have seen And whatsoever I thought would be pleasing to you I have sought it with all my power you see How I have procured the good opinion of the Countess your Mother of the Count your Brother and of all those whom you doe love in a manner that in this house I am not taken so much to be a Servant as a Child and all the travel that for these five years I have undertaken hath been to live all the remainder of my life with you And you must understand that I am none of those who by this means presume to enjoy any pleasure or profit by you but what shall be virtuous I know well enough and am confident that I can never marry you and if I could I would not do the least Injury to the love which you bear to him whom I desire to see your Husband To prosecute you with a vicious love as those who hope for some recompence for their service by the dishonor of their Mistresses I am so far from that that I had rather see you dead than to know you lesse worthy to be beloved or that virtue was abated in you for any pleasure that could arive to me For the end and recompence of all my service I doe desire only but one thing which is that you will be so constant a Mistress to me that you will never remove me from your favours and continue me in the degree in the which I am reposing more confidence in me than in any other and having this assurance that if for your honour or any thing that doth concern you you shall need the life of a Gentleman mine shall be imployed with all my heart for you In like manner that all honest and virtuous things that I shall doe shall be done onely for the love of you And if for Ladies of a far lower condition than your self I have performed deeds that have highly been esteemed be you assured that for such a Mistresse my enterprizes shall be doubled so that those things which before I left off as difficult and impossible shall now become easie to me But if you will not accept me to be altogether yours I have resolved with my self to leave off the Exercise of Arms and to bid Adieu to Virtue that hath not helped me at my need Wherefore Madam I most humbly beseech you that my just sute may be granted to me which neither your Honor nor your Conscience can deny The young Lady hearing those words so unusuall to her did begin to change her colour and held down her eyes as a Woman astonished Howsoever being of a ready and a great understanding she said unto him Since it is so Seignior Amadour that you demand that of me which you have already how doth it come about that you have made unto me so long an Oration I have so great a fear that under your honest words there are some ill Intentions hid to deceive the Ignorance of my youth that I am in a great perplexity to answer you For if I should deny that honest love which you offer me I should do contrary to that which hitherto I have done who do put more confidence in your self than in all the Men in the world Neither my Conscience nor my Honor do contradict your Demand nor the love which I do bear to the son of the Infant Fortunate for that love is grounded upon Marriage to which you can have no pretence I know nothing that may withhold me from giving you an answer according to your desire but onely Fear which invades my heart grounded on the small occasion you have to begin this Discourse for if you have already that which you demand what is it doth constrain you to speak so affectionatly Amadour who now was not without an answer said unto her Madam you speak most wisely and do me so much Honour by the Confidence which you say you repose in me that if I should not content my self with this happinesse I should be unworthy of any other But you are to understand Madam that he who would raise a lasting edifice ought to regard that he doth lay a sure foundation therefore I who desire to continue perpetually in your service do not only look upon the means to keep me near unto you but also to hinder what I can that the great affection which I bear unto you may not be discovered For though it be so honest that the least sin cannot be found in it yet so it is that those who know not the hearts of true lovers do oftentimes judge against the truth and from hence proceed so many ill reports the events whereof have been so mischievous The cause which hath enforced me to speak and to declare this unto you is Paulina who doth so strongly suspect me perceiving in her own heart that I cannot love her that in all places wheresoever I do come she is alwayes with a watchfull eye looking stedfastly on my face and when you come to speak familiarly unto me before her I have so great a fear to give some sign by which she might ground some bad construction that I am ready to fall into an Inconvenience from which I would fain keep my self so that I have conceived it expedient to beseech you That before her and such creatures as she is you would not be pleased to speak so suddenly unto me for I had rather by far be out of the world than any one alive should have the least knowledge of it And were it not for the love which I owe unto your Honour I should not have taken this resolution to speak these words unto you for I am sufficiently happy in the love and confidence you have in me without demanding any thing more but onely your continuation of it At these words Florinda received so great content that she could not indure a greater and began to feel in her heart something more than before she was accustomed to find and considering the honest reasons he alleged she told him That Virtue and Honour had made answer for her and did accord to that which he desired If Amadour was not joyfull of this assurance I leave it to those to judge who have been themselves in love But Florinda began to follow his counsel more than he desired for she who was fearfull did not only forbear to speak unto him before Paulina but also before all others and in this discontinuance of Discourse she began her self to suspect the frequent communication which Amadour had with Paulina who did like it very well and now did confidently beleeve that Amadour did love her Florinda to passe away this sorrow did daily entertain Aventurade who began to be very jealous of her Husband and Paulina and oftentimes did complain of it to Florinda who did comfort her the best she cold being one who was infected her self with the same Disease Amadour quickly perceived by the Countenance of Florinda that not only she estranged her self
to your body that he deserved to lose both together He who doth now possesse your body is not worthy to have your heart wherfore neither is your Body his nor can it properly appertain unto him But I Madam for the continued space of five or six years have endured so much love and travel for you that you cannot be ignorant that both your heart and your body do pertain to me for which I have so often hazarded my own And if you think to defend your self by Conscience be you assured that those who have proved the power of Love will lay all the blame upon you who have so ravished my liberty from me and by your divine perfections blinded my understanding that for the time to come not knowing what to do I am constrained to be gone from you without any hope of ever seeing you again Neverthelesse you may be most confident that in any part of the World wheresoever I shall be whether it be on the Sea or on the Land or in the hands of my most cruel Enemies you shall have my heart which shall continue for ever yours And if before my departure I could have that assurance from you which my great love doth merit I should be made strong to endure with patience the affliction of my long absence And if you please not to grant me my request you will quickly hear it spoken that your cruelty hath given me an unhappy Death Florinda being transported with as much sorrow as amazement to hear these words to proceed from him of whom she had never the least suspition did reply in tears unto him And woe is me now Amadour Are these the effects of the virtuous Discourses which from my Youth hither to we have had together Is this the Honour of Conscience which so oftentimes you have counselled me rather to die than to abandon Have you forgotten the great Examples you have instanced to me of so many excellent Ladies who have resisted that foolish Love Have you forgotten the neglect which you your self have had of light and inconstant Ladies I cannot beleeve O Amadour that you should be so far from your self or that God your Conscience and my Honour should be all dead in you But if it be accordingly as you speak I blesse the Divine goodnesse which hath prevented the mischief into which I headlong was falling by shewing me by your words your heart of which I was so much ignorant for having lost the Son of the Infant Fortunate not only by being married my self unto another but because I found and sufficiently understood that he loved another Lady and seeing my self married to one whom I cannot love and that let me do what I can he cannot be agreeable unto me I considered and intirely resolved with my self to love you with all my heart and affections grounding my love upon the Virtue which I have found in you and which by your means I have in some measure attain'd my self which is to love my Honour and my Conscience more than my life To this rock of Honour I am come where I was confident I should find a most sure foundation but in one moment Amadour you have shewn me that in the place of a Rock sure as I thought and beautifull the foundation of the building is upon loose and uncertain Sands or upon a soft and ruinous Bogg And although I had already begun a great part of the building where I resolved to have made my perpetual residence you on the sudden have overthrown it Wherefore you ought by degrees to forsake all hopes which you have promised to your self of me and to resolve with your self that in whatsoever place you see me not to court me at all either by words or countenance And be not so vain to hope that I either can or will ever change my thoughts I speak them to you with so much sorrow that it is impossible it should be greater but if I had proceeded so far as to have sworn unto you perfect love I do well perceive my heart to be such that it would have been dead within me in this rupture although the amazement that is upon me to be deceived by you is so great that I am confident it will render my life either short or dolorous And on these words I do bid you Adieu for ever I will not here undertake to tell you the grief which entred into the heart of Amadour hearing these words for it is not only impossible for a pen to expresse it but for a heart to conceive it unlesse it be such a heart who by experience hath found the like And observing on that â—â—el conclusion that she was going away he did stay her by the arm knowing very well that if he should not take from her again that evil opinion of him which he had caused her to entertain he should lose her for ever wherefore he said unto her with the most dejected countenance that he could put on Madam Through the whole travels of my life I have desired to love a virtuous Lady and because I have found so few I thought good to make experience to see if by your virtue you were as worthy to be esteemed as you are to be loved which now I understand for certain and I thank God who hath put it into my heart to love such great perfection beseeching you to pardon that foolish and presumptuous enterpise and the rather because it turns to your honour and to my great contentment Florinda who by him did begin to understand the subtility of men as she was difficult to believe the Evil in which he was so she was more difficult to believe the Good in which he was not did say unto him I would to God that you did speak the truth but I am not so ignorant but the estate of Mariage in which I am doth make me clearly enough to understand that a blind and a violent passion did make you to do that which you have done for if God had suffered me to let loose my hand I am sure enough that you would have gone away with the bridle Those Signior Amadour who make it their businesse to follow virtue must not tread in that path in which you would go But it is enough that heretofore I have lightly believed any Good in you it is now time that I should know the truth which doth deliver me from you And speaking those words she departed out of the Chamber and did weep away that night finding so great a grief in this change that her heart had enough to do to sustain the assaults of sorrow which love had given her For although according to her Reason she resolved never to love him more yet he heart which now was not subject to the rules of Reason would not consent unto it wherefore being not able to love him lesse than she was accustomed to do and knowing that love was the occasion of that defect she determined with
her chamber with her Governesse where all the time her Companions were at dinner and supper she had the leisure to speak unto him whom so intirely she affected and by how much their time by constraint was made more short by so much their words did come from them with a more great affection for they did steal time to maintain their discourse as a thief doth steal a pretious creasure But this meeting could nor be kept so secret but one of the Grooms did observe the Bastard constantly to enter into the chamber upon the days when Rolandine did keep her fasts and at last it was known to all and to the Queen herself who was thereupon so passionate that the Bastard after that check durst never to enter again into the chamber of the Maids Neverthelesse not to lose the happinesse to converse with her whom so much he loved he often pretended to take a journey out of Town and on the Evening would return to the Church or to the Chapel at the Court in the habit of a Friar or a Monk so well disguised that it was impossible for any one to know him and to the same Church or Chapel Rolandine with her Governess did not fail to come to entertain him He observing the great love which she did bear unto him was not afraid to speak unto her Madam you know the danger into which I do put my self for your service and the Queens prohibitions that you should speak no more unto me You know also too well what a Father you have who careth not to whom he shall espouse you you have refused so many good matches I must confesse I am but a poor man and that you may marry a Gentleman with a fortune far greater than my own but if love and good will be to be esteemed a treasure I ought to be accounted the richest man in the world God hath indued you with a great estate and you are in a possibility to have yet a far greater if I could be so happy as that you would vonchsafe to choose me for your Husband I would all my life be both a Husband a Friend and a Servant to you and if you should take one equal to your self which is very hard to do he would become your master and would more regard your goods than your person and altogether making it his imployment to be conversant in your estate aâ—d to receive the Rents and profits thereof he would not be observant to your self as you do desire The desire I have to give you this contentment and the fear which doth surprise me that you cannot enjoy it with any other doth cause me to beseech you that at once you will make me happy and your self the most satisfied woman that ever was Rolandine hearing these words which she had resolved with her self to speak unto him with an assured countenance did make answer to him I am very glad that you have begun this disscourse which a long time I had thought to have propounded my self unto you Those two last years since I had more perfect knowledge of you I have thought and thought again and examined within my self all the reasons which I could invent either for you or against you And at the last resolving with my self that I would take upon me the estate of Marriage it was time I conceived that I should begin to make choice of him with whom I believed I should live best with most peace of mind I cannot find any one be he never so handsom so rich or so great that my heart my spirit do so well accord with as your self I know that in marrying you I shall not offend God but do that which he commandeth And as for Monsieur my Father he hath so little sought after my Good nay he hath so much refused it that the Law will give leave that I may marry without him although it lies in his power to dis-inherit me Yet let me have but that which belongs unto me in marrying such a Husband as you are I shall esteem my self to be the richest Woman in the world As for the Queen my Mistresse I ought not to make it a point of Conscience to displease her to obey God for she did not forbear to hinder me of that comfort in my youth which I should have enjoyed But that you may understand that the love which I do bear unto you is founded upon Virtue and Honour you shall promise faithfully unto me that although I do accord unto this marriag that you shall not undertake the consummation of it until my Father be dead or until I have found a means to procure his consent unto it To this the Bastard most willingly did ingage himself on these promises they did give to one another a ring in the obligation of marriage and kissed each other in the Church before the Face of God whom they took to be the witnesse of their promises and afterwards during the society of their loves there was no other familiarity betwixt them but a kisse only This little contentment gave great satisfaction to the hearts of those two perfect lovers and they lived a long time in this assurance without being discovered by any And there was no place where Honour might be gained to which with great contentment this Bastard did not goe being confident that he could never be poor or miscrable being blessed by God in so happy and so rich a Wise who in his absence did so well preserve her perfect love that she took not the least delight in any man in the world And although that diverse did demand her afterwards in marriage she made no other answer to them but that having stayed so long without a Husband she was now resolved never to marry This answer was given and understood by so many that it came at last to the ear of the Queen who demanded of her what was the reason of it Rolandine made answer That it was to obey her for she understood well enough that she never desired that she should be married to any who should not honourably provide for her and to her own content and that Age and Patience had instructed her to content her self with the Estate in which she was And evermore when they discoursed with her concerning Marriage she did return the like answers When the Wars were ended and the Bastard entertained again at the Court she never had any conference with him before any but repaired alwayes to the Church to hold Discourse with him there under the colour of Confession for the Queen had forbid both him and her to talk together upon pain of Death unlesse it were in some great Company But the Honesty of Love which knows no prohibition was more ready to find means to bring them to speak together than all their Enemies were prepared to prevent them and under the habit of all the religious Orders they could devise they entertained their honest love untill
mutual promises and by the Ceremony of a Ring Wherefore Madam it seems to me that you do me a great wrong to call me wicked seeing that in so great and perfect a love I could find occasion if I would to doe evil which I do forbear for there hath been never betwixt him and my self any other privacy but to kisse only hoping that God would so blesse my undertakings that before the publick celebration of my marriage I should gain the heart of my Father to consent unto it I have neither offended God nor my Conscience For I have attended unto the age of thirty years to see what you and Monsieur my Father would doe for me having preserved my youth in so much chastity that no man living can in the least manner reproach me And by the counsel of that reason which God hath given me seeing my self growing into age I determined with my self to espouse one according to my own heart nor to satisfie the concupiscence of my eyes for you know he is not handsom nor the desires of the flesh for I doe hope he is not carnally given nor to satisfie my ambition or the pride of this life for he is but poor and unadvanced but I look purely and sincerely upon the Virtue the Honesty and the Graces that are in him for which all the world commends him and on the great love which he bears unto me which doth cause me to hope that I shall find comfort and good use with him and having well considered with my self all the good and all the evils that could arrive unto me by him I have taken that part which did seem to be the best unto me and which I have looked up in my heart these two years and more which is to lay out all the remainder of my life in his company And I am determined to hold this resolution so firm that all the torments I can endure be it death it self shall never cause me to startle from this resolution Wherefore Madam Be pleased to excuse that in me which is most excusable as your self no doubt doe well understand and give me leave to live in that peace which I doe hope to enjoy with him The Queen beholding her countenance so constant and finding her words so true could not answer her according unto reason but continuing her choleâ—ick and reproachful words did begin to weep and said unto her Wicked and stubborn as you are who instead of humbling your self before me and of repenting of so great a fault doe assume the boldnesse to speak so peremptorily in the justification of it without so much as one tear in your eye whereby you shew the obstinacy and the insensiblenesse of your heart But if hâ— King and your Father would take my counsel they should send you into another place where you should be constrained to speak words of another sense Madam said Rolandine because you accuse me of speaking too boldly I am resolved to hold my peace if that you are not pleased to give me leave to speak and answer you When she had received commandment to speak she said unto her Madam Far be it from me to speak boldly and without reverence to you who are my Mistresse and the greatest Princesse in Christendom I have not the least thought so to doe but because I have no Advocate to plead for me but the truth only which I my self do know I am bound to declare it without fear hoping that when it is well understood by you you will not esteem me to be such as you call me I fear not that any mortal creature understanding how I have carried my self in the affair I am charged with should condemn me for it for I know that God and my Honor are not offended in it And but be pleased to consider what it is that makes me to speak without fear It is an assurance that he who sees my heart is with me and since I have so great and so just a Judge for me I should offend if I should fear those who are subject to his Judgement And wherefore then Madam ought I to weep since neither my conscience nor my honour do any ways reprove me for this fact and that I am so far from repentance that 〈◊〉 I were to begin it again I would do no otherwise than what I have done But you Madam have a great occasion to weep as well for the many great injuries which you have done me from my first youth hitherto as for that which you do me at this present in rebuking me for a fault before all the world which ought more to be imputed to you than to my self If I had offended God the King you my Parents or my Conscience I should appear very obstinate if I should not melt in repentance for so great a fault But for a good cause which is just and holy and which alwayes carried with it an honourable report unlesse you have too much undervalued it and made it an offence which sheweth the desire you have to deprave me to be greater than your endeavour to preserve or advance the honour of your house and kinred I have no reason to weep at all But Madam since it doth please you I will not contradict it For albeit that you inflict upon me what punishment you please I shall take no lesse pleasure without reason to suffer it than you shall take without reason to command it Wherefore Madam doe you and my Eather give order what shall be the torment I am to endure for I know he will not be wanting to you and I shall be glad at least that for my punishment only he doth altogether follow your will and having been negligent for my good yet it being your desire that he is ready for my evil to be obedient to you But I have a Father in Heaven who I am confident will give me as much patience as I see there are afflictions prepared by you for me and in him alone I have perfect confidence The Queen being full of anger and in dignation to hear those words to proceed from her did command that she should be taken away from before her and put in a chamber by her self where not any should be permitted to speak unto her but they took not her Governesse from her by the means whereof she acquainted the Bastard with the whole progresse of her fortunes and desired to be informed of him what she ought to doe who conceiving that his Imployments in the Kings service were of some value to render him acceptable unto him did with all diligence repair unto the Court and finding the King in the fields he acquainted him with the truth of the fact and besought him that he would doe him being a poor Gentleman so great a pleasure as to appease the Queen and be a means that the marriage might publickly be solemnized The King made no other answer to him but only demanded Do you assure me that
entertain those whose Consciences hearts and understandings are ignorant of God and true love and Honour Although your account be but short said Oysilla yet it is as pleasant as may be and conduceth much to the honour of the good Woman In sober sadness said Simontault it is no great honour to an honest woman to refuse so deformed a Creature as you have expressed this Secretary to be but if he had been lovely and debonair then had she shewed her Virtue And because I peradventure do conceive who this Secretary was if it were now my turn I could rehearse another account unto you as pleasant altogether as this you shall not he wanting for that said Emarsuite for I give you my voice whereupon he did immediatly begin Those who are accustomed to have their residence at the Court or in some great Cities doe esteem so highly of their own knowledge that they think all others are but fools and clowns in the comparison of them but it is not so for in all Countreys and amongst all conditions of men there have been found some as witty always and as subtle as the others possible can be neverthelesse by reason of the Pride of those who think themselves most cunning the mockery of them when they are over-matched is always more remarkable as I shall shew you by this true Account which happened not many years agoe A certain Secretary was resolved to be too hard for a Merchant who was too hard for him and what befell him thereupon The eighth Novel FRancis the first of that name being in the City of Paris and his Sister the Queen of Navar in his company she had a Secretary who was none of those who would let any thing fall down on the ground and refuse to take it up again insomuch there was neither President nor Counsellor which he did not know nor Merchant or rich man whose house he did not frequent and hold intelligence with them There came into the said City of Paris a Merchant of Bayons named Bernard du Ha who as well for the discharge of his affaires as for that the Lieutenant Civil was of his Country did addresse himself unto him for his Counsel and Assistance This Secretary of the Queen of Navar did oftentimes repair to visit the Lieutenant who was a good Servant of his Master and of his Mistresse and going to him upon a Holy-day he found neither him nor his Wife at home but heard Bernard du Ha within as busie as might be with a Viol or some other Instrument teaching the Maid-Servants to dance the Morice of Gascogny When the Secretary beheld him he would have made him believe that he did very ill and assured him that if the Lieutenant or his Wife should know of it they would be highly displeased with him And having sufficiently laid forth the inconvenience of what he had done and the danger that might ensue thereon Bernard du Ha did beseech the Secretary not to speak unto the Lieutenant of it who said unto him what will you give me and I will hold my peace Bernard du Ha who entertained not so great a fear as he made a shew for observing that the Secretary would cajole him to a forfeit did promise him to give him a Pasty of the best Hanch of Gascony Venison that he did ever ear The Secretary being well contented with it did desire him that he might have his Pasty on Sunday after Dinner which Bernard du Ha did promise and assured him that he should not fail of it Whereupon the Secretary repaired to a Gentlewoman in Paris whom above all Creatures he desired to espouse and said unto her Madam If you please I will come on Sunday next to sup with you but you are to take care for nothing but only good bread and good Wine for I have over-reached so hansomly a Merchant of Bayons that all the rest shall be at his expence and by my fine circumvention of him you shall eat of the bravest Hanch of Venison that ever was brought from Gascogny to Paris The Gentlewoman who did believe him did send for three or four of the most considerable of her Neighbours and did assure them of something which was very dainty and which they never tasted of before When Sunday was come the Secretary was fain to look after the Merchant and finding him upon the bridge he graciously saluting him said unto him The Devills take you all of them what a trouble have you put me to to find you out Bernard du Ha replyed unto him many men have taken more pains than you who have not been recompensed with such a present And speaking those words unto him he shewed him the Pasty which he had underneath his cloak and was big enough to feed a whole Camp at which the Secretary was so overjoyed that having made up his wide mouth he hastily took it and leaving the Merchant in the street without inviting him to cat of his own Venison he brought his Present to the young Gentlewoman who had a great desire to know If the Viands of Guyen were as good as the Dainties of Paris The hour of Supper being come as they were earing their pottage the Secretary said unto them Let us leave off this watry Diet and tast of this Flagon of Wine and speaking those words he uncovered the Pasty and thinking to cut up the Hanch he did find it so extremely hard that he could not put his knife into it wherefore he used the utmost of his strength and found that it was a broad piece or Sabot of wood of which their shooes are made in Gascoigny to which on each side he had placed two great brands taken out of the Chimney and strowed on the tops thereof the Dusts of rusty Iron mingled with foot which could not but render a gratefull smell Who was perplexed now It was the Secretary as much that he was deceived by him whom he thought to deceive himself as also that he had deceived her to whom he thought that he had spoken the Truth And on the other side he was no wise pleased to content himself only with pottage for his Supper The women who were altogether as sorry as himself had accused him for his Imposture but that they perceived by his Countenance that he did partake with them in the abuse Having thus contrary to his expectation made but a light Supper he departed in a great choler And seeing that Bernard du Ha had failed in his promise he resolved with himself to break his own and addressing himself to the Lieutenant he did speak the worst words that possibly he could of Bernard But he could not come so soon but Bernard du Ha had been with him before and revealed unto him all the mystery The Lieutenant therefore did passe his sentence on the Secretary and said that at his own expence he had now learned to circumvent a Gascoign and must therefore return with
that above all things to the utmost of her power she did fly all temptations to behold him At the sast the great Desire which he had to expresse his love unto her did prompt him to an Expedient for the accomplishment thereof which was to ride on his great Horse he being most experienced in that Art in a publique place of the City before the house of his Butler where Frances lived and having made his Horse to tread many Rings and to rise aloft into many dangerous Corvetts where Frances might behold him he did premeditately fall from his Horse into a deep Mire and so easily that he received no hurt at all howsoever he complained much and demanded if there were no lodgings thereabouts that he might change his habiliments Every one was ready at his Door to present their service to him but some that stood by did assure him that his own Butlers house was the next and the best of which he made choice above all others He found there a Chamber richly accommodated and stripped himself into his shirt for his cloaths were all corered with Mud When he was in Bed and observed that his Servants were gone from him to provide him with new habiliments he called for his Host and Hostesse and demanded of them where Frances was They had much to do to find her for as soon as she perceived the Prince did enter into the house she did hide her self in the most obscure and unfrequented place thereof Neverthelesse her Sister found her out who did intreat her not to be afraid to hold Discourse with such a Civil and so Virtuous a Prince How my Sister said Frances Do you whom I reverence as my Mother advise me to Discourse with a young Lord whose Desires you can witnesse with me I do know too well Her Sister made her so many Remonstrances and Promises that she would not leave her alone with him that at the last she did go along with her but with a countenance so discoloured so wan and spiritlesse that it would rather beget Pity than Concupiscence When the Prince beheld her near unto his Bed he did take her by her hand which was cold and trembling and said unto her Frances Do you esteem me to be so cruel a man so barbarous and devouring that I ear up Women when I doe look upon them Wherefore have you so great a fear of him who regardeth nothing more than your honour and advantage You know that in all places that it was possible for me to find you I have sought you out only to see you and to speak unto you and to do me the greatest spite in the world you have forsaken all those places where I was accustomed to see you at Masse that I might receive no contentment at all either by seeing you or by speaking to you But all this hath served you to no purpose for I have not ceased to follow you and am come hither by the means which you have seen having endanger'd to break my neck by falling willfully from my Horse to receive the Contentment onely but to speak to you Wherefore I intreat you Frances because I have put my self into Danger with so much inconvenience that it may not be unprofitable to me and that with my great love I may purchase yours When a long time he attended her answer and beheld that she had tears in her eyes which were fixed on the ground drawing her unto him as close as possibly he could he thought to have kissed and embraced her but she said unto him No Sir No That which you search after must not be had for although I am but a Worm of the Earth in comparison of you my honour is so dear unto me that I had rather dye than have it diminished for the greatest pleasure in the world and the fear which I have that those who have seen you come into this House do suspect me to be the cause of it is the occasion of that great trembling which is upon me And because it hath pleased you to do me so great an Honour as to speak unto me you must pardon me if I make an answer to you according as my Honour doth command me I am not so blind my Lord either in my understanding or my eys that I do not perfectly see the great Beauty and the Graces with which God hath indued you and I do believe that Lady shall be the most happy Woman in the world who shall possesse the Body and the Love of so accomplished a Prince But to what purpose is all this seeing it is not for me to enjoy nor any Maid of my low condition insomuch that but onely the desire of it should be in me a perfect folly What may I conceive to be the Reason which doth cause you to addresse your self to me but onely that the Ladies of your Court whom you cannot chuse but love if Beauty and all her Graces are to be loved by you are so virtuous that you dare not demand that of them which the smallnesse of my Estate doth prompt you unto a hope to receive from me And I am confident that when you shall enjoy that which you do desire of such a silly Maid as my self it will serve as a subject only to you to entertain discourse with your Mistresse for two long hours and more in accounting to her your great Victories to the prejudice and overthrow of a weak and credulous Virgin But my Lord I must beseech you to consider with your self that I am not of that Condition I have been brought up in a House where I have learned what it is to love My Father and my Mother were your faithfull Servants wherefore I must beseech you since God hath not made me a Princesse to be espoused to you nor of Estate to be accounted your Mistresse or your Sweet-heart that you would not make me your Prostitute for I do highly esteem of your Virtues and do desire that you may be the most happy of all the Princes in Christendom And if for your Recreation you will have Women of my Estate you may find enough in this City and beyond all comparison far more handsom than my self who will not put you to so much trouble to intreat them Addresse your self therefore unto those the purchase of whose honour may be pleasing to you and let her alone who doth love you better than her self for if it should so fall out that either your life or my own should this day be required of God I should esteem my self most happy to sacrifise my own for the preservation of yours It is not for want of love that I doe fly from your Company but something else is lodged in my Conscience for my Honour is more dear unto me than my life If it please you my Lord I will doe the uttermost of my indeavour to continue in your good opinion and through all my life will pray unto God for your health
