■"^vl. 
 
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 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026493514 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PA 8395.P38DS 1919 
 
 DIsciDlina Clerlcalis (English translati 
 
 3 1924 026 493 514 
 
Western Reserve University 
 
 BULLETIN 
 
 VOL. XXII MAY, 1919 No. 3 
 
 LITERARY SECTION 
 
 „••••„ 
 
 CLEVELAND, OHIO 
 1919 
 
 Issued Bimonthly by 
 
 WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 
 
 10940 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 
 
THE AVESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY BULLETIN 
 
 IJTERARY SECTION 
 
 PUHLISHED UIMO^TKLV BY THE UNIVERSITV 
 
 General Editor: Professor William Hicnry Hulme 
 Western Reserve Studies Vol. I, No. 5. 
 
 This serie* of studies will, it is hoped, include in easily 
 accessible form some of the valuable results of the re- 
 searches undertaken by members of the various faculties, 
 as well as, by Alumni of Western Reserve University. All 
 serious students connected with any department of the 
 University are therefore cordially invited to submit to the 
 Editor pieces of original work which they desire to have 
 published. If the piece of work represents a genuine con- 
 tribution to the particular field in which it lies, it will be 
 printed in the Bulletin. But only such contributions will 
 be accepted for publication. Unfortunately, for some 
 years to come it is feared, the annual issue of these studies 
 will have to be limited to the May number (considerably 
 increased in size when necessary), unless a special fund can 
 be obtained for this purpose. 
 
 In order that the contributions from every department of 
 the University may be sure of 'specialist' and fair editorial 
 treatment, an Editorial Committee will assist the General 
 Editor of the Bulletin in passing upon articles, the 
 contents of which may be unfamiliar to him. To this end 
 the following members of the University Faculty have 
 kindly consented to serve on the Committee: Professors 
 Arbuthnot (of the department of Economics), Bourne (of 
 the department of History), Emerson (of the department of 
 English), Herrick (of the department of Biology), and 
 Todd (of the department of Anatomy). 
 
WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY BULLETIN 
 
 New Series 
 
 Vol. XXII MAY, 1919 No.: 
 
 LITERARY SECTION SUPPLEMENT 
 
 Western Reserve Studies, Vol. I, No. 6 
 
 Peter Alphonse's 
 DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 
 
 (English Translation) 
 FROM 
 
 The Fifteenth Century Worcester Cathedral 
 Manuscript F. 172 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM HENRY HULME, Ph. D. 
 
 Professor df'Engiist^' 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Preface 3 
 
 Introduction 5 
 
 I. The Half Friend 14 
 
 II. The Two Perfect Friends 15 
 
 III. Thel King and the Poets 20 
 
 IV. The Mule and the Fox 21 
 
 V. The Ungrateful Serpent 24 
 
 VI. The Poet Turned Porter 24 
 
 A Priest in the House of Drinkers 25 
 
 The Voice of the Owl 26 
 
 VII. The Vine-Dresser Deceived by His Wife 27 
 
 VIII. The Husband Deceived by Means of a Sheet 28 
 
 IX. The Mother-in-Law with the Drawn Sword 29 
 
 The King and His Jester 30 
 
 X. The Procuress and Her Weeping Bitch 31 
 
 XL The Jealous Husband and the Stone Cast into the Well. ... 33 
 
 XII. The Tale of the Ten Coffers 35 
 
 XIII. The Ten Tuns of Oil 11 
 
 XIV. The Tale of the Golden Serpent 40 
 
 XV. The Three Pilgrims to Mecca and the Loaf 43 
 
 XVI. The Master Tailor and His Apprentice Nedwy 44 
 
 XVII. The Churl and the Bird 47 
 
 XVIII. The Plowman with His Oxen and the Wolf and the Fox. . 48 
 
 XIX. The Thief and the Moonbeam SO 
 
 XX. Concerning Marianus 52 
 
 XXI. Etiquette in the King's Service 53 
 
 XXII. The Lazy Servant Maimund 55 
 
 XXIII. Socrates and the King 58 
 
 XXIV. The Wise Merchant and the Improvident King 59 
 
 XXV. The Thief Caught While Hesitating About What to Take 62 
 
 XXVI. The Sayings of the Philosophers at the Tomb of Alexander 
 
 the Great 64 
 
 XXVII. The Hermit Chastening His Soul 64 
 
 XXVIII. The Knight in Exile and His Friend Whose Wife Played 
 
 Him False ; 66 
 
 XXIX. The Roman Merchant Who Laid a Wager on His Wife's 
 
 Chastity 69 
 
 1 XXX. The Unchaste Wife and the Rescue of Her Lover 70 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The present edition of Peter Alphonse's Disciplina Clericalis 
 is intended to be a preliminary study for the fuller treatment of the 
 subject which I promised several years ago to give in one of the 
 volumes of the publications of the Early English Text Society, but 
 which has not yet been completed. At the outbreak of the war I 
 was in England reading and collecting materials from every possible 
 source. But this work, necessarily broken off in the very midst of 
 things, could not be taken up again during the last five years : so the 
 matter rests where it was left in the summer of 1914. I hope, how- 
 ever, that it will be possible to resume the necessary search after 
 analogues and originals of the various tales of the collection in both 
 ancient and mediaeval literatures at no distant date and to carry 
 it to a successful conclusion in the prospective EETS edition. The 
 edition which is now presented will in the nature of things reach 
 only a limited number of students and readers. But it will be of 
 great practical value, I hope, to all who are interested in the study 
 of mediaeval folk-tales generally, as well as of Peter Alphonse's 
 collection in particular, since it offers a convenient and, it is in- 
 tended, reliable text of the Middle English version as a much 
 needed basis for all further editorial work. 
 
 My interest in the Disciplina began some years ago while I was 
 engaged in collecting materials for the EETS edition of the Middle 
 English Harrowing of Hell and Poetical Gospel of Nicodemiis. 
 But the identification of this unheralded, unrubicated piece in 
 the Worcester Cathedral Ms. was immediately due to the interest 
 and suggestion of Mr. J. A. Herbert (at that time Assistant in the 
 Department of Manuscripts, now Keeper of Manuscripts, in the 
 British Museimi), to whose kindness and courtesy I have so fre- 
 quently been a debtor in recent years. 
 
 Since the EETS edition will be amply provided with Introduc- 
 tion, Notes, and Glossarial Vocabulary, in addition to, in all proba- 
 bility, a reprint of the Latin version of the Cambridge University 
 Library Ms. li, 6, 11 in parallel columns with the Middle English, 
 the "critical apparatus" has been for the most part omitted from this 
 edition. Besides, the lack of space in these publications makes it 
 incumbent on the editor to compress the introductory materials 
 into the smallest practicable compass. No attempt has accordingly 
 
4 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 been made to treat any phase of the broad subject exhaustively, — not 
 even to give a full bibliography of the literature on the subject. 
 But the titles of a few of the most important works of both a general 
 and a specific character are given, in which the eager student will 
 probably find virtually all the literature on the Disciplina Clericalis, 
 as well as on mediaeval tales and fables, recorded. 
 
 I have tried to give, in the proper connection (printed in solid 
 type in the text, or occasionally in the footnotes) free English trans- 
 lations from the original Latin for all the lacunae of any conse- 
 quence in the Middle English text, whether they occur as parts of, 
 or complete, individual tales, or as omissions from the connecting 
 dialogues. In making the translations I have had the generous 
 assistance for corrective purposes of Professor Platner of the de- 
 partment of Latin, which enabled me, I trust, to retain the sense 
 and something of the interest of the original without a superfluity 
 of errors. One missing tale has been supplied from the Middle 
 English Alphabet of Tales (No. VII), another from Caxton's Aesop 
 (No. XII). 
 
 In the text an effort has been made to reduce correction and 
 emendation to a minimum, and the essential features of the manu- 
 script have, it is hoped, been preserved. Spelling and capitalization 
 have been altered only when it was felt necessary for the understand- 
 ing of the text. The punctuation is, on the other hand, entirely my 
 own, that of the Ms. being such as would frequently confuse the 
 reader and convey a wholly false meaning. The abbreviations of the 
 manuscript have not been indicated by the usual italic type ; they 
 are comparatively few in number and include, in the main -er, -is, n 
 (w), and u, — but all of them only occasionally. And even a large 
 percentage of the abbreviations present occur at the ends of lines. 
 Isolated instances of the early English thorn (for th), which occur 
 mostly at the ends of lines, have been printed as th. Additions to the 
 Ms. text are indicated by brackets. 
 
 In general, what was said about the word forms and language 
 of 'The Mending of Life' (see Western Reserve Studies, vol. I, 
 No. 4, p. 27f ) applies equally well to those features of the Disciplina 
 Clericalis. New word-forms occur from time to time which the 
 exigencies of translation required and for the same reason the sen- 
 tence structure would probably often be found different from that of 
 'The Mending of Life'. But these peculiarities will receive full 
 treatment in the EETS edition. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 I 
 
 Peter Alphonse,* the author of the popular mediaeval collection 
 of oriental folk tales or exempla, known as Disciplina Clericalis, was, 
 according to his own testimony, born at Huesca in the kingdom of 
 Aragon in the year 1062.t He was a T^w by birth and was known 
 before his conversion by the name o^ Rabbi Moses Sephardi, or 
 Moses the Spaniard. He was baptized under the name 'Petrus 
 Alphonsus,' — the first part of the name due to the apostle on whose 
 birthday the event occurred, the second part deriving from Alphon- 
 sus If, "the glorious emperor of Spain who was my spiritual father 
 and who received me at the baptismal font."* He was according 
 to Soderhjelmf one of the many Jewish intellectuals of the Middle 
 Ages who served as intermediaries between oriental and occidental 
 culture. 
 
 A few years after his conversion he published his Dialogi — or 
 Dialog-US contra ludaeos* — in which the Christian Peter defends the 
 doctrines of Christianity against the attacks of Moses the Jew 
 (representing the attitude of the author before his conversion as 
 well as that of the orthodox Jews of his time). 
 
 It was probably not far from the same time that the Disciplina 
 Clericalis was written. The author had at least already become a 
 Christian, — a fact fully established by the Prolog of the Disciplina, 
 which begins: "Petir Alfons, seruaunt of Jesus Christ maker of this 
 book," and, "I return thanks to God who is the first without be- 
 ginning;" and the author closes the Prolog with, "May the omnipo- 
 
 *This seems tojje the natural modern form of the second part of the name; though 
 such forms as Aldefunsi, Adelfonsi, Amphulsi, Alfunsi, Alfonsi, Alphunsus, Alfonsus, 
 Anfonsus, Anfulsus, etc., occur, and out text has Alfons. Cf. Hilka and Soderhjelm 
 Die Disciplina Clericalis des Petrus Alfunsi. Heidelberg, 1911. Sammlung mitttella- 
 teinischer Texte, hrsg von Alfons Hilka, No. I, Introd. p. vii. 
 
 tSee Migne, Patrologia Latina, vol. 157, col. 537-38. In the preface to the Dialogi, 
 when speaking of his conversion to Christianity and his baptism, he says: "ThisQ. e. 
 his baptism) happened in the year 1106 after the nativity of our IvOrd and in the^4th 
 year of ray life, in the month of July on the birthday of the apostles Peter and Paul. 
 Hoc autem factum est anno a nativitate Domini millesimo cente&imo sexto, aetatis 
 rmeae anno quadragesimo quarto, mense Julio, die natalis apostolorum Petri et Pauli. 
 
 tSee Soderhjelm, op. cit.; but Labouderie speaks of him (Migne, op. cit. col.. 531) 
 .as "Alphonse VI, king of Castille and Leon." 
 
 *Cf. Migne, op, cit. col. 538: Fuit autem pater meus spiritualis Alfunsus, gloriosus 
 Hispaniae imperator, qui me de sacro fonte suscepit, quare nomen ejus praefato nomini 
 meo apponens, Petrus Alfunsi mihi nomen imposui. 
 
 TO/j. cit. p. vii. 
 *Though the work is so designated by Soderhjelm, Migne op, cit. col. 531, also 
 cols. 535-6 and 537-8, always refers to it as Dialogi. Labouderie speaks of an edition 
 printed in Cologne in 1536 under the title, Dialogi lectu dignissimi, in quibus impiae 
 Judaeorum opiniones, et. cet.j the preface begins: Petri Alphonsi ex Judaeo Christiani 
 Dialogi; and the discussion itself has the following title (Migne, cols. 537-38): Incipit 
 jyialogus Petri cognomento Alphonsi, ex Judaeo Christiani et Moysi Judaei. 
 
6 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 tent God be my helper in this work." That is to say, the Disciplina 
 Clericalis was written (or compiled) not long after the beginning 
 of the 12th century. It is accordingly the earliest complete collec- 
 tion of oriental tales made known to the western world, and one 
 which enjoyed great popularity and very wide distribution in the 
 literatures of ■VBgstern nations during the twelfth, thirteenth, four- 
 teeii^nd fifteen centuries. One might even say without exaggera- 
 tion, that the Disciplina Clericalis of Peter Alphonse not only made 
 known for the first time a considerable number of those tales which 
 were soon to become the most popular of western literatures, but 
 that it inaugurated in all probability that later universally popular 
 kind of prose fiction called the Novella. And though the exemplum 
 had for several centuries been employed by the church fathers for 
 illustrating and pointing their sermons, there was probably no col- 
 lection of exampla, whether culled from sermons of the fathers or 
 derived from other sources, in existence at the time the Disciplina 
 was composed*. In Peter Alphonse's work, indeed, the exemplum 
 has taken on much more the character of an independent tale, un- 
 connected with any moralizing plan or distinctly religious purpose, 
 than had hitherto been the case. 
 
 Nevertheless, there is a decided thread of moral purpose run- 
 ning through the Disciplina Clericalis, which shows itself clearly, if 
 not in the individual tales themselves, at least in the dialogues of 
 varying length which, in the original Latin, always serve as connect- 
 ing links between the successive exempla. But the moral, didactic 
 features of the collection seem to be, either with or without the con- 
 sciousness of the author, already of less consequence — certainly of less 
 interest — to the reader than the tales themselves in their purely 
 literary and artistic aspects. As compared with the early sermons, 
 therefore, illustrated by isolated exempla, in which the moral and 
 
 *0n the origin and development of the 'exemplum' see J. A. Mo&her, The Exem- 
 plum in the Early Religious and Didactic Literature of England. Columbia Univ. 
 Studies in English. New York, 1911, chap. I. In the thorough study of the Disciplina 
 Clericalis which the present writer hopes to make i;i the near future in connection 
 with the EETS edition, the questions concerning the origins and analogues of the collection 
 as a. whole, as well as of each individual exemplum, will receive detailed consideration,' 
 Suggestions regarding the similarity between the Disciplina Clericalis and earlier 
 Hebrew treatises will' be found in 'The Path of Good Men' a collection of parental in- 
 structions to children by authors distinguished in Israel for wisdom and learning, 
 viz. : Rabbi Tudah ben Saul Aben Tibbon, for his son. Rabbi Samuel Aben Tibben. The 
 illustrious Rabbi Moses Maimonides, for his son, Rabbi Abraham; being their Last 
 Will for the Instriiction of Mankind, etc. Edited frbm Manuscripts in the Bodleian 
 
 i_-,_ ,_^ , ■«__ TT..._ «, , T^ondon 
 
 aux 
 
 .eipz,g 1905, .s a wonderful storehouse of information of every sort pertaining'ifthi 
 originals, analogues, and the history of the Disciplina. Much valuable information and 
 numerous references to the literature on the subject will also be found in The Seven 
 Sages of Rome. Edited by Killis Campbell, Boston, Ginn & Co., 1907. 'Introduction-' 
 also in Middle English Humorous Tales in Verse. Edited by George H McKnight 
 Boston, D. C. Heath &Co. 1913. 'Introduction' and 'Bibliography' (pp. 81-91) 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 
 
 religious purpose is the all important thing, the Disciplina Clericalis 
 has inverted the order of human interests and taken a remarkable 
 step in the direction of the inauguration of a wholly new species of 
 prose literature. 
 
 II. 
 
 Recent studies of the Disciplina, in its original Latin form, have 
 demonstrated one fact very clearly which earlier efforts had already 
 made probable : that this work was one of the most popular and 
 widely distributed treatises in the literatures of the Middle Ages* 
 Hilka and Soderhjelm have described and classified sixty-three dif- 
 ferent manuscripts of the Latin versions of Peter Alphonse's collec- 
 tion, dating from the 12th century to the 16th, which they found in 
 various libraries of England and the continent. Moreover it has 
 long been known that French translations and adaptations of the 
 Disciplina began to be made very early, — one version even in the 
 last years of the 12th and another in the 13th century. These are 
 poetical versions, one of which was published for the first time in 
 the year 1760 by the French scholar Barbazan under the title Le 
 Castoiement d'un Pere a son Fils. A new edition of this version 
 was published by Meon in vol. ii of his Fabliaux et C antes des Poetes 
 Frangois des xi, xii, xiii, xiv, et xv Siecles nouvelle edition. Paris 
 1808. A French prose translation was also made as early as the end 
 of the 13th century, for one of the Mss. of this translation belongs 
 to the beginning of the 14th century, and another to the middle of 
 the 15th*. In addition to these French versions there are known 
 to be Icelandic, Italian, German, Spanish, and English translations 
 or adaptations of the whole, or a part, of the Disciplina Clericalis, 
 all belonging, it seems, to the period of the Middle Agesf. But we 
 only have space here for a brief account of English versions other 
 than that of the Wore. Cath. Libr. Ms. F. 172. The results of the 
 
 tSee the exhaustive comparative study of the Ivatin Manuscript versions by 
 Alfons Hilka and Werner Soderhjelm in the Acta Societatis Scienttarum Fennicae, 
 Tom. xxxviii, No. 4; Petri Alfonsi Disciplina Clericalis. I. Ivateinischer Text Helsing- 
 fors, 1911. Introduction, pp. i-xxix. Part II, which appeared in 1912, contains the 
 Franzosischer Prosatext; and as planned, Part III contains two French poetical ver- 
 sions, and Part IV a discussion of the distribution and influence of the Disciplina 
 Clericalis, in the literatures of the western world. Parts XII-IV have not been acces- 
 sible to me. Soderhjelm's 'Introduction 'to the smaller edition of the _ Disciplina — 
 No, 1 in the Sammlung mittellateinischer Texte (referred to in this edition by the 
 designation 'Soderhjelm,' while the larger I^atin edition is referred to as *I, 1. 2, 
 etc' or as 'Hilka and Soderhjelm')- is important in this connection. For there he gives 
 a list of the important translations of the Disciplina in th& different languages of the 
 world, as well as of the books about it. 
 J-. *See Hilka and Soderhjelm op. c^. 11^ Einleitung p. i ff. On p. x of the 
 ?V*Jntroduction' there is a description of a-watalanian version, the Ms. of which is said to 
 Dclong to the iiWi century. 
 
 tCf. Soderhjelm^ op. cit. for more details regarding these various translations. 
 
8 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 Study of the influence which Peter Alphonse's work exerted on 
 piediaeval literature, as shown by quotations of individual tales or 
 by other references to it, can not yet be presented. This point has 
 been treated briefly by Soderhjelm, as quoted above. It is, however, 
 worth noting that numerous collections of exempla and ser- 
 mons, such as those of Jacques de Vitry*, Albertano da Brescia, 
 0do of Cheriton, fitienne #(e Bourbon, Nicholas Bozon, Robert Hol- 
 cot, Alphabetum Narrationum, Gesta Romanorum, etc., etc., from 
 the 13-15 centuries, contain adaptations and quotations from Peter 
 Alphonse in profusion. 
 
 Thirteen tales of the collection are included in the 15th century 
 English version of the 'Alphabet of Tales'f and fourteen were 
 printed by William Caxton in his Book of the Subtyl Historyes and 
 Fables of Esope, which he himself tells us "were translated out of 
 
 Frensshe into Englysshe at Westmynstre in the yere 
 
 of oure Lorde MCCCCLXXXIII.*" This book of Caxton is almost 
 a literal translation of Jules de Machault's Livre des subtilles Hys- 
 toires et Fables de Esope, translatees de' Latin en Frangois, etc., 
 in the year 1483-. Machault in turn made a comparatively free 
 translation of Steinhowels Aesop, and apparently from the Latin 
 compilation arranged by Steinhowel himself^, rather than from his 
 German version. Caxton follows Machault in omitting the last two 
 of Steinhowel's fifteen* tales of 'Adelfonso' from his translation. 
 They all three also include one tale — No. xii — which is not in any 
 
 *Ed. Cfane; cf. Herbert, Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts 
 in tile British Museum, vol. iii, London, 1910, P. 1 ff. 
 
 tEd. by Mary. M. Banks for the EETS vols, 126-127 (1904-1905). As the third vol- 
 ume has not jet appeared "a definite attribution of authorship" of the original Alpha- 
 betum Narrationum, formerly ascribed to Etienne de Besangon, must continue to wait. 
 Cf. Banks, vol. 127, introductory 'note.' 
 
 *The book is a large folio Black Letter, profusely illustrated, and it contains some 
 210 pages of the Fables of Aesop, about 30 of the Fables of Auyon, and 18-20 pa^es of 
 the Fables of "Poge the Florentyn," besides those of Peter Alphonse. In the epilogue 
 to the book (ff. 142-142b) Caxton gives 1484 instead of 1483 as the date of printing: "And 
 here with I fynysshe this book, translated and emprynted by me William Caxton at 
 Westmynstre in thabbey; and fynysshed the xxvi daye of March, the yere of oure Lord 
 MCCCCLXXXIIII, and the fyrst yere of the regne of ICyng Richard the Thyrdde." 
 It is therefore evident that the translation was Degun in the year 1483 and finished 
 near the beginning of the following year, 'Old Style' of course. This book was re- 
 edited with an interesting 'Introduction' and a 'Glossary' by Joseph Jacobs for David 
 Nutt in 1889; 'The Fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with 
 those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio, 2 vols., London, 1889.' 
 
 -According to Soderhjelm, op. cit. p. xiv, though Oesterly says {Steinhowels 
 Aesop, hrsg. von Hermann Oesterley, Bibl. d. litt. Vereins in Stuttgart, Bd. 117, 
 Tiibingen 1873, Einleitung, p. 3) : "The French translation of Julien Macho appeared first 
 in the year 1484 and was reprinted at least ten times in the next fifty years. ' 
 
 ^Oesterley op. cit. p>. 2; "Steinhowel was not only the translator of it, i. e. 
 
 the Aesop of Planudes — Rimicius, etc but also the original compiler of the 
 
 work which immediately on its publication became one of the most po|)ular of the 
 early printed books in the continent; besides the translation of' Machault and indirectly, 
 of Caxton, a Dutch translation of Steinhowel's compilation was published in 1485, an 
 Italian one by Tuppo in 1485 (Soderhjelm p. xiv), a Bohemian one in 1487, and later 
 versions in both Spanish and Catalanian. 
 
 * In reality 16, for he merges the first two tales: (1) 'The Half Friend,' (2) 'The 
 Perfect Friend* into one, in which he is followed by both Machault and Caxton. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 9 
 
 01 the known manuscript versions of the original DiscipUna Cleri- 
 calis. Caxton designates this tale as follows: 'The xii fable is 
 of a blynd man and of his wyf.' In Steinhowel's compilation' the 
 Latin title is, 'De ceco et eius uxore ac rivali;' the German, 'Von 
 dem blinden und synem wyb.' Machault has, according to the 
 Black Letter edition (without date) which belongs in the British 
 Museum, 'La xii fable dun aueugle et de sa femme.' Now since 
 Hilka and Soderhjelm do not mention this tale as being in any ode 
 of the 63 Mss. of the Latin versions of the DiscipUna Clerkalis 
 which they have so carefully described and collated, it is not im- 
 probable that Steinhowel incorrectly attributed this tale to Peter 
 Alphonse (or one of his sources had done it) in gathering the 
 materials for his compilation. The tale falls immediately after that 
 of 'The Old Procuress with the Weeping Bitch' — one of the most 
 popular of Peter Alphonse's collection — which is No. xiii of the 
 original as arranged by Hilka and Soderhjelm,* and immediately be- 
 fore the story of 'The King's Tailor and his Servants' — No. xx of 
 the Hilka-Soderhjelm edition and xviii of the earlier edition as 
 reprinted by Migne (op cit. cols. 693-694.) On account the interest 
 of the tale and for the sake of giving the reader an opportunity to 
 compare the English of the Wore, version with that of Caxton (both 
 being probably of about the same date) I reprint it herewith com- 
 plete according to the original edition. 
 
 in. 
 
 The Blind Man Deceived by His Wife. 
 
 There was sometyme a blynd man whfche had a fayre wyf, 
 of the whiche he was much Jalous. He kepte her so that she myght 
 not goo nowher, for euer (Jacobs "ewer') he had her by the hand. 
 And after that she was enamoured of a gentil felawe, they coude 
 not fynde the maner ne no place for to fulfylle theyr wyll. But 
 notwithstandyng the woman whiche was subtyle and Ingenyous 
 counceylled to her frende that he shold come in to her hows and 
 that he shold entre in to (Jacobs omits 'to') the gardyn, and that 
 there he shold clymme vpon a pere tree. And he did as she told hym. 
 And when they had made theyr enterpryse, the woman came 
 ageyne in to the hows and sayd to her husbond : "My f rend, I praye 
 yow that ye wylle go in to our gardyn for to disporte (Jacobs 
 ''despose') vs a lytel whyle there." Of the whiche prayer the blynd 
 man was wel content and sayd to his wyf : "Wei my good f rend, I 
 
 = Oesterley, p. 326ff. 
 
