Merlin's Story

I own a few very old books that are my pride and glory on the bookshelf. One of them is "Spanish Grail Fragments" edited by Karl Pietsch in an edition of The University of Chicago Press. The texts are in Spanish, notes in English. The book was published in August 1924.
Here is a funny fragment of the Merlin's Story: How the Lady became a Whore.

Quando el diablo esto oyo, fue muy ledo; ca bien asmo que la averia a su voluntad. E fizo ende yr la mugier. E la donzella finco e cuydo mucho en aquello que la mugier le dixiera. E quando vino a la noche, cato mucho su fermoso cuerpo e dixo: E sin falla me dixo verdat la buena mugier que yo era perdida. Asy que un dia dixo ella a la mugier: Ciertas, vos me dexistes verdat que mi hermana non da por mi nada. E non vos lo dixe yo? dixo ella. Aynda dara por vos menos. Nos non somos fechas sy non por aver plazer con omne. E la donzela dixo: Yo lo querria de grado sy non oviese pavor de muerte. Dixo ella: Yo vos lo ensennare, amiga, en commo lo fagades sin peligro de muerte. E ella dixo: Dezitmelo, e yo lo fare commo vos quesieren. E diredes que non podedes biver nin guarescer con vuestra hermana e que por ende fuystes. E asy faredes vuestro plazer de vuestro cuerpo e asi seredes salida de la justicia. E podedes bien casar despeues por vuestra rriqueza grande e asy averedes toda alegria del mundo. E la donzela fuese entonce para quantos la quisieron por consejo de aquella mujer.

The small chapter tell how a woman convinced a virtuous lady to become a whore. She states that we (women) are only made to please men. The virtuous lady replies she would glady do it, but she is afraid of dying. The woman replied her she would teach her how to do it without risking her life. She also told her she would become rich and then could marry whoever she wanted because of her money.
Looking back in time is an interesting but scary exercise!

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