was so absolute and perfect that he did chuse rather to die than to desire any one thing which might tend to her dishonor and seeing himself in so low a condition in comparison of her he could not entertain the least hope to espouse her Wherefore his love was grounded on no other end but only with all his power to love her as perfectly as possibly he could of which at last she had some Intelligence And seeing the honest affection which he did bear unto her so full of virtue and civility she thought her self happy to be beloved by so worthy a personage and made so much of him that he who could not have wished for more was greatly contented at it But Malice the Enemy to all Quiet could not long suffer the continuance of a life so happy For some Informers whispered in the Mothers ear That they much wondred that this Gentleman was of such power in her house and that they suspected the beauty of her Daughter to be the only occasion of it with whom they oftentimes observed him to hold discourse The Mother who no wayes doubted the honesty of the Gentleman of whom she was as much assured as of any of her own Children was very forry that there was spread abroad such an uncharitable opinion of him but fearing that some scandall might arise by the malice of bad tongues she intreated him at last that for a certain time he would not come so often to her house as he was accustomed to do This was hard of digestion to him knowing that the civil discourse which he held always with her Daughter did not deserve that restraint Neverthelesse to stop the report of all ill tongues he retired for a time untill that report was silenced afterwards returned as he had been accustomed to do His absence had no ways diminished his affection Being in the house he understood that the young Lady was to be married to a Gentleman who in his opinion was not of that great Estate but that his own service might be as well entertained and be as acceptable as his He therefore began to take heart to imploy his friends to speak on his behalf supposing that if the choice were offered to the young Lady that she would prefer him unto the other Neverthelesse the Mother of the Daughter and her Kinred did make choice of the other because he was far more rich whereat the Gentleman was extremely melancholly knowing that his Mistresse would lose thereby as much contentment as himself Whereupon by little and little without any other Sicknesse he did begin to consume away and in a short time was so much changed that it seemed he had covered the beauty of his countenance with the Mask of Death to which day succeeding day and hour following hour he did joyfully repair So it was that he could not sometimes forbear from speaking to her whom he loved so intirely But at last his strength failed him and he was inforced to keep his Bed of which he would not advise her whom he loved because he was unwilling that she should partake in his affliction And suffering himself to sink into despair he at last could neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor take any rest insomuch that it was impossible to know him by reason of his leanenesse and the strange and sharp countenance which he had Some there were who advertised the Mother of his Mistresse of it who was a Woman full of pity and loved the Gentleman so well that if all her Kinred and Confidents had been of the same opinion as her self was and her Daughter they had preferred his Honesty and fair Deportment above all the Fortunes of the other but the Kinred who were on the Fathers side would not understand it Neverthelesse she resorted with her Daughter to visit the poor Gentleman whom they found rather dead than alive And perceiving that the end of his life did approach he sent for the Priest and having made his Confession he received the holy Sacrament thinking to have died without seeing any one But being ready to descend unto the sleep of Death and unexpectedly beholding her who was both his Life and Resurrection he found himself so fortified that he did arise up in his Bed and said unto the old Lady Some occasion hath brought you hithâ—â— Madam to give a visit unto him who hath already one foot in his Grave and of whose Death you are the occasion The Lady made answer How can that be possible that he whom we do love so well can receive his Death by our neglect Tell me I pray you upon what account of Reason do you speak these words Madam said he Although as much as it was possible for me I have dissembled the love which I most faithfully have born unto Madamoiselle your Daughter so it is that my friends speaking of the Marriage betwixt her and me have been more hot upon it than I desired seeing thereby I have received this Misfortune to lose all my hopes neither doth it so much afflict me for my particular but for that I am confident she can never be so well intreated by any other nor will be so well beloved as by me The observation which I make that she shall lose the most best and most affectionate friend and servant that she hath in the world doth more afflict me than the losse of my own life which onely for her alone I would preserve but because I find it cannot be serviceable any wayes unto her it is a gain unto me to lose it The Mother and the Daughter hearing these words did do the best they could to comfort him The Mother said unto him Take courage my Friend and I promise you upon my faith that if God shall restore you unto your health my Daughter shall have no other Husband but your self Behold she stands here before you and I command her upon the obligation of her Duty to make the same promise to you Her Daughter melting into tears did the best that she could to give him an assurance of that which her Mother had promised But he apprehending that if he were recovered he should not enjoy his Mistresse and that the good words that were given him were onely by degrees to restore him unto his lost health did say unto them That if these words had been spoken to him but three Moneths agoe he had been the most healthfull and the most happy Man in all France but this Relief came so late unto him that it could neither be believed nor hoped And when he observed that they did indeavour to inforce a belief into him of what they promised he said unto them Since so faithfully you have promised that great happinesse which can never arrive unto me though now your selves would have it so by reason of the great weaknesse in which I am I shall crave a far lesse favour which as yet I have not had the boldnesse to demand Immediatly they did both
the world concerning you but to your self onely You have done me so ill an office that I cannot reckon up unto you one moiety of the Injuries which you deserve For if there be any Man or Woman who dares affirm that I have ever spoken any thing in the dishonour of you I am come to prove them lyars before you She observing that there were many people in the Church and that he was attended with two servants well appointed did constrain herself to speak as gently to him as possibly she could saying That she made no doubt but that he spake the truth and that she conceived him to be so much a Gentleman as not to speak in the prejudice of any Woman in the world much lesse of her self who had born such respects of friendship to him But because her Husband had understood that some words had passed she desir'd him that he would declare himself before him to give him satisfaction that he had not spoken any thing in this nature and to take away from him the belief of it To this most willingly he agreed and having his hand under her arm to conduct her to her own Lodging she told him that it would not appear so well if he should go along with her for her Husband might believe that of her accord she had brought him to speak these words unto him She took hold therefore of one of his servants by the sleeve of his garment and said Let this man go along with me and on the first opportunity I will send for you in the mean time go take your repose in your own Lodging He not having the least thought of any design upon him did return unto his Lodging She bestowed a Supper on that servant whom she had deteined with her who oftentimes would ask when the hour would come that he should go for his Master she alwayes did make answer that it would come soon enough When it was Midnight she privatly sent one of her own servants to the Young-man who not thinking of the treachery that was prepared went with confidence to the house of St. Aignan in which the Gentlewoman deteined one of his servants so that he had then but one of them with him When he was at the entrance into the House the servant that was sent for him told him that his Mistresse would willingly speak with him alone before he should come to his Master for which purpose she did attend him in a private room where there was none with her but his own servant and that he should therefore doe well to send back his other servant which was with him which was done accordingly and coming up a little pair of stairs which were very dark Aignan who had placed an Ambuscado below in the Wardrobe did begin to hear the noise and demanded who was there It was answered A man who privately would enter into his house Immediately one named Thomas Guerin who made it his trade to be a Murcherer and who to execute this Murder was well rewarded by the Proctor did give with other of the Assassinates this Young-man so many cuts with their swords that what defence soever he could make it could not save him from falling down dead upon the stairs His servant who was in discourse with the Lady said I hear my Master talking on the stairs I will go to him The Lady with-held him and said unto him Take no care he will come time enough And not long aster hearing that his Master cried out I am a dead Man I commend my Spirit unto God he would have made hast to his assistance but she again restrained him and said Let him alone My Husband doth onely chastise him for some youthfull tricks of his We will go see how it is And leaning over the head of the Stair-case she spake unto her Husband What! is it done He made answer Come and see I have now revenged you on him who hath procured so much shame unto you And speaking these words he with his Poynado gave him ten or twelve thrusts into his Belly being dead whom living he durst never have assaulted After this homicide was committed and the two servants of this murdered Young man were fled to tell this sad News to his poor Father the said Aignan conceiving that this Murder could not be kept secret did take care that the servants of the young Gentleman that was slain might not be believed as Witnesses and finding besides that there were none in his house conscious to the fact but the Murtherers themselves and an antient Chambermaid and a young Girl of about fifteen yeers of Age he would privately have made sure of the old Woman but she contrived a way to escape out of his hands and lived in safety in the Jacobins and was the surest Witnesse that could be of this Murder The young Chamber-maid continued some days afterwards in the house but he found a means to suborn her by one of the Murderers and brought her unto Paris to the publick place there that her testimony might not be received And the more to conceal the Murder he caused the body of the poor dead Man to be burned and the bones which were not consumed with the fire he did throw into a Morter where some new buildings were raising in his house In great diligence he sent to the Court to obtain his pardon alleging That he had oftentimes forbidden a yong man to come into his house of whom he had a great suspition to have attempted the dishonor of his Wife who for all his prohibition came by night thither into a suspected place to communicat with her whereupon finding him at the entrance into the Chamber being filled more with Choler than with reason he did kill him But he could not so soon dispatch his Letter to the Chancery but the Duke and the Dutchesse were by the poor Father of the Dead advertised of the Case who had sent to the Chancellor to hinder the comming forth of the Pardon The wretched Proctor seeing he could not obtain it did flie into England and his Wife with him and some others of his Kinred But before his departure he told the Murderer who at his request had given this fatal blow That he had seen an Expresse from the King to apprehend him and have him put to Death but because of the service he had done him he said He would preserve his Life whereupon he gave him ten Crowns to go out of the Kingdom which accordingly he did and was never heard of afterwards This Murder was so throughly proved as well by the servants of the dead Young-man as by the Chamber-maid retired into the Jacobins as also by the Bones found in the Mortar that the Processe was made perfected in the absence of the said Aignan his wife who were both judged for their contumacy condemn'd to lose their lives to have their goods confiscated to the King 1500 Crowns to be awarded
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