HEPTAMERON OR THE HISTORY OF THE FORTUNATE LOVERS Written by the most Excellent and most Virtuous Princess Margaret de Valoys Queen of NAVARRE Published in French by the Privilege and immediate Approbation of the KING Now made English by Robert Codrington Master of Arts. LONDON Printed by F. L. for Nath Ekins and are to be sold at his Shop at the Gun by the West-End of St. Pauls 1654. To the truly Honourable the true Lover of all good Learning Thomas Stanley Esquire c. SIR SInce I knew the World I have constantly professed my self to be a stranger to it yet there is no place so remote from observation that is not acquainted with your Vertues which like the bright Beams of the Sun do enter into and enlighten the obscurest angles The light of this knowledge is a happiness which is most suitable to retired Spirits for although the gaudy World doth cry up Virtue and Nobleness and doth make pretences outwardly to follow them yet they will not pay homage to them on their Account or on the formality of their praises but distinguishing the noise from the effect will make it their great business to trace them through all Adventures and having in their Contemplation enjoyed a full sight and sense of their perfections will in their practise thankfully endeavour to be worthy of them Sir These Arts did lead me to the knowledge of you and my thankfulnesse shall lead you to the knowledge of my self which presents unto your hand this delightfull History written in the Original by an Incomparable Princess and acceptable to the greatest Potentates in Christendom who with great applause have entertained the Work If the Foundation doth seem but light and sandy the height the soundness and the Magnificence of the superstructure wil be the more admired which hath already lasted so many Ages and which Translated now into the English air will undoubtedly continue longer if the Honor of your Name may be seen on the portal thereof to give life unto the Endeavours of him who is Sir Your most humble and most devoted Servant Robert Codrington The Translator to the Reader THose who undertake to render in another Tongue the Conceptions of great Princesses ought to be indued with the like Spirit I will not be too vain to commend nor too vile to undervalue my self For the Divinity by this great Lady in many places here inserted it is left to your Candor to interpret of it But for the Philosophy you shall undoubtedly find that most wisely she hath sorted her discourse in fit persons to the four Complexions of the Natural Body Besides you shall every where read most excellent Precepts of Moral Philosophy The Canonists also and the Casuists will here have enough in many passages on which with admiration to reflect I am informed that the Queen had fully finished the Tenth days work but the Friers and Religious Men who have deprived us of the two last Journals and of the greatest part of the eighth would have deprived us also of all the Rest if possibly they could have prevented it And this is that of which Gruget doth implicitely complain in his Epistle to the succeeding Queen of Navarre which for your further satisfaction I have here inserted If any thing in the whole Work shall appear too light you must ballance it with that which shall be found more solid and impute it to the simplicity of those times and to the Condition of that Court where Mars and Venus were for a long time the two culminating Planets To the most Illustrious and most Virtuous Princesse Madam Jane De Foix Queen of NAVARR Madam I Had not presumed to present unto you this Book of the Novels of the late Queen your Mother if the first Edition had not omitted or concealed her Name and so changed the whole form of it that many did not know it wherefore to make it worthy of its Author whenever it was divulged I gathered together all the original and best written Copies that possibly I could procure and justifying them by my own I have reduced the Book to the true order in which she had dressed it Since by the permission of the King and your own consent it hath been committed to the Presse to be published in that primitive integrity in which it ought to be which doth prompt me to call into my memory what Count Balthazar in the Preface of his Courtier doth affirm of Boccace that his work of Recreation meaning his Decameron did bring him more honour than all those more serious pieces which he did compose in the Latin or the Italian tongue In this same manner the Queen of Navarr the true Ornament of our Age from whom you nothing do degenerate in the love and knowledge of good Letters exercising her witty mirth and playing on the various Acts of human life hath left such excellent instructions that there is no Man but may be taught therby to improv his lifâ— understanding and according to the judgement of all she hath surpassed Boccace in the â—legâ—â—â—â— discourses which she hath made on every one of her Accounts for which she deserveth to be praised not only above all excellent Ladies but also amongst the most learned Men For of the three stiles of speaking described by Cicero she hath made choice of the plain one like unto that of Terence in Latin which appeareth to every one to be easie to imitate but he who undertaketh it shall find nothing more difficult True it is that this present will not be new and you will acknowledge it as descended to you by Inheritance Neverthelesse I assure my self you will with a glad eye observe it in this second impression to be restored to its first condition for I understand that the first was distastful to you not that he was an unletterd Man Who took pains in it and we may easily believe that he would not disguise it without some occasion but his travel is not found to be acceptable I therefore Madam do present it to you not for any pretences of my own in it but having only unmasked it and rendord it in its Native lustre It belongs to your Royal Greatnesse to favour it being derived from your Illustrious Family It carryeth also that Mark in the Forehead of it which will be as a safe conduct to it through all the World and render it acceptable to all good Companies For my self acknowledging the Honour you shall do me to receive from my hand this work digested into its first order I shall be perpetually obliged to do you most humble service Claudius Gruget The true and lively Pourtraicture of the most Illustrious and most Excellent Princess Margaret of Valois Daughter to Henry the II. Sister to Henry the III. and Wife to Henry the IV. of France Excellently set forth by the inimitable pen of Peter du Ronsard and by him shadowed in the Person of Pasithea one of the Graces attending on the Deity
opening the trap-door which was so fitly made and covered with cloath that it made not the least crack he went up into the Ladies Chamber between the bed and the wall and without any regard to the obligation which he made her nor to the illustrious family of which she was descended and without demanding any leave or making reverence to her he lay down close unto her who sooner found her self in his arms then perceived his comming But she being a lusty woman did wrest her self out of his arms and asking him who he was began to strike and bite and scratch him insomuch that he was constrained for fear she should cry out to stop her mouth with the coverlet which was impossible for him to doe for when she saw that he spared nothing of all his strength to procure her shame she spared nothing of her own to defend her self and as lowd as she could she called for her Lady of Honour an antient and wise Woman who lay in her Chamber who presently in her Smock made hast unto her Mistresse when the Gentleman found that he was discovered he had so great a fear to be known who he was that as fast as he could he went down the same way he came up and as great as his hope was before and desire to be entertained so great a grief and despair possessed him to find himself return'd in that sad condition He found his Glasse and the Candle upon the table and looking on his face bleeding with the scratches which she had given him and the blood dropping on his short which had discoloured the gold he began to say O beauty thou hast now well rewarded me according to my merit for through thy vain promises I have attempted a thing which is impossible and which it may be instead of augmenting my contentments may be the doubling of all my sorrows being assured that if she should know that against the promise I have made her I have enterprised this folly I should lose all the respect and familiar frequentation which no man hath with her more than my self To gain the love of her heart I should not by force have attempted to have surprized her fair body but by my service and humble patience have attended untill that Love became victorious for without it all the virtue and force of Man have no power at all In this manner he passed away the night in complaints tears and sighs which cannot be number'd In the Morning beholding his face so torn he counterfeited that he was sick and not able to endure the light untill the Princes were gone from his House The Lady who remained victorious being confident that there was not a man in her Brothers Court who durst have attempted so lewd an enterprise but he only who assumed the boldnesse to declare his love unto her did assure her self that it was he who endeavoured so much to work her shame and with her Lady of Honor sought every place and corner of the Chamber to find which way it could be and when she could not discover any thing she spoke unto her in a great choler Assure your self that it can be no other but the Master of the house and in the morning I will make such a complaint to my Brother of him that his head shall be the witnesse of my Chastity Her Lady of Honour seeing her in this resolution spake unto her Madam I am very sensible of the Love which you have unto your Honor to increase which you will not spare the life of one who hath too much hazarded it through the force of that love he bears you but oftentimes we think to increase that which we diminish Wherefore I beseech you Madam that you would vouchsafe to represent unto me the truth of the fact and when the Lady had given her an account of it all along her Lady of Honor said unto her You assure me then that he received nothing but blows and scratches from you The Lady made answer Nothing else I dare assure you and if he meet not with a good Chirurgion I do beleeve that on to morrow the marks will be apparent Madam since it iâ—slo said her Lady of Honour it seems to me that you have more occasion to praise God than to resolve with you self to be revenged of him for you ought to beleeve since he hath so great a heart to make such an enterprise the despite he hath to have failed in it is more grievous to him than any Death that you can give him If you desire to be revenged on him let him alone to Love and Shame which know better how to torment him than you or any Instigations of your Honor. Take heed Madam to fall into an Inconvenience such as is his own for instead of enjoying the greatest pleasure that possibly he could desire he hath received the greatest shame that possibly a Gentleman can indure So you Madam thinking to increase your Honour do go the next way to diminish it For if you will make a complaint you will make that publick which now no Man knows for you may be sure that for his part he will not reveal it unto any And whe Monsieur your Brother shall perform that Justice which you demand and the poor Gentleman shall come to suffer death the Report will run that he would have to doe with you according to his pleasure and the greatest part will say That it is a strange thing for a Gentleman to make such an enterprise if the Lady had not given him some great occasion her self You are fair and young and merry in all Company there is not any in this Court who doth not observe the daily respects of Love which you vouchsafe this Gentleman you suspect who will not judge that if he hath made such an attempt it is not without some fault on your side And your Honour which untill now hath always gone with an advanced head shall be disputed of in every place where this story shall be repeated The Lady understanding the good reasons of her Lady of Honour did apprehend that she spake the truth and that justly she should be blamed especially by reason of the familiar love that she was pleased to shew unto him She therefore demanded of her Lady of Honour what she should do who said unto her Madam since you are pleased to receive my counsell and do observe the affection from whence it comes it seems to me that you ought to entertain a perfect joy in your heart that the most handsom and most accomplished Gentleman that I have seen knew neither by love nor force to dispossesse you of your Chastity And for this Madam you ought to humble your self before God and to acknowledge that this is not by your virtue for many great Ladies who have led a life more austere than your self have been humbled by Men lesse worthy to be loved than himself And moreover you ought to take heed to
I require of you that one of you after another will take his pleasure of me for I have too much modesty that you should see me both together therefore make choice which of you will take me first They sound this request very just and the younger of them did consent that he who was the older should begin and drawing near to a little Iland she said to the younger Frier stay here and say your Orisons until I have carried your Companion into yonder Iland if at his return he do commend me to you we will leave him here and you and I will goe together whereupon the younger of the Friers leaped into the Iland where he attended the return of his companion whom the Ferrywoman did row into another Iland and when she came to it she made a pretence as if she would have made fast her boat and said unto him My friend Look in what place we shall be whereupon the Frier entred upon the Iland to find out some corner that might seem for their purpose as soon as she saw him on land with one of her feet against a Tree she thrust back the boat which presently retired into the River and left the two Friers in the two desarts and cryed out unto them as loud she could My friends attend until the Angel of God shall come to comfort you for this day you are like to have nothing of me that shall do it The two poor Friers finding the deceit fell both upon their knees upon the banks of the River beseeching her that she would not put them to that shame and assured her that if she would gently waft them to the place where they were to land they would demand nothing of her But she rowing on did say unto them I should be a fool having escaped your hands if I should put my self again into them and returning to the village she called her husband and those who belonged to the judicature to come and surprise those inraged wolfs whose teeth by the grace of God she had escaped who went along with her so well accompanied that neither great nor smal would stay behind but would all partake in the pleasure of this sport The poor Friers seeing so great a company comming did hide themseves in the Ilands as sometimes Adam did from the face of God Their shame did set their sins before their eyes and the fear of being punished did make them greatly to tremble as if they were more than half dead but that did not save them from being apprehended and led away prisoners which was not without being mocked and hooted at both by men and women Some said these godly fathers do preach chastity unto us and yet would take away our wives from us Her Husband said they will not touch silver with a naked hand but will handle the thighs of our wives which are more dangerous Others said they are Sepulchers white without and within full of rottennesse and some cryed out by their fruits you may know what trees they are You may believe that all the passages and places which the Scripture urgeth against Hypocrites were alleged against these poor prisoners who by the means of their Governour were acquited and delivered he with great diligence came to demand them assuring those who belonged to Justice that they should suffer greater punishment than the Seculars could inflict upon them and to satisfie the parties did protest that they should say over so many suffrages and prayers as they should charge them with whereupon the Judge did yeeld to his request and gave him the prisoners who were so well chaptered by their Governour who was an honest man that never afterwards they passed the River without making the signe of the Crosse and recommending themselves to God Ladies I beseech you to consider with your selves That if this Boat-woman had the apprehension to cozen two such malitious men what ought they to do who have both seen and read such excellent examples If these who know nothing who hardly in a whole year do hear two good Sermons who have not the leisure to think on any other thought but how to get a poor subsistence to maintain life being so strongly sollicited do yet so carefully keep their Chastity what ought they to do who being abundantly provided for should have no other businesse than to turn over the holy Bible and to hear Sermons and to exercise themselves in every act of virtue It is there where we are to learn virtue and piety which is to be lively ingrafted in the heart And where the sense and force of Man is found to be the lesse there the Spirit of God doth the greatest works and most unhappy is that Lady who with all her care doth not guard that Treasure which doth bring her so much honour being well preserved and so much dâ—shonor on the contrary Longaren said unto her Guebron It seems to me to be no great virtue to deny a Frier nay which is more it is a thing almost impossible to love them Guebron made answer Longaren those who are not accustomed to have such Servants as you have will not be ashamed of a Frier for they be as handsom as strong men and more reposed than we who are unprovided of their harness and if they speak like Angels they are some of them as importunat as Devils therfore those women who have seen no Robes but what are russet are truly virtuous if they can escape their hands Nomerfide spake aloud By my faith you may say what you please but of the two I had rather be thrown into the River than lie with a Frier Oysilla replyed unto her in laughter I make no question Lady but you can swim well Nomerside began to take exceptions at those words thinking that Oysilla had not that esteem of her as she deserved wherfore she spake unto her in choler There are some who to my knowledge have refused persons more agreeable than a Frier and have sounded no Trumpet neither Oysilla begun to laugh to see her angry and said unto her No more do they beat a Tabour for that which they have done and given their consent unto Parlament said I doe wâ—ll perceive that Simontault hath a desire to speak wherefore I give him my voice for after two sad stories we should have one told us that should not make us to weep Mary I thank you for that said Simontault for in giving me your voice I do not desire that you should call me pleasant which is a Name I do find too distastfull and therefore to be revenged I will declare unto you that there are women which make an appearance of Chastity amongst some and for such a time but the end will demonstrate them to be as they are as you shall find by a true story which I will represent unto you The fultilty of a wife who helped her Friend to escape when her Husband that had but one eye thought to have
surprized them The sixth Novell THere was an antient Groom of the Chamber of Charles the last Duke of Alencon who had lost one Eye and was married to a wife far younger than himself His Master and Mistresse did love him as well as any Man of his rank in all their House which was the occasion that he could not see his Wife as often as he would who in his absence did so much forget her honour and her conscience that she fell in love with a young Gentleman by reason whereof the report at last was so hot and so current that her Husband was advertised of it who could not believe it by reason of the great signes of Love which his Wife did shew unto him Neverthelesse one day he determined with himself to make experience of it and if he could to revenge himself on that person who had brought this shame upon him To accomplish his design he pretended to go to a certain place not far from home for three or four dayes He was no sooner departed but his Wife sent to her Friend to acquaint him with it who was not with her above half an hour but behold her Husband was returned and knocked aloud at the Gate She who knew him told her Friend of it who was so amazed and put into such a fright that he could wish himself again in the belly of his Mother and cursed both her and her love who had brought him into so much danger but she assured him that he needed not trouble himself for she would find a means to get him safe forth undiscovered and without the least disgrace and desired him to put on his cloaths with what speed he could In the mean time her Husband continued knocking at the Gate and called upon his Wife as loud as he could but she seemed not to take notice that it was be and spake aloud to the Groom within Why do you not rise and answer those who make such a noise at the Gate Is this an hour of the night for any one to come into an honest house If my Husband were at home he would make you to look a little more about you The Husband hearing the voice of his Wife did call unto her as loud as he could Wise open the door will you have me stay here untill morning when she perceived that her Sweet-heart was quite dressed and readie to go she opened the door and said unto her Husband My dear Husband how glad am I of your comming for I was in a marvellous Dream and was so well pleased that I never received the like content before for me thoughts that you had recovered the sight of your other Eye and in imbracing and kissing him she took him by the head and putting her hand upon that Eye with which he did see she asked him Tell me doe you not see better far than you were accustomed to doe and in the mean time whiles he could not see one wink she did let her friend go out of the door of which her husband immediatly had a doubt and said unto her My Wife By God I will never watch you any more for in thinking to deceive you I have the finest trick put upon me by you that I think ever was invented God amend you for it is not in the power of any man alive to put a stop to the desires of a woman unlesse he should kill her out-right But since the good entertainment I have given you cannot conduce to reclaim you my neglect and contempt of you for the time to come shall peradventure be some chastisement to you And speaking those words he departed from her leaving her perplexed and disconsolate enough who by the means of her friends and kinred and by her tears and excuses was afterwards reconciled unto him By this you may perceive my Ladies how prompt and how subtle a woman is to escape a danger and if her spirit can readily find a remedy to cover and conceal a fault I believe it is not impossible but that one day it may be as fine and forward to perform some good For the good spirit as I have often heard is evermore the strongâ—st Hircan made answer to her you may talk what you will of the subtilty of Women but I have such an opinion of you that if you had been taken in the same fault you could not tell which way to conceal it She made answer I had rather you should esteem me the veryest fool in the world than to be found in such a conditioÌ„ I do not mean so said Hircan but I conceive you to be such a one as would be rather amazed at the misfortune than be so cunning to contrive the means to conceal it You think said Nomerfide that every one is like to you to cover one Error with another but there is great danger that in the end the foundation to sustain the covertures would be so much overcharged that it would desâ—â—oy the whole building But if you conceive that the subtilty of men with which you all think your selves to be all sufficiently furnished to be greater than the subtilties of women I will willingly give you my place to give unto us some account thereof and if you will propound your self for an example I do believe that you could shew us instances enough I am not here said Hircan to make my self worse than I am although I believe here are some that think hardly enough of me Speaking those words he did look upon his wife who incontinently said unto him Be not afraid to speak the truth for me for it will be more pleasing to me to bear of your prancks than to see them acted before me howsoever there is nothing that can make me to diminish the love I bear unto you Hircan made answer I will not here complain of all those false opinions which you have had of me but because we know one another so well it will be the occasion of the greater surety for the time to come However I am not so great a fool to rehearse any History of my self the truth whereof might compasse any discontent unto you but I will tell you one of a personage who is indeed one of my friends A Merchant of Paris deceived the Mother of his Sweet-heart to cover their fault The Seventh Novell IN the City of Paris there was a Merchant who loved the Daughter of his Neighbour or to speak more properly who was a greater Friend to her than she was to her self for the semblance he did make to love and court her was only in relation to a love more high and honourable But she who consented to have her self deceived did love him so passionatly that she had forgot the fashion by which Maids are accustomed to deny young men The Merchant having a long time taken pains to go and wait upon her did now make her come where he pleas'd to wait upon him of which her Mother had notice
being a very virtuous Gentlewoman did command her to speak no more unto the Merchant for if she found she did she would put her into a Religious house But the young girl who loved the Merchant more than she scared her mother did grow more fond of him than before It so fell out that being one day in the wardrop the Merchant came unto her who finding her in a commodious place began to speak unto her as privatly as possibly he could but one of her Chamber-maids seeing him come in did run to her mother to acquaint her with it who in a great choler made hast into the wardrop when her Daughter did hear her coming she spake with tear in her eys unto the Merchant Alas â—y dear friend I shall at this time pay dearly for the love I bear unto you Behold my Mother is at the Door who will now well discover that which she hath always feared and doubted the Merchant was nothing perplexed at it but immediatly did leave her and did goe unto her Mother and stretching out his arms he took her into them and did imbrace her as closely as possibly he could in the same heat as he began to entertain her Daughter he threw her Mother upon the Couch who found the manner of it so strange unto her that she knew not what to say unto him but only Rise up for Gods sake what do you make account to do but for all that he did not forbear to press so close upon her as if she had bin the youngest the handsomâ—st Lady in the world had it not been that she cryed out so loud that her grooms and chamber-maids came to her succour she had passed the same way her self in which she feared that her Daughter walked wherefore by fine strength they forced the poor old woman from between the Arms of the Merchant and neither could she nor ever afterwards did she know the reason why the Merchant so much ruffled her During this warm entertainment her Daughter saved her self in a house hard by where a marriage was solemnized in which the Merchant and they have since oftentimes made good mirth at it at the costs of the old woman who never perceived any thing By this Ladies you may see that the subtilty of a Man both deceived an old Woman and saved the honour of a young one but he that should name the persons to you or set forth in their true colours the Countenance of the Merchant or the Amazement of the Old Woman must have some great burden of horror upon his Conscience if he could refrain from laughing I sufficeth me that by this History I prove unto you that the Craft and Ingenuity of Men is as ready and helpfull at need as that of Women to the end Ladies that you may not be afraid to fall into their hands for when your spirits shall fail you theirs shall be ready to protect your honours Longaren said unto him Hircan I must confess that this Account is very pleasant and the subtilty great but this is not an Example which either Maids or Wives ought to follow I do believe that there are some whom you may perswade to think well of it but you are not such a fool to have your own Wife or her whose honour above all pleasures you prefer to play at that game I do believe that there is not one who would set a more narrow watch or would better order them than your self Upon my credit said Hircan If she of whom you speak should do the like and I were not assured of it I should esteem never the lesse of her Parlament could not contain her self from saying It is impossible for a man doing evil himself not to be suspitious but thrice happy is he who gives no occasion to be suspected Longaren said I have never seen a great fire from whence there proceeded no smoak but I have often seen a great smoak in which there hath been no fire A person is suspected to be evil but by such as are evil and oftentimes we are thought to be such as indeed we are not Hircan said Truly Longaren you have spoken so well in maintaining the honour of Ladies unjustly suspected that I give you my voice but not to speak so as to make us weep as Madam Oysilla hath done in her praises of a good Woman Longaren beginning to laugh out-right said Because you have a desire that I should make you laugh according to my Custom it shall not be to the prejudice of Women and so will I speak that I may represent how easie they are to he deceived when they set their fancy upon jealousie with a true estimation of their good Intentions in their honest attempts to deceive their Husbands A certain Man having lain with his Wife instead of his Chamber-maid did send his Neighbour to her who made him a Cuckold and his Wife perceived nothing at all The eighth Novell IN the County of Albez there was a man named Borner who had espoused a virtuous Woman and of good fortunes whose honour and reputation he did much cherish as all men there are most tender of their Wives and although he would have his Wife to preserve her Loyalty to him yet he would not that the same law should be equally observed betwixt them both for he fell in love with his Chambermaid in the change of whom for his Wife he feared nothing but that diversity of Viands would not be agreeable He had a Neighbor of his own complexion whose name was Saunders a Drummer and a Taylor and so great was the friendship betwixt them that in all things they did partake with one another but in their Wives only Wherfore he declared to his friend the design he had upon his Chamber-maid who not onely did like it well but with all his endeavours did assist him in the performance hoping to have his share in the booty The Chamber-maid who by no means would consent unto him finding her self oppressed with so many sollicitations did acquaint her Mistâ—esse with it and besought her to give her leave to go unto her Kinred for she said she could live no longer in that torment Her Mistresse who loved her Husband most intirely and was a litle jealous of him was very glad that she had gained this advantage on him and that she justly could demonstrate that unto hm which she so much doubted of wherefore she said unto her Be content good Wench and by little and little entertain my Husband with good words and promises and afterwards you may assign him the place to be privat with you in my Wardrobe but do not fail to acquaint me with the night in which he is to come and have a care that you tell no body of it The Chamber-maid did accordingly as her Mistresse did command her of which her Master was so glad that he repaired to his Companion to tell him what a Feast he was promised who intreated
from him according to his Counsel but also that there was some ill opinion which was an Adjunct to it One afternoon going with her to hear Vespers in the Monastery he said unto her Madam with what countenance do you look upon me Florinda made answer With such a one I think as you would have me Amadour suspecting what she meant and the better to find out the Truth said unto her Madam I have prevailed so much by my daily Indeavours that Paulina hath no longer any suspition concerning you She replyed to him You cannot do better for your self and for me for in doing a Pleasure to your self you do Honour to me By these words Amadour was assured that she believed that he took a pleasure to be in communication with Paulina whereat he was so passionate that he could not contain himself but in a great choler said unto her Madam It is well begun to torment your Servant for I never suffered any trouble that was more afflicting to me than the constraint to speak unto her whom I love not And because that which I have done for your service is taken in another sense I will speak no more unto her let come what will come and to the end to dissemble as well my indignation as I have done my contentment I will retire unto some other place untill this Fancy of yours be passed over But I hope I shall receive some news from my Captain to return unto the wars where I will so long continue that you shall understand that not any in the world but your self could have detained me in this place and in speaking those words without attending any answer he immediately departed and she remained alone so sad and so disconsolate that it was impossible to be more Love now being beaten by a contrary wind did begin to shew his overcoming power insomuch that she acknowledged the Injury and immediatly did write to Amadour and besought him that he would be pleased to return which some days being expired when his great choler was abated he did accordingly I know not in this place how to undertake to give you the least account of the words that passed betwixt them to break this jealousie but he did gain the day insomuch that she promised him that she would never believe any more that he loved Paulina and withall that she would remain assured that it was a Martyrdom insupportable to him to speak either to Paulina or to any other unlesse it were to do her self service After that love had overcome this present suspition and the two Lovers did begin to take more delight than ever to converse together there arrived intelligence that the King of Spain had commanded all his Army into Saulce He therefore who was accustomed to be the foremost failed not to be present where honor was to be purchased but true it is it was with some grief of heart which he was not accustomed to feel as well to be deprived of his delight as for fear that he should find some great change at his return because that he saw Florinda was courted by great Princes and Lords and was now arrived to the age of fifteen years He considered with himself that if in his absence she should be married he should have no more occasion to see her unlesse her mother the Countesse of Arand were pleased so far to honour his wife as to make her her Companion And he so well ordered this affair among all her friends that both the Countess Florinda promised him that into whatsoever Country she was married his wife Avanturade should go with her And although the question was that Florinda should be married into Portugal it was resolv'd howsoever that his wife should never abandon her In this assurance but not without an unspeakable grief Amadour departed and left his wife with the Countesse When Florinda after the departure of her Servant did find herself to be alone she exercised her self in all good and vertuous imployments hoping thereby to attain the honour of the most absolute Lady in that age and to be reputed worthy to have such a Servant Amadour being arrived at Barcelona was feasted by the Ladies as he was accustomed heretofore but they found him so much changed that they thought that Marriage could never have such power upon any as it had upon him for he seemed unwilling to look on those things which heretofore he delighted to behold and the Countesse of Palamons her self who had so intirely loved him could not find any means to perswade him to go so far as her own house with her Amadour made as little stay at Barcelona as possibly he could for the Hours seemed tedious to him until he were in the place where honour might be obtained Being atrived at Saulce there began a great and crucl war betwixt the two Kings of which I will give you no account in this place nor of the brave at chievments which Amadour performed for if I should give you a just account of them it would make a large Volume But you may understand that he was more renowned than all his Companions The Duke of Naygueres not long after came to Perpignan and brought with him two Thousand men and desired Amadour to be his Licutenant who with that Brigade did so well his Devoir that in all the skirmishes there were none other cryed up but the Naygueres It so fell out that the King of Tunis who for a long time made War with the Spaniards understanding that the Kings of France and Spain were in War one with another upon the Frontires of Perpignan and Narbon conceived that he never in a better season could do a displeasure to the King of Spain he therefore sent a great number of Frigots and other Vessels to pillage and destroy that which they should find to be ill guarded upon the confines of Spain They of Barcelona observing a great Fleet to passe by them did advertise the King of it who was then at Saulce and immediatly commanded the Duke of Naygueres to march with all speed to Palamons When the Turkes understood that the place was so well guarded they pretented to sail beyond it but upon the hour of midnight they returned and laid so many of the Defendants upon the ground that the Duke of Naygueres being surprised by his Enemies was led away prisoner Amadour who was very watchfull heard the Alarum and on a sudden did draw into a body as many of his Souldiers as he could and defended himself so well that the whole power of his Enemies could not for a long time be prejudicial to him But in the end understanding that the Duke of Naygueres was taken and that the Turks were resolved to set Palamons on fire and to burn him in the house where he defended himself against them he thought it safer to surrender himself than to be the cause of the destruction of so many gallant Souldiers who were in his Company and
