Damsels embroidering Satin.—Page 5.
In the English Romance of "Ywayne and Gawain," paraphrased from the French " Chevalier au Lyon," we find a similar picture. In a beautiful city, named in English the "Castel of the Hevy Sorrow," and in the French the "Chastel de Pesme Auenture," the hero, Ywayne or Owen, finds a number of ladies, "wirkand silk and gold wir." They are very meanly attired, and inform Owen that they were once of great estate in the country of Mayden-land, whence they were sent as hostages by their sovereign. They complain that they have to work very hard, and for a very slight remuneration; the best of them receiving only " four penys " in a week, which was scarce sufficient to maintain them, whereas they consider that they might earn "fourty shilling."
More Lovely than Gwenhwyvar.—Page 5.
This was the highest compliment that Kynon could pay to the beauty of these four-and-twenty damsels, since Gwenhwyvar is celebrated in the Triads (with Enid and Tegau Euron,) as one of the three fair ladies of Arthur's Court.
Lewis Glyn Cothi, in extolling the charms of Annes, the daughter of John, of Caerlleon upon Usk, has the following allusion to this Triad:—
"The beauteous and amiable Annes is where Tegau was,
Where Gwenhwyvar was, with all her charms;
Where Enid was seen, wearing azure robes.
Where the Castle of the valorous Arthur stands."
They rose up at my coming.—Page 5.
It was very usual in the chivalric days, for the ladies to perform those courteous offices for the Knights, even where there were male attendants, to whom we may consider that they would have been more appropriately assigned. Ste. Palaye tells us, "Les jeunes demoiselles .... prévenoient de civilité les chevaliers qui arrivoient dans les châteaux; suivant iios romanciers, elles les déarmoient au retour des tournois et des expéditions de guerre, leur donnoient de nouveaux habits et les servoient á table. Les exemples en sont trop souvent et trop uniformément répétés, pour nous permettre de révoquer en doute la rélité de cet usage." (I. 10.) I should imagine, however, it was the absence of male assistance that induced the damsels in Kynon's story to extend their cares to his horse, for I am not aware that in general their courtesy went so far.
