Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 24
XXIV.[1] The Wise Merchant and the Improvident King
"Forsoth it is saide that suche a kyng of the Scites[2] bi the comune assent of his nobles to suche on of his seruauntis whom thei cald Anne[3] to be prudent and wise in seculier and worldly thynges; al the bridels and Rulis of his Realme to hym he commytted, whiche al the Revenues and Rentis of the Realme he Received and plesauntly and pesibly entreatid, the house and the household meyne and Ministres seruauntis and their dispenses ordeyned. A Riche Marchaunt his brother in a Citee fer of indwellid. The which perceived bi Rumour and tidynges of his brother enhauncyng and promotyng, arraied a felawship as it bihoved as to visite his brother [and] bigan his jorney. Only bifore [he] sent a messenger lest that sodainly or vnprovided [he] shuld come; whiche told of his brothers comyng to a Citee that was ther nygh.[4] He heryng of his brother, the brother mette hym and with a glad chiere hym tooke and (f. 134b) resceived. Than after past a fewe daies, place and tyme purveied whiche he knewe pleasaunt vnto hym, among other thynges rehersed vnto the kyng his brothers comyng. To whom the kyng: 'If thi brother wil dwel and Rest with the in my Realme, al my thynges to the with hym I shal betake to kepe. And though that he denye it, yet I shall yeve and graunt hym large possessiouns in this Citee; and al the customs that he ought to do vnto me I shal pardon hym. If forsoth from that only bi touche or feelyng of love natural [he] wil go ageyn in to his cuntrey, with many chaunge of vestymentis and whatsumever ellis to hym necessarie with habundance I shal enlarge.' The wordis of the kyng herd, the brother cam to the brother and as moche as his lord had hym promysed to hym he told and reherced. To whom the brother: 'If thow wilt that I dwel with the, shewe me how moche bien the Rentis of the kyng and his Revenues.' He forsoth shewid hym al. Of that he askid hym what was the kynges expenses; and he told hym of that he made. Than he accompted that the kynges expenses was as moche as the Rentis and Revenus amounted; and [he] saide vnto his brother: 'Friend and brother, I see that the kynges dispenses bien as moche as his Rentis. And if yowre kyng areised any bataile or any other suche thyng like, wherof shalbe procured for his knyghtis or wherof shal their wagis bien founde?' [The] Brother: 'Therof we shuln seeke other counsail.' To whom the brother: 'I dreede me if I shuld be partyner[5] of this maner counsaile, and therfor farwele, for here I wil no more ne lenger dwell.[6]
"Svche a philosopher saith: 'To werke for the world to come as thow now shuldest die, and so as for this present world thow were alwey to lyve. Forsoth it is bettir that after thi deth thyn enemyes have thi purchace than that thow live needily in this lif.' Another saith: 'The world is transitorie; of that therfor with honeste provide to the althynges necessary, forwhi the cours of lif is but short.' Another saith: 'The world is as a transitorye brigge, therfor bihold it nat. The world is a stable brigge whos entre is the wombe of the Moder and deth shalbe thissue of the same'."[7]
A versifiour saith: 'Deth is a yaate openyng and shewyng al erthely thynges bi the wey; but I seeke after this whiche is the house of habundaunce.' Ther is an house of delices to goddis seruauntis and ther is an house of derknes to theym that deserven peynes.'[8]
The Arab asked his father: "How can I acquire the home of delights and the fame of that one?" The father: "Whatever dear and precious things you possess, deposit them for safe-keeping there and when you come thither, they will be ready for you." The son: "How can I entrust money to a house, the door of which I can not yet find?" The father: "Hear what the son of the king's counsellor did after his father's death." The son: "Father, tell me and I will not refuse to follow your counsel." The father: "A certain king had a wise counsellor and servant, who at his death left a young heir well instructed in the ways of court life. To him he left his entire estate which was large, and an abundance of riches and then died. After this the king summoned the boy to him and informed him of the death of his father, that he might not grieve more sorely, and whatever the father by his testament left under his control for the son he assured him of, and in addition he promised that he would take him into his father's place when he became of age. Thereupon the youth bade the king farewell and joyously went to his own home. The king then forgot about him, and he was in no haste to return to the king. After a long time, the people in the district in which the boy lived began to be in such great want that they were in danger of death by famine. The youth saw this and he was much grieved in spirit, because he was of a generous nature, and so he emptied his granaries and distributed the