having payed his ransom he hoped withall that he should be so happy as to see again Florinda On this he yeelded himself prisoner to a Turk called Derlin Governour of Tunis for the King who immediately did bring him to his Master where he was very well received and honoured and had a stronger guard set on him for the Turks thought having him in their hands that they had got the Achilles of the Spaniards In this condition Amadour continued almost two yeats under the King of Tunis In the mean time the News of this Captivity was brought into Spain for which the Kinsmen of the Duke of Naygueres made a great lamentation but those who loved the honour of their Country did esteem the losse of Amadour to be far greater The report of this Defeat was brought unto the House of the Countesse of Arand at the same time when poor Avanturade was extremely sick The Countesse who had a great doubt her self of the affection which Amadour did bear unto her Daughter which she suffered and dissembled by reason of the great virtues which she saw to shine in him did call her Daughter to her and did acquaint her with this melancholly News Florinda who knew well enough to dissemble said unto her that it was a great losse to all their House but most of all she pityed his poor Wife especially considering the great weaknesse she was in but seeing her Mother weep so bitterly she let fall a few tears also to keep her company to the end that by dissembling too much her dissimulation might not be discovered After that her Mother did speak often to her concerning him but could never collect any thing from her countenance whereby to assure her judgment I will here forbear to make mentiō of those Pilgrimages Prayers Orisons and Fasts which Florinda ordinarily made for the safety and deliverance of Amadour who as soon as ever he arrived at Tunis did not fail to send the News of his Misfortunes to his friends and by a sure Messenger he advertised Madam Florinda that he was in good health and in good hope to see her again which was the only comfort this poor young Lady had to sustain her affliction And you may be assured that she found the means to write back unto him which she did so diligently that Amadour could not complain for any want of comfort in her Letters and Epistles Some moneths after the Countesse of Arand was commanded to come to Saragossa where the King was arrived and the young Duke of Cardona with him who used such importunities with the King and Queen that they intreated the Countesse to make up the Marriage betwixt him and her Daughter The Countesse being she who in nothing would disobey them did consent unto it believing that her Daughter being very young had no other desire but what was hers When all was agreed upon she told her Daughter That she had made choice of that party for her who was most necessary The Daughter knowing that in a thing that was already done there needed not any more counsel made answer to her God be praised for all And seeing her Mother to grow strange unto her she chose rather to obey her than to have any pity on herself And to increase her affliction she understood that the Son of the Infant Fortunate was sick unto Death but before her Mother or any other she made not the least appearance of any sorrow and did contain her self so much that her tears by force being retired into her heart did make the blood to spin out of her nose in such abundance that she was in danger of her life but her Mother to recover her did marry her unto him whom willingly she would have exchanged for her Death After the celebration of this Marriage Florinda did repair with her Husband into the Dukedom of Cardona and took along with her Avanturade whom she made partaker of her Complaints as well of the severity of her Mother as of the grief she had to have lost the Son of the Infant Fortunate but of her chief grief for Amadour she spake not one word unto her but only in the way to comfort her After this this young Lady did resolve with her self to have God alwayes and her Honour before her eyes and so well concealed her afflictions that not any of her Servants did ever understand that her Husband was unpleasing to her Thus a long time Florinda continued and lived a life not much better than Death of which she failed not to inform her good Servant Amadour who knowing her great and honest heart and the love which she did bear to the Infant Fortunate did conceive with himself that it was impossible that she should live long and did lament her as one whom he concluded to be worse than dead This affliction did augment that which he had for himself for he wished that he might continue all his life a Slave as he was so that Florinda had but a Husband according to her desire Thus he forgat his own sorrow for that which he perceived his Mistresse did endure And because he understood by a friend That the King of Tunis had an Intent to send for him to the Court and put him to death by drawing a stake through him or to make him renounce his Faith for the desire he had to have him turn Turk and to keep him with him he prevailed so much with the Governour that took him Prisoner that he gave him leave to goe away upon his parole to procure his Ransom which was so great that he thought it was impossible for a Man of his Estate to pay it And thus without speaking one word to the King the Governour let him go Having shewed himself at Court to the King of Spain he made no long stay there but made hast to procure his Ransom amongst his Friends to which purpose he did direct his course to Barcelon to which City the young D. of Cardona his Mother and Florinda were gon to disparch some businesse Avanturade as soon as she had heard the good news of the approach of her Husband made no delay to acquaint Florinda with it who was very joyfull to hear it but so carried it as it were for the love only she did bear to Avanturade But fearing lest the Joy which she had to see him should make her change her countenance and that those who did observe it might give a bad construction to it she stayed at a window to see him afar off and when ever she did behold him to approach she went down a pair of winding stairs so obscure that one could not perceive that she changed her colour and having embraced him she brought him first into her own Chamber and from thence into the Chamber of her Mother-in-Law who had never seen him But he had not continued there two dayes but he so carried himself that he was as well beloved there as he was before in the
her self to satisfy her love and to love him with all her heart but withall to be no wayes forgetfull of her honour In the morning Amadour departed sick and sad as I have told you neverthelesse his heart which was so great that the World could not shew an equal to it did not suffer him to despair but did give him a new intention to enjoy the presence of Florinda and again to be entertained in her favour Wherefore repairing to the King of Spain who was at Toledo he made it his way to go by the Countesse of Arands to whom he came one Evening very late and found the Countesse very sick by reason of the sorrow which she had for the absence of her Daughter Florinda When she beheld Amadour she kissed and embraced him as if he had been her own Son as well for the love she 〈◊〉 bear unto him as for the Love which she conceived he did bear unto Florinda concerning whom she very sollicitously did demand He informed her the best that possibly he could but did not acquaint her with all the Truth and confessed unto her the love betwixt Florinda and himself which Florinda had always concealed desiring her that he might hear from her as often as she could and that she would be pleased to send for her for the more speedy recovery of her own health In the morning he departed and having dispatched his affairs with the Queen he advanced to the Wars but so sad and so changed in his complexion that the Ladies Captains and all those who had been accustomed to his Company did not know him He was altogether cloathed in black and by the outward mourning which he made for his wife he concealed the inward mourning of his heart In this manner Amadour lived three or four years without returning to the Court. And the Countesse of Arand hearing it spoken that Florinda was so extremely altered that it would grieve any one to behold her did send for her hoping that she would be joyfull to come to her but it fell out to the contrary for when Florinda understood that Amadour had declared to her Mother the love that was betwixt them she was in a wonderfull perplexity for on the one side she saw her Mother did esteem so highly of him that if she should acquaint her with the truth Amadour would receive some great displeasure which she would rather die than be the occusion of for she thought her self able enough to punish him for his follies without any assistance of her friends On the other side she feared That in dissembling the evil which she knew she should be constrained by her Mother and by her friends to continue her Discourses and to make much of him by which she was afraid that she should fortifie him in his Presumptions But seeing that he was far remote she made an apparence of being willing to it and sometimes did write unto Amadour when the Countesse did command her but they were such Letters that it was easie to be perceived that they did proceed rather from obedience to her Mother than good will to him Wherefore Amadour was as much grieved at the reading of them as he was accustomed to rejoice at those Letters which heretofore were sent him At the end of two or three years after so many admirable atchievments in the Wars that all the Paper in Spain was not able to contain them he entertained a strange invention not to gain the heart of Florinda for he held that for lost but to obtain another victory over her He did cast behind him all the Counsel of Reason and fear of Death it self to the danger whereof he did so manifestly expose himself The Debate being discussed and concluded he prevailed so much upon the Governour that he was deputed by him to go unto the King concerning some enterprize to be made upon Locat which he adventured to communicate to the Countesse of Arand before he declared it to the King to take her counsel therein he came in Post into the County of Arand where he knew that then Florinda was and sent privately a friend of his to the Countesse of Arand to acquaint her with his comming beseeching her That she would be pleased to keep it secret and that at night he would have some conference with her without the knowledge of any one besides The Countesse being very joyfull of his comming acquainted Florinda with it and sent to her to prepare her self in the Chamber of her Husband to the end that she might be ready when she should send for her and when every one else were withdrawn Florinda who yet was not delivered from her first fear made an apparence to her Mother to do as she commanded but betook her self to her Devotions and did commend her self to God beseeching him to preserve her heart from all inordinate affections and considering with her self that Amadour had often praised her beauty which was not much diminished although she had been a long time sick she determined that it was better to commit an injury upon her beauty than by her means to suffer that the heart of so brave a Man should burn in so loose a fire Wherefore she took a great stone which she found in the Chapel and gave her self so great a blow on the face that her mouth her nose and her eyes were all hurt and bruized with it And because it might not be suspected that she her self had done it when the Countesse her Mother sent for her she fell down at the door of the Chapel upon a great stone and crying out aloud the Countesse came her self to her relief and found her in that pitifull estate Her face was immediately dressed which being done the Countesse did bring her into her own Chamber and did intreat her to repair into her Cabinet to entertain Amadour until such time as she could get cleer of the Company that was with her which accordingly she did thinking that there were some of his servants with him but finding her self all alone and the Doâ—e shut upon her she became as sorrowfull as Amadour was content thinking that either by love or by force he should now enjoy that which he had much desired Having entertained her with a short Discourse and found her in the same mind as he left her and that she had rather die than change her opinion he said unto her Madam I vow unto you the fruit of my labour shall not be taken from me for a scruple and since that Love Patience and humble Prayers can nothing prevail upon you I will not spare by force to obtain that which if not had will procure my Death when Florinda saw his face and eyes so much changed and that the best Complexion in the world did grow red as fire and that most sweet and pleasant look did become so horrible and furious that the fire seem'd to sparkle forth from his eyes which burn'd in his heart And when
City whom in the night he went to court when his Wife was asleep Amongst others there was a most beautifull and virtuous Lady who was Sister to a Gentleman whom the Duke loved as himself and to whom he gave so much authority in his House that his word was obeyed and feared as that of the Dukes and he had no secret in his heart which he declared not unto him Insomuch that he might well be called his second Self The Duke observing his Sister to be so accomplished a Lady and that he had not the means to declare the love which he did bear unto her having sought all wayes that were possible for the effecting of it at last addressed himself to the Gentleman whom so intirely he did affect said unto him If there were any thing in the world my Friend which I would not do for you I should be affraid to declare unto you my thoughts and much more to desire you to be ayding to me in them but I bear you so much good will that if I had Wife Mother or Daughter that might conduce to save your Life I would rather imploy them all in it than to suffer you to die in torment and I believe that the Love which you bear to me is reciprocal to mine And if I who am your Master do bear such an affection to you I presume that you do not bear any lesse to me Wherefore I will declare one secret to you the concealment whereof doth keep me in this estate wherein you see me of which I can look for no amendment but onely by Death or by the service which you may do me The Gentleman observing the Reasons of his Master and that his face in earnest was bathed in tears had so great a compassion of him that he said unto him Sir I am your Creature all the Fortunes and Honours I enjoy do proceed from you you may speak to me as to your friend being assured That all which lies in my power is in your own hands Incontinently the Duke began to declare unto him the love which he did bear unto his Sister which was so great and violent that if by his means he had no redresse he found he could not live long for he knew by experience that neither Letters nor Prayers nor Presents could prevail upon her Wherefore he conjured him If he loved his life as deerly as his life was beloved by him that he would find a means to procure him that benefit which without him he concluded it was impossible to enjoy The Brother who loved his Sister and the honor of his House more than the pleasure of the Duke did endeavour to make him some Remonstrance to the contrary beseeching him in all other ways to imploy him but to excuse him onely in this thing it being too cruel and too unnatural to him to purchase the dishonor of his own bloud that neither his heart nor his Honour could comply with this Command The Duke enflamed with an anger insupportable did bite his nails and made reply unto him in great fury It is no matter seeing I find in you no respects of Friendship to me I know what I have to do The Gentleman understanding the cruelty of his Master was struck into a fear and said unto him Sir Because it is your pleasure I will speak unto her and I will give you an account of her answer to me The Duke answered departing from him As you make much of my life 〈◊〉 will I of yours The Gentleman understood well â—nough what he did mean by those words and absâ—â—ted himself a day or two from the Duke to consider what he had to do On one side there was presented to him the Obligation which he owed to his Master and the benefits and the Honours which he had received from him On the other side his thoughts reflected on the Honour of his House the honesty and chastity of his Sister and the assurance he had that she would never consent to so foul a Motion if she were not surprized by deceit or by force Wherefore having taken these Premises into his consideration he concluded That he would rather die than be the Author of so ill an Office to his Sister who was one of the most virtuous Ladies in all Italy He was rather obliged he did judge to deliver his Countrey from such a Tyrant who by force would stain the Honour of his Family He was assured besides that unlesse the Duke was dead the life of himself and of his Sister were absolutely lost Wherefore without so much as speaking one word unto his Sister he determined with himself to save his own life and by the same way to revenge the shame which was intended to be brought upon her At the end of two dayes he addressed himself to the Duke and told him how he had practised with his Sister who but not without great difficulty did consent unto his pleasure which she hoped should be kept secret seeing none but himself who was her own Brother had any knowledge of it The Duke who desired this News did easily believe it and imbracing the Messenger did promise him whatsoever he would demand and desiring him that it might quickly be put in execution they agreed between themselves upon the day If the Duke were not high with hopes and Joyes I will leave it to you to judge When he saw the night so much desired to approach in which he promised himself to have the Victory over her whom he thought invincible he withdrew himself betimes from his Court having none in his Company but this Gentleman alone and forgot not to take along with him a Night-cap and a shirt perfumed in the best manner as possibly it might be And taking his opportunity in the Evening he did go along with this Gentleman to the Lodging of this Lady where he came into a Chamber very richly prepared The Gentleman assisted him to put off his cloaths and helped him into Bed saying to him Sir I will now go and setch her my self unto you who will not enter into this Chamber without many blushes but I hope before the Morning she will be assured of you In this manner her left the Duke and did go into his own Chamber where he found but one of all his Servants to whom he said Have you the heart to follow me into a place where I will revenge my self on the greatest Enemy I have in the world His Man not knowing what he would do said unto him Yes Sir and it were the Duke himself Immediatly the Gentleman did take him with him who on the sudden had not the leisure to take any other Aâ—ms but a Ponyard only which he had always about him When the Duke did hear him comming conceiving that he had brought her along with him whom he loved so intirely he opened the Curtain and his eyes to behold her and to receive her into his arms whom so long he expected
but instead of beholding her from whom he hoped to have the preservation of his life he beheld the precipitation of his death which was a drawn sword which the Gentleman had in his hand with which he struck at the Duke with all his force who was in his shirt and being without arms but not without heart defended the blow with the Bed-cloaths and taking hold of the Gentleman about the body said unto him Is this the fulfilling of the promise which you made me And seeing he had no other weapon but his teeth and nails he did bite the Gentleman on the pulse of his hands and with the strength of his arms did so long defend himself that they both fell down between the Wall and the Bed The Gentleman who began to be overborn by him called to his servant who sinding the Duke and his Master so tyed together that he knew not which of them to choose did dragg them both by the feet into the middle of the Room and with his Poynard did cut the throat of the Duke who defended himself until the losse of bloud did render him so feeble that he could make no more opposition Then the Gentleman and his Servant did carry him into the bed where with many blows and thrusts of the Ponyard they did over-act their Murder Afterwards having drawn close the Curtains they did both depart and shut up the dead Body in the Chamber When the Gentleman saw himself victorious over his Enemy by whose death he thought to procure the Liberty of the Publick he conceived that his work was imperfect if he did not as much to five or six more of those who were next in power to the Duke And to put his hand to the work he told his Servant that he should go for them one after another and do with them as he had done with the Duke But his Servant who was not of any great heart or courage said unto him Sir Methinks you have done well enough already for one time and that you should rather think of saving your own life than of taking more lives away from others for if we should stay to do as much to every one of them as we have done unto the Duke the day would discover our enrerprize before we should have put any period to it although we should have found them all without defence The Gentleman whose evill conscience did render him fearful did beleeve his Servant and taking him along with him he addressed himself to the Bishop in whose Custody were the charge of the Keys of the City and the Command of the Post-horses The Gent. said unto him I have this Evening received News that my Brother is on the point of Death I have been to demand leave of the Duke to go unto him who hath granted it Wherefore I desire you to command the Posts to let me have two good horses and the Porter of the City to open the Gates unto me The Bishop who esteemed his intreaty no lesse than the Commandement of the Duke with whom he knew he was most gracious did give him incontinently a Ticket by virtue whereof both the Gates of the City were opened to him and the Post-horses suddenly provided accordingly as he desired And instead of seeing his Brother he took his way directly to Venice where he caused the bitings which the Duke had given him to be healed and not long after he travelled into Turkey In the Morning the Servants of the Duke found it very long before he came forth and did attend his return for they suspected that he was gone to see some Lady But seeing the morning far spent and they could hear nothing of him they began to look for him in every place The poor Dutchesse who began to affect him most intirely understanding that they could not hear any News of him waâ— in a great perplexity But when the Gentleman whom so well he loved could be heard of no more than himself they resorted to his house to seek him our and finding some drops of bloud at his Chamber door they did enter into his Chamber and found not any there to give them the least Intelligence but their suspition increasing they followed the tracts of the bloud and came to the Door of the Chamber where the Duke was which they found locked and having broken open the Door they found the place full of bloud and drawing the Curtains they found the body in the Bed asleep to wake no more You may imagine what Lamentation his poor Servants made who carryed his dead body into the Palace whither the Bishop came and informed them how in the time of night the Gentleman in great diligence departed under pretence to see his Brother By which it most clearly did appear that it was hewho did commit that Murther And it was also proved That his poor Sister did never hear the least word of any thing who although she was astonished at the sad news she heard yet it increased her love unto her Brother who had delivered her from so cruel a Prince the Enemy of her Chastity by the apparent hazard of his own life And continuing more and more her Progresse in all virtues although she was poor for her House and all her goods were confiscated she found good friends rich Kinred in Italy by whom being assisted she lived a long time in great and good reputation Ladies here you see what may make you fear that little God who taketh delight to torment Princes as well as Beggars and the mighty as well as the feeble and who doth render them so blind that they lose God and their Conscience and at last their own lives And Princes and those who are in authority may well be afraid how they displease those who are inferiours to them for there is none so weak but he can do hurt when God will take vengeance upon a sinner nor so great that can guard himself from his Enemy when he is under his power This History was much listned to by all the Company but it produced great diversities of Judgement for some maintained that the Gentleman had done his duty in saving his own life and the honour of his Sister as also in delivering his Country from a Tyrant Others were of another mind and affirmed that it was a great Ingratitude in the Gentleman to put him to death who had bestowed upon him so many benefits and honours The Ladies said that he was a good Brother and a virtuous Citizen The Men professed the contrary and that he was a Traitor and a wicked Servant It would be requisite in this place to allege the reasons on both sides but the Ladies according to their Custom did speak as much by passion as by reason assirming that the Duke was worthy of Death and that happy was the hand that did give the blow wherefore Dagoucin perceiving the great contestation that he had made amongst them did say unto them For Gods sake
Ladies Let there be no more a quarrell concerning a thing already passed but take heed that your own beauties do not commi more cruel Murders than hers of whom I have given you an account Parlament said The fair Lady without mercy hath taught us to say That her gracious Malady many did slay Madam I would to God said Dagoucin that all the Ladies in this Company did know how false that opinion is I believe they would not own the Name to be without Mercy nor resemble that incredulous Woman who did let her Servant die in refusing to give him a gracious answer You would then said Parlament to save the life of one who saith be loveth us that we lose at once both our Honours and our Consciences That is not that said Dagoucin which I do mean For he who loveth perfectly will fear how he woundeth the honour of his Mistresse more than her self Therfore it seems to me that a civil and a courteous answer such as a sair and an honest love requireth cannot but increase Honour and confirm the Conscience for he is no true Servant that doth desire the contrary This alwayes said Emarsuite is the end of your reasons which begin with Honour and end in the contrary And if those Men who are here present would speak the truth I should believe them without their Oaths Hircan did swear for his part that he never loved any woman his wise excepted with whom he did not desire to be a Sinner Simontault said as much and added That he had often wished that all wives in the world were pliant easie to be gained his own excepted Gue bron said unto him Truly you do well deserve that your own Wife were such as you desire others to be but for my self I can justly swear that I do so truly love one Lady that I had rather die than that for me she should suffer such a change that I should esteem her the lesse afterwards for my Love is so much grounded on her virtues that for all the good which in this world can arrive unto me I would not see her in the least sort blemished Saffredant began to laugh and did say unto him I did think Guebron that the love of your wife and the good opinion that you have of her had excused you from being amorous of others but I perceive it is not so For you use the very same terms with which we are accustomed to deceive the most subtle and to be heard by the most wisest Ladies for who are they will stop their ears when we shall begin with Honour and Virtue But if we did show them our hearts such as indeed they are there are many of us who are bid very welcom amongst Ladies whom they would make afterwards no account of at all We cover therefore our Devil with the best Angel that we can find out And under that coverture before we are discovered we receive gallant entertainment And by this means we do so draw on the hearts of the Ladies that they do think they do go in the direct way to virtue and knowing afterwards the vice of the deceipt it may be they have neither the means nor the leisure to retreat Truly said Guebron I took you for another Man than such as you expresse your self and that Virtue was more agreeable to you than Pleasure How said Saffredant Is not the greatest virtue to love as God commandeth us It seemeth to me to be far better done to love a woman as a woman than to idolize her as divers others do And as for my self I continue firm in that opinion That it is better far to use them than to abuse them The Ladies were all of Guebrons opinion and constrained Saffiedant to hold his peace who said I am well contented to speak no more for I have been so scornfully used amongst them that I have no mind to return thither again Your subtilty and malice said Longaren is the cause of our course entertainment of you for what honest Lady is there who would maintain you for a Servant after this Discourse you have held with us Some who do find me not so troublesom said Saffredant Will not exchange their honesty for yours But let us talk no more that my choler may not be displeasing to my self or to any one else Let us observe to whom Dagoucin will give his voice who said I give it unto Parlament for I conceive that she knows better than any other what is that love which is most true and perfect Parlament said Since I am chosen to give you an account I will declare unto you a History which happened to a Lady who hath been one of my greatest friends and the thought of whom is alwayes lodged in my memory A Captain of a Galley under the pretence of Devotion became amorous of a young Lady and what Fortune he incountred The Third Novell IN the House of Madam the Regent Mother of King Francis there was a very devout Gentlewoman married to a Gentleman who as her self was piously affected And although her Husband were old and she was beautifull and young yet she served and loved him as if he were the handsomest and the youngest man in the world And to take away from him all occasion of suspition she attired her self in the habit of an Old woman and suitable to the age in which he was and abandoned all Companies Fashions Dances and Playes which young Ladies are accustomed to frequent and placed all her pleasure and recreation in the Service of God Wherefore her Husband did repose so great a love and trust in her that she governed both his House and himself at her own pleasure It so fell out that one day the Gentleman told her that from his Youth he had a great desire to make a voyage to Jerusalem She who desired nothing more than to please him said unto him Sweet-heart Since God hath deprived us of Children and bestowed upon us wealth sufficient I would desire you to set apart some quantity of it for so holy a voyage for go where you will thither or elswhere I am resolved to go with you and never to abandon you The good Man was so glad of it that he thought he was already upon the Mount of Calvary During this resolution there came a Gentleman to the Court who had been often in the War against the Turks and besought the assistance of the King of France in an enterprize upon one of their Cities by which he said that great profit would redound to all Christendom The old Gentleman demanded of him his Expedition and after he understood his Resolution he demanded of him If after that voyage he would make another to Jerusalem whither his Wife and himself had a great desire to go The Captain being very glad to hear their good desires did promise them to be a guide unto them in the way and desired him to keep the affair secret The good old Gentleman
thought the time long till he had found his wife to give her an account of what he had done who had as great a desire to undertake the voiage as her Husband And eftentimes on this occasion she conferr'd with the Captain who regarding her beauty more than her words became so amorous that speaking to her of the voyages he had made upon the Seas he would tel her of his imbarking at Marseilles upon the Archipelâ—gâ—â— and thinking to speak of a Ship he would tell her a story of a Horse as a Man transported and out of his sense But he found her to be such that he durst not speak to her nor make any Countenance of Love And the concealing of his Love did beget such a fire in his heart that he oftentimes fell sick but the Gentlewoman was as carefull of him as of the Crosse it self circumspect to guide her course howsoever she sent many times to visit him by which he understanding that she had some respect unto him did recover of himself without any Physick at all But divers Gentlemen observing this Captain who had the report to be as gallant and brave a Man as a good Christian did much wonder to see him so often to accost this Gentlewoman and seeing that he had changed the condition of his life and frequented altogether the Churches Sermons and Confessions they suspected it was to obtain the favor of the young Gentlewoman and could not refrain but spoke some words unto him concerning that subject The Captain fearing that it might be brought unto her ear did absent himself from her company in publick and told her Husband and her self That he should suddenly be dispatched at Court and be gone and that he had many things to inform them with but because the Affair should be kept secret he would neither speak with himself nor his Wife in publick but desired them to send for him when they were in private both together The Gentleman approved his Counsel and failed not every night to go to bed betimes and to make his Wife also to put off her cloaths to keep him Company And when their Servants were departed from them they sent for the Captain and consulted on their voyage to Jerusalem and the good old Man in great devotion talking of it would often fall asleep with the word Jerusalem in his mouth The Captain seeing the old Gentleman asleep in his Bed and himself in the Chair and neer unto her whom he thought the most beautiful and most accomplished in the world had his heart so locked up and besieged with fear and a desire to speak that he often lost his speech But to the end that she might not perceive him he imployed himself to talk of the holy places in Jerusalem where still remained the signes of the great love which our Saviour Jesus Christ did bear unto us And in speaking of that Love he covered his own looking on the young Gentlewoman with tears and sighs who perceived nothing at all For observing his demure countenance she conceived him to be a grave and a pious man and desired him to acquaint her what was the course of life which he had lead and how he did arrive to this Love of God He declared unto her that he had been a poor Gentleman who to purchase Riches and Honor had forgot his Conscience and espoused a Wife too near allyed unto him only because she was rich and whom he could not love being both old and ill-favoured But having consumed a great part of her Estate he went to Sea to seek adventures there and had thrived so well by his endeavours that he was become Master of a considerable Fortune But ever since he was so happy to arrive unto the Knowledge of her self she by her Godly discourse and good Examples was the only Cause that he had changed his life And all that he resolved upon if God should return him in safety from his enter prize was to be a Guide to her Husband and to her self unto Jerusalem to satisfie in some part for all his sins to which he had put a period but only one sin which was that as yet he had not given satisfaction to his Wife to whom he hoped to be shortly reconciled This discourse did much please the Gentlewoman but above all she rejoyced that she had drawn such a Man to the love and the fear of God Till the time of his departure from the Court he had with her every evening these long discourses and never offered to declare unto her his Intentions he only presented her with a Crucifix to which was annexed our Lady of Pity and besought her that in his absence looking on that she would call himself into her Memory The hour of his departure being come having taken his leave of her Husband who immediately fell asleep he came to his Wife to give her a Farewell and seeing tears in her eyes for the honest love she did bear unto him it did render his passion so insupportable that not daring to declare it he did fall down in a swoun bidding her Farewell in so great an agony and sorrow that not only his eyes but all his body did sweat down tears And without speaking any more words he departed at which the Gentlewoman was much amazed for she never beheld any such sign of Grief before Neverthelesse she changed not the purpose of her good will towards him and accompanied him with Prayers and Orisons At the end of one moneth as this Gentlewoman one evening returned her to her Lodgings there met her a Gentleman who presented her with a Letter from the Captain desiring her that she would be pleased to read it by her self and told her that he saw him imbarqued and resolved to go thorough with the enterprise for the Honour of the King and the augmentation of the Faith and for himself that he was to return to Marseilles to give order for the affairs of the Captain The Gentlewoman retired to a Window by her self and did read the Letter all along which contained two sides and much marvelled at the affection of the Captain which she never did suspect And observing that he had presented her with a great and fair Diamond the Ring wherein it was set being enameld with black She was in a great perplexity what to do and having troubled her self all that night concerning it she was very glad that she had no occasion to write back unto him or to return him any answer Nor would she fall out with the Messenger thinking with her self that considering the pains he had taken for the service of his Master he had no need to be rewarded with an ill answer but she resolved to deliver it her self unto him upon his return from his enterprize Above all she was much perplexed with the Diamond for she was not accustomed to dresse her self at the expences of any other but her Husband wherefore being of a good understanding
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
