OUR LADY'S JUGGLER But as he was simple-natured he bore his

by Anatole France ills patiently.

In the days of King Louis there was a poor He had never meditated on the origin of
juggler in France, a native of Compiegne, wealth, nor upon the inequality of human
Barnaby by name, who went about from conditions. He believed firmly that if this life
town to town performing feats of skill and should prove hard, the life to come could
strength. On fair days he would unfold an not fail to redress the balance, and this
old worn-out carpet in the public square, hope upheld him. He did not resemble those
and when by means of a jovial address, thievish and miscreant Merry Andrews who
which he had learned of a very ancient sell their souls to the devil. He never
juggler, and which he never varied in the blasphemed God's name; he lived uprightly,
least, he had drawn together the children and although he had no wife of his own, he
and loafers, he assumed extraordinary did not covet his neighbor's, since woman is
attitudes, and balanced a tin plate on the tip ever the enemy of the strong man, as it
of his nose. At first the crowd would feign appears by the history of Samson recorded
indifference. in the Scriptures.

But when, supporting himself on his hands In truth, his was not a nature much disposed
face downwards, he threw into the air six to carnal delights, and it was a greater
copper balls, which glittered in the sunshine, deprivation to him to forsake the tankard
and caught them again with his feet; or than the Hebe who bore it. For whilst not
when, throwing himself backwards until his wanting in sobriety, he was fond of a drink
heels and the nape of his neck met, giving when the weather waxed hot. He was a
his body the form of a perfect wheel, he worthy man who feared God, and was very
would juggle in this posture with a dozen devoted to the Blessed Virgin.
knives, a murmur of admiration would
escape the spectators, and pieces of money Never did he fail, on entering a church, to
rain down upon the carpet. fall upon his knees before the image of the
Mother of God, and offer up this prayer to
Nevertheless, like the majority of those who her:
live by their wits, Barnaby of Compiegne "Blessed Lady, keep watch over my life until
had a great struggle to make a living. it shall please God that I die, and when I am
dead, ensure to me the possession of the
Earning his bread in the sweat of his brow, joys of paradise."
he bore rather more than his share of the
penalties consequent upon the misdoings of Now, on a certain evening after a dreary wet
our father Adam. day, as Barnaby pursued his road, sad and
bent, carrying under his arm his balls and
Again, he was unable to work as constantly knives wrapped up in his old carpet, on the
as he would have been willing to do. The watch for some barn where, though he
warmth of the sun and the broad daylight might not sup, he might sleep, he perceived
were as necessary to enable him to display on the road, going in the same direction as
his brilliant parts as to the trees if flower and himself, a monk, whom he saluted
fruit should be expected of them. In courteously. And as they walked at the
wintertime he was nothing more than a tree same rate they fell into conversation with
stripped of its leaves, and as it were dead. one another.
The frozen ground was hard to the juggler,
and, like the grasshopper of which Marie de "Fellow traveler," said the monk, "how
France tells us, the inclement season comes it about that you are clothed all in
caused him to suffer both cold and hunger.
green? Is it perhaps in order to take the part Blessed Virgin, and in her honor each
of a jester in some mystery play?" employed all the knowledge and all the skill
which God had given him.
"Not at all, good father," replied Barnaby.
"Such as you see me, I am called Barnaby, The Prior on his part wrote books dealing
and for my calling I am a juggler. There according to the rules of scholarship with
would be no pleasanter calling in the world if the virtues of the Mother of God.
it would always provide one with daily
bread." Brother Maurice, with a deft hand copied out
these treatises upon sheets of vellum.
"Friend Barnaby," returned the monk, "be
careful what you say. There is no calling Brother Alexander adorned the leaves with
more pleasant than the monastic life. Those delicate miniature paintings. Here were
who lead it are occupied with the praises of displayed the Queen of Heaven seated
God, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints; upon Solomon's throne, and while four lions
and, indeed, the religious life is one were on guard at her feet, around the
ceaseless hymn to the Lord." nimbus which encircled her head hovered
seven doves, which are the seven gifts of
Barnaby replied, "Good father, I own that I the Holy Spirit, the gifts, namely, of Fear,
spoke like an ignorant man. Your calling Piety, Knowledge, Strength, Counsel,
cannot be in any respect compared to mine, Understanding, and Wisdom. For her
and although there may be some merit in companions she had six virgins with hair of
dancing with a penny balanced on a stick on gold, namely, Humility, Prudence,
the tip of one's nose, it is not a merit which Seclusion, Submission, Virginity, and
comes within hail of your own. Gladly would Obedience.
I, like you, good father, sing my office day
by day, and especially the office of the most At her feet were two little naked figures,
Holy Virgin, to whom I have vowed a perfectly white, in an attitude of supplication.
singular devotion. In order to embrace the These were souls imploring her all-powerful
monastic life I would willingly abandon the intercession for their soul's health, and we
art by which from Soissons to Beauvais I may be sure not imploring in vain.
am well known in upwards of six hundred
towns and villages." Upon another page facing this, Brother
Alexander represented Eve, so that the Fall
The monk was touched by the juggler's and the Redemption could be perceived at
simplicity, and as he was not lacking in one and the same time -- Eve the Wife
discernment, he at once recognized in abased, and Mary the Virgin exalted.
Barnaby one of those men of whom it is
said in the Scriptures: Peace on earth to Furthermore, to the marvel of the beholder,
men of good will. And for this reason he this book contained presentments of the
replied, "Friend Barnaby, come with me, Well of Living Waters, the Fountain, the Lily,
and I will have you admitted into the the Moon, the Sun, and the Garden
monastery of which I am Prior. He who Enclosed of which the Song of Songs tells
guided Saint Mary of Egypt in the desert set us, the Gate of Heaven and the City of God,
me upon your path to lead you into the way and all these things were symbols of the
of salvation." Blessed Virgin.

