and, in the thirteenth century, he was suffering.  When Nicolette, on the morning after her escape, came upon a group of peasants in the forest, tending the Count’s cattle, she had reason to be afraid of them, but instead they were afraid of her.  They thought at first that she was a fairy.  When they guessed the riddle, they kept the secret, though they risked punishment and lost the chance of reward by protecting her.  Worse than this, they agreed, for a small present, to give a message to Aucassins if he should ride that way.

Aucassins was not very bright, but when he got out of prison after Nicolette’s escape, he did ride out, at his friends’ suggestion, and tried to learn what had become of her.  Passing through the woods he came upon the same group of shepherds and shepherdesses:—­

Esmeres et Martinet, Fruelins et Johannes, Robecons et Aubries,—­

who might have been living in the Forest of Arden, so like were they to the clowns of Shakespeare.  They were singing of Nicolette and her present, and the cakes and knives and flute they would buy with it.  Aucassins jumped to the bait they offered him; and they instantly began to play him as though he were a trout:—­

“Bel enfant, dix vos i ait!”

“Dix vos benie!” fait cil qui fu plus enparles des autres.

“Bel enfant,” fait il, “redites le cancon que vos disiez ore!”

“Nous n’i dirons,” fait cil qui plus fu enparles des autres.  “Dehait ore qui por vos i cantera, biax sire!”

“Bel enfant!” fait Aucassins, “enne me connissies vos?”

“Oil! nos savions bien que vos estes Aucassins, nos damoisiax, mais nos ne somes mie a vos, ains somes au conte.”

“Bel enfant, si feres, je vos en pri!”

“Os, por le cuer be!” fait cil.  “Por quoi canteroie je por vos, s’il ne me seoit!  Quant il n’a si rice home en cest pais sans le cors le conte Garin s’il trovait mes bues ne mes vaces ne mes brebis en ses pres n’en sen forment qu’il fust mie tant hardis por les es a crever qu’il les en ossast cacier.  Et por quoi canteroie je por vos s’il ne me seoit?”

“Se dix vos ait, bel enfant, si feres! et tenes x sous que j’ai ci en une borse!”

“God bless you, fair child!” said Aucassins.

“God be with you!” replied the one who talked best.

“Fair child!” said he, “repeat the song you were just singing.”

“We won’t!” replied he who talked best among them.  “Bad luck to him who shall sing for you, good sir!”

“Fair child,” said Aucassins, “do you know me?”

“Yes! we know very well that you are Aucassins, our young lord; but we are none of yours; we belong to the Count.”

“Fair child, indeed you’ll do it, I pray you!”

“Listen, for love of God!” said he.  “Why should I sing for you if it does not suit me? when there is no man so powerful in this country, except Count Garin, if he found my oxen or my cows or my sheep in his pasture or his close, would not rather risk losing his eyes than dare to turn them out! and why should I sing for you, if it does not suit me!”