Blanquerna

HE QUESTIONS THAT EVAST PUT TO HIS SON BLANQUERNA

him'nf fwe °f th' Divine i,lurainati°n, EvaSt bethought it” n an T* ^ ^ an order* of re-

g , nd he sought to prove his son Blanquerna and to discover if he could rule himself and the house in’ such a

. 1

OF QUESTIONS EVAST PUT TO BLANQUERNA way as to serve and please God, that himself and Aloma his wife might severally enter religious orders, and leave the world and forsake their temporal possessions. While Evaft considered thus, Blanquerna his son returned from the school. Now Blanquerna was a gentle youth, comely and pleasant to look upon, and he had reached the age of eighteen years, being ever obedient to his parents, of right good habits and gentle upbringing.

1. “ Fair son! ” said Evaft. “ I would have thee answer me this queftion ; Near to this city there ftands a caftle, at the entrance to a great wood. It chanced that a huntsman went into the wood to hunt deer and wild goats and such like beafts, as was his wont. And with an arrow he wounded a flag, but all that day he could neither lay hands upon it nor find a trace of it. Now as the hunter returned to the city he met a traveller who bore in his hand an arrow. And the hunter enquired of the traveller whence he had that arrow. The traveller answered that he had found it in a dead ftag which he had sold to a butcher. And there arose a dispute betwixt the two as to which of them should have the price of the ftag; for the hunter said that it was he that had killed it, and that if he had not wounded it the other would not have found it dead. The traveller said that for¬ tune had given it to him, and that the hunter had already despaired of finding the ftag, for he was returning to the city. Each of them (said Evaft) brought forth many and great arguments the one againft the other. Now I would fain know, son Blanquerna, what thy judgment would be, as to which of these two had the right to receive the price of the ftag, or if it should be divided between them.”

3. Blanquerna answered his father Evaft, and said: “ My lord and father! Thou knoweft well that occasion is more powerful than fortune,1 because in occasion is the final

1 Modern English would rather say “ design ” and “ chance,’* for “ occa¬ sion ” and “ fortune,” but in mediajval literature the words here used are

IS wounded and killed, and

BLANQUERNA

Intention whereby the flag w

fortune ha^no the traveller found the fog,

? ■ n it was killed, and the occasion lay with him

S killed" it, therefore, according to right and justice, to preserve the superiority that occasion has over fortune the Lg mufl be adjudged to the hunter; for, were it adjudged to the other, an injustice would be done to occasion, and fortune would be honoured in a fashion that befits it not. For the which reason 1 adjudge the price of the flag upon every ground to the hunter, provided that he can firfl prove the arrow to be his, for it might be that the arrow was that of another huntsman who killed the flag, and not of him who said that he had killed it.

4. Then Evafl asked his son if it were juft that the flag should be returned to the huntsman, or the price which he had received for it. Blanquerna answered and said that the butcher by right and juflice should have the flag, for he had bought it according to the usages of his trade, be¬ lieving it to belong to the seller. And since the traveller had sold it in the belief that the price should be his, an injustice would therefore be done to the butcher if the gain which he would receive from the flag should be taken from him. And ill-seeming would it be if the traveller should receive injury in place of thanks, the which thing would follow if he gave satisfaction to the butcher together with the price of the flag and returned the flag to the hunter; for the which cause it was right and jufl that to the hunter should belong the price of the flag alone.

S- Evafl said further to Blanquerna: “ Tell me, my son, It the hunter is obliged to give the other aught of the price of the flag.” “ My lord and fatherl ” said Blanquerna,

t JW°KkT S °f a! ln general are thcre in the world, from he wk h p rocecd all the categories of law in tlm parac ‘ ‘heAnC ^/according to God, and the other

• g eword. The manner of law that is ordained

OF QUESTIONS EVAST PUT TO BLANQUERNA and disposed according to the law of God is more subtle and the occasion of more scruples than that which is of the world. Wherefore by this diSlinftion between the two rules aforesaid, I may know that, according to the nobler right, the hunter is constrained to give to the traveller somewhat in consideration of his labour and in respedt of charity, fraternity and conscience, and furthermore, of good breed¬ ing and courtesy, and againSt avarice, injury and envy. But that the huntsman freely, and of his own will, may have the virtues aforesaid, giving to the traveller some part of the price of the Stag, it is ordained by divine ordinance and temporal juStice that the huntsman by temporal law be not constrained to give any part of the price to the traveller; for, were he so constrained, there would follow none of the freedom which pertains to merit, whereby man may have the virtues aforesaid, nor would temporal law be set below divine ; in the which case God would have abased the nobler law to magnify the less noble, which is a thing ill-beseeming and to be rejefted by all reason.”

