by Charles Swan
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the knight is a prelate of the Church; the adulterous wife is the soul. The prelate’s eye is struck out as often as it is blinded with gifts.
* The ladies, it is well known, were in former days the best, indeed, the only chirurgeons.
† This tale is in Alphonsus, and many of the Italian novelists.
TALE CXXIII.
OF ABSENCE OF PARENTAL RESTRAINT.
A SOLDIER, going into a far country, intrusted his wife to the care of her mother. But some time after her husband’s departure the wife fell in love with a young man, and communicated her wishes to the mother. She approved of the connection, and without delay sent for the object of her daughter’s criminal attachment. But while they feasted, the soldier unexpectedly returned and beat at his gate. The wife, in great tremor, concealed the lover in her bed, and then opened the door for her husband. Being weary with travel, he commanded his bed to be got ready; and the wife, more and more disturbed, knew not what she should do. The mother observing her daughter’s perplexity, said, “Before you go, my child, let us show your husband the fair sheet which we have made.” Then standing up, she gave one comer of the sheet to her daughter and held the other herself, extending it before him so as to favour the departure of the lover, who took the hint and escaped. When he had got clearly off,” Now,” said the mother, “spread the sheet upon the bed with your own hands—we have done our parts in weaving it.” *
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the soldier is any man who is a wanderer in this world. The wife is the flesh; the mother is the world; and the sheet, worldly vanities.
* This fable is in Alphonsus. It is very similar to the preceding.
TALE CXXIV.
OF CONFIDENCE IN WOMEN.
A CERTAIN noble knight had grievously offended a king whose vassal he was. He sent messengers to the monarch to intercede for him, and they obtained his pardon, but on condition that he should enter the senate-house on foot and on horseback at the same time; that is, half walking, half riding. Moreover, he was to bring with him his most attached friend, the best joculator or jester,* and his most deadly foe. The knight, exceedingly distressed, reflected how these strange conditions were to be fulfilled. One night, as he exercised the hospitality of his mansion towards a pilgrim, he said privately to his wife, “I know those pilgrims often carry considerable sums of money along with them. If you think fit, let us kill this fellow, and get possession of his money.” “You say well,” returned the lady; and when all were asleep, at an early hour in the morning, the knight arose, and awaking the pilgrim, bade him begone. He then slaughtered a calf, cut it into small pieces, and placed its mutilated body in a sack. Arousing his wife, he gave her the sack to hide in a comer of the house, observing, “I have only deposited the head, legs, and arms in the sack; the body is interred in our stable.” He then showed her a little money, as if he had taken it from the murdered pilgrim.
Now, when the day approached on which he was bound to appear before his liege lord, he took upon his right hand a dog, and on his left his wife and unweaned child. As they drew near the royal castle he put one leg over the back of the dog, as if he were riding, while with the other he walked; and thus, as a pedestrian and equestrian, he entered the palace. When the king observed his cunning, he was greatly surprised. “But,” said the judge, “where is your most attached friend?” Instantly unsheathing his falchion, he severely wounded the dog, which fled howling away. The knight then called to him, and the dog returned. “Here,” said he, “here is the most faithful of all friends.” “True,” answered the king; “where is your jester ?” “Here also,” replied the knight, pointing to his infant: “I never have so much pleasure as in the disportings of this child.” “Well,” continued the king, “where is your worst enemy?” Turning “toward his wife, he struck her a violent blow, and exclaimed, “Impudent harlot, how darest thou look wantonly upon the king?” The wife, furious at the injustice of the attack, shrieked violently. “Cursed homicide,” said she, “why dost thou smite me? Dost thou forget that, in thine own house, thou perpetratedst the most atrocious murder, and didst kill a pilgrim for the sake of a little gold?” Again the knight beat her. “Wretch!” said he, “why dost thou not fear to disgrace thy child?” To which she fiercely replied, “Come with me, and I will discover to you where the head and arms of the murdered pilgrim have been deposited in a sack; the body he has buried in the stable.” Search was accordingly made; and digging where the wife directed, they were astonished to find manifest tokens of a calf s flesh. The attending nobles, recognizing in this the wit of the man, greatly extolled him; and he was ever after exceedingly valued and honoured by his feudal lord.
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the knight is any sinner who finds favour with the Lord; and who upon certain conditions pardons his offences. The pedestrian and equestrian condition is our nature, partly human and partly celestial; the dog typifies man’s good angel, or a priest, who is wounded as often as the soul sins. The joculator, that is, the infant, is conscience; the wife is the flesh.
* The Joculators were licensed jesters. “Latin terms were used by the Middle Age writers so licentiously, and with such extreme carelessness, that in many cases it is difficult to obtain a precise idea of their meaning. Thus the jesters and minstrels were indefinitely expressed by the words joculator, scurra, mimus, minstrallus, &c, a practice that may admit of justification, when we consider that in early times the minstrel and buffoon characters were sometimes united in one person. It must be allowed, however, that in an etymological point of view, the term Joculator is much better adapted to the jester than the minstrel.”—DOUCE, On the Clowns and Fools of Shaltspeare, vol. ii. p. 307,
TALE CXXV.
