Reading the Roman de la rose in Text and Image

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Excerpt 3: The Defamation of Lady Reason

a)¹ Lady Reason:
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Joutice qui iadis regnot Au tens que Saturnus regne ot Cui Jupiter coupa les coilles, 4 Ses filz com² se fussent andoilles, Moult ot ci douz filz³ et amer Puis les gita dedanz la mer Dont Venus la deesse issi 8 Car li livres le dit issi, S’ele iert en terre revenue Et rust autresit bien tenue Auiordui com el estoit lores, 12 Si seroit il mestiers onquores Au genz antr’els qu’ils entramassent. Conbien que Joutice gardassent; car puis qu’Amor s’en vodroit fuire, 16 Joutice en feroit trop destruire. Mes se les genz bien s’entramoient, james ne s’entreforferoient; et puis que Forfez s’en iroit, 20 Joutice, de quoi serviroit ? - Dame, je ne sai pas de quoi. - Bien t’en croi, car pesible et quoi, tretuit cil du monde vivroient. 24 James roi ne prince n’avroient,	Justice, who reigned formerly at the time when Saturn held power, whose balls Jupiter, his hard and bitter son, cut off as if they were sausages and threw them into the sea, thus giving birth to Venus, for the book tells it - if Justice were to return to earth and were as well esteemed today as she was then, there would still be the necessity for people to love one another, regardless of how Justice was maintained because, from the moment that Love might wish to flee, Justice would cause great destruction. But if men loved, they would never harm each other; and since Infamy would leave, what end would Justice serve?' 'I don’t know, lady.' 'I well believe you, for everyone in the world would then live peacefully and tranquilly, and they would never have a king or prince;
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ne seroit bailliz ne prevoz; donc vivroit li peuples devoz,⁴ james juges n’orroit⁵ clamor. 28 Donc di ge que mieuz vaut Amor simplement que ne fet Joutice, tout aille ele contre Malice, qui fu mere des seigneuries, 32 dom les franchises sunt peries; car se ne fust maus et pechiez, dom li mondes est entechiez, l’en n’eüst onques roi veü 36 ne juige en terre conneü. Si s’i⁶ preuvent il malement, qu’il deüssent premierement els meïsme justifier, 40 puis qu’an se veust en els fier, et leaus estre et diligenz, non pas lasches et negligenz ne couvoiteus, faus ne faintiz, 44 por fere droiture aus plaintiz. Mes or vendent les juigemanz et bestornent les erremanz et taillent et content et raient, 48 et les povres genz trestout paient : tuit s’efforcent de l’autrui prendre. Tels juiges fet le larron pendre, qui mieuz deüst estre penduz, 52 se jugemant li fust renduz des rapines et des torfez qu’il a par son poair forfez.	there would be neither bailiff nor provost as long as people lived honestly. Judges would never hear any pleas. So, I say that Love by itself is worth more than Justice, even though the latter works against Malice, the mother of seigniory, by which freedom has perished; for if there had been no evil or sin to stain the world, man would never have seen a king nor known a judge on earth. Judges judge wickedly where they ought first to make themselves just, since men want to trust them. In order to do right by the plaintiffs, they should observe the law, be diligent, not lazy and negligent, nor covetous, false, and feigning. But now they sell their decisions, and turn the elements of the legal process upside down; they tally, they count, they erase, and poor men all pay. Each strives to take from the other. Such a judge makes a robber hang when he himself ought to be hanged instead, if a judgment were rendered against him for the rapines and the wrongs that he has committed through his power.