did love art dead Thy heart so pure and undefiled could not without death endure to understand the Vice which was in me your friend O my God wherefore didst thou create me a Man having a love so light and a heart so ignorant Why didst not thou rather create me a little dogg who so faithfully did know to serve his Mistresse Alas little Dog the joy which thy barking brought unto me is now turned into perpetual mourning because by my means another was admitted to hear thy voice But so it is dear friend that neither the Love of the Dutchesse nor of any Woman in the World hath caused me to change my affections although she oftentimes hath importuned me to it But ignorance overcame me thinking for ever to preserve your Love but this ignorance cannot excuse me for I have revealed the secret of my friend I have falsified my promise which is the only cause that I see you dead before my eyes Shall death be lesse cruel to me than to your self who only for Love have put an end to your innocent life I must believe shall I believe that death will not vouchsafe to touch my unfaithful and accursed heart for a dishonourable life and the memory of my losse through my own default is more insupportable than ten thousand deaths Woe is me my friend If any one either through malice â—r misfortune had been so cruel as to kill you I should readily have put my hand upon my Sword to have revenged you It is no reason therefore that I should pardon the murtherer who was the occasion of your death and by a more unrighteous act than to have killed you with a Sword If I knew any more wicked Executioner than my self I would desire him to see Justice performed on your treacherous friend O Love By the ignorance of loving I have offended thee and wilt not thou relieve me as thou didst her who inviolately did keep all thy Laws Is it nor reason that by the like honest means I doe end my life It is and most reasonable it is that it be done by my own hand and since with my tears I have bathed your face and with my Tongue I have required pardon of you nothing now remains but that with my own hand I doe render my body like unto yours and that my Soul do follow wheresoever yours is gone before me knowing that a virtuous and an honest love can have no end either in this world or in the World to come And immediately rising from the body as a man transported and out of his sense he drew his Sword and fixing the pummel of it against the Wall and the point of it against his Brest he with great violence did drive it quite through his body and falling down he took his Sweet-heart in his arms and did kisse and imbace her with such affection that he seemed to be more surprized by love than by death The Damosel observing him to draw his Sword did immediately run forth to cry out for help The Duke hearing the cry and doubting some sad accident had befallen those whom he most intirely loved was the first that came into the Wardrop and beholding this lamentable spectacle he endeavoured to take off the Gentleman from the body of the dead Lady if it were possible to save him but he held his Sweet-heart so fast in his arms that he could not sever him from her with all the strength he had until he was quite dead himself Neverthelesse understanding that the Duke did speak unto him and demanded who was the occasion of it he did lift up his head and looking furiously upon him he made answer Your Tongue Sir and my own and bowing down his head again he immediately dyed his face being close joyned to that of his Friends The Duke desiring to be thoroughly informed with all the particulars of this Tragedy did command the Damosel to declare at large unto him whatsoever she had seen or heard which she did all along without sparing any thing whereupon the Duke perceiving that he was the Original of all this Evil did throw himself upon the two dead Lovers and with great Lamentation craving pardon of them for his offence he oftentimes did kiss them rising from them in a fury he drew out the sword froÌ„ the dead body of the Gentleman And as a wild Boar being wounded by a Lance doth run with resistlesse violence at him who made the thrust so the Duke did addresse himself to her who had wounded him quite through his Soul He found her dancing in the Hall and more frolick by farr than she was accustomed to be conceiving that in some measure she had revenged her self upon the Niece of the Duke In the middle of the Dance the Duke did lay hold on her and said unto her you promised not to reveal the Secret upon the forfeit of your life And your life shall answer for your trespasse and speaking those words he took her by her Headgeer and sheathed the sword in her Body at which all the Company were so amazed that they conceiv'd the Duke was bereaved of his Senses Having thus put a violent period to the Life of his Dutchesse he called together his Friends and his Servants and did declare unto them the lamentable and most virtuous story of his Niece and the great Injury that his Wife had done her which caused many tears in all the standers by The Duke afterwards commanded that his Wife should be buried in an Abbey which he had founded and caused a fair Sepulcher to be builded where the bodies of his Niece and of the Gentleman were interred together and an Epitaph was laid upon the Monument declaring the History of their loves and their Tragical Deaths The Duke afterwards did undertake a Voyage against the Turks and God so prospered him that he atchieved great honours and gained large Revenues And on his Return finding his eldest Son able to manage the Government of his Estate he did put on the habit of Religion in the same Abbey where his Wife and the two Lovers were buried where devoutly he passed away the Remainder of his life Ladies this is the History which you have intreated me to declare unto you and which I perceive by your eyes that you have not received without compassion From hence methinks we ought to take an Example to have a care not to fix too much our affections on men For how honest and virtuous soever the love may seem to be in the beginning yet for the most part it goes off with an unpleasing Farewell And moreover you may read that Saint Paul would not that married people should set altogether their affections on one another for by how much the more our hearts are ingaged in a terrestrial Love by so much the lesse they are addicted to the Love of Heaven and spiritual things and the more noble and the more virtuous the Love is the more difficult it is to break
to the Father for the charges of the Processe The said Aignan residing in England seeing that by Justice he was but a dead man in France did so prevail there by his service to many of the Nobility and by the savour of the Kindred of his Wife that the K. of England did make a request to the King of France to vouchsafe him a Pardon and to repossesse him in his Goods and Honors but the King having understood the villanous and horrid Act did send the Processe to the King of England and desired him to consider if such a case deserved pardon or not adding besides that the Duke of Alençon had in his Kingdome the only privilege to grant pardons for offences committed in his own Dutchy But for all these excuses the King of England desisted not but pursued his request with such importunity that in the end the Proctor obtained a pardon and teturned to his own house where to compleat his iniquity he acquainted himself with a Sorcerer whose name was Gallery hoping by his Art that he should be exempted from paying the fifteen hundred Crowns to the Father of the young Man that was murthered To this end he came to Paris and his wife with him being both disguised His Wife observing that every day he locked himself up in a Chamber with the said Gallery that he not acquainted her with the reason of it one morning she watched him and observed that the said Gallery did shew him five Images of wood three of them had their hands banging down and two of them had their hands lifted up and speaking to the Proctor he said we are to make in wax such Images as these are those who have their Arms hanging down shall be those that shall die and those who do lift up their hands shall be those whose favour and countenance we desire The Proctor said unto him This shall be then for the King by whom I desire to be favoured and this shall be for Monseiur Brinon the Chancellor of Alençon Gallery said unto him we must put these Images under the Altar at what time they are hearing Masse and you shall utter some words which at that instant I will teach you to speak And proceeding their discourse concerning those Images which held down their hands the Proctor told him that one of them was for Monseiur Giller du Mestrill the father of the young Man that was killed for he sufficiently understood that so long as he lived he would not cease to pursue him And one of the women who had their hands hanging down was for Madam the Dutchesse of Alençon Sister to the King because she stood so well affected to her old Servant Du Mestrill and in many other things had so perfect a knowledge of the wickednesse of the Proctor that if she died not he could not live The second woman that had her Arms hanging down was for his own wife who was the cause of all his troubles and who he was sure enough would never amend her wicked life When his wife saw all this through the Crevis of the Door and understood that he had ranked her amongst the number of the dead she resolvd with her self that she would be before hand with him under pretence of borrowing some moneys of her Uncle who was master of requests to the Duke of Alençon she repaired to him to give him an account of what she had seen and heard from her Husband Her Uncle as became a good old Servant did addresse himself to the Chancellor of Alençon and repeated the whole story to him and because the Duke and the Dutchesse of Alençon were not that day at the Court the said Chancellor repaired to Madam the Queen Regent the Mother of the King and to the Dutchesse to give them an account of it who immediately sent for the Provost of Paris called Battre who used such diligence that he apprehended the Proctor and Gallery the Conjurer who without rack or constraint did freely confesse the fact and their Processe was made and brought unto the King Some of the Court being willing to have their lives saved pleaded for them and told the King that in their inchantments they desired only to have his favour But the King who esteemed his Sisters life as dear unto him as his own did command that the Sentence of Death should be given as if they had made an attainder upon his own Person Neverthelesse his Sister the Dutchesse of Alençon did so supplicate to have the life of the Proctor saved and the sentence of his death to be turned into some other grievous and corporal punishment that it was at last condiscended to and he and Gallery were both condemned and sent to Marseilles to serve in the Galleys of Saint Blanquart where they finished their days in great captivity and had the leisure to acknowledge the grievousnesse of their offences The wicked woman in the absence of her Husband did continue her transgressions more than ever before and died lamentably Lades I do besecsh you to observe what evill doth proceed from wicked women How many sorrows did this one produce You shall find that ever since Eve caused Adam to sin all Women have made it their profession to torment to kill and to damn Men. As for my self I have such experience of their cruelty that I think to die no otherwise but only by the Despair into which one of them has thrown me and yet I am so foolish that I must confesse that this Hell is more pleasing to me comming from her hand than Paradise could be comming from the hand of another Parlament seeming not to understand that she was the Subject on whom those words reflected did reply unto him If Hell be so pleasant as you express it you need not to fear the Devil who hath put you there He made answer to her in Choler If my Devil had been as black as scornfull he would put this Company into as great a fear as I take pleasure to behold it But the Fire of Love doth make me to forget that of this Hell And to speak no more of it I do give my voice to Madam Oysilla being assured that if she would but speak of Women what she knoweth she would favour my opinion Immediatly the whole Company turned towards her intreating her that she would be pleased to begin which she accepted of and smiling began thus to speak Ladies It doth appear to me that he who hath given me his voice hath spoken so much ill of Women though in the true story of a most wicked one that I ought to run back over all my old years to find out one whose virtue might give a check to this bad opinion And because already I have thought of one not worthy to be forgotten I will give you an account of her The Lamentable and Chast Death of the Wife of one of the Keepers of the Mules of the Queen of Navarre The second
Novell IN the City of Ambois there dwelled a Keeper of Mules who served the Queen of Navarre Sister to King Francis the First of that Name who was brought to Bed of a Son at Blois to which place the Keeper of the Mules repaired to be payed for his Quarters service His Wife continued still at Ambois and lodged not far from the Bridge Her Husband had a servant who for a long time did love her so desperately that one day he could not contain froÌ„ speaking to her but she who was a most virtuous Woman did reprove him so severely threatning that her Husband should beat him and put him away that after that time he durst not speak to her any more nor make any countenance of Love but kept that fire concealed in his heart Untill that on a time his Master was gon out of Town and his Mistresse was at the Vespers at St. Florentines a Church belonging to the Castle of the City and a great way from her own house Being alone it came into his head to enjoy that by force which by no prayer or service he could obtain whereupon he did break down a board which was the partition betwixt his Mistresse Chamber and that wherein he lay but because there was a hanging cloath neer to the Bed of his Master and Mistresse which did cover the walls so well that the rupture which he made could not be perceived his malice and treachery was not discovered untill that his Mistresse was in bed with a Girl she kept of about twelve years of age As the poor woman was in her first sleep her servant came in his shirt only into her bed through the whole made in the wall and had a sword drawn in his hand But as soon as she perceived him to draw near unto her she leaped out of the Bed and used all tho reasons and perswasions to him as it was possible for a good Woman to deliver but he who was transported with a Bestial desire and did understand better the language of Mules than her honest Remonstrances did shew himself more brutish than the Beasts with whom so long time he conversed for observing that she did run round the Table and that he could not take hold of her and withall that she was so strong that twice together she got off from him growing into a despair ever to enjoy her alive he gave her with his sword a great blow upon the back conceiving to himself if neither fear nor force could make her to yeeld that pain should effect it But it proved contrary to his expectation for as a gallant Soldier seeing his blood is more inflamed to revenge himself on his Enemies and to purchase honour so her chast heart did doubly inforce her to run and to flie from the hands of this wicked villain and oftentimes at some distance she would hold him in the best discourse she could to see if by any means she could reduce him to the acknowledgement of his offence but he was inflam'd with such a furie that there was no place in him to receive good counsell insomuch that he gave the poor Woman many wounds more which to avoyd she always ran from him as long as her leggs were able to carry her and when by the great effusion of her blood she found that Death approached joyning her hands together and lifting her eyes to Heaven she gave thanks unto God the God of Power Virtue Patience and