Wooâ—â—ss and that almost before she can perceive that she is gone astray Howsoever it is said Parlament I should never love that man who would make so great a separation betwixt my Husband and my self as to make him beat me for blowes make love to sly away Yet neverthelesse as I have heard so cunningly these Impostures do carry themselves when they would have a poor Woman at advantage that I do believe it is more danger to give ear unto them privatly than publickly to receive blowes from their Husband who if it were not for such busie pretenders would be good enough To speak the truth said Dagoucin the trains they have laid are on every side so many that it is not without cause to fear them although in my opinion that Person who is not fearful or suspitious is worthy of praise Neverthelesse said Oysilla we ought to suspect the evil which we would avoid for it is better to suspect the Evil which is not than foolishly by not believing it to fall into the Evil which is For my part I never saw a Woman deceived in being slow to give credence to the words of Men but I have heard of many that have been ruined by giving too ready a belief to their false protestations wherefore I affirm that the Evil which can arrive cannot be too much suspected by those who have the charge both of Men and Women and Cities and Estates for be the watch never so strictly observed and be there never so many eyes imployed yet Forgeries and Treasons will abound The Shepheard that is not vigilant is every way deceived by the subtilty of the Fox and the cruelty of the Wolf And yet so it is said Dagoucin that a person that is suspitious can never entertain any absolute friendship and love hath been oftentimes estranged if not separated by suspition only If you can render us any Example of it said Oysilla I will give you my voice I know one and so true a one said Dagoucin that you will take Delight to hear it Ladies I will tell you what it is that doth most easily break true Love It is when the assurance of Love doth bâ—gin to give place unto suspition for as to believe a friend is the greatest honour can be done unto him so to doubt of him is the greatest dishonour can befall him by that suspition we begin to esteem him otherwise than we would he should be which is the cause that many great friendships are dissolved and Friends made Enemies as you shall find by this Account which I have now in hand to exhibite to you A Gentleman of Percha unjustly suspecting the love of his Friend did provoke him unwillingly to put in practise the Cause of his Suspition The seventh Novell IN the Country of Percha there were two Gentlemen who from the time of their first Infancy did continue in so great and an entire a love that betwixt them there was but one heart one house one bed and one table They along time did live in this perfect Amity enjoying one thought and one will you might see indeed a distinction of persons but they lived together not only as two Brothers but as if that both of them had made but one entire Man The one of them was married yet did not discontinue for all that to maintain his old Love and daily to live with his Companion as he had been accustomed to do And if at any time in their Travels they wanted a second Bed his friend did lie in the same Bed with himself and his Wife It is true enough that at that time he himself did always lie in the middle Their Goods were also in common It was not Marriage that could hinder the establishment of their love Nevertheless in the progress of time the felicity of the world which is subject to mutability could not any longer continue in this House which was indeed too happy and in too permanent a condition for the Husband forgetting the assurance which he had in his Friend without any occasion at all did entertain a great jealousie of his Wife and him He did not dissemble it to his Wife and did acquaint her with the unpleasing tydings whereat she was much astonished for he had commanded her in all things but in one to make as much of his Companion as of himself and now he expresly did forbid her to speak unto him unless she were in some publick Company She took the opportunity to acquaint the Companion of her Husband with it who did not believe it knowing well enough that he never thought nor did any thing whereat his Companion should be afflicted And being accustomed to conceal nothing from him he did acquaint him with what he understood desiring him that he would not conceal the truth from him for he would not either in that or any other thing give him an occasion to break that love with so long they had entertained The Gentleman that was marryed did assure him that he had never any such thought and that they who brought this Information to him were most wicked lyars His Companion told him I know well enough that Jealousie is a passion as insupportable as Love and if you should be surprized with it yet I would do you no Injury at all for I know it is a passion that grows so upon a Man that he cannot help it But of one thing which lies in your power to help I find I have just reason to complain which is that you conceal this passion from me seeing heretofore there was not that thing which you would conceal from me I will say as much of my self If I were amorous of your Wife you ought not to impute it unto me as any great Iniquity for it is a fire which I hold not in my hand to do with it according to my own pleasure but if I should conceal it from you and endeavour to make your Wife acquainted with it I should be one of the wickedest Companions that ever was For my part I do assure you that albeit she is an honest and a virtuous Gentlewoman yet were she not your Wife I do not know any Woman that I have a less Fancy to But although there be no occasion for it I desire you if you but harbour the least scruple of suspition that possibly may be that you would acquaint me with it to the end I may give such Order that our love which hath so long continued may not be dissolved for a Woman for if I loved her above all Creatures in the World yet I would never speak any more unto hrr because I doe prefer your love above all others His Companion did swear unto him by the greatest Oaths that could possibly be imagined that he never had any such thought and desired him to make use of his house as he was accustomed to doe His Friend made answer to him because it is your desire I will doe it but I must
without conscience For you know I know well enough that she whom you do love will not content her self with that which God and Reason do command And although the Laws of Men doe give so great a dishonour to Women who do love other Men besides their Husbands yet the Law of God doth not except the Husbands who love others besides their Wives And if you will put into the ballance your offence and the offence which I have committed You are a Man wise and experienced and of age to know and to be able to eschew Evil I am but young and without any experience of the force and tyranny of Love You have a Wife that doth cherish esteem and love you better than her own life and I have a Husband that doth eschew hate and disdain me more than a Servant You love a Woman that is grown into a great age discomplexioned and nothing so handsom as my self and I love a Gentleman far younger than your self and more lovely and delightfull You love a Woman that pertains to one of the greatest Friends that you have in the world transgressing on the one side the love on the other side the Reverence which you should carry to them both and I love a young Gentleman who is tied in no obligation but only of his love to me Now judge Sir and be impartial in your Judgment which of us two are most to be punished either you or my self I believe there is no man that is either wise or honest but will lay all the blame on you seeing that I am but young and ignorant despised and contemned by you and beloved by the most courteous and the handsomest Gentleman in all France whom I do love by a despair only that I shall never be beloved by you The Gentleman hearing her words full of truth and spoken and pronounced with so assured a grace that she shewed that she neither feared nor deserved any punishment did find himself so surprised with wonder that he knew not what to reply unto her but only that the honour of a Woman and of a Man were not alike but differed in several respects Neverthelesse because she did swear That there was no sin committed betwixt her and the Gentleman whom she loved he was resolved to make much of her upon a condition that she would return no more unto him and that he for his part would abandon her whom he had loved and that neither he nor she for the time to come should call to mind any thing that had passed betwixt them which was promised on both sides and so in good accordance they went to bed together In the morning one of the young Ladies old Maids who had a great fear of the life of her Mistresse did come early to her rising and said unto her And well Madam how goes it with you now She laughing made answer Why my Friend there is not a better Husband in the world than mine for he believed what I did swear In this manner she continued five or six dayes and the Gentleman did keep so close a guard upon her that she was watched both night and day but he could not watch her so narrowly but that she would still in one obscure place or other hold communication with him whom she loved But she carried her affairs so privately that neither Man nor Woman could ever discover the truth and had not one of the Grooms reported that he had seen a Gentleman and a Lady together in a Closet under the Chamber of the Lady that was Guardian to this young Gentlewoman the suspition had ceased the doubt whereof did so torment this Gentleman that he was resolved to be the Death of the yong Gentleman and assembled a great number of his Friends and Confidents together to kill him wheresoever they should find him but the chiefest of his Friends in this confederacy was so much a friend to the young Man whose life was sought after that instead of surprising him he did advertise him of all things that were contrived against him And he was so well beloved at the Court and so well accompanied that he feared not all the force of his Enemies which was the reason that they could never find the opportunity to exercise their vengeance on him But it so fell out not long after that he did meet in a Church with the Guardian of the young Lady whom he loved who knew nothing at all of any thing that had passed for before her self he never durst speak unto her The Gentleman made report unto her of the suspition and the ill will which the Husband did bear unto him and although that he was innocent he was resolved to make a long voyage to take away the Report which began to increase This Lady that was Guardian to his Mistresse was much amazed to hear those words and did protest unto him that the Husband did commit an unpardonable offence to suspect a Lady of Honour in whom she never knew nor saw any thing but Honesty and Virtue Neverthelesse by reason of the Authority in which the Husband was and to stop the current of this false Report the Princesse advised him to absent himself for a time and assured him that she believed not any thing of alâ— these follies and suspitions The young Gentleman was very glad that he continued in the favour and good opinion of the old Lady who advised the Gentleman before his departure to speak unto the Husband of the young Gentlewoman which he did according to her counsel and found him in the gallery hard by the Chamber of the King where with an assured countenance he said unto him Sir I have had all my life a desire to serve you and for a recompence for it I understand that this night you have a design to seek me out to kill me Sir I beseech you to consider that although you have more authority and power than my self yet that I am a Gentleman as well as your self and it would grieve me to fling away my life for nothing I must beseech you also to consider that you have a most virtuous Lady to your Wife and if there be any that will speak to the contrary I will tell him that he lies like a Vilain And for my self I thought I had not done any thing to give you an occasion to wish me evil if you please I will continue your servant if not I am a servant of the Kings for which I have reason enough to content my self The Gentleman to whom he addressed this Discourse made answer That true it was he entertained some suspition of him but he found him so good a Man that he desired rather to have his friendship than his enmity and bidding him Farewel with Hat in hand he embraced him as one of his fastest friends You may think with your selves what those men thought who on the Evening before had received Commission to kill him when they saw
her Husband did give him many wounds with the poynado so that the Frier desired pardon and confessed the Truth of all his wickednesse The Gentleman although he might would not kill him but intreated his Wife to go home to his House and bring some of his servants to him and to bring a little Wagon with them to convey himself to his House with more ease which she did The Frier being despoyled of his habit which he had polluted with so much blood and lust did run in his shirt and his shorn head towards his own Covent But the servants of the Gentleman did overtake him as they were going to their Master to assist him to bring away the Wolf which he had taken and did dragg him to his house who did cause him to be brought before the Justice of the Emperor in Flanders before which Court he confessed his villany and it being found by his Confession and proof made by the Commissaries there present that a great number of Gentlewomen and beautifull Maids had been brought into that Monastery by the same Art as this Frier would have brought this Gentlewoman It was ordered That the said Monastery should be examined and despoyled of those beautiful Larcenies and that in the perpetual memory of this Crime the Monks should be all shut up and be burned with the Monastery By this it may appear that there is nothing more cruel than Love when it is grounded upon Vice as there is nothing again more commen dable than Love when it doth dwell in a virtuous heart Ladies I am very sorry that the truth of these Accounts doth not lead us as much to the commendations of Friers as it doth unto their prejudice for it would be a great pleasure to me in the respect of the love which I do bear unto their Order to know any one of them who would give me a just cause to praise them But we have sworn so much to speak the truth that after the report of Men so worthy to be believed I am constrained not to conceal it assuring you that when the Friers of these times shall do any act worthy of memory I will endeavour to set it forth far better to their Glory than I have given you the account of this Truth unto their Infamy In good carnest Guebron said Oysilla Behold here a Love which ought to be called Cruelty I doe wonder said Simonâ—ault how this Frier had the patience seeing this Gentlewoman in her smock and in a place where he himself was Master that he did not take her by force He had not so sudden a stomack said Saffredant but was a true Gormandizer for through the desire which