登陆注册
4710100000008

第8章

HOW THE GOOD MAN BRUYN TOOK A WIFE.

Messire Bruyn, he who completed the Castle of Roche-Corbon-les-Vouvray, on the banks of the Loire, was a boisterous fellow in his youth. When quite little, he squeezed young ladies, turned the house out of windows, and played the devil with everything, when he was called upon to put his Sire the Baron of Roche-Corbon some few feet under the turf. Then he was his own master, free to lead a life of wild dissipation, and indeed he worked very hard to get a surfeit of enjoyment. Now by making his crowns sweat and his goods scarce, draining his land, and a bleeding his hogsheads, and regaling frail beauties, he found himself excommunicated from decent society, and had for his friends only the plunderers of towns and the Lombardians. But the usurers turned rough and bitter as chestnut husks, when he had no other security to give them than his said estate of Roche-Corbon, since the Rupes Carbonis was held from our Lord the king. Then Bruyn found himself just in the humour to give a blow here and there, to break a collar-bone or two, and quarrel with everyone about trifles.

Seeing which, the Abbot of Marmoustiers, his neighbour, and a man liberal with his advice, told him that it was an evident sign of lordly perfection, that he was walking in the right road, but if he would go and slaughter, to the great glory of God, the Mahommedans who defiled the Holy Land, it would be better still, and that he would undoubtedly return full of wealth and indulgences into Touraine, or into Paradise, whence all barons formerly came.

The said Bruyn, admiring the great sense of the prelate, left the country equipped by the monastery, and blessed by the abbot, to the great delight of his friends and neighbours. Then he put to the sack enough many towns of Asia and Africa, and fell upon the infidels without giving them warning, burning the Saracens, the Greeks, the English, and others, caring little whether they were friends or enemies, or where they came from, since among his merits he had that of being in no way curious, and he never questioned them until after he had killed them. At this business, agreeable to God, to the King and to himself, Bruyn gained renown as a good Christian and loyal knight, and enjoyed himself thoroughly in these lands beyond the seas, since he more willingly gave a crown to the girls than to the poor, although he met many more poor people than perfect maids; but like a good Touranian he made soup of anything. At length, when he was satiated with the Turks, relics, and other blessings of the Holy Land, Bruyn, to the great astonishment of the people of Vouvrillons, returned from the Crusades laden with crowns and precious stones; rather differently from some who, rich when they set out, came back heavy with leprosy, but light with gold. On his return from Tunis, our Lord, King Philippe, made him a Count, and appointed him his seneschal in our country and that of Poitou. There he was greatly beloved and properly thought well of, since over and above his good qualities he founded the Church of the Carmes-Deschaulx, in the parish of Egrignolles, as the peace-offering to Heaven for the follies of his youth. Thus was he cardinally consigned to the good graces of the Church and of God. From a wicked youth and reckless man, he became a good, wise man, and discreet in his dissipations and pleasures; rarely was in anger, unless someone blasphemed God before him, the which he would not tolerate because he had blasphemed enough for every one in his wild youth. In short, he never quarrelled, because, being seneschal, people gave up to him instantly. It is true that he at that time beheld all his desires accomplished, the which would render even an imp of Satan calm and tranquil from his horns to his heels. And besides this he possessed a castle all jagged at the corners, and shaped and pointed like a Spanish doublet, situated upon a bank from which it was reflected in the Loire. In the rooms were royal tapestries, furniture, Saracen pomps, vanities, and inventions which were much admired by people of Tours, and even by the archbishop and clerks of St. Martin, to whom he sent as a free gift a banner fringed with fine gold. In the neighbourhood of the said castle abounded fair domains, wind-mills, and forests, yielding a harvest of rents of all kinds, so that he was one of the strongest knights-banneret of the province, and could easily have led to battle for our lord the king a thousand men. In his old days, if by chance his bailiff, a diligent man at hanging, brought before him a poor peasant suspected of some offence, he would say, smiling--"Let this one go, Brediff, he will count against those I inconsiderately slaughtered across the seas"; oftentimes, however, he would let them bravely hang on a chestnut tree or swing on his gallows, but this was solely that justice might be done, and that the custom should not lapse in his domain. Thus the people on his lands were good and orderly, like fresh veiled nuns, and peaceful since he protected them from the robbers and vagabonds whom he never spared, knowing by experience how much mischief is caused by these cursed beasts of prey. For the rest, most devout, finishing everything quickly, his prayers as well as good wine, he managed the processes after the Turkish fashion, having a thousand little jokes ready for the losers, and dining with them to console them. He had all the people who had been hanged buried in consecrated ground like godly ones, some people thinking they had been sufficiently punished by having their breath stopped. He only persecuted the Jews now and then, and when they were glutted with usury and wealth. He let them gather their spoil as the bees do honey, saying that they were the best of tax-gatherers. And never did he despoil them save for the profit and use of the churchmen, the king, the province, or himself.