 ^ But No. xi in the earlier editions of Labouderie (Paris, 1824) and Schmitt (Berlin 
 1827.) ' 
 
10 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 will wel ; lete vs go thyder." And as they were vnder the pere 
 tree she sayd to her husband : "My f rende, I praye the to lete me goo 
 vpon the pere tre, and I shalle gader for vs bothe some fayre peres." 
 "Wel my frend," sayd the blynd man, "I wylle wel and graunt 
 therto." And when (f. 132'') she was vpon the tree, the yong man 
 begannn (sic) to shake the pere tree at one syde and the yonge 
 woman at the other syde. And (Jacobs repeats 'and') as the blynd 
 man herd thus hard shake the pere tree and the noyse whiche they 
 made, he sayd to them : "Ha ! a euylle woman, how be it that I see 
 hit not, neuertheles I f ele and vnderstande hit well. But I praye to 
 the goddes that' they vouchesauf to sende me my syght ageyne." 
 And as soone as he had made his prayer, lupiter rendryd to hym his 
 syght ageyn. And whanne he sawe that pagent vpon the pere tree 
 he sayd to his wyf : "Ha ! vnhappy woman, I shalle neuer haue no 
 loye with the." And bycause that the yonge woman was redy in 
 speche and malycious she ansuerd forthwith to her husbond: "My 
 frend, thow arte wel beholden and bounden to me, for bycause 
 and for the loue the gooddes haue restored to the thy syght ; wherof 
 I thanke alle the goddes and goddesses whiche haue enhaunced and 
 herd my prayer. For I desyryng moche that thow myght see me 
 cessed neuer day ne nyght to pray them that they (Jacobs 'theye') 
 wold rendre to the thy syghte. Wherfore the goddesse Venus 
 vysybly shewed herself to me and sayd that yf I wold doo (Jacobs 
 omits) somme playsyr (Jacobs 'playsyre') to the sayd yonge man, she 
 shold restore to the thy syght. And thus I am cause of it." And 
 thenne the good man sayd to her: "My ryght dere wyf and good 
 f rende, I remercye and thanke yow gretely ; for ryght ye haue and 
 I grete wronge." 
 
 IV. 
 
 The Middle English version now first published as a whole' is 
 preserved in the Wore. Cath. Libr. Ms. F. 172,' which probably 
 originated in the latter half of the 15th century. The DiscipUna 
 Clericalis is number 15 in the order of the contents of the Ms. and 
 is contained in fif. IIS^' — 138. The piece begins at the top of the 
 page without any title or rubric, and there is nothing to indicate 
 the end but the spacing and the beginning of the immedately follow- 
 ing piece near the middle of the page (f . 138) : 'Incipit Epistola Alex- 
 
 'One of the tales. No. xxix, was printed by the present writer as a contribution 
 
 along 
 tl. pp. '68-73). 
 
 8 This Ms. has often been described in recent years, so that it will not be neces- 
 sary to repeat the description here. Cf. Hulme, 'A Valuable Middle English Manu- 
 scrfpt." Mod. Philol. vol. iv, p. 67 ff. (July, 1906] ! .Iloy"/""! J?='J^"i'°"jn^' Catalogue of 
 Manuscripts Preserved in the Chapter library oi Worcestn^ Oxford 1?06; Hulme, Tfc^ 
 Harrowim of Hell, etc., EETS (extra Ser.) 100, tondpn 19W, Introduction, p. xlvm il. ; 
 Hulmc, Richard Rolle of Hampole's Mending of Life, from, etc., Western Reserve 
 Studies, vol. I, no. 4, 'Introduction,' pp. 5-11. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 11 
 
 andri Magni Regis Macedonum ad Magistrum suum Aristotilem'. 
 There are forty lines to a page and the writing tho' rather small is 
 easy to read. 
 
 The Worcester version omits eight of the tales found in the 
 complete Mss. of the original Latin Disciplina (cf. Hilka & Soder- 
 hjelm op. cit.), but as noted above, there are three tales added at the 
 end.» 
 
 The Middle English translation was carelessly made; there 
 are numerous instances in which the translator seems to have 
 been in a hurry, or ignorant of the Latin text he was following. 
 Many of these crudities are pointed out in the footnotes of this 
 edition. The stories, moreover, do not always follow the order they 
 occupied in the original, and occasionally a passage has been taken 
 out of its natural setting and connection in the Latin version by the 
 translator (or perhaps by the copyist of the Wore. Cath. Ms.) and 
 shifted to a different part of the collection. Indeed, the confusion 
 about the meaning of the Latin and the arrangement of the materials 
 often suggest the probability that we have to do with a careless copy 
 of an earlier original. One might, to be sure, discover that many of 
 these peculiarities have their basis in the Cambr. Univ. Libr. Ms. 
 (li, vi, ii, ff. 95-116) of the Latin version, which, as we have already 
 seen,,is the source of the final three tales of our collection. Hilka and 
 Soderhjelm, however, have not recorded many notable textual dif- 
 ferences between this and the other complete manuscript versions — 
 except the three spurious tales — either in their introductory discus- 
 sions'^" or their foot notes. 
 
 'The missing tales are Nos. VII, VIII (cf. I, U), XII (I, 16, 1. 9), XVIII (I, 
 m, XXI (I, 29), XXIX (I, 41), XXXI, XXXII (I, 43-44); the additions (Nos. XXVIll- 
 XaX) seem to have _ corresponding originals in only one of the I^atinMss., viz, Cam- 
 
 bridge Univ. Libr. li, 6, 11, ff., 113a-114 (see Hilka & Soderhjelm op. cit. I, Anhang II.) 
 The identification of this Ms. and the definite determination of its relation to the Wore. 
 Cath. Libr.' Ms. F. 172, is only one of the many merits of this excellent edition of the 
 Latin Disciplina Clericalis. 
 
 ^® Cf. op. cit. I, pp. xi, xvi, xix — where the editors remark: "C^ has the noteworthy 
 assertion (I, i) that Petnis was the physician of Henry I, king of England" .... 
 and "the copyist was in general fond of making additions. They also observe that the 
 interpolation of the three spurious tales just after the closing words of the piece caused 
 the shifting of exempla xx, xxii, xxiv from their natural positions in the collection 
 to the end of this version — also pp. 68 and 72. 
 
PETER ALPHONSE'S DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 
 A Complete Middle English Version 
 
 FROM 
 
 The Worcester Cathedral Library Ms. F. 172. 
 Prolog" (f. 118^) 
 
 Petir Alfons seruaunt of Jhesu Crist, maker of this booke saith : 
 Thankynges I do to god the whiche is first and without bigynnyng, to 
 ■whom is the bigynnyng and the end and of all goodenes the 
 fulfillyng Sapiens and wisdam; whiche sapiens and reason whiche 
 aspirith vs with his wisdam, and of his wounderful reason with 
 cliernes shyneth and with manyfold maner of the holigost with his 
 grace vs hath enriched. Forwhi therfor god though I beyng a 
 synner vouchestsauf to cloth me with many maner wisdams, ne 
 that the lantern to me taken be nat hid vnder a busshel ; but with 
 stiryng of the same spirite to the profite of many to make and com- 
 powne this booke I am monysshed and warned, beseechyng hym 
 as to the bigynnyng of this my litel booke he enjoyne a goode end; 
 me also kepe that nothyng in it be saide that to his wil be displeasure. 
 Amen^^ 
 
 The paragraph omitted from the Introduction (see I, 1-2) by 
 the English translator runs as follows : May God then who con- 
 strained me to write this little book and to translate it into Latin 
 aid me in the undertaking. For when I wished to know by my own 
 efforts the source of human life, I discovered that intellect was given 
 to man by God for this purpose, that he might be zealous in the 
 study of sacred philosophy as long as he lives ; for by this he will 
 gain more and better knowledge about his Creator and will strive to 
 live temperately and know how to protect himself against threaten- 
 ing misfortunes ; and he may thus follow that path in the world that 
 leads to the kingdom of heaven. And if he lives according to these 
 precepts of sacred discipline, he will fulfill the purpose for which 
 he was created and will deserve to be called perfect. Moreover, I 
 have considered that man's nature is weak, so that he must be 
 assisted and instructed in a few things if he is not to fall into a state 
 
 " The prolog indicated in Ms. only by paragraphing. 
 
 ^2 The long paragraph immediately following in the Latin is omitted in the English. 
 There is in fact evidence everywhere that this translator (or possibly the copyist of this 
 Ms.) was both ignorant of the Latin and careless. He pays no attention to prolog or 
 epilog; he frequently omits words, clauses, sentences, and sometimes extensive passages 
 froni the original; he occasionally transfers a passage from_ its natural connection in 
 the Latin; and the instances of his misunderstanding and mistranslating the Latin are 
 almost countless. 
 
 I shall attempt to supply free translations, for the sake of the connection in the 
 narrative, of all omissions of any length and importance.^ Wherever there is any 
 doubt as to the meaning of a word or passage the original Latin will also be given in the 
 footnotes. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 13 
 
 of Utter weariness. He must also preserve his strength of mind, so 
 that he may more easily remember the means by which his nature is 
 to be softened and sweetened. For if this is forgotten he will re- 
 quire many other things to make him recall what he has forgotten. 
 
 I have therefore composed this little book partly from the say- 
 ings and warnings of philosophers, partly from Arabic proverbs 
 and admonitions both in prose and verse, and partly from fables 
 about animals and birds. And I have carefully considered the 
 method, so that, should I write at great length, the contents might 
 not be a hindrance instead of a help to the reader; but that both 
 reader and hearer might have an opportunity and a desire to commit 
 them to memory. And they who gain knowledge by means of this 
 book will recall the things they have forgotten. The title of the 
 book is one growing out of its theme, that is, Clericalis DiscipUna; 
 for it treats of the trained priest. But I have decided to exclude 
 everything, as far as possible, from this treatise that is contrary to 
 our belief or different from our faith. To this end may the 
 omnipotent God on whom I rely assist me. Amen. 
 
 If to any man this litel Epistil renne bi his vtter eye and 
 sumwhat in it he shal see that kyndely cause and nature to his more 
 subtil eye,^^ eft and eft I monysshe and do warne he ageyn to Rede.^* 
 And last to hym and to al thoe that bien of parfite feith of holi- 
 chirche I sette and put to correccioun. Forwhi and forsoth the 
 Philosophre trowith nat any thyng to be parfite in mannes inven- 
 ciouns or fyndynges. 
 
 Therf or Enoch the philosophre, whiche in Arabik tung is named 
 Edriche, saide to his sone : "The dreede of god be thy busynes and 
 lucre and wynnyng shal come to the without any labour." Another 
 Philosophre saith: "Whb that dredith the lord al thynges dreeden 
 hym. Forsoth who that dredith nat god is adred of al thyng." 
 Another philosophre saith: "Who that loveth god dredith god. 
 And who that lovith god is obedient vnto god."^° 
 
 Socrates saide to his disciples : "See ye that ye bien nat 
 seide obedient and inobedient in the same." The Enucheies" 
 saiden vnto hym: "What seistow to vs leve Ipocresy?" 
 [He said] : "Forsoth it is Ipocresy for to make symulacioun of 
 obedience to god bifore men and in hid thyng or secret to be in- 
 
 ^^ Lat. I, 2, 1. 12, quod humana parum cavit natura viderit, subtiliori oculo. 
 
 ^* Lat. iterum et iterum relegere moneo. 
 
 ^^The English version omits the saying of the next speaker in the Latin, I, 2, 1. 22. 
 The Arab said in his verse: "It is incredible that thou art disobedient to. God and vet 
 pretendest to love him; if thou truly lovedst him thou wouldst obey him. For he that 
 loves obeys." 
 
 ^^ or Emicheies; the translator did not know the Latin form Enuclea. imper. sing, 
 from enucleo — are, *to explain,* and consequently gave a false interpretation of this 
 sentence, Enuclea nobis quod dicis, meaning "explain or make clear to us what you 
 are saying" 
 
14 
 
 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 obedient."" On of his disciples saide vnto hym: "Ther is non 
 other people but of Ipocrisy, therfor to a mannes soule it is goode 
 to beware."^' Socrates saith : "Ther is sum 'man whiche prevy and 
 apert shevith hymsilf to be obedient vnto god, as that he be had holy 
 among men and therfor of theym the more to be worshipped. Ther 
 is another more subtile whiche levith and forsakith this Ipocresy, 
 as that he may (f. 119) deserve to the more. Forsoth whan he 
 fastith or any almesse doeth, and of hym be asked if he hath do, he 
 aunswerith: 'God knowith or nat,' as in more reverence he be nat 
 had; and it is saide non Ipocresy the whiche wil nat shewe his 
 goode deede vnto men." Also I bileve and I trowe that ther bien 
 but f ewe whiche bien percyuers^" in this maner of Ipocresy. See yee 
 therfor that this ne deprive yow nat the Rewarde of yowre labour, 
 that it f al ne hap nat, al thynges that ye don with cleen intencioun ye 
 seeke nat therof to have any glorie." Another Philosophre saith: 
 "If thow bihold stidefastly into god, althynges shuln.be prosperous 
 to the wherever thow goest." 
 
 Balaam whiche in Arabik tung is cald Lucan saide to his sone : 
 "Sone, ne is nat the ampt, otherwise cald pismer, wiser than thou, 
 whiche gadrith in somer wherof he livith in wynter ? Sone, ne is nat 
 the Cok more waccheful than thow, whiche in the morow wakith 
 and thow sleepist? Sone, ne is nat the Cok strenger than thow, 
 whiche iustifieth x wifes and thow maist nat chastise oon? Sone, 
 ne is nat the dog or the hound more nobil than thow, whiche of his 
 benefactours is remembred and myndefull and thow of thy bene- 
 factours art foryeetful? Sone, ne be it seen to the a litel to have 
 oon enemy, or to moche to have a thowsand friendis. Forsoth I 
 say to the forwhi." 
 
 I. The Half Friend. 
 
 Whan Arabs shude die [he] cald his sone vnto hym and saide : 
 "Sey thow while I live how many friendes thow hast purchaced." 
 The sone aunswerd and saide : "I arbitre and trust that I have pur- 
 chaced mo than a hundred"^ friendis." Than the fader saide : "The 
 
 " Lat. I, 2, 1. 25. Dicunt ei: Enuclea nobis quod dicis. Qui ait: Dimittite 
 ypocrisim! Est enim ypocrisis, et cet. 
 
 " Lat. Estne aliud genus ypocrisis, unde homini cavendum sit? 
 
 "The Latin for this confusing sentence runs (I, 3, 1. 2): Cum enim ieiunat vel 
 elemosinam facit et ab eo quaeritur si fecerit, respondet: Deus sciti vel: non, ut in 
 maiori reverentia habeatur et dicatur quia ypocrita non est qui hominibus factum suum 
 nolit propalari. 
 
 ""This reading is doubtful; Lat. Credo etiam paucos esse qui aliquo huius ypocrisis 
 genere non participent. 
 
 »Ms. C. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 15 
 
 philosophre saith, 'Ne praise thow nat a friend til thow have proved 
 hym.' I sith the tyme that I was born and have Hved vnneth I have 
 purchased half a friend. Thow therfor how hastow purchaced a 
 hundred ?^^ Goo therfor to proeve hem all, as thow maist know if 
 any be thy parfite friende." The sone said: "How counseilest thow 
 that I shal proeve hem?" [The fader said] : "Sle a Calf and breke 
 hym smal and put hym in a sack, so as the sack be infect with bloode 
 withoutfurth, and than [go] to thi friende; sai thow; 'Dere friend, I 
 have slayn a man ; I pray the to burye hym secretely, so as noman 
 shal have the suspect and so maistow save me'." The sone dide as 
 his fader bad hym. Forsoth the first that he came to saide vnto 
 hym : 'Bere the ded man with the vpon thi neck ; so as thow hast don 
 evil, so suffre thow satisfaccioun. Forsoth he shal nat entre in to 
 myn house.' And when he had don so bi all, thei aunswerden the 
 same. Therfor goyng ageyn to his fader [he] told hym what he 
 (f. 119'') had don. Than the fader saide: "It happith to the as the 
 philosophre saide to his sone. 'Many f riendis bien nombred in pros- 
 peritee but a f ewe in necessite.' Go to myn half friend that I have 
 and See what he saith to the." He com and as he had saide to other 
 he saide to this. The whiche saide : "Entre in to myn house ; this is 
 no seker place to be shewed vnto neighburghs." Therfor he sent out of 
 his house his wif and al his houshold and digged a pitte. Whan he 
 saw al thynges redy and arraied al thynges as it ought to be, he 
 departed doyng thankynges, and therof rehersed vnto his fader 
 what he had do. Forsoth the fader saide, "For suche oon the 
 Philosophre saith : 'he is a veray triewe friend that helpith the whan 
 al the world failith'." Then saide the sone to the fader: "Hastow 
 seen any man whiche hath wonne or purchaced hym suche an hoU 
 friend?" [The fader answerdj.: "I have nat seen that, but I have 
 herd [it] .'' Than the sone : "Tel me of hym if happely I myght pur- 
 chace me suche a friend." Than quod the fader : 
 
 H. The Two Perfect Friends. 
 
 "Relacioun^^ and told it is to me of ii busy merchauntis, the 
 whiche that oon dwellid in Egipt and that other at Baldach, so only 
 bi heryngsay thei knewen toguyder and bi messangiers bitwene 
 senten for their necessaijs. It happened that^' he of Baldach went 
 of his neede and busynes into Egipt. The Egipcian heryng of his 
 comyng mette hym and with grete joye toke hym in to his house and 
 
 ^ Lat. I, 4, I. 11. At pater : Relatum est mihi.^ 
 " 'That' repeated in Ms. 
 
16 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 in al thynges served hym as is the maner of friendis bi viii daies, 
 and shewid hym al his manoirs and other juels and necessaries^* to 
 hym bilongyng whiche that he had in his house. At the viii daies 
 end he of Baldach sekeled.^^ That gretely greved the lord of the 
 hous, [whiche] cald vnto hym al the lechis of egipt, as they come to 
 his house to see his friende. The lechis felt his puis eft and eft, 
 also bihield his vryne, and non infirmyte in hym thei knew. Ther- 
 for thei knewen [it] to be a passioun of love. This knowen, the 
 lord of the house asked hym and bisought hym if ther were any 
 womman in his hous that he loved. To that the sikeman saide : 
 'Shewe me al the wymmen of thyn house, if that haply amonges 
 theym I may see hir that I love, and I shal tel the.' Whiche so herd, 
 [he] shewid hym syngeressis and dauncers, of the whiche non of 
 hem hym pleased. After that he shewed al his owne doughters ; 
 thiese also as tho other he refused and non Reward of hem tooke. 
 The lord forsoth of the house had a nobil damysel and maiden 
 whiche long'" tyme he had norisshid and cherissed to that entent 
 with hymsilf to have maried (f. 120). Whiche whan he had shewid 
 hym, the sike man forsoth bihied and saide : 'Of this and in this is 
 my lif and deth.' Whiche whan the lord of the house herd [he] 
 yaf to hym that noble faire maide vnto wif with al tho thynges 
 whiche was with hyr to bi taken, vp suche condicioun that he shuld 
 wed hir vnto wif. These thynges complete, [he] toke his wif and 
 tho thynges whiche he tok with his wif, and his neede and busynes 
 don repaired ageyn home in to his cuntrey. 
 
 Forsoth it happed after that this Egipcien in many maners lost 
 al his goodis and was made a veray needy poore man [and] thought 
 in hymsilf that he shuld go to his friend whiche he had at Baldach, 
 as that he myght have mercy and pite vpon hym. Therfor naked 
 and hungry in the tempest and silence of the nyght he cam to 
 Baldach. Shame forsoth so withstoode hym that he went nat to the 
 house of his friende lest haply unknowen at suche tyme he were 
 forbode the house. Therfor he entrid in suche a temple where he 
 benyghted. But in lase while than he wold ther abide-' [he]_mette 
 ther two men of the Citee nyhs to the temple, of whiche that oon 
 slowgh that other and p[r]ivily fled. Many of the Citizeyns for the 
 
 ^ Lat. (I, 4, 1. IS) has simply: ostendit ei omnes manerias cantus quas habebat in ■ 
 domo sua. 
 
 ^ For this sentence the Lat. has Finitis octo diebus infirmatus est. 
 2" Two or three letters crossed out in Ms. 
 
 ^ Translator has rendered Latin entirely wrong (I, 5, 1. 9), Sed cum ibi anxius 
 multa secum diu volveret. 
 
DISCIPLINA "CLERICALIS 17 
 
 noise and the cry ran and founde a man slayn and. sought what he 
 myght be that did the manslaughter, entred the temple hopyng to 
 fynde the mansleer ther. , Fyndyng ther the Egipcian and askyng 
 of hym wherfor he had slayn the man, he heryng this of theym^^ 
 saide: 'I am he that hath slayn the man; coveityng deth so to end 
 his pover[te]'. And so was he taken and imprisoned, and on the 
 morow brought bifore the juges and to the deth condempned and to 
 the gibet and for to execucioun. Many forsoth ther were in that 
 maner that met hym, of the whiche oon was his friende of whos 
 cause^° he cam [to] Baldach, and sharply beholdyng hym tooke hym 
 to be his friend whiche he left in Egipt. Remembryng also of the 
 goodenes whiche he had done to hym in Egipt, thyrikyng f orwhi that 
 aftei: his deth he myght nat yield nor acquite hym his goode deede, 
 decreed in hymsilf for hym to die. And with a grete voice cryeng, 
 'What condempne yee an innocent? Whider wiln yee leede [hym] 
 that no deth hath deserved ? It is I that hath the man slayn.' Than 
 thai laiden handis on hym and hym bond and hym led with that 
 other toward the gybet for to have execucioun ; and that other from 
 the peyne of deth loosed and absoiled. The mansleer beyng in the 
 same pres, biholdyng and seeyng this, than went with theym and 
 saide in hymsilf^"; 'I have slayn the man (f. 120'') and this is 
 dampned. And here another innocent is deputed vnto turment, and I 
 forsoth that hath don the nuysaunce goeth free. What is the cause 
 of this maner of justice I wote nat, but that only it be of the grete 
 suffraunce and pacience of god. Forsoth I knowe that god is a 
 veray just juge and no hid synne levith vnpunysshed. Arjd lest that 
 he herafter take on me more harder vengeaunce, so of this maner of 
 blariie I shal nat deferre me to be gilty. And so from deth I shal 
 assoile and loose [hym] to purge and dense the synne that I have 
 don.' [He] obeied hymsilf ^'^ therf or to the perel saieng ;, 'I, I whiche 
 hath don the evil ; thiese that ye han dampned^^, leve yee hem 
 vnhurt.' Forsoth the juges nat a litel woundryng thiese^' other from 
 deth delyvered they bond. -And now nat a liteP* of jugement 
 doubtyng this with thiese other bifore delyvred ledden bifore the 
 kyng and to hym al told and rehersed bi order and hym also com- 
 
 -^ Lat. (I. 5, 1. 13) audienint ab ipso quia ego ilium interfeci. 
 
 ^' Ms. *cauj'; I^at. cuius causa. 
 
 ^^ These three words inserted on margin. 
 
 ^ Lat. (I, 6, 1. 1) obiecit se ergo periculo dicens. 
 
 ^^ 'that dampned' not in the I^atin, whiph has istum dimittite in noxium. 
 
 =»Lat. (I, 6, 1. 2) hunc. 
 
 ^ The preceding three words supplied on margin. 
 
18 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 pellid to doute. So bi a comune counsail they goyng^** to hem, al 
 the cryme and blame that to theym was put, he pardond on cove- 
 naunt that they shulden shewe the causes of the cryme and blame 
 to hem put. And they forsoth bi comune assent told hym the trowth 
 of the thyng and of al wern assoiled'"'. The denzyn^^ whiche had 
 decreed to die for his friende led hym in to his house [and] of al 
 the worship to hym bifore don saide : 'If thow wilt rest quietely and 
 dwel with me, al thinges as it bihovith shuln be to vs comune. If 
 forsoth thow wilt go ageyn^*, al thynges whiche that I have and be 
 myn, evenly we shuln departe.' Than he softly and swetely thanked 
 hym of his yudenes, submytted hym to that he hym oflfred in par- 
 ticioun received, and so went hom ageyn in to his cuntrey'^." Thiese 
 thinges reherced and told, saide the sone to the fader : "Vnneth 
 may any man f ynde suche a friend."*" Another philosopher said 
 about untried friends: "Provide thyself once with enemies and a 
 thousand times with friends, for thy friend may perhaps become an 
 enemy sometime, and it will thus be easier to bear thy loss." 
 Another philosopher also : "Avoid seeking counsel of any one until 
 he has proved faithful to thee." Another philosopher again: "Give 
 thy friend as much good advice as thou canst, even though he will 
 not believe thee; for it is just that thou give him good advice, 
 although the silly man may not follow it." Another : "Do not reveal 
 thy counsel to every man ; for it is better to seek counsel of him who 
 retains it in his heart." Suche a phil[os]opher saith:*^ "Thyn hid 
 and secrete counsail as is in thi prison shit, forsoth opened and 
 shewed, holdith the as bounden in his prisoun."*- Another: "Never 
 associate with enemies when thou canst find other companions ; for 
 they will notice when thou doest evil, but fail to see the good things 
 thou doest." 
 
 A certain poet said : "It is one of the serious misfortunes of this 
 world that a free man must sometimes accept the help of his enemy. 
 A man once inquired of a certain. Arab : 'What is the worst mis- 
 fortune that can happen to thee in this world ?' The Arab : 'When 
 necessity compels me to ask my enemy to give me what I wish'." 
 Another: "Do not associate with a lecher for his society is a dis- 
 grace to thee." Another : "Do not exult in the praise of a lecher, 
 for his praise is blame and his blame praise for thee." As a certain 
 
 ^^ 'y' and 'go' are wanting because the left corner of the leaf has been torn off 
 and pasted on again. 
 
 ™ Lat. (I, 6, 1. 6) Communi autem consensu omnibus absolutis. 
 
 ^ Ivat. indigena. 
 
 ^ Lat. (I, 6, 1. 9) Si vero repatriare volueris. 
 
 3" Lat. has for last sentence only sicque repatriavit. 
 
 '" At this point the translator has omitted several sentences of the long dialogue 
 (I, 6, 1. 12-9) connecting exampla II and III. 
 
 «Lat. I, 6, 1. 22, Alius. 
 
