The Geste of Duke Jocelyn | Page 8

Black Lewin lustily did howl
And falling back, his
polished bascinet
With ringing clash the cold, hard flagstones met.

Whereat his fellows, shouting fierce alarms,
Incontinent betook them
to their arms;
And thus it seemed a fight there must have been
But
that a horseman sudden spurred between--
A blue-eyed youth with
yellow, curling hair,
Of slender shape, of face and feature fair,
A
dainty knight was he in very truth,
A blue-eyed, merry,
laughter-loving youth.
"Ha, knaves, what do ye with the Fool?" lisped he,
"Wilt strike a
motley, dogs--a Fool? Let be!
Though faith,'t would seem, Sir Fool,
thou hast a fist
That surly Lewin to his dole hath kissed.
If it can
strum thy lute but half as well,
Then gestours all methinks thou
should'st excel--
Ye rogues, pass Folly in, no man shall say
That from our town we
folly turned away.
Come, follow, Fool, into the market-square,
And
give us earnest of thy foolish ware."
Now it was market day, and within the goodly square were people
come from near and far, a notable concourse, country folk and folk of
the town, farmers and merchants, rustic maids, fair ladies, knights and
esquires on horseback or a-foot, but who, hearing the jingle of the
Duke's tinkling bells, seeing his flaunting cock's-comb, with one accord
gathered to him from every quarter:
For when this long-legged gestour they espied,
They, laughing,
hemmed him in on every side,
And, "See, a Fool! A Fool! The Fool
must sing,"
And "Fool! A Fool!" upon the air did ring,
Wherefore
the Duke betook him to his lute,
And strummed until the chattering

crowd was mute.
Then while all folk did hold their peace to hear,
In
golden voice he sang, full rich and clear:
"'A fool! A fool!' ye cry,
A fool forsooth am I.
But tell me, wise
ones, if ye can,
Where shall ye find a happy man?
Lived there one
since the world began?
Come, answer ye
To me!
"'What of the king?' says you.
Says I to you--'Go to!
A king despite
his crown and throne,
Hath divers troubles all his own.
Such woes,
methinks, as are unknown
To such as ye,
Or me!'
"'Ha, then--the rich!' ye cry,
'Not so in truth,' says I.
'The rich man's
gold is load of care,
That day and night he needs must bear;
Less
care he'd know if poor he were,
As poor as ye,
Or me!'
"For, sirs, as I do guess
This thing called 'Happiness'
Man leaveth
with his youth behind;
So keep ye all a youthful mind,
Thus
happiness ye all shall find
If wit have ye,
Like me!
"O list ye, great and small,
Proud knight, free man and thrall,
True
happiness, since life began,
The birthright is of every man;
Seize
then your birthright if ye can,
Since men are ye--
Like me!
"Thus I forsooth, a Fool,
Do now ye wise ones school;
Since of my
folly, full and free,
I wisely thus admonish ye,
Be wise--or eke
fools learn to be
In verity--
Like me!"
Now when the song was ended some there were who laughed and some
looked grave, some talked amain and some wagged solemn heads,
while many a good coin rang heartily at Duke Jocelyn's feet; smiling,
he bade Sir Pertinax take them up, joying to see the proud Knight
stooping thus to pouch the money like any beggar. But now, when he
would fain have gone his way into the town, the people would by no
means suffer it and clamoured amain on all sides, insistent for more;
wherefore, lifting his scarred face to the sunset sky, Duke Jocelyn sang
as here followeth:

"When man is born he doth begin
With right good will, to daily sin,

And little careth.
But when his grave he thinketh near,
Then
grave he groweth in his fear
And sin forsweareth.
"This life that man doth cherish so,
Is wondrous frail and quick to go,

Nor will it stay.
Yet where's the man that will not give
All that he
hath so he might live
Another day.
"Fain would I know the reason why
All men so fearful are to die

And upward go?
Since Death all woes and ills doth end,
Sure Death,
methinks, should be a friend,
Not hated foe.
"So when Death come, as come he must,
Grieve not that we this sorry
dust
Do leave behind.
For when this fleeting life be run,
By Death we all of us--each one,
True life shall find."
Now while he sang melodious and clear
Amid the throng that closer
pressed to hear,
Duke Joc'lyn of a sudden did espy
The "wherefore"
of his coming and the "why."
Yolande herself he, singing, did behold,

Her eyes, red lips, her hair of ruddy gold;
And all her warm and
glowing loveliness
Did sudden thus his raptured vision bless;
While
she, in gracious ease, her horse did sit
That pawed round hoof and
champed upon his bit,
Arching proud neck as if indeed he were

Proud of the lovely burden he did bear.
As Joc'lyn gazed upon her
thus, she seemed
A thousand times more fair than he had dreamed.

Now while he sang, she viewed him, gentle-eyed,
And quite forgot
the gallant by her side,
A tall, dark-featured, comely lord was he,

With chin full square and eyes of mastery,
Who, when the