Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 9

by Peter Alphonse

 

IX.^[1] The Mother-in-Law With the Drawn Sword.

It is also had in relacioun that suche a pilgrym commytted his wif to his stepmoder to kepe. The wif secretly loved a yong man ; that to hir moder redily she told and shewed. She forsoth consentyng to the lover arraied a feeste and cald hym therto; whiche so feestyng the husbond cam and knocked at the gate. The wif therfor aros and lete the husbond [enter]. But the Moder with the doughters love remayneng, forwhy ther was no place wher to huyde hym, doubted what she and he shuld do. But while the doughter opened the dore vnto hir husbond thold wif tooke a naked swerd and yaf to the lover [and] bad hym to stonde streight bif ore thentre of hir doughters husbond with the same swerd drawen. 'And if the husbond saye ought vnto the, aunswer nat ageyn.' And he dide as he was boden. The dore opened [and] the husbond seeyng hym standyng so askid hym what he was; the whiche aunswerd nat. Than if he were abasshed at the first sight, in that he yaf non aunswer, he drad moche more. Than thold wif aunswerd: 'Dere sone, be stille lest any man here the.' To that he wondryng saide: 'What is that, faire dame?' Than thold wif: 'Thre yong men pursued this man hider and we than opened the dore [and] suffred hym to entre thus with his swerd til thei wern gon that wold have slayne hym. Whiche now dredith the to be oon of theym, is astonyed and aunswerith nat.' Than the husbond saide: 'Wele mote ye fare that in this maner han delyvered hym from deth.' And so entrying [he] cald his wifes love and made hym to sitte with hym. And so with swete spechis sported hem and at nyght leete hym go."^[2]

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1. No. XI in the original, I, 15, l. 16 ff.
2. The Worcester version omits the tale which follows this immediately in the Latin, (No. XXII) The King and his Jester or Storyteller (cf. I, 16, l. 9); but since the tale in a slightly different version was printed by Caxton in 1483 (see Introduction p. 9), I supply this lacuna by reprinting it from Caxton's first edition. There it is No. 8, 'The eyght fable is of the discyple and of the sheep.'