Friday, September 18, 2009

The shadowman

Desmonde walked slowley unto the steppes of the grande halle of the churche upon the villege of isse-lunde, for he was wont to praye fur a goode harvest of the croppes, and as hee inspectid the cravesses and the frescoues and hee saide unto him selfe, who ist there ? In this sacrid playce ? Hee lookt to the alter and hee sawe a shadew figeure there, and he call'd out to himme, Who ist there ? Speak, man ! And the shadowe figure came out of the darkenesse, and he spoke unto desmonde. Hee saith unto himme : Willst thou lysten toe myn histoire , whych conteynes inni it muche parabels of woe and mysery , such that I may be in peece with my selfe ? And desmonde , whoe waes a goode christien , saith that hee wouldt lysten to the histoire of the mysterious manne.

The shadowmanne saith : It waes at leaste passed one year to this daye, that the events unfourled. For thou seest, it was that thyme that I was allso a manne of faythe , and suche that I goone unto the monestery, that I may bee pure and cleen, and be with the grace of god. And in the cours of thyngs, I joyned the brotherhoode, and I wore the robbes of puryty, and I became verry sprituall , and all waes goode.

Then the face of the shadowmanne beecometh twistid and soure, and he speketh in a bytter toune. Hee saith : And then as is the wont of many thyngs, who straye from the lycht of the lord, and beecome tempt'd by eviles, of the worlde, I was leade astraye, by the machinations of the towne and the poupoulasce. It was the daye which I was wont to go unto the towne to acquire bread and porridge for the ketcins of the monestery, for our soupper, that waes the day wyc curse inflickt mee. As I wead thorough the iles of the central market I was wont to go unto the stalle whereupon there waes freche venison meats to be solde, and also a partrige , which weth hounted wy the forests wyn the wylde. Houever, as soone as I reche the stalle I beecame quite bewhilder'd, for there was a younge girl at the countre, not the olde mann whomme I waes acoustom'd too.

The shadowmanne lay prostrate upon the grounde, and hee continueth : I became enamour'd of the young girle, and I said many strange thynges, as ist the customme for myc, and she was bemus'd, and also bewhilder'd. And then I endeavoured to proposition the young girle, and she refussed, and I became withdrawne , and summarily retrated. A year pass'd from then, by wych tyme I doth forget of that milkemaide. Houever, at that tyme I recieved unto my personage a news-lettre, in which conteyned the expliots of the townsfolke, and I detected the presence of that young girl that I once saw, at the meat-shoppe, and I read of itte hastily, and I became enamour'd of herr once againe, and I beecame more detremin'd to take her too my sellf.

Then the shadowmanne pulled out a daggar, which was hydden upon his greatcoat, and he saith : I have comme here to slaye the manne, who was wont to bee her hosband, and to claime herr unto my selfe, ande that manne ist thou, M. Desmonde.

Then Desmonde saith : Calm your sellf, and remember that you are a goode christien manne, and that thou shoudst not murder a manne ! Allso, are youe notte a monke as well, by such not alloued to take a wyfe any way ?

The shadowmanne saith : That is a goode pointe.

Then the shadowmanne retreateth into the darkenesse.

1 comment:

Cavalcadeofcats said...

Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang. Do attempt to contain yourself. Perhaps read some self-help books.