雙語《列那狐》 27

CHAPTER XXVI

“DEAR Nephew, let all these things pass, and come here in and see what I shall give you; a good pair of fat pigeons. I love no meat better. They are good to digest. They may almost be swolowen in all whole; the bones are half blood; I eat them with that other. I feel myself other while encumbered in my stomach, therefore eat I gladly light meat. My wife Ermelyne shall receive us friendly, but tell her nothing of this thing for she should take it over heavily. She is tender of heart; she might for fear fall in some sickness; a little thing goes sore to her heart. And to-morrow early I will go with you to the Court, and if I may come to speech and may be heard, I shall so answer that I shall touch some nigh ynowh. Nephew, will not you stand by me as a friend ought to do to another?”

“Yes truly, dear Eme,”said Grymbart,“and all my good is at your commandment.”

“God thank you, Nephew,”said the Fox.“That is well said: If I may live, I shall quite it you.”

“Eme,”said Grymbart,“you may well come before all the lords and excuse you. There shall none arrest you nor hold as long as you be in your words. The Queen and the Leopard have gotten that.”

Then said the Fox,“Therefor I am glad; then I care not for the best of them an hair; I shall well save myself.”

They spoke no more hereof, but went forth into the burrow, and found Ermelyne there sitting by her younglings, which arose up anon and received them friendly. Grymbart saluted his aunt and the children with friendly words. The two pigeons were made ready for their supper, which Reynart had taken. Each of them took his part, as far as it would stretch; if each of them had had one more there should but little have left over. The Fox said,“Lief Nephew, how like you my children Rossel and Reynerdine? They shall do worship to all our lineage. They begin already to do well. That one catches well a chicken, and that other a pullet. They conne well also duck in the water after lapwings and ducks. I would oft send them for provender, but I will first teach them how they shall keep them from the grynnes, from the hunters, and from the hounds. If they were so far come that they were wise, I durst well trust to them that they should well victual us in many good divers meats that we now lack. And they like and follow me well, for they play all grimming, and where they hate they look friendly and merrily; for thereby they bring them under their feet, and bite the throat asunder. This is the nature of the Fox. They be swift in their taking, which pleases me well.”

“Eme,”said Grymbart,“you may be glad that you have such wise children. And I am glad of them also because they be of my kin.”

“Grymbart,”said the Fox,“you have sweat and be weary. It were high tide that you were at your rest.”

“Eme, if it pleases you, it thinks me good.”Tho lay they down on a litter made of straw. The Fox his wife and his children went all to sleep, but the Fox was all heavy and lay, sighed, and sorrowed how he might best excuse himself.

On the morrow early he roomed his castle and went with Grymbart. But he took leave first of Dame Ermelyne his wife and of his children, and said,“Think not long. I must go to the Court with Grymbart, my cousin. If I tarry somewhat, be not afraid; and if you hear any ill tidings, take it alway for the best. And see well to yourself and keep our castle well. I shall do yonder the best I can, after that I see how it goes.”

“Alas, Reynart,”said she,“how have you now thus taken upon you for to go to the Court again? The last time that you were there, you were in great jeopardy of your life. And you said you would never come there more.”

“Dame,”said the Fox,“the adventure of the world is wonderly; it goes otherwhile by weening. Many one weens to have a thing which he must forego. I must needs now go thither. Be content. It is all without dread. I hope to come at altherlengest within five days again.”

Herewith he departed; and went with Grymbart to the Court ward. And when they were upon the heath, then said Reynart,“Nephew, since I was last shriven I have done many shrewd turns. I would you would hear me now of all that I have trespassed in: I made the Bear to have a great wound for the male which was cut out of his skin; and also I made the Wolf and his wife to lose their shoon; I peased the King with great leasings, and bare him on hand that the Wolf and the Bear would have betrayed him and would have slain him, so I made the King right wroth with them where they deserved it not; also I told to the King that there was great treasure in Hulsterlo of which he was never the better nor richer, for I lied all that I said; I led Bellyn the Ram and Cuwart the Hare with me, and slew Cuwart and sent to the King by Bellyn Cuwart's head in scorn; and I dowed the Cony between the ears that almost I benamme his life from him, for he escaped against my will, he was to me overswift; the Rook may well complain for I swallowed in Dame Sharpebek his wife. And also I have forgotten one thing, the last time that I was shriven to you, which I have since bethought me; and it was of great deceit that I did; which I now will tell you. I came with the Wolf walking between Houthulst and Elverdynge. There saw we go a red mare, and she had a black colt or a foal of four months old which was good and fat. Esegrim was almost storven for hunger, and prayed me go to the Mare and wit of her if she would sell her foal.