he had to be-glut him self with her all day long he would not make any stay â—ow to take a tast of her It is not so said Parlament for you are to understand that every Man who is furious is also timorous and the fear which surprized him that his prey should be taken from him did cause him to take away that Lamb as a Wolf doth a sheep to seed upon it with more appetite at his own leisure I cannot believe said Dagouâ—in that he did bear any love unto her or that Love could ever inhabit in a heart so barbarous However it was said Oysilla I do beseech God that as he was punished so the like enterprizes may alwayes meet with the like chastisement But to whom will you give your voice To you Lady said Guebron for you will be sure to give us some good Account Since it comes to my turn said Oysilla I will give you a memorable account which happened in our times and of which she her self was an ey-witnesse who did acquaint me with it I am sure that you are not ignorant that Death is the end of all our Miseries and therfore putting an end unto our miseries it may be called our Felicity and sure Repose for the greatest misery that a man can have is to desire Death and to be deprived of it and of the means to enjoy it The greatest punishment which can be given to a Malefactor is not Death but to afflict him with a perpetual torment so great it makes him to desire it and so little that he cannot obtain it just as a Husband did deal by his Wife as you shall hear by this following story The punishment more rigorous than Death which a Husband inflicted on his Wife having taken her in Adultery The second Novell KIng Charls the Eighth of that Name did send into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lord of Cyure neer unto Ambois whose diligence was so remarkable in his Masters service that he travelled both day and night One evening he arrived very late at the Castle of a Gentleman where he demanded lodging which with great difficulty was at last granted Neverthelesse when the Gentleman understood that he was the Servant of so great a King he did go forth to meet him and did beseech him not to be discontented at the rudenesse of his people for by reason of some kinred of his Wives who intended ill unto him he was enforced to keep his Gate shut Immediately Bernage acquainted him with the occasion of his Legation in which the Gentleman did offer him all service that possibly he could in the behalf of the King his Master and brought him into his House where he did lodge him and gave him honourable entertainment The hour of Supper being come the Gentleman did lead him into a Parlor hung round with very rich tapestry where as soon as the meat was upon the Table he did behold a Lady of a most excellent beauty to come forth from behind the Arras her head was shaven all over and the rest of her body cloathed with Blacks of Almaign After the Gentleman had washed with Monsieur Bernage water was brought to the said Lady who having washed her hands did sit down at the end of the Table and spake not to any one nor any one to her Signior Bernage did often look upon her and she seemed to him to be the most beautiful Lady that ever he beheld but only that she looked pale and withall was very sad After she had eaten a little she demanded Drink which a Servant did bring her in a wonderful vessel for it was the scull of a dead Man the edge whereof was round about tipped with silver The Lady did drink twice or thrice in it and after she had supped and washed her hands she made a low Reverence â—o the Master of the House and returned again from whence she came without speaking any word Bernage was so amazed to see a thing so strange that he became very sad and pensive The Gentleman perceived it and said unto him I observe very well that you are astonished at what you have seen at this Table but because of the civility which I have found in you I will not conceal from you the occasion of it that if in me there be
when ever she turned her back unto him he observed plainly the white stroak of Chalk upon her shoulder whereat he was so amazed that he could hardly believe what he did see with his own eyes and having a long time observed her height and the symmetry of her body which in all particulars resembled her whom he had in his arms and marked well the fashion of her countenance which he could not so perfectly discover as he would he knew for certain that it was she for which he was very glad that a young Lady who never before was know to have a servant but did refuse the love of many gallant Gentlemen should be surprized by him alone Love who is never constant to one estate could not endure that he should live long in this safe happinesse but did transport him into such a glory and vain hope that he resolved with himself to make his love known unto her thinking that when she found that it was discovered it would be a means to his advantage to make her to encrease it One day when the great Lady her Mistresse did delight her self in the Garden Camilla did walk by her self in one of the Alleys of the Garden The Gentleman seeing her alone did advance himself to entertain her and counterfeiting that he had never seen her in any other place he did say unto her Lady A long time it is since in my heart I have carryed a great affection to you and for fear to displease you I have not dared to reveal it unto you which hath rendred me so weak that without death I can no longer endure this torment for I am confident that never any one did know or feel so much of love as my self The young Lady Camilla would not permit him to finish his discourse but said unto him in a great choler Did you ever hear in your life that I entertained either friend or Servant I am sure you have not And I doe much wonder from whence this boldnesse should proceed that you should presume to hold this discourse with one of so known and unblemished a reputation as my self for by my Carriage and Demeanour in this Court you might easily understand that I never loved any but my Husband only and for this cause take heed how you continue this discourse The Gentleman observing her great dissimulation could not contain himself from laughter and said unto her Madam you have not been so rigorous unto me as you are at this present To what end doth it serve you to use such dissimulation to me were it not far better to have a love perfect than imperfect Camilla made answer to him I bear no more love unto you either perfect or imperfect than I do unto any other of the Servants of my Mistress But if you continue in the discourse you have begun you shall find that I do bear such a hate unto you that you may have the leisure to repent it The Gentleman for all that did pursue his Discourse and said unto her And where is now the good entertainment you were accustomed to give me when I must not see you why do you deprive me of the happiness that the Day may not shew me your beauties attended with so many Graces Camilla making a great sign of the Cross did say unto him You have either lost your understanding or are one of the greatest lyars in the world For never in my life as I do know of did I either give you better or worse entertainment than at this present and I pray let me understand what you doe mean by it The poor Gentleman thinking to assure her to him did name unto her the place whither she sent for him and the mark which he made with the Chalk upon her shoulder to gain a more perfect knowledge of her whereat she was so transported with Choler that she told him that he was the most wicked man in the world and that he contrived so scandalous a lie against her that she would make him to repent it whilst he â—â—ved The Gentleman who knew in what credit she was with her Mistress did endeavour to appease her but it was impossible For leaving him in the Alley she did repair to her Mistresse in a most violent Rage who loving her as her self and seeing her so transported did forsake all the Company to enquire of her the occasion of her choler which Camilla did not conceal but word for word did acquaint her all along with the Discourse which passed betwixt the Gentleman and her self and so much to the disadvantage of the poor Gentleman that on that very Evening his Mistress did command him immediatly to depart her Court and without speaking any thing to any body to retire himself to his own house and to stay there until she sent for him This Command of his Mistress was disagreeable unto him but he did suddenly perform it for fear of worse and as long as Camilla lived with her Mistress the Gentleman came not any more to the Court nor ever received any News from her concerning that which she had so often promised and which he had lost on that hour when hee had discovered who she was Ladies by this you may perceive how she who above her Conscience preferred the glory of this world did lose both the one and the other for that was discovered to the eys of all men which she would have concealed from her Husband and her Servant and seeking to avoid the mockery of them she fell into the scandal of all And she cannot be excused by the simplicity of a powerfull Love on which every one ought to have Compassion but she is doubly to be condemned to have shaddowed her Deceit under the mantle of Honour and of Glory and to make her self before God and Men to be better than she was But he who giveth not his Glory unto another in drawing open the Curtain did reveal her to her double Infamy We may here see said Oysilla an inexcusable sin for who can speak for her when God her Honour and Love himself do accuse her Who said Hircan Pleasure and Folly who are the two great Advocats for Ladies If we have no other Advocats said Parlament but those two amongst you men our Cause would be very ill maintained But those who suffer themselves to be overcome with pleasure ought not any more to be called Women but Men whose Fury and Concupiscence do augment their honour For a man who doth revenge himself upon his Enemy and doth kill him onely for the Lie is esteemed to be the bravest Gentleman and so is he who is in love with a dozen more besides his Wife But the honour of Women is grounded on another Bottom which is Mildness Patience and Chastity You talk only of some few Women who are wise said Hircan I do said Parlament because I do know no others If there were none of us fools said Nomerfide those who would be believed
entreat you that if for the time to come you shall entertain any such opinion of me that you will not dissemble it and that you will not think ill of it if I shall never again keep company with you At the end of some Moneths after they had lived together in their accustomed familiarities the married Gentleman did enter again into his former Jealousie more than ever and commanded his Wife to look no more upon him with that Countenance which she had been accustomed to doe which she again imparted to the Companion of her Husband beseeching him of her self that he would be pleased to forbear to speak any more unto her for she had received for her own part an expresse Commandment to that purpose from her Husband The Gentleman understood by these words of hers and by the Countenance which he observed that she did make unto her Husband that he had not kept his promise with him wherefore he said unto him in a great Cholet If you are jealous my Companion it is a thing natural but after so many Oaths which you have made unto me I am forry to find that which you labour so much to conceal from me For I always thought that there had been no Medium nor Obstacle betwixt your heart and mine but to my great grief and without the least occasion I doe find the contrary because you are not only foolishly jealous of your Wife and of my self but you doe indeavour to cover it that the disease may increase so long upon you that it may turn all into hatred and as our love hath been the greatest of any that hath been known in our age so the enmity may prove as mortal I have hated that which you suspect and have done what I could to avoid the inconvenience but because you do suspect me to be so wicked and to be contrary to that which I have always been unto you I doe swear unto you and doe promise you upon my faith that now I will be such as you esteem me to be and I will never cease until I have had that of your Wife which you think I have obtained already and for the time to come look to it for since that Jealousie hath separated you from the love of me Despite shall sever me from the love of men Although his Companion did indeavour to perswade him to the contrary yet he would not take any notice of it but took his part of those goods and movables which before were in common betwixt them and they were as much divided in their affections as they were before united and the Gentleman that was not married was as good as his word for he did never leave to court the suspected Lady until he had cornuted his Companion as he promised him that he would Here Ladies they may learn and grow wise who unjustly doe suspect their Wives for many are the cause that they are such as they suspect themselves to be for a Woman of spirit and understanding is more overcome by Despite than by all the pleasures in the World If any one shall affirm that jealousie is love I shall deny it but it doth proceed from it indeed as the sparks from the fire and is as destructive I do believe said Hircan that there neither is nor can be a greater displeasure to Man or Woman than to be suspected when there is no cause for it and for my self there is nothing that so much doth make me to break off the Company of my Friends than this suspition It is not said Oysilla a reasonable excuse for a Woman to revenge the jealousie of her Husband by bringing a shame and a dishonour upon her self It is to do like that weak man who not being able to kill his Enemy doth wound himself with a sword or that weak woman who because she cannot come to scratch her Enemy doth bite off her own nails for anger But she had done more wisely not to have spoken to him but only to have represented unto her Husband the wrong which he had done her by his unjust jealousie for time might have made them friends again If this said Emarsuite was the Resolution of a Wife and that other Wives should do the like there are many Husbands who would not be so arrogant and outragious as they are Whatsoever it were said Longaren it is patience that doth render a Woman at the last victorious It is chastity that doth render her commendable and it behoveth us to stay there Neverthelesse said Emarsuite a Woman may well be not chast without sin How understand you that said Oysilla When she mistakes another for her Husband replyed Emarsuite or is so sottish said Parlament that she knows not the difference between her Husband and another in whatsoever habiliments he shall disguise himself There have been and are still of those Women said Emarsuite who have been deceived by others and yet themselves have remained innocent and inculpable of Sin If you know any such said Dagoucin I do give you my voice that we may receive from you an account of her for it seemeth strange to me that Innocence and Sin can lodge together Then listen to me said Emarsuite And Ladies if by the foregoing stories you are not sufficiently advertised how dangerous it is to lodge those in your houses who call us worldly things and do esteem themselves to be holy and far more worthy than our selves I will yet adde one Example more to shew unto you that they are but Men as others are and altogether as subtle and sinful as they as it shall appear unto you by this History Of Two Grey-Friers who on the Wedding-Night did one after the other usurp the place of the Bridegroom for which they were severely punished The eighth Novell IN a village in the Country of Perigard there was kept in an Inn the Marriage of the Daughter of the Host where her Parents and all her Friends did inforce themselves to make the best chear that possibly they could On the Wedding-day there arrived two Friers who had their Supper sent them up into their Chamber because it was not lawfull for such mortified Men to be present at Weddings But the Elder of them who had more Authority and Knavery than the other did resolve with himself that although he could not be present at the Table with the Bride yet he would partake with the Bridegroom in his Bed and that he would now play a game in which he would shew his Master-piece When the Night came and the Dancing began the Frier did look a long time out of the Window upon the Bride and observed her to be fair and lovely and according to his own mind and enquiring of the Governour of the Chamberlains where she was to lie he found that the Brides Chamber was next unto his own at which he was very glad and so strictly did watch her that he saw the Bride undressed by the old women who according to