and since you perceive some sparkles you ought to fly the danger of that fire which already is burning in one heart that perceives it not Truly said Hircan your Laws are too severe and if women according to your advice would be rigorous whose sweetnesse is so powerfull we would also change our intreaties and complements into subtilties and forcings The best way which I see said Simontault is that every one should follow his own nature and without dissimulation should declare whether he loved or loved not I would to God said Saffredant that such a Law could bring with it as much honour as it would pleasure But Dagoucin could not contain himself from laughing and said They who had rather die than have their desires known will never accord to your ordinance Die said Hircan that Cavalier is yet to be born that would die for such a publick thing But let us leave off this discourse of Impossibility and observe to whom Simontault will give his voice I wil give it said Simontault to Longaren for I have observed her to talk a little to her self and I believe she is studying to give us some good account being accustomed out of the goodnesse of her nature to speak the truth whether the Subject be on Men or Women Because said Longaren you esteem me to be so impartial I will reâ—â—at a History to you which although it be not so much to the praise of Women as I would have it yet you shall find they have as stout hearts and as great understandings and as good as those of Men and if my Account be something long you must have patience A Lady of the Kings Court perceiving her self disdained by her Husband who made love to another did by the like love revenge her self The Fifth Novell IN the Court of King Francis the first there was a Gentleman whose name I know so well that I will not here give it to you He was but poor having hardly five hundred Livres in yearly Rents but so beloved of the King for the virtues with which he was accomplished that by his means he espoused so rich a Lady that a great Lord might well be contented with her fortunes And because she was not yet of age for a husband he entreated one of the greatest Ladies of the Court to take her to her which very willingly she accorded to This Gentleman was so courteous and so lovely that all the Ladies of this Court did very much esteem him and amongst others one whom the King loved who was not so young nor so beautifull as his own wife and for the great love which he did bear unto this Lady he did make so small an accompt of his own wife that he hardly lay with her one night in a whole year and which was more grievous to her he would never so much as speak unto her nor shew her the least sign of love And although he ranted it with her Estate he allowed her so small a part out of it that she was not apparelled as pertained to a Gentlewoman of her birth nor as she desired whereupon the Lady with whom she was did oftentimes reprove the Gentleman telling him your wife is fair rich and of a great descent and you make no reckoning of her which her infancy and youth hath yet endured but I am afraid that when she shall behold her self fair and great that her glasse and some one who loves you not will remonstrate her beauties to her so little esteemed by you and she may by despight do that which she durst not doe if she were assured of your love The Gentleman who had his heart elsewhere did but laugh at her and for all her instructions did not forbear to continue that course of life he led But after the space of two years or thereabouts his wife began to be one of the most handsome Ladies in all France insomuch that she was accounted the Non-pareill of the Court and the more worthy she perceived her self to be beloved the more she grieved to see her Husband to make no reckoning of her insomuch that she contracted so great a melancholly that for all the exhortations of the Lady with whom she lived she seemed to be a creature given up to despair And having studied all the means that possibly she could to be complacent to her Husband she thought with her self that it was impossible for him to love her seeing she loved him so entirely and could not find out any reason to be given for it unlesse he were in love with some one else and entertained some other fancy in his apprehension which she enquired after with so much subtilty and dexterity of Circumspection that she found out the truth and that every night he was so taken up in courting another Lady that he forgot his Conscience and his Wife And after she was certain of the life he did lead she so wholly abandoned her self to grief that she cloathed her self all in black and would not resort to any Feasts or Sports which the Lady perceived with whom she lived and did what she could to withdraw her from her melancholly thoughts but it was not possible for her and although her Husband was often advertised of it he was more ready to encrease than to redresse her sorrows You know Ladies that Grief foregoeth Joy and also that Grief by Joy doth come to an end Wherfore it fell out upon a day that a great Lord a near kinsman to the Lady who was as a Guardian to this Gentlewoman often did frequent the house having understood of the strange manner of life of this yong Gentlewoman with her husband taking pity of her did endeavor to comfort her in discoursing with her he found her so wise lovely that he desired to have a place in her affection far more than to discourse with her of her husband unles it were to demonstrate to her the small occasion she had to love him This young Lady perceiving her self forsaken of him who ought to love her and on the other side to be loved and courted by so great and gallant a Prince did conceive her self thrice happy to be entertained in his good opinion And although she had alwayes a great desire to preserve her honour yet she took so great a pleasure to discourse with him and to perceive her self to be beloved by him that she was noted for it This love continued a certain time until the King himself perceived it who esteemed so well of the Gent. that he would not permit that any dishonour should accrew unto him Wherefore he very earnestly entreated the Prince to remove his love from her and told that if he did still continue it he should be very ill pleased at it The Pr. who preferred the favor of the. K. to all the beauties of the Ladies of the world did promise him that in obedience to his commands he would abandon his enterprise and on that Evening
such signs of Honour and of a familiar Love In this manner the Gentleman departed who because he was not so well furnished with Silver as with gallant qualities the young Lady gave him a Ring that was worth three thousand Crowns which he morgaged for fifteen hundred And not long after his departure the Gentleman Husband to the young Lady came unto her Guardian and besought her to give his Wife leave to go for a certain time to a Sister of his to continue with her which the old Lady thought very strange and besought him to acquaint her with the occasion of it part whereof he did impart unto her but not all After that the young marryed Lady had taken leave of her Guardian and of all the Court without any tears at all or the least sign of grief she travelled to that place which her Husband did assign her and was conducted by a Gentleman to whom an expresse charge was given to keep a strict watch over her and above all things that on the way he should not speak unto her who was suspected to love her too familiarly She who understood the Commandment of her Husband did give them alarms every day and laughed at them and at their too officious Care One day amongst the rest just at her departure from the Inne she found a Frier on horseback and she being mounted on an ambling Nagg did hold him in Discourse from Dinner untill Supper and when she was about a mile from the place where she was to lodge she said unto him Good Father for the consolations which you have given me this afternoon behold two Crowns which here I give you and have put them in this Paper because I know that you dare not touch them with a bare hand desiring you that when ever you are gone from me that you will crosse the way with all the speed you can make When he was gone a good way from her the Lady spoke aloud to those that waited on her Do you think that you are good Servants and diligent to guard me since he himself concerning whom you were bid to have such a care hath Discoursed with me all this day and you have permitted him so to do you do well deserve that your good Master who doth repose so much trust in you should reward you with blows of a Cane on your shoulders instead of the wages you expect When the Gentleman who had the charge of her heard this he was so impatient that he could make no answer but immediately did put spurs to his horse calling to two others that were in the Company to follow him they made so great a dispatch that they had almost overtaken the Frier who looking back and seeing them to make up unto him did ride away as fast as ever his horse could carry him they in a full gallop pursued him and because they were better mounted the poor Frier was taken but not knowing wherefore he did cry them mercy and putting off his hood he shewed his bare and shaven crown and began humbly to beseech them Whereupon they knew that he was not the Man they looked for and that the young Lady did but laugh at them which she yet did more at their return saying That such people were fit to be a guard to such Women who suffer them to speak they know not to whom and then adding faith to their words they go to act a mischief on the servants of God and after all these mocks she came to the place where her Husband appointed she should have her residence where her two Sister-in-laws and the Husband of one of them did keep her in great subjection And during that time her Husband understood that his Ring was engaged for fifteen hundred Crowns for which he was sorry But to save the Reputation of his wife and to recover the Ring he sent her word that she should call for it back of the Merchant and that he would pay the fifteen hundred Crowns She who had no care of the Ring because her Friend had the money that was lent upon it did write unto him That her Husband was importunate with her to Redeem the Ring And because he might not think that she did it to diminish the good will that was betwixt them she sent him a Diamond which her Guardian gave her at her departure from her which she loved better than the Ring she had of her Husband The Gentleman that was her friend did willingly send her back the Merchants Obligation and was well content with the 1500 Crowns to have received a Diamond the witnes of the Continuation of the affection of the young Lady to him Howsoever as long as her Husband lived he could never arrive to the opportunity to speak unto her but only by Letters And after the Death of her Husband thinking that she would continue faithful according to her promise he used all his diligence and endeavours to procure her in Marriage but he found that in his long absence she had provided her self with a Companion that was better beloved than himself for which he was possessed with such a sotrow and indignation of spirit that flying the company of Ladies he sought altogether after great adventures and places of as much danger as honour where he was as well beloved as it was possible for a young Man to be and so he finished his days See here my Ladies that without sparing our own Sex I have given an Example unto Husbands to show them that women of a great spirit are sooner overcome with anger and vengeance than with Love and Courtship and although this Lady knew a long time to resist yet at the last she was vanquished by despite which a virtuous woman ought not be or in whatsoever sort it be she ought not to find an Excuse to do evill And by how much the more great the occasions of the offence are given by so much the more virtuous ought they to demonstrate themselves by resisting and overcomming Evil with Good and not by recompencing Evil with Evil And oftentimes the Evil which one thinks to render to another doth fall upon his own head Thrice happy are they in whom the Graces of God do demonstrate themselves by the Examples of Chastity Sweetness Patience and Longammity Hircan said unto her It seems to me Longaren that the Lady who was the subject of your Discourse was led on more by despite than Love for if she had loved the Gentleman as well as she made an apparence she had not abandoned him for another and by the whole tenour of your discourse she shewed her self to be spitefull revengefull obstinate and inconstant You speak at random said Emarsuite to Hircan but you know not what a heart-braking it is to love and not to be beloved again It is true said Hircan I have too lately made experience of it but let her but continue in that sullen humor and I shall quickly leave Love and the
no lesse wit than beauty did direct him so discreetly that he came into her Chamber on the hour she assigned where he found her lying alone in a very rich Bed and as he made hast to put off his cloaths to go into the Bed to her he heard a great noise at the door of people speaking to one another and of swords clashing against the walls The Lady with a Countenance half dead said unto him At this minute is both your Life and my Honour in the greatest Danger that possibly can be for too well I understand that my Brothers are seeking you out to kill you Wherefore I intreat you to conceal your self under my Bed for when they cannot find you I shall have a just occasion to be angry with them by reason of this alarm which without Cause they have given The Gentleman whose noble heart did always scorn the base effects of Fear replyed unto her And who are your Brothers that they should make me afraid If the whole Generation of them were together I am confident that they would not stand against the point or the edge of my Sword wherefore lie still in your Bed and let me alone to guard your Door Immediatly he clapped his cloak about his arm and took his Sword in his hand and opened the Door to find those Swords more neer him which made so great a noise The Door being opened he beheld two Chambermaids who with two swords in either hand did occasion the Alarm they said unto him Monsieur Pardon us for we have received Commission from our Mistresse to do as we have done but you shall have no other hinderance or disturbance by us The Gentleman seeing they were two Maids did wish all the Devils in Hell take them both and shutting the Door on the faces of them he made all the speed he could to the Ladies Bed whose frights had no ways diminished his love and forgetting to ask her the reason of that skirmish he thought on nothing but to satisfie his desires And perceiving that the Day approached he intreated her to tell him wherefore she had done him so ill an office by holding him so long in delayes and also what was the meaning of the Enterprise of the two Chambermaids the last night She laughing made answeâ— to him My Resolution was never to love again which from my Widdowhood I had a long time observed but your civil Deportment from the first hour wherein you spake unto me at the Banket hath made me to alter my purpose and I began at that instant to love you as much as you could love me It is true that Honour which in all my actions hath been my guide would not permit that Love should cause me to do any thing whereby my Reputation might suffer but as the Hart wounded to Death doth think by changing of place to change the malady he beareth along with him so did I remove from Church to Church thinking to flie from him whom I carried in my heart who hath now proved his love to be so perfect that the Agreement is made and Honour doth accord with Love But to the end that I might be the more assured to commit my heart my love to an absolute Man I was willing to make this last proof by my Chambermaids assuring you that if either for fear of your life or any other regard I had found you so timorous and so tame as to have hid your self under my Bed I was resolved with my self to rise and to withdraw my self into another Chamber without ever seeing you again But because I have found you courteous and lovely and more full of Spirit and courage than it was reported to me that fear cannot enter into your heart nor make cold that love which you bear unto me I am resolved to continue with you untill the end of my dayes being confident that I cannot put my Life and Honour in a surer hand than in his who I believe hath not his equal in all Virtues And as if the Will and Desires of Lovers were immutable they did promise and swear unto one another to perform that which was not in their power to perform which was a perpetual Love which cannot continue in the hearts of Men as those Women know who have made trial of it and how long those Resolutions do endure And therefore Ladies you should take heed of us as the Buck if he had understanding would of the Hunter For our Glory Felicity and Indeavour is to see you surprized and to take that from you which is more dear unto you than life it self How now said Hircan unto Guebron How long ago is it since you have been a Preacher I have known the time that you have maintained another Doctrine It is true said Guebron I do speak now against that which I have practised heretofore all the whole Course of my life but because I have teeth so weak that I cannot eat Venison my self I would advertise the poor Does to beware of the Hunters to make some recompence in my old age for the sins I have committed in my youth We thank you Guebron said Nomerfide for that which you have counselled us to our profit but we do now perceive our selves to be a great deal too young for you for it appears that in your Youth you gave not the same exhortations to her whom you loved which is a sign that now in your age you do neither love us nor your self neither would you willingly suffer us to be loved by any other Howsoever we think our selves to be as wise and virtuous as she whom so long you followed and courted in your Youth But it is alwayes the Glory of the gray beard and those that walk with a staff to think themselves more wise than those who do come after them Nomerfide said Guebron it is very well when the Deceit of some of your Servants shall by experience teach you to understand the subtilty of Men you will then believe what now I have spoken to be truth Oysilla said to Guebron It seems to me that the Gentleman whom you so much commend for Courage ought to be praised more for the violence of his love which is a Power so strong that it will make the greatest Cowards in the world to enterprise that which the most valiant would think and think of again before they would undertake it Saffredant said unto him Madam It seems to me that if this French Gentleman esteemed not the Italians to excell more in their words than in their deeds he might have some great occasion for fear He had so indeed said Oysilla were it not for that fire in his heart which consumed his fear If you find not his Courage commendable enough said Hircan give us an account of some one else who is more worthy of praise To speak the Truth said Oysilla the Gentleman was to be praised but I can give you an instance of One in the
That although he believed he was innocent of that which was laid to his charge yet he found that he was possessed with a great fear which brought forth a desire to be gone from that Master whose complexion he as yet not understood For my own part Ladies I can find no other thing that could move the heart of the King to hazard himself alone against so brave a Man at Arms and leaving all the Company and the place and Majesty due unto a King to demand the Combat of his Inferiour but only that he would render himself equal to that admirable Prince who doubted of his Enemy and to content himself did give him the Experience of the Noblenesse and Courage of his own heart And without contradiction said Parlament he had reason for it for the praises of all the Men in the world cannot so much satisfie a good heart as the knowledge and the experience that it hath of the Virtues wherewith God hath endued it It is many hundred years since said Guebron that the Poets and others have informed us that to come to the Temple of Renown we must first passe through the Temple of Virtue And for my self who knew very well the two Personages who were the Subjects of this Account I am most assured that the King was absolutely one of the most valiant men that were in his Kingdom Upon my faith said Hircan from the hour that Count William came first from Germany into France I did more stand in fear of his Sword than of all theirs who were esteemed to be the most stout Italians in the Court You know well said Emarsuite that the King was so highly reputed for his valour that our praises cannot reach his Deserts and that this Dayes work will be finished before every one of us shall have given a due character of him Wherefore Madam Give your voice to some one else who hath yet something to say of the Goodnesse of Men if there be any Goodnesse at all in them Oysilla turning to Hircan said unto him you have been so much accustomed to speak ill of Women that it seems to me it will be easie to you to give us some ready account of the praise of Men Wherefore I give you my voice It will be a thing easie to me to do said Hircan for it is not long since that one did give me an account of the praises of a Gentleman whose Love Patience and Perseverance is so commendable that I cannot lose the Memory of it A fair young Lady made trial of the Faith of a young Scholar her Friend before she would permit him to intrench too far upon her Honour The Eighth Novell IN one of the good Cities of France there was a Lord of a great Family who was at the University desiring to attain unto the knowledge by what means virtue and honour ought to be acquired amongst virtuous Men. And although he was so knowing that being but eighteen years of age he seemed to be a Document and an Example unto others yet Love made him to sing after his Lesson And to be the better understood and received Love hid himself under the Damask complexion and in the eyes of the most beautiful young Lady that was in all that Countrey who for the following of a Sute she had in Law was come to that City But before Love had assayed to overcome the Gentleman by the beauties of this Lady he had gained the heart of her by observing the perfections that were in him for in Beauty Grace good Sense and gallant Elocution there was not any of whatsoever condition he was that could surpasse him You who do apprehend the ready and uncontrolled way which this Fire doth make when it hath taken hold of one of the corners of the heart and of the Fancy will easily judge that in two so perfect Subjects Love made no long delay but had them both at his Commandement and filled them both with so clear a light that all their thoughts will and discourse were but the flames of that Love which with their youth which begot a fear in them did make him to purchase and compleat his Affairs with the greatest sweetnesse that possibly could be But she who at first was overcome by Love needed no force Neverthelesse by reason of the shame which accompanieth young Ladies to the uttermost of her power she did stand upon her guard and did forbear to shew her good will untill that at the last the Fortresse of her heart which is the Seat of Honour was so ruined that the poor Lady did agree to that to which she could not be disagreeing Howsoever to make trial of the patience assurance and love of her Servant she did grant him that which he demanded but upon too hard conditions assuring him That if he should observe them she would alwayes love him most intirely and if he failed in the performance he should never enjoy her whilest he lived The Condition was That she was content to Discourse with him in Bed together having nothing on him but the Linen next unto their Bodies but so that he must not demand any thing at all of her but only a Complement and a Kisse He who thought there was no Joy that was worthy to be compared to this did easily accord unto it The Evening being come the promise was accomplished where for all the good entertainment she gave him and his and her striving desires he would not violat his oath And although he conceived that his torment was not lesse than that of Purgatory yet his love was so great and his hope so strong being sure of the perpetual continuance of her love which with so long reluctation he had purchased that his patience overcame and in the morning he did rise from her without doing her the least dishonor The young Lady as I believe being more astonished than contented with it did immediately begin to suspect with her self that his love was not so great as she conceived or that he found not in her so much delight as at first he propounded to himself she had not the least thought of the greatnesse of his honesty nor of his patience or fidelity and his care to keep his oath Wherfore she resolved with herself to make one proof more of his Love and intreated him to Court a Gentlewoman in her company that was younger than her self and almost as handsom that those who observed him so often to come unto her lodgings might conceive that his love was to her Companion and not unto herself The young Lord who assured himself to be beloved by her as long as he was a faithfull Servant to her did obey her command and inforced himself by the love he did vow to her to make love to this young Gentlewoman who seeing him so lovely and so well spoken did believe his pretence as it had been a truth and loved him as if altogether she had been beloved by him When the
after me that he was guided rather by the force of Love than any weaknesse or frigidity If he were such a one then as you speak him said Simontault he should have broken his Oath and if she had been angry for so little she might have quickly been appeased But it may be said Emarsuite that at that time she was not willing What and if she were not said Saffredant had she not been easie to have been forced having already given unto him the possession of the Camp Saint Mary said Nomerfide How wide you draw Is that the way to obtain the favour of a Lady whom you esteem wise and honest It seems to me said Saffredant that we cannot do more honour to a woman of whom we desire such a favour than to take it by force for the poorest Baggage in the world doth desire to be a long time intreated and some there are who must be presented with great gifts before they can be obtained and others are so foolish who neither by presents nor by Complements can be obtained to whom we must make use of other means And when we have to do with one so wise that she will not be deceived and so good that she will not be gained either by great gifts or good words is it not reason to use all the means that possibly we can to obtain the Victory And when at any time you hear it spoken that a Man hath taken a woman by force believe it that the Woman had deprived him of all hope of any other means and think not the worse of the Man who hath put his life in jeopardy to give place unto his Love Guebron began to laugh and said I have seen in my days places besieged and taken by force because it was not possible to bring those unto a Parley who did keep them either by money or by threatnings for they say That a Parlying Town is half gained I believe said Emarsuite that all the Loves of the World are grounded upon these Follies howsoever there are some to my knowledge who have loved and honourably continued in their love without being subject to any such loose Intention If you know of any such said Hircan I give you my voice and the Speakers place I know it to be true said Emarsuite and therefore I will willingly give you an account thereof Of two Lovers who despairing to be married the one unto the other did betake themselves to two places of Religion the one to a Covent of St. Francis and the other to S. Anne of Clare The Ninth Novell IN the time of the Marquesse of Mantua who was espoused to the Sister of the Duke of Ferrara there lived in the House of the Dutchesse a Damsel named Paulina who was so well beloved by a Gentleman who was a Servant to the Marquesse that the greatnesse of his affection was admired by all the world And because he was but poor and a gentile Companion his Master in the love he did bear unto him did advise him to look out some wife that was rich and able to maintain him but he thought that all the Treasure in the world was in Paulina which in marrying her he should possesse The Marchionesse also desiring That Paulina might have a richer Husband or none did distast the proceedings of the Marriage as much as possibly might be and oftentimes would not suffer them to hold any Discourse with one another and did demonstrate to them that if the said Marriage should go on they would be two of the poorest most miserable creatures in all Italy But this reason could not enter into the understanding of the Gentleman Paulina as well as she could did for her part dissemble her love she did bear unto the Gentleman howsoever her heart was entire unto him This love continued a long time and was attended with a hope that at last they should meet with some Fortunes that were answerable to their desires Some few years afterwards this Gentleman in a great Battel was taken prisoner with a Frenchman who was as deep in love with a Gentlewoman in France as he was with one in Italy And when they found themselves Companions of one fortune they began more familiarly to discover the secrets of their hearts the one unto the other The Frenchman confessed that his heart was a prisoner as well as his but would not name him the person or the place But being both in the service of the Marquesse of Mantua the Frenchman knew well enough that his companion loved Paulina and for the love which he did bear to his profit and advantage he did advise him to remove his affections from her which the Italian Gentleman did swear was not in his own power and that if the Marquesse of Mantua in recompence of his imprisonment and the good service he had done for him would still refuse to let him have his Sweet-heart he would turn Grey Friar and never serve any other Master but God which the Frenchman could not believe for he saw not in him any sign of religion at all but only the devotion he had unto Paulina At the end of three months the French Gentleman was delivered from prison and prevailed so much by his diligence that not long afterwards he procured the liberty of his Companion and used his utmost endeavour both with the Marquesse and Marchionesse that they would give their consent to his Marriage with Paulina but he could not perswade them to it for they represented to him the poverty in which they should both live and that on both sides their Parents and Kinred were much discontented at it and they forbade him to speak unto them any more of it to the end that their love at last might passe away by absence and impossibility When the Italian Gentleman perceived that he was constrained to obey the command of the Marquesse he demanded leave of the Marchionesse to take his leave of Paulina seeing he should never speak unto her again which was agreed unto and immediately in these words he spake unto her Since it is so Paulina that Heaven and Earth are against us not only to hinder us in our Marriage but which is worse to take from us for ever the sight of one another and that upon command I must not speak any more to you nor you to me This command is rigorous indeed our Master and Mistresse may well boast that with one word they have wounded two hearts whose bodies needs must languish and they have proved that neither love nor pity did ever enter into their breasts I do know that their aim is to marry us richly to some others but they are ignorant that the truest riches do consist in a contented mind and hereby they have done me so great an injury that it is impossible I should ever do them service again I do believe that if I had never spoken to them of this marriage they had not been so scrupulous as not
on his back and followed the War and a strong chined and a well-fed Groom who never stirred out of doore you would easily excuse this poor widdow Hircan said Oysilla I cannot believe that whatsoever you can allege will make any Excuse for her I have often heard it spoken said Simontault that there are women who keep Men on purpose to preach unto the world their Virtue and their Chastity and do give them the best entertainment and the most private that possibly they can assuring them that if their Honours and Consciences might not suffer in it they would comply with them in all their desires And those silly Creatures when they speak of them in company will swear That they have put their fingers in the fire without burning them to prove that they are Ladies of Honour and Virtue because they have had experience of their Goodness even to their singers end And thus those women do hear themselves to be commeaded by such dishonest Man and shew themselves such as they are to those of their own Complexion and choose such to be their Servants who amongst Men of worth have not the considence to speak or if they do speak by reason of their sordid and vile condition they have not the credit to be believed This is the same opinion said Longaren which in another sense I have heard spoken of jealous and suspitious men But this is to pourtray a Chimaera for although it may fall out to be true in one unfortunate woman it ought not to be suspected in another Before we proceed further in this discourse said Parlament and the Gentlemen here present exercise their wits on our expence let us rise and repair to the Vespers that we may not make the religious men to attend us so long as yesterday they did The Company were all of her opinion and being on their way to the Chapel Oysilla said unto them If any of us were too blame for having not this day spoken the truth in those histories which we have delivered Saffredant ought to demand pardon for having made so vile a commemoration to the dishonour of our Sex Upon the credit of my oath said Saffredant I believe my account to be true enough yet I must confess that I only heard it speken but I know so much of women that should I speak all what I knew of them I should make as many or more signs of the Cross than they do at the consecratiō of a Church Parlament replyed He is far enough from Repentance whose confessiō doth aggravat his sin But because you have such a bad opinion of women they ought to deprive you of all entertainment and familiarity with them He made answer some of them in my behalf have so used the Counsel that you now give them in denying me things just and honest that if I could either speak or do worse unto them I would not forbear it to revenge my self on her who doth detain me in so great a thraldom And speaking those words Parlament began to sneeze as she entred with the other Ladies into the Church where although the Saints bell had rung yet there were none of the Monks to say service because they understood that this gallant Company were assembled in the Meadow to discourse of those pleasant Subjects and being such who preferred the vanity of their delight above their Devotions they hid themselves in the bottom of a ditch behind a thick hedge lying with their Bellies on the Earth where they listned so attentively to their agreeable accounts that they could not hear the Bell of the Monastery Which did easily appear for they arrived in so much hast that their breath failed them to begin Vespers And the service being ended they confessed to those who demanded the reason why they came so late and chanted so disorderly that it was to listen to these Histories in the Meadow wherefore seeing their good will it was permitted to them that sitting at their ease they should every afternoon be behind the hedge Supper being ended they began the continuation of the discourse to which they had not put a period in the Meadow Oysilla at the last entreated them that she might retire herself to have her spirits more chearfull against the next morning And after many passages full of variety and delight Oysilla affirming that one hour before midnight was worth three afterwards this gnllant Company parted putting an end to their discourse and the recital of their Histories for the second day The end of the second Book The Third Dayes Work of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface ON the morning the Company could not come so soon into the Hall but Madam Oysilla was there half an hour before them having before hand studied the Lecture which she was to read And if they were content with the foregoing Discourse they were no less taken with this second and had it not been that one of the Monks had come to call them to the Mass their contemplation had hindred them from hearing the Bell. Mass being heard and a short Dinner ended that their memories might not be prejudiced by the abundance of too much Viands they all began in their orders to acquit themselves as well as they could and retiring to their Chambers to read over again their Accounts they attended the accustomed hour to go into the Meadow which being come they sailed not to commence their happy voyage Those who had determined with themselves to discourse on some merry Subject had already such joyfull countenances that the rest did promise to themselves a just occasion of laughter to come When they were sat down they demanded of Saffredant to whom he would give his voice Since said he the fault which yesterday I committed is so great that you suppose there can be no Account given that is worthy enough to make amends for it I give my voice to Parlament who by her good discourse doth know so well to please and to commend the Ladies that she will make them to forget the truth which I have spoken I take not upon me said Parlament to mend your faults but to take heed to my self that I do not follow them wherefore I am determined giving you an account of the Truth as we are sworn to do to demonstrate to you by Example that there are Ladies who in their loves have sought for no other end but honesty And because she of whom I shall now speak unto you was of a great house I will change nothing in her History but the Name only desiring you Madams to understand that Love hath not the power to change a chast heart as you shall find by this History which I shall recite unto you THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The honest and wonderfull Love betwixt a young Lady of an honourable Descent and a Bastard and the Obstructions which the Queen made in their marriage with the wise Answer of the young Lady to the