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Ne fist bien Appius a pendre,⁷ 56 qui fist a son serjant enprendre par fauz tesmoignz fausse querele contre Virgine la pucele, qui fu fille Virginius, 60 si con dit Tytus Livius, qui bien set⁸ le cas raconter, por ce qu’il ne poait donter la pucele, qui n’a voit cure 64 ne de lui ne de sa luxure ? Li ribauz dit en audience : 'Sire juige, donez sentence por moi, car la pucele est moie. 68 Por ma serve la proveroie contre touz cels qui sunt en vie; car, ou qu’el ait esté norrie, de mon ostel me fu emblee 72 des lors, par foi, qu’ele fu nee, et bailliee a Virginius. Si vos requier, sire Appius, que vos me delivrez ma serve, 76 car il est droiz qu’ele me serve, non pas celui qui l’a norrie; et se Virginius le nie, tout ce sui je prez de prover, 80 car bons tesmoigns en puis trover.' Ainsinc parloit li maus traistres, qui du faus juige estoit menistres; et con li plez ainsint alast, 84 ainz que Virginius palast,	Wouldn’t Appius have done well to hang? According to Titus Livius, who knows well how to recount the case, Appius had his sergeant institute a fake case with false witnesses against the maiden Virginia, daughter of Virginius. Because Appius couldn’t intimidate the girl, who cared for neither him nor his lechery, this good-for-nothing declared to the audience: 'Sir Judge, pronounce sentence in my favour, for the girl is mine. I will prove against anyone living that she is my slave, for, wherever she may have been raised, she was stolen from my household shortly after her birth and given to Virginius. I demand, Sir Appius, that you deliver my slave to me, for it is just that she serve me, not the one who has raised her. If Virginius contests this, I am ready to prove all that I have said, for I can find good witnesses to it.' Thus spoke the evil traitor, servant of the false judge. Virginius was quite ready to reply and confuse his adversaries,
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qui touz estoit prez de respondre por ses aversaires confondre, juja par hastive sentance 88 Appius, que sanz atendance fust la pucele au serf rendue. Et quant la chose a entendue li beau preudon devant nomez, 92 bons chevaliers bien renomez, c’est a savoir Virginius, qui bien voit que vers Appius ne peut pas sa fille deffendre, 96 ainz li convient par force rendre et son cors livrer a hontage, si change honte por domage par merveilleuz apensement, 100 se Tytus Livius ne ment, car il par amor sans haine a sa bele fille Virgine tantost a la teste coupee 104 et puis au juige presentee devant touz en plein consitoire; et li juiges, selonc l’estoire, le conmenda tantost a prendre 108 por lui mener occierre ou pendre. Mes ne l’ocist ne ne pendi, car li peuples le deffendi, qui⁹ fu touz de pitié meüz 112 si tost con li fez fu seüz. Puis fu por ceste mesprison Appius mis an la prison,	but, as the case went, Appius spoke before he did and made the hasty judgment that the girl was to be returned to the servant without delay. When the fine, worthy man, the good and widely renowned knight named before, that is, Virginius, saw well that he couldn’t defend his daughter against Appius and that he had to give her up and deliver her body to infamy, he exchanged shame for injury, in a marvellous process of reasoning, if Livy doesn’t lie. For, through love and without hatred, he immediately cut off the head of his beautiful daughter Virginia and then presented it to the judge before all, in open court. The judge, according to the story, commanded that he be seized immediately and led out to be killed or hanged. But he was neither killed nor hanged, for the citizens, all moved by pity, defended him as soon as this action was known. Then, for this injustice, they put Appius in prison, where he quickly killed himself before the day of his trial.
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112 et s’ocist la hastivement ainz le jor de son jugement; et Claudius, li chalangierres, juigiez iert a mort¹⁰ conme lierres, 116 se ne l’en eüst respitié Virginius par sa pitié, qui tant vost le peuple proier qu’en essil le fist envoier; 120 et tuit cil condampné morurent qui tesmoign de sa cause furent. Briefmant, juges font trop d’outrages. Lucans redit, qui fu mout¹¹ sages, 124 c’onques vertuz et grant poair ne pot nus ensemble voair. Mes¹² sachent que, s'il ne s'amendent et ce qu'il ont mal pris ne rendent, 128 li puissans juges pardurables en enfer avec les deables leur en metra es¹³ cols le laz ; ne¹⁴ n’en mest hors rois ne prelaz 132 ne juge de quelconques guise, soit seculier ou soit d'iglise : n’ont pas les honors por ce fere, sanz loier doivent a chief trere 136 les quereles que l'en leur porte, et aus plaintiz ovrir la porte et oïr en propres persones les quereles, fausses et bones; 140 n’ont pas les honors por noiant, ne s'en aillent ja gogoiant,	And Claudius, who initiated the case against Virginia, would have been condemned to death as a thief if Virginius, through his pity, had not saved him. He begged the citizens to have him sent into exile. All those who were witnesses to Claudius’s case were condemned to death. In short, judges commit many contemptuous acts. Lucan, a very wise man, said as well that virtue and great power can never be seen together. But know that, even though these judges do not mend their ways and give back what they have wrongly taken, the powerful immortal Judge will put them in hell with the devils, with a rope around their necks. Neither kings or prelates, nor judges of any guise be they secular or of the church will be excluded. They do not have their honour to do the opposite. Without recompense they should bring to a conclusion the cases that are brought before them. They should open the door to plaintiffs, and hear the arguments themselves, false ones and good ones. They don’t have their honours for nothing, and not to go around giving themselves airs.
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qu’il sunt tuit serf au menu pueple, qui le païs acroist et pueple, 144 et li font seremanz et jurent de fere droit tant con il durent; par els doivent cil en pes vivre, et cil les maufeteurs parsivre¹⁵ 148 et de leur mains les larrons pendre, s’il n’estoit qui vosist enprendre por leur persones cel¹⁶ office, puis qu’il doivent fere justice. 152 La doivent metre leur ententes, por ce leur bailla l’en les rentes, ainsinc au pueple le promistrent cil qui primes les honors pristrent. 156 Or t’ai, se bien l’as entendu, ce que tu m’as requis, rendu, et les resons as tu veües qui me semblent a ce meües. 160 - Dame, certes,¹⁷ bien m’en paiez, et je m’en tien bien a paiez conme cil qui vos en merci. Mes oï vos¹⁸ ai nomer ci, 164 si con moi semble, une parole si esbaulevree et si fole que, qui vodroit, ce croi, muser a vos enprendre a escuser, 168 l’en n’i porroit trover deffenses. - Bien voi, dist¹⁹ ele, a quoi tu penses. Une autre foiz, quant tu vorras, excusacion en orras,	They all are the servants of the lower classes, who enrich and populate the land, and they should give oath and swear to do right as long as they live; the people should live in peace through them, and, since their duty is to do justice, the judges should pursue malefactors and arrest robbers with their own hands, if there were no one who wished to undertake such a task personally. It is in this direction that they should turn their attention. It is for this that men gave them salaries, and it was this that they promised the people when they first took on these dignities. Now, if you have understood well, I have answered what you have asked, and you have seen the reasons which seem to me appropriate to this judgment.’ ‘Lady, I consider myself well paid and recompensed; I thank you. However, I heard you utter at one point, it seems to me, some words so shameless and foolish that, I believe, if anyone thought of undertaking to excuse you, he wouldn’t be able to find any arguments.’ ‘I see well,’ she said, ‘what you are thinking about. At another time, whenever you wish, you will hear an explanation,