 *2 This sentence is followed by a further omission of the sayings of several philo- 
 sophers from the Latin, see I, 6, 1. 24 ff. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 19 
 
 philosopher was passing along the highway he found another phil- 
 osopher jesting with a lecher and said to him: "Birds of feather 
 flock together." But that one replied: "I did not associate myself 
 with him." To this the wayfarer : "Then why dost thou approve of 
 him?" And he: "I do not, but in great need even an honest man 
 must resort to a privy." Another philosopher : "Son, it is difficult 
 to climb high houses but easy to descend from them." Another 
 philosopher saide to his sone : "Bettir is the enymite of a wiseman 
 than the friendship of a foole." Another saith: "Ne have thow 
 nat for no grete thyng the frendship of a foole, forwhi it is nat to 
 the abidyng." Another: "Bettir is the felawship of a simple pian 
 nurisshed among sapient men than led and brought furth with 
 feders of prudent men."*^ Another: "Swetter it is to a wise man 
 sharp lif amonge wise men than swete lif among vnwise men." 
 Another saith: "Ther bien two maners and spices of wisdam: that 
 oon is na (f. 121) tural and that other artificial, of the whiche that 
 oon may nat be without that other." [Another] : "Ne committe 
 thow nat wisdam vnto f oolis, forwhi vnto theym it is but an iniury ; 
 neither denye thow it nat vnto wise men, for that that is theirs 
 thow takest awey from hem."** Another : "The gifts of this world 
 are of different kinds ; for some are given riches, some wisdom. A 
 certain man speaking to his son said: "Which wouldest thou pre- 
 fer to have given thee, money or wisdom ?" To this the son : "That 
 which others are most in need of. There was once a certain wise 
 poet who, though distinguished, was poor and in need, and who was 
 always complaining about his poverty to his friends, about which also 
 he composed verses expressing some such sentiment as -this : 'Thou 
 who rejoicest in wealth, show me why I am in want. Thou art not 
 to blame, but tell me, who is to blame? For if my lot is hard, it 
 surely was not made so by thee. But thou art mediator and judge 
 between me and my destiny. Thou hast given me wisdom without 
 wealth ; tell me then, what can wisdom do without wealth ? Take 
 thou a part of my wisdom and give me some of thy wealth. Do not 
 make me suffer such want that its hardships will bring disgrace 
 upon me'."*° A certain philosopher said : "Everyone appears to 
 another in one of three different relations : To whomsoever thou 
 doest a kindness thou seemest to him to be greater than himself ; 
 from whomsoever thou desirest nothing thou seemest to be on an 
 equality with him; but to whomsoever thou art indebted for any 
 favor thou seemest to him less than himself." Another : "Wisdom 
 is the light of the soul, but sense is the light of the body." Another : 
 
 ^ I<at. (I, 7, 1. IS) quam prudentis cum leccatoribus educati. 
 ^ After this spe 
 Ivatin. 
 'See i, 8, 1. 3. 
 
 ** After this speech the Middle English version again leaves out several sentences 
 of the Ivatin. 
 
20 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 "Wisdom revives even dead bodies by its light, as the rain by its 
 moisture revives the dry earth." 
 
 The disciple saide to the Maister : "How shal I behave me to be 
 accompted among sapient disciples ?" The Maister : "Kepe scilence 
 til it be necessary and neede to the to speke." Another Pliilosopher : 
 "Only Silence is a wisdam and to speke^° is a signe of foly." 
 [Another] : "Ne hast thow nat to aunswer til an end be of the ' 
 asker*^ ; nor any questioun made in f elawship ne tempt thow nat 
 to assoile while thow biholdist ther any wiser than thow ; neither 
 ansvyer thow nat to any question made to anothe[r] ; neither have 
 thow appetite of lawde or praisyng f or thyng to the vnknowen. [For 
 the philosopher says] : 'Who of thyng to hym vnknowen appetith 
 lawde or praisyng yieldith to prove hymsilf a Her'," Another: "Be 
 thow restful, stil, and quiete vnto trowth, whether it be saide of the 
 or obiect agenst the." [Another] : "Ne have thow no glory in thi 
 wise wordis, for as the Philosopher witnessith, 'Who that glorieth 
 in wise wordis provith hymsilf to be a foole.' Doyng thow al thiese 
 thynges thov shalt be even nombfed among disciples of sapience and 
 of prudence." 
 
 [The philosopher says] : "Who can prudently inquire prudently 
 vndirstandith the solucioun." [Another] : "Whosumever shameth 
 to folowe the wisdam of other, more he shameth the same of hym 
 to be inquired." Another : "Who that for a short tyme shameth to 
 suffre loore, al tyme in shame and vnwisdam shal dwel and abide." 
 [Another] : ."Nat all tho whiche is saide sapient is sapient; but he 
 that lierneth wisdam and can reteyne it." Another : "Who that 
 in doctryne faileth, litel his kynred or gentilnes profiteth or availith. 
 Nobilnes needith loore, sapience forsoth and experience." Another : 
 "In whom the nobilnes of elders failith or endith or covenably re- 
 servith."*^ Another: "Nobility that proceeds from my own exer- 
 tions is more precious to me than that which comes to me from my 
 father." 
 
 , III. The King and the Poets.*^ 
 
 Arabs : "Suche a versifiour prudent and curteys but vnnoble 
 of byrth to a kyng offred his vers ; whos prudence noted the kyng 
 hym with worship tooke. Therfor to this other versifiers envieden to 
 
 " Lat. (I, 8, I. 10) loquacitas est, et cet. 
 " Lat. finis interrogationis. 
 
 *'I,at. (I, 8, 1. 27) Alius: In quo sua desinit nobilitas, avorum nobilitatem haut 
 congrue reservat. The speech of the next philosopher was omitted by the translator. 
 
 « I, 9, 1, 1. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 21 
 
 overcome his gentilnes and kynred, gadreden toguyder and saiden 
 vnto the kyng: "Sir kyng, whi this so vile of birth magnifieth 
 [thow] somoche?" To this the kyng: "Whom yee han trowed to 
 blame, the more yee han praised." He forsoth whiche was blamed 
 to this he adjoyned: "Roses spryngen on thornes nat for thaf"* 
 they bien nat (f. 121'') blasfemed." Forsoth the kyng left hym 
 with more worshipful giftes. 
 
 It happened as that a versifiour of noble birth forsoth but 
 litel lierned to suche a kyng offred his vers. Whiche the kyng tooke, 
 as gretely evil made, dispised hem, and nought yave hym. Therfor 
 the versifiour saide to the kyng: "If nat only for the vers, for 
 myn nobilnes sumwhat yield thow me." Therfor the kyng: "Who 
 is thy fader?" Than he shewed hym. Than quod the kyng: 
 ^'Seede in the hath he gendred."^^ To whom the versifiour: 
 "Often of whete spryngith Rye." To this the kyng saide: "Thow 
 previst thisilf lasse than thi fader." And so [he] left hym vn- 
 rewarded. 
 
 Another versifiour also cam to the kyng of an vnnoble fader 
 but a gentil Moder. What compownd and vncompownd he ofifred 
 hym vers whos moder had a shyneng brother. Forsoth nat forthan 
 toke [he]! hym worshipfullyi, [but], asked of hym whosi sone 
 Tie was.°^ Than he pretendid hym his vncle ; wherof the kyng turned 
 hymsilf in to moche laughter. Than saide his housold meyne: 
 ■"Wherof procedith this laughter?" Quod the kyng: "Suche a 
 fable in suche a booke I Red whiche I behold here with myn eyen." 
 •Quod thei : "What is that?" Quod the kyng. 
 
 IV. The Mule and the Fox.^^ 
 
 "A Mule newly born fonde foxes in lesewes and woundryng 
 :saide vnto hym: 'Who artow?' The Mule saide hym to be 
 formed." To whom the foxes : 'Hastow neither fader ne moder ?' 
 [The mule replied] : 'A gentil hors is myn vncle.' So as [the mule] 
 therfor knowlached nat the Asse his fader, insomoche that he was 
 a slow beest and dul, so this shameth to knowlache his fader for his 
 •dulnes nat vnknowen." The kyng only turned hym to the versi- 
 
 ™ Ms. 'than.' 
 
 ""■Lat. Semen in te degeneravit (I, 9, 1. 10). 
 
 ^^ For the passage 'What compownd sone he was' the I^at. has (I, 9, 1. 13) 
 
 Incompositus quidem incompositos obtulit versus. Cuius mater fratrem habebat et 
 facetia splendidum. Rex autera nequaquam eum honorifice suscepit. Quaesivit taraen 
 iab eo cuius filius erat. 
 
 K" I, 9, 1. 18. 
 
 " These words only partially translate the Ivatin, mulus dicit se Dei creaturam esse. 
 
22 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 fiour and saide: "I wil that thow shewe me thi fader." And he 
 shewed [hym]. Therfor the kyng knew that his fader was vn- 
 lierned and saide to his seruauntis : "Departe this from our thynges, 
 f orwhy he hath goten ne deservid hem."^^ 
 
 The Arab said to his father: "It astonishes me to read that in 
 past ages nobles, wits and wise men were honored, but only lechers 
 were revered." To this the father; "Son, be not astonished that 
 priests honor priests, nobles nobles, wits wits, and that lechers are 
 venerated by lechers." The son: "And I read another thing: that 
 priests were not honored for their wisdom ; whence lechers were pro- 
 duced and came to great honor." Then the father said to him : 
 "That indeed resulted from the indolence of the time." To this the 
 son : "Explain to me, dearest father, the true meaning of nobility." 
 And the father : "As Aristotle says in his letter to King Alexander,**" 
 in reply to the question as to what kind of a man he should select 
 for his counsellor : 'Choose a man,' he said, 'who has been educated 
 in the seven liberal arts, disciplined in the seven cardinal virtues, 
 and polished by means of the seven accomplishments, and I believe 
 he will represent perfect nobility'." And the son : "Such nobility 
 does not exist today, for all the nobility that I know about proceeds 
 from gold and silver. As the poet says : 'Riches exalt people who 
 are without nobility and poverty degrades an ancient house that was 
 once in high esteem because of its nobility.' A certain poet 
 made these verses about the evils of the world which are destroying 
 its nobles. 'Tell them,' he said, 'who despise us because of the mis- 
 fortunes which befall us, that this world shows its opposition to no 
 one but the noble. Dost thou not see how the ocean carries dung 
 and chaff away, but how precious stones go to the bottom? And 
 dost thou not see that the stars in the heavens are without number, 
 and yet none of them but the sun and moon are subject to eclipses'?" 
 And the father: "This happens on account of the indolence of the 
 world, since men decide that riches are the sole reason for boast- 
 ing." One of the disciples questioning the master said: "Since 
 there are seven arts, seven accomplishments, and seven virtues, I 
 wish you would tell me what they are." The master : "All right ; 
 these are the seven arts : Logic, arithmetic, geometry, physics, 
 music, astronomy. Opinions vary greatly as to what the seventh 
 is : philosophers who believe in prognostications assert that nec- 
 romancy is the seventh. Others who do not believe in predictions 
 think philosophy is the seventh, which excels the study of nature 
 and the elements of the earth. Some who do not know philosophy 
 insist that it is grammar. 
 
 Then, the accomplishments are: Riding, swimming, archery, 
 boxing, the chase, chess, writing verse. The virtues (industriae) are : 
 
 °^ After this sentence the M. E. version has omitted a long passage of the philosoph- 
 ical discussions of the original (I, 9, 1. 26). The first half of the passage discusses 
 "true nohility": the second half, "the seven arts, virtues, and crafts." 
 
 ^ A Middle English version of this letter is preserved in the same Ms. (ff. 138-148) 
 with the Disciptina Clericalis, 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 23 
 
 not to be a glutton, a drunkard, a sybarite, not to be given to 
 violence, to lying, covetous, and of evil life." The disciple: "At 
 the present time I do not believe there is any man of this kind." 
 After this long omission the Middle English version resumes 
 the narrative. 
 
 Suche a Philosophre correctid his sone sayeng: "Beware of 
 lesynges, for it is swetter than flessh of briddis." Quod . another : 
 "How light it is to bryng furth a lesyng; whi is trowth seen so hard 
 and hevy ?" [Another philosopher] : "If thow dredist trewth wherof 
 forthynkith he, bettir it is ever to say so."" [Another] : "Shame it 
 is to deny lest it brynge to the necessite of lesyng; forsoth more 
 honest it is to denye a thyng than'* to yeve long terme." Another : 
 "To blame of blames to adde to the preyer is this tyme with warenes 
 to deny."'" Another philosopher: "If. lesyng savith any, moche 
 more with trowth he shalbe saved." Suche on accused was led and 
 brought bifore the kyng, the juge denyeng the cryme to hym put 
 and of the same convicte. To whom the kyng : "In duble wise thow 
 shalt be punysshed (f. 122), oones for the cryme don, the secunde 
 for the deede denyed." Another suche in likewise accused that he 
 had don, nat denyed. Thei that stooden aboute saiden to the 
 kyng, he to take jugement of the deede."" "Nat so," quod the kyng, 
 "forwhi the philosopher saith: 'To hym that confessith the synne, 
 reason it is to Reles the jugement.' So he departed from the kyng 
 free." 
 
 Socrates saith: "So as a manlyer"^ is nat convenient in the 
 felawship of a prince, so is he excluded from the kyngdom of 
 hevenes". Forwhi the philosopher saide to his sone: "Say thow 
 hym a Her whiche to overcom evil saith evil ; forwhi as fier hurtith 
 nat fier, so evil vnto evil ne fallith nat. Therfor as water quenchith 
 fier, so goode thynges distroieth every evil." [Another] : "Ne yield 
 thow nat evil, ne be thow nat like vnto evil. So yield thow goode as 
 that thow be the better vnto evil."^^ 
 
 The Arabik saide to his sone: "If thov see oon bifore greved 
 of evil werkis, ne entremete ; who loosith the"^ doute, vpon hym shal 
 the thretenynges be." 
 
 "Lat. (I, 11, 1. 6.) Si dicere metuas unde paeniteas, melius est dicere: non! 
 quam sic! 
 
 ^' Ms. 'that.' 
 
 ^^I^at. (I, 11, 1. 9.) Terminum termino addere roganti est hoc tempore calliditas 
 negandr. 
 
 "" Lat. (I, 11, 1. 13)Dixeruntque qui regi astiterunt; Decrimine confessio iudicium 
 sumet. 
 
 "^ Lat. homo mendax. 
 
 ^^ The M. !S. omitsthe immediately following sentence, Alius: Ne confidas in 
 malo si periculum evaseris, ut aliud ineas, quia illud non faciet- u simile pertranseas 
 (see I, 11, 1. 22). 
 
 "2 Ivat. quia qui pendulum solverit. 
 
24 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 V. The Ungrateful Serpent."'' 
 
 "Suche oon passyng bi the woode fonde a serpent of shepardis 
 strayned and to stokkes bounden, whom in maner loosed cured 
 to chauf e.°° The serpent chaufifed aboute the f averer bigan to gnawe 
 and bite and somoche the bond hard he constreyned. Than the 
 man saide: 'What doestow? Whi yieldistow evil for goode?' 
 The serpent saide: T do my nature and kynde.' Quod he; 
 'And I have don wele to the, and that evil doestow only to me?' 
 So they strivyng wern cald to the jugement of the fox. To whom 
 whan he was com [and] was shewed al the matier bi order, than 
 the fox saide: 'This cause can I nat deme bi heryng, but as it 
 was at the first bitwixt yow I may see it at eye.' Than was the 
 serpent bounde ageyn as she was afore. 'Now,' quod the fox, 
 'thow serpent, if thow maist eschape, departe.' Whiche to the man : 
 'To loose the serpent nil thow nat labour.' Whether hastow nat 
 Red, 'who that loosith the dowte, vpon hym shalbe the falle'.""" 
 
 The Arabik saide to his sone : "If thow be'^ any tyme and maist 
 lightly be delyvered, abide nat to long ; for while thow abidest haply 
 ther may falle a more grevous blame, as fil to the gibbous or courbed 
 of the versifiour." "And how," quod the sone? [The fader] : 
 
 I' VI. The Poet Turned Porter."^ 
 
 ''Suche a versifiour [was] makyng vers to a kyng, and the kyng 
 praised his wisdam [and] bad hym aske a yift for his deede. The 
 ■whiche asked suche a thyng as for to be a porter at oon of the yates 
 of the Citee bi the space of a Moneth, and to have of every courbed 
 man a peny"" and of every ooneyed a peny, of every scald a peny, 
 of every lepre a peny, of every Roughhered a peny (f. 122''). 
 Whiche that the Kyng graunted and strengthed with his scale; 
 whiche in his mynisterie taken and in his seruice and office sat at 
 the yaate. In a day suche a courbed and wele hooded [man] beryng 
 a staf in his hand wold han entred. To whom the versifiour mette 
 askyng hym a peny, whiche he denyed. And with strength the 
 versifiour pullid of his hoode and tooke with oon eye, and asked 
 of two pens, where that first he myght have escaped with oo peny ; 
 
 " I, 12, 1. 1. 
 
 "^ Lat. Quern mox solutum calefacere cnravit. 
 
 "^ Lat. ruina erit. 
 
 "^ Lat. gravatus fueris. 
 
 "I, 12, 1. 13. 
 
 "" M. E. version omits et a scabioso denarium. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 25 
 
 but [he] withhield it "and nat havyng any help wold have fled.. But 
 he hield hym bi the hoode and puUid of his Cappe, and than his 
 hede appiered scalled, for the whiche than he asked thre pens. Than 
 this courbed man seeyng hymsilf havyng non help nor myght nat 
 flee bigan to Resiste and. withstond with naked armes, in whiche 
 [he] apperid [a] lepre; for the whiche than he asked the fourth 
 peny. To whom the defendaunt tooke awey his capp and cast it 
 to the grounde, and [he] appered than Roughered, for the whiche 
 than he toke of hym five pens. " So it happed for that he wold [nat] 
 paie 00 peny, vnwares paied fyve pens.^"" A certain philosopher 
 said to his son : "Son, refrain from passing through the house of 
 wicked people, for passing results in stopping, and stopping leads 
 to sitting and sitting ends in a deed. It is related, by way of illus- 
 tration, that two priests went forth from the city one evening for 
 a walk, and they came to a house where some drinkers had met 
 together. 
 
 A Priest in the House of Drinkers'''^ 
 
 Petrus Alphonsus tellis how on a tyme two clerkis went 
 samen before a place ther thar was many drynkers, and thai 
 callid thaim in. And the tone of thaim went into thaim and the 
 toder wold nott, bod went on hys wais ; and it was f er within 
 nyght. So the wachis of the town fande all thies drynkers syttand 
 samen, and the clerk with thaim, and becauce a man of the town 
 was robbid that ftyght, thai tuke thaim all and the clerk with thaim, 
 ^nd hanged thaim. And the clerke at bade with, thaim, or he was 
 hanged, sayd on this maner of wyse; "Quisquis inique gentis con- 
 sorcio f ruitur, procul dubio mortis immerite penas lucratur. What- 
 somevur he be at vsis ill company, na dowte of he sail hafe ane 
 ill dead."" 
 
 The Latin version of this tale (No. vii, see I, 12, 1. 2) is as 
 follows: Dictum enim est duos clericos de ciuitate quadam vespere 
 ut exspatiarentur exisse. Venerunt ergo in locum ubi potatores 
 convenerant. Dixit alter socio suo: Divertamus alia via, quia phi- 
 losophus dicit: Non est transeundum per sedem gentis iniquae. 
 Respondit socius : Transitus non novebit, si aliud non affuerit. Et 
 transeuntes andierunt in domo catilenam. Substitit alter retentus 
 
 '"At this point two short exampla are omitted from our English version; these 
 occur in the Latin (I, 13) as Nos. VII and VIII and have the titles, About a Priest enter- 
 ing the House of Drinkers (Exemplum de Clerico domum potatorum intrante) and The 
 Voice of the Owl (Exemplum de voce bubonis). The English also omits the brief dis- 
 cussion which links VI and VII together in the Latin (I, 12, 1. 28). 
 
 ^ This exemplum in an abbreviated form is found in the Middle English Alphabet 
 of Tales (Ed. Banks, Pt. II, No. 721,. p. 483). 
 
 ™ I have preserved the spelling and punctuation of the EETS edition, only substi- 
 tuting th for the early English thorn and and for &. 
 
26 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 dulcedine cantus. Monuit socius ire: noliiit. Recedente socio 
 remansit solus illectusque cantu domum intravit. Undique vocatus 
 sedit sedensque cum aliis potavit. Et ecce preco exploratorem 
 civitatis fugientem sequens post ilium domum protantium intravit. 
 Invento exploratore in ilia domo ipse et omnes capti sunt. Hie, 
 inquit, hospitium huius exploratoris fuit: hinc exiit, hue rediit; 
 omnes conscii et socii huius fuistis. Ducti sunt omnes ad patibulum, 
 et clericus inter illos magna voce praedicabat omnibus: Quisquis 
 iniquae gentis consortio fruitur, procul dubio mortis immeritae 
 poenas lucratur. 
 
 The Voice of the OwlP 
 
 "It is reported of two disciples that in going out of a certain 
 city they came to a place where the voice of a woman was heard 
 very distinctly, and the words of the song were well written and the 
 music of the song was so arranged that it sounded beautifully and 
 delightfully.. One of them, stopped on account of the beauty of the 
 song, but his companion said to him: 'Let's turn aside'. And they 
 did it ; for one is so far deceived by the song of a bird that he may be 
 led to death. Then the one said: 'This voice is sweeter than that 
 which my master and I heard long ago'. 'What kind of voice was 
 that', asked the other, 'and how did you hear it?' 'It happened,' the 
 companion said, 'that we had gone out of the city and we heard a 
 very harsh voice in an unattractive song, and the words sounded dis- 
 cordantly ; the one who sang repeated the words frequently and lin- 
 gered over the unmelodious song as if it was delightful.' Then the 
 master said to me : 'If it is true as men say, that the voice of the owl 
 portends the death of some one, then that iswithoutdoubt the voice of 
 an owl f ortelling death.' To this I said : 'I wonder, if the song is so 
 dreadful, why this man alone is delighted with it ?' And he answered 
 me : 'Dost not thou remember the philosopher who says : "Man takes 
 delight in three things even though they may not be good : in his 
 own voice, his own song, and his own son" ?' After he told this 
 about himself and his master they both went away." 
 
 A certain philosopher said to his son: "Follow a scorpion, a 
 lion, and a dragon, but do not follow a wicked woman." Another 
 philosopher said : "Pray God that he keep thee from the snares of 
 vile women, and be thyself on guard lest thou be deceived. For it 
 is said about a certain philosopher that in passing by the place where 
 a fowler had stretched a net for snaring birds, he saw a base woman 
 in wanton sport with the fowler and said to him : 'While thou art 
 trying to snare birds, be careful that thou art not caught in the filth 
 of the lime thou preparedst for he birds'."'* 
 
 "I, 13, I. 12 ff. 
 
 " Here the English version takes up the thread of the narrative again, repro 
 
 ng a lengthy paragraph of the Latin (I, 14, 11. ^ ^''^ "-" — *■ -^ ■• '■ ' 
 
 between tales VI, VII, VIII and IX of the original. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 27 
 
 Suche a disciple saide to his Maister : "I have Rad in wordis of 
 Philosophres whiche comaunden a man to kepe hym from the fro- 
 ward wit and engyne of wymmen. And [Salomon] only in the same 
 proverbes amonestith and warneth. If thow therfor any thing above 
 the wiles of hem memoratief holdist I wold with tellyng thow 
 woldist teche and lierne me, outher of fables outher of proverbis." 
 [The Maister] : "That cause shal I do to the gladly. But I am 
 ashamed lest any simple soule redyng oure ditees whiche of the 
 craftis of wymmen to the correccioun of theym and thyn and to 
 instruccioun and liernyng of other seen. That is for to say how, nat 
 knowyng ne wityng their husbondis, [they] callen and clepen their 
 loves and with hem abiden, clippyng and kissyng; and so of theym 
 and in theym accomplisshen and fulfillen their lascivic and foul 
 lustis, trowyng the wikkidnes and cursidnes to Rebounde in vs."'° 
 The disciple than saide: "Maister, ne dreede nat that forwhi Sala^ 
 men in the booke of proverbis and many sapient men whiche to 
 correcte suche evil and shrewd maners of theym wrote suche thynges 
 therof they deserved no blame, but laude and praisyng. And thow 
 in like wise writyng theym to our profite'^ shalt deserve no blame but 
 a corowne of glorie; and of this praier or tellyng shewe thow." Than 
 the Maister : 
 
 VII." The Vine-dresser Deceived by His Wife. 
 
 "Suche a man went to cut his vyne. That his wif seeyng than'* 
 vndirstode hym to dwelle and tarie long aboute it and sent a mes- 
 sangier to cal (f. 123) hir love and lemman, and arraied a feeste. 
 Forsoth it happened and fil so that the lord of the vyne smyten 
 with a braunche in the eye, yeede ageyn anon vnto his house nothyng 
 seeyng with the hurt eye. Comyng to the gate of his [house he] 
 knocked at the doore. That the wif withynfurth [heryng] gretly 
 troubled cald hir love and hid hym, and after that opened the doore 
 vnto hir husbonde. Whiche er^tryng and gretly sorrowyng for his 
 hurt eye bad array his chamber and make his bedde, as that he 
 myght rest hym. The wif dred lest he entryng the chamber 
 shuld see hir love ther hid, and saide : 'What hastest thow to bedde ? 
 First tel me what is the befalle.' And he told hir what was hym 
 befalle. 'O diere sir,' quod she, 'soeffre me that I conferme with 
 
 " This is d crude translation of the original of I, 14, 11. 4-8. 
 
 '« Lat. (I, 14, 1. 11) de illis scribens ad nostram utilitatem sed coronam pro- 
 
 mereberis. 
 
 " This is No. IV in the Latin, I, 14, 1. 13. 
 '= Ms. 'that'. 
 
ii8 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 craft of medicyne and charme that it come nat to the hool eye as 
 is comen to the hurt eye, forwhi thi. hurt and damage is comune 
 to vs both,' settyng hir mowth to the hoi eye til hir love from the 
 place wher he was hid went his way and departed, vnwityng the 
 husbond. Than quod she : 'Arise now, diere husbond, for I am sure 
 it shall nat come to the holl eye that is come to the hurt. Now 
 maistow, if it please the to go to thy bedde.' And so was the hus- 
 bond scorned and bijaped of his wif."'° 
 
 Then the disciple said to his master: "Thou hast advised me 
 well, and what thou hast told me about their guile and wiles I com- 
 mend to the thirsty and yearning soul; and I would not exchange 
 what I have learned about it for the riches of the Arabs. But if 
 thou pleasest to proceed, instruct me how we may succeed in con- 
 verting it into action for the future direction of the public." "I 
 will do it," said the master. 
 
 VHP" The Husband Deceived by Means of a Sheet. 
 
 "It is saide that suche oon went on pilgremage and committed 
 his wif vnto his stepmoder.*^ Whiche wif loved another and 
 shewed it vnto hir moder, whiche even moeved for hir doughter 
 yaf a favour to the lover and cald hym and bigan to talke*^ apart 
 with hym and with the doughter to feede and to feeste. And in 
 their f eestyng came the husbond to the dore and knocked. And the 
 wif arisyng hid the lover and after that opened the doore, whiche 
 after he was entred [he] bad array his bedde for he wold rest hym, 
 insomoche that he was wery. The wif Was troubled and in doubte 
 what she shuld do. The Moder seeyng that saide vnto the doughter : 
 'Ne haastow nat to arraie his bedde til we han shewed to thy hus- 
 bond the lynnen that we han made.' And thold wif drewe out the 
 lynnen as moche as she mgyht to a corner and toke hir doughter 
 another end to another corner. Whiche lynnen [was] so stretched 
 and lift vp in height. And so was the husbond mocked and bijaped 
 ■ til the lovier that was hid went out at the doore. Than saide thold 
 wif vnto hir doughter: 'Stretche this lynnen vpon thi husbondes 
 bedde, forwhi myn handis and thyn han made (f. IZS*") it and 
 woven it.' To whom the husbond saide : 'And thow, lady or dame, 
 canstow array suche lynnen?' 'O sone, moche have I made and 
 
 ™ There is nothing in the Latin (cf. I, 14, 1. 26) corresponding to this sentence. 
 And the following discussion which connects exempla IX and X in the I^atin version 
 is omitted from the English. 
 
