Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine Part 37

ALAS! replied the other with a sigh, In vain the nuns my virtue sought to try; 'Twas my misfortune:--patience heav'n bestow; For worlds such wickedness I would not know.

THE miller laughed at what the other spoke; Untied his hands, and ev'ry bandage broke.

Said he, thou ninny, scruples can'st thou find To counteract, and prove to pleasure blind?

The business clearly should to me belong; Our rector ne'er had thought such conduct wrong, And never would have played the fool like this; Fly, haste away, away; I'll thee dismiss, First having nicely set me in thy place; Like me thou wert not formed for soft embrace; I'm stout and able:--quarter ne'er will ask; Come ALL, these nuns, I'll execute the task, And many pranks they'll see, unless a freak Should happen any way the string to break.

The other never asked his wishes twice, But tied him well, and left him in a trice.

WITH shoulders broad the miller you might see; In Adam's birth-attire against the tree, Await the coming of the aged band, Who soon appeared, with tapers in the hand, In solemn guise, and whips and scourges dire: The virgin troop (as convent laws require) In full procession moved around the Wight; Without allowing time to catch his sight, Or giving notice what they meant to do: How now! cried he:--why won't you take a view?

Deceived you are; regard me well I pray; I'm not the silly fool you had to-day, Who woman hates, and scruples seeks to raise: Employ but me, and soon I'll gain your praise; I'll wonders execute; my strength appears; And; if I fail, at once cut off my ears.

At certain pleasant play I'm clever found; But as to whips--I never was renowned.

WHAT means the fellow? cried a toothless nun; What would he tell us? Hast thou nothing done?

How!--Art thou not our brat-begetter?--speak; So much the worse:--on thee our rage we'll wreak, For him that's gone we'll make thee suffer now; Once arms in hand, we never will allow Such characters full punishment to miss; The play that we desire is THIS and THIS; Then whips and scourges round him 'gan to move, And not a little troublesome to prove The miller, writhing with the poignant smart, Cried loudly:--I'll exert my utmost art, Good ladies, to perform what is your due; The more he bawled, the faster lashes flew.

This work so well the aged troop achieved, He long remembered what his skin received.

WHILE thus the master chastis.e.m.e.nt had got; His mule was feeding on the verdant spot.

But what became of this or that, at last, I've never heard, and care not how it past.

'Tis quite enough to save the young gallant, And more particulars we do not want.

My readers, for a time, could they obtain A dozen nuns like these, where beauties reign, Would doubtless not be seen without their dress!

We do not always ev'ry wish express.

THE BUCKING-TUB

IF once in love, you'll soon invention find And not to cunning tricks and freaks be blind; The youngest 'prentice, when he feels the dart, Grows wondrous shrewd, and studies wily art.

This pa.s.sion never, we perceive, remains In want from paucity of scheming brains.

The G.o.d of hearts so well exerts his force, That he receives his dues as things of course.

A bucking-tub, of which a tale is told, Will prove the case, and this I'll now unfold; Particulars I heard some days ago, From one who seemed each circ.u.mstance to know.

WITHIN a country town, no matter where, Its appellation nothing would declare, A cooper and his wife, whose name was Nan, Kept house, and through some difficulties ran.

Though scanty were their means, LOVE thither flew; And with him brought a friend to take a view; 'Twas Cuckoldom accompanied the boy, Two G.o.ds most intimate, who like to toy, And, never ceremonious, seek to please Go where they will, still equally at ease; 'Tis all for them good lodging, fare, or bed; And, hut or palace, pleasantly they tread.

IT happened then, a spark this fair caressed, And, when he hoped most fully to be blessed, When all was ready to complete the scene, And on a point:--if naught should intervene Not NAMED howe'er will quite enough suffice, When suddenly the husband, by surprise, Returned from drinking at an ale-house near, just when, just when:--the rest is pretty clear.

THEY curst his coming; trouble o'er them spread; Naught could be done but hide the lover's head; Beneath a bucking-tub, in utmost haste, Within the court, our gay gallant was placed.

THE husband, as he entered, loudly cried, I've sold our bucking-tub. The wife replied, What price, I pray?--Three crowns rejoined the man; Then thou'rt a silly a.s.s, said mistress Nan; To-day, by my address, I've gained a crown, And sold the same for twenty shillings down: My bargain luckily the first was made; The buyer, (who of flaws is much afraid) Examines now if ev'ry part is tight; He's in the tub to see if all be right.

What, blockhead, would'st thou do without thy wife?

Thou huntest taverns while she works for life; But necessary 'tis for her to act, When thou art out, or naught would be exact.

No pleasure ever yet received have I; But take my word, to get it now I'll try.

Gallants are plenty; husbands should have wives; That, like themselves, lead gay or sober lives.

I PRYTHEE softly, wife, the husband said; Come, come, sir, leave the tub, there's naught to dread; When you are out, I'll ev'ry quarter sc.r.a.pe, Then try if water from it can escape; I'll warrant it to be as good as nice, And nothing can be better worth the price.