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172 s’i te plest a ramentevoir. - Donc le²⁰ ramentevré je voir, dis je con remanbranz et vistes, par tel mot con vos le deistes. 176 Si m’a mes mestres deffendu, car je l’ai mout bien entendu, que ja mot n’isse de ma boiche qui de²¹ ribaudie s’aproiche. 180 Mes des ⁴⁷ que je n’en sui fesierres, J’en puis bien estre recitierres; si nomeré le mot tout outre. Bien fet qui sa folie moutre 184 a celui qu’il voit foloier. De tant vos puis or chatoier, si rapercevrez vostre outraige, qui vos faigniez estre si sage. 188 - Ce²³ veill je bien, dit ele, atendre. Mes de ce me restuet deffendre que tu de haïne m’opposes. Merveille est conment dire l’oses. 192 Sez tu pas qu’il ne s’ensuit mie, se lessier veill une folie, que fere doie autele ou graindre? Ne por ce se je veill estaindre 196 la fole amor a quoi tu bees, conmant je por ce que tu hees. Ne te sovient il pas d’Orace, qui tant ot²⁴ de sen et de grace? 200 Horaces dit, qui²⁵ n’est pas nices, quant²⁶ li fol eschivent les vices,	if you will please keep it in mind.’ ‘Indeed, I will remind you,’ I said, with a lively memory, 'of the very word you used. My master has forbidden me - I heard him very clearly - ever to let leave from my mouth any word close to ribaldry. But as long as I wasn’t the one using it first, I can easily repeat it; I will name it right out without restriction. He does well who reveals folly to whom he sees commit it. Now I can chastise you for it, and you who pretend to be so wise will see as well your own infamy.' ‘I will await that,’ she said, ‘but meanwhile I must defend myself against your objection about hatred. I marvel how you dare say it. Don’t you know that it doesn’t follow at all that, if I wish to abandon one folly, I must commit a similar or greater one? Wishing to destroy the foolish love to which you aspire, do I order you to hate? Don’t you remember Horace, who had such good sense and grace? Horace, no fool, said that if fools avoid vices
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si se²⁷ tornent a leur contraires, si n’en²⁸ vaut pas mieuz leur affaires; 204 n’amor ne veill je pas deffendre que l’en n’i doie bien entendre, fors qu’a²⁹ cele qui les genz blece. Por ce se je deffent ivrece, 208 ne voil je pas deffendre a boevre, ce ne vaudroit ·i· grain de poevre. Se fole largece desvee, l’en³⁰ me tendroit bien por desvee 212 se je conmandoie avarice, car l’une et l’autre est trop grant vice. Je ne faz pas tex argumanz. - Si fetes voir. - Certes tu manz. 216 Ja ne te quier de ce flater, tu n’as pas bien por moi mater cerchié les livres anciens; tu n’iés pas bons logiciens. 220 Je ne lis pas d’amors issi, onques de ma boiche n’issi que nule rien haïr doi’en; l’en i puet bien trover moien, 224 c’est ramor que j’ain tant et prise, que je t’ai por amer aprise. Autre amor naturel i a, que Nature es bestes cria, 228 par quoi de leur feons chevissent et les aletent et norrissent. De l’amor don je tiegn ci conte, se tu veuz que je t’en³¹ raconte	and turn to their opposites, their affairs will go no better. I do not wish to forbid love which one ought to understand as good, only that which is harmful to men. If I forbid drunkenness, I do not wish to forbid drinking. That would not be worth a grain of pepper. When I forbid foolish generosity, I would be considered mad, were I to counsel avarice, for one is just as great a vice as the other. I do not make such arguments.’ ‘Yes, indeed you do.’ ‘Certainly you lie! I am not trying to flatter you: you have not, to checkmate me, examined old books; you are not a good logician. I do not explain love in that way. Never, out of my mouth has come the counsel that one ought to hate anything. One must find the right medium. It is the kind of love which I love and esteem so much that I have taught you to love. There is another love, a natural one, which Nature has created in beasts, by means of which they rear their young, suckle, and nourish them. If you want me to tell you the definition of this love of which I speak,
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232 quels est li defenissemenz, C’est natureiex enclinemenz de volair garder son semblable par entencion convenable, 236 soit par voie d’engendreüre, ou par cure de norreture. A ceste amor sunt presz et prestes ausinc li home com les bestes. 240 Ceste amor, conbien qu’el profite, n’a los, ne blame, ne merite, n’en font n’a blamer n’a loer. Nature les i fet voer, 244 force leur fet, c’est chose voire, n’el n’a seur nul vice victoire; mes sanz faille, s’il nel fesoient, blasme recevoir en devroient. 248 Ausinc con quant uns hom menjue, quel loenge l’en est deüe?³² Mes s’il forjuroit le mengier, l’en l’en devroit bien ledengier. 252 Mes bien sai que tu n’entenz pas a ceste amor, por ce m’en pas. Moult as enpris mile³³ plus fole emprise de l’amor que tu as emprise; 256 si la te venist mieuz lessier, se de ton preu veuz appressier. Ne porquant si ne veull je mie que tu demeurges sanz amie. 260 Met s’il te plest, en moi t’entente. Sui je pas bele dame et gente,	it is a natural inclination to wish to preserve one’s likeness by a suitable intention, either by engendering or by caring for nourishment. Male and female of man as well as beast are prepared for this love. However much good it does, this love carries neither praise nor blame nor merit; it is to be neither praised nor blamed; Nature makes creatures give themselves to it; in truth, they are forced to it. Nor does this love bring any victory over vice. But, without fail, if men do not perform this duty, they should be blamed. When a man eats, what praise does he deserve? But if he forswears food, he should certainly be shamed. But I know very well that you are not interested in this love, and therefore I move on. You have undertaken, in this love of yours, a much more senseless enterprise. It would be better for you to leave it, if you wish to approach that which will bring you gain. Nevertheless, I don’t want you to live without a friend. If it pleases you, turn your attention to me. Am I not a beautiful and noble lady,
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digne de servir ·i· preudome, et fust enpereres de Rome? 264 Ci³⁴ veill t’amie devenir; et se te veuz a moi tenir, sez tu que m’amor te vaudra? Tant que james ne te faudra 268 nule chose qui te coviegne por meschaance qui t’aviegne. Lors te verras si grant seigneur qu’one n’oïs parler de greigneur. 272 Je feré quan que tu vorras, ja si haut voloir ne porras, mes que sanz plus faces mes euvres, ja ne covient qu’autrement euvres. 276 Si avras an cest avantage amie de si haut lignage³⁵ qu’il n’est nule qui s’i conpere, fille Dieu, le soverain pere, 280 qui tele me fist et forma. Regarde ci quele forma a	fit to serve a worthy man, even the emperor of Rome? I want to become your friend, and if you wish to stay with me, do you know what my love will be worth to you? So much that you will never lack anything you need, no matter what misfortune comes to you. You will then be a lord so great that no one ever heard tell of a greater. I will do whatever you wish; you can never make a wish too high provided only that you carry out my work. You must never work in any other way. Furthermore, you will have a lover of such noble family that there is none to compare with her; I am the daughter of God, the sovereign father who made and shaped me so. See here His form,

