Senescalcus

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

	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 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
Latin Version A: De Septem Sapientibus	Latin	Seven Sages of Rome
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 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, Latin Version A: De Septem Sapientibus, 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