Marseills there to rowe in the galliâ—s of Saint Blanquart where in they ended their dayes in great captiuitie and thereby had meanes to confesse and acknowledge the greatnesse of then sinnes and the wicked woman in the absence of her husband continued in her wickedneâ— more than euer she did before 〈◊〉 â—ieâ— miserably The second Nouel ¶ The pitiful and chaste death of the wife of one of the Multiers of the Queene or Nauarre THere dwelt in the towne of Ambois a multier that serued the Queene of Nauarre sister to Frauncis the French king whose wife lay in childbed of a sonne within the Cittie of Blois whither the sâ—idâ— multier 〈◊〉 receiue his quarters wages leauing his wife at Ambois lodging beyond the bridges now he had a seruant that of long time had so desperately loued his wife that vppon a certaine day hee could not choose but 〈◊〉 iâ— vnto her buâ— she bâ—ing an honest woman tooke it 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 reprooued him but threatned to cause her husband to beat him whereby hemener after durst venture to speake vnto her or once shew any countenaunce thereof keeping it secret in his heart vntill such time his master was gone abroad and his mistris in S. Florontines a church belonging to the castle and standing farre from thence at euening prayer And he being at home without company it came in his minde to seeke that by force and violence which by prayer and seruice he could neuer obtaine and to that end brake a planke out of the wall between the chamber of his mistris and that where he lay which because the side of the hed as wel of his maister and mistris as of the seruauntes on the other side stoode close vnto the wall could not be perceiued whereby his wicked pretence coulde neuer be espied till vpon a time she being in bed with a yong wench of eleuen or twelue yeares old and in her first sleepe this villaine in his shirt entred through the saide hole into the chamber with his naked sword in his hand but as soone as she felt him by her she quickly sprang out of the bed disswading him by all meanes and exhortations that possibly an honest woman could deuise but he that had naught but heastly loue and better vnderstood in the Mules language than her honest reasons shewed himselfe beastilier than those beasts with whome he had long continued for perceiuing that shee ranne so fast about a table that he could not haue his will as also that she was so strong that she had twice loosed her selfe out of his hands being in dispaire neuer to haue his pleasure while she liued gaue her a great blowe vpon the reines thinking that if neither feare nor force could make her yeelde yet paine would doe it but he found the contrary for that euen as a good souldier perceiuing his blood is therby more moued to reuenge himselfe and winne his honour so her chaste heart inforced her much more to runne and flie out of the villaines hands alwaies giuing him the fairest words she could thinking by such meanes to make him knowe his fault but to the contrary he was so furious that by no means he wold be ruled by her good counsel giuing her diuers other blows which to auoyd she neuer ceased to runne as long as her legs would hold But in the end when with the losse of so much blood she felt her death approach listing her eies to heauen and holding vp her hands she yeelded thanks to God whom she named her force her vertue her patience and her chastitie beseeching him to accept that bloud which to obey his commaundement she then had shead in reuerence of Christ Iesus his sonne whereby she stedfastly beleeued all her sins to be forgiuen and saying Lord receiue the soule that by thy mercie hath freely beene redeemed she fell with her face vpon the ground and being fallen the wicked villaine gaue her diuers blows wherwith hauing lost her speech and strength of body failing the villaine tooke by force that which shee for want of strength could not defend And hauing satisfied his filthy lust fled so hastily that neuer after what meanes soeuer was wrought he could be found Meane time the young wench that lay with the Multiers wife with feare crept vnder the bed but perceiuing the man to be gone came out and finding her mistris to be without either speech or feeling shee cried at the window to the neighbors round about for helps whereat such as loued and liked her well came presently vnto her bringing Surgeons with them and found she had receyued fiue and twenty deadly wounds vpon hir body which as much as in them lay they sought to heale but all in vaine neuerthelesse shee languished without speech in that sort for the space of one whole houre mooued her handes and eyes whereby she shewed not to haue lost her memorie and being by a priest examined of her faith shee made thereof such euident signs as that by word of mouth she could not have done better shewing that her trust was in the death of Iesus Christ whom she hoped shortly to behold within his heauenly seate and so with a cheerefull countenance her eies looking vp to heauen she yeelded her chaste body vnto the earth and her soule vnto the Lord and being taken vp and her bodie wownd and set before the doore staying for company to bring her to her graue her husband chaunced to come home where