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JURGEN
_A Comedy of Justice_
By
JAMES BRANCH CABELL
1922
_"Of JURGEN eke they maken mencioun, That of an old wyf gat his youthe agoon, And gat himselfe a shirte as bright as fyre Wherein to jape, yet gat not his desire In any countrie ne condicioun."_
TO
BURTON RASCOE
Before each tarradiddle, Uncowed by sciolists, Robuster persons twiddle Tremendously big fists.
"Our gods are good," they tell us; "Nor will our gods defer Remission of rude fellows' Ability to err."
So this, your JURGEN, travels Content to compromise Ordainments none unravels Explicitly ... and sighs.
* * * * *
"Others, with better moderation, do either entertain the vulgarhistory of Jurgen as a fabulous addition unto the true and authenticstory of St. Iurgenius of Poictesme, or else we conceive the literalacception to be a misconstruction of the symbolical expression:apprehending a veritable history, in an emblem or piece of Christianpoesy. And this emblematical construction hath been received by mennot forward to extenuate the acts of saints."
--PHILIP BORSDALE.
"A forced construction is very idle. If readers of _The HighHistory of Jurgen_ do not meddle with the allegory, the allegorywill not meddle with them. Without minding it at all, the whole isas plain as a pikestaff. It might as well be pretended that wecannot see Poussin's pictures without first being told the allegory,as that the allegory aids us in understanding _Jurgen_."
--E. NOEL CODMAN.
"Too urbane to advocate delusion, too hale for the bitterness ofirony, this fable of Jurgen is, as the world itself, a book whereineach man will find what his nature enables him to see; which givesus back each his own image; and which teaches us each the lessonthat each of us desires to learn."
--JOHN FREDERICK LEWISTAM.
* * * * *
_CONTENTS_
A FOREWORD: WHICH ASSERTS NOTHING
I WHY JURGEN DID THE MANLY THING
II ASSUMPTION OF A NOTED GARMENT
III THE GARDEN BETWEEN DAWN AND SUNRISE
IV THE DOROTHY WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND
V REQUIREMENTS OF BREAD AND BUTTER
VI SHOWING THAT SEREDA IS FEMININE
VII OF COMPROMISES ON A WEDNESDAY
VIII OLD TOYS AND A NEW SHADOW
IX THE ORTHODOX RESCUE OF GUENEVERE
X PITIFUL DISGUISES OF THRAGNAR
XI APPEARANCE OF THE DUKE OF LOGREUS
XII EXCURSUS OF YOLANDE'S UNDOING
XIII PHILOSOPHY OF GOGYRVAN GAWR
XIV PRELIMINARY TACTICS OF DUKE JURGEN
XV OF COMPROMISES IN GLATHION
XVI DIVERS IMBROGLIOS OF KING SMOIT
XVII ABOUT A COCK THAT CROWED TOO SOON
XVIII WHY MERLIN TALKED IN TWILIGHT
XIX THE BROWN MAN WITH QUEER FEET
XX EFFICACY OF PRAYER
XXI HOW ANAITIS VOYAGED
XXII AS TO A VEIL THEY BROKE
XXIII SHORTCOMINGS OF PRINCE JURGEN
XXIV OF COMPROMISES IN COCAIGNE
XXV CANTRAPS OF THE MASTER PHILOLOGIST
XXVI IN TIME'S HOUR-GLASS
XXVII VEXATIOUS ESTATE OF QUEEN HELEN
XXVIII OF COMPROMISES IN LEUKE
XXIX CONCERNING HORVENDILE'S NONSENSE
XXX ECONOMICS OF KING JURGEN
XXXI THE FALL OF PSEUDOPOLIS
XXXII SUNDRY DEVICES OF THE PHILISTINES
XXXIII FAREWELL TO CHLORIS
XXXIV HOW EMPEROR JURGEN FARED INFERNALLY
XXXV WHAT GRANDFATHER SATAN REPORTED
XXXVI WHY COTH WAS CONTRADICTED
XXXVII INVENTION OF THE LOVELY VAMPIRE
XXXVIII AS TO APPLAUDED PRECEDENTS
XXXIX OF COMPROMISES IN HELL
XL THE ASCENSION OF POPE JURGEN
XLI OF COMPROMISES IN HEAVEN
XLII TWELVE THAT ARE FRETTED HOURLY
XLIII POSTURES BEFORE A SHADOW
XLIV IN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE
XLV THE FAITH OF GUENEVERE
XLVI THE DESIRE OF ANAITIS
XLVII THE VISION OF HELEN
XLVIII CANDID OPINIONS OF DAME LISA
XLIX OF THE COMPROMISE WITH KOSHCHEI
L THE MOMENT THAT DID NOT COUNT
A FOREWORD
_"Nescio quid certe est: et Hylax in limine latrat."_
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