Queen The First Novell THere was in France a Queen who in her Court brought up many young Ladies of great and good Houses Amongst others there was one called Rolandine who was her neer Kinswoman But the Queen by reason of some displeasure she did bear unto the Father did not entertain her with that respect as she deserved and although this young Gentlewoman was neither one of the fairest nor yet one of the foulest yet she was so wife and so gracefull that many great Lords and Personages did demand her in Marriage of whom they all received but a cold answer For her Father did love his money so well that he forgot the advancement of his Daughter and the Queen her Mistresse as I have said did bear her so little favour that she was not courted at all by those whom the Queen respected so that by the negligence of the Father and the disdain of her Mistresse the poor young Lady did continue a long time unmarried And thus afflicting her self not so much for the desire she had to be married as for the shame that she was unmarried she at last altogether retired â—her self to her Devotions and abandoning all the flant and vanities of the Court she made it all her Recreation to pray unto God or to perform some curious workmanship with her Needle In this solitary life she passed away her youth living a life so retired and so holy that she became as well the Wonder as the Discourse of all that knew her When she approached unto thirty years of age there came unto the Court a Bastard descended of an Illustrious Family as couragious a Man and as gentile a Companion as any in those times but Fortune had altogether abandoned him and he was so little beholding to Nature that no Lady whatsoever she was would ever have chosen him for her pleasure This poor Gentleman was a Batchelor and as often it comes to passe that one unfortunate Creature is acquainted with another he courted this poor young Gentlewoman Rolandine in the way of Mariage for their compsexions fortunes and conditions were alike and finding themselves both to be the Companions of Misfortune they did seek in all places to comfort one another and by the long society of discourse did hold a perfect Correspondence Those who had observed Rolandine so retired before that she would not speak with any Man perceiving her every hour to entertain the Bastard did take an offence thereat and acquainted her Governesse with it saying It was unseemly they should be permitted to hold such long Discourse together The Governesse was no sooner informed of it but she presently did declare it unto Rolandine assuring her that eveâ—y one did take exceptions that she was alwayes speaking to a Man who was not rich enough to marry her nor handsom enough to be beloved by her Rolandine who had more often been reproved for her melancholy than her affability did make answer to her Governesse Alas my Mother you see that I cannot have a Husband according to the honour of the Family from whence I am derived and that I have always kept company with those who are young and beautifull and would avoid those Inconveniences which I have seen others to fall into And having found now this Gentleman to be wise and virtuous as you cannot deny what hurt have I done to you or to those who brought this information to you to comfort my self in my afflictions The poor old Woman who loved her better than her self did reply unto her Madamoiselle I must confess that you speak the Truth and that you are otherwise used by the Queen and by your Father than you do deserve but so it is That since they speak so prodigally of your honour you ought to abstain from speaking to him if he were your own Brother Rolandine weeping did say unto her Mother since you counsel me I will obey you but it seems strange to me to be allowed no Comfort in this World The Bastard according to his Custom did not long afterwards wait upon her to whom all along she told the Discourse that she had with her Governesse and weeping did intreat him That for a time he would content himself until the Rumor were passed over to which though to his grief he condescended But in this discontinuance of his Company both the one and the other being deprived of all comfort she began to feel so great an anxity of mind that for her part she had never endured the like before She ceased not continually to pray unto God to goe in pilgrimages and to observe days of Abstinence For love as yet unknown unto her did give her so much disquier that it would not grant her the respite of one hour And on the other side The Bastard was possessed with no lesse affection but he who had already concluded in his heart to love her and to use all the means that lay in the compasse of his power to marry her reguarding with his love the honour he should have to enjoy her did conceive it his best way to declare his good will unto the Governesse and to gain her consent which he did by remonistrating unto her the great misery in which his poor Mistresse was detain'd froÌ„ whom they would take away all comfort The old woman weeping did thank him for the honest affection which he did bear unto her Mistresse and did consult with him of the means by which without being discovered they might talk to one another which was that Rolandine should counterfeit herself to be sick of a contagious disease and when her Companions were all gone from her they two might remain alone and he might have the opportunity to speak unto her The Bastard was very joyfull at it and did altogether govern himself by the counsel of her Governesse insomuch that he spake unto Rolandine as often as he pleased But this contentment did not long continue for the Queen who never did much care for her did demand what waâ— the reason that Rolandine did keep her chamber some of the young Ladies made answer that it was by reason of her sicknesse But one of them who had too good a memory told her that the joy which Rolandine had to entertain the Bastard was the great occasion of her ficknesse The Queen who feared that venial sins in her might by degrees prove to be mortal ones did send to see how she did and did forbid her to speak any more to the Bastard unlesse it were openly in her chamber of presence or in the Hall The young Lady made not the least appearance of discontent but made answer that if she had thought that either he or any other had been displeasing to her she would never have spoken the least word unto them Nevertheless she debated with herself to find out some other means which the Queen should not understand it was that on Wednsdays Fâ—ydays Saturdays she would fast and continue in
her just reasons instead of reproving her and killing her as oftentimes he threatned in his words he took her in his Arms and weeping abundantly said unto her My daughter you are more righteous than my self for if there were any fault in you I was the principal cause But since God hath so ordained it I will give you satisfaction with advantage for the time to come and having brought her into his house he did use her as his only child She was at last demanded in marriage by a Gentleman of her Fathers own name and who gave with him the same Coat of arms who was a wise and a virtuous man and so highly esteemed Rolandine that he praised her for that for which other men did blame her knowing that the end did only tend unto virtue The marriage was agreeable both to the Father and Rolandine and was immediatly concluded True it is that a Brother which she had who was the only heir of the house would not agree that she should have any part in the Estate objecting against her that she had been disobedient to her Father and after the death of the good Man he did deport himself so churlishly unto her that her Husband who was but a younger brother and her self had enough to do to live for which God provided for the Brother who would needs have all by a sudden death did leave unto her all the Fortunes which he had of hers and of his own with it And thus was she the Heiresse of a very great Estate and lived honourably and holily in her husbands love And after she had brought up two children which God had given her she rendred with joy her Soul to him of whom for a long time she had such perfect knowledge Now my Ladies I would desire that those men who do declare us to be so inconstant would come hither and shew me as good a Husband as this was a wife and such a faith and perseverance I am confident it would be so difficult unto them that I had rather acquit them than put them to such an endlesse task But I must beseech you Ladies by the lustre of this example to continue your glory not to love at all or as perfectly as this Lady did and to have a care that your honours be not scandaliz'd since by her firmnesse and constancy she is an occasion to increase yours In good earnest Parlament said Oysilla you have reported to us the story of a Lady who had a great and an honest heart and who gained as much glory by her constancy as her Husband contracted shame by his disloyalty who did leave her for another I believe said Longaren that this affliction was too grievous to be endured for there is no burthen so heavy but the love of two persons well united may sweetly undergoe it but when one of them doth fail and lays all the charge upon the other the weight is insupportable You ought then said Guebron to have compassion on us who carry all the love and doe not deign of your selves so much as to put one finger forth to assist us Ah Guebron said Parlament the burthens of the Husband and the Wife doe often differ much For the love of the Wife being well grounded and depending upon God and on her Honour is so just and reasonable that he who parts himself from that love ought to be esteemed an inordinate man and guilty before God and all honest men But the love of the most part of men is grounded only upon pleasure and ignorant Women are oftentimes too prone to serve their loose desires but when God doth instruct them to understand the wickednesse of the hearts of those men whom they esteemed to be good they will leave them with honour and reputation The knowledge of the sin doth leave a greater guilt upon the Conscience Hircan replyed A goodly reason indeed grounded on a fancy that honest women may honestly leave the love of their Husbands and not honest men the love of their Wives because forsooth their hearts you say are different but suppose they are and that they doe differ as much as the countenances and the habits of men do differ from those of women yet I believe their affections and wills are both alike unlesse they differ in this that their follies being more covered are alwayes the worse Parlament in a little choler said unto him I understand well enough that you esteem those to be least evil whose intentions are most discovered But let us leave off this discourse said Simontault for to draw a conclusion from the hearts of men or women the best of them is worth nothing Let us know to whom Parlament will give her voice that we may hear some new account I do give it said she to Guebron Before I doe begin said he to speak of the Grey Fryers I must not forget those of the order of Saint Benedict and what befell unto two of them in my time Howsoever in giving you an account of a man wickedly religious It is not my intent to alter your good opinion which you ought to have to those of them who are religious indeed But since the Psalmist says that every man is a lyar And in another place that there are none that do good no not one It seems to me that we cannot erre in esteeming Man to be such as be is For if there be any thing good in him we ought to attribute it to him who is the original of all good and not unto the Creature in giving too much praise and glory to it or in esteeming better of men than indeed they are the greatest part of men are deceived and deceivers And to the end that you may see it is not impossible under an extreme severity to find an extreme concupiscence understand what not long since happened in the time of King Francis the first of that name A Prior a great Reformer of the times under the shaddow of Hypocrisie did by all means attempt to seduce a religious Virgin whose wickednesse at last was discovered The Second Novell IN the City of Paris there was a Prior of St. Martins in the Fields whose name I will conceal for the love which I have born unto him His life until he was fifty years of age was so austere that the report of his holinesse was spread over all the Kingdom of France insomuch that there was neither Prince nor Princesse but entertained him with all honour and reverence when he came to see them And there was no Reformation of Religion but it passed first through his hand for he was call'd the Father of true religion He was chosen Visitor of the great religion of the Ladies of Frontenaux who stood in such fear of him that when he came into any of their Monasteries all the religious women did tremble for fear and to appease him in taking off the great rigours which he did impose upon them they did entertain
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
wherefore did she give him such a promise to entertain him after the seven years were passed I am of your opinion said Longaren for those who for love will not return love again will give no occasion of love to those that bear love unto them It may be said Nomerfide that she loved another who was in deserts far inserior to this honest Gentlemen and that she left the better for the worse Upon my credit said Saffredant I conceive that hereby she made good provision for her self to take him in an hour when she had left off the other whom peradventure at that present she loved better I see very well said Oysilla that the more we examine and debate upon this Subject the more those who will have all things go on their side will take occasion to speak the worst of us that possibly they can wherefore Dagoucin I request you to give your voice to some one I do give it said he to Longaren being assured that she will acquaint us with some grateful novelty and will not to speak the Truth forbear either Man or woman Since you do esteem me to be so impartial said Longaren I will assume the hardinesse to acquaint you with the Fortune which happened to a very great Prince who in virtue surpassed all others of his time Understand withall that the thing which we ought least to use but in the case only of extreme Necessity is Dissimulation It is a Vice both vile and infamous especially amongst Potencates and Princes in the mouths and countenances of whom Truth is far more becomming than in any other person But there is no Frince so great although he hath all the honours and the riches that he can desire who is not subject unto the Empire and the Tyranny of Love insomuch that the more noble the Prince is and of greater spirit the more Love delighteth to make him to stoop under his powerful hand for that wanton and glorious little God doth take no care of small or common things and his Majesty doth make it his exercise every day to do wonders as to make weak the strong and to make strong the weak to give understanding to the ignorant and to take it away from the wise to savour passions and to destroy reason and all his delight is in such changes And because Princes are not exempt from love no more are they from the extremity into which the servitude of Love doth throw them And therfore by force they may be permitted to use Dissimulation hypocrifie and fiction which are the means to overcome their Enemies according to the Doctrine of Master Iohn de-Moon And since in such an act the Condition of a Prince is pardonable which in no other act is to be allowed because it layes them open to Disrepute I will in this place give an account unto you of the Inventions of a young Prince by which he deceived those who are accustomed to deceive all the world The subtilty which a great Prince used to delight himself in the Company of the Wife of an Advocate of Paris The Fifth Novell IN the City of Paris there was an Advocate more esteemed than nine Men of his profession and by reason of his great sufficiency being sought after by all he was the richest man of all those of his Robe who finding that he had no children by his first Wife did hope to have issue by his second And although his Body was old and dryed up yet his heart and his hope were not dead wherefore he did choose to wife a young Geutlewoman of the City of about eighteen or nineteen years of Age very fair and of a delicat complexion whom he loved and tendred as much as possibly he could but she had no more Children by him than he had by the former which at the last did much trouble her Wherefore her youth which was not suitable to Melancholy did cause her to seek out recreations in other places than in her own house and she repaired oftentimes to Feasts and Dancings but she always deported her self so civilly that her Husband could not entertain any bad opinion of her For she was alwayes in the company of those in whom he had great confidence Being one day invited to a Marriage there was present a great Prince who in rehersing the account did for bid me to use his name But I may well say unto you that he was so brave a Prince and of such a Grace that the like was never seen before in France nor ever I do believe will after him be seen again This Prince beholding this young Gentlewoman whose eys and whose Countenance did incite him to affect her did come unto her and did court her with such fine language that she her self was much taken with him and it and did not conceal from him that for a long time she had that love in her heart for which he did intreat her and that he should not take pains to perswade her to that to which at the first sight Love had made her to consent The young Prince by the courage of Love having obtained that happinesse the purchase whereof did well deserve a longer time he thanked the blind little God who so much favoured him And after that hour he so well followed his affair that they did both agree upon the means how they might come together without the observation of any The place and time being agreed upon the young Prince did not fail to come and to preserve the honour of the Gentlewoman he did come disguized but by reason of the dissolute boyes who did run up and down the streets in the night by whom he would not be known he took some Gentlemen with him to attend him And in the entrance into the street where she lived he did dismisse them saying to them If you hear no noise at all within this quarter of an hour you may retire into your own lodgings and about three or four hours hence fail not to expect me in this place again This they did accordingly and hearing not any noise they withdrew themselves into their own Chambers The young Prince did directly take his Course to the House of his Advocate and found the Door open as it was promised him But going up the stairs he did meet with her Husband by reason whereof he was more seen than he desired Neverthelesse Love which giveth understanding and boldnesse in the greatest necessities did so dispose it that the young Prince came directly to him and said Monsieur the Advocate You know the confidence which I and all those of my House do repose in you and that I do esteem you to be one of the best and most faithfull Servants that I have I was willing to come privatly to you to visit you as well to recommend my affairs unto you as to desire a Cup of your wine for I stand in need of it and not to acquaint any whomsoever that I am here for
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
not suffer her desires to go beyond her reason You may paint it forth unto us said Hircan as you please but I know that the worse Devil always doth turn out the other and that Pride and Hypocrisie did turn from her away her pleasure for Ladies robes are so long and so woven with dissimulation that we cannot know what they carry within them for if they were not more nice of their honour than we are we should find that Nature had forgot her self no more in them than in Men And by reason of the fear they have not to dare to take the pleasure they do desire they have changed that vice into a greater which they conceive to be more honest and that is into a Glory and a Cruelty by which they hope to purchase themselves an Immortality and thus they boast they can resist the vice of the Law of Nature If our Nature be vicious what is theirs who not only make themselves like unto Beasts which are inhumane and cruel but also like unto Devils from whom they receive their Pride and Dissimulation It is pity said Nomerfide that you have so virtuous a Lady to your wife seeing you do not only undervalue Virtue in another but would prove all Women to be vitious I am happy said Hircan to have a Wife who is not scandalized and I would not have her to be so but as for that Chastity of Heart you speak of I believe that she and I are both of us the Children of Adam and Eve wherefore in beholding our selves we should not only cover our nakednesse with leaves but also confesse our frailty I know said Parlament that we do all stand in need of the Grace of God because we are inclined unto Sin but our Temptations are not like unto yours and if we do sin through Pride there is no second prejudiced by it neither are our hands soyled or our bodies defiled But your pleasure doth consist in the dishonouring of Women and it is your Honour to kill men in Wars which are two positions directly contrary to the Law of God I do confesse unto you said Guebron that you speak the Truth but God having said That whosoever looketh with Concupiscence is already an Adulteress in his heart and that whosoever hateth his neighbour is an homicide satisfie me I pray you Are Women exempted more than Men God who judgeth the heart said Longaren will give sentence But it is too much that Men should be our Accusers for the goodnesse of God is so great that he knows and pardons the frailties of our hearts But let us leave off this Dispute said Saffredant for it doth savour more of a Preachment than of a pleasant Account Wherefore said he I give my voice to Emarsuite desiring her that she will not forget to make us to laugh Truly said she I shall take care not to fail you being determined to give a brief account of two servants of a Princesse so pleasant that it doth make me to forget the melancholy of another History which I had an intent to exhibit unto you and to put some mirth upon my face to make it appear more agreeable unto you The rashnesse of a foolish Secretary who sollicited the Wife of his Companion by the means whereof he received great shame The seventh Novell IN the City of Ambois there dwelled the Servant of a Princesse who was Groom of her Chamber an honest Man and who gave good entertainment to all that came unto his House but above all to his Companions It is not long since that one of the Secretaries of his Mistresse did come thither to lodge where he stayed ten or twelve dayes This Secretary was so deformed that he seemed rather to be King of the Canibals than a Christian And although his Host who was also his Companion did intreat him as his Brother or his dearest friend and with all the honour that possibly he could yet he did go about such an Enterprise that it did seem he had not only fogot all honesty but had never entertained any in his heart which was in a dishonest and an unlawful way to sollicit the Wife of his Companion who had nothing in her that might incite him to love although she was indeed as virtuous a Woman as any was in the City where she lived she perceiving the lustfull desires of the Secretary thinking it better by dissimulation for a time to discover his Vice at last than to cover it by a sudden refusal did counterfeit to approve and like his motion Therefore he who thought that he should gain her to his will without regarding her age which was above fifty and that she was none of the handsomest and without considering the good report she had to be a very honest Woman and to love her Husband most intirely did incessantly importune her One day amongst the rest her Husband being imployed about some great businesse at home and they two being together in the Hall she pretended that she only deferred him to find out a â—ure place to be alone with him accordingly as he desired To whom immediatly he replyed That he would go up into the Cockloft She suddenly did rise and did desire him to go before and said she would follow after him He laughing for joy with a sweetnesse of face much like unto a great Baboon when it is about to feed did very lightly go up the stairs and with a labouring Expectation attending that which he so much did desire burning not with a cleer five but as a great Coal in the forge did listen if she were comming up after him but instead of hearing her feet he did hear her voice speaking unto him Master Secretary Stay there a little I am going to my Husband to know of him If he be pleased that I shall come up unto you You may imagin with your selves what a face he made when he wept who did look so ugly when he laughed He immediatly came down with tears in his eyes and for the love of God did beseech her to be silent and nor by her words to break the love which was between her Husband and himself She made answer to him that she was sure he loved her Husband so well that he would not speak of any thing to her which he would not have him to understand wherefore said she I goe to acquaint him with it which she did whatsoever intreaties he made or constraints he could use to the contrary whereupon he took himself to his heels and did run away out of the doors and was as much ashamed as her Husband was glad to understand the honest deceit which his Wife had used and her virtue so much pleased him that he made no account of the vice of his Companion who was sufficiently punished to carry on him his own shame which he would have brought upon that house Ladies it doth appeart to me that personages of worth ought to learn by this account not to
any cruelty at all you may perceive I have a just cause for it That Lady which you beheld is my Wife whom I loved better than it is possible for any other to love his Wife insomuch that to marry her I did forget all fear and brought her hither in spight of all her Kinred She also did expresse unto me such signes of love that I would have hazarded ten thousand lives to have her always with me to her own content and mine Having married her we lived a long time in such a mutual assurance of one anothers love that I conceived my self to be the most happy Gentleman in Christendom But in a Voyage which I made to which my Honour did engage me she so much forgat her own Honour and her Conscience and the Love which she had in to me that she became amorous of a young Gentleman whom I brought up in this House which aâ— my retuâ—n I thought not to have found So it is that the love which I did bear unto her was so great that I could not harbour the least mistrust of her untill Experience opened my eyes and I beheld that which I feared more than Death wherefore my Love was converted into fury and despair and I did watch her so narrowly that one day pretending to go abroad I did hide my self in that Chamber where now she resideth into which not long after my departure she retired and caused the young Gentleman to come to her whom I saw to deport himself with that familiarity that it did belong to none but to my self only when I beheld him to lye down upon the Bed by her I came forth and taking him in her arms I did kill him And because the guilt of my Wife did appear to be so great that such a Death was not enough wherewith to punish her I contrived a punishment for her which I believe was more unpleasing to her than Death it self I locked her up in that chamber to which she was accustomed to retire to receive her greatest delights and in his company whom she loved better than mine into which place I sent her inclosed in an armory all the bones of her friend hanging as some precious Jewels in a Cabinet and to conclude when she eateth and drinketh at the Table before me that she might not forget the memory of him I cause her to be served instead of a cup with the scull of that fond Young-man to the end that she may both see him alive whom by her fault she hath made her Mortal Enemy and see him dead for the love of her whose friendship she preferred above my own And thus constantly at Dinner and Supper she beholds two objects which ought most to displease her her Enemy living and her Friend dead and all by her own default For the rest I do use her as I do use my self only she doth go without any hair at all for the ornament of hair doth not belong to an Adulteresse nor a veil to one that is unchast wherefore she doth go without a veil and without hair to show that she hath lost her honour and her chastity If you please to take the pains to see her once more I will conduct you to her to which Bernage seemed very willing and descended with him into a low place where he found her in a very fair Chamber fitting alone before the fire The Gentleman opened a curtain which was before a great Armory where he did see hanging all the bones of a dead man Bernage being touched with compassion had a great desire to speak unto her but durst not for fear of her Husband The Gentleman perceived it and said unto him If you please to speak any thing unto her you shall observe what words and language she hath Whereupon Bernage immediately said unto her Madam if your patience be equal to your torment I doe esteem you to be the happiest Lady in the World The Lady having tears in her eyes did answer him with a most gracefull hudblenes I doe confesse my fault to be so great that all the Evils which the Signior of this place whom I am not worthy to name Husband can bring upon me are nothing in comparison of my deserts and the grief I have so much to have offended him And speaking those words she did weep abundantly which the Gentleman observing took Bernage by the hand and did lead him forth The morning being come Beruage departed to put his charge in execution which the King had given him and taking his farewell of the Gentleman he could not forbear to say unto him Monsieur the love which I do bear unto you and the honour and the privacy which you have shewed to me in your house do constram me to declare unto you that it seems to me seeing the great repentance of your poor Wife that you ought to look upon her and to use her with compassion and since you are but young and have no children it will be a great losse that so noble a House should fall for want of Heirs that those who love you not peradventure will succeed you The Gentleman who determined with himself never more to speak unto his Wife did consider with himself of this discourse and Counsel of Bernage and acknowledged that he had given him good advice and did promise him that if she persevered in this humility he would look with some pity on her In this manner Bernage departed to the performance of his Commission and when he was returned to the King his Master he gave him all along the Account of what he had done in his behalf which the King found to be as he expressed and amongst other things Bernage having spoken of the beauty of that Lady the King sent his own Painter named John de Paris to limn that Lady to the life and bring her picture to him which having the consent of her Husband in it he performed And some weeks afterwards the Husband after the long penance of his Wife as well in the desire to have Children by her as in the compassion of her did take her again into his bed and had by her many lovely children Ladies if all those who have committed the like fault should drink in the like vessels I am shrewdly afraid that many gilded cups should be converted into Dead mens Skulls Now God take us into his keeping for if his Grace doth not restrain us there is not one here amongst us but is prone to doe as much but having our confidence in him he will preserve those who confesse they are not able to preserve themselves and those Ladies who doe most of all confide in their own strength and virtue are in greatest danger to be tempted to acknowledg their own infirmity and be you assured that there are very many whom Pride hath made to fall in such a case whiles humility hath saved others who were esteemed lesse virtuous The old Proverb doth therefore truly affirm
that those whom God keeps are well kept In my opinion said Parlament the punishment is but reasonable and as just as moy be for as the offence was worse than death so was the punishment worse than death I am not of your opinion said Emarsuite for I had rather all my life time behold the bones of dead Servants in my Cabinet than indure to die for them there is no crime so great which cannot be amended but after death there is no amendment at all How is that said Longaren can you amend your Honour you know I am sure that after such a misfortune whatsoever a Woman can doe she can never recover her honour Tell me I pray you said Emarsuite if Mary Magdalen hath not more honour now amongst men than her Sister who was a Virgin I must confesse said Longarine that we do praise her more but it is for the great love which she did bear our Saviour and for her repentance for if you doe observe it the title of a Sinner doth continue with her still I care not said Emarsuite what name men give unto me for if God doth pardon me and my Husband to boot there is nothing that I know of for which I would die Although that Gentlewoman did not love her Husband as she ought said Dagoucin yet I doe wonder that she did not die for grief to behold the bones of him whose death she occasioned by her own offence Say you so Dagoucin said Simontault are you yet to understand that Women are capable neither of grief nor love Yes said he and that is the reason that I never dare to tempt their loves for fear I should find lesse than I desire You live then said Nomerfide like a Plover of the Wind upon Faith and Hope we may seed you at a cheap rate I am contented said he with the love which I doe find in my self and the hope I have in the heart of one Lady which if I know to be such as I hope it is the extream content thereof would so transport me that I should not endure it without death Nay be wise said Guebron and take heed of that Plague for it is a dangerous malady I dare assure you But I would know to whom Madam Oysilla will give her voice I doe give it said she to Simontault who I do know will not spare any You praise me so highly said Simontault that you doe almost call me a Detractor Howsoever I will not forbear to represent unto you that those whom they call Detractors have spoken the truth And Ladies I am confident ye are not so foolish to believe that in all these Novells which have been spoken whatsoever appearance they may have of truth yet if they were brought to the triall the proof is not so great but they may be a sufficient Subject for the Sceptick nay oftentimes we find a great abuse under the pretence of a miracle and therefore I have a desire io give you an account of one which will be no lesse to the honour of a faithfull Prince than to the Dishonour of a wicked Minister of the Church The abhomination of an incestuous Priest whose Sister under the pretence of a holy life was great with child by him and of the punishment that did follow thereupon The third Novell COunt Charles of Angoulesm Father to King Francis the first of that name a virtuous Prince and fearing God being at Coignac intelligence was brought unto him that in a Village not far from thence called Chernes there was a Vigin lived so austere a life that it was admirable yet neverthelesse she was great with Child which she no ways dissembled but was proud of it and assured all the people that came to behold her that she never knew man and that she could not conceive which way she conceived it if it were not by the adumbration of the Holy Ghost which the people easily believed and did repute her to be a second Virgin Mary Every one that knew her did affirm that from her Infancy she was so precise that there never appeared the least sign of any worldlinesse in her She fasted not only the Fasts commanded by the Church but many days in the week she made Fast-days for her private Devotion and as song as any service was said in the Church she never stirred from it wherefore her life was so much esteemed by all the people that every one did come on purpose to look upon her as a wonder and happy was he who could but touch her garment The Curat of the Parish was her Brother a man of about fifty years of age and of a very austere life and accounted by his Parishioners to be a very holy Man who to outward appearance did intreat his Sister so roughly that he did in a House keep her shut up as in a prison at which the people were very much displeased and the report of this miracle was so great that the news thereof was brought to the Ears of the Count who perceiving the abuse with which all the world was possest did desire to take it away wherefore he sent the Master of the Requests and his Almoner two very accomplished personages to understand the truth thereof who repaired to the place and to be informed as diligently as possibly they could they did addresse themselves to the Curat who seemed to be much amazed at the affair and besought them both to assist him in the attestation of it which he said he hoped would give satisfaction to the World The next morning the said Curat did sing Masse in the Church at which his Sister did assist him on her knees being very big with Child At the end of the Masse the Curat did take into his hand Corpus Domini and in the presence of all the Assembly did speak unto his Sister Wicked and Blasphemous as thou art accused to be Behold here him who hath suffered death and who was crucified for thee before whom I demand if thou art a Virgin as thou hast always assured me She boldly and without the least Impression of fear made answer to him Yes And how then is it possible said he that thou shouldest be great with Child and yet remain a Virgin She answered I can give no other cause thereof but that it is only by the Grace of the Holy Spirit who doth in me that which he pleaseth Howsoever I ought not to deny the grace which God hath vouchsafed to me which is to preserve my Virginity for I had never the least desire to a Husband Her Brother then said unto her I give thee here the precious Body of Jesus Christ which thou shalt receive to thy own Damnation if it be otherwise than thou allegest of which these Honourable personages who are sent hither from the Count shall be the Witnesses whereupon his Sister who was about thirty years of age did take this following Oath I take the Body of my Lord here present to