almost without intermission for I believe that such a Malady cannot proceed only from your great Belly The Dutchesse perceiving her Husband to be so kind unto her as that she could not have desired him to be more thinking that now was the time to revenge her self on the denying Gentleman she imbraced the Duke and beginning to weep abundantly she said unto him Alas my Lord The greatest grief which I have is to see you deceived by those who are so much obliged to maintain your Honour and your welfare The Duke understanding those wordâ— had a great desire to know by whom it was she spoke them and with much importunity did intreat her without fear to declare unto him all the Truth She having made many denyals the better to colour her pretence did at the last say unto him I do not wonder much if Strangers make Warr on Princes when those who are most obliged to them do enterprise so wicked a Deed that the losse of Goods is nothing in comparison of it Sir I will tell you the Gentleman and speaking those words she gave him the name of him whom she hated He said she being nourished by your own hand advanced and treated more like a kinsman or a Son than a Servant hath dared to undertake so cruel and so wretched an enterprise as to procure the losse of the honour of your Wife in which consists the honour of your House and of your Children And although for a long time he hath made many covert Invitations of Allurement tending to the Accomplishment of his wicked Design yet my heart which hath regarded none but your self would understand nothing at all untill that at the last he declared himself by his words To which I returned such an answer as my heart and my chastity did command me Neverthelesse I have ever since born such a hatred to him that I cannot endure to look on him which is the cause that I have kept my Chamber and lost the happinesse of your Company beseeching you that you will no longer keep any such Servant near unto your Person For after so great a crime he fearing that I may acquaint you with it may yet commit a greater Sir I have here given you the cause of my affliction which seems to me to be so just that it is worthy you should give a sudden redresse unto it The Duke who loved his Wife and according to her accusation did find her to be much injured and himself also to be interested in it and on the other side loved his Servant of whose fidelity he had so great experience that he could hardly believe this Fable to be a truth was in a great perplexity and being filled with choler and amazement did command his Servant not to appear in his presence but for a certain time to withdraw himself from the Court The Gentleman being altogether ignorant of the occasion was as much grieved as possibly could be being conscious to himself that his uprightnesse and fidelity did deserve a far better construction And being well assured of his loyalty and demeanour he sent one of his Companions to speak unto the Duke and to present his Letter to him most humbly beseeching him that if by any false instigation he was removed from his presence he would be pleased to suspend his Judgement until he had been examined and the truth of the accusation had been understood and that he would then find that he had not given him the least occasion of offence The Duke reading the Letter did a little rebate the edge of his fury and privately sent for him to come into his Chamber to him the Gentleman being come he look'd upon him with a furious countenance and said I never thought that the care I taken to bring you up from your infancy as my own Child should be turned into a repentance to have so highly advanced you Since you have endeavoured to bring that upon me which would be more prejudicial to me than the losse of my life and fortunes in seeking by corrupting the Honour of her who is half of my self to render my House and my posterlty infamous throughout all ages You may well conceive that such an injury doth leave such an impression in my heart that if it were not for the doubt I entertain whether the report be true or no you had been before this in the bottom of the Sea and had in secret received a punishment for that offence which secretly you would have committed against me The Gentleman was not much amazed at his words for his innocence did cause him to speak with confidence unto him and did beseech him that he would be pleased to tell him who was his Accuser for such words said he ought rather to be justified by the Lance than by the tongue Your Accuser said the Duke doth bear no other Arms but her own Chastity for I assure you that no other Woman but my own Wife did disclose it to me and withal hath besought me to take vengeance on you The poor Gentleman observing the great malice of the Lady would not altogether accuse her but said unto him Sir Madam the Dutchesse may say what she pleaseth and what already she hath spoken you doe know far better than my self but believe me Sir I did never see her out of your company but once or twice at the most at which time she did not expresse her self in many words unto me God hath indued you with as much Judgement as any Prince that I doe know in Christendom wherefore Sir I beseech you to tell me if you did ever observe in me the least Countenance which might beget the least suspition for Love is a Fire which cannot so long he concealed but it will be sometimes discovered by those who languish in the same malady I beseech you Sir that you would believe two things in me the one is that I am so loyal to you that if your Wife were the most beautiful and the most accomplished Lady in the World yet Love should never so much overcome me as to stain my honour and my fidelity the other is that if she were not your Wife yet of all the Women which I have seen she is that Lady of whom I should be the least amorous and there are besides her in your Court many other Ladies on whom more readily I could fix my fancy The Duke began to soften himself into a mercy having heard these words of truth said unto him I do believe what you have represented to me wherfore continue your place in your attendance on me as you have been accustomed for I assure you that if I shall find the truth to be on your side I shall love you yet better than ever I have done and if I shall find to the contrary Know that your life doth ly in my hands The Gentleman did humbly thank him and did submit himself to all punishment if he were found guilty The Dutchesse
Queen gave unto their Marriage with the wise answer of the young Lady to the Queen Nov. 1. f. 174. A Frier a great Reformer of the times under the shaddow of Religion did use all temptations and endeavours to seduce a fair Nun and his deceits at last were discovered Nov. 2. f. 198. Three Murders committed in one house on the persons of the Lord the Lady and their Child by the wickednesse of a Frier Nov. 3. f. 212. The gentile Invention of a Gentleman to manifest his love to the Queen of Spain and what insued thereupon Nov. 4. f. 221. The subtile Invention of a great Prince to delight himself with the fair Wife of 〈…〉 vocate of Paris Nov. 5. f. 230. The pleasant discourse of a great Lord to play the wanton with a Lady of Pampelona Nov. 6. f. 236. The rashness of a foolish Secretary who sollicited to Lust the Wife of his Companion by which he received great Disgrace Nov. 7. f. 254. A Secretary thought to cozâ—en one who cozened him and what was the event thereof Nov. 8. f. 257. A Labourer of the Village whose Wife was too familiar with the Curate did permit himself to be easily deceived Nov. 9. f. 261. The wonderfull Example of humane Frailty in a Lady who to conceal her honour did fall from one Evil into a greater Nov. 10. f. 264. The Fourth Journal The Execrable cruelty of a Frier to enjoy his detestable Lust and the punishment which he justly suffered Nov. 1. f. 272. The punishment more cruel than Death commanded by a Husband to be inflicted on his Wife whom he had taken in adultery Nov. 2. f. 279. The abomination of an Incestuous Priest who under the pretence of a holy life did impregnat his own Sister and the blasphemies that were contrived to conceal their sin and the punishment which ensued thereupon Nov. 3. f. 285. Two Friers too curious to listen to what did not belong unto them were struck into so great a fear that they thought they should have dyed Nov. 4. f. 290. The happy Industry which a wise Husband used to divert the love which his Wife did bear unto a Frier Nov. 5. f. 295. A President of Grenoble being advertised of the dissolute Inclinations of his Wife did provide such a remedy that his honor was not interested and he himself revenged Nov. 6. f. 305. The wisdom of a Wife to withdraw her Husband from a fond Love which did torment him Nov. 7. f. 311. The memorable Charity of a Woman of Tours to her Husband taken in Incontinence Nov. 8. f. 316. A good Invention to drive away an Evil Spirit Nov. 9. f. 318. A Lord caused his Brother-in-law to be killed not knowing the allyance Nov. 10. f. 322. The Fifth Journal The strange and new penance given by a Frier Confessor to a young Lady N. 1. f. 331. The Continence of a young Gentlewoman against the obstinate and amorous sute of one of the greatest Lords in France and the happy success which the young Gentlewoman obtained Nov. 2. f. 335. The Hypocrisie of a Lady at Court was discovered by the ill Carriage of her Love which she thought to have concealed Nov. 3. f. 346. Two Lovers who closely did enjoy their loves and the happy issue that did attend them Nov. 4. f. 357. A Husband pretending to chastise his Chambermaid deceived the simplicity of his Wife Nov. 5. f. 365. A Frier who in his Sermon made it a great crime for Men to beat their Wives Nov. 6. f. 371. A Gentleman of Percha wrongfully suspecting the love of his Friend to his Wife did provoke him to put in practise the Cause of his suspition Nov. 7. f. 373. Two Friers on the first night of a marriage did one after another usurp the place of the Bridegoom for which they were soundly punished Nov. 8. f. 360. The subtilty and incontinence of a Countesse to have secretly her pleasure from several Gentlemen and how she was discovered Nov. 9. f. 383. A Gentleman being newly let blood did too familiarly and excessively enjoy his Mistress which was the occasion of his death and of hers also Nov. 10. f. 390. The Sixth days Journal The persidiousnesse and great cruelty of an Italian Duke Nov. 1. f. 395. The nasty Breakfast prepared by an Apothecaries Boy for an Advocate and a Gentleman Nov. 2. f. 400 The personal diligence of a Prince to divert the affections of an importunate Lover Nov. 3. f. 405. A Gentlewoman of so good a disposition that seeing her Husband to kisse her Chambermaid did nothing else but laugh and would never give any other reason but that only she laughed at his shadow Nov. 4. f. 414. The Cunning of a Spanish Woman to defraud the Friers of the last Testament of her Husband Nov. 5. f. 417. A Frier Fraudulently married another Frier who was his Companion to a young Gentlewoman for which they were both punished Nov. 6. f. 420. A ridiculous Account of my Lord who did wear a Ladies Glove on his Habiliments Nov. 7. f. 427. A Lady of the Court did pleasantly revenge her self of a Gentleman who did bear love unto her Nov. 8. f. 431. A Gentleman thinking in private to kisse one of the Chamhermaids of his Wife was discovered and surprized by her Nov. 9. f. 435. A Citizens Wife of Paris did forsake her Husband a rich Merchant to follow a Chanter and â—â—unterfeiting her self dead she caused herself to be buried Nov. 10. f. 442. The Seventh Journal The wonderful and most uncontroul'd affection of a bold but beautiful Burgundian Gentlewoman to a Canon of Autun Nov. 1. f. 449. A Gentlewoman repeating an Account of her own loves speaking in the third person did by misregard declare her self Nov. 2. f. 458. The notable Chastity of a great Lord in France Nov. 3. f. 461. A Gentleman being disdained by a Gentlewoman to be her Husband did turn Frier and put on the habit of Religion for which she afterwards repenting did put on the Habit of a Nun Nov. 4. f. 466. The simplicity of an old Woman who presented a burning Candle of Wax to Saint John of Lyons and did stick it on the brow of a Souldier as he was sleeping at the Sepulcher and what was the issue that did attend it Nov. 5. f. 472. A ridiculous Account that happened to the King and Queen of Navarr Nov. 6. f. 474. The extreme love and severity of life of a French woman in a Forein land Nov. 7. f. 477. A Woman made her Husband to eat Cantharides to receive from him due and desired benevolence by which he thought he should have dyed Nov. 8. f. 482. An Italian suffered himself to be cozened by his Chambermaid who caused his Wife to find him bolting in a Womans habit instead of a Maid Nov. 9. f. 486. The excellent History and the relation of the Incontinence of a Dutchesse which was the cause of her death and of the death of two most absolute Lovers Nov. 10. f. 489. The eighth Journal A Woman at the point of death seeing her Husband to kisse ber Chambermaid did grow so extremely passionate that it was the sudden cause of her recovery Nov. 1. f. 520. The continual repentance of a Nun for having lost her virginity without Force or Love Nov. 2. f. 523. The End of the Table FINIS