Chastity and besought him to accept of her blood which by his appointment was shed in reverence and obedience to that of his Sons in whom she most assuredly did beleeve that all her sins were washed and wiped away from the Memory of his Anger And speaking Lord receive my Soul which by thy mercy hath been redeemed shee fell on her face upon the Earth where the bloody Miscreant did still print more wounds on her body and when she had lost both her speech and the strength of her body the Villain seised upon her by force who no longer could defend her self and having satisfied his reprobate concupiscence he fled away so hastily that for all the Hue and Cryes that did follow him he could never be heard of more The young Girle who lay with this poor woman being overcome with fear did hide her self under the bed but when she saw that the Man was gone she came unto her Mistresse and found her without speech or motion whereupon she cryed to the neighbors out of the window to come to her assistance They who did love and as much respect her as any woman in the City did immediatly come to her and brought with them two Chirurgions who found that she had on her body five and twenty mortal wounds they did what they could to keep that little life that was left in her but it was impossible Yet she continued languishing away for the Space of a whole hour without speaking any word making signs with her eyes and hands by which she shewed that she had not lost her understanding Being asked by a Church-man of the Faith in which she dyed and of her Salvation she made answer by signs so evident that her words could not more manifestly declare that her confidence was in the Death of Jesus Christ whom she hoped to behold in his coelestial City and thus with a joyfull countenance lifting up her eyes to heaven she surrendred her chast Body to the Earth and her Soul to her Creâ—tor Being taken up and a shrowd cast on her her Body was no sooner brought down to the Door of her house attending the coming of the Company to her burial but behold her poor Husband did arrive who first saw the dead Body of his wife at the Door of his house before he had heard the melancholy news of her death And having understood the occasion of it he had double reason to lament which he did in such a manner that he almost had lost his life Thus this Martyr of Chastity was carried to her burial into the Church of Saint Florencin where all the good women of the City did not fail in their endeavours to accompany her and did honour her as much as possibly they could esteeming themselves most happy to be of that City in which so virtuous a woman lived The foolish and light Huswives beholding the honour that was done unto her did resolve with them selves to change their wanton lives You have heard Ladies a true History which ought to make our hearts more circumspest to guard this honorable Virtue of Chastity And we that are descended of noble Families ought even to die for shame to find in our hearts that sensuality to avoid which a poor Mule-Keepers wife did not fear so cruell a Death Alas How many are there who esteem themselves good women and yet never understood what it is to resest unto Bloud Wherefore we ought to exercise our selves with repentance and humility for the Graces of God are not given
bring And having spoke these words she took her leave of him Her Mother who observed her Countenance knew not what to judge of it but after that time she perceived plainly that her Daughter did no more affect Amadour and concluded thereupon that she was of a crosse disposition and hated all those things which she loved and from that hour did carry her self so strangely to her that she spoke not one word to her in seven years together unlesse it were to chide her and all this was at the request of Amadour During this time Florinda turned the fear which she had to be with her Husband into a desire to be never from him only thereby to avoid the rigour of her Mother But seeing that nothing would prevail she resolved with her self to be even with Amadour and for two or three dayes together looking upon him with a more pleasing countenance she counselled him to hold discourse of love with a Lady who she said had spoken very liberally of theirs This Lady was in the Court of the Queen of Spain and was called Loretta she was proudly glad to have obtained such a Servant as Amadour and so great were the familiarities betwixt them that the report thereof was noised every where and the Countesse of Arand being at Court did her self perceive it wherefore afterwards she did not so much torment Florinda as she had been accustomed to do Florinda one day understood that the Captain the Husband of Loretta was possessed with so great a Jealousie that he was resolved by one means or other to kill Amadour Florinda who for all her dissembled countenance could carry no ill will in her heart to Amadour did immediately advertise him of it but he who was most easie to be drawn into his first train did make answer to her That if she pleased to entertain him but three hours in a day he would never speak to Loretta more which she would not consent unto Whereupon Amadour said unto her Since you will not have me to live wherefore do you deny me to dye unlesse you hope to give me more punishments by life than a thousand Deaths can afflict upon me But although Death doth flie me I will never leave looking after it untill I have found it for in Death onely I shall have Rest Whiles they were in this Conference news was received that the King of Granada had begun a most cruel War against the King of Spain insomuch that the King had sent thither the Prince his Son and with him the Constable of Castile and the Duke of Alba as two Adjunct of great trust and experience Whereupon the Duke of Cardona and the Earl of Arand would not stay behind and besought the King to assign them some charge in the Army which he did according to their Houses and appointed Amadour to be their Guide who during the War was so famous for his atchievments that they seemed rather to proceed from a desperat rashnesse than a well-grounded resolution and to give you the intention of my account I must inform you that his great Courage was approved to his Death For the Moors pretending that they would give battel to the Army of the Christians having better observed how it was marshalled and how great it was did make as though they fled and the Spaniards did follow them in the pursute but the old Constable and the Duke of Alba suspecting the Stratagem of the Moors with much importunity did withhold the Prince of Spain that he passed not the River which notwithstanding the Orders to the contrary the Count of Arand and the Duke of Cardona did and when the Moors saw that they were followed with so unconsiderable a number they did return upon them and with one blow of a Scemiter did Iay the Duke of Cardona dead upon the place and so wounded the Count of Arand that he fell to the Ground Upon this Defeat Amadour arrived so furious and enraged that with great slaughter he did break through the Army of the Moors and commanded the two Bodies of the Duke and of the Count to be taken up and to be brought into the Princes Camp who did so much lament their deaths as they had been his own Brothers But in beholding their wounds he found the Count of Arand yet living who was sent in a Litter to his own house where he continued a long time sick and on the other side the body of the young Duke was brought unto Cardona Amadour having done his endeavour to bring off these two Dukes did think so little of himself that he was suddenly invironed with a great number of the Moors and he who would no more be taken having lost his Mistress falsified not his faith which he made unto God her knowing That if he should be brought to the King of Granada that either he should cruelly die or renounce his Christianity he did resolve with himself to adde Glory to his Death and kissing the Crosse on the hilt of his sword rendring his Soul and Body to his Creator he did give himself so mortal a blow that there needed not a Second to dispatch him So dyed the poor Amadour and was as much lamented as his Virtues deserved The News thereof was immediately carried through all Spain insomuch that Florinda who was at Barcelona where her Husband was interred after that she had honourably performed the Funerals without speaking either to her own Mother or her Mother-in-Law or any other did render her self a Votaress in the Monastery of Jesus taking him for her Husband and her Friend who had delivered her from a love so vehement as that of Amadour and from a persecution so grievous as was the Company of her Husband She imployed all her affections to the love of God and that so perfectly that having lived a long time a religious life she surrendred her Soul to God with so much joy as the Espoused doth go to behold her Spouse Ladies I know that this long History doth prove tedious unto you all but if I should have satisfied him who first of all gave me the account I should have yet made it longer I must beseech you Ladies that in following the Example of the Virtues of Florinda you would abate a little of her cruelty and not at the first to believe so much Good of Men as by the acknowledgment of it to give them afterwards a cruel Death and to your selves a sorrowfull life After that Parlament had spoke so long she turning to Hircan said unto him It appeareth now plainly to you that this Lady was sollicited and importuned to the last and that most virtuousty she resisted No said Hircan For a woman cannot make the least resistance but by crying out and if she had been in a place where she could not be heard I know not what would have become of her And if Amadour had been more amorous and lesse fearfull he had not for so little have left off
she deliberated with her self to bring some profit by that Ring to the Conscience of the Captain and immediatly dispatched one of her servants to the disconsolate wife of the Captain pretending her self to be a religious woman of Tarasco and did write unto her in these words Madam Monsieur your Husband passed this way a little before he took shipping and after he had confessed and received the Sacrament as a good Christian ought to do he declared unto me one fault which lay heavy upon his Conscience which was the grief that he had not loved you so much as he ought to have done and prayed and conjured me at his departure to sead you this Letter with this Diamond which he desireth you to keep for the Love you bear him assuring you That if God shall return him in safety there was never any woman better used by a Husband than you shall be by him and this Diamond for the performance of it shall be a firm pledge unto you of the assurance of his faith I beseech you to recommend him to God in your prayers and he shall not want of mine during my life This Letter made up and sealed in the name of one of the Nuns of Tarasco was sent by the Gentlewoman to the Captains Wife when the old woman beheld the Letter and the Ring you need not demand how she wept for joy and grief to be so beloved and esteemed of her Husband of the sight of whom she saw her self deprived And kissing the Ring a thousand times she did bedew it with her tears blessing God that at the end of her Dayes he had restored the love of her Husband to her which she held to be lost for a long time She also much thanked the Nun that was the Cause of her Good To whom she sent the best answer that she could which the Messenger reported to his Mistresse who could neither read nor hear what her servant brought unto her from her without laughing very heartily and was well contented to be rid of the Diamond to procure so great a good as to establish the Love betwixt the Husband and the Wife in doing which she thought to her self she had gained a Kingdom Not long after there arrived the News of the Defeat and Death of the poor Captain and how he was abandoned by those who ought to succour him and that his Enterprise was betrayed by the Rhodians who most of all should have kept it secret insomuch that himself and those who landed with him who were about the number of four and twenty were killed upon the place amongst whom was a Gentleman called John and a Turk whom the Gentleman above-specified had answered for at the Fount both whom she had given to the Captain to attend upon him in his voyage one whereof died with him and the Turk being wounded with five arrows did save himself by swimming to the French ships by whom alone the Truth of this Defeat was understood For a Gentleman whom the poor Captain had taken for a Friend and a Companion and had advanced him into the favour of the King and the greatest of the Nobility of France as soon as ever he saw the Captain landed did retire back with the Ships into the Sea The Captain seeing his Enterprize discovered and above Four thousand Turks comming down upon him would have retreated to the ships as he ought to have done but the Gentleman in whom he did repose his onely Confidence knowing that in his Death the Charge and Command of the whole Army would be devolved upon himself did declare unto the Gentlemen and others that were on ship-board That they ought not to hazard the Vessels of the King nor so many good Souldiers that were in the ships to save a few persons only By this perswasion they who of themselves wanted Courage did agree in opinion with him The Captain observing that the more he called upon them the more they drew back towards the Main and removed themselves from his succour did return towards the Turks being in Sands up to the knees where he made such demonstrations of his Valour and of his knowledge in Arms that it seemed that he alone was able to defeat all the numbers of his Enemies by reason whereof his treacherous Companion entertained a greater fear than a desire of his Victory At the last whatsoever defence he could make he received so many wounds by arrows from those who durst not approach near unto him that he began to lose much bloud and the Turks perceiving the weakness of these poor Christians and scorning their unconsiderable numbers did fall in upon them and charged them with their Scemiters which made deep cuts in their bodies but as long as God gave them strength and life they defended themselves but that failing the Captain called unto him the Gentleman whose Name was John whom the Gentlewoman gave unto him and the Turk and sticking the point of his Sword on the Sands falling on his knees he kissed and kissed again the Crosse upon the hilts thereof saying Lord Take into thy mercy the Soul of him who hath not spared his life to exalt thy name The Gentleman whose name was John perceiving that his life ended with those words embraced him and the Crosse on the hilt of the Sword which he had thinking to have assisted him but a Turk behind him did give him a mortal blow with his Scemiter who crying aloud Let us go Captain Let us go into Paradise to see him for whom we die he was made the Companion of the Death as he had been of the life of the poor Captain The Turk seeing he could neither serve or fave either one or the other of them being hurt himself with five arrows did flie to the ships and demanding to be received although he was the only person that escaped of four and twenty yet it was refused by the traiterous Companion of the Captain But he who could swim well enough did throw himself into the Sea and at last prevailed so far that he was received into a small Vessel and in a few dayes cured of his wounds And by this poor Stranger the truth of this Act was perfectly known to the Honour of the Captain and the Infamy of his Companion whose offence the King and all those who ever heard of him did judge to be so great both against God and Men that there was no death so grievous but they thought he most justly did deserve it Howsoever at his return to Court he made so many pretences and excuses and gave such great Presents that he was not only saved from punishment but had the Command of the Captain conferred on him whose Groom he was not worthy to be When this News was first brought unto the Court Madam the Regent Mother who highly did esteem him did wonderfully lament him so did also the King and all the personages of Honour about the Court And she whom too well he loved