more to acknowledge the Virtue and the Goodness of Men which causeth me to follow the trace of the last account by giving you a History that hath relation to it A President of Grenoble being adverised of the inordinate affection of his Wife did so well manage the business that his honour was not interested in it and he himself was thoroughly revenged The sixth Novel IN the City of Grenoble there was a President whose Name I will conceal howsoever he was no French man he had a very handsom Wife and lived in great peace with her This Woman observing that her Husband was grown old did fall in love with a Clerk of his a lovely young fellow and comming on Every morning when her Husband repaired to the Palace the Clerk entred into his Chamber and possessed his place One of the servants of the President did perceive it who having served him above thirty years and being loyal to his Master could not contein himself from giving him notice of it The President who was a wise man would not lightly give any credence to it but told him that he had a desire to plant Division betwixt his Wife himself And to prove the truth he commanded him to shew her to him in the manner of it Which if he could not do he would believe he said that he had contrived that slander to make a separation betwixt them His Groom assured him that what he had spoken he would cause him to see with his own eyes and accordingly one morning as soon as the President was gone unto the Palace and the Clerk was entred into the Chamber of his Wife The Servant sent one of his fellows to acquaint his Master that he might come at that instant and take them together and stayed at the Chamber door himself to watch that the Clerk should not come forth The President had no sooner this news brought unto him by his Servant but feigning himself to be sick on the sudden and that a great qualm came over his stomack he returned in great hast to his own house where he found his old Servant at the door of his Chamber who assured him for certain that his Clerk was within and that he had not been very long there His Master said unto him stir not from this door for thou knowest well enough that there is no other entry nor door but only this saving only a Cabinet within of which I always take the Key with me Having spoke these words the President entred into his Chamber and found his Wife and the Clerk both in bed together The Clerk seeing him did in his shirt throw himself down at his feet and craved pardon of him and his Wife on the other side did begin to weep The President said unto them Although the injury which you have done me is such as you your selves may well conceive to be unpardonable yet I doe tender you so much that I will not have my house to be dishonoured nor my children which I had by you to be disgraced wherefore said he to his Wife do not weep but observe what I will doe and doe you Nicholas for so his Clerk was named withdraw and conceal your self in my Cabinet and make not the least noise When he had so don he opened the door and calling in his old Servant he said unto him Didst not thou assure me that thou wouldst shew me my Clerk lying in bed with my Wife and on thy word am I come hither and had taken a full resolution to kill my Wife I have not found any thing of what thou hast said unto me and yet have thorowly searched the Chamber as I will shew unto you and speaking those words he commanded his Groom to look under the Bed and in every corner of the Chamber When the Groom could not discover him he said to his Master in a great amazement The Devil sure must carry him away for I will take my oath that I saw him goe in and which way he is gone out God knows but out at this door he is not gone His Master replyed unto him Thou art a wicked Knave to attempt to make any difference between me and my Wife wherefore I do charge thee to be gone out of my house and for the Services which thou hast done me I will pay thee what I owe thee and more than what I owe thee but get thee out of my doors and be sure that thou art not in this City fout and twenty hours And having thus rebuked him he liberally paid him his wages and gave him a reward for 5 or 6 years service to come and knowing that he had been a dutiful Servant he told him that for all the discharging his house of him he might be yet more beneficial to him The Servant being dismissed and gone the President commanded the Clerk to come out of the Cabinet and having as he thought good reproved him and his Wife for their irregular excess of love he did forbid them to make any appearance of it to any man and desired his Wife to attire her self more gorgeously than she was accustomed to doe and gave her leave freely to goe to all Companies and Feasts He also did look upon the Clerk with a more friendly eye than he was accustomed and whispering him in his ear he bid him to goe into the City and take his pleasure there for three or four hours This being done the President repaired to the Palace without making the least appearance of any thing and for fifteen days together quite contrary to his former custom he did nothing but Feast his Friends and Neighbours and after the Banquet he had Musick to invite the Ladies to dance One day observing that his Wife was melancholy and did refuse to dance he commanded his Clerk to lead her forth into the dance The Clerk believing that he had forgotten all former faults did with great joy take her by the hand and used many frolicks with her in the dance but the dance being ended the President pretending he had some businesse with him did whisper him in the ear and said unto him Now get thee gone for good and all and be sure that thou dost come no more into my house The Clerk was very sorrowful to forsake the Genwoman his Mistresse but as glad on the other side that he had saved his own life After that the President by this good entertainment of them had given assurances to all the kinred and friends of his Wife and to all the Country how much he did affect her He retired in his Garden on a Sun-shine day to gather a Sallad of herbs for her which his Wife had no sooner tasted of but she died within four and twenty hours for whom he made so great a funeral and so much lamenration that not any one could suspect he was the occasion of her death and by this means he revenged himself of his Enemy and saved the Honour of his House
that she would have no Supper of such Viands again and that she resolved to live in such a manner that he should not be the Butcher of her second Husband for she could hardly be induced to believe that he would pardon another having shewed himself so mercilesse to him whom he loved best in the world And although she was but weak and unable to revenge her own Cause yet her Hope was in HIM who is the true Judge and who will suffer no Sin to passe unpunished to whose only love she would devote her self during her life in that Hermitage which she did accordingly for she never departed thence until the day of her Death untill her Soul departed from her Body living with such patience and austerity that after her Death every one did run thither as to the Seat of a Saint and so great a Ruine did fall upon her Brothers House that of six Sons which he had not one remained alive but all of them dyed most miserably and in the end the Inheritance was devolved as you heard in my other Account upon his Daughter Rolâ—ndine who succeeded in the Prison which was made for her Aunt Ladies I pray to God that this Example may be prefitable to you that none of you may have a desire to marry for your own pleasure without the consent of those â—o whom you do ow obedience for Marriage is an Estate of so long a Continuance that it ought not lightly to be undertaken nor without the Consent of our best Friends and Kinred And it cannot at the best be so well managed but it will undoubtedly bring with iâ— as much pain as pleasure In good faith said Oysilla if there were neither God nor Law to teach fools to be wise this Example is sufficient enough to instruct them to bear more reverence to their Parents and Kinred than to marry at their own pleasure Madam It is so said Nomerfide that she who hath one good day in a year is not unfortunate throughout all her life She had a long time the pleasure to see and to discourse with him whom she loved better than she loved her self and after that she had the delight of the Marriage-bed without any trouble or remorse of Conscience And I esteem that Contentment to be so great that it seems to me it doth exceed the sorrow it brought with it You will say then said Saffredant that Women do receive more pleasures to ly with their Husbands than they do receive grief to to see them killed before their eyes That is not my in tention said Nomerfide for I should then speak against the Experience which I have of married Women but I conceive that so great and extraordinary a pleasure as to marry that man whom we love best in the world is more greatly to be esteemed than to lose him by death which is a common calamity So it is said Guebron if it were by a natural death but this here spoken of was too cruel for it is very strange to me seeing this Signior was neither her Father nor her Husband but her Brother only and moreover that she was of full age and that the Laws doe permit the Daughters to marry whom they please how he durst execute such a cruelty I do find it not strange at all said Hircan for he killed not his Sister whom so perfectly he did love but the young Gentleman whom he cherished and brought up as his own Son and loved as his own Brother and having preferred him and inriched him in his Service the Gentleman ought to have been content and not to have sought his Sister in marriage which nothing at all did pertain unto him The Honour and pleasure said Nomerfide is not usual for a Gentleman who is but a Servant to marry a Lady of so great a Family And if the death be strange the pleasure must be new also and so much the greater that it hath the opinion of all wise men to affirm it and the contentment of a heart full of love to aid it and the repose of the Soul to attend it which is a quiet Conscience seeing God is not offended with it And as for that death which you say was cruel it seems to me that it being inevitable the speediest death is the best for we all know that of necessity we must passe through Nature to eternity And I esteem them most happy who stay not any long time in the Suburbs and from the felicity which only in this world can be so called do in an instaet fly unto that which is eternal What do you call the Suburbs of death said Simontault Those said Nomerfide who have had many tribulations in Spirit those who have been a long time sick those who by the extremity of corporal or Spiritual griefs are come so far as to despise death and to complain that their last hour comes too slowly These are they who have already passed through the Suburbs of Death and have lodged in those Inns in which there is more noise than rest It was impossible but that this Lady must lose her Husband by death but in losing him by the choler of her Brother being exempted from seeing him sick or bedrid and exchanging the joy she had to be with him into the love and the service of God she might well call her self happy Do you make no reckoning said Longaren of the disgrace which she received and of her tedious imprisonment I do believe said Nomerfide that a Man or Woman who absolutely doe love according to the Commandment of God do know neither shame nor dishonour but when they alter or diminish from the perfection of their love for the glory to love truly doth not know nor is it capable of disgrace And as for the imprisonment of the Body I do believe this Lady had such an inlargement of her Soul which was united to God and to her Husband that she was hardly sensible where she was but esteemed her solitude to be the greatest liberty for they who cannot behold that which they love have no other happinesse but incessantly to think upon iâ— And that confinement is never streight where the Soul is free and the thoughts can exercise themselves at their own preasure There is nothing more true said Simontault than that which Nomerfide doth declare but he who by his fury made that separation may truly be called guilty and unhappy for he at one and the same time offended both God and Love and Honour In good earnest said Guebron I do much wonder at the different loves of women and do well observe that those who have the most love have the most virtue and that those who have the least do indeavour by dissimulation to counterfeit themselves to be virtuous It is true said Parlament that a Heart honest to God and Men doth love more sincerely than that which is vicious for it feareth not that we may sound the depth of its intention I have
most beautifull and bravest personage amongst all the Ladies of Flanders On the departure of this great Assembly this Countesse of Aiguemont did return to her own House and the time of Advent being come she sent to the Covent of Friers to demand a good Preacher and a Man of a godly Conversation as well to preach as to confesse her self and all her Company The Warden of the Friers did make choice of the most worthy in his Covent to perform this office in regard of the great benefits he had received from the House of Aiguemont and that of Pienne of which this Lady was and being more desirous than all others to gain the good Esteem and the Love of great Houses he did send the most remarkable Preacher which he had in the whole Covent who the Advent did his duty very well and gave the Countesse great Content The time being come in which the Countesse would receive her Creator she did send for her Confessor and was confessed in her Chapel the door being locked that the Confession might be the more private which being ended she resign'd her place to her Dame of Honor who being confessed did send her Daughter to passe under the handâ— of this goodly Confessor who after she had confessed to him all that she knew he found something as well by her Complexion as Confession which gave him the desire the boldnesse to impose upon her a penance which was not usual He therefore said unto her My Daughter your Sins are so great that to give satisfaction for them I impose this penance on you to wear my Cord on your naked Body The young Gentlewoman who would not be disobedient to him did reply Give it me my Ghostly Father and I will not fail to wear it Nâ— my good Child said the Frier you must not put it on with your own Hands It is necessary that my hands must first of all tye it about you and after wards absolve you 〈◊〉 all your sins The young Gentlewoman beginning to weep did tell him Tâ—â—â— she did not know what to think of that penance Say you so said the Pâ—eacher Are you a Heretick that you refuse the penance which God and our holy Mother the Church doth ordain I do use Confession said the young Gentlewoman as the Church doth command me and would willingly doe penance and receive absolution but I would not that you should put your hands upon my naked body for in that manner I shall refuse your penance Then said the Confessor I can never give you absolution On these words the Damosel did rise from her knees having her Conscience much troubled for she was so young that she was afraid she had sinned in refusing to doe what her Confessor had enjoyned her The Countesse of Aiguemont having received Corpus Domini her Dame of Honour desiring to be made partaker of it after her did demand of her Daughter if she were ready her Daughter weeping made answer No for she was not yet confessed and what did you so long then with the Preacher said the Mother her Daughter made answer nothing at all for refusing the penance which he imposed upon me he refused also to give me absolution Her Mother so discretly enquired of her what penance it was that at the last she understood the whole manner of it and causing her to confesse unto another they received the Eucharist both together As soon as the Countesse was returned from the Church her Dame of Honour did complain unto her of the Preacher at which she was possessed with equal sorrow and amazement having before entertained a very good opinion of him The novelty of the penance did turn her anger into laughter but her laughter did put on that authority as to command the Frier to be taken and beaten in her kitchin where by the force of Rods he confessed the Truth and being tyed hand and foot she sent him afterwards to the Warden of the Covent desiring him that for the time to come he would send more honest men to preach unto her the Word of God Ladies Consider with your selves if in so honourable a house as this they were not afraid to declare their follies what do they do in poor places where they ordinarily do make their requâ—sts and where the opportunities are so easily presenâ—ed to them that it is a miracle young women do escape without a scandal And this Ladies doth occasion me to intreat you that you would turn your bad Esteem of them into Compassion and to ponder with your selves that he who can thus blind the heart of Friers will not spaâ—e the hearts of Ladies when he shall make them his subjects We may here see said Oysilla a good wicked Frier to be religious a Prtest and a Preacher and yet to use such villany on so great a Fâ—stâ—val and in the Church under the pretence of Confession which are all Circumstances that do aggravate the Sin And what of all this said Hircan Do you think that Friers are not men and to be excused as well as we especially this Frier who in the Night-time saw himself all alone with so fair a young Gentlewoman Certainly said Parlament if he had thought on the Nativity of Jesus Christ which was at that time represented he could not have had so wicked a desire You do not observe his method said Saffredant for he would begin with the Incarnation before he did come to the Nativity Neverthelesse he was faulty enough seeing upon so high a day and on so fair a Creature he would have committed so foul a sin In my opinion said Oysilla the Countesse did give him such a punishment that his Companions may take Example by it But it is worth your observation said Nomerfide if she did well to bring a Scandal upon him and if it had not been better that she had privatly reproved him than thus openly to have divulged his fault I do believe said Guebron it had been indeed the best Course for we are commanded to reprove our Neighbour in private before we do declare his faults to any or to the Church it self for when a Man is become once shameless he is not without great difficulty brought to amendment and I am of opinion that it is Shame as much as Conscience that retireth many Men from Sin We must therefore said Parlament practise that Counsel of the Gospel to one another but not to those who preach one thing and who do another for we ought not to be afraid to scandalize those who do scandalize others And it seems to me to be a meritorious work to make them to understand themselves to be such as they are that we may take heed of their seducings and teach young Maids to do so too who are not alwayes so well advised But to whom will Hircan give his voice Because you do ask me I will give it to your self said Hircan Since you give it unto me said Parlament I will give
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
Wooâ—â—ss and that almost before she can perceive that she is gone astray Howsoever it is said Parlament I should never love that man who would make so great a separation betwixt my Husband and my self as to make him beat me for blowes make love to sly away Yet neverthelesse as I have heard so cunningly these Impostures do carry themselves when they would have a poor Woman at advantage that I do believe it is more danger to give ear unto them privatly than publickly to receive blowes from their Husband who if it were not for such busie pretenders would be good enough To speak the truth said Dagoucin the trains they have laid are on every side so many that it is not without cause to fear them although in my opinion that Person who is not fearful or suspitious is worthy of praise Neverthelesse said Oysilla we ought to suspect the evil which we would avoid for it is better to suspect the Evil which is not than foolishly by not believing it to fall into the Evil which is For my part I never saw a Woman deceived in being slow to give credence to the words of Men but I have heard of many that have been ruined by giving too ready a belief to their false protestations wherefore I affirm that the Evil which can arrive cannot be too much suspected by those who have the charge both of Men and Women and Cities and Estates for be the watch never so strictly observed and be there never so many eyes imployed yet Forgeries and Treasons will abound The Shepheard that is not vigilant is every way deceived by the subtilty of the Fox and the cruelty of the Wolf And yet so it is said Dagoucin that a person that is suspitious can never entertain any absolute friendship and love hath been oftentimes estranged if not separated by suspition only If you can render us any Example of it said Oysilla I will give you my voice I know one and so true a one said Dagoucin that you will take Delight to hear it Ladies I will tell you what it is that doth most easily break true Love It is when the assurance of Love doth bâ—gin to give place unto suspition for as to believe a friend is the greatest honour can be done unto him so to doubt of him is the greatest dishonour can befall him by that suspition we begin to esteem him otherwise than we would he should be which is the cause that many great friendships are dissolved and Friends made Enemies as you shall find by this Account which I have now in hand to exhibite to you A Gentleman of Percha unjustly suspecting the love of his Friend did provoke him unwillingly to put in practise the Cause of his Suspition The seventh Novell IN the Country of Percha there were two Gentlemen who from the time of their first Infancy did continue in so great and an entire a love that betwixt them there was but one heart one house one bed and one table They along time did live in this perfect Amity enjoying one thought and one will you might see indeed a distinction of persons but they lived together not only as two Brothers but as if that both of them had made but one entire Man The one of them was married yet did not discontinue for all that to maintain his old Love and daily to live with his Companion as he had been accustomed to do And if at any time in their Travels they wanted a second Bed his friend did lie in the same Bed with himself and his Wife It is true enough that at that time he himself did always lie in the middle Their Goods were also in common It was not Marriage that could hinder the establishment of their love Nevertheless in the progress of time the felicity of the world which is subject to mutability could not any longer continue in this House which was indeed too happy and in too permanent a condition for the Husband forgetting the assurance which he had in his Friend without any occasion at all did entertain a great jealousie of his Wife and him He did not dissemble it to his Wife and did acquaint her with the unpleasing tydings whereat she was much astonished for he had commanded her in all things but in one to make as much of his Companion as of himself and now he expresly did forbid her to speak unto him unless she were in some publick Company She took the opportunity to acquaint the Companion of her Husband with it who did not believe it knowing well enough that he never thought nor did any thing whereat his Companion should be afflicted And being accustomed to conceal nothing from him he did acquaint him with what he understood desiring him that he would not conceal the truth from him for he would not either in that or any other thing give him an occasion to break that love with so long they had entertained The Gentleman that was marryed did assure him that he had never any such thought and that they who brought this Information to him were most wicked lyars His Companion told him I know well enough that Jealousie is a passion as insupportable as Love and if you should be surprized with it yet I would do you no Injury at all for I know it is a passion that grows so upon a Man that he cannot help it But of one thing which lies in your power to help I find I have just reason to complain which is that you conceal this passion from me seeing heretofore there was not that thing which you would conceal from me I will say as much of my self If I were amorous of your Wife you ought not to impute it unto me as any great Iniquity for it is a fire which I hold not in my hand to do with it according to my own pleasure but if I should conceal it from you and endeavour to make your Wife acquainted with it I should be one of the wickedest Companions that ever was For my part I do assure you that albeit she is an honest and a virtuous Gentlewoman yet were she not your Wife I do not know any Woman that I have a less Fancy to But although there be no occasion for it I desire you if you but harbour the least scruple of suspition that possibly may be that you would acquaint me with it to the end I may give such Order that our love which hath so long continued may not be dissolved for a Woman for if I loved her above all Creatures in the World yet I would never speak any more unto hrr because I doe prefer your love above all others His Companion did swear unto him by the greatest Oaths that could possibly be imagined that he never had any such thought and desired him to make use of his house as he was accustomed to doe His Friend made answer to him because it is your desire I will doe it but I must
the Custom did bring her to her Chamber And because it was a day of mirth and his friends were round about him the Bridegroom would not forsake the Dance but was so much affected to it that it seemed he had forgot his Wife But the Frier had not forgot her for as soon as he perceived that she was in bed and left alone he did put off his grey mantle and took the place of the married man but for fear of being discovered he made but a short stay there and made hast to the place where he found his companion who watched for him Putting on his grey mantle he stood now Centinul for the other Frier who to satisfie his wicked concupiscence did goe to the Brides bed as the other did before him where he stayed till his Companion made a sign that it was time to come away The Bridegroom afterwards came to the bed and the Bride who had been so much tormented by the Friers that she defired rather rest than pleasure could not forbear from saying to him What doe you not make account to sleep this night will you never let me alone The poor Bridegroom who was but just come to her was amazed to hear these words and demanded of her what trouble was it he had put her to seeing that he was but now come from the Dance Dance said she why you have danced to some tune for this is the third time that you have come unto me to dance the shaking of the Sheets me thinks that it should becom you better now to sleep Her Husband hearing those words was much astonished and forgot all other things that he had to do to understand the truth of this Mystery and when she had given him an account of it he immediately suspected that it was the Friers who were lodged the very next door to him wherefore rising from his Bed he presently did goe unto their Chamber and finding them not there he called out so loud for help that all his friends assembled themselves who having understood the fact did assist him with Candles and Lanthorns and all the dogs of the Village to find out the Friers And when he perceived them not in the dwelling house nor the out-houses their diligence made such a dispatch that they did apprehend them amongst the Vines and did use them as they had deserved for having soundly beaten them they did cut their Leggs and their Arms and did leave them in the Vines to the protection of Bacchus and Venus to whom they were better Disciples than to Saint Francis Do not wonder Ladies if these Religious people separated from our common fashion and manner of living doe act those things which other Men are ashamed to perform You may wonder that they do no worse when God doth draw back his hand from them for the habit doth not make a Monk but oftentimes doth undo him through pride and arrogance Good God said Oysilla can we find no other Subjects for these Accounts but Monks and Friers only Emarsuite said if in these Histories we spare not Ladies Princes and Gentlemen me thinks that the Monks should not be displeased that we make them our Subjects for the greatest part of them is so unprofitable that if they did not some evil by which they might be remembred there is neither Man nor woman that would make the least mention of them It is vulgarly spoken that it is better to do ill than to do nothing at all and this Packet of our Accounts will seem more delightful the more it is filled with different Subjects If you will promise not to be angry with me said Hircan I will give you an Account of two Persons so burning in the flames of love that you will excuse the poor Friers and say that they did but take their necessity where they could find it but this Lady who had enough to seed on did too fondly seek after fresh Diet. As we have sworn all to speak the truth said Oysilla so we are sworn also to give ear unto it Wherefore fâ—r ought I know you may speak at freedom for the evil which we speak of Men or Women is not for the particular shame of those to whom the Account is related but to take away all presumption and confidence from creatures in shewing the miseries to which they are subject to the end that our hope may rest it self by leaning and relying altogether on him who is only perfect and without whom there is nothing but imperfection wherefore without any more suspence I will declare my History to you The Subtilty of a Countess privatly to have her pleasure of Men And how she was discovered The ninth Novell IN the Court of a King of France named Charles I will not tell you what Charles for the honour of the Lady of whom I speak neither will I name her to you by her own Name but she was a Countesse of a great house but not a French-woman by her birth And as all new things do please this Lady at her first comming to the Court as well for the Novelty and Fashion of her Garments as for her wealth with which she abounded was much looked upon by every one And although she was none of the most beautifull yet she had so great a grace and confidence that it was impossible to have more Such was her language and her gravity that there was not a Man in the Court who was not afraid to speak unto her unless it were the King who loved her intirely And to express himself more privatly unto her he gave her Husband a Commission and imployed him in the affairs of state where he continued a long time and during his absence the King made very much of his Wife Many Courtiers and Gentlemen of Honour who perceived that the King their Master was gallantly entertained by her did assume the boldnesse to speak unto her and amongst others one named Astillon who was a Gentleman of her own temper and of a great grace and boldnesse but she checked him with so great a gravity threatning him that she would acquaint the King his Master with it that he began to be afraid but being a Souldier and not accustomed to fear he did so assure her of his affection and did follow her so closely that she consented to speak unto him alone and instructed him in what manner he should come unto her Chamber which he did not fail to put in execution And that the King might have no suspition of it he demanded leave of the King to go into the Country and so he departed from the Court. On the first dayes Journey he left all his followers behind him and came at night to receive the fruit of those promises which the Countesse had made unto him and found her as good as her word wherewith he was so satisfied that he was constrained to stay there seven or eight dayes shut up in a Wardrobe and during that time he never
fashion of a Collar they came to attend the Countesse as she was going to Church who when she beheld them so strangely accoutred began to laugh and said unto them From whence come these dolorous people Madam said Astillon We your poor slaves and prisoners are come to do you service The Countess making a semblance as if she knew nothing at all did say unto them You are not my prisoners neither can I understand what occasion you have to do service to me more than to any other whereupon Valtebron advanced himself more near unto her and said Since we have fed so long on your Bread we should be ungratefull Madam if we should not do you service She did put so good a countenance upon it pretending to understand nothing at all that she thought with her bold dissimulation to have amazed them but they followed their process so closely that she perceived that the businesse was discovered Wherefore incontinently she did find an expedient to deceive them for she who had lost her honour and her Conscience would not receive the shame which they thought to have brought upon her who but as one who preferred her pleasure above all the honour of the world did make nothing of what they said and did not alter her Countenance at all at which they were all astonished seeing that they had brought upon themselves that shame which they thought to have done to her Ladies If you find not this History able enough to make you understand that there are Women as subtle and as wicked as Men I will look out some others for you Howsoever it seems to me to be sufficient to demonstrate to you that a Woman having lost her shame is a hundred times more bold and more ready to do evil than a Man There was not a Woman in all the Company who heard this History but made as many signes of the Cross as if at that present before their eyes they had seen all their Enemies in Hell But Oysilla said Ladies Let us humble our selves when we do hear of such horrible things for a Woman forsaken by God doth render her self like unto him with whom she joyneth For as they who do adhere to God have his Spirit with them So they who adhere unto the Devil have always with them the temptations of the Prince of Darkness And there is nothing so Bestial as a Woman destitute of the Spirit of God Why what had this poor Lady done said Emarsuite I can find nothing I only hear a story of Men who vaunted of their prison I am of opinion said Longaren that it is no lesse pain and trouble for a man in this kind to conceal his good fortune than it is for them to obtain it for there is no hunter but sounds his horn at the fall of the Game nor Lover but doth glory having gained the Victory over his Mistresse Loe here an opinion said Simontault which before the inquisition it self I will maintain to be heretical for there are more men by far than Women that can keep Secrecies and I do know very well that there may be some found who had rather have no good cheer at all than that any body should understand it And the Church as a good Mother hath ordained Priests who are men to be Confessors and not Women because they can conceal no secrets It is not for that occasion said Oysilla but because Women are so great Enemies to Vice that they would not so easily give absolution as Men and would be far more austere in their injunctions of penance If they would be as severe in their penances said Dagoucin as they are in their answers they would make Sinners rather to despair than they would lead them to Salvation Wherefore the Church hath provived well in all things Howsoever I cannot excuse those Gentlemen who did boast so much of their Prison for there was never any Man that received honour by speaking ill of Women Because the Act was common amongst them all said Hircan in my opinion they did well to comfort one another But they ought not to have confessed it said Guebron for their own honour for the Books of the Round Table do teach us that it is no point of honour in Chivallry to beat one who is not worth any thing I do much wonder said Longaren that this poor Lady did not die for shame before these Prisoners Those who have once lost it said Oysilla do hardly or never recover it again unlesse it be those whom a violent Love hath made to forget it and I have seen many of those to recover their lost shame I believe said Hircan that you have seen those to return who have never set foot forward for an entire love in a VVoman is very hard to find I am not of your opinion said Longaren for I know there have been some who have loved until death I have such a desire to hear that Novelty said Hircan that I doe give you my voice to find that Love in Women which I thought had never been But when you have heard it said Longaren you will believe it and confesse that there is no passion so violent as that of Love And as it makes us to undertake things almost impossible to purchase a little contentment in this life so more than any other passion it inforceth Him or Her who have lost the hope of their desire as it will appear unto you by this History One in love having been let blood received the gift of Mercy by which he died and his Sweet-heart killed her self for the losse of him The tenth Novel IT is not yet a full year since there was a Gentleman in the City of Cremona named Monsieur John Peter who a long time had loved a Lady who lived near unto his house but in the purchase which he made did not receive the Answer he desired although she did love him with all her heart At which the poor Gentleman was so perplexed that he retired into his own Chamber and determined with himself no more in vain to seek after that the pursuit whereof did consume his life and indeavouring to divert his fancy and affection he did keep within some dayes without seeing the Lady whom he loved by reason whereof he did fall into so extreme a melancholy that it quite altered his Complexion His Kinsman caused the Physicians to come unto him who finding his complexion to be turned yellow did judge it to be an opilation of the Liver and did prescribe him Medicines for his Recovery The Lady who had been so rigorous unto him knowing well enough that his Disease came only by her denials did send unto him an old Woman in whom she trusted and did command her to acquaint him from her that since she found by experience that his love was true and not counterfeit she was resolved to accord unto him in all those things which for so long a time she had refused She had found
the privy Counsel of God being ignorant of the first Causes do find all things new and so much the more admirable as we have the lesse desire or ability to perform them Wherefore fear not but that the Days Works that are to come will be altogether as pleasing and as full of variety as those which are passed only do you on your parts use your best indeavours Oysilla said that she did recommend her self unto God in whose name she did bid them Goodnight with that all the Company withdrew putting a period to the fifth Days Work The End of the fifth Days Work The Sixth Days VVork of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface IN the Morning more early than ordinary Madam Oysilla was in the Hall ready to begin her Lecture of which when of all those her Company were advertised for the desire they had to pertake in her good instruction they did make themselves ready with so much diligence that she stayed not long for them She knowing their hearts did read unto them the Epistle of Saint John the Evangelist which is full of Love The Company found those Viands to be so sweet that although they stayed there above half an hour longer than on other dayes they were accustomed yet it did not seem to them to be half a quarter of an hour departing from thence they repaired to Masse where every one of them did commend himself to the holy Spirit that on that day they might satisfie the pleasant audience After they had dined and taken a little repose in their chambers they resorted to the Meadow to continue there their accustomed Recreations Madam Oysilla demanded who should begin that days Journey Longaren made answer Madam I do give you my voice for this day you have read unto us so excellent a Lecture that it is impossible but you should rehearse unto us some history that may deserve to accomplish the glory which this morning you have merited It doth much grieve me said Oysilla that I cannot rehearse unto you this afternoon something which may be as profitable to you as what I did speak in the morning Neverthelesse the intention of my History shall not stray much from the Doctrine of the Word of God where it is written Put not your Confidence in Princes nor in the Sons of Man for of them cometh not your Salvation And that for want of an Example you may not bury that truth in oblivion I will recite unto you a sad Legend the memory whereof is so fresh that the tears are yet scarce wiped from their eyes who beheld the pitiful spectacle THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The perfidiousnesse and cruelty of an Italian The first Novel A Duke of Italy whose name I will conceal had a Son of eight and twenty years of age who was much in love with a young Maid of a good and honest Family and because he could not have the liberty to speak unto her as he would according to the custom of the Country he assisted himself by a Gentleman who was his Servant who was amorous also on a handsome young Maid a Servant to his Mother by whom he caused the great affection which he did bear unto his Sweetheart to be discovered The poor Maid thought no hurt of it but did take pleasure to doe him service conceiving his desires to be so just and honest that he had no other intention but she might well doe the message with honour and a good Conscience But the Duke who had more regard to the advancement of his House than to honest Love had so great a fear that these Loves might proceed to marriage that he did set a very strict watch over them and he was informed that the poor Girl was imployed to carry Letters from his Son to her whom he loved at which he was so incensed that he resolved to give an order to prevent it But he could not so well dissemble his choler but the Damosel was advertised of it who knowing the cruelty of the Prince which was as great as his Conscience was little she was in a marvellous fear and addressed her self unto the Dutchesse beseeching her to give her leave to withdraw her self into some place out of his sight until his choler was passed over But her Mistresse made answer to her that she would know her Husbands pleasure before she would give her leave Not long afterwards she understood the evil resolution of the Duke and knowing his complexion too well she not only did give the Maid leave to depart but advised her to retire her self into a Monastery until the Tempest was blown over which accordingly she did and as privately as possibly she could howsoever the Duke by his Spies was advertised of it with a countenance pretending Joy he demanded of his Wife where the Maid was who thinking that he already knew the truth did confesse unto him where she was for which he seemed to be sorry and told her that she needed not to put on so sad a Countenance for he on his part did mean no hurt unto her wherefore he advised her to send for her back again for he said the report of such a thing would not be good The Dutchesse said unto him if the poor Girl were so unfortunate as to be deprived of his favour it were better that for a certain time she should not appear in his presence But he would not receive nor allow her reasons and did command her that she should send for her again The Dutchesse did not fail to declare unto the Maid the pleasure and good will of the Duke of which she could not assure her self but besought her that she might not tempt her fortunes for she knew well enough the conditions of the Duke and whatsoever pretence he made it was most difficult unto his Nature to forgive The Dutchesse assured her that she should receive no prejudice at all and by her Messenger made protestations to her of it upon her life and honour The Maid who knew well enough that her Mistresse loved her and would not for any thing circumvent her did take a confidence in her promise believing that the Duke would never violate that security in which the honour of his Wife was ingaged and thereupon returned to the Dutchesse The Duke when ever he understood thereof did come into his Wives Chamber and having seen the Maid he said unto his Wife look yonder who is returned and turning himself towards the Gentlemen that followed him he commanded them to take hold of her and to carry her to prison The poor Dutchesse who upon the honour of her Word had tempted her out of the place of her protection was so astonished at it that she kneeled down before him and besought him most importunately for his own honour and for the honour of his House that he would not commit such an Act seeing that to obey him she had taken her from the place of security where she
