consciences For if you meane to liue as you haue done I had rather separate my selfe then dayly to beholde the destruction of your soule your body and your goods before my face But if you will confesse your fault and purpose now to liue in godly sort obeying him I will forget all former faults as I beseech the Lord to pardon my ingratitude in not louing him as I ought If euer man was abasht and in despaire surely it was this man perceiuing his wife so faire so chaste and honest to haue bene left by him for one that loued him not and which is worse to haue bene so accurst to haue made her do amisse not knowing it and made another partaker of that pleasure that onely was for him whereby he made himselfe to weare the hornes to his perpetuall shame But perceiuing his wife so moued touching the loue he bare vnto the mayde was well aduised not to disclose the wicked touch he had playd with her but asking her forgiuenesse with promise to forgoe his wicked life he gaue her the ring againe which he had taken from the other man whome he besought not to disclose the fact But diuers thinges are spoken secretly that after come to light for not long time after the trueth thereof was knowne and he was called cuckold without disgrace to her The ninth Nouell ¶ The pitifull death of an amorous Gentleman by hauing ouer late receiued comfort from the Gentlewoman whom he loued BEtweene Daulphinois and Prouance there was a Gentleman much richer in vertue beautie and honestie than of worldly goods that extreamely loued a Gentlewoman whose name I wil not now rehearse for her kinred sake that are proceeded of great and rich houses but assure your selues the thing is most true and because hee was not of the like house he durst not discouer his affection for that the extreme loue he bare vnto her was so great and so perfect that he had rather die than to desire any thing that might haue beene to her dishonour and perceiuing himselfe to be of so meane parentage in respect of hers was wholy out of hope to marrie her Wherefore his loue was grounded vpon no other point than onelie to loue her with all his power as perfectly as he could which he so long continued that in the end she hadde some inkling thereof and perceiuing the loue hee bare vnto her so ful of vertue and good speeches she esteemed herselfe most happy to be beloued of one that was so vertuous and gaue him thereupon so good countenaunces that hee which sought no other thing was there with well pleased But malice the enemy of all quietnes could not indure this honest and happy life for that certaine men saide vnto the mother of the gentlewoman that they were much abashed what that gentleman made so much within her house and that it was thought her daughters beautie was the onely cause with whome he was often seene to speake The mother which nothing doubted of the gentlemans honest behauiour whereof she assured herselfe as much as of any of her owne children was very sorie to heare that it was taken in euil part insomuch that in the ende fearing some slaunder by malitious heades might thereby arise desired him for a time not to frequent her house as vsually hee had doone a thing which hee found very hard to be visgested knowing that the honest speches hee had vsed to her daughter deserued no such cause of absence Neuerthelesse to the end he might cease euill speeches he forbare for so long time and at last returned thither againe as he had done before whose absence had not diminished his goodwill But being in the house hee vnderstoode they meant to marry the Gentlewoman with a gentleman who in his opinion was not so rich that hee should doe him such wrong to haue his loue no more thou he himselfe And thereupon beganne to take heart and to employ his friends to speake for him thinking that if the choise were put vnto the gentlewoman she would preferre him before the other neuerthelesse the mother of the gentlewoman and her friends because the other was richer chose him where at the gentleman was so much displeased that knowing his friend lost as much contentment as himselfe by little and litle without other sickenes beganne to consume and in short space was changed and that in such sort that it seemed hee couered the beauty of his face with the maske of death whereunto from hower to hower he still approched yet could he not refraine but sometimes went to speake with her whom he so deerely loued But in the ende when strength failed him be was constrained to keepe his bed whereof he would not once aduertise her whome he loued fearing to procure her cause of griefe and so suffering himselfe to fall into despaire he lost both his eating drinking and his naturall rest in somuch that it was impossible to know him by reason of his leanenes and strange countenance By chance a friend of his aduertised the mother of his loue who being very charitable and on the otherside loued the Gentleman so well as that if all the friends had beene of her and her daughters opinion they had preferd his honest behauiour before all the riches of the other Gentleman but the fathers kindred would not consent thereto Shee with her daughter went to visit him whome she found rather dead then liuing and knowing his death to approch had confessed himselfe and received the holy sacrament thinking presently to die and never to see any man againe but being as it were within two fingers breadth neere to death seeing her that was his life and resurrection