Et te mire en mon cler visage.	and see yourself in my clear face.
b)³⁶ The Lover:
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Et se tu trop foible te fes a soutenir ce treble fes, je le³⁷ sui preste d’alegier 4 por porter le plus de legier.	‘If you are too weak to sustain this triple feat, I am ready to lighten it so that it may be more lightly carried.
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Pren la prumiere seulement, et se tu m’entenz seinement, tu seras des autres delivres; 8 car se tu n’iés ou fols ou ivres, savoir doiz, et bien le recorde, que quiconque a Reson s’acorde james par amors n’amera 12 ne Fortune ne prisera. Por ce fu Socratés itex qu’il fu mes amis veritex. Le dex d’Amors onc ne cremut 16 ne por Fortune ne se mut. Por ce veill que tu le resembles, que tout ton queur au mien assembles; et se tu l’as ou mien planté, 20 ce me soffist a grant planté. Or voiz con la chose s’apreste: je ne te faz c’une requeste; pren la prumiere que j’ai dite, 24 et je te claim des autres quite. Or ne tien plus ta bouche close, respon : feras tu ceste chose?	Take only the first. And if you understand me sensibly you will be relieved from the others, for if you are not foolish or drunk, you should know and mark it well, that whoever allies with Reason will never love out of love nor value Fortune. For this reason, Socrates was such that he was my true friend. He did not fear the God of Love in any way, nor did he budge on account of Fortune. Therefore, I want you to be like him and bring your whole heart together with mine. If you have planted it in mine, you have satisfied me wholly. Now you see how the matter stands: I have only one request of you; take the first of those that I have told you and I will pronounce the others paid. Now keep your mouth closed no longer. Reply: Will you do this?’

