Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 2

by Peter Alphonse

 

II. The Two Perfect Friends.

"Relacioun^[1] and told it is to me of ii busy merchauntis, the whiche that oon dwellid in Egipt and that other at Baldach, so only bi heryngsay thei knewen toguyder and bi messangiers bitwene senten for their necessaijs. It happened that^[2] he of Baldach went of his neede and busynes into Egipt. The Egipcian heryng of his comyng mette hym and with grete joye toke hym in to his house and in al thynges served hym as is the maner of friendis bi viii daies, and shewid hym al his manoirs and other juels and necessaries^[3] to hym bilongyng whiche that he had in his house. At the viii daies end he of Baldach sekeled.^[4] That gretely greved the lord of the hous, [whiche] cald vnto hym al the lechis of egipt, as they come to his house to see his friende. The lechis felt his puls eft and eft, also bihield his vryne, and non infirmyte in hym thei knew. Therfor thei knewen [it] to be a passioun of love. This knowen, the lord of the house asked hym and bisought hym if ther were any womman in his hous that he loved. To that the sikeman saide: "Shewe me al the wymmen of thyn house, if that haply amonges theym I may see hir that I love, and I shal tel the." Whiche so herd, [he] shewid hym syngeressis and dauncers, of the whiche non of hem hym pleased. After that he shewed al his owne doughters; thiese also as tho other he refused and non Reward of hem tooke. The lord forsoth of the house had a nobil damysel and maiden whiche long^[5] tyme he had norisshid and cherissed to that entent with hymsilf to have maried (f. 120). Whiche whan he had shewid hym, the sike man forsoth bihied and saide: "Of this and in this is my lif and deth." Whiche whan the lord of the house herd [he] yaf to hym that noble faire maide vnto wif with al tho thynges whiche was with hyr to bi taken, vp suche condicioun that he shuld wed hir vnto wif. These thynges complete, [he] toke his wif and tho thynges whiche he tok with his wif, and his neede and busynes don repaired ageyn home in to his cuntrey.

Forsoth it happed after that this Egipcien in many maners lost al his goodis and was made a veray needy poore man [and] thought in hymsilf that he shuld go to his friend whiche he had at Baldach, as that he myght have mercy and pite vpon hym. Therfor naked and hungry in the tempest and silence of the nyght he cam to Baldach. Shame forsoth so withstoode hym that he went nat to the house of his friende lest haply unknowen at suche tyme he were forbode the house. Therfor he entrid in suche a temple where he benyghted. But in lase while than he wold ther abide^[6] [he] mette ther two men of the Citee nyhs to the temple, of whiche that oon slowgh that other and p[r]ivily fled. Many of the Citizeyns for the noise and the cry ran and founde a man slayn and sought what he myght be that did the manslaughter, entred the temple hopyng to fynde the mansleer ther. Fyndyng ther the Egipcian and askyng of hym wherfor he had slayn the man, he heryng this of theym^[7] saide: "I am he that hath slayn the man; coveityng deth so to end his pover[te]". And so was he taken and imprisoned, and on the morow brought bifore the juges and to the deth condempned and to the gibet and for to execucioun. Many forsoth ther were in that maner that met hym, of the whiche oon was his friende of whos cause^[8] he cam [to] Baldach, and sharply beholdyng hym tooke hym to be his friend whiche he left in Egipt. Remembryng also of the goodenes whiche he had done to hym in Egipt, thynkyng forwhi that after his deth he myght nat yield nor acquite hym his goode deede, decreed in hymsilf for hym to die. And with a grete voice cryeng, "What condempne yee an innocent? Whider wiln yee leede [hym] that no deth hath deserved? It is I that hath the man slayn." Than thei laiden handis on hym and hym bond and hym led with that other toward the gybet for to have execucioun; and that other from the peyne of deth loosed and absoiled. The mansleer beyng in the same pres, biholdyng and seeyng this, than went with theym and saide in hymsilf^[9]; "I have slayn the man (f. 120^b) and this is dampned. And here another innocent is deputed vnto turment, and I forsoth that hath don the nuysaunce goeth free. What is the cause of this maner of justice I wote nat, but that only it be of the grete suffraunce and pacience of god. Forsoth I knowe that god is a veray just juge and no hid synne levith vnpunysshed. And lest that he herafter take on me more harder vengeaunce, so of this maner of blame I shal nat deferre me to be gilty. And so from deth I shal assoile and loose [hym] to purge and clense the synne that I have don." [He] obeied hymsilf^[10] therfor to the perel saieng: "I, I whiche hath don the evil; these that ye han dampned^[11], leve yee hem vnhurt." Forsoth the juges nat a litel woundryng thiese^[12] other from deth delyvered they bond. And now nat a litel^[13] of jugement doubtyng this with thiese other bifore delyvred ledden bifore the kyng and to hym al told and rehersed bi order and hym also compellid to doute. So bi a comune counsail they goyng^[14] to hem, al the cryme and blame that to theym was put, he pardond on covenaunt that they shulden shewe the causes of the cryme and blame to hem put. And they forsoth bi comune assent told hym the trowth of the thyng and of al wern assoiled^[15]. The denzyn^[16] whiche had decreed to die for his friende led hym in to his house [and] of al the worship to hym bifore don saide: 'If thow wilt rest quietely and dwel with me, al thinges as it bihovith shuln be to vs comune. If forsoth thow wilt go ageyn^[17], al thynges whiche that I have and be myn, evenly we shuln departe.' Than he softly and swetely thanked hym of his yudenes, submytted hym to that he hym offred in particioun received, and so went hom ageyn in to his cuntrey^[18]” Thiese thinges reherced and told, saide the sone to the fader: "Vnneth may any man fynde suche a friend."^[19] Another philosopher said about untried friends: "Provide thyself once with enemies and a thousand times with friends, for thy friend may perhaps become an enemy sometime, and it will thus be easier to bear thy loss." Another philosopher also: "Avoid seeking counsel of any one until he has proved faithful to thee." Another philosopher again: "Give thy friend as much good advice as thou canst, even though he will not believe thee; for it is just that thou give him good advice, although the silly man may not follow it." Another: "Do not reveal thy counsel to every man; for it is better to seek counsel of him who retains it in his heart." Suche a phil[os]opher saith:^[20] "Thyn hid and secrete counsail as is in thi prison shit, forsoth opened and shewed, holdith the as bounden in his prisoun."^[21] Another: "Never associate with enemies when thou canst find other companions; for they will notice when thou doest evil, but fail to see the good things thou doest."