contents among the poverty-stricken people; he also gave bountifully of his stock of wine and meat to those in distress. And as the suffering increased his decreasing resources were not sufficient to supply the wants of the needy. And afterwards, though he did not hesitate to give his fortune for grain. so as to save the lives of the laboring people from hunger and thirst as much as he could, that was still not sufficient. He did the same thing with his clothes and jewelry. And thus the period of a year passed in which he rescued many people from the very jaws of death. There was also in the same locality a certain amanuensis of the king, who filled with envy towards the youth, was secretly stirring up bitter hostility against him. This fellow tried to exasperate the king against the boy by some such words as these: 'Master, your majesty's moderation towards the son of your former counsellor, whose father left him an inexhaustible supply of money was very weak, not to say foolish; for now neither you nor he have the money, because he, silly youth, has squandered it.' The king, moved to anger by such words, sent a messenger for the young man, to whom he spoke as follows: "Foolish son of a wise man, idle and lavishly extravagant, why hast thou wasted the wealth acquired by wisdom which was entrusted to thy keeping?" To this the youth replied with dejected countenance — for he feared the face of his chief, inflamed as it was, with eyes flashing furiously : "Master, if I may speak with your favor, I am not, as it seems to certain people, a foolish son entrusted to you by a wise father. My father did indeed gain wealth, and he placed it where thieves might steal it, in that he left it to me from whom you could take it, or fire could burn it or any accident destroy it. But I have bestowed it where it will be faithfully kept for him and for me." And the king asked what he had done with it. The youth related to him all his care in disposing of his wealth, and when the king heard his story he praised his actions highly in the presence of his attendants, and then received him into the service formerly done by his father as recompense. He afterwards gained new wealth and acquired greater riches than he formerly possessed. It was in this way that the noble son of the king's counsellor stored away treasure in his home of delights."
After the son heard these words of his father he said: "That youth acted wisely and gave evidence that great nobility was to be manifested in him. He did as the philosopher who advised his son, saying: 'Son, sell this world for the future, and you will gain both.' And so it happened."[9]
Another saith: "See yee lest yee bien disceived for worldly delites and broken with worldly fallaces and guyles and bien foryeteful of deth to come, lest it fal to the as it fil to the thief entryng (f. 135) the house of the Richeman." To whom the sone and of the fader:[10] "What fil therof, fader?" [The fader]:
- ↑ No. XXVI of the original, I, 35, l. 23.
- ↑ This word is not in the Latin, which runs: Dictum namque fuit quod quidam rex suorum, et cet. See I, 35.
- ↑ This word might be 'Aime' or 'Amie' in the Ms.; but even so there is nothing corresponding to it in the Latin, either in meaning or in form, but 'antea,' the sentence being {{latin|cuidam suo familiari, quam antea cognoverat in saecularibus esse prudentem.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 36, l. 1) Praemisso tandem nuntio, ne subitus aut improvisus veniret, qui de avdentu suo fratri referret, civitati in qua irater aderat appropinquavit.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 36, l. 16) Timeo ne census mens sit pars huius consilii.
- ↑ Now, the English translator inserts a portion of the dialogue which connects tales XXVIII and XXIX in the Latin after No. XXIV; but he omits the beginning of the discussion about the end of life (see I, 41, l. 12): Again the disciple said to his master: "Since worldly things are so transitory, why should we make just as great preparations as if they were lasting?" The master: "Because the end of life is uncertain." At this point the English version takes up the argument again.
- ↑ The translator has omitted a few important words in the original and thus made the meaning somewhat confusing (see I, 41, l. 19), Alius: Saeculum et quasi pons; transi ergo, ne hospiteris. Et alius: Saeculum est quasi pons instabilis: cuius introitus est matris uterus, et eiusdem mors erit exitus.
- ↑ The rest of the connecting dialogue in the Latin (see I. 41, l. 25 and 42) and the immediately following tale (No. XXIX, The Wise Son of the King's Counsellor) are omitted from the English.
- ↑ After this the English versioti returns to the dialogue which connects No XXVIII (of the Latin) with No. XXIX, but it omits the first speech of the dialogue! Another correcting his son said; "Son work for the future life before death removes thee from work."
- ↑ Lat. Ede, pater.