Maxime, who having become a knight7 and commander of eighty lances, had largely contributed to the victory, was one of the first to enter the city, and repaired straightway to the House of the Musicians, where dwelt the beautiful Mirande, whom he had not seen since his departure for the war. He found her in her bower8, plying9 her distaff, and fell upon her with such impetuosity that the young lady lost her innocence10 without, so to speak, realizing that she had done so. And when, having recovered from her surprise, she exclaimed: “Is it you, Seigneur Maxime? What are you doing here?” and was preparing as in duty bound to resist her aggressor, he was quietly walking down the street, readjusting his armour11 and ogling12 the girls.
Possibly she would have entirely13 overlooked this offence, had it not been that some time later she found that she was about to become a mother. Captain Maxime was then fighting in Mambournia. All the town knew her shame: she confided14 it to the great St. Nicolas, who, on learning this astonishing news, lifted his eyes to heaven, and said:
“Lord, did you rescue this man from the salting-tub only as a ravening15 wolf to devour16 my sheep? Your wisdom is adorable; but your ways are dark, and your designs mysterious.”
And in that same year, on the Sunday of Mid-Lent, Sulpice threw himself at the feet of the holy Bishop17, saying:
“From my earliest youth, my keenest wish has been to consecrate18 myself to the Lord. Allow me, father, to embrace the monastic state, and to make my profession in the monastery19 of the mendicant20 friars of Trinqueballe.”
“My son,” answered the good St. Nikolas, “there is no worthier21 condition than that of the monk22. Happy is he who in the shade of the cloister23 takes shelter from the tempests of the age. But of what avail to flee the storm if the storm is within oneself? Of what avail to affect an outward show of humility24, if one’s bosom25 contains a heart full of pride? What shall you profit by donning the livery of obedience26 if your soul be in revolt? I have seen you, my son, fall into more errors than Sabellius, Alius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Manes, Pelagius, and Pachosius combined, and revive, before your twentieth year, twelve centuries of peculiar27 opinions. It is true that you have not been very obstinate28 in any of them, but your successive recantations appear to betray less submission29 to our Holy Mother the Church than eagerness to rush from one error to another, to leap from Manicheeism to Sabellianism, and from the crime of the Albigenses to the ignominies of the Vaudois.”
Sulpice listened to this discourse30 with a contrite31 heart, a simplicity32 of mind and submissiveness, that drew tears from the great St. Nicolas.
“I deplore33, repudiate34, condemn35, reprove, detest36, execrate37, and abominate38 my errors, past, present, and future,” he said. “I submit myself to the Church fully39 and entirely, totally and generally, purely40 and simply; and I have no belief but her belief, no faith but her faith, no knowledge but her knowledge: I neither see, hear, nor feel, save only through her. She might tell me that the fly which has but now settled on the nose of the Deacon Modernus was a camel, and I should incontinently, without dispute, contest, murmur41, resistance, hesitation42 or doubt, believe, declare, proclaim, and confess, under torture and unto death, that it was a camel that settled on the nose of the Deacon Modernus. For the Church is the Fountain of Truth, and I am nought43 by myself but a vile44 receptacle of Error.”
“Take care, my father,” said Modernus. “Sulpice is capable of overdoing45 submission to the Church even to the point of Heresy46. Do you not see that he submits with frenzy47, in transports and swooning? Is wallowing in submission a good way of submitting? He is annihilating48 himself; he is committing suicide.”
But the Bishop reprimanded his deacon for holding such ideas, which were contrary to charity, and sent the postulant to the noviciate of the mendicant friars of Trinqueballe.
Alas49, at the end of a year those priests, till then so quiet and humble50, were torn by frightful51 schisms52, plunged53 into a thousand errors against the Catholic truth, their days filled with disorder3, and their souls with sedition54! Sulpice inspired the brothers with this poison. He sustained against his superiors that there was no longer any true Pope, since miracles no longer accompanied the elections of the Sovereign Pontiffs; nor, rightly speaking, any Church, since Christians55 had ceased to live the life of the apostles and the first of the faithful; that there was no purgatory56; that it was not necessary to confess to a priest if one confessed to God; that men do wrong in making use of moneys of gold and silver, for they should share in common the fruits of the earth. These abominable57 maxims58, which he forcibly sustained, were combated by some, and adopted by others, causing horrible scandals. A little later Sulpice taught the doctrine59 of perfect purity, which nothing can soil, and the good brothers’ monastery became like a cage of monkeys. This pestilence60 did not remain confined within the walls of a monastery. Sulpice went preaching through the city; his eloquence61, the internal fire by which he was consumed, the simplicity of his life, and his unshakable courage touched all hearts.