 M No. X in the original, I, 15, 1. 1. 
 
 8^ Ms. 'vnto his wif vnto his stepmoder' (Lat. socrui, 'mother-in-law.') 
 
 82 Ms. 'take.' 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 29 
 
 t 
 
 arraied in this maner.' In this maner is the husbond disceived of 
 his wif."^^ 
 
 To this the disciple: "What I have heard is wonderful; but I 
 wish thou wouldest give me more advice, for the more I consider 
 the nature of those women the more I am concerned about my own 
 protection." The master rephed: "To this end I will tell you a 
 third tale and then our exempla will suffice for thy instruction." 
 The disciple : "If it please thee." 
 
 IX.'* The Mother-in-Law With the Drawn Sword. 
 
 It is also had in relacioun that suche a pilgrym commytted his 
 wif to his stepmoder to kepe. The wif secretly loved a yong man ; 
 that to hir moder redily she told and shewed. She forsoth con- 
 sentyng to the lover arraied a feeste and cald hym therto; whiche 
 so feestyng the husbond cam and knocked at the gate. The wif 
 therfor aros and lete the husbond [enter]. But the Moder with the 
 doughters love remayneng, forwhy ther was no place wher to huyde 
 hym, doubted what she and he shuld do. But while the doughter 
 opened the dore vnto hir husbond thold wif tooke a naked swerd 
 and ya,f to the lover [and] bad hym to stonde streight bif ore thentre 
 of hir doughters husbond with the same swerd drawen. 'And if the 
 husbond saye ought vnto the, aunswer nat ageyn.' And he dide as 
 he was boden. The dore opened [and] the husbond seeyng hym 
 standyng so askid hym what he was ; the whiche aunswerd nat. Than 
 if he were abasshed at the first sight, in that he yaf non aunswer, he 
 drad moche more. , Than thold wif aunswerd,: 'Dere sone, be stille 
 lest any man here the.' To that he wondryng saide : 'What is that, 
 f aire dame ?' Than thold wif : 'Thre yong men pursued this man 
 hider and we than opened the dore [and] suffred hym to entre thus 
 with his swerd til thei wern gon that wold have slayne hym. 
 Whiche now dredith the to be oon of theym, is astonyed and aun- 
 swerith nat.' Than the husbond saide: 'Wele mote ye fare that in 
 this maner han delyvered hym from deth.' And so entrying [he] 
 cald his wifes love and made hym to sitte with hym. And so with 
 swete spechis sported hem and at nyght leete hym go."*^ 
 
 ^ For this sentence see Latin I, 15, 1. 12 f. 
 
 M No. XI in the original, I, 15, 1. 16 ff. 
 
 ** The Worcester version omits the tale which follows this immediately in the 
 Latin_, (No. XXII) The King and his Jester or Storyteller (ci. I, 16, 1. 9) ; but since the 
 tale in a slightly ^ different Version was printed by Caxton in 1483 (see Introduction 
 p. 9), I supply this lacuna by reprinting it from Caxton's first edition. There it is 
 No. 8, *The eyght fable is of the discyple and of the sheep.' 
 
30 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 The King and His Jester 
 
 A discyple was somtyme whiche toke his playsyre to reherce 
 and telle many fables, the whiche prayd to his mayster that he wold 
 reherce vnto hym a long fable. To whome the mayster ansuerd: 
 "Kepe and beware wel that hit happe not to vs as it happed to a kynge 
 and to his fabulatour." And the discyple ansuerd: "My mayster, 
 I pray the to telle to me how it bef elle." And thenne the mayster sayd 
 to his discyple :*' "Somtyme was a kynge whiche hadde a fabula- 
 tour, the whiche reherced to hym at euery tyme that he wold sleep 
 fyue fables for to reioysshe the kynge and for to make hym falle 
 in to a slepe. It bifelle thenne on a daye that the kynge was moche 
 sorowful and so heuy that he coude in no wyse falie a slepe. And 
 after that the sayd tabulator had told and reherced (f. 128'') his 
 fyue fables the kynge desyred to here more. And thenne the sayd 
 fabulatour recyted vnto hym thre fables wel shorte. And the kynge 
 thenne sayd to hym : 'I wold f ayne here one wel longe, and thenne 
 shalle I leue wel the slepe.' The fabulatour thenne reherced vnto 
 hym suche a fable: Of a ryche man whiche wente to the market 
 or f eyre for to bye sheep ; the whiche man bought a thowsand sheep. 
 And as he was retornynge fro the feyre, he cam vnto a ryuer, and 
 bycause of the grete wawes*^ of the water he coude nat passe ouer 
 the brydge. Neuertheles he went soo longe to and fro on the 
 ryuage of the sayd ryuer, that at the last he fonde a narowe way'^ 
 vpon the whiche myght passe scant ynough thre sheep attones. And 
 thus he passed and had them ouer one after another. And hyderto 
 reherced of this fable*" the fabulatour felle on slepe. And anon 
 after the kynge awoke the fabulatour and sayd to hym in this 
 manere: T pray the that thow wylt make ah ende of thy fable.' 
 And the fabulatour ansuerd to hym in this manere : 'Syre, this ryuer 
 is ryght grete and the ship is lytyll,"" wherfore late the marzhaunt 
 doo passe ouer his sheep ; and after I shalle make an ende of my 
 fable.' And thenne was the kynge wel appeased and pacyfyed. 
 
 And therfore be thow (f. 129) content of that I have reherced 
 vnto the. For there is folke so"^ superstycious or capaxe that they 
 may not be contented with fewe wordes.""^ 
 
 The disciple said: "It is recorded in ancient proverbs that he 
 who grieves because of his possessions does not suffer as severely as 
 he who is afHicted with pains of his body. And the story teller did 
 not love his king as much as thou lovest me, for he only wished to 
 divert the king's mind a' little with stories, which was not thy inten- 
 
 ^ Jacobs reads 'descyple.' 
 
 ^ Jacobs reads 'waiues.' 
 
 ^8 Lat. (I, 16, 1. 19) ex'iguam naviculam. 
 
 ^^ Lat. His dictis tabulator obdormivit. 
 
 •"Jacobs 'lytyl.' 
 
 ^ Jacobs omits 'so.' 
 
 "^ There is no punctuation in Caxton's text except vertical lines at the ends of 
 sentences. I have also normalized the capitalization, otherwise no changes are made. 
 Caxton's last two sentences — which are in reality a translation of Steinhowel — are quite 
 different from the I^atin (cf. I, 16, 1. 26) : Quodsi amplius me praedictis etiam subtexere 
 alia compuleris, iam dicti praesidio exempli me deliberare conabor. And there is nothing 
 in Caxton which corresponds to the latter part of the connecting dialogue between Nos. 
 XII and XIII of the Latin version. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 31 
 
 tion with me at all. I pray thee, therefore, instruct me further, if 
 thou wih, concerning the resourcefulness of women." The master 
 , replied : 
 
 X.*^ The Procuress and Her Weeping Bitch. 
 
 "It is saide that suche oon had a wif of a noble kynred, inly faire, 
 beautevous, and chast. So haply it fil that [he] with busynes of 
 Reason wold go to Rome. But he wold nat make non other depute 
 keper of his wif but hirsilf, he trusted so moche in hir chast maners 
 and of worshipful proef. Forsoth this man redy went furth with 
 f elawship. The wif forsoth lived chastly and in al thynges prudently 
 doyng remayned. So it fil that of necessite compulsed out of hir 
 owne house [she] went out to hir neyghburgh in f elawship. That 
 neede and busynes don [she] went hir hom to hir owne house. That 
 suche a yong man bihielde and with brennyng love bigan to love hir 
 and many messangiers (f. 124) sent vnto hir coveityng of hir whom 
 he so brennyngly loved; Eft"* to whom with contemptis [she] hym 
 vttirly dispised. The yongman whan he felt hymsilf so dispised, 
 was made so moche sorowyng and over moche kynde of sikenes 
 hevied and greved. Oftentymes here and. ther wher he sigh that 
 faire womman goyng out desiryng with hir to meete and felaw- 
 ship, but in no wise it myght availe. To whom for sorowe wteep- 
 yttg he mette with an old wif clenly clad in Religious habite askyng 
 of hym what was the cause that compelled hym so to sorowe. But . 
 the yongman so avexed and troubled in his conscience wold nat 
 discovere. To whom thold wif saide : 'How moche that a sike man 
 hidith and takith awey the knowlache of his infirmyte from his 
 leche, so moche more grevous and sharp shal his grevaunce and sike- 
 nes be.' Whiche so heryng [he] told hir bi order and shewid hir 
 al his secrete counsail of this that hym bifil. To whom thold 
 wif: 'Of this whiche now thow hast saide with goddis help I shal 
 fynde a Remedie.' And so left hym and went hir hom to hir 
 house. And a litel whelp that she had at hom [she] made it to fast 
 two daies without mete ; and the thrid day to the f astyng hound 
 yaf brede jnowogh with an oynoun"" froted. Whiche whan the 
 hound had tasted and eten for the bitternes the eyen bigan to teare. 
 After this that old wif went hir to the house of the shamefast 
 womman whom the yongman loved so moche ; whiche worshipf ully 
 
 " No. XIII in the original, I, 17, 1. 3. 
 
 "The Ms. reading appears to be 'Of or 'Ef to:' the Lat. (I, 17, 1. 10) has this 
 simple sentence: Quibus contemptis eum penitus sprevit, 
 "^ Lat. sinapi i. e. 'mustard*. 
 
32 ' WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 for the gretnes of hir Religioun with a demure spirite toke hir 
 in. To this forsoth folow'ed hir whelp. Whan this goode womman 
 saw that litel hound so weepyng [she] askid what it had and ailed 
 and wherfor it so the eyen tered and wept. To this thold wif aun- 
 swerd: 'Diere friende, ne aske nat what is the cause forwhi it is 
 so grete a sorow that I may nat tel it.' Forsoth the womman 
 somoche the [more] stired hir to telle. Than thold wif or old Vek 
 saide : 'This litel hounde the whiche thow biholdist was my dough- 
 ter, a chast maiden and a faire and right beautevous, whom suche 
 a yongman loved; but she was so chast that in althyng vttirly his 
 love she dispised.'^ Wherof he somoche sorowyng was streyned 
 in to a grete sikenes ; for the whiche blame wrecchidly my doughter 
 here is chaunged in to an hounde.' And this saide, for grete sorowe 
 she brake out in teeris wepyng, that old wif. To that the goode 
 womman : 'What ! therf or diere dame, I f eele mysilf that I am 
 made in like synne. Me forsoth a yongman lovith, but of my 
 chastite his love I have vttirly dispised, and in like maner to hym 
 it f allith.' To whom that old wif : 'Ewer I praise the, my diere 
 friende, but rather (f. 124'') than this wrecchidnes of eschaunge 
 in to an hounde shuld fal to the, do that he askith and desirith. 
 If forsoth I had knowen the love bytwene the forsaide yongman and 
 my doughter, mi doughter shuld never have be[n] chaunged.' To 
 whom the chast womman saide: 'I beseche the as in this thyng 
 that thow tel me holsum and profitable counsail that my forme and 
 shap be nat deprived and made like an hound.' To whom thold wif : 
 'For the love of god"' right gladly, and forwhi of the, my doughter, 
 I am merciful and have on the compassioun; and that forsaide 
 yongman I shal seeke if he may be 'in any place founde and bryng 
 hym vnto the.' To whom the womman dide thankynges. And so 
 thold wif with hir crafty spechis and wordis yaf hir feith ; and the 
 yongman whom she promysed brought and so felawshipped hem 
 toguyder." 
 
 "A," quod the disciple to the Maister, "Never herd I of suche 
 a mervaile, whiche as I trowe was don bi craft of the devil." Quod 
 the Maister: "Ne doubte the nat it was so." Than quod the dis- 
 ciple: "I hope if any suche man were so sapient, as alwey he drad 
 hym how he myght be disceived bi the engyne and craft of womman 
 haply he myght kepe hym from hir engyne and wiles." Quod the 
 Maister : "I have herde of suche a man whiche that moche laboured. 
 
 *" Lat. ut eum omnino sperneret et eius amorem respueret. See I, 17, I. 27. 
 ^ Ivat. Pro Dei amore et animae remedio meae. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 33 
 
 as in kepyng of his wif, but nothyng it profited hym." The disciple 
 saide : "Goode Maister, tel me what he dide that I may knowe if I wed 
 that womman how I may kepe hir." [The maister] : 
 
 XL"* The Jealous Husband and the Stone Cast into 
 THE Well 
 
 "Svche a yong man ther was whiche al his entent and al his 
 wit and yit moreover al his body"" set and put to knowe al the maner 
 and craft of wymmen, and this don nold no wif wedde.^"" But first 
 [he] went to seeke counsail and cam to a man most sapient of that 
 Regioun and asked and sought how he myght kepe his wif if he 
 wold any wedde. The sapient man f orsoth heryng this ■ yave 
 hym counsail that he shuld make an house with high wallis of 
 stone and put his wif withyn and yeve hir mete inowgh to 
 ete and no superfluite of clothyng; so that in that house be 
 but 00 dore and oo wyndowe bi whiche she may see, and 
 of suche height and of suche composicioun and makyng bi whiche 
 noman may entre ne go out. The yongman forsoth herying this 
 counsail of the sapient man dide as he bad hym. Forsoth erly in the 
 morow whan the yongman went out, [he] shit the doore of the 
 house fast, and in like wise whan he entred ; and whan he slept hid 
 the keyes vnder his hede and thus dide long tyme. Suche (f. 125) a 
 day while this yongman went out his wif as she was wont ascended 
 vp to the wyndow ^"^ arid while she stoode ther she sawe another 
 faire yongman of body and of face, with whiche sight anon she 
 was kyndeled in the love of hym. Forsoth the womman so kyh- 
 deled in the love of that yongman and as it is above saide in suche 
 warde and straite kepyng bigan to thynk how and bi what art or 
 craft she myght speke with that yongman. And she ful of engyne 
 and guyle craftily bithought hir to stele the keyes of hir lord hir 
 husbond while that he slept, and so she dide. Forsoth hir lord hir 
 husbond was in custom every nyght to be drunk of wyne; now 
 the more suerly myght she go out to hir love and fulfil hir volunte and 
 lust. The lord forsoth, of that Philosophres techyng and warnyng 
 withouten guyle of any act of womman, bigan to thynke what his 
 wif often and daily wold with drynkyng make hym drunke. Suche 
 
 " XIV in the original (I, 18, 1. 18). 
 
 ® Lat. (I, 18, 1. 18) totam intentionem suam et totum sensum suum et adhuc totum 
 tempus suum. 
 
 '"This last sentence conveys the opposite meaning to that of the Latin, I, 18, 1. 
 19, et hoc facto voluit ducere uxorem. 
 
 "' Eng. version omits et euntes et regredientes intente aspexit. I, 19, 1. 2. 
 
3t WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 a tyme was that she trowed hir husband drunke;*'"' of whiche the 
 womman [ignorant]^"' arcs out of hir bedde in the nyght and went 
 to the doore of the house and opened and went hir out to hir love. 
 Hir husbond in the scilence and stilnes of the, nyght softly arisyng 
 cam to the doore and founde it open and shit it and made it fast and 
 went vp to the wyndowe and stoode ther in his shirte^"* til that 
 he sawe his wif torne ageyn willyng to entre and founde the doore 
 shit. Wherof hir soule sorowed and so [she] knokked at the 
 doore. The husbond heryng his wif and seeyng and as he knewe 
 nat asked what she was; and she askyng foryevenes promyttyng 
 never to do more so. In this it profited hir nat, but the husbond 
 in his wrath saide that she shuld nat be suffred ther to entre, but 
 to his friendes'^"" and hirs it shuld be shewed. But she the more 
 and more cryeng saide that but if he opened the doore she wold 
 skippe in to the pitte the whiche that was next the house and so 
 end hir lif ; and so of hir deth he shuld yield reason to hir f riendis 
 and neighburghs. He dispisyng his w.ifes threatis and manacis wold 
 nat suffre hir to entre. The womman ful of art and guyle toke vp 
 a grete ston and cast in the diche, to this entent that hir husbond 
 herying the sowne of the stoon fallyng in to the diche shuld trowe 
 that she were f alle into the diche ; and this don she hid hir secretely 
 bihynde the diche. The simple man and vnwise herying a maner 
 sowne of fallyng in to the diche without and tarieng went out 
 of his hous in a grete haasty cours wenyng and trowyng 
 that his wif had lept in to the diche. But the womman 
 seyng the dore open, nat foryeteful of hir craft entred the house 
 and shit the (f. 125'') dore fast and went vp to the wyndow. He 
 seeyng hymsilf so disceived saide: 'O thow false guyleful and ful 
 of the devils craft, suffre me to entre and whatsumever thow hast 
 don to me, wihoutfurth bileeve thow for a soth that I foryeve it.' 
 To whom with grete blamyng and vttirly with othis sweryng [she] 
 saide he shuld no entre have ther. And moreover saide: 'O thow 
 traitor, of thi cursid deedis I shall shewe vnto [thy parents] forwhi 
 every nyght thow art wont thiefly to go from me and go to thi 
 strumpettis.' And so she dide. The friendis forsoth heryng this 
 estemed and trowed it for a sooth and blamed the man. And so 
 was the womman delyvered with hir fals craft, and al the wite and 
 
 "^ I<at. (I, 19, 1. 10) Quod ut sub oculo poneret, se linxit ebriutn esse. 
 103 Lat. Cuius rei mulier inscia. 
 
 10* Lat. (I, 19, 1. 13) stetitque ibi donee in camisia sua mulierem suam nudam rever- 
 tentem vidit. 
 
 1"^ Lat. suuni suis parentibus. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 35 
 
 peyne that she deserved torned vnto the man ; to whom it profited nat 
 anymore his wif to kepe. Forwhi also an hepe of wrecchidnes fil 
 vnto this man, for the most dele of the people bilieveden that he 
 hadde deserved this that he suffred.""" Than quod the disciple: 
 "Ther nys no man whiche may kepe hym from thengyne and wills 
 of w'omman but if that god kepe hym. So bi this tale I shal nat 
 wedde bicause of this exhortacioun."^"' Than quod the Maister: 
 "This oughtist thow [nat] to bileeve of al wymmen, forwhi grete 
 chastite and'"* grete goodenes is Repared and arraied in many 
 wymmen, and wite thow that in a goode womman may be arrettid 
 goode felawship. A goode womman also is a feithful keper and a 
 goode house. Salamon in thend of his proverbis made xxii verse of 
 the laude and the goodenes of wymmen." To this the disciple saide : 
 "Wele hastow comforted me. But herdistow ever of any suche 
 womman whiche that torned hir wit and hir engyne vnto goode?" 
 Quod the Maister : "I have herd." Quod the disciple : "Tel me of 
 hir, for that were to me novelte and grete wounder." The Maister : 
 
 XII."» The Tale of the Ten Coffers. 
 
 "It is saide to me that suche a man of Spayne went to Miche 
 and while he went he cam in to Egipt; whiche wold entre and pas 
 thurgh the deserte [and] thought to leve his money in Egipt. And 
 bifore that he would leve it he asked if any feithful man Were in 
 that Regioun to whom he myght leve it. And an auncient man 
 shewed hym to a man named of goodenes and of trewth, 
 to whom he left a thowsand talentis. From that he went furth and 
 made anend of his journey and cam ageyn to hym to whom he com- 
 mitted his money, and this that he to hym commytted asked. But 
 he ful of wikkednesse saide that he never had seen hym tofore. 
 Forsoth he so disceived went to the goode men of that Regioun arid 
 told to hem and reherced how he to whom he had commytted his 
 money hadde hym entreatid. Forsoth neighburghs heryng suche 
 thynges of (f. 126) hym wolden nat bileeve it, but saiden it myght 
 nat be but that he had lost his money. So every day he went to the 
 house of hym to whom he commytted his money"" [and] with 
 
 ^^ The last sentence of the tale in the I^atin was omitted by the English trans- 
 lator (I, 20, 1. 10), Wherefore at the compulsion of most good people, deprived of his 
 dignities, lowered in esteem on account of slander from his wife, he had to suffer the 
 penalty of incest. 
 
 "" liat. (I, 20, 1. 14) est magna dehortatio. 
 
 »»'Ms. 'at.' 
 
 i™No. XV in the original, I, 20, 1. 22. 
 
 "°Lat. (I, 21, 1. 4) illius qui retinebat iniuste pecuniam. 
 
36 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 faire wordis and speche besought hym to yielde hym his money. 
 Whiche that the disceivour herying blamed hym and saide that if 
 he any more cam or spak therof he shuld suflfre grevous peyne as 
 he was worthy. He heryng the threatis and manacis of hym that 
 disceived hym went his wey and bigan to sorowe ; and in his goyng 
 ageyne met with anold womman clad in heremytal clothyng, — 
 this freal and fieble old wif supportyng hirsilf with hir staf, re- 
 moevyngthe stones out of their place, [and] praisyng god that no 
 passyngby hurt nat their f eete at hem. The whiche seeyng the man 
 wepyng, knewe hym for a straunger [and] moeved with pitee cald 
 hym in to help [hym] and what was hym bifalle asked hym. And 
 he bi order told. Forsoth the womman heryng the wordis of the 
 man saide: 'Friend, if the wordis bien triewe that thow hast saide, 
 I shal do the help.' And he : 'In what maner, goode womman and 
 and goddis seruaunt?' Quod she than and saide: 'Bryng me a man 
 of thi lond and cuntrey to whom thow maist trust in word and 
 deede.' Than said he: 'I shal bryng [hym].' And sofurth to the 
 felaw of hym that was disceived comaunded x cof res preciously to 
 be peynted with dyvers colours withoutfurth, wele locked and 
 bounden with irn and silver, and filled ful of smale stones, and 
 bryng hem^'^^ vnto the house of his host. And he so dide. The 
 womman whan she sawe al thing arraied and redy as she bad, 'Now,' 
 quod she, 'seeke x men the whiche shuln go with me to the house 
 of hym that hath deceived the, and with thi felaw beryng the cof res 
 oon after another af er comyng. And as soone as the first is comen 
 in to the house^^^ and hath rested, com thow and aske thi money, 
 and somoche I trust in god that thi money shalbe to the Restored.' 
 And he, as the old womman bad hym, he dide ; whiche nat f oryetef ul 
 [when] taken to the house of the disceivour, with the felaw of the 
 disceived cam and saide :^^^ 'Suche a man of Spayne [whiche] was 
 hosted with me and wold go to Mehe asked and sought bifore the 
 money whiche he hath in x cpfres, to what goode man he myght 
 saufly comm'ende it to kepe til he come ageyne. Also I beseche the 
 as of my cause in thi warde thow kepe, and forwhi I have herd 
 and also knowe the a goode man to be feithful and triewe, I wil 
 nonother but only the this money to be commendid vnto.' And 
 while they spaken thus cam he beryng the first cofre"* so as he was 
 
 ^^ Ms. 'the' or 'ye.' 
 
 »2 Lat. (I. 21, 1. 18 illius hominis qui te decepit. 
 
 ''^ The Latin (I, 21, 1. 22) has. Quae non oblita incepti quod praedixerat iter 
 incepit. Et venit cum ,socio decepti ad domum deceptoris et inquit. 
 
 '"The Lat. (I, 22," 1. 1) is different here, venit primus deferens cof rum, aliis a longe 
 iam apparentibus. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 37 
 
 comaunded, and another after afer so a longe appieryng; the dis- 
 ceived [man] nat foryeteful of the old wommans comaundementis, 
 cam after (f. 126'') the first cofre. Forsoth he whiche had hid the 
 money, ful of wikkidnes and cursed craft, as he saw the man 
 comyng to whom he had hid and denyed the money, dredyng lest 
 he wold aske or enquire questions^^^ of hem that dide do bryng 
 thiese cofres of his money so taken and denyed, went agenst hym 
 and saide: 'Friend, where hastow be and wher hast thow taried? 
 Com and take thi money to me of trust commended, f orwhi I have 
 founde it and from hensfurth it werieth and lothith me to kepe 
 it.' And than he glad and joyeng, Received the money doyng 
 thankynges. Thold wif whan she sawe hym havyng his money, 
 risyng saide: 'Go we both, I and my felawe, rennyng bifore agenst 
 our cofres to haast hem ; and thow forsoth abide til we come ageyn, 
 and kepe wele that now we han brought.' He forsoth with a glad 
 soule kept that he had take and abode the comyng of theym that 
 myghten com after. And so with goode wit and engyne of thold 
 wif the money was yolden."^'" 
 
 The disciple : "This was a remarkable and useful trick and I do 
 not think any philosopher could think out a more subtle means by 
 which man could recover his money more easily." The master : "A 
 philosopher might well do by his natural and artificial skill and also 
 by studying the secrets of nature what the woman did by her clever 
 wits alone." The disciple: "I can well believe it; but if thou hast 
 stored away in the treasury of thy heart anything of this character 
 from the philosophers, pray bestow it on me, thy disciple, and I 
 wfll commend it to faithful memory, so that I may at some time feed 
 this most delicate morsel to those of my fellow disciples who have 
 been brought up on the milk of philosophy. The master : 
 
 XIII."^ The Ten Tuns of Oil. 
 
 "It happened that suche a man had a sone to whom after his 
 deth nothyng he left sauf an house. This yong man with greate 
 labour of his body lived and whiche with nature yeede vndir f oote ;^^' 
 and though he were coarted and driven in grete nede, his house 
 wold he nat selle. This chield had a neighburgh that was a grete 
 Riche man whiche coveited to bie the house and yeve hym 
 largely therfor. This chield forsoth wold nat selle it for price 
 
 "" Lat. (I, 22, 1. 4) timens ne, si pecuniam requireret. 
 
 ^' The connecting link between this tale and the following one in the Latin (I, 22, 
 ]. 13) was omitted by the translator. 
 
 11' No. XVI in the original. See I, 22, 1. 20. 
 
