droll stories-3-第9节

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harnessing　himself；　and　was　knocking　off　his　nether　garments；　madame；

still　astonished；　said　to　him



〃Oh；　my　dear　husband；　what　is　the　meaning　of　all　this　uproarthis

constable　and　his　pages；　and　why　did　he　come　to　see　if　I　was　asleep？

Is　it　to　be　henceforward　part　of　a　constable's　duty　to　look　after

our　。　。　。〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　the　provost；　interrupting　her；　to　tell　her　what

had　happened　to　him。



〃And　you　saw　without　my　permission　a　lady　of　the　court！　Ha！　ha！　heu！

heu！　hein！〃



Then　she　began　to　moan；　to　weep；　and　to　cry　in　such　a　deplorable

manner　and　so　loudly；　that　her　lord　was　quite　aghast。



〃What's　the　matter；　my　darling？　What　is　it？　What　do　you　want？〃



〃Ah！　You　won't　love　me　any　more　are　after　seeing　how　beautiful　court

ladies　are！〃



〃Nonsense；　my　child！　They　are　great　ladies。　I　don't　mind　telling　you

in　confidence；　they　are　great　ladies　in　every　respect。〃



〃Well；〃　said　she；　〃am　I　nicer？〃



〃Ah；〃　said　he；　〃in　a　great　measure。　Yes！〃



〃They　have；　then；　great　happiness；〃　said　she；　sighing；　〃when　I　have　so

much　with　so　little　beauty。〃



Thereupon　the　provost　tried　a　better　argument　to　argue　with　his　good

wife；　and　argued　so　well　that　she　finished　by　allowing　herself　to　be

convinced　that　Heaven　has　ordained　that　much　pleasure　may　be　obtained

from　small　things。



This　shows　us　that　nothing　here　below　can　prevail　against　the　Church

of　Cuckolds。







ABOUT　THE　MONK　AMADOR；　WHO　WAS　A　GLORIOUS　ABBOT　OF　TURPENAY



One　day　that　it　was　drizzling　with　raina　time　when　the　ladies　remain

gleefully　at　home；　because　they　love　the　damp；　and　can　have　at　their

apron　strings　the　men　who　are　not　disagreeable　to　themthe　queen　was

in　her　chamber；　at　the　castle　of　Amboise；　against　the　window　curtains。

There；　seated　in　her　chair；　she　was　working　at　a　piece　of　tapestry　to

amuse　herself；　but　was　using　her　needle　heedlessly；　watching　the　rain

fall　into　the　Loire；　and　was　lost　in　thought；　where　her　ladies　were

following　her　example。　The　king　was　arguing　with　those　of　his　court

who　had　accompanied　him　from　the　chapelfor　it　was　a　question　of

returning　to　dominical　vespers。　His　arguments；　statements；　and

reasonings　finished；　he　looked　at　the　queen；　saw　that　she　was

melancholy；　saw　that　the　ladies　were　melancholy　also；　and　noted　the

fact　that　they　were　all　acquainted　with　the　mysteries　of　matrimony。



〃Did　I　not　see　the　Abbot　of　Turpenay　here　just　now？〃　said　he。



Hearing　these　words；　there　advanced　towards　the　king　the　monk；　who；　by

his　constant　petitions；　rendered　himself　so　obnoxious　to　Louis　the

Eleventh；　that　that　monarch　seriously　commanded　his　provost…royal　to

remove　him　from　his　sight；　and　it　has　been　related　in　the　first　volume

of　these　Tales；　how　the　monk　was　saved　through　the　mistake　of　Sieur

Tristan。　The　monk　was　at　this　time　a　man　whose　qualities　had　grown

rapidly；　so　much　so　that　his　wit　had　communicated　a　jovial　hue　to　his

face。　He　was　a　great　favourite　with　the　ladies；　who　crammed　him　with

wine；　confectioneries；　and　dainty　dishes　at　the　dinners；　suppers；　and

merry…makings；　to　which　they　invited　him；　because　every　host　likes

those　cheerful　guests　of　God　with　nimble　jaws；　who　say　as　many　words

as　they　put　away　tit…bits。　This　abbot　was　a　pernicious　fellow；　who

would　relate　to　the　ladies　many　a　merry　tale；　at　which　they　were　only

offended　when　they　had　heard　them；　since；　to　judge　them；　things　must

be　heard。



〃My　reverend　father；〃　said　the　king；　〃behold　the　twilight　hour；　in

which　ears　feminine　may　be　regaled　with　certain　pleasant　stories；　for

the　ladies　can　laugh　without　blushing；　or　blush　without　laughing；　as

it　suits　them　best。　Give　us　a　good　storya　regular　monk's　story。　I

shall　listen　to　it；　i'faith；　with　pleasure；　because　I　want　to　be

amused；　and　so　do　the　ladies。〃



〃We　only　submit　to　this；　in　order　to　please　your　lordship；〃　said　the

queen；　〃because　our　good　friend　the　abbot　goes　a　little　too　far。〃



〃Then；〃　replied　the　king；　turning　towards　the　monk；　〃read　us　some

Christian　admonition；　holy　father；　to　amuse　madame。〃



〃Sire；　my　sight　is　weak；　and　the　day　is　closing。〃



〃Give　us　a　story；　then；　that　stops　at　the　girdle。〃



〃Ah；　sire！〃　said　the　monk；　smiling；　〃the　one　I　am　thinking　of　stops

there；　but　it　commences　at　the　feet。〃



The　lords　present　made　such　gallant　remonstrances　and　supplications　to

the　queen　and　her　ladies；　that；　like　the　good　Bretonne　that　she　was；