On hearing the voice of the reformer, the ancient city, evangelized by St. Cromadaire, and enlightened by St. Gibbosine, fell into disorder and dissolution; every sort of extravagance and impiety62 was committed there, by day and by night. In vain did the great St. Nicolas warn his flock by exhortations64, threats, and fulminations. The evil increased unchecked, and it was sad to see the contagion65 spreading itself among the well-to-do townsfolk, the lords, and the clergy66, as much as and more than among the poor artisans and the small tradesfolk.
One day when the man of God was lamenting67 the deplorable state of the church of Vervignole in the cloister of the cathedral, his meditations68 were disturbed by strange shrieks69, and he saw a woman, stark70 naked, walking on all fours, with a peacock’s feather for a tail. As she came nearer, she barked, sniffed71, and licked the ground. Her fair head was covered with mud, and her whole body was a mass of filth72. In this unhappy creature the holy Bishop Nicolas recognized his niece Mirande.
“What do you there, my daughter?” he cried. “Why are you naked, and wherefore do you walk on your hands and knees? Have you no shame?”
“No, uncle, I am not ashamed,” sweetly replied Mirande. “I should, on the contrary, be ashamed of any other gesture, or method of progression. If one wishes to please God, it is thus that one should behave. The holy Brother Sulpice taught me to conduct myself thus, in order to resemble the beasts, who are nearer to God than is Man, in that they have not sinned. So long as I am in the state in which you see me, there will be no danger of my sinning. I have come, uncle, to beg you in all love and charity to do likewise; for unless you do you cannot be saved. Remove, I beg, your clothes, and adopt the posture73 of the animals, in whom God joyfully74 sees His image which has not been distorted by sin. I give you this advice by order of the holy brother Sulpice, and consequently by order of God Himself, for the holy brother is in the Lord’s secrets. Strip yourself naked, uncle, and come with me, so that we may show ourselves to the people for their edification.”
“Can I believe my eyes and ears?” gasped75 the holy Bishop, whose voice was stifled76 by sobs77. “I had a niece blooming in beauty, virtue78, and piety63; the three children whom I rescued from the salting-tub have reduced her to the miserable79 condition in which I now see her. The first has despoiled80 her of all her property, an abundant source of alms, and the patrimony81 of the poor; the second has robbed her of her honour, and the third has turned her into a heretic.”
He threw himself on the flagstones, embracing his niece, begging her to renounce82 so evil a way of life, and adjuring83 her to reclothe herself, and walk on her feet like a human being, ransomed84 by the blood of Jesus Christ.
But she replied only by sharp yelps85 and lamentable86 shrieks.
Before long the town of Trinqueballe was filled with naked men and women, walking on all fours and barking; they called themselves the Edenites, and their ambition was to lead back the world to the times of perfect innocence, before the unfortunate creation of Adam and Eve.
The Reverend Father Gilles Caquerole, a Dominican, inquisitor of the faith in the city, university, and ecclesiastical province of Trinqueballe, became uneasy concerning this novelty, and proceeded to look into it minutely. In the most urgent fashion, by letters under his seal, he invited the Bishop Nicolas, in co-operation with himself, to arrest, imprison87, interrogate88, and sentence these enemies of God, and especially their principal leaders, the Franciscan monk, Sulpice, and a dissolute woman named Mirande. The great St. Nicolas burned with an ardent89 zeal90 for the unity91 of the Church and the destruction of heresy, but he dearly loved his niece. He hid her in the episcopal palace, and refused to hand her over to the inquisitor Caquerole, who denounced him to the Pope as an abettor of disorder and the propagator of a new and very detestable heresy. The Pope enjoined92 Nicolas to no longer withhold93 the guilty one from her legitimate94 judges. Nicolas eluded95 the injunction, protested his obedience, and did not obey. The Pope fulminated against him in the Bull Maleficus pastor96, in which the venerable pontiff was accused of being a disobedient member of the Church, a heretic, or one smelling of heresy, a keeper of concubines, a committer of incest, a corrupter97 of the people, an old woman and a meddling98 old fool, and was passionately99 admonished100.
