who served the lady of his love as truly and humbly as any knight
could. He dared not tell her of his love, however, for she was not
only fair but of the highest rank in the land. At last the lady
herself took pity on him and agreed to take him for her husband.
Solemnly they plighted their troth. The knight swore that never, on
his honour as a knight, would he assert his lordship over her. He
would keep it in name only to save his dignity. The lady in her turn
thanked him humbly, and promised to be his true and faithful wife all
her life long, and never to stir up strife between them. Thus they
made agreement together. And, sirs, of this one thing I am sure, that
if love is to abide between two persons both must be free; for love
which is forced and constrained soon dies, yet by patience and
humility we can achieve what force never could attain. So these two
accorded well together, each serving the other in all love and
humility. Two years they dwelt thus together, till the knight, whose
name was Averagus, took ship and sailed to England to win fame in
adventures there. Meanwhile his wife Dorigen made doleful lament,
weeping and wailing, as noble wives do when their husbands leave
them. Her friends gathered about her and tried--now by this means,
now by that--to cheer her. By degrees they won her so far that she
consented to walk with them by the seaside. But, as soon as she saw
all the black rocks which lined the shore, grief descended on her
anew. "Eternal God," she cried, "who didst make all the world and
create each thing for some good, madest Thou these rocks only to
destroy man, the creature made in Thine own image? How many goodly
seamen have perished on these crags! Could but these rocks be driven
down to Hell then might my heart rest, and I need fear nought for my
husband when he sails home again." In this way she lamented till her
friends, seeing that her grief grew no less but rather greater by the
seaside, led her inland to fair gardens and pleasant places.