[007]
Now her passion waxing ever more ardent for Bertrand, as she
learned that he was grown a most goodly gallant, tidings reached
her that the King of France, in consequence of a tumour which he
had had in the breast, and which had been ill tended, was now
troubled with a fistula, which occasioned him extreme distress and
suffering; nor had he as yet come by a physician that was able,
though many had essayed, to cure him, but had rather grown worse
under their hands; wherefore in despair he was minded no more to
have recourse to any for counsel or aid.
[008]
Whereat the damsel was
overjoyed, deeming not only that she might find therein lawful occasion
to go to Paris, but, that, if the disease was what she took it to be,
it might well betide that she should be wedded to Bertrand. So--for
not a little knowledge had she gotten from her father--she prepared
a powder from certain herbs serviceable in the treatment of the supposed
disease, and straightway took horse, and hied her to Paris.
[009]
Arrived there she made it her first concern to have sight of Bertrand;
and then, having obtained access to the King, she besought
him of his grace to shew her his disease. The King knew not how
to refuse so young, fair and winsome a damsel, and let her see the
place.
[010]
Whereupon, no longer doubting that she should cure him, she
said: "Sire, so please you, I hope in God to cure you of this malady
within eight days without causing you the least distress or discomfort."
[011]
The King inly scoffed at her words, saying to himself:
"How should a damsel have come by a knowledge and skill that
the greatest physicians in the world do not possess?" He therefore
graciously acknowledged her good intention, and answered
that he had resolved no more to follow advice of physician.
[012]
"Sire," said the damsel, "you disdain my art, because I am young
and a woman; but I bid you bear in mind that I rely not on
my own skill, but on the help of God, and the skill of Master
Gerard of Narbonne, my father, and a famous physician in his day."
[013]
Whereupon the King said to himself: "Perchance she is sent me by
God; why put I not her skill to the proof, seeing that she says that
she can cure me in a short time, and cause me no distress?" And
being minded to make the experiment, he said: "Damsel, and if,
having caused me to cancel my resolve, you should fail to cure me,
what are you content should ensue?"
[014]
"Sire," answered the damsel,
"set a guard upon me; and if within eight days I cure you not, have
me burned; but if I cure you, what shall be my guerdon?"
[015]
"You
seem," said the King, "to be yet unmarried; if you shall effect the
cure, we will marry you well and in high place."
[016]
"Sire," returned
the damsel, "well content indeed am I that you should marry me,
so it be to such a husband as I shall ask of you, save that I may not
ask any of your sons or any other member of the royal house."
[017]
Whereto the King forthwith consented, and the damsel, thereupon
applying her treatment, restored him to health before the period
assigned. Wherefore, as soon as the King knew that he was cured:
"Damsel," said he, "well have you won your husband."
[018]
She
answered: "In that case, Sire, I have won Bertrand de Roussillon,
of whom, while yet a child, I was enamoured, and whom I have
ever since most ardently loved."
[019]
To give her Bertrand seemed to
the King no small matter; but, having pledged his word, he would
not break it: so he sent for Bertrand, and said to him: "Bertrand,
you are now come to man's estate, and fully equipped to enter on it;
'tis therefore our will that you go back and assume the governance
of your county, and that you take with you a damsel, whom we have
given you to wife."
[020]
"And who is the damsel, Sire?" said Bertrand.
[021]
"She it is," answered the King, "that has restored us to health by
her physic."
[022]
Now Bertrand, knowing Gillette, and that her lineage
was not such as matched his nobility, albeit, seeing her, he had found
her very fair, was overcome with disdain, and answered: "So, Sire,
you would fain give me a she-doctor to wife. Now God forbid that
I should ever marry any such woman."
[023]
"Then," said the King,
"you would have us fail of the faith which we pledged to the damsel,
who asked you in marriage by way of guerdon for our restoration to
health."
[024]
"Sire," said Bertrand, "you may take from me all that
I possess, and give me as your man to whomsoever you may be
minded; but rest assured that I shall never be satisfied with such a
match."
[025]
"Nay, but you will," replied the King; "for the damsel
is fair and discreet, and loves you well; wherefore we anticipate that
you will live far more happily with her than with a dame of much
higher lineage."
[026]
Bertrand was silent; and the King made great
preparations for the celebration of the nuptials. The appointed day
came, and Bertrand, albeit reluctantly, nevertheless complied, and in
the presence of the King was wedded to the damsel, who loved him
more dearly than herself.
[027]
Which done, Bertrand, who had already
taken his resolution, said that he was minded to go down to his
county, there to consummate the marriage; and so, having craved and
had leave of absence of the King, he took horse, but instead of
returning to his county he hied him to Tuscany; [028]where, finding the
Florentines at war with the Sienese, he determined to take service
with the Florentines, and being made heartily and honourably welcome,
was appointed to the command of part of their forces, at a
liberal stipend, and so remained in their service for a long while.
[029]
Distressed by this turn of fortune, and hoping by her wise management
to bring Bertrand back to his county, the bride hied her
to Roussillon, where she was received by all the tenants as their
liege lady. She found that, during the long absence of the lord,
everything had fallen into decay and disorder; which, being a capable
woman, she rectified with great and sedulous care, to the great joy of
the tenants, who held her in great esteem and love, and severely
censured the Count, that he was not satisfied with her.
[030]
When the
lady had duly ordered all things in the county, she despatched two
knights to the Count with the intelligence, praying him, that, if 'twas
on her account that he came not home, he would so inform her; in
which case she would gratify him by departing. To whom with all
harshness he replied: "She may even please herself in the matter.
For my part I will go home and live with her, when she has this ring
on her finger and a son gotten of me upon her arm."
[031]
The ring was
one which he greatly prized, and never removed from his finger, by
reason of a virtue which he had been given to understand that it
possessed. The knights appreciated the harshness of a condition
which contained two articles, both of which were all but impossible;
and, seeing that by no words of theirs could they alter his resolve,
they returned to the lady, and delivered his message.
[032]
Sorely distressed,
the lady after long pondering determined to try how and
where the two conditions might be satisfied,
[033]
that so her husband
might be hers again. Having formed her plan, she assembled certain
of the more considerable and notable men of the county, to whom
she gave a consecutive and most touching narrative of all that she
had done for love of the Count, with the result; concluding by
saying that she was not minded to tarry there to the Count's perpetual
exile, but to pass the rest of her days in pilgrimages and pious
works for the good of her soul: wherefore she prayed them to undertake
the defence and governance of the county, and to inform the
Count that she had made entire and absolute cession of it to him,
and was gone away with the intention of never more returning to
Roussillon.
[034]
As she spoke, tears not a few coursed down the cheeks
of the honest men, and again and again they besought her to change
her mind, and stay. All in vain, however;
[035]
she commended them
to God, and, accompanied only by one of her male cousins and a
chambermaid (all three habited as pilgrims and amply provided with
money and precious jewels), she took the road, nor tarried until she
was arrived at Florence. There she lodged in a little inn kept by a
good woman that was a widow, bearing herself lowly as a poor
pilgrim, and eagerly expectant of news of her lord.
