- The narrator prefaces the story by condemning the greed and stinginess of the wealthy class. King Evan of England goes to war with King Begon of Norway; to resolve matters they arrange a marriage between Evan and Begon’s daughter, Eufeme. Later, two counts marry twin girls. Both counts dispute over the twins’ inheritance and settle things by fighting, but end up killing each other. Evan, upset that two men died fighting because of women, proclaims that women can no longer inherit. Evan then goes to Winchester, where he and his men encounter a dragon in the woods. The king announces that if any of them are able to slaughter the dragon, he will give them a county and his pick of any woman in the kingdom. Cador, a knight who is in love with Eufemie, successfully faces the dragon. Back home, Cador is welcomed warmly because of his bravery. Eufemie, who also loves Cador, is eager to marry him, but Cador falls ill from the venom and fumes encountered while fighting the dragon. Evan promises Eufemie that if she can cure Cador, he will grant her marriage to any available man in the kingdom. The king wishes Cador and Eufemie to marry, and gives them 1,000 pounds a year and the territory of Cornwall. The count of Chester goes to convince them to marry, which they do. Eufemie’s father, Count Renald, comes for the wedding, then takes Cador and Eufemie back to Cornwall, where he dies a year later. Cador inherits the county of Cornwall, and he and Eufemie conceive a child as well as a contingency plan in case it’s a girl. :While Eufemie is pregnant, Nature makes the child beautiful in every way possible. The midwife announces the lie that they were gifted a son. The count decides to name the child Silence after Saint Patience. The child as a boy will be called Silentius and if his true nature is discovered, will change it to Silentia. The count calls on a seneschal, who was raised along Eufemie, to keep the child’s secret safe. The seneschal builds a house in the woods where the child and nurse live in solitude. Nature realizes that she has been tricked and wants revenge. Silence grows into the best-behaved and smartest boy there ever was. When Silence is old enough to understand he was a girl, his father explains the circumstances. Silence agrees to conceal himself from everyone, and builds up his endurance through physical activities. Nature appears to Silence at the age twelve, chastising him for hiding his sex. Silence is almost convinced until Nurture arrives and debates with Nature. Through Reason, Silence sees that he is better off as a man, but his heart remains divided. Two skilled minstrels touring England receive shelter from Cador; Silence decides to run away with them. The minstrels promise to protect and watch over Silence, so as to not let his true identity as the son of the count be discovered. The minstrels teach Silence the trade, and he quickly excels. In order to further conceal his identity, Silence changes his name to Malduit, meaning badly raised child. Out of jealousy over Silence’s talent, the minstrels devise a plan to kill Silence. Warned by a dream, Silence avoids harm by parting ways with the minstrels. After Silence returns to Cador’s court, King Evan chooses him as a retainer. Queen Eufeme immediately desires Silence, and attempts to seduce him, but Silence escapes the queen’s grasp. From then on, Eufeme curses Silence and seeks his downfall. Months later, the queen lures Silence into her bedroom for a second time. Once again rejected by Silence, Eufeme fakes having been raped. Evan sympathizes with the queen but asks her to pretend nothing happened. In return, he sends Silence to the king of France. Queen Eufeme writes a letter posing as King Evan asking the King of France to behead Silence. The king wants to honor both his friendship with Evan and Silence, so he summons the Counts of Blois, of Nevers, and of Clermont to discuss Silence’s fate. The King of France and his counts feel that Silence cannot be put to death, and the king decides to send a letter to Evan to be sure of what he is requesting. Evan is mortified and covers up what has happened. After a war breaks out in England, Evan decides to bring Silence home to help fight. Eufeme then realizes Silence is still alive, and although she is mad, hearing about his success makes her fall in love with him again. Silence and thirty of his companions make it to England; the king orders his men to attack the count who is holding Chester, and is able to take it away from him. Silence injures the count, whose army flees, and gives him to the king as prisoner. The queen tries to make a pass at Silence, but he rejects her yet again. Eufeme becomes overwhelmed with rage. The queen tells Evan to order Silence to capture Merlin, who cannot be caught other than by “the trick of a woman,” which the king does. Silence catches Merlin and returns to King Evan. Merlin presents the King with several brief stories to validate himself as a credible source of information; Merlin then reveals Silence’s sex to the king and court. Silence explains her way of living and reveals the queen’s false accusations of rape. The king publicly executes Eufeme and her cross-dressed lover, who was pretending to be a nun. Evan strips Silence of her male clothing, alters her name to the female form Silentia, and makes her his new queen.
