song and legend from the middle ages-第7部分

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So　feasted　long　the　merry　priest；　Nor　much　bethought　him　of　his　beast　Till　hunger's　rage　was　ended：　Then；　〃Sooth！〃　quoth　he；　〃whoe'er　should　cry；　'What　ho；　fair　sir！'　in　passing　by；　Would　leave　me　here　suspended。〃

Alack！　for　dread　of　being　hanged；　With　voice　so　piercing　shrill　he　twanged　The　word　of　luckless　sound；　His　beast　sprang　forward　at　the　cry；　And　plumb　the　priest　dropped　down　from　high　Into　the　brake　profound。

There；　pricked　and　pierced　with　many　a　thorn；　And　girt　with　brier；　and　all　forlorn；　Naught　boots　him　to　complain：　Well　may　ye　ween　how　ill　bested　He　rolled　him　on　that　restless　bed；　But　rolled　and　roared　in　vain：

For　there　algates　he　must　abide　The　glowing　noon；　the　eventide；　The　livelong　night　and　all；　The　whiles　with　saddle　swinging　round；　And　bridle　trailing　on　the　ground；　His　mare　bespoke　his　fall。

O；　then　his　household　shrieked　for　dread；　And　weened　at　least　he　must　be　dead；　His　lady　leman　swooned：　Eftsoons　they　hie　them　all　to　look　If　haply　in　some　dell　or　nook　His　body　might　be　found。

Through　all　the　day　they　sped　their　quest；　The　night　fled　on；　they　took　no　rest；　Returns　the　morning　hour：　When；　lo！　at　peeping　of　the　dawn。　It　chanced　a　varlet　boy　was　drawn　Nigh　to　the　mulberry…bower。

The　woful　priest　the　help　descried：　〃O；　save　my　life！　my　life！〃　he　cried；　〃Enthralled　in　den　profound！　O；　pluck　me　out；　for　pity's　sake；　From　this　inextricable　brake；　Begirt　with　brambles　round！〃

〃Alas；　my　lord！　my　master　dear！　What　ugly　chance　hath　dropped　thee　here？〃　Exclaimed　the　varlet　youth。　〃'T　was　gluttony〃'　the　priest　replied；　With　peerless　folly　by　her　side：　But　help　me　straight；for　ruth！〃

By　this　were　come　the　remnant　rout；　With　passing　toil　they　plucked　him　out；　And　slowly　homeward　led：　But；　all　so　tattered　in　his　hide；　Long　is　he　fain　in　bed　to　bide；　But　little　less　than　dead。

Tr。　by　Way。


A　special　development　of　the　fable　is　the　mock…epic　〃Reynard　the　Fox〃；　one　of　the　most　noteworthy　developments　in　literature　of　the　Middle　Ages。　It　is　an　elaborate；　semi…epic　set　of　stories　in　which　Reynard　is　the　embodiment　of　cunning　and　discreet　valor；　while　his　great　enemy；　Isegrim；　the　wolf；　represents　stupid　strength。　From　the　beginning　of　this　set　of　fables；　there　is　a　tone　of　satirical　comment　on　men　and　their　affairs。　In　the　later　developments　of　the　story；　elaborate　allegories　are　introduced；　and　monotonous　moralizings　take　the　place　of　the　earlier；　simpler　humor。

The　fable　reached　its　greatest　development　in　France；　but　all　Europe　shared　in　making　and　delighting　in　it。

Our　extracts　are　taken　from　Caxton's　translation　of　the　Flemish　form　of　the　legend。