“I ran fast to the Mare and asked that of her. She said she would sell it for money.

“I demanded of her, how she would sell it.

“She said,‘It is written on my hinder foot. If you can read and be a clerk you may come see and read it.’

“Tho wist I well where she would be, and I said,‘Nay, for sooth, I cannot read. And also I desire not to buy your child. Esegrim has sent me hither, and would fain know the price thereof.’

“The Mare said,‘Let him come then himself, and I shall let him have knowledge.’

“I said,‘I shall;’and hastily went to Esegrim, and said,‘Eme will you eat your bellyful of this colt, so go fast to the Mare for she tarries after you. She has do write the price of her colt under her foot. She would that I should have read it, but I can not one letter, which me sore repents for I went never to school. Eme will you buy that colt? Can you read, so may you buy it.’

“‘Oh, Nephew, that can I well. What should me let? I can well French, Latin, English, and Dutch. I have gone to school at Oxenford, I have also with old and ancient doctors been in the audience and heard pleas, and also have given sentence, I am licensed in both laws; what manner writing that any man can devise I can read it as perfectly as my name: I will go to her, and shall anon understand the price,’and he bade me to tarry for him, and he ran to the Mare, and asked her how she would sell her foal or keep it. She said,‘The sum of the money stands written after on my foot.’He said,‘Let me read it.’She said,‘Do,’and lifte up her foot, which was new shod with iron and six strong nails; and she smote him, without missing, on his head, that he fell down as he had been dead. A man should well have ridden a mile ere he arose. The Mare trotted away with her colt, and she left Esegrim lying shrewdly hurt and wounded. He lay and bled, and howled as an hound. I went tho to him and said,‘Sir Esegrim, dear Eme, how is it now with you? Have you eaten yenowh of the colt? Is your belly full? Why give you me no part? I did your errand. Have slept you your dinner? I pray you tell me, what was written under the mare's foot? What was it, prose or rhyme, metre or verse? I would fain know it. I think it was cantum, for I heard you sing, me thought, from fear; for you were so wise that no man could read it better than you.’

“‘Alas, Reynart, alas!’said the Wolf,‘I pray you to leave your mocking. I am so foul arrayed and sore hurt than an heart of stone might have pity on me. The Mare with her long leg had an iron foot, I weened the nails thereof had been letters, and she hit me at the first stroke six great wounds in my head that almost it is cloven. Such manner letters shall I never more desire to read.’‘Dear Eme, is that truth that you tell me? I have great mervaylle. I held you for one of the wisest clerks that now live. Now I hear well it is true that I long since have read and heard, that the best clerks are not the wisest men. The lay people otherwhile wax wise. The cause that these clerks are not the wisest is that they study so much in the cunning and science that they therein doole.’Thus brought I Esegrim in this great laste and harm, that he vnneth byhelde his life.

“Lief Nephew now have I told you all my sins that I remember. Whatsoever fallen at the Court—I wote never how it shall stand with me there—I am not now so sore afraid, for I am clear from sin. I will gladly come to mercy and receive penance by your counsel.”

Grymbart said,“The trespasses are great. Nevertheless who that is dead must abide dead, and therefore I will forgive it you altogether, with the fear that you shall suffer therefor ere you shall conne excuse you of the death, and hereupon I will assoil you. But the most hinder that you shall have shall be, that you sent Cuwart's head to the Court, and that you blinded the King with sutthe lies. Eme, that was right evil done.”