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
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
not permit him to take any Rest but he directed his Course to the Porter of the House and said unto him Friend Moâ—ensieur your Master hath commanded me to go immediatly to our Covent to make some prayers it being now the second hour of Devotion wherefore I pray you give me my Packet of Papers and open the Door but do it so softly that no body may hear it for my businesse is necessary and secret The Porter knowing very well that to obey the Frier was a service very agreeable to his Master did open the Door very softly for him and did let him forth The Gentleman at that instant did awake and finding that the hour did approach which was admitted to him by his Confessor to give a visit to his Wife he did arise from his bed and having put on his Night-Gown he made hast thither whither he lawfully might come by the Ordinance of God without any permission of Man When his Wife did hear him speak unto her being ignorant of her miscarriage she was possessed with such an amazement that she said unto him Is this your promise Sir which you have made to the Confessor to have such a care both of your Soul and mine was it not enough to come to me once before your hour but do you now return again The Gentleman was so troubled to hear this Interrogatory that he could not dissemble his affliction but said unto her What mean these words which you speak unto me I know for a truth that these three weeks I have not lain with you and do you reprove me for comming so often to you If you continue in this discourse you will make me to believe that my Company is hatefull to you and against my custom and desire you will constrain me to look for that pleasure from others which by the Law of God I am to receive from you The young Lady who thought that he had mocked her said unto him Sir I beseech you that in imagining me to be a deceiver you do not deceive your self for though you did not speak unto me about an hour ago when you were with me yet I am satisfied within my self that it was you The Gentleman immediatly understood that they were both deceived and added Oaths to his Protestations that he did not come unto her whereupon the Lady took so great a grief that with tears she besought him to make a diligent scrutiny to find who it was for none that night lay in her house but her Brother and the Frier The Gentleman being surprised with a Jealousie that it was the Frier did in all hast repair unto the Chamber where he lay and found him not there And the better to be assured what was become of him in an angry and a trembling speed he did go unto the Porter and demanded of him if he knew what was become of him who according to what the Frier told him did give him a full Relation of the Truth The Gentleman being fully assured that it was he who did commit this wickednesse did presently return to the Chamber of his Wise and said unto her Without all doubt Sweet-heart the Man who lay with you and did ring so well his Mattens Bell was our Father the Confessor The young Lady who all her life had loved her Honour as her Conscience did enter into such a Despair that forgetting all humanity and the nature of a woman she did on her knees beseech him to revenge that great Injury Wherefore on a sudden without any delay the Gentleman took horse and pursued the Frier The poor young Lady being alone in her Bed and as much without counsel as without comfort save only in her little Infant but newly born considered with her self the marvellous and horrible mischance that had befalln her and without excusing her own Ignorance did repute her self the most guilty and the most unfortunate Woman in the world and found her self so overcome in this assault of her Despair grounded on the enormity and greatnesse of her sin and the love of her Husband to her and on the honour of both their Families that she esteemed Death far more happy than Life and was suddenly transported with so violent a Melancholy that she fell into such a Despair that she not only lost that hope which every Christian ought to have in God but was quite estranged from common sense and forgat her own Nature Insomuch that being as far from all knowledge of God as from all knowledge of her self as a Woman quite bereft of sense and reason she took the cord of her Bed and with her own hands strangled her self and which is worse being in the agony of this cruel Death her body which combated against it did remove it self in such a sort that with her foot she struck against the poor Infant whose Innocence could not preserve it from following by her own Death her most afflicted and dolorous Mother But dying she made so great a noise that one of her Maids in the next Chamber being amazed at it did rise in great hast to light the Candle and on her Return having beheld her Mistresse hanging and strangled with the cord of the bed and her Infant dead and lying at her feet she afrighted did run into the Chamber where her Mistresses Brother did lye whom she took along with her to behold this lamentable spectacle The Brother crying out Woe and Alas and making so great a lamentation as such a Brother ought to do who loved his Sister with all his heart did demand of the Chambermaid Who it was that had committed so great a villany She made answer that she knew not who and that none but her Master came into the Chamber who was not long since gone out of it The Brother entring into the Chamber of the Gentleman and finding him not there did assuredly believe that it was he who was guilty of this horrible Murder and taking his horse without demanding any further did gallop after him and met him in the way returning from the pursute of the Frier being sad that he could not overtake him When ever his Brother-in-law did behold him he did cry out unto him Wicked and Wretched as thou art defend thy self for this day I doubt not but with this sword God will revenge me The Gentleman who would have excused himself did see the sword of his Brother-in-law so near unto his throat that he found he had more need to defend himself than to make any pause to demand the Cause of the Debate and drawing upon him they gave one another so many cuts and slashes that the effusion of their blood and their wearinesse together did constrain them to sit down upon the Ground both on the one side and on the other to take breath The Gentleman said unto him What occasion is it my Brother that hath converted the great love that hath been always between us into so cruel a Fight The Brother-in-law made
Coat of black Frize richly imbroydered with Gold and Silver purle He was mounted on a black Horse richly trapped with all the gallant furniture that belonged to a Horse The trappings were all covered with Gold and with a Morresk work enamell'd with black His Cloak was of black Silk on the shoulder thereof was a badge most curiously wrought and adorned with precious stones where he had for a Devise Love covered by force His sword and his poynado were no lesse beautifull and set forth with as rich devices To be short he was compleat cap a pei'd and most remarkable when he was on horsback and knew so well to manage his Horse that all those who did observe him neglected the recreation of hunting to observe the Courses and Corvettoes which he made Having in those Courses brought the Queen unto the place where the Nets were pitched he alighted from his Horse and came to assist the Queen as she was alighting who stretching forth her arms unto him he opened his Coat and taking her in his arms did shew her his Corslet where the Mirror was and said unto her Madam I beseech you to behold your self in it and without attending any answer he did set her softly on the Ground The Hunting being ended the Queen returned to the Castle without speaking one word to Elisor but after Supper she sent for him and told him That he was the greatest Lyar that she ever knew for he had promised her faithfully to shew that Lady in the Chace unto her whom he most loved which he had not performed wherefore she resolved with her self not to esteem him any more Elisor fearing that the Queen had not understood what he had said unto her did make answer That he had performed what he promised for he had not only shewed her the woman but that part of her which he loved best The Queen pretending not to understand him did reply unto him That she did not remember that he had shewed any one of her Ladies to her It is true said Elisor But what did I show unto you as you were alighting from your Horse Nothing said the Queen but only a fair Glass upon your Brest And what did you behold in that Mirror said Elisor I saw nothing but my own face said the Qu. Elisor said unto her then Madam in obedience to your Commandment I have fulfilled my promise for there shall be never any other representation in my heart but that which you saw upon my Brest it is that only whom I love reverence adore not as a Woman but as a Goddesse upon Earth into whose hands I do put both my Life and Death beseeching you that my most entire and absolute affection which was all my Life as long as I concealed it may not prove my Death by my discovering it And if I am not worthy to be regarded and accepted as your Servant at least permit that I may live as I have been accustomed to do upon the Contentment I have to behold you my heart having been so bold to chuse so high so perfect and so Majestick a place for the foundation of its love of which I can have no other satisfaction but to know that my love is so great and absolute that I am contented only to love although I am not be beloved again And if it doth not please you by the knowledge of my great love to have me more agreeable to you and to affect me more than heretofore at the least take not my life from me which consisteth in the happinesse I have to see you as I have been accustomed to do If you please to look upon me with more rigor you will have one servant lesse and lose the most affectionate one which you ever had or ever can have The Qu. whether to shew her self what she was not or else all along to make more trial of the love which he did bear unto her or whether she loved some other Servant whom she would not leave for him or else to reserve him untill he whom she had loved had done some fault and then afterwards to receive him into his place did speak unto him with a countenance neither angry nor yet contented Elisor Being ignorant of the authority of Love I do not demand of you what folly did betray you into so great so high and so dangerous a humor as to be in love with me for I know that the heart of Man is so little at Mans Commandement that he cannot make it either to hate or to love as he himself would But because you have so well declared your mind I desire to know how long it is since you first did begin to love me Elisor observing her to smile upon him and that she inquired after his Malady did well hope that she would vouchsafe some remedy unto him but beholding on a sudden her countenance to change again he was struck with a fear thinking himself to be before a severe Judge who was ready to pronounce sentence upon him Howsoever he took the confidence to assure her that his love had taken a deep root in his heart ever since his childhood but it did not burn within him to make him feel the pain thereof but the last seven years and he said he could not properly call it a pain but rather a Malady which gave such a contentment that the recovery from it was Death Since it is so said the Queen that you have laboured in so great a trial I ought to be no more light to believe it than you have been to expresse it wherefore if it be as you say I will make such a proof of it that afterwards I shall have no reason to doubt it and this proof being made I shall esteem you to be such unto me as you your self do swear you are and I knowing you to be such as you say you shall find me to be such as you desire Elisor besought her to make what proof of him she pleased for there was nothing so difficult that should not be very easie to him to obtain that great happinesse that she might know and be assured of the affection which he did bear unto her and besought her to command him that which she would have don She said unto him Elisor If you do love me as much as you affirm I am assured that to enjoy my favour nothing can be too hard for you Wherefore I command you by all your desires to have it and your fears to lose it that without seeing me any more you do depart the Court to morrow and retire into some place where you may not hear from me nor I have any tidings of you for seven following years You who have already passed seven years in this love do know in your self that you love me When I have had the like expecience of it for seven other years I shall know and believe that which your words cannot make me to understand much