he espied his dead wife standing at the doore before he knewe thereof and hauing inquired of the cause had double reason to be grieued thereat whereby he fell so sicke that hardly he escaped death In this manner that martire of chastitie was buried in saint Florentines Church whither all the honest wiues within the towne failed not to beare her company accounting themselues most happy to be of such a towne where so vertuous a woman was found and therewith those that were not so wise but lighter of behauiour seeing the honour done vnto that body determined from that time forwardes to change their wicked liues The third Nouell ¶ A King of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wife in the end ware hornes himselfe BEcause Gentlewomen saide Saffredant I have often wished my selfe to be companion in the fortune of him whereof I meane to speake I will shew you that in the cittie of Naples in the time of king Alphonsus whose lasciuious life was his Scepter there was a Gentleman so honest faire and curteous that by reason of his perfections an olde Gentleman gaue him his daughter in marriage that for beautie and good grace was nothing inferior to him who loued well together vntill Shrouetide after that the King in masking went from house to house to sport himselfe wherein eache man inforced themselues to honour him as they could and when he came to the Gentlemans house he was receiued and entertained much better than else-where as well with banquets as with musike and
mother saying vnto him be of good courage and I promise you of my faith that if God send you your health my daughter shall never haue other husband then your selfe and here shee is in presence whom I command to giue her faith vnto you The daughter weeping laboured to do that which her mother promised shee should but he knowing that when he should be whole he should not haue his loue and that the good speech shee vttered vnto him was onely but to prooue if that shee could reviue him Once againe he said vnto her that if those words had beene spoken vnto him three months before he had beene the healthfullest and the happiest Gentleman in France but the reliefe came now so late that it could not be beleeved nor yet hoped and when he sawe they inforced themselues to make him to beleeue it he said vnto them Well seeing I perceiue you promise me that good which never wil come to passe although you desire it should for the weaknes wherein I am I craue of you a thing much lesse then that which hitherto I neuer was so bold for to require with that both of them sware to grant it bidding him freely speake I beseech you then said he that you will giue her into my armes whom you doe promise me shall bee my wife and command her to imbrace and kisse me The daughter that neuer had vsed any such entertainement thought to denie it him but her mother commanded her expressely perceiuing there was no more liuely feeling in him then in a dead man Therewith the daughter by her mothers commandement went to the sicke mans bed and said vnto him my good friend I pray you comfort your selfe The poore languishing Gentleman as well as he could in his extreame weakenes stretched forth his armes nothing but shinne and bones and with all the strength of his body imbraced the cause of that his death and kissing hir with his pale and cold lippes held her as long as possible he could and then saide vnto her the loue I haue borne vnto you hath beene so great and honest that neuer mariage set apart did I desire other fauour at your hands then I haue nowe for want whereof and therewith I will most gladly yeeld my spirit vnto God who is perfect loue and charity and knoweth the greatnes of my loue and my honest desire beseeching him hauing my whole delight betweene mine armes to receiue my spirit in his hands saying so took her again into his armes so vehemently that the weake heart beeing not able to sustaine that force was wholy forsaken of all his liuely spirits for that the ioie made it so to reioice that the soule abandoning hir place departed from the body and although the poore body continued without life and by that meanes coulde no more holde her griefe neuerthelesse the loue which the Gentlewoman had alwaies hidden shewed it selfe so much at that time that the mother and her seruants had much adoe to seperate their bodies But by force pulled the liuing almost dead from the dead whom they caused honourably to be buried but the greatest triumph vsed at his obsequie was the teares sorrowes and cries of the poore Gentlewoman which shewed so much the more after his death as shee dissembled them during his life in a maner satisfying the wrong that shee had done vnto him and since that time as I haue heard what husband soeuer shee had giuen her shee was neuer merry at her heart The tenth Nouell ¶ The incontinencie of a Duke together with his impudencie to attaine his desire with the iust punishment of his euill intent LOng since there was a Duke of Florence that had married the ladie Margaret bastard daughter to the emperour Charles the fift and because as yet she was so yong that hee might not lie with her staying till shee came to yeares he vsed her very kindly for that to spare her he was amorous of certaine Ladies