presbytère. Ne vous mêlez de rien. A moi seul, je me charge de vous tirer d'embarras".

Le curé retourna done tranquillement à son presbytère, et ne se mêla plus de rien.

Le lendemain matin, le meunier se leva de bonne heure, descendit à l'écurie, bâta et brida son plus beau mulet. Cela fait, il se mit nu comme un ver, s'enveloppa d'un grand filet, sauta sur sa bête, et partit au grand galop pour Lectoure.

Il entra sans peur ni crainte dans la cour de l'évêché.
Bonjour, Monseigneur".

„Je suis sur un mulet. Je ne suis donc revenu ni à pied, ni à cheval".

„Je suis enveloppé d'un grand filet. Je ne suis donc ni nu, ni vêtu“.

Vous voulez que je vous dise ce que vous pensez. Vous pensez voir le curé de Castéra; mais vous ne voyez que le meunier de La Hillère".

Vous voulez que je vous dise combien pèse la lune. La lune a quatre quarts 1). Elle pèse donc une livre. Si j'ai menti, prouvez-moi le contraire."

„Meunier, tu es un homme de sens. Va dire au curé de Castéra que je n'ai plus de rancune contre lui, et qu'au premier poste vacant, je le ferai chanoine Saint-Gervais 2)".

1). Quatre quartiers.

2). Cathédrale de Lectoure. J'ai écrit ce conte, encore très-populaire en Gascogne, sous la dictée de mon oncle, l'abbé Prosper Bladé, curé du Pergain-Taillac. Dans une variante fournie par ma tante, feu Thérèse Liaubon, veuve Tessier, de Gontaud (Lot-et-Garonne), un meunier répond à l'évêque d'Agen, réitérant les questions par lui posées huit jours avant au curé de Birac (Lot-et-Garonne):

- Dis-moi quelle est ma valeur".

- „Jésus-Christ fut vendu trente deniers. Vous en valez quinze“.

- „Dis-moi quelle est ma pensée".

,,Vous pensez à votre intérêt plutôt qu'au mien".

,,Dis-moi quelle est m'a croyance".

,,Vous croyez parler à un curé, et vous parlez à un meunier".

*

KING IOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY*)

An ancient story I'll tell you anon

Of a notable prince, that was called King Iohn; And he ruled England with main and with might, For he did great wrong and maintain'd little right.

And I'll tell you a story, a story so merry,
Concerning the Abbot of Canterbury;
How for his house-keeping, and high renown,
They rode post for him to fair London town.

And hundred men, the king did hear say,
The abbot kept in his house every day;
And fifty gold chains, without any doubt,
In velvet coats waited the abbot about.

"How now, father abbot, I hear it o thee,
„Thou keepest a far better house than me,
„And for thy house-keeping and high renown,
„I fear thou work' st treason against my crown“.

„My liege, quo the abbot", I would it were known, „I never spend nothing but wat it my own; „And I trust, your grace will do me no dear, „For spending of my own true-gotten gear".

,,Yes, yes, father abbot, thy fault it is high, „And now for the same thou needs must die; „For except thou canst answer me questions three, „Thy head shall be smitten from thy body".

*) Vechie baladă engleză; din „Percy's Reliques," 1765. Legende Române.

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5

„And first, „quo' the king", when I'm in this stead, ,Vith my crown of gold so fair on my head,

„Among all my liege

men so noble of birth,

Thou must tell me to one penny what Iam worth“.

„Secondly, tell me, without any doubt,

„How soon I may ride the whole world about,
„And at the third question thou must not shrink,
,But tell me here truly what I do think“.

„O, these are hard questions for my shalov wit,
„Nor I cannot answer your grace as yet:
„But if you will give me but three weeks' space,
„I'll do my endeavour to answer your grace.“

„Now three weeks, space to thee will I give,
„And that is the longest time thou hast to live;
„For if thou dost not answer my questions three,
„Thy lands and thy livings are forfeit to me".

Away rode the abbot all sad at that word,
And he rode to Cambridge, and Oxenford;
But never a doctor there was so wise,
That could with his learning an answer devise.

Then home rode the abbot, of comfort so cold,
And he met his shepherd a going to fold;

„How now, my lord abbot, you are welcome home; What news, do you bring us from good king Iohn?"

„Sad news, sad news, shepherd, I must give,
„That I have but three days more to live;
„For if I do not answer him questions three,
„My head will be smitten from my body".

The first is to tell him there in this stead, With his crown of gold so fair on his head, „Among all his liege-men so noble of birth, „To within one penny what he is worth.“

„The second, to tell him without any doubt,
„How soon he may ride the whole world about;
„And at the third question I must noth shrink,
But tell him there truly what he does think“.

„Now cheer up, sir abbot, did you never hear yet, „That a fool he may learn a wise man wit? „Lend me horses, and serving-men, and your apparel, „And I'll ride to London to answer your quarrel“.

„Nay frown not, if it hath been told unto me, „I am as your lordship, as ever may be;

„And if you will but lend me your gown,

There is none shall know us in fair London town".

„Now horses and serving-men thou shalt have, „With sumptuos array most gallant and brave; „With crozier, and mitre, and rochet, and cope, „Fit to appear fore our father the pope".

,Now welcome, sir abbot", the king he did say,
,"Tis well thou' rt come back to keep thy day;
„For if thou canst answer my questions three,
,,Thy life and thy livings both saved shall be".

„And first, when thou seest me here in this stead,

With my crown of gold so fair on my head,

„Among all my liege-men so noble of birth,

„Tell me to one penny what I am worth.“

„For thirty pence our Saviour was sold,

„Among the false Iews, as I have been told;
,,And twenty-nine is the worth of thee,

„For I think, thou art one penny worser than he“.

The king he laughed, and swore by St. Bittel,
,,I did not think I had been worth so little!

„Now secondly tell me, without any doubt,
„How soon I may rise the whole world about".

You must rise with the sun, and ride with the same,
Until the next morning he riseth again;

„And then your grace need not make any doubt,
„But in twenty-four hours you'll ride it about."

The king he laughed and swore by St. Iohn,

„I did not shink it could be done so soon!

„Now from the third qnestion thou must not shrink;

But tell me here truly what I do think".

"Yea, that shall I do, and make your grace merry:
„You think I'am the abbot ot Canterbury;

„But I'am his poor shepherd, as plain you may see,
That am come to beg pardon for him and for me“.

The king he langhed, and swore by the mass:
„I'll make thee lord abbot this day in his place!"
„Now nay, my liege, be not in such speed,
„For allack! I can neither write nor read."

„Four nobles a week then I wil give thee,
„For this merry jest thou hast shown, unto me;

„And tell the old abbot, when thou comest home,

Thou hast brought him a pardon from good king Iohn“.