It was in this manner, then, that Barnaby Brother Marbode was likewise one of the
became a monk. In the monastery into most loving children of Mary.
which he was received the religious vied
with one another in the worship of the
He spent all his days carving images in of liberty in conversation, he heard one of
stone, so that his beard, his eyebrows, and them tell the tale of a religious man who
his hair were white with dust, and his eyes could repeat nothing other than the Ave
continually swollen and weeping; but his Maria. This poor man was despised for his
strength and cheerfulness were not ignorance; but after his death there issued
diminished, although he was now well gone forth from his mouth five roses in honor of
in years, and it was clear that the Queen of the five letters of the name Mary (Marie),
Paradise still cherished her servant in his and thus his sanctity was made manifest.
old age. Marbode represented her seated
upon a throne, her brow encircled with an Whilst he listened to this narrative Barnaby
orb-shaped nimbus set with pearls. And he marveled yet once again at the loving
took care that the folds of her dress should kindness of the Virgin; but the lesson of that
cover the feet of her, concerning whom the blessed death did not avail to console him,
prophet declared: My beloved is as a for his heart overflowed with zeal, and he
garden enclosed. longed to advance the glory of his Lady,
who is in heaven.
Sometimes, too, he depicted her in the
semblance of a child full of grace, and How to compass this he sought, but could
appearing to say, "Thou art my God, even find no way, and day by day he became the
from my mother's womb." more cast down, when one morning he
awakened filled with joy, hastened to the
In the priory, moreover, were poets who chapel, and remained there alone for more
composed hymns in Latin, both in prose and than an hour. After dinner he returned to the
verse, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, chapel once more.
and amongst the company was even a
brother from Picardy who sang the miracles And, starting from that moment, he repaired
of Our Lady in rhymed verse and in the daily to the chapel at such hours as it was
vulgar tongue. deserted, and spent within it a good part of
the time which the other monks devoted to
Being a witness of this emulation in praise the liberal and mechanical arts. His sadness
and the glorious harvest of their labors, vanished, nor did he any longer groan.
Barnaby mourned his own ignorance and
simplicity. A demeanor so strange awakened the
curiosity of the monks.
"Alas!" he sighed, as he took his solitary
walk in the little shelterless garden of the These began to ask one another for what
monastery, "wretched wight that I am, to be purpose Brother Barnaby could be indulging
unable, like my brothers, worthily to praise so persistently in retreat.
the Holy Mother of God, to whom I have
vowed my whole heart's affection. Alas! The prior, whose duty it is to let nothing
alas! I am but a rough man and unskilled in escape him in the behavior of his children in
the arts, and I can render you in service, religion, resolved to keep a watch over
Blessed Lady, neither edifying sermons, nor Barnaby during his withdrawals to the
ingenious paintings, nor statues truthfully chapel. One day, then, when he was shut
sculptured, nor verses whose march is up there after his custom, the prior,
measured to the beat of feet. No gift have I, accompanied by two of the older monks,
alas!" went to discover through the chinks in the
door what was going on within the chapel.
After this fashion he groaned and gave
himself up to sorrow. But one evening, They saw Barnaby before the altar of the
when the monks were spending their hour Blessed Virgin, head downwards, with his
feet in the air, and he was juggling with six the chapel, when they saw the Blessed
balls of copper and a dozen knives. In honor Virgin descend the steps of the altar and
of the Holy Mother of God he was advance to wipe away with a fold of her
performing those feats, which aforetime had azure robe the sweat which was dropping
won him most renown. Not recognizing that from her juggler's forehead.
the simple fellow was thus placing at the
service of the Blessed Virgin his knowledge Then the prior, falling upon his face upon
and skill, the two old monks exclaimed the pavement, uttered these words,
against the sacrilege. "Blessed are the simple-hearted, for they
shall see God."
The prior was aware how stainless was
Barnaby's soul, but he concluded that he "Amen!" responded the old brethren, and
had been seized with madness. They were kissed the ground.
all three preparing to lead him swiftly from