have seen And whatsoever I thought would be pleasing to you I have sought it with all my power you see How I have procured the good opinion of the Countess your Mother of the Count your Brother and of all those whom you doe love in a manner that in this house I am not taken so much to be a Servant as a Child and all the travel that for these five years I have undertaken hath been to live all the remainder of my life with you And you must understand that I am none of those who by this means presume to enjoy any pleasure or profit by you but what shall be virtuous I know well enough and am confident that I can never marry you and if I could I would not do the least Injury to the love which you bear to him whom I desire to see your Husband To prosecute you with a vicious love as those who hope for some recompence for their service by the dishonor of their Mistresses I am so far from that that I had rather see you dead than to know you lesse worthy to be beloved or that virtue was abated in you for any pleasure that could arive to me For the end and recompence of all my service I doe desire only but one thing which is that you will be so constant a Mistress to me that you will never remove me from your favours and continue me in the degree in the which I am reposing more confidence in me than in any other and having this assurance that if for your honour or any thing that doth concern you you shall need the life of a Gentleman mine shall be imployed with all my heart for you In like manner that all honest and virtuous things that I shall doe shall be done onely for the love of you And if for Ladies of a far lower condition than your self I have performed deeds that have highly been esteemed be you assured that for such a Mistresse my enterprizes shall be doubled so that those things which before I left off as difficult and impossible shall now become easie to me But if you will not accept me to be altogether yours I have resolved with my self to leave off the Exercise of Arms and to bid Adieu to Virtue that hath not helped me at my need Wherefore Madam I most humbly beseech you that my just sute may be granted to me which neither your Honor nor your Conscience can deny The young Lady hearing those words so unusuall to her did begin to change her colour and held down her eyes as a Woman astonished Howsoever being of a ready and a great understanding she said unto him Since it is so Seignior Amadour that you demand that of me which you have already how doth it come about that you have made unto me so long an Oration I have so great a fear that under your honest words there are some ill Intentions hid to deceive the Ignorance of my youth that I am in a great perplexity to answer you For if I should deny that honest love which you offer me I should do contrary to that which hitherto I have done who do put more confidence in your self than in all the Men in the world Neither my Conscience nor my Honor do contradict your Demand nor the love which I do bear to the son of the Infant Fortunate for that love is grounded upon Marriage to which you can have no pretence I know nothing that may withhold me from giving you an answer according to your desire but onely Fear which invades my heart grounded on the small occasion you have to begin this Discourse for if you have already that which you demand what is it doth constrain you to speak so affectionatly Amadour who now was not without an answer said unto her Madam you speak most wisely and do me so much Honour by the Confidence which you say you repose in me that if I should not content my self with this happinesse I should be unworthy of any other But you are to understand Madam that he who would raise a lasting edifice ought to regard that he doth lay a sure foundation therefore I who desire to continue perpetually in your service do not only look upon the means to keep me near unto you but also to hinder what I can that the great affection which I bear unto you may not be discovered For though it be so honest that the least sin cannot be found in it yet so it is that those who know not the hearts of true lovers do oftentimes judge against the truth and from hence proceed so many ill reports the events whereof have been so mischievous The cause which hath enforced me to speak and to declare this unto you is Paulina who doth so strongly suspect me perceiving in her own heart that I cannot love her that in all places wheresoever I do come she is alwayes with a watchfull eye looking stedfastly on my face and when you come to speak familiarly unto me before her I have so great a fear to give some sign by which she might ground some bad construction that I am ready to fall into an Inconvenience from which I would fain keep my self so that I have conceived it expedient to beseech you That before her and such creatures as she is you would not be pleased to speak so suddenly unto me for I had rather by far be out of the world than any one alive should have the least knowledge of it And were it not for the love which I owe unto your Honour I should not have taken this resolution to speak these words unto you for I am sufficiently happy in the love and confidence you have in me without demanding any thing more but onely your continuation of it At these words Florinda received so great content that she could not indure a greater and began to feel in her heart something more than before she was accustomed to find and considering the honest reasons he alleged she told him That Virtue and Honour had made answer for her and did accord to that which he desired If Amadour was not joyfull of this assurance I leave it to those to judge who have been themselves in love But Florinda began to follow his counsel more than he desired for she who was fearfull did not only forbear to speak unto him before Paulina but also before all others and in this discontinuance of Discourse she began her self to suspect the frequent communication which Amadour had with Paulina who did like it very well and now did confidently beleeve that Amadour did love her Florinda to passe away this sorrow did daily entertain Aventurade who began to be very jealous of her Husband and Paulina and oftentimes did complain of it to Florinda who did comfort her the best she cold being one who was infected her self with the same Disease Amadour quickly perceived by the Countenance of Florinda that not only she estranged her self
her petticoat and her night-gown that was next to her hand and seeing that three or four of her Maids were all asleep she did go to the Chamber door and asking who was there she was answered by his Name whom she had sent for and whom so passionately she loved but to be more assured she opened the little Wicket saying If you are he that you do say you are give me your hand I shall readily know it And when she had taken her Husband by the hand she immediatly knew him and shutting suddenly the Wicket she began to cry out Ah Monsieur It is your hand Her Husband did answer her in a great Rage It is the same hand which is the pledge of the love and promises betwixt us wherefore fail not to come when I shall send for you And speaking those words he departed to his Lodging and she returned into her Chamber rather dead than alive and spake aloud unto her Women Rise my Friends you have slept too much for me for in thinking to deceive you I have been deceived first of all my self And speaking those words she swouned away in the middle of the Chamber The poor women did all rise at her cry so astonished to see their Mistresse as dead and lying on the ground and to hear those words she did speak that they knew not what to do but only to run for Remedies to revive her And when she had recovered speech she said unto them This Hour you see me my friends the most unfortunate creature upon the Earth and repeated to them all her fortune desiring them to be ready to perform their last service to her for she reckned her life as lost They indeavouring to comfort her behold one of the Grooms of her Husbands Chamber by whom he commanded to acquaint her incontinently to repair unto him She embracing two of her women began to weep and to lament desiring them that that they would not let her go for she was sure never to return again But the Groom of the Chamber assured her to the contrary and that upon the hazard of his own life he would undertake that she should receive no Ill. She seeing that there was no resistance did put her self into the arms of the Groom and said unto him Friend Since it must be so carry this unhappy body unto Death and being overcome with sorrow she was carried away by the Groom into his Masters Lodging at whose feet the poor Lady trembled down saying Sir I beseech you to have pity on me and I will swear unto you by the faith which I owe to God that I will tell you the truth of all Immediatly he said unto her as a Man transported And I vow unto you you shall tell me the truth of all and on those words commanded all his Servants to be gon And because he knew his wife to be religious he believed that she would not forswear her self if she did swear upon the Crosse wherefore he brought her a very fair one which he had borrowed and there being none present but themselves he made her swear upon the Crosse that she should tell him the plain truth of that which he demanded But she who had already passed over the first apprehensions of Death took heart and resolved with her self to conceal nothing from him seeing she was to die but so as not to reveal any thing that might bring any danger to the Gentleman whom she loved And having heard divers questions which he made unto her she made answer Sir I will not justisie my self nor make lesse unto you the Love which I have born unto the Gentleman of whom you have suspition but I have a desire to acquaint you with the occasion of that Love Sir you are to understand that never any Woman did love her Husband with such an entire affection as I have loved you for since I have been first married to you there never entred into my heart the love of any but of your self alone you know that in my Nonage my Parents would have married me to a personage of a far nobler Family than your self but they could never make me give the least consent unto it from the hour that you first spake unto me for I stood most firm against their perswasions for you without regarding your poverty or the Remonstrances which they made And you cannot be ignorant of the hard use which ever since I have received from you and how you have loved and esteemed me which hath brought so much sorrow and affliction on me that had it not been for the Lady under whose Government you did put me I had been sunk into the Bottom of Despair But in the end observing my self to grow into Age and to be esteemed to be beautiful by all the world but your self I began so vigorously to feel the Injury which you did me that the love I did bear unto you was turned into hatred and the Desire to please you into vengeance And in that resolution a Prince courted me who to obey his King more than his Love did love me on the same time when I began to feel some comfort and releasment from my torments by the honest love I did bear unto him And in leaving him I found this Gentleman who needed not to be intreated to love me Howsoever his Beauty his sweet Deportment and his Virtue did deserve to be sought after and esteemed by all women of a good understanding At my request and not his own he loved me and with so much honesty that never in his life he required any thing of me contrary to honour And because the little love which I have cause to bear unto you did give me the occasion to keep neither faith nor loyalty with you yet the love which I do bear unto God alone and to my honour hath hitherto preserved me from doing any thing for which I should either stand in need of Confession or of the fear of shame I will not deny unto you that as often possibly I could I have gone to speak with him in a Wardrobe pretending to go to my Devotions for I never trusted either Man or Woman for the managing of that affair I will not moreover deny but that being in a place so private and free from all suspition I have kissed him with a better heart than ever I kissed you but I desire no mercy of God if there were ever any other familiarities betwixt us or if ever he sollicited me for other by any hot Importunities or if ever my own heart had any desire thereunto although I was so glad to see him that it seemed to me that I could have no greater pleasure nor happinesse in the world And you Sir who are the only Cause of my misfortune will you take vengeance for a Deed which for so long a time you have given me the Example an Example which hath out-gon me in this that what you have done hath been without Honour
ey of Faith we are in danger from being Ignorants to become unbelieving Philosophers For Faith only doth represent unto us causeth us to receive that Good which a carnal man cannot apprehend See you not said Longaren that the Ground not husbanded doth produce many herbs and trees although they are unprofitable which sheweth unto us the good desire of it and the promise it doth make that it will bring forth good fruits when it shall be sowed and weeded So the heart of Man which hath no other understanding but by things visible will never arrive unto the love of God but only by the sowings of his holy word in the heart for the Ground of the heart is of it self barren and cold and almost lost to all hope And this is the Cause said Saffredant that the greatest part of Men are deceived who look not but only on exterior things and despise that which is most pretious and is lodged within If I could speak Latin well said Simontault I would allege unto you what St. John saith That He who loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen for by things visible we are drawn to the love of things invisible Shew us the Man said Emarsuite that is so perfect in that love Et laudabimus eum There are some said Dagoucin who love so purely and so perfectly that they had rather die than to think one thought against the Honours or the Consciences of their Mistresses and would so carry it that neither their Mistresses themselves nor any other should perceive it They said Saffredant are of the Nature of the Cameleon who lives on the Air. For I am of a belief that there is not a Man in the world who doth not desire to declare his Love and to be assured that he is beloved and there is no Feaver of Love so violent but suddenly will slack when we come to know the contrary I will speak it of my self I have seen such Miracles made evident I beseech you said Emarsuite to take my place and to give us an account of some one who hath been raised from Death to Life by finding his Mistress to act contrary to that which he desired I am so afraid said Saffredant to displease Ladies to whom I have been and ever shall be a Servant that without their expresse Command I durst not give any account unto them of their Imperfections but to shew my obedience I will not conceal the truth A Gentleman unexpectedly is recovered of the malady of Love finding his Mistresse too severe unto him in the Arms of her Horse-Keeper The Tenth Novell IN the Country of Dauphine was a Gentleman called Signior de Ryant who belonged to the House of King Francis the first of that Name and was as honest and as fine a Gentleman as could be looked on He was a long time servant to a Lady that was a Widdow whom he so much loved and reverenced that for the fear he had to lose her favour he durst not importune her for that which he so much desired And being handsom himself and worthy to be beloved he firmly believed that which she had often sworn unto him which was