6. EvaSt said to Blanquerna : “ Tell me further, my son, if the hunter, by giving naught to the traveller, commits sin for which he merits the pains of hell.” Blanquerna answered: “ There is a difference, my lord and father, between sin mortal and venial ; and if the traveller had any right to a part of the price of the Slag, the ordaining of the two kinds of law afore¬ mentioned would be contrary to juSlice and to God, and this is a thing impossible; by the which impossibility I may under¬ stand and know that the hunter commits no mortal sin if he give naught to the traveller. But since he will use therein no courtesy nor charity, as is fitting, to mortify the conscience, therefore he commits venial sin, whereby he merits not ever¬ lasting damnation, yet merits less of eternal glory.”

7. All these questions, and many more which it would take over long time to relate, did EvaSt put to Blanquerna his son, and Blanquerna replied right perfedtly to them all, answering them with effeftive argument.

bunqverna

8 So when Evaft saw that his son shone thus in know¬ ledge and was adorned with good brced.ng and habits, he was greatly pleased thereat, and he entered a chapel in his house, wherein he and Aloma prayed to God secretly and were wont to hear Mass daily, and to give thanks to God when they had risen from table. The altar-piece was of St. Andrew, in whom Evaft and Aloma trufted greatly that they should receive grace and blessing from God.

9. When Evaft entered the chapel, he kneeled before the altar and made the sign of the cross as was his wont. Then he spake these words: “ O glorious Lord God, Who haft not forgotten Thy servant that so oft has desired to serve and honour Thee in the ftate of religion 1 Blessed be Thou, 0 Lord, and blessed be Thy mercy, which in pity and condescension has deigned to grant me all my will in my son Blanquerna. For long have I hoped and desired that my temporal goods might be entrusted to him, and that I and Aloma might be enabled to contemplate, love and serve Thee in a religious order, making remembrance of Thy holy Passion and grieving for our faults and sins. I adore, 0 Lord, Thy goodness, Thy greatness and Thy power, Thy wisdom, and love, and the other virtues wherein Thou art one God in essence, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be Thou, 0 Lord, in Thyself and in all Thy virtues and honours, for that Thou haft given me a son so worthy and so prudent, to whom, from this day onward, I may entruft and leave the conduft of this house. To Thee,

0 Lord, as ,s my bounden obligation, I commend him.”

wife the de te of h"6,, *“ might reveal to Aloma h

e«ateofrdS; foh;Lhri;nd indUCC to ‘1

44 g . °r he feared greatly left she should wis

disagreement between evast and aloma

to delay. On the day following, after Mass, Evaft and Aloma remained in the chapel, and when all the reft had left it, Evaft spake to Aloma these words: “ Aloma, my beloved ! By the grace of God, our son Blanquerna is en¬ dowed with great wisdom and moreover is of right worthy habits and gentle breeding, and he has come now to an age when we may leave to him the care both of himself and of all our possessions and the management of this our house. And the time is come for Blanquerna to take to himself a wife, and for ourselves to leave this miserable world and enter the eftate of religion thatwemaylivein greater sanftity. And as by good living we have until now enlightened and inftrufted those that are in the eftate of matrimony, even so by the sanftity of a good life let us give example henceforward to all such as are in the eftate of religion. Therefore is it fitting that we make division of our temporal possessions, and for the love of God beftow them on the poor of Jesus Chrift, and that thou choose that convent for women which shall please thee beft, while I by thy leave will enter also a religious order as I have so greatly desired.”