wanting we must borrow something of Hypocrifie just as we do when we wear Pantofles to make us appear a little higher than we are and doth it not do well howsoever that we can find a way to cover our imperfections To tell you what I think said Hircan it were better sometimes to shew some imperfection than peremptorily to cover it with the mantle of Virtue It is true indeed said Emarsuite that a Garment borrowed doth as much dishonour him who is enforced to return it as it did him credit when he did wear it And there hath been that Lady to my knowledge alive who to cover a small fault hath fallen into a greater I do suspect said Hircan who it is you speak of wherefore at the least doe not name her And why so said Guebron I do give you my voice but upon a condition that after you have recited your Account you will declare the Name and we will all swear unto you never to make any reiteration of it I do promise you that I will said Emarsuite for there is nothing but may be spoken of with Honour The personal diligence of a Prince to remove an importunate Lover The third Novel KIng Francis the first of that name having retired himself into a most pleasant Castle with a small Retinue as well to solace himself with the pleasure of hunting the Buck as to repose himself from the troubles the noise of the City had in his Company a Pr. as wise as virtuous as gallant a man as any in the Kings Court He had espoused a Lady who had none of the greatest beauties but he did love her as well as a Husband could love a Wife And reposed so great a trust in her that if by chance he did take an affection to any other he did not conceal it from her knowing that she had no other desire but what was his The Prince did fall in love with a Lady that was a Widdow who had the reputation to be one of the fairest Ladies that could be looked upon and if the Prince loved her well his Wife did love her no lesse than he and did oftentimes invite her to eat and to drink with her finding her so wise and so honest that instead of being sorry that her Husband loved her she was glad with all her heart to see him to addresse himself to so fair a Creature filled with Honour and Virtue This love continued long insomuch that the Prince imployed himself in his own person in all the affairs of this Lady as if she had been his own Wife and the Princesse his Wife did do no lesse But because she was so exceeding beautiful many great Lords and Gentlemen did court her and were importunately sollicitous to obtain her favour some for love only and some for gifts for besides her beauty she was very rich Amongst others there was a young Gentleman who did follow her so close that he failed not to be in her Chamber every morning when she made her self ready and every evening when she undressed her self to goe to bed and as long as possibly he could he stayed with her all the day which pleased not the Prince for he thought that a Man of so poor a condition and of so rude a deport did not deserve that civil and gratious entertainment of which in private he often made Remonstrances to the Lady But she who was the Daughter of a Duke did excuse it saying That she without distinction did speak to all the World by reason whereof her love was the more concealed seeing that she did speak as much to one as to another At the end of half a year this Gentleman did court her in the way of marriage and did follow his sute with so much diligence that more for importunity than for any love she did promise him that she would accept him for her Husband intreating him that he would not declare it until her Daughters were all married After this promise the Gentleman without any fear of Conscience did goe at all hours into her Chamber when he pleased and there was but one Gentlewoman belonging to her Chamber and but one Gentleman that did know of the Contract they had made The Prince observing that the Gentleman did grow more and more familiar in the house of her whom so much he loved did take it so ill that he could not forbear thus to impart his jealous heart unto the Lady I have always loved your Honour as if you were my own Sister and you doe know the honest discourses with which I did always entertain you and the contentment which I received to love a Lady so wise and so virtuous as your self but I doe find that another who doth not deserve it hath by his importunity gained that which against your approbation I would not desire and this is an affliction not to be endured by me and will prove no lesse dishonourable to your self I doe acquaint you with it because you are young and beautiful and until now have lived in the height of reputation which every day will sink lower lower and being lost will not be easie to be regained And although he is no ways to be compared to you in Birth or Fortunes and much lesse in Authority Knowledge or Gracefulnesse it would be better far that you should marry him than to make all the world to suspect you Wherefore I beseech you to tell me truly if you are determined to love him for I will not have him to be my Companion and am resolved to leave you to him for altogether and I will by degrees withdraw my self from that familiar love which I have born unto you The poor Lady did begin to weep fearing to lose his love and did swear unto him that she had rather die than espouse that Gentleman of whom he did speak but she said that he was so importunate that she could not hinder him from comming into her Chamber on the hour when all the rest were accustomed to enter Of those hours said the Prince I doe not speak at all for I can then come in as well as he and every one may see what you doe But I am Informed that he finds admission into your Chamber after you are in bed a thing which I do find so strange and which comes so quite crosse unto me that I must tell you that if you continue that life and you doe not declare him for your Husband you will be one of the most dishonoured Women that ever was She made unto him all the Oaths that possible she could that she did not esteem him either for a Husband or a Friend but for an importunate Man as he was Well said the Prince since it is so that he is so much troublesome unto you I will take a course to prevent it How said she will you cause him to be put to death No no said the Prince but I will give him to understand that he
are not exempt from being tempted with avarice which is the occasion of so many Evils Nay rather of so much goods said Saffredant for the two thousand Duckets which the old Woman gave the Friers out of her Treasury were goods enough to make them merry And the poor Girl her Daughter who had so long stayed for one Husband might now by this means have two and be better enabled to dispute the truth of all Complexions You entertain always the worst thoughts that may be said Oysilla for in your own opinion all women are of your own temper Madam by your leave said Saffredant I did not care if they were provided they were as easie to be contented as we Men are You speak against the Truth said Oysilla for I am consident there is not a woman here amongst us but knows the contrary and moreover you speak directly against the sense of the Account just now rehearsed which was to shew the ignorance of poor woman and the subtilty and the sin of those whom we do commonly believe to be better Men than all others for you shall find that neither the good Woman nor her Daughter did any thing of their own heads but submitted their desires unto the Counsel of their Confessor Howsoever there are some women so difficult to please said Longaren that in their own opinions they do deserve to have Angels for their Husbands and that is the reason said Simontault that so oftentimes they do find Devils especially those Women who not relying on the Grace of God do trust altogether to their own apprehensions or are slattered to a conceit by others to find in this world that felicity which is not given nor can come from any but from God only How now Simontault said Oysilla I thought you had not known so much Madam said Simontault I am sorry that you conceive me to be no better experienced for through my defect of knowledge I perceive that you entertain a bad opinion of me but for all that by your leave why may not I perform the office of a Frier since a Frier hath performed the office of such a Man as I am Fy fy Do you call it an office said Parlament to deceive Women in doing so out of your own mouth you judg your self If I should deceive a hundred thousand of them said Simontault I should not be reveng'd for the torments which but from one of them I have received I know well enough said Parlament that oftentimes you do make your complaint against Ladies yet neverthelesse we see you jocund and in so good liking that we cannot believe you suffer so much as you say you do But the Author of the fair Lady doth affirm that from bad promises no good can be expected to ensue You do allege a notable Doctor said Simontault who is not only stubborn and churlish himself but also makes them all to be so who do read and follow his Doctrine So it is said Parlament that his Doctrine is more profitable to young Women than any Doctrine that I know But said Simontault If Ladies were without mercy we might set up our Horses in our Stables and let our Armor rust upon our walls and think on nothing but our Country affairs I pray tell me if it be for the honour of a Lady to have the Name to be without pity without Charity without Mercy Without Love and Charity said Parlament she must not be but the word of Mercy doth sound so strangely in the ears of Ladies that they cannot use it without some offence unto their Honours for Mercy properly is to grant that favour which is demanded and we know well enough what is the favour which Men do desire Be not displeased Madam said Simontault there are some Men so reasonable that they desire only but good words You cause me now said Parlament to remember him who did content himself with a Glove I would fain know said Hircan who was that gracious Servant and for that cause I do give you my voice It will be a pleasure to me said Parlament to repeat it to you for the story is full of Honesty A ridiculous account of a Lord of England who on his Habiliments did wear the Glove of a Lady The Seventh Novell KIng Lewis the eleventh did send the Earl of Montmorancy as his Ambassador into England who was there so well entertained that the King and all his Nobility did love and highly esteem him and many of them did communicate unto him their private affairs to have his Counsel therein Being one day at a Banquet which the King had made there sate next unto him a Lord descended of most noble Parentage who did wear a Ladies Glove made fast on his Brest as if it were for a Favour it was wrought all over with gold and on the joynts of the fingers there were many rich Diamonds Rubies Emraulds and Pearls insomuch that the Glove was valued at a very great price The Earl of Montmorancy did so often look upon it that my Lord perceived that he had a desire to know the reason wherfore he was in so gallant an equipage and because he conceived that it would conduce much to his honour he began to speak unto him I do perceive you do find it strange that I have so gorgeously accoutred a poor glove I have a great desire to acquaint you with the occasion of it for I conceive you to be so worthy a Man â—nd so knowing what the passion of Love is that if I have done well I know you will praise me if not you will excuse Love who doth carry a great Command over all noble hearts You must understand That during all my life I have loved a Lady that I do love her and will love her after my death And because my heart had more boldnesse to addresse it self on a time and place unto her than my tongue had to speak unto her I stayed seven years without daring to make any semblance at all unto her knowing that if she perceived it I should lose both the means which I had so often to frequent the place where she was by the reason whereof I entertained as much fear as love But one day being in the field and looking on her such a beating of my heart did take me that I lost both my Colour and all my Countenance which she very well perceived and asked me How I did I made answer to her That it was an insupportable Grief of my heart She who thought that it was a Malady of another sort than Love did shew her self to have pity on me which made me to beseech her to put her hand upon my heart to see how violently it did beat which she did more for charity than for love And puting her hand which was gloved upon my heart my heart did so beat and torment iâ— self that she perceived I did speak the Truth Immediatly I did press her hand as close as I could
the one and the other of them very well did make the Marriage She who was a pleasant Woman did tell her Husband without dissimulation that she had Servants in whose Company she loved to passe away the time with whom he himself might partake of the Pleasure at last this married life seemed too tedious to him for on the one side he was displeased that so long a time she did give so great entertainment to those who had no relation to him at all and on the other side he was much grieved at the great expences he was constrained to be at to maintain her in her gorgeous apparel to follow the Court. Wherefore as often as he could he would retire unto his house in the Country where so much Company came to see her that it did not much diminish his expences at the Court For his Wife in whatsoever place she was would find some means or other to passe away the time either at play or at dancing or at some other exercise in which young Ladies may honestly exercise themselves and oftentimes when her Husband would smiling say unto her that they lived at too high a rate she would make answer and assure him that she would never make him a Cuckold although she loved to be seen in those habiliments which were most rich and gorgeous for not any in all the Court did hardly exceed her which was the occasion that her Husband did bring her to the Court as seldom as possibly he could although she used all the means she could to resort often to it and to win him the more she would so comply with him in all things that there was nothing almost so impossible to be had that he would refuse to bestow upon her Finding one day that all the inventions she could use were of no efficacy to perswade him to make a voyage to the Court she perceived that he made very much of one of the Maids of her Chamber and one day she did take her aside by her self and did cunningly propound unto her so many questions that what by promises and what by threatnings the Girl did confesse unto her that ever since she came into her house there passed not a day in which her Master did not sollicite her to Love him but she had rather die than do any thing against God or her Conscience and seeing she had done her the honour to entertain her in her service she believed it would be a double and an unpardonable sin to yield unto her Masters importunities The Lady understanding the disloyalty of her Husband was suddenly transported with the two violent passions of Love and Joy seeing her Husband who made such a semblance to love her would procure such a shame both to her and to himself although she knew her self to be far more beautifull and of a more flowing carriage than was the other for whom he would have changed But her Joy was that she hoped to take her Husband in so great a fault that he should never reproach her more for her long stay at the Court And the better to arive unto it she intreated the Maid by little and little to accord to what her Husband did desire but upon such Conditions as she should propound unto her The Maid was very difficult to be perswaded to it but being assured by her Mistresse both of her Life and Honour she agreed to submit unto her in all things The Gentleman continuing his sute did observe the Ey and the Countenance of the Maid to be much changed wherfore he did prosecute her more vigorously than he was accustomed to do and she who had her lesson by heart did represent her poverty unto him and withall that if she obeyed him she should lose her Mistresses love and service having received great hopes to gain a good Husband by her The Gentleman made answer to her that she need not take any care for all those things for he would marry her better and more richly than it was possible for her Mistresse to do and moreover that he would carry the affair so secretly that no man should speak evil of her At these words the agreement was made and considering with themselves what place was most fit for the accomplishment of so goodly a work she told him that she knew no place more convenient for the businesse nor more far from suspition than the little Lodge that was in the Parke where there was a Bed and a Chamber fit for the purpose The Gentleman who would have disliked no place was very well contented that she had nominated that and the time seemed very tedious to him untill the day and the hour were come The Maid failed not in the performance of the promise which she made unto her Mistresse and acquainted her all along with the whole discourse of the enterprise which was to be the next day after dinner and assured her that on the hour when she was to go she would not fail to give her some notice of it Her Mistresse did heartily intreat her to take a great care what she was about to do and that she herself would not fail to be there at the hour to keep her from the danger into which she had put her self by obeying her Counsels Moreover to her assurances she added oathes and charged her not to be fearful of any thing and that she never would forsake her but preserve her both then and for the time to come from the fury of her Husband The next day being come the Gentleman made himself as fine as might be and after Dinner be seemed to make more of his Wife than he was accustomed to do But this because she knew of his Intentions was not very agreeable to her but she dissembled her thoughts so well that he perceived nothing at all Dinner being done she demanded of him at what sport he would please to pass away the time He made answer to her that for the present he could devise no better pastime than to play at Cards Immediately they did begin to play but she would not play her self but said It would be pleasure enough for her to look upon the Gamesters As he began to set himself to play he fayled not to speak unto the Maid not to forget her promise and when he was at play she passed through the Hall and made a sign unto her Mistresse of the pilgrimage she was going who took notice of it very well but the Gentleman did not perceive it An hour after one of his Grooms did make a sign unto him a far off whereupon he said unto his Wife that his Head did begin to ake and that he was constrained to walk abroad a little for his health and to take the Air. She who knew his malady as well as himself did ask him if she should play out his Game he said yes with all his heart and by and by he would return again Howsoever she assured him that for two hours
it should never trouble her to possesse his place In this manner the Gentleman departed and did goe first into his Chamber and afterwards he came down into the Garden and walked thorough an Alley into his Park His Wife who knew a nearer way did stay a little behind him and on a sudden making an apparence of some extraordinary businesse she did give her Cards to another And as soon as ever she was gone out of the Hall leaving her high Pattens behind her she did run as fast as she could to that place where she would not have the market to be made without her and was there in good time for she came into the Chamber at one door a little before her Huband did enter at the other and she did hide her self behind the hangings listning very attentively to the goodly discourse and the fair and flatering promises which her Husband had with the Chambermaid But when she perceived that he began to commit the Act she plucked him by his Garment behind and said unto him I am too near unto you to take any other besides my self If the Gentleman were angry to extremity you need not to doubt being as well disappointed of the pleasures which he hoped to receive as to see that his Wife did know that which he would not have her therefore truly conceiving that the train was laid by the Maid without speaking one word to his Wife he did run after her with so much fury that if his Wife had not taken her out of his hands he had undoubtedly killed her saying it was the boldest and the basest baggage that ever he saw and that if his Wife had but concealed her self a little longer she should find apparently enough that the whole contrivement was nothing but mockery for instead of doing that which the Maid propounded to herself he had brought rods to chastise her But she who knew well enough the metal of her Husband did not think so well of it neither would she believe him and made him so many Remonstrances that he enterteained a great fear that she would forsake him wherefore he made her all the promises that possibly she could desire and confessed unto her that he had done her wrong to think worse of her than he did of his Serving Maid For an honest and a fair Woman is not the lesse virtuous for being not beloved because she neither speaks nor does any thing that is against her Honour but the Man is he who doth deserve a great punishment and puts himself to an endlesse trouble to court and follow one who doth not love him to wrong both his Wife and his Conscience Wherefore he did promise her that he would never hinder her more from going to Court nor would ever think ill of it let her entertain as many Servants to Court her as she pleased for he knew well enough that she did speak unto those rather out of Complement than affection This discourse did nothing displease the Lady for she knew that she had got him at a great advantage neverthelesse she did speak unto him clean contrary to her heart for she pretended that of late she took no pleasure at all to goe to the Court and that she regarded his love more than any thing in the World without which all companies whatsoever were most unpleasing to her saying that a virtuous Woman beloved by her Husband and returning love to him again did carry with her a safe Passeport to speak to all the World and not to be controuled by any The Maid being gone down the stairs the poor Gentleman took such great pains to shew her by effects the strength and assurance of his Love that at the last they departed from that place thoroughly reconciled And to return no more to the former Inconvenience he did beseech her to put away that Maid by whose occasion he had run himself into so great a Danger Which she did accordingly but it was by marrying her well and honourably at his own charges And to make his Wife altogether to forget that folly he not long afterwards did go along with her to the Court with so brave a Retinue and her self so gorgeously set forth with variety of rich habiliments that she had great reason to be contented Ladies This is that which in the foregoing Story did make me speak unto you that I find it not strange what she did to her Servant seeing how she did use her Husband You have given us here said Hircan the Character of a subtile woman and a foolish Husband for seeing he was come so far he should never have stayed in so fair a way Why what should he have done said Longaren That which he had in hand said Hiâ—can for seeing his wife was angry with him because she knew what he intended she could not be more if he had performed it Nay it may be that ever after she would have thought the better of him having known him to be so gallant and so venturous a Companion It is well presumed said Emarsuite But where will you find one Man that overcame two Women at one time for the Wife did defend her Right and the Maid her Virginity It is true said Hircan but a bold and a couragious Man would not have been afraid to have assaulted them both at once I do believe said Emarsuite that if he had drawn his sword he might have killed them both but otherwise I do not see what he could have don No said Hircan I would first have imbraced my wife and carried her in my arms out of doors and afterwards I would have don with the Chamber-maid what I pleased either by love or by force Hircan said Parlament It is sufficient and too much too that you know to do evil I am sure said Hircan that I give here no offence to those who are innocent in what I speak neither would I maintain an evil Act my self for to be serious I do not praise any Enterprise which of it self is worth nothing neither will I prise this Enterpriser since he did not put an end unto it rather for the fear than for the Love of his wife I do think it commendable and most worthy of true praise when a man loves his wife as God commandeth but if he cannot love her I do believe that he is not to fear her In truth said Parlament if Love will not make you a good Husband I have little hope that Fear will ever do it You need not fear at all said Hircan for the Love which I do bear unto you doth render me more obedient than the fear either of Death or Hell You may say what you please said Parlament but I have occasion enough to satisfie my self with what I have seen and known of you And of that which I do not know I will never suspect much less enquire I do find a great solly said Nomerfide in those Men and Women who are always enquiring after one
another for sufficient for the day is the sorrow thereof without so much as taking the least care for to morrow It is necessary sometimes said Oysilla to enquire after things which may concern the honour of a House to give some Order therein but not to pass any evil Judgment upon persons for there is none but doth sometimes fail Many great incoveniences have come to divers men said Guebron for being too inquisitive after the faults of their Wives I pray you said Longaren if you can give us any Example that you would not concâ—al it from us I can give you a memorable instance of one said Guebron and because you will have it I will in this place exhibite it unto you A Citizens Wife of Paris did abandon her Husband to follow a Chanter and afterwards counterfeiting her self to be dead he caused her to be buried The tenth Novel IN the City of Paris there was a Man of so good a disposition that he made it a point of Conscience to believe that another Man was in bed with his Wife although that he himself had seen it This poor Man espoused a Wife of so loose a government that it was impossible to be mote which he himself would never perceive but did intreat her as if she had been the best Woman in the World One day when King Lewis the twelfth did come to Paris this Woman did forsake her Husband to follow a Chanter who was one of the Musicians in the Chappel of the King and when she saw that the King was departed out of the City of Paris she resolved with her self come what would of her Husband to follow the Chanter wheresoever he did goe The Chanter was very glad of it and did bring her unto a house he had not far from Blois where they did live a long time together The poor Husband could not be at rest and searched every place round about the City for his Wife and at the last it was told him that she was gone away with the Chanter He who had a great mind to recover the lost sheep whom he had not looked to so well as he ought did write unto her several Letters intreating her to return unto him which if she would he would take her still to be a good Woman but she who did take so much pleasure to hear the Charm of the Charmer that she had forgot the voice of her Husband did make no reckoning of his Letters and but mocked at them at the which her Husband being much moved did send the Chanter word that he would complain to the Church and demand Justice of the Cleegie if he would not return his Wife unto him The Woman fearing that if she should come once into the hands of Justice the Chanter and her self would have enough to do did think of a remedy worthy of her invention and feigning her self to be sick she sent for some of the chiefest Women of the City to come unto her and visit her which willingly they did hoping that her sicknesse would withdraw her from her wicked course of life and every one made unto her the best Remonstrances that possibly they could and she counterfeiting her self to be most grievously sick did seem to weep and to acknowledge her sin insomuch that all the Company had pitty on her and did firmly believe that what she did speak did proceed from the bottom of her heart Wherfore seeing her so much dejected in Spirit and so repentant they did the best they could to comfort her saying that God was not so severely terrible as many Sinners did rashly propound unto themselves and that he never refused mercy to any who from their hearts being touched with the grievousnesse of their offences did desire it and speaking those words they sent for a holy Man to confesse her On the next morning the Curat of the place did resort unto her to administer the holy Sacament which she received with so many devout apparences that all the good Women of the City who were there present did weep to see her penitence praising God whose goodnesse did take pity of so poor a Creature pretending she could live no longer the extream Vnction was brought unto her by the Curat which she received with many good signs for to the conjecture of the standers by she could hardly speak or draw her breath she for a pretty while so continued and then by little and little she seemed to them to lose her sight her hearing and all her other senses whereat they all began to cry out Jesus And because that night drew on and many of the Women had a long way to go home they did all depart They were no sooner out of the Doors but word was brought them that she was dead wherefore every one saying their De profundis did return to their houses The Curate demanded of the Chanter in what place he would have her buried who made answer to him That she gave order her self to be buried in the Church-yard whither he would have her carried in the time of night One of the Maids of the House did put a shrowd on that unhappy body and took a special care not to hurt it And thus with many burning Torches she was carried to the Grave which the Sexton had made for her And when the Hearse passed by their Houses who assisted to see the Unction on her they came all again out of their Houses and did accompany the dead Body to the grave where they and the Priests left her but the Chanter did not go with them For when ever he saw the Company departed and that they were gone a good way off he and his Chambermaid did with all speed digg open the Grave from whence he took his Friend more alive than ever and secretly brought her unto his house where he kept her a long time concealed Her Husband who followed her and had served a Processe against the Chanter did come as far as Bloys to demand Justice and sound there by the attestation of all the good Women of the City that his Wife was dead and buried who did all acquaint him with the good end she made at which the honest man was very joyfull and believed that the Soul of his Wife was in Paradise And being glad that he was well rid of so insatiate a Creature he returned with great contentment unto Paris where he married a handsom a young and an honest Woman and which is worth all a good Houswife by whom he had many children and lived with her fourteen or fifteen years But Fame which can conceal nothing doth at last bring to her Husbands ear that his Wife was still alive and lived with the ungracious Chanter which the poor Man for a time dissembled as well as he could as if he had known nothing of it desiring with all his heart that it might prove untrue but his Wife who was a very wife woman being advertised of it also was surpriyed
with so great a sorrow and anguish of mind that she was almost dead with the extremity thereof And if it were possible her conscience and honour being preserved she would willingly have dissembled her fortune But that was impossible For the Rumor thereof being spread abroad the Church did begin to look after them and gave order at first that the good Man and his Wife should live asunder until the truth of the fact was more fully known Whereupon the poor Man to his great grief was constrained to abandon his good Wife to seek after his bad one and came to Bloys a little after that King Francis the first of that Name was made King in which City he found Qu. Claudia and Madam the Regent before whom he made his complaint demanding her whom with all his heart he desired not to have seen but it must be so whether he would or no for which he had the pity of all the Inhabitants And when his Wife was presented to him she a long time would maintain that it was not her Husband but some Impostor which he also if possibly he could would have believed with all his heart She being more sorrowful than ashamed did professe openly That she had rather die than return to Paris with him at which he was much discontented But the Ladies before whom she did express her self so boldly did so much condemn her that she returned with him and they so preached to the Chanter and followed what they preached with so many uses of Reproof and Terror that he was constrained to advise his Sweet-heart to go home with her Husband and to assure him that he would visit her no more And thus being discountenanced on all sides the poor unfortunate Woman was constrained to go with her Husband by whom she was far better used than she deserved Ladies You may observe from hence that if at first this Husband had been but vigilant of his Wife he had never been robbed of her for a purchase well guarded is hardly lost and it is abundance that makes a Thief It is a strange thing said Hircan that Love should be so strong where it is most unreasonable I have heard it spoken said Simontault that it is easier to dissolve a thousand Marriages than to separate the Loves of a Priest and his Lemman I do easily believe it said Emarsuite for they who so often doâ—ty others in Mariage do know of themselves so well to tamper with the kuott that nothing but they and Death can dissolve it And since the Doctors do affirm that the spiritual language is the most excellent of all it doth by consequence fall out that the spiritual Love also doth surpasse all other Loves It is a thing said Dagoucin which I know not how to pardon in Ladies to forsake an honest Husband or a Friend for a Priest be he never so handsom or so civil I must beseech you said Hircan that you would forbear to speak or to censure our Mother the Church but to believe that it is a great pleasure to Women fearful and secret to sin with those who when ever they have don can absolve them of them sins for there are divers who are more ashamed to confess a sin than to commit it You speak of those only said Oysilla who have not the fear of God and who believe that secret things shall not one day be revealed before the Angels in Heaven But I have this opinion of those Women that they desire not so much Confession as the Confessours for the Enemy hath so blinded them that they seek rather to be in a place most covert and secure than to be absolved of their Evil of which they are not touched with the least Remorse Nay said Saffredant they are so far from Remorse that they conceive themselves to be more holy than other Women and I am confident there are some who think themselves much honour'd to persevere in such Loves You speak of some only said Oysilla and it appears that you know something of them Wherefore I shall desire you that to begin our Journal to morrow you would inform us of something which you know of this Subject for this is the last time that the Bell doth tole and hark the Saints Bell doth now ring in all to Vespers You might also have observed that at the end of the sixth Novell of this day the Religious men did all depart from the shade of yonder hedge and left us to our selves to compleat our Histories Having spoke those words all the Company did rise and repaired to the Church where they found that the Monks did attend their coming and having heard Vespers they supped altogether entertaining one another with excellent discourse Supper being ended they delighted themselves with walking in the meadow according to their custome and afterwards every one did go to rest in their several lodgings to have the better Memory for the next day The end of the sixth Days Work of the Novels of the Queen of Navarr The Seventh Days VVork of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface IN the Morning Madam Oysilla failed not to administer to them the saving food of their Soules which she had gleaned in reading of the Acts and Virtuous Deeds of the glorious Martyrs and Apostles of Jesus Christ as they are declared by Saint Luke telling them That what she read there did inflame her with a devout desire to see the happy condition of those times and to lament the Iniquity of these And when she had sufficiently read and expounded the beginning of that excellent Book she desired them to repair to the Church with her in the same Vnion as the Apostles did make their prayers and to demand Grace of God which is never refused to those who do in faith desire it This holy Counsel was well approved by all and they came into the Church just as the Mass of the holy Spirit did begin which seemed to conduce much to their present purpose which made them to give ear unto it with more than ordinary devotion and afterwards at Dinner all their Discourse was concerning the happy lives of the Apostles in those Primitive times in which they took so much delight that it seems they had forgot what they had been accustomed to do in the Afternoon of which Nomerfide being the youngest did advise them and said Madam Oysilla hath so long deteyned us with Discourses of Devotion that we have let pass the accustomed hour to retire us for the preparation of our Novells Her words were the occasion that all the Company presently did arise and having made a little stay in their Chambers they failed not to meet all together in the Meadow as they had done on the dayes before And being set one by one Madam Oysilla said to Saffredant Although I am assured that you will speak nothing that shall tend to the advantage of Women yet I must desire you that you will rehearse that
