Nature

‘Nature, qui pensoit des choses 

Qui sont desouz le ciel encloses, 

Dedenz sa forge entree estoit, 

Ou toute s’entente metoit 

A forgier singulieres pieces 

Por continuer les espieces; 

Car les pieces tant les font vivre 

Que mors ne les puet aconsivre,

Jà tant ne saura corre après.’

(Roman de la Rose 15897-15905)

(Nature, whose thoughts were on the things enclosed beneath the sky, had entered her forge, where she was concentrating all her efforts upon the forging of individual creatures to continue the species. For individuals give such life to species that, however much death pursues them, she can never catch up with them. - transl. F. Horgan) 

Roman de la Rose, Bruges ca. 1490-1500.

British Library, Harley 4425, fol. 140r

bored with relationship or coital cephalalgia

Roman de la Rose, France 15th century.

Bodleian Library, MS. Douce 195, fol. 118v

ORIGEN EMASCULATING

Roman de la Rose, France ca. 1380.

BL, Egerton 881, fol. 132r 

ZEUXIS

Roman de la Rose, Netherlands ca. 1490-1500.

BL, Harley 4425, fol. 142r

PRACTICAL JOKE

Venus, Mars & Vulcan

Roman de la Rose, France ca. 1380.

BL, Egerton 881, fol. 141v

ORIGEN

Roman de la Rose, France, 15th century.

Bodleian, MS. Douce 195, fol. 122v

THE TALE OF THE LUSTFUL MONK, THE SLUTTY NUN & THE PENIS TREE

Roman de la Rose, France 14th century.

BNF, Français 25526, fol. 106-160