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reasonable　nor　right　would　it　be　that　there　should　be　discord
'twixt　you　twain。　Take　my　counsel；　and　come　to　terms　with　him；
and　give　him　the　Crown　in　peace；　for　it　is　right　meet　that　thou
yield　it　to　him。〃

Alis　replies：　〃Fair　sweet　friend；　thou　hast　taken　on　thyself　a
foolish　errand　in　that　thou　hast　brought　this　message。　No　comfort
hast　thou　brought　to　me；　for　I　know　well　that　my　brother　is　dead。
It　would　be　a　great　consolation　to　me　if　he　were　alive　and　I　knew
it。　Never　will　I　believe　it　till　I　see　him。　He　is　dead　a　while
ago；　and　that　is　a　grief　to　me。　Not　a　word　that　thou　sayest　do　I
believe。　And　if　he　is　alive　wherefore　comes　he　not？　Never　need　he
fear　that　I　will　not　give　him　land　in　plenty。　He　is　mad　if　he
keeps　aloof　from　me；　and　if　he　serve　me　he　will　never　be　the
worse　for　it。　Never　will　there　be　any　man　that　will　hold　the
crown　and　the　empire　against　me。〃　Acorionde　hears　that　the
emperor's　reply　is　not　favourable；　but　by　no　fear　is　he　withheld
from　speaking　his　mind。　〃Alis；〃　quoth　he；　〃may　God　confound　me　if
the　matter　is　left　thus。　On　thy　brother's　behalf　I　defy　thee；　and
on　his　behalf；　as　is　meet；　I　exhort　all　those　that　I　see　here　to
leave　thee　and　come　over　to　his　side。　It　is　meet　that　they　cleave
to　him；　him　ought　they　to　make　their　lord。　He　who　is　loyal；　let
now　his　loyalty　appear。〃

With　this　word　he　leaves　the　court；　and　the　emperor；　on　his　side
；　summons　those　in　whom　he　most　trusts。　From　them　he　seeks
counsel　as　to　his　brother　who　thus　challenges　him；　and　seeks　to
know　if　he　can　fully　trust　them　not　to　give　support　or　aid　to　him
in　this　attack。　Thus　he　hopes　to　prove　each　one；　but　he　finds　not
even　one　to　cleave　to　him　with　regard　to　the　war；　rather　do　they
bid　him　remember　the　war　that　Eteocles　waged　against　Polynices；
who　was　his　own　brother；　in　which　the　one　killed　the　other　with
his　own　hands。　〃A　like　thing　may　chance　with　regard　to　you　if　you
are　bent　on　pursuing　war；　and　the　land　will　be　ruined　by　reason
thereof。〃　Therefore　they　counsel　him　to　seek　such　a　peace　as　may
be　reasonable　and　honourable；　and　that　the　one　make　no
unreasonable　demands　on　the　other。　Now　Alis　hears　that　if　he　does
not　make　a　fair　covenant　with　his　brother；　all　the　barons　will
desert　him；　and　he　said　they　will　never　desire　an　arrangement
which　he　cannot　equitably　make；　but　he　establishes　in　the
covenant　that　whate'er　the　outcome　of　the　matter　the　crown　remain
to　him。

