Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 15

by Peter Alphonse

 

XV.^[1] The Three Pilgrims to Mecca and the Loaf

"It is saide of ii Burgeis and a Cherl [that] bicause of devocioun went to Meche [and] that wern felawes at mete, whan^[2] thei comen nygh Meche theym failed vitaile, so that ther remayned nothyng to theym but a litel meale or flour of the whiche they made hem a litel lof. The burgeis forsoth seyng that saiden vnto hemsilf: 'We have but litel brede and our felaw is a grete eter, wherfor it bihovith vs to have covmsaile how we may withdrawe from hym a part of [his] brede, and that vs ought to ete alonly ete we.' Than thei token counsaile in this maner that thei shuld do make a cake or a lof baken, and while it baked thei slept and everiche of the Burgeis dreamed a woundirful swevene.^[3] And or that thei leiden hem to sleepe thei saiden to hemsilf: 'That while the cherl sleepith craftily we shuln ete this brede that he shal nat wite ne knowe it.'^[4] And the cherl perceived the wikednes of the ii felawes, drewe the brede out of the fuyre half baken and ete it and leide him doun.^[5] But oon of the burgeis so as he slept was agast and wooke and cald to his felaw. To whom that other of the burgeis saide: 'How is [it] with the?" Than he saide: 'I have seen a wounderful swevene. Forwhi as it seemed to me that verily aungels^[6] opened the yatis of hevene and takyng me led me bifore god.' To whom his felaw: 'It is a mervailous swevene that thow hast seen. And I have dreamed that ii angels ledyng me opened therth and brought me in to helle.' The cherl heryng al this [was] feyneng hymsilf a sleepe. But the disceived burgeys willyng [to] disceive hym callid the cherl and awaked hym. The wily cherl as he had be agast aunswerd: 'What bien yee that callen me?' [Thei saide]: We bien thy felawes.' And the cherl: 'Be yee now come ageyn?' Than they ageyn to hym: 'Whider shuld we go from whens we ought to come? To this [the cherl]: 'It was seen to me in my visioun that forsoth oon of yow was taken of aungels whiche^[7] opened the yaatis of hevene and led hym bifore god. And that that other was taken also of aungels that opened therth and led hym doun to helle. I seeyng thiese thynges [and] never trowyng of (f. 129) yowre comymg ageyn, aros and eete vp the brede'." [And the fader]: "And so my sone, it happened and cam so to, that thai whiche wold han disceived their felaw that with his wit thei wern disceived."^[8]

Then the son: "It happened to them as it is told in the proverb: 'He who wanted all lost all.' Such also is the nature of the dog whom they resemble: one of them tries to take away another's food. But if they followed the instinct of the camel they would imitate a gentler nature; for the nature of the camel is such, that when fodder is given to many of them at the same time, no one of them will eat until they can all eat together. And if one is so weak that he can not eat, the others refuse to eat until he is taken away. And since these peasants desired to assume the nature and manner of an animal, they should have followed the nature of the gentlest animal; and so they deserved to lose their food. But also I wish that could have happened to them which I have heard my master say happened once upon a time to the king's tailor instead of to his apprentice Nedwy, to wit, he was openly beaten with cudgels." The father replied to this: "Tell me, son, what you heard. What happened to the apprentice? for such a story will be a recreation to my soul." The son:

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1. No. XIX in the original. See I, 27, l. 5.
2. Ms. 'and whan'; Lat. donec venirent prope Mech.
3. The English omits solus panem comederet.
4. The preceding two sentences translate the Latin very freely: Hoc artificiose dicebant, quia rusticum simplicem ad huiusmodi ficticia deputebant. Et fecerunt panem miseruntque in ignem, deinde iacuerunt ut dormirent.
5. The Latin has dormientibus sociis before the phrase 'out of the fuyre.'
6. Lat. duo angeli.
7. Ms. "and."
8. The English omits most of the discussion between the father and son which serves as a connecting link between exampla XIX and XX of the Latin. See I, 28, l. 2 ff.