Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice

"Others, with better moderation, do either entertain the vulgar history of Jurgen as a fabulous addition unto the true and authentic story of St. Iurgenius of Poictesme, or else we conceive the literal acception to be a misconstruction of the symbolical expression: apprehending a veritable history, in an emblem or piece of Christian poesy. And this emblematical construction hath been received by men not forward to extenuate the acts of saints."

--PHILIP BORSDALE.

"A forced construction is very idle. If readers of The High History of Jurgen do not meddle with the allegory, the allegory will not meddle with them. Without minding it at all, the whole is as plain as a pikestaff. It might as well be pretended that we cannot 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 of irony, this fable of Jurgen is, as the world itself, a book wherein each man will find what his nature enables him to see; which gives us back each his own image; and which teaches us each the lesson that each of us desires to learn."

--JOHN FREDERICK LEWISTAM.

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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 ANAÏTIS 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 LEUKÊ

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 ANAÏTIS

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 certè est: et Hylax in limine latrat."

A Foreword: Which Asserts Nothing.

In Continental periodicals not more than a dozen articles in all would seem to have given accounts or partial translations of the Jurgen legends. No thorough investigation of this epos can be said to have appeared in print, anywhere, prior to the publication, in 1913, of the monumental Synopses of Aryan Mythology by Angelo de Ruiz. It is unnecessary to observe that in this exhaustive digest Professor de Ruiz has given (VII, p. 415 et sequentia) a summary of the greater part of these legends as contained in the collections of Verville and Bülg; and has discussed at length and with much learning the esoteric meaning of these folk-stories and their bearing upon questions to which the "solar theory" of myth explanation has given rise. To his volumes, and to the pages of Mr. Lewistam's Key to the Popular Tales of Poictesme, must be referred all those who may elect to think of Jurgen as the resplendent, journeying and procreative sun.