and see him hoping also that his sight would conduce something to the health of his Wife Signior D' Avanes having received the Letter did make no delay at all and came in Post to the House of his Father At the entrance into the house he found the Men servants and the Maid servants making so great a lamentation as the losse of so good a Mistresse did deserve whereat the Signior was so amazed that he stayed at the door like a man in a trance the good old man his Father seeing him did make hast to imbrace him and began to weep so abundantly that he was not able to speak one word He brought him into the Chamber where his Wife was who turning her languishing eyes towards him did give him her hand and drawing him with it towards her with all the strength she had she imbraced him and kissing him again and again did make a marvellous complaint and said unto him O Sir the hour is now come that all dissimulation must cease and that I must confesse the truth which I have so much indeavoured to conceal from you It is that if you for your part have born any love to me you may believe that my love hath been altogether as great as yours but my affliction hath surpassed yours because I have taken such pains to conceal it against my own heart For Sir you are to understand that God and my Honour did not permit me to declare it to you fearing that I should add that unto you which I had a desire to diminish But know Sir that the word of Denyal which I have so often spoke unto you hath done me so much prejudice to pronounce it that it is the occasion of my death with which I am well contented since God hath made me so happy that neither the violence nor the excesse of my love hath blemished at all my conscience or reputation For with a far lesse Fire than is mine there hath been far greater and more noble structures ruined But now I shall depart contented that before I die I shall declare my affection to you to be equal unto yours nothing excepted but that the honour of men and women are not alike I shall desire you Sir for the time to come that you will enforce your self to make no addresses but to the most noble and most virtuous Ladies for in their hearts do dwell the strongest passions and are alwayes most wisely managed and the Grace Beauty and Civility which is in you will not permit that you shall be fruitlesse And I beseech you so to remember me and to think of my constancy as that you will not impute that unto cruelty which is to be attributed to Honour Conscience and Virtue which ought a thousand times to be more dear unto us than life it self Now Sir I shall bid you farewell and commend you to the good man whom you vouchsafe to call Father and who is my Husband to whom I must beseech you to declare the truth what you know of me that he might throughly understand how much I have loved God and himself and I must beseech you to forbear to come any more before my eyes for the few hours I have to live I will altogether imploy them in the meditation of the promises which God hath made unto me before the Creation of the World and speaking these words she gave him the last kisse and imbraced him with all the force of her feeble arms Signior D' Avanes who had his heart within him as surprized with compassion as was hers with the Agony of Death being not able to speak one word unto her did withdraw himself from before her and threw himself upon a Bed which was in the next Chamber where oftentimes he swouned away Not long after the Lady called for her Husband and having made many honest remonstrances unto him she did recommend unto him the care of Signior D' Avanes assuring him that next unto himself he was the person whom she best loved in the World And kissing her Husband she did bid him adiew Immediatly afterwards she commanded that the Sacrament of the Altar should be brought unto her and after that the Unction which she received with great joy as being assured of her Salvation And finding that her eyes began to grow dim and all her strength to fail her she did speak aloud her In manus At that Cry Signior D' Avanes did rise from the bed and looking compassionatly on her he came in a sweet sigh to render his Soul unto her as she was rendring her Soul unto God to whom she was going and when he perceived that she was dead he did run to the dead body to which being alive he durst not approach but in fear and imbraced it and kissed it in such a manner that with much difficulty they did take her from between his Arms her Husband was much astonied at it for he never perceived that he did bear such an affection to her and saying to him Sir It is too much they both retired from her And having made a long lamentation the one for the Death of his Wife the other for the Death of his Friend Monsieur D' Avanes did give him an account at large of the whole course of his Love and that to her Death she never made any signe unto him but what did expresse Severity and an obstinate Chastnesse whereat her Husband being more contented than ever did double his grief for the losse of her and continued all his life afterwards in doing good services to Signior D' Avanes who was then not above eighteen years of Age. After this he departed to the Court where he continued divers years without seeing or speaking to any Woman in the world and he did wear mourning apparel two years together for her Ladies you may here observe the difference betwixt a wise woman and a foolish who do shew distinctly by themselves the different effects of love by which one of them received a death commendable and glorious and the other did lead a life loose and infamous For as the Death of a holy Man or Woman is pretious before God so the Death of a Sinner is as displeasing Truly Saffredant said Oysilla you have rehearsed to us as pleasant a History as I have ever heard and he who knew the persons as well as my self would find it yet more pleasant for I have never seen a braver Gentleman nor of a greater Gracefulness than the said Signior D' Avanes Do you think said Saffredant that a wise and a young Woman to dissemble her love which the counsel of Nature doth admit that she should bear to so desireable a Gentleman should ever suffer her self to dy for denying her self that pleasure of which so violently she desired the content covertly and he openly If she had such a desire said Parlament she had place and occasion enough to declare it to him but her Virtue was so great that she would
History but to Parlament only but if they had not I should have given it her before any other because from her we do always learn something that is both gratefull and remarkable Since I must put an end to the discourse of this Afternoon said Parlament and that I promised yesterday to give you the reason wherefore the Father of Rolandine did build that Castle in the Forest where so long a time he did keep her a prisoner I will in this place give you an Account thereof The Excellent Relation of a Lord who caused his Brother-in-law to be put to death not knowing the nearness of the Allyance The tenth Novell THe Lord who was the Father of Rolandine had many Sisters some whereof were married very richly others of them were Religious Votaries and one of them who lived in his own house was beyond comparison more beautifull than the rest Her Brother did love her so intirely that he preferred her above his Wife and Children She was demanded in Marriage by many gallant personages but because he would not have her removed from him or peradventure because he loved his wealth too well he would not seem to understand it which was the Cause that she lived the greatest part of her age unmarried leading a most virtuous life in her Brothers House in which there was bred up with her a gallant young Gentleman who as he increased in age so he increased in beauty and was so esteemed for his virtue that he governed all things in his Masters house insomuch that when he desired his Sister to doe any thing he imployed this Gentleman to deliver his mind unto her This authority was the occasion of a great familiarity which by sending him both early and late unto her was by their dayly frequentation much increased But the young Lady fearing her Honour and the Gentleman his life if he should offend his Master they received no other pleasure by their love but only the content to converse together At the last her Brother told her how much he was obliged to this young Guntleman who was in the same house with her and that he never saw any man whom he desired more to his Brother in law than this Gentleman He so often expressed these words unto her that she having communicated them to this Gentleman they presumed that if they should marry he would give them an easie pardon And Love which willingly believeth that which it desireth did prompt them to conceive that if they should marry nothing but good would come of it In this assurance therefore they did conclude and accomplish their marriage there being no man that knew of it but the Priest only and some few Women And having lived certain years in that pleasure which a married man and woman ought mutually to enjoy as being the most accomplished couple at that time and the truest Lovers that were in Cristendom Fortune envying to behold two persons to live in so great a happinesse would not vouchsafe to grant a continuance to it but stirred up an Enemy to them who observing this Lady did take notice of her great happinesse not knowing of her marriage Whereupon she came unto her Brother and informed him that this Gentleman in whom he reposed so great a trust had recourse too often to his Sister in her Chamber and in such hours when entrance ought not to be admitted This report was not believed the first time so much he trusted to his Sister and this Gentleman but the woman brought in against them so many informations pretending that it was for the honour she did bear unto his house that he so narowly did watch them that these two parties thinking no ill were surprized fast asleep in one anothers Arms. Her Brother having one Evening received advertisement that the Gentleman was gone into his Sisters Chamber he immediatly repaired thither and found them both blinded with love and asleep together The indignation which possessed him at the sight thereof did take away the utterance of his words and drawing his sword he did run after the Gentleman to kill him but he being very nimble of body did fly away in his shirt and being not able to escape out of the door did leap out of the window into the Garden The poor Lady his Sister being in her smock did on both her knees kneel down to her Brother and said unto him Sir Save the life of my Husband for I am espoused to him and if he hath offended punish me only for what he hath done hath been at my request Her Brother being outragious made no answer at all but only said And if he were your Husband a hundred thousand times yet will I punish him as an unfaithfull Servant who hath both deceived and disgraced me And speaking those words he did put his head out of the Window and commanded aloud that they should kill him without mercy which was suddenly put in execution before his own eyes and his Sisters who beholding this lamentable spectacle which no prayers of hers could remedy did talk unto her Brother as a woman out of her senses Brother said she I have neither Father nor Mother alive and I am at that age that I may marry whom I will at my own pleasure I have chosen that Gentleman concerning whom you your self have oftentimes spoke unto me and assured me that it was your desire that I should marry him and for my obedience to your Counsel although for what I have done I could justifie my self by Law without you you have killed that Man whom you your self loved the best in all the world Since it is so that my prayers could not preserve him from Death I do beseech you by all the love that you have born unto me that at this present you will make me the Companion of his Death as I have been in the fortunes of his Life Doing this you shall both satisfie your cruel and most unjust choler and give rest unto her Soul and Body who neither can nor will live without him Her Brother notwithstanding he was so transported that he had even lost all Reason yet he was touched with such a compassion at his Sisters words that without granting or denying her Request he did leave her alone to her self and having considered what he had done and understood in earnest that the Gentleman had married his Sister he wished with all his heart that he had never committed so rash a deed and he was possessed with so strong a fear that his Sister would demand either Justice or Vengeance that he caused a great Castle to be builded in the midst of a Forest into which he did put her and did forbid that any one should speak unto her Some years afterwards to satisfie his Conscience he did assay to gain her and did imploy some persons of trust to commune with her concerning a second Marriage but she sent him word That he had given her already so bad a Dinner
