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