Senescalcus

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AdulteryMoney in exchange for promise of sexHomosexualityIllnessDeceitful advisorDeceptionMistaken or concealed identity

The Steward (for comparison, see this story's analogue, Balneator)

A king falls ill due to some abberation with his sexual activities, usually identified as 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.

Note
This story is a close analogue of Balneator, found in the Eastern branch of the tradition.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001)

Senescalcus appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Version Original Language Branch of Tradition Adapted from A (Seven Sages) Old French West V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages) D (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French West Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Welsh West Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein French A/L Overlap Old French West L (Sept Sages de Rome) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Old French West A (Seven Sages) German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus German (High and Low German) West Latin Version A K (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French West V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages) L (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French West A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A Latin West A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus Latin West Latin Version A Middle English Version A Middle English West French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Middle Welsh Version A Middle Welsh West French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare Old Swedish West Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Older Scots West H (Historia Septem Sapientum) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages S (Scala Coeli) Latin West (Lost) Liber de Septem Sapientibus Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Middle Welsh West 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., Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28, Chantilly Musée Condé MS 683, D (Sept Sages de Rome), Dublin Trinity College Library Ms 667, 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, French A/L Overlap, French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages, German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus, K (Sept Sages de Rome), L (Sept Sages de Rome), Latin Version A, Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus, London British Library Arundel 140, London British Library Cotton Galba E IX, London British Library Egerton 1995, Middle English Version A, Middle Welsh Version A, 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, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95, S (Scala Coeli), St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI 92 B, 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

Manuscript Language Siglum (Version) 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 Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap 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 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 Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book) English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 111 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 20 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Oxford Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 175 English A (Seven Sages) Middle English Version A Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI 92 B German (High and Low German) A (Seven Sages) German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus University of Pennsylvania Library Ms. Codex 931 Old French L (Sept Sages de Rome) French Version L Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket Cod. C 7 Latin A (Seven Sages) Latin Version A Wien Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Cod. 2937 German (High and Low German) A (Seven Sages) German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus