Cliges: A Romance | Page 8

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