conceived with himself that it was the only and last expedient he could use And seeing there was no remedy he did seek her out so diligently that at the last he did find her in a company and place where she could not avoid him and he did chide her much for her harsh and rigorous usage of him and for her leaving of her Brorhers house She made answer to him That she knew no place more dangerous than that and that he was much beholding to his Butler who served him not only with his Body and his Goods but with his Soul also and his Conscience The Prince perceiving there was no remedy resolved with himself to force his passion and to importune her no more neverthelesse all his life afterwards he had her in high esteem A Servant of the said Prince observing the honesty of this Maid did court her in the way of marriage to which she would not consent without the leave and commandment of the Prince to whom she had given up all her affection which the Prince was acquainted with and with his good will the marriage was concluded in which she lived all her life afterwards with great reputation and the young Prince did inrich her with dayly benefits Ladies what shall we say to this have we hearts so low as to make our Servants our Masters Seeing this Virgin could not be overcome neither by love nor importunities I must beseech you that by her Example we may become victorious over our selves for it is the most noble victory that we can obtain I doe lament said Oysilla that such virtuous acts were not in the time of the old Historiographers for they who so much extolled their Lucretia would let their pens sall from their hands and have altered their Subjest to have described all along the Virtues of this Virgin which I do find to be so great that I should bardly have believed them were it not for the solemn Oath which doth oblige us to speak the truth I find not her virtues to be such said Hircan as you declare them for oftentimes we have seen sick men whose Palats are out of tast to refuse good and whotsom Diet and to feed on that which is naught and hurtfull And so it may be that this Maid was in love with some one else which made her to despise Nobility Parlament made answer Her life and her death did sufficiently manifest that she never during the whole course of her life had a better opinion of any man living than of him whom she loved more than her life but not more than her Honour Remove from your fancy that fond humour said Saffredant and understand from whence that word Honour is derived so far as it belongeth unto Women For it may be that those Who speak so much of it doe not know the Intention of the word Know then that in the beginning before Dissimulation was too common amongst Men and Women love was so full of life and strength that Hypocrisie had no place and they were most praised who most truly loâ—ed But when Decript and Avarice had seized upon their hearts they did drive both God and Love out of them and in their place entertained the love of themselves Hypocrisie and Dissembling And Women perceiving that they had not in their hearts the virtue of true Love and that the Name of Hypocrisie was so odious amongst Men they did give it the sirname of Honour so that those who had not in them that true and honourable Love did pretend that their Honour did forbid them to do this or that and have made thereby so cruel a law that even some Women who would love perfectly do Dissemble esteeming Virtue to be Vice But they who are of a good understanding and of a sound Judgement do never fall into such errours for they do know the difference betwixt light and darknesse and that true love consisteth in this to show the chastity of the heart which cannot live but by true love and will not seek for false Honour from the vice of Dissimulation Nevertheless I have heard said Dagoucin that the most private Love is the most commendable Private said Simontault and concealed from the eys of those that judge not aright but which is clear and known enough unto those two at least whom it doth concern I so understand said Dagoucin and I believe that this Virgin did love more violently because she did not declare it unto any Whatsoever she did said Longaren we ought to look upon her Virtue which to overcome her own heart was the greatest of all virtues and the occasions and temptations which she had being consider'd I do sâ—y that she ought to be accounted a most excellent Virgin If you esteem said Saffredant the greatnesse of Virtue by the mortification of our selves the young Lord was more commendable than she whether you look upon the greatnesse of the love which he did bear unto her or his power and the opportunities and the means he might have had yet neverthelesse he would not offend the rule of true love which makes the Prince and the Poorest Creature to be equal and doth use no other means but what Honesty doth permit There are many said Hircan who would not have done so Indeed he was highly to be esteemed said Longaren having overcome the common Imperfection of Men for he who can do evil and doth it not is a happy Man To this purpose said Guebron you cause me to think of one who had a greater fear to offend the eyes of Men than God his Honour or his Love I pray you said Parlament will you be pleasid to rehearse that Account unto us for the performance whereof I do give you my voice There are divers said Guebron who believe that there is no God or if there be a God they do conceive him to be so far from them that he can neither see nor understand the works they do and although he doth see them they do think he is so tame or so unmindfull of them that he will not punish them and that he takes no Care of the things that are done on Earth And of this opinion was a Lady whose Name for the honour I do bear unto her Family I will change and I will call her Camilla She was often heard to say that He or She who had nothing to do but with God only were happy if in the mean time they could preserve the reputation of their Honour entire from the eyes of the world but you shall perceive that neither her Wisdom nor her Hypocrisie could guard her but the mystery of her Lust was revealed as you shall find by this History the truth whereof I will give you all along excepting the Names of the Persons and the places both which shall be changed The Hypocrisie of a Lady of the Court was discovered by the misdemeanours of her Loves which she thought cunningly to have concealed The Third Novel IN a fair
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
in whatsoever they do say or do to supplant our female simplicity would find themselves a great way off from their Hope I pray you Nomerfide said Guebron let me give you my voice that we may hear from you some Account to that purpose I will rehearse unto you one said Nomerfide as much to the commendation of true Lovers as yours have been to the dispraise of foolish Women Of two Lovers who subtilly did enjoy their Loves and of the happy issue thereof The fourth Novell IN the City of Paris there were two Citizens of a considerable Estate the one a Lawyer the other a Mercer who for a long time did bear a great affection to one another by the means whereof the Son of the Lawyer called James a young Man and a fine Companion did oftentimes frequent the Mercers house in pretence of the Love that was shewed to his Father but it was indeed in love to the fair Daughter of the Mercer whose Name was Frances And James did make his addresses so effectual to her that he knew he was no less beloved than he did love But in the time of this Courtship the War began in Provence by reason of the Invasion of Charls of Austria and James was enforced to follow the War to serve according to the Estate in which he was In the beginning of these Wars his Father dyed the News whereof did convey a double affliction to him the one was for the loss of his Father the other was for the inconvenience which that losse brought with it which was that on his return he should be deprived of the opportunity of seeing his Sweet-heart so often as he hoped to have done Neverthelesse in a short process of time the one was forgotten and the other increased for as Death is a thing natural and more natural to the Father than to the Children so grief by little and little of it self doth wear away But Love instead of conveying death unto us doth bring us life by the propagation of Children who doe render us immortal which is one of the most principal motives to increase our desires James being returned to Paris had no other thought or care than to put himself again into the train and the vulgar frequentation of the Mercers house where under the umbrage of his former love he might traffick with his dearest merchandise On the other side during his absence Frances was sollicited and courted by diverse as well for her beauty as for her wit and understanding and also because she was fully marriageable although her Father was not forward to seek out a Husband for her whether it were through covetousnesse or a provident desire to have her richly placed she being his only Daughter And this conduced nothing at all unto her Honour for tongues now a days are proâ—e to slander and detraction when no occasion is administred and especially if it be upon any thing which concerns the Chastity of Maid or Woman This her Father understood who was neither blind nor deaf to the vulgar chat nor would he be like those Fathers who instead of censuring Vice in their Wives or Children do provoke them to it for he did keep her so short that even those who came unto her as Suters only could hardly be admitted to see her although she was always in hâ—r Mothers Company I need not to ask you if this were not very grievous to James to endure being not able in his understanding to resolve himself what was the reason that she was guarded with so much severity and finding no occasion for it he could not tell what certainly to conclude upon but did waver betwixt Love and Jealousie At the last he was resolved with himself come what would of it he would know the reason But first of all to understand if she were of the same affection as she was before he did so often goe and come where she used to resort that one Morning hearing Masse in the Church and being very near unto her he perceived by her countenance that she was no lesse glad to see him than he was to see her and knowing also that her Mother was not so strict over her as her Father he took one day the boldnesse as it were unexpectedly seeing them goe from their House unto the Church to accost them with a familiar and vulgar complement and not too expressely to declare himself that he might better arrive to the end of his Design The end of the year approaching in which his Father died he determined with himself to leave off his mourning and to put himself into such a habit as might become the honour of his Ancestors and acquainted his Mother with it who did like it very well desiring with all her heart to see him well married because she had no more Sons and but one Daughter who was already married and very richly and moreover she did inure her heart to the Love of virtue by the infinite Examples of other young Gentlewomen of her age who either did advance themselves or at least shewed themselves worthy of the Family from whence they were descended There was nothing more to doe but to consider in what shop they might best provide themselves His Mother said unto him James I think it most expedient to goe to my Husbands Compeeire Master Peters who was the Father of Frances for said she he it one of our Friends and will not deceive us That word much pleased her Son and he greedily swallowed it neverthelesse he said unto his Mother we will buy it there where we can find our best Market but because he was an acquaintance of my Fathers I am content to goe thither in the first place The Agreement was made and one morning the Mother and the Son did go to Mr. Peters house who received them with many expressions of respect as you know few Shop-keepers are unprovided in that kind A great variety of whole pieces of Silks were laid open upon the board and they might chuse what they pleased but they could not agree upon the price which James did on purpose because he could not see the Mother of his Sweet-heart and at last they were going without buying any thing at all to try what they could do in another place But James did like nothing so well as what he cheapned at his Sweet-hearts Fathers house whither some hours afterwards they returned They found then her Mother within who did give them the best welcom in the world and after the words of course which are accustomed in such shops the Wife of the Mercer being more hard to deal with than the Mercer himself James said unto her You are grown Lady very hard see what it is to lose a good Father Now we cannot be known here and with that he made an apparence as if he wept and wiped his eys in the remembrance of the dear Father which he lost but this was only to play his own cards the better The
for which I will have ninety and nine Duckets The Gentleman thought it was but reasonable and in ready money laid down one Ducket for the Horse and ninety nine for the Cat accordingly as he demanded and took away with him his Merchandise The Servant on the other side brought home the money to his Mistresse who was so joyfull at it that she fayled not to give the Ducket at which price the Horse was sold to the begging Friers as her Husband had ordained and reserved the rest to provide for her self and her Children Give me your advice now was she not more wise than her Husband and had as great a care of her own Conscience as of the profit of her Children I do believe said Parlament that she loved her Husband well for seeing that on his death-bed he had but ill considered of his own affairs she who did know his intentions did know also to give the best interpretation of it for the advancement of his Children for which I do commend her for her wisdom â—ow said Guebron do you not esteem it a great fault to fail to perform the Will of the dead So I should said Parlament provided the Testator were in good sense Do you think said Guebron that he was not in perfect memory to bestow his goods on the Church and on religious men I do not think it to be an error said Parlament when a man doth distribute to Beggers what God hath given into his hands but for a married man to give away all that he hath at his death and to leave his Family not long afterwards to perish for hunger I do not approve it and in my opimon it would be more acreptable to God if he had taken more care of the poor Orphans whom he loft behind him who having nothing wherewith to feed themselves and being oppressed with poverty would oftentimes curse the memory of their Father instead of blessing him when they shall find themselves to pine away for hunger for God who knoweth the hearts of Men cannot be deceived and will not only judge according to works but according unto Faith and Charity who do derive themselves from him Wherefore is it then said Guebron that covetousnesse at this day is so rooted in all estates of the World that the greatest part of Men have not the leasure to think of the distributing of their Goods untill they do find themselves to be assayled by death and that they must give up their accounts to God I do believe that they do so settle all their affections upon their riches that if they could carry them away with them they would most willingly do it but there is an hour in which our Saviour will make them more grievously to feel their punishment than in the hour of death for then whatsoever they have done all the time of their lives be it good or evil shall in an instant be represented before their eys it is the hour in which the Books of our Consciences shall be opened and where every one shall see the Good and â—vil which he hath done for the wicked Spirits will omit nothing which they will 〈◊〉 represent unto a sinner either to tempt him to a presumption that he hath lived well and holily or to throw him into a desperation of the Mercies of God to the end that he may turn aside out of the right way If you know any