FROM　REYNARD　THE　FOX。

Part　II。　Chapter　33。

REYNARD　AND　ERSWYNDE　（THE　WOLF'S　WIFE）　AT　THE　WELL。

Then　spoke　Erswynde；　the　wolf's　wife；　〃Ach！　Fell　Reynard；　no　man　can　keep　himself　from　thee；　thou　canst　so　well　utter　thy　words　and　thy　falseness；　but　it　shall　be　evil；　rewarded　in　the　end。　How　broughtest　thou　me　once；　into　the　well；　where　the　two　buckets　hung　by　one　cord　running　through　one　pulley　which　went　one　up　and　another　down？　Thou　sattest　in　one　bucket　beneath　in　the　pit　in　great　dread。　I　came　thither　and　heard　thee　sigh　and　make　sorrow；　and　asked　thee　how　thou　camest　there。　Thou　saidst　that　thou　hadst　there　so　many　good　fishes　eaten　out　of　the　water　that　thy　belly　wouldst　burst。　I　said；　'tell　me　how　I　shall　come　to　thee。'　Then　saidst　thou：　'Aunt；　spring　into　that　bucket　that　hangeth　there；　and　thou　shalt　come　anon　to　me。'　I　did　so；　and　I　went　downward　and　ye　came　upward；　and　then　I　was　all　angry。　Thou　saidst；　'thus　fareth　the　world；　that　one　goeth　up　and　another　goeth　down。'　Then　sprang　ye　forth　and　went　your　way；　and　I　abode　there　alone；　sitting　an　whole　day；　sore　and　hungry　and　acold。　And　thereto　had　I　many　a　stroke　ere　I　could　get　thence。〃　　〃Aunt；〃　said　the　fox；　〃though　the　strokes　did　you　harm；　I　had　leifer　ye　had　them　than　I；　for　ye　may　better　bear　them；　for　one　of　us　must　needs　have　had　them。　I　taught　you　good；　will　you　understand　it　and　think　on　it；　that　ye　another　time　take　heed　and　believe　no　man　over　hastily；　is　he　friend　or　cousin。　For　every　man　seeketh　his　own　profit。　They　be　now　fools　that　do　not　so；　and　especially　when　they　be　in　jeopardy　of　their　lives。〃

Part　II。　Chapter　35。

HOW　ISEGRYM　PROFFERED　HIS　GLOVE　TO　THE　FOX　FOR　TO　FIGHT　WITH　HIM。

The　wolf　said；　〃I　may　well　forbear　your　mocks　and　your　scorns；　and　also　your　fell；　venomous　words'　strong　thief　that　you　are。　Ye　said　that　I　was　almost　dead　for　hunger　when　ye　helped　me　in　my　need。　That　is　falsely　lied；　for　it　was　but　a　bone　that　ye　gave　to　me；　ye　had　eaten　away　all　the　flesh　that　was　thereon。　And　ye　mock　me　and　say　that　I　am　hungry　here　where　I　stand。　That　touched　my　worship　too　nigh。　What　many　a　spighty　word　have　ye　brought　forth　with　false　lesings。＇1＇　And　that　I　have　conspired　the　king's　death；　for　the　treasure　that　you　have　said　to　him　is　in　Hulsterlo。　And　ye　have　also　my　wife　shamed　and　slandered　that　she　shall　never　recover　it。　And　I　should　ever　be　disworshipped　thereby　if　I　avenged　it　not。　I　have　forborne　you　long；　but　now　ye　shall　not　escape　me。　I　cannot　make　here　of　great　proof；　but　I　say　here　before　my　lord；　and　before　all　them　that　been　here；　that　thou　art　a　false　traitor　and　a　murderer；　and　that　I　shall　prove　and　make　good　on　thy　body　within　lists　in　the　field；　and　that；　body　against　body。　And　then　shall　our　strife　have　an　end。　And　thereto　I　cast　to　thee　my　glove；　and　take　thou　it　up。　I　shall　have　right　of　thee　or　die　therefor。

＇1＇　Lyings。　


Reynard　the　Fox　thought；　〃how　came　I　on　this　company？　We　been　not　both　alike。＇1＇　I　shall　not　well　con＇2＇　stand　against　this　strong　thief。　All　my　proof　is　now　come　to　an　end。〃

＇1＇　Of　equal　strength。　＇2＇　Know　how　to。


Yet；　thought　the　fox；　〃I　have　good　advantage。　The　claws　of　his　fore　feet　been　off　and　his　feet　been　yet　sore　thereof；　when　for　my　sake　he　was　unshod。　He　shall　be　somewhat　the　weaker。〃

Then　said　the　fox；　〃who　that　sayeth　that　I　am　a　traitor　or　a　murderer？　I　say　he　lieth　falsely；　and　that　art　thou　especially　Isegrym。　Thou　bringest　me　there　as　I　would　be。　This　have　I　oft　desired。　Lo！　there　is　my　pledge　that　all　thy　words　been　false　and　that　I　shall　defend　me　and　make　good　that　thou　liest。

The　king　received　the　pledges　and　amitted＇1＇　the　battle；　and　asked　borrows＇2＇　of　them　both；　that　on　the　morn　they　should　come　and　perform　their　battle　and　do　as　they　ought　to　do。　Then　the　Bear　and　the　Cat　were　borrows　for　the　wolf；　and　for　the　Fox　were　borrows　Grymbert；＇3＇　the　dasse；＇4＇　and　Bytelnys。＇5＇

＇1＇　Admitted。　＇2＇　Pledges。　＇3＇　The　badger。　＇4＇　A　small　fox。　＇5＇　The　elder　daughter　of　the　apes。


