XV.[1] The Three Pilgrims to Mecca and the Loaf
"It is saide of ii Burgeis and a Cherl [that] bicause of devocioun
went to Meche [and] that wern felawes at mete, whan[2]
thei comen nygh Meche theym failed vitaile, so that ther remayned
nothyng to theym but a litel meale or flour of the whiche they made
hem a litel lof. The burgeis forsoth seyng that saiden vnto hemsilf:
'We have but litel brede and our felaw is a grete eter, wherfor
it bihovith vs to have covmsaile how we may withdrawe from hym
a part of [his] brede, and that vs ought to ete alonly ete we.' Than
thei token counsaile in this maner that thei shuld do make a cake
or a lof baken, and while it baked thei slept and everiche of the
Burgeis dreamed a woundirful swevene.[3] And or that thei leiden
hem to sleepe thei saiden to hemsilf: 'That while the cherl sleepith
craftily we shuln ete this brede that he shal nat wite ne knowe it.'[4]
And the cherl perceived the wikednes of the ii felawes, drewe the
brede out of the fuyre half baken and ete it and leide him doun.[5]
But oon of the burgeis so as he slept was agast and wooke and cald
to his felaw. To whom that other of the burgeis saide: 'How is
[it] with the?" Than he saide: 'I have seen a wounderful swevene.
Forwhi as it seemed to me that verily aungels[6] opened the yatis
of hevene and takyng me led me bifore god.' To whom his felaw:
'It is a mervailous swevene that thow hast seen. And I have
dreamed that ii angels ledyng me opened therth and brought me in
to helle.' The cherl heryng al this [was] feyneng hymsilf a sleepe.
But the disceived burgeys willyng [to] disceive hym callid the cherl
and awaked hym. The wily cherl as he had be agast aunswerd:
'What bien yee that callen me?' [Thei saide]: We bien thy
felawes.' And the cherl: 'Be yee now come ageyn?' Than they
ageyn to hym: 'Whider shuld we go from whens we ought to come?
To this [the cherl]: 'It was seen to me in my visioun that forsoth
oon of yow was taken of aungels whiche[7] opened the yaatis of
hevene and led hym bifore god. And that that other was taken also
of aungels that opened therth and led hym doun to helle. I seeyng
thiese thynges [and] never trowyng of (f. 129) yowre comymg
ageyn, aros and eete vp the brede'." [And the fader]: "And so
- ↑ No. XIX in the original. See I, 27, l. 5.
- ↑ Ms. 'and whan'; Lat. donec venirent prope Mech.
- ↑ The English omits solus panem comederet.
- ↑ The preceding two sentences translate the Latin very freely: Hoc artificiose dicebant, quia rusticum simplicem ad huiusmodi ficticia deputebant. Et fecerunt panem miseruntque in ignem, deinde iacuerunt ut dormirent.
- ↑ The Latin has dormientibus sociis before the phrase 'out of the fuyre.'
- ↑ Lat. duo angeli.
- ↑ Ms. "and."