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diff --git a/17704.txt b/17704.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..378c794 --- /dev/null +++ b/17704.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6203 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. IV. (of +V.), by Margaret, Queen Of Navarre + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. IV. (of V.) + +Author: Margaret, Queen Of Navarre + +Illustrator: Freudenberg and Dunker + +Translator: George Saintsbury: From The Authentic Text +Of M. Le Roux De Lincy With An Essay Upon The Heptameron by the Translator + +Release Date: February 7, 2006 [EBook #17704] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALES OF THE HEPTAMERON *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +THE TALES OF + +THE HEPTAMERON + +OF + +Margaret, Queen of Navarre + +_Newly Translated into English from the Authentic Text_ + +OF M. LE ROUX DE LINCY WITH + +AN ESSAY UPON THE HEPTAMERON + +BY + +GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M.A. + +Also the Original Seventy-three Full Page Engravings + + + +Designed by S. FREUDENBERG + +And One Hundred and Fifty Head and Tail Pieces + +By DUNKER + +_IN FIVE VOLUMES_ + +VOLUME THE FOURTH + +LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY OF ENGLISH BIBLIOPHILISTS + +MDCCCXCIV + + +[Illustration: Frontispiece] + +[Margaret, Queen of Navarre, from a crayon drawing by Clouet, preserved +at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris] + +[Illustration: Titlepage] + + + + +CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV. + +FOURTH DAY. + +Prologue + +Tale XXXI. Punishment of the wickedness of a Friar who sought to lie +with a gentleman's wife. + +Tale XXXII. How an ambassador of Charles VIII., moved by the repentance +of a German lady, whom her husband compelled to drink out of her lover's +skull, reconciled husband and wife together. + +Tale XXXIII. The hypocrisy of a priest who, under the cloak of sanctity, +had lain with his own sister, is discovered and punished by the wisdom +of the Count of Angouleme. + +Tale XXXIV. The terror of two Friars who believed that a butcher +intended to murder them, whereas the poor man was only speaking of his +Pigs. + +Tale XXXV. How a husband's prudence saves his wife from the risks she +incurred while thinking to yield to merely a spiritual love. + +Tale XXXVI. The story of the President of Grenoble, who saves the honour +of his house by poisoning his wife with a salad. + +Tale XXXVII. How the Lady of Loue regained her husband's affection. + +Tale XXXVIII. The kindness of a townswoman of Tours to a poor +farm-woman who is mistress to her husband, makes the latter so ashamed +of his faithlessness that he returns to his wife. + +Tale XXXIX. How the Lord of Grignaulx rid one of his houses of a +pretended ghost. + +Tale XL. The unhappy history of the Count de Jossebelin's sister, who +shut herself up in a hermitage because her brother caused her husband to +be slain. + + +FIFTH DAY. + +Prologue + +Tale XLI. Just punishment of a Grey Friar for the unwonted penance that +he would have laid upon a maiden. + +Tale XLII. The virtuous resistance made by a young woman of Touraine +causes a young Prince that is in love with her, to change his desire to +respect, and to bestow her honourably in marriage. + +Tale XLIII. How a little chalk-mark revealed the hypocrisy of a lady +called Jambicque, who was wont to hide the pleasures she indulged in, +beneath the semblance of austerity. + +Tale XLIV. (A). Through telling the truth, a Grey Friar receives as alms +from the Lord of Sedan two pigs instead of one. + +Tale XLIV. (B). Honourable conduct of a young citizen of Paris, who, +after suddenly enjoying his sweetheart, at last happily marries. + +Tale XLV. Cleverness of an upholsterer of Touraine, who, to hide that +he has given the Innocents to his serving-maid, contrives to give them +afterwards to his wife. + +Tale XLVI. (A). Wicked acts of a Grey Friar of Angouleme called De Vale, +who fails in his purpose with the wife of the Judge of the Exempts, but +to whom a mother in blind confidence foolishly abandons her daughter. + +Tale XLVI. (B). Sermons of the Grey Friar De Valles, at first against +and afterwards on behalf of husbands that beat their wives. + +Tale XLVII. The undeserved jealousy of a gentleman of Le Perche towards +another gentleman, his friend, leads the latter to deceive him. + +Tale XLVIII. Wicked act of a Grey Friar of Perigord, who, while a +husband was dancing at his wedding, went and took his place with the +bride. + +Tale XLIX. Story of a foreign Countess, who, not content with having +King Charles as her lover, added to him three lords, to wit, Astillon, +Durassier and Valnebon. + +Tale L. Melancholy fortune of Messire John Peter, a gentleman of +Cremona, who dies just when he is winning the affection of the lady he +loves. + +Appendix to Vol. IV. + + + + +PAGE ENGRAVINGS CONTAINED IN VOLUME IV. + +Tale XXXI. The Wicked Friar Captured. + +Tale XXXII. Bernage observing the German Lady's Strange Penance. + +Tale XXXIII. The Execution of the Wicked Priest and his Sister. + +Tale XXXIV. The Grey Friar imploring the Butcher to Spare his Life. + +Tale XXXV. The Lady embracing the Supposed Friar. + +Tale XXXVI. The Clerk entreating Forgiveness of the President. + +Tale XXXVII. The Lady of Loue bringing her Husband the Basin of Water. + +Tale XXXVIII. The Lady of Tours questioning her Husband's Mistress. + +Tale XXXIX. The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost. + +Tale XL. The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister's Husband. + +Tale XLI. The Beating of the Wicked Grey Friar. + +Tale XLII. The Girl refusing the Gift of the Young Prince. + +Tale XLIII. Jambicque repudiating her Lover. + +Tale XLIV. (B). The Lovers returning from their Meeting in the Garden. + +Tale Tale XLV. The Man of Tours and his Serving-maid in the Snow. + +Tale XLVI. (B). The Young Man beating his Wife. + +Tale XLVII. The Gentleman reproaching his Friend for his Jealousy. + +Tale XLVIII. The Grey Friars Caught and Punished. + +Tale XLIX. The Countess facing her Lovers. + +Tale L. The Lady killing herself on the Death of her Lover. + + + + +FOURTH DAY. + +_On the Fourth Day are chiefly told Tales of the +virtuous patience and long suffering of +Ladies to win over their husbands; +and of the prudence that Men +have used towards Women +to save the honour of +their families and +lineage._ + + + + +PROLOGUE. + +The Lady Oisille, as was her excellent custom, rose up on the morrow +very much earlier than the others, and meditating upon her book of +Holy Scripture, awaited the company which, little by little, assembled +together again. And the more slothful of them excused themselves in the +words of the Bible, saying, "I have a wife, and therefore could not come +so quickly." (1) In this wise it came to pass that Hircan and his wife +Parlamente found the reading of the lesson already begun. Oisille, +however, knew right well how to pick out the passage in the Scriptures, +which reproves those who neglect the hearing of the Word, and she not +only read the text, but also addressed to them such excellent and pious +exhortations that it was impossible to weary of listening to her. + + 1 "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."--St. + Luke xiv. 20.--M. + +The reading ended, Parlamente said to her-- + +"I felt sorry for my slothfulness when I came in, but since my error +has led you to speak to me in such excellent fashion, my laziness has +profited me double, for I have had rest of body by sleeping longer, and +satisfaction of spirit by hearing your godly discourse." "Well," said +Oisille, "let us for penance go to mass and pray Our Lord to give us +both will and power to fulfil His commandments; and then may He command +us according to His own good pleasure." + +As she was saying these words, they reached the church, where they +piously heard mass. And afterwards they sat down to table, where Hircan +failed not to laugh at the slothfulness of his wife. After dinner they +withdrew to rest and study their parts, (2) and when the hour was come, +they all found themselves at the wonted spot. + + 2 Meaning what they had to relate. The French word is + _rolle_ from _rotulus_.--M. + +Then Oisille asked Hircan to whom he would give his vote to begin the +day. + +"If my wife," said he, "had not begun yesterday, I should have given her +my vote, for although I always thought that she loved me more than any +man alive, she has further proved to me this morning that she loves me +better than God or His Word, seeing that she neglected your excellent +reading to bear me company. However, since I cannot give my vote to the +discreetest lady of the company, I will present it to Geburon, who is +the discreetest among the men; and I beg that he will in no wise spare +the monks." + +"It was not necessary to beg that of me," said Geburon; "I was not at +all likely to forget them. Only a short while ago I heard Monsieur de +Saint-Vincent, Ambassador of the Emperor, tell a story of them which is +well worthy of being rememorated and I will now relate it to you." + +[Illustration: 007a.jpg The Wicked Friar Captured] + +[The Wicked Friar Captured] + +[Illustration: 007.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXI_. + + _A monastery of Grey Friars was burned down, with the monks + that were in it, as a perpetual memorial of the cruelty + practised by one among them that was in love with a lady_. + +In the lands subject to the Emperor Maximilian of Austria (1) there was +a monastery of Grey Friars that was held in high repute, and nigh to it +stood the house of a gentleman who was so kindly disposed to these +monks that he could withhold nothing from them, in order to share in the +benefits of their fastings and disciplines. Among the rest there was +a tall and handsome friar whom the said gentleman had taken to be his +confessor, and who had as much authority in the gentleman's house as the +gentleman himself. This friar, seeing that the gentleman's wife was as +beautiful and prudent as it was possible to be, fell so deeply in love +with her that he lost all appetite for both food and drink, and all +natural reason as well. One day, thinking to work his end, he went all +alone to the house, and not finding the gentleman within, asked the lady +whither he was gone. She replied that he was gone to an estate where he +proposed remaining during two or three days, but that if the friar had +business with him, she would despatch a man expressly to him. The friar +said no to this, and began to walk to and fro in the house like one with +a weighty matter in his mind. + + 1 Maximilian I., grandfather of Charles V. and Ferdinand + I., and Emperor of Germany from 1494 to 1519.--Ed. + +When he had left the room, the lady said to one of her women (and there +were but two) "Go after the good father and find out what he wants, for +I judge by his countenance that he is displeased." + +The serving-woman went to the courtyard and asked the friar whether he +desired aught, whereat he answered that he did, and, drawing her into a +corner, he took a dagger which he carried in his sleeve, and thrust +it into her throat. Just after he had done this, there came into the +courtyard a mounted servant who had been gone to receive the rent of a +farm. As soon as he had dismounted he saluted the friar, who embraced +him, and while doing so thrust the dagger into the back part of his +neck. And thereupon he closed the castle gate. + +The lady, finding that her serving-woman did not return, was astonished +that she should remain so long with the friar, and said to the other-- + +"Go and see why your fellow-servant does not come back." + +The woman went, and as soon as the good father saw her, he drew her +aside into a corner and did to her as he had done to her companion. +Then, finding himself alone in the house, he came to the lady, and told +her that he had long been in love with her, and that the hour was now +come when she must yield him obedience. + +The lady, who had never suspected aught of this, replied-- + +"I am sure, father, that were I so evilly inclined, you would be the +first to cast a stone at me." + +"Come out into the courtyard," returned the monk, "and you will see what +I have done." + +When she beheld the two women and the man lying dead, she was so +terrified that she stood like a statue, without uttering a word. The +villain, who did not seek merely an hour's delight, would not take her +by force, but forthwith said to her-- + +"Mistress, be not afraid; you are in the hands of him who, of all living +men, loves you the most." + +So saying, he took off his long robe, beneath which he wore a shorter +one, which he gave to the lady, telling her that if she did not take it, +she should be numbered with those whom she saw lying lifeless before her +eyes. + +More dead than alive already, the lady resolved to feign obedience, +both to save her life, and to gain time, as she hoped, for her husband's +return. At the command of the friar, she set herself to put off her +head-dress as slowly as she was able; and when this was done, the friar, +heedless of the beauty of her hair, quickly cut it off. Then he caused +her to take off all her clothes except her chemise, and dressed her in +the smaller robe he had worn, he himself resuming the other, which he +was wont to wear; then he departed thence with all imaginable speed, +taking with him the little friar he had coveted so long. + +But God, who pities the innocent in affliction, beheld the tears of +this unhappy lady, and it so happened that her husband, having arranged +matters more speedily than he had expected, was now returning home by +the same road by which she herself was departing. However, when the +friar perceived him in the distance, he said to the lady-- + +"I see your husband coming this way. I know that if you look at him he +will try to take you out of my hands. Go, then, before me, and turn +not your head in his direction; for, if you make the faintest sign, my +dagger will be in your throat before he can deliver you." + +As he was speaking, the gentleman came up, and asked him whence he was +coming. + +"From your house," replied the other, "where I left my lady in good +health, and waiting for you." + +The gentleman passed on without observing his wife, but a servant who +was with him, and who had always been wont to foregather with one of +the friar's comrades named Brother John, began to call to his mistress, +thinking, indeed, that she was this Brother John. The poor woman, who +durst not turn her eyes in the direction of her husband, answered not a +word. The servant, however, wishing to see her face, crossed the road, +and the lady, still without making any reply, signed to him with her +eyes, which were full of tears. + +The servant then went after his master and said--"Sir, as I crossed the +road I took note of the friar's companion. He is not Brother John, but +is very like my lady, your wife, and gave me a pitiful look with eyes +full of tears." + +The gentleman replied that he was dreaming, and paid no heed to him; but +the servant persisted, entreating his master to allow him to go back, +whilst he himself waited on the road, to see if matters were as he +thought. The gentleman gave him leave, and waited to see what news he +would bring him. When the friar heard the servant calling out to Brother +John, he suspected that the lady had been recognised, and with a great, +iron-bound stick that he carried, he dealt the servant so hard a blow in +the side that he knocked him off his horse. Then, leaping upon his body, +he cut his throat. + +The gentleman, seeing his servant fall in the distance, thought that he +had met with an accident, and hastened back to assist him. As soon as +the friar saw him, he struck him also with the iron-bound stick, just +as he had struck the servant, and, flinging him to the ground, threw +himself upon him. But the gentleman being strong and powerful, hugged +the friar so closely that he was unable to do any mischief, and was +forced to let his dagger fall. The lady picked it up, and, giving it to +her husband, held the friar with all her strength by the hood. Then her +husband dealt the friar several blows with the dagger, so that at last +he cried for mercy and confessed his wickedness. The gentleman was +not minded to kill him, but begged his wife to go home and fetch their +people and a cart, in which to carry the friar away. This she did, +throwing off her robe, and running as far as her house in nothing but +her shift, with her cropped hair. + +The gentleman's men forthwith hastened to assist their master to bring +away the wolf that he had captured. And they found this wolf in the +road, on the ground, where he was seized and bound, and taken to the +house of the gentleman, who afterwards had him brought before the +Emperor's Court in Flanders, when he confessed his evil deeds. + +And by his confession and by proofs procured by commissioners on the +spot, it was found that a great number of gentlewomen and handsome +wenches had been brought into the monastery in the same fashion as the +friar of my story had sought to carry off this lady; and he would have +succeeded but for the mercy of Our Lord, who ever assists those that put +their trust in Him. And the said monastery was stripped of its spoils +and of the handsome maidens that were found within it, and the monks +were shut up in the building and burned with it, as an everlasting +memorial of this crime, by which we see that there is nothing more +dangerous than love when it is founded upon vice, just as there is +nothing more gentle or praiseworthy when it dwells in a virtuous heart. +(2) + + 2 Queen Margaret states (_ante_, p. 5) that this tale was + told by M. de St.-Vincent, ambassador of Charles V., and + seems to imply that the incident recorded in it was one of + recent occurrence. The same story may be found, however, in + most of the collections of early _fabliaux_. See _OEuvres de + Rutebeuf_, vol. i. p. 260 (_Frere Denise_), Legrand + d'Aussy's _Fabliaux_, vol. iv. p. 383, and the _Recueil + complet des Fabliaux_, Paris, 1878, vol. iii. p. 253. There + is also some similarity between this tale and No. LX. of the + _Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles_. Estienne quotes it in his + _Apologie pour Herodote_, L'Estoile in his _Journal du regne + de Henri III. (anno_ 1577), Malespini uses it in his + _Ducento Novelle_ (No. 75), and it suggested to Lafontaine + his _Cordeliers de Catalogne_.--L. and M. + +"I am very sorry, ladies, that truth does not provide us with stories +as much to the credit of the Grey Friars as it does to the contrary. It +would be a great pleasure to me, by reason of the love that I bear their +Order, if I knew of one in which I could really praise them; but we have +vowed so solemnly to speak the truth that, after hearing it from such +as are well worthy of belief, I cannot but make it known to you. +Nevertheless, I promise you that, whenever the monks shall accomplish a +memorable and glorious deed, I will be at greater pains to exalt it than +I have been in relating the present truthful history." + +"In good faith, Geburon," said Oisille, "that was a love which might +well have been called cruelty." + +"I am astonished," said Simontault, "that he was patient enough not to +take her by force when he saw her in her shift, and in a place where he +might have mastered her." + +"He was not an epicure, but a glutton," said Saffredent. "He wanted to +have his fill of her every day, and so was not minded to amuse himself +with a mere taste." + +"That was not the reason," said Parlamente. "Understand that a lustful +man is always timorous, and the fear that he had of being surprised and +robbed of his prey led him, wolf-like, to carry off his lamb that he +might devour it at his ease." + +"For all that," said Dagoucin, "I cannot believe that he loved her, or +that the virtuous god of love could dwell in so base a heart." + +"Be that as it may," said Oisille, "he was well punished, and I pray God +that like attempts may meet with the same chastisement. But to whom will +you give your vote?" + +"To you, madam," replied Geburon; "you will, I know, not fail to tell us +a good story." + +"Since it is my turn," said Oisille, "I will relate to you one that is +indeed excellent, seeing that the adventure befel in my own day, and +before the eyes of him who told it to me. You are, I am sure, aware +that death ends all our woes, and this being so, it may be termed our +happiness and tranquil rest. It is, therefore, a misfortune if a man +desires death and cannot obtain it, and so the most grievous punishment +that can be given to a wrongdoer is not death, but a continual torment, +great enough to render death desirable, but withal too slight to bring +it nearer. And this was how a husband used his wife, as you shall hear." + +[Illustration: 0016.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 017a.jpg Bernage observing the German Lady's Strange Penance] + +[Bernage observing the German Lady's Strange Penance] + +[Illustration: 017.jpg Page Image + + + + +_TALE XXXII_. + + _Bernage, learning in what patience and humility a German + lady submitted to the strange penance laid upon her for her + unchastity by her husband, so persuaded the latter that he + forgot the past, showed pity to his wife, and, taking her + back again, afterwards had by her some very handsome + children_. + +King Charles, eighth of the name, sent into Germany a gentleman called +Bernage, Lord of Sivray, near Amboise, (1) who to make good speed spared +not to travel both by day and night. In this wise he came very late one +evening to a gentleman's castle, where he asked for lodging, a request +which was not granted him without great difficulty. + + 1 Bernage, Bernaige, or Vernaiges, as the name is diversely + written in the MSS. of the _Heptameron_, was in 1495 equerry + to Charles VIII., a post which brought him an annual salary + of 300 livres.--See Godefroy's _Histoire de Charles VIII_., + p. 705. Civray, near Chenonceaux, on the Cher, was a fief of + the barony of Amboise. In 1483 we find a certain John + Goussart doing homage for it to the crown.--Archives + Nationales, Section Domaniale, cote 3801.--L. + +However, when the gentleman came to know that he was servant to so great +a King, he went to him and begged him not to take the churlishness of +his servants in bad part, since he was obliged to keep his house thus +closed on account of certain of his wife's kinsfolk who sought to do +him hurt. Bernage then told him the nature of his mission, wherein the +gentleman offered to serve the interests of the King his master, so far +as in him lay; and he forthwith led Bernage into the house, where he +lodged and entertained him honourably. + +It was the hour for supper, and the gentleman led him into a handsome +room, hung with beautiful tapestry, where, as soon as the meats were +served, he saw come from behind the hangings the most beautiful woman it +were possible to behold; though her head was shorn and she was dressed +in black garments of the German fashion. + +After the gentleman had washed his hands with Bernage, water was borne +to the lady, who also washed hers and then sat down at the end of the +table without speaking to the gentleman, or he to her. The Lord de +Bernage looked very closely at her, and thought her one of the most +beautiful women he had ever seen, except that her face was very pale, +and its expression very sad. + +After eating a little, she asked for drink, which was brought to her by +a servant in a most marvellous vessel, for it was a death's head, the +eyeholes of which were closed with silver; and from this she drank two +or three times. When she had supped, the lady washed her hands, made +a reverence to the lord of the house, and retired again behind the +tapestry without speaking to any one. Bernage was exceedingly amazed at +this strange sight, and became very melancholy and thoughtful. + +The gentleman, who perceived this, then said to him-- + +"I perceive that you are astonished at what you have seen at this table; +but for the sake of the excellence that I find in you I will explain +the matter, so that you may not think I could show such cruelty without +reasons of great weight. The lady whom you saw is my wife; I loved her +more than ever man loved woman, insomuch that in order to marry her I +forgot all fear, and brought her hither in defiance of her relations. On +her part, she showed me so many tokens of love that I would have risked +ten thousand lives in bringing her hither, to her delight and mine. +And here we lived for a while in such peace and gladness that I deemed +myself the happiest gentleman in Christendom. + +"But it came to pass, upon my undertaking a journey which my honour +compelled me to make, she forgot her honour, conscience and love for me +to such a degree as to fall in love with a young gentleman whom I had +brought up in this house, and this I thought I could perceive when I +returned home again. Nevertheless, the love I bore her was so great that +I was not able to mistrust her, until at last experience opened my eyes +and made me see what I dreaded more than death, whereupon my love for +her was turned to frenzy and despair in such wise that I watched her +closely, and one day, while feigning to walk abroad, I hid myself in the +room in which she now dwells. + +"Thither she withdrew soon after my departure, and sent for the young +gentleman, whom I saw come in with such familiarity as should have been +mine alone. But when I saw him about to get upon the bed beside her, I +sprang out, seized him in her very arms, and slew him. And as my wife's +crime seemed to me so great that death would not suffice to punish it, I +laid upon her a penalty which she must hold, I think, to be more bitter +than death; and this penalty was to shut her up in the room to which she +was wont to retire to take her greatest pleasures in the company of +him for whom she had more love than she had for me; and there I further +placed in a cupboard all her lover's bones, hanging there even as +precious things are hung up in a cabinet. + +"That she may not lose the memory of this villain I cause her to be +served with his skull, (2) in place of a cup, when she is eating and +drinking at table, and this always in my presence, so that she may +behold, alive, him whom her guilt has made her mortal enemy, and dead, +through love of her, him whose love she did prefer to mine. And in this +wise, at dinner and at supper, she sees the two things that must be most +displeasing to her, to wit, her living enemy, and her dead lover; and +all this through her own great sinfulness. + + 2 It will be remembered that the Lombard King Alboin forced + his wife Rosamond to drink his health out of a goblet which + had been made from the skull of her father Cunimond, + sovereign of the Gepidae. To revenge herself for this + affront, Rosamond caused her husband to be murdered one + night during his sleep in his palace at Pavia.--Ed. + +"In other matters I treat her as I do myself, save that she goes +shorn; for an array of hair beseems not the adulterous, nor a veil the +unchaste. + +"For this reason is her hair cut, showing that she has lost the honour +of virginity and purity. Should it please you to take the trouble to see +her, I will lead you to her." + +To this Bernage willingly consented, and going-downstairs they found her +in a very handsome apartment, seated all alone in front of the fire. The +gentleman drew aside a curtain that hung in front of a large cupboard, +wherein could be seen hanging a dead man's bones. Bernage greatly longed +to speak to the lady, but durst not do so for fear of the husband. The +gentleman, perceiving this, thereupon said to him-- + +"If it be your pleasure to say anything to her, you will see what manner +of grace and speech is hers." + +Then said Bernage to her--"Lady, your patience is as great as your +torment. I hold you to be the most unhappy woman alive." + +With tears in her eyes, and with the humblest grace imaginable, the lady +answered-- + +"Sir, I acknowledge my offence to have been so great that all the woes +that the lord of this house (for I am not worthy to call him husband) +may be pleased to lay upon me are nothing in comparison with the grief I +feel at having offended him." + +So saying, she began to weep bitterly. The gentleman took Bernage by the +arm and led him away. + +On the following morning Bernage took his leave, in order to proceed +on the mission that the King had given him. However, in bidding the +gentleman farewell, he could not refrain from saying to him-- + +"Sir, the love I bear you, and the honour and friendship that you have +shown me in your house, constrain me to tell you that, having regard to +the deep penitence of your unhappy wife, you should, in my opinion, take +compassion upon her. You are, moreover, young and have no children, and +it would be a great pity that so fair a lineage should come to an end, +and that those who, perhaps, have no love for you, should become your +heirs." + +The gentleman, who had resolved that he would never more speak to his +wife, pondered a long time on the discourse held to him by the Lord de +Bernage, and at last recognised that he had spoken truly, and promised +him that, if his wife should continue in her present humility, he would +at some time have pity upon her. + +Accordingly Bernage departed on his mission, and when he had returned +to his master, the King, he told him the whole story, which the Prince, +upon inquiry, found to be true. And as Bernage among other things had +made mention of the lady's beauty, the King sent his painter, who was +called John of Paris, (3) that he might make and bring him a living +portrait of her, which, with her husband's consent, he did. And when she +had long done penance, the gentleman, in his desire to have offspring, +and in the pity that he felt for his wife who had submitted to this +penance with so much humility, took her back again and afterwards had by +her many handsome children. (4) + + 3 John Perreal, called "Jehan de Paris," was one of the + most famous painters of the reigns of Charles VIII. and + Louis XII. At the end of 1496 we find him resident at Lyons, + and there enjoying considerable celebrity. From October 1498 + to November 1499 he figures in the roll of officers of the + royal household, as valet of the wardrobe, with a salary of + 240 livres. In the royal stable accounts for 1508 he appears + as receiving ten livres to defray the expense of keeping a + horse during June and July that year. He is known to have + painted the portrait and planned the obsequies of Philibert + of Savoy in 1509; to have been sent to England in 1514 to + paint a portrait of the Princess Mary, sister of Henry + VIII., who married Louis XII.; and in 1515 to have had + charge of all the decorative work connected with Louis + XII.'s obsequies. In his _Legende des Venitiens_ (1509) John + Le Maire de Belges praises Perreal's skill both in landscape + and portrait painting, and describes him as a most + painstaking and hardworking artist. He had previously + referred to him in his _Temple d'Honneur et de Vertu_ (1504) + as being already at that period painter to the King. In the + roll of the officers of Francis I.'s household (1522) + Perreal's name takes precedence of that of the better known + Jehannet Clouet, but it does not appear in that of 1529, + about which time he would appear to have died. Shortly + before that date he had designed some curious initial + letters for the famous Parisian printer and bookseller, + Tory. The Claud Perreal, "Lyonnese," whom Clement Marot + commemorates in his 36th _Rondeau_ would appear to have been + a relative, possibly the son, of "Jehan de Paris."--See Leon + de La Borde's _Renaissance des Arts_, vol. i., Pericaud + aine's _Notice sur Jean de Paris_, Lyons, 1858, and more + particularly E. M. Bancel's _Jehan Perreal dit Jean de + Paris, peintre et valet-de-chambre des rois Charles VIII. + Louis XII., &c_. Paris, Launette, 1884.--L. and M. + + 4 Brantome refers to this tale, as an example of marital + cruelty, in his _Vies des Dames Galantes_, Lalanne's + edition, vol. ix. p. 38.--L. + +"If, ladies, all those whom a like adventure has befallen, were to drink +out of similar vessels, I greatly fear that many a gilt cup would be +turned into a death's head. May God keep us from such a fortune, for +if His goodness do not restrain us, there is none among us but might +do even worse; but if we trust in Him He will protect those who confess +that they are not able to protect themselves. Those who confide in +their own strength are in great danger of being tempted so far as to +be constrained to acknowledge their frailty. Many have stumbled through +pride in this way, while those who were reputed less discreet have been +saved with honour. The old proverb says truly, 'Whatsoever God keeps is +well kept.'" + +"The punishment," said Parlamente, "was in my opinion a most reasonable +one, for, just as the offence was more than death, so ought the +punishment to have been." + +"I am not of your opinion," said Ennasuite. "I would rather see the +bones of all my lovers hanging up in my cabinet than die on their +account. There is no misdeed that cannot be repaired during life, but +after death there is no reparation possible." + +"How can shame be repaired?" said Longarine. "You know that, whatever +a woman may do after a misdeed of that kind, she cannot repair her +honour." + +"I pray you," said Ennasuite, "tell me whether the Magdalen has not now +more honour among men than her sister who continued a virgin?" (5) + + 5 Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary Magdalen.--M. + +"I acknowledge," said Longarine, "that we praise her for the great love +she bore to Jesus Christ and for her deep repentance; yet the name of +sinner clings to her." + +"I do not care what name men may give me," said Ennasuite, "if only God +forgive me, and my husband do the same. There is nothing for which I +should be willing to die." + +"If the lady loved her husband as she ought," said Dagoucin, "I am +amazed that she did not die of sorrow on looking at the bones of the man +whom her guilt had slain." + +"Why, Dagoucin," returned Simontault, "have you still to learn that +women know neither love nor even grief?" + +"Yes, I have still to learn it," said Dagoucin, "for I have never made +trial of their love, through fear of finding it less than I desired." + +"Then you live on faith and hope," said Nomerfide, "as the plover does +on air. (6) You are easily fed." + + 6 This popular error was still so prevalent in France in + the last century, that Buffon, in his Natural History, took + the trouble to refute it at length.--B. J. + +"I am content," he replied, "with the love that I feel within myself, +and with the hope that there is the like in the hearts of the ladies. If +I knew that my hopes were true, I should have such gladness that I could +not endure it and live." + +"Keep clear of the plague," said Geburon; "as for the other sickness +you mention, I will warrant you against it. But I should like to know to +whom the Lady Oisille will give her vote?" + +"I give it," she said, "to Simontault, who I know will be sparing of +none." + +"That," he replied, "is as much as to say that I am somewhat given to +slander; however, I will show you that reputed slanderers have spoken +the truth. I am sure, ladies, that you are not so foolish as to believe +all the tales that you are told, no matter what show of sanctity they +may possess, if the proof of them be not clear beyond doubt. Many an +abuse lurks even under the guise of a miracle, and for this reason I am +minded to tell you the story of a miracle that will prove no less to the +honour of a pious Prince than to the shame of a wicked minister of the +Church." + +[Illustration: 028.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 029a.jpg The Execution of the Wicked Priest and his Sister] + +[The Execution of the Wicked Priest and his Sister] + +[Illustration: 029.