AN OLD SPANISH TALE FROM ADD. MS. 14040, flf ... - British Library

in all particulars with any other known version. One feature of our texts is the feminine
element: the child is a daughter who engages in prostitution rather than a son who
consorts with prostitutes. The inclusion of a daughter enables the author to descant on
the theme of women's vanity (11. 17-22): Chmesta from the start is guilty of excessive
care for her appearance - a theme beloved of medieval preachers - and although the
connection between female luxury and prostitution is not made explicit, they are
certainly referred to in similar terms: see 11. 13-15.
Patrigio's tale ofthe exchange between Truth and Falsehood is not unique to this text,
although it has fewer parallels than the main story. The only close analogue is in the Libra
del caballero Zifar of circa 1303.^^ When Wind, Water and Truth part company, they ask
each other where he is to be found. Water says he will be in the fountains. Wind in the
mountain passes. Truth replies: 'Keep me while you have me, as once you let me go
you'll never catch me again.' The version in Zifar is superior to that in our manuscript,
as it integrates Truth's answer into a tripartite structure in which Truth is declared even
harder to keep hold of than the ungraspable Wind and Water. It is interesting that the
only work to include both the stories in our text appears also to be an Old Spanish one.
The immediate source of our text is unknown, but it seems likely that it is a
translation, partly because one episode is built around a pun on mefer, 'to rock in a
cradle/be a prostitute.' The pun is unique to this version. The second meaning of mefer
is not to my knowledge attested in Old Spanish, although it does exist in modern
Portuguese mexer}^ In Latin however the sexual meaning of miscere (the supposed
etymon of mefer) is well established.^*' The text shows some signs that it is a fragment.
The first three sentences refer not only to Climegia and her daughter Climesta but also
to Clime^ia's sister Gloriana and her son Picleco. Parents are exhorted to learn from
'these two sisters,' which suggests that an earher witness preserved a parallel story,
perhaps a tale of virtue rewarded. However, in the extant text no more is heard of
Gloriana and Picleco.
EDITION OF THE TEXT IN ADD. MS. 14040
[f. ii3r] Exenplo que acaes^io en tierra de Damasco a la buena duenna Climefia con su
fija Climesta que avia veynte annos e la megia en cuna.
En la ^ibdat de Damasco en tienpo del enperador Systo, andando en aquellas partes
mucha justi^ia, acaes^io a una buena duenna que avia por nonbre Climefia que ovo una
fija de su marido; que ovo por nonbre Climesta Tuburgia porque a su padre llamaron
por nonbre Gofrido Tiburgio. E era esta duenna hermana de otra duenna a que llamavan
Gloriana, que tenia un fijo que avia nonbre Picleco. Aqui vengan los padres e las niadres
que an de castigar fijos e fijas e ayan enxenplo en estas dos hermanas e veredes que les
Asy que fue que seyendo Climesta bien criada de los saberes e costunbres del mundo
e muy poco mostrada en sabiduria de las virtudes, del temor de Dios muy menguada,
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