droll stories-3-第15章

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monks　as　a　wild　as　April　moons。　They　gave　vent　to　shouts　of　joy　in　the

refectory；　and　all　came　to　congratulate　Amador；　who　waved　the　charter

over　his　head。　The　men…at…arms　were　regaled　with　the　best　wine　in　the

cellars；　which　was　a　present　made　to　the　monks　of　Turpenay　by　those　of

Marmoustier；　to　whom　belonged　the　lands　of　Vouvray。　The　good　abbot

having　had　the　document　of　the　Sieur　de　Cande　read；　went　about

saying



〃On　these　divine　occasions　there　always　appears　the　finger　of　God；　to

whom　we　should　render　thanks。〃



As　the　good　abbot　kept　on　at　the　finger　of　God；　when　thanking　Amador；

the　monk；　annoyed　to　see　the　instrument　of　their　delivery　thus

diminished；　said　to　him



〃Well；　say　that　it　is　the　arm；　my　father；　and　drop　the　subject。〃



The　termination　of　the　trial　between　the　Sieur　de　Cande　and　the　abbey

of　Turpenay　was　followed　by　a　blessing　which　rendered　him　devoted　to

the　Church；　because　nine　months　after　he　had　a　son。　Two　years

afterwards　Amador　was　chosen　as　abbot　by　the　monks；　who　reckoned　upon

a　merry　government　with　a　madcap。　But　Amador　become　an　abbot；　became

steady　and　austere；　because　he　had　conquered　his　evil　desires　by　his

labours；　and　recast　his　nature　at　the　female　forge；　in　which　is　that

fire　which　is　the　most　perfecting；　persevering；　persistent；

perdurable；　permanent；　perennial；　and　permeating　fire　that　there　ever

was　in　the　world。　It　is　a　fire　to　ruin　everything；　and　it　ruined　so

well　the　evil　that　was　in　Amador；　that　it　left　only　that　which　it

could　not　eatthat　is；　his　wit；　which　was　as　clear　as　a　diamond；

which　is；　as　everyone　knows；　a　residue　of　the　great　fire　by　which　our

globe　was　formerly　carbonised。　Amador　was　then　the　instrument　chosen

by　Providence　to　reform　our　illustrious　abbey；　since　he　put　everything

right　there；　watched　night　and　day　over　his　monks；　made　them　all　rise

at　the　hours　appointed　for　prayers；　counted　them　in　chapel　as　a

shepherd　counts　his　sheep；　kept　them　well　in　hand；　and　punished　their

faults　severely；　that　he　made　them　most　virtuous　brethren。



This　teaches　us　to　look　upon　womankind　more　as　the　instruments　of　our

salvation　than　of　our　pleasure。　Besides　which；　this　narrative　teaches

us　that　we　should　never　attempt　to　struggle　with　the　Churchmen。



The　king　and　the　queen　had　found　this　tale　in　the　best　taste；　the

courtiers　confessed　that　they　had　never　heard　a　better；　and　the　ladies

would　all　willingly　have　been　the　heroines　of　it。







BERTHA　THE　PENITENT



I

HOW　BERTHA　REMAINED　A　MAIDEN　IN　THE　MARRIED　STATE



About　the　time　of　the　first　flight　of　the　Dauphin；　which　threw　our

good　Sire；　Charles　the　Victorious；　into　a　state　of　great　dejection；

there　happened　a　great　misfortune　to　a　noble　House　of　Touraine；　since

extinct　in　every　branch；　and　it　is　owing　to　this　fact　that　this　most

deplorable　history　may　now　be　safely　brought　to　light。　To　aid　him　in

this　work　the　author　calls　to　his　assistance　the　holy　confessors；

martyrs；　and　other　celestial　dominations；　who；　by　the　commandments　of

God；　were　the　promoters　of　good　in　this　affair。



From　some　defect　in　his　character；　the　Sire　Imbert　de　Bastarnay；　one

of　the　most　landed　lords　in　our　land　of　Touraine；　had　no　confidence　in

the　mind　of　the　female　of　man；　whom　he　considered　much　too　animated；

on　account　of　her　numerous　vagaries；　and　it　may　be　he　was　right。　In

consequence　of　this　idea　he　reached　his　old　age　without　a　companion；

which　was　certainly　not　to　his　advantage。　Always　leading　a　solitary

life；　this　said　man　had　no　idea　of　making　himself　agreeable　to　others；

having　only　been　mixed　up　with　wars　and　the　orgies　of　bachelors；　with

whom　he　did　not　put　himself　out　of　the　way。　Thus　he　remained　stale　in

his　garments；　sweaty　in　his　accoutrements；　with　dirty　hands　and　an

apish　face。　In　short；　he　looked　the　ugliest　man　in　Christendom。　As　far

as　regards　his　person　only　though；　since　so　far　as　his　heart；　his

head；　and　other　secret　places　were　concerned；　he　had　properties　which