In this way the Bishop did himself a great deal of harm without any benefit to his beloved niece. King Berlu, having been threatened with excommunication if he did not lend his secular101 arm to the Church in pursuit of the Edenites, sent some men-at-arms to the episcopal palace of Trinqueballe.
They tore Mirande from her asylum102: she was brought before the inquisitor Caquerole, thrown into a deep dungeon103, and fed upon bread which the jailers’ dogs had refused; but what afflicted104 her most was that she was forcibly compelled to don an old frock and a hood105, and that she could no longer be certain of not sinning.
The monk Sulpice escaped the investigations106 of the Holy Office and succeeded in reaching Mambournia, and found an asylum in a monastery of that kingdom, where he established new sects107 even more pernicious than the previous one.
Nevertheless, heresy, fortified108 by persecution109, and exulting110 in danger, now spread its ravages111 over the whole of Vervignole. All over the kingdom there were seen in the fields thousands of naked men and women, nibbling112 the grass, bleating113, lowing, roaring, neighing, and contending at night with sheep, cattle, and horses for the use of stable and manger. The inquisitor informed the Holy Father of these horrible scandals, and warned him that so long as the Protector of the Edenites, the odious114 Nicolas, remained seated on the throne of St. Cromadaire, the evil could only continue to increase. Conformably with this advice the Pope hurled115 against the Bishop, like a thunderbolt, the Bull Deterrima quondam, by which he deprived him of all his ecclesiastical functions, and cut him off from the communion of the faithful.
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1
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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6
rapes
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| n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸 | |
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7
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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9
plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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12
ogling
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| v.（向…）抛媚眼，送秋波( ogle的现在分词 ) | |
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13
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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ravening
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| a.贪婪而饥饿的 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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consecrate
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| v.使圣化，奉…为神圣；尊崇；奉献 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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mendicant
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| n.乞丐；adj.行乞的 | |
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21
worthier
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| 应得某事物( worthy的比较级 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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26
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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30
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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contrite
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| adj.悔悟了的，后悔的，痛悔的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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34
repudiate
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| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
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condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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execrate
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| v.憎恶；厌恶；诅咒 | |
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abominate
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| v.憎恨，厌恶 | |
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39
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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41
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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42
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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43
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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45
overdoing
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| v.做得过分( overdo的现在分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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46
heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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47
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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48
annihilating
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的现在分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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49
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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50
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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51
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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52
schisms
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| n.教会分立，分裂( schism的名词复数 ) | |
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53
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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54
sedition
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| n.煽动叛乱 | |
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55
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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56
purgatory
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| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
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57
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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58
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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59
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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60
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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61
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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62
impiety
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| n.不敬；不孝 | |
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63
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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64
exhortations
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| n.敦促( exhortation的名词复数 )；极力推荐；（正式的）演讲；（宗教仪式中的）劝诫 | |
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65
contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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66
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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67
lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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68
meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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69
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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70
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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71
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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72
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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73
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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74
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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75
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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76
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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77
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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78
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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79
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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80
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
patrimony
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| n.世袭财产，继承物 | |
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82
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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adjuring
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的现在分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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ransomed
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| 付赎金救人，赎金( ransom的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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86
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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87
imprison
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| vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚 | |
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interrogate
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| vt.讯问，审问，盘问 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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92
enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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94
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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corrupter
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| 堕落的，道德败坏的； 贪污的，腐败的； 腐烂的； （文献等）错误百出的 | |
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98
meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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99
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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100
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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101
secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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102
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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103
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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104
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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106
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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107
sects
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| n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
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108
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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109
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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110
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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111
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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112
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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113
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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114
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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115
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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