Читать книгу The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe - Various - Страница 77

Once on a time three Pilgrims true,

Being Father and Mother and Son,

For pure devotion to the Saint,

A pilgrimage begun.

Their names, little friends, I am sorry to say,

In none of my books can I find;

But the son, if you please, we'll call Pierre,

What the parents were called, never mind.

From France they came, in which fair land

They were people of good renown;

And they took up their lodging one night on the way

In La Calzada town.

Now, if poor Pilgrims they had been,

And had lodged in the Hospice instead of the Inn,

My good little women and men,

Why then you never would have heard,

This tale of the Cock and the Hen.

For the Innkeepers they had a daughter,

Sad to say, who was just such another

As Potiphar's daughter, I think, would have been

If she followed the ways of her mother.

This wicked woman to our Pierre

Behaved like Potiphar's wife;

And because she failed to win his love,

She resolved to take his life.

So she packed up a silver cup

In his wallet privily;

And then, as soon as they were gone,

She raised a hue and cry.

The Pilgrims were overtaken,

The people gathered round,

Their wallets were searched, and in Pierre's

The silver cup was found.

They dragged him before the Alcayde;

A hasty Judge was he,

"The theft," he said, "was plain and proved,

And hang'd the thief must be."

So to the gallows our poor Pierre

Was hurried instantly.

If I should now relate

The piteous lamentation,

Which for their son these parents made,

My little friends, I am afraid

You'd weep at the relation.

But Pierre in Santiago still

His constant faith profess'd;

When to the gallows he was led,

"'Twas a short way to Heaven," he said,

"Though not the pleasantest."

And from their pilgrimage he charged

His parents not to cease,

Saying that unless they promised this,

He could not be hanged in peace.

They promised it with heavy hearts;

Pierre then, therewith content,

Was hang'd: and they upon their way

To Compostella went.