History said Nomerfide that is to this purpose I intreat you Hircan if you think us worthy of it that you would rehearse it to us I will with all my heart said Hircan and although it will be â—â—pleasing to 〈◊〉 to repeat a story to you to the disadvantage of any man yet seeing we have not 〈◊〉 either Kings or Dukes or Earls or Barons there ought noâ— offence to he taken if we put any others into the rank amongst so many noble personages for we do know that there are good men in all Estates and that the good ought not to be prejudiced by the bad Let us â—â—ave off therefore this discourse and give a beginning to our History One Frier fraudulently did marry another Frier who was one of his Companions to a fair young Gentlewoman for which they were both afterwards severely punished The sixth Novel A French Lady so journing in Padua it was there â—old her that there was a Frier in the Bishops Prison and demanding the occasion of it because she sound that every one did talk of it in mockery she was informed that this Frier an antient Man was a Confessor to a very noble and a devout Lady who was a Wâ—ddow and had but one Daughter whom she loved so entirely that she thought it no trouble not pains at all to heap up wealth to provide a round sum for her portion And finding that she did begin to grow into age she was in a continual care to look out a good Huband for her who might live with her in peace and quiet that is to say who was a Man of as good a Conscience as she was esteemed to be And because she heard a foolish Monk preach that it were better to doe ill by the Counsel of the Doctors of the Church than to doe well against the inspiration of the Holy Ghost she addressed her self to a Frier who was a Confessor an antient Man and a Doctor in Divinity being esteemed to be a good liver throughout all the City who assured her that if his Counsels or his prayers could prevail he would not fail to provide for the comfort of her self and of her Daughter And when she had often and earnestly intreated him to choose a Husband for her Daughter and such a one whom a Virgin loving God and her Honour ought to wish for He made answer to her that first of all by fasting and prayers he would implore the Holy Spirit that God would be pleased to conduct him in what he had to do and he then doubted not to find such a Husband for her Daughter as she desired and having put her into this comfort the Frier departed and considered by himself what he had to do and because he understood by the Lady that she had gathered together two thousand Duckets which she had in a readinesse to give unto him who should be her Daughters Husband and that she would take upon herself the care and charge of them both furnishing them with house moveables and all accommodations he considered with himself that he had a young companion a handsome and a likely man on whom he would bestow the young Gentlewoman and a house with all the furniture and an assured maintenance during his life and resolved to keep the two thousand Duckets for himself to satisfie his ardent avarice After that he had spoken with his Companion about it they both immediatly accorded and he returned to the old Lady and said to her I doe undoubtedly believe that God did send unto me his Angel Raphael as he did
amorous of her she turned from him to the other side and said unto him Sir since you bear no love to me nor to the Infant with which I goe let us perish both together And with those words she poured forth such an abundance of toars and made such a lamentation that the Duke was much afraid that she would lose the fruit of her Womb. Wherefore taking her in his Arms he desired her to acquaint him with what she did desire and assured her that he would conceal nothing from her Ah Sir said she and sobbed as she spake what hope have I that you will doe any thing for me that is difficult when you deny me the most easie and the most reasonable request in the World which is to tell me who is the Sweet-heart of the most ungrateful Servant you ever had I did once believe that you and I had but one heart But now I find that you doe use me as a stranger for those secrets which ought to be revealed unto me are by you concealed and kept from me as if I were your greatest Enemy Call Sir to mind how many secrets and businesses of the greatest importances have you imparted to me and which of them have you ever understood that I have disclosed You have made so great an experience of my good will equal unto yours that you ought not mistrust me for I am more yours than my own And if peradventure you have taken an Oath that you will not reveal the secret of the Gentleman to any in acquainting me with it you cannot break your Oath for I neither am nor can be any other than your self I have you in my heart I do hold you in my arms I carry your Infant in my womb in whom you live again and yet I cannot enjoy your love as you have mine but the more loyal and faithful I am to you the more cruel and perverse you are to me that a thousand times a day I do desire by a sudden Death to deliver your Infant from such a Father and my self from such a Husband which I hope shortly to perform because I do find that you prefer an unfaithful Servant before your Wife and such a Wife as I am to you and before the life of a Mother and to the fruit of her womb which is so little regarded by you being not able to obtain that of you which I desire to know Speaking those words she imbraced and kissed her Husband wetting his face with her tears and breathed forth such sighes that the poor Prince who was afraid to lose his Wife and his Child at once did determine with himself to acquaint her with the truth but withall he did swear unto her That if she revealed it to any creature in the world she should be sure to die and by no other hand but his own To which she condiscended and accepted of the punishment Whereupon the poor deceived Husband did account unto her all that he had seen from the beginning to the end whereat she seemed to be very much contented although her heart was surprized with an intolerable anguish Neverthelesse for fear of the Duke she did dissemble her passion as well as possibly she could Not long after the Duke made a great Feast at his Court to which he invited all the Ladies of the Countrey and amongst others his Niece where Dinner being ended Dancing did begin and every Lady did endeavour to set forth her self in the best manner that she could but the Dutchess who was tormented to behold the great beauty and the gracefulnesse of her Niece could take no Delight an all much lesse could she forbear from making her spitefull fury to appear For after that Dancing was ended having called all the Ladies together she caused them to sit down near unto her and did begin to Discourse unto them concerning the Affairs of Love And observing that her Niece was silent and did speak nothing at all she said unto her with a heart inflamed with Jealousie And you my fair Niece Is it possible that your Beauty can be without either Friend or Servant Madam she replyed My Beauty looks not after such a purchase for since the Death of my Husband I desire no other Sweet-hearts but only his children with which I am well contented Fair Niece Fair Niece the Dutchesse replyed to her in an extreme Indignation Fair Niece Fair Niece There is no Love so secret but may be discovered nor little Doggs so well taught and brought up to the hand whose Barking may not be understood Ladies I leave it to you to imagine how great a sorrow on those words surprized the heart of the poor young Lady finding a thing that had been kept so close to be so openly declared to her Dishonour Her Honor so carefully guarded and so unfortunately lost did greatly torment her but most of all did the strong suspition she entertained that her Friend had failed in his promise which she thought he never would have done unlesse for the Love of some Lady more beautifull than her self to whom the extremity of his Love did foolishly perswade to declare this effect Her Virtue neverthelesse was so great that for all this apprehension she made no apparence of discontent and smiling did make answer that she did not understand the language of Beasts and in this wise dissimulation her heart was so overburthened with sorrow that she was constrained to rise up and passing by the Chamber of the Dutchesse she entred into a Wardrop where the Duke walking in the Gallery did behold her to goe in When the poor Lady thought she was in a place where none could either soe or hear her she did throw her self upon the bed with so great a violence that a damosel who was sat in a corner of the room to sleep was awakened at it and did rise up to see who it might be But finding it was the Niece of the Duke who thought she had been alone she durst not speak unto her but gently listned to the complaint she made The poor Lady with a voice half dead did begin in these words to lament her self O unfortunate that I am What are the words which I have heard what an arrest of death have I understood by them What a sentence to condemn me have I received O thou the most beloved that ever was Is this the reward of my chastity and of my honest and virtuous love O my heart why didst thou make so dangerous a choice to take for the most loyal the most unfaithful for the most honest the most crafty for the most secret the loudest Detractor in the World Wo is me Is it possible that a thing hid from the Eyes of all Men should be revealed to Madam the Dutchesse Alas poor little Dog the only means of my long and virtuous love it is not thou that hast discovered me but he who hath a voice more barking than a Dog and a heart more ungrateful than
the bonds And this Ladies doth excite me to intreat you that every hour you would demand of God his Holy Spirit that your hearts may be inflamed on his Love and that you may find no difficulty in the hour of Death to forsake that which too much in the world you loved If their love was so virtuous said Hircan as you describe it what was the reason that it was kept so secret Because said Parlament the malice of Men is such they will not believe that a great Love as such as this was can ever be joyned with honesty for they judge of virtuous Men and Women according to their own passions and for that occasion it is requisite that if a virtuous Woman doth please to entertain a virtuous Friend she must discourse secetly with him if she intends to discourse long with him for the Honour of a woman is as apt to be disputed on for loving according to the Laws of Virtue as to the unruly instructions of Vice for we judge not but only according to apparence You say something indeed said Guebron but when the secret comes to be revealed we judge not oftentimes so bad as there is occasion for I do confesse it in some cases said Longaren and therefore the best course is not to love at all We will appeal from that Sentence said Dagoucin for if we thought Ladies were without love we could wish our selves without life We understand that they only live to be beloved and although it sometimes doth fall out that they doe misse of this love yet hope doth sustain them and doth cause them to perform a hundred thousand honourable actions until old age doth change their honest desires into more sanctified resolutions They who would deprive us of the Love of Women must take Arms and Honour from Men and make them all Merchants and instead of acts of Chivalry must make it their only businesse to heap up riches If it were not then for Women said Hircan you will say that we were miserable and wretched as if Men had no hearts but what Women do give unto them But I am of a contrary opinion do believe that there is nothing which doth more abate the heart of Man than too much to love Women and to frequent their conversation And for that occasion it is that the Hebrews were forbid to go unto the warrs in that year wherein they were married for fear that the love of the Wife should draw him from those dangers which there he is bound to undergo For my own part said Saffredant I find no great reason in that Law for there is nothing that can make a Man sooner to goe out of his House than to be married for the Warrs without doors are always more grateful and more tollerable than that within and I do believe that to give a desire to men to travel into forein Countreys and not slothfully to amuse themselves at their own fires they ought to marry It is true said Emarsuite that marriage doth take from them all care of their own houses for being married they trust altogether to their Wives and they think on nothing themselves but on the purchase of Honour being confident that their Wives at home will take care enough for their profit In whatsoever sense you will render it said Saffredant I am very glad that you are of my opinion But all this while said Parlament you discourse not of that which is most considerable which is why the Gentleman which was the occasion of this most unhappy accident did not die of meer sorrow as well as the young Gentlewoman who was innocent Nomerfide made answer to her It is because that women do love better and more faithfully than Men. No said Simontault It is because the jealousie and the desire of Women do make them believe that which they have no reason to believe and the Wisedom of Men doth direct them to seek after the Truth only which being rightly understood doth show the greatnesse of their hearts as is apparent by this Gentleman who having understood that he was the occasion of the death of his Sweet-heart did make it remarkable how much he did love her without sparing his own life Howsoever said Emarsuite she died for true love for her faithfull and loyal heart could not endure to be so unexpectedly betrayed It was not Love but Jealousie said Simontault which would give no place to reason and because she did believe that Evil to be in her friend which indeed was not as she thought it was her death was constrained by an excesse of grief for it lay not in her power to help it but the death of her friend was voluntary and of his own accord after he knew the injury he had done her The Love must needs be great said Nomerfide which caused so great a sorrow You need not fear at all said Hircan that you will ever die of that Feaver And as much I dare undertake for you said Nomerfide you will never kill your self after you have known your offence Parlament doubting their debate might prove to her expence did smiling say unto them It is enough that two already have been dead for Love let Love let you two alone And hark this is the last time that the Bell rings in to Vespers Will you go or no Speaking those words the Company all did rise and did repair to the Evening Song not forgetting in their good prayers the soules of true Lovers for which the Monks of their own accord did sing their Hymn De profundis And afterwards as long as Supper did continue they had no other discourse but of Madam Du Verger and having for a pretty while passed away their time in such Conference they did all retire into their Chambers and did put an End to the Accounts of the seventh day The End of the seventh Journall The Eighth Dayes Iournal of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface THe Morning being come they sent to understand in what a readiness their Bridge was and understood that within two or three dayes it would be finished which did nothing please some of the Company who from their hearts desired that the Work would last longer that the contentment might contitinue which they received in that happy company And seeing they had but two or three days at most they were resolved not to lose that time and desired Madam Oysilla to administer unto them the Spiritual pasture of their Souls as she had been accustomed to do which accordingly she did and held them longer than was usual for before that they departed one from another she desired to put an end to her readings on Saint John in which she did so well acquit her self that it seemed â—he Holy Ghost full of Love and Sweetness did speak by her Mouth And all of them being inflamed with that Holy fire did repair to hear high Masse After Dinner talking together on the Journal of the Day