felt himselfe so strong that he cast himselfe vpon a bed saying vnto the lady what occasion hath brought you hither Madame to come and visit him that hath his foote already in the graue and of whose death you are the cause what said the Lady may it be possible that he whom we loue so well should receaue his death by our meanes I pray you shewe vs for what cause you vse this speech Madame said he although as much as in me lay I haue dissembled the loue I beare vnto the Gentlewoman your daughter so it is that my friends speaking of her mariage mine together haue spoken more then willingly I would considering the mischiefe that is fallen vpon me to loose the hope not for my particular pleasure but because I know full well shee shall not be so wel vsed nor so well beloved as shee should haue beene with me The good I perceiue shee looseth of the best and most affectionat servant and friend that shee hath in this world procureth me more grief then the losse of this my life which for her only I would preserue but seeing it can serue her to no end in loosing it it is to me great profit The mother and the daughter hearing his discourse sought by all meanes to comfort him The
it after I once had spoken vnto you for that against al their minds I remained constant to haue you not respecting your pouertie my friendes instructions to the contrary and you are not ignorant what interteinement I haue hitherto had of you and how you haue loued and esteemed me whereby I haue had so much sorow and griefe that without the helpe of my lady with whome you placed me I was in maner desparate but in the end perceiuing my selfe to waxe of more yeeres and of all men except your selfe esteemed faire I began in such sort to feele the displeasure of the wrong you did me that the loue I bare vnto you turned into hatred and the desire to please you changed into reuenge and in this dispaire a prince resorted to me who to obey the king more then loue left me at such time as I began to feele the comfort of my torments by an honest loue and leauing him I found this Gentleman that needed not to intreat me for that his beauty honesty and vertues deserued to be required and sought vnto of all women of good iudgement At my request and not at his he hath loued me with so honest a minde that neuer in his life did he require any thing of mee contrary to mine honour And although the small loue that I haue cause to beare vnto you gaue me occasion neither to shew faith nor loyalty vnto you the loue which I onely beare to God and to mine honor haue hitherto preserued me from doing that for the which I should need any confession or feare of shame I will not deny but that as often as possible I could I went to speake with him in a gallery vnder pretence to go to prayer for that I neuer put my trust either in man or woman to be a meanes therein I will likewise not deny that being in so secret a place and out of all suspition but that I kissed him with a better heart then euer I kist you but yet I neuer aske mercy at Gods hands if that betweene vs two there euer was other kinde of priuity or euer he sought more at my hands or that euer my heart had other desire for that I was so well pleased to see him that me thought there was no greater pleasure in the world And you sir that are the onely cause of my mishap would you be redenged on a deed where you your selfe haue so long time giuen me an example yours being wholy without honour or conscience for you know and I am well assured that shee whom you loue contenteth not her selfe with that which god and reason commandeth And although the lawes of man do attribute so great dishonor vnto women that loue other men besides their husbands yet it is so that the lawe of God doeth not exempt the husband that loueth other women then his wife and if both our offences were put into a paire of ballance it would soone be tried which were heauiest you are a man in yeares wise and of good experience to knowe and vnderstand how to auoid euill I am young and wholy without experience to know the force and power of loue You haue a wife that seeketh loueth esteemeth you more then her owne life and I haue a husband that flieth from me that hateth and despiseth me more then a poore seruant You loue a woman already in yeares and of no great beauty in respect of me and I loue a Gentleman younger fairer and amiabler then you You loue the wife of one of the greatest friends you haue in all the world on the one side offending the Aunte and on the other side the reuerence you beare vnto them both and I loue a Gentleman that is not bound nor linked vnto any but only to the loue he beareth me Now sir I pray you without partiality to iudge which of vs two is most worthy of punishment or to be excused I know not any man of experience but would lay the fault on you seeing that I am young and ignorant despised and contenmed of you loued of the fairest honestest Gentleman in France whom I loue being in despaire neuer to be beloued of you The Gentleman hearing those speeches full of truth and vttered with a countenance so faire togither with so good a spirit that thereby she shewed not any feare to haue deserued punishment found himselfe so surprised with doubt that he could make her no other answere then only that the honor of a man and of a woman make no lesse nor yet all one but that neuerthelesse seeing she sware there was no sin between her friend and her he determinâ—d not to