TEGETHOFF: DER BOTE, LA MANEKINE

Der Bote in La Manekine
Verdeutschung von Ernst Tegethoff

Darauf versiegelte er den Brief und übergab ihn einem Boten. Dieser machte sich auf den Weg und gelangte am zweiten Tage nach Evoluic, wo die Mutter des Königs sich aufhielt. Der Bote trat in ihr Haus, denn er wußte nichts von dem Hasse, den sie gegen die junge Königin trug. Die Alte begrüßte den Boten und fragte ihn, wohin er gehe. Als sie den Zweck seiner Reise erfahren hatte, ließ sie ihm einen starken Wein reichen, und er trank so lange, bis er seiner Sinne nicht mehr mächtig war. Da lachte die böse Alte, und während der Trunkene schlief, durchsuchte sie seine Taschen, bis sie die Kapsel mit dem Briefe fand, dann rief sie ihren Schreiber und ließ sich den Brief vorlesen. Der Inhalt mißfiel ihr und sie ließ einen anderen anfertigen, in welchem zu lesen war, daß der Seneschall seinem Herrn Gruß entbiete und daß er ihm voll Zorn und Schmerz unfrohe Nachricht zu wissen tue: [···]  Darauf versiegelte sie den Brief wieder, legte ihn in die Kapsel und trug diese wieder dahin, wo sie sie gefunden hatte. Als der Bote ausgeschlafen hatte, machte er sich wieder auf den Weg, und die böse Alte befahl ihm, auf dem Rückwege wieder bei ihr vorzusprechen.

Der Bote gelangte nach Frankreich, suchte seinen Herrn auf und übergab ihm den Brief. Der König brach das Siegel auf und fast schwanden ihm die Sinne, als er den Inhalt des Schreibens las. Damit die Leute seine Verwirrung nicht bemerken sollten, zog er sich in sein Gemach zurück und las den Brief immer wieder von neuem. Er raufte seine Haare, zerriß sein Gewand, und Tränen entströmten seinen Augen. Als er sich ein wenig beruhigt und mit seinen Begleitern Rats gepflogen hatte, nahm er Pergament und Tinte und schrieb: »Der König von Schottland gebietet den dreien, denen er seine Geliebte in Hut gab, daß diese in ihrem Wochenbette gut gepflegt werde. Wenn ihnen ihr Leben lieb ist, sollen sie seine teure Gattin und das, was sie geboren hat, so wert halten wie ihren eignen Leib. Zu Fasten wird der König zurückkehren und dann seinen weiteren Willen kundtun.« Darauf versiegelte er den Brief und übergab ihn dem Boten, welcher sogleich den Rückweg antrat.

Als die böse Alte ihn kommen sah, war sie sehr froh; sie erwiderte freundlich seinen Gruß und fragte ihn nach dem Wohlergehen des Königs. Darauf ließ sie ihm wieder starken Wein auftragen, und er trank so lange, bis er vor Trunkenheit in Schlaf verfiel. Als die dunkle Nacht gekommen war, schlich sich die Alte in die Kammer des Boten, nahm ihm den Brief und ließ ihn sich von ihrem Schreiber vorlesen. Als sie hörte, daß der König seine Heimkehr zu Fasten in Aussicht stellte [···] da wurde sie mißmutig und ließ sogleich ein anderes Schreiben aufsetzen. Der Schreiber mußte antworten, daß der König seinem Seneschall gebiete, er solle unverzüglich die Königin zum Feuertode führen, sobald sie ihr Wochenbett verlassen habe, und mit ihr das, was sie geboren habe. Denn er habe wenig erfreuliche Neuigkeiten über die Manekine erfahren, wohl wisse er, warum sie nur eine Hand habe und nicht umsonst sei sie so verstümmelt. »Verbrennt sie ohne Zaudern, wenn Euch Euer Leben lieb ist!« so schloß das Schreiben. Als es vollendet war, legte der Schreiber das Wachs wieder auf, ohne daß das Siegel verletzt wurde und verschloß den Brief in die Kapsel des schlafenden Boten.

