Excerpt 11: Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence

Excerpt 11: Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence¹

Folio 162ra

Nature 'San faille, de touz les pechiez, don li chetis est antechiez, a Dieu les les, bien s'an chevisse.

⁴ Quant li plera, si l'an punisse. Mes por ceus dom Amors se plaint, car g'en ai bien oï le plaint,

Nature 'Naturally, I leave to God all the sins with which the wretch is stained; let God take care of them and punish them when He pleases. But of those of whom Love complains (for I have indeed heard the complaint),

Folio 162rb

je meïsmes, tant con je puis,

⁸ m'an plaing et m'an doi plaindre, puis qu'il me renient le treü que tretuit home m'ont deü et tourjorz doivent et devront

¹² tant con mes oustilz recevront

I complain, myself, as much I can, and I should do so because they have denied me the tribute that all men have owed me, and always do and always will owe me as long as they receive my tools.

Genyus, li bien anpalez, en l'ost au dieu d'Amours alez, qui moult de moi servir se peine

¹⁶ et tant m'aime, g'en sui certaine; que par son franc queur debonere plus se veust ver mes euvres trere que ne fet fers vers aïmant.

²⁰ Dites li que saluz li mant, et a dame Venus, m'amie, puis a toute la baronie, fors seulemant a Faus Semblant,

²⁴ por qu'il s'aut james assemblant avec les felons orguilleus, les ypocrites perilleus, des quex l'Escriture recete

²⁸ que ce sunt li pseudo prophete. Si rai je moult soupeçoneuse Attenance d'estre orguilleuse et d'estre a Faus Samblant samblable,

³² tout samble ele humble et charitable. Faus Samblant, s'il plus est trouvez avec tex traïstres prouvez, ja ne soit en ma saluance,

³⁶ ne li ne s'amie Attenance.

O Genius, with the gift of speech go among the army to the God of Love, who strives mightily to serve me and who, I am certain of it, loves me so much that with his open, good natured heart he wants to draw close to my works more than iron does to a magnet. Tell him that I send greetings to him and to my friend, the lady Venus, and to his entire barony as well, except False Seeming alone, because he always goes congregating with those proud criminals, those dangerous hypocrites of whom Scripture says that they are pseudo-prophets. And I suspect Abstinence to be very proud and like False Seeming, however humble and charitable she seems.

If False Seeming is found any more in the company of such confirmed traitors, may neither he nor his friend Abstinence take part in my salvation.

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Trop font tel gent a redouter, bien les deüt Amours bouter hors de son ost, s'il li pleüst,

⁴⁰ se certeinement ne seüst qu'il li fussent si necessaire qu'il ne peüst sanz eus riens faire. Mes s'il sunt advocat por eus

⁴⁴ en la cause au fins amoureus, don leur mal saient alegié, cest barat leur pardone gié. Alez, amis, au dieu d'Amors

⁴⁸ porter mes plainz et mes clamors, non pas por ce qu'il droit m'an face, mes qu'il se confort et solace quant il orra ceste nouvele,

⁵² qui mout li devra estre bele et a noz anemis greveine; et lest ester, ne li soit peine, le soussi que mener l'an voi.

⁵⁶ Dites li que la vos anvoi por touz ceus esconmenier qui nous veulent contrarier. Et por assoldre les vaillanz

⁶⁰ qui de bon queur sunt travaillanz au regles droitemant ansivre qui sunt escrites an mon livre, et formant a ce s'estudient

⁶⁴ que leur lignages monteplient et qui pensent de boien amer, car ges doi touz amis clamer,

Such people are very much to be feared. If Love had not been so sure that they were so necessary to him that he could do nothing without them, he should have thrown them out of his army, if it pleased him. But if there are advocates to lessen their wickedness in the case for courtly lovers, I pardon them their fraud.
Go, my friend, to the God of Love, carrying my complaints and my pleas, not in order for him to do me justice, but in order that he may take comfort and solace when he hears this news, which should be very pleasing to him and harmful to our enemies, and in order that he may cease to be troubled by the worry with which I see him occupied. Tell him that I send you there to excommunicate all those who want to work against us, and that I send you to absolve the valiant ones who work with good heart to follow strictly the rules that are written in my book, those stalwarts who strive mightily to multiply their lineages and who think about loving well, for I must call them all my friends

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por leur ames metre en delices,

⁶⁸ mes qu'il se gardent bien des vices que j'ai ci devant racontez, qu'il effacent toutes bontez. Pardon qui bien soit soffisanz

⁷² leur donez, non pas de ·x· anz, nou priseraient un denier, mes a tourjorz pardon plenier de tretout quan que fet avront,

⁷⁶ quant bien confessier s'en savront. Et quant en l'ost serez venuz, ou vos serez mout chiers tenuz, puis que saluez les m'avroiz

⁸⁰ si con saluer les savroiz, publiez leur, en audiance ce pardon et ceste santance, que je vueill que ci soit escrite.'

in order to delight their souls. But they are to guard themselves well against the vices that I have told you about before, for they destroy all goodness. Give them a pardon that is fully satisfactory, not for ten years, for they would not think it worth a penny, but a full pardon forever for everything that they have done when they know fully how to confess their sins. And after you will have joined the army, where you will be held very dear, and after you have greeted them for me as you know how, publicly announce the pardon and judgment that I wish to be written here.'

