Anthologica Rarissima, for reasons which will seem as regrettable as absurd to the student and collector, must ever be a privately printed work; its tone, though erotic, is in no sense pornographic. The extracts have been selected with care, and always with an eye to artistry and bibliographical value. The complete issue, extending to many volumes, will form an unique collection in the English tongue of a type of literature far too little known in this country.

The subject of our first volume—virginity and its treatment in fable, conte, and legend—is far from exhausted in these pages. It will be necessary to devote another Record to the theme at a later date. Meanwhile, we have in preparation Vol. 2: “The Way of a Priest,” Vol. 3: “The Way of a Wife,” Vol. 4: “The Way of a Husband,” and Vol. 5: “The Way of Love.” This last, culled from such authorities as Ovid, Martial, Catullus, Aretino, Forberg, Veniero, and the authors of The Kama Sutra, The Perfumed Garden, and The Ananga Ranga, should prove the most complete treatise on the Ars Amandi ever published in the English language.

In conclusion, we can only reiterate what was said at the outset—that this work is the outcome of a project to give the English student and collector the cream of a rare and remarkable literature.

We wish to lay special emphasis on the literal nature of our text, having often sacrificed style to preserve it. When translating from French, where an English translation already existed, we have never failed to compare and work upon the two versions for the composition of our extract.

Les Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles is a case in point, the old French text and Mr. R. B. Douglas’ English translation both being utilised in our Record. The same applies to Casanova; each line of his Memoirs, as existing in the privately printed English translation, has been closely compared with Garnier’s French text; while Aretino’s Dialogues will be scrutinised in no fewer than three languages. Our aim throughout has been to put before the reader a rendering in English which most exactly approximates to the original work of the author in question.

THE EDITORS.

CONTENTS.

Page.
FOREWORD.[v].
VIRGINITY AND ITS TRADITIONS.[xix].
THE ENCHANTED RING:
Of a Young Husband who Sought to Redeem his Yard from Pawn, and of the Divers Adventures that Befell him in his Quest.[1]
VARIANT:
Of a Tailor who Consented to Sin with a certain Woman who Admired his Proportions; and how they Fared.[10]
THE INSTRUMENT:
Of a Young Girl who Desired her Lover to Buy a Better Instrument, which she Enjoyed, Lost and Found again.[13]
EXCURSUS to THE INSTRUMENT.[16]
THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE:
Of a Maid who would Wed None save Ivan the No-Yard; and how they were Wed, after which she first Hired, then Bought, a Good Yard from Ivan’s Uncle.[17]
EXCURSUS to THE ENCHANTED RING, THE INSTRUMENT, and THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE.[22]
ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE AT GENEVA:
Of an Adventure with two Charming Cousins, one of whom Desired to know why a Deity could not Impregnate a Woman; and how the Hero of our Story gave Demonstration of Theological and other Matters.[24]
EXCURSUS to ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE.[37]
THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE:
Of a Young Lady, who, being Enamoured of a Prince, Sendeth for one of his Chaplains, and with him Entereth into a Plot which Bringeth the Affair to the Desired Issue.[42]
EXCURSUS to THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE.[49]
THE PENITENT NUN:
Of a Nun, who Strove to Flee the Shafts of Love; how she Succeeded; and how certain Young Nuns Received her Counsel.[52]
BEYOND THE MARK:
Of a Shepherd who Made an Agreement with a Shepherdess that he should Mount upon her; and how he Kept that Agreement.[53]
THE DEVIL IN HELL:
Of a Young Maid, who, Turning Hermit, was Taught by a Monk to Put the Devil in Hell; and how she found Much Pleasure therein.[56]
EXCURSUS to THE DEVIL IN HELL.[63]
THE WEDDING NIGHT OF JEAN THE FOOL:
Of a Young Husband who thought his Wife would Give him a Chicken on their Wedding Night; and how he Learned in what Fashion he must Comport himself to have that Chicken.[65]
THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED:
Of a Maid who had been most Strictly Enjoined to Guard her Maidenhead; and how a Youth Restored it to her when she Lost it.[69]
VARIANT:
Of one Coypeau, who Securely Sewed up a Damsel’s Maidenhead with his own Thread.[72]
TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN:
Of a Prince and a Princess who became Acquainted in Strange Circumstances; of their Loves, Separation, Re-union, and divers Remarkable Happenings.[74]
EXCURSUS to the TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN.[92]
THE FOOL:
Of a Young Man who would fain have Wed, yet Contrived to Satisfy his Wish without Marriage.[101]
“OH MOTHER, ROGER WITH HIS KISSES”:
Of the Emotions of an Innocent Virgin when Wooed Boisterously by her Swain. [103]
FOOLISH FEAR:
Of a Virgin Wife who did not Understand the Business of Marriage; and how the Parties went to Law, and what Ensued therefrom.[104]
THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS:
Of a King’s Daughter, the Like of whom was not Seen Elsewhere on Earth; and how she was Cured of her Ways by a Young Peasant, divers Physicians and Charlatans having Failed in the Task.[111]
THE COMB:
Of a Pope’s Daughter who was “Combed” by a Peasant; and how the Comb was Lost and Found again, together with other Strange and Delightsome Happenings.[116]
EXCURSUS to THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS and THE COMB.[121]
THE SKIRMISH:
Of a Virgin who, on her Marriage Eve, told a Wedded Friend of the Recent and Disturbing Conduct of her Fiancé.[124]
EXCURSUS to THE SKIRMISH.[132]
THE NIGHTINGALE:
Of a Maid who would fain Hear the Nightingale Sing; and how she Made it Sing many Times and even Held it in her Hand.[134]
THE PIKE’S HEAD:
Of a Young Virgin who Played a Trick on a Youth; and how the Youth, from Fear of being “Bitten,” was for some Time Ignorant of the Pleasures of Marriage.[142]
THE LOVELY NUN AND HER YOUNG BOARDER:
Of a Lovely Young Virgin, who was of an Inquisitive Turn of Mind, and Proved herself an Apt Pupil in the School of Love.[147]
JOHN AND JOAN:
Of a Serving Wench who sent her Fellow Servant to Buy her a Steel; and how she Fared thereafter. [158]
THE HUSBAND AS DOCTOR:
Of a Young Squire who, when he Married, had never Mounted a Christian Creature; of the Means found to Instruct him; and how, on a Sudden, he Wept at a great Feast shortly after he had been Instructed.[162]
THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER:
Of a Priest’s two Daughters who were Tricked by a Labourer; and of divers Strange and Diverting Happenings thereafter.[171]
EXCURSUS to THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER.[178]
THE TWO LOVERS AND THE TWO SISTERS:
Of two Cavaliers who became Enamoured of two Sisters; and how they found Enjoyment of their Love, albeit in Strange Fashion but none the less Pleasant.[179]
THE BURNING YARD:
Of a Maid who would not Suffer a Youth to Pleasure her, since, so she Alleged, he had a Burning Yard.[188]
TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK:
Of a Young Virgin Wife who was Paid back in her own Coin by her Husband.[190]
EXCURSUS to TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK.[192]
FIRST MEETING BETWEEN A YOUTH AND HIS FIANCÉE:
Of a Maid and a Youth who held Pleasant Converse in a Coach-house; and of divers Experiments and Discoveries they made there.[193]
THE BREAKER OF EGGS:
Of a certain Wench who had Eggs in her Belly, which were Broken for her by an Obliging Youth. [195]
EXCURSUS to THE BREAKER OF EGGS.[198]