 "' Lat. Iste cum magno labore corpori suo vix etiam quae natura exigit suppe- 
 •ditabat. 
 
38 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 ne for praier. After that the Richeman comprised with what 
 engyne or what craft he myght thynke to betray this chield of his 
 house. And this yong man after his power eschewed the faimiUarite 
 of the Riche man. Therof the Richeman was sorowful bicause of 
 the house that he myght nat disceive the chield, and vpon a day cam 
 to the chield and saide: 'O goode [sir], leene me a litel part of thi 
 court vpon a price, for in it vnder the erth x tonnes with oile wold 
 I kepe, and nothyng shal it noye the and thow shalt have therof 
 what sustenaunce of lif thow wilt.' The chield coarted with neces- 
 gj^giiQ graunted and yave hym the keyes of the hous. Forsoth the 
 yong man in the meane tyme of his fredam frely servyng askd his 
 mete. And so the Richeman toke the keyes and the court of that 
 yong man strangled and digged, and v Tonnes ful of oile ther laide 
 and V half ful. And that don [he] cald the yongman and toke hym 
 the keyes of the house and saide: 'O yongman, myn oyle to the 
 I commytte and in to thi kepyng I betake.' The simple yongman 
 trowyng al the tonnes ful in to his warde and kepyng received. And 
 after long tyme it happened that (f. 127) in that lond oile was diere. 
 The Richeman heryng^-" this saide to the chield, 'O my f riende, com 
 and help me to digge vp myn oile that to thy kepyng now I have 
 comaunded,' and of his labour takyng a Reward. The yongman for- 
 soth heryng his price and his praier graunted to the Richeman and 
 after his power halp hym. The richeman nat foryeteful of his 
 fraude and guyle brought men as to bie the oile. To whom whan 
 he had brought [hem, he] opened the ground and v ful tonnes and 
 V half tonnes ther thei founden. Perceivyng that, [he] cald the 
 chield saieng thus vnto hym : 'Mi f riende, bicause of thi kepyng I 
 have lost myn oile; moreover that I commytted to the fraudelently 
 thow hast taken awey; wherfor I wil that thow restore me.' This 
 saide, wold he nold he hym to the justice he ladde, and whan he 
 sawe the justice to hym he accused. But the yongman wist nat what 
 he shuld say agenst it, but only askid triews and respite of a day. 
 That the justice that was rightwis hym grauntid. Forsoth in that 
 Citee ther dwellid such a philosophre whiche was named a grete 
 helpdoer, a goode man, and a Religious. Forsoth the yongman 
 heryng of his goodenes sent a messangier vnto hym and counsail of 
 hym sought and asked saieng: 'If thei bien triewe that bien saide 
 and told to me"^ of the, in homly maner do me help, for and for- 
 
 "" Lat. (I, 23, !. 3) coactus necessitate. 
 
 '" Lat. videns. 
 
 ^2^ The English omits multis referentibus. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS ■ 39 
 
 soth vniustly and wrongfully I am accused.' The philosopher herd the 
 praier of the yongman [and] askid hym if he iustly or vniustly were 
 accused. Forsoth he affermed with an oth vniustly. The philoso- 
 phre heryng the thyng of trowth and moevid with pite saide that 
 'with goddis help I shal help the; but as of the Right thow hast 
 taken respite vnto morow day, whiche tho thynges at thoo plees nil 
 thow nat leve'^^^ and I shalbe redy to socoure thy trowth and to noi- 
 saunce of their falshed.' Forsoth the yonge man dide that the 
 philosophre badde. Forsoth the morow after [he] cam to the 
 philosopher to the Right ; whom after the Right had seen as a [wise] 
 man cald the philosophre, and so cald made hym to sitte next hym, 
 Than 'the Right callid thaccusers and the accused and comaunded 
 that thei shulden Reherse the plees; and so thei diden. Of theym 
 forsoth standyng bifore, the Right saide to the philosophre that the 
 causes of hem he shuld here and therof do iugement. Than the 
 philosophre saide to the Right: 'Now comaunde yee that the cliere 
 oile of the v ful tonnes be mesured and thow shalt knowe and wite 
 how moche ther be of cliere oile; and in like wise of the v half 
 tonnes and thow (f. 127'') shalt knowe how moche ther be of cliere 
 oile. Than the thikke oyle of the v ful tonnes so measured and thow 
 shalt know how moche thikke oile be in hem, and in like wise of 
 the V half tonnes, if ther be asmoche as in the ful tonnes, know thow 
 for a soth the oile is stolen. And if thow fynde in the half tonnes 
 suche part of thikke oile as of cliere ther beyng went and issued 
 out,^^^ know thow for a sooth that oile nat to be stolen.' The 
 Right heryng thus, confermed the iugement and so was don. And in 
 this maner the yongman escaped with the wisdam of the philosophre. 
 And so the plees endid, the yongman yielding thankynges to the 
 philosophre. Than the philosopher saide vnto hym : 'Herdistow that 
 never of the philosophre, "Ne bie thow non house bifore that thow 
 knowe thi neighburgh".' To this the yong man: 'First we had an 
 house that next vs hosted.' To whom the philosophre : 'First selle thyn 
 hous bifore that thow dwel next a shrewde neighburgh'." The 
 disciple: "Suche iugement appierith to be [of] the philosopher and 
 this is the grace of god and meritorily is cald this name, the help of 
 wrecchis."^^* 
 
 24, 1. 8 
 
 1. 15, 
 
 '^ Lat. (I, 23, 1. 26) qum eas ad placita dimittere noli. 
 
 i^The English omits, quod quidem et in plenis tonellis invenire poteris. See I, 
 
 8. 
 
 »24The short connecting link in the Latin is not given in the English. See I, 24, 
 
40 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 Then the disciple : "Though the things I have heard are fixed 
 in my mind, yet they spur my soul on to wish to hear more." The 
 Master said : "I will tell the gladly," and he began thus : 
 
 Xiv.i-s The Tale of the Golden Serpent 
 
 "It was saide of suche a Richeman in the Citee goyng, that a 
 bagge ful with a thowsand talentis bare with hym and moreover a 
 serpent of gold havyng eyen of jacynt in the same bagge, and al that 
 he lost. And suche a poore man makyng ther his iourney fond it 
 and yave it to his wif, and how that he found it to hir rehersed. 
 The womman heryng this saide: 'That god hath yeven kepe we.' 
 Another day a Bedil went bi the wey so to cry and to proclame: 
 'Who that hath founde suche money do yield it ageyn and without 
 f orfaiture or f raude he shall have therof an hundred talentis.' This 
 heryng, the f ynder of the money saide to his wif : 'Yield we the 
 money and want any synne, we shuln have therof an hundred 
 talentis.' To this the womman: 'If god had wold that he shuld 
 enjoie the money he shuld nat have lost it. That god hath yeven 
 kepe we.' The f ynder of the money laboured as to yield it and she 
 vttirly denyed it. And whether she wold or nold, to the lord he hath 
 yold it and that he promised asked. -The Richeman ful of wikkidnes 
 saide: 'That me lackith another serpent wite yee.' This that he 
 saide was ^-^ of a shrewde intencioun, as that he wold nat to the 
 poore man yielde his promyse. The poore man saide he fonde 
 nomore. And the men of that Citee fauorable to the Richeman, 
 derogaunt and sharp agenst the fortune (f. 128) of poverte beryng 
 hym haate, drewe hym and bitoke hym to the Right. Forsoth the 
 poore man cried and swore, as it is above saide, that he fonde 
 nomore. But while the word of this poore and richeman ran to 
 the Ministres tellyng, the same smote and cam to the earis of the 
 kyng. That as he had herd, called toguyder the Richeman and the 
 poore and to hym[silf] comaunded to presente the money. Al 
 thynges brought to the kyng, the philosophre whiche was cald the 
 help of wrecchis with other sapient men cald and of his accusers to 
 noye and to accuse, here and mark yee, the philosopher comaund- 
 ith.^" This herd [and] evenly moeved with pitee on the poore 
 man, [he] cald hym vnto hym and saide: 'Tel me, my brother if 
 thow have the money of this man? that if thow have nat, with help 
 
 »== No. XVII in the original (I, 24, 1. 18). 
 
 '=" Ms. 'this.' 
 
 5^' Lat. (I, 25, 1. 3) Adductis omnibus rex philosophum qui vocabatur Auxilium 
 Miserorum cum aliis sapientibus ad se vocavit eisque- accusatoris vocem et accusati 
 audire et enodare praecepit. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 41 
 
 of god I shal deliver the.' To this the poore man saide : 'God 
 knowith that I have yielded as moche as I have founde.' Than the 
 philosopher vnto the kyng: 'If it please [the] to here, rightwis 
 iugement I shal say.' The kyng heryng this praied hym to deeme 
 and juge it. 
 
 Than the philosophre to the kyng : 'This^^* is moche more 
 credible and gretter witnesse of trowth hath, and it is nat to bileeve 
 nor trust hym that askith that he lost nat. And of that other partie 
 it seemyth to me Right credible that this goode poore man fond 
 iiomore than he hath yolden, and forwhi if he were an evil or a fals 
 man, he wold nat have yolde that he hath yielded, but rather con- 
 celed and hid it.' Than the kyng : 'What f orsoth demest thow,' quod 
 the kyng to the philosophre ? The philosophre than, to the kyng : 
 'Take the money and yeve therof vnto the poore man an hundred 
 talentis ; and that remayneth kepe til he come that asked it, forwhi 
 this money is nat his ; and this richeman went to the bedil and made 
 hym to aske the bagge with ii serpentis.' Forsoth it pleased to the 
 kyng this jugement and to al tho standyng aboute hym. Forsoth the 
 Richeman whiche had lost the bagge heryng this saide : 'Sir, and my 
 lord the kyng, in veray trowth I say to the the money was myn. 
 But forwhi that I wold take awey that the bedil promysed to this 
 poore man, yit hiderto I have saide I lacked another serpent. But 
 now my kyng, have mercy on me and that the bedil promysed I shal 
 yield to the pore man.' Than the kyng the money yieldid to the 
 Riche and the Richeman to the poore; and so with the wit and 
 engyne (f. 128'') of the philosopher the poore man was de- 
 livered.''^'" 
 
 The link runs as follows in the Latin, beginning I, 25, 1. 23 : 
 
 The disciple: "This appears to be the spirit of philosophy, and 
 in the light of this exemplum Solomon's judgment concerning the 
 two women is not so remarkable." 
 
 The philosopher says : "Do not go on a journey with any man 
 unless you have known him previously. If any unknown person 
 joins thee on thy way and will learn about thy journey, tell him thou 
 wishest to go further than thou plannedst for; and if he carries a 
 lance go thou to the right ; if a sword, go to the left." 
 
 The Arab corrected his son saying : "Follow beaten paths 
 though they are longer than bypaths." And again: "Take a maid 
 to wife though she be old." And again: "Bring thy wares to large 
 cities though thou expectest to sell them cheaper there." To this the 
 
 *^ Lat. (I, 25, 1. 10) Iste homo dives bouns multum est et ut. 
 
 1^ After this tale the English version omits the immediately following link as well 
 as the succeeding tales of the I,atin (No. XVIII) entitled The Path and The Ford (I,at. 
 a) Bxemplum de semita (b) Exemplum de vado), cf. I, 26. 
 
42 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 son : "What thou sayest about main roads is true.^"" For on a cer- 
 tain day when my companions and I wished to arrive in the city 
 by sunset and were still a long way from it, we saw a footpath 
 which it seemed would shorten the journey. But we met an old 
 man and inquired of him about the course of that path. The old 
 man said : "The footpath leads more direct to the city than the high- 
 way and yet you will arrive there more quickly by the highvvay.' 
 When we heard this we considered him a fool, and letting him 
 proceed along the highway, we turned into the bypath. Pursuing 
 this path now to the right and now to the left, we wandered about 
 until it was night and did not reach the city. But if we had fol- 
 lowed the main road we would no doubt have entered the walls of 
 the city." The father replied to this :^" "It happened to us diflfer- 
 ently as we were following the highway to the city; there was a 
 river before us which we had to cross by some means before we 
 could enter the city. And so, as we were proceeding on the jour- 
 ney we found the road divided, one fork of Which led to the city 
 through a ford, the other by a bridge. And then we saw an old 
 man, of whom we inquired which of the two ways would bring us 
 more quickly into the city. And the old man said the road by the 
 ford was shorter by tw|o miles than the road over the bridge. 'But, 
 nevertheless,' he said, 'you will arrive in the city more quickly by 
 the bridge,' And some of our party made fun of the old man, 
 as certain of yours before did, and took the way across the 
 ford. And some of them had their companions swept down by the 
 current, others lost their horses and baggage, some had their clothes 
 soaked with water, and others wept because their clothes were lost 
 entirely. But we and our old man Who crossed by the bridge pro- 
 ceeded without hindrance and any inconvenience and found them 
 again, lamenting their losses on the bank of the river. To whom 
 thus weeping and searching the depths of the river with rakes and 
 nets the old man said : 'If you had gone with us across the bridge, 
 you would not have had this delay.' But they replied : 'We did this 
 because we did not wish to be delayed on the way.' And the old 
 man answered to this : 'Now you are still more delayed.' Then we 
 left them behind and joyfully entered the gates of the city. I once 
 heard this proverb: 'The long road to heaven is preferable to the 
 short road to hell'." 
 
 The fader saide to the sone r^"^ "If thow be in the wey with 
 any felaw, love thow hym as thisilf and thynk nat in any wise to 
 disceive hym lest he disceive the, as ii Burgeis and a Cherl happed 
 to felawship." Quod the sone: "Fader, tel me that as sum profite 
 therof may be taken herafter." The fader saide : 
 
 '=» Concerning a Footpath, No. XVIII (a) I, 26. 
 
 1" (b) About a Ford (I, 26, f. 14). 
 
 ^^- Lat. (1, 27, 1. 1) Arabs castigavit lilium suum. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 43 
 
 XV.i^* The Three Ph-grims to Mecca and the Loaf 
 
 "It is saide of ii Burgeis and a Cherl [that] bicause of de- 
 vocioun went to Meche [and] that wem felawes at mete, whan'** 
 thei comen nygh Meche theym failed vitaile, so that ther remayned 
 nothyng to theym but a litel meale or flour of the whiche they made 
 hem a litel lof. The burgeis forsoth seyng that saiden vnto hem- 
 silf : 'We have but litel brede and our f elaw is a grete eter, wherf or 
 it bihovith vs to have covmsaile how we may withdrawe from hym 
 a part of [his] brede, and that vs ought to ete alonly ete we.' Than 
 thei token counsaile in this maner that thei shuld do make a cake 
 or a lof baken, and while it baked thei slept and everiche of the 
 Burgeis dreamed a woundirful swevene.^'* And or that thei leiden 
 hem to sleepe thei saiden to hemsilf : 'That while the cherl sleepith 
 craftily we shuln ete this brede that he shal nat wite ne knowe it.'*'^ 
 And the cherl perceived the wikednes of the ii felawes, drewe the 
 brede out of the fuyre half baken' and ete it and leide him doim.**'^ 
 But oon of the burgeis so as he slept was agast and wooke and cald 
 to his felaw. To whom that other of the burgeis saide: 'How is 
 [it] with the?" Than he saide: 'I have seen a wounderful swevene. 
 Forwhi as it seemed to me that verily aungels^^ opened the \-atis 
 of hevene and takyng me led me bifore god.' To whom his felaw: 
 'It is a mervailous swevene that thow hast seen. And I have 
 dreamed that ii angels ledyng me opened therth and brought me in 
 to helle.' The cherl heryng al this [was] feyneng hymsilf a sleepe. 
 But the disceived burgeys willyng [to] disceive hym caUid the cherl 
 and awaked hym. The wily cherl. as he had be agast aunswerd : 
 'What bien yee that callen me?' [Thei saide] : We bien thy 
 felawes.' And the cherl: 'Be yee now come ageyn?' Than they 
 ageyn to h3?m : 'Wliider shuld we go from whens we ought to come ? 
 To this [the cherl] : 'It was seen to me in my visioun that forsoth 
 oon of yow was taken of aungels whiche^'* opened the yaatis of 
 hevene and led hym bifore god. And that that other was taken also 
 of aungels that opened therth and led hym doun to heUe. I seeyng 
 thiese thynges [and] never trowyng of (f. 129) yowre comjmg 
 ageyn, aros and eete vp the brede'." [And the fader] : "And so 
 
 "" No. XIX in the original. See I, 27, 1. 5. 
 
 "* ils. 'and whan' ; I,at. donee venirent prope Mech. 
 
 "^ The English omits solus panem comederet. 
 
 ^^ The preceding two sentences translate the I^tin verr freely: Hoc artificiose 
 dicebant, qnia msticnm simplicem ad huinsmodi ficticia depnteoant. ISt fecerunt panem 
 misemntqne in ignem, deinde iacnemnt ut dormirent. 
 
 ^^ The I.atin has dormientibus sociis before the phrase *out of the fuyre.' 
 
 ^'^ Lat. duo angeli. 
 
 '»Ms. "and." 
 
44 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 my sone, it happened and cam so to, that thai whiche wold han 
 disceived their felaw that with his wit thei wern disceived."'^*'' 
 
 Then the son : "It happened to them as it is told in the proverb : 
 ■"He who wanted all lost all.' Such also is the nature of the dog 
 whom they resemble : one of them tries to take away another's food. 
 But if they followed the instinct of the camel they would imitate a 
 gentler nature ; for the nature of the camel is such, that when fodder 
 is given to many of them at the same time, no one of them will eat 
 until they can all eat together. And if one is so weak that he can 
 ■not eat, the others refuse to eat until he is taken away. And since 
 these peasants desired to assume the nature and manner of an animal, 
 they should have followed the nature of the gentlest animal ; and so 
 they deserved to lose their food. But also I wish that could have 
 happened to them which I have heard my master say happened once 
 upon a time to the king's tailor instead of to his apprentice Nedwy, 
 to wit, he was openly beaten with cudgels." The father replied 
 to this : "Tell me, son, what you heard. What happened to the ap- 
 prentice ? for such a story will be a recreation to my soul." The son : 
 
 j^Yj 141 -pjjg Master Tailor and his Apprentice Nedwy 
 
 "It is saide^*^ that suche a kyng had suche a Tailour the whiche 
 •dyvers tymes shoope to hym dyvers clothis apt vnto his body. And 
 he had disciples and lerners of sowyng whiche everiche of hem 
 craftily sowed. ^^^ Among the whiche [was] oo disciple named 
 Nedwy whiche in the craft of [sowyng] was the best and past any 
 •of his felawes. But a grete feste day comyng the kyng cald vnto 
 hym his tailour and his drapers and comaunded hem to array for 
 the tyme comyng for hym and for his seruauntis precious 
 ■clothis. That as soone and without any impedyment it 
 were don, oon of his chambrelayns, a geldyng of whom 
 was thoffice and the warde of sowers to kepe, addid and saide 
 as that noon of hem observe ne kepe no croked nor long nailes, and 
 praied that he shuld mynistre vnto hem sufficient necessaries. But 
 in a day the mynistres of the kyng bote brede and hony with other 
 disshes to the tailour and his felawship yaven to ete, and whiche 
 that ther wern comaunded to ete. To whom so etyng saide the 
 geldyng : 'Maister, whi ete yee, and Nedwy beyng absent neither yee 
 abide hym nat?' Quod the Maister: 'Forwhi he etith no hony 
 though he were here.' And so they eten. Than cam Nedwy and 
 saide : 'Whi ete yee and I absent nor therof kepe my part ?' Than 
 
 ^^ The English omits most of the discussion between the father and son which 
 serves as a connecting link between exampla XIX and XX of the Latin. See I, 28, 1. 2 if. 
 "1 No. XX in the original. See I, 28, 1. 13. 
 "2 Lat. Narravit mihi magister mens. 
 ^"'2 The English omits here quod magister incisor regis artificiose scindebat. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 45 
 
 the geldyng saide : 'Thy Maister saide that thow etist no hony thowgh 
 thow haddest bien here.' And he was stil and thought how that he 
 myght recompense and quite his Maister. And this don Nedwy in 
 his Maister absence secretly saide to the geldyng : 'Sir, my Maister 
 is f rentik and while he suffrith that he leesith his wit and vndiscretly 
 betith and hurtith theym that bien aboute hym.' To whom the 
 geldyng: 'If I knewe the tyme whan this to hym fallith, nat vnwarly 
 don, I shuld bynde hym and with whippes correcte hym.' Than 
 Nedwy saide: 'Whan thow seest hym bihold and looke hider and 
 thider and betyng the grounde with his handis and risyng from his 
 seete and castyng awey the stoole that he sat on with his hand, than 
 thow maist knowe that he is out of his wit; and but if thow and 
 thyne"* provide with a staf he wil hurte or breke yowr (f. 129'') 
 hedis.' To this the Geldyng : 'Blessid be thow ; f orwhi from hens- 
 furth I shal purvey for me and myn.' Suche thynges saide, Nedwy 
 the next suyng [day] secretly hid his Maister sheeris; and he^*'' nat 
 fyndyng hem bigan to smyte the grounde with his handis and to 
 biholde here and there, arisyng from his seete and the stoole that he 
 sat vpon to overterve. The geldyng seeyng this anon cald f elawship 
 and saide : 'Bynde yee the tailour that he ne bete ne smyte nonother , 
 and grevously bete ye hym.' But the tailour cried so and saide: 
 'What have I forfeted, or what or wherfor bete yee me thus?' 
 But thei the more sharply betyn hym and wern stil forsoth. Whan 
 they wern wery of betyng and scourgyng hym, thei leften and 
 loosed hym only with the lif . The whiche respityng but a long while 
 bitwene, asked of the geldyng what he had forfeted. To this the 
 geldyng saide : 'Thi disciple Nedwy told me that whan thow art out 
 of thi wit and woode that neither but in bondis and betynges thow 
 be corrected, thow canst nat ceese ; and therf or I bond the and bete 
 the.' The tailour heryng this cald Nedwy his disciple and saide: 
 'Friend, whan knewistow me out of wit?' To this'*" the disciple: 
 'Whan knewistow me nat to ete hony?' The geldyng and other 
 heryng this lawghed and demed ever either worthi his penaunce that 
 he had taken.' To this the fader saide : "Meritorily this fil, f orwhi 
 if he had kept that Moyses comaunded as to love his brother as hym- 
 silf , this had nat'*' happed or come vnto hym."'** 
 
 The link contains the following: The wise man reproved his 
 son saying: "Be careful to make no charges against thy companion 
 
 ^** Lat. nisi tibi et tuis provideris; "with a staf not in I^at. 
 1*^ English omits At incisor quaerens forfices, I, 29, 1. 2. 
 146 <This' , repeated in Ms. 
 ^" 'hadde nat' repeated in Ms. 
 
 "^ The rest of the link and the immediately following tale of the original version 
 (The Two Jesters— De doubus ioculatoribus) are omitted in the English translation. 
 
46 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 either seriously or in sport, lest it befall thee as it befell the two 
 jesters before the king." To this the son: "Tell me about that 
 father, I pray thee." The father : "All right. A certain jester once 
 came to the king, whom the king made to sit at meat with another 
 jester. But the latter began to be envious of the new comer after 
 his arrival because the king had favored him more than himself and 
 all those about the court. And in order that this state of things 
 might not last long he planned to put him in disgrace so that he 
 would have to run away. Therefore while the others were eating 
 the first jester put the bones together and placed them before his 
 companion ; and when the meal was finished he showed the king the 
 pile of bones, arranged for the disgrace of his companion, saying 
 sharply: 'My companion has eaten the covering of all those bones.' 
 And the king looked at him with an angry scowl.. But the accused 
 said to the king: 'Master I did it because my nature, as is human, 
 required me to eat the flesh and throw away the bones ; and my com- 
 panion did what his nature, apparently that of a dog, demanded, in 
 eating both flesh and bones'." 
 
 The philosopher said : "Honor thyself as the lesser person and 
 give him of thy substance, just as thou wishest that the greater 
 honor thee and give thee of his substance." Another : "It is indeed 
 base for a rich man to be avaricious, but it is beautiful for man of 
 moderate means to be liberal."^*' 
 
 The disciple saide to the Maister : "Write thow to me the diffi- 
 nicioun of the largesse, the Auarous, and the Prodogus; that is to 
 say, the large or free man, the Covetous man, and the wastour."'^^" 
 [The fader] : "Whiche yevith to whom it is to yeve and with- 
 holdith and reteyneth to whom it is to withold, is^^^ large; and 
 [whiche] forbedith to whom it is forboden and to whom it is nat 
 forboden [is] covetous.'^^^ And who that yevith to whom it is 
 nat to yeve is a wastour."^^^ 
 
 "Do not engage in a business that is failing, and do not delay 
 to become associated with a growing business." Another: "A little 
 happiness is of more worth than a house full of gold and silver." 
 Another: "Strive for the useful with great care, not with great 
 haste." Another: "Do not look upon one richer than thyself lest 
 thou sin agains't him, but upon one who is poorer than thyself and 
 then thank God." Another : "Do not deny God because of poverty, 
 and do not be proud because of riches," Another: "He who desires 
 much is always consumed with hunger for more." Another: "If 
 you only wish to have as much in this world as will suffice for 
 
 "'At this point in the connecting link between tales XXI and XXII of the IvEtin 
 (of. I, p. 30) the Middle English takes up the thread of the story again. 
 
 »» Lat. (I, 30, 1. 1) Discipulus ait: Diffinitionem largi et avari et prodigi mijii 
 subscribe. Pater, et cet. 
 
 1"* Ms. 'and'. 
 
 "^ Ms. *and covetous to whom it is nat forboden'; Lat. Et qui prohibet quibus pro- 
 hibendum est et quibus non est prohibendum, avarus est. 
 
 1" The English omits the rest of the link, excepting the speech of the last one of 
 the several philosophers who engage in the discussion. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 47 
 
 nature, it is not fitting that you acquire much; and if you wish to 
 satisfy an avaricious mind, then, though you acquired everything . 
 on the face of the earth, the lust for gain will still burn within you." 
 Another: "His wealth wjll last long who spends it sparingly." 
 Another: "The source of peace is not to desire what belongs to 
 another, and the fruit of it is to have rest." Another: "Whoever 
 wishes to abandon life, let him see that he retain nothing that be- 
 longs to it, since only so much is worth while, unless he will extin- 
 guish the fire with dross." Another: "Whoever acquires wealth, 
 works hard and languishes with watchfulness that he may not lose 
 it ; then he is wretched when he loses what he had acquired." The 
 disciple to the master : "Do you praise the gaining of money ?" The 
 master: "Indeed! gain it; but spend it justly and for good purposes, 
 and do not conceal it in your treasury." 
 
