第 6 节
作者:冰点沸点      更新:2021-05-04 17:31      字数:9322
  will cease with the cause that makes you a serf。 Now; if you love me
  more than all else; lose your goods to purchase our happiness; and
  espouse me。 Then when you have had your will of me; when you have
  hugged me and embraced me to your heart's content; before I have
  offspring will I voluntarily kill myself; and thus you become free
  again; at least you will have the king on your side; who; it is said;
  wishes you well。 And without doubt; God will pardon me that I cause my
  own death; in order to deliver my lord spouse。〃
  〃My dear Tiennette;〃 cried the jeweller; 〃it is finishedI will be a
  bondsman; and thou wilt live to make my happiness as long as my days。
  In thy company; the hardest chains will weigh but lightly; and little
  shall I reck the want of gold; when all my riches are in thy heart;
  and my only pleasure in thy sweet body。 I place myself in the hands of
  St。 Eloi; will deign in this misery to look upon us with pitying eyes;
  and guard us from all evils。 Now I shall go hence to a scrivener to
  have the deeds and contracts drawn up。 At least; dear flower of my
  days; thou shalt be gorgeously attired; well housed; and served like a
  queen during thy lifetime; since the lord abbot leaves me the earnings
  of my profession。〃
  Tiennette; crying and laughing; tried to put off her good fortune and
  wished to die; rather than reduce to slavery a free man; but the good
  Anseau whispered such soft words to her; and threatened so firmly to
  follow her to the tomb; that she agreed to the said marriage; thinking
  that she could always free herself after having tasted the pleasures
  of love。
  When the submission of the Touranian became known in the town; and
  that for his sweetheart he yielded up his wealth and his liberty;
  everyone wished to see him。 The ladies of the court encumbered
  themselves with jewels; in order to speak with him; and there fell
  upon him as from the clouds women enough to make up for the time he
  had been without them; but if any of them approached Tiennette in
  beauty; none had her heart。 To be brief; when the hour of slavery and
  love was at hand; Anseau remolded all of his gold into a royal crown;
  in which he fixed all his pearls and diamonds; and went secretly to
  the queen; and gave it to her; saying; 〃Madame; I know not how to
  dispose of my fortune; which you here behold。 Tomorrow everything that
  is found in my house will be the property of the cursed monks; who
  have had no pity on me。 Then deign; madame; to accept this。 It is a
  slight return for the joy which; through you; I have experienced in
  seeing her I love; for no sum of money is worth one of her glances。 I
  do not know what will become of me; but if one day my children are
  delivered; I rely upon your queenly generosity。〃
  〃Well said; good man;〃 cried the king。 〃The abbey will one day need my
  aid and I will not lose the remembrance of this。〃
  There was a vast crowd at the abbey for the nuptials of Tiennette; to
  whom the queen presented the bridal dress; and to whom the king
  granted a licence to wear every day golden rings in her ears。 When the
  charming pair came from the abbey to the house of Anseau (now serf)
  over against St。 Leu; there were torches at the windows to see them
  pass; and a double line in the streets; as though it were a royal
  entry。 The poor husband had made himself a collar of gold; which he
  wore on his left arm in token of his belonging to the abbey of St。
  Germain。 But in spite of his servitude the people cried out; 〃Noel!
