: Tales and Novels of J. de La Fontaine — Volume 12 by La Fontaine Jean De - French poetry Translations into English; Fables French Translations into English

@FreeBooksTue 06 Jun, 2023

Posted in: #FreeBooks #FreeBooksIndia #FreeBooksApp #gg

Vote Up Vote Down

Edition: 10

THE TALES AND NOVELS OF J. DE LA FONTAINE

Volume 12.

Contains: The Monks of Catalonia The Cradle

THE MONKS OF CATALONIA

TO you, my friends, allow me to detail, The feats of monks in Catalonia's vale, Where oft the holy fathers pow'rs displayed, And showed such charity to wife and maid, That o'er their minds sweet fascination reigned, And made them think, they Paradise had gained.

SUCH characters oft preciously advise, And youthful easy female minds surprise, The beauteous FAIR encircle with their net, And, of the feeling heart, possession get: Work in the holy vineyard, you may guess, And, as our tale will show, with full success.

IN times of old, when learning 'mong the FAIR, Enough to read the testament, was rare, A swarm of monks of gormandizing note, Arrived and fixed themselves within a town, For young and beauteous belles of great renown, While, of gallants, there seemed but very few, Though num'rous aged husbands you might view.

A NOBLE chapel soon the fathers raised, To which the females ran and highly praised, Surveyed it o'er and confidently thought, 'Twas there, of course, salvation should be sought. And when their faith had thoroughly been proved, To gain their point the monks the veil removed.-- Good father Andrew scorned to use finesse, And in discourse the sex would thus address.

IF any thing prevent your sov'reign bliss, And Paradise incautiously you miss, Most certainly the evil will arise, From keeping for your husbands large supplies, Of what a surplus you have clearly got, And more than requisite to them allot, Without bestowing on your trusty friends, The saving that to no one blessings lends.

PERHAPS you'll tell me, marriage boons we shun; 'Tis true, and Heav'n be praised enough is done, Without those duties to require our share You know from direful sin we guard the FAIR. Ingratitude 's declared the height of crimes, And God pronounced it such in early times; For this eternally was Satan curst; Howe'er you err, be careful of the worst. Return to Heav'n your thanks for bounteous care, And then to us a tithe of surplus spare, Which costs you nothing worth a moment's thought; And marks the zeal with which our faith is taught, A claim legitimate our order opes, Bestowed, for holy offices, by popes, No charitable gift, but lawful right: Priests well supported are a glorious sight. Four times a year, exactly to a day, Each wife this tithe should personally pay Our holy saint requires that you submit: 'Tis founded on decrees of holy writ. All Nature carefully the law reveres, That gratitude and fealty endears.

'TIS right, however, that I now suggest, Whatever passes must not be expressed; But naught to husbands, parents, friends, reveal; From ev'ry one the mysterious conceal. Three words th' apostle taught: be these your care; FAITH, CHARITY, and PRUDENCE learn to share.

Free books android app tbrJar TBR JAR Read Free books online gutenberg

Login to post a comment!