⁸⁴ Lors escrit cil, et cele dite, puis la seele et la li baille, et li prie que tost s'an aille, mes qu'ele soit ainceis assoste

⁸⁸ de ce qui son panser li oste.

Then he wrote and she spoke, and afterward she sealed it, gave it to him, and begged him to go off immediately as long as she might be absolved for what had been taken off her mind.

Si tost conme ot esté confesse dame Nature, la deesse, si con la loi veust et li us,

⁹² li vaillanz prestres Genyus tantost l'assolt et si li done penitance avenant et bone selonc la grandeur dou forfet

⁹⁶ qu'il pansoit qu'ele eüst forfet.

As soon as the goddess Lady Nature had confessed, then straightway, as law and custom wish it, the valiant priest Genius absolved her and gave her a penance that was suitable and good, one that accorded with the magnitude of the infamy that he thought she had committed.

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Anjoint li qu'ele demourast dedanz sa forge et labourast si conme ainz labourer souloit

¹⁰⁰ quant de neant ne se douloit, et son servise adés feïst tant qu'autre conseill i meïst li rois qui tout peut adrecier

¹⁰⁴ et tout fere et tout depecier. 'Sire, dist ele, volantiers.' - 'Et je m'an vois andemantiers,' fet Genyus, 'plus que le cours

¹⁰⁸ par fere aus fins amanz secours, mes que desafublez me saie de ceste chasuble de saie, de ceste aube et de cest rochet.'

¹¹² Lors va tout pandre a ·i· crochet, et vest sa robe seculiere, qui mains anconbreuse li ere, si con s'il alast queroler,

¹¹⁶ et prant eles por tost voler.

He enjoined her to remain within her forge and labour as she was accustomed to do when she had no sorrow; he told her always to perform her service in this way until the King who can arrange everything and make and destroy everything might give some other counsel.
'Sire,' she said, 'I will do so willingly.'
'And meanwhile,' said Genius, 'I will go off very quickly to bring help to courtly lovers. But first I will take off this silk chasuble, this alb and surplice.' Then he went to hang everything on a hook and dressed in his less cumbersome worldly clothing, as if he were going off to a carol. He then took wings to fly away immediately.

Lors remaint Nature en sa forge, prent ses marteaus et fiert et forge tretout ausinc conme devant;

¹²⁰ et Genyus plus tost que vant ses eles bat et plus n'atant, en l'ost s'an est venuz a tant. Mes Faus Samblant n'i treuve pas,

¹²⁴ partiz s'an iert plus que le pas des lors que la vielle fu prise qui m'ouvri l'uis de la porprise

Nature remained in her forge, took her hammers and struck out and shaped everything as she had done before, while Genius, with no more delay, beat his wings faster than the wind. He came quickly to the army, but did not find False Seeming there. He had left in a hurry as soon as the Duenna was captured, the one who opened the door of the enclosure for me

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et tant m'ot fet avant aler

¹²⁸ qu'a Bel Acueill me lut paler. Il n'i vost onques plus atandre, ainz s'an foui san congié prandre. Mes, san faille, c'est chose atainte,

¹³² il treuve Attenance Contrainte, qui de tout son poair s'apreste de courre aprés a si grant heste, quant el voit le prestre venir,

¹³⁶ qu'anviz la peüst l'an tenir; car o prestre ne se meïst, por quoi nus autres la veïist, qui li donast ·iiii· besanz,

¹⁴⁰ se Faus Samblant ne fust presanz. Genyus, san plus de demeure, en icele meïsmes heure, si con il dut touz les salue,

¹⁴⁴ et l'acheson de sa venue, san riens metre en oubli, leur conte. Je ne vos quier ja fere conte de la grant joie qu'il li firent

¹⁴⁸ quant ces noveles antandirent, ainz vueill ma parole abregier por voz oreilles alegier, car maintes foiz cil qui preesche,

¹⁵² quant briefmant ne se despeesche, an fet les auditeurs aler par trop prolixemant paler.

and helped me advance to the point where I was allowed to speak to Fair Welcoming; he had not wanted to wait any longer, but had fled without asking leave. There is no question, however, that Genius found Constrained Abstinence, who, when she saw the priest coming, got ready with all her might to run after False Seeming in such great haste that she could hardly be held back. In fact, she would not have been seen in the priest's company even if someone had given her four bezants, unless it was in the presence of False Seeming. At that same time, Genius, not delaying any further, greeted them all as he was supposed to and, forgetting nothing, told them the reason for his coming. I shall not try to make a story out of the great joy that they showed when they heard this news; instead I want to shorten my account and lighten your ears; many times, when a preacher does not dispatch briefly, he makes his audience leave by being too prolix in his speaking.