that she loved him better than all the Gentlemen in the world and if she were put to it to do a Gentleman a courtesie it should be for him onely as being the most accomplished Man that she knew and did entreat him to rest himself contented with it without transgressing that honest love assuring him That if she knew that he pretended to any thing more and would not be contented with reason that he should lose her Love and all The poor Gentleman not onely contented himself with it but conceived himself to be a happy Man to have gained the heart of that Lady whom he believed to be so virtuous It will appear tedious unto you to repeat the discourse of their love and the long frequentation which he had with her and the voyages which he made to see her But in the conclusion this poor Martyr being in so pleasant a Fire that the more he burn'd the more he would burn did search after all means to augment his Martyrdom One morning a fancy did possesse him to take Post to see her whom he loved better than himself and esteemed above all the Women in the world Being arrived he entred into the Court and demanded where she was answer was made That she was but just come from Vespers and was gon into the Garden to compleat her Devotions whereupon he alighted from his Horse and took his course directly to the Garden where it was told him that she was In the way he did meet with some other of her servants who informed him That she was walking all alone in a long Allee in the Garden wherupon he began more than ever to hope that he should meet with some happy Fortune and as leisurely as possibly he could he pursued his design thinking to find her in most private Retirements And being come to a long Arbor of plashed Trees it being the most pleasant and most delightful place that Art or Nature ever did contrive he suddenly entred in as one who thought long till he had seen her whom he loved At his first Entrance he found her in the Arms of the Horse-keeper of the House as loathsom and as nasty a fellow as she her self was fair and lovely I will not in this place undertake to declare unto you the Indignation that poffessed him which was so great that in one moment it had power to quench the fire which so long had burned And being filled with as much despite as he was before with love he said unto her Madam Much good do 't you This day for your discovered Incontinence I am recovered and delivered from a perpetual perplexity occasioned by the rare Honesty which I conceived to be in you And without any other Farewell he departed from her with greater speed than he came The poor Woman made no other answer to him but only covered her face with her hands It was fit indeed that because she could not cover her shame she should cover her eyes that she might not see him who saw her now too clearly notwithstanding her long dissimulation Wherefore I beseech you Ladies if you have not a desire to love perfectly do not dissemble with an honest man nor seek to displease him for your own glory for Hypocrites are payed in their own Coin and God doth favour those who do love intirely It is well said Oysilla you have given us a good one for the conclusion of this dayes work And were it not that we have sworn to speak the Truth I could not believe that a woman of Estate as she was could be so wicked as to forsake an honest Gentleman for such an ugly Varlet Alas Madam said Hircan If you knew the difference betwixt a Gentleman who all his life-time hath born arms
mutual promises and by the Ceremony of a Ring Wherefore Madam it seems to me that you do me a great wrong to call me wicked seeing that in so great and perfect a love I could find occasion if I would to doe evil which I do forbear for there hath been never betwixt him and my self any other privacy but to kisse only hoping that God would so blesse my undertakings that before the publick celebration of my marriage I should gain the heart of my Father to consent unto it I have neither offended God nor my Conscience For I have attended unto the age of thirty years to see what you and Monsieur my Father would doe for me having preserved my youth in so much chastity that no man living can in the least manner reproach me And by the counsel of that reason which God hath given me seeing my self growing into age I determined with my self to espouse one according to my own heart nor to satisfie the concupiscence of my eyes for you know he is not handsom nor the desires of the flesh for I doe hope he is not carnally given nor to satisfie my ambition or the pride of this life for he is but poor and unadvanced but I look purely and sincerely upon the Virtue the Honesty and the Graces that are in him for which all the world commends him and on the great love which he bears unto me which doth cause me to hope that I shall find comfort and good use with him and having well considered with my self all the good and all the evils that could arrive unto me by him I have taken that part which did seem to be the best unto me and which I have looked up in my heart these two years and more which is to lay out all the remainder of my life in his company And I am determined to hold this resolution so firm that all the torments I can endure be it death it self shall never cause me to startle from this resolution Wherefore Madam Be pleased to excuse that in me which is most excusable as your self no doubt doe well understand and give me leave to live in that peace which I doe hope to enjoy with him The Queen beholding her countenance so constant and finding her words so true could not answer her according unto reason but continuing her choleâ—ick and reproachful words did begin to weep and said unto her Wicked and stubborn as you are who instead of humbling your self before me and of repenting of so great a fault doe assume the boldnesse to speak so peremptorily in the justification of it without so much as one tear in your eye whereby you shew the obstinacy and the insensiblenesse of your heart But if hâ— King and your Father would take my counsel they should send you into another place where you should be constrained to speak words of another sense Madam said Rolandine because you accuse me of speaking too boldly I am resolved to hold my peace if that you are not pleased to give me leave to speak and answer you When she had received commandment to speak she said unto her Madam Far be it from me to speak boldly and without reverence to you who are my Mistresse and the greatest Princesse in Christendom I have not the least thought so to doe but because I have no Advocate to plead for me but the truth only which I my self do know I am bound to declare it without fear hoping that when it is well understood by you you will not esteem me to be such as you call me I fear not that any mortal creature understanding how I have carried my self in the affair I am charged with should condemn me for it for I know that God and my Honor are not offended in it And but be pleased to consider what it is that makes me to speak without fear It is an assurance that he who sees my heart is with me and since I have so great and so just a Judge for me I should offend if I should fear those who are subject to his Judgement And wherefore then Madam ought I to weep since neither my conscience nor my honour do any ways reprove me for this fact and that I am so far from repentance that 〈◊〉 I were to begin it again I would do no otherwise than what I have done But you Madam have a great occasion to weep as well for the many great injuries which you have done me from my first youth hitherto as for that which you do me at this present in rebuking me for a fault before all the world which ought more to be imputed to you than to my self If I had offended God the King you my Parents or my Conscience I should appear very obstinate if I should not melt in repentance for so great a fault But for a good cause which is just and holy and which alwayes carried with it an honourable report unlesse you have too much undervalued it and made it an offence which sheweth the desire you have to deprave me to be greater than your endeavour to preserve or advance the honour of your house and kinred I have no reason to weep at all But Madam since it doth please you I will not contradict it For albeit that you inflict upon me what punishment you please I shall take no lesse pleasure without reason to suffer it than you shall take without reason to command it Wherefore Madam doe you and my Eather give order what shall be the torment I am to endure for I know he will not be wanting to you and I shall be glad at least that for my punishment only he doth altogether follow your will and having been negligent for my good yet it being your desire that he is ready for my evil to be obedient to you But I have a Father in Heaven who I am confident will give me as much patience as I see there are afflictions prepared by you for me and in him alone I have perfect confidence The Queen being full of anger and in dignation to hear those words to proceed from her did command that she should be taken away from before her and put in a chamber by her self where not any should be permitted to speak unto her but they took not her Governesse from her by the means whereof she acquainted the Bastard with the whole progresse of her fortunes and desired to be informed of him what she ought to doe who conceiving that his Imployments in the Kings service were of some value to render him acceptable unto him did with all diligence repair unto the Court and finding the King in the fields he acquainted him with the truth of the fact and besought him that he would doe him being a poor Gentleman so great a pleasure as to appease the Queen and be a means that the marriage might publickly be solemnized The King made no other answer to him but only demanded Do you assure me that
from this place I must immediatly go into an other where I would not be known The good Man the Advocate was so glad of tho Honour which the Prince had done him to come so privatly unto his house that he brought him to his Chamber and gave a charge to his Wife with all speed to make ready a Collation of the best fruits and Confects that she had This most willingly she did and brought him the best banquet that in so short a time she possibly could provide And although her Night habit in which she was drest did render her most lovely and desirable yet the young Prince did make a semblance before her Husband nor to regard her at all but did speak to him altogether concerning his affairs as having alwayes managed them for him And as the Gentlewoman on her knees did hold the Confects to the Prince and her Husband did go to the Cupbord to fetch him some Wine she whispered to him that at his going our of the chamber he should not fail to go into the Wardrobe on the right hand where as soon as possibly she could she would come to him When ever he had drank he rose up and thanked the Advocate who was very importunate with him to attend him to the door of his House but he would not give way unto it assuring him that whither he was going he had no need of his Company and turning to the Advocates Wife he said unto her Neither will I do you so much wrong as to take away your good Husband from you who is one of my most antient servants you are so happy in him that you have occasion to thank God for him and to serve him and obey him and if you shall do otherwise you will be too blame The young Prince speaking these words did depart and shutting the door after him that he might not be followed to the stairs did enter into the wardrobe where after her Husband was asleep the fair Wife came and did lead him into a Cabinet the best accommodated that possibly could be although the two best pictures whatsoever habiliments they had on them were her and himself there I make no doubt but she performed all the promises which she had made unto him from whence about the hour in which his Gentlemen were commanded to attend him he retired and found them waiting for him in the same place accordingly as he had enjoyned them And because this life continued a long time the young Prince did find out a neerer way to goe unto her which was to passe through a Monastery having prevailed with the Prior that every night about midnight the Porter should open the door unto him and likewise when he returned And because the House whither he did go was contiguous to the Monastery he took not any with him to attend him And although he did lead this life as I have told you yet this Prince for all that did fear and love God and though he never made any stay when he did go through the Monastery yet on his return he never failed to continue in the Church a long time in the exercise of prayers which gave a great occasion to the religious Men who going in and comming forth from their Mattens did see him alwayes upon his knees to esteem him to be the most holy Young man in the world This Prince had a Sister who did much frequent this Religious place and loving her Brother more than all the creatures in the world did commend him to the prayers of all the religious personages she did know And one day most affectionately commending him to the Prior of the said Monastery he said unto her Alas Madam what is that which you command me you talk to me of your Brother as of a man of the world in whose prayers I have more need to have my self recommended for if he be not holy and religious and sure to go to heaven repeating that place of Scripture that Happy is he who can do evil and will not I have no hope to be there at all His Sister who had a labouring desire to understand what knowledge this Prior had of the goodnes of her Brother did press upon him with such importunities that under the veil of Confession he acknowledged the Secret moreover said her Is it not indeed wonderfull to behold so lovely so yong a Prince to abandon his pleasures and his rest to come so constantly to hear our Mattens for not as a Prince seeking the honour of this world but as one sincerely Religious he comes every morning one hour after midnight by himself into one of our Chapels Without all question that piety of his doth render my self and my Brethren so confounded that in comparison of him we ought not to be esteemed by any nor indeed are worthy to be called Religious His Sister who understood these words could not but believe it for notwithstanding that her Brother had no relation to Orders Ecclesiastical yet she knew that he had a good Conscience and a great faith and love in God but that he did repair to the Church so constantly and in such an hour she had not the least imagination of it Wherefore she came unto him and telling him of the good opinion that the religious Men had of him he could not forbear from laughing outright and with such a countenance that she who knew him as well as her own heart did know that there was some mystery in that Devotion and did never leave him till he acknowledged the truth unto her which is such as I have here put down in writing and which he did me the honour to account unto me By this Ladies you may know that neither the crast of the Lawyer nor the cunning of the Divine can privilege them but Love in the case of Necessity can deceive them and since Love can deceive the deceivers we poor ignorant creatures ought well to stand in fear of it And me-thinks said Guebron if I may speak what I think that he is to be commended in that thing for we find but sew of those great personages who have any care at all to save the benour of women or to desend them or themselves from publick soandal nay oftentimes they are the cause that we think worse of Ladies than indeed there is reason for Truly said Oysilla I could wish that all young Lords and Princes would take example by him for oftentimes the scandal is more than the sin Do you think said Nomerfide that the prayers which he made in the Monastery thorough which he passed were well grounded You ought not to be a Judge said Parlament for it may be that on his Return his Repentance was such that his sin was forgiven him It is a hard task said Hircan to repent of so pleasant a sin As for my self I have often confessed but repented but a little It were better said Oysilla not to confess at all unless