2. Very ftrange seemed to Aloma these words which Evaft spake to her, wherefore she turned pale, suspefting in her heart that she had in some manner displeased him and given him cause to desire to leave her. Wherefore she took counsel with herself ere she replied. Then Evaft spake to her these words: “Aloma 1 Wherefore answereft thou me not? And why is it that thou haft such thought? Haft thou not heard my words? ” “ My lordl ” answered Aloma. “ Thy words have I heard indeed, and thou haft given me to suspeft that thou haft ill-will or displeasure againft me, for the which cause thou wouldft fain leave me. If it seem to thee that in aught I have been in fault or have sinned againft thee, I pray thee that thou wilt in some other manner be avenged, rather than leave me at the end of my days, for greater need have I of thy aid and governance than heretofore.”

BLANQUERNA

“ AJoma! ” said Evaft, “Thou maycft be certain 3\ • has my will been displeased or angered with

thee or with any work of thine. Rather would I have thee know that since it pleased God to unite us twain m matri¬ mony I have given thanks to Him every day of my life for granting me thy sweet companionship. For among the gifts that God has given in this world to them that love Him, for the which they are bound to make continual thanks, is companionship that is loyal and true. And therefore, Aloma, think thou not neither fear m any wise that I am displeased at aught that thou haft done; and not only so, but I would crave thy pardon if ever I have wronged thee or done aught that seemed to thee evil. But since we have come to the end of our days, and since the ftate of religion is of greater sanftity than the ftate of matrimony in the which we now are, and since all men should approach God by good works as nearly as they may, and we ourselves have now both time and disposition, therefore I pray thee, who haft never been disobedient to my words or prayers, to con¬ sent to this prayer which I make thee, that we may both of us enter the life of contemplation, leaving the conduit of this aftive life entirely to our son Blanquerna. So can we do our utmoft that by the grace of God we may dwell to¬ gether, world without end, in the eternal glory of Paradise.”

4. My lord Evaftl ” said Aloma. “ With shame and fear muft I needs reply to thy words, and the God of glory knows well that never was it in my mind or thought to dis¬ obey thee in any matter soever, nor to desire disagreement betwixt my will and thine. But since the beginning of our union was in the ftate of matrimony, and the beginning muft ever have regard the end ‘-that is to say, That t “ fo div I' ,U eWr bC a"d remain tiU ^ath come at laft Msi : ,eTUSrkn°W therrf0re- ^rd Evaft, that in no , contranly to the beginning of this firft eftate

DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN EVA ST AND ALOMA

wherein God has placed me, and wherein He has kept and preserved me from sin againSt the eState of matrimony. In all things else, do with me as thou wilt, so that God be served and praised, and thou thyself have pleasure therein. To each and every thing will I gladly consent. But never will I abandon the eState in the which God has placed me, nor shouldn't thou, saving thine honour, counsel me to enter another eState to the which I am less devoted than to that of marriage wherein I now am; for lack of devotion causes many a man and many a woman to despise their State of life, and to forsake it. I pray thee to tell me wherefore thou loveSt the eState of religion more than that eState of matri¬ mony wherein thou art.”

5. “ Aloma! ” said EvaSt. “ Thine answer grieves me greatly ; butlthink that thou speakeSt thus to the end that thy submission may please me the more, and that I may understand how thou forsakeSt the e State wherein thou art againSt thy will, and entereSt the religious life for love of me, wherejfore I am the more thy debtor. But thou needeSt not to seek my greater indebtedness or pleasure, for thyself and thine affedtion well content me. Let us rather Strive to win favour and merit of God, to Whose judgment-seat we each muSt come. And all that I know of thy saintly life, and of my own faults, which are many and great, assures me that thy gladness at passing to the holy eState of religion will be greater than mine.”

6. When Aloma perceived that EvaSt thought her to be excusing herself from his requeSt to the end that she might try him or have thanks of him, her eyes filled with tears, and she fell to weeping bitterly. Then, deeply sighing, she answered him in these words: “ My lord EvaSt! God alone can tell all that is in the heart of man. Know thou then indeed that my heart hath never suffered such grief or pain as now that I see myself opposed to thy will ; for the love which I have ever borne thee constrains me so greatly that the tears of my heart rise even to mine eyes, and mine eyes

fault is sin. Wherefore, O my lord, I would have thee know that I answer thee according to my present eState and my will: for my will contains me and makes me to suffer because I obey thee not, yet it makes me to abhor the part¬ ing and the separation that there would be between us if we entered into diverse eftates. And thy parting would be grief to me because my will would fain have thee alway, and mine eyes desire alway to see thee; so that my heart is heavy because I cannot fulfil that which thy will desires, since it would ever displease and afflidt me.”

