droll stories-3-第14节

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been　to　see　her　at　the　castle　of　Montbazon；　was；　in　consequence　of　the

prettiness　and　innocent　virtue　of　the　said　Bertha　de　Rohan；　seized

with　so　great　a　desire　to　possess　her；　that　he　determined　to　make　her

his　wife；　believing　that　never　could　a　girl　of　such　lofty　descent　fail

in　her　duty。　This　marriage　was　soon　celebrated；　because　the　Sire　de

Rohan　had　seven　daughters；　and　hardly　knew　how　to　provide　for　them

all；　at　a　time　when　people　were　just　recovering　from　the　late　wars；

and　patching　up　their　unsettled　affairs。　Now　the　good　man　Bastarnay

happily　found　Bertha　really　a　maiden；　which　fact　bore　witness　to　her

proper　bringing　up　and　perfect　maternal　correction。　So　immediately　the

night　arrived　when　it　should　be　lawful　for　him　to　embrace　her；　he　got

her　with　a　child　so　roughly　that　he　had　proof　of　the　result　two　months

after　marriage；　which　rendered　the　Sire　Imbert　joyful　to　a　degree。　In

order　that　we　may　here　finish　with　this　portion　of　the　story；　let　us

at　once　state　that　from　this　legitimate　grain　was　born　the　Sire　de

Bastarnay；　who　was　Duke　by　the　grace　of　Louis　the　Eleventh；　his

chamberlain；　and　more　than　that；　his　ambassador　in　the　countries　of

Europe；　and　well…beloved　of　this　most　redoubtable　lord；　to　whom　he

was　never　faithless。　His　loyalty　was　an　heritage　from　his　father；　who

from　his　early　youth　was　much　attached　to　the　Dauphin；　whose　fortunes

he　followed；　even　in　the　rebellions；　since　he　was　a　man　to　put　Christ

on　the　cross　again　if　it　had　been　required　by　him　to　do　so；　which　is

the　flower　of　friendship　rarely　to　be　found　encompassing　princes　and

great　people。　At　first；　the　fair　lady　of　Bastarnay　comported　herself

so　loyally　that　her　society　caused　those　thick　vapours　and　black

clouds　to　vanish；　which　obscured　the　mind　of　this　great　man；　the

brightness　of　the　feminine　glory。　Now；　according　to　the　custom　of

unbelievers；　he　passed　from　suspicion　to　confidence　so　thoroughly；

that　he　yielded　up　the　government　of　his　house　to　the　said　Bertha；

made　her　mistress　of　his　deeds　and　actions；　queen　of　his　honour；

guardian　of　his　grey　hairs；　and　would　have　slaughtered　without　a

contest　any　one　who　had　said　an　evil　word　concerning　this　mirror　of

virtue；　on　whom　no　breath　had　fallen　save　the　breath　issued　from　his

conjugal　and　marital　lips；　cold　and　withered　as　they　were。　To　speak

truly　on　all　points；　it　should　be　explained；　that　to　this　virtuous

behaviour　considerably　aided　the　little　boy；　who　during　six　years

occupied　day　and　night　the　attention　of　his　pretty　mother；　who　first

nourished　him　with　her　milk；　and　made　of　him　a　lover's　lieutenant；

yielding　to　him　her　sweet　breasts；　which　he　gnawed　at；　hungry；　as

often　as　he　would；　and　was；　like　a　lover；　always　there。　This　good

mother　knew　no　other　pleasures　than　those　of　his　rosy　lips；　had　no

other　caresses　that　those　of　his　tiny　little　hands；　which　ran　about

her　like　the　feet　of　playful　mice；　read　no　other　book　than　that　in　his

clear　baby　eyes；　in　which　the　blue　sky　was　reflected；　and　listened　to

no　other　music　than　his　cries；　which　sounded　in　her　ears　as　angels'