any cruelty at all you may perceive I have a just cause for it That Lady which you beheld is my Wife whom I loved better than it is possible for any other to love his Wife insomuch that to marry her I did forget all fear and brought her hither in spight of all her Kinred She also did expresse unto me such signes of love that I would have hazarded ten thousand lives to have her always with me to her own content and mine Having married her we lived a long time in such a mutual assurance of one anothers love that I conceived my self to be the most happy Gentleman in Christendom But in a Voyage which I made to which my Honour did engage me she so much forgat her own Honour and her Conscience and the Love which she had in to me that she became amorous of a young Gentleman whom I brought up in this House which aâ— my retuâ—n I thought not to have found So it is that the love which I did bear unto her was so great that I could not harbour the least mistrust of her untill Experience opened my eyes and I beheld that which I feared more than Death wherefore my Love was converted into fury and despair and I did watch her so narrowly that one day pretending to go abroad I did hide my self in that Chamber where now she resideth into which not long after my departure she retired and caused the young Gentleman to come to her whom I saw to deport himself with that familiarity that it did belong to none but to my self only when I beheld him to lye down upon the Bed by her I came forth and taking him in her arms I did kill him And because the guilt of my Wife did appear to be so great that such a Death was not enough wherewith to punish her I contrived a punishment for her which I believe was more unpleasing to her than Death it self I locked her up in that chamber to which she was accustomed to retire to receive her greatest delights and in his company whom she loved better than mine into which place I sent her inclosed in an armory all the bones of her friend hanging as some precious Jewels in a Cabinet and to conclude when she eateth and drinketh at the Table before me that she might not forget the memory of him I cause her to be served instead of a cup with the scull of that fond Young-man to the end that she may both see him alive whom by her fault she hath made her Mortal Enemy and see him dead for the love of her whose friendship she preferred above my own And thus constantly at Dinner and Supper she beholds two objects which ought most to displease her her Enemy living and her Friend dead and all by her own default For the rest I do use her as I do use my self only she doth go without any hair at all for the ornament of hair doth not belong to an Adulteresse nor a veil to one that is unchast wherefore she doth go without a veil and without hair to show that she hath lost her honour and her chastity If you please to take the pains to see her once more I will conduct you to her to which Bernage seemed very willing and descended with him into a low place where he found her in a very fair Chamber fitting alone before the fire The Gentleman opened a curtain which was before a great Armory where he did see hanging all the bones of a dead man Bernage being touched with compassion had a great desire to speak unto her but durst not for fear of her Husband The Gentleman perceived it and said unto him If you please to speak any thing unto her you shall observe what words and language she hath Whereupon Bernage immediately said unto her Madam if your patience be equal to your torment I doe esteem you to be the happiest Lady in the World The Lady having tears in her eyes did answer him with a most gracefull hudblenes I doe confesse my fault to be so great that all the Evils which the Signior of this place whom I am not worthy to name Husband can bring upon me are nothing in comparison of my deserts and the grief I have so much to have offended him And speaking those words she did weep abundantly which the Gentleman observing took Bernage by the hand and did lead him forth The morning being come Beruage departed to put his charge in execution which the King had given him and taking his farewell of the Gentleman he could not forbear to say unto him Monsieur the love which I do bear unto you and the honour and the privacy which you have shewed to me in your house do constram me to declare unto you that it seems to me seeing the great repentance of your poor Wife that you ought to look upon her and to use her with compassion and since you are but young and have no children it will be a great losse that so noble a House should fall for want of Heirs that those who love you not peradventure will succeed you The Gentleman who determined with himself never more to speak unto his Wife did consider with himself of this discourse and Counsel of Bernage and acknowledged that he had given him good advice and did promise him that if she persevered in this humility he would look with some pity on her In this manner Bernage departed to the performance of his Commission and when he was returned to the King his Master he gave him all along the Account of what he had done in his behalf which the King found to be as he expressed and amongst other things Bernage having spoken of the beauty of that Lady the King sent his own Painter named John de Paris to limn that Lady to the life and bring her picture to him which having the consent of her Husband in it he performed And some weeks afterwards the Husband after the long penance of his Wife as well in the desire to have Children by her as in the compassion of her did take her again into his bed and had by her many lovely children Ladies if all those who have committed the like fault should drink in the like vessels I am shrewdly afraid that many gilded cups should be converted into Dead mens Skulls Now God take us into his keeping for if his Grace doth not restrain us there is not one here amongst us but is prone to doe as much but having our confidence in him he will preserve those who confesse they are not able to preserve themselves and those Ladies who doe most of all confide in their own strength and virtue are in greatest danger to be tempted to acknowledg their own infirmity and be you assured that there are very many whom Pride hath made to fall in such a case whiles humility hath saved others who were esteemed lesse virtuous The old Proverb doth therefore truly affirm
that those whom God keeps are well kept In my opinion said Parlament the punishment is but reasonable and as just as moy be for as the offence was worse than death so was the punishment worse than death I am not of your opinion said Emarsuite for I had rather all my life time behold the bones of dead Servants in my Cabinet than indure to die for them there is no crime so great which cannot be amended but after death there is no amendment at all How is that said Longaren can you amend your Honour you know I am sure that after such a misfortune whatsoever a Woman can doe she can never recover her honour Tell me I pray you said Emarsuite if Mary Magdalen hath not more honour now amongst men than her Sister who was a Virgin I must confesse said Longarine that we do praise her more but it is for the great love which she did bear our Saviour and for her repentance for if you doe observe it the title of a Sinner doth continue with her still I care not said Emarsuite what name men give unto me for if God doth pardon me and my Husband to boot there is nothing that I know of for which I would die Although that Gentlewoman did not love her Husband as she ought said Dagoucin yet I doe wonder that she did not die for grief to behold the bones of him whose death she occasioned by her own offence Say you so Dagoucin said Simontault are you yet to understand that Women are capable neither of grief nor love Yes said he and that is the reason that I never dare to tempt their loves for fear I should find lesse than I desire You live then said Nomerfide like a Plover of the Wind upon Faith and Hope we may seed you at a cheap rate I am contented said he with the love which I doe find in my self and the hope I have in the heart of one Lady which if I know to be such as I hope it is the extream content thereof would so transport me that I should not endure it without death Nay be wise said Guebron and take heed of that Plague for it is a dangerous malady I dare assure you But I would know to whom Madam Oysilla will give her voice I doe give it said she to Simontault who I do know will not spare any You praise me so highly said Simontault that you doe almost call me a Detractor Howsoever I will not forbear to represent unto you that those whom they call Detractors have spoken the truth And Ladies I am confident ye are not so foolish to believe that in all these Novells which have been spoken whatsoever appearance they may have of truth yet if they were brought to the triall the proof is not so great but they may be a sufficient Subject for the Sceptick nay oftentimes we find a great abuse under the pretence of a miracle and therefore I have a desire io give you an account of one which will be no lesse to the honour of a faithfull Prince than to the Dishonour of a wicked Minister of the Church The abhomination of an incestuous Priest whose Sister under the pretence of a holy life was great with child by him and of the punishment that did follow thereupon The third Novell COunt Charles of Angoulesm Father to King Francis the first of that name a virtuous Prince and fearing God being at Coignac intelligence was brought unto him that in a Village not far from thence called Chernes there was a Vigin lived so austere a life that it was admirable yet neverthelesse she was great with Child which she no ways dissembled but was proud of it and assured all the people that came to behold her that she never knew man and that she could not conceive which way she conceived it if it were not by the adumbration of the Holy Ghost which the people easily believed and did repute her to be a second Virgin Mary Every one that knew her did affirm that from her Infancy she was so precise that there never appeared the least sign of any worldlinesse in her She fasted not only the Fasts commanded by the Church but many days in the week she made Fast-days for her private Devotion and as song as any service was said in the Church she never stirred from it wherefore her life was so much esteemed by all the people that every one did come on purpose to look upon her as a wonder and happy was he who could but touch her garment The Curat of the Parish was her Brother a man of about fifty years of age and of a very austere life and accounted by his Parishioners to be a very holy Man who to outward appearance did intreat his Sister so roughly that he did in a House keep her shut up as in a prison at which the people were very much displeased and the report of this miracle was so great that the news thereof was brought to the Ears of the Count who perceiving the abuse with which all the world was possest did desire to take it away wherefore he sent the Master of the Requests and his Almoner two very accomplished personages to understand the truth thereof who repaired to the place and to be informed as diligently as possibly they could they did addresse themselves to the Curat who seemed to be much amazed at the affair and besought them both to assist him in the attestation of it which he said he hoped would give satisfaction to the World The next morning the said Curat did sing Masse in the Church at which his Sister did assist him on her knees being very big with Child At the end of the Masse the Curat did take into his hand Corpus Domini and in the presence of all the Assembly did speak unto his Sister Wicked and Blasphemous as thou art accused to be Behold here him who hath suffered death and who was crucified for thee before whom I demand if thou art a Virgin as thou hast always assured me She boldly and without the least Impression of fear made answer to him Yes And how then is it possible said he that thou shouldest be great with Child and yet remain a Virgin She answered I can give no other cause thereof but that it is only by the Grace of the Holy Spirit who doth in me that which he pleaseth Howsoever I ought not to deny the grace which God hath vouchsafed to me which is to preserve my Virginity for I had never the least desire to a Husband Her Brother then said unto her I give thee here the precious Body of Jesus Christ which thou shalt receive to thy own Damnation if it be otherwise than thou allegest of which these Honourable personages who are sent hither from the Count shall be the Witnesses whereupon his Sister who was about thirty years of age did take this following Oath I take the Body of my Lord here present to