A certain poet said: "It is one of the serious misfortunes of this world that a free man must sometimes accept the help of his enemy. A man once inquired of a certain Arab: 'What is the worst misfortune that can happen to thee in this world?' The Arab: 'When necessity compels me to ask my enemy to give me what I wish'." Another: "Do not associate with a lecher for his society is a dis- grace to thee." Another: "Do not exult in the praise of a lecher, for his praise is blame and his blame praise for thee." As a certain philosopher was passing along the highway he found another philosopher jesting with a lecher and said to him: "Birds of feather flock together." But that one replied: "I did not associate myself with him." To this the wayfarer: "Then why dost thou approve of him?" And he: "I do not, but in great need even an honest man must resort to a privy." Another philosopher: "Son, it is difficult to climb high houses but easy to descend from them." Another philosopher saide to his sone: "Bettir is the enymite of a wiseman than the friendship of a foole." Another saith: "Ne have thow nat for no grete thyng the frendship of a foole, forwhi it is nat to the abidyng." Another: "Bettir is the felawship of a simple man nurisshed among sapient men than led and brought furth with feders of prudent men."^[22] Another: "Swetter it is to a wise man sharp lif amonge wise men than swete lif among vnwise men." Another saith: "Ther bien two maners and spices of wisdam: that oon is na (f. 121) tural and that other artificial, of the whiche that oon may nat be without that other." [Another]: "Ne committe thow nat wisdam vnto foolis, forwhi vnto theym it is but an iniury; neither denye thow it nat vnto wise men, for that that is theirs thow takest awey from hem."^[23] Another: "The gifts of this world are of different kinds; for some are given riches, some wisdom. A certain man speaking to his son said: "Which wouldest thou prefer to have given thee, money or wisdom?" To this the son: "That which others are most in need of. There was once a certain wise poet who, though distinguished, was poor and in need, and who was always complaining about his poverty to his friends, about which also he composed verses expressing some such sentiment as this: 'Thou who rejoicest in wealth, show me why I am in want. Thou art not to blame, but tell me, who is to blame? For if my lot is hard, it surely was not made so by thee. But thou art mediator and judge between me and my destiny. Thou hast given me wisdom without wealth; tell me then, what can wisdom do without wealth? Take thou a part of my wisdom and give me some of thy wealth. Do not make me suffer such want that its hardships will bring disgrace upon me'.^[24] A certain philosopher said: "Everyone appears to another in one of three different relations: To whomsoever thou doest a kindness thou seemest to him to be greater than himself; from whomsoever thou desirest nothing thou seemest to be on an equality with him; but to whomsoever thou art indebted for any favor thou seemest to him less than himself." Another: "Wisdom is the light of the soul, but sense is the light of the body." Another: "Wisdom revives even dead bodies by its light, as the rain by its moisture revives the dry earth."

