Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 30
XXX. The Unchaste Wife and the Rescue of Her Lover
Svche on willyng to chastice his nephew or Cosyn and to withdrawe hym from the vnlieful love of wymmen and from the vnnumerable aduersities whiche often tyme fallith of this vnhappy thyng, of suche a clerk dide to write the pavour, basshidnes, and the dreede.
Svche a myghti man ther was[1] whiche suche a day from his house the space of a daies jorney went to his place. The wif forsoth for hir housbondis made sure suche a clerk hir love, cald [hym] in the derk of the nyght. Whiche while of the fowle lust that thei vsiden, the husbonde vnavised and vnwares com hom ageyne. Forsoth ther mette hym in his jorney [oon] whiche plesaunt thynges hym told. To whom al his houshold meyne mette hym with lightis. The clerk heryng that wherfor to torn hym vttirly[2] he wist nat. Only out of the chamber he[3] went for to huyde hym and for overmoche dreede so astonyed that he wist nat wher to torne hym, or bi what wey to go out of the Court vttirly[4] he wist nat. Forsoth also he herd al the houshold as in suche a busynes evene moeved, and to tho thynges whiche to the lord and his felawship and to hors wern necessary, here and ther ran and arraied. In the meane while the wikked wif was so gnawen in hir conscience for dreede lest she shuld be take with the clerk, mette hir husbond with faire delicious wordis that he shulde nat be suspect of hir cursed deedis, willyng if that she myght nat only hym, but al his felawship in like gladnes, lest anything with grace issued withoutfurth as only the cause of his so soone comyng to require, she beyng glad in as moche as she myght to withhold as to shewe agenst a friend. The wretchid clerk huydeng[5] in a corner for the dreede of the houshold meyne til al wern housed, was nat so hardy to go out of the Court. Forsoth he knew hymsilf to be prived of his life if he at suche tyme he wer ther founde of any of the lordes (f. 138) meyne. Whiche put and sette in so straite[6] an angwissh, seeyng nowher no subsidie, refuge, nor help whider to flee, sawe a Tonne of the whiche that on end was out, lay in the porche of the house. The whiche forsoth whan he had seen, thider tended, and willyng hymsilf ther to huyde, entred in hopyng to escape the perel folowyng. But with the maner of that fere and basshidnes his drede bigan to augmente and to encrease. Forwhi ther was a Bere tied in the Court the whiche brak his cheyne at the discours and rennyng of the servauntis[7] whom the houndis foloweden hider and thider and in their pursute hym bote and driew, and of veray neede coarted hym to entre in to the Tonne above saide. The meyne and seruauntis fallyng to with grete and stavis willyng to drawe hym out, myght nat performe it, whos body was al hid save only the hede. The grace of this maner thyng of theym withoutfurth expelleden ran to that other part of the tonne to cast out the bottum. The wretche whiche was hid withyn tremblyng, quakyng and wailyng, praieng god that thei myght nat breke it, hield fast with al his myght, and with his feete knocked and smote on the Beres bak and with his hede he hield the bottum; so the Bere wold he nold he fled and the wretche huydyng remayned. The suters of this thyng ne bien thei nat of this vnremembred.