In　order　to　make　firm　and　lasting　peace　Alis　sends　one　of　his
masters…at…arms　and　bids　Alexander　come　to　him　and　rule　all　the
land；　but　that　he　do　Alis　so　much　honour　as　to　allow　him　to　keep
the　name　of　emperor　and　let　him　have　the　crown；　thus；　if　he　will；
can　this　covenant　be　made　'twixt　the　twain　of　them。　When　this
thing　was　related　and　told　to　Alexander；　his　folk　have　mounted
with　him　and　have　come　to　Athens。　With　joy　were　they　received；
but　it　does　not　please　Alexander　that　his　brother　should　have　the
lordship　of　the　empire　and　of　the　crown　if　he　give　him　not　his
promise　that　never　will　he　wed　woman；　but　that　after　him；　Cliges
shall　be　emperor　of　Constantinople。　Thus　are　the　brothers
reconciled。　Alexander　makes　him　swear；　and　Alis　grants　and
warrants　him　that　never　as　long　as　he　shall　live　will　he　take
wife。　They　are　reconciled　and　remain　friends。　The　barons　manifest
great　joy；　they　take　Alis　for　emperor；　but　before　Alexander　come
affairs　great　and　small。　Whatever　he　commands　and　says　is　done；
and　little　is　done　except　through　him。　Alis　has　no　longer
anything　but　the　namefor　he　is　called　emperorbut　Alexander　is
served　and　loved；　and　he　who　does　not　serve　him　through　love；
must　needs　do　so　through　fear。　By　means　of　love　and　fear　he　rules
all　the　land　according　to　his　will。　But　he　whose　name　is　Death
spares　no　man；　weak　or　strong；　but　slays　and　kills　them　all。
Alexander　was　destined　to　die；　for　a　sickness　for　which　there　was
no　remedy　took　him　in　its　grip；　but　before　death　came　upon　him　he
sent　for　his　son　and　said：　〃Fair　son；　Cliges；　never　canst　thou
know　how　much　prowess　and　valour　thou　shalt　have　if　thou　go　not
first　to　prove　thyself　at　King　Arthur's　court　on　both　the　Britons
and　the　French。　If　fate　lead　thee　thither；　so　bear　and　demean
thyself　that　thou　remain　unknown　till　thou　hast　proved　thyself　on
the　flower　of　the　knighthood　at　the　court。　I　counsel　thee　that
thou　believe　me　in　this　matter；　and　that　if　opportunity　comes
thou　fear　not　to　put　thy　fortune　to　the　test　with　thy　uncle；　my
Lord　Gawain。　Prithee　forget　not　this。〃

After　this　exhortation　he　lived　not　long。　Soredamors　had　such
grief　thereat　that　she　could　not　live　after　him。　For　sheer　grief
she　died　when　he　died。　Alis　and　Cliges　both　mourned　for　them　as
they　were　bound；　but　in　time　they　ceased　to　mourn。　For　all
mourning　must　come　to　an　end；　all　things　needs　must　cease。　Ill　is
it　to　prolong　mourning；　for　no　good　can　come　of　it。　The　mourning
has　ceased；　and　for　a　long　time　after　the　emperor　has　refrained
from　taking　wife；　for　he　would　fain　strive　after　loyalty。　But
there　is　no　court　in　all　the　world　that　is　pure　from　evil
counsel。　Nobles　often　leave　the　right　way　through　the　evil
counsels　to　which　they　give　credence；　so　that　they　do　not　keep
loyalty。　Often　do　his　men　come　to　the　emperor；　and　they　give　him
counsel；　and　exhort　him　to　take　a　wife。　So　much　do　they　exhort
and　urge　him；　and　each　day　do　they　so　much　beset　him；　that
through　their　great　importunity；　they　have　turned　him　from　his
loyalty；　and　he　promises　to　do　their　will。　But　he　says　that　she
who　is　to　be　lady　of　Constantinople　must　needs　be　very　graceful
and　fair　and　wise；　rich　and　of　high　degree。　Then　his　counsellors
say　to　him　that　they　will　make　ready　and　will　hie　them　into　the
German　land　to　sue　for　the　daughter　of　the　emperor。　They　counsel
him　to　take　her；　for　the　emperor　of　Germany　is　very　mighty　and
very　powerful　and　his　daughter　is　so　fair　that　never　in
Christendom　was　there　a　damsel　of　such　beauty。　The　emperor　grants
them　all　their　suit；　and　they　set　out　on　the　way　like　folk　well
equipped。　They　have　ridden　in　their　days'　journeys　until　they
found　the　emperor　at　Ratisbon；　and　asked　him　to　give　his　elder
daughter　for　their　lord's　behalf。