Tantost li diex d'Amours affuble

¹⁵⁶ a Genius une chasuble;

Straightway the God of Love put a chasuble on Genius.

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anel li baille et croce et mitre plus clere que cristal ne vitre. N'i quierent autre paremant,

¹⁶⁰ tant ont grant antalentemant d'oïr cele sentance lire. Venus, qui ne cessoit de rire ne ne se poait tenir quaie,

¹⁶⁴ tant par estoit jolive et gaie, por plus anforcier la natheme quant il avra feni son theme, li met ou poign ·i· ardant cierge,

¹⁶⁸ qui n'estoit pas de cire vierge. Genyus, san plus terme metre, s'est lors por lire mieuz la letre selonc les fez devant contez

¹⁷² seur ·i· grant eschaufaut montez,

He gave him a ring, a crosier, and a mitre clearer than crystal or glass. They had so great a desire to hear his judgment read that they sought no other preparation. Venus, who was so delighted and gay that she could not stop laughing, could not keep quiet. She placed a burning torch in his hand, which was not of virgin wax, in order to enforce his anathema when he would have finished his speech. Without taking any more time, Genius then mounted a large platform, the better to read the text, according to the things recounted before.

et li baron sidrent par terre, n'i vostrent autres sieges querre. Et cil sa chartre leur desploie

¹⁷⁶ et sa main antour soi tournoie et fet signe et dit qu'il se tesent; et cil, qui ses paroles plesent, s'antreguignent et s'antreboutent.

¹⁸⁰ Atant s'apesent, si escoutent, et par tex parole commance La diffinitive santance :

The barons sat on the ground and didn't want to seek any other seats. Genius unfolded the charter, made a sign with his hand all around him, and called for silence. Those whom his words pleased looked at and nudged one another. Then they quieted down immediately and listened.

And with these words, the definitive sentence began:

'De l'auctorité de nature

¹⁸⁴ Qui de tout le monde a la cure Comme vicaire et connestable A l'anpereeur pardurable

'By the authority of Nature, who has the care of the whole world, as vicar and constable of the eternal emperor,

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Qui siet en la tour souveraine

¹⁸⁸ De la noble cité mondaine, Dont il fist nature ministre, Qui touz les biens i amenistre Par l'influance des esteles,

¹⁹² Car tout est ordené par eles Selonc les droiz anperiaus Dont nature est officiaus, Qui toutes choses a fet nestre

¹⁹⁶ Puis que cist mondes vint an estre Et leur dona terme ansemant De grandeur et d'acroissemant, N'onques ne fist riens par noiant

²⁰⁰ Souz le ciel qui va tournoiant Entour la terre san demeure, Si hauz desouz comme deseure, Ne ne cesse ne nuit ne iour

²⁰⁴ Mes touriorz tourne san seiour Saiez tuit escommenié Li delleal, li renié, Et condampné san nul respit,

²⁰⁸ Qui les euvres ont en despit, Soit de grant gent soit de menue, Par cui nature est soutenue Et cil qui de toute sa force

²¹² De garder nature s'efforce Et qui de bien amer se peine Sanz nule pensee vileine, Mes que leaument i travaille,

²¹⁶ Floriz en paradis s'an aille.

who sits in the sovereign tower of the noble city of the world, of which he made Nature the minister; Nature who administers all good things through the influence of the stars, for they ordain everything according to the imperial justice that Nature executes; Nature, who has given birth to all things since this world came into being, who gives them their allotted time for growth and increase, and who never for nothing made anything under the heaven that continues without delay to turn around the earth, as high below as above, and never stops, night or day, but turns always without rest - by the authority of Nature, all those disloyal apostates, of high rank or low, who hold in despite the acts by which Nature is supported, be you excommunicated and condemned without any delay. And let him who strives with all his force to maintain Nature, who struggles to love well, without any base thought, but with lawful labour, go off to paradise decked with flowers.