rendered　him　most　praiseworthy。　An　angel　（pray　believe　this）　would

have　walked　a　long　way　without　meeting　an　old　warrior　firmer　at　his

post；　a　lord　with　more　spotless　scutcheon；　of　shorter　speech；　and　more

perfect　loyalty。



Certain　people　have　stated；　they　have　heard　that　he　gave　sound　advice；

and　was　a　good　and　profitable　man　to　consult。　Was　it　not　a　strange

freak　on　the　part　of　God；　who　plays　sometimes　jokes　on　us；　to　have

granted　so　many　perfections　to　a　man　so　badly　apparelled？



When　he　was　sixty　in　appearance；　although　only　fifty　in　years；　he

determined　to　take　unto　himself　a　wife；　in　order　to　obtain　lineage。

Then；　while　foraging　about　for　a　place　where　he　might　be　able　to　find

a　lady　to　his　liking；　he　heard　much　vaunted；　the　great　merits　and

perfections　of　a　daughter　of　the　illustrious　house　of　Rohan；　which　at

that　time　had　some　property　in　the　province。　The　young　lady　in

question　was　called　Bertha；　that　being　her　pet　name。　Imbert　having

been　to　see　her　at　the　castle　of　Montbazon；　was；　in　consequence　of　the

prettiness　and　innocent　virtue　of　the　said　Bertha　de　Rohan；　seized

with　so　great　a　desire　to　possess　her；　that　he　determined　to　make　her

his　wife；　believing　that　never　could　a　girl　of　such　lofty　descent　fail

in　her　duty。　This　marriage　was　soon　celebrated；　because　the　Sire　de

Rohan　had　seven　daughters；　and　hardly　knew　how　to　provide　for　them

all；　at　a　time　when　people　were　just　recovering　from　the　late　wars；

and　patching　up　their　unsettled　affairs。　Now　the　good　man　Bastarnay

happily　found　Bertha　really　a　maiden；　which　fact　bore　witness　to　her

proper　bringing　up　and　perfect　maternal　correction。　So　immediately　the

night　arrived　when　it　should　be　lawful　for　him　to　embrace　her；　he　got

her　with　a　child　so　roughly　that　he　had　proof　of　the　result　two　months

after　marriage；　which　rendered　the　Sire　Imbert　joyful　to　a　degree。　In

order　that　we　may　here　finish　with　this　portion　of　the　story；　let　us

at　once　state　that　from　this　legitimate　grain　was　born　the　Sire　de

Bastarnay；　who　was　Duke　by　the　grace　of　Louis　the　Eleventh；　his

chamberlain；　and　more　than　that；　his　ambassador　in　the　countries　of

Europe；　and　well…beloved　of　this　most　redoubtable　lord；　to　whom　he

was　never　faithless。　His　loyalty　was　an　heritage　from　his　father；　who

from　his　early　youth　was　much　attached　to　the　Dauphin；　whose　fortunes

he　followed；　even　in　the　rebellions；　since　he　was　a　man　to　put　Christ

on　the　cross　again　if　it　had　been　required　by　him　to　do　so；　which　is

the　flower　of　friendship　rarely　to　be　found　encompassing　princes　and

great　people。　At　first；　the　fair　lady　of　Bastarnay　comported　herself

so　loyally　that　her　society　caused　those　thick　vapours　and　black

clouds　to　vanish；　which　obscured　the　mind　of　this　great　man；　the

brightness　of　the　feminine　glory。　Now；　according　to　the　custom　of

unbelievers；　he　passed　from　suspicion　to　confidence　so　thoroughly；

that　he　yielded　up　the　government　of　his　house　to　the　said　Bertha；

made　her　mistress　of　his　deeds　and　actions；　queen　of　his　honour；

guardian　of　his　grey　hairs；　and　would　have　slaughtered　without　a

contest　any　one　who　had　said　an　evil　word　concerning　this　mirror　of

virtue；　on　whom　no　breath　had　fallen　save　the　breath　issued　from　his

conjugal　and　marital　lips；　cold　and　withered　as　they　were。　To　speak

truly　on　all　points；　it　should　be　explained；　that　to　this　virtuous

behaviour　considerably　aided　the　little　boy；　who　during　six　years

occupied　day　and　night　the　attention　of　his　pretty　mother；　who　first

nourished　him　with　her　milk；　and　made　of　him　a　lover's　lieutenant；

yielding　to　him　her　sweet　breasts；　which　he　gnawed　at；　hungry；　as

often　as　he　would；　and　was；　like　a　lover；　always　there。　This　good

mother　knew　no　other　pleasures　than　those　of　his　rosy　lips；　had　no

other　caresses　that　those　of　his　tiny　little　hands；　which　ran　about

her　like　the　feet　of　playful　mice；　read　no　other　book　than　that　in　his

clear　baby　eyes；　in　which　the　blue　sky　was　reflected；　and　listened　to

no　other　m