Vous n'estes pas de membres fais Si comme est Jaques Thommelin Qui porte si merveilleus fais Que vous n'y pourriez mettre fin: Ce sont deux tonneaulx de sapin, C'est voir, et la queue delez. Advisez-vous, dit Franchequin; Levez vostre queue, levez!
N'alez a piet, par le temps frais, Porter vostre blé au moulin; S'il pluet, troussez vo queue prés, Autel facent vostre voisin; Et si vous pinciez le raisin, Afin que vous ne vous crotez, Soit en France ou en Limosin, Levez vostre queue, levez!"[320]
Another ballade records an incident which is supposed to have happened in Calais. In company with Granson, a mercenary captain in English pay, but without the necessary safe-conduct, the poet entered the town, which was then in possession of the English. He was at once pulled up by two men-at-arms who addressed him in language of which he quotes such scraps as "dogue" and "goday", "ride" and "commidre". He, on his side, intimated his recognition of their nationality by exclaiming: "Oh yes! I see your tail!" Whilst Granson, who had led him into the trap, made off laughing and calling out that he had no wish to stand surety for him, Deschamps was told that he would be kept in durance, an announcement which again drew from him the taunt, "Oil, je voy vo queue!" Though confessedly blue with fright, he nevertheless summoned up enough courage to make a dash for liberty. Digging his heels vigorously into his cob, he made it rear with a suddenness that sent his captors sprawling; and whilst they lay helplessly on the ground, he hastily betook himself out of their reach, uttering the inevitable refrain:—
BALLADE (Récit d'une Aventure à Calais)
Je fu l'autrier trop mal venuz Quant j'alay pour veir Calays; J'entray dedenz comme cornuz, Sanz congié; lors vint deux Anglois, Granson devant et moy aprés, Qui me prindrent parmi la bride: L'un me dist: "dogue", l'autre: "ride"; Lors me devint la coulour bleue: "Goday", fait l'un, l'autre: "commidre". Lors dis: "Oil, je voy vo queue."
Pour mal content s'en est tenuz L'un d'eulx, qui estoit le plus lays, Et dist: "Vous seres retenuz Prinsonnier, vous estes forfais." Mais Granson s'en aloit adés Qui en riant faisait la vuide: A eulx m'avoit trahi, ce cuide, En anglois dist: "Pas ne l'adveue." Passer me font de Dieu l'espite; Lors dis: "Oil, je voy vo queue."
Puis ay mes talons estenduz De mon roucin, le serray prés, Lors sault, si furent espanduz; Delez Granson fut mes retrais Là ne me vault treves ne pais, De paour la face me ride, De tel amour ma mort me cuide; Au derrain leur dist: "Je l'adveue." "Chien, faisoit l'un, vez vous vo guide?" Lors dis: "Oil, je voy vo queue!"[321]
Another writer of the same period, Olivier Basselin, refers to the Englishmen's tails in a satirical poem, in which he alleges this physical deformity as his reason for not wishing to live in their country:—
"Do you think it's a joke that I never would dwell 'Mongst the English, as oft I declare? Nay, believe me, my friend, 'tis the truth that I tell, For I hate the long tails that they wear."[322]
In one of his minor poems, Jean Molinet, part-author of the Roman de la Rose, who also belongs to the fifteenth century, humorously goes one step further than his fellow satirists, and gives even animals of English race a share in the distinctive peculiarity which birth in England entailed on the human Islanders. Of a certain tom-cat he says:—