The disciple saide to the Maister: "How shal I behave me to be accompted among sapient disciples?" The Maister: "Kepe scilence til it be necessary and neede to the to speke." Another Philosopher: "Only Silence is a wisdam and to speke^[25] is a signe of foly." [Another]: "Ne hast thow nat to aunswer til an end be of the asker^[26]; nor any questioun made in felawship ne tempt thow nat to assoile while thow biholdist ther any wiser than thow; neither ansvyer thow nat to any question made to anothe[r]; neither have thow appetite of lawde or praisyng for thyng to the vnknowen. [For the philosopher says]: 'Who of thyng to hym vnknowen appetith lawde or praisyng yieldith to prove hymsilf a lier'," Another: "Be thow restful, stil, and quiete vnto trowth, whether it be saide of the or obiect agenst the." [Another]: "Ne have thow no glory in thi wise wordis, for as the Philosopher witnessith, 'Who that glorieth in wise wordis provith hymsilf to be a foole.' Doyng thow al thiese thynges thov shalt be even nombred among disciples of sapience and of prudence."

[The philosopher says]: "Who can prudently inquire prudently vndirstandith the solucioun." [Another]: "Whosumever shameth to folowe the wisdam of other, more he shameth the same of hym to be inquired." Another: "Who that for a short tyme shameth to suffre loore, al tyme in shame and vnwisdam shal dwel and abide." [Another]: "Nat all tho whiche is saide sapient is sapient; but he that lierneth wisdam and can reteyne it." Another: "Who that in doctryne faileth, litel his kynred or gentilnes profiteth or availith. Nobilnes needith loore, sapience forsoth and experience." Another: "In whom the nobilnes of elders failith or endith or covenably reservith."^[27] Another: "Nobility that proceeds from my own exertions is more precious to me than that which comes to me from my father."

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1. Lat. I, 4, l. 11. At pater: Relatum est mihi.
2. 'That' repeated in Ms.
3. Lat. (I, 4, l. 15) has simply: ostendit ei omnes manerias cantus quas habebat in domo sua.
4. For this sentence the Lat. has Finitis octo diebus infirmatus est.
5. Two or three letters crossed out in Ms.
6. Translator has rendered Latin entirely wrong (I, 5, l. 9), Sed cum ibi anxius multa secum diu volveret.
7. Lat. (I. 5, l. 13) audierunt ab ipso quia ego illum interfeci.
8. Ms. 'cauj'; Lat. cuius causa.
9. These three words inserted on margin
10. Lat. (I, 6, l. 2) obiecit se ergo periculo dicens.
11. 'that ...... dampned' not in the Latin, which has istum dimittite in noxium.
12. Lat. (I, 6, l. 2) hunc.
13. The preceding three words supplied on margin.
14. 'y' and 'go' are wanting because the left corner of the leaf has been torn off and pasted on again.
15. Lat. (I, 6, l. 6) Communi autem consensu omnibus absolutis.
16. Lat. indigena.
17. Lat. (I, 6, l. 9) Si vero repatriare volueris.
18. Lat. has for last sentence only sicque repatriavit.
19. At this point the translator has omitted several sentences of the long dialogue (I, 6, l. 12-9) connecting exampla II and III.
20. Lat. I, 6, l. 22, Alius.
21. This sentence is followed by a further omission of the sayings of several philosophers from the Latin, see I, 6, l. 24 ff.
22. Lat. (I, 7, l. 15) quam prudentis cum leccatoribus educati.
23. After this speech the Middle English version again leaves out several sentences of the Latin.
24. See I, 8, l. 3.
25. Lat. (I, 8, l. 10) loquacitas est, et cet.
26. Lat. finis interrogationis.
27. Lat. (I, 8, l. 27) Alius: In quo sua desinit nobilitas, avorum nobilitatem haut congrue reservat. The speech of the next philosopher was omitted by the translator.