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXIII_. + + _The hypocrisy of a priest who, under the cloak of sanctity, + had got his sister with child, was discovered by the wisdom + of the Count of Angouleme, by whose command they both were + visited with punishment by law_. (1) + +Count Charles of Angouleme, father of King Francis, a pious Prince and +one that feared God, happened to be at Coignac when he was told that +in a village called Cherues, (2) not far away, there dwelt a maiden who +lived a marvellously austere life, and who, for all that, was now great +with child. She made no secret of the matter, but assured every one that +she had never known a man and that she could not tell how such a fortune +should have befallen her, unless indeed it were the work of the Holy +Ghost. This explanation the people readily received, and knowing as they +all did how virtuous she had been from her youth up, and how she had +never given a single token of worldliness, they believed and deemed her +a second Virgin Mary. She used to fast not only on the days commanded by +the Church, but, from natural devotion, several times a week also; and +she never stirred from the church whenever there was a service going on +there. For these reasons she was held in such great repute among all the +vulgar that every one came to see her as though she were a miracle, and +those who succeeded in touching her dress deemed themselves fortunate +indeed. + + 1 This tale is historical, the incidents must have occurred + between 1480 and 1490.--L. + + 2 Cherves-de-Cognac, now a large village of nearly 3000 + inhabitants, within four miles of Cognac. The church, where + some of the incidents recorded in the tale occurred, is + still in existence. It dates from the eleventh and twelfth + centuries, and is surmounted by three cupolas.--Eu. + +The priest of the parish was her brother; he was a man advanced in +years and of very austere life, and was loved and reverenced by his +parishioners, who held him for a holy man. He treated his sister +with such harshness as to keep her shut up in a house, to the great +discontent of all the people; and so greatly was the matter noised +abroad that, as I have told you, the story reached the ear of the Count. +He perceived that the people were being deceived, and, wishing to set +them right, sent a Master of Requests and an Almoner, two very worthy +men, to learn the truth. These repaired to the spot and inquired into +the matter with all possible diligence, addressing themselves for +information to the priest, who, being weary of the whole affair, begged +them to be present at an examination which he hoped to hold on the +morrow. + +Early the next morning the said priest chanted mass, his sister, who was +now far gone with child, being present on her knees; and when mass was +over, the priest took the "Corpus Domini," and in presence of the whole +congregation said to his sister-- + +"Unhappy woman that you are, here is He who suffered death and agony for +you, and in His presence I ask you whether, as you have ever affirmed to +me, you are indeed a virgin?" + +She boldly replied that she was. + +"How is it possible that you can be with child and yet be still a +virgin?" + +"I can give no reason," she replied, "except that the grace of the +Holy Ghost has wrought within me according to His good pleasure; +nevertheless, I cannot deny the grace that God has shown me in +preserving me a virgin without ever a thought of marriage." + +Forthwith her brother said to her-- + +"I offer you the precious Body of Jesus Christ, which you will take to +your damnation if it be not as you say; and the gentlemen here present +on behalf of my lord the Count shall be witnesses thereof." + +The maiden, who was nearly thirty years of age, (3) then swore as +follows:-- + +"I take this Body of Our Lord, here present, to my damnation in the +presence of you, gentlemen, and of you, my brother, if ever man has +touched me any more than yourself." + +And with these words she received the Body of Our Lord. + +Having witnessed this, the Master of Requests and the Almoner went away +quite confounded, for they thought that no lie was possible with such an +oath. And they reported the matter to the Count, and tried to persuade +him even as they were themselves persuaded. But he was a man of wisdom, +(4) and, after pondering a long time, bade them again repeat the terms +of the oath. And after weighing them well, he said-- + +"She has told you the truth and yet she has deceived you. She said that +no man had ever touched her any more than her brother had done, and I +feel sure that her brother has begotten this child and now seeks to hide +his wickedness by a monstrous deception. We, however, who believe that +Jesus Christ has come, can look for none other. Go, therefore, and put +the priest in prison; I am sure that he will confess the truth." + + 3 In the MS. followed for this edition, as well as in + Boaistuau's-version of the _Heptameron_, the age is given as + "thirteen." We borrow the word "thirty" from MS. 1518 + (Bethune).--L. + + 4 Charles of Angouleme, father of King Francis and Queen + Margaret, had received for the times a most excellent + education, thanks to the solicitude of his father, Count + John the Good, who further took upon himself to "instruct + him in morality, showing him by a good example how to live + virtuously and honestly, and teaching him to pray God and + obey His commandments."--_Vie de tres illustre et vertueux + Prince Jean, Comte d'Angouleme_, by Jean du Port, Angouleme, + 1589, p. 66. That Count Charles profited by this teaching is + shown in the above tale.--ED. + +This was done according to his command, though not without serious +remonstrances concerning the putting of this virtuous man to open shame. + +Albeit, as soon as the priest had been taken, he made confession of his +wickedness, and told how he had counselled his sister to speak as she +had done in order to conceal the life they had led together, not only +because the excuse was one easy to be made, but also because such a +false statement would enable them to continue living honoured by all. +And when they set before him his great wickedness in taking the Body of +Our Lord for her to swear upon, he made answer that he had not been so +daring, but had used a wafer that was unconsecrated and unblessed. + +Report was made of the matter to the Count of Angouleme, who commanded +that the law should take its course. They waited until the sister had +been delivered, and then, after she had been brought to bed of a fine +male child, they burned brother and sister together. And all the people +marvelled exceedingly at finding beneath the cloak of holiness so +horrible a monster, and beneath a pious and praiseworthy life indulgence +in so hateful a crime. + +"By this you see, ladies, how the faith of the good Count was not +lessened by outward signs and miracles. He well knew that we have but +one Saviour, who, when He said 'Consummatum est,' (5) showed that no +room was left for any successor to work our salvation." + + 5 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, + It is finished."--St. John xix. 30.--M. + +"It was indeed," said Oisille, "great daring and extreme hypocrisy to +throw the cloak of Godliness and true Christianity over so enormous a +sin." + +"I have heard," said Hircan, "that such as under pretext of a commission +from the King do cruel and tyrannous deeds, receive a double punishment +for having screened their own injustice behind the justice of the Crown. +In the same way, we see that although hypocrites prosper for a time +beneath the cloak of God and holiness, yet, when the Lord God lifts His +cloak, they find themselves exposed and bare, and then their foul and +abominable nakedness is deemed all the more hideous for having had so +honourable a covering." + +"Nothing can be pleasanter," said Nomerfide, "than to speak forth +frankly the thoughts that are in the heart." + +"Yes, for profit's sake," (6) replied Longarine. "I have no doubt that +you give your opinion according to your temper." + + 6 This sentence is rather obscure in the MSS., and we have + adopted the reading suggested by M. Frank. M. Lacroix, + however, was of opinion that the sentence should run, "Yes, + for mirth's sake."--M. + +"I will tell you what it is," said Nomerfide. "I find that fools, when +they are not put to death, live longer than wise folk, and the only +reason that I know for this, is that they do not conceal their passions. +If they be angry, they strike; if they be merry, they laugh: whereas +those that aim at wisdom conceal their imperfections with such exceeding +care that they end by thoroughly corrupting their hearts." + +"I think you are right," said Geburon, "and that hypocrisy, whether +towards God, man or Nature, is the cause of all our ills." + +"It would be a glorious thing," said Parlamente, "if our hearts were so +filled with faith in Him, who is all virtue and all joy, that we could +freely show them to every one." + +"That will come to pass," said Hircan, "when all the flesh has left our +bones." + +"Yet," said Oisille, "the Spirit of God, which is stronger than Death, +is able to mortify our hearts without changing or destroying the body." + +"Madam," returned Saffredent, "you speak of a gift of God that is not as +yet common among mankind." + +"It is common," said Oisille, "among those that have faith, but as this +is a matter not to be understood by such as are fleshly minded, let us +see to whom Simontault will give his vote." + +"I will give it," said Simontault, "to Nomerfide, for, since her heart +is merry, her words cannot be sad." + +"Truly," said Nomerfide, "since you desire to laugh, I will give you +reason to do so. That you may learn how hurtful are ignorance and fear, +and how the lack of comprehension is often the cause of much woe, I +will tell you what happened to two Grey Friars, who, through failing to +understand the words of a butcher, thought that they were about to die." + +[Illustration: 037.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 039a.jpg The Grey Friar imploring the Butcher to Spare his Life] + +[The Grey Friar imploring the Butcher to Spare his Life] + +[Illustration: 039.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXIV_. + + _Two Grey Friars, while listening to secrets that did not + concern them, misunderstood the language of a butcher and + endangered their lives_. (1) + +Between Nyort and Fors there is a village called Grip, (2) which belongs +to the Lord of Fors. + + 1 This story is evidently founded upon fact; the incidents + must have occurred prior to 1530.--L. + + 2 Gript, a little village on the Courance, eight miles + south of Niort (Deux-Sevres), produces some of the best + white wine in this part of France. Its church of St. Aubin + stood partly in the diocese of Poitiers, partly in that of + Saintes, the altar being in the former, and the door in the + latter one. This is the only known instance of the kind in + France. Fors, a few miles distant from Gript, was a fief + which Catherine, daughter of Artus de Vivonne, brought in + marriage to James Poussart, knight, who witnessed the Queen + of Navarre's marriage contract, signing himself, "Seigneur + de Fors, Bailly du Berry." He is often mentioned in the + Queen's letters.--See Genin's _Lettres de Marguerite, &c_, + pp. 243-244, 258-259, 332.--L. and M. + +It happened one day that two Grey Friars, on their way from Nyort, +arrived very late at this place, Grip, and lodged in the house of a +butcher. Now, as there was nothing between their host's room and their +own but a badly joined partition of wood, they had a mind to listen to +what the husband might say to his wife when he was in bed with her, and +accordingly they set their ears close to the head of their host's bed. +He, having no thought of his lodgers, spoke privately with his wife +concerning their household, and said to her-- + +"I must rise betimes in the morning, sweetheart, and see after our Grey +Friars. One of them is very fat, and must be killed; we will salt him +forthwith and make a good profit off him." + +And although by "Grey Friars" he meant his pigs, the two poor brethren, +on hearing this plot, felt sure that they themselves were spoken of, (3) +and so waited with great fear and trembling for the dawn. + + 3 The butcher doubtless called his pigs "Grey Friars" in + allusion to the latter's gluttony and uncleanly habits. Pigs + are even nowadays termed _moines_ (monks) by the peasantry + in some parts of France. Moreover, the French often render + our expression "fat as a pig" by "fat as a monk."--Ed. + +One of them was very fat and the other rather lean. The fat one wished +to confess himself to his companion, saying that a butcher who had lost +the love and fear of God would think no more of slaughtering him than if +he were an ox or any other beast; and adding that as they were shut up +in their room and could not leave it without passing through that +of their host, they must needs look upon themselves as dead men, and +commend their souls to God. But the younger Friar, who was not so +overcome with fear as his comrade, made answer that, as the door was +closed against them, they must e'en try to get through the window, for, +whatever befel them, they could meet with nothing worse than death; to +which the fat Friar agreed. + +The young one then opened the window, and, finding that it was not very +high above the ground, leaped lightly down and fled as fast and as far +as he could, without waiting for his companion. The latter attempted the +same hazardous jump, but in place of leaping, fell so heavily by reason +of his weight, that one of his legs was sorely hurt, and he could not +rise from the ground. + +Finding himself forsaken by his companion and being unable to follow +him, he looked around him to see where he might hide, and could espy +nothing save a pigsty, to which he dragged himself as well as he could. +And as he opened the door to hide himself within, out rushed two huge +pigs, whose place the unhappy Friar took, closing the little door upon +himself, and hoping that, when he heard the sound of passers-by, he +would be able to call out and obtain assistance. + +As soon as the morning was come, however, the butcher got ready his big +knives, and bade his wife bear him company whilst he went to slaughter +his fat pig. And when he reached the sty in which the Grey Friar lay +concealed, he opened the little door and began to call at the top of his +voice-- + +"Come out, Master Grey Friar, come out! I intend to have some of your +chitterlings to-day." + +The poor Friar, who was not able to stand upon his leg, crawled on +all-fours out of the sty, crying for mercy as loud as he could. But if +the hapless Friar was in great terror, the butcher and his wife were in +no less; for they thought that St. Francis was wrathful with them for +calling a beast a Grey Friar, and therefore threw themselves upon their +knees asking pardon of St. Francis and his Order. Thus, the Friar was +crying to the butcher for mercy on the one hand, and the butcher to +the Friar on the other, in such sort that a quarter of an hour went by +before they felt safe from each other. + +Perceiving at last that the butcher intended him no hurt, the good +father told him the reason why he had hidden himself in the sty. Then +was their fear turned to laughter, except, indeed, that the poor Friar's +leg was too painful to suffer him to be merry. However, the butcher +brought him into the house, where he caused the hurt to be carefully +dressed. + +His comrade, who had deserted him in his need, ran all night long, and +in the morning came to the house of the Lord of Fors, where he lodged +a complaint against the butcher, whom he suspected of killing his +companion, seeing that the latter had not followed him. The Lord of Fors +forthwith sent to Grip to learn the truth, and this, when known, was by +no means the cause of tears. And he failed not to tell the story to his +mistress the Duchess of Angouleme, mother of King Francis, first of that +name. (4) + + 4 Many modern stories and anecdotes have been based on this + amusing tale.--Ed. + +"You see, ladies, how bad a thing it is to listen to secrets that do not +concern us, and to misunderstand what other people say." + +"Did I not know," said Simontault, "that Nomer-fide would give us no +cause to weep, but rather to laugh? And I think that we have all done so +very heartily." + +"How comes it," said Oisille, "that we are more ready to be amused by a +piece of folly than by something wisely done?" + +"Because," said Hircan, "the folly is more agreeable to us, for it is +more akin to our own nature, which of itself is never wise. And like is +fond of like, the fool of folly, and the wise man of discretion. But +I am sure," he continued, "that no one, whether foolish or wise, could +help laughing at this story." + +"There are some," said Geburon, "whose hearts are so bestowed on the +love of wisdom that, whatever they may hear, they cannot be made to +laugh. They have a gladness of heart and a moderate content such as +nought can move." + +"Who are they?" asked Hircan. + +"The philosophers of olden days," said Geburon. "They were scarcely +sensible of either sadness or joy, or at least they gave no token of +either, so great a virtue did they deem the conquest of themselves and +their passions. I too think, as they did, that it is well to subdue a +wicked passion, but a victory over a natural passion, and one that tends +to no evil, appears useless in my eyes." + +"And yet," added Geburon, "the ancients held it for a great virtue." + +"It is not maintained," said Saffredent, "that they all were wise. They +had more of the appearance of sense and virtue than of the reality." + +"Nevertheless, you will find that they rebuke everything bad," said +Geburon. "Diogenes himself, even, trod on the bed of Plato, who was too +fond (5) of rare and precious things for his taste, and this in order to +show that he despised Plato's vanity and greed, and would put them under +foot. 'I trample with contempt,' said he, 'upon the pride of Plato.'" + +"But you have not told all," said Saffredent, "for Plato retorted that +he did so from pride of another kind." + +"In truth," said Parlamente, "it is impossible to accomplish the +conquest of ourselves without extraordinary pride. And this is the +vice that we should fear most of all, for it springs from the death and +destruction of all the virtues." + +"Did I not read to you this morning," said Oisille, "that those who +thought themselves wiser than other men, since by the sole light of +reason they had come to recognise a God, creator of all things, were +made more ignorant and irrational not only than other men, but than the +very brutes, and this because they did not ascribe the glory to Him to +whom it was due, but thought that they had gained the knowledge they +possessed by their own endeavours? For having erred in their minds +by ascribing to themselves that which pertains to God alone, they +manifested their errors by disorder of body, forgetting and perverting +their natural sex, as St. Paul to-day doth tell us in the Epistle that +he wrote to the Romans." (6) + + 5 The French word here is _curieux_, which in Margaret's + time implied one fond of rare and precious things.--B. J + + 6 _Romans_ i. 26, 27.--Ed. + +"There is none among us," said Parlamente, "but will confess, on reading +that Epistle, that outward sin is but the fruit of infelicity dwelling +within, which, the more it is hidden by virtue and marvels, is the more +difficult to pluck out." + +"We men," said Hircan, "are nearer to salvation than you are, for we do +not conceal our fruits, and so the root is readily known; whereas you, +who dare not display the fruit, and who do so many seemingly fair deeds, +are hardly aware of the root of pride that is growing beneath so brave a +surface." + +"I acknowledge," said Longarine, "that if the Word of God does not show +us by faith the leprosy of unbelief that lurks in the heart, yet God +is very merciful to us when He allows us to fall into some visible +wrongdoing whereby the hidden plague may be made manifest. Happy are +they whom faith has so humbled that they have no need to test their +sinful nature by outward acts." + +"But just look where we are now," said Simontault. "We started from a +foolish tale, and we are now fallen into philosophy and theology. Let +us leave these disputes to such as are more fitted for such speculation, +and ask Nomerfide to whom she will give her vote." + +"I give it," she said, "to Hircan, but I commend to him the honour of +the ladies." + +"You could not have commended it in a better place," said Hircan, "for +the story that I have ready is just such a one as will please you. It +will, nevertheless, teach you to acknowledge that the nature of men and +women is of itself prone to vice if it be not preserved by Him to whom +the honour of every victory is due. And to abate the pride that you +display when a story is told to your honour, I will tell you one of a +different kind that is strictly true." + +[Illustration: 047.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 049a.jpg The Lady embracing the Supposed Friar] + +[The Lady embracing the Supposed Friar] + +[Illustration: 049.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXV_. + + _The affection of a lady of Pampeluna--who, thinking that + there was no danger in spiritual love, had striven to + insinuate herself into the good graces of a Grey Friar--was + subdued by her husband's prudence in such wise that, without + telling her that he knew aught of the matter, he brought her + mortally to hate that which she had most dearly loved, and + wholly to devote herself to him_. + +In the town of Pampeluna there lived a lady who was accounted beautiful +and virtuous, as well as the chastest and most pious in the land. She +loved her husband, and was so obedient to him that he had entire trust +in her. This lady was constantly present at Divine service and at +sermons, and she used to persuade her husband and children to be hearers +with her. She had reached the age of thirty years, at which women are +wont to claim discretion rather than beauty, when on the first day of +Lent she went to the church to receive the emblem of death. (1) Here she +found that the sermon was beginning, the preacher being a Grey Friar, +a man esteemed holy by all the people on account of his great austerity +and goodness of life, which made him thin and pale, yet not to such a +point as to prevent him from being one of the handsomest men imaginable. + +The lady listened piously to his sermon, her eyes being fixed on this +reverend person, and her ears and mind ready to hearken to what he said. +And so it happened that the sweetness of his words passed through the +lady's ears even to her heart, while the comeliness and grace of his +countenance passed through her eyes and so smote her soul that she was +as one entranced. When the sermon was over, she looked carefully to +see where the Friar would celebrate mass, (2) and there she presented +herself to take the ashes from his hand. The latter was as fair and +white as any lady's, and this pious lady paid more attention to it than +to the ashes which it gave her. + + 1 To receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday.--M. + + 2 That is, in which of the chapels. A friar would not + officiate at the high altar.--Ed. + +Feeling persuaded that a spiritual love such as this, with any pleasure +that she might derive from it, could not wound her conscience, she +failed not to go and hear the sermon every day and to take her husband +with her; and they both gave such great praise to the preacher, that +they spoke of nought beside at table or elsewhere. At last this supposed +spiritual fire became so carnal that the poor lady's heart in which it +glowed began to consume her whole body; and just as she had been slow to +feel the flame, so did she now swiftly kindle, and feel all the delights +of passion, before she knew that she even was in love. Being thus +surprised by her enemy, Love, she offered no further resistance to his +commands. But the worst was that the physician who might have cured +her ills was ignorant of her distemper; for which reason, banishing the +dread she should have had of making known her foolishness to a man of +wisdom, and her vice and wickedness to a man of virtue and honour, she +proceeded to write to him of the love she bore him, doing this, to begin +with, as modestly as she could. And she gave her letter to a little +page, telling him what he had to do, and saying that he was to be +careful above all things that her husband should not see him going to +the monastery of the Grey Friars. + +The page, desiring to take the shortest way, passed through a street in +which his master was sitting in a shop. Seeing him pass, the gentleman +came out to observe whither he was going, and when the page perceived +him, he was quite confused, and hid himself in a house. Noticing this, +his master followed him, took him by the arm and asked him whither he +was bound. Finding also that he had a terrified look and made but empty +excuses, he threatened to beat him soundly if he did not confess the +truth. + +"Alas, sir," said the poor page, "if I tell you, my lady will kill me." + +The gentleman, suspecting that his wife was making some bargain without +his knowledge, promised the page that he should come by no hurt, and +should be well rewarded, if he told the truth; whereas, if he lied, he +should be thrown into prison for life. Thereupon the little page, eager +to have the good and to avoid the evil, told him the whole story, and +showed him the letter that his mistress had written to the preacher. At +this her husband was the more astonished and grieved, as he had all his +life long been persuaded of the faithfulness of his wife, in whom he had +never discovered a fault. + +Nevertheless, being a prudent man, he concealed his anger, and so that +he might fully learn his wife's intention, he sent a reply as though +from the preacher, thanking her for her goodwill, and declaring that his +was as great towards her. The page, having sworn to his master that he +would conduct the matter with discretion, (3) brought the counterfeit +letter to his mistress, who was so greatly rejoiced by it that her +husband could see that her countenance was changed; for, instead of +growing lean from the fasts of Lent, she now appeared fairer and fresher +than before they began. + + 3 This is borrowed from MS. 1520. In our MS. the passage + runs, "The page having shown his master how to conduct this + affair," &c.--L. + +It was now mid-Lent, but no thought of the Passion or Holy Week +prevented the lady from writing her frenzied fancies to the preacher +according to her wont; and when he turned his eyes in her direction, or +spoke of the love of God, she thought that all was done or said for love +of her; and so far as her eyes could utter her thoughts, she did not +spare them. + +The husband never failed to return her similar answers, but after Easter +he wrote to her in the preacher's name, begging her to let him know how +he could secretly see her. She, all impatient for the meeting, advised +her husband to go and visit some estates of theirs in the country, and +this he agreed to do, hiding himself, however, in the house of a friend. +Then the lady failed not to write to the preacher that it was time he +should come and see her, since her husband was in the country. + +The gentleman, wishing thoroughly to try his wife's heart, then went to +the preacher, and begged him for the love of God to lend him his robe. +The preacher, who was a man of worth, replied that the rules of +his Order forbade it, and that he would never lend his robe for a +masquerade. (4) The gentleman assured him, however, that he would make +no evil use of it, and that he wanted it for a matter necessary to his +happiness and his salvation. Thereupon the Friar, who knew the other +to be a worthy and pious man, lent it to him; and with this robe, which +covered his face so that his eyes could not be seen, the gentleman put +on a false beard and a false nose, each similar to the preacher's. He +also made himself of the same height by means of cork. (5) + + 4 This may be compared with the episode of Tappe-coue or + Tickletoby in Pantagruel:--"Villon, to dress an old clownish + father grey-beard, who was to represent God the Father [at + the performance of a mystery], begged of Friar Stephen + Tickletoby, sacristan to the Franciscan Friars of the place, + to lend him a cope and a stole. Tickletoby refused him, + alleging that by their provincial statutes it was rigorously + forbidden to give or lend anything to players. Villon + replied that the statute reached no further than farces, + drolls, antics, loose and dissolute games.... Tickletoby, + however, peremptorily bid him provide himself elsewhere, if + he would, and not to hope for anything out of his monastical + wardrobe.... Villon gave an account of this to the players + as of a most abominable action; adding that God would + shortly revenge himself and make an example of Tickletoby."-- + Urquhart's _Works of Rabelais, Pantagruel_, (Book IV. + xiii.)--M. + + 5 In Boaistuau's edition the sentence runs, "and by putting + some cork in his shoes made himself of the same height as + the preacher."--L. + +Thus garmented, he repaired in the evening to his wife's apartment, +where she was very piously awaiting him. The poor fool did not tarry +for him to come to her, but ran to embrace him like a woman bereft of +reason. Keeping his face bent down lest he should be recognised, he +then began making the sign of the cross, and pretended to flee from her, +saying the while nothing but-- + +"Temptation! temptation!" + +"Alas, father," said the lady, "you are indeed right, for there is no +stronger temptation than that which proceeds from love. But for this +you have promised me a remedy; and I pray you, now that we have time and +opportunity, to take pity upon me." + +So saying, she strove to embrace him, but he ran all round the room, +making great signs of the cross, and still crying-- + +"Temptation! temptation!" + +However, when he found that she was urging him too closely, he took a +big stick that he had beneath his cloak and beat her so sorely as to +end her temptation, and that without being recognised by her. Then he +immediately went and returned the robe to the preacher, assuring him +that it had brought him good fortune. + +On the morrow, pretending to come from a distance, he returned home and +found his wife in bed, when, as though he knew nothing of her sickness, +he asked her the cause of it; and she replied that it was a catarrh, +and that she could move neither hand nor foot. The husband, who was much +inclined to laugh, made as though he were greatly grieved, and as if +to cheer her told her that he had bidden the saintly preacher to supper +that evening. But she quickly replied-- + +"God forbid, sweetheart, that you should ever invite such folk. They +bring misfortune into every house they visit." + +"Why, sweet," said the husband, "how is this? You have always greatly +praised this man, and for my own part I believe that if there be a holy +man on earth, it is he." + +"They are good in church and when preaching," answered the lady, "but in +our houses they are very antichrists. I pray you, sweet, let me not see +him, for with my present sickness it would be enough to kill me." + +"Since you do not wish to see him," returned the husband, "you shall not +do so, but I must have him here to supper." + +"Do what you will," she replied, "but let me not see him, for I hate +such folk as I do the devil." + +After giving supper to the good father, the husband said to him-- + +"Father, I believe you to be so beloved of God, that He will refuse you +no request. I therefore entreat you to take pity on my poor wife, who +for a week past has been possessed by the evil spirit in such a way, +that she tries to bite and scratch every one. She cares for neither +cross nor holy water, but I verily believe that if you will lay your +hand upon her the devil will come forth, and I therefore earnestly +entreat you to do so." + +"My son," said the good father, "all things are possible to a believer. +Do you, then, firmly believe that God in His goodness never refuses +those that in faith seek grace from Him?" + +"I do, father," said the gentleman. + +"Be also assured, my son," said the friar, "that He can do what He will, +and that He is even as powerful as He is good. Let us go, then, strong +in faith to withstand this roaring lion, and to pluck from him his prey, +whom God has purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son." + +Accordingly, the gentleman led this worthy man to where his wife lay on +a little bed. She, thinking that it was the Friar who had beaten her, +was much astonished to see him there and exceedingly wrathful; however, +her husband being present, she cast down her eyes, and remained dumb. + +"As long as I am with her," said the husband to the holy man, "the devil +scarcely torments her. But sprinkle some holy water upon her as soon as +I am gone, and you will soon see how the evil spirit does his work." + +The husband left them alone together, and waited at the door to see +how they would behave. When the lady saw no one with her but the good +father, she began to cry out like a woman bereft of reason, calling him +rascal, villain, murderer, betrayer. At this, the good father, thinking +that she was surely possessed by an evil spirit, tried to put his hands +upon her head, in order to utter his prayers upon it; but she scratched +and bit him in such a fashion, that he was obliged to speak at a greater +distance, whence, throwing a great deal of holy water upon her, he +pronounced many excellent prayers. + +When the husband saw that the Friar had done his duty, he came into the +room and thanked him for his trouble. At his entrance his wife ceased +her cursings and revilings, and meekly kissed the cross in the fear +she had of him. But the holy man, having seen her in so great a frenzy, +firmly believed that Our Lord had cast out the devil in answer to his +prayer, and he went away, praising God for this wonderful miracle. + +The husband, seeing that his wife was well punished for her foolish +fancy, did not tell her of what he had done. He was content to have +subdued her affection by his own prudence, and to have so dealt with her +that she now hated mortally what she had formerly loved, and, loathing +her folly, devoted herself to her husband and household more completely +than she had ever done before. + +"In this story, ladies, you see the good sense of a husband and the +frailty of a woman of repute. I think that if you look carefully into +this mirror you will no longer trust to your own strength, but will +learn to have recourse to Him who holds your honour in His hand." + +"I am well pleased," said Parlamente, "to find you become a preacher to +the ladies, and I should be even more so if you would make these fine +sermons to all those with whom you speak." + +"Whenever you are willing to listen to me," said Hircan, "I promise you +that I will say as much." + +"In other words," said Simontault, "when you are not present, he will +speak in a different fashion." + +"He will do as he pleases," said Parlamente, "but for my content I wish +to believe that he always speaks in this way. At all events, the example +he has brought forward will be profitable to those who believe that +spiritual love is not dangerous. In my opinion it is more so than any +other." + +"Yet," said Oisille, "it seems to me that to love a worthy, virtuous and +God-fearing man is in nowise a matter for scorn, and that one cannot but +be the better for it." + +"Madam," said Parlamente, "I pray you believe that no one can be more +simple or more easily deceived than a woman who has never loved. For in +itself love is a passion that seizes upon the heart before one is aware +of it, and so pleasing a passion is it that, if it can make use of +virtue as a cloak, it will scarcely be recognised before some mischief +has come of it." + +"What mischief," asked Oisille, "can come of loving a worthy man?" + +"Madam," said Parlamente, "there are a good many men that are esteemed +worthy, but to be worthy in respect of the ladies, and to be careful for +their honour and conscience--not one such man as that could, I think, be +found in these days. Those who think otherwise, and put their trust in +men, find at last that they have been deceived, and, having begun such +intimacy with obedience to God, will often end it with obedience to the +devil. I have known many who, under pretext of speaking about God, began +an intimacy from which they could not withdraw when at last they wished +to do so, being held in subjection by this semblance of virtue. A +vicious love perishes of its own nature, and cannot continue in a good +heart, but virtuous love has bonds of silk so fine that one is caught in +them before they are seen." + +"According to you," said Ennasuite, "no woman should ever love a man; +but your law is too harsh a one to last." + +"I know that," said Parlamente, "but none the less must I desire that +every one were as content with her own husband as I am with mine." + +Ennasuite, who felt that these words touched her, changed colour and +said-- + +"You ought to believe every one the same at heart as yourself, unless, +indeed, you think yourself more perfect than all others." + +"Well," said Parlamente, "to avoid dispute, let us see to whom Hircan +will give his vote." + +"I give it," Hircan replied, "to Ennasuite, in order to make amends to +her for what my wife has said." + +"Then, since it is my turn," said Ennasuite, "I will spare neither man +nor woman, that all may fare alike. I see right well that you are unable +to subdue your hearts to acknowledge the virtue and goodness of men, for +which reason I am obliged to resume the discourse with a story like to +the last." + + +[Illustration: 062.