who brought you to this place The poor Nun who did not know her did make answer Woe is me my friend my misfortune is so great that I have no recourse but unto God only whom I doe beseech to vouchsafe unto me the means that I may speak to Madam the Dutchesse of Alençon for to her alone will I declare my business being confident that if there be any redress for such a miserable Creature as my self she will grant it to me Friend said the Dutchess to her you may speak as confidently unto me as unto her I am one of her gratest friends Pardon me said the Nun none but her self only shall understand my secret Whereupon the Dutchesse said unto her that she might speak freely for she had found her whom she demanded The poor Nun did prostrate her self at her feet and having wept a long time she gave her the whole account of what already I have expressed unto you whereupon the Dutchesse did comfort her so well that exhorting her to repentance for her misdeed she took from her quite the resolution of going to Rome and sent her back to the Prioresse with a strict charge to entertain her and with Letters to the Bishop of that place to take order for the expulsion of that scandalous Monk who having abused the Body of the Nun did afterwards most petulantly upbraid her and caused her to depart the Covent I received this Acount from the Dutchesse her self by which Ladies you may understand that the Rule of Nomerfide is not proper to all sorts of Persons for these two both touching aed burying the dead were neverthelesse at the same time touched and overcome with infirmities This was an invention said Hircan which I believe was never practised before to speak of death and at the same instant to do the works of life It is not said Oysilla any work of life to sin for we all know well enough that sin produceth death You may believe said Sassredant that at that time neither the Monk nor the Nun had the least thought of that Divinity but as the Daughters of Lot having made their Father drunk did think by that means to preserve human Nature so this Monk and the Nun would repair that which death had destroyed by making of a new Body Therefore I cannot but reflect again upon the tears of tho Nun who always wept and always returned to the cause of her weeping I have seen too many of those said Hircan who at the same time bewailed their sins and yet kept their pleasures I do much doubt said Parlament by whom you do speak those words wherefore it seems to me that their laughter hath lasted long enough it would be now time that weeping should begin Hold your peace said Hircan The Tragedy is not yet finished which doth begin with laughter But to change the Subject of our discourse said Parlament it seems to me that Dagoucin hath wandred from our first determination which was that the Accounts of this day should be all pleasant and this hath been a sad one You made a motion said Dagoucin that we should not forget to give an Account of the greatest follies and in that I am sure I have not failed but to hear one that is more pleasant I do give my voice to Nomerfide hoping that she will mend my fault She made answer I have an Account ready for you and one which is worthy to follow yours for it speaks of Religious persons and of death also Give ear unto it if you please The End of the Accounts of the Novels of the late Queen of Navarr which are all that can be recovered of them A Table of the Summary of the Novells of the Queen of Navarre The first Journal AN Advocats Wife of Alençon had two Friends one of them for pleasure and the other for profit she caused that man of her two Lovers to be slain who first discovered her wanton life for which murder she begged pardon both for her self and for her sagitive Husband who afterwards to save a sum of money did repair to a Negromancer and their Enterprize was discovered and punished Novel 1. Fol. 1. The chast and lamentable Death of the Wife of one of the Mule-keepers of the Queen of Navarre Nov. 2. f. 11. A King of Naples abusing the Wife of a young Gentlewoman did at last wear the horn himself Nov. 3. f. 15. The rash Enterprise of a Gentleman to incounter with a Princess and the shame and disgrace which he received Nov. 4. f. 22. A Ferry-woman escaped from two Friers who would have forced her and did deport her self so wisely that their sinne was discovered to all the world Nov. 5. f. 30. The subtilty of a woman who shewed her friend a way to escape when her Husband who had but one eye thought to have surprized them Nov. 6. f. 34. A Merchant of Paris deceived the Mother of his Sweet-heart to conceal their fault Nov. 7. f. 37. A certain man having lain with his own Wife instead of his Chambermaid did send his Neighbour to her who made him a Cuckold without his Wives knowledge Nov. 8. f. 40. The sad death of a Gentleman in love having received comfort too late from her whom he loved Nov. 9. f. 47. The Loves of Amadour and Florinda in which are contained many subtilties and Inventions and the most commendable chastity of Florinda Nov. 10. f. 52. The Second Journal The petulant Discourses of a Frier in his Easter-Sermons at Amboise Nov. 1. f. 93. The Incontinence of a Duke and his Impudence to arrive at his Designs with his just punishment Nov. 2. f. 97. A Captain of the Galleys under the shaddow of Devotion did fall in love with a Lady and what insued thereon Nov. 3. f. 106. The subtilty of a Lover who under the pretence of the right Friend did reap from a Lady of Millan the fruits of what so long he had desired Nov. 4. f. 117. A Lady of the Court seeing her self disdained by her Husband who made love elsewhere did revenge her self by the like practice Nov. 5. f. 125. A Lady of Millan approved the Courage and the Resolution of her Friend whereupon she afterwards loved him with all her heart Nov. 6. f. 141. King Francis shewed his generous resolution to Count William who would have killed the King Nov. 7. f. 148. A fair young Lady made tryal of the fidelity of a young Scholar before she would admit him to intrench too farr upon her honour Nov. 8. f. 152. Two Lovers despairing to be marryed did enter themselves into two Religions houses the Man into a Covent of Saint Francis and the Female into the Nunnery of Saint Clare Nov. 9. f. 159. A Gentleman suddenly cured of the malady of Love finding his rigorous Lady in the arms of her Horseman Nov. 10. f. 169. The Third Journal The wonderful and honest love betwixt a Lady of honourable birth and a Bastard and the check which the
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
any beast He it is who contrary to his oath and promise hath revealed the happy life which without any prejudice to any we have a long time lived O my friend my friend whose only love is entred into my heart with whose life my own hath been woven must it now come to passe that in declaring you my mortal Enemy my Honour must be carryed away by the winds my body crumble into ashes and my Soul for ever depart to its last place of residence What was the beauty of the Dutchess so inchanting that it hath had the power to transform you as somtimes had that of Circe Hath she made you of virtuous to become vicious of good wicked of a Man a Beast a cruel Beast O my Friend my Friend although you have failed in your promise made to me yet I will keep my promise made to you which is that I will never see you again after the divulgation of our Love and being no longer able to live without your presence I do willingly accord to the extreme sorrow which I feel and for which I will provide no remedy neither by Reason nor Physick for Death only shall put an end to it which shall be more pleasant to me than to continue in the World without a Friend without Honour and without Contentment Neither Death nor the War hath deprived me of my Friend neither Lust nor Rage have taken from me my Honour neither Deviation nor Demerit of my own hath made me to lose my Contentment but the cruelty of treachery which hath caused the most obliged of all Men to become the most ingratefull Alas Madam the Dutchesse What pleasure was it unto you when by mockery you did upbraid me with my little Dogg Go on as you have begun and continue to delight your self with that happinesse which doth belong to me alone You make your sport at her who by wisely concealing and who by virtuously loving did promise to her self to be exempted from all mockery O how hath this word contracted my heart How hath it made me to look red with shame and pale with jealousie Wo is me my heart my heart I do feel you can hold out no longer Love unadvisedly or treacherously made known doth consume you with Fire Jealousie and the Injury you have received do freez you with Ice and with Grief and Indignation kils you not permitting the least consolation to arrive Alas for thee O my Soul who by too much adoring the Creature hast forgot the Creator Thou must return again into the hands of him from whom vain Love hath ravished thee Take Confidence O my Soul thou shalt find God a better Father than thou hast found him a Friend for whom thou so often hast forgot God O my God my Creator who art the true and only Friend by whose Grace the love which I have born unto my Friend hath been stained with no Vice unlesse by too much loving him I beseech thee of thy infinite mercy to receive the Soul and Spirit of her who doth truly repent that she hath so much disobeyed thy first and most just Commandement And for the merit of him whose Love is incomprehensible be pleased to excuse that fault which too much love hath caused me to commit for in Thee alone I have perfect Confidence And adieu my false Friend whose Name without the Effect hath broken my Heart Having spoke those words she did fall down from the Bed upon the Ground and her colour waxed pale and her lips blew and an universal coldnesse seized on every part of her Body At that instant the Gentleman who did love her came into the hall and seeing the Dutchesse dancing with the other Ladies looked every where up and down where his Mistresse was and not finding her he did repair into the Chamber of the Dutchesse near unto which he found the Duke walking in the Gallery who conjecturing what his thoughts were did whisper him in the ear and said Your Sweet-heart is gone into yonder Wardrobe I am afraid she is not well The Gentleman demanded of him that he would be pleased to give him leave to wait upon her to which the Duke was easily intreated As soon as he was entred into the Wardrobe he found that she was even ready to breath forth the last breath of her life and falling down on his knees he imbraced her and said unto her O my dear Love How do you do What will you forsake me The poor Lady hearing the voice which so well she knew did begin a little to recover her colour and opening her eyes she looked stedfastly on him who was the occasion of her Death But so looking on him Love and Despite did so violently increase upon her that with a pittifull sigh she rendred her Soul to God The Gentleman more dead than she that was dead did demand of the Damosel How that Extremity seized upon her who all along did account unto him the words which she had heard her speak whereupon he immediately perceived that the Duke had revealed the Secret to the Dutchesse and was transported with so great a fury that imbracing the Body of his Sweet-heart he did along time bedew it with his tears and at last said Wo is me the most treacherous most wicked and the most unfortunate Man in the world How is it come to passe that the punishment of my Treason is not fallen on my self but on her who is innocent O why did Heaven spare me Why did not Thunder check my Tongue in that hour when I first revealed our most secret and most virtuous Love Why did not the Earth open her self Why did it not devour this unadvised Breaker of his Faith Be thou punished O my tongue as was the tongue of the rich Glutton in Hell O my heart be thou perpetually torn in pieces by Eagles as was the heart of Titius O Dear Sweet-heart the most unfortunate misfortune of all misfortunes is befallen me Thinking to have preserved you I have lost you thinking to see you live a long time with content I imbrace you discontented and dead O thou the most loyal and the most faithfull Woman that ever was I shall by all be condemned to be the most inconstant disloyal and the most unfaithful man in the world I might complain of the Duke in whose promise I so much trusted hoping by that to give a longer continuance to our happy life but alas I might know that no man could keep my secret better than my self The Duke had more reason to impart it unto his Wife than I to impart it unto him I can accuse none but my self of the greatest disloyalty that ever was committed by a Lover I had better by far be thrown into the River accordingly as the Duke did threaten that thou my dear friend mightst be preserved alive and I gloriously might have died in observing the laws which true love commandeth but breaking them I remain alive and thou who most perfectly