850 And when he hears them,
Jehan asks God to forgive them,
And to give him power and strength
To endure this ill treatment
Without losing courage.
855 When it was Lime to retire,
Since no one wanted to lodge him,
He would often stay by the towns' public fires,
And say the vespers and the vigils,
Spending much of the night
860 Reciting holy devotions.
In his first prayers,
He would invoke his ancestor,
For whom he had undertaken such a task.
He was most anxious for her to be saved,
865 And would name her first
He would address many prayers to God
To ask for her redemption.
In this harsh and difficult manner,
He has traveled so much and so far
870 That he has gone beyond the mountains,
Enduring the harshness of cold,
The torments of the weather,
The snow and the ice,
So that his appearance is now totally transformed.
875 His complexion is pale,
He has lost all color.
Blood comes out of his feet,
Which used to be so white.
The skin is broken, bones come out.
He gives thanks and praise to God.
(Two leagues from the city of Toulouse, he finds a forest and
decides to settle in what used to be the den of a bear.
He blesses the place, crosses himself and enters the thicket
on his hands and knees. Feeding himself on roots and acorns,
he stays there seven years. He builds a chapel, and spends his
days fasting and his nights praying.)
1000 The Devil was very angry
To see Jehan's holy mode of life.
He knows that Jehan's efforts and pains
Will redeem his ancestor
And take her out of the torments
1005 Which she is now undergoing in his Hell.
He determines to tempt Jehan,
To fight with him
And to conquer him.
The Devil starts by reminding Jehan
1010 Of the food, soft bed
And rich clothes
Of his former life at home.
"You were honored:
You are now lost.
1015 You live in this place
Like a wild animal.
Leave this thicket! Go home!
I will make you
The bishop of Rome.
1020 I will place you in such a high position
That all the people will praise you
And obey your orders.
If you want a wife,
I will make you so wealthy
1025 That you will have the daughter of a count."
And thus Satan would tell him
Everything that can tempt a man.
He almost succeeds in having Jehan sin.
When the saint realizes the danger,
1030 He crosses himself,
His head and his whole body.
Then Satan jumps away,
So great is his fear of the cross
Over which he has no power.
1035 For three or four days,
He does not dare come back.
But when he considers Jehan's poverty,
He assaults him again,
Reminding him of his lineage,
1040 Of his inheritance and possessions:
"Go back! Stop this folly!
You will be very powerful.
You will have furs, ermines,
Good food and good wine.
1045 You will be able to give alms.
You could even wear a hairshirt, if you so desired.
One can do good in many ways.
Are you really so sinful?
You never committed adultery.
1050 If you had been a traitor,
You would not undergo a greater penance than this.
Your sojourn here is groundless.
Go away! Leave this thicket!"
Jehan again makes the sign of the cross.
1055 And facing this sign,
The Enemy retreats,
Thinking that he won't be able
To persuade Jehan
Because of his faith and loyalty.
1060 Seeing his failure,
He concocts another ruse.
He goes directly to Toulouse
And enters the city.
It was then governed
1065 By a very honorable king,
Who had a daughter
Most beautiful and most fair.
She was praised by all for her wisdom.
She showed neither spite,
1070 Nor contempt, nor pride.
Her manners were courteous
And her heart was good.
All the knights,
The townsmen and the servants loved her.
1075 And her father loved her more than anyone.
Satan decides to take her
And to bring her
Before the holy man.
If Jehan does not let himself be tempted by a woman,
1080 Then nothing will ever conquer him.
For the love of women--its pleasures-
Is the foremost cause of fall.
Solomon was taken because of a woman,
And so was David, and Samson;
1085 And Adam fell because of a woman.
Satan is indeed crafty
And dangerously cunning.
He thus raises a storm that day
--A most violent tempest-
1090 Which destroys everything around,
Trees, houses
Towers and belfries.
Through this tempest
He enters the royal palace.
1095 The tempest is still raging.
He does not stop before reaching
The chamber of the fair maiden
Who was indeed most beautiful.
He breaks everything on his way,
1100 Pulling down one of the walls of the chamber.
The maiden felt as if she was dying,
And did not know of any cure.
She prays to God most devoutly
To save her from this torment.
1105 She covers her head with her arms.
The devil takes her in his arms,
Turns around and with much noise carries her away.
He does not hurt her but takes her out.
He does not stop before reaching Jehan's cell.
1110 He then puts down the maiden
Who was much afraid.
Her fears are well founded,
Given the fact that she is
In the power of the Devil.
1115 Jehan was praying,
On his knees in his chapel.
He was bearded and covered with hair.
"Get up!" says the Enemy;
"This girl loves you
1120 Whom I have brought you.
God has heard your prayers."
Jehan looks behind him,
With great fright,
And sees the king's daughter.
1125 She was royally clothed
And richly adorned.
Her face was white and red.
Jehan marvels at her beauty
And at her femininity.
1130 When the maiden sees the man,
She runs into his arms.
Now Jehan does not know what to do,
As the softness of her moves him
While she grasps him out of fear.
1135 She has no evil intention.
But Jehan feels all soft inside.
The Enemy inspires them,
Brings them one toward the other,
And warms them up in such a way
1140 That Jehan follows his instinct.
The Devil thus makes him sin.
And when Jehan realizes this,
He gets up at once,
Moans over his act
1145 And over the desire that overtook him.
He remembers Adam, our father,
To whom Eve gave the fruit
"Alas! What a sinner I am!
All the water of the world
1150 Could not cleanse me of the deed
I have just done.
"Woman," says he, "cursed be the day you were born!
You have caused my fall and you have deceived me.
All I have accomplished so far is now lost.
1155 Your coming here is my downfall."
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