whispers。　You　may　be　sure　that　she　was　always　fondling　him；　had　a

desire　to　kiss　him　at　dawn　of　day；　kissed　him　in　the　evening；　would

rise　in　the　night　to　eat　him　up　with　kisses；　made　herself　a　child　as

he　was　a　child；　educated　him　in　the　perfect　religion　of　maternity；

finally；　behaved　as　the　best　and　happiest　mother　that　ever　lived；

without　disparagement　to　our　Lady　the　Virgin；　who　could　have　had

little　trouble　in　bringing　up　our　Saviour；　since　he　was　God。



This　employment　and　the　little　taste　which　Bertha　had　for　the　blisses

of　matrimony　much　delighted　the　old　man；　since　he　would　have　been

unable　to　return　the　affection　of　a　too　amorous　wife；　and　desired　to

practice　economy；　to　have　the　wherewithal　for　a　second　child。



After　six　years　had　passed　away；　the　mother　was　compelled　to　give　her

son　into　the　hands　of　the　grooms　and　other　persons　to　whom　Messire　de

Bastarnay　committed　the　task　to　mould　him　properly；　in　order　that　his

heir　should　have　an　heritage　of　the　virtues；　qualities　and　courage　of

the　house；　as　well　as　the　domains　and　the　name。　Then　did　Bertha　shed

many　tears；　her　happiness　being　gone。　For　the　great　heart　of　this

mother　it　was　nothing　to　have　this　well…beloved　son　after　others；　and

during　only　certain　short　fleeting　hours。　Therefore　she　became　sad　and

melancholy。　Noticing　her　grief；　the　good　man　wished　to　bestow　upon　her

another　child　and　could　not；　and　the　poor　lady　was　displeased　thereat；

because　she　declared　that　the　making　of　a　child　wearied　her　much　and

cost　her　dear。　And　this　is　true；　or　no　doctrine　is　true；　and　you　must

burn　the　Gospels　as　a　pack　of　stories　if　you　have　not　faith　in　this

innocent　remark。



This；　nevertheless；　to　certain　ladies　（I　did　not　mention　men；　since

they　have　a　smattering　of　the　science）；　will　still　seem　an　untruth。

The　writer　has　taken　care　here　to　give　the　mute　reasons　for　this

strange　antipathy；　I　mean　the　distastes　of　Bertha；　because　I　love　the

ladies　above　all　things；　knowing　that　for　want　of　the　pleasure　of

love；　my　face　would　grow　old　and　my　heart　torment　me。　Did　you　ever

meet　a　scribe　so　complacent　and　so　fond　of　the　ladies　as　I　am？　No；　of

course　not。　Therefore；　do　I　love　them　devotedly；　but　not　so　often　as　I

could　wish；　since　I　have　oftener　in　my　hands　my　goose…quill　than　I

have　the　barbs　with　which　one　tickles　their　lips　to　make　them　laugh

and　be　merry　in　all　innocence。　I　understand　them；　and　in　this　way。



The　good　man　Bastarnay　was　not　a　smart　young　fellow　of　an　amorous

nature；　and　acquainted　with　the　pranks　of　the　thing。　He　did　not

trouble　himself　much　about　the　fashion　in　which　he　killed　a　soldier　so

long　as　he　killed　him；　that　he　would　have　killed　him　in　all　ways

without　saying　a　word　in　battle；　is；　of　course；　understood。　The

perfect　heedlessness　in　the　matter　of　death　was　in　accordance　with　the

nonchalance　in　the　matter　of　life；　the　birth　and　manner　of　begetting　a

child；　and　the　ceremonies　thereto　appertaining。　The　good　sire　was

ignorant　of　the　many　litigious；　dilatory；　interlocutory　and

proprietary　exploits　and　the　little　humourings　of　the　little　fagots

placed　in　the　oven　to　heat　it；　of　the　sweet　perfumed　branches　gathered

little　by　little　in　the　forests　of　love；　fondlings；　coddlings；

huggings；　nursing；　the　bites　at　the　cherry；　the　cat…licking；　and　other

little　tricks　and　traffic　of　love　which　ruffians　know；　which　lovers

preserve；　and　which　the　ladies　love　better　than　their　salvation；

because　there　is　more　of　the　cat　than　the　woman　in　them。　This　shines

forth　in　perfect　evidence　in　their　feminine　ways。　If　you　think　it

worth　while　watching　them；　examine　them　attentively　while　they　eat：

not　one　of　them　（I　am　speaking　of　women；　noble　and　well…educated）　puts

her　knife　in　the　eatables　and　thrusts　it　into　her　mouth；　as　do

brutally　the　males；　no；　they　turn　over　their　food；　pick　the　pieces

that　please　them　as　they　would　gray　peas　in　a　dovecote；　they　suck　the

sauces　by　mouthfuls；　play　with　their　knife　and　spoon　as　if　they　are

only　ate　in　consequence　of　a　judge's　order；　so　much　do　they　dislike　to

go　straight　to　the　point；　and　make　free　use　of　variations；　finesse；

and　little　tricks　in　everything；　which　is　the　especial　attribute　of

these　creatures；　and　the　reason　that　the　sons　of　Adam　delight　in　them；

since　they　do　everything　differently　to　themselves；　and　they　do　well。

You　think　so　too。　Good！　I　love　you。



Now　then；　Imbert　de　Bastarnay；　an　old　soldier；　ignorant　of　the　tricks

of　love；　entered　into　the　sweet　garden　of　Venus　as　he　would　into　a

place　taken　by　assault；　without　giving　any　heed　to　the　cries　of　the

poor　inhabitants　in　tears；　and　placed　a　child　as　he　would　an　arrow　in

the　dark。　Although　the　gentle　Bertha　was　not　used　to　such　treatment

（poor　child；　she　was　but　fifteen）；　she　believed　in　her　virgin　faith；

that　the　happiness　of　becoming　a　mother　demanded　this　terrible；

dreadful　bruising　and　nasty　business；　so　during　his　painful　task　she

would　pray　to　God　to　assist　her；　and　recite　/Aves/　to　our　Lady；

esteeming　her　lucky；　in　only　having　the　Holy　Ghost　to　endure。　By　this

means；　never　having　experienced　anything　but　pain　in　marriage；　she

never　troubled　her　husband　to　go　through　the　ceremony　again。　Now

seeing　that　the　old　fellow　was　scarcely　equal　to　itas　has　been

before　statedshe　lived　in　perfect　solitude；　like　a　nun。　She　hated

the　society　of　men；　and　never　suspected　that　the　Author　of　the　world

had　put　so　much　joy　in　that　from　which　she　had　only　received　infinite

misery。　But　she　loved　all　the　more　her　little　one；　who　had　cost　her　so

much　before　he　was　born。　Do　not　be　astonished；　therefore；　that　she

held　aloof　from　that　gallant　tourney　in　which　it　is　the　mare　who

governs　her　cavalier；　guides　him；　fatigues　him；　and　abuses　him；　if　he

stumbles。　This　is　the　true　history　of　certain　unhappy　unions；

according　to　the　statement　of　the　old　men　and　women；　and　the　certain

reason　of　the　follies　co