Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/131

 honour them yet more reverently and with a perfect worship bow down at their feet, holding but the sight of their beauty too great a reward for our poor service and adoration." Every lady in the hall lauded these words and some let their eyes rove slyly towards him, and thus the champion of Constancy was treated with Variety; as if to show us the way to get praise and pudding by one stroke. But the High Constable and the more experienced knights laughed at these fine Platonic sentiments and said there was nothing like Variety in everything and especially in love and my lord showed paradoxically and philosophically that before a gentleman can be constant he must first be variable; since constancy is bottomed on good judging and good judging on wide experience and many trials. "One must love," said he, "at least a dozen maids, every one of a different pattern and each one in a different manner, before one can be fixed at last; so the mariner shall sail over various floods and many waters ere he drop anchor in the still waters of his haven." So between ladies and knights the field was stricken, and now one and now another champion came forth to onset armed with pompous phrases and muddled arguments; but my lady Joan would say nothing alleging that she had always known my lord to be a reprobate; but she spoke with laughter, and was answered by him with certain gestures which made her laugh still more. Meanwhile the lettered men had listened and held their tongues, Maistre Jehan being mightily delighted at the good success of his piece and the enter-