　a　little　space　ago。　If　we　had
come　yesterday；　Death　might　have　esteemed　himself　highly；　if　he
had　taken　aught　from　us　by　force。〃　〃Lords；　my　lady　would　not　for
aught　have　allowed　that　you　should　have　seen　her　or　troubled
yourself　about　her。　There　were　enough　and　to　spare　of　good
leeches；　but　never　did　my　lady　please　that　one　or　other　of　them
should　see　her　who　could　meddle　with　her　illness。〃　〃No？〃　〃By　my
faith；　that　did　she　truly　not。〃　Then　they　remembered　Solomon；　and
that　his　wife　hated　him　so　much　that　she　betrayed　him　under　a
pretence　of　death。　Perhaps　this　lady　has　done　the　same　thing；　but
if　they　could　by　any　means　succeed　in　touching　her；　there　is　no
man　born　for　whose　sake　they　would　have　lied　or　would　refrain
from　speaking　the　whole　truth　about　it；　if　they　can　see　deceit
there。　Towards　the　court　they　go　forthwith；　where　one　would　not
have　heard　God　thundering；　such　noise　and　wailing　there　was。　The
master　of　them；　who　knew　the　most；　has　approached　the　bier。　None
says　to　him：　〃You　touch　it　at　your　peril。〃　Nor　does　any　one　pull
him　back　from　it。　And　he　puts　his　hand　on　her　breast　and　on　her
side　and　feels　beyond　a　doubt　that　she　has　her　life　whole　in　her
body；　well　he　knows　it　and　well　he　perceives　it。　He　sees　before
him　the　emperor；　who　is　frenzied　and　readv　to　kill　himself　with
grief。　He　cries　aloud　and　says　to　him：　〃Emperor；　comfort　thyself。
I　know　and　see　for　a　certainty　that　this　lady　is　not　dead。　Leave
thy　mourning　and　console　thyself。　If　I　give　her　not　back　to　thee
alive；　either　slay　me　or　hang　me。〃　Now　all　the　wailing　throughout
the　palace　is　calmed　and　hushed；　and　the　emperor　tells　the　leech
that　now　it　is　permitted　him　to　give　orders　and　to　speak　his　will
quite　freely。　If　he　brings　back　the　empress　to　life；　he　will　be
lord　and　commander　over　him；　but　he　will　be　hanged　as　a　robber；
if　he　has　lied　to　him　in　aught。　And　he　says　to　him：　〃I　accept　the
condition；　never　have　mercy　on　me；　if　I　do　not　make　the　lady　here
speak　to　you。　Without　hesitation　or　delay　have　the　palace　cleared
for　me。　Let　not　one　or　another　stay　here。　I　must　see　privately