 And another philosopher saith: "Ne desire thow non other 
 mans thyng and sorow thow nat of thyriges lost, for of sorowe 
 nothyng shalbe recoverable." Wherof he saith : 
 
 XVIP'*. The Churl and the Bird 
 
 "Suche oon had a greene orchard or gardyn in whiche was 
 moche and grete fuysoun of grene herbis. What shal I say ellis? 
 Ther was a place also Right delectable in whiche ther gadred grete 
 multitude of briddis with dyvers melodic of dyuers and many swete 
 songes executyng.'^^^ Vpon a day while he for werynes Restid in 
 his orchard suche a bridde (f. 130) sat vpon the tre, whiche that 
 he sye and herd his voice and deceivaibely toke hym in a snare. 
 To whom the brid : 'Why hastow laboured so mbche to take me, or 
 what profite hopistow to have in takyng of me?' [To this the man] : 
 'Only thi songes I desire to here.' To whom the brid : 'Triewly f or- 
 whi? for nothing price nor praier shal I syng.' Than he: 'But if 
 thow syng I shal etei the.' And the brid: 'In what maner wilt^'^ 
 thow ete me? If thow ete me soden or bake what shal it availe of 
 so litel a brid?'"^ And if I be Rosted moche lasse shal I be. But 
 if thow wilt lete me go, grete profite therof wil f olowe.' Quod he : 
 'What profite wil ther be therof?' The brid saide: 'I shal shewe 
 the iii wisdam^^* that shuln availe the more than the flessh of iii 
 calves.' And he folowyng the briddes promyse leete hym go. To 
 whom the brid: 'Oon of the promises [is] that thow beleeve nor 
 
 1" No. XXII in the original, I, 30, I. 26. 
 
 ""This entire passage corresponds to the following sentence of the Latin (I, p. 30): 
 Quidam habuit virgultum, in quo rivulis fluentibus herba viridis erat et pro habilitate 
 1-oci conveniebant ibi voiucres modulamine vocum cantus diversos exercentes. 
 
 iM Ms. 'that' for 'wilt.' 
 
 ^" English omits Et etiam caro erit hispida. 
 
 "» Lat. (I, 31, 1. 8) sapientiae manerias. 
 
48 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES" 
 
 trust nat to every man. The secunde is, that shalbe thyn alwey 
 thow shalt have. The thrid is, ne sorowe thow nat of thynges lost.' 
 This saide, the litel brid ascendid vpon the tree and v^rith a sweete 
 voice bigan to synge: 'Blessid be god that hath shit and closed the 
 sight of thyn eyen and taken awey thi wisdam, forwhi if thow 
 haddest sought in the plites of myn entrailes thow shuldest have 
 founde a jacinct the weight of an vnce.' He heryng this bigan to 
 wepe and to sorowe and to smyte his brest with his fist for he yave 
 f eith to the litel brid. And than the brid saide vnto hym : 'Thow art 
 soone foryetful of [the] wit of whiche I saide vnto the. Whether 
 I saide nat to the that thow shuldist nat beleeve everyman of that 
 he saith to the? And how belevistow that in me shuld be a jacynt 
 the weight of an vnce, whan I and al my body is nat of somoche 
 weight ? And now I say to the that that thyn is alwey thow shalt have. 
 And how maistow have a stone in me a fleeyng foul? Now I sale 
 to the : ne sorowe thow never of thynges lost. And why sorowest 
 thow of the jacynct whiche in me is?' Suche thynges saide to grete 
 scorn to the Cherl the brid fligh awey to the woode."^^" 
 
 The philosopher chastised his son saying: "Read everything 
 that falls in your way but do not believe everything you read." To 
 this the disciple : "I believe this to be a fact : not everything that is 
 in books is true. For I have already read something like this in the 
 books and proverbs of philosophers : 'There are many trees but not 
 all of them bear fruit ; there are many fruits but they are not all 
 edible'." 
 
 Arabs chasticed his sone saieng : "Sone ne leva thow nat thynges 
 present for thynges to come, forwhi haply thow shalt leese both as it 
 happened to the wolf of two promyses made to hym of the Cherl. 
 
 XYIII.^*" The Plowman with His Oxen and the Wolf 
 AND the Fox 
 
 "It is saide forwhi of a plowghman that for his oxen wold nat 
 drawe rightly, he saide the wolf shuld ete hem. The wulf heryng 
 that rested. Whan the day declyned to the nyght and the cherl 
 loosid his oxen out of the plowgh, the wulf cam vnto hym saieng : 
 'Yeve me thyn oxen whiche thow promisest (f. 130''). To this 
 the ploughman: 'If I saide so I afifermed it nat with an oth.' And 
 the Wulf ageyn to hym: 'I ought to have that thow promysedest.' 
 Ther thei affermeden that it shuld come to iugement. That while 
 they maden thei metten with the Fox. To whom the wily fox saide 
 
 ^^ The English omits the first paragraph of the connecting link as given in the 
 Latin version. See I, 31, 1. 21. 
 
 "» No. XXIII of the original, I, 32. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 49 
 
 in their goyng: 'Whider tenden ye to go?' Thai than that was don 
 told the fox. [To whom he] saide:^^^ 'For nought ellis seeken yee 
 a juge, forwhi therof I shal do rightwis iugement. But first suffre 
 me to speke with oon of yow in counsail, and fro that with that 
 other ; and so I may make yow to accorde without a juge the sen- 
 tence shalbe hid and clos. If forsoth otherwise incontynent be it 
 saide.' And thei graunted ; and the fox first abakk spak with the 
 plowghman and saide : 'Gyve me an henne and another for my wif , 
 and thow shalt have thyn oxen.' And the plowghman graunted ; and 
 this don the fox spake to the wulf saieng: 'Here thow, my friend, 
 for thi merites and Rewardis bifore promysed as I ought if thei had 
 bien myn owne, I have facundly somoche laboured and spoken with 
 the Cherl that if thow wilt lete his oxen go quyte he shall yeve 
 the a cheese to the gretnes of an helm made.' This don the wolf 
 graunted. To whom the fox saide: 'Graunte thow the ploughman 
 his oxen awey to leede, and I shal bryng the wher that his cheesis 
 bien arraied and made, as that thow maist cheese of as many as 
 thow wilt.' But the dul and foolissh wulf deceived bi the wordis 
 of the fox, suffred the cherl to go. The fox forsoth wandryng hider 
 and thider as moche as he myght, brought the wulf out of the.wey. 
 Whiche whan the derk nyght cam vpon, the fox brought the wulf 
 to a diepe diche vpon whiche diche they stoode ; the forme ofi the 
 half moone shewed and shyned in the bottom of the diche, and 
 [he] saide: 'Here is the cheese which I promysed [the]. If it please 
 the go doun and ete.' Quod the wolf : 'Go thow doun first and 
 ete.' Than quod the fox -.^^^ 'Go thow doun first and if thow maist 
 nat only bryng the cheese, I shal do as thow biddist'.^"^ And this 
 saide thei saw a corde hangyng in the diche in whos hede a litel 
 possenet was bounde, and in that other hede of the corde another 
 litel possenet. And thei hyng bi suche engyn and sleight that whan 
 that oon aros that other went doun. That as the Fox sye, as to the 
 praiers and besechynges of the wolf, entred in to the litel pot and 
 cam to the bottum. The wolf therof was glad and saide: 'Whi 
 bryngest me nat the cheese?' Quod the Fox: 'I may nat for the 
 gretnes ; but entre thow that other pot and come as thow saidest 
 thow woldest.' The wolf entrying in to the pot with his gretnes anon 
 asked and cam to the bottum, that (f. 131) other risyng with the 
 fox whiche was glad. Whiche the litel fox whan he touched the 
 mowth of the diche lept out and left the wolf in the diche. And 
 
 '•iMs. 'What saide:' Lat. Quibus dixit. 
 "2 This sentence not in the I^atin. See I, 32, 1. 21. 
 
 "" Lat._ Descende tu primitus, et si sola deferre non poteris, ut te iuvem faciam 
 quae hortaris. 
 
60 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 SO for thyng to come [he] lost that was present : the wolf lost both 
 oxen and cheese." 
 
 One sentence of. the Latin connecting link is here^"* omitted the 
 sense of which is: The Arab reproved his son saying: "Take coun- 
 sel of that one who has experience in the thing thou askest about, 
 for thou canst thus gain experience more easily than if thow makest 
 the experiment thyself. 
 
 Svcheon chastised his sone [saying] : "Ne trust nat to the coun- 
 sail that thow herist of al men lest it fal to the as it happened to 
 the thief whiche trusted and trowed to the counsail of sucheon." To 
 that the sone : "How cam it to hym, Fader?" Than the fader saide : 
 
 XIX. '"" The Thief and the Moonbeam 
 
 "It is saide that suche a thief went to the house of suche a 
 Richeman of entent to Robbe and stele; and ascended vp to the 
 Roof and cam to the wyndowe or lover bi whiche the smoke went 
 out and herkened if any withyn were awake. That whiche the 
 lord of the house aperceived [and] saide softly vnto his wif : 'Aske 
 and crie thow with an high voice whens it cam to me, the grete 
 plente of money that I have. That as to cry and reherse laboure 
 thow; moche.' Than she with a grete voice saide: 'Sir, wherof 
 hastow somoche money and thow wer never no Marchaunt?' [And 
 he] : 'That god hath gyven kepe thow and do therof thi wil and 
 aske nat wherof somoche money corny th.' And she, as she was en- 
 joyned, more and more cried, reherced, and stired. Than he therof 
 as coarted to the praiers of his wif saide : 'See that thow ne dis- 
 covre oure counsail to any man; I was a thief.' Than saide she: 
 'It seemyth wonder to me how somoche money thow myghtest pur- 
 chace and gete with theft and never I herd clayme ne chalange 
 therof.'^"" Than saide he: 'Suche a Maister of myn taught me a 
 charme that I shuld sey^"^ whan I shuld ascende to the Roof of 
 the house. And comyng to the wyndow I toke the beame of the 
 Moone with myn hand and vii tymes saide my charme, that is to 
 say, Saule. And so I descendid and cam doun without perel, and 
 what precious thyng I fond in the house I tooke it ; and that don 
 eftsones I cam to the beame of the Moone and the same charme vii 
 tymes saide, with al that taken in the house I ascended and bare 
 awey and brought to my howse. With suche engyne and wit I 
 possede the money that I now have.' Than the wif saide: 'Thow 
 
 "* I, 33, 1. 3. 
 
 "'No. XXIV in the original, I, 33, 1. 8. 
 
 ^"^ I^at. Calumpniam inde. 
 
 ^*" Ms. repeats 'whan that I shuld sey.' 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 51 
 
 didest weele of tho"* thynges that thow hast saide and told to me ; 
 forwhi whan I have a sone I shal teche hym this charme that he 
 shal nat neede to be poore.' And than the lord of the house saide : 
 'Suffre me now to sleepe for I am hevy of sleepe and wold rest.' 
 And as somoche the more he mygt disceive the thief he snorted and 
 Rented as he had bigonne to sleepe. And the thief ^°'' parceiving 
 thoo wordis was glad and vii tymes saide the same charme and with 
 his hand tooke the beame of the (f. 131'') Moone, straught out his 
 handis and his feete from the wyndow, and fil in to the house, 
 makyng a grete sowne and noise and with his bak and his arm broken 
 lay wailyng. And the lord of the house as nat knowing [it] saide: 
 'Who art thow whiche f allist so ?' To that the thief : 'I [am] an 
 vnhappy^" thief whiche trustid to thi fals and guylful wordis'." 
 
 To this the sone : "Fader, blissed be thow for thow hast taught 
 me to beware of fals and gyleful counsail."^'^ 
 
 (f. 135^) The philosopher: 'Biware the counsail of therf- 
 brede til it be sowre dowgh.' Another: 'Ne bilieve the counsail that 
 thow denyest of the moever of anothers goode dede, forwhi who 
 that denyeth a goode deede bif ore the eyen of hem all that hym 
 biholdith hymsilf accusith.' Another: 'If thow be in any goodenes 
 ne synne thow nat : kepe the,^'^ for oftentyme the grettest goodenes is 
 mynushid and made lasse or lost bi the lest'." The disciple asked 
 his Maister: "Whether the philosopher forbedith a goode deede of 
 his creator and maker or of his creature ?""^ To this the Maister : 
 "I sey to the that he whiche denyeth a goode deede he denyeth god ; 
 and he whiche obeieth nat vnto his kyng and Ruler is disobedient 
 vnto god." The disciple saide : "Shewe the reason how that may 
 be." The Maister saide: "No goode deede procedit from creature 
 to creature but it procede of god ; and he the whiche denyeth a goode 
 deede denyeth his benefactours and so he denyeth god, also the kyng 
 whiche is Ruler and the veray trewe yerde of god is in erth."^^* 
 Another philosopher saith : 'Kepe the from the kyng whiche is fiers 
 
 "8 Ms. 'that of tho." 
 
 "» Ms. 'thyng.' 
 
 "° Ms. more like 'vphappy.' 
 
 *^ Part of the connecting link between this and the following exemplum, as the 
 tales are arranged in the Latin (see I, 34), was taken out of its proper setting by the 
 English translator, or by some copyist of the Middle Knglish version, and shifted 
 to the end of tale No. XXVII (No. XXXIV of the original and the real conclusion of the 
 Disciplina) , there serving as part of the connecting link between XXVII and XXVIII. 
 In this reprint it is inserted where it naturally comes in the I,atin. 
 
 "^ Lat. ne pecces serva. 
 
 ^" I,at. (I, 34, 1. 8) Prohibuit philosophus benefactum denegare; sed non divisit 
 benef actum creatoris et creaturae? 
 
 ^" The I^atin differs from the English in this sentence, Item: Rex qui rector verax 
 est, virga Dei in terra est; et ille qui obedit virgae, obedit rectori; et ille qui non 
 obedit virgae, non obedit Deo, I, 34, 11. 14-15^ 
 
52 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 as a lioun and light to wrath as a chield.' Another: (f. 136) 
 'Whiche saith evil of his king bifore the time of his deth'.* Another 
 saith: 'God suffrith lengger a synful kyng to Reigne in his persone 
 if he be goode and meke to his people than he doeth a iust kyng 
 in his persone if he be evil and cruel to his people. '"° 
 
 Aristotil in his Epistel chasticed Alexander the kyng so saieng ; 
 'Bettir it is with a fewe pesibly to Rule than to hold to grete 
 chivalry'.^'" Also: 'Hold Rightwise justice bitwene men and they 
 shuln love the; and array the nat^'^ to yielde to any the borowed 
 chaunge of goode or evil, forwhi a friend shal abide the long'."'^" 
 
 XX."° Concerning Marianus 
 
 "Plato the philosopher rehersith'^'" that suche anold kyng was 
 in Grece cruel to his peple. This grew and encreised in grete 
 werre of many of his elders. ^^^ Of whiche that he myght knowe the 
 comyng and hap therof he sent for al the philosophres of the 
 Regioun. Whiche whan thei wern gadred he saide : 'See yee a 
 how moche and how grete batail is to yow and to me, that for my 
 synne I trowe it is come to vs. But if any thyng is in me that is 
 reprehensible sey yee, and I shal hast me in yowre jugement to be 
 corrected.' Than the philosophers saiden : 'Of any crymes in yowr 
 body we knowe non, neither what to vs and to yow so comen we 
 wote nat. But here nygh vs^^^ dwellith suche an old man whos name 
 is Maryne^'^ whiche spekith with the holigost. To hym therf or send 
 yee sum men^^* by whom to vs what in al our lif is to come 
 he shal declare.' Thiese thynges don, he sent vnto hym vii 
 philosophres ; whiche Citee in which he bifore dwelled thei entred. 
 of the whiche thei fond the most part desert. But they seekyng 
 his house, that is to say of Maryne, it was saide and told that he and 
 many of the Citezeins wern gon in to [the] wildernes. The philoso- 
 phers heryng this went vnto hym; whiche and whom [when] the 
 wise man sawe he saide: 'Com yee. Com yee ambassatours and 
 legatis of the vnobedient kyng. Forsoth god hath yeven hym in to 
 
 *According to the Latin (I, 34, I. 18) this is: 'Who speaks evil of the king shall 
 die before his time.' 
 
 '"Then we go back to f. 132b of the Wore. Ms., near the top of the page. 
 
 "^ I^at. (I, 34, I. 22) magnam militiam tenere. 
 
 '" Ivat. nee properes. 
 
 ITS ]^at_ (j^ 34^ jl^ 23-24) quia diutius expectabit te amicus et diutius timebit te 
 inimicus. 
 
 1" No. XXV of the original, I, 34, 1. 25. 
 
 "** Lat. retulit in libro de prophetiis. 
 
 ^^ Multis e partibus. 
 
 ^^ Lat. Sed hie prope viam trium dierum. 
 
 ^^ The four words beginning with 'whos' inserted on the margin of the Ms. 
 
 '^ Lat. de philosophis vestris aliquos. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 53 
 
 the ward and kepyng of dyuers naciouns, forwhi he is no Right 
 JRuler nor gouernour but an enemy. God forsoth whiche hym and 
 his subiectis of the same and nat of dyvers matiers hath made and 
 formed, but his vnmoderate wikkidnes long while hath suffred and 
 with many correcciouns he hath raonysshed and warned, as to be 
 torned and conuerted. But al vttirly only to the evil of his froward 
 soule of no noysaunce in to mercy of the barbaryus people and 
 nacioun hath areised."^ And this saide the wiseman stilled. That 
 the philosophres heryng woundred and al tho that ther weren. The 
 iii day after the philosophers asked (f. 132) licence to go ageyn; 
 than that Reuerent with a spirite of prophecie saide vnto hem: 
 'Torne ye now ageyn forwhi yowre kyng is dede, and god now 
 ther hath set another kyng whiche shalbe a Rightful gouernour and 
 meke to al his people and subiectis.' Suche thynges herd of the vii 
 philosophers that com, iii of theym remayned and abode with this 
 wise man in [the] wildernes and iiii of theym went home ageyn in 
 to their cuntrey ; whiche f onde al thynges as it was theym told and 
 .saide.""« 
 
 XXI.^'^ Etiquette in the King's Service 
 
 [The fader] : "Who that wilbe seruaunt vnto a kyng ought to 
 see with al the sight of his mynde, than whan he comith to the kyng, 
 that he may long stonde ne never sitte til the kyng comaunde, nother 
 speke byt whan it is neede; nother tary or abide but whan 
 the kyng comaundith hym to dwelle and abide, and his 
 •counseil triewely kepe ; and alwey be intentief to here what 
 the kyng saith, neither hym bihovith of this to aske the 
 kynges comaundement and whatsumever he comaundith do it; 
 but beware ne lie nat vnto thi kyng, and see that he love his kyng and 
 be to hym obedient ; ne never associe ne f elawship the nat with 
 noman that the kyng hatith or that he hatith the kyng.^** And whan 
 lie hath done al this and many another, haply [he] therby shal nat 
 have no grete profite of the kyng." Than the sone : "Nothyng worse 
 
 ^^^ This sentence is not at all clear in the translation because it is so inexact; Sed 
 ■tandem omnino ad malum eius pertinaci animo in illius necem immisericordes et barbaras 
 suscitavit gentes. See I, 35, 1. 13. i 
 
 "" Tale XXVI in the Latin is in reality about the wise merchant who refused to 
 settle in the country of a king whose expenses were as great as his income, which the 
 English translation reproduces as No. XXIV instead of XXI, as it would be in the 
 natural order of the dialogues. But No. XXI of the English version does reproduce a 
 part of the lengthy discussion between the Arab and his son concerning the proper 
 •etiquette to be observed by any one in the service of a king, which follows No. AXVI 
 in the I<atin (I, 36, 1. 26— p. 28, 1. 9.) 
 
 ^^ No. XXVI, the concluding discussion of the original ; the first part having "been 
 shifted in the Middle English so as to form No. XXIV (which should, but does not, 
 ..correspond to No. XXIX of the original). 
 
 "8 1/at. has only quern rex odio habebit. 
 
54 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 fallith or happenyth to a man than long to serve [the king] and no 
 goode to geete nor purchace." [The] Fader: "Many of thynges 
 now happenyth and cometh, and therfor the philosophre comaundith 
 that noman overmoche tary with his kyng nor in his seruice." And 
 another: "Who servith to the kyng without fortune so as I shal 
 sey he leesith this world P"^^" And the sone: "O fader, whi forye- 
 test thow to tel how a man ought to ete tofore a kyng?" [The 
 fader] : "I am nat foryetful to tel, forwhi no difference is to ete 
 before a kyng and elliswhere." The sone : "Say therfor how every- 
 wher a man ought to ete." [The fader] : "With vnwasshen handis 
 ne touche nor ete noon of thi lordis mete ; ne ete thow no brede til 
 ther come another dissh vpon the table, ne speke thow nat vn- 
 paciently neither; only be ther noon grete embosyng^^" put in thi 
 Mowth, neither any crommes flowe or falle out ;^'"^ and also behave 
 the that thow speke nat with swolowyng ■,^^^ nother sw'olow thow no 
 morsel bifore that it be wele chewed in thi Mowth, lest thow be 
 strangled ; ne take neither mete ne drynk^"^ til thi Mowth be voide ; 
 ne speke thow nat envi[n]ously ;^°^ ne speke thow nat while thow 
 holdist anythyng in thi mowth, neither any thyng entre in to the 
 throte in thyn inward arterie that myght be cause of thi deth ; and if 
 thow see any thyng^""' in the dissh that pleasith the, ne take it nat 
 bifore thi felaw lest he say the to be shrewissh and cherolissh. After 
 mete wassh thyn handis, for it is phisik and curtesy ; of this f orsoth 
 (f. 132'') the eyen of many men bien empeired that after m^te wipen 
 with vnwasshen handis." [The] Sone: "Whosoever biddith me to 
 mete, what shal I aunswer ? Shal I graunt or nat ?" The fader : 
 "Do thow as it is comaunded of the Jewis." He saith: "Forsoth who- 
 sumeuer biddith the, see thow the persone of the bidder. If he be 
 a worthy and a notable persone, anon graunt thow hym. Than if 
 he be nat after that it shalbe the thrid or the secunde tyme, and this^"* 
 is reherced of Habraham : Suche a day forsoth whan he stode 
 bifore his yaate [he] sawe go^ng vnder mannes liknes iii Angels, 
 the whiche he praied to entre his house, their feete to wassh, re- 
 feccioun of mete to take, recreacioun and sport to make of their 
 werynes-; and thus he praied theym with an honest chiere. Thei 
 
 ^^ Lat. (I, i7, 1. 3) hoc saeculum perdit et aliud. 
 ^^ Ivat. tantum bolum. 
 
 ^^ Eng. omits ne dicaris gluto (I, 37, 10.) 
 
 ^^ The lyEt. (I, 37, 1. 10) has nothing corresponding to this sentence. 
 ^™ I^at. has simply nee pocula sumas donee, etc. 
 ' ^^ Lat. ne discaris vinosus. 
 W5 Lat. bolum 'morsel.' 
 ■1™ Ms. 'this and' ; Lat. (I, 37, 1. 20) Hoc etiam. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 65 
 
 forsoth as to a grete persone as he was, graunted anon to his peti- 
 cioun. Forsoth whan they comen to Loth, eftsones and eftsones 
 wern [thei] praied that thei shulden vndergo his Roof, for that he 
 was no grete persone; as coarted or driven of. soule thei wenten 
 away.'"" A yong [man] oones asked an old man: "Whan I am 
 boden to mete shal I ete moche?"^»« To whom thold man saide: 
 "Moche! forwhi if he be thi friend that bad the, he shal joye and 
 be glad of thi moche etyng; forsoth if he be an enemy he shal 
 sorow and be sorowful.""" To whiche thold man saide: "What 
 and wherfor laughest thow, chield? For I am Remembred of the 
 wordis that T have herd of blac Maymund." 
 
 XXII.™° The Lazy Servant Maimund 
 
 "Suche an old man asked of hym hov moche he myght ete. 
 To whom he: 'Of whos mete? of myn mete or of another?' Quod 
 he:'Ofthyn.' Maymund: 'As litel as I may.' Quod he: 'What of 
 another?' [Maymund] : 'As moche as I may'." To whom thold 
 man : "Thow now remembrest of the wordis of sum gloton, slowth, 
 foole, jangler, or and a litel cat. And whatsumever of hym suche 
 be saide : this or that, more or lasse he fyndeth in hym."^°^ 
 Tholdman: "His lord comaunded hym suche a nyght to shitte the 
 yaate ; and he .oppressed with slowth and vnlust myght nat arise and 
 therfor he saide the yaate was shit. Forsoth than in the Morow the 
 lord saide: 'Maymunde, open the yaate.' To whom the seruaunt 
 saide: '[Maister], I wist wel that thow woldest have it open this 
 day and therfor I shit it nat at eve.' Than the lord apperceived 
 that he left it vndon bicause of slewth and saide, 'Arise and do thi 
 werke for it is day and the Sonne is now high'. To whom the 
 seruaunt: 'If the sonne he at an height gyve me mete.' To whom 
 the lorde saide: 'Thow most worst seruaunt, wiltow ete the nyght?' 
 To whom the seruaunt : 'If it be nyght suffre me to sleepe.' Another 
 tyme the lord saide to his seruaunt in the nyght: 'Maymunde, arise 
 and see whether it Rayne or nat.' He forsoth cald the hounde 
 whiche lay without the gate and whan the dogge cam he felt his 
 feete that wern dry^ and saide to his lord that it Rayned nat. 
 
 ^^ This is a very inexact translation; cf. I, Z7, 25, quia autentica non erat 
 persona, velut coacti annuerunt. 
 
 108 i^at. quid faciam: parum vel nimis comedam? 
 
 i» Tlie English omits Hoc audito risit puer 'When the boy heard this he laughed.' 
 
 » No. XXVII in the Latin, I, 38, 1. 3. 
 
 20^ The English omits the following sentence of the Latin (I, 38, 1. 7): luvenis: 
 Multum placet mihi de eo audire, quia quicquid de eo est, derisorium est; et si quid 
 de eius dictis vel factis mente retines, eloquere, et habeo pro munere. The young man ; 
 "I am greatly pleased to hear about him, for everything about him is ridiculous; and 
 if you remember any of his sayings and actions, tell me and I shall have my reward.'* 
 
56 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 Another tyme the lord asked his seruaunt in the nyght (f. 133) if 
 any f uyre were in the house. He forsoth cald the cat and tempted 
 hir whether she were hote or nat, whiche whan^"- he fond cold saide 
 to his lord ther was noon." 
 
