Flemish Legends

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de Coster Charles. Flemish Legends

The Brotherhood of the Cheerful Countenance

I. Of the sorrowful voice which Pieter Gans heard in his garden, and of the flame running over the grass

II. How Jan Blaeskaek gave good counsel to Pieter Gans, and wherein covetousness is sadly punished

III. Of the songs, voices, mewlings, and sounds of kisses which Pieter Gans and Blaeskaek heard in the garden, and of the brave mien wherewith Master Merry-face sat on the cask of stone

IV. Wherein the two worthy men set out for Brussels, capital city of Brabant, and of the manners and condition of Josse Cartuyvels the Apothecary

V. Of the long conversation and great perplexity of Pieter Gans and Blaeskaek in the matter of the deviling; and how they returned to Uccle with a resolution taken

VI. Wherein it is seen that the devil is not a good one; and of the evil trick which he played on the good wives of the drinkers

VII. Of the Great Parliament of the Women of Uccle

VIII. Of the great wit which every woman has, and of the modest conversation which the maid Wantje held with the worthies at the inn

IX. Wherein it is seen that the learned Thomas a Klapperibus knew what makes a drinker fidget on his stool

X. Of the brigand called Irontooth

XI. In which it is seen how bravely the good wives of Uccle did the duty of men

XII. Wherein Pieter Gans is nearer the stake than the wine-barrel

XIII. Of the great wonder and astonishment of My Lord the Duke when he heard of the valour of the women of Uccle

XIV. In what manner was instituted the Order of the Women-Archers of Uccle and of the fine reward which My Lord gave to the brave maid Wantje

The Three Sisters

I. Of the three noble ladies and their great beauty

II. How a prince of Araby was taken with love for the youngest sister, and what came of it

III. Wherein it is seen how Satan persecutes those ladies who seek to escape from the world

IV. Of the voice of the divine bridegroom, and of the horseman in silvern armour

V. How, by the command of God, the three ladies rode to adventure

VI. Of the diamond hammers, and foundations torn up from the ground

VII. Of the youngest sister and the beautiful angel

VIII. How the three ladies saw a green island, with sweet flowers and birds thereon

IX. Of the church of Our Lord at Haeckendover, and of the strange mason who worked there

X. Of the two bishops, and the withered hands

Sir Halewyn

I. Of the two castles

II. Of Dirk, called the Crow

III. Of Sir Halewyn and how he carried himself in his youth

IV. How Sir Halewyn wished to take himself a wife, and what the ladies and gentlewomen said to it

V. How it came about that Sir Halewyn, after a certain tournament, called upon the devil for aid

VI. Of the rovings and wanderings of Sir Halewyn

VII. Of the Prince of the Stones and of the song

VIII. What Halewyn did to the little girl cutting faggots

IX. Of the heart of a maid and of the great strength which came to Sir Halewyn

X. How the Miserable robbed a Lombard goldsmith, and of the pleasant speech of the ladies and gentlewomen

XI. Of the arrogant arms of Sir Halewyn

XII. How Sir Halewyn jousted with a knight of England

XIII. Of the heart dried up and of the dame Halewyn

XIV. Of the great weakness of Sir Halewyn and of the days and nights which he spent in the forest

XV. How the Miserable, having hanged fifteen virgins in the Gallows-field, held wicked revels and cruel orgies

XVI. How the burgesses of the good town of Ghent gave protection to the virgins of the domain of Halewyn

XVII. Of what Sir Halewyn did on the borders of his domain

XVIII. Of the damosels Magtelt and Anne-Mie, and of Schimmel the dapple-gray

XIX. How Magtelt sang to Sir Roel the lied of the Lion, and the song of the Four Witches

XX. Of the sixteenth virgin hanged

XXI. How Magtelt sought Anne-Mie

XXII. How Magtelt wept bitterly, and of the fine dress which she had

XXIII. Of Toon the Silent

XXIV. How the damosel Magtelt made a good resolution

XXV. Of the sword of the Lion

XXVI. Of the noble apparel of the maid Magtelt

XXVII. How Sir Roel and the lady Gonde questioned Toon the Silent, and of what he answered

XXVIII. The riding of the maid Magtelt

XXIX. Of the crow and the sparrow, of the hound, the horse and the seven echoes

XXX. How Magtelt came to the Gallows-field

XXXI. Of the sixteen deaths and of the Prince of the Stones

XXXII. How father, mother, and sister sought everywhere their son and brother, and could not find him

XXXIII. Of the feast in the castle of Heurne, and of the head upon the table

Smetse Smee

I. Of Smetse, his belly, and his forge

II. How Slimbroek the Red put out the fire in Smetse’s forge

III. Wherein Slimbroek is seen in the river prettily tricked out

IV. Of the two branches

V. Of the flaming ball, of the forge relit, and of the terrible great buffet which the man with the lantern gave to Smetse’s wife

VI. Wherein the wife of Smetse shows the great length of her tongue

VII. Of Smetse the Rich

VIII. How there came a ragged, wayfarer to Smetse’s door, and with him, on an ass, a sweet wife and a little child

IX. What Smetse did in order to keep his secret

X. Of the Bloody Councillor

XI. Wherein the workmen hold fair speech with Smetse

XII. How that Smetse would not give his secret into his wife’s tongue’s keeping

XIII. Of the Bloody Duke

XIV. Of the great fears and pains of Smetse’s wife

XV. Of the Bloody King

XVI. Wherein Smetse beholds on the River Lys a most marvellous sight

XVII. Of Hell, of Purgatory, of the long ladder, and finally of Paradise

XVIII. Wherein it is seen why Smetse was whipped

XIX. Of the fair judgment of My Lord Jesus

Отрывок из книги

In the days when the Good Duke ruled over Brabant, there was to be found at Uccle, with its headquarters in the tavern of The Horn, a certain Brotherhood of the Cheerful Countenance, aptly enough so named, for every one of the Brothers had a wonderfully jolly face, finished off, as a sign of good living, with two chins at the least. That was the young ones; but the older ones had more.

You shall hear, first of all, how this Brotherhood was founded:

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Therefore they sent for the most skilful workers in stone, and master-builders also, in so great number that at the end of one day the foundations were two hands’ breadth high in the lowest part.

And seeing this good beginning the ladies rejoiced greatly, and supposed their work agreeable to God.

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