The　emperor　was　full　blithe　at　this　embassy　and　gladly　has　he
promised　them　his　daughter；　for　he　in　no　wise　abases　himself　by
so　doing　and　abates　not　one　jot　of　his　dignity。　But　he　says　that
he　had　promised　to　give　her　to　the　Duke　of　Saxony；　and　that　the
Greeks　could　not　take　her　away　unless　the　emperor　came　and
brought　a　mighty　force；　so　that　the　duke　could　not　do　him　hurt　or
injury　on　the　way　back　to　Greece。

When　the　messengers　had　heard　the　emperor's　reply　they　take　their
leave　and　set　out　once　more　for　home。　They　have　returned　to　their
lord　and　have　told　him　the　reply。　And　the　emperor　has　taken
chosen　men；　knights　proven　in　arms；　the　best　that　he　has　found；
and　he　takes　with　him　his　nephew；　for　whose　sake　he　had　vowed
that　he　would　never　take　wife　as　long　as　he　lived。　But　in　no　wise
will　he　keep　this　vow　if　he　can　win　to　reach　Cologne。　On　a　day
appointed　he　departs　from　Greece　and　shapes　his　course　towards
Germany；　for　he　will　not　fail　for　blame　nor　for　reproach　to　take
a　wife。　But　his　honour　will　wane　thereby。　He　does　not　stop　till
he　reaches　Cologne　where　the　emperor　had　established　his　court
for　a　festival　held　for　all　Germany。　When　the　company　of　the
Greeks　had　come　to　Cologne　there　were　so　many　Greeks　and　so　many
Germans　from　the　north；　that　more　than　sixty　thousand　had　to　find
quarters　outside　the　town。

Great　was　the　gathering　of　folk；　and　very　great　was　the　joy　that
the　two　emperors　showed；　for　they　were　right　glad　to　meet　face　to
face。　In　the　palace　which　was　very　long　was　the　assembly　of　the
barons；　and　now　the　emperor　sent　for　his　beautiful　daughter。　The
maiden　did　not　tarry。　Straightway　she　came　into　the　palace；　and
she　was　fair；　and　so　well　shaped；　just　as　God　Himself　had　made
her；　for　it　pleased　Him　greatly　to　show　such　workmanship　as　to
make　people　marvel。　Never　did　God　who　fashioned　her　give　to　man　a
word　that　could　express　so　much　beauty；　that　there　was　not　in　her
still　more　beauty。

Fenice　was　the　maiden　named；　and　not　without　reason；　for　just　as
the　bird　Phoenix　is　fairest　above　all　others　and　there　cannot　be
more　than　one　phoenix　at　a　time；　so　Fenice；　I　deem；　had　no　peer
for　beauty。　It　was　a　wonder　and　a　marvel；　for　never　again　could
Nature　attain　to　framing　her　like。　Inasmuch　as　I　should　say　less
than　the　truth；　I　will　not　in　words　describe　arms　nor　body　nor
head　nor　hands；　for　if　I　had　a　thousand　years　to　live　and　each
day　had　doubled　my　wisdom　I　should　still　waste　all　my　time；　and
yet　never　express　the　truth　of　it。　I　know　well　that　if　I　meddled
with　it　I　should　exhaust　all　my　wisdom　upon　it　and　should
squander　all　my　pains；　for　it　would　be　wasted　pains。　The　maiden
has　hastened　and　has　come　into　the　palace　with　head　uncovered　and
face　bare；　and　the　sheen　of　her　beauty　sheds　greater　light　in　the
palace　than　four　carbuncles　would　have　done。　Now　Cliges　had
doffed　his　cloak　in　presence　of　his　uncle；　the　emperor。　The　day
was　somewhat　cloudy　but　so　beauteous　were　the　twain；　both　the
maid　and　he；　that　there　shot　forth　from　their　beauty　a　ra