doe her any hurt so that shee neuer vsed it againe and that neither hee nor shee would euer call to minde their griefes and iniuries forepast which she promised to obserue and with that they went to bed as good friends In the morning an old Gentlewoman that was in great feare of her mistris life came vnto her when she arose asking her and said well Madame howe doe you shee answered her laughing why sweete heart there is not a better husband in the world then mine for hee beleeued me vpon mine oath In that maner fiue or six daies passed ouer wherein the Gentleman so narrowly watched his wife that both night and daie she had those that looked to her but he could not watch her so well but that she spake vnto him she loued in a very darke and suspitious place Yet she did it so secretly that neither man nor woman could euer haue known it had it not been for a report that a seruingman gaue foorth that he had sound a Gentleman and a Gentlewoman togither in a stall vnder the chamber of this Lady whereat the Gentleman her husband had so great suspition that he determined to kill the Gentleman and to the same end assembled a great number of his kinsmen and friendes that if they could finde him in any place to kill him but his chiefe kinseman was so great a friend vnto the Gentleman whom hee sought for that in steed of taking him aduertised him what was done against him who on the other side was so well beloued in the court and so well accompanied that he feared not his enemies so that he could not be found but being in a Church went in to the mistris of his loue that neuer had heard of any thing that had past for that before her hee neuer spake vnto her The Gentleman told her of the suspition and hatred her husband bare vnto him and that notwithstanding his innocency he was determined to absent himselfe by some long voyadge to auoide the suspition already begon the princes mistris to his friend was much abasht to heare those speeches and sware that the husband did wrong to suspect so honest a woman as his wife in whom she had neuer found other then vertue and honestie Neuerthelesse because of the authority of her husband and to quench
foorth whereby hee beeing busied shee might with better leisure visit the lieutenants sonne This manner of behauiour continued so long time that for her profit she entained the priest and for her pleasure receiued the other vnto whom she sware that al the entertainement she gaue vnto the priest was only by that means freely to vse his companie and that whatsoeuer passed betweene them yet she saide the priest had obtained naught of her but wordes and that he might be wel assured that neuer any man but himselfe should reape other pleasure at her hands Vpon a day as her husband went to see the priest she asked him leaue to goe into the countrey saying that the aire of the citie was somewhat contagious for her and being at her country house she wrote vnto the lieuetenants sonne that he shoulde not faile about ten of the clocke at night to come vnto her which he failed not to doe but at the doore he found the maid that vsed to let him in who spake vnto him and said Friend you must now go walke some other way for your place is taken vp Hee thinking her husband had bin come asked her the cause wherewith the poore maide pittying his estate and perceiuing him to be so fayre and honest a yong man and one that loued so wel and so litle beloued againe opened her mistris folie vnto him thinking that when he vnderstoode thereof hee woulde blame himselfe for louing so constantly She told him that the priest was but newly come thither and gone to bed to her mistris whom at that time she looked not for in that she had not appointed him to come before the next day but he hauing busied her husband about his affaires was secretly come that night to visite her If any man euer dispaired assure your selues it was the lieutenants sonne who for that time would scant beleeue it But to trie the trueth he stayed at a house hard by till he sawe the priest come foorth not so wel disguised but that he knew him better than he would In which dispayre hee went to Alanson whicher not long time after his counterfet friend returned who thinking to abuse him as she had often done went to speake with him but hee saide shee was too holy hauing touched consecrated things to speake with him being so miserable a sinner as he was whose repentaunce was so great that he hoped it could soone be pardoned When she perceiued her wanton life discouered and that neither excuse oathe nor promise neuer to do it againe would aught preuaile she made complaint vnto the Priest And hauing consulted with him went and told her husband that shee coulde no longer stay in Alanson because the lieutenants sonne whome shee accounted for her friend sought continually to dishonour her wherevpon she desired him to giue her leaue to stay at Argenton thereby to cease suspition her husband that suffered himselfe to be ruled by her yeelded to her request They were not long at Argenton but this wicked woman sent worde vnto the lieutenants sonne that shee thought him the wickedest man at that time liuing on earth and that shee had heard that hee ceased not openly to speake euil of hir and of the priest for the which she swore she would be reuenged The yong man that neuer had spoken thereof but to her selfe and that feared the priests displeasure with two of his seruants went strait vnto Argenton