She was greatly thanked, and at the hour named, the clerk did not fail to rap at the door of the chamber the lady had indicated, where she was quietly awaiting him with her fine hauberk on her back.
She opened the door, and the clerk saw her armed, and thinking that some one was concealed there to do him a mischief, was so scared that, in his fright, he tumbled down backwards I know not how many stairs, and might have broken his neck, but luckily he was not hurt, for, being in a good cause, G.o.d protected him.
Madame, who saw his danger, was much vexed and displeased; she ran down and helped him to rise, and asked why he was in such fear? He told her that truly he thought he had fallen into an ambush.
"You have nothing to fear," she said, "I am not armed with the intention of doing you any hurt," and so saying they mounted the stairs together, and entered the chamber.
"Madame," said the clerk, "I beg of you to tell me, if you please, why you have put on this hauberk?"
She blushed and replied, "You know very well."
"By my oath, madame, begging your pardon," said he, "if I had known I should not have asked."
"My husband," she replied, "whenever he would kiss me, and talk of love, makes me dress in this way; and as I know that you have come here for that purpose, I prepared myself accordingly."
"Madame," he said, "you are right, and I remember now that it is the manner of knights to arm their ladies in this way. But clerks have another method, which, in my opinion is much nicer and more comfortable."
"Please tell me what that is," said the lady.
"I will show you," he replied. Then he took off the hauberk, and the rest of her apparel down to her chemise, and he also undressed himself, and they got into the fair bed that was there, and--both being disarmed even of their chemises--pa.s.sed two or three hours very pleasantly. And before leaving, the clerk showed her the method used by clerks, which she greatly praised, as being much better than that of knights. They often met afterwards, also in the same way, without its becoming known, although the lady was not over-cunning.
After a certain time, her husband returned from the war, at which she was not inwardly pleased, though outwardly she tried to pretend to be.
His coming was known, and G.o.d knows how great a dinner was prepared.
Dinner pa.s.sed, and grace being said, the knight--to show he was a good fellow, and a loving husband--said to her,
"Go quickly to our chamber, and put on your hauberk." She, remembering the pleasant time she had had with her clerk, replied quickly,
"Ah, monsieur, the clerks" way is the best."
"The clerks" way!" he cried. "And how do you know their way?" and he began to fret and to change colour, and suspect something; but he never knew the truth, for his suspicions were quickly dissipated.
Madame was not such a fool but what she could see plainly that her husband was not pleased at what she had said, and quickly bethought herself of a way of getting out of the difficulty.
"I said that the clerks" way is the best; and I say it again."
"And what is that?" he asked.
"They drink after grace."
"Indeed, by St. John, you speak truly!" he cried. "Verily it is their custom, and it is not a bad one; and since you so much care for it, we will keep it in future."
So wine was brought and they drank it, and then Madame went to put on her hauberk, which she would willingly have done without, for the gentle clerk had showed her another way which pleased her better.
Thus, as you have heard, was Monsieur deceived by his wife"s ready reply. No doubt her wits had been sharpened by her intercourse with the clerk, and after that he showed her plenty of other tricks, and in the end he and her husband became great friends.
STORY THE FORTY-SECOND -- THE MARRIED PRIEST. [42]
By Meriadech.
_Of a village clerk who being at Rome and believing that his wife was dead became a priest, and was appointed cure of his own town, and when he returned, the first person he met was his wife._
In the year "50 (*) just pa.s.sed, the clerk of a village in the diocese of Noyon, that he might gain the pardons, which as every one knows were then given at Rome (**), set out in company with many respectable people of Noyon, Compeigne, and the neighbouring places.
(*) 1450
(**) Special indulgences were granted that year on account of the Jubilee
But, before leaving, he carefully saw to his private affairs, arranged for the support of his wife and family, and entrusted the office of sacristan, which he held, to a young and worthy clerk to hold until his return.
In a fairly brief s.p.a.ce of time, he and his companions arrived at Rome, and performed their devotions and their pilgrimage as well as they knew how. But you must know that our clerk met, by chance, at Rome, one of his old school-fellows, who was in the service of a great Cardinal, and occupied a high position, and who was very glad to meet his old friend, and asked him how he was. And the other told him everything--first of all that he was, alas! married, how many children he had, and how that he was a parish clerk.
"Ah!" said his friend, "by my oath! I am much grieved that you are married."
"Why?" asked the other.
"I will tell you," said he; "such and such a Cardinal has charged me to find him a secretary, a native of our province. This would have suited you, and you would have been largely remunerated, were it not that your marriage will cause you to return home, and, I fear, lose many benefits that you cannot now get."
"By my oath!" said the clerk, "my marriage is no great consequence, for--to tell you the truth--the pardon was but an excuse for getting out of the country, and was not the princ.i.p.al object of my journey; for I had determined to enjoy myself for two or three years in travelling about, and if, during that time, G.o.d should take my wife, I should only be too happy. So I beg and pray of you to think of me and to speak well for me to this Cardinal, that I may serve him; and, by my oath, I will so bear myself that you shall have no fault to find with me; and, moreover, you will do me the greatest service that ever one friend did another."
"Since that is your wish," said his friend, "I will oblige you at once, and will lodge you too if you wish."
"Thank you, friend," said the other.
To cut matters short, our clerk lodged with the Cardinal, and wrote and told his wife of his new position, and that he did not intend to return home as soon as he had intended when he left. She consoled herself, and wrote back that she would do the best she could.
Our worthy clerk conducted himself so well in the service of the Cardinal, and gained such esteem, that his master had no small regret that his secretary was incapable of holding a living, for which he was exceedingly well fitted.
Whilst our clerk was thus in favour, the cure of his village died, and thus left the living vacant during one of the Pope"s months. (*) The Sacristan who held the place of his friend who had gone to Rome, determined that he would hurry to Rome as quickly as he could, and do all in his power to get the living for himself. He lost no time, and in a few days, after much trouble and fatigue, found himself at Rome, and rested not till he had discovered his friend--the clerk who served the Cardinal.
After mutual salutations, the clerk asked after his wife, and the other, expecting to give him much pleasure and further his own interests in the request he was about to make, replied that she was dead--in which he lied, for I know that at this present moment (**) she can still worry her husband.
(*) During eight months of the year, the Pope had the right of bestowing all livings which became vacant.
(**) That is when the story was written.
"Do you say that my wife is dead?" cried the clerk. "May G.o.d pardon her all her sins."
"Yes, truly," replied the other; "the plague carried her off last year, along with many others."
He told this lie, which cost him dear, because he knew that the clerk had only left home on account of his wife, who was of a quarrelsome disposition, and he thought the most pleasant news he could bring was to announce her death, and truly so it would have been, but the news was false.