Women’s Voices in Medieval Artes Dictandi and Model Letter Collections
date
1194-1195
author
title
Eram in domo patris mei tenera
bibliography
- Boncompagno da Signa, Rota Veneris
- La Rota Veneris di Boncompagno da Signa. Edizione critica, ed. Luca Core. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Padova, 2015, p. 32-33.
summary
The woman became pregnant before marriage. She was deceived by the flatteries of adulation. She has lost both reputation and honor and what is more, the recipient of the letter became a complete stranger to her. She begs him to come to her. If he does not intend to help her, at least he should see how she will die for him, as she cannot bears the shame in her existence.
teibody
Eram in domo patris mei tenera et in utriusque parentis conspectu plurimum amabilis, quando per venativas adulationum blanditias me traxisti minus provide in laqueum deceptivum. Nunc vero non audeo alicui propalare mei vulneris causam, et tamen scitur in platheis quod gessimus in absconso; vultus pallet, tumescit venter, reserantur claustra pudoris; fama plebescit, laceror assidue, subiaceo verberibus, requiro mortem; unde non est dolor similis meo dolori quia famam et honorem cum flore verginitatis amisi. Nam ad inenarrabilis anxietatis augmentum factus es michi penitus alienus, nec illius aliquatenus recordaris cui maria promittebas et montes et universa que celi ambitu continentur. Similibus enim laqueis auceps decipit aves et piscis ex pelago tali trahitur hamo. Sed nichil prodest michi quod reffero, quoniam qui ex alto cadit irremediabiliter corruit et frustra remedium queritur ubi periculum precurrit.
Succurre michi, queso, tandem, et si non vis prebere iuvamen, inspicias saltem quomodo pro te morior; et utinam
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