Old French Romances | Page 7

and lord of this city, and of all the earth." "Churl," said the Emperor,
"this which thou sayest can never come to pass." "Sir," said he, "it is all
sooth, and thus it behoveth it to be." "Certes," quoth the Emperor, "'tis a
mighty matter to trow in."
But the Emperor and the Knight departed thence, and the Emperor bade
the Knight go bear off the child in such wise, if he might, that none
should see him therein. The Knight went and found there two women,
who were all busied in arraying the woman who had been brought to
bed. The child was wrapped in linen clothes, and they had laid him on a
chair. Thereto came the Knight, and took the child and laid him on a
board, and brought him to the Emperor, in such wise that none of the
women wotted thereof. The Emperor did do slit the belly of him with a
knife from the breast down to the navel, and said withal to the Knight,
that never should the son of that churl have to wife his daughter, nor be
emperor after him.
Therewithal would the Emperor do the Knight to put forth his hand to
the belly, to seek out the heart; but the Knight said to him: "Ah, sir,
a-God's mercy, what wouldst thou do? It is nought meet to thee, and if
folk were to wot thereof, great reproach wouldst thou get thee. Let him
be at this present, for he is more than dead. And if it please thee that
that one trouble more about the matter, I will bear him down to the sea
to drown him." "Yea," quoth the Emperor, "bear him away thither, for
right sore do I hate him."
So the Knight took the child, and wrapped him in a cover-point of silk,
and bore him down toward the sea. But therewith had he pity of the
child, and said that by him should he never be drowned; so he left him,
all wrapped up as he was, on a midden before the gate of a certain
abbey of monks, who at that very nick of time were singing their
matins.
When the monks had done singing their matins, they heard the child
crying, and they bore him before the Lord Abbot. And the Abbot saw
that the child was fair, and said that he would do it to be nourished.
Therewith he did do unwrap it, and saw that it had the belly cloven

from the breast down to the navel.
The Abbot, so soon as it was day, bade come leeches, and asked of
them for how much they would heal the child and they craved for the
healing of him an hundred of bezants. But he said that it would be more
than enough, for overmuch would the child be costing. And so much
did the Abbot, that he made market with the surgeons for four- score
bezants. And thereafter the Abbot did do baptize the child, and gave
him to name Coustans, because him-seemed that he costed exceeding
much for the healing of him.
The leeches went so much about with child, that he was made whole
and the Abbot sought him a good nurse, and got the child to suckle, and
he was healed full soon; whereas the flesh of him was soft and tender,
and grew together swiftly one to the other, but ever after showed the
mark.
Much speedily waxed the child in great beauty; when he was seven
years old the Abbot did him to go to the school, and he learned so well,
that he over-passed all his fellows in subtilty and science. When he was
of twelve years, he was a child exceeding goodly; so it might nought
avail to seek a goodlier. And whenas the Abbot saw him to be a child
so goodly and gentle, he did him to ride abroad with him.
Now so it fell out, that the Abbot had to speak with the Emperor of a
wrong which his bailiffs had done to the abbey. The Abbot made him a
goodly gift, whereas the abbey and convent were subject unto him, for
the Emperor was a Saracen. When the Abbot had given him his goodly
gift, the Emperor gave him day for the third day thence, whenas he
should be at a castle of his, three leagues from the city of Byzance.
The Abbot abode the day: when he saw the time at point to go to the
Emperor, he mounted a-horseback, and his chaplain, and esquire, and
his folk; and with him was Coustans, who was so well fashioned that
all praised his great beauty, and each one said that he seemed well to be
come of high kindred, and that