Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 27

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The Sayings of the Philosophers at the Tomb of Alexander the Great
Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172
Peter Alphonse, translated by William Henry Hulme, edited by William Henry Hulme
The Hermit Chastening His Soul
The Knight in Exile and His Friend Whose Wife Played Him False
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3824343Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172 — The Hermit Chastening His SoulWilliam Henry HulmePeter Alphonse
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XXVII.[1] The Hermit Chastening His Soul

"Also an heremyte and philosopher in this maner correctid his soule and saide: 'Soule, wite thow and knowe thow while power is in the and in thyn hand, that thow werke and do bifore that thow moevist from thi place to the house in whiche right and justice dwellith and abidith, and to the yaate of the place wher thow shalt trede in a Rolle whatsumeuer thyn hand hath don and wrought in this world.[2] And angels of hevene on thi Right and lift side shuln discovere, open, shewe, and tel thi counsail; and what goode ​or evil thow hast don[3] in any of the same shalbe clierly examyned,[4] and al thi brethren and friendis shuln nat fynde no redempcioun nor maynprice, and of this and from the vttirly departen and forsaken. Therfor this day take thow redempcioun; oo goode deede do thow bifore that the day of somounce come. Be thow turned vnto god and say nat (f. 135b), "I shalbe torned tomorow."[5] forwhi so morowly[6] and daily[6] concupiscence shal lette the and haply withold the in to the last day. Therfor remembre and have mynde of the daies of the world and of the yeeris of old generaciouns whiche now bien past, and therof take thow wit and feele. Wherbe now princis, wherbe now kynges, wherbe now Riche men that gadreden tresours and therof wern thei prowde? Now bien they as whiche ne weren; now bien thei as a flour or a blossum whiche that is fallen from the tree whiche no more cometh ageyne.[7] Ne dreede thow nat, my soule, ne drede thow nat to moche the aduersites of the worlde. Dreede the day of thi jugement. Be agast and abasshed of the grete multitude of thi synnes. Have mynde of thi creator and maker whiche shalbe thi juge and thi witnes.'

Suche an heremyte asked of his master; 'What shal I do in this that may go bifore me in another world?' Than the Maister: 'Do the goode that is to be don in thi degre and kynde.' Another Heremyte cried bi the strete:[8] 'Ne trowe ne trust nor bilieve to thynges foryeteful for to have durabilite of thynges in thend.' Another sowned and saide: 'Love and profite asmoche to yowr soulis as to yowre bodies.' Another: 'Foryete yee nat that that foryetith nat; yow and kepe yee to governaunce.' Another: 'Dreede yee god, forwhi the dreede of god is the key to al goodenesse and to take the glorious conduct. Of the whiche Salamon puttith and settith in thend of his speche:[9] "Al thynges redily and toguydre here we: 'Dreede thow god and kepe his comaundementis.' to this is everyman. And al thynges that thei don shalbe brought to goddis iugement for every synne, be it goode or evil'."[10]

​Let us therefore as suppliants pray constantly for the great mercy of the omnipotent God, in order that we may by means of our good works deserve to be placed after the day of final judgment on the right hand of his Son, to enjoy eternal rest in the heavenly home together with the faithful in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom are honor and glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit throughout the infinite ages. Amen.[11]

  1. ↑ No. XXIV of the original, I, 45, l. 9.
  2. ↑ For latter half of this sentence the Latin is, et ad portam loci iudicii, ubi leges in rotulo quicquid tua manus egerit in hoc saeculo.
  3. ↑ The English omits the last clause of the sentence preceding this and the first of the present sentence itself as compared with the Latin; et quicquid a te fuerit excogitatum. Et ante Deum veniet tuum iudicium, and whatever shall have been thought by thee. And thy judgment shall come before God.
  4. ↑ Lat, et una lance quicquid boni et alia quicquid mali egeris, sed uno et eodeni declarabitur examine. Cf. I, 45.
  5. ↑ The sentence structure in this passage is quite different from that of the Latin, Hodie itaque redemptionem accipe, id est: bonum fac assidue. Et antequam veniat dies summonitionis, ad Deum revertere et non dicas: cras revertar et non morabor, quia sic crastinantem, et cet. See I, 45, 1. 16.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Both these words are given as interpretation of crastinantem, et cet. See I, 45, l. 16.
  7. ↑ Eng. omits clause of Latin immediately preceding this: mode sunt finiti sicut qui non vixerunt, now they have ceased to exist as those who never lived.
  8. ↑ Lat. per vicos.
  9. ↑ Lat. in Ecclesiaste ait.
  10. ↑ After this sentence which concludes the story in the Latin, there are four or five lines of Epilogue.
  11. ↑ Cf. I, 46. The English version has nothing correpsonding to this epilogue and does not end here, but continues the discussion of the philosophers for several paragraphs more, cf. above p. 65, footnote 246. Then the three additional tales mentioned above (Introd. p. 11, footnote 9) are given without the usual philosophic discussions which link together the preceding exampla.
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