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]:
XI.[1] 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[2] set and put to knowe al the maner
and craft of wymmen, and this don nold no wif wedde.[3] 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 forsoth 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 oo 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[4] 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 kyndeled
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, l. 18).
- ↑ Lat. (I, 18, l. 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, l. 19, et hoc facto voluit ducere uxorem.
- ↑ Eng. version omits et euntes et regredientes intente aspexit. I, 19, l. 2.