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 063a.jpg The Clerk entreating Forgiveness of the President] + +[The Clerk entreating Forgiveness of the President] + +[Illustration: 063.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXVI_. + + _By means of a salad a President of Grenoble avenged himself + upon one of his clerks with whom his wife was smitten, and + so saved the honour of his house_. + +In the town of Grenoble there dwelt a President whose name I shall not +mention, but he was not a Frenchman. (1) He had a very beautiful wife, +and they lived in great tranquillity together. + + 1 The personage referred to is Jeffroy Charles or Carles, + Chief President of the Parliament of Grenoble, and President + of the Senate of Turin; his wife's name was Margaret du + Mottet; she came of a very old family of Embrun. Some + interesting particulars concerning President Charles, + supplied by that erudite scholar M. Jules Roman, will be + found in the Appendix to the present volume (A).--Ed. + +This lady, finding that her husband was now old, fell in love with a +young clerk, called Nicholas. When the President went to the court in +the morning, Nicholas used to enter his room and take his place. This +was observed by a servant of the President's who had served his master +well for thirty years, and in his faithfulness he could not refrain from +speaking to him of the matter. + +The President, being a prudent man, would not lightly believe the story, +but said that the servant wished to create contention between himself +and his wife. If the matter, said he, were really as the servant +declared, he could easily prove it to him, and if proof were not given +he would believe that it was a lie contrived in order to destroy the +love existing between himself and his wife. The servant promised that he +would show him the truth of what he had said, and one morning, as soon +as the President was gone to the court and Nicholas had entered the +room, he sent one of his fellow-servants to tell his master to come, +while he himself remained watching at the door lest Nicholas should come +out. + +As soon as the President saw the sign that was made to him by one of his +servants, he pretended to be ill, left the court and hastened home. +Here he found his old servant at the door, and was assured by him that +Nicholas was inside and had only just gone in. + +"Do not stir from this door," said his lord to him, "for, as you are +aware, there is no other means of going into or out of the room, except +indeed by way of a little closet of which I myself alone carry the key." + +The President entered the room and found his wife and Nicholas in bed +together. The clerk, clad in nothing but his shirt, threw himself at his +feet to entreat forgiveness, while his wife began to weep. + +Then said the President-- + +"Though you have done a deed the enormity of which you may yourself +judge, I am yet unwilling that my house should be dishonoured on your +account, and the daughters I have had by you made to suffer. Wherefore," +he continued, "cease to weep, I command you, and hearken to what I am +going to do; and do you, Nicholas, hide yourself in my closet and make +not a single sound." + +When this was done, he opened the door, and calling his old servant, +said to him-- + +"Did you not assure me that you would show me Nicholas in company with +my wife? Trusting in your word, I came hither in danger of killing my +poor wife, and I have found nothing of what you told me. I have searched +the whole room, as I will show you." + +So saying, he caused his servant to look under the beds and in every +quarter. The servant, finding nothing, was greatly astonished, and said +to his master-- + +"The devil must have made away with him, for I saw him go in, and he did +not come out through the door. But I can see that he is not here." + +Then said his master to him-- + +"You are a wicked servant to try to create contention in this way +between my wife and me. I dismiss you, and will pay you what I owe you +for your services to me, and more besides; but be speedily gone, and +take care that you are not in the town twenty-four hours from now." + +The President paid him for five or six years in advance, and, knowing +him to be a faithful servant, resolved to reward him still further. + +When the servant was gone weeping away, the President made Nicholas come +forth from the closet, and after telling them both what he thought of +their wickedness, he commanded them to give no hint of the matter to +anyone. He also charged his wife to dress more bravely than was her +wont, and to attend all assemblies, dances and feasts; and he told +Nicholas to make more merry than before, but, as soon as he whispered +to him, "Begone," to see that he was out of the town before three hours +were over. Having arranged matters in this way, he returned to the +court, none being any the wiser. And for a fortnight, contrary to his +wont, he entertained his friends and neighbours, and after the banquet +had the tabourers, so that the ladies might dance. + +One day, seeing that his wife was not dancing, he commanded Nicholas to +lead her out. The clerk, thinking that the past had been forgotten, did +so gladly, but when the dance was over, the President, under pretence of +charging him with some household matter, whispered to him, "Begone, +and come back no more." And albeit Nicholas was grieved to leave his +mistress, yet was he no less glad that his life was spared. + +When the President had convinced all his kinsfolk and friends and the +whole countryside of the deep love that he bore his wife, he went into +his garden one fine day in the month of May to gather a salad, of such +herbs that his wife did not live for twenty-four hours after eating of +them; whereupon he made such a great show of mourning that none could +have suspected him of causing her death; and in this way he avenged +himself upon his enemy, and saved the honour of his house. (2) + + 2 Whilst admitting the historical basis of this story, M. + Le Roux de Lincy conceives it to be the same as No. xlvii. + of the _Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles_, printed half-a-century + before the _Heptameron_ was written. Beyond the + circumstance, however, that in both cases a judge is shown + privily avenging himself on his wife for her infidelity, + there is no resemblance between the two tales. There is good + reason for believing that Queen Margaret's narrative is + based on absolute fact, and not on the story in the _Cent + Nouvelles_. Both tales have often been imitated. See for + instance Bonaventure Despericr's _Contes, Nouvelles, et + joyeux Devis_ (tale xcii., or, in some editions, xc. ); _Les + Heures de Recreation de Louis Guicciardini_, p. 28; G. + Giraldi Cinthio's _Hecatommithi, overro cento Novelle, &c_. + (dec. iii. nov. vi. ); Malespini's _Ducento Novelle _(part + ii. nov. xvi.); Verboquet's _Les Delices, &c_, 1623, p. 23; + and Shirley's _Love's Cruelly_. These tales also inspired + some of the Spanish dramatists, notably Calderon.--Ed. and + L. + +"I do not mean by this, ladies, to praise the President's conscience, +but rather to bring out the frailty of a woman and the great patience +and prudence of a man. And I beg you, ladies, be not angered by the +truth, which sometimes speaks as loudly against ourselves as against the +men; for vice and virtue are common alike to men and women." + +"If all those," said Parlamente, "who have fallen in love with their +servants were obliged to eat salads of that kind, I know some who would +be less fond of their gardens than they are at present, and who would +pluck up the herbs to get rid of such as restore the honour of a family +by compassing the death of a wanton mother." + +Hircan, who guessed why she had said this, angrily replied--"A virtuous +woman should never judge another guilty of what she would not do +herself." + +"Knowledge is not judgment nor yet foolishness," returned Parlamente. +"However, this poor woman paid the penalty that many others have +deserved, and I think that the President, when desirous of vengeance, +comported himself with wondrous prudence and wisdom." + +"And with great malevolence, also," said Longarine. "'Twas a slow and +cruel vengeance, and showed he had neither God nor conscience before his +eyes." + +"Why, what would you have had him do," said Hircan, "to revenge himself +for the greatest wrong that a woman can deal to a man?" + +"I would have had him kill her in his wrath," she replied. "The doctors +say that since the first impulses of passion are not under a man's +control, such a sin may be forgiven; so it might have obtained pardon." +"Yes," said Geburon, "but his daughters and descendants would have +always borne the stain." + +"He ought not to have killed her at all," said Longarine, "for, when +his wrath was past, she might have lived with him in virtue, and nothing +would ever have been said about the matter." + +"Do you think," said Saffredent, "that he was appeased merely because he +concealed his anger? For my part, I believe that he was as wrathful on +the last day, when he made his salad, as he had been on the first, for +there are persons whose first impulses have no rest until their passion +has worked its will. I am well pleased you say that the theologians deem +such sins easy to be pardoned, for I am of their opinion." + +"It is well to look to one's words," said Longarine, "in presence of +persons so dangerous as you. What I said is to be understood of passion +when it is so strong that it suddenly seizes upon all the senses, and +reason can find no place." + +"It is so," said Saffredent, "that I understood your words, and I thence +conclude that, whatever a man may do, he can commit only venial sin +if he be deeply in love. I am sure that, if Love hold him fast bound, +Reason can never gain a hearing, whether from his heart or from his +understanding. And if the truth be told, there is not one among us but +has had knowledge of such passion; and not merely do I think that sin +so committed is readily pardoned, but I even believe that God is not +angered by it, seeing that such love is a ladder whereby we may climb +to the perfect love of Himself. And none can attain to this save by the +ladder of earthly love, (3) for, as St. John says, 'He that loveth not +his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not +seen?'" (4) + + 3 All this passage is borrowed, almost word for word, from + Castiglione's _Libro del Cortegiano_. See _ante_, vol. i. p. + 10.--B.J. + + 4 i John iv. 20.--M. + +"There is not a passage in Scripture," said Oisille, "too good for you +to turn to your own purposes. But beware of doing like the spider, which +transforms sound meat into poison. Be advised that it is a perilous +matter to quote Scripture out of place and without cause." + +"Do you call speaking the truth out of place and without cause?" said +Saffredent. "You hold, then, that when, in speaking to you unbelieving +women, we call God to our assistance, we take His name in vain; but if +there be any sin in this, you alone must bear the blame, for it is your +unbelief that compels us to seek out all the oaths that we can think of. +And in spite of it all, we cannot kindle the flame of charity in your +icy hearts." + +"That," said Longarine, "proves that you all speak falsely. If truth +were in your words, it is strong enough to make you be believed. Yet +there is danger lest the daughters of Eve should hearken too readily to +the serpent." + +"I see clearly," said Saffredent, "that women are not to be conquered +by men. So I shall be silent, and see to whom Ennasuite will give her +vote." + +"I give it," she said, "to Dagoucin, for I think he would not willingly +speak against the ladies." + +"Would to God," said Dagoucin, "that they were as well disposed towards +me as I am towards them. To show you that I have striven to honour the +virtuous among them by recalling their good deeds, I will now tell you +the story of such a one. I will not deny, ladies, that the patience of +the gentleman at Pampeluna, and of the President at Grenoble was great, +but then it was equalled in magnitude by their vengeance. Moreover, +when we seek to praise a virtuous man, we ought not so to exalt a single +virtue as to make of it a cloak for the concealment of grievous vice; +for none are praiseworthy save such as do virtuous things from the love +of virtue alone, and this I hope to prove by telling you of the patient +virtue of a lady whose goodness had no other object save the honour of +God and the salvation of her husband." + + +[Illustration: 072.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 073a.jpg The Lady of Loue bringing her Husband the Basin of Water] + +[The Lady of Loue bringing her Husband the Basin of Water] + +[Illustration: 073.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXVII_. + + _The Lady of Loue so influenced her husband by her great + patience and longsuffering, that she drew him from his evil + ways, and they lived afterwards in greater love than + before_. + +There was a lady of the house of Loue (1) who was so prudent and +virtuous, that she was loved and esteemed by all her neighbours. Her +husband trusted her, as well he might, with all his affairs, and she +managed them with such wisdom that his house came, by her means, to be +one of the wealthiest and best appointed in either the land of Anjou or +Touraine. + + 1 Loue is in Anjou, in the department of the Sarthe, being + the chief locality of a canton of the arrondissement of Le + Mans. The Lady of Loue referred to may be either Philippa de + Beaumont-Bressuire, wife of Peter de Laval, knight, Lord of + Loue, Benars, &c.; or her daughter-in-law, Frances de + Maille, who in or about 1500 espoused Giles de Laval, Lord + of Loue. Philippa is known to have died in 1525, after + bearing her husband five children. She had been wedded fifty + years. However, the subject of this story is the same as + that of the Lady of Langallier, or Languillier (also in + Anjou), which will be found in chapter xvii. of _Le Livre du + Chevalier de la Tour-Landry_, an English translation of + which, made in the reign of Henry VI., was edited in 1868 by + Mr. Thomas Wright for the Early English Text Society.--See + also Le Roux de Lincy's _Femmes celebres de l'ancienne + France,_ vol i. p. 356. Particulars concerning the Laval- + Loue family will be found in Duchesne's Histoire de la + Maison de Montmorency.--L. and M. + +In this fashion she lived a great while with her husband, to whom +she bore several handsome children; but then, as happiness is always +followed by its opposite, hers began to be lessened. Her husband, +finding virtuous ease to be unendurable, laid it aside to seek for toil, +and made it his wont to rise from beside his wife as soon as she was +asleep, and not to return until it was nearly morning. The lady of Loue +took this conduct ill, and falling into a deep unrest, of which she was +fain to give no sign, neglected her household matters, her person and +her family, like one that deemed herself to have lost the fruit of her +toils, to wit, her husband's exceeding love, for the preserving of which +there was no pain that she would not willingly have endured. But having +lost it, as she could see, she became careless of everything else in the +house, and the lack of her care soon brought mischief to pass. + +Her husband, on the one part, spent with much extravagance, while, on +the other, she had ceased to control the management, so that ere long +affairs fell into such great disorder, that the timber began to be +felled, and the lands to be mortgaged. + +One of her kinsfolk that had knowledge of her distemper, rebuked her for +her error, saying that if love for her husband did not lead her to care +for the advantage of his house, she should at least have regard to her +poor children. Hereat her pity for them caused her to recover herself, +and she tried all means to win back her husband's love. + +In this wise she kept good watch one night, and, when he rose from +beside her, she also rose in her nightgown, let make her bed, and said +her prayers until her husband returned. And when he came in, she went to +him and kissed him, and brought him a basin full of water that he might +wash his hands. He was surprised at this unwonted behaviour, and told +her that there was no need for her to rise, since he was only coming +from the latrines; whereat she replied that, although it was no great +matter, it was nevertheless a seemly thing to wash one's hands on coming +from so dirty and foul a place, intending by these words to make him +perceive and abhor the wickedness of his life. But for all that he did +not mend his ways, and for a full year the lady continued to act in this +way to no purpose. + +Accordingly, seeing that this behaviour served her naught, one day, +while she was waiting for her husband, who tarried longer than ordinary, +she had a mind to go in search of him, and, passing from room to room, +found him at last in a closet at the back of the house, lying asleep by +the side of the ugliest, vilest, and filthiest serving-woman they had. + +Thereupon, thinking she would teach him to leave so excellent a wife for +so filthy and vile a woman, she took some straw and set it on fire in +the middle of the room; but on seeing that it would as soon kill her +husband as awaken him, she plucked him by the arm, crying out-- + +"Fire! fire!" + +If the husband was ashamed and sorry at being found by so virtuous a +wife in company with such a slut, he certainly had good reason for it. +Then said his wife to him-- + +"For a year, sir, have I tried by gentle and patient means to draw you +from this wickedness, and to show you that whilst washing the outside +you should also cleanse that which is within. Finding that all I could +do was of no avail, I have sought assistance from that clement which +brings all things to an end, and I promise you, sir, that, if this +do not mend you, I know not whether I shall a second time be able to +deliver you from the danger as I have now done. I pray you remember that +the deepest despair is that caused by love, and that if I had not had +the fear of God before my eyes I could not have endured so much." + +The husband, glad to get off so easily, promised that he would never +again cause her any pain on his account. This the lady was very willing +to believe, and with her husband's consent turned away the servant who +had so offended her. And from that time forth they lived most lovingly +together, so that even the errors of the past, by the good that had +resulted from them, served but to increase their happiness. + +"Should God give you such husbands, ladies, I pray you despair not until +you have fully tried all means to win them back. There are twenty-four +hours in the day in which a man may change his mind, and a wife who +has gained her husband over by patience and longsuffering should deem +herself more fortunate than if fate and her kinsfolk had given her one +more perfect." + +"It is an example," said Oisille, "that all married women ought to +follow." + +"Follow it who will," said Parlamente; "for my own part, I should +find it impossible to be patient so long. Although in every condition +patience is a seemly virtue, yet I think that in wedded life it finally +produces ill-will. For, when suffering is caused you by your partner, +you are compelled to keep yourself as much apart from him as possible; +and from such estrangement there springs up contempt for the faithless +one; and this contempt gradually lessens love, for a thing is loved in +proportion as it is esteemed." + +"But there is a danger," said Ennasuite, "that the impatient wife may +meet with a passionate husband who, instead of patience, will bring her +pain." + +"And what more," said Parlamente, "could a husband do than was done by +the husband in the story?" + +"What more?" said Ennasuite. "Why, beat his wife soundly, and make her +lie in the smaller bed, and his sweetheart in the larger." (2) + + 2 At this period, and for some time afterwards, there were + usually two beds in the master's room, a large one for + himself and his wife, and a small one in which slept a + trusty servant, male or female. These little beds are shown + in some of the designs engraved by Abraham Bosse in the + seventeenth century.--L. + +"It is my belief," said Parlamente, "that a true woman would be less +grieved by being beaten in anger than by being contemned for one of less +worth than herself. After enduring the severance of love, nothing that +her husband could do would be able to cause her any further pain. And in +this wise the story says that the trouble she took to regain him was for +the sake of her children--which I can well believe." + +"And do you think that it showed great patience on her part," said +Nomerfide, "to kindle a fire beneath the bed on which her husband was +sleeping." + +"Yes," said Longarine; "for when she saw the smoke she waked him, and +herein, perhaps, was she most to blame; for the ashes of such a husband +as hers would to my thinking have been good for the making of lye." + +"You are cruel, Longarine," said Oisille, "but those are not the terms +on which you lived with your own husband." + +"No," said Longarine, "for, God be thanked, he never gave me cause. I +have reason to regret him all my life long, not to complain of him." + +"But if he had behaved in such a manner towards you," said Nomerfide, +"what would you have done?" + +"I loved him so dearly," said Longarine, "that I believe I should have +killed him, and myself as well. To die after taking such a vengeance +would have been sweeter to me than to live faithfully with the +faithless." + +"So far as I can see," said Hircan, "you do not love your husbands +except for your own sakes. If they are what you want them to be, you +are very fond of them; but if they fall into the slightest error towards +you, they lose on a Saturday the toil of an entire week. Thus you are +minded to rule, and I for my part will consent to it provided, however, +that all other husbands agree." + +"It is reasonable," said Parlamente, "that man should rule us as our +head, but not that he should forsake us or treat us ill." + +"God has provided so wisely," said Oisille, "both for man and for woman, +that I hold marriage, if it be not abused, to be the goodliest and +securest condition imaginable, and I am sure that, whatever they may +seem to do, all here present think the same. And if the man claims to +be wiser than the woman, he will be the more severely blamed should the +fault come from him. But enough of such talk. Let us now see to whom +Dagoucin will give his vote." + +"I give it," he said, "to Longarine." + +"You do me a great pleasure," she replied, "for I have read a story that +is worthy to follow yours. Since we are set upon praising the virtuous +patience of ladies, I will show you one more worthy of praise than she +of whom we have just been speaking. And she is the more deserving of +esteem in that she was a city dame, and therefore one of those whose +breeding is less virtuous than that of others." + + +[Illustration: 081.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 083a.jpg The Lady of Tours questioning her Husband's Mistress] + +[The Lady of Tours questioning her Husband's Mistress] + +[Illustration: 083.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXVIII_. + + _A towns-woman of Tours returned so much good for all the + evil treatment she had received from her husband, that the + latter forsook the mistress whom he was quietly maintaining, + and returned to his wife_. (1) + + 1 It is probable that the incidents related in this tale + occurred between 1460 and 1470. They will be found recorded + in the _Menagier de Paris_. (See Baron Pichon's edition, + 1847, vol. i. p. 237). A similar narrative figures in some + editions of Morlini's tales, notably the _Novello, Fabello, + et Comedies, Neapoli_, 1520. We further find it in + Gueudeville's translation of Erasmus's Colloquies (_Dialogue + sur le mariage, collogues, &c., Leyden_, 1720, vol. i. p. + 87), and Mr. Walter Keily has pointed out (the _Heptameron_, + Bohn, 1864) that William Warner worked the same incidents + into his poem _Albion's England_, his stanzas being + reproduced in Percy's _Reliques_ under the title of _The + Patient Countess_.--L. and Ed. + +In the city of Tours there dwelt a chaste and comely townswoman, who, by +reason of her virtues, was not only loved but feared also and respected +by her husband. Nevertheless, with all the fickleness of men who grow +weary of ever eating good bread, he fell in love with a farm tenant (2) +of his own, and would oft-time leave Tours to visit the farm, where he +always remained two or three days; and when he came back to Tours he was +always in so sorry a plight that his wife had much ado to cure him, yet, +as soon as he was whole again, he never failed to return to the place +where pleasure caused him to forget all his ills. + + 2 The French word here is _metayere_. The _metayer_ (fem. + metayere) was a farm tenant under the general control of his + landlord, who supplied him with seed and took to himself a + considerable portion of the produce. The system was done + away with at the Revolution, but was revived here and there + under the Restoration, when some of the nobles came to + "their own" again, and there may even nowadays be a few + instances of the kind.--Ed. + +When his wife, who was anxious above all things for his life and health, +found him constantly return home in so evil a plight, she went to the +farm and found there the young woman whom her husband loved. Then, +without anger but with graceful courage, she told her that she knew her +husband often went to see her, but that she was ill-pleased to find him +always return home exhausted in consequence of her sorry treatment of +him. The poor woman, influenced as much by respect for her mistress +as by regard for the truth, was not able to deny the fact, and craved +forgiveness. + +The lady asked to see the room and bed in which her husband was wont +to sleep, and found it so cold and dirty and ill-appointed that she was +moved to pity. Forthwith she sent for a good bed furnished with sheets, +blankets and counterpane such as her husband loved; she caused the room +to be made clean and neat and hung with tapestries; provided suitable +ware for his meat and drink, a pipe of good wine, sweetmeats and +confections, and begged the woman to send him back no more in so +miserable a state. + +It was not long before the husband again went, as was his wont, to see +his tenant, and he was greatly amazed to find his poor lodging in such +excellent order. And still more was he surprised when the woman gave him +to drink in a silver cup; and he asked her whence all these good things +had come. The poor woman told him, weeping, that they were from his +wife, who had taken such great pity on his sorry treatment that she had +furnished the house in this way, and had charged her to be careful of +his health. + +When the gentleman saw the exceeding generosity of his wife in returning +so much good for all the evil turns that he had done her, he looked upon +his own wrongdoing as no less great than her kindness; and, after giving +some money to his tenant, he begged her to live in future as an honest +woman. Then he went back to his wife, acknowledged his wrongdoing, and +told her that, but for her great gentleness and generosity, he +could never have forsaken the life that he had been leading. And +thenceforward, forgetting the past, they lived in all peacefulness +together. + +"You may be sure, ladies, that there are but few husbands whom a wife's +love and patience cannot win at last, unless they be harder even than +stone, which weak and yielding water will in time make hollow." + +"That woman," said Parlamente, "had neither heart, gall nor liver." + +"What would you have had her do?" said Longarine. "She practised what +God commands, and returned good for evil." (3) + + 3 "Recompense to no man evil for evil."--_Rom_. xii. 17. + "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing."--1 + _Pet_. iii. 9.--Ed. + +"I think," said Hircan, "she must have been in love with some Grey +Friar, who had laid upon her the penance of having her husband well +treated in the country, so that, meantime, she might be free to +entertain herself well in the town." + +"Therein," said Oisille, "you clearly show the wickedness of your own +heart, judging ill of a good deed. I rather believe her to have been so +subdued by the love of God that she cared for naught save the salvation +of her husband's soul." + +"It seems to me," said Simontault, "that he had more reason to return +to his wife when he was so cold at the farm than afterwards when he was +treated so well." + +"From what I can see," said Saffredent, "you are not of the same opinion +as the rich man of Paris who, when he lay with his wife, could not put +off his gear without being chilled, but who never felt the worse when +he went without cap or shoes, in the depth of winter, to see his +servant-maid in the cellar. Yet his wife was very beautiful and the maid +very ugly." + +"Have you not heard," said Geburon, "that God always aids lunatics, +lovers and sots? Perhaps he was all three in one." + +"Do you thence conclude," said Pariamente, "that God recks not of the +wise, the chaste and the temperate? Help is not needed by those who can +help themselves. He who said that He had come for the sick and not for +the whole, (4) came by the law of His mercy to succour our infirmities, +thereby annulling the decrees of His rigorous justice; and he that deems +himself wise is a fool in the sight of God. But, to end the sermon, to +whom will Longarine give her vote?" + + 4 "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but + they that are sick."--_St. Mark_ ii. 17. See also _St. + Luke_ v. 31.--Ed. + +"I give it," she said, "to Saffredent." + +"Then I hope," said Saffredent, "to prove to you that God does not +favour lovers. For although it has already been said, ladies, that vice +is common to men and women alike, yet will a subtle artifice be more +readily and adroitly devised by a woman than by a man Of this I am now +about to give you an instance." + + +[Illustration: 088.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 089a.jpg The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost] + +[The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost] + +[Illustration: 089.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XXXIX_. + + _The Lord of Grignaulx freed his house from a ghost which + had so tormented his wife that for the space of two years + she had dwelt elsewhere_. + +A certain Lord of Grignaulx (1) who was gentleman of honour to the Queen +of France, Anne, Duchess of Brittany, on returning to his house whence +he had been absent during more than two years, found his wife at another +estate, near by, and when he inquired the reason of this, she told him +that a ghost was wont to haunt the house, and tormented them so much +that none could dwell there. (2) Monsieur de Grig-naulx, who had no +belief in such absurdities, replied that were it the devil himself he +was not afraid of him, and so brought his wife home again. + +At night he caused many candles to be lighted that he might see the +ghost more clearly, and, after watching for a long time without hearing +anything, he fell asleep; but immediately afterwards he was awaked by a +buffet upon the cheek, and heard a voice crying, "Brenigne, Brenigne," +which had been the name of his grandmother. (3) Then he called to the +serving-woman, who lay near them, (4) to light the candle, for all were +now extinguished, but she durst not rise. And at the same time the Lord +of Grig-naulx felt the covering pulled from off him, and heard a great +noise of tables, trestles and stools falling about the room; and this +lasted until morning. However, the Lord of Grignaulx was more displeased +at losing his rest than afraid of the ghost, for indeed he never +believed it to be any such thing. + + 1 This is John de Talleyrand, knight, lord of Grignols and + Fouquerolles, Prince of Chalais, Viscount of Fronsac, mayor + and captain of Bordeaux, chamberlain of Charles VIII., first + majordomo and gentleman of honour in turn to two French + Queens, Anne of Brittany and Mary of England. His wife was + Margaret de la Tour, daughter of Anne de la Tour, Viscount + of Turenne, and Mary de Beaufort. She bore him several + children. It was John de Talleyrand who warned Louise of + Savoy that her son Francis, then Count of Angouleme, was + paying court to the young Queen, Mary of England, wife to + Louis XII. Apprehensive lest this intrigue should destroy + her son's prospects, Louise prevailed on him to relinquish + it (Brantome's _Dames Illustres_).--L. 4 89 + + 2 The house haunted by the ghost would probably be + Talleyrand's chateau at Grignols, in the department of the + Gironde. His lordship of Fouquerolles was only a few miles + distant, in the Dordogne, and this would be the estate to + which his wife had retired.--Ed. + + 3 Talleyrand's grandmother on the paternal side was Mary of + Brabant; the reference may be to his maternal grandmother, + whose Christian name was possibly "Benigne." On the other + hand, Boaistuau gives the name as Revigne, and among the old + French _noblesse_ were the Revigne and Revigny families.-- + Ed. + + 4 See _ante_, note 2 to Tale XXXVII. + +On the following night he resolved to capture this ghost, and so, when +he had been in bed a little while, he pretended to snore very loudly, +and placed his open hand close to his face. Whilst he was in this wise +waiting for the ghost, he felt that something was coming near him, and +accordingly snored yet louder than before, whereat the ghost was +so encouraged as to deal him a mighty blow. Forthwith, the Lord of +Grignaulx caught the ghost's hand as it rested on his face, and cried +out to his wife-- + +"I have the ghost!" + +His wife immediately rose up and lit the candle, and found that it was +the serving-woman who slept in their room; and she, throwing herself +upon her knees, entreated forgiveness and promised to confess the truth. +This was, that she had long loved a serving-man of the house, and +had taken this fine mystery in hand in order to drive both master and +mistress away, so that she and her lover, having sole charge of the +house, might be able to make good cheer as they were wont to do when +alone. My Lord of Grignaulx, who was a somewhat harsh man, commanded +that they should be soundly beaten so as to prevent them from ever +forgetting the ghost, and this having been done, they were driven away. +In this fashion was the house freed from the plaguy ghosts who for two +years long had played their pranks in it. (5) + + 5 Talleyrand, who passes for having been the last of the + "Rois des Ribauds" (see the Bibliophile Jacob's historical + novel of that title), was, like his descendant the great + diplomatist, a man of subtle and caustic humour. Brantome, + in his article on Anne of Brittany in _Les Dames Illustres_, + repeatedly refers to him, and relates that on an occasion + when the Queen wished to say a few words in Spanish to the + Emperor's ambassador--there was a project of marrying her + daughter Claude to Charles V.