The Fox said,“What, lief nephew! Who that will go through the world this to hear and that to see and that other to tell, truly it may not clearly be done. How should any man handle honey but if he licked his fingers? I am often rored and pricked in my conscience as to love God above all thing and my even Crysten as myself, as is to God well acceptable and according to his law. But how ween you that reason within forth fights against the outward will, then stand I all still in myself, that me thinks I have lost all my wits, and wote not what me ails, I am then in such a thought I have now all left my sins, and hate all thing that is not good, and climb in high contemplation abone his commandments. But this special grace have I when I am alone; but in a short while after, when the world comes in me, then find I in my way so many stones, and the foot spores that these loose prelates and rich priests go in, that I am anon taken again. Then comes the world and will have this; and the flesh will live pleasantly; which lay before me so many things that I then lose all my good thoughts and purpose. I hear there sing, pipe, laugh, play, and all mirth, and I hear that these prelates and rich curates preach and say all otherwise than they think and do. There learn I to lie, the leasings are most used in the lord's courts; certainly lords, ladies, priests, and clerks, maken most leasings. Men dare not tell to the lords now the truth. There is default. I must flatter and lie also or else I should be shut without the door. I have often heard men say truth and rightfully, and have their reason made with a leasing like to their purpose, who brought it in and went through because their matter should seem the fairer. The leasing often comes unavised, and falls in the matter unwittingly, and so, when she is well clad, it goes forth through with that other.

“Dear Nephew thus must men now lie here and there, say sooth, flatter and menace, pray and curse, and seek every man upon his feeblest and weakest. Who otherwise will now haunt and use the world than devise a leasing in the fairest wise, and that bewimple with kerchiefs about in such wise that men take it for a truth, he is not run away from his master. Can he that subtilty in such wise that he stammer not in his words, and may then be heard, Nephew, this man may do wonder. He may wear scarlet and grise. He wins in the spiritual law and temporal also, and wheresomever he has to do. Now are there many false shrews that have great envy that they have so great fardel, and ween that they can also well lie; and take on them to lie and to tell it forth. He would fain eat of the fat morsels. But he is not believed nor heard. And many are there that be so plump and foolish that when they ween best to pronounce and show their matter and conclude, they fall beside and out thereof, and cannot then help themself, and leave their matter without tail or head; and he is acompted for a fool; and many mock them therewith. But who can give to his leasing a conclusion, and pronounce it without tatelying, like as it were written before him, and that he can so blind the people that his leasing shall better be believed than the truth: that is the man. What cunning is it to say the truth that is good to do? How laugh these false subtle shrews that give counsel, to make these leasings and set them forth, and maken unright go above right, and maken bills and set in things that never were thought nor said, and teach men see through their fingers; and all for to win money and let their tongues to hire for to maintain and strengthen their leasings. Alas, Nephew, this is an evil cunning, of which life-scathe and hurt may come thereof. I say not but that otherwhile men must jape, bourd, and lie in small things; for whoso says alway truth, he may not now go nowhere through the world. There are many that play Placebo. Whoso alway says truth, shall find many lettings in his way. Men may well lie when it is need, and after amend it by counsel. For all trespasses there is mercy. There is no man so wise, but he dooleth other while.”

Grymbart said,“Well, dear Eme, what thing shall you let? You know all thing at the narrowest. You should bring me hastily in doting; your reasons passen my understanding. What need have you to shrive you? You should yourself by right be the priest, and let me and other sheep come to you for to be shriven. You know the state of the world in such wise as no man may halt before you.”

With such manner talking they came walking in to the Court. The Fox sorrowed somewhat in his heart, nevertheless he bare it out and striked forth through all the folk till he came into the place where the King himself was. And Grymbart was alway by the Fox and said,“Eme, be not afraid, and make good cheer! Who that is hardy, the adventure helps him. Often one day is better than sometime a whole year.”

The Fox said,“Nephew, you say truth. God thank you, you comfort me well.”

And forth he went, and looked grimly here and there, as who says,“What will you? here come I.”He saw there many of his kin standing which yonned him but little good, as the Otter, Beaver, and other to the number of ten whom I shall name afterward. And some were there that loved him.

The Fox came in and fell down on his knees before the King, and began his words and said:—