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Mes qu'il se face bien confés, J'en praing seur moi tretout son fes De tel poair com iou puis prandre;

²²⁰ Ja pardon n'anportera mandre. Mar leur ait nature doné, Au² faus dont i'ai ci sarmoné, Greffes, tables, marteaus, enclumes,

²²⁴ Selonc ses lais et ses coustumes, Et sos, a pointes bien aguës A l'usage de ses charrues, Et iaschieres, non pas perreuses,

²²⁸ Mes planteïves et herbeuses Qui d'arer et de trefoïr Ont mestier, qui an veult ioïr, Quant il n'an veulent laborer

²³² Pour lui servir et honourer, Ainz veulent nature destruire Quant ses anclumes veulent fuire, Et ses tables et ses iaschieres

²³⁶ Qu'el fist precieuses et chieres, Pour ses choses continuer, Que mort ne les peüst tuer. Bien deüssent avoir grant honte

²⁴⁰ Cil delleal dont je vous conte, Quant il ne daignent la main metre En³ tables pour escriure letre Ne pour fere anprainte qui pere.

²⁴⁴ Moult sunt d'antancion amere, Qu'el devandront toutes mossues S'el sunt en oiseuses tenues.

As long as he makes a good confession, I will take on me all his deeds with such power as I can bring to them, and he will never have to bear the smallest pardon for them. It was an evil hour when Nature, in accordance with her laws and customs, gave to those false ones of whom I have been speaking their styluses and tablets, hammers and anvils, the ploughshares with good sharp points for the use of their ploughs, and the fallow fields, not stony but rich and verdurous, that need to be ploughed and dug deep if one wants to enjoy them; it is an evil hour when they do not want to labour at serving and honouring Nature, but wish rather to destroy her by preferring to flee from her anvils, her tablets and fallow fields, which she made so precious and so dear in order to continue things so that Death might not kill them. These disloyal creatures of whom I tell should be greatly ashamed when they do not deign to put their hands to the tablets to write a letter or make an imprint that shows. The tablets have a very cruel future, since they will become all rusty if they are kept idle.

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Quant san cop de martel ferir

²⁴⁸ Lessent les anclumes perir, Or s'i peut la roueille anbatre, Sanz oïr marteler ne batre. Les iaschieres, qui n'i refiche

²⁵² Le soc, redemourront⁴ an friche. Vis les puisse l'an anfoir, Quant les oustiz osent foir Que Diex de sa main antailla

²⁵⁶ Quant a ma dame les bailla, Qui pour ce les li vost baillier Qu'el seüt autex antaillier Pour doner estre pardurables

²⁶⁰ Au⁵ creatures corrompables. Moult euvrent mal, et bien le samble, Car se tretuit li homme ansanble ·Lx· anz foir les voloient,

²⁶⁴ James home n'angendreroient! Et se ce plest a Dieu, san faille, Donc veult il que li mondes faille Ou les terres demourront nues

²⁶⁸ A peuplaier aus bestes mues S'il⁶ nouveaus homes ne fesoit Se⁷ refere les li plesoie⁸ Ou ceuls feïst resouciter

²⁷² Pour la terre arriers habiter. Et se cil vierges se tenoient ·Lx· anz, derechief faudroient Si que, se ce li devoit plere,

²⁷⁶ Touriorz les avroit a refere.

Now that they let the anvils perish without striking a blow with the hammer, the rust can bring them down, and no one will hear them hammered or beaten. If no one thrusts the ploughshare into the fallow fields, they will remain fallow. These people might as well be buried alive when they dare to flee from the tools that God shaped with his hand when he gave them to my lady. He wanted to give them to her so that she would know how to fashion similar ones in order to give eternal existence to creatures subject to corruption. It seems certain that these disloyal creatures work great evil, because if all men together wished to avoid their tools for sixty years, men would never engender. If this situation is pleasing to God, then he certainly wants the world to fail or the lands to remain bare, peopled with dumb animals, unless he made new men, if it pleased him to make them again, or revived the others to repopulate the earth. Then if these people kept themselves virgin for sixty years, they would perish again, so that, if God should please, he would always have to make them again.

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Et s'il iert qui dire vossist Que Dex le vouloir en tossist, A l'un par grace, a l'autre non.

²⁸⁰ Pour ce qu'il a si bon renon N'onques ne cessa de bien fere, Donc li redevroit il bien plere Que chascuns autretel feïst

²⁸⁴ Si qu'autel grace an lui meïst. Si ravré ma conclusion Que tout aille a perdicion.'

And if there were anyone who wanted to say that God in his grace took the desire away from one and not from another, then, since his renown is so great and he has never ceased to do good, it should be pleasing to him to create everyone the same, so that he might put such grace in them. Thus I come back to my conclusion that everything would go to perdition.'