--she applied to Grignols to + teach her a sentence or two of the Castilian language. He, + however, taught her some dirty expression, but was careful + to warn Louis XII., who laughed at it, telling his wife on + no account to use the Spanish words she had learnt. On + discovering the truth, Anne was so greatly vexed, that + Grignols was obliged to withdraw from Court for some time, + and only with difficulty obtained the Queen's forgiveness.-- + L. and Ed. + +"It is wonderful, ladies, to think of the effects wrought by the mighty +god of Love. He causes women to put aside all fear, and teaches them to +give every sort of trouble to man in order to work their own ends. But +if the purpose of the serving-woman calls for blame, the sound sense +of the master is no less worthy of praise. He knew that when the spirit +departs, it returns no more." (6) + + 6 "A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."--_Psalm_ + lxxviii. 39.--M. + +"In sooth," said Geburon, "love showed little favour to the man and +the maid, but I agree that the sound sense of the master was of great +advantage to him." + +"Nevertheless," said Ennasuite, "the maid through her cunning lived for +a long time at her ease." + +"'Tis but a sorry ease," said Oisille, "that is founded upon sin and +that ends in shame and chastisement." + +"That is true, madam," said Ennasuite, "but many persons reap pain +and sorrow by living righteously, and lacking wit enough to procure +themselves in all their lives as much pleasure as these two." + +"It is nevertheless my opinion," said Oisille, "that there can be no +perfect pleasure unless the conscience be at rest." + +"Nay," said Simontault, "the Italian maintains that the greater the sin +the greater the pleasure." (7) + + 7 This may be a reference to Boccaccio or Castiglione, but + the expression is of a proverbial character in many + languages.--Ed. + +"In very truth," said Oisille, "he who invented such a saying must be +the devil himself. Let us therefore say no more of him, but see to whom +Saffredent will give his vote." + +"To whom?" said he. "Only Parlamente now remains; but if there were a +hundred others, she should still receive my vote, as being the one from +whom we shall certainly learn something." + +"Well, since I am to end the day," said Parlamente, "and since I +promised yesterday to tell you why Rolandine's father built the castle +in which he kept her so long a prisoner, I will now relate it to you." + + +[Illustration: 094.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 095a.jpg The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister's Husband] + +[The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister's Husband] + +[Illustration: 095.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XL_. + + _The sister of the Count of Jossebelin, after marrying + unknown to her brother a gentleman whom he caused to be put + to death (albeit except for his lowlier rank he had often + desired him for his brother-in-law) did, with great patience + and austerity of life, spend the remainder of her days in a + hermitage_. (1) + +This lord, who was the father of Rolandine and was called the Count of +Jossebelin, had several sisters, some of whom were married to wealthy +husbands, others becoming nuns, whilst one, who was beyond comparison +fairer than all the rest, dwelt unwedded in his house. (2) + + 1 The events here narrated would have occurred in or about + 1479.--L. + + 2 The so-called Count of Jossebelin is John II., Viscount + de Rohan, previously referred to in Tale XXI. He was the son + of Alan IX., Vicount of Rohan, by his second wife, Mary of + Lorraine. Alan, by a first marriage with Margaret of + Brittany, had three daughters, Jane, Margaret and Catherine, + all three of whom were married advantageously. Contrary to + Queen Margaret's assertion above, none of them became nuns; + Alan may, however, have had illegitimate daughters who took + the veil. By his second wife he had a son, John II., and a + daughter christened Catherine, like her half-sister. She + died unmarried, says Anselme's _Histoire Genealogique_ (vol. + iv. p. 57), and would appear to be the heroine of Queen + Margaret's tale.--L. and B. J. + +And so dearly did she love her brother that he, for his part, preferred +her even to his wife and children. + +She was asked in marriage by many of good estate, but her brother would +never listen to them through dread of losing her, and also because he +loved his money too well. She therefore spent a great part of her life +un-wedded, living very virtuously in her brother's house. Now there was +a young and handsome gentleman who had been reared from childhood in +this same house, and who, growing in comeliness and virtue as well as in +years, had come to have a complete and peaceful rule over his master, +in such sort that whenever the latter desired to give any charge to his +sister he always did so by means of this young gentleman, (3) and he +allowed him so much influence and intimacy, sending him morning and +evening to his sister, that at last a great love sprang up between the +two. + + 3 This is possibly a Count of Keradreux, whom John II. is + known to have put to death, though the Breton and French + chroniclers do not relate the circumstances of the crime.-- + See_post_, p. 100, note 4.--Ed. + +But as the gentleman feared for his life if he should offend his master, +and the lady feared also for her honour, their love found gladness in +speech alone, until the Lord of Jossebelin had often said to his sister +that he wished the gentleman were rich and of as good a house as her +own, for he had never known a man whom he would so gladly have had for +his brother-in-law. + +He repeated these sayings so often that, after debating them together, +the lovers concluded that if they wedded one another they would readily +be forgiven. Love, which easily believes what it desires, persuaded them +that nothing but good could come of it; and in this hope they celebrated +and consummated the marriage without the knowledge of any save a priest +and certain women. + +After they had lived for a few years in the delight that man and woman +can have together in marriage, and as one of the handsomest and most +loving couples in Christendom, Fate, vexed to find two persons so +much at their ease, would no longer suffer them to continue in it, but +stirred up against them an enemy, who, keeping watch upon the lady, came +to a knowledge of her great happiness, and, ignorant the while of her +marriage, went and told the Lord of Jossebelin that the gentleman in +whom he had so much trust, went too often to his sister's room, and that +moreover at hours when no man should enter it. This the Count would +not at first believe for the trust that he had in his sister and in the +gentleman. + +But the other, like one careful for the honour of the house, repeated +the charge so often that a strict watch was set, and the poor folk, +who suspected nothing, were surprised. For one evening the Lord of +Jossebelin was advised that the gentleman was with his sister, and, +hastening thither, found the poor love-blinded pair lying in bed +together. His anger at the sight robbed him of speech, and, drawing +his sword, he ran after the gentleman to kill him. But the other, being +nimble of body, fled in nothing but his shirt, and, being unable to +escape by the door, leaped through a window into the garden. + +Then the poor lady, clad only in her chemise, threw herself upon her +knees before her brother and said to him-- + +"Sir, spare the life of my husband, for I have indeed married him; +and if you are offended punish only me, for what he did was done at my +request." + +Her brother, beside himself with wrath, could only reply-- + +"Even if he be your husband one hundred thousand times over, yet will I +punish him as a rascally servant who has deceived me." + +So saying, he went to the window and called out loudly to kill him, +which was speedily done before the eyes of himself and his sister. The +latter, on beholding the pitiful sight which no prayers on her part +had been able to prevent, spoke to her brother like a woman bereft of +reason. + +"Brother," she said, "I have neither father nor mother, and I am old +enough to marry according to my own pleasure. I chose one whom many a +time you said you would gladly have me marry, and for doing by your own +counsels that which the law permits me to do without them, you have put +to death the man whom you loved best of all the world. Well, since my +prayers have been of no avail to preserve his life, I implore you, by +all the love you have ever borne me, to make me now a sharer in his +death even as I have been a sharer in all his living fortunes. In this +way, while sating your unjust and cruel anger, you will give repose +to the body and soul of one who cannot and will not live without him." +Although her brother was almost distracted with passion, (4) he had +pity upon his sister, and so, without granting or denying her request, +withdrew. After weighing well what he had done, and hearing that the +gentleman had in fact married his sister, he would gladly have undone +his grievous crime. Nevertheless, being afraid that his sister would +seek justice or vengeance for it, he caused a castle to be built in the +midst of a forest, (5) and, placing her therein, forbade that any should +have speech with her. + + 4 John II. of Rohan was a man of the most passionate, + resentful disposition, and the greater part of his life was + spent in furthering ambitious schemes, stirring up feuds and + factions, and desolating Brittany with civil war. In 1470 we + find him leaving the service of the Duke, his master, to + enter that of Louis XI., on whose side he fought till the + peace of Senlis in 1475. Four years later the Duke of + Brittany caused him to be arrested on the charge of + murdering the Count of Keradreux, and he appears to have + remained in prison till 1484, when it is recorded that he + fled to France, and thence to Lorraine. In 1487 he leagued + himself with several discontented nobles to drive away the + Chancellor of Brittany and various foreign favourites around + the Duke, and carried civil war into several parts of the + duchy. Then for a brief space he made his peace with the + Duke, but again took up arms for the French King, fought at + St. Aubin du Cormier, captured Dinan and besieged and + pillaged Guingamp. Charles VIII. appointed him Lieutenant- + general of Lower Brittany in 1491, and he was first + commissary of the King of France at the States of Brittany + held at Vannes in 1491 and 1501. In 1507 he witnessed the + marriage contract of the Princess Claude with Francis, Duke + of Valois, afterwards Francis I. (Anselme's _Histoire + Genealogique_, vol. iv. p. 57). When Anne became Duchess of + Brittany, John II. vainly strove to compel her to marry his + son, James, and this was one of the causes of their life- + long enmity (_ante_ vol. iii. Tale XXI.) John II. died in + 1516.--L. and Ed. + + 5 If this be the chateau of Josselin, as some previous + commentators think, Queen Margaret is in error here, for + records subsist which prove that Josselin, now classed among + the historical monuments of France, was built not by John + II., but by his father, Alan IX. It rises on a steep rock on + the bank of the Oust, at nine miles from Ploermel, and on + the sculptured work, both inside and out, the letters A. V. + (Alan, Viscount) are frequently repeated, with the arms of + Rohan and Brittany quartered together, and bearing the proud + device _A plus_. It seems to us evident that the incidents + recorded in the early part of Queen Margaret's tale took + place at Josselin, and that Catherine de Rohan was + imprisoned in some other chateau expressly erected by her + brother.--D. and Ed. + +Some time afterwards he sought, for the satisfaction of his conscience, +to win her back again, and spoke to her of marriage; but she sent him +word that he had given her too sorry a breakfast to make her willing to +sup off the same dish, and that she looked to live in such sort that he +should never murder a second husband of hers; for, she added, she could +scarcely believe that he would forgive another man after having so +cruelly used the one whom he had loved best of all the world. + +And although weak and powerless for revenge, she placed her hopes in Him +who is the true Judge, and who suffers no wickedness to go unpunished; +and, relying upon His love alone, was minded to spend the rest of her +life in her hermitage. And this she did, for she never stirred from +that place so long as she lived, but dwelt there with such patience and +austerity that her tomb was visited by every one as that of a saint. + +From the time that she died, her brother's house came to such a ruinous +state, that of his six sons not one was left, but all died miserably; +(6) and at last the inheritance, as you heard in the former story, +passed into the possession of Rolandine, who succeeded to the prison +that had been built for her aunt. + + 6 Queen Margaret is in error here. Instead of six sons, + John II., according to the most reliable genealogical + accounts of the Rohan family, had but two, James, Viscount + of Rohan and Lord of Leon, who died childless in 1527, and + Claud, Bishop of Cornouailles, who succeeded him as Viscount + of Rohan (Anselme). These had two sisters, Anne, the + Rolandine of Tale XXI., and Mary, who died in June 1542 + (Dillaye).--Ed. + +"I pray God, ladies, that this example may be profitable to you, and +that none among you will seek to marry for her own pleasure without the +consent of those to whom obedience is due; for marriage is a state of +such long continuance that it should not be entered upon lightly and +without the advice of friends and kin. And, indeed, however wisely +one may act, there is always at least as much pain in it as there is +pleasure." + +"In good faith," said Oisille, "were there neither God nor law to +teach maidens discretion, this example would suffice to give them more +reverence for their kindred, and not to seek marriage according to their +own pleasure." + +"Still, madam," said Nomerfide, "whoso has but one good day in the year, +is not unhappy her whole life long. She had the pleasure of seeing and +speaking for a long time with him whom she loved better than herself, +and she moreover enjoyed the delights of marriage with him without +scruple of conscience. I consider such happiness so great, that in my +opinion it surpassed the sorrow that she bore." + +"You maintain, then," said Saffredent, "that a woman has more pleasure +in lying with a husband, than pain in seeing him put to death before her +eyes." + +"That is not my meaning," said Nomerfide, "for it would be contrary to +my experience of women. But I hold that an unwonted pleasure such as +that of marrying the man whom one loves best of all the world, must be +greater than that of losing him by death, which is common to all." + +"Yes," said Geburon, "if the death be a natural one, but that in the +story was too cruel. And I think it very strange, considering he was +neither her father nor her husband but only her brother, and she had +reached an age when the law suffers maidens to marry according to their +own pleasure, that this lord should have had the daring to commit so +cruel a deed." + +"I do not think it at all strange," said Hircan, "for he did not kill +his sister whom he dearly loved, and who was not subject to his control, +but dealt with the gentleman whom he had bred as his son and loved as +his brother. He had bestowed honour and wealth upon him in his service, +and in return for all this the other sought his sister in marriage, a +thing which was in nowise fitting for him to do." + +"Moreover," said Nomerfide, "it was no ordinary or wonted pleasure for a +lady of such high lineage to marry a gentleman servant for love. If the +death was extraordinary, the pleasure also was novel, and it was the +greater seeing that it had against it the opinions of all wise folk, for +it was the happiness of a loving heart with tranquillity of soul, since +God was in no wise offended by it And as for the death that you call +cruel, it seems to me that, since death is unavoidable, the swifter it +comes the better; for we know that it is a road by which all of us must +travel. I deem those fortunate who do not long linger on the outksirts +of death, but who take a speedy flight from all that can be termed +happiness in this world to the happiness that is eternal." + +"What do you mean by the outskirts of death?" said Simontault. + +"Such as have deep tribulation of spirit," replied Nomerfide, "such, +too, as have long been ill, and in their extreme bodily or spiritual +pain have come to think lightly of death and find its approach too slow, +such, I say, as these have passed through the outskirts of death and +will tell you of the hostels where they knew more lamentation than rest. +The lady of the story could not help losing her husband through death, +but her brother's wrath preserved her from seeing him a long time sick +or distressed in mind. And turning the gladness that she had had with +him to the service of Our Lord, she might well esteem herself happy." + +"Do you make no account," said Longarine, "of the shame that she +endured, or of her imprisonment?" + +"I consider," said Nomerfide, "that a woman who lives perfectly, with a +love that is in keeping with the commands of her God, has no knowledge +of shame or dishonour except when they impair or lessen the perfection +of her love; for the glory of truly loving knows no shame. As for her +imprisonment, I imagine that, with her heart at large and devoted to God +and her husband, she thought nothing of it, but deemed her solitude +the greatest freedom. When one cannot see what one loves, the greatest +happiness consists in thinking constantly upon it, and there is no +prison so narrow that thought cannot roam in it at will." + +"Nothing can be truer than what Nomerfide says," observed Simontault, +"but the man who in his passion brought this separation to pass must +have deemed himself unhappy indeed, seeing that he offended God, Love +and Honour." + +"In good sooth," said Geburon, "I am amazed at the diversity of woman's +love. I can see that those who have most love have most virtue; but +those who have less love conceal it in their desire to appear virtuous." + +"It is true," said Parlamente, "that a heart which is virtuous towards +God and man loves more deeply than a vicious one, and fears not to have +its inmost purpose known." + +"I have always heard," said Simontault, "that men should not be blamed +if they seek the love of women, for God has put into the heart of man +desire and boldness for asking, and in that of woman fear and chastity +for refusal. If, then, a man be punished for using the powers that have +been given him, he suffers wrong." + +"But it must be remembered," said Longarine, "that he had praised this +gentleman for a long time to his sister. It seems to me that it would be +madness or cruelty in the keeper of a fountain to praise its fair waters +to one fainting with thirst, and then to kill him when he sought to +taste them." + +"The brother," thereupon said Parlamente, "did indeed so kindle the +flame by gentle words of his own, that it was not meet he should beat it +out with the sword." + +"I am surprised," said Saffredent, "to find it taken ill that a simple +gentleman should by dint of love alone, and without deceit, have come to +marry a lady of high lineage, seeing that the wisdom of the philosophers +accounts the least of men to be of more worth than the greatest and most +virtuous of women." + +"The reason is," said Dagoucin, "that in order to preserve the +commonwealth in peace, account is only taken of the rank of families, +the age of persons, and the provisions of the laws, without regard to +the love and virtue of individuals, and all this so that the kingdom may +not be disturbed. Hence it comes to pass that, in marriages made between +equals and according to the judgment of kinsfolk and society, the +husband and wife often journey to the very outskirts of hell." + +"Indeed it has been seen," said Geburon, "that those who, being alike in +heart, character and temperament, have married for love and paid no heed +to diversity of birth and lineage, have ofttime sorely repented of it; +for a deep unreasoning love is apt to turn to jealousy and rage." + +"It seems to me," said Parlamente, "that neither course is worthy of +praise, but that folks should submit themselves to the will of God, and +pay no heed to glory, avarice or pleasure, and loving virtuously and +with the approval of their kinsfolk, seek only to live in the married +state as God and nature ordain. And although no condition be free from +tribulation, I have nevertheless seen such persons live together without +regret; and we of this company are not so unfortunate as to have none of +these married ones among the number." + +Hircan, Geburon, Simontault and Saffredent swore that they had wedded +after this sort, and had never repented since. Whatever the truth of +this declaration may have been, the ladies concerned were exceedingly +content with it, and thinking that they could hear nothing to please +them better, they rose up to go and give thanks for it to God, and found +the monks at the church, ready for vespers. + +When the service was over they went to supper, but not without much +discourse concerning their marriages; and this lasted all the evening, +each one relating the fortune that had befallen him whilst he was wooing +his wife. + +As it happened, however, that one was interrupted by another, it is not +possible to set down these stories in full, albeit they would have been +as pleasant to write as those which had been told in the meadow. +Such great delight did they take in the converse, and so well did it +entertain them, that, before they were aware of it, the hour for rest +had come. + +The Lady Oisille made the company separate, and they betook themselves +to bed so joyously that, what with recounting the loves of the past, +and proving those of the present, the married folk, methinks, slept no +longer than the others. + +And so the night was pleasantly spent until the morning. + +[Illustration: 109.jpg Tailpiece] + + + + +FIFTH DAY. + +_On the Fifth Day Tales are told of the virtue of those +maids and matrons who held their honour in +more consideration than their pleasure, +also of those who did the contrary, +and of the simplicity of +certain others_. + + + + +PROLOGUE. + +When morning was come, the Lady Oisille made ready for them a spiritual +breakfast of such excellent flavour that it sufficed to strengthen both +body and mind. The whole company was very attentive to it; it seemed to +them that they had never harkened to a sermon with such profit before. +Then, when the last bell rang for mass, they went to meditate upon the +pious discourse which they had heard. + +After listening to mass, and walking for a little while, they went to +table feeling assured that the present day would prove as agreeable +as any of the past. Saffredent even said that he would gladly have the +bridge building for another month, so great was the pleasure that he +took in their entertainment; but the Abbot was pressing the work with +all speed, for it was no pleasure to him to live in the company of so +many honourable persons, among whom he could not bring his wonted female +pilgrims. + +Having rested for a time after dinner, they returned to their accustomed +diversion. When all were seated in the meadow, they asked Parlamente to +whom she gave her vote. + +"I think," she replied, "that Saffredent might well begin this day, for +his face does not look as though he wished us to weep." + +"Then, ladies, you will needs be very hard-hearted," said Saffredent, +"if you take no pity on the Grey Friar whose story I am going to relate +to you. You may perhaps think, from the tales that some among us have +already told of the monks, that misadventures have befallen hapless +damsels simply because ease of execution induced the attempt to be +fearlessly begun, but, so that you may know that it is the blindness of +wanton lust which deprives the friars of all fear and prudence, I will +tell you of what happened to one of them in Flanders." + + +[Illustration: 115a.jpg The Beating of the Wicked Grey Friar] + +[The Beating of the Wicked Grey Friar] + +[Illustration: 115.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLI_. + + _A Grey Friar to whom a maiden had presented herself on + Christmas night that he might confess her, laid upon her so + strange a penance that she would not submit to it, but rose + from before him without having received absolution; but her + mistress, hearing of the matter, caused the Grey Friar to be + flogged in her kitchen, and then sent him back, bound and + gagged, to his Warden_. + +In the year when my Lady Margaret of Austria came to Cambray on behalf +of her nephew the Emperor, to treat of peace between him and the Most +Christian King, who on his part was represented by his mother, my +Lady Louise of Savoy, (1) the said Lady Margaret had in her train the +Countess of Aiguemont, (2) who won, among this company, the renown of +being the most beautiful of all the Flemish ladies. + + 1 It was in June 1529 that Margaret of Austria came to + Cambrai to treat for peace, on behalf of Charles V. Louise + of Savoy, who represented Francis I., was accompanied on + this occasion by her daughter, Queen Margaret, who appears + to have taken part in the conferences. The result of these + was that the Emperor renounced his claims on Burgundy, but + upheld all the other stipulations of the treaty of Madrid. + Having been brought about entirely by feminine negotiators, + the peace of Cambrai acquired the name of "La Paix des + Dames," or "the Ladies' Peace." Some curious particulars of + the ceremonies observed at Cambrai on this occasion will be + found in Leglay's _Notice sur les feles et ceremonies a + Cambray depuis le XIe siecle_, Cambrai, 1827.--L. and B. J. + + 2 This is Frances of Luxemburg, Baroness of Fiennes and + Princess of Gavre, wife of John IV., Count of Egmont, + chamberlain to the Emperor Charles V. They were the parents + of the famous Lamoral Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavre and + Baron of Fiennes, born in 1522 and put to death by the Duke + of Alba on June 5, 1568.--B.J. + +When this great assembly separated, the Countess of Aiguemont returned +to her own house, and, Advent being come, sent to a monastery of Grey +Friars to ask for a clever preacher and virtuous man, as well to preach +as to confess herself and her whole household. The Warden, remembering +the great benefits that the Order received from the house of Aiguemont +and that of Fiennes, to which the Countess belonged, sought out the man +whom he thought most worthy to fill the said office. + +Accordingly, as the Grey Friars more than any other order desire to +obtain the esteem and friendship of great houses, they sent the most +important preacher of their monastery, and throughout Advent he did his +duty very well, and the Countess was well pleased with him. + +On Christmas night, when the Countess desired to receive her Creator, +she sent for her confessor, and after making confession in a carefully +closed chapel, she gave place to her lady of honour, who in her turn, +after being shriven, sent her daughter to pass through the hands of this +worthy confessor. When the maiden had told all that was in her mind, the +good father knew something of her secrets, and this gave him the desire +and the boldness to lay an unwonted penance upon her. + +"My daughter," said he, "your sins are so great that to atone for them I +command you the penance of wearing my cord upon your naked flesh." + +The maiden, who was unwilling to disobey him, made answer-- + +"Give it to me, father, and I will not fail to wear it." + +"My daughter," said the good father, "it will be of no avail from your +own hand. Mine, from which you shall receive absolution, must first bind +it upon you; then shall you be absolved of all your sins." + +The maiden replied, weeping, that she would not suffer it. + +"What?" said the confessor. "Are you a heretic, that you refuse the +penances which God and our holy mother Church have ordained?" + +"I employ confession," said the maiden, "as the Church commands, and I +am very willing to receive absolution and do penance. But I will not be +touched by your hands, and I refuse this mode of penance." + +"Then," said the confessor, "I cannot give you absolution." + +The maiden rose from before him greatly troubled in conscience, for, +being very young, she feared lest she had done wrong in thus refusing to +obey the worthy father. + +When mass was over and the Countess of Aiguemont had received the +"Corpus Domini," her lady of honour, desiring to follow her, asked her +daughter whether she was ready. The maiden, weeping, replied that she +was not shriven. + +"Then what were you doing so long with the preacher?" asked her mother. + +"Nothing," said the maiden, "for, as I refused the penance that he laid +upon me, he on his part refused me absolution." + +Making prudent inquiry, the mother learnt the extraordinary penance that +the good father had chosen for her daughter; and then, having caused her +to be confessed by another, they received the sacrament together. When +the Countess was come back from the church, the lady of honour made +complaint to her of the preacher, whereupon the Countess was the +more surprised and grieved, since she had thought so well of him. +Nevertheless, despite her anger, she could not but feel very much +inclined to laugh at the unwonted nature of the penance. + +Still her laughter did not prevent her from having the friar taken and +beaten in her kitchen, where he was brought by the strokes of the rod +to confess the truth; and then she sent him bound hand and foot to his +Warden, begging the latter for the future to commission more virtuous +men to preach the Word of God. + +"Consider, ladies, if the monks be not afraid to display their +wantonness in so illustrious a house, what may they not do in the +poor places where they commonly make their collections, and where +opportunities are so readily offered to them, that it is a miracle if +they are quit of them without scandal. And this, ladies, leads me to beg +of you to change your ill opinion into compassion, remembering that +he (3) who blinds the Grey Friars is not sparing of the ladies when he +finds an opportunity." + + 3 The demon.--B. J. + +"Truly," said Oisille, "this was a very wicked Grey Friar. A monk, a +priest and a preacher to work such wickedness, and that on Christmas +day, in the church and under the cloak of the confessional--all these +are circumstances which heighten the sin." + +"It would seem from your words," said Hircan, "that the Grey Friars +ought to be angels, or more discreet than other men, but you have heard +instances enough to show you that they are far worse. As for the monk +in the story, I think he might well be excused, seeing that he found +himself shut up all alone at night with a handsome girl." + +"True," said Oisille, "but it was Christmas night." + +"That makes him still less to blame," said Simontault, "for, being in +Joseph's place beside a fair virgin, he wished to try to beget an infant +and so play the Mystery of the Nativity to the life." + +"In sooth," said Parlamente, "if he had thought of Joseph and the Virgin +Mary, he would have had no such evil purpose. At all events, he was +a wickedly-minded man to make so evil an attempt upon such slight +provocation." + +"I think," said Oisille, "that the Countess punished him well enough to +afford an excellent example to his fellows." + +"But 'tis questionable," said Nomerfide, "whether she did well in thus +putting her neighbour to shame, or whether 'twould not have been better +to have quietly shown him his faults, rather than have made them so +publicly known." + +"That would, I think, have been better," said Geburon, "for we are +commanded to rebuke our neighbour in secret, before we speak of the +matter to any one else or to the Church. When a man has been brought to +public disgrace, he will hardly ever be able to mend his ways, but fear +of shame withdraws as many persons from sin as conscience does." + +"I think," said Parlamente, "that we ought to observe the teaching of +the Gospel towards all except those that preach the Word of God and act +contrary to it. We should not be afraid to shame such as are accustomed +to put others to shame; indeed I think it a very meritorious thing to +make them known for what they really are, so that we take not a mock +stone (4) for a fine ruby. But to whom will Saffredent give his vote?" + + 4 The French word here is _doublet_. The doublet was a + piece of crystal, cut after the fashion of a diamond, and + backed with red wax so as to give it somewhat the colour of + a ruby.--B. J. + +"Since you ask me," he replied, "I will give it to yourself, to whom no +man of understanding should refuse it." + +"Then, since you give it to me, I will tell you a story to the truth of +which I can myself testify. I have always heard that when virtue abides +in a weak and feeble vessel, and is assailed by its strong and puissant +opposite, it especially deserves praise, and shows itself to be what +it really is. If strength withstand strength, it is no very wonderful +thing; but if weakness win the victory, it is lauded by every one. +Knowing, as I do, the persons of whom I desire to speak, I think that +I should do a wrong to virtue, (which I have often seen hidden under so +mean a covering that none gave it any heed), if I did not tell of her +who performed the praiseworthy actions that I now feel constrained to +relate." + + +[Illustration: 122.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 123a.jpg The Girl refusing the Gift of the Young Prince] + +[The Girl refusing the Gift of the Young Prince] + +[Illustration: 123.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLII_. + + _A young Prince set his affections upon a young girl, and + although she was of low and poor parentage, he could not, in + spite of all his efforts, obtain from her what he had hoped + to have. Accordingly, recognising her virtue and honour, the + Prince desisted from his attempt, esteemed her highly all + his life, and, marrying her to a follower of his own, + bestowed great benefits upon her_. + +In one of the best towns in Touraine there dwelt a lord of illustrious +family, who had there been brought up from early youth. Of the +perfections, graces, beauty and great virtues of this young Prince (1) I +will say nothing, except that in his time his equal could not be found. +Being fifteen years of age, he had more pleasure in hunting and hawking +than in looking at beautiful ladies. + + 1 This is undoubtedly Francis I., then Count of Angouleme. + M. de Lincy thinks that the scene of the story must be + Amboise, where Louise of Savoy went to live with her + children in 1499, and remained for several years; Louis XII. + having placed the chateau there at her disposal. Francis, + however, left Amboise to join the Court at Blois in August + 1508, when less than fourteen years old (see Memoir of Queen + Margaret, vol. i. p. xxiii.), and in the tale, above, he is + said to have been fifteen at the time of the incidents + narrated. These, then, would have occurred in the autumn of + 1509. It will be seen that in the tale the young Prince's + sister (Margaret) is described as residing at the castle. + Now Margaret married Charles of Alencon at Blois, in October + 1509, and forthwith removed to Alencon. Possibly Francis, + who was very precocious, especially in matters of gallantry, + engaged in the love affair narrated by his sister at a yet + earlier age than she asserts, in which case the town she + refers to would undoubtedly be Amboise.