in the cittie which by night he went to visite while his wife slept Among others he loued a very faire wise and honest Gentlewoman sister to a Gentleman of whome the Duke made great account and to whom he gaue so great authoritie in his house that his word was as much feared and obeied as if he had bin the Duke himselfe and there was no secret in his hart that he made not knowne to him in such sort that he might well be termed a second Duke The Duke perceiuing his sister to be so honest that by no meanes hee could declare his loue vnto her after he had sought all meanes he could he went to the Gentleman whome he loued so well and said vnto him If there were anie thing in this world my good friend saide he that I would refuse to do for you I should feare to shew you my desire and much more to intreate you to be assistant vnto me But I beare such loue vnto you as that if I had either wife mother or daughter that might be a meanes to saue your life I would rather imploy them therein than let you die for want of them And I esteeme the loue you beare to me to be no lesse and in such sort that if I my selfe which am your maister do beare you such affection you can not at the least beare lesse to me Wherefore I meane to vtter a secret vnto you the secrecie whereof brings mee in such a case as you now see whereof I neuer hope redresse but onelie by death or by the seruice which in this respect you now may do vnto me The Gentleman hearing his maisters reasons and perceuing his face vnfainedly wet with teares took such pitie on him that he saide vnto him My Lord al the good and honour I haue proceedes from you you may speake to me as to your friend being wel assured that the thing which is in my power is already in your handes With that the Duke beganne to declare vnto him the loue he bare vnto his sister which was so great and strong as that if by his means he could not obtaine the same he was not able to liue long as knowing well that in regard of her neither prayers nor presents would ought preuaile wherefore he desired him that if he loued his life as much as he his he would finde meanes to win him that fauour which without him he neuer hoped for The brother that loued his sister and the honour of his house more then the Dukes pleasure sought by certeine reasons to disswade him beseeching him to imploy him in any other thing rather than that which might be so great a dispight vnto him as to purchase the dishonor of his owne blood saying that his heart and honour could not agree to do him seruice therein The Duke inflamed with an insupportable rage put his finger in his mouth biting his naile and answered him in great fury Well seeing I finde no friendship in you I know what I must
do The gentleman knowing the cruelty of his master was in great feare and said vnto him My lord seeing it is your pleasure I will speake vnto her and tell you what she sayth The Duke answered going from him if you loue my life I will likewise loue yours The Gentleman vnderstoode well what that word meant and was a day or two before he saw the Duke againe thinking what he had to doe on the one side he set before his eyes the duety hee ought vnto his master with the riches and honours that by his meanes hee had receiued on the other side the honour of his house the honestie and chastitie of his sister whom he knew would neuer consent to so dishonest an action if by subtiltie she were not deceiued or by force compelled thereunto a thing which he would finde very strange seeing that thereby both he and his should be defamed Wherefore he determined that he had rather die then commit so wicked a fact against his sister being one of the honestest women in all Italie and that he would rather deliuer his countrey of such a tyrant then by force to bring so great a shame vpon his owne house for that he was assured that without the Dukes death his life nor yet his friends could be in saftie wherfore without speaking to his sister he determined by one meanes to saue his owne life and reuenge her shame at the end of two dayes hee went vnto the Duke and sayd vnto him that he had so well practised with his sister not without great paine that in the end she consented to his will vpon condition he should keepe the thing so secret that none but her brother should know thereof The Duke that desired those newes beleeued him and imbracing the messenger promised him whatsoeuer he would desire desiring him to bring the same to passe with as much speede as might be whereupon they did appoint the day If the Duke was glad you need not doubt and when he knew the night hee so much desired to approch wherein hee hoped to obtaine the victorie of her whome he esteemed inuincible he withdrew himselfe with the Gentleman onely not forgetting to put on his coife and perfumed shirt the best that could be found And when all were gone to rest hee went with the Gentleman vnto his house where he entred into a very pleasant chamber there the Gentleman pulled off his night gowne and layd him in his bed saying vnto him I will goe fetch her that will not enter into this chamber without blushing but I hope before morning she will be assured of you with that hee left the Duke and went into his chamber where he found but