- Dame, fis ge, ne peut autre estre. 28 Il me convient servir mon mestre, qui mout plus riche me fera ·c· mile tanz, quant li plera, car la rose me doit baillier, 32 se je m’i sai bien travaillier; et se par lui la puis avoir, mestier n’avroie d’autre avoir.	‘Lady,’ I said, ‘I can be nothing other than the way I am. I must serve my master, who will make me a hundred thousand times richer when it pleases him, for he must give me the rose, if I work well to get it. And if, through him, I can possess it, I would have no need of any other possession.
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Je ne priseroie ·iii·³⁸ chiches 36 Socratés, con bien qu’il fust riches, ne plus n’en quier oïr parler. A mon mestre m’en doi raler, tenir li veill ses convenanz, 40 car il est droiz et avenanz : s’en enfer me devoit mener, n’en puis je mon queur refrener. Mon queur? Ja n’est il mes a moi. 44 Onques encore n’entamoi, ne ne bé pas a entamer, mon testament por autre amer. A Bel Acueill tout le lessai, 48 Si ne vous tieng pas a cortaise Quant vous m’avez coilles nommees, Qui ne sunt pas bien renommées En bouche a cortaise pucele. 52 Vous, qui tant estes sage et bele, Ne sai com nommer les osastes, Au mains quant le mot ne glosastes Par quelque cortaise parole 56 Si com preudefame en parole.	I wouldn’t give three chick-peas for Socrates, no matter how rich he were, and I don’t seek to hear any more talk of him. I should go back to my master: I want to keep my covenant with him because it is right and pleasing. If it must lead me to hell, I cannot hold back my heart. My heart? It is never mine. I never impaired, nor do I hope to impair my testament in order to love another. I left it all to Fair Welcoming, for I know the whole of my legacy by heart, and through my great impatience, I had confession without repentance. Therefore, I would not want to exchange the rose with you for anything. I will turn my thoughts to that subject. I do not consider you courtly when just now you named balls to me which have no reputable place in the mouth of a courtly maiden. I do not know how you, so wise and beautiful, dare name them, at least, when you did not gloss the word with some courtly utterance, as an honest woman does when speaking of them.
c)³⁹ The Lover :
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Or vaut pis, dis ie, que devant Car bien vois ore aprenant Par vostre parleüre baude 4 Que vous estes fole ribaude, Car tout ait dex les choses fetes Que ci devant m'avez retretes, Les moz au moins ne fist il mie, 8 Qu’il sont tuit plain de vilenie.	'Now this is worse,' I said, 'than before, for I see clearly now by your bawdy speech that you are foolish and ribald; even if God made the things that you have mentioned to me before, at least he did not make the words, which are completely filled with villainy.'
d)⁴⁰ The God of Love :
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Car⁴¹ tant en lira proprement Que tretuit cil qui ont a vivre Devroient apeler ce livre 4 Le miroer aus amoreus, Tant i verront de biens pour eus, Mes que reson n'i sait creüe, La chetive, la recreüe. 8 Por ce m'en veill ci conseillier, Car tuit estes mi conseillier.	For he will teach so fittingly that all future generations should call this book The Mirror for Lovers, so much good will they see there for them, provided that Reason, the wretched coward, not be believed.'Therefore, I wish to solicit your counsel, for you are all my counsellors.'