--Ed. + +One day in a church he beheld a young maiden who formerly, during her +childhood, had been bred in the castle where he dwelt; but after her +mother's death, her father having married again, she had withdrawn into +Poitou with her brother. This maiden, who was called Frances, had a +bastard sister whom her father dearly loved, and whom he had married +to the young Prince's butler, who maintained her in as excellent a +condition as that of any of her family. It came to pass that the father +died and left to Frances as her portion what he possessed near the town +aforementioned, and thither she returned after his death; nevertheless, +being unmarried and only sixteen years of age, she would not live alone +in her house, but went to lodge with her sister, the butler's wife. + +On perceiving this girl, who was passably beautiful for a light +brunette, and possessed a grace beyond her condition (for, indeed, she +seemed rather a lady or princess than a towns-woman), the young Prince +gazed at her for a long time, and he, who never yet had loved, now +felt in his heart an unwonted delight. On returning to his apartment +he inquired concerning the maiden he had seen in the church, and then +recollected that formerly in her youth she had come to the castle to +have dolls' play with his sister. He reminded the latter of her; and his +sister sent for her, received her kindly, and begged her to come often +to see her. This she did whenever there was a feast or entertainment; +and the young Prince was so pleased to see her that he had in mind to +be deeply in love with her, and, knowing her to be of low and poor +parentage, hoped easily to obtain what he sought. + +Having no means of speaking with her, he sent a gentleman of his chamber +to her to conduct his intrigue. But she, being discreet and fearing God, +told the gentleman that she did not believe so handsome and honourable a +Prince as his master could have pleasure in looking upon one so ugly as +herself, since he had so many beautiful ladies in the castle where he +lived, that he had no need to search through the town; and she added +that in her opinion the gentleman was speaking of his own authority, and +without his master's command. + +When the young Prince received this reply, love, which becomes the +more eager the more it meets with resistance, caused him to pursue his +enterprise more hotly than before, and to write her a letter in which he +begged that she would believe all the gentleman had told her. + +Being well able to read and write, she read the letter through, but, in +spite of all the gentleman's entreaties, she would never send an answer +to it. It was not for one of such low degree, she said, to write to so +noble a Prince, and she begged the gentleman not to deem her foolish +enough to believe that the Prince had so much love for her. Moreover, he +was deceived if he thought that he could have her at his will by reason +of her humble condition; for her heart was as virtuous as that of the +greatest Princess in Christendom, and she looked upon all the treasures +in the world as naught in comparison with honour and a good conscience. +She therefore entreated him not to try to hinder her from keeping these +treasures safe her whole life long, for she would never change her mind +even were she threatened with death. + +The young Prince did not find this reply to his liking, nevertheless he +loved her dearly for it, and never failed to have his chair set in the +church to which she went to hear mass, where, during the service, he +would ever turn his eyes upon the same image. When she perceived this, +she changed her place and went to another chapel--not indeed to flee the +sight of him, for she would not have been a reasonable being had she not +found pleasure in beholding him--but because she dreaded to be seen by +him. She did not deem herself worthy to be loved by him in honour or +marriage, and, on the other hand, she would not be loved wantonly and +for pleasure. When she found that, in whatever part of the church she +placed herself, the Prince heard mass close by, she would no longer +go to the same church, but repaired every day to the remotest that she +could find. And when there was feasting at the castle, although the +Prince's sister often sent for her, she would no longer go thither, but +excused herself on the plea of sickness. + +Finding that he could not have speech with her, the Prince had +recourse to his butler, and promised him great rewards if he would lend +assistance in the matter. This the butler, for the sake both of pleasing +his master and of the gain that he expected, readily promised to do. +Every day he would relate to the Prince what she said or did, telling +him that she was especially careful to shun all opportunities of seeing +him. However, the great desire that the Prince had of speaking with her +at his ease, prompted him to devise the following plan. + +One day he took his chargers, which he was beginning to manage +excellently well, to a large open space in the town opposite to his +butler's house, in which Frances lived. After making many courses and +leaps which she could easily see, he let himself fall from his horse +into some deep mire, but so softly that he was not hurt. Nevertheless he +uttered passably loud groans, and asked whether there was a house near +in which he might change his dress. Every one offered his own, but on +some one saying that the butler's was the nearest and worthiest, it was +chosen before all the others. + +He found the room well furnished, and, as all his garments were soiled +with the mud, he stripped himself to his shirt, and got into a bed. +Then, when he saw that, except the gentleman aforementioned, every one +was gone to bring him some clothes, he called his host and hostess and +asked them where Frances was. They had much ado to find her, for, as +soon as she had seen the young Prince coming in, she had gone to hide +herself in the most retired nook in the house. Nevertheless her sister +found her, and begged her not to be afraid to speak to so worshipful and +virtuous a Prince. + +"What! sister," said Frances, "do you, whom I look upon as my mother, +advise me to go and speak with a young lord, of whose purpose, as you +are aware, I cannot be ignorant?" + +However, her sister addressed so many remonstrances to her, and promised +so often not to leave her alone, that she at last went with her, showing +so pale and sorry a face that she seemed more likely to beget compassion +than desire. + +When the young Prince saw her by his bedside, he took hold of her hand, +which was cold and trembling, and said to her-- + +"Frances, do you deem me so wicked a man, and so strange and cruel, that +I eat the women I look upon? Why have you come to be so afraid of me who +seek only your honour and profit? You know that I have sought to hold +converse with you in all possible places, but all in vain; and, to +grieve me still more, you have even shunned the places where I had +been wont to see you at mass, so that my eyes might bring me as little +gladness as my tongue. But all this has availed you naught, for I have +never rested until I came hither in the manner you have seen, and I have +risked my neck, in allowing myself to fall, in order that I might have +the joy of speaking to you without hindrance. I therefore entreat you, +Frances, that the opportunity gained by so much toil may not be thrown +away, and that my deep love may avail to win your own." + +After waiting a long time for her reply, and seeing that her eyes were +full of tears and fixed upon the ground, he drew her to him as closely +as he could, and tried to embrace and kiss her. But she said to him-- + +"No, my lord, no; what you desire cannot be, for although I am but a +worm of the earth compared with you, I hold my honour dear, and would +rather die than lessen it for any pleasure that the world can give. And +the dread I have lest those who have seen you come in should suspect the +truth, makes me tremble and be afraid as you see. And, since it pleases +you to do me the honour of speaking to me, you will also forgive me if +I answer you according as my honour requires. I am not so foolish, my +lord, nor so blind as not to perceive and recognise the comeliness and +grace that God has given you, or not to consider that she who shall +possess the person and love of such a Prince must be the happiest woman +alive. But what does all this avail me, since it is not for me or any +woman of my condition, and since even to long for it would, in me, +be utter folly? What reason can I believe to be yours in addressing +yourself to me except that the ladies in your house, whom you must love +if you have any love for beauty and grace, are so virtuous that you dare +not seek or expect from them what the lowliness of my condition has led +you to expect from me? I am sure that if you obtained your desire from +one such as I, it would afford matter for entertainment to your mistress +during two good hours, to hear you tell her of your conquests over the +weak. But, my lord, be pleased to bear in mind that I shall never be of +their number. I have been brought up in your house, where I have learned +what it is to love; my father and my mother were your faithful servants. +Since, therefore, God has not made me a Princess to marry you, nor of +sufficient rank to be your mistress and love, you will be pleased not to +try to number me with the unfortunate, seeing that I deem and would have +you to be one of the happiest Princes in Christendom. If for diversion +you would have women of my condition, you will find in this town many +who are beyond compare more beautiful than I, and who will spare you the +pains of so many entreaties. Content yourself, then, with those to whom +you will give pleasure by the purchase of their honour, and cease to +trouble one who loves you more than she loves herself. For, indeed, if +either your life or mine were required of God this day, I should esteem +myself fortunate in offering mine to save yours. It is no lack of love +that makes me shun your presence, but rather too great a love for your +conscience and mine; for I hold my honour dearer than life. I will +continue, my lord, if it please you, in your good grace, and will all my +life pray God for your health and prosperity. And truly the honour that +you have done me will lend me consideration among those of my own rank, +for, after seeing you, where is the man of my own condition upon whom +I could deign to look? So my heart will continue free save for the duty +which shall always be mine of praying to God on your behalf. But no +other service can you ever have of me." + +On hearing this virtuous reply, contrary though it was to his desires, +the young Prince could not but esteem her as she deserved. He did all +that he could to persuade her that he would never love another woman, +but she was too prudent to suffer so unreasonable a thought to enter her +mind. While they were talking together, word was often brought that his +clothes were come from the castle, but such was his present pleasure and +comfort, that he caused answer to be given that he was asleep. And this +continued until the hour for supper was come, when he durst not fail +to appear before his mother, who was one of the discreetest ladies +imaginable. + +Accordingly, the young man left his butler's house thinking more highly +than ever of the maiden's virtue. He often spoke of her to the gentleman +that slept in his room, and the latter, who deemed money to be more +powerful than love, advised his master to offer her a considerable sum +if she would yield to his wishes. The young Prince, whose mother was his +treasurer, had but little money for his pocket, but, borrowing as much +as he was able, he made up the sum of five hundred crowns, which he sent +by the gentleman to the girl, begging her to change her mind. + +But, when she saw the gift, she said to the gentleman-- + +"I pray you tell my lord that I have a good and virtuous heart, and that +if it were meet to obey his commands his comeliness and grace would +ere now have vanquished me; but, since these have no power against my +honour, all the money in the world can have none. Take it, therefore, +back to him again, for I would rather enjoy virtuous poverty than all +the wealth it were possible to desire." + +On beholding so much stubbornness, the gentleman thought that violence +must needs be used to win her, and threatened her with his master's +authority and power. But she laughed, and said-- + +"Make those fear him who have no knowledge of him. For my part, I know +him to be so discreet and virtuous that such discourse cannot come from +him, and I feel sure that he will disown it when you repeat it to him. +But even though he were what you say, there is neither torment nor death +that would make me change my mind; for, as I have told you, since love +has not turned my heart, no imaginable evil or good can divert me one +step from the path that I have chosen." + +The gentleman, who had promised his master to win her, brought him back +this reply in wondrous anger, and counselled him to persevere in every +possible way, telling him that it was not to his honour to be unable to +win a woman of her sort. + +The young Prince was unwilling to employ any means but such as honour +enjoins, and was also afraid that if the affair made any noise, and so +came to his mother's ears, she would be greatly angered with him. He +therefore durst make no attempt, until at last the gentleman proposed to +him so simple a plan that he could already fancy her to be in his power. +In order to carry it into execution he spoke to the butler; and he, +being anxious to serve his master in any way that might be, begged his +wife and sister-in-law one day to go and visit their vintages at a house +he had near the forest. And this they promised to do. + +When the day was come, he informed the Prince, who resolved to go +thither alone with the gentleman, and caused his mule to be secretly +held in readiness, that they might set out at the proper time. But God +willed it that his mother should that day be garnishing a most beautiful +cabinet, (2) and needed all her children with her to help her, and thus +the young Prince lingered there until the hour was past. + +There was, however, no hindrance to the departure of the butler, who had +brought his sister-in-law to his house, riding behind him, (3) and +had made his wife feign sickness, so that when they were already on +horseback she had come and said that she could not go with them. But +now, seeing that the hour at which the Prince should have come was gone +by, he said to his sister-in-law-- + +"I think we may now return to the town." + + 2 The French word here is _cabinet_, which some English + translators have rendered as "little room." We think, + however, with the Bibliophile Jacob, that the allusion is to + an article of furniture, such as we ourselves still call a + cabinet in England, though in France the word has virtually + lost that sense.--Ed. + + 3 The MSS. do not say whether she rode on a pillion, or + simply bestrode the horse. This last fashion was still + common at this period and long afterwards, even among women + of high degree. See, for instance, several of the enamels in + the Louvre, notably one which depicts Henry II. of France + with Diana of Poitiers riding behind him. The practice is + also referred to in a sixteenth century ballad. "La + Superfluity des habitz des Dames" (_Anciennes Poesies + Francaises_. Bib. Elzev. 1858, p. 308).--M. + +"What is there to hinder us from doing so?" asked Frances. + +"Why," said the butler, "I was waiting here for my lord, who had +promised me that he would come." + +When his sister-in-law heard this wickedness, she replied-- + +"Do not wait for him, brother, for I know that he will not come to-day." + +The brother-in-law believed her and brought her back again, and when she +had reached home she let him know her extreme anger, telling him that he +was the devil's servant, and did yet more than he was commanded, for she +was sure that the plan had been devised by him and the gentleman and not +by the young Prince, whose money he would rather earn by aiding him in +his follies, than by doing the duty of a good servant. However, now that +she knew his real nature, she would remain no longer in his house, +and thereupon indeed she sent for her brother to take her to his own +country, and immediately left her sister's dwelling. + +Having thus failed in his attempt, the butler went to the castle to +learn what had prevented the arrival of the young Prince, and he had +scarcely come thither when he met the Prince himself sallying forth +on his mule, and attended only by the gentleman in whom he put so much +trust. + +"Well," the Prince asked of him, "is she still there?" + +Thereupon the butler related all that had taken place. + +The young Prince was deeply vexed at having failed in his plan, which he +looked upon as the very last that he could devise, but, seeing that it +could not be helped, he sought out Frances so diligently that at last +he met her in a gathering from which she could not escape. He then +upbraided her very harshly for her cruelty towards him, and for having +left her brother-in-law, but she made answer that the latter was, in +regard to herself, the worst and most dangerous man she had ever known, +though he, the Prince, was greatly beholden to him, seeing that he +was served by him not only with body and substance, but with soul and +conscience as well. + +When the Prince perceived by this that the case was a hopeless one, he +resolved to urge her no more, and esteemed her highly all his life. + +Seeing this maiden's goodness, one of the said Prince's attendants +desired to marry her, but to this she would not consent without the +command and license of the young Prince, upon whom she had set all her +affection; and this she caused to be made known to him, and with his +approval the marriage was concluded. And so she lived all her life in +good repute, and the young Prince bestowed great benefits upon her. (4) + + 4 We take this concluding paragraph from MS. 1520; it is + deficient in ours.--L. + +"What shall we say to this, ladies? Have we hearts so base as to make +our servants our masters--seeing that this woman was not to be subdued +either by love or torment? Let us, I pray you, take example by her +conduct and conquer ourselves, for this is the most meritorious conquest +that we can make." + +"I see but one thing to be regretted," said Oisille, "which is that +these virtuous actions did not take place in the days of the old +historians. Those who gave so much praise to their Lucretia would have +neglected her to set down at length the virtues of this maiden." + +"They are indeed so great," said Hircan, "that, were it not for the +solemn vow that we have taken to speak the truth, I could not believe +her to have been what you describe. We have often seen sick persons +turn in disgust from good and wholesome meats to eat such as are bad and +hurtful, and in the same way this girl may have had some gentleman of +her own estate for whose sake she despised all nobility." + +But to this Parlemente replied that the girl's whole life showed that +she had never loved any living man save him whom she loved more than her +very life, though not more than her honour. + +"Put that notion out of your head," said Saffredent, "and learn the +origin of the term 'honour' as used among women; for perhaps those +that speak so much of it are ignorant of how the name was devised. Know +then that in the earliest times, when there was but little wickedness +among men, love was so frank and strong that it was never concealed, and +he who loved the most perfectly received most praise. But when greed and +sinfulness fastened upon heart and honour, they drove out God and love, +and in their place set up selfishness, hypocrisy and deceit. Then, when +some ladies found that they fostered in their hearts the virtue of true +love but that the word 'hypocrisy' was hateful among men, they adopted +instead the word 'honour.' At last, too, even those who could feel no +honourable love said that 'honour' forbade them, and cruelly made this a +law for all, so that now even those who love perfectly use concealment, +holding virtue for a vice. But such as have an excellent understanding +and a sound judgment never fall into any such error. They know the +difference between darkness and light, and are aware that true honour +consists in manifesting the purity of their hearts, (which should +live upon love alone), and not in priding themselves on the vice of +dissimulation." + +"Yet," said Dagoucin, "it is said that the most secret love is the most +worthy of praise." + +"Ay, secret," said Simontault, "from the eyes of those who might +misjudge it, but open and manifest at least to the two persons whom it +concerns." + +"So I take it," said Dagoucin, "but it would be better to have one of +the two ignorant of it rather than have it known to a third. I believe +that the love of the woman in the story was all the deeper for not being +declared." + +"Be that as it may," said Longarine, "virtue should be esteemed, and +the highest virtue is to subdue one's own heart. Considering the +opportunities that the maiden had of forgetting conscience and honour, +and the virtue she displayed in all these opportunities and temptations +by subduing her heart, will, and even him whom she loved better than +herself, I say that she might well be called a strong woman. And, since +you measure virtue by the mortification of self, I say that the lord +deserved higher praise than she, if we remember the greatness of his +love, his opportunities, and his power. Yet he would not offend against +that rule of true love which renders prince and peasant equal, but +employed only such means as honour allows." + +"There are many," said Hircan, "who would not have acted in the same +way." + +"So much the more is he to be esteemed," said Longarine, "in having +subdued the common craftiness of men. He who can do evil and yet does it +not is happy indeed." + +"Your words," said Geburon, "remind me of one who was more afraid of +doing wrong in the eyes of men than of offending against God, her honour +and love." + +"Then I pray you tell us the story," said Parlamente, "for I give you my +vote." + +"There are some persons," said Geburon, "who have no God, or, if they +believe in one, think Him so far away that He can neither see nor know +the wicked acts that they commit; or, if He does, imagine that He pays +no heed to things here below, and is too careless to punish them. Of +this opinion was a lady, whose name I will alter for the sake of her +family, and whom I will call Jambicque.( 5) She used often to say that a +woman who had only God to deal with was very fortunate, if for the rest +she was able to maintain her honour among men. But you will see, ladies, +that her prudence and her hypocrisy did not prevent her secret from +being discovered, as will appear from her story, wherein the truth shall +be set forth in full, except that the names of persons and places will +be changed." + + 5 Some of the MSS. give the name as Camele or Camille, + which is also that adopted by Boaistuau.--L. + + +[Illustration: 142.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 143a.jpg Jambicque repudiating her Lover] + +[Jambicque repudiating her Lover] + +[Illustration: 143.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLIII_. + + _Jambicque, preferring the praise of the world to a good + conscience, strove to appear before men other than site + really was; but her friend and lover discovered her + hypocrisy by means of a little chalk-mark, and made known to + everybody the wickedness that she was at such pains to + hide_. + +There dwelt in a very handsome castle a high and mighty Princess, who +had in her train a very haughty lady called Jambicque. (1) The latter +had so deceived her mistress that the Princess did nothing save by her +advice, deeming her the discreetest and most virtuous lady of her day. + + 1 There are no means of positively identifying this woman. + Brantome, who refers at length to the above tale in his + _Vies des Dames Galantes_ (Lalanne's edition, pp. 236-8), + implies that he knew her name but would not tell it. He + says, however, that "she was a widow and lady of honour to a + very great Princess, and knew better how to play the prude + than any other lady at Court."--M. + +This Jambicque used greatly to inveigh against wanton passion, and +whenever she perceived any gentleman in love with one of her companions, +she would chide them with much harshness, and, by making ill report +of them to her mistress, often cause them to be rebuked; hence she was +feared far more than she was loved by all the household. As for +herself, she never spoke to a man except in a loud voice, and with +much haughtiness, and was therefore reputed a deadly enemy to all love. +Nevertheless, it was quite otherwise with her heart, for there was a +gentleman in her mistress's service towards whom she entertained so +strong a passion that, at last, she could no longer endure it. (2) + + 2 Brantome writes as follows concerning the gentleman + referred to above: "According to what I have heard from my + mother, [Anne de Vivonne, wife of Francis de Bourdeille], + who was in the Queen of Navarre's service and knew some of + her secrets, and was herself one of the narrators [of the + _Heptameron_, i.e., Ennasuite], this gentleman was my late + uncle La Chastaigneraye, who was brusque, hasty, and rather + fickle. The tale, however, is so disguised as to hide this, + for my said uncle was never in the service of the great + Princess, who was mistress of the lady [Jambicque], but in + that of the King her brother." This shows the Princess to + have been Queen Margaret herself; and Jambicque, being + described by Brantome as a widow and lady of honour to the + Princess, might possibly be Blanche de Tournon ( Madame de + Chastillon), concerning whom see vol. i. of the present + work, p. 84 (note 7) and pp. 122-4. Her successor as lady of + honour to Margaret was Brantome's own grandmother, of whom + he says that she was not so shrewd, artful, or ready-witted + in love matters as her predecessor. On the other hand, + Blanche de Tournon must have been over forty when La + Chastaigneraye engaged in this adventure, even allowing that + he was only a youth at the time.--Ed. + +The regard which she had for honour and good name caused her to conceal +her affection, but after she had been consumed by this passion for a +full year, being unwilling to find relief as other lovers do in look and +speech, she felt her heart so aflame that, in the end, she sought the +final cure. And she resolved that it were better to satisfy her desire +with none but God in the secret of her heart, rather than speak of it to +a man who might some time make it known. + +After taking this resolve, she chanced to be one day in her mistress's +apartment, when, looking out upon a terrace, she perceived walking there +the man whom she so dearly loved. She gazed upon him until the falling +darkness was hiding him from her sight, when she called a little page of +hers, and pointing to the gentleman, said-- + +"Do you see yonder that gentleman who wears a crimson satin doublet and +cloak of lynx fur? Go and tell him that one of his friends would speak +with him in the garden gallery." + +As soon as the page was gone, she herself passed through her mistress's +wardrobe and into the gallery, having first put on her low hood and +half-mask. (3) + + 3 See _ante_, vol. iii. p. 27. + +When the gentleman was come to where she was waiting, she immediately +shut the two doors by which they might have been surprised, and then, +without taking off her mask, embraced him very closely, and in the +softest whisper imaginable said-- + +"For a long time, sweetheart, the love I bear you has made me desire +time and place for speaking with you, but fearfulness for my honour was +for a while so strong as to oblige me, in my own despite, to conceal my +passion. Albeit, in the end, the strength of love has vanquished fear, +and, in the knowledge that I have of your honour, I protest to you that +if you will promise to love me without ever speaking of the matter to +any one, or asking of me who I am, I will be your true and faithful +sweetheart, and will never love any man but you. But I would rather die +than that you should know who I am." + +The gentleman promised her what she asked, which made her very ready +to do as much for him, namely, to refuse him nothing he might desire +to have. It was between five and six o'clock in winter-time, so that +he could see nothing of the lady, but by the touch of her dress he +perceived that it was of velvet, which at that time was not worn every +day except by ladies of high and mighty lineage. And so far as his hand +could let him judge of what was beneath, there was nothing there that +was not excellent, trim, and plump. Accordingly, he was at pains to +entertain her as well as he was able. She on her part did no less, and +the gentleman readily perceived that she was a married woman. + +She desired afterwards to return immediately to the place whence she had +come, but the gentleman said to her-- + +"I esteem greatly the undeserved favour that you have shown me, but I +shall esteem still more that which you may bestow at my request. So well +pleased am I by this your kindness, that I would fain learn whether I +may not look for more of the same sort, and, also, in what manner you +would have me act; for, knowing you not, I shall be powerless to woo." + +"Have no concern," said the lady, "about that. You may rest assured that +every evening, before my mistress sups, I shall not fail to send for +you, and do you be in readiness on the terrace where you were just now. +I shall merely send you word to remember what you have promised, and in +this way you will know that I am waiting for you here in the gallery. +But if you hear talk of going to table, you may withdraw for that day +or else come into our mistress's apartment. Above all things, I pray +you will never seek to know me, if you would not forthwith bring our +friendship to an end." + +So the lady and the gentleman went their several ways. And although +their love affair lasted for a great while, he could never learn who she +was. He pondered much upon the matter, wondering within himself who she +might be. He could not imagine that any woman in the world would fain be +unseen and unloved; and, having heard some foolish preacher say that no +one who had looked upon the face of the devil could ever love him, he +suspected that his mistress might be some evil spirit. + +In this perplexity he resolved to try and find out who it was that +entertained him so well, and when next she sent for him he brought some +chalk, and, while embracing her, marked the back of her shoulder without +her knowledge. Then, as soon as she was gone, the gentleman went with +all speed to his mistress's apartment, and stood beside the door in +order to look from behind at the shoulders of those ladies that might go +in. + +He saw Jambicque enter among the rest, but with so haughty a bearing +that he feared to look at her as keenly as at the others, and felt quite +sure that it could not have been she. Nevertheless, when her back +was turned, he perceived the chalk mark, whereat he was so greatly +astonished that he could hardly believe his eyes. + +However, after considering both her figure, which was just such a one as +his hands had known, and her features, which he recognised in the same +way, he perceived that it was indeed none other than herself. And he was +well pleased to think that a woman who had never been reputed to have a +lover, and who had refused so many worthy gentlemen, should have chosen +himself alone. + +But Love, which is ever changeful of mood, could not suffer him to live +long in such repose, but, filling him with self-conceit and hope, led +him to make known his love, in the expectation that she would then hold +him still more dear. + +One day, when the Princess was in the garden, the lady Jambicque went to +walk in a pathway by herself. The gentleman, seeing that she was alone, +went up to converse with her, and, as though he had never elsewhere met +her, spoke as follows-- + +"Mistress, I have long borne towards you in my heart an affection which, +through dread of displeasing you, I have never ventured to reveal. But +now my pain has come to be such that I can no longer endure it and live, +for I think that no man could ever have loved you as I do." + +The Lady Jambicque would not allow him to finish his discourse, but said +to him in great wrath-- + +"Did you ever hear or see that I had sweetheart or lover? I trow not, +and am indeed astonished to find you bold enough to address such words +to a virtuous woman like me. You have lived in the same house long +enough to know that I shall never love other than my husband; beware, +then, of speaking further after this fashion." + +At this hypocrisy the gentleman could not refrain from laughing and +saying to her-- + +"You are not always so stern, madam, as you are now. What boots it to +use such concealment towards me? Is it not better to have a perfect than +an imperfect love?" + +"I have no love for you," replied Jambicque, "whether perfect or +imperfect, except such as I bear to the rest of my mistress's servants. +But if you speak further to me as you have spoken now, I shall perhaps +have such hatred for you as may be to your hurt." + +However, the gentleman persisted in his discourse. + +"Where," said he, "is the kindness that you show me when I cannot see +you? Why do you withhold it from me now when the light suffers me to +behold both your beauty and your excellent and perfect grace?" + +Jambicque, making a great sign of the cross, replied-- + +"Either you have lost your understanding or you are the greatest liar +alive. Never in my life have I to my knowledge shown you more kindness +or less than I do at this moment, and I pray you therefore tell me what +it is you mean." + +Then the unhappy gentleman, thinking to better his fortune with her, +told her of the place where he had met her, and of the chalk-mark which +he had made in order to recognise her, on hearing which she was so +beside herself with anger as to tell him that he was the wickedest of +men, and that she would bring him to repent of the foul falsehood that +he had invented against her. + +The gentleman, knowing how well she stood with her mistress, sought to +soothe her, but he found it impossible to do so; for, leaving him where +he stood, she furiously betook herself to her mistress, who, loving +Jambicque as she did herself, left all the company to come and speak +with her, and, on finding her in such great wrath, inquired of her what +the matter was. Thereupon Jambicque, who had no wish to hide it, related +all the gentleman's discourse, and this she did so much to the unhappy +man's disadvantage, that on the very same evening his mistress commanded +him to withdraw forthwith to his own home without speaking with anyone +and to stay there until he should be sent for. And this he did right +speedily, for fear of worse. (4) + + 4 It has been mentioned in note 2 that the gentleman in + question was Brantome's uncle La Chastaigneraye. Born, + according to most accounts, in 1520, Francis de Vivonne, + Lord of La Chastaigneraye, was a godson of Francis I., and + early displayed marked skill and prowess in all bodily + exercises and feats of arms. He was, however, of a very + quarrelsome disposition, and had several duels. A dispute + arising between him and Guy de Chabot, Lord of Jarnac, they + solicited permission to fight, but Francis I. would not + accord it, and it was only after the accession of Henry II. + that the encounter took place. The spot fixed upon was the + park of St. Germain-en-Laye, and the King and the whole + Court were present (July 10, 1547)--In the result, La + Chastaigneraye was literally ham-strung by a back-thrust + known to this day as the _coup de Jarnac_. The victor + thereupon begged the King to accept his adversary's life and + person, and Henry, after telling Jamac that "he had fought + like Caesar and spoken like Cicero," caused La Chastaigneraye + to be carried to his tent that his wound might be dressed. + Deeply humiliated by his defeat, however, the vanquished + combatant tore off his bandages and bled to death.