Senescalcus – The Seneschal

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AdulteryMoney in exchange for promise of sexHomosexualityIllnessDeceitful advisorDeceptionMistaken or concealed identityWoman tricked/coerced into sexRichesGenitaliaDisguiseHumiliationRemorseMedicineImpotence anxiety

For comparison, see this story's close analogue, Balneator.

A king falls ill due to some abberation with his sexual activities, usually identified as either a hatred of women or homosexuality. He is told that the only cure for his illness is for him to sleep with a woman. He instructs his steward to find a woman to sleep with him, whom he will pay handsomely. Wishing to keep the reward for himself, the steward convinces his own wife to sleep with the king, and leads her to his chamber in darkness. After the king has slept with the wife, all is revealed and the steward is shamed.

[From Brunner, The Seven Sages of Rome. Added by Jane Bonsall]

Note

This story is a close analogue of Balneator, found in the Eastern branch of the tradition. Nishimura notes the following motifs and analogues: Motifs: TMI J2199: Absurd shortsightedness -- miscellaneous. J2301: Gullible husband. K1544: Husband unwittingly instrumental in wife’s adultery. Analogues: Gower, Confessio Amantis, 5.3 ‘The Story of the King and the Wife of his Seneschal’ (The king must have sex with a beautiful woman to cure his illness. The seneschal is banished). Ben Jonson, Volpone. Reference stories, etc.: Kathasaritsagara, ch. 43, ’60. Story of Arthalobha and his Beautiful Wife’. Hitopadesha, 1.7, ‘The Merchant’s Bride’. Gesta Romanorum, 151 ‘Aussatz durch Beischlaf’ . Bandello, Le Novelle, 4.28. Decameron, 8.4 = Les Cent Nouvelle Nouvelle, 9 = Heptaméron, 8 = Sermini, Le Novelle, 26 = Poggio, Facezie, 238 = Sacchetti, Trecento Novelle, 206. Balzac, Les Contes Drolatiques, 2.2 ‘The Celibate King’. Bibliography: Chauvin VIII 12, 230. Landau 14. W.A. Clouston, pp. 334-335. Campbell, 1907, pp. xci-xciii.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001), Brunner (1933), Whitelock (2005), Clouston (1884), Campbell (1907)

Senescalcus appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Has Language Of Version Has Branch Of Tradition Is Adapted From A (Seven Sages) Old French Seven Sages of Rome V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages) Catalan Version L Catalan Seven Sages of Rome Occitan Version L D (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French Seven Sages of Rome   Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome   Seven Sages of Rome   Dutch Version A Dutch Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Welsh Seven Sages of Rome Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein French A/L Overlap Old French Seven Sages of Rome L (Sept Sages de Rome), French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Old French Seven Sages of Rome A (Seven Sages) German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus German (High and Low German) Seven Sages of Rome Latin Version A Italian Prose (V) Italian Seven Sages of Rome French A/L Overlap Italian Version A Italian Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages K (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French Seven Sages of Rome V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages) L (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French Seven Sages of Rome A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A Latin Seven Sages of Rome A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus Latin Seven Sages of Rome Latin Version A Libro dei Sette Savj (A) Italian Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Middle English Version A Middle English Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Middle Welsh Version A Middle Welsh Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Midland Version Middle English Seven Sages of Rome   Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare Old Swedish Seven Sages of Rome   Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Older Scots Seven Sages of Rome H (Historia Septem Sapientum), French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages

Senescalcus is narrated in the following occurrences

Narrator Pages Empress A (Seven Sages), Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanover MS 13075B, Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 117, Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 171, Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2., Bern Burgerbibliothek Cod. 388, Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245, Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek II 1171, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28, Catalan Version L, Chantilly Musée Condé MS 683, D (Sept Sages de Rome), Dublin Trinity College Library Ms 667, Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome, Dutch Version A, Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A, Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1 (Auchinleck Manuscript), Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500 (Asloan Manuscript), Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166, Florence Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Palatino 680, French A/L Overlap, French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages, German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus, Italian Prose (V), Italian Version A, K (Sept Sages de Rome), L (Sept Sages de Rome), Latin Version A, Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus, Libro dei Sette Savj (A), London British Library Add. MS. 27429, London British Library Arundel 140, London British Library Cotton Galba E IX, London British Library Egerton 1995, Madrid Biblioteca Nacional de España 6052 (ant. Q.224), Middle English Version A, Middle Welsh Version A, Midland Version, Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare, Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis, Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book), Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 111, Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 20, Oxford Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 175, Padua Biblioteca Civica C.M. 304/6, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95, S (Scala Coeli), Spanish Version S: Diego de Cañizares, Scala Çeli, St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI 92 B, Storia favolosa di Stefano (S), Thystorye of ye vii wyse Maysters of rome (English, 16th c.), Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket Cod. C 7, Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein, Wien Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Cod. 2937

Senescalcus appears in the following manuscripts

Has Language Has Siglum Of The Version Of The Seven Sages Has Language Group Within Version Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanover MS 13075B Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 117 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 171 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2. Latin, Middle Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Bern Burgerbibliothek Cod. 388 Old French A (Seven Sages) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek II 1171 Dutch A (Seven Sages) Dutch Version A Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17 English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Chantilly Musée Condé MS 683 Latin A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A Dublin Trinity College Library Ms 667 Latin A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1 (Auchinleck Manuscript) English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500 (Asloan Manuscript) Scots A (Seven Sages) Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166 Italian A (Seven Sages) Italian Version A Florence Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Palatino 680 Italian A (Seven Sages) Italian Version A London British Library Add. MS. 27429 Italian A (Seven Sages) Italian Version A London British Library Arundel 140 English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A London British Library Cotton Galba E IX English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A London British Library Egerton 1995 English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A Madrid Biblioteca Nacional de España 6052 (ant. Q.224) Spanish S (Scala Coeli) Spanish Version S: Diego de Cañizares, Scala Çeli Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book) English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A