one of his men to whome he sayd Darest thou be so hardy to follow me vnto a place where I will reuenge my selfe of the greatest enemy I haue in all the world His man ignorant what he would do sayd Sir that I will were it the Duke himselfe With that the Gentleman ledde him so suddenly that he had no other weapon then a poinard at his backe When the Duke heard him come againe thinking he brought her with him whome he loued so well he opened the curtaines to see and receiue her he had so long attended but in sted of seeing her by whome he hoped the preseruation of his life he beheld his owne headlong falling into death being a naked sword which the gentlman had drawen wherewith he strake the Duke being in his shirt who being destitute of armes but not of hart set himselfe vpright within the bed and tooke the Gentleman by the middle saying vnto him Is this the promise you keepe and seeing he had no other weapon but his teeth and nailes he bit the Gentleman by the thumb by strength of armes defended himselfe so well that both of them fell vpon the bed the Gentleman beeing not well assured called his seruant who finding the Duke and his Maister so hardly elasped togither that hee knewe not which to chuse drewe them both by the feet into the middle of th◠chamber and with his ponyard assaied to eut the Dukes throate who defended himselfe vntill the losse of his bloud made him so weake that he could doe no more Then the Gentleman and his seruant laide him in his bedde where with the stabs of a dagger they made an end of killing him and drawing their curten they went their waies and shut the dead body within the chamber and when he founde himselfe victorious of his enemy by whose death he hoped to set the commō wealth at liberty though his cruelty should yet be imperfect if he doe not as much to fiue or sixe of those that were the Dukes neerest kinsemē And to bring the same to passe he said vnto his servant that he would go and fetch them one after the other to deale with them as he had done with the Duke but his seruāt being neither strong nor bold said vnto him me thinketh sir you haue done enough at this time and that you shall doe better in thinking howe to saue your owne life then seeke to take it from others for if wee stay so long to kill each of them as we doe about the Duke the day will sooner discouer our enterprise then wee shall bring it to an end although we found out enemies without defence the Gentleman whose wicked conscience made him fearefull beleeued his seruant taking him with him went vnto the Bishop that had charge of opening the gates of the Citty and to command the posts and said vnto him I haue this night receiued news that a brother of mine is at the point of death so that I haue desired licence of the Duke to go vnto him who hath granted it me wherfore I pray you command the posts to giue me two good horses and will the porter to open me the gates The Bishop that esteemed his request no lesse then the commandement of the Duke his master gaue him presently a billet by vertue whereof the gate was opened vnto him and the horses deliuered according to his desire and insteed of going to see his brother he went to Venice where hee caused the bytings he had receiued by the Duke to be healed and from thence went into Turquie In the morning the Dukes seruants seeing him so long before he came suspected he was gone to see some Gentlewoman but perceiuing him to stay began on al sides to seeke him out The poore Dutches that began to loue him wel knowing he could not be found was in great feare but when the Gentleman he loued so well could no more be found then he they went to seeke him at his house finding bloud at his chamber dore entered into the chamber but no man could tel them newes and following the teares of the bloud the Dukes poore seruants came to the chamber wherein he was which they found lockt but they soone brake downe the dore and perceiuing the place all
him she went to visite certaine ladies that lodged in the Court among the which there was one whereof her husband fained to be amorous and vpon an euening after supper this gentlewoman stole out when it was darke without company and went into the ladies chamber wherein she found him whome she loued better than her selfe and sitting hard by him leauing on a table they spake together making semblance as if they had beene reading vppon a booke but some one whome her husband had appoynted to watch her tolde him whither his wife was gone hee being craftie went presently thither and entring into the chamber perceiued his wife reading in a booke but making as though he sawe her not went among the ladies to speake to them The poore gentlewoman perceiuing her husband had found her in his company to whome in his presence she had neuer spoken was in such feare that she lost all sence and hauing not the meanes to passe by a bench she slid along by a table and came away as if her husband had folowed her with a naked sword in his hand and went into her mistris chamber who as then was come into her lodging and when her mistris was a bed she went into her owne chamber where one of her maides tolde her that her husband asked for her shee boldly made answer she would not come at him saying