--Ed. + +So long as Jambicque dwelt with her mistress, the gentleman returned +not to the Princess's house, nor did he ever have tidings of her who had +vowed to him that he should lose her as soon as he might seek her out. +(5) + + 5 After referring to this tale Brantome adds that he had + heard tell of another Court lady who was minded to imitate + Jambicque, but who, "every time she returned from her + assignation, went straight to her room, and let one of her + serving maids examine her on all sides to see if she were + marked. By this means she guarded herself against being + surprised and recognised, and indeed was never marked until + at her ninth assignation, when the mark was at once + discovered by her women. And thereupon, for fear of scandal + and opprobrium, she broke off her intrigue and never more + returned to the appointed spot. Some one said 'twould have + been better if she had let her lover mark her as often as he + liked, and each time have had his marks effaced, for in this + wise she would have reaped a double pleasure--contentment in + love and satisfaction at duping her lover, who, like he who + seeks the Philosopher's Stone, would have toiled hard to + discover and identify her, without ever succeeding in doing + so."--(Lalanne's _OEuvres de Brantome_, pp. 236-8).--M. + +"By this tale, ladies, you may see how one who preferred the world's +esteem to a good conscience lost both the one and the other. For now +may the eyes of all men read what she strove to hide from those of her +lover, and so, whilst fleeing the derision of one, she has incurred the +derision of all. Nor can she be held excused on the score of simplicity +and artless love, for which all men should have pity, but she must +be condemned twice over for having concealed her wickedness with the +twofold cloak of honour and glory, and for making herself appear before +God and man other than she really was. He, however, who gives not His +glory to another, took this cloak from off her and so brought her to +double shame." + +"Her wickedness," said Oisille, "was without excuse. None can defend her +when God, Honour, and even Love are her accusers." + +"Nay," said Hircan, "Pleasure and Folly may; they are the true chief +advocates of the ladies." + +"If we had no other advocates," said Parlamente, "than those you name, +our cause would indeed be ill supported; but those who are vanquished +by pleasure ought no longer to be called women but rather men, whose +reputation is merely exalted by frenzy and lust. When a man takes +vengeance upon his enemy and slays him for giving him the lie, he is +deemed all the more honourable a gentleman for it; and so, too, when he +loves a dozen women besides his own wife. But the reputation of women +has a different foundation, that, namely, of gentleness, patience and +chastity." + +"You speak of the discreet," said Hircan. + +"Yes," returned Parlamente, "because I will know none others." + +"If none were wanton," said Nomerfide, "those who would fain be believed +by all the world must often have lied." + +"Pray, Nomerfide," said Geburon, "receive my vote, and forget that you +are a woman, in order that we may learn what some men that are accounted +truthful say of the follies of your sex." + +"Since virtue compels me to it, and you have made it my turn, I will +tell you what I know. I have not heard any lady or gentleman present +speak otherwise than to the disadvantage of the Grey Friars, and out of +pity I have resolved to speak well of them in the story that I am now +about to relate." + + +[Illustration: 155.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 157.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLIV.(A)_. + + _In reward for not having concealed the truth, the Lord of + Sedan doubled the alms of a Grey Friar, who thus received + two pigs instead of one_. (1) + +To the castle of Sedan once came a Grey Friar to ask my Lady of Sedan, +who was of the house of Crouy, (2) for a pig, which she was wont to give +to his Order every year as alms. + + 1 This tale, though it figures in all the MSS., does not + appear in Gruget's edition of the _Heptameron_, but is there + replaced by the one that follows, XLIV. (B).--Ed. + + 2 This Lady of Sedan is Catherine de Croi, daughter of + Philip VI. de Croi, Count of Chimay. In 1491 she married + Robert II. do la Marck, Duke of Bouillon, Lord of Sedan, + Fleuranges, &c., who was long the companion in arms of + Bayard and La Tremoille. Robert II. lost the duchy of + Bouillon through the conquests of Charles V., and one of the + clauses of the treaty of Cambrai (the "Ladies' Peace") was + that Francis I. would in no wise assist him to regain it. + His eldest son by Catherine de Croi was the celebrated + Marshal de Fleuranges, "the young adventurer," who left such + curious memoirs behind him. Robert II. died in 1535, his son + surviving him a couple of years.--Anselme's _Histoire + Genealogique_, vol. vii. p. 167.--L. and B. J. + +My Lord of Sedan, who was a prudent man and a merry talker, had the good +father to eat at his table, and in order to put him on his mettle said +to him, among other things-- + +"Good father, you do well to make your collection while you are yet +unknown. I greatly fear that, if once your hypocrisy be found out, you +will no longer receive the bread of poor children, earned by the sweat +of their fathers." + +The Grey Friar was not abashed by these words, but replied-- + +"Our Order, my lord, is so securely founded that it will endure as long +as the world exists. Our foundation, indeed, cannot fail so long as +there are men and women on the earth." + +My Lord of Sedan, being desirous of knowing on what foundation the +existence of the Grey Friars was thus based, urgently begged the father +to tell him. + +After making many excuses, the Friar at last replied-- + +"Since you are pleased to command me to tell you, you shall hear. Know, +then, my lord, that our foundation is the folly of women, and that so +long as there be a wanton or foolish woman in the world we shall not die +of hunger." + +My Lady of Sedan, who was very passionate, was in such wrath on hearing +these words, that, had her husband not been present, she would have +dealt harshly with the Grey Friar; and indeed she swore roundly that +he should not have the pig that she had promised him; but the Lord of +Sedan, finding that he had not concealed the truth, swore that he should +have two, and caused them to be sent to his monastery. + +"You see, ladies, how the Grey Friar, being sure that the favour of +the ladies could not fail him, contrived, by concealing nothing of the +truth, to win the favour and alms of men. Had he been a flatterer and +dissembler, he would have been more pleasing to the ladies, but not so +profitable to himself and his brethren." + +The tale was not concluded without making the whole company laugh, +and especially such among them as knew the Lord and Lady of Sedan. And +Hircan said--"The Grey Friars, then, should never preach with intent to +make women wise, since their folly is of so much service to the Order." + +"They do not preach to them," said Parlamente, "with intent to make +them wise, but only to make them think themselves so. Women who are +altogether worldly and foolish do not give them much alms; nevertheless, +those who think themselves the wisest because they go often to +monasteries, and carry paternosters marked with a death's head, and wear +caps lower than others, must also be accounted foolish, for they rest +their salvation on their confidence in the holiness of wicked men, whom +they are led by a trifling semblance to regard as demigods." + +"But who could help believing them," said Enna-suite, "since they have +been ordained by our prelates to preach the Gospel to us and rebuke our +sins?" + +"Those who have experienced their hypocrisy," said Parlamente, "and who +know the difference between the doctrine of God and that of the devil." + +"Jesus!" said Ennasuite. "Can you think that these men would dare to +preach false doctrine?" + +"Think?" replied Parlamente. "Nay, I am sure that they believe anything +but the Gospel. I speak only of the bad among them; for I know many +worthy men who preach the Scriptures in all purity and simplicity, and +live without reproach, ambition, or covetousness, and in such chastity +as is unfeigned and free. However, the streets are not paved with such +as these, but are rather distinguished by their opposites; and the good +tree is known by its fruit." + +"In very sooth," said Ennasuite, "I thought we were bound on pain of +mortal sin to believe all they tell us from the pulpit as truth, that +is, when they speak of what is in the Holy Scriptures, or cite the +expositions of holy doctrines divinely inspired." + +"For my part," said Parlamente, "I cannot but see that there are men of +very corrupt faith among them. I know that one of them, a Doctor of +Theology and a Principal in their Order, (3) sought to persuade many of +the brethren that the Gospel was no more worthy of belief than Caesar's +Commentaries or any other histories written by learned men of authority; +and from the hour I heard that I would believe no preacher's word unless +I found it in harmony with the Word of God, which is the true touchstone +for distinguishing between truth and falsehood." + + 3 In MS. No. 1520 this passage runs, "a Doctor of Theology + named Colimant, a great preacher and a Principal in their + Order." However, none of the numerous works on the history + of the Franciscans makes any mention of a divine called + Colimant.--B. J. + +"Be assured," said Oisille, "that those who read it constantly and with +humility will never be led into error by deceits or human inventions; +for whosoever has a mind filled with truth cannot believe a lie." + +"Yet it seems to me," said Simontault, "that a simple person is more +readily deceived than another." + +"Yes," said Longarine, "if you deem foolishness to be the same thing as +simplicity." + +"I affirm," replied Simontault, "that a good, gentle and simple woman is +more readily deceived than one who is wily and wicked." + +"I think," said Nomerfide, "that you must know of one overflowing with +such goodness, and so I give you my vote that you may tell us of her." + +"Since you have guessed so well," said Simontault, "I will indeed tell +you of her, but you must promise not to weep. Those who declare, ladies, +that your craftiness surpasses that of men would find it hard to bring +forward such an instance as I am now about to relate, wherein I propose +to show you not only the exceeding craftiness of a husband, but also the +simplicity and goodness of his wife." + + + +[Illustration: 162.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 163a.jpg The Lovers returning from their Meeting in the Garden] + +[The Lovers returning from their Meeting in the Garden] + +[Illustration: 163.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLIV. (B)_. + + _Concerning the subtlety of two lovers in the enjoyment of + their love, and the happy issue of the latter_. (1) + + 1 This is the tale given by Gruget in his edition of the + _Heptameron_, in lieu of the preceding one.--Ed. + +In the city of Paris there lived two citizens of middling condition, of +whom one had a profession, while the other was a silk mercer. These two +were very old friends and constant companions, and so it happened that +the son of the former, a young man, very presentable in good company, +and called James, used often by his father's favour to visit the +mercer's house. This, however, he did for the sake of the mercer's +beautiful daughter named Frances, whom he loved; and so well did James +contrive matters with her, that he came to know her to be no less loving +than loved. + +Whilst matters were in this state, however, a camp was formed in +Provence in view of withstanding the descent of Charles of Austria, (2) +and James, being called upon the list, was obliged to betake himself to +the army. At the very beginning of the campaign his father passed from +life into death, the tidings whereof brought him double sorrow, on the +one part for the loss of his father, and on the other for the difficulty +he should have on his return in seeing his sweetheart as often as he had +hoped. + + 2 Charles V. entered Provence by way of Piedmont in the + summer of 1536, and invested Marseilles. A scarcity of + supplies and much sickness among his troops compelled him, + however, to raise the siege.--M. + +As time went on, the first of these griefs was forgotten and the other +increased. Since death is a natural thing, and for the most part +befalls the father before the children, the sadness it causes gradually +disappears; but love, instead of bringing us death, brings us life +through the procreation of children, in whom we have immortality, and +this it is which chiefly causes our desires to increase. + +James, therefore, when he had returned to Paris, thought or cared for +nothing save how he might renew his frequent visits to the mercer's +house, and so, under cloak of pure friendship for him, traffic in his +dearest wares. On the other hand, during his absence, Frances had been +urgently sought by others, both because of her beauty and of her wit, +and also because she was long since come to marriageable years; but +whether it was that her father was avaricious, or that, since she was +his only daughter, he was over anxious to establish her well, he failed +to perform his duty in the matter. This, however, tended but little to +her honour, for in these days people speak ill of one long before they +have any reason to do so, and particularly in aught that concerns the +chastity of a beautiful woman or maid. Her father did not shut his ears +or eyes to the general gossip, nor seek resemblance with many others +who, instead of rebuking wrongdoing, seem rather to incite their wives +and children to it, for he kept her with such strictness that even those +who sought her with offers of marriage could see her but seldom, and +then only in presence of her mother. + +It were needless to ask whether James found all this hard of endurance. +He could not conceive that such rigour should be without weighty reason, +and therefore wavered greatly between love and jealousy. However, he +resolved at all risks to learn the cause, but wished first of all to +know whether her affection was the same as before; he therefore set +about this, and coming one morning to church, he placed himself near her +to hear mass, and soon perceived by her countenance that she was no less +glad to see him than he was to see her. Accordingly, knowing that the +mother was less stern than the father, he was sometimes, when he met +them on their way to church, bold enough to accost them as though by +chance, and with a familiar and ordinary greeting; all, however, being +done expressly so that he might the better work his ends. + +To be brief, when the year of mourning for his father was drawing to an +end, he resolved, on laying aside his weeds, to cut a good figure and +do credit to his forefathers; and of this he spoke to his mother, who +approved his design; for having but two children, himself and a daughter +already well and honourably mated, she greatly desired to see him +suitably married. And, indeed, like the worthy lady that she was, she +still further incited his heart in the direction of virtue by countless +instances of other young men of his own age who were making their way +unaided, or at least were showing themselves worthy of those from whom +they sprang. + +It now only remained to determine where they should equip themselves, +and the mother said-- + +"I am of opinion, James, that we should go to our friend Master +Peter,"--that is, to the father of Frances--"for, knowing us, he will +not cheat us." + +His mother was indeed tickling him where he itched; however, he held +firm and replied-- + +"We will go where we may find the cheapest and the best. Still," he +added, "for the sake of his friendship with my departed father, I am +willing that we should visit him first." + +Matters being thus contrived, the mother and son went one morning to see +Master Peter, who made them welcome; for traders, as you know, are never +backward in this respect. They caused great quantities of all kinds of +silk to be displayed before them, and chose what they required; but they +could not agree upon the price, for James haggled on purpose, because +his sweetheart's mother did not come in. So at last they went away +without buying anything, in order to see what could be done elsewhere. +But James could find nothing so handsome as in his sweetheart's house, +and thither after a while they returned. + +The mercer's wife was now there and gave them the best reception +imaginable, and after such bargaining as is common in shops of the kind, +during which Peter's wife proved even harder than her husband, James +said to her-- + +"In sooth, madam, you are very hard to deal with. I can see how it is; +we have lost my father, and our friends recognise us no longer." + +So saying, he pretended to weep and wipe his eyes at thought of his +departed father; but 'twas done in order to further his design. + +The good widow, his mother, took the matter in perfect faith, and on her +part said-- + +"We are as little visited since his death as if we had never been known. +Such is the regard in which poor widows are held!" + +Upon this the two women exchanged fresh declarations of affection, +and promised to see each other oftener than ever. While they were thus +discoursing, there came in other traders, whom the master himself led +into the back shop. Then the young man perceived his opportunity, and +said to his mother-- + +"I have often on feast days seen this good lady going to visit the holy +places in our neighbourhood, and especially the convents. Now if, when +passing, she would sometimes condescend to take wine with us, she would +do us at once pleasure and honour." + +The mercer's wife, who suspected no harm, replied that for more than a +fortnight past she had intended to go thither, that, if it were fair, +she would probably do so on the following Sunday, and that she would +then certainly visit the lady at her house. This affair being concluded, +the bargain for the silk quickly followed, since, for the sake of a +little money, 'twould have been foolish to let slip so excellent an +opportunity. + +When matters had been thus contrived, and the merchandise taken +away, James, knowing that he could not alone achieve so difficult an +enterprise, was constrained to make it known to a faithful friend +named Oliver, and they took such good counsel together that nothing now +remained but to put their plan into execution. + +Accordingly, when Sunday was come, the mercer's wife and her daughter, +on returning from worship, failed not to visit the widow, whom they +found talking with a neighbour in a gallery that looked upon the garden, +while her daughter was walking in the pathways with James and Oliver. + +When James saw his sweetheart, he so controlled himself that his +countenance showed no change, and in this sort went forward to receive +the mother and her daughter. Then, as the old commonly seek the old, +the three ladies sat down together on a bench with their backs to the +garden, whither the lovers gradually made their way, and at last reached +the place where were the other two. Thus meeting, they exchanged some +courtesies and then began to walk about once more, whereupon the young +man related his pitiful case to Frances, and this so well that, while +unwilling to grant, she yet durst not refuse what he sought; and he +could indeed see that she was in a sore strait. It must, however, be +understood that, while thus discoursing, they often, to take away all +ground for suspicion, passed and repassed in front of the shelter-place +where the worthy dames were seated--talking the while on commonplace and +ordinary matters, and at times disporting themselves through the garden. + +At last, in the space of half-an-hour, when the good women had become +well accustomed to this behaviour, James made a sign to Oliver, who +played his part with the girl that was with him so cleverly, that she +did not perceive the two lovers going into a close rilled with cherry +trees, and well shut in by tall rose trees and gooseberry bushes. (3) +They made show of going thither in order to gather some almonds which +were in a corner of the close, but their purpose was to gather plums. + + 3 Large gardens and enclosures were then plentiful in the + heart of Paris. Forty years ago, when the Boulevard + Sebastopol was laid out, it was found that many of the + houses in the ancient Rues St. Martin and St. Denis had, in + their rear, gardens of considerable extent containing + century-old trees, the existence of which had never been + suspected by the passers-by in those then cramped and dingy + thoroughfares.--M. + +Accordingly, James, instead of giving his sweetheart a green gown, gave +her a red one, and its colour even came into her face through finding +herself surprised sooner than she had expected. And these plums of +theirs being ripe, they plucked them with such expedition that Oliver +himself had not believed it possible, but that he perceived the girl to +droop her gaze and look ashamed. This taught him the truth, for she had +before walked with head erect, with no fear lest the vein in her eye, +which ought to be red, should take an azure hue. However, when James +perceived her perturbation, he recalled her to herself by fitting +remonstrances. + +Nevertheless, while making the next two or three turns about the garden, +she would not refrain from tears and sighs, or from saying again +and again--"Alas! was it for this you loved me? If only I could have +imagined it! Heavens! what shall I do? I am ruined for life. What will +you now think of me? I feel sure you will respect me no longer, if, at +least, you are one of those that love but for their own pleasure. Alas, +why did I not die before falling into such an error?" + +She shed many tears while uttering these words, but James comforted her +with many promises and oaths, and so, before they had gone thrice again +round the garden, or James had signalled to his comrade, they once more +entered the close, but by another path. And there, in spite of all, she +could not but receive more delight from the second green gown than from +the first; from which moment her satisfaction was such that they took +counsel together how they might see each other with more frequency and +convenience until her father should see fit to consent. + +In this matter they were greatly assisted by a young woman, who was +neighbour to Master Peter; she had some kinship with James, and was a +good friend to Frances. And in this way, from what I can understand, +they continued without scandal until the celebration of the marriage, +when Frances, being an only child, proved to be very rich for a trader's +daughter. James had, however, to wait for the greater part of his +fortune until the death of his father-in-law, for the latter was so +grasping a man that he seemed to think one hand capable of robbing him +of that which he held in the other. (4) + + 4 This reminds one of Moliere's Harpagon, when he requires + La Fleche to show him his hands. See _L'Avare_, act i. sc. + iii.--M. + +"In this story, ladies, you see a love affair well begun, well carried +on, and better ended. For although it is a common thing among you men to +scorn a girl or woman as soon as she has freely given what you chiefly +seek in her, yet this young man was animated by sound and sincere love; +and finding in his sweetheart what every husband desires in the girl he +weds, and knowing, moreover, that she was of good birth, and discreet in +all respects, save for the error into which he himself had led her, +he would not act the adulterer or be the cause of an unhappy marriage +elsewhere. And for this I hold him worthy of high praise." + +"Yet," said Oisille, "they were both to blame, ay, and the third party +also who assisted or at least concurred in a rape." + +"Do you call that a rape," said Saffredent, "in which both parties are +agreed? Is there any marriage better than one thus resulting from secret +love? The proverb says that marriages are made in heaven, but this does +not hold of forced marriages, nor of such as are made for money or are +deemed to be completely sanctioned as soon as the parents have given +their consent." + +"You may say what you will," said Oisille, "but we must recognise that +obedience is due to parents, or, in default of them, to other kinsfolk. +Otherwise, if all were permitted to marry at will, how many horned +marriages should we not find? Is it to be presumed that a young man and +a girl of twelve or fifteen years can know what is good for them? If we +examined into the happiness of marriages on the whole, we should find +that at least as many love-matches have turned out ill as those that +were made under compulsion. Young people, who do not know what is good +for them, attach themselves heedlessly to the first that comes; then by +degrees they find out their error and fall into others that are still +greater. On the other hand, most of those who act under compulsion +proceed by the advice of people who have seen more and have more +judgment than the persons concerned, and so when these come to feel the +good that was before unknown to them, they rejoice in it and embrace it +with far more eagerness and affection." + +"True, madam," said Hircan, "but you have forgotten that the girl was +of full age and marriageable, and that she was aware of her father's +injustice in letting her virginity grow musty rather than rub the rust +off his crown pieces. And do you not know that nature is a jade? She +loved and was loved; she found her happiness close to her hand, and she +may have remembered the proverb, 'She that will not when she may, when +she will she shall have nay.' All these things, added to her wooer's +despatch, gave her no time to resist. Further, you have heard that +immediately afterwards her face showed that some noteworthy change had +been wrought in her. She was perhaps annoyed at the shortness of the +time afforded her to decide whether the thing were good or bad, for no +great pressing was needed to make her try a second time." + +"Now, for my part," said Longarine, "I can find no excuse for such +conduct, except that I approve the good faith shown by the youth who, +comporting himself like an honest man, would not forsake her, but took +her such as he had made her. In this respect, considering the corruption +and depravity of the youth of the present day, I deem him worthy of high +praise. I would not for all that seek to excuse his first fault, which, +in fact, amounted to rape in respect to the daughter, and subornation +with regard to the mother." + +"No, no," said Dagoucin, "there was neither rape nor subornation. +Everything was done by mere consent, both on the part of the mothers, +who did not prevent it (though, indeed, they were deceived), and on that +of the daughter, who was pleased by it, and so never complained." + +"It was all the result," said Parlamente, "of the great kindliness and +simplicity of the mercer's wife, who unwittingly led the maiden to the +slaughter." + +"Nay, to the wedding," said Simontault, "where such simplicity was no +less profitable to the girl than it once was hurtful to one who suffered +herself to be readily duped by her husband." + +"Since you know such a story," said Nomerfide, "I give you my vote that +you may tell it to us." + +"I will indeed do so," said Simontault, "but you must promise not to +weep. Those who declare, ladies, that your craftiness surpasses that of +men, would find it hard to bring forward such an instance as I will now +relate, wherein I propose to show you not only the great craftiness of a +husband, but the exceeding simplicity and goodness of his wife." + + +[Illustration: 176.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 177a.jpg The Man of Tours and his Serving-maid in the Snow] + +[The Man of Tours and his Serving-maid in the Snow] + +[Illustration: 177.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLV_. + + _At his wife's request, an upholsterer of Tours gave the + Innocents to his serving-maid, with whom he was in love; but + he did so after such a fashion as to let her have what + belonged by right only to his wife, who, for her part, was + such a simpleton that she could never believe her husband + had so wronged her, albeit she had abundant warning thereof + from a neighbour_. + +In the city of Tours dwelt a man of shrewd and sound understanding, who +was upholsterer to the late Duke of Orleans, (1) son of King Francis the +First; and although this upholsterer had, through sickness, become deaf, +he had nevertheless lost nothing of his wit, which, in regard both to +his trade and to other matters, was as shrewd as any man's. And how he +was able to avail himself of it you shall hear. + + 1 Charles of France, Duke of Orleans, Bourbonnais, + Angoumois and Chatelherault, Count of Clermont, La Marche, + and Civray, Governor and Lieutenant-General of Champagne and + Brie. He has been referred to in the Memoir of Queen + Margaret, _ante_, vol. i. pp. xxxvi., xlvii.-viii. Born at + St. Germain in January 1521, the Duke of Orleans took part + in several military expeditions, and gave proof of much + ability as a commander. He died, according to some accounts, + of a pleurisy, and, according to others, of the plague, in + 1545. The above story was evidently written subsequent to + that date, as Queen Margaret refers to him as "the late Duke + of Orleans."--L. + +He had married a virtuous and honourable woman, with whom he lived +in great peace and quietness. He was very fearful of displeasing her, +whilst she, on her part, sought in all things to obey him. But, for all +the affection that he bore her, he was so charitably inclined that he +would often give to his female neighbours that which by right belonged +to his wife, though this he did as secretly as he was able. + +There was in their house a very plump serving-maid with whom the +upholsterer fell in love. Nevertheless, dreading lest his wife should +know this, he often made show of scolding and rebuking her, saying that +she was the laziest wench he had ever known, though this was no wonder, +seeing that her mistress never beat her. And thus it came to pass that +one day, while they were speaking about giving the Innocents, (2) the +upholsterer said to his wife-- + +"It were a charity to give them to that lazy wench of yours, but it +should not be with your hand, for it is too feeble, and in like way your +heart is too pitiful for such a task. If, however, I were to make use of +mine, she would serve us better than she now does." + + 2 Prior to the Reformation it was the custom, not only in + France but throughout Europe, to whip children on the + morning of Innocents' Day (December 28), in order, says + Gregory in his treatise on the _Boy Bishop_, "that the + memory of Herod's murder of the Innocents might stick the + closer." This custom (concerning which see Haspinian, _De + Orig. Festor, Christianor_. fol. 160) subsequently + degenerated into a jocular usage, so far as the children + were concerned, and town-gallants and country-swains + commonly sought to surprise young women in bed, and make + them play the part of the Innocents, more frequently than + otherwise to the loss of their virtue. A story is told of a + French nobleman who in taking leave of some ladies to join a + hunting party, heard one of them whisper, "We shall sleep at + our ease, and pass the Innocents without receiving them." + This put the nobleman, a certain Seigneur du Rivau, on his + mettle. "He kept his appointment," we are told, "galloped + back twenty leagues at night, arrived at the lady's house at + dawn on Innocents' Day, surprised her in bed, and used the + privilege of the season." (Bonn's _Heptameron_, p. 301). + Verses illustrative of the custom will be found in the works + of Clement Marot, Jannet's edition, 1868, vol iii. p. 7, and + in those of Cholieres, Jouaust's edition, 1879, vol. i. p. + 224-6.--L. and Ed. + +The poor woman, suspecting no harm, begged him to do execution upon the +girl, confessing that she herself had neither strength nor heart for +beating her. + +The husband willingly accepted this commission, and, playing the part of +a stern executioner, had purchase made of the finest rods that could be +found. To show, moreover, how anxious he was not to spare the girl, he +caused these rods to be steeped in pickle, so that his poor wife felt +far more pity for her maid than suspicion of her husband. + +Innocents' Day being come, the upholsterer rose early in the morning, +and, going up to the room where the maid lay all alone, he gave her the +Innocents in a different fashion to that which he had talked of with +his wife. The maid wept full sore, but it was of no avail. Nevertheless, +fearing lest his wife should come upon them, he fell to beating the +bed-post with the rods which he had with him in such wise that he barked +and broke them; and in this condition he brought them back to his wife, +saying-- + +"Methinks, sweetheart, your maid will remember the Innocents." + +When the upholsterer was gone out of the house, the poor servant threw +herself upon her knees before her mistress, telling her that her husband +had done her the greatest wrong that was ever done to a serving-maid. +The mistress, however, thinking that this merely had reference to the +flogging which she believed to have been given, would not suffer the +girl to finish, but said to her-- + +"My husband did well, and only what I have for more than a month been +urging him to do. If you were hurt I am very glad to hear it. You may +lay it all at my door, and, what is more, he did not even do as much as +he ought to have done." + +The serving-maid, finding that her mistress approved of the matter, +thought that it could not be so great a sin as she had imagined, the +more so as it had been brought to pass by a woman whose virtue was held +in such high repute. Accordingly she never afterwards ventured to speak +of it. + +Her master, however, seeing that his wife was as content to be deceived +as he was to deceive her, resolved that he would frequently give her +this contentment, and so practised on the serving-maid, that she wept no +more at receiving the Innocents. + +He continued this manner of life for a great while, without his wife +being any the wiser, until there came a time of heavy snow, when, having +already given the girl the Innocents on the grass in his garden, he was +minded to do the same in the snow. Accordingly, one morning before any +one in the house was awake, he took the girl clad in nothing but her +shift to make the crucifix in the snow, and while they were pelting each +other in sport, they did not forget the game of the Innocents. + +This sport, however, was observed by one of their female neighbours who +had gone to her window, which overlooked the garden, to see what manner +of weather it was, and so wrathful was she at the evil sight, that she +resolved to tell her good gossip of it, to the end that she might no +longer suffer herself to be deceived by a wicked husband or served by a +wanton jade. + +After playing these fine pranks, the upholsterer looked about him to +see whether any one could perceive him, and to his exceeding annoyance +observed his neighbour at her window. But just as he was able to give +any colour to his tapestry, so he bethought him to give such a colour to +what he had done, that his neighbour would be no less deceived than his +wife. Accordingly, as soon as he had gone back to bed again, he made his +wife rise in nothing but her shift, and taking her into the garden as +he had taken his serving-maid, he played with her for a long time in +the snow even as he had played with the other. And then he gave her +the Innocents in the same way as he had given them to the maid, and +afterwards they returned to bed together. + +When the good woman went to mass, her neighbour and excellent friend +failed not to be there, and, while unwilling to say anything further, +zealously begged of her to dismiss her serving-maid, who was, she said, +a very wicked and dangerous wench. This, however, the other would not +do without knowing why she thought so ill of the girl, and at last her +neighbour related how she had seen the wench that morning in the garden +with her husband. + +At this the good woman fell to laughing heartily, and said-- + +"Eh! gossip dear, 'twas myself!" + +"What, gossip? Why she wore naught but her shift, and it was only five +o'clock in the morning." + +"In faith, gossip," replied the good woman, "'twas myself." + +"They pelted each other with snow," the other went on, "on the breasts +and elsewhere, as familiarly as could be." + +"Eh! gossip, eh!" the good woman replied, "'twas myself." + +"Nay, gossip," said the other, "I saw them afterwards doing something in +the snow that to my mind is neither seemly nor right." + +"Gossip," returned the good woman, "I have told you, and I tell you +again, that it was myself and none other who did all that you say, for +my good husband and I play thus familiarly together. And, I pray you, +be not scandalised at this, for you know that we are bound to please our +husbands." + +So the worthy gossip went away, more wishful to possess such a husband +for herself than she had been to talk about the husband of her friend; +and when the upholsterer came home again his wife told him the whole +story. + +"Now look you, sweetheart," replied the upholsterer, "if you were not +a woman of virtue and sound understanding we should long ago have been +separated the one from the other. But I hope that God will continue to +preserve us in our mutual love, to His own glory and our happiness." + +"Amen to that, my dear," said the good woman, "and I hope that on my +part you will never find aught to blame." (3) + + 3 This tale is accounted by most critics and commentators + to be the best in the _Heptameron_. Dunlop thinks it may + have been borrowed from a _fabliau_ composed by some + _Trouvere_ who had travelled in the East, and points out + that it corresponds with the story of the _Shopkeeper s + Wife_ in Nakshebi's Persian Tales (_Tooti Nameh_). Had it + been brought to France, however, in the manner suggested it + would, like other tales, have found its way into the works + of many sixteenth-century story-writers besides Queen + Margaret. Such, however, is not the case, and curiously + enough, so far as we can find, the tale, as given in the + _Heptameron_, was never imitated until La Fontaine wrote his + _Servante Justifiee (Contes, livre_ ii. No. vi.), in the + opening lines of which he expressly acknowledges his + indebtedness to the Queen of Navarre.