Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 11
XI.[1] The Jealous Husband and the Stone Cast into the Well
"Svche a yong man ther was whiche al his entent and al his wit and yit moreover al his body[2] set and put to knowe al the maner and craft of wymmen, and this don nold no wif wedde.[3] But first [he] went to seeke counsail and cam to a man most sapient of that Regioun and asked and sought how he myght kepe his wif if he wold any wedde. The sapient man forsoth heryng this yave hym counsail that he shuld make an house with high wallis of stone and put his wif withyn and yeve hir mete inowgh to ete and no superfluite of clothyng; so that in that house be but oo dore and oo wyndowe bi whiche she may see, and of suche height and of suche composicioun and makyng bi whiche noman may entre ne go out. The yongman forsoth herying this counsail of the sapient man dide as he bad hym. Forsoth erly in the morow whan the yongman went out, [he] shit the doore of the house fast, and in like wise whan he entred; and whan he slept hid the keyes vnder his hede and thus dide long tyme. Suche (f. 125) a day while this yongman went out his wif as she was wont ascended vp to the wyndow[4] arid while she stoode ther she sawe another faire yongman of body and of face, with whiche sight anon she was kyndeled in the love of hym. Forsoth the womman so kyndeled in the love of that yongman and as it is above saide in suche warde and straite kepyng bigan to thynk how and bi what art or craft she myght speke with that yongman. And she ful of engyne and guyle craftily bithought hir to stele the keyes of hir lord hir husbond while that he slept, and so she dide. Forsoth hir lord hir husbond was in custom every nyght to be drunk of wyne; now the more suerly myght she go out to hir love and fulfil hir volunte and lust. The lord forsoth, of that Philosophres techyng and warnyng withouten guyle of any act of womman, bigan to thynke what his wif often and daily wold with drynkyng make hym drunke. Suche a tyme was that she trowed hir husband drunke;[5] of whiche the womman [ignorant][6] aros out of hir bedde in the nyght and went to the doore of the house and opened and went hir out to hir love. Hir husbond in the scilence and stilnes of the nyght softly arisyng cam to the doore and founde it open and shit it and made it fast and went vp to the wyndowe and stoode ther in his shirte[7] til that he sawe his wif torne ageyn willyng to entre and founde the doore shit. Wherof hir soule sorowed and so [she] knokked at the doore. The husbond heryng his wif and seeyng and as he knewe nat asked what she was; and she askyng foryevenes promyttyng never to do more so. In this it profited hir nat, but the husbond in his wrath saide that she shuld nat be suffred ther to entre, but to his friendes[8] and hirs it shuld be shewed. But she the more and more cryeng saide that but if he opened the doore she wold skippe in to the pitte the whiche that was next the house and so end hir lif; and so of hir deth he shuld yield reason to hir friendis and neighburghs. He dispisyng his wifes threatis and manacis wold nat suffre hir to entre. The womman ful of art and guyle toke vp a grete ston and cast in the diche, to this entent that hir husbond herying the sowne of the stoon fallyng in to the diche shuld trowe that she were falle into the diche; and this don she hid hir secretely bihynde the diche. The simple man and vnwise herying a maner sowne of fallyng in to the diche without and tarieng went out of his hous in a grete haasty cours wenyng and trowyng that his wif had lept in to the diche. But the womman seyng the dore open, nat foryeteful of hir craft entred the house and shit the (f. 125b) dore fast and went vp to the wyndow. He seeyng hymsilf so disceived saide: 'O thow false guyleful and ful of the devils craft, suffre me to entre and whatsumever thow hast don to me, wihoutfurth bileeve thow for a soth that I foryeve it.' To whom with grete blamyng and vttirly with othis sweryng [she] saide he shuld no entre have ther. And moreover saide: 'O thow traitor, of thi cursid deedis I shall shewe vnto [thy parents] forwhi every nyght thow art wont thiefly to go from me and go to thi strumpettis.' And so she dide. The friendis forsoth heryng this estemed and trowed it for a sooth and blamed the man. And so was the womman delyvered with hir fals craft, and al the wite and peyne that she deserved torned vnto the man; to whom it profited nat anymore his wif to kepe. Forwhi also an hepe of wrecchidnes fil vnto this man, for the most dele of the people bilieveden that he hadde deserved this that he suffred."[9] Than quod the disciple: "Ther nys no man whiche may kepe hym from thengyne and wills of womman but if that god kepe hym. So bi this tale I shal nat wedde bicause of this exhortacioun."[10] Than quod the Maister: "This oughtist thow [nat] to bileeve of al wymmen, forwhi grete chastite and[11] grete goodenes is Repared and arraied in many wymmen, and wite thow that in a goode womman may be arrettid goode felawship. A goode womman also is a feithful keper and a goode house. Salamon in thend of his proverbis made xxii verse of the laude and the goodenes of wymmen." To this the disciple saide: "Wele hastow comforted me. But herdistow ever of any suche womman whiche that torned hir wit and hir engyne vnto goode?" Quod the Maister: "I have herd." Quod the disciple: "Tel me of hir, for that were to me novelte and grete wounder." The Maister:
- ↑ XIV in the original (I, 18, l. 18).
- ↑ Lat. (I, 18, l. 18) totam intentionem suam et totum sensum suum et adhuc totum tempus suum.
- ↑ This last sentence conveys the opposite meaning to that of the Latin, I, 18, l. 19, et hoc facto voluit ducere uxorem.
- ↑ Eng. version omits et euntes et regredientes intente aspexit. I, 19, l. 2.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 19, l. 10) Quod ut sub oculo poneret, se finxit ebriumm esse.}}
- ↑ Lat. Cuius rei mulier inscia.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 19, l. 13) stetitque ibi donee in camisia sua mulierem suam nudam revertentem vidit.
- ↑ Lat. suum suis parentibus.
- ↑ The last sentence of the tale in the Latin was omitted by the English translator (I, 20, l. 10), Wherefore at the compulsion of most good people, deprived of his dignities, lowered in esteem on account of slander from his wife, he had to suffer the penalty of incest.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 20, l. 14) est magna dehortatio.
- ↑ Ms. 'at.'