OF WOMEN, WHO NOT ONLY BETRAY SECRETS, BUT LIE FEARFULLY.
THERE were two brothers, of whom one was a layman and the other a parson. The former had often heard his brother declare that there never was a woman who could keep a secret.* He had a mind to put this maxim to the test in the person of his own wife, and one night he addressed her in the following manner: “My dear wife, I have a secret to communicate to you, if I were certain that you would reveal it to nobody. Should you divulge it, it would cause me the greatest uneasiness and vexation.” “My lord,” answered his wife, “fear not; we are one body, and your advantage is mine. In like manner, your injury must deeply affect me.” “Well, then,” said he, “know that, my bowels being oppressed to an extraordinary degree, I fell very sick. My dear wife, what will you think? I actually voided a huge black crow, which instantly took wing, and left me in the greatest trepidation and confusion of mind.”† “Is it possible?” asked the innocent lady; “but, husband, why should this trouble you? You ought rather to rejoice that you are freed from such a pestilent tenant.” Here the conversation closed; in the morning, the wife hurried off to the house of a neighbour. “My best friend,” said she, “may I tell you a secret?” “As safely as to your own soul,” answered the fair auditor. “Why,” replied the other, “a marvellous thing has happened to my poor husband. Being last night extremely sick, he voided two prodigious black crows, feathers and all, which immediately flew away. I am much concerned.” The other promised very faithfully—and immediately told her neighbour that three black crows had taken this most alarming flight. The next edition of the story made it four; and in this way it spread, until it was very credibly reported that sixty black crows had been evacuated by one unfortunate varlet. But the joke had gone further than he dreamt of; he became much disturbed, and assembling his busy neighbours, explained to them that having wished to prove whether or not his wife could keep a secret, he had made such a communication. Soon after this, his wife dying, he ended his days in a cloister, where he learnt three letters; of which one was black; the second, red; and the third, white.* (16)
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the layman is any worldly-minded man who, thinking to do one foolish thing without offence, falls i
nto a thousand errors. But he assembles the people—that is, past and present sins—and by confession expurgates his conscience.
* In this scandalous story, the monks seem to have introduced the parson for the sake of conveying a species of wisdom which accords ill with his situation. But they were great monopolizers.
† “Cum ad privata accessissem ut opus naturae facerem, corvus ingerrimus a parte posterorii evolabat.”
* This seems merely introduced to tell us, in the application, that the black letter is recollection of our sins; the red, Christ’s blood; and the white, the desire of heaven.
TALE CXXVI.
OF WOMEN; WHO ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
MACROBIUS (17) states that a Roman youth, named Papirius, was once present with his father in the senate at a time when a very important matter was debated, which, on pain of death, was to be kept secret. When the lad returned home, his mother asked him what it was that was guarded under so heavy a penalty. He replied that it was unlawful to reveal it. The mother, little satisfied with the boy’s reply, entreated, promised, threatened, and even scourged him, in the hope of extorting a communication. But he remained inflexible; and at last, willing to satisfy her, and yet retain his secret, said, “The council met upon this matter: whether it were more beneficial to the state that one man should have many wives, or one woman many husbands.” The mother no sooner heard this, than away she posted to divide the important secret with other Roman dames. And on the following day, assembling in a large body, they went without hesitation to the senators, earnestly requesting that one woman might be married to two men, rather than two women to one man. The senators, astonished at the shameless frenzy of a sex naturally modest, deliberated upon the best remedy. The boy Papirius, finding this, related to them the circumstance which had occasioned the uproar; and they, bestowing great commendation on his ingenuity, passed a decree that he should be present at their consultations whenever he would.*
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the boy is any one whose life is pure; the father is a prelate; and the mother is the world.
* This story has been modernized; and occurs in a volume entitled Beauties of Poetry, edited by a Mr. Melmoth, and probably in many others.
TALE CXXVII.
OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
A CERTAIN tyrannical and cruel knight retained in his service a very faithful servant. One day, when he had been to the market, he returned with this servant through a grove, and by the way lost thirty silver marks. As soon as he discovered the loss, he questioned his servant about it. The man solemnly denied all knowledge of the matter, and he spoke truth. But when the money was not to be found, he amputated the servant’s foot, and leaving him in that place, rode home. A hermit, hearing the groans and exclamations of the man, went speedily to his assistance. He confessed him; and being satisfied of his innocence, conveyed him upon his shoulders to his hermitage. Then entering the oratory,* he dared to reproach the All-just with want of justice, inasmuch as he had permitted an innocent man to lose his foot. For a length of time he continued in tears, and prayers, and reproaches; until at last an angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said, “Hast thou not read in the Psalms, ‘God is a just judge, strong and patient’?” “Often,” answered the hermit meekly, “have I read and believed it from my heart; but to-day I have erred. That wretched man, whose foot has been amputated, perhaps under the veil of confession deceived me.” “Tax not the Lord with injustice,” said the angel; “His way is truth, and His judgments equitable. Recollect how often thou hast read, ‘The decrees of God are unfathomable.’ Know that he who lost his foot, lost it for a former crime. With the same foot he maliciously spumed his mother, and cast her from a chariot, for which he has never done worthy penance. The knight, his master, was desirous of purchasing a war-horse, to collect more wealth, to the destruction of his soul; and therefore, by the just sentence of God, the money was lost. Now hear; there is a very poor man with his wife and little ones, who daily supplicate Heaven, and perform every religious exercise. He found the money, when otherwise he would have starved, and therewith procured for himself and family the necessaries of life, intrusting a portion to his confessor to distribute to the poor* But first he diligently endeavoured to find out the right owner. Not accomplishing this, the poor man applied it to its proper use. Place, then, a bridle upon thy thoughts; and no more upbraid the righteous Disposer of all things, as thou but lately didst. For he is true, and strong, and patient.”†
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the knight is a prelate; the amputation of the servant’s foot is the cutting off rebellion from the Church. The hermit is a prudent confessor. The angel is a pure conscience. The poor man is Christ.