--Ed. + +"Unbelieving indeed, ladies, must be the man who, after hearing this +true story, should hold you to be as crafty as men are; though, if we +are not to wrong either, and to give both man and wife the praise they +truly deserve, we must needs admit that the better of the two was worth +naught." + +"The man," said Parlamente, "was marvellously wicked, for he deceived +his servant on the one side and his wife on the other." + +"Then you cannot have understood the story," said Hircan. "We are told +that he contented them both in the same morning, and I consider it a +highly virtuous thing, both for body and mind, to be able to say and do +that which may make two opposites content." + +"It was doubly wicked," said Parlamente, "to satisfy the simplicity of +one by falsehood and the wickedness of the other by vice. But I am +aware that sins, when brought before such judges as you, will always be +forgiven." + +"Yet I promise you," said Hircan, "that for my own part I shall never +essay so great and difficult a task, for if I but render _you_ content +my day will not have been ill spent." + +"If mutual love," said Parlamente, "cannot content the heart, nothing +else can." + +"In sooth," said Simontault, "I think there is no greater grief in the +world than to love and not be loved." + +"To be loved," said Parlamente, "it were needful to turn to such as +love. Very often, however, those women who will not love are loved the +most, while those men who love most strongly are loved the least." + +"You remind me," said Oisille, "of a story which I had not intended to +bring forward among such good ones." + +"Still I pray you tell it us," said Simontault. "That will I do right +willingly," replied Oisille. + + +[Illustration: 186.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 187.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLVI. (A)_. + + _A Grey Friar named De Vale, being bidden to dinner at the + house of the Judge of the Exempts in Angouleme, perceived + that the Judge's wife (with whom he was in love) went up + into the garret alone; thinking to surprise her, he followed + her thither; but she dealt him such a kick in the stomach + that he fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom, and + fled out of the town to the house of a lady that had such + great liking for those of his Order (foolishly believing + them possessed of greater virtues than belong to them), that + she entrusted him with the correction of her daughter, whom + he lay with by force instead of chastising her for the sin + of sloth-fulness, as he had promised her mother he would + do_. (1) + + 1 Boaistuau and Gruget omit this tale, and the latter + replaces it by that numbered XLVI. (B). Count Charles of + Angouleme having died on January i, 1496, the incidents + related above must have occurred at an earlier date.--L. + +In the town of Angouleme, where Count Charles, father of King Francis, +often abode, there dwelt a Grey Friar named De Vale, the same being held +a learned man and a great preacher. One Advent this Friar preached in +the town in presence of the Count, whereby he won such renown that those +who knew him eagerly invited him to dine at their houses. Among others +that did this was the Judge of the Exempts (2) of the county, who had +wedded a beautiful and virtuous woman. The Friar was dying for love of +her, yet lacked the hardihood to tell her so; nevertheless she perceived +the truth, and held him in derision. + + 2 The _Exempt_ was a police officer, and the functions of + the _Juge des Exempts_ were akin to those of a police + magistrate.--Ed. + +After he had given several tokens of his wanton purpose, he one day +espied her going up into the garret alone. Thinking to surprise her, he +followed, but hearing his footsteps she turned and asked whither he was +going. "I am going after you," he replied, "to tell you a secret." + +"Nay, good father," said the Judge's wife. "I will have no secret +converse with such as you. If you come up any higher, you will be sorry +for it." + +Seeing that she was alone, he gave no heed to her words, but hastened +up after her. She, however, was a woman of spirit, and when she saw the +Friar at the top of the staircase, she gave him a kick in the stomach, +and with the words, "Down! down! sir," (3) cast him from the top to the +bottom. The poor father was so greatly ashamed at this, that, forgetting +the hurt he had received in falling, he fled out of the town as fast +as he was able. He felt sure that the lady would not conceal the matter +from her husband; and indeed she did not, nor yet from the Count and +Countess, so that the Friar never again durst come into their presence. + + 3 The French words here are "_Devaliez, devaliez, + monsieur_," whilst MS. No. 1520 gives, "_Monsieur de Vale, + devales_." In either case there is evidently a play upon the + friar's name, which was possibly pronounced Valles or + Valles. Adrien de Valois, it maybe pointed out, rendered his + name in Latin as _Valesius_; the county of Valois and that + of Valais are one and the same; we continue calling the old + French kings Valois, as their name was written, instead of + Valais as it was pronounced, as witness, for instance, the + nickname given to Henry III. by the lampooners of the + League, "_Henri devale_." See also _post_, Tale XLVI. (B), + note 2.--M. and Ed. + +To complete his wickedness, he repaired to the house of a lady who +preferred the Grey Friars to all other folk, and, after preaching a +sermon or two before her, he cast his eyes upon her daughter, who was +very beautiful. And as the maiden did not rise in the morning to hear +his sermon, he often scolded her in presence of her mother, whereupon +the latter would say to him--"Would to God, father, that she had some +taste of the discipline which you monks receive from one another." + +The good father vowed that if she continued to be so slothful, he would +indeed give her some of it, and her mother earnestly begged him to do +so. + +A day or two afterwards, he entered the lady's apartment, and, not +seeing her daughter there, asked her where she was. + +"She fears you so little," replied the lady, "that she is still in bed." + +"There can be no doubt," said the Grey Friar, "that it is a very evil +habit in young girls to be slothful. Few people think much of the sin +of sloth, but for my part, I deem it one of the most dangerous there is, +for the body as for the soul. You should therefore chastise her for it, +and if you will give me the matter in charge, I will take good care that +she does not lie abed at an hour when she ought to be praying to God." + +The poor lady, believing him to be a virtuous man, begged him to be +kind enough to correct her daughter, which he at once agreed to do, and, +going up a narrow wooden staircase, he found the girl all alone in bed. +She was sleeping very soundly, and while she slept he lay with her by +force. The poor girl, waking up, knew not whether he were man or devil, +but began to cry out as loudly as she could, and to call for help to her +mother. But the latter, standing at the foot of the staircase, cried +out to the Friar--"Have no pity on her, sir. Give it to her again, and +chastise the naughty jade." + +When the Friar had worked his wicked will, he came down to the lady and +said to her with a face all afire--"I think, madam, that your daughter +will remember my discipline." + +The mother thanked him warmly and then went upstairs, where she found +her daughter making such lamentation as is to be expected from a +virtuous woman who has suffered from so foul a crime. On learning the +truth, the mother had search made everywhere for the Friar, but he was +already far away, nor was he ever afterwards seen in the kingdom of +France. + +"You see, ladies, with how much security such commissions may be given +to those that are unfit for them. The correction of men pertains to men +and that of women to women; for women in the correction of men would be +as pitiful as men in the correction of women would be cruel." + +"Jesus! madam," said Parlamente, "what a base and wicked Friar!" + +"Say rather," said Hircan, "what a foolish and witless mother to be led +by hypocrisy into allowing so much familiarity to those who ought never +to be seen except in church." + +"In truth," said Parlamente, "I acknowledge that she was the most +foolish mother imaginable; had she been as wise as the Judge's wife, she +would rather have made him come down the staircase than go up. But what +can you expect? The devil that is half-angel is the most dangerous of +all, for he is so well able to transform himself into an angel of light, +that people shrink from suspecting him to be what he really is; and it +seems to me that persons who are not suspicious are worthy of praise." + +"At the same time," said Oisille, "people ought to suspect the evil that +is to be avoided, especially those who hold a trust; for it is better to +suspect an evil that does not exist than by foolish trustfulness to fall +into one that does. I have never known a woman deceived through being +slow to believe men's words, but many are there that have been deceived +through being over prompt in giving credence to falsehood. Therefore I +say that possible evil cannot be held in too strong suspicion by those +that have charge of men, women, cities or states; for, however good the +watch that is kept, wickedness and treachery are prevalent enough, and +the shepherd who is not vigilant will always be deceived by the wiles of +the wolf." + +"Still," said Dagoucin, "a suspicious person cannot have a perfect +friend, and many friends have been divided by suspicion." + +"If you know any such instance," said Oisille, "I give you my vote that +you may relate it." + +"I know one," said Dagoucin, "which is so strictly true that you will +needs hear it with pleasure. I will tell you, ladies, when it is that +a close friendship is most easily severed; 'tis when the security of +friendship begins to give place to suspicion. For just as trust in a +friend is the greatest honour that can be shown him, so is doubt of him +a still greater dishonour. It proves that he is deemed other than we +would have him to be, and so causes many close friendships to be broken +off, and friends to be turned into foes. This you will see from the +story that I am minded to relate." + + +[Illustration: 193.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 195a.jpg The Young Man beating his Wife] + +[The Young Man beating his Wife] + +[Illustration: 195.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLVI.(B)_. + + _Concerning a Grey Friar who made it a great crime on the + part of husbands to beat their wives_. (1) + +In the town of Angouleme, where Count Charles, father of King Francis, +often abode, there dwelt a Grey Friar named De Valles, (2) the same +being a learned man and a very great preacher. At Advent time this Friar +preached in the town in presence of the Count, whereby his reputation +was still further increased. + + 1 This is the tale inserted in Gruget's edition in lieu of + the previous one.--Ed. + + 2 We had thought that Friar Valles might possibly be Robert + de Valle, who at the close of the fifteenth century wrote a + work entitled _Explanatio in Plinium_, but find that this + divine was a Bishop of Rouen, and never belonged to the Grey + Friars. In Gessner's _Biographia Universalis_, continued by + Frisius, mention is made of three learned ecclesiastics of + the name of Valle living in or about Queen Margaret's time: + Baptiste de Valle, who wrote on war and duelling; William de + Valle, who penned a volume entitled _De Anima Sorbono_; and + Amant de Valle, a Franciscan minorite born at Toulouse, who + was the author of numerous philosophical works, the most + important being _Elucidationes Scoti_.--B. J. + +It happened also that during Advent a hare-brained young fellow, who had +married a passably handsome young woman, continued none the less to +run at the least as dissolute a course as did those that were still +bachelors. The young wife, being advised of this, could not keep silence +upon it, so that she very often received payment after a different and +a prompter fashion than she could have wished. For all that, she ceased +not to persist in lamentation, and sometimes in railing as well; which +so provoked the young man that he beat her even to bruises and blood. +Thereupon she cried out yet more loudly than before; and in a like +fashion all the women of the neighbourhood, knowing the reason of this, +could not keep silence, but cried out publicly in the streets, saying-- + +"Shame, shame on such husbands! To the devil with them!" + +By good fortune the Grey Friar De Valles was passing that way and +heard the noise and the reason of it. He resolved to touch upon it the +following day in his sermon, and did so. Turning his discourse to the +subject of marriage and the affection which ought to subsist in it, he +greatly extolled that condition, at the same time censuring those that +offended against it, and comparing wedded to parental love. Among other +things, he said that a husband who beat his wife was in more danger, and +would have a heavier punishment, than if he had beaten his father or his +mother. + +"For," said he, "if you beat your father or your mother you will be sent +for penance to Rome; but if you beat your wife, she and all the women of +the neighbourhood will send you to the devil, that is, to hell. Now look +you what a difference there is between these two penances. From Rome a +man commonly returns again, but from hell, oh! from that place, there is +no return: _nulla est redemptio_" (3) + +After preaching this sermon, he was informed that the women were making +a triumph of it, (4) and that their husbands could no longer control +them. He therefore resolved to set the husbands right just as he had +previously assisted their wives. + + 3 This was the Pope's expression apropos of Messer Biagio, + whom Michael Angelo had introduced into his "Last + Judgment."--M. + + 4 The French expression is _faisaient leur Achilles_, the + nearest equivalent to which in English would probably be + "Hectoring" It is curious that the French should have taken + the name of Achilles and we that of Hector to express the + same idea of arrogance and bluster.--Ed. + +With this intent, in one of his sermons he compared women and devil +together, saying that these were the greatest enemies that man had, that +they tempted him without ceasing, and that he could not rid himself of +them, especially of women. + +"For," said he, "as far as devils are concerned, if you show them the +cross they flee away, whereas women, on the contrary, are tamed by +it, and are made to run hither and thither and cause their husbands +countless torments. But, good people, know you what you must do? When +you find your wives afflicting you thus continually, as is their wont, +take off the handle of the cross and with it drive them away. You will +not have made this experiment briskly three or four times before you +will find yourselves the better for it, and see that, even as the devil +is driven off by the virtue of the cross, so can you drive away and +silence your wives by virtue of the handle, provided only that it be not +attached to the cross aforesaid." + +"You have here some of the sermons by this reverend De Valles, of whose +life I will with good reason relate nothing more. However, I will tell +you that, whatever face he put upon the matter--and I knew him--he was +much more inclined to the side of the women than to that of the men." + +"Yet, madam," said Parlamente, "he did not show this in his last sermon, +in which he instructed the men to ill-treat them." + +"Nay, you do not comprehend his artifice," said Hircan. "You are not +experienced in war and in the use of the stratagems that it requires; +among these, one of the most important is to kindle strife in the camp +of the enemy, whereby he becomes far easier to conquer. This master +monk well knew that hatred and wrath between husband and wife most +often cause a loose rein to be given to the wife's honour. And when that +honour frees itself from the guardianship of virtue, it finds itself in +the power of the wolf before it knows even that it is astray." + +"However that may be," said Parlamente, "I could not love a man who had +sown such division between my husband and myself as would lead even to +blows; for beating banishes love. Yet, by what I have heard, they [the +friars] can be so mincing when they seek some advantage over a woman, +and so attractive in their discourse, that I feel sure there would be +more danger in hearkening to them in secret than in publicly receiving +blows from a husband in other respects a good one." + +"Truly," said Dagoucin, "they have so revealed their plottings in all +directions, that it is not without reason that they are to be feared; +(5) although in my opinion persons who are not suspicious are worthy of +praise." + + 5 From this point the dialogue is almost word for word the + same as that following Tale XLVI. (A).--Ed. + +"At the same time," said Oisille, "people ought to suspect the evil +that is to be avoided, for it is better to suspect an evil that does not +exist than by foolish trustfulness to fall into one that does. For my +part, I have never known a woman deceived by being slow to believe +men's words, but many are through being too prompt in giving credence +to falsehood. Therefore I say that possible evil cannot be too strongly +suspected by those that have charge of men, women, cities or states; +for, however good may be the watch that is kept, wickedness and +treachery are prevalent enough, and for this reason the shepherd who is +not vigilant will always be deceived by the wiles of the wolf." + +"Still," said Dagoucin, "a suspicious person cannot have a perfect +friend, and many friends have been parted by bare suspicion." + +"If you should know any such instance," thereupon said Oisille, "I will +give you my vote that you may relate it." + +"I know one," said Dagoucin, "which is so strictly true that you will +hear it with pleasure. I will tell you, ladies, when it is that close +friendship is most readily broken off; it is when the security of +friendship begins to give place to suspicion. For just as to trust a +friend is the greatest honour one can do him, so is doubt of him the +greatest dishonour, inasmuch as it proves that he is deemed other than +one would have him to be, and in this wise many close friendships are +broken off and friends turned into foes. This you will see from the +story that I am now about to relate." + + +[Illustration: 201.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 203a.jpg The Gentleman reproaching his Friend for his Jealousy] + +[The Gentleman reproaching his Friend for his Jealousy] + +[Illustration: 203.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLVII_. + + _Two gentlemen lined in such perfect friendship that for a + great while they had everything excepting a wife in common, + until one was married, when without cause he began to + suspect his companion, who, in vexation at being wrongfully + suspected, withdrew his friendship, and did not rest till he + had made the other a cuckold_. + +Not far from the province of Le Perche (1) there dwelt two gentlemen who +from the days of their childhood had lived in such perfect friendship +that they had but one heart, one house, one bed, one table, and one +purse. They continued living in this perfect friendship for a long time, +without there ever being between them any wish or word such as might +betray that they were different persons; so truly did they live not +merely like two brothers but like one individual man. + + 1 Between Normandy and Maine. Its chief town was Mortagne. + +Of the two one married, yet did not on that account abate his friendship +for his fellow or cease to live with him as had been his wont. And +whenever they chanced to lodge where room was scanty, he failed not to +make him sleep with himself and his wife; (2) though he did, in truth, +himself lie in the middle. Their goods were all in common, so that +neither the marriage nor aught else that might betide could impair their +perfect friendship. + + 2 To do honour to a guest it was then a common practice to + invite him to share the same bed as one's self and one's + wife. In this wise, long after Queen Margaret s time, we + find Louis XIII. sharing the bed of the Duke and Duchess of + Luynes. Tale vii. of the _Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles_ + (imitated in Malespini's _Ducento Novelle_ and the _Joyeuses + Adventures et nouvelles recreations_) relates what befell a + Paris goldsmith who took a carter to bed with him and his + spouse, and neglected to follow the usual custom of sleeping + in the middle. In Queen Margaret's time, it may be added, + the so-called "beds of honour" in the abodes of noblemen and + gentlemen were large enough to accommodate four or five + persons.--B. J. and Ed. + +But after some time, worldly happiness, which is ever changeful in its +nature, could no longer abide in this too happy household. The husband, +without cause, lost the confidence that he had in his friend and in his +wife, and, being unable to conceal the truth from the latter, spoke to +her with angry words. At this she was greatly amazed, for he had charged +her in all things save one to treat his friend as she did himself, and +now he forbade her to speak with him except it were before others. She +made the matter known to her husband's friend, who did not believe her, +knowing as he well did that he had never purposed doing aught to grieve +his comrade. And as he was wont to hide nothing from him, he told him +what he had heard, begging him not to conceal the truth, for neither in +this nor in any other matter had he any desire to occasion the severance +of the friendship which had so long subsisted between them. + +The married gentleman assured him that he had never thought of such a +thing, and that those who had spread such a rumour had foully lied. + +Thereupon his comrade replied-- + +"I well know that jealousy is a passion as insupportable as love, and +were you inclined to jealousy even with regard to myself, I should not +blame you, for you could not help it. But there is a thing that is in +your power of which I should have reason to complain, and that is the +concealment of your distemper from me, seeing that never before was +thought, feeling or opinion concealed between us. If I were in love with +your wife, you should not impute it to me as a crime, for love is not +a fire that I can hold in my hand to do with it what I will; but if it +were so and I concealed it from you, and sought by demonstration to +make it known to your wife, I should be the wickedest comrade that ever +lived. + +"As far as I myself am concerned, I can truly assure you that, although +she is an honourable and virtuous woman, she is the last of all the +women I have ever seen upon whom, even though she were not yours, my +fancy would light. But even though there be no occasion to do so, I ask +you, if you have the smallest possible feeling of suspicion, to tell me +of it, that I may so act as to prevent a friendship that has lasted so +long from being severed for the sake of a woman. For, even if I loved +her more dearly than aught in the world beside, I would never speak to +her of it, seeing that I set your honour before aught else." + +His comrade swore to him the strongest oaths he could muster, that he +had never thought of such a thing, and begged him to act in his house as +he had been used to do. + +"That will I," the other replied, "but if after this should you harbour +an evil opinion of me and conceal it or bear me ill-will, I will +continue no more in fellowship with you." + +Some time afterwards, whilst they were living together as had been their +wont, the married gentleman again fell into stronger suspicion than +ever, and commanded his wife to no longer show the same countenance +to his friend as before. This she at once made known to her husband's +comrade, and begged that he would of his own motion abstain from holding +speech with her, since she had been charged to do the like towards him. + +The gentleman perceived from her words and from divers tokens on the +part of his comrade that the latter had not kept his promise, and so +said to him in great wrath-- + +"If, comrade, you are jealous, 'tis a natural thing, but, after the +oaths you swore to me, I must needs be angered that you have used such +concealment towards me. I had always thought that neither obstacle nor +mean intervened between your heart and mine, but to my exceeding sorrow, +and with no fault on my part, I see that the reverse is true. Not only +are you most jealous of your wife and of me, but you seek to hide your +distemper from me, until at last it must wholly turn to hate, and the +dearest love that our time has known become the deadliest enmity. + +"I have done all I could to avoid this mishap, but since you suspect me +of being so wicked and the opposite of what I have always proved towards +you, I give you my oath and word that I will indeed be such a one as you +deem me, and that I will never rest until I have had from your wife +that which you believe I seek from her. So I bid you beware of me +henceforward, for, since suspicion has destroyed your friendship for me, +resentment will destroy mine for you." + +Although his comrade tried to persuade him of the contrary, he would no +longer believe him, but removed his portion of the furniture and goods +that had been in common between them. And so their hearts were as widely +sundered as they had before been closely united, and the unmarried +gentleman never rested until, as he had promised, he had made his +comrade a cuckold. (3) + + 3 The idea developed in this tale, that of bringing to pass + by one's own actions the thing one fears and seeks to avoid + or prevent, has much analogy with that embodied in the + "novel of the Curious Impertinent" which Cervantes + introduces into _Don Quixote_ (Part I. chaps, xxviii., + xxix). In this tale it will be remembered Anselmo and + Lothario are represented as being two such close friends as + the gentlemen who figured in Queen Margaret's tale. Anselmo + marries, however, and seized with an insane desire to test + the virtue of his wife, Camilla, by exposing her to + temptation, urges Lothario to pay court to her. Lothario at + first resists these solicitations, pointing out the folly of + such an enterprise, but his friend entreats him so + pressingly that he finally consents, and in the sequel the + passion which he at first simulates for Camilla becomes a + real one and leads to his seducing her and carrying her + away, with the result that both the wretched Anselmo and his + wife soon die of grief, whilst Lothario betakes himself to + the wars and perishes in battle.--M. & Ed. + +"Thus, ladies, may it fare with those who wrongfully suspect their +wives of evil. Many men make of them what they suspect them to be, for +a virtuous woman is more readily overcome by despair than by all the +pleasures on earth. And if any one says that suspicion is love, I give +him nay, for although it results from love as do ashes from fire, it +kills it nevertheless in the same way." + +"I do not think," said Hircan, "that anything can be more grievous to +either man or woman than to be suspected of that which is contrary to +fact. For my own part, nothing could more readily prompt me to sever +fellowship with my friends than such suspicion." + +"Nevertheless," said Oisille, "woman is without rational excuse who +revenges herself for her husband's suspicion by her own shame. It is +as though a man should thrust his sword through his own body, because +unable to slay his foe, or should bite his own fingers because he cannot +scratch him. She would have done better had she spoken to the gentleman +no more, and so shown her husband how wrongly he had suspected her; for +time would have softened them both." + +"Still 'twas done like a woman of spirit," said Ennasuite. "If many +women acted in the same way, their husbands would not be so outrageous +as they are." + +"For all that," said Longarine, "patience gives a woman the victory in +the end, and chastity brings her praise, and more we should not desire." + +"Nevertheless," said Ennasuite, "a woman may be unchaste and yet commit +no sin." + +"How may that be?" said Oisille. + +"When she mistakes another man for her husband." + +"And who," said Parlamente, "is so foolish that she cannot clearly tell +the difference between her husband and another man, whatever disguise +the latter may wear?" + +"There have been and still will be," said Ennasuite, "a few deceived in +this fashion, and therefore still innocent and free from sin." + +"If you know of such a one," said Dagoucin, "I give you my vote that you +may tell us about her, for I think it very strange that innocence and +sin can go together." + +"Listen, then," said Ennasuite. "If, ladies, the foregoing tales have +not sufficiently warned you of the danger of lodging in our houses those +who call us worldly and consider themselves as something holy and far +worthier than we, I will give you yet a further instance of it, that you +may see by the errors into which those fall who trust them too much +that not only are they human like others, but that there is something +devilish in their nature, passing the ordinary wickedness of men. This +you will learn from the following story." + + +[Illustration: 211.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 213a.jpg The Grey Friars Caught and Punished] + +[The Grey Friars Caught and Punished] + +[Illustration: 213.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLVIII_. + + _The older and wickeder of two Grey Friars, who were lodged + in an inn where the marriage of the host's daughter was + being celebrated, perceived the bride being led away, + whereupon he went and took the place of the bridegroom + whilst the latter was still dancing with the company_. (1) + + 1 We have already had an instance of a friar stealing into + a wife's bed at night-time, in the husband's absence (see + _ante_, vol. iii., tale xxili.). For a similar incident see + the _Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles_, No. xxx.--Ed. + +At an inn, in a village of the land of Perigort, there was celebrated +the marriage of a maiden of the house, at which all the kinsfolk and +friends strove to make as good cheer as might be. On the day of the +wedding there arrived at the inn two Grey Friars, to whom supper was +given in their own room, since it was not meet for those of their +condition to be present at a wedding. However, the chief of the two, who +had the greater authority and craft, resolved that, since he was shut +out from the board, he would share the bed, and in this way play them +one of the tricks of his trade. + +When evening was come, and the dances were begun, the Grey Friar +continued to observe the bride for a long time, and found her +very handsome and to his taste. Then, inquiring carefully of the +serving-woman concerning the room in which she was to lie, he found that +it was close to his own, at which he was well pleased; and so good a +watch did he keep in order to work his end, that he perceived the bride +being led from the hall by the old women, as is the custom. As it was +yet very early, the bridegroom would not leave the dance, in which he +was so greatly absorbed that he seemed to have altogether forgotten his +wife. + +Not so the Friar, for, as soon as his ears told him that the bride was +in bed, he put off his grey robe and went and took the husband's place. +Being fearful of discovery, however, he stayed but a very short time, +and then went to the end of a passage where his comrade, who was keeping +watch for him, signed to him that the husband was dancing-still. + +The Friar, who had not yet satisfied his wicked lust, thereupon went +back to bed with the bride, until his comrade gave him a signal that it +was time to leave. + +The bridegroom afterwards came to bed, and his wife, who had been so +tormented by the Friar that she desired naught but rest, could not help +saying to him-- + +"Have you resolved never to sleep or do anything but torment me?" + +The unhappy husband, who had but just come in, was greatly astonished +at this, and asked what torment he had given her, seeing that he had not +left the dance. + +"A pretty dance!" said the poor girl. "This is the third time that you +have come to bed. I think you would do better to sleep." + +The husband was greatly astonished on hearing these words, and set aside +thought of everything else in order that he might learn the truth of +what had passed. + +When his wife had told him the story, he at once suspected the Grey +Friars who were lodged in the house, and forthwith rising, he went into +their room, which was close beside his own. + +Not finding them there, he began to call out for help in so loud a voice +that he speedily drew together all his friends, who, when they had heard +the tale, assisted him with candles, lanterns, and all the dogs of the +village to hunt for the Grey Friars. + +Not finding them in the house, they made all diligence, and so caught +them among the vines, where they treated them as they deserved; for, +after soundly beating them, they cut off their arms and legs, and left +them among the vines to the care of Bacchus and Venus, of whom they had +been better disciples than of St. Francis. + +"Be not amazed, ladies, if such folk, being cut off from our usual +mode of life, do things of which adventurers (2) even would be ashamed. +Wonder rather that they do no worse when God withdraws his hand from +them, for so little does the habit make the monk, that it often unmakes +him through the pride it lends him. For my own part, I go not beyond the +religion that is taught by St. James, who has told us to 'keep the +heart pure and unspotted toward God, and to show all charity to our +neighbours.'"