devotedly attached. He asks the lady to lend him one of her fingers and to place it upon his eye.
" Si pri á la pucelle, de ceor devotement,
Qu'elle me preste un doit de sa main seolement,
Et methe sor mon oeil destre parfiutement"
She is complaisant enough to grant him two fingers, which she puts upon his eye, so as to close it. Whereupon the Earl makes oath never more to open that eye until he shall have done battle against the army of the French King. And this he faithfully performs.
" Les deux dois, sur Toeil destre, li mist isnelement,[1]
Et si li a clos Tceil, et fremé[2] fermement,
Et chix[3] a demandé moult gracieusement:
Bele, est-il bien clos? Oyl certainement
A dont dist, de la bouche, du ceur le pensement;
Et je veu, et prometh á Dieu omnipotent,
Et a sa douche mere, que de beante resplent,
Qui n'est jamais ouvers, pour ore,[4] ne pour vent.
Four mal, ne pour martire, ne pour encombrement,[5]
Si seray dedans Franche, oú il a bonne gent,
Et si aray le fu[6] bouté efforchement,
Et serai combatus a grand efforchement,
Contre les gens Philype, qui tant a hardement;
Je ne sui en bataille prins, par boin ensient,[7]
Bien li ederai[8] a acomplir son talent:
Or aviegne qu'aviegne, car il n'est auti*ement.
Adonc osta son doit la puchelle au cors gent,
Et li iex[9] clos demeure, si ques virent le gent,
Et quand Eobert Tentent, moult de joie Tenprent.
Quant li quens Salebrin ot voué son avis,[10]
Et demoura l'oeil clos en la guerre toudis.
Li bars[11] Eobers d'Artois ne's'est mie alentis."[12]
In the same reign, Froissart mentions a number of young bachelors, who appeared with a bandage over one eye, which they had sworn to their ladies not to remove until they had distinguished themselves by some deed of prowess against the French.
