Cliges: A Romance | Page 5

would deem himself to be acting
well--would deem? ay, and he would be so acting--if he increased his son's honour. "Fair
son," quoth he, "I grant you your good pleasure, and tell me what you would have me
give you." Now the lad has done his work well; and right glad was he of it when is
granted him the boon that he so longed to have. "Sire," quoth he, "would you know what
you have promised me? I wish to have in great store of your gold and of your silver and
comrades from your retinue such as I shall will to choose; for I wish to go forth from

your empire, and I shall go to offer my service to the king who reigns over Britain, that
he may dub me knight. Never, indeed, on any day as long as I live shall I wear visor on
my face or helm on my head, I warrant you, till King Arthur gird on my sword if he deign
to do it; for I will receive arms of no other." The emperor without more ado replies: "Fair
son, in God's name, say not so. This land and mighty are diverse and contrary. And that
man is a slave. Constantinople is wholly yours. You must not hold me a niggard when I
would fain give you so fair a boon. Soon will I have you crowned; and a knight shall you
be to-morrow. All Greece shall be in your hand; and you shall receive from your
barons--as indeed you ought to receive--their oaths and homage. He who refuses this is
no wise man."
The lad hears the promise--namely, that his father will dub him knight on the morrow
after Mass--but says that he will prove himself coward or hero in another land than his
own. "If you will grant my boon in that matter in which I have asked you; then give me
fur both grey and of divers colour and good steeds and silken attire; for before I am
knight I will fain serve King Arthur. Not yet have I so great valour that I can bear arms.
None by entreaty or by fair words could persuade me not to go into the foreign land to
see the king and his barons, whose renown for courtesy and for prowess is so great. Many
high men through their idleness lose great praise that they might have if they wandered
o'er the world. Repose and praise agree all together, as it seems to me; for a man of might
who is ever resting in no wise becomes famous. Prowess is a burden to a cowardly man;
and cowardice is a burden to the brave; thus the twain to his possessions who is ever
heaping them up and increasing them. Fair sire, as long as I am allowed to win renown, if
I can avail so much, I will give my pains and diligence to it."
At this, without doubt, the emperor feels joy and anxiety--joy has he; for that he
perceives that his son aims at valiant deeds; and anxiety on the other hand, for that he is
leaving him. But because of the promise that he has made him it behoves him to grant his
boon whatever anxiety he feel about it; for an emperor must not lie. "Fair son," quoth he,
"I ought not to fail to do your pleasure, since I see that you aspire to honour. You may
take from my treasury two barques full of gold and silver; but take care that you be very
generous and courteous and well-bred." Now is the youth right glad; for his father
promises him so much that he puts his treasure at his free disposal and exhorts and
commands him to give and to spend liberally; and also he tells him the reason wherefore:
"Fair son," quoth he, "believe me in this; that open-handedness is the lady and queen who
illumines all virtues; and it is not a whit difficult to prove this. In what place could one
find a man, however mighty and magnificent he be, that is not blamed if he be a niggard;
or any man, however ill-reputed he be, whom liberality does not render praised?
Liberality of itself makes a man of honour--which neither high Rank, nor courtesy, nor
knowledge, nor noble birth, nor wealth , nor strength, nor chivalry, nor courage, nor
lordship, nor beauty, nor any other thing, can do. But just as the rose is fairer than any
other flower when she buddeth fresh and new; so where liberality comes she holds herself
above all virtues, and she multiplies five hundredfold the virtues that she finds in an
honourable man who proves his worth. There is so much to say about liberality that I