Le roman de la rose

put into Prose. This was partly the taste of the time, but it was above all that of Jean Molinet, Canon of Valenciennes and Historiographer of Maximilian I at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th. Thus, Jean de Meun had given this Romance as an agreeable and amusing Book, and Jean Molinet wanted to make it a Book of piety.

This Author was born for devout fooleries original: "turlupinades," referring to puns or low jests often used in serious contexts; it is from him that we have the Vigils of the Dead original: "Vigiles des Morts" in the form of a Comedy. He begins his work with these Verses, which serve as its title:

This is the Romance of the Rose
Moralized, clear and clean,
Translated from rhyme into prose
By your humble Molinet.

These are perhaps the best he ever made, although Clément Marot speaks to the advantage of this Author's Poetry.

And poor Jean Molinet was so persuaded of the truth of the allegories in this Romance that he cannot sufficiently praise the Lord for having led him to the end of his work. What I am going to report from it will be a bit long, but it will not be the least curious part of this Preface:

"Praise be to the everlasting God of Love," he says, "and to his most sacred Virgin Mother, when we see this Romance reduced to a moral sense, even to the plucking of the Rose. Several grumblers original: "Hongnars", disciples of murmurs, have often half-drawn the short swords of their mouths to strike at the Author original: "l'Acteur," meaning the creator of the book of this Book, saying that he had outrageously dishonored the feminine sex by his biting writings. But they must be forgiven, like poor innocents, being ignorant that there is a double interpretation of the text of the said Book. Some foolish and earthly lovers, given to lubricity and full of lasciviousness, gloss it to their advantage and according to their affection: he who is of the earth, speaks of the earth original: "qui de terra est, de terra loquitur," a reference to John 3:31. But those who will be lovers of the spiritual delight, which comes from heaven original: "cælo venit", they find there good fruit, happiness, and salutary honor. And it is not to be presumed that such a spirit of a man as was Master Jean de Meung, far more angelic than human, would have wished to stain the tail of his old age in the filth of lewdness and defile its renown without drawing from it profi-