 [The Yongman] : "Of the yongman his slowth now have I herd 
 and the jangler I coveite to here." Than thold man: "It is saide 
 that his lord cam glad from the market for the moche wynnyng 
 that he had there. And Maymund the seruaunt went out agenst his 
 lord; whom whan his lord saw, [he was] crymynous lest any shrewd 
 tidynges [he would tell], as he was wont to tell, [and] saide vnto 
 hym : 'Beware thow tel me no shrewd tidynges.' The seruaunt 
 saide : 'I shal tel the no shrewde tidynges ; but, sir, Bispel our litel 
 dog is dede.' To whom the lord : 'How is he dede ?' The seruaunt : 
 'Our Mule was agast and brake his halter^"^ and trade the hounde 
 vndir his feete and so hath slayn hym.' The lord : 'And what is don 
 of the Mule ?' The seruaunt saide : 'He fil in the diche and is 
 dede.' The lord than: 'How was the Mule gasted?' Than the 
 seruaunt : 'Yowre sone fil from the solier above so that he is dede, 
 and so was the Mule gasted.' Than the lord: 'What dide his Moder?' 
 The seruaunt: 'For the grete sorowe of hir sone she is dede.' The 
 lord: 'Who kepith the house?' The seruaunt: 'Noon, forwhy it is 
 torned into asshen and what ellis that was therin.' The lord : 'How 
 was it brent ?' The seruaunt : 'The same nyght that my lady deide, 
 the foote Maiden whiche wacchid for my lady was foryeteful and 
 left the candel in the Chamber and so thyn house is brent.' The 
 lord: 'Wher is the footemayde?' The seruaunt: 'She wold have 
 qwenched the fuyre and^"* fil vpon hir hede and is dede.' The 
 lord : 'How escapest thow whiche art so slow ?' The seruaunt : 
 'Whan I saw the foote maide dede I fled.' 
 
 Than the lord wounder sorowful cam to his neighburghs 
 praieng hem to host and herburgh hym in sum howse. In the meane 
 while he mette oon of his friendis, whiche whan he saw hym sorow- 
 ful asked hym why he sorowed. He to hym reherced that his ser- 
 uaunt had saide. The friende forsoth to the desolate friende re- 
 herced ageyne, sayeng as to make hym myrry: 'Friende, nyl thow 
 be nat desolate ne sory, forwhi often tymes fallen to a man many 
 worldly aduersitees that thoo thynges desirith and with honest deth 
 to fynissh; and anoon suche comodites comen vnto hem that the 
 more redier swetnes be to hym to Remembre of the aduersitees 
 
 '<>' Ms. 'whom.' 
 
 208 The English omits the following clause, dum fugeret. 
 
 ="* I/at. (I, 39, 1. 6) et cecidit trabs super caput eius, and a beam fell on her head. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 57 
 
 past.'^"" But thiese kyndly thynges as wel in vnmesurable floteryng 
 variaunce of merites with ordynaunce of the high Ruler distinctith 
 to arbitrement.^"" This and the prophete Job strenghed to en- 
 sample of whos soule was nat devoured with losse of thynges.^"' 
 Whether hastow nat herd what the philosopher saith : 'Who may in 
 this chaungeable world be any thyng stable, or who may in this 
 lif any thyng to have enduryng while and whan thei bien so transi- 
 tory'?" 
 
 The Arabik to (f. 133'^) his sone: "Sone, whan any aduersite 
 fallith to the, nyl thow be to sorowful neither therof be in to moche 
 desolacioun, for this is nat the kynde nor the maner to denye god. 
 But thow oughtest to praise god, as wele of adversite as of pros- 
 perite. Forsoth many evils fallen to men whiche that comen as to 
 eschewe and flee the more and the gretter evils; and many [evil] 
 thyngesi, fallen whiche enden in goode. And therf or thow ougtest to 
 praise [god] in al thynges and. in hym to trust, as the versifiour 
 saith: 'Whan thow art in sorow nyl thow be busy therof, but per- 
 mytte and suflfre the tyme in goddis disposicioun and tel ageyn alwey 
 the goodenes to com; and so shaltow be foryeteful of evils, forwhi 
 many evils comen whiche han a goode end.' The philosopher saith : 
 'The goodis of this world bien eveene myxt and medled. Forsoth 
 thow etest no hony without venym.' Another 'Whatsumever bien 
 in the world bien chaungeable; and what goodis thow hast of hem 
 thei bien to come to the though it be or thow feeble be and of evil 
 streng this thow mayst nat withstande.'^"^ 
 
 Another: 'Because they allow a slow person to obtain what he 
 desires, they also refuse a swift person the obtaining of his.' 
 
 Another: 'He hymself beawtith the world with fairness and bi 
 that he hath wonne that he wold the erth hym swolowith and de- 
 vourith.' Another: 'As in a twynklyng of an eye endith the glorie 
 and joies of the world; and as so free al abidith now, he seeth 
 nat of thynges obteyned'." 
 
 ^'^ This sentence is a good example of the translator's crude, inartistic work and 
 his insufficient knowledge of the Latin (I, 39, 1. 11) : Amice, noli desolari, quia multo- 
 tiens contingit homini tam graves adversitatum inundationes sustinere quod desideret 
 eas etiam inhonesta morte nnire; et statim eveniunt ei tanta commoda quod prorsus 
 dulce sit ei praeteritarum reminisci adversitatum. 
 
 2<"> Lat. (I, 39, 1. 14) Sed humanarum rerum tam immensa fluctuatio variante meri- 
 torum ordine summi rectoris distinguitur arbitrio. 
 
 ^^ Lat. prophetiae lob corroborantur exempio: cuius animum non pessumdedit amis- 
 sio rerum. 
 
 *** Lat. (I, 40, 11. 1-2) et quae ex eis tibi bona sunt ventura, licet sis debilis, et 
 malum viribus devitare non poteris. In the English version the speech of the next 
 philosopher is omitted (Lat. 40, 1. 3.): 
 
58 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES, 
 
 XXIII.^'" Socrates (Diogenes) and the King. 
 
 Forsoth proverbialy thei seyn that Socrates eschewid the tumult 
 and the multitude of worldly people and a fieldly lif coveited, chase 
 hym to the woode and to a place of sikernes to dwelle in half a 
 Tonne; of whiche the bottum he sette agenst the wynde and the 
 shadewe,* and that was open gladly agenst the Sonne. Whom the 
 kynges hunters, whan they had founden scornede hym sleyng his 
 life, bigan to turne awey the myrry beames of the sonne. To whom 
 he with a glad chiere [saide] : 'That ye may nat yeve me presume 
 nat to take awey.' To that thei wrathed and hym to delaie that hym 
 nedid wolden have compelled and out of the wey han led, lest that 
 the eyen of men passyng by and of their lord so vile a persone 
 shuld have offended. That nat the threatis or manaces of worthy 
 men [saide] : 'Avoide and go, lest of thy long studie and busynes any 
 evil vnto the happene, forwhi our kyng with his seruaunt and 
 meyne is to passe this wey.'^^° Thei forsoth in hym berkyng and 
 threateyng the philosopher biholdyng saide :-'^ 'Yowre lord is nat 
 my lord but my seruaunt.' That heryng and with a newly chiere 
 hym biholdyng, sum decre thei purposiden of lasse Reproef and 
 threate til thei herden the sentence of the kyng thei decreeden.^"^- 
 Forsoth while thei thus decreeden the kyng cam with his meyne, 
 and what was the cause of (f. 134) the strif askyng, what deedis 
 wern don or saide, the kynges seruauntis rehercyng he knewe it.-^^ 
 The kyng therfor willyng to knowe what of tho foule thynges to 
 hym reherced wern aught feyned, to the philosopher than he went 
 and inquiryng what the philosopher saide of hym. So as bifore 
 vnto his meyne, so hym assured to be seruaunt of his seruauntis. 
 The sentence of whiche wordis the kyng benyngly and with a dili- 
 gent trust asked hym to tel and shewe. To whom the philosopher 
 bihielde the face and chiere of his dignite lightly saide : 'Suche wil is 
 seruaunt vnto me and to me servith and I nat to hym. And thow 
 in the contrarie art subiect vnto wil and to hym thow servist, and 
 
 »No. XXVIII in the original, I, 40, 1. 8. 
 
 ^^^ The corresponding I^atin for this sentence is (I, 40, 1. 14) Quod non valentes 
 minati sunt ei dicentes: Vade ne guid mali ex protenritatis studio tibi contingat, quia 
 rex noster et dominus cum familiaribus suis at primitibus £st hac parte transiturus. 
 
 2^^ Lat. Illos autem in se latrantes philosophus intuens. 
 
 212 The words of this sentence are quite distinct; in the Ms., but the meaning is 
 obscure. The Latin (I, 40, 1, 18) runs. Quod audientes et novercali vultu eum respicientes 
 quidam eum detruncare proposuerunt, minus vero improbi donee sententiam regis 
 audirent, parcere ei decreverunt. 
 
 213 In this sentence again we have a specimen of the crudest translation of the 
 Latin, in which the literal meanings of the words are occasionally set down without 
 any apparent connection with what precedes__or follows, Dum vero in hunc modum decer- 
 tarent, rex adveniens_ et quae causa litigii foret perquirens, quae gesta fuerant vel 
 dicta famulis referentibus cognovit. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 59 
 
 nat he to the. Therfore thow art seruaunt of hym whiche servith 
 me.' Than the kynge fixed a litel his sight in to the erth and saide : 
 'Fader, ne shamest thow nat nor gastest of my power ?'^^* To 
 whom the philosopher in the straytnes tooke his seete^^^ and saide : 
 'Knowe thow hym to the to grete abusioun to have lordship of mor- 
 tal thynges and the matier of thynges bryngyng the to opteyne 
 whiche nat with thi vertu or strength, nor stilliche thow doest it of 
 eveene consent, but of glorious covetise as the chiernes of the thyng 
 is thow hast don to be lawded and praised whiche that is exiled and 
 voide of al the weight.^" So considre thow thi glorie that is past 
 and thi power as may be now as nought nor to be drad ; but neither 
 of thynges to come, of whos hap or comyng is doutable and vncer- 
 teyn. Thus it owith of this present lif forwhi it is but litil and 
 momentaneous and whiche in the twynklyng of an eye is brought to 
 nought.'-'^^ He perceivyng the wordis of the philosopher, the kyng 
 saide to his meyne : 'Forsoth he is the seruaunt of god ! See yee 
 that yee do hym noon hurt nor non vnhonest thing ."^^* 
 
 XXIV. ^^'' The Wise Merchant and the Improvident King 
 
 "Forsoth it is saide that suche a kyng of the Scites^^" bi the 
 comune assent of his nobles to suche on of his seruauntis whom thei 
 cald Anne''^^ to be prudent and wise in seculier and worldly thynges ; 
 al the bridels and Rulis of his Realme to hym he commytted, whiche 
 al the Revenues and Rentis of the Realme he Received and ple- 
 sauntly and pesibly entreatid, the house and the household meyne and 
 Ministres seruauntis and their dispenses ordeyned. A Riche Mar- 
 chaunt his brother in a Citee fer of indwellid. The which per- 
 ceived bi Rumour and tidynges of his brother enhauncyng and pro- 
 
 2" Lat. (I, 41, 1. 2) Ut patet in verbis tuis, nihil meae potentiam gloriae vereris. 
 
 "^ Lat. in angustam suae mentis sedem receptus. 
 
 218 Lat. (I, 41, 1. 3) Scis ipse nimium tibi ambitionem return mortalium dominatam 
 fuisse et materiam gerendis rebus te optavisse, quo ne virtus tua ut ipse fateris con- 
 senesceret tacita; sed ob cupidinem gloriae sicut rei sinceritas est fecisti adipiscendae. 
 quae gloria quam sit exilis et totus vacua ponderis, sic considera. Tuae praeteritae 
 gloriae patentia utpote, et cet. 
 
 21' The English omits the final clause of the rather long sentence of the original, 
 ob hoc ergo in nulla parte sui est formidanda, 'for this reason therefore it is in no 
 respect to be dreaded ^r its own sake.' 
 
 2i« In the Latin version this tale is followed by a discussion of the end of life 
 (De vitae termino) between the master and his disciple. And a small part of the con- 
 necting dialogue is not given in the English translation; but in the English version 
 what is reproduced has. been transferred from its original place (between aXVIII and 
 XXIX) and inserted after, No. XXIV corresponding, not to XXIX of the Latin, which 
 would be the natural order, but to No. XXVI. 
 
 2" No. XXVI of the original, I, 35, 1. 23. 
 
 220 This word is not in the Latin, which runs: Dictum namque fuit quod quidam rex 
 suorum, et cet. See I, 35. 
 
 221 This word might be *Aime' or *Amie' in the Ms. ; but even so there is nothing 
 corresponding to it in the Latin, either in meaning or in form^ but 'antea,' the sentence 
 being cuidam suo fa^iliari, quam antea cognoverat in saecularibus esse prudentem. 
 
60 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 motyng, arraied a felawship as it bihoved as to visite his 
 brother [and] bigan his jorney. Only bifore [he] sent a mes- 
 senger lest that sodainly or vnprovided [he] shuld come ; whiche told 
 of his brothers comyng to a Citee that was ther nygh.^^^ He heryng 
 of his brother, the brother mette hym and with a glad chiere hym 
 tooke and (f. 134'') resceived. Than after past a fewe daies, place 
 and tyme purveied whiche he knewe pleasaunt vnto hym, among 
 other thynges rehersed vnto the kyng his brothers comyng. To 
 whom the kyng: 'If thi brother wil dwel and Rest with the in my 
 Realme, al my thynges to the with hym I shal betake to kepe. And 
 though that he denye it, yet I shall yeve and graunt hym large posses- 
 siouns in this Citee; and al the customs that he ought to do vnto 
 me I shal pardon hym. If forsoth from that only bi touche or 
 feelyng of love natural [he] wil go ageyn in to his cuntrey, with 
 many chaunge of vestymentis and whatsumever ellis to hym 
 necessarie with habundance I shal enlarge.' The wordis of the 
 kyng herd, the brother cam to the brother and as moche as his lord 
 had hym promysed to hym he told and reherced. To whom the 
 brother: 'If thow wilt that I dwel with the, shewe me how moche 
 bien the Rentis of the kyng and his Revenues.' He forsoth shewid 
 hym al. Of that he askid hym what was the kynges expenses ; and 
 he told hym of that he made. Than he accompted that the kynges 
 expenses was as moche as the Rentis and Revenus amounted; and 
 [he] saide vnto his brother: 'Friend and brother, I see that the 
 kynges dispenses bien as moche as his Rentis. And if yowre kyng 
 areised any bataile or any other suche thyng like, wherof shalbe 
 procured for his knyghtis or wherof shal their wagis bien founde?' 
 [The] Brother : 'Therof we shuln seeke other counsail.' To whom 
 the brother: 'I dreede me if I shuld be partyner"^ of this maner 
 counsaile, and therfor farwele, for here I wil no more ne lenger 
 •dweir."^^* 
 
 "Svche a philosopher saith : 'To werke for the world to come as 
 thow now shuldest die, and so as for this present world thow were 
 alwey to lyve. Forsoth it is bettir that after thi deth thyn enemyes 
 have thi purchace than that thow live needily in this lif .' Another 
 
 ^^ Lat. (I, 36, 1. 1) Praeraisso tandem nuntio, ne subitus aut improvisus veniret, 
 qui de avdentu suo fratri referret, civitati in qua irater aderat appropinquavit. 
 
 ^23 Lat. (I, 36, 1. 16) Timeo ne census mens sit pars huius consilii. 
 
 "* Now, the English translator inserts a portion of the dialogue which connects 
 tales XXVIII and XXIX in the Latin after No. XXIV; but he omits the beginning of 
 the discussion about the end of life (see 1, 41, 1. 12) : Again the disciple said to his 
 master: "Since worldly things' are so transitory, why should we make just as great 
 preparations as if they were lasting?" The master: "Because the end of life is uncer- 
 tain." At this point the English version takes up the argument again. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 61 
 
 saith : 'The world is transitorie ; of that therf or with honeste provide 
 to the althynges necessary, forwhi the cours of lif is but short.' 
 Another saith: 'The world is as a transitorye brigge, therf or bihold 
 it nat. The world is a stable brigge whos entre is the wombe of 
 the Moder and deth shalbe thissue of the same'.""° 
 
 A versifiour saith: 'Deth is a yaate openyng and shewyng al 
 erthely thynges bi the wey ; but I seeke after this whiche is the house 
 of habundaunce.' Ther is an house of delices to goddis seruauntis 
 and ther is an house of derknes to theym that deserven peynes.'^^" 
 
 The Arab asked his father: "How can I acquire the home of 
 delights and the .fame of that one ?" The father : "Whatever dear 
 and precious things you possess, deposit them for safe-keeping there 
 and when you come thither, they will be ready for you." The son : 
 "How can I entrust money to a house, the door of which I can not 
 yet find ?" The father : "Hear what the son of the king's counsellor 
 did after his father's death." The son : "Father, tell me and I will 
 not refuse to follow your counsel." The father : "A certain king 
 had a wise counsellor and servant, who at his death left a young 
 heir well instructed in the ways of court life. To him he left his 
 entire estate which was large, and an abundance of riches and then 
 died. After this the king summoned the boy to him and informed 
 him of the death of his father, that he might not grieve more sorely, 
 and whatever the father by his testament left under his control 
 for the son he assured him of, and in addition he promised that he 
 would take him into his father's place when he became of age. 
 Thereupon the youth bade the king farewell and joyously went to 
 his own home. The king then forgot about him, and he was in no 
 haste to return to the king. After a long time, the people in the dis- 
 trict in which the boy lived began to be in such great want that 
 they were in danger of death by famine. The youth saw this and 
 he was much grieved in spirit, because he was of a generous nature, 
 and so he emptied his granaries and distributed the contents among the 
 poverty-stricken people ; he also gave bountifully of his stock of wine 
 and meat to those in distress. And as the suffering increased his de- 
 creasing resources were not sufficient to supply the wants of the needy. 
 And afterwards, though he didnot hesitate to give his fortune forgrain. 
 so as to save the lives of the laboring people from hunger and thirst 
 as much as he could, that was still not sufficient. He did the same 
 thing with his clothes and jewelry. And thus the period of a year 
 passed in which he rescued many people from the very jaws of death. 
 There was also in the same locality a certain amanuensis of the 
 king, who filled with envy towards the youth, was secretly stirring 
 
 2^ The translator has omitted a few important words in the original and thus made 
 the meaning somewhat confusing (see I, 41, 1. 19), Alius: Saeculum et quasi pons; 
 transi ergo, ne hospiteris. Et alius: Saeculum est quasi pons instabilis: cuius introitus 
 est matris uterus, et eiusdem mors erit exitus. 
 
 22« The rest of the_ connecting dialogue in the Latin (see I. 41, 1. 25 and 42) and 
 the immediately following tale (No. XXIX, The Wise Son of the King's Counsellor) 
 are omitted from the English. 
 
62 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 up bitter hostility against him. This fellow tried to exasperate the 
 king against the boy by some such words as these: 'Master, your 
 majesty's moderation towards the son of your former counsellor, 
 whose father left him an inexhaustible supply of money was very 
 weak, not to say foolish; for now neither you nor he have the 
 money, because he, silly youth, has squandered it.' The king, moved 
 to anger by such words, sent a messenger for the young man, to 
 whom he spoke as follows: "Foolish son of a wise man, idle and 
 lavishly extravagant, why hast thou wasted the wealth acquired by 
 wisdom which was entrusted to thy keeping?" To this the youth 
 replied with dejected countenance — for he feared the face of his 
 chief, inflamed as it was, with eyes flashing furiously : "Master, if I 
 may speak with your favor, I am not, as it seems to certain people, 
 a foolish son entrusted to you by a wise father. My father did 
 indeed gain wealth, and he placed it where thieves might steal it, 
 in that he left it to me from whom you could take it, or fire could 
 burn it or any accident destroy it. But I have bestowed it where it 
 will be faithfully kept for him and for me." And the king asked 
 what he had done with it. The youth related to him all his care in 
 disposing of his wealth, and when the king heard his story he praised 
 his actions highly in the presence of his attendants, and then re- 
 ceived him into the service formerly done by his father as recom- 
 pense. He afterwards gained new wealth and acquired greater 
 riches than he formerly possessed. It was in this way that the noble 
 son of the king's counsellor stored away treasure in his home of 
 delights." 
 
 After the son heard these words of his father he said: "That 
 youth acted wisely and gave evidence that great nobility was to be 
 manifested in him. He did as the philosopher who advised his son, 
 saying : 'Son, sell this world for the future, and you will gain both.' 
 And so it happened. "^^^ 
 
 Another saith: "See yee lest yee bien disceived for worldly 
 delites and broken with worldly fallaces and guyles and bien for- 
 yeteful of deth to come, lest it fal to the as it fil to the thief entryng 
 (f. 135) the house of the Richeman." To whom the sone and of the 
 fader :"« "What fil therof, fader?" [The fader] : 
 
 XXV.^^" The Thief Caught While Hesitating About 
 What to Take 
 
 "The thief entrid the house of the Richeman and fond it ful of 
 dyvers juels and precious thynges. Of this astonyed of the many 
 dyvers diversitees and so precious Riches charged hym,'silf for to 
 
 '^^ After this the English versioti returns to the dialogue which connects No 
 XXVIII (of the Latin) with No. XXIX, but it omits the first speech of the dialogue! 
 Another correcting his son said; "Son work for the future life before death removes 
 thee from work." 
 
 =2SLat. Ede, pater. 
 
 =2= No. XXX of the original, I, 43, 1. 9. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 63 
 
 chese of the most Richest ; and tho that wern most vile levyng and 
 f orsakyng, and in his choise wasted tyme til the day cam, what 
 that he wol do he hid. And vnavised the'wacche cam vpon and 
 bihield the thief in the house in cheesyng of the juels and hym with 
 battis, habergeouns, and staves. toke^'" and cast hym in diepe prisoun. 
 At the last date as now of his confessioun he herd the bittir stories 
 and sentence of his hede ; whiche if he had bif ore thought of his day 
 so nygh to come, or that shuld have befalle, he wold ban beware that 
 he wold nat have be taken nor have lost his hede."^='^ 
 
 Another [philosopher] saide : "The Richessis of this world bien 
 transitorie as the dreames of a slepyng man, the whiche wakyng in 
 openyng of his eyen vnrecoverably he hath lost/'^^"* 
 
 "A certain shepherd dreamed he had a thousand sheep. These 
 a certain dealer wishing to buy so that he could sell them at a profit, 
 offered to pay a dollar for each sheep. But the seller demanded a 
 dollar and a quarter. While they were disputing about the price the 
 dream vanished. But when the vender discovered that it was a 
 dream he began to shout, with eyes not yet open : 'Give me a dollar 
 for each and you may take them all with you !' 
 
 But while they pursue in this manner the transitory joys of 
 the world and are with gaping mouths trying to secure them, sud- 
 denly the approaching day, the final one of life, overtakes them and 
 deprives them willy-nilly of all desired pleasures." 
 
 Then the son : "Can we then escape, in any way, our obligations 
 to death ?" The father : "Not at all ; because its grasp is unavoidable, 
 and we can not even with the skill of the physician escape from its 
 greedy clutches." The son : "How shall we then bear up under this 
 too great suffering ?" The father : "Do as a certain poet says : 
 "Endure with strong heart what you can not shun, so shall what was 
 harsh death be peaceful to you'."^'^ 
 
 "It is told of a certain philosopher that he saw, as he was pass- 
 ing through an old graveyard, a marble slab placed over the ashes 
 of a certain dead man; but on it were inscribed verses which ex- 
 pressed in the following manner the words of the dead man to 
 passersby :*'Thou who passest by and dost not say, 'Blessed,' pause; 
 keep these words of mine in thy ears and heart: I am what thou 
 wilt be, and what thou now art I was once myself, — a scorner of 
 bitter death who enjoyed happiness while I could. But death com- 
 ing later I was snatched away from my friends and household, 
 which is now grievously deprived of its father, whom' they covered 
 
 230 Ms. 'hym toke.' 
 
 231 English omits vel quod gravius extitit. 
 
 23^ There is nothing in the Knglish version corresponding to the two immediately 
 -following short exampla of the original. The first of these (see I, 43) is entitled About 
 the Shepherd and the Dealer (XXXI,, Exetnplum de opilione, et mangone) ; it embraces 
 only a few lines. 
 
 223 The second of the tales missing from the English version at this point. No.- 
 XXXII, is entitled Concerning the Pktlosopher Crossing the Cemetery (Bxenuplum de 
 philosopho per cimiterinm transeitnte. Cf. I, 44.) 
 
64 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 in the ground, and they p.aid the last rites to my ashes. But then 
 the earth spoiled the brightness of my face, and all the mtortal beauty 
 of my form now lies here. Thou canst not even see that I was a 
 man, if I perchance be exposed to view by the removal of the earth. 
 Therefore pray to God for me with a pure heart, that he will permit 
 me to enjoy eternal peace. And whoever prays for me let him 
 request that he also be allowed to abide with me in paradise.' When 
 he had repeated those verses again and again and had laid all 
 worldly things aside, the philosopher was made a hermit." 
 
 XXVI.-'* The Sayings of the Philosophers at the Tomb 
 OF Alexander the Great 
 
 "It is saide of Alisaunder that his sepulture was al of gold 
 and^'° in a litel porche sette. To whiche cam many philosophers, 
 of the whiche oon saide : 'Alisaunder nmde his tresour of gold ; and 
 now the contrarie, gold makith tresour of hym.' Another saide: 
 'Yisterday al the world sufificied hym nat ; and this day only iiii 
 cubites sufficen hym.' Another saide: 'Yisterday he empired and 
 lordshipped the people ; and this day the people lordshippith hym ?•' 
 Another saide :^'° 'Yesterday he pressid therth ; and this day the erth 
 pressith hym.' Another saide: 'Yisterday the people dred hym; 
 this day thei deputen hym vile.' Another saide : 'Yisterday he had 
 f riendis and enemyes ; this day he hath equal and evene.' But of 
 xxxii philosophers standyng aboute hym, that eueriche of the myghti 
 kyng saide is to be brought in long memory." 
 
 XXVII.^^' The Hermit Chastening His Soul 
 
 "Also an heremyte and philosopher in this maner correctid his 
 soule and saide : 'Soule, wite thow and knowe thow while power is in 
 the and in thyn hand, that thow werke and do bifore that thow 
 moevist from thi place to the house in whiche right and justice 
 dwellith and abidith, and to the yaate of the place wher thow shalt 
 trede in a Rolle whatsumeuer thyn hand hath don and wrought 
 in this world.^'^ And angels of hevene on thi Right and lift side 
 shuln discovere, open, shewe, and tel thi counsail ; and what goode 
 
 =='No. XXIII of the original, see I, 44-45. 
 