* “Oratorie; a closet, or private chappell to pray in.”—COTGRAVE.
† This story has some resemblance to Tale LXXX., and it contains a beautiful lesson.
TALE CXXVIII.
OF INJUSTICE.
IN the reign of the Emperor Maximian there were two knights, of whom one feared God and loved justice, while the other was covetous and rich, and more studious of pleasing the world than his Maker. Contiguous to this person’s lands, the just knight had a piece of ground, which his avaricious neighbour ardently desired to possess. He offered large sums for it; but being denied, he was filled with vexation. It happened, however, that the just knight died; on hearing which, the other forged an instrument purporting to be written by the deceased knight. It stated that the land in question had been sold for a specified sum a short time previous to his death; and three men were hired to attest it. Having, by some means, obtained access to the dead knight, he introduced the witnesses; and finding his signet in the hall where he lay, took it, and, fixing it upon the thumb of the deceased, sealed the paper with the usual formalities. “You are witnesses of this deed?” said he to the men who accompanied him. “We are,” answered they; and then making good their retreat, the knight seized upon the land. The son of the deceased complained grievously of this injustice. “Why have you taken possession of my land ? “asked he. “It was sold to me by your father.” “Impossible,” cried the other; “my father many times refused to sell it; and that he afterwards did so, I will never believe.” They both went before the judge; and the covetous knight triumphantly produced the forged instrument, bearing the impression of the deceased’s signet-ring, and brought forward the false witnesses to the sealing. After examining it, the son said, “I know that this is my father’s signet, but I know also that he never disposed of the land. How you obtained the signet and these witnesses, I am ignorant.” The judge, after some deliberation, took each of the witnesses aside in turn; and separately examined them, together with the knight. He asked the eldest if he knew the Lord’s Prayer, and made him repeat it from beginning to end.* He did this accurately, and was then placed apart. When the second witness appeared, the judge said, “My friend, your companion has told me facts as true as the Lord’s Prayer; therefore, unless you inform me what I demand, you shall instantly hang upon a cross.” The fellow, imagining that his comrade had revealed the fraud, confessed how they had obtained the seal to the document. When the communication was made, he placed him apart; and sending for the third, spoke to him as to the other, and threatened him with the like penalty, unless he declared the fact. This man, therefore, corroborated his companion’s account, and was than stationed by himself. The old knight was then called; and the judge, putting on a stem aspect, spoke thus: “Wretched man! thy avarice hath blinded thee. Tell me how the deceased knight sold you the land.” The culprit, not divining that the truth had been discovered, boldly persevered in the account he had before given. “Foolish man!” answered the judge, “thy own witnesses accuse thee. Didst thou not place the signet on the dead man’s thumb, and sign the paper?” When the knight found that his forgery was revealed, he fell prostrate upon the earth, and entreated mercy. “Such mercy as thou meritest, thou shalt have,” said the judge: “bear them away, and drag them at the tails of horses
to the cross, upon which let them be immediately suspended.” The noblemen of the kingdom applauded the sentence, not less than the ingenuity of the investigation. The property of the unjust knight was conferred upon the son of him whom he had wished to wrong; the young man gave thanks to the king, and possessed his inheritance in peace.*
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the two knights are the devil and our first parent, whose son is the whole human race. The inheritance is Paradise; the forged writing, original sin; and the seal, Adam’s consent to partake with Eve of the forbidden tree. The three witnesses are the pride of life, concupiscence of the flesh, and concupiscence of the eyes.
* Whether this was the usual mode of administering an oath, or whether it is only of the number of those whimsical and arbitrary circumstances which continually occur in these volumes, I am unable to say.
[The object of making the man repeat the Lord’s Prayer is tolerably plain. It was necessary that he should appear to be making some continuous statement to the judge, to induce the other witness to believe that the forgery was being made known. It was of no consequence what he said as long as he appeared to say something. The false witness would be only too ready to show his knowledge of the Prayer, with the view of manifesting his piety to the judge. Why then should this be called a “whimsical and arbitrary circumstance”?—ED.]