droll stories-3-第31章

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that　had　caused　the　greatest　astonishment　of　his　long　and　honourable

life。　In　this　most　pitiable　state　he　saw　in　the　fields　during　the

merry　month　of　May　a　girl；　who　by　chance　was　a　maiden；　and　minding

cows。　The　heat　was　so　excessive　that　this　cowherdess　had　stretched

herself　beneath　the　shadow　of　a　beech　tree；　her　face　to　the　ground；

after　the　custom　of　people　who　labour　in　the　fields；　in　order　to　get　a

little　nap　while　her　animals　were　grazing。　She　was　awakened　by　the

deed　of　the　old　man；　who　had　stolen　from　her　that　which　a　poor　girl

could　only　lose　once。　Finding　herself　ruined　without　receiving　from

the　process　either　knowledge　or　pleasure；　she　cried　out　so　loudly　that

the　people　working　in　the　fields　ran　to　her；　and　were　called　upon　by

her　as　witnesses；　at　the　time　when　that　destruction　was　visible　in　her

which　is　appropriate　only　to　a　bridal　night。　She　cried　and　groaned；

saying　that　the　old　ape　might　just　as　well　have　played　his　tricks　on

her　mother；　who　would　have　said　nothing。



He　made　answer　to　the　peasants；　who　had　already　raised　their　hoes　to

kill　him；　that　he　had　been　compelled　to　enjoy　himself。　These　people

objected　that　a　man　can　enjoy　himself　very　well　without　enjoying　a

maidena　case　for　the　provost；　which　would　bring　him　straight　to　the

gallows；　and　he　was　taken　with　great　clamour　to　the　jail　of　Rouen。



The　girl；　interrogated　by　the　provost；　declared　that　she　was　sleeping

in　order　to　do　something；　and　that　she　thought　she　was　dreaming　of　her

lover；　with　whom　she　was　then　at　loggerheads；　because　before　marriage

he　wished　to　take　certain　liberties：　and　jokingly；　in　this　dream　she

let　him　reconnoiter　to　a　certain　extent；　in　order　to　avoid　any　dispute

afterwards；　and　that　in　spite　of　her　prohibitions　he　went　further　than

she　had　given　him　leave　to　go；　and　finding　more　pain　than　pleasure　in

the　affair；　she　had　been　awakened　by　Vieux　par…Chemins；　who　had

attacked　her　as　a　gray…friar　would　a　ham　at　the　end　of　lent。



This　trial　caused　so　great　a　commotion　in　the　town　of　Rouen　that　the

provost　was　sent　for　by　the　duke；　who　had　an　intense　desire　to　know　if

the　thing　were　true。　Upon　the　affirmation　of　the　provost；　he　ordered

Vieux　par…Chemins　to　be　brought　to　his　palace；　in　order　that　he　might

hear　what　defence　he　had　to　make。　The　poor　old　fellow　appeared　before

the　prince；　and　informed　him　naively　of　the　misfortune　which　his

impulsive　nature　brought　upon　him；　declaring　that　he　was　like　a　young

fellow　impelled　by　imperious　desires；　that　up　to　the　present　year　he

had　sweethearts　of　his　own；　but　for　the　last　eight　months　he　had　been

a　total　abstainer；　that　he　was　too　poor　to　find　favour　with　the　girls

of　the　town；　that　honest　women　who　once　were　charitable　to　him；　had

taken　a　dislike　to　his　hair；　which　had　feloniously　turned　white　in

spite　of　the　green　youth　of　his　love；　and　that　he　felt　compelled　to

avail　himself　of　the　chance　when　he　saw　this　maiden；　who；　stretched　at

full　length　under　the　beech　tree；　left　visible　the　lining　of　her　dress

and　two　hemispheres；　white　as　snow；　which　had　deprived　him　of　reason；

that　the　fault　was　the　girl's　and　not　his；　because　young　maidens

should　be　forbidden　to　entice　passers…by　by　showing　them　that　which

caused　Venus　to　be　named　Callipyge；　finally　the　prince　ought　to　be

aware　what　trouble　a　man　had　to　control　himself　at　the　hour　of　noon；

because　that　was　the　time　of　day　at　which　King　David　was　smitten　with

the　wife　of　the　Sieur　Uriah；　that　where　a　Hebrew　king；　beloved　of　God；

had　succumbed；　a　poor　man；　deprived　of　all　joy；　and　reduced　to　begging

for　his　bread；　could　not　expect　to　escape；　that　for　that　matter　of

that；　he　was　quite　willing　to　sing　psalms　for　the　remainder　of　his

days；　and　play　upon　a　lute　by　way　of　penance；　in　imitation　of　the　said

king；　who　had　had　the　misfortune　to　slay　a　husband；　while　he　had　only

done　a　trifling　injury　to　a　peasant　girl。　The　duke　listened　to　the

arguments　of　Vieux　par…Chemins；　and　said　that　he　was　a　man　of　good

parts。　Then　he　made　his　memorable　decree；　that　if；　as　this　beggar

declared；　he　had　need　of　such　gratification　at　his　age　he　gave

permission　to　prove　it　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder　which　he　would　have