  Noel!〃 as to a new crowned king。 And the good man bowed to them
  gracefully; happy as a lover; and joyful at the homage which every one
  rendered to the grace and modesty of Tiennette。 Then the good
  Touranian found green boughs and violets in crowns in his honour; and
  the principal inhabitants of the quarter were all there; who as a
  great honour; played music to him; and cried to him; 〃You will always
  be a noble man in spite of the abbey。〃 You may be sure that the happy
  pair indulged an amorous conflict to their hearts' content; that the
  good man's blows were vigorous; and that his sweetheart; like a good
  country maiden; was of a nature to return them。 Thus they lived
  together a whole month; happy as the doves; who in springtime build
  their nest twig by twig。 Tiennette was delighted with the beautiful
  house and the customers; who came and went away astonished at her。
  This month of flowers past; there came one day; with great pomp; the
  good old Abbot Hugon; their lord and master; who entered the house;
  which then belonged not the jeweller but to the Chapter; and said to
  the two spouses:
  〃My children; you are released; free and quit of everything; and I
  should tell you that from the first I was much struck with the love
  which united you one to the other。 The rights of the abbey once
  recognised; I was; so far as I was concerned; determined to restore
  you to perfect enjoyment; after having proved your loyalty by the test
  of God。 And this manumission will cost you nothing。〃 Having thus said;
  he gave them each a little tap with his hand on the cheek。 And they
  fell about his knees weeping tears of joy for such good reasons。 The
  Touranian informed the people of the neighbourhood; who picked up in
  the street the largesse; and received the predictions of the good
  Abbott Hugon。
  Then it was with great honour; Master Anseau held the reins of his
  mule; so far as the gate of Bussy。 During the journey the jeweller;
  who had taken a bag of silver; threw the pieces to the poor and
  suffering; crying; 〃Largesse; largesse to God! God save and guard the
  abbot! Long live the good Lord Hugon!〃 And returning to his house he
  regaled his friends; and had fresh wedding festivities; which lasted a
  fortnight。 You can imagine that the abbot was reproached by the
  Chapter; for his clemency in opening the door for such good prey to
  escape; so that when a year after the good man Hugon fell ill; his
  prior told him that it was a punishment from Heaven because he had
  neglected the sacred interests of the Chapter and of God。
  〃If I have judged that man aright;〃 said the abbot; 〃he will not
  forget what he owes us。〃
  In fact; this day happening by chance to be the anniversary of the
  marriage; a monk came to announce that the silversmith supplicated his
  benefactor to receive him。 Soon he entered the room where the abbot
  was; and spread out before him two marvellous shrines; which since
  that time no workman has surpassed; in any portion of the Christian
  world; and which were named 〃Vow of a Steadfast Love。〃 These two
  treasures are; as everyone knows; placed on the principal altar of the
  church; and are esteemed as an inestimable work; for the silversmith
  had spent therein all his wealth。 Nevertheless; this wealth; far from
  emptying his purse; filled it full to overflowing; because so rapidly
  increased his fame and his fortune that he was able to buy a patent of
  nobility and lands; and he founded the house of Anseau; which has
  since been held in great honour in fair Touraine。
  This teaches us to have always recourse to God and the saints in all
  the undertakings of life; to be steadfast in all things; and; above
  all; that a great love triumphs over everything; which is an old
  sentence; but the author has rewritten it because it is a most
  pleasant one。
  CONCERNING A PROVOST WHO DID NOT RECOGNISE THINGS
  In the good town of Bourges; at the time when that lord the king
  disported himself there; who afterwards abandoned his search after
  pleasure to conquer the kingdom; and did indeed conquer it; lived
  there a provost; entrusted by him with the maintenance of order; and
  called the provost…royal。 From which came; under the glorious son of
  the said king; the office of provost of the hotel; in which behaved
  rather harshly my lord Tristan of Mere; of whom these tales oft make
  mention; although he was by no means a merry fellow。 I give this
  information to the friends who pilfer from old manuscripts to
  manufacture new ones; and I show thereby how learned these Tales
  really are; without appearing to be so。 Very well; then; this provost
  was named Picot or Picault; of which some made picotin; picoter; and
  picoree; by some Pitot or Pitaut; from which comes /pitance/; by
  others in Languedoc; Pichot from which comes nothing comes worth
  knowing; by these Petiot or Petiet; by those Petitot and Petinault; or
  Petiniaud; which was the masonic appellation; but at Bourges he was
  called Petit; a name which was eventually adopted by the family; which
  has multiplied exceedingly; for everywhere you find 〃/des Petits/;〃
  and so he will be called Petit in this narrative。 I have given this
  etymology in order to throw a light on our language; and show how our
  citizens have finished by acquiring names。 But enough of science。
  This said provost; who had as many names as there were provinces into
  which the court went; was in reality a little bit of a man; whose
  mother had given