Nach dreimonatlicher Abwesenheit kehrte der Bote nach Dondieu zurück und überreichte dem Seneschall das Schreiben. Die drei Beschützer erkannten das Siegel des Königs und erbrachen den Brief, als sie ihn aber gelesen hatten, da verwunderten sie sich sehr und weinten und seufzten. Dann berieten sich die drei Getreuen untereinander und sprachen: »Den Willen unseres Herrn müssen wir erfüllen, wenn wir auch Kummer und Mitleid im Herzen tragen.« 
[···]
 Als der König heimkehrte, erfuhr er den Betrug [···]
(Nothing is said about the messenger's confession!)

DRUNKEN MESSENGER: LA MANEKINE

POP THAT FRIGGING MOËT!

At laaaaast I have got the account of the drunken messenger in La Manekine!!!

Get the cannons and fire all of them!!!

For this is Philippe de Beaumanoir talking intoxication and dramatic irony, mesdames et messieurs!

Summary: "He travels for two days, until he [···] stays with the Male Dame overnight. [···] she makes him drunk and reads his message [···] The unsuspecting messenger promises to return that way.
One day and night bring him to the queen mother, who again inebriates him [···] The messenger sets out the next day and goes on without stopping [···] His absence has lasted for three weeks.
The whole matter of the substituted messages comes out, with the messenger's narrative clearly implicating the queen mother."


To the messenger she does not at all show
the great treachery or the jealousy
that she had within her heart.
(It never emerged, for any consideration,
until she will pay for it,
as she will well know.)
To fool and deceive him,
she had him given good wine to drink.
The wretch did not take notice;
he drank so much of it and so willingly
that he quite took leave of his good sense (de son sens se délivra)
because of the strong wine that made him drunk.
When the wicked lady saw this,
she laughs for the evil she is thinking.
She talks to him and flatters him so much
that she made him lie down
right inside her closet that night.
He was longing to sleep.
Because of the wine, which had gone to his head,
he had his brain all muddled;
and so he went to sleep. But that woman is awake,
who is preparing to do evil.
She has come right up to his bed
and feels through his garments
until she has found the case
in which the letter was placed.
She is very glad when she has it.
With it she quickly goes away
and has called a clerk of hers
from whom she has not at all concealed
the evil deed that she wants to do.
"Come forward! You must do,"
she says, "what I shall tell you."
"Lady, speak and I shall act."
"Now detach this seal for me
so neatly and so well
that I may have the letter out of it
and that I can put another one there."
"Lady, willingly."
Then he sought for what he needed.
With a very thin-bladed pen-knife
he detaches it and takes out the letter.
He has it read out before his lady.
[···]
at the seal in the case;
when he sees it, that pleased him greatly.
He well realized that he was drunk;
but he has got over it quickly;
he thinks that they made him lie down there
to rest at his ease;
it is for love of those whom he served,
he believes, that such hospitality was given him.
But it is otherwise than he thinks.
He gets himself ready without delay.
The wicked lady was already up
and sent for the messenger;
he came to her without dallying.
She entreats him to return
her way; let nothing hinder him.
He told her that since she wishes it,
he does not mind doing so.
Willingly will he return that way;
no obstacle will hold him.
When he has pledged this to her,
he swiftly took leave;
she gives him leave, and he goes off.

He suspected no treachery;
[···]
She was very happy when she sees
the messenger who is coming from France.
And the messenger advances
until he greets her and she, him.
Then she said: "Now, let there be no lying!
Were you in France?" "Yes, Lady."
"Did you see my son? How does he do?"
"Very well, Lady. And he is so valiant
that he is winning all the tourneys."
"And at the news that he heard,
tell me if he rejoiced."
"Indeed, Lady, I well remember
that he went to read it in his chamber,
he and only two others.
They were there a rather long time.
I don't know what he saw there and what he did,
except that in turn I made up a letter
that I am carrying back to the seneschal.
And I am taking him word that great harm
will come to him if he does not do
what he will see set out in the letter."