and found the woman in the Iacobins Church at euening prayer where hee went and kneeled downe hard by her and said vnto her Gentlewoman I am come hither to protest vnto you by the liuing God that I neuer spake to any man of you to your dishonor but only to your selfe and yet you haue committed so heynous an offence in my behalfe as I haue not vsed halfe so many iniurious speeches in your behalfe as you deserue for if either man or woman wil affirme that euer they heard it from my mouth I am come hither before your face to prooue them liers Shee perceiuing many people to be in the church and that he was accompanied with two lusty seruingmen spake as softly as she could saying vnto him she doubted not but he said the truth that she counted him too honest to speake euil of any woman in the world specially of her being one that loued him wel but shee saide her husband had some inkling thereof wherefore she desired him that he would cleare himselfe before him whereby hee might be thorowly perswaded of her honestie which hee agreed vnto and thinking to bring her home tooke her by the arme but she tolde him it was not good for him to goe with her for if he should her husband would conceiue that shee had caused him to come And therewith taking one of his men by the cloke she said vnto him let your man goe with mee and when time serueth I wil send him to fetch you meane time goe you vnto your lodging hee not fearing her conspiracie went thither and she being at home made his man that went with her to stay to supper who demanded of her oftentimes when hee should fetch his maister she answered hee woulde come time enough When midnight came she sent one of her seruants secretly to fetch him who nothing doubting her pretended mischiefe went boldly to saint Aignans house where the gentlewoman stayed his seruant whereby he had but one with him And when he was at the dore her seruant told him that his mistris would faine speake with him before her husband and that she stayed for him in a chamber only with his owne seruant saying he should do wel to send his other home which he presently did and going vp a paire of darke-staires the Attourney that had set men to watch in a chamber hard by hearing the noyse of his feete asked who went there and it was told him it was a man that woulde secretely come into his house With that one Thomas Guerin a common murtherer and by the Atturney hyred for the purpose strooke so many blowes with his sword at the poore young man that what defence soeuer he made hee could not saue his life but was presently slaine His man that in the meane time was talking with the Gentlewoman saide vnto her I thinke I heard my maister on the staires I will go see But she made him stay and said take you no care he wil come soone enough But not long after hearing his master say alas I am dead Lord receiue my soule he said he would go help him yet shee stil held him saying doubt not it is nothing but that my husband hath taught him how to leaue his youthful tricks let vs go see and looking downe from the staires head asked her husband what the matter was saying what haue you done who replied come downe and see Nowe haue I reuenged you of him that lought you so much shame saying so with a poinyard that he had thrust ten
suspition the princes counselled him to absent himselfe for a certaine time assuring him that she would not beleeue any of her husbands folies or suspitions The Gentleman and the Gentlewoman her wayting mayde were very well content to remaine in the good opinion and fauour of the princes who counselled the Gentleman that before his departure he should speake with her husband which he did finding him in a gallery hard by the Kings chamber where with a bold countenance giuing him his due honour he saide vnto him Sir I haue alwaies had a great desire to doe you seruice and for my labour I vnderstand that the last night you sought to kill mee I beseech you sir remember that you haue more authority power then I haue yet I am a Gentleman as well as you it would grieue me much to loose my life for nothing I beseech you likewise thinke that you haue an honest woman and that if there be any man that will affirme the contrary I will plainely tell him that he lyeth and for my parte I thinke I haue not done any thing wherby you should haue cause to beare mee ill will wherefore if it please you I am your friend if not I am the Kings whereby I haue occasion to content my selfe The Gentleman to whom he spake sayd that truely he had had some suspition of him but that he accounted him so honest a man that he would rather desire his loue then otherwise and bidding him farewell with his hat in hand imbraced him as his great friend You may wel thinke what they said which the night before had had commission for to kill him when they sawe so great shewes of friendship and loue betweene them whereof euery man did speake with that the Gentleman departed but because he was not so wel furnished of money as of beauty his Lady gaue him a iewell worth 3000. crownes which he layed to pawne for 1500. And not long after his departure the maried Gentleman went vnto the chamber of the Princes his wiues mistris desiring her to giue his wife leaue for a time to lie at one of his sisters houses which the princes found very strange desiring him to let her know the cause who tolde her part but not all After the yong married Gentlewoman had taken her leaue of the princes and