Notes

¹This passage corresponds to lines 5531 to 5544 in Armand Strubel’s edition and Vol. I, lines 5505 to 5517 in Félix Lecoy’s edition.

²Ausi com

³dur fill

⁴tant seroit li mandes devos

⁵avroient

⁶se

⁷Si fist Apius bien a pendre

⁸sot

⁹qu’il

¹⁰ert a mort jugiez

¹¹tant

¹²Et

¹³el

¹⁴je

¹⁵ensivre

¹⁶teus

¹⁷Certes, dame

¹⁸Mes or vos oÿ

¹⁹fait

²⁰la

²¹a

²²puis

²³Or

²⁴ot tant

²⁵qu’il

²⁶se

²⁷et s’il

²⁸ne

²⁹qu’ is missing

³⁰on

³¹te

³²creüe

³³mile is missing

³⁴Si

³⁵parage

³⁶This passage corresponds to lines 6924 to 6932 in Armand Strubel’s edition and Vol. I, lines 6898 to 6906 in Félix Lecoy’s edition.

³⁷le is missing

³⁸·ii·

³⁹This passage corresponds to lines 6975 to 6982 in Armand Strubel’s edition and Vol. I, lines 6949 to 6956 in Félix Lecoy’s edition.

⁴⁰This passage corresponds to lines 10652 to 10660 in Armand Strubel’s edition and Vol. II, lines 10618 to 10626 in Félix Lecoy’s edition.

⁴¹Que