Here singeth one:—­
            Nicolette as ye heard tell
            Prisoned is within a cell
            That is painted wondrously
            With colors of a far countrie. 
          At the window of marble wrought,
          There the maiden stood in thought,
          With straight brows and yellow hair,
            Never saw ye fairer fair! 
            On the wood she gazed below,
            And she saw the roses blow,
            Heard the birds sing loud and low,
            Therefore spoke she woefully: 
            “Ah me, wherefore do I lie
            Here in prison wrongfully? 
            Aucassin, my love, my knight,
            Am I not thy heart’s delight? 
            Thou that lovest me aright! 
            ’Tis for thee that I must dwell
            In this vaulted chamber cell,
            Hard beset and all alone! 
            By our Lady Mary’s Son
            Here no longer will I wonn,
                If I may flee!”

AUCASSIN AND THE VISCOUNT

[The Viscount speaks first]

“Plentiful lack of comfort hadst thou got thereby; for in Hell would thy soul have lain while the world endures, and into Paradise wouldst thou have entered never.”

“In Paradise what have I to win?  Therein I seek not to enter, but only to have Nicolette, my sweet lady that I love so well.  For into Paradise go none but such folk as I shall tell thee now:  Thither go these same old priests, and halt old men and maimed, who all day and night cower continually before the altars, and in these old crypts; and such folks as wear old amices, and old clouted frocks, and naked folks and shoeless, and those covered with sores, who perish of hunger and thirst, and of cold, and of wretchedness.  These be they that go into Paradise; with them have I naught to make.  But into Hell would I fain go; for into Hell fare the goodly clerks, and goodly knights that fall in tourneys and great wars, and stout men-at-arms, and the free men.  With these would I liefly go.  And thither pass the sweet ladies and courteous, that have two lovers, or three, and their lords also thereto.  Thither goes the gold, and the silver, and fur of vair, and fur of gris; and there too go the harpers, and minstrels, and the kings of this world.  With these I would gladly go, let me but have with me Nicolette, my sweetest lady.”

AUCASSIN CAPTURES COUNT BOUGART