TALES。

French　mediaeval　literature　includes　many　tales　less　elaborate　in　form　and　less　〃heroic〃　in　subject　than　the　epics　and　romances　and　without　the　satire　and　humor　of　the　fables。　The　best　of　them　are　the　love　stories；　and　of　these　the　most　beautiful　is　〃Aucassin　and　Nicolette〃；　by　an　unknown　trouvere　of　the　thirteenth　century。　It　is　an　alternation　of　prose　narrative　and　dainty　narrative　lyrics。　The　story　is　that　of　two　lovers　parted　temporarily　by　the　pride　and　cruelty　of　the　youth's　father。　But；　remaining　true　to　each　other；　they　are；　after　many　vicissitudes；　happily　united。　Our　extracts　are　from　Bourdillon's　beautiful　translation。　

FROM　AUCASSIN　AND　NICOLETTE。

Sec。　1。　Who　were　fain　good　verse　to　hear；　Of　the　aged　captives'　cheer；　Of　two　children　fair　and　feat；　Aucassin　and　Nicolette；　What　great　sorrows　suffered　he；　And　what　deeds　did　valiantly　For　his　love；　so　bright　of　blee？　Sweet　the　song；　and　fair　the　say；　Dainty　and　of　deft　array。　So　astonied　wight　is　none；　Nor　so　doleful　nor　undone；　None　that　doth　so　sorely　ail；　If　he　hear；　shall　not　be　hale；　And　made　glad　again　for　bliss；　So　sweet　it　is！

The　hero　refuses　to　become　a　knight　and　go　to　war　unless　his　father　will　give　him　Nicolette　for　wife。

See。　8。　Aucassin　was　of　Beaucaire；　And　abode　in　castle　fair。　None　can　move　him　to　forget　Dainty…fashioned　Nicolette　Whom　his　sire　to　him　denies；　And　his　mother　sternly　cries：　〃Out　on　thee！　what　wilt　thou；　loon？　Nicolette　is　blithe　and　boon？　Castaway　from　Carthage　she！　Bought　of　Paynim　compayne！　If　with　woman　thou　wilt　mate；　Take　thee　wife　of　high　estate！〃　〃Mother；　I　can　else　do　ne'er！　Nicolette　is　debonair；　Her　lithe　form；　her　face；　her　bloom；　Do　the　heart　of　me　illume。　Fairly　mine　her　love　may　be　So　sweet　is　she！〃

This　the　father　refuses　to　do；　and　has　Nicolette　shut　up　in　a　tower。　But　the　son　stubbornly　persists。　At　last　it　is　agreed　that　if　Aucassin　returns　from　fighting　he　may　see　and　kiss　his　lover。

Sec。　9。　Aucassin　heard　of　the　kiss　Which　on　return　shall　be　his。　Had　one　given　him　of　pure　gold　Marks　a　hundred　thousand　told；　Not　so　blithe　of　hear　he　were。　Rich　array　he　bade　them　bear：　They　made　ready　for　his　wear。　He　put　on　a　hauberk　lined；　Helmet　on　his　head　did　bind；　Girt　his　sword　with　hilt　pure　gold；　Mounted　on　his　charger　bold；　Spear　and　buckler　then　he　took；　At　his　two　feet　cast　a　look：　They　trod　in　the　stirrups　trim。　Wondrous　proud　he　carried　him　His　dear　love　he　thought　upon；　And　his　good　horse　spurred　anon；　Who　right　eagerly　went　on。　Through　the　gate　he　rode　straightway；　Into　the　fray。

Aucassin　was　greatly　successful；　but　on　his　return　his　father　would　not　keep　his　promise；　and　shut　him　up　in　prison。

See。　12。　Aucassin　was　put　in　prison；　as　you　have　listened　and　heard；　and　Nicolette　on　the　other　hand；　was　in　the　chamber。　It　was　in　the　summer…time；　in　the　month　of　May；　when　the　days　are　warm；　long；　and　bright；　and　the　nights　still　and　cloudless。　Nicolette　lay　one　night　on　her　bed　and　saw　the　moon　shine　bright　through　a　window；　and　heard　the　nightingale　sing　in　the　garden；　and　then　she　bethought　her　of　Aucassin；　her　friend；　whom　she　loved　so　much。　She　began　to　consider　of　the　Count　Garin　of　Beaucaire；　who　hated　her　to　death；　and　she　thought　to　herself　that　she　would　remain　there　no　longer；　since　if　she　were　betrayed；　and　the　Count　Garin　knew　it；　he　would　make　her　to　die　an　evil　death。　She　perceived　that　the　old　woman　who　was　with　her　was　asleep。　She　got　up；　and　put　on　a　gown　which　she　had；　of　cloth…of…silk　and　very　good；　and　she　took　bedclothes　and　towels；　and　tied　one　to　another；　and　made　a　rope　as　long　as　she　could；　and　tied　it　to　the　pillar　of　the　window；　and　le