of all the court without weeping or any signe of griefe went vnto the place where her husband had appointed being in the conduct of a Gentleman that had expresse charge to looke carefully vnto her and especially that as she rode in the way she should not speake vnto him for whom he suspected her She that knew her husbands straight commaundement euery day during their iourney gaue them some alarme mocking both them and their negligent watch and one day among the rest as they went out of their lodging she foūd a frier on horsebacke and she likewise on a gelding enterteined him from noone till night and being about a mile from their lodging she sayd vnto him Father for the good counsels and comforts you haue giuen me this afternoon there are two French crowns which I giue you that are within a paper because I know you dare not touch them praying you that assoone as you depart from me you will gallop in all haste ouer the fieldes And when he was somewhat farre off from the Gentlewoman she spake aloud vnto her seruants saying Doe you thinke your selues good seruants and careful of your charge when he whom ye are expresly commanded not to let speake with me hath beene with me all this afternoone and you neuer sought to hinder him you deserue that your maister which trusteth so much in you should giue you blowes in stead of wages When the Gentleman that had charge of her heard those speeches he was in such a rage that he could not speake a word but spurred his horse and calling two of the men with him did so much that they ouertooke the frier who seeing them come towards him fied as fast as he could but because they were better horst then he they ouertook him and he that knew not wherefore cried them mercy and putting off his hood with more humility to intreat them they knew well it was not he they sought and that their mistresse had mocked them which she did much more at their returne saying vnto them Such men as you ought to haue the keeping of a woman for when you haue letten her speake you know not to whome giuing credit to her words you goe and do iniury to the seruants of God And after all these mocks she atriued at the place where her husband had appointed her to be being by her two sisters in law one of their husbands kept in great subiection Meane time her husband vnderstood that her iewellay at pawne for L500 crownes for the which he was sorry but to saue his wiues credit and to haue it againe he tolde her that she should fetch it and he would pay the 1500. crownes She that cared not for the iewell seeing her friend had the money wrote vnto him how that her husband would constraine her to redeeme the iewell and to the end he should not thinke she did it for want of good will shee sent him a diamond that her mistresse had giuen her which shee loued more then any iewell shee had The Gentleman willingly sent her the marchants obligation and contented himselfe to haue had 1500. crownes and a diamond and to be assured of his friends good will although that as long as her husband liued he had no more meanes to speake vnto her but by letters And after her husbands death because he thought her to be the same she alwayes promised him he vsed all the meanes he could to haue her in mariage But he found that his long absence had gotten her a friend whom she loued better whereat he tooke such griefe that shunning all Gentlewomen he sought aduentures where he obtained as much honour as any yong Gentleman could haue and so ended his dayes The thirteenth Nouell ¶ A Gentlewoman of Millan tried the boldnesse and great courage of her louer for the which after that she loued him perfectly IN the time of the great maister du Chaumont there was a Gentlewoman esteemed one of the honestest women in her time liuing within the Citty of Millan she maryed an Italian Earle whose widdow she was liuing in a house of her husbands brethrē neuer caring or desiring to heare any speech of marying againe behauing hir selfe so wisely and so holily that there was not any French man or Italian within that Dutchie which made not great account of her Vpon a day as her brethren and her mother in lawe made a great feast for the great maister du Chamount this Lady being a widdow was constrayned to be there which in other places shee vsed not and when the French men sawe her they esteemed much her beauty and good grace specially one
whose name I will not disclose but it suffiseth you to knowe that there was not any Frenchman in Italie worthier then he to be beloued for that hee was adorned with all the beauties and good qualities a Gentleman may haue and although he saw this Lady being a widdow wearing a blacke sipres seperated from the younger Ladies and bearing company with the elder sort as one to whome man or woman coulde neuer procure feare he began to entertaine her taking away his vizard and leauing off to dance that he might sit by her and all that night left not off to speake vnto her and the olde ladies togither wherein he found more pleasure then with all the brauest and youngest Ladies in the court in such maner that when he should recite he thought hee had had the leisure onely to sit downe and although he spake not to this Lady but only of common matters which might be spoken in such company yet she perceiued wel he was desirous to acquaint himselfe with her so that she determined to abstaine as much as possible she might in such maner that he could neuer after finde her at