Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/100

lxxiv Then he wrote to the second that said she loved him as much as herself, and when she had read his letters, she shewed his errand to her husband, and gave him in counsel that he should find him meat and drink and clothing honestly, as for the state of such a lord during time of his need. And when this was granted, she wrote letters again to her father. The emperor was heavy with this answer and said, "Sith my two daughters have thus treated me, soothly I shall prove the third." And so he wrote to the third, that said she loved him as much as he was worthy, and prayed her of succour in his need, and told her the answer of her two sisters. So the third daughter, when she had considered the mischief of her father, she told her husband in this form: 'My worshipful lord, do succour me now in this great need, my father is put out of his empire and his heritage.' Then spake he, 'What were thy will, I do thereto?' 'That ye gather a great host,' quoth she, 'and help him to fight against his enemies.' 'I shall fulfil thy will,' said the earl, and gathered a great host, and went with the emperour at his own costage to the battle, and had the victory, and set the emperour again in his heritage. And then said the emperour, 'blessed be the hour I gat my youngest daughter: I loved