OUT came the lover; in the husband went; Sc.r.a.ped here and there, and tried if any vent; With candle in his hand looked round and round, Not dreaming once that LOVE without was found.

But nothing he could see of what was done; And while the cooper sought to overrun The various parts, and by the tub was hid, The G.o.ds already noticed thither slid; A job was by the deities proposed, That highly pleased the couple when disclosed; A very diff'rent work from what within The husband had, who sc.r.a.ped with horrid din, And rubbed, and scrubbed, and beat so very well, Fresh courage took our gay gallant and belle; They now resumed the thread so sadly lost, When, by the cooper's coming, all was crossed.

THE reader won't require to know the rest; What pa.s.sed perhaps may easily be guessed.

'Tis quite enough, my thesis I have proved; The artful trick our pair with raptures moved.

Nor one nor t'other was a 'prentice new; A lover be:--and wiles you'll soon pursue.

THE IMPOSSIBLE THING

A DEMON, blacker in his skin than heart, So great a charm was prompted to impart; To one in love, that he the lady gained, And full possession in the end obtained: The bargain was, the lover should enjoy The belle he wished, and who had proved so coy.

Said Satan, soon I'll make her lend an ear, In ev'ry thing more complaisant appear; But then, instead of what thou might'st expect, To be obedient and let me direct, The devil, having thus obliged a friend, He'll thy commands obey, thou may'st depend, The very moment; and within the hour Thy humble servant, who has got such pow'r, Will ask for others, which at once thou'lt find; Make no delay, for if thou art so blind, Thou comprehend'st, thy body and thy soul The lovely fair no longer shall control, But Satan then upon them both shall seize, And with them do-whatever he may please: 'Gainst this the spark had not a word to say; 'Twas pleasing to command, though not obey.

HE sallied forth the beauteous belle to seek, And found her as he wished:--complying-meek; Indulged in blisses, and most happy proved, Save that the devil always round him moved.

Whatever rose within the whirl of thought He now commanded:--quickly it was brought; And when he ordered palaces to rise, Or raging tempests to pervade the skies, The devil instantly obeyed his will, And what he asked was done with wondrous skill.

LARGE sums his purse received;--the devil went just where commanded, and to Rome was sent, From whence his highness store of pardons got; No journey long, though distant was the spot, But ev'ry thing with magick ease arose, And all was soon accomplished that he chose.

So oft the spark was asked for orders new, Which he was bound to give the fiend at view, That soon his head most thoroughly was drained, And to the fair our lover much complained, Declared the truth, and ev'ry thing detailed, How he was lost, if in commands he failed.

IS'T this, said she, that makes thee so forlorn?

Mere nothing!-quickly I'll remove the thorn; When Satan comes, present his highness this, Which I have here, and say:--You will not miss To make it flat, and not its curl retain On which she gave him, what with little pain She drew from covert of the Cyprian grove, The fairy labyrinth where pleasures rove, Which formerly a duke so precious thought; To raise a knightly order thence he sought, Ill.u.s.trious inst.i.tution, n.o.ble plan, More filled with G.o.ds and demi-G.o.ds than man.

THE lover to the crafty devil said:-- 'Tis crooked this, you see, and I am led To wish it otherwise; go, make it straight; A perfect line: no turn, nor twist, nor plait.

Away to work, be quick, fly, hasten, run; The demon fancied it could soon be done; No time he lost, but set it in the press, And tried to manage it with great success; The ma.s.sy hammer, kept beneath the deep, Made no impression: he as well might sleep; Howe'er he beat: whatever charm he used:-- 'Twas still the same; obedience it refused.

His time and labour constantly were lost; Vain proved each effort: mystick skill was crossed; The wind, or rain, or fog, or frost, or snow, Had no effect: still circular 'twould go.

The more he tried, the ringlet less inclined To drop the curvature so closely twined.

How's this? said Satan, never have I seen Such stubborn stuff wherever I have been; The shades below no demon can produce, That could divine what here would prove of use: 'Twould puzzle h.e.l.l to break the curling spring, And make a line direct of such a thing.

ONE morn the devil to the other went: Said he, to give thee up I'll be content; If solely thou wilt openly declare What 'tis I hold, for truly I despair; I'm victus I confess, and can't succeed: No doubt the thing's impossible decreed.

FRIEND Satan, said the lover, you are wrong; Despondency should not to you belong, At least so soon:--what you desire to know Is not the only one that's found to grow; Still many more companions it has got, And others could be taken from the spot.

THE PICTURE

SOLICITED I've been to give a tale, In which (though true, decorum must prevail), The subject from a picture shall arise, That by a curtain's kept from vulgar eyes.

My brain must furnish various features new: What's delicate and smart produce to view; By this expressed, and not by t'other said: And all so clear, most easy to be read, By ev'ry fool, without the aid of notes, That idiot's bad indeed who never quotes.

CATULLUS tells us, ev'ry matron sage Will peep most willingly (whate'er her age), At that gigantick gift, which Juno made, To Venus' fruit, in gardens oft displayed.