_TALE XXIX_.
_A parson, surprised by the sudden return of a husbandman with whose wife he was making good cheer, quickly devised a means for saving himself at the expense of the worthy man, who was never any the wiser_. (1)
1 Etienne brings this story into his _Apologie pour Herodote_, ch xv.--B. J.
At a village called Carrelles, (2) in the county of Maine, there dwelta rich husbandman who in his old age had married a fair young wife. Shebore him no children, but consoled herself for this disappointment withseveral lovers.
2 Carrelles is at six leagues from Mayenne, in the canton of Gorron. Margaret's first husband, the Duke of Alencon, held various fiefs in this part of Maine, which would account for the incident related in the story coming to her knowledge.-- M. and Ed.
When gentlemen and persons of consequence failed her, she turned as alast resource to the Church, and took for companion in her sin him whocould absolve her of it--that is to say, the parson, who often came tovisit his pet ewe. The husband, who was dull and old, had no suspicionof the truth; but, as he was a stern and sturdy man, his wife playedher game as secretly as she was able, fearing that, if it came to herhusband's knowledge, he would kill her.
One day when he was abroad, his wife, thinking that he would not soonreturn, sent for his reverence the parson, who came to confess her; andwhile they were making good cheer together, her husband arrived, andthis so suddenly that the priest had not the time to escape out of thehouse.
Looking about for a means of concealment, he mounted by the woman'sadvice into a loft, and covered the trap-door through which he passedwith a winnowing fan.
The husband entered the house, and his wife, fearing lest he mightsuspect something, regaled him exceedingly well at dinner, never sparingthe liquor, of which he drank so much, that, being moreover wearied withhis work in the fields, he at last fell asleep in his chair in front ofthe fire.
The parson, tired with waiting so long in the loft, and hearing no noisein the room beneath, leaned over the trap-door, and, stretching out hisneck as far as he was able, perceived the goodman to be asleep. However,whilst he was looking at him, he leaned by mischance so heavily upon thefan, that both fan and himself tumbled down by the side of the sleeper.The latter awoke at the noise, but the priest was on his feet before theother had perceived him, and said--
"There is your fan, my friend, and many thanks to you for it."
With these words he took to flight. The poor husbandman was in utterbewilderment.
"What is this?" he asked of his wife. "'Tis your fan, sweetheart," shereplied, "which the parson had borrowed, and has just brought back."
Thereupon in a grumbling fashion the goodman rejoined--
"'Tis a rude way of returning what one has borrowed, for I thought thehouse was coming down."
In this way did the parson save himself at the expense of the goodman,who discovered nothing to find fault with except the rudeness with whichthe fan had been returned.
"The master, ladies, whom the parson served, saved him that time so thathe might afterwards possess and torment him the longer."
"Do not imagine," said Geburon, "that simple folk are more devoid ofcraft than we are; (3) nay, they have a still larger share. Consider thethieves and murderers and sorcerers and coiners, and all the people ofthat sort, whose brains are never at rest; they are all poor and of theclass of artisans."
"I do not think it strange," said Parlamente, "that they should havemore craft than others, but rather that love should torment them amidtheir many toils, and that so gentle a passion should lodge in hearts sobase."
"Madam," replied Saffredent, "you know what Master Jehan de Mehun hassaid--
"Those clad in drugget love no less Than those that wear a silken dress." (4)
3 In MS. No. 1520 this passage runs--"that simple and humble people are," &c.--L.
4 This is a free rendering of lines 4925-6 of Meon's edition of the _Roman de la Rose_:--
"Aussy bien sont amourettes Soubz bureau que soubz brunettes."
_Bureau_, the same as _dure_, is a kind of drugget; _brunette_ was a silken stuff very fashionable among the French lords and ladies at the time of St. Louis. It was doubtless of a brown hue.--B, J. and M.
Moreover, the love of which the tale speaks is not such as makes onecarry harness; for, while poor folk lack our possessions and honours,on the other hand they have their natural advantages more at theirconvenience than we. Their fare is not so dainty as ours, but theirappetites are keener, and they live better on coarse bread than we do ondelicacies. Their beds are not so handsome or so well appointed as ours,but their sleep is sounder and their rest less broken. They have noladies pranked out and painted like those whom we idolise, but they taketheir pleasure oftener than we, without fear of telltale tongues, savethose of the beasts and birds that see them. What we have they lack, andwhat we lack they possess in abundance."
"I pray you," said Nomerfide, "let us now have done with this peasantand his wife, and let us finish the day's entertainment before vespers.'Tis Hircan shall bring it to an end."
"Truly," said he, "I have kept in reserve as strange and pitiful a taleas ever you heard. And although it grieves me greatly to relate anythingto the discredit of a lady, knowing, as I do, that men are maliciousenough to blame the whole sex for the fault of one, yet the strangenessof the story prompts me to lay aside my fear. Perhaps, also, thediscovery of one woman's ignorance will make others wiser. And so I willfearlessly tell you the following tale."
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[The Young Gentleman embracing his Mother]
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