(3) + + 2 This is an allusion to the dismissed French Swiss, and + German lansquenets who roamed about France in little bands, + kidnapping, plundering, and at times hiring themselves out + as spadassins. These men, the pests of the country, were + commonly known by the name of adventurers.--B. J. + + 3 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is + this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction + and to keep himself unspotted from the world."--_James_ i. + 27.--Ed. + +"Heavens!" said Oisille, "shall we never have done with tales about +these tiresome Grey Friars?" + +Then said Ennasuite-- + +"If, ladies, princes and gentlemen are not spared, the Grey Friars, it +seems to me, are highly honoured by being noticed. They are so useless +that, were it not that they often do evil things worthy of remembrance, +they would never even be mentioned; and, as the saying goes, it is +better to do evil than to do nothing at all. Besides, the more varied +the flowers the handsomer will our posy be." + +"If you will promise not to be angry with me," said Hircan, "I will tell +you the story of a great lady whose wantonness was so extreme that you +will forgive the poor friar for having taken what he needed, where +he was able to find it, seeing that she, who had enough to eat, +nevertheless sought for dainties in too monstrous a fashion." + +"Since we have sworn to speak the truth," said Oisille, "we have also +sworn to hear it. You may therefore speak with freedom, for the evil +things that we tell of men and women are not uttered to shame those +that are spoken of in the story, but to take away all trust in created +beings, by revealing the trouble to which these are liable, and this to +the end that we may fix and rest our hope on Him alone who is perfect, +and without whom every man is only imperfection." + +"Well then," said Hircan, "I will relate my story without fear." + + +[Illustration: 218.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 219a.jpg The Countess facing her Lovers] + +[The Countess facing her Lovers] + +[Illustration: 219.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE XLIX_. + + _Same French gentlemen, perceiving that the King their + master was exceedingly well treated by a foreign Countess + whom he loved, ventured to speak to her, and sought her with + such success, that one after another they had from her what + they desired, each, however, believing that he alone + possessed the happiness in which all the others shared. And + this being discovered by one of their number, they all + plotted together to be revenged on her; but, as she showed a + fair countenance and treated them no worse than before, they + brought away in their own bosoms the shame which they had + thought to bring upon her_. (1) + +At the Court of King Charles--which Charles I shall not mention, for the +sake of the lady of whom I wish to speak, and whom I shall not call +by her own name--there was a Countess of excellent lineage, (2) but +a foreigner. And as novelties ever please, this lady, both for the +strangeness of her attire and for its exceeding richness, was observed +by all. Though she was not to be ranked among the most beautiful, she +possessed gracefulness, together with a noble assurance that could not +be surpassed; and, moreover, her manner of speech and her seriousness +were to match, so that there was none but feared to accost her excepting +the King, who loved her exceedingly. That he might have still more +intimate converse with her, he gave some mission to the Count, her +husband, which kept him away for a long time, and meanwhile the King +made right good cheer with his wife. + + 1 The incidents here related must have occurred during the + reign of Charles VIII., probably in or about 1490.--L. + + 2 This Countess cannot be identified. She was probably the + wife of one of the many Italian noblemen, like the + Caraccioli and San Severini, who entered the French service + about the time of the conquest of Naples. Brantome alludes + to the story in his _Dames Galantes_ (Fourth Discourse) but + gives no names.--Ed. + +Several of the King's gentlemen, knowing that their master was well +treated by her, took courage to speak to her, and among the rest was one +called Astillon, (3) a bold man and graceful of bearing. + + 3 This is James de Chastillon, not, however, J. Gaucher de + Chastillon, "King of Yvetot," as M. de Lincy supposes, but + J. de Coligny-Chastillon, as has been pointed out by M. + Frank. Brantome devotes the Nineteenth Discourse of his + _Capitaines francois_ to this personage, and says: "He had + been one of the great favourites and _mignons_ of King + Charles VIII., even at the time of the journey to the + kingdom of Naples; and 'twas then said, 'Chastillon, + Bourdillon and Bonneval [see post, note 5] govern the royal + blood.'" Wounded in April 1512 at the battle of Ravenna, + "the most bloody battle of the century," he was removed to + Ferrara, where he died (May 25). He was the second husband + of Blanche de Tournon, Lady of Honour to Queen Margaret, + respecting whom see _ante_, vol. i. pp. 84-5, 122-4, and + vol. iv. p. 144, note 2.--L., F. and Ed. + +At first she treated him so seriously, threatening to tell of him to the +King his master, that he well-nigh became afraid of her. However, as +he had not been wont to fear the threats even of the most redoubtable +captains, he would not suffer himself to be moved by hers, but pressed +her so closely that she at last consented to speak with him in private, +and taught him the manner in which he should come to her apartment. +This he failed not to do, and, in order that the King might be without +suspicion of the truth, he craved permission to go on a journey, and +set out from the Court. On the very first day, however, he left all his +following and returned at night to receive fulfilment of the promises +that the Countess had made him. These she kept so much to his +satisfaction, that he was content to remain shut up in a closet for five +or six days, without once going out, and living only on restoratives. + +During the week that he lay in hiding, one of his companions called +Durassier (4) made love to the Countess. At the beginning she spoke to +this new lover, as she had spoken to the first, with harsh and haughty +speech that grew milder day by day, insomuch that when the time was come +for dismissing the first prisoner, she put the second into his place. +While he was there, another companion of his, named Valnebon, (5) did +the same as the former two, and after these there came yet two or three +more to lodge in the sweet prison. + + 4 This in all probability is the doughty James Galliot de + Genouillac, who--much in the same way as in our own times + the names of the "Iron Duke" and the "Man of Iron" have been + bestowed on Wellington and Bismarck--was called by his + contemporaries the "Seigneur d'Acier" or "Steel Lord," + whence "Durassier"--hard steel. Born in Le Quercy in or + about 1466, Genouillac accompanied Charles VIII. on his + Italian expeditions, and, according to Brantome, surpassed + all others in valour and influence. He greatly distinguished + himself at the battle of Fornova (1495), and in 1515 we find + him one of the chief commanders of the French artillery. For + the great skill he displayed at Marignano he was appointed + Grand Master of the Artillery and Seneschal of Armagnac, and + he subsequently became Grand Equerry of France. At Pavia, + where he again commanded the artillery, he would have swept + away the Spaniards had not the French impetuously charged + upon them, preventing him from firing his pieces. Most of + the latter he contrived to save, severe as was the defeat, + and he effectually protected the retreat of the Duke of + Alencon and the Count of Clermont into France. Genouillac + died in 1546, a year after he had been appointed Governor of + Languedoc.--B. J. and Ed. + + 5 Valnebon is an anagram of the name Bonneval, and Queen + Margaret evidently refers here to a member of the Bonneval + family. In the time of Charles VIII. this illustrious + Limousin house had two principal members, Anthony, one of + the leading counsellors of that king (as of his predecessor + Louis XI. and his successor Louis XII.), and Germain, also a + royal counsellor and chamberlain. The heroes of the above + story being military men and old friends and comrades, it is + probable that the reference is to Germain de Bonneval, he, + like Chastillon and Genouillac, having accompanied Charles + VIII. on his expedition into Italy. Germain de Bonneval, + moreover, was one of the seven noblemen who fought at the + battle of Fornova, clad and armed exactly like the French + king. He perished at the memorable defeat of Pavia in 1525. + From him descended, in a direct line, the famous eighteenth + century adventurer, Claud Alexander, Count de Bonneval.--B. + J. and Ed. + +This manner of life continued for a long time, and was so skilfully +contrived that none of the lovers knew aught of the others; and although +they were aware of the love that each of them bore the lady, there +was not one but believed himself to be the only successful suitor, and +laughed at his comrades who, as he thought, had failed to win such great +happiness. + +One day when the gentlemen aforesaid were at a banquet where they made +right good cheer, they began to speak of their several fortunes and of +the prisons in which they had lain during the wars. Valnebon, however, +who found it a hard task to conceal the great good fortune he had met +with, began saying to his comrades-- + +"I know not what prisons have been yours, but for my own part, for love +of one wherein I once lay, I shall all my life long give praise and +honour to the rest. I think that no pleasure on earth comes near that of +being kept a prisoner." + +Astillon, who had been the first captive, had a suspicion of the prison +that he meant, and replied-- + +"What gaoler, Valnebon, man or woman, treated you so well that you +became so fond of your prison?" + +"Whoever the gaoler may have been," said Valnebon, "my prisonment was +so pleasant that I would willingly have had it last longer. Never was I +better treated or more content." + +Durassier, who was a man of few words, clearly perceived that they were +discussing the prison in which he had shared like the rest; so he said +to Valnebon-- + +"On what meats were you fed in the prison that you praise so highly?" + +"What meats?" said Valnebon. "The King himself has none better or more +nourishing." + +"But I should also like to know," said Durassier, "whether your keeper +made you earn your bread properly?" + +Valnebon, suspecting that he had been understood, could not hold from +swearing. + +"God's grace!" said he. "Had I indeed comrades where I believed myself +alone?" + +Perceiving this dispute, wherein he had part like the rest, Astillon +laughed and said-- + +"We all serve one master, and have been comrades and friends from +boyhood; if, then, we are comrades in the same good fortune, we can but +laugh at it. But, to see whether what I imagine be true, pray let me +question you, and do you confess the truth to me; for if that which I +fancy has befallen us, it is as amusing an adventure as could be found +in any book." + +They all swore to tell the truth if the matter were such as they could +not deny. + +Then said he to them-- + +"I will tell you my own fortune, and you will tell me, ay or nay, if +yours has been the same." + +To this they all agreed, whereupon he said-- + +"I asked leave of the King to go on a journey." + +"So," they replied, "did we." + +"When I was two leagues from the Court, I left all my following and went +and yielded myself up prisoner." + +"We," they replied, "did the same." + +"I remained," said Astillon, "for seven or eight days, and lay in a +closet where I was fed on nothing but restoratives and the choicest +viands that I ever ate. At the end of a week, those who held me +captive suffered me to depart much weaker in body than I had been on my +arrival." + +They all swore that the like had happened to them. + +"My imprisonment," said Astillon, "began on such a day and finished on +such another." + +"Mine," thereupon said Durassier, "began on the very day that yours +ended, and lasted until such a day." + +Valnebon, who was losing patience, began to swear. + +"'Sblood!" said he, "from what I can see, I, who thought myself the +first and only one, was the third, for I went in on such a day and came +out on such another." + +Three others, who were at the table, swore that they had followed in +like order. + +"Well, since that is so," said Astillon, "I will mention the condition +of our gaoler. She is married, and her husband is a long way off." + +"'Tis even she," they all replied. + +"Well, to put us out of our pain," said Astillon, "I, who was first +enrolled, shall also be the first to name her. It was my lady the +Countess, she who was so extremely haughty that in conquering her +affection I felt as though I had conquered Caesar." + +[Said Valnebon--(6)] + + 6 It is probable that the angry Valnebon is speaking here, + and that his name has been accidentally omitted from the + MSS. At all events the three subsequent paragraphs show that + these remarks are not made by Astillon, who declines the + other speaker's advice, and proposes a scheme of his own.-- + Ed. + +"To the devil with the jade, who gave us so much toil, and made us +believe ourselves so fortunate in winning her! Never was there such +wantonness, for while she kept one in hiding she was practising upon +another, so that she might never be without diversion. I would rather +die than suffer her to go unpunished." + +Each thereupon asked him what he thought ought to be done to her, saying +that they were all ready to do it. + +"I think," said he, "that we ought to tell the King our master, who +prizes her as though she were a goddess. + +"By no means," said Astillon; "we are ourselves able to take vengeance +upon her, without calling in the aid of our master. Let us all be +present to-morrow when she goes to mass, each of us wearing an iron +chain about his neck. Then, when she enters the church, we will greet +her as shall be fitting." + +This counsel was highly approved by the whole company, and each provided +himself with an iron chain. The next morning they all went, dressed in +black and with their iron chains twisted like collars round their necks, +to meet the Countess as she was going to church. And as soon as she saw +them thus attired, she began to laugh and asked them-- + +"Whither go such doleful folk?" + +"Madam," said Astillon, "we are come to attend you as poor captive +slaves constrained to do your service." + +The Countess, feigning not to understand, replied-- + +"You are not my captives, and I cannot understand that you have more +occasion than others to do me service." + +Thereupon Valnebon stepped forward and said to her-- + +"After eating your bread for so long a time, we should be ungrateful +indeed if we did not serve you." + +She made excellent show of not understanding the matter, thinking by +this seriousness to confound them; but they pursued their discourse +in such sort that she saw that all was discovered. So she immediately +devised a means of baffling them, for, having lost honour and +conscience, she would in no wise take to herself the shame that they +thought to bring upon her. On the contrary, like one who set her +pleasure before all earthly honour, she neither changed her countenance +nor treated them worse than before, whereat they were so confounded, +that they carried away in their own bosoms the shame they had thought to +bring upon her. + +"If, ladies, you do not consider this story enough to prove that women +are as bad as men, I will seek out others of the same kind to relate to +you. Nevertheless I think that this one will suffice to show you that a +woman who has lost shame is far bolder to do evil than a man." + +There was not a woman in the company that heard this story, who did not +make as many signs of the cross as if all the devils in hell were before +her eyes. However, Oisille said-- + +"Ladies, let us humble ourselves at hearing of so terrible a +circumstance, and the more so as she who is forsaken by God becomes like +him with whom she unites; for even as those who cleave to God have His +spirit within them, so is it with those that cleave to His opposite, +whence it comes that nothing can be more brutish than one devoid of the +Spirit of God." + +"Whatever the poor lady may have done," said Ennasuite, "I nevertheless +cannot praise the men who boasted of their imprisonment." + +"It is my opinion," said Longarine, "that a man finds it as troublesome +to conceal his good fortune as to pursue it. There is never a hunter but +delights to wind his horn over his quarry, nor lover but would fain have +credit for his conquest." + +"That," said Simontault, "is an opinion which I would hold to be +heretical in presence of all the Inquisitors of the Faith, for there are +more men than women that can keep a secret, and I know right well that +some might be found who would rather forego their happiness than have +any human being know of it. For this reason has the Church, like a wise +mother, ordained men to be confessors and not women, seeing that the +latter can conceal nothing." + +"That is not the reason," said Oisille; "it is because women are such +enemies of vice that they would not grant absolution with the same +readiness as is shown by men, and would be too stern in their penances." + +"If they were as stern in their penances," said Dagoucin, "as they are +in their responses, they would reduce far more sinners to despair than +they would draw to salvation; and so the Church has in every sort well +ordained. But, for all that, I will not excuse the gentlemen who thus +boasted of their prison, for never was a man honoured by speaking evil +of a woman." + +"Since they all fared alike," said Hircan, "it seems to me that they did +well to console one another." + +"Nay," said Geburon, "they should never have acknowledged it for the +sake of their own honour. The books of the Round Table (7) teach us that +it is not to the honour of a worthy knight to overcome one that is good +for naught." + + 7 Queen Margaret was well acquainted with these (see + _ante_, vol. iii. p. 48). In a list drawn up after her + father's death, of the two hundred volumes of books in his + library, a most remarkable one for the times, we find + specified several copies of "Lancelot," "Tristan," &c, some + in MS. with miniatures and illuminated letters, and others + printed on parchment. Besides numerous religious writings, + volumes of Aristotle, Ovid, Mandeville, Dante, the + Chronicles of St. Denis, and the "Book of the Great Khan, + bound in cloth of gold," the library contained various works + of a character akin to that of the _Heptameron_. For + instance, a copy of the _Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles_ in print; + a French translation of Poggio's _Facetio_, also in print, + and two copies of Boccaccio in MS., one of them bound in + purple velvet, and richly illuminated, each page having a + border of blue and silver. This last if still in existence + would be very valuable.--Eu. + +"I am amazed," said Longarine, "that the unhappy woman did not die of +shame in presence of her captives." + +"Those who have lost shame," said Oisille, "can hardly ever recover it, +excepting, however, she that has forgotten it through deep love. Of such +have I seen many return." + +"I think," said Hircan, "that you must have seen the return of as many +as went, for deep love in a woman is difficult to find." + +"I am not of your opinion," said Longarine; "I think that there are some +women who have loved to death." + +"So exceedingly do I desire to hear a tale of that kind," said Hircan, +"that I give you my vote in order to learn of a love in women that I had +never deemed them to possess." + +"Well, if you hearken," said Longarine, "you will believe, and will see +that there is no stronger passion than love. But while it prompts one +to almost impossible enterprises for the sake of winning some portion +of happiness in this life, so does it more than any other passion reduce +that man or woman to despair, who loses the hope of gaining what is +longed for. This indeed you will see from the following story." + + +[Illustration: 232.jpg Tailpiece] + +[Illustration: 233a.jpg The Lady killing herself on the Death of her Lover] + +[The Lady killing herself on the Death of her Lover] + +[Illustration: 233.jpg Page Image] + + + + +_TALE L_. + + _Messire John Peter for a long time wooed in vain a + neighbour of his by whom he was sorely smitten, and to + divert his humour withdrew for a few days from the sight of + her; but this brought so deep a melancholy upon him that the + doctors ordered him to be bled. The lady, who knew whence + his distemper proceeded, then thought to save his life, but + did indeed hasten his death, by granting him that which she + had always refused. Then, reflecting that she was herself + the cause of the loss of so perfect a lover, she dealt + herself a sword-thrust that made her a partner in his fate_. + (1) + +In the town of Cremona not long ago there lived a gentleman called +Messire John Peter, (2) who had long loved a lady that dwelt near to his +own house; but strive as he might he was never able to have of her the +reply that he desired, albeit he loved her with his whole heart. Being +greatly grieved and troubled at this, the poor gentleman withdrew into +his lodging with the resolve that he would no longer vainly pursue the +happiness the quest of which was devouring his life; and accordingly, to +divert his humour, he passed a few days without seeing her. This caused +him to fall into deep sadness, so that his countenance was no longer the +same. His kinsfolk summoned the doctors, who, finding that his face was +growing yellow, thought that he had some obstruction of the liver and +ordered a blood-letting. + + 1 The incidents here narrated probably occurred in or about + 1544.--L. + + 2 "Jehan Pietre" (Pietro) in the MSS.--Ed. + +The lady, who had dealt so sternly with him, knew very well that his +sickness was caused by her refusal alone, and she sent to him an old +woman in whom she trusted, to tell him that, since she saw his love to +be genuine and unfeigned, she was now resolved to grant him all that +which she had refused him so long. She had therefore devised a means to +leave her house and go to a place where he might privately see her. + +The gentleman, who that same morning had been bled in the arm, +found himself better cured by this message than by any medicine or +bloodletting he could have had, and he sent word that he would be at the +place without fail at the hour she had appointed. He added that she had +wrought an evident miracle, since with one word she had cured a man of a +sickness for which all the doctors were not able to find a remedy. + +The longed-for evening being come, the gentleman repaired to the +appointed place with such extreme joy as must needs come soon to an end, +since increase of it were not possible. He had waited but a short time +after his arrival, when she whom he loved more dearly than his own soul +came to meet him. He did not occupy himself with making long speeches, +for the fire that consumed him prompted him to seek with all speed that +which he could scarcely believe to be at last within his power. But +whilst, intoxicated beyond measure with love and joy, he was in one +direction seeking a cure that would give him life, he brought to pass +in another the hastening of his death; for, heedless of himself for his +sweetheart's sake, he perceived not that his arm became unbound, and +that the newly-opened wound discharged so much blood that he was, poor +gentleman, completely bathed in it. Thinking, however, that his weakness +had been caused by his excess, he bethought himself of returning home. + +Then love, which had too closely united them, so dealt with him that, as +he was parting from his sweetheart, his soul parted from his body, and, +by reason of his great loss of blood, he fell dead at his lady's feet. + +She, on her side, stood there in astonishment, contemplating the loss of +so perfect a lover, of whose death she had herself been the sole cause. +Reflecting, on the other hand, on the shame and sorrow that would be +hers if the dead body were found in her house, she carried it, with a +serving-woman whom she trusted, into the street in order that the matter +might not be known. Nevertheless, she felt that she could not leave it +there alone. Taking up the dead man's sword, she was fain to share his +fate, and, indeed, to punish her heart, which had been the cause of all +his woe, she pierced it through and through, so that her dead body fell +upon that of her lover. + +When her father and mother came out of their house in the morning, +they found this pitiful sight, and, after making such mourning as was +natural, they buried the lovers together. + +"Thus, ladies, may it be seen that excessive love brings with it other +woe." + +"This is what I like to see," said Simontault, "a love so equal that +when one died the other could not live. Had I, by the grace of God, +found such a mistress, I think that none could ever have ioved her more +perfectly than I." + +"Yet am I of opinion," said Parlamente, "that you would not have been so +blinded by love as not to bind up your arm better than he did. The days +are gone when men were wont to forget their lives for the ladies' sake." + +"But those are not gone," said Simontault, "when ladies are apt to +forget their lovers' lives for their pleasure's sake." + +"I think," said Ennasuite, "that there is no living woman that can take +pleasure in the death of a man, no, not even though he were her enemy. +Still, if men will indeed kill themselves, the ladies cannot prevent +them." + +"Nevertheless," said Saffredent, "she that denies the gift of bread to a +poor starving man is held to be a murderess." + +"If your requests," said Oisille, "were as reasonable as those of a poor +man seeking to supply his needs, it would be over cruel of the ladies to +refuse you. God be thanked, however, your sickness kills none but such +as must of necessity die within the year." + +"I do not understand, madam," said Saffredent, "that there can be any +greater need than that which causes all others to be forgotten. When +love is deep, no bread and no meat whatsoever can be thought of save the +glance and speech of the woman whom one loves." + +"If you were allowed to fast," said Oisille, "with no other meat but +that, you would tell a very different tale." + +"I acknowledge," he replied, "that the body might fail, but not so the +heart and will." + +"Then," said Parlamente, "God has dealt very mercifully with you in +leading you to have recourse to a quarter where you find such little +contentment that you must needs console yourself with eating and +drinking. Methinks in these matters you acquit yourself so well, that +you should praise God for the tenderness of His cruelty." + +"I have been so nurtured in torment," he replied, "that I am beginning +to be well pleased with woes of which other men complain." + +"Perhaps," said Longarine, "our complaints debar you from company where +your gladness makes you welcome; for nothing is so vexatious as an +importunate lover." + +"Say, rather," answered Simontault, "as a cruel lady ------'" + +"I clearly see," said Oisille, "now that the matter touches Simontault, +that, if we stay until he brings his reasonings to an end, we shall find +ourselves at complines (3) rather than vespers. Let us, therefore, go +and praise God that this day has passed without graver dispute." + + 3 The last division in the Roman Catholic breviary.--Ed. + +She was the first to rise, and all the others followed her, but +Simontault and Longarine ceased not to carry on their quarrel, yet so +gently that, without drawing of sword, Simontault won the victory, and +proved that the strongest passion was the sorest need. + +At this point they entered the church, where the monks were waiting for +them. + +Having heard vespers, they went to sup as much off words as meat, for +their converse lasted as long as they were at table, and throughout the +evening also, until Oisille told them that they might well retire and +give some rest to their minds. The five days that were past had been +filled with such brave stories, that she had great fear lest the sixth +should not be equal to them; for, even if they were to invent their +tales, it was not possible to tell any better than those true ones which +had already been related in the company. + +Geburon, however, told her that, so long as the world lasted, things +would happen worthy of remembrance. + +"For," said he, "the wickedness of wicked men is always what it has been, +as also is the goodness of the good. So long as wickedness and good +reign upon earth, they will ever fill it with fresh actions, although it +be written that there is nothing new under the sun. (4) But we, who have +not been summoned to the intimate counsels of God, and who are ignorant +of first causes, deem all new things noteworthy in proportion as we +would not or could not ourselves accomplish them. So, be not afraid that +the days to come will not be in keeping with those that are past, and be +sure that on your own part you perform well your duty." + + 4 _Ecclesiastes_ i. 9, 10.--M. + +Oisille replied that she commended herself to God, and in His name she +bade them good-night. + +So all the company withdrew, thus bringing to an end the Fifth Day. + +[Illustration: 240.jpg Tailpiece] + + + + +APPENDIX. + + + + +A. (Tale XXXVI., Page 63.) + +The following are the more important particulars, supplied by M. Jules +Roman, with reference to President Charles of Grenoble:-- + +Jeffroy Charles was an Italian, born in the marquisate of Saluzza, where +his father, Constant, had been a distinguished jurisconsult. The hero +of Queen Margaret's xxxvith tale always signed his name Jeffroy Charles, +but his descendants adopted the spelling Carles. Doubtless the name had +originally been Caroli. Before fixing himself in France, Jeffroy Charles +had been in the service of Luigi II., Marquis of Saluzza, who had +appointed him to the office of "Podesta" and entrusted him with +various diplomatic missions to the French Court (see _Discorsi sopre +alame famiglie nobili del Piemonte_ by Francesco Agostini della Chiesa, +in MS. in the State Archives, at Turin). At the time when Charles VIII. +was planning his expedition to Naples, he gave a cordial greeting to all +the Italians who presented themselves at his Court, and, securing +the services of Jeffroy Charles, he appointed him counsellor of the +Parliament of Grenoble (October 5, 1493), and entrusted him with various +secret missions, the result being that he sojourned but unfrequently in +Dauphine. On the death of Charles VIII., Jeffroy secured the good +graces of his successor, Louis XII., and was appointed (June 16, 1500) +President of the Senate of Turin, and some months later Chief President +of the Parliament of Grenoble. Charles spent the greater part of that +year on missions, both to the Court of the Emperor Maximilian and that +of the Pope. It was he who obtained from the former the investiture of +Louis XII. as Duke of Milan, which afterwards led to so much warfare. +Most of the following years he spent at Milan, seeking to organise the +government of the duchy, and contending against the rapacity of both +the French and the Italian nobles. In 1508 he was sent by Louis XII. +to Cambrai, in company with Cardinal d'Amboise, to conclude an alliance +with the Emperor against Venice, and he also repaired the same year +to Rome with Marshal Trivulzio to negotiate the Pope's entry into this +league. + +On war being declared, he set aside his judicial robes, and took an +active part in the campaign against Venice, fighting so bravely at +Agnadel that Louis XII. knighted him on the battlefield. His last +diplomatic mission was to the Court of Leo X. in 1515, in which year he +was, on account of his great learning, appointed to direct the education +of the King's younger daughter, the celebrated Renee of Ferrara. But +it is doubtful whether he ever even entered upon these duties, since he +died soon after he had been entrusted with them. His family remained in +Dauphine, where it died out, obscurely, during the seventeenth century. +Only one of his sons, Anthony, evinced any talent, becoming counsellor +of the Rouen Parliament (1519), and ambassador at Milan (1530). Lancelot +de Carles, Bishop of Riez, was not, as some biographers assert, a son +of Jeffroy Charles, nor was he, it would seem, in any way connected with +the Saluzza family. + +Jeffroy Charles's wife, Margaret du Mottet, had borne him eight children +before he surprised her in adultery. After the tragical ending of his +conjugal mishaps he adopted as his crest the figure of an angel holding +the forefinger of one hand to his mouth as if to enjoin secrecy. (1) In +the seventeenth century this "angel of silence" was to be seen, carved +in stone, and serving as a support of the Charles escutcheon, on the +house where the President had resided in the Rue des Clercs at Grenoble +(Guy Allard's _Dictionnaire du Dauphine, &c_, Grenoble 1695). Escutcheon +and support have nowadays disappeared, but on certain of Charles's +seals, as well as in books that belonged to him, now in the Bibliotheque +Nationale, Paris, the emblem of the angel will still be found. The +earliest seal on which we find it is one affixed to a receipt dated from +Milan, July 31, 1506. Assuming that he adopted this crest in memory of +the events narrated by Queen Margaret, it is probable that the latter +occurred in the earlier part of 1506 or the latter part of the previous +year. (2) + + 1 The suggestion here presents itself that, apart from the + question of any crime, this emblem of secrecy was a very + fitting one for a diplomatist to assume.--Ed. + + 2 That is, twenty years after the _Cent Nouvelles + Nouvelles_, from which some commentators think the + _Heptameron_ story to have been borrowed, was first printed. + --Ed. + +Three copies of a medal showing Charles's energetic, angular profile, +with the inscription _Jafredus Karoli jurisconsultus preses Delphinatus +et Mediolani_, are known to exist; one in the Grenoble museum, one in +that of Milan, and one in my (M. Roman's) collection. Three MS. works +from the President's library are in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. +The frontispiece of one of these (MSS. Lat. No. 4801) is a miniature +painting of his escutcheon, surmounted by the half-length figure of the +"angel of silence," who is clad in dark blue, with wings of red, green +and blue feathers. On folio 74 of the same MS. is a full-length figure +of the angel, clad in light blue and supporting Charles's escutcheon +with one hand, whilst the forefinger of the other is pressed to +his lips. In the libraries of Lyons, Grenoble and Turin are other +richly-illuminated works that belonged to the President, who was a +distinguished bibliophilist and great patron of letters, several learned +Italian writers, and among others, J. P. Parisio, J. M. Cattaneo and +P'ranchino Gafforio, having dedicated their principal works to him. +He it was, moreover, who saved the life of Aldo Manuzio, the famous +Venetian printer, when he was arrested by the French as a spy in 1506. + + From the foregoing particulars it will be seen that + President Charles was alike learned, brave and skilful. But + for the Queen of Navarre's circumstantial narrative it would + be hard to believe that a man with so creditable a public + record killed his wife by means of a salad of poisonous + herbs.--Ed. + + +THE END OF THE FOURTH VOLUME + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. IV. +(of V.), by Margaret, Queen Of Navarre + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALES OF THE HEPTAMERON *** + +***** This file should be named 17704.txt or 17704.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/7/0/17704/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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