And when ye have made all this I shall let make a
girdle thereto such as shall please me. All this King Solomon did let
make as she devised, both the ship and all the remnant. And when the
ship was ready in the sea to sail, the lady let make a great bed and
marvellous rich, and set her upon the bed's head, covered with silk,
and laid the sword at the feet, and the girdles were of hemp, and
therewith the king was angry. Sir, wit ye well, said she, that I have
none so high a thing which were worthy to sustain so high a sword, and
a maid shall bring other knights thereto, but I wot not when it shall
be, nor what time. And there she let make a covering to the ship, of
cloth of silk that should never rot for no manner of weather. Yet went
that lady and made a carpenter to come to the tree which Abel was
slain under. Now, said she, carve me out of this tree as much wood as
will make me a spindle. Ah madam, said he, this is the tree the which
our first mother planted. Do it, said she, or else I shall destroy
thee. Anon as he began to work there came out drops of blood: and then
would he have left, but she would not suffer him, and so he took away
as much wood as might make a spindle: and so she made him to take as
much of the green tree and of the white tree.
Pages:
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352