to　mount　to　be　hanged；　according　to　the　sentence　already　passed　on　him

by　the　provost；　that　if　then；　the　rope　being　round　his　neck；　between

the　priest　and　the　hangman；　a　like　desire　seized　him　he　should　have　a

free　pardon。



This　decree　becoming　known；　there　was　a　tremendous　crowd　to　see　the

old　fellow　led　to　the　gallows。　There　was　a　line　drawn　up　as　if　for　a

ducal　entry；　and　in　it　many　more　bonnets　than　hats。　Vieux　par…Chemins

was　saved　by　a　lady　curious　to　see　how　this　precious　violator　would

finish　his　career。　She　told　the　duke　that　religion　demanded　that　he

should　have　a　fair　chance。　And　she　dressed　herself　as　if　for　a　ball；

she　brought　intentionally　into　evidence　two　hillocks　of　such　snowy

whiteness　that　the　whitest　linen　neckerchief　would　have　paled　before

them；　indeed；　these　fruits　of　love　stood　out；　without　a　wrinkle；　over

her　corset；　like　two　beautiful　apples；　and　made　one's　mouth　water；　so

exquisite　were　they。　This　noble　lady；　who　was　one　of　those　who　rouse

one's　manhood；　had　a　smile　ready　on　her　lips　for　the　old　fellow。　Vieux

par…Chemins；　dressed　in　garments　of　coarse　cloth；　more　certain　of

being　in　the　desired　state　after　hanging　than　before　it；　came　along

between　the　officers　of　justice　with　a　sad　countenance；　glancing　now

here　and　there；　and　seeing　nothing　but　head…dresses；　and　he　would　he

declared；　have　given　a　hundred　crowns　for　a　girl　tucked　up　as　was　the

cowherdess；　whose　charms；　though　they　had　been　his　ruin；　he　still

remembered；　and　they　might　still　have　saved　him；　but；　as　he　was　old；

the　remembrance　was　not　sufficiently　recent。　But　when；　at　the　foot　of

the　ladder；　he　saw　the　twin　charms　of　the　lady；　and　the　pretty　delta

that　their　confluent　rotundities　produced；　the　sight　so　much　excited

him　that　his　emotion　was　patent　to　the　spectators。



〃Make　haste　and　see　that　the　required　conditions　are　fulfilled；〃　said

he　to　the　officers。　〃I　have　gained　my　pardon　but　I　cannot　answer　for

my　saviour。〃



The　lady　was　well　pleased　with　this　homage；　which；　she　said；　was

greater　than　his　offence。　The　guards；　whose　business　it　was　to　proceed

to　a　verification；　believed　the　culprit　to　be　the　devil；　because　never

in　their　wits　had　they　seen　an　〃I〃　so　perpendicular　as　was　the　old

man。　He　was　marched　in　triumph　through　the　town　to　the　palace　of　the

duke；　to　whom　the　guards　and　others　stated　the　facts。　In　that　period

of　ignorance；　this　affair　was　thought　so　much　of　that　the　town　voted

the　erection　of　a　column　on　the　spot　where　the　old　fellow　gained　his

pardon；　and　he　was　portrayed　thereon　in　stone　in　the　attitude　he

assumed　at　the　sight　of　that　honest　and　virtuous　lady。　The　statue　was

still　to　be　seen　when　Rouen　was　taken　by　the　English；　and　the　writers

of　the　period　have　included　this　history　among　the　notable　events　of

the　reign。



As　the　town　offered　to　supply　the　old　man　with　all　he　required；　and

see　to　his　sustenance；　clothing；　and　amusements；　the　good　duke

arranged　matters　by　giving　the　injured　maiden　a　thousand　crowns　and

marrying　her　to　her　seducer；　who　then　lost　his　name　of　Vieux　par…

Chemins。　He　was　named　by　the　duke　the　Sieur　de　Bonne…C。　This


wife　was　confined　nine　months　afterwards　of　a　perfectly　formed　male

child；　alive　and　kicking；　and　born　with　two　teeth。　From　this　marriage

came　the　house　of　Bonne…C；　who　from　motives　modest　but　wrong；

besought　our　well…beloved　King　Louis　Eleventh　to　grant　them　letters

patent　to　change　their　names　into　that　of　Bonne…Chose。　The　king

pointed　out　to　the　Sieur　de　Bonne…C　that　there　was　in　the　state

of　Venice　an　illustrious　family　named　Coglioni；　who　wore　three

〃C　au　natural〃　on　their　coat　of　arms。　The　gentlemen　of　the　House

of　Bonne…C　stated　to　the　king　that　their　wives　were　ashamed　to

be　thus　called　in　public　assemblies；　the　king　answered　that　they　wo