that above all things to the utmost of her power she did fly all temptations to behold him At the sast the great Desire which he had to expresse his love unto her did prompt him to an Expedient for the accomplishment thereof which was to ride on his great Horse he being most experienced in that Art in a publique place of the City before the house of his Butler where Frances lived and having made his Horse to tread many Rings and to rise aloft into many dangerous Corvetts where Frances might behold him he did premeditately fall from his Horse into a deep Mire and so easily that he received no hurt at all howsoever he complained much and demanded if there were no lodgings thereabouts that he might change his habiliments Every one was ready at his Door to present their service to him but some that stood by did assure him that his own Butlers house was the next and the best of which he made choice above all others He found there a Chamber richly accommodated and stripped himself into his shirt for his cloaths were all corered with Mud When he was in Bed and observed that his Servants were gone from him to provide him with new habiliments he called for his Host and Hostesse and demanded of them where Frances was They had much to do to find her for as soon as she perceived the Prince did enter into the house she did hide her self in the most obscure and unfrequented place thereof Neverthelesse her Sister found her out who did intreat her not to be afraid to hold Discourse with such a Civil and so Virtuous a Prince How my Sister said Frances Do you whom I reverence as my Mother advise me to Discourse with a young Lord whose Desires you can witnesse with me I do know too well Her Sister made her so many Remonstrances and Promises that she would not leave her alone with him that at the last she did go along with her but with a countenance so discoloured so wan and spiritlesse that it would rather beget Pity than Concupiscence When the Prince beheld her near unto his Bed he did take her by her hand which was cold and trembling and said unto her Frances Do you esteem me to be so cruel a man so barbarous and devouring that I ear up Women when I doe look upon them Wherefore have you so great a fear of him who regardeth nothing more than your honour and advantage You know that in all places that it was possible for me to find you I have sought you out only to see you and to speak unto you and to do me the greatest spite in the world you have forsaken all those places where I was accustomed to see you at Masse that I might receive no contentment at all either by seeing you or by speaking to you But all this hath served you to no purpose for I have not ceased to follow you and am come hither by the means which you have seen having endanger'd to break my neck by falling willfully from my Horse to receive the Contentment onely but to speak to you Wherefore I intreat you Frances because I have put my self into Danger with so much inconvenience that it may not be unprofitable to me and that with my great love I may purchase yours When a long time he attended her answer and beheld that she had tears in her eyes which were fixed on the ground drawing her unto him as close as possibly he could he thought to have kissed and embraced her but she said unto him No Sir No That which you search after must not be had for although I am but a Worm of the Earth in comparison of you my honour is so dear unto me that I had rather dye than have it diminished for the greatest pleasure in the world and the fear which I have that those who have seen you come into this House do suspect me to be the cause of it is the occasion of that great trembling which is upon me And because it hath pleased you to do me so great an Honour as to speak unto me you must pardon me if I make an answer to you according as my Honour doth command me I am not so blind my Lord either in my understanding or my eys that I do not perfectly see the great Beauty and the Graces with which God hath indued you and I do believe that Lady shall be the most happy Woman in the world who shall possesse the Body and the Love of so accomplished a Prince But to what purpose is all this seeing it is not for me to enjoy nor any Maid of my low condition insomuch that but onely the desire of it should be in me a perfect folly What may I conceive to be the Reason which doth cause you to addresse your self to me but onely that the Ladies of your Court whom you cannot chuse but love if Beauty and all her Graces are to be loved by you are so virtuous that you dare not demand that of them which the smallnesse of my Estate doth prompt you unto a hope to receive from me And I am confident that when you shall enjoy that which you do desire of such a silly Maid as my self it will serve as a subject only to you to entertain discourse with your Mistresse for two long hours and more in accounting to her your great Victories to the prejudice and overthrow of a weak and credulous Virgin But my Lord I must beseech you to consider with your self that I am not of that Condition I have been brought up in a House where I have learned what it is to love My Father and my Mother were your faithfull Servants wherefore I must beseech you since God hath not made me a Princesse to be espoused to you nor of Estate to be accounted your Mistresse or your Sweet-heart that you would not make me your Prostitute for I do highly esteem of your Virtues and do desire that you may be the most happy of all the Princes in Christendom And if for your Recreation you will have Women of my Estate you may find enough in this City and beyond all comparison far more handsom than my self who will not put you to so much trouble to intreat them Addresse your self therefore unto those the purchase of whose honour may be pleasing to you and let her alone who doth love you better than her self for if it should so fall out that either your life or my own should this day be required of God I should esteem my self most happy to sacrifise my own for the preservation of yours It is not for want of love that I doe fly from your Company but something else is lodged in my Conscience for my Honour is more dear unto me than my life If it please you my Lord I will doe the uttermost of my indeavour to continue in your good opinion and through all my life will pray unto God for your health
confessing that she had neither the heart nor the strength to beat her Her Husband who willingly accepted of this Commission did put on the Face of a cruel Beadle and provided himself with Rods of the smallest twigs that possibly he could find and to manifest the great desire he had to shew no mercy he did put them into urine so that the poor Woman took more pity of her Chambermaid than she had suspition of her Husband The Day of Innocents being come her Husband did rise yery early in the morning and did go up into the Garret where the Chambermaid was all alone and there he did chastise her but in anotâ—â—â— manner than he told his Wife The Chamber-maid began to weep abundantly but it would not serve her turn Neverthelesse for fear his Wife should surprize him he took the Rods and did so lay on with them upon the posts of the Bed that he did break and split them to pieces and so brought them to his Wife saying Sweet-heart I do believe she will remember Innocents day as long as she doth live and going upon some occasion out of doors the Chambermaid observing that her Master was gone forth she did come unto her Mistresse and kneeling down with both knees she told her That her Husband had done her the greatest wrong that ever was done to a poor Chambermaid Her Mistresse believing that it was by reason of the Rods and the stripes which she thought her Husband had given her did not permit her to end her Complaints but said unto her My Husband hath done well in it for I have been with him every day this Moneth and more to intreat him to it and if he hath made you to endure that which you would not I am very glad of it you ought to take it as it comes from my self and to believe that he hath not taken half so much pains with you as he ought to have done The Chambermaid perceiving that her Mistresse did approve what was done did believe that it was not so great a Sin as she did perswade her self to be and the rather because that she who was esteemed to be so good a Woman was the occasion of it wherefore she durst not talk to her any more concerning it And her Master observing his Wife to be as well contented to be deceived as he was to deceive her did determine with himself to content her in this kind more often and gained so much the heart of his Chambermaid that she would weep no more at any such chastisements This life he continued a long time and his Wife perceived nothing at all At last the great Snows came and her Master as he often before had given his Maid chastisement upon the green grass so he would now give it her upon the Snow also One morning before any one else in his House was stirring he took her with him having nothing on her but her smock only and laying her down he stretched forth her hands and her leggs to make a Crucifix upon the Snow and afterwards exercising themselves with flinging Snow-balls on one another he forgot not the sport of chastisement which a good Woman one of his Neighbors observed looking out at a Window whose prospect was directly into that his Garden Her Intent was only to see what Weather it was but discovering so hot an Exercise in so cold a Morning she was so angry at it that she resolved with her self to acquaint her Neighbor with it to the end she might be no more abused by so bad a Husband nor so untoward a Maid Her Husband having performed all his Recreations looked up to see if no body did observe him and perceived his Neighbours Wife looking out of the window for which he was very sorry but he whose profession it was to give a good Colour to any work did contrive with himself which way so well to shaddow this that his Neighbour might be as well deceived as his Wife and going to Bed again he was no sooner warm but immediately he caused his Wife to rise and in her smock did lead her into the same Garden into which he had brought his Maid and plaid with her along time in the Snow and at the last did give her the same Chastisement as he gave his Chamber-maid and afterwards they did both go to Bed again Some three hours afterwards when this good Woman did go to Masse her Neigbour being a good friend of hers did not fail to be there also and out of the great zeal which she had to her she desired her that she would put away her Chambermaid without asking her any further for what cause for it was enough that she knew her to be a naughty and a dangerous baggage The good Woman refused to doe it unlesse she were informed upon what grounds her neighbour had entertained so bad an opinion of her who in the end did account unto her all what she had seen that morning in the Garden betwixt her and her Husband The good Woman could not forbear from laughter and said unto her Alack a day my good friend it was my self Say you so replied her neighbour She had nothing on her but her Smock only and it was about five or six a clock in the morning The good Woman made answer in good troth Gossipp it was my self The other not willing to be contradicted proceeded in her observations First said she I did see them to throw Snow and to play together with one another afterwards he did put his hand to her Brest and after that to another place as closely as possibly could be The good Woman laughing out right did assure her that it was none but her self Say not so said the other I did see him upon the Snow to doe such and such a thing which in my opinion is not fair nor honest Why Neighbour said the good Woman will you not believe me I have told you often enough already and must tell you again that it was my self and none else I did all this as you speak of with my Husband I pray you to take no offence at it for you know we are bound to please our Husbands Her Neighbour seeing she could not prevail upon her to believe it did return to her own house more desirous to have such a Husband than to make any more complaints against him Her Husband being returned his Wife did acquaint him Word for Word with what her Neighbour told her He said unto her You may see by this Sweet-heart if you were not a good Woman and of a good understanding we had long agoe been separated from one another but God I hope will preserve us in our Love to his Glory and our Contentment Amen Sweet-heart said the good Woman I do hope that on my part you shall find no fault Ladies He will hardly be believed who after this History will affirm that there is such a subtilty in Women as in Men nevertheless without
a way to goe out of her own house into a place where privatly she might see him The Gentleman who on that morning had been let blood in the arm finding himself to be better recovered by that Message than he could be by Physick or all the receits that could be given him did teturn word that he would not fail to come at the hour she appointed and that she had wrought an apparent Miracle for by one word she had cured a Man of a Disease for whom all the Physicians could find no Redresse The Evening being come which he so much longed for the Gentleman repaired to the place which was appointed with so great a Contentment that it could not be increased He attended not long but she whom he loved better than his own soul did come to find him He did not study to make any long Oration for the fire which did burn within him did make him hastily to possesse himself of that which he could hardly perswade himself that he had in his own power and being drunk with Love and Pleasure whiles he sought to provide a remedy for his life more than was requisite he found the advancement of his Death for in the love to his Sweet-heart having forgot himself he perceived not his Arm from which the Vein opening again the blood did come forth so abundantly that the poor Gentleman was almost bathed in it But he believing that his faintnesse did proceed from his Excess of pleasure did think with himself to return to his own Lodging But Love who had too much united them together did so dispose of it that in departing from his friend his soul did depart from himself and by the great effusion of blood he had lost he fell down dead at her feet who was so amazd both in the consideration of the loss which she had of so entire a friend of whose Death she was the only Cause as also of the shame that would fall upon her if the dead body were found in her house that not knowing what to do she and one of her Chambermaids in whom she altogether trusted did carry the body into the Street where she would not leave it alone but taking the sword of her dead friend she resolved to partake of his fortune and perish by the effusion of blood also in punishing that heart which was the cause of all this Evil and forcing the sword quite through her she fell down upon the Body of her Friend The Father and the Mother of this young Gentlewoman comming forth out of their house on the next morning did behold this pittiful spectacle And making as great a lamentation as the Case deserved they did bury them both together By this Ladies you may see what mischiefs do attend the extremity of love This is that which doth please me well said Simontault when Love is so equal that the one dying the other cannot live and if God had made me so blest as to have found such a one I do verily perswade my self that no man had ever loved so perfectly as I should have done But I am of opinion said Parlament that love would not have so much blinded you but you would have remembred to have kept your Arm better than that Gentleman did for those days are passed that Men do forget their lives for their Ladies But those days are not passed said Simontault that Ladies for their pleasure do forget the lives of their Servants I am of opinion said Emarsuite that there is no Woman in the World that taketh pleasure in the death of a Man although he were her Enemy Neverthelesse if Men will kill themselves Ladies cannot help their willfulnesse So it is said Saffredant that she who refuseth a piece of bread to a poor men dying for hunger is esteemed to be a Murderesse If your requests said Oysilla were as reasonable as the poor Mans begging for his necessity Ladies should be too cruel to refuse you But God be praised the malady of love doth kill no man but only those who wold die of themselves that year I know not Madam said Saffredant what is the greatest necessity but only that which doth make us to forget all others For when Love is violent we mind neither bread nor any other delicates whatsoever but only the looks and words of those we love They who would suffer you to fest said Oysilla without giving you any other Viands would quickly