 23" Ms. 'and and.' 
 
 ^^ Between this speech and that of the preceding philosopher the English version 
 omits the sayings of two philosophers, Alius: Heri ■ multos potuit a morte liberare; 
 hodie nee eius iacula valuit devitare. Alius: Heri ducebat exercitus: hodie ab illis 
 ducitur sepulturae. 
 
 2" No. XXIV of the original, I, 45, 1. 9. 
 
 238 For latter half of this sentence the Latin is, et ad portam loci iudicii, ubi leges 
 in rotulo quicquid tua manus egerit in hoc saeculo. 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 65 
 
 or evil thow hast don^^" in any of the same shalbe clierly ex- 
 amyned,"" and al thi brethren and friendis shuln nat fynde no 
 redempcioun nor maynprice, and of this and from the vttirly de- 
 parten and forsaken. Therfor this day take thow redempcioun; 
 00 goode deede do thow bifore that the day of somounce come. Be 
 thow' turned vnto god and say nat (f. ISS*"), "I shalbe torned to- 
 morow."^^^ forwhi so morowly^*^ and daily^*^ concupiscence shal lette 
 the and haply withold the in to the last day. Therfor remembre and 
 have mynde of the dales of the world and of the yeeris of old gene- 
 raciouns whiche now bien past, and therof take thow wit and fjeele. 
 Wherbe now princis, wherbe now kynges, wherbe now Riche men 
 that gadreden tresours and therof wern thei prowde? Now bien 
 they as whiche ne weren; now bien thei as a flour or a blossum 
 whiche that is fallen from the tree whiche no more cometh ageyne.^*' 
 Ne dreede thow nat, my soule, ne drede thow nat to moche the 
 aduersites of the worlde. Dreede the day of thi jugement. Be agast 
 and abasshed of the grete multitude of thi synnes. Have mynde of 
 thi creator and maker whiche shalbe thi juge and thi witnes.' 
 
 Suche an heremyte asked of his master ; 'What shal I do in 
 this that may go bifore me in another world?' Than the Maister: 
 'Do the goode that is to be don in thi degre and kynde.' Another 
 Heremyte cried bi the strete :^** 'Ne trowe ne trust nor bilieve to 
 thynges foryeteful for to have durabilite of thynges in thend.' 
 Another sowned and saide : 'Love and profite asmoche to yowr 
 soulis as to yowre bodies.' Another : 'Foryete yee nat that 
 that f oryetith nat; yow and kepe yee to governaunce.' Another : 
 'Dreede yee god, forwhi the dreede of god is the key to al goode- 
 nesse and to take the glorious conduct. Of the whiche Salamon 
 puttith and settith in thend of his speche:^*" "Al thynges redily and 
 toguydre here we : 'Dreede thow god and kepe his comaundementis.' 
 to this is everyman. And al thynges that thei don shalbe brought to 
 goddis iugement for every synne, be it goode or evil'."^*^ 
 
 ^^ The English omits the last clause of the sentence preceding this and the first of 
 the present sentence itself as compared with the I^atin; et quicquid a te .fuerit excogi- 
 tatum. Et ante Deum veniet tuum iudicium, and whatever shall have been thought by 
 thee. And thy judgment shall come before God. 
 
 ^^ Lat, et una lance quicquid boni et alia quicquid mali egeris, sed uno et eodeni 
 declarabitur examine. Cf. I, 45. 
 
 241 'j»tig sentence structure in this passage is quite different from that of the Latin, 
 Hodie ita(iue redemptionem accipe, id est: bpnum fac assidue. Et anteqiiam veniat dies 
 summonitionis, ad Deum revertere et non dicas: eras revertar et non morabor, quia sic 
 crastinantem, et cet. See I, 45, 1. 16. 
 
 =^2 Both these words are given as interpretation of crastinantem, 
 
 2*3 Eng. omits clause of Latin immediately preceding this: mode sunt finiti sicut 
 qui non vixerunt, now they have ceased to exist as those who never lived. 
 
 '"'' Lat. per vicos. 
 
 ^s Lat. in Ecclesiaste ait. 
 
 ^*^ After this sentence which concludes the story in the Latin, there are four or 
 five lines of Epilogue. 
 
66 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 Let US therefore as suppliants pray constantly for the great 
 mercy of the omnipotent God, in order that we may by means of 
 our good works deserve to be placed after the day of final judg- 
 ment on the right hand of his Son, to enjoy eternal rest in the 
 heavenly home together with the faithful in the presence of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, to whom are honor and glory with the Father and the 
 Holy Spirit throughout the infinite ages. Amen.''" 
 
 XXVIII. -*^ The Knight in Exile and His Friend Whose 
 Wife Played Him False 
 
 Svche a knyght of his cuntrey of many hasty enemyes convict 
 of his prevy synnes iuged to the deth, but withe kynges saieng and 
 of the people knowen soone from the people was he exiled. And 
 forwhi he left to hym no friend owther in the cuntrey or in thendis 
 of the cuntrey, fled fer of wher nat only the act of his wikkednes 
 but moche wors it was to hem purposed an vnknowen name with a 
 laudable novelte thold cruelte and mansuete and the vndouted 
 intemperat strength to converte and turne. Applied hymsilf to 
 suche a myghti man, to whom so prudently is infelawshipped, and 
 as of the Subiectis of that lord he myght be leest anoied and to 
 hyrmsilf most profite, while and whan thei promytted plentevously as 
 moche feith and lasse noied than dide vnkynde cruelte, and while 
 tho open signes bitokened moche more power than he myght do. 
 
 Forsoth he had in the same felawship a felawe of high vertu, a 
 man the whiche with symilitude and liknes of vertu chosen, asked 
 hym as in friendship thei myghten come. He nat denyed, an oth^*° 
 halwed and rightfully to swere friendship and covenaunt affermed 
 and stidef astly to be comuned^^" and commune to wynnyng and losse. 
 [And he] bitooke and lad that exul his felaw in to his Citee. For- 
 soth willyng with hym to comune, his wif separat brought he^^^ to 
 
 ^^^ Cf. I, 46. The English version has nothing correpsonding to this epilogue and 
 does not end here, but continues the discussion of the philosophers for several para- 
 graphs more, cf. above p. 65, footnote 246. Then the three additional tales mentioned 
 above ilntrod. p. 11, footnote 9) are given without the usual philosophic discussions 
 which link together the preceding exampla. 
 
 2*8 (The following three tales were printed by Hilka and Soderhjelm (op. cit. I. 
 Anhang ii, pp. 68-73) with the corresponding Latin from Cambr. Univ. Libr. Ms. li. 6. 11 
 in parallel columns. The second one of the three (No. XXIX) was also printed by the 
 present writer in vol. XXIV (Nov. 1909, pp. 218-22) of Mod. Lang Notes (A Middle 
 English Addition to the Wager Cvcle). The present text has been carefully, collated 
 with the rotograph of the original Ms. The Hilka-Soderhjelm text is on the 
 whole reliable, though it contains a considerable number of mistakes of minor 
 importance. Kach case in which my own transcript differs from their reprint I have 
 settled by reference to the original. 
 
 '"' H. & S. read 'quoth' ; but the Ms. has 'an oth', which suits the context, and the 
 Latin agrees: Non abnegavit ille: sanctita est iureiurando amiscicia et. cet. I, 69, 
 11. 4-5. 
 
 2^ H. & S. incorrectly 'stedfast communed.' 
 
 ^^ Ms. 'hym.' 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 67 
 
 host, nor ^^^ shewed hym his house.^^'' Forsoth the same Citee 
 hasted from thendis, but the vertu and strength of theym was but a 
 fewe daies. That exul or exiled man shewid to his felaw triewly^'* 
 of the eveen partis of al the lucre and wynnynges. Whan also that 
 pees was made and don in the Citee, sumtyme he allone walkyng bi 
 the stretis^°° biholdyng gold and silver made and hostriches and hors 
 of bataile from anhigh, of the wif of his felaw was seen and most 
 brennyngly of hir loved, and is required as that same nyght he come 
 to hir bi the message of hir footemaide. He cam and went ageyn 
 with grete weight of gold and many precious stones awey bare. 
 Whan that this lucre he departed to his felawe, whor^^" that he had 
 it shewed and told, advertisyng he and his wif to be corrupt and 
 his money to be mynnised.^^' 
 
 To that he the lord of the house symuled and feyned hymsilf 
 to go fer of, vnavisede to be. Vnder the barel in whiche the haber- 
 geoun^^' was wont to be torned happened thadvoutrer ther was hidde 
 and (f. 136'') busily sought and nat founde. Whan the lord was 
 wery, he and the wif laughed that he hield so long and knocked on 
 the barel next whom he stoode ; neither it perced^^^ nor opened and 
 the felaw a litel felt. After that the grutche ended and he gon, with 
 more charge left the knyght the secunde tyme than at the first. The 
 lucre eveene patid, [thei] arraied theym eftsones with sawtis 
 and watches to go ageyn and hid was bihynde the chambre dore and 
 nat founde. And so parted the lucre. The thridde tyme watches 
 and sawtis arraied, he was cast in an huche ful of clothis chaunge- 
 able.""" Whan that he wolde seeke with a constant chiere and a 
 stidefast face to his entent, she consented. Saide only hymsilf that 
 he wolde entre as to knowe to drawe, wrappe, and folde the clothis 
 and also to shape and olde clothis and fumous^"^ to breke and so by 
 space of tyme covered, protect and defended the advoutrier. The 
 whiche nat^"^ founde sorowyng he departed. The knyght [is sent 
 
 >»2 Ms. 'nat.' 
 
 2°' Lat. I, 69, 11. 7-8. Nolens ei communicare uxorem suam in separatum duxit 
 hospicium, domo sua nequaquam ei ostensa. 
 
 ™ H. & S. 'traewly.' 
 
 ^"'H. & S. 'strietis.' 
 
 ^^ H. & S. *whar,' Ms. clearly 'whor.' Lat. (I, 69, 1. 21) unde haberet indicavit. 
 
 2'*^ Ms. might be 'mynused' or 'mynnised'. English omits Cumque nocte proxima 
 ilium rediturum ex verbis illius percepisset, struit insidias. 
 
 ^^'H. & S. 'habergeam.' 
 
 200 Ms. abbreviated form should be read 'perced' not 'parted,' as H. & S. ; Lat. 
 ut eo perforato eciam socium parum sauciaret, 
 
 »H. & S. 'changeable.' 
 
 2«^ H. & S. read 'furnons,' but the M*. form looks more like 'fumous' or 'fumons;' 
 the corresponding Ms. reading in the Latin (I, 69, 1. 42) is uestita instita uestis 
 frunona, amended by H. & S. to read, vestita astuta vestis furnonae. 
 
 =»2H. & S. 'not.' 
 
68 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 away and] for his infinite dreede rewarded with grete mede. Of 
 whiche particioun made with his f elaw he now hymsilf eftsoones no 
 more swore. 
 
 Than he sorowful the hurt and damage of his possessioun and 
 forsoth miore sorowful the losse of his wif with the advowtrier^"^ 
 arraied to his f elaw and f elawesse as to the advowterer and advow- 
 teresse. [He] made forsoth an habundaunt and a plentivous felaw- 
 ship and feste, brought in and bad of his neighburghs and of his 
 parentis and affinites, dosed behynde the curteyn of the wif and his 
 felaw replete and drunke, asked of hym if it pleased hym vnder 
 guyle to Reherce and tel to the delectacioun of theym at the feste 
 how moche money and in what maner he withdrow it from hir with 
 whom he dide thadvowtry. Thadvowtrer deceived bi moche 
 praier^^* and drynk reherced the thyng. And whan in thende of the 
 Recreacioun of the mete the spirit of hym to moche bolned and 
 stopped as often is don, as he drow the curteyn accised and bounden 
 sigh and with turmentis; ther turned to hymsilf to thende of 
 lesyng that sumwhat that he had told seemed to be of lesyng, 
 saieng : "Whan and that other f ested it was seen to me to stonde in 
 thentre of a brage ; and lo alsodainly the thunder seemed to be 
 quasshed and broken, and whan I in al the violence with dreede 
 fallyng of the horrible brak out of sleepe." And so of temporal 
 thyng don turned the trowth in to fals fantasy and saved that he 
 had almost lost. And vttirly^"^ put his felawe in perdicioun and 
 lost was wher that he covenaunted with an oth to depose al envit 
 from his wif. With reconsiliacioun so made, she ordeyned newe 
 guyles and wrenches of advowtrie. Whan he forsoth of that coun- 
 sail the house fallen and broken of a poore man to his house a 
 litel straite way she perced^"" under erth from that (f. 137) oon^°' 
 house into that other^*' and had his free comyng and goyng whan 
 that he wold. And whan this sufficed nat to theym, they toguyder 
 saiden as to bien felawshipped in weddyng and Matremony and 
 articulerly in thiese wordis i^"^ "Mi lord is thi felaw ; say thow to 
 hym forwhi thow camst from thi cuntrey in wifes right and forwhi 
 
 =™ H. & S. 'advowterer.' 
 
 '"'■' H. & S. 'prier,' but the Ms. abbreviation would easily resolve into 'praier:' the 
 I^atin has Deceptus ille prece nima. This sentence inserted on lower margin of Ms. 
 
 ^''H. & S. 'vtterly.' 
 
 -"'H. & S. 'parted'; Lat. (I 70, 1, 35) perforat. 
 
 =«' Omitted by H. & S. 
 
 ^'^The translator missed the meaning of this sentence entirely, Cum enim ille ex 
 illius consilio domum emisset a paupere domui sui socii contiguam, subterraneam per- 
 forat ille viam de domo in aliam, 
 
 ^'"'H. & S. 'woordis.' 
 
DISCIPLINA CL.ERICALIS 69 
 
 that it is yowr maner and Saracyns lawe nat as to take a wif ^'° but 
 of the yift of a lawful man. Wiltow have hir of hym and of his 
 yift as that thow hast nonother friend in this cuntrey? Whiche 
 whan he seeth me shal trowe to be his and shal doubte. Than if 
 that he turne hom as to see whether it be I, I shal meete and abide 
 hym in the chamber ;^^^ [he] shal arbiter hymsilf to [be] dis- 
 ceived, than he turneth ageyn to the. And I eftsoones^'^ shal come 
 bif ore hym, and so shal he yeve me to the to be seen of al theym that 
 standen aboute ; and so was it don." 
 
 XXIX. The Roman Merchant Who Laid a Wager on His 
 Wife's Chastity.^'^ 
 
 Ther were ii manchauntis in Rome of the whiche that oon had a 
 wif, a chast-'''' and a faire womman. Forsoth that other no trusti- 
 feith had in no womman. Whan and wherfor sumtyme whan and 
 other wern disceived of wymmens^'' lightnes^'" he joied^'^ ; he for- 
 soth of the trust and feith of his wif ageynsaide that other, of the 
 whiche thei^^* put in plegge al their possessioun : this that he shuld 
 corrupt hir withyn xv daies, he forwhi as with this condicioun stide- 
 f astly kept : that the husbond shuld nat warne or tel his wif of this 
 covenaunt. She therfor busied with al maner of lightnes as with 
 nothyng lad nor huyred, bi hir footemayde or seruaunt with yiftes 
 corrupt she was disceived. Forsoth she had a Ryng that is to of 
 hir first husbondes yift^'° above al possessiouns most diere.^'" She 
 had also a vernacle^'^ in signe and of an hand and an half from the 
 kne vnto the Right hipe. And whan so bi the footemaide or 
 seruaunt prively had taken he that knowen Ryng, and with the 
 knowlache that I have saide, told and rehersed to his f elaw as signes 
 and tokenes of most certayne advowtrye, he bitake with cursid sus- 
 peccioun exiled hymsilf of his possessioun and vsid of exile. This 
 
 '""H. & S. 'wit;' l<at. (I, 70, 1. 42), coniugem. 
 
 ^^ English omits first clause o£ next sentence, ubi cum invenerit me, when he has 
 found me there. 
 
 "''H. & S. 'eftscones.' 
 
 2" See Mod. Lang. Notes, vol. XXIV, p. 219; H. & S., I, 71-72. 
 
 ^' H. & S. 'chaste.' 
 
 ^•^ H. & S. 'wymmenis.' 
 
 ^^ 'lightnes' inserted on margin of Ms. 
 
 2"H. & S. omit 'he joied.' 
 
 "8H. & S. 'the.' 
 
 ^* Lat. (I, 71, 1. 19) Habebat autem anulum sibi primum mariti manus. When this 
 tale was printed in Mod. Lang. Notes several years ago (1909), the I,atin original had 
 not been published. For this reason I offer there a few emendations of the Middle 
 English text: with the Latin text now accessible, my emendations are, for the most part, 
 omitted in this reprint. 
 
 2»>H. & S. 'kiere'. I,at. carum (I, 71, 1. 21.) 
 
 281 1,at. verrucam. 
 
70 WESTERN RESERVE STUDIES 
 
 thyng noised bi the Citee, she was outcast as advowteres and to the 
 nephew or cosyn^*^ of hir husbond she was committed. 
 
 Thei cam in to Alisaunder, and covered and hid with strength 
 and kynde of clothis ; beryng hymsilf evene to the kyng in many- 
 fold seruice, in the friendship of the kyng hym bare as myght be in 
 curtesye most swift and light. As admynistratrice of al the Realme 
 the kynges Rentis wern infinytily multiplied bi his providence. Than 
 themperour of Rome dede ; his yong sone whan he Empired in the 
 (f. 137^) Empire, herd of the sapient wisdam^^'of hym of Alisaunder, 
 sent hym to Rome. [He] peased thempire, Restored soft and easy 
 lawes in to the friendship of themperour and the Citezeins and the 
 provynce with his high merites, nat puttyng hymsilf any symula- 
 cioun or token vnto his traitour. Bi hap and fortune [she] fond hir 
 husbond among poore folk most porest and dide hym to be 
 nurisshed. And bifore his traitour dide to be Rehersed his treason 
 bif ore the Citezeyns ; that don arraied a f este to the delectacioun 
 that is to say of f elawship and festers ; than at the last he opened 
 and deemed into deth of his owne confessioun. The pore man went 
 his wey and she to hir husbond. 
 
 XXX. The Unchaste Wife and the Rescue of Her Lover 
 Svche on willyng to chastice his nephew or Cosyn and to with- 
 drawe'hym from the vnlieful love of wymmen and from the vn- 
 numerable aduersities whiche often tyme fallith of this vnhappy 
 thyng, of suche a clerk dide to write the pavour, basshidnes, and the 
 dreede. 
 
 Svche a myghti man ther was^*'' whiche suche a day from his 
 house the space of a daies jorney went to his place. The wif for- 
 soth for hir housbondis made sure suche a clerk hir love, cald 
 [hym] in the derk of the nyght. Whiche while of the fowle lust 
 that thei vsiden, the husbonde vnavised and vnwares com horn 
 ageyne. Forsoth ther mette hym in his jorney [oon] whiche ple- 
 saunt thynges hym told. To whom al his houshold meyne mette hym 
 with lightis. The clerk heryng that wherfor to torn hym vttirly^*'' 
 he wist nat. Only out of the chamber he^*" went for to huyde hym 
 and for overmoche dreede so astonyed that he wist nat wher to torne 
 hym, or bi what wey to go out of the Court vttirly^" he wist nat. 
 
 '^^ Lat. nepos. 
 
 ==='H. & S. 'wisdom.' 
 
 ^^* English omits babens uxorem, 
 
 '"'H. & S. 'vtterley.' 
 
 =»» H. & S. 'hee.' 
 
 ^'H. & S. 'vtterly.' 
 
DISCIPLINA CLERICALIS 71 
 
 Forsoth also he herd al the houshold as in suche a busynes evene 
 moeved, and to tho thynges whiche to the lord and his felawship and 
 to hors wern necessary, here and ther ran and arraied. In the meane 
 while the wikked wif was so gnawen in hir conscience for dreede 
 lest she shuld be take with the clerk, mette hir husbond with faire 
 delicious wordis that he shulde nat be suspect of hir cursed deedis, 
 willyng if that she myght nat only hym, but al his felawship in like 
 gladnes, lest anything with grace issued withoutfurth as only the 
 cause of his so soone comyng to require, she beyng glad in as moche 
 as she myght to withhold as to shewe agenst a friend. The wretchid 
 clerk huydeng^^^ in a corner for the dreede of the houshold meyne 
 til al wern housed, was nat so hardy to go out of the Court. For- 
 soth he knew hymsilf to be prived of his life if he at suche tyme 
 he wer ther founde of any of the lordes (f. 138) meyne. Whiche 
 put and sette in so straite^^" an angwissh, seeyng nowher no sub- 
 sidie, refuge, nor help whider to flee, sawe a Tonne of the whiche 
 that on end was out, lay in the porche of the house. The whiche 
 forsoth whan he had seen, thider tended, and willyng hymsilf ther 
 to huyde, entred in hopyng to escape the perel folowyng. But with 
 the maner of that fere and basshidnes his drede bigan to augmente 
 and to encrease. Forwhi ther was a Bere tied in the Court the 
 whiche brak his cheyne at the discours and rennyng of the 
 servauntis^'" whom the houndis foloweden hider and thider and in 
 their pursute hym bote and driew, and of veray neede coarted hym 
 to entre in to the Tonne above saide. The meyne and seruauntis 
 fallyng to with grete and stavis willyng to drawe hym out, myght 
 nat performs it, whos body was al hid save only the hede. The 
 grace of this maner thyng of theym withoutfurth expelleden ran to 
 that other part of the tonne to cast out the bottum. The wretche 
 whiche was hid withyn tremblyng, quakyng and wailyng, praieng 
 god that thei myght nat breke it, hield fast with al his myght, and 
 with his feete knocked and smote on the Beres bak and with his 
 hede he hield the bottum ; so the Bere wold he nold he fled and the 
 wretche huydyng remayned. The suters of this thyng ne bien thei 
 nat of this vnremembred. 
 
 ^H. & S. 'huyding.' 
 =«iH. & S. 'sofraite'! 
 
 ™» Not in the I,atin: Quern canes insectantes, hac illacque sequentes at morsibus 
 attrectantes. I, 73, 11. 20-22. 
 
UNION COMMERCE 
 
 NATIONAL BANK 
 
 CLEVELAND 
 
 THE CHANGES IN THE METHODS OP 
 CARRYING RESERVES UNDER THE 
 FEDERAL SYSTEM CREATES A 
 GREATER DEMAND FOR THE SERVICE 
 AND CREDIT FACILITIES OF PRIVATE- 
 LY MANAGED BANKING INSTITU- 
 TIONS IN RESERVE CENTERS THAN 
 HERETOFORE. IN CLEVELAND, THE 
 LOCATION OF FEDERAL RESERVE 
 BANK NUMBER 4, THE 
 
 UNION COMMERCE NATIONAL BANK ' 
 
 CONTINUES, AS HAS ALWAYS 
 BEEN ITS CUSTOM, TO RENDER SUCH 
 EFFICIENT SERVICE TO ALL CORRES- 
 PONDENTS AS MAKES IT MUTUALLY 
 PROFITABLE. ITS DIRECTORATE IS 
 COMPOSED OF SOME OF CLEVELAND'S 
 MOST REPRESENTATIVE BANKERS 
 AND BUSINESS MEN; AN ASSURANCE 
 OF A FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE OF 
 BUSINESS ENTRUSTED TO IT. 
 
-^ 
 
 Wm. Ramsdell, Son & Co. 
 
 GROCERS 
 
 10551 Euclid Avenue 
 
N. O. STONE & CO., 
 
 312-18 EUCLID AVENUE, 
 
 CLEVELAND. 
 
 Bell Phone, Main 35«) Ohio State Phone, Central 3550 
 
 The Schafer-Suhr Coal Co. 
 
 WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 
 
 COAL and COKE 
 
 Sole Agents for the Celebrated Dixie Gem Soft Coal 
 
 General Office 
 Room 410 Cuyahoga Building Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 ROBERT A. KUMMER 
 TAILOR 
 
 E. B. BROWN 
 
 PRESCRIPTION AND MANUFACTURING 
 
 OPTICIAN 
 
 314-315 SCHOFIELD BUILDING 
 CLEVELAND 
 
THE NEW MAYELL & HOPP CO. STORE 
 
 THE HADDAM— EUCLID, NEAR 105th ST. 
 Is the PRESCRIPTION DRUG STORE of the East End. 
 
 The Mayell & Hopp Co. 
 
 DOWN TOWN STORE: THE HADDAM: 
 
 1104 Euclid Ave. ^"" Euclid and 105th 
 
 UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE 
 
 10514 EUCLID AUENUE 
 
 STUDENTS SUPPLIES 
 
 Books Stationery 
 
 Pictures 
 
 Picture Krajvlino 
 
 THE KORNER & WOOD CO. 
 
 737 Euclid Avenue 
 
THE W. L. CROOKS DAIRY CO. 
 
 PURE MILK AND CREAM-WHOLESALE 
 AND RETAIL 
 
 Our goods are as good as the Best. Pure 
 pasteurized Milk and Cream heated to 140° 
 held 30 minutes. Let there be a trial and 
 the service will do the rest. 
 
 1652 LOCKWOOD AVE. EAST CLEVELAND 
 
 CREST 140 BELL, EDDY 266 
 
 BURTON DAIRY 
 
 Dairy products of finest quality, coupled 
 with the assurance that a rigid sanita- 
 tion permeates our handling thereof. 
 
 GEORGE H. FOOTE, Prop. 
 
 Garfield 1614 2288 East 97th Street 
 
 Have You a Certain Way in Which 
 You Like Your Laundry ? 
 
 TELL US JiHD YOU 
 ARE CEJiTAIN TO 
 HAVE YOUR WAY 
 
 The Cleveland Laundry Co. 
 
 2820-2840 Carnegie Ave., S. E. 
 
 Prospect 2800 
 
JOHN C MILLARD 
 
 MEATS 
 
 SHERIFF STREET MARKET 
 
 No stronger testimony of the worth of our goods, 
 or of our service, is neeSed than that we furnish 
 every day of every month of the college year a 
 large amount of provisions to one of the great 
 departments of Western Reserve University. 
 
 BOTH PHONES 
 
 .^tr^ 
 
 
 New Wall Paper and Paint Store 
 
 10555 EUCLID AVENUE 
 CLEVELAND 
 
 Painter and 
 Decorator