同类推荐
  • 豫章漫抄

    豫章漫抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 朱柏庐诗文选

    朱柏庐诗文选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 电白集

    电白集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 千字文

    千字文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 名臣碑传琬琰集

    名臣碑传琬琰集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 凝聚人脉(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    凝聚人脉(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    心态决定一切!智慧创造一切!这是一个人人追求成功的时代,心智的力量具有创造成功态势的无穷魔力!即具有成功暗示的随着灵感牵引的成功力。
  • 霍格沃兹的留学生

    霍格沃兹的留学生

    各位同学,大家好,我的名字是罗岚·斯卡曼德,在伊法魔尼魔法学校念完了一年级。由于父母工作的原因,我来到了这里生活,我的梦想是开一所魔法生物主题公园,可以让巫师们更好的了解哪些可爱的动物。从今天开始,我就要加入霍格沃兹这个大家庭了,希望和大家能够成为朋友。ps:新书求收(雷鸟与拉文克劳的巫师们集合啦!)
  • 重生之名门嫡女

    重生之名门嫡女

    前世,她少不更事,堂堂将军府嫡女,皇上宠爱的郡主,受姨娘蛊惑,被庶妹欺骗,遭渣男蒙蔽,以高贵之躯,下嫁王府庶子为妻!成亲五年,她一心助他登上高位,他却在坐稳王位后,反目相向,害她母亡子丧!刑台之上,她亲眼目睹外公一家被灭门斩首,她发誓,若有来生,必将今生之痛,千万倍奉还,定让他上官裕生不如死,永世不得超生!苍天有眼,她重生回到十年前!且看她如何守护自己的家人,如何拯救外公一家,如何惩治报复前世负她之人!姨娘恶毒?看她以毒攻毒!庶妹阴狠?诛人诛心,看她如何让她由宝变废!渣男无耻?哼,重生就是为了找你报仇,不怕你卑鄙阴毒,就怕你火候不够,不将你挫骨扬灰怎对得起前世凌迟之痛!今生她本想守护亲人,安稳度日,熟知,却惹来桃花朵朵开!前世以铁血冷情著称的男人对她温柔似水?前世对她不屑一顾的太子许以正妃之位?正所谓一如宫门深似海,她发誓此生不入宫门,不嫁皇亲国戚!偏偏她选中的男人看似非皇室中人,实则与皇室关系匪浅,她是悔之晚矣!唉!她期待的清静日子——难啊……【我是风轻晨,我为自己代言!】你只看到我表面风光无限,却没有看到我内心的百孔千疮。你有你的追求,我有我的仇恨。你嘲笑我愚笨无知,不配得到渣男的真爱,我可怜你机关算尽,最后生不如死。我会证明渣男贱女的组合并非无敌,此生你们注定是一场悲剧。重生的路上总是阴谋算计陷阱重重,且看我如何活出自己的精彩人生,我是风轻晨,我为自己代言!推荐好友文文:【重生之相府嫡女】《V文火热连载中》【皇家嫔妾不如商府嫡妻】《V文火热连载中》
  • 法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读

    法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读

    法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读法律解码:101个焦点民事行为的法律关键点解读
  • 绝宠废柴狂妃

    绝宠废柴狂妃

    她是高高在上的血族,却为了他化身成人,海誓山盟,非君不嫁。新婚之夜,身份曝光,被逼跳崖。她,是碧月大陆君家有名的痴傻丑女,却被陷害致死。当她成为她之后,会有什么不一样?在卑微庶女背后,隐藏着怎样的惊世大身份?在丑陋样貌的背后,又隐藏着怎样的惊世美颜?她步步为营,从声名狼藉到名倾天下!她坚持不懈,从丑女废柴到颜倾天下!在某位邪王看到她的第一眼,便指着她说:“我要她!”从此,他不再放手,他的海誓山盟她不敢接受,直到邪王将自己破碎的心摆在她的面前……君若素痛彻心扉,原来在自己的生命里,他早就已经融入了自己的血液之中,无处不在,无孔不入。
  • 和我合租的女人

    和我合租的女人

    朴美丽,这个和孙正平若即若离、忽远忽近的神秘女人,身后究竟隐藏着什么秘密?迷茫、忧郁、无助的孙正平能否冲破自己的桎梏,找到属于自己的世界?
  • 侯门恶女

    侯门恶女

    落水?失忆?林璃表示这都是小事,本姑娘经受得住,但是落水失忆之前跟当朝探花郎示爱被拒?!开什么玩笑?!
  • 甜宠星婚,早安,戏精先生

    甜宠星婚,早安,戏精先生

    “我们的协议是隐婚一年之后离婚,你为什么还要缠着我?”清澈的眼眸看着眼前近乎完美的男人。粉丝面前,他是温柔暖男形象的超级明星,但人后他却是高冷腹黑的“戏精”。“丫头,你签协议的时候没有看字吗?协议满期后没有书面解约,本协议将自动延续至无期!”男人嘴角微微上扬,眼眸中满是狡黠之意。“当初签的时候,没有这一条!你是什么时候加上去的?”“现在!”大手一推,男人直接将她按在了墙上……
  • 彩樱森林

    彩樱森林

    在广阔的宇宙中,有一个云团。如果你走近一些会看见裹面有一颗很美丽的星球,尽管创世神把它的美丽藏在层层云海中,也包裹不住其绝色的锋芒。
  • 乱世绝唱:杜月笙与孟小冬

    乱世绝唱:杜月笙与孟小冬

    杜月笙与梨园冬皇孟小冬之间的婚恋故事,更是一部爱情传奇大戏。在孟小冬的身上,杜月笙看到了一个女人的真正魅力,更折服于小冬的艺术天赋和艺术才华;在杜月笙的身上,孟小冬看到了她所扮演的一切舞台形象所具有的戏剧元素,感受到了上海“皇帝”、三百年来帮会第一人的独特魅力。或许,杜月笙与孟小冬的婚恋,没有才子佳人般的缠绵,没有风花雪月般的浪漫。但是,人世间所有爱情故事里能真正打动人的东西,他们的爱情故事里一样不缺,值得你我好好咀嚼品味。