make you change your thoughts of Love I must confesse said Saffredant that the Body would fail but the Heart and the good will would still remain Then said Parlament God hath given you a great grace that you should addresse your self to one where you find so little Contentment that you must comfort up your self with eating and drinking with which me thinks you may acquit your self so well that you ought to praise God for that friendly cruelty I am so nourished in affliction said Saffredant that I do begin to solace my self in those torments of which others do complain It may be said Longaren that your love doth so withdraw you from all Company that no other contentment can be welcom to you for there is nothing more troublesom than an importunate Lover Nothing said Simontault unlesse it be a cruel Lady I do perceive said Oysilla that if we should attend to hear an end of the Reasons of Simontault that we should bear no Vespers this Evening Wherefore let us rise and praise God that this Days work is so well accomplished She did begin first of all to rise her self and all the rest did follow her but Simontault and Longaren did continue all the way to discusse the Argument and so gently that without drawing of his Sword Simontault did get the better shewing that the strongest passion was the greatest necessity And speaking those words they did enter into the Church where the Monks did attend them Vespers being ended they did go to Supper where they entertained one another with as much discourse as Diet for the Dispute continued all the time of Supper and all the Evening afterwards until Oysilla told them that it was high time to goe to rest and that five days Journeys were adorned with such delightfull Histories that she was afraid that the sixth day would not be like unto it for it was not possible to invent better Accounts than what were here delivered and which were not Fictions but Truths But Guebron said that as long as the world endured there would something fall out every day which would be new and worthy to be remembred for the depravednesse of bad men and their corruptions will be always such as heretofore they have been and in the same way will be the Goodnesse of Good men And as long as Grace and Corruption do reign upon the Earth they will always fill it with one Novelty or another although it be written That there is nothing new under the Sun But we who have not been called to
promised For as when he was in choler there was no man living that durst assault him so without some great occasion that did provoke him he had rather die himself than commit a murder if his Honour had not constrained him to it In the like manner without an extreme force of Love which begetteth blindnesse in virtuous men he had rather die than defile his marriage bed by a depraved appetite to another which was the cause that his wife did so much respect and love him observing so stayed an honesty to dwell in such a tendernesse of youth And she demanding of him how he could excuse himself seeing that Princes oftentimes are much incensed against those men who do not praise and follow that which they themselves do love he made answer That a wise Man hath always a sicknesse or a Journey in his sleeve to assist himself with at the time of great necessity Wherefore some four or five days before I am to goe I am determined to counterfeit my self to be very sick in which excuse the sadnesse of your countenance will much advantage me Behold said his Wife a good and a holy Hypocrisie I will not fail to put on the saddest and most disconsolate look that possibly I can for they who can avoid the offence of God and the anger of their Prince are said to be happy Creatures Accordingly as they determined they performed and the King was very sad to understand by the Wife the sicknesse of her Husband which lasted but a little for by reason of the intervention of some great affairs the King did forget his pleasure to follow his Duty in the Government of the Kingdom and departed out of Paris And one day afterwards having in his memory the design which was not put in practise did say unto the young Prince What fools were we to go so soon out of Paris without seeing the four Maids who as it was assured me were the fairest in my Kingdom The young Prince being then present made answer I am very glad of it that you did fail for during my sicknesse I had a great fear that I alone should lose my part in the adventure having spoke those words the King did never suspect the dissimulation of the young Signior who afterwards was more beloved by his Wife than he was before Parlament did immediatly begin to laugh and could not forbear from speaking And she might have loved him yet better if he had made this refusal for the love of her alone but in what manner soever it was the Gentleman was commendable enough It seems to me said Hircan it is no great praise for a Man to preserve his Chastity for the love which he doth bear unto his Wife for there are so many reasons for it that in a manner he is constrained to do it First of all God doth command him Secondly his oath doth oblige him And lastly Nature which is satisfied is not so subject either to temptation or desire as is necessity But the free love whish a Man doth bear unto his Mistresse of whom he receiveth no delight at all nor other contentment but to see her and to speak unto her and instead of good words from her doth oftentimes receive a churlish answer when this Love is so loyal and firm that for no adventure whatsoever can arrive it can be changed I say this is Chastity not only praise-worthy but miraculous It is no miracle at all said Oysilla for where the heart doth resolve and devote it self there is nothing impossible to the body Not to the bodies said Hircan which are already angelized I speak not of those said Oysilla who by the Grace of God are altogether transformed into him but of those which we see here on earth amongst Men and if you please but to take notice of them you shall find that those who have devoted all their heart and all their affections to attain unto the perfection of sciences have not only forgotten the pleasure of the flesh but even those things which are most necessary for the sustenance of life as to eat and to drink for so long as the Soul is active within the Body the flesh doth remain as it were insensible And from hence it comes to passe that those who love beautiful and virtuous Ladies do receive such a full contentment of Spirit to behold them and to hear them speak that the flesh is as it were appeased and taken off from all the heat of her desires And those who cannot feel those contentments are sensual and carnal and being overburthened with the weight and frailty of their flesh do not well know whether they have in them a Soul or no. But when the Body is subject to the Spirit it is as it were insensible to the imperfections of the flesh insomuch that the earnest study of the Soul in the strength of contemplation hath rendred Men insensible I have known a Gentleman who to give a demonstration that he hath loved a Lady more than any other hath held his naked fingers in the flame of a Candle his Companions standing by and looking stedfastly on the Lady he not stirring his hand at all did burn his Fingers to the very Bone yet nevertheless affirmed that he was not sensible of any pain In my opinion said Guebron the Devil whose Martyr he was should have made a Saint Laurence of him for there are some in whom the fire of love is so great that they will not fear that which is lesse in violence But if a Lady should have desired me to endure so much for her I should certainly have demanded some great recompense or drawn off my fancy to some other who would have been more merciful to me You would then said Parlament have your own will after that your Mistresse had hers like a Gentleman at Valence in Spain of whom a Commander who was a brave Souldier did not long since give me an account Madam I beseech you said Dagoucin that you will take my place and be pleased to relate it to us for I do presume it is a good story Ladies said Parlaâ— hata according to this Account you ought to look again aâ— again on that which you do refuse and never thnd that time without variation will be always the same but knowing how subject the present time is unto change you would take order for the time to come A Gentleman being disdained for an Husband did take upon him the orders of a Grey Frier by reason whereof his Sweet-heart not long afterwards did undergo the same punishment The fourth Novel IN the City of Valence there was a Gentleman who for the space of five or six years did love a Lady so absolutely that during that time neither the Honour nor the Conscience of either of them was prejudiced for it was his intention to have her to his Wife which seemed to their friends on both sides to be very reasonable for he was very handsome rich
doing wrong to either sex I may be allowed to speak the truth both of Men and women and to affirm that there is nothing good at all either in the one or the other But this Man said Parlament was marvellously deceitfull for on the one side he cousened his Maid and on the other side his Wife You do not well understand the story I perceive said Hircan for that saith that he did content them both on one morning and not deceive them which I look upon as a great Act of Virtue both of body and of mind as well by deeds as by words to give content unto two divers persons In that said Parlament he is doubly to be blamed in satisfying the simplicity of the one by Dissimulation and and the longings of the other by Lust but I understand well enough that such Sins as these being brought before such a Judge as you will find an easie pardon You may assure your self said Hircan to please two at once is no easie task and for my own part I will never undertake so great and difficult an enterprise I have given you my Account already and think herein I have not ill imployed my days work If a mutual Love said Parlament cannot content the heart I know no other thing in the world that can give content unto it To speak the truth said Simontault I do believe that there is not a greater punishment in the world than to love and not to be beloved again I do believe you said Oysilla and to that purpose I do remember a Story which indeed doth not deserve to be numbred on the file of good ones but because it is for the present purpose I am content to declare it to you Of a Frier whose Custom it was to bring his complaints to several Husbands which was the occasion that they did beat their Wives The sixth Novell IN the City of Angoulesm where Count Charls the Father of King Francis had oftentimes his residence there was a Frier called De Valles a very knowing Man and so great a Preacher that upon all Sundays in the Advents he preached in the City before the Count by means whereof his Reputation was much increased It so fell out that during the Advent a lusty young fellow of the City having married a handsom young Wench did not desist for all that to ramble up and down and to live as dissolutely if not more than those who were unmarried of which the young Woman being advertised could not hold her peace so that following him up and down and exclaiming on him she received such tokens from him as she would not willingly have and neverthelesse for all that she did not forbear to continue her exclamations and oftentimes would speak very high words and most passionately rail against him The young Man being much incited at it did begin to lay about him and to leave on her shoulders the marks of his displeasure whereat she began to cry out far louder than before and her Neighbours also that knew the occasion of it would inveigh against him and making a great noise in the streets would cry out Now fie on all such Husbands Let them go all to the Devil The Frier De Valles passing by that way and understanding the noise and the occasion of it did determine with himself to speak one word of it in his next dayes Sermon which accordingly he did for speaking of marriage and of the love which ought to be betwixt the Husband and the Wife he did highly praise it and blamed those that did go about to violate it and making a comparison betwixt conjugal and paternal Love he said amongst other things That it was a greater danger and a more grievous punishment for a Husband to beat his Wife than to beat his Father or his Mother for said he if you beat your Father or your Mother you are sent to Rome to do penance but if you beat your Wife both she and all her Neighbours will fall a cursing of you and send you immediately to the Devil that is to say to Hell You are to observe now said he what a difference there is betwixt these two penances for from Rome they do ordinarily come back again but from Hell-Oh There is no teturning Nulla est redemptio Not long after that Sermon he was advertised that Women made their boasts of that which he preached and that their Husbands could live in no quiet for them for which in his next Sermon he did resolve to prescribe an Order for the redresse of that inconvenience And in some part of it he compared Women unto Devils and said that they two were the greatest Enemies that Man had for they did always tempt Man without any intermission and he could never get rid of them especially of the Woman for the Devils he said will fly away if they be but shewed the Crosse but Women clean contrary to them will cleave the faster to them being the greatest cross themselves that can be to their Husbands And this doth make them so to run and to go and doth throw them into such an infinity of passions But good people be ruled by me and I will tell you what you shall do When you do find that your Wives do torment you in this manner without cease as I have said they are accustomed to do take off the handle from your crucisix and with that handle drive them as far from you as you can Do as I bid you and vigorously make experience of it three or four times and you shall find the good that will come of it you shall find that in the same manner that you doe chase away the Devil by the virtue of the Crosse you shall also chase away and make your Wives to hold their peace by the Virtue of the handle of the Crosse and they will no more presume to come too near unto you Loe here some part of the Preachments of that venerable de Valles of whose life I will make here no larger a recital but I can tell you whatsoever appearance he made to the contrary for I knew the man very well yet in his heart he took the Womens parts more than the Mens Madem said Parlament he did not shew it in that last Sermon in which he gave instructions unto Men to beat their Wives You do not understand his drift in it said Hircan had you been exercized in the discipline and the Stratagems of War you would have found that one of the greatest policies that is required is to make a Civil sedition in the Camp of the Enemy because it is then most easie to overcomâ— him In the like manner this Monk the Master of his Arts did understand well enough that the Anger and the Hatred betwixt the Husband and the Wife is the Cause oftentimes that makes the Wife to let loose the reigns of her honesty which being governed no more by virtue doth fall into the hands of