any feast or banket whereupon he enquired what her common exercises were and found that she often vsed to the Church and diuers religious houses where hee made so good watch that she could not go so secretly but hee was there before her and that he stayed in the Church as long as he might haue meanes to see her and that as long as he was ther he beheld her with so great affectioÌ„ that she could not be ignorant of the loue he bare her which to avoid she determined for a time to faine her selfe sick and to heare masse within her house whereat the Gentleman was so grieued as more he could not be for that he had no other meanes to see her but onely as I said before she thinking to haue broken off that custome went vnto the Churches as before she vsed to doe which loue presently made knowen vnto the Gentleman who renewed his first deuotions and fearing least she should finde out some other means of hinderance and that he might not haue the time to let her know his minde one morning as shee thought her selfe well hidden within a little Chappell where she heard masse he went and placed himself at the end of the alter and perceiuing that she had but smal company as the Priest held vp the Corpus Domini he turned vnto her and wiâ—h a vnfiâ— speech and great affection said vnto her Madame I take him whom the Priest holdeth in his hands for my damnation if you onely be not the cause of my death for although you take from me all meanes of speaking to you yet can you not be ignorant of my desire seeing that truth sufficiently declareth it vnto you by my languishing eies and dead countenance The Lady counterfeiting not to know his meaning answered him and sayâ— God ought not to be serued in this maner but Poets doe commonly say that Gods do laugh at the othes and lies of louers wherfore women that loue their honours ought to be neither credulous nor pitifull And saying so she rose and went vnto her lodging if the gentleman was displeased at those wordes they that haue tryed the like wil say yea but he that waÌ„ted no courage desired rather that hard aunswere then to haue failed to declare his mind which for the space of three yeares he helde most constantly and both by letters and other meanes ceased not daily to sollicite her but during three yeares space he could never obtaine other answere but that she fled from him as the wolfe doth from the dogs fearing to be taken not for any hatred she did heare vnto him but for the danger of her honour and reputaâ—â—on which hee perceiued so well that more earnestly then before her followed his suit and after many paines refusals torments and dâ—spaires perceiuing the continuance of his loue this Lady had pitty on him granted him that he had so long and earnestly desired and when they had agreed vpon the meanes the French Gentleman failed not to hassard him selfe to go vnto her house although his life thereby might be in great danger because his kinsemen lodged in the same house He that had no lesse subtilty then beauty behaued himselfe so wisely that he entered into her chamber at the time she had appointed where he founde her alone lying in a rich bed and as he made haste to put off his cloathes to go to bed vnto her he heard a great noise of mens voyces speaking softly and of swords that strake against the wals The Lady with a face halfe dead said vnto him nowe at this time your life and my honour are in the greatest danger that euer they were for there I heare my brethren which seek for you to kill you wherefore I pray you hide you vnder the bed for when they finde you not I shall haue an occasion to be offended with them for that without cause they haue giuen me such alarme The Gentleman that as yet had neuer been afraid sayd vnto her and what are your brethren to make an honest man afrayd if all the race of theÌ„ were heere in presence I am sure they would not stay the fourth blowe that I should giue wherefore lie you still and let me keepe the dore with that he wrapt his cloake about his arme and hauing his sword in hand he went to open the dore to see his enemies weapons whereof he heard the noyse and hauing opened it he saw two maides that had two swordes in each hand wherewith they gaue him that alarme which said vnto him pardon vs sir for we haue commandment from our misteris to doe so but you shall haue no more trouble by our meanes The Gentleman perceiuing them to bee weomen could not doe lesse then wish them at the diuell shutting the dore against them and as soone as he could went to bed vnto the Lady whose feare had not in any thing diminished his loue and forgetting to aske her the causes of her skirmishes had no other thought but to satisfie his desire But perceiuing day to appeare desired her to tell him why he had done him that iniury not onely in prolonging time but also in that last enterprise she laughing answered him saying my determination was neuer to loue which sure my widdowe-hood I had alwaies obserued but your honesty from the time you spake vnto me at the banket made me change opinion and that I began as then to loue you as much as you loued me it is true chst lone which alwaies guided me would not permit that loue should cause me doe the thing wherby mine honour should be ought impaired but as the hinde wounded to death thinketh in changing places to change the euill which she heareth in her body so I went from Church to Church thinking to flie that which I bare within my heart whereof