that he was so strange and cruell that she feared he would do her some mischiefe But in the ende lest worse should happen shee went vnto him when shee came into his chamber her husband gaue her not a word before they were in bed where she that could not dissemble as he had done began to weepe And when he asked wherefore she wept she saide because she feared he was angry with her for that hee had found her by a gentleman reading in a booke Whereunto he answered he had neuer forbidden her to speake to any man and that he disliked not of her speaking to him but for that she ranne away as if she had done some thing worthy reproch and that her running away made him verily suspect she loued the gentleman wherefore he forbade her that from that time forward she should not speake either priuately or publikely vnto anie man assuring her that the first time she shuld do it he would kill her without mercy which she promised to performe making her account at other times not to be so foolish But because that in the things that we most desire the more wee are forbidden so much the more we desire them This poore woman had soone forgotten her husbands threatnings for that the same night being returned to her chamber to lie with other gentlewomen that attended on hir she sent to seeke the gentleman desiring him to come that night to see her But hir husband that was so plagued with iealousie that he could not sleepe rose vp and casting a cloake vpon his shoulders calling one of his seruants went out of his chamber bicause he had vnderstoode that thy yong gentleman went thither by night and went and knocked at his wiues chamber doore she that looked for nothing lesse than her husband rose vp and putting a mantle about her and perceuing that three or foure of her maids slept went out of the chamber and came to the doore where he knocked and asking who is there aunswer was made in the gentlemans name that she loued but she for more assurance opened a little hatch saying if you be hee you say you are giue me your haÌ„d I shal know the better and hauing touched hir husbands hand she knew it well and in all haste shutting the hatch beganne to crie out O sir it is your hand her husband answered her and saide yea it is the hand that shall keepe promise with you wherefore faile not to come when I send for you and saying so he went vnto his lodging and she returned into her chamber rather dead than liuing and spake aloude vnto her women saying Vppe my friends you haue bin ouer sleepy for me for that I thinking to deceiue you haue deceiued my selfe and saying so shee sounded and fell downe in the middle of the Chamber The poore women at that crie rose vp much abashed to see their mistris lie vpon the ground and to heare the words she spake so that they knew not what to do but only to find meanes to recouer hir and when she could speake she said vnto them this day my friends shall you see me the most miserable creature liuing on the earth and therwith shewd them the cause desiring them to help hir for that she made ful account to lose hir life They thinking to comfort her there came one of the Gentlemans seruants that attended on him in his chamber that tolde her his maister had sent for her She there at imbracing two of her mayds beganne to weepe desiring them not to let her goe seeing she was assured to die But the page assured her the contrary and that he would venture his life that the should haue no hurt She perceiuing that no resistance would serue cast herselfe into her seruants armes saying vnto him My friend seeing it must be so doe thou â—ary this vnhappy body vnto her death and therewith halfe dead with griefe she was borne by the page into her husbandes lodging at whose feete the poore Gentlewoman fell downe and sayde Sir I beseech you to haue pity vpon me and I sweare vnto you of my faith I wil shew you the trueth of all With that like a desparate man he sayd By God you shall tell me the trueth and therewith sent all his seruantes foorth And because he had found his wife to be very deuout he thought she would not forsweare herselfe if that shee sware vpon the crosse wherefore he called for a very faire Crucifire that he had borrowed and they two being alone together made her sweare by it that she would tell him trueth in whatsoeuer he should aske But shee that already had past the first brunt of the feare of death tooke comfort determining before shee died not to hide any thing from him and also not to tell him any thing whereby the Gentleman whom she loued might susteine any wrong and hauing heard the questions hee propounded answered him and sayd I will not iustifie my selfe neither yet dissemble the loue vnto you I beare vnto the Gentleman whome you suspect for that you neither can nor ought to beleeue it considering the experience that this day you haue had but I am very desirous to shew you the occasion thereof wherefore sir you must vnderstand that neuer any woman loued hir husband so well as I loue you for that since I married you vntill this time there neuer entered any other loue into mine heart then onely yours you knowe that I being a childe my parents sought to marry me vnto a man of greater renowme then yourselfe yet could they neuer make me agree unto