as emollire nituntur. Quum praecinentium et
succinentium, canentium et decinentium, praemolles modulationes audieris,
Sirenarum concentus credas esse, non hominum, et de vocum facilitate
miraberis quibus philomena vel psitaccus, aut si quid sonorius est,
modos suos nequeunt coaequare." "Opera," vol. iii. p. 38 (see on this
same subject, below, p. 446).

[282] "Quae autem de curialibus nugis dicta sunt, in nullo eorum, sed
forte in me aut mei similibus deprehendi; et plane nimis arcta lege
constringor, si meipsum et amicos castigare et emendare non licet."
"Opera," vol. iv. p. 379 (Maupassant used to put forth in conversation
exactly the same plea as an apology for "Bel-Ami.")

[283] "Afflictus namque populus, quasi principis podagram arguit et
convicit. Tunc autem totius reipublicae salus incolumis praeclaraque erit,
si superiora membra si impendant inferioribus et inferiora superioribus
pari jure respondeant." "Policraticus"; "Opera," vol. iv. p. 52.

[284] Born probably in Herefordshire, studied at Paris, fulfilled
various diplomatic missions, was justice in eyre 1173, canon of St.
Paul's 1176, archdeacon of Oxford, 1197. He spent his last years in his
living of Westbury on the Severn, and died about 1210.

[285] "Hunc in curia regis Henrici libellum raptim annotavi schedulis."
"Gualteri Mapes de Nugis Curialium Distinctiones quinque," ed. Th.
Wright, London, Camden Society, 1850, 4to, Dist. iv., Epilogus, p. 140.

[286] For example, _ibid._ iii. 2, "De Societate Sadii et Galonis,"
Dialogue between three women, Regina, Lais, Ero, pp. 111 ff.

[287] "Galtere, veni foras!--Galterus autem, quia non audivit vocem
Jhesus, non habuit aures Lazari et non venit." "De Nugis," p. 42.

[288] "De Nugis," Dist. iv.

[289] Th. Wright, "The Latin poems commonly attributed to Walter Mapes,"
London, Camden Society, 1841, 4to (_cf._ "Romania," vol. vii. p. 94):

Meum est propositum in taberna mori;
Vinum sit appositum morientis ori,
Ut dicant cum venerint angelorum chori:
Deus sit propitius huic potatori.

("Confessio Goliae.")

On "Goliardois" clerks, see Bedier, "les Fabliaux," Paris, 1893, 8vo,
pp. 348 ff.

[290] In his prefatory letter to king John, Gerald says that "vir ille
eloquio clarus, W. Mapus, Oxoniensis archidiaconus," used to tell him
that he had derived some fame and benefits from his witticisms and
sayings, "dicta," which were in the common idiom, that is in French,
"communi quippe idiomat