7. “ Aloma 1 ” replied Evaft. “ Both thy arguments and thy affeffion please me, and I am sure of this, that the love of man and wife is the will of God. And for all these reasons, and for many beside, my heart will have much grief if I leave thee. Whensoever 1 see thee I am glad, and greatly cheered in countenance and joyful of heart when I remember thy worthy upbringing and devout praftices or hear that men speak well of thee. But since it behoves me to love God my Creator and Saviour more than thee or aught beside, and since I fain would offer and receive His glorious Body, therefore the Strength of this great desire makes me to forget the affliftion that I shall have in losing thee. Yet know that in my heart is great suffering when I think that I should be the occasion of aught that displeases or grieves thee. But since the love of God gives man Strength and power to bear many trials and to despise the world, there¬ fore I exhort thee to the end that love may make us both to bear and suffer the pain of our separation, to the greater love and service of God.”

'ord Evaft 1 ” ^id Aloma. “ True it is that in _.i .W<f * ere 1S no °®cc so noble and profitable as to Lordle! MrlS-Ad t0 COnsecrite the ^cred Body of our ' 7* altEou8h it be so noble, for no man 4* ° entM Upon so ho'y a myStery except he be

DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN EE AST AND ALOMA thereto duly ordained; and to this end he muit do no wrong nor cause trial to another, in whom may be engendered wrath and occasion of sin. And every man is not worthy, neither should he hold himself worthy, to serve in so glorious an office. Wherefore if thou, my lord, desire to be a clerk and to sing Mass, it suffices thee to go daily to the church with the friars, and to assist at Mass and the other offices, aiding them in the singing and reading of psalms, lessons, responses and antiphons, and serving the prieft that says Mass, according to the cuftom which now thou observed, desiring with all thy heart to be a minister at the altar. But hold thyself not worthy so to be, for this thou art not, since God hath not placed thee in that eftate but in the estate of matrimony. And I will go day by day to the convent according to my wont, joining the nuns in singing and responding at Mass, in honour of the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Let us in this wise do all that we may, and not leave that eftate of matrimony wherein we are and wherein God has placed us.”

9. “ Alomal ” said Evafl. “ Wearied and fatigued am I by the possession and handling of temporal wealth, and my prayers thereby are impeded. Into my heart has entered the desire to leave carnal delights and to give myself so earnestly to prayer that naught else shall be in my heart or in my thought save God alone. I would make penance and satisfaction for my faults and for the evil that I have done; for, both clothed and shod, in my meat and drink, in the com¬ fort of soft beds, and in many and divers matters more have I erred and Ctrayed. And I have the most earnest will to preach the word of God and the Passion of His Son Jesus Chrift our Lord. And since the religious life is an eftate more fitted for all these things than is the estate of marriage, therefore would I leave the life wherein I am, and pass to that of the blessed religious, doing penance with them and performing all the things aforesaid. And if thou did£t take from me that happiness which the religious life can give me,

B UNQUERN A

then woulddt thou be an enemy to the increase of my happiness. ^ Evajft | *• said Aloma. “ If thou wilt for¬ sake the world to serve God the better and leave to Blanquerna all thy possessions, I am content, so that thou and I remain Hill together. In this chapel we can adore, bless and pray to God. We should neither need to have com¬ merce with temporal goods nor concern ourselves with the necessities of the body, since with all this Blanquerna is able to deal. For these causes therefore we need not to enter another estate. If thou wilt do penance and lead an ascetic life, there is a place more nigh at hand in thine own house than in a house of religion, and thou candt do all these things more secretly in the married dlate than as a religious. Like¬ wise I am prepared to go with thee to a desert place or a mountain, that there we may both do penance, and the harder the life that we lead to serve the King of glory, the greater will be the content within my soul. Let us both live chadtely, knowing not each other according to the flesh. Indtead of preaching, thou mayedt live a holy life, and by thy good example preach to all that are in the edtate of marriage, edifying also such men as are in the edtate of re¬ ligion. What thing soever that thou pleased! mayedt thou do with me, provided that thou wilt have me do naught that is againdt the sacrament which binds us.”

n . “ Aloma I ” said Evadt. “ Great virtue is it to be obedient, to give and to submit thy will to another for the love of our Lord God.” “ My lord Evadt 1 ” answered oma. Great virtue is it to be lord of thine own will, and to rule it well, which each can do better in himself than in another.”