she　gave　the　monk　a　gentle　smile；　and　said



〃As　you　will；　my　father；　but　you　must　answer　to　God　for　our　sins。〃



〃Willingly；　madame；　if　it　be　your　pleasure　to　take　mine；　you　will　be　a

gainer。〃



Everyone　laughed；　and　so　did　queen。　The　king　went　and　sat　by　his　dear

wife；　well　beloved　by　him；　as　everyone　knows。　The　courtiers　received

permission　to　be　seatedthe　old　courtiers；　of　course；　understood；　for

the　young　ones　stood；　by　the　ladies'　permission；　beside　their　chairs；

to　laugh　at　the　same　time　as　they　did。　Then　the　Abbot　of　Turpenay

gracefully　delivered　himself　of　the　following　tale；　the　risky　passages

of　which　he　gave　in　a　low；　soft；　flute…like　voice：



About　a　hundred　years　ago　at　the　least；　there　occurred　great　quarrels

in　Christendom　because　there　were　two　popes　at　Rome；　each　one

pretending　to　be　legitimately　elected；　which　caused　great　annoyance　to

the　monasteries；　abbeys；　and　bishoprics；　since；　in　order　to　be

recognised　by　as　many　as　possible；　each　of　the　two　popes　granted

titles　and　rights　to　each　adherent；　the　which　made　double　owners

everywhere。　Under　these　circumstances；　the　monasteries　and　abbeys　that

were　at　war　with　their　neighbours　would　not　recognise　both　the　popes；

and　found　themselves　much　embarrassed　by　the　other；　who　always　gave

the　verdict　to　the　enemies　of　the　Chapter。　This　wicked　schism　brought

about　considerable　mischief；　and　proved　abundantly　that　error　is　worse

in　Christianity　than　the　adultery　of　the　Church。



Now　at　this　time；　when　the　devil　was　making　havoc　among　our

possessions；　the　most　illustrious　abbey　of　Turpenay；　of　which　I　am　at

present　the　unworthy　ruler；　had　a　heavy　trial　on　concerning　the

settlements　of　certain　rights　with　the　redoubtable　Sire　de　Cande；　an

idolatrous　infidel；　a　relapsed　heretic；　and　most　wicked　lord。　This

devil；　sent　upon　earth　in　the　shape　of　a　nobleman；　was；　to　tell　the

truth；　a　good　soldier；　well　received　at　court；　and　a　friend　of　the

Sieur　Bureau　de　la　Riviere；　who　was　a　person　to　whom　the　king　was

exceedingly　partialKing　Charles　the　Fifth；　of　glorious　memory。

Beneath　the　shelter　of　the　favour　of　this　Sieur　de　la　Riviere；　Lord　of

Cande　did　exactly　as　he　pleased　in　the　valley　of　the　Indre；　where　he

used　to　be　master　of　everything；　from　Montbazon　to　Usse。　You　may　be

sure　that　his　neighbours　were　terribly　afraid　of　him；　and　to　save

their　skulls　let　him　have　his　way。　They　would；　however；　have　preferred

him　under　the　ground　to　above　it；　and　heartily　wished　him　bad　luck；

but　he　troubled　himself　little　about　that。　In　the　whole　valley　the

noble　abbey　alone　showed　fight　to　this　demon；　for　it　has　always　been　a

doctrine　of　the　Church　to　take　into　her　lap　the　weak　and　suffering；

and　use　every　effort　to　protect　the　oppressed；　especially　those　whose

rights　and　privileges　are　menaced。



For　this　reason　this　rough　warrior　hated　monks　exceedingly；　especially

those　of　Turpenay；　who　would　not　allow　themselves　to　be　robbed　of

their　rights　either　by　force　or　stratagem。　He　was　well　pleased　at　the

ecclesiastical　schism；　and　waited　the　decision　of　our　abbey；

concerning　which　pope　they　should　choose；　to　pillage　them；　being　quite

ready　to　recognise　the　one　to　whom　the　abbot　of　Turpenay　should　refuse

his　obedience。　Since　his　return　to　his　castle；　it　was　his　custom　to

torment　and　annoy　the　priests　whom　he　encountered　upon　his　domains　in

such　a　manner；　that　a　poor　monk；　surprised　by　him　on　his　private　road；

which　was　by　the　water…side；　perceived　no　other　method　of　safety　then

to　throw　himself　into　the　river；　where；　by　a　special　miracle　of　the

Almighty；　whom　the　good　man　fervently　invoked；　his　gown　floated　him　on

the　Indre；　and　he　made　his　way　comfortably　to　the　other　side；　which　he

attained　in　full　view　of　the　lord　of　Cande；　who　was　not　ashamed　to

enjoy　the　terrors　of　a　servant　of　God。　Now　you　see　of　what　stuff　this

horrid　man　was　made。　The　abbot；　to　whom　at　that　time；　the　care　of　our

glorious　abbey　was　committed；　led　a　most　holy　life；　and　prayed　to　God

with　devotion；　but　he　would　have　saved　his　own　soul　ten　times；　of　such

good　quality　was　his　religion；　before　finding　a　chance　to　save　the

abbey　itself　from　the　clutches　of　this　wretch。　Although　he　was　very

perplexed；　and　saw　the　evil　hour　at　hand；　he　relied　upon　God　for

succour；　saying　that　he　would　never　allow　the　property　of　the　Church

to　be　touched；　and　that　He　who　had　raised　up　the　Princess　Judith　for

the　Hebrews；　and　Queen　Lucretia　for　the　Romans；　would　keep　his　most

illustrious　abbey　of　Turpenay；　and　indulged　in　oth