Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice Read online

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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."_