, A o-na!” said Evadt farther. “ Great merit is won himself thmes for the love °f God, devoting

Great merit h ** ” -id Aloma®

poral thinvs ™ * ■ St ’S 'n wor*d and possesses tem¬

poral things without sin, and devotes himself to the se—

DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN EVAST AND ALOMA of the poor of Jesus Chrift; and great merit has he that is rich in the goods of this world yet poor in spirit; and if it be virtue to beg for the love of Jesus Christ, it cannot be a vice to give to the poor who beg for love of Him ; and of doubtful wisdom is it to leave so many riches to Blanquerna, who is young and has not yet proved his fitness to adminifter the possessions of this world. Therefore I think it good that we do in this house the penance that thou desireft, and if it seems well to thee that we go not without the house, I am content. Let us show our son Blanquerna how he may rule himself and these our posses¬ sions, that they may be kept and preserved for the poor of Jesus Christ, who receive support daily in this house with the alms that thou giveft them.”

13. "Alomal” said Evaft. “Many arguments both weighty and true have I set before thee, wherefore thou canft and shouldft obey my requests. I pray thee then that thou excuse not thyself, neither resift my wishes, but make me glad and joyful, granting me that which for long I have desired, and bring not grief nor sadness nor dis¬ pleasure to my soul, knowing how loyally I have ever loved thee."

14. “My lord Evaft!” answered Aloma. “I have heard thine arguments, and I have enquired of my heart if I could consent to thy commands and prayers, but 1 can find no way whereby I may so consent. And since anger and ill-will are oft-times engendered when one man obeys not the prayers of another, therefore I pray thee that thou speak no more to me henceforward of this thing, for I may not further answer thee, and I fear left between us there be engendered ill-will. Let us then return to our former con¬ versation, and speak of God and of His works, as is our wont. And at whatsoever time thou wilt perform those things which I set forth at the firft, I am ready to follow thy will.”

15. Greatly was Evaft displeased when he could not convert Aloma his wife to his will, and many were the days

blanquerna

and the hours wherein he spake to her further, using the word* aforementioned. But each time he caused her grief and pain, and never could he in any wise move her; where¬ fore Evaft had compassion upon Aloma because of the pain which he gave her, and resolved never more to speak to her of the matter, but to commend it wholly to the hand of God and to His Will. So he purposed inwardly to please Aloma by doing penance in their house, to remain therein and never again to leave it, left they should see and hear the vain things of the world without, which impede the soul from the remembrance, underftanding and love of God and of His honours. When Evaft had thus resolved in his will, on the next morning, after Mass, he called Aloma as he was wont, and Aloma began forthwith to weep, thinking that he was about to speak the same words as before, which brought grief to her soul. “ Aloma 1 ” said Evaft. “Weep not; for since thou haft so high and resolute a spirit, and wilt for naught incline to my prayers, therefore will I bend my heart to thy will to obey thy wishes. Let us then en¬ deavour ourselves to lead a life of rigid penance secretly in this house all the days of our life, even for so long as shall please the will of God. And let us give full authority to our son Blanquerna over all our goods, saving such as we shall retain, for the need which we have thereof to suftain our lives while it shall please God that we live. Let us give him all that remains, and seek for him a wife forthwith. wTh™rr0W' a^Cr ^aSS> 'et us cad bim and acquaint him

&•*> me wmen we can arrange our own affairs and draw up a rule whereby we may live in penitence.” snalrpf X ^ A‘0ma " theSe Words which Evaft these H° PraTg an(* Messing God that He had given Evaft that*! *° ^ husband- And she answered

rn he i r rCady t0 Mfil a11 ^t he had set forth

penti::ttShand tha‘ she 11 wdi » a°

should bind them. ^ a"d t<J draW Up the rulc whlch

CHARGE OF THE HOUSEHOLD