When the lady hears this,
she dares not inquire of him further
lest he take notice;
for she desires to deceive him.
And so she wanted to let it go at that,
and thinks about putting him at ease.
Strong wines were not denied him,
and he made such a disposition of them
that he fell into a drunken state.
Thus he failed two times,
for he was never able to keep from it;
and afterward many a day he thought himself a fool.
Many evils are done through drunkenness;
therefore, the one who indulges in it is a great fool;
many have been killed through it,
and many a great deed hindered.
So it was with this man
who foolishly plunged into it.
The glutton drank so much that he became drunk;
not until the next day did he emerge
from drunkenness. This gladdened her,
the wicked, arrogant lady.
As she had done a short time before,
in her chamber, at her back,
she made him lie down that night.
There the messenger satisfied
his desire to sleep,
he who, on that score, was not wise.

When the dark night had come,
the king's mother did not hold back;
she has stolen his letter
and taken it into her chamber,
so that no one ever knew of it except the clerk
by whom was opened the seal
of the letter that the messenger carried.
The wicked lady exhorted him
and told him not to resist
her will, but to detach quickly
the seal that her son is sending.
The wicked clerk, who was in the way of evil,
just as his lady was,
said "Gladly," without urging.
He detaches the seal with the little pen-knife;
he draws out the letter that is inside,
then he has spread it flat
and read it out before his lady.

The king calls his seneschal,
not concealing his distress,
and has said to him without delay:
"The messenger who came from France,
have him come to me immediately.
I want to have words with him."
"Sire," he says, "very willingly."
He has sent for him by two squires.
They soon went and soon returned,
and brought the messenger
promply before the king,
trembling with fear;
he well believes that he has done wrong,
and his heart is constricted with fear.
The king sees him, and asks him,
when he had left the seneschal
to go straight to France,
by what route he had gone.
"And let there be no concealing from me
the lodging where you were received,
both coming and going.
With that, I wish to acquit you.
If you tell the truth, you will have nothing to fear;
if you die, you will soon know
what death dies a man who is hanged;
you will be defended by nothing else."

The messenger understood the king,
and has answered like a sensible man:
"Sire," he says, "I shall tell you
the whole truth, whatever I may get for it.
Outward bound, I slept at the home of your mother,
who was very hospitable towards me.
Through cunning, as I guess,
she had me drink of her strong wine,
until it went to my head.
Thus folly took hold of me,
and did with me as she pleased.
She made me lie in her closet
that night, until the next day,
when I arose quite early.
When I saw myself in that chamber,
my limbs trembled with fright.
I feared treachery so much
that I put my hand into my case.
I saw the seneschal's seal;
thus, I could not think of any evil.
As soon as I was ready to leave,
I saw her coming before me.
She prayed much for me not to leave her,
that I should return to her place,
and thus I promised her.
I went to you; I returned passing by her place,
and, the next day, I took myself for a fool.
I drank so much that night that I got drunk;
until the next day, I had not emerged from drunkenness.
And I lay in her closet,
where I had lain the other time,
as one who does not doubt of any evil
nor does think of any evil.
Since your seal was intact,
I did not notice at all
that they could have exchanged the letter.
But, since you did not write
the words that the seneschal read,
I do believe that the disloyal one,
your mother, had them changed;
but I couldn't do anything about it.
I pray that you don't make her die suffering.
I have told you everything I had to tell.
Do with me as you please."

[···]
how the foolish messenger went off,
the one who did not acquit himself wisely, (qui n'esploita pas comme sage)
how he went, how he returned,
and how afterwards he thought himself a fool
when the treachery was known
that the wicked lady had brought about
through the exchanged letter
[···]