to ly in prison for the space of a whole year and to feed on nothing but bread and water The Ladies also did send for her Husband who after their good Exhortations was contented to take her again after that her dayes of Penance were expired But she finding her self to be a prisoner and that the Canon was resolved never any more to take her again did thank the Ladies that they had brought the Devil our of her by the head and shoulders and she had so great and perfect a contrition for her faults that her Husband instead of staying the space of a whole your to take her again did demand her of the Archdeacon at the end of fifteen weeks ever afterwards they lived together in great love and friendship You may observe here Ladies how the chains of Saint Peter are by evil persons converted into the chains of Sathan and are so hard to be dissolved that even the Sacraments which do cast forth Devils out of Mens Bodies are by them made the means that they continue longer in their Consciences for the better that things are they are by being abused the occasions of greater Dangers Truly said Oysilla this Woman was too wanton and immoderate in her desires but it was punishment enough to appear before such Judges as the Ladies whom you have named for the look only of the Madam Regent was of that Virtue that there was no honest Woman but was almost afraid to stand before her and conceived her self most unworthy to appear in her presence Those whom she did smile upon did think with themsolves that they did merit some great honour knowing that she would not look upon any with a good will but those only who were virtuous Ladies It had been better said Hircan that she had stood in more fear of the blessed Saâ—â—ament the unworthy receiving whereof without Faith and Love is eternal Damnation than of the eyes of a Woman I promise you said Parlament those who are not inspired with the Grace of God do stand in greater fear of temporal than of spiritual punishments Neverthelesse I do believe that this poor Creature was more chastised by her sufferings in the Prison and by the apprehension that she should never see the Canon more than for any remonstrance that either the Queen or the Lady Regent made unto her But you have forgot said Simontault the principal cause which did induce her to return unto her Husband which was that the Canon was fourscore years of age and that her Husband was younger than she her self was And thus she cunningly took the best advantage of all things and gained in all her Markets for had the Canon been but as young you may be sure she would never have abandoned him The instructions and reproofs of the Ladies would have been no more effectual than the Sacraments which she took In my opinion said Nomerfide howsoever she did well in one thing which was that she did not too hastily confesse her offence which should be confessed unto God alone and she did wisely that she spoke so little and did not reveal her self before all the World for although it be true that she was faulty enough yet should she have lyed and sworn unto the contrary and there were no Man present to have disproved her even those lies and oaths would by some have been believed So it is said Longaren that a Sin unlesse it be with difficulty can never be so concealed but at one time or other it will be discovered except when God doth cover it in those who in their Love to him are repentant for it And what will you think of those said Hircan who have no sooner committed a folly but will presently reveal it to all the World It seemeth to be very strange to me said Longaren and it is a great sign that their Sin was very pleasing to them And as I have told you He whose fins are not covered by the Grace of God cannot deny himself before men and there are many who take pleasure to speak of such things and do make it their glory to publish their vices and others again are so foolish that in thinking to conceal they do accuse themselves They conceal themselves but very untowardly then said Saffredant but I pray you if you can give us any example of it that you will take my place and declare it to us Then listen to my Story said Longaren A Gentlewoman giving an account of her own loves and speaking of it in a third Person did unadvisedly declare her self The second Novell IN the time of King Francis the first there was a Lady of Royal bloud accompanied with Honour Virtue and Beauty and who could deliver her mind very elegantly and with a great Grace and she would also laugh as heartily when she heard any subject worthy of laughter This Lady being in one of her Country houses all her Subjects and Neighbours did come to visit her because she was as well beloved as any Woman possibly could be Amongst others there came unto her one afternoon a Gentlewoman who understood that every one who came unto her did account unto her one pretty story or another to passe away the time wherefore she resolved with her self that she would be found as forward as the rest and said unto her Madam I have a story to declare unto you that will make you laugh but you shall promise me not to declare it unto any immediatly she began to express her self Madam The story which I shall exhibite to you is very true upon my Conscience It is that there was a married Gentlewoman who lived very honestly with her Husband although she was but young and he was very antient A Gentleman that was her Neighbour seeing that she was married to that old Man was very amorous of her and did sollicite her many years together but he never received any other answer from her but such as a wise and virtuous Woman ought to give One day the Gentleman thought with himself that if he could take her at advantage peradventure she would not be so rigorous unto him and having a long time in a great fear debated with himself of the danger he should undergoe to obtain his desires the Love which he did bear unto the Genâ—lewoman did so take away all fear that he resolved with himself to seek out both the place and the occasion He did watch so narrowly that one morning when the antient Man Husband to the young Gentlewoman was gone to some houses that he had in the Country and was departed from his Wife very early in the morning because he would avoid the extreme hear of the Day he came into the House where the young Gentlewoman was whom he sound in bed and fast asleep and observing that all the Chamber-maids were gon out of the Chamber without having the apprehension to make fast the door he made hast into the bed to her with his Boots
almost without intermission for I believe that such a Malady cannot proceed only from your great Belly The Dutchesse perceiving her Husband to be so kind unto her as that she could not have desired him to be more thinking that now was the time to revenge her self on the denying Gentleman she imbraced the Duke and beginning to weep abundantly she said unto him Alas my Lord The greatest grief which I have is to see you deceived by those who are so much obliged to maintain your Honour and your welfare The Duke understanding those wordâ— had a great desire to know by whom it was she spoke them and with much importunity did intreat her without fear to declare unto him all the Truth She having made many denyals the better to colour her pretence did at the last say unto him I do not wonder much if Strangers make Warr on Princes when those who are most obliged to them do enterprise so wicked a Deed that the losse of Goods is nothing in comparison of it Sir I will tell you the Gentleman and speaking those words she gave him the name of him whom she hated He said she being nourished by your own hand advanced and treated more like a kinsman or a Son than a Servant hath dared to undertake so cruel and so wretched an enterprise as to procure the losse of the honour of your Wife in which consists the honour of your House and of your Children And although for a long time he hath made many covert Invitations of Allurement tending to the Accomplishment of his wicked Design yet my heart which hath regarded none but your self would understand nothing at all untill that at the last he declared himself by his words To which I returned such an answer as my heart and my chastity did command me Neverthelesse I have ever since born such a hatred to him that I cannot endure to look on him which is the cause that I have kept my Chamber and lost the happinesse of your Company beseeching you that you will no longer keep any such Servant near unto your Person For after so great a crime he fearing that I may acquaint you with it may yet commit a greater Sir I have here given you the cause of my affliction which seems to me to be so just that it is worthy you should give a sudden redresse unto it The Duke who loved his Wife and according to her accusation did find her to be much injured and himself also to be interested in it and on the other side loved his Servant of whose fidelity he had so great experience that he could hardly believe this Fable to be a truth was in a great perplexity and being filled with choler and amazement did command his Servant not to appear in his presence but for a certain time to withdraw himself from the Court The Gentleman being altogether ignorant of the occasion was as much grieved as possibly could be being conscious to himself that his uprightnesse and fidelity did deserve a far better construction And being well assured of his loyalty and demeanour he sent one of his Companions to speak unto the Duke and to present his Letter to him most humbly beseeching him that if by any false instigation he was removed from his presence he would be pleased to suspend his Judgement until he had been examined and the truth of the accusation had been understood and that he would then find that he had not given him the least occasion of offence The Duke reading the Letter did a little rebate the edge of his fury and privately sent for him to come into his Chamber to him the Gentleman being come he look'd upon him with a furious countenance and said I never thought that the care I taken to bring you up from your infancy as my own Child should be turned into a repentance to have so highly advanced you Since you have endeavoured to bring that upon me which would be more prejudicial to me than the losse of my life and fortunes in seeking by corrupting the Honour of her who is half of my self to render my House and my posterlty infamous throughout all ages You may well conceive that such an injury doth leave such an impression in my heart that if it were not for the doubt I entertain whether the report be true or no you had been before this in the bottom of the Sea and had in secret received a punishment for that offence which secretly you would have committed against me The Gentleman was not much amazed at his words for his innocence did cause him to speak with confidence unto him and did beseech him that he would be pleased to tell him who was his Accuser for such words said he ought rather to be justified by the Lance than by the tongue Your Accuser said the Duke doth bear no other Arms but her own Chastity for I assure you that no other Woman but my own Wife did disclose it to me and withal hath besought me to take vengeance on you The poor Gentleman observing the great malice of the Lady would not altogether accuse her but said unto him Sir Madam the Dutchesse may say what she pleaseth and what already she hath spoken you doe know far better than my self but believe me Sir I did never see her out of your company but once or twice at the most at which time she did not expresse her self in many words unto me God hath indued you with as much Judgement as any Prince that I doe know in Christendom wherefore Sir I beseech you to tell me if you did ever observe in me the least Countenance which might beget the least suspition for Love is a Fire which cannot so long he concealed but it will be sometimes discovered by those who languish in the same malady I beseech you Sir that you would believe two things in me the one is that I am so loyal to you that if your Wife were the most beautiful and the most accomplished Lady in the World yet Love should never so much overcome me as to stain my honour and my fidelity the other is that if she were not your Wife yet of all the Women which I have seen she is that Lady of whom I should be the least amorous and there are besides her in your Court many other Ladies on whom more readily I could fix my fancy The Duke began to soften himself into a mercy having heard these words of truth said unto him I do believe what you have represented to me wherfore continue your place in your attendance on me as you have been accustomed for I assure you that if I shall find the truth to be on your side I shall love you yet better than ever I have done and if I shall find to the contrary Know that your life doth ly in my hands The Gentleman did humbly thank him and did submit himself to all punishment if he were found guilty The Dutchesse
to me were true you would not find such a difficulty in it as to declare unto me her name but I believe the guilt of your offence doth secretly torment you The Gentleman being much provoked with these words and inforced also by the love which he did bear unto the Duke did determin with himself to speak the truth being consident that his Master was a Man so full of Virtue that he would not for any thing reveal the secret Wherefore kneeling down before him with hands joyned which he did lift up unto him he said Sir The obligation which I do bear unto you is such that it doth prevail upon me more than any fear of Death for I doe see you deluded by such a fancy and false opinion of me that I am determined to confesse that which no torment could draw from me beseeching you for the honour of God to swear unto me upon the faith of a Prince and of a Christian that you will never reveal the secret which since you are so pleased I am constrained to speak unto you The Duke immediately by all the Oathes that he could devise did oblige himself unto him that he would never discover the least notion thereof to any Creature in the world neither by word deed nor countenance The Gentleman holding himself assured on the multiplyed Oathes of so virtuous a Prince did begin to lay the foundation of his misfortune to come in confessing to him Sir It is now seven years since having known your Niece to be a Widdow I have endeavoured to obtain her favour And because I was not of a birth great enough to espouse her I was contented that she was pleased to acknowledge me for her Servant And God hath hitherto permitted that our Love hath been so wisely managed that neither Man or Woman but only She and my self hath known any thing of it unlesse it be You into whose hands I do commit my Life and Honour beseeching you that you would keep it private and to have Madam your Niece in no lesse esteem than heretofore for I do believe that under Heaven there is not a more accomplished or a chaster Creature Who was a glad Man now It was the Duke for knowing the incomparable Beauty of his Niece he did not doubt but that she was more agreeable to him than his Wife but being not able to collect how so great a Mystery could be carryed without a Second he did intreat him to acquaint him how he could come to the sight of her The Gentleman thereupon did declare unto him That the Chamber of his Niece did butt forth into the Garden and on that night when he was to wait upon her the little door of the Garden was left open through which he came and walked on foot until he heard a little Dogg bark which the young Lady his Niece had left on purpose in the Garden when all her Women were gone out of it and that on the barking of that Dogg being presently admitted he had the happinesse to discourse with her all that night and at parting they would agree upon the night when he was to return again wherein without making any dilatory excuses they would never fail to meet The Duke who was the most curious Man in the World and who in his Youth knew wisely enough how to carry his Loves as well to satisfie his suspition as to understand the particulars of so strange a story did intreat him to take him along with him the next time that he did addresse himself unto her and to give him then not the respects of a Master but of a Companion The Gentleman seeing the Duke did so presse him did accord unto it of which the Duke was more glad than if he had gained a Kingdom and dissembling that he would he for a hight or two in his Wardrobe did cause two horses to be made ready the one for himself and the other for the Gentleman and they travelled far that evening to arrive at his Nieces house The Gentleman caused the Duke to enter into the Garden at the little Door and desired him that entring into the house he would be pleased to stay behind the skreen where he might perceive if he had spoke the truth unto him or nor They were no sooner entred into the Garden but immediatly a little Dogg did bark and the Gentleman did go directly towards the house and the young Lady did not fail to meet him in the way and having saluted and unbraced him she said unto him That she was afraid he had been sick it was so long since she last saw him and speaking those words they entred into the House and the Duke privatly did follow them in the dark for there was no light in the Room and understanding the whole Discourse of their chast love he was satisfied beyond his desires and made no long stay there for the Gentleman told the Lady that he was constrained to return sooner than he was accustomed to do because that morning the Duke did intend very early to go on hunting and of necessity he must attend upon him The Lady who loved honour more than pleasure would not stay him for the greatest thing which she esteemed in her chast and honest love was that it was kept secret from the observation of the World Much about one of the clock in the morning the Gentleman departed and the Duke undiscovered by the young Lady did goe out before him and they took horse and returned from whence they came and oftentimes in the way the Duke did swear unto the Gentleman that he had rather die a thousand times than reveal the Mystery of his Love and he afterwards did so much respect him and did put such a confidence in him that there was none in all the Court that was in greater favour The Dutchesse was much incensed at it and continued her complaints against the Gentleman But the Duke did forbid her to speak any more unto him concerning that Subject for he was throughly satisfied with the truth thereof and said that he was so contented thereat that he did believe the Lady whom he loved was more amiable than her self That word did leave such an impression and did so deeply wound her heart that she fell into a malady greater than before The Duke did dayly resort unto her to visit her and to comfort her but it was impossible unlesse he would disclose unto her who that Lady was who was so much beloved And she so much importuned him to know who it was that the Duke going out of the Chamber did say unto her if you will not let me be at quiet I must depart from you Those words did increase the malady of the Dutchesse who pretended that she did feel her child to stir within her at which the Duke was so glad that to manifest his love and joy he did goe to bed to her And making use of that minute in which she found him most
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
her petticoat and her night-gown that was next to her hand and seeing that three or four of her Maids were all asleep she did go to the Chamber door and asking who was there she was answered by his Name whom she had sent for and whom so passionately she loved but to be more assured she opened the little Wicket saying If you are he that you do say you are give me your hand I shall readily know it And when she had taken her Husband by the hand she immediatly knew him and shutting suddenly the Wicket she began to cry out Ah Monsieur It is your hand Her Husband did answer her in a great Rage It is the same hand which is the pledge of the love and promises betwixt us wherefore fail not to come when I shall send for you And speaking those words he departed to his Lodging and she returned into her Chamber rather dead than alive and spake aloud unto her Women Rise my Friends you have slept too much for me for in thinking to deceive you I have been deceived first of all my self And speaking those words she swouned away in the middle of the Chamber The poor women did all rise at her cry so astonished to see their Mistresse as dead and lying on the ground and to hear those words she did speak that they knew not what to do but only to run for Remedies to revive her And when she had recovered speech she said unto them This Hour you see me my friends the most unfortunate creature upon the Earth and repeated to them all her fortune desiring them to be ready to perform their last service to her for she reckned her life as lost They indeavouring to comfort her behold one of the Grooms of her Husbands Chamber by whom he commanded to acquaint her incontinently to repair unto him She embracing two of her women began to weep and to lament desiring them that that they would not let her go for she was sure never to return again But the Groom of the Chamber assured her to the contrary and that upon the hazard of his own life he would undertake that she should receive no Ill. She seeing that there was no resistance did put her self into the arms of the Groom and said unto him Friend Since it must be so carry this unhappy body unto Death and being overcome with sorrow she was carried away by the Groom into his Masters Lodging at whose feet the poor Lady trembled down saying Sir I beseech you to have pity on me and I will swear unto you by the faith which I owe to God that I will tell you the truth of all Immediatly he said unto her as a Man transported And I vow unto you you shall tell me the truth of all and on those words commanded all his Servants to be gon And because he knew his wife to be religious he believed that she would not forswear her self if she did swear upon the Crosse wherefore he brought her a very fair one which he had borrowed and there being none present but themselves he made her swear upon the Crosse that she should tell him the plain truth of that which he demanded But she who had already passed over the first apprehensions of Death took heart and resolved with her self to conceal nothing from him seeing she was to die but so as not to reveal any thing that might bring any danger to the Gentleman whom she loved And having heard divers questions which he made unto her she made answer Sir I will not justisie my self nor make lesse unto you the Love which I have born unto the Gentleman of whom you have suspition but I have a desire to acquaint you with the occasion of that Love Sir you are to understand that never any Woman did love her Husband with such an entire affection as I have loved you for since I have been first married to you there never entred into my heart the love of any but of your self alone you know that in my Nonage my Parents would have married me to a personage of a far nobler Family than your self but they could never make me give the least consent unto it from the hour that you first spake unto me for I stood most firm against their perswasions for you without regarding your poverty or the Remonstrances which they made And you cannot be ignorant of the hard use which ever since I have received from you and how you have loved and esteemed me which hath brought so much sorrow and affliction on me that had it not been for the Lady under whose Government you did put me I had been sunk into the Bottom of Despair But in the end observing my self to grow into Age and to be esteemed to be beautiful by all the world but your self I began so vigorously to feel the Injury which you did me that the love I did bear unto you was turned into hatred and the Desire to please you into vengeance And in that resolution a Prince courted me who to obey his King more than his Love did love me on the same time when I began to feel some comfort and releasment from my torments by the honest love I did bear unto him And in leaving him I found this Gentleman who needed not to be intreated to love me Howsoever his Beauty his sweet Deportment and his Virtue did deserve to be sought after and esteemed by all women of a good understanding At my request and not his own he loved me and with so much honesty that never in his life he required any thing of me contrary to honour And because the little love which I have cause to bear unto you did give me the occasion to keep neither faith nor loyalty with you yet the love which I do bear unto God alone and to my honour hath hitherto preserved me from doing any thing for which I should either stand in need of Confession or of the fear of shame I will not deny unto you that as often possibly I could I have gone to speak with him in a Wardrobe pretending to go to my Devotions for I never trusted either Man or Woman for the managing of that affair I will not moreover deny but that being in a place so private and free from all suspition I have kissed him with a better heart than ever I kissed you but I desire no mercy of God if there were ever any other familiarities betwixt us or if ever he sollicited me for other by any hot Importunities or if ever my own heart had any desire thereunto although I was so glad to see him that it seemed to me that I could have no greater pleasure nor happinesse in the world And you Sir who are the only Cause of my misfortune will you take vengeance for a Deed which for so long a time you have given me the Example an Example which hath out-gon me in this that what you have done hath been without Honour
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
Ladies I have no inclination to praise the conscience of the President for this but only to shew the lightnesse of a Woman and the prudence and great patience of a Man and I must â—â—â—eat you not to be offended at the Truth which speaketh sometimes as much against you as it doth against men for Women doe partake of the same Vices and Virtues with them If all those Women said Parlament who loved their Grooms were constrained to eat of such Sallads I doe believe they would not love their Gardens half so well as they doe but would root out all the berbs that they might avoid those which give honour to the Family by the death of the Mother of it Hircan who did well foresee to what end she did speak those words did answer her in choler A virtuous woman ought never to judge another concerning that which she never will doe her self Parlament did reply Knowledge is not judgement upon conjecture and sure it is this poor Gentlewoman did endure the punishment which divers have deserved and I doe believe that her Husband since he would be revenged on her did govern himself with wonderfull wisdom and patience and also with as much malice said Longaren and cruel Vengeance which sufficiently doth witness that he had neither God nor his Conscience before his eys And what would you have had him to have don said Hircan to revenge himself of the greatest injury that a Woman can do unto a Man I would said she that he had killed her in his choler for the Casuists say that such a sin is pardonable for the first motions of Wrath are so violent in themselves that they are not in the power of a Man to give a stop unto them and therefore he is in some capacity of pardon No said Guebron for although his Children and all his posterity had born the infamy of the Mothers fault he ought not to have killed her for after that his first and greatest choler was passed over we find that he lived with her as if she had never given any occasion of offence and as if that all thought thereof was quite blotted out of his Memory Do you believe said Saffredant that he was pacified because he did dissemble his choler For my self I do believe that on the last day wherein he made that salad he was the same Man as he was in the first when he found her in incontinency although there are some the first motions of whose choler have no respite at all until they have put their passion into act And you do me a great pleasure to affirm that the Divines do hold such sins are easie to be pardoned for I am of the same opinion with them We ought to take good heed said Parlament what we do speak before such dangerous persons as you are that which I have said is to be understood when the passion is so strong that it suddenly doth so seize upon the sense that there is no place left for Reason So so said Saffredant I rest my self well satisfied with what you say and will conclude by it That a man violently amorous doth more easily deserve pardon than any other who doth sin being not in love for if Love doth lay him bound in chains Reason cannot easily command him and if We will confess the truth there is not here present any â—â—e of us who at one time or other hath not had experience of his furious folly and which of us doth not now expect to have pardon for it For true love is a degree to mount to the love of God to which none can easily ascend who hath not first climbed up the Ladder of trials and who doth not love his Neighbour and wish him as much happiness as to himself which is a great step unto perfection for St. John saith How can you love God whom you have not seen if you love not your Neighbour whom you have seen There is no place nor passage in the Scripture said Oysilla that is so direct but you can turn it to your own purpose but take heed that you do not like the Spider which converteth all wholesom food into poyson and you ought to be advised how dang roas it is to allege the Holy Scripture without Necessity What do you call it said Saffredant to allege the Scripture without Necessity You will say that in speaking to such incredulous Creatures as your self and appealing to God to be our witness we do take his Name in vain but if it be a Sin you Women your selves ought altogether to endure the punishment for your incredulities do enforce us to seek out all the Protestations and make all the Oaths we can devise and yet for all that we cannot kindle any fire at all in your hearts of Ice It is a sign said Longaren that you are great dissemblers for if there were any truth in your words the truth would be so strong that it would enforce us to believe you but it is to be feared that the Daughters of Eve do too much believe the Serpent that doth tempt them I understand well enough said Saffredant that Women are invincible wherefore I will hold my peace and attend to whom Emarsuite will give her voice I do give it said she to Dagoucin for I believe that he will not speak any thing in the derogation of Ladies I would to God said he that they would carry a correspondence with me and be as favourable to me as I am ready to speak in the praise of them and to manifest unto you that I do make it my business to honour the virtuous in labouring to find out their good works I will give you a History of one of them that shall be remarkable enough Ladies I will not deny but that the patience of the Gentleman of Pampelona and of the President of Grenoble hath been very great but the vengeance they have taken hath been as great as was their patience When we do praise a virtuous Man we ought not to give all the glory to one single Virtue which he makes to serve only as a cloak to cover as great a Vice He is to be commended who for the love of Virtue only doth do a virtuous work as I hope I shall make apparent to you by the patience and the virtue of a young Lady who in her good work sought after nothing but the honour only of God and the salvation of her Husband The Discretion of a Lady to retire her Husband from a fond love which did too much torment him The seventh Novell THere was a Lady of an Illustrious Family in this Kingdom of France whose Name I will conceal so wise she was and virtuous that she was beloved and honoured of all her Neighbors Her Husband as he ought to do did trust her with all his affairs which so wisely she did manage that by her means her House became one of the richest and most accommodated with the best
wisedom is pleased with the foolishnesse of Women for although it is true that simplicity is acceptable to him yet I do find in the Scripture that he doth despise the Ignorant and therefore he doth command us to be simple and innocent as Doves but withall to be wise as Serpents For my self said Oysilla I doe not believe her to be ignorant who her knees on the Ground and her Candle lighted in her hand doth make her confession to her Soveraign Lord acknowledging her own vilenesse and that she deserveth nothing but damnation and craving of him repentance pardon and grace and the gift of everlasting life I would to God said Dagoucin that every Woman did understand her self as well as you but I am afraid that several poor Creatures of your Sex have not your intentions Oysilla made answer to him Those who know least how to speak are those who oftentimes have the greatest knowledge of the Love and the Will of God Wherefore we ought not to judge any but our selves Emarsuite laughing said unto her It was no strange thing for her to put a poor Souldier into a fright who was asleep Women of as low condition as her self have put great Princes into as great a fear without putting any fire to their Foreheads I do believe said Dagoucin that you have some story concerning it which you have a desire to relate unto us wherefore if you please take my place My story shall not be long said Emarsuite and if I can represent it to you aright it will not give you an occasion to weep A merry Account which happened to the King and Queen of Navarre The sixth Novel IN that year wherein Monsieur Vendosm did espouse the Princesse of Navarr having at Vendosme feasted the King and the Queen their Father and Mother they departed from thence into Gyen with them and passing by the house of a Gentleman where were many fair and young Ladies they danced so long one afternoon that the Duke of Vendosme and the Princesse being both weary did retire into their Chamber and their cloaths being on they did lie down upon the bed and slept the doors and the Windowes being shut and none of their Servants in the room with them After they had slept about one hour they heard the Door open and the Duke drawing the Curtain did put forth his head to see who it was thinking it was some of his familiar friends who would take him on his Bed with his Princesse But he observed a Chambermaid who seemed to be very old to enter into his Chamber and to come directly towards the Bed but the curtain being drawn she could not discern by reason of the obscurity of the Chamber who they were but seeing two on the Bed lying close to one another she began to cry out O wicked Slut and infamous as thou art I have a long time suspected thee to be such as I find thee now to be but because I had not sufficient proof of it I was loath to acquaint my Lady with it but now I have found out thy villany I am resolved not to conceal it one minute And thou Apostate Villain who hast pulled by thy lust so great a shame upon this house as to undoe that poor Girl that is on the Bed if it were not that I had the fear of God before my eyes I would tear thee to pieces there where thou art Vp and be gone In the Names of all the Devils in Hell Vp and be gone What wil there never be any shame in you Monsieur de Vendosme and Madam the Princesse to listen longer to this discourse did put their faces one as close unto the other as possibly they could that they might not be discovered laughing so heartily that they were not able to speak one word Wherefore the Chambermaid seeing that by her threatnings she could not make them stir nor rise from the Bed did approach more near unto them and was resolved to draw them off either by the head or heels But when she found as well by their Habit as by their Countenances that they were not those whom she suspected and perceived who they were she trembled down upon her knees before them and besought them to pardon the great offence she had committed in disturbing their Rest Monsieur de Vendosme being not contented to know so little did immediatly rise from the bed and did request the old Maid to tell him who they were that she did take them for which she refused to declare but in the end the Duke having sworn unto her that he would not reveal it unto any she did acquaint him that it was a young Gentlewoman in the House of whom a Protonotary was very amorous and whom a long time she had narrowly watched hoping to withdraw her Mistress the Lady of the House from imposing such a Confidence in a Man who would have brought such a dishonour upon her Having spoke those words she departed and made fast the door and left the Prince and Princesse together as she found them where they continued an hour laughing at the accident that had befallen them and although that afterwards they related to divers personages of Honour this Story yet they would never name the persons whom it did concern Ladies you may here observe how a good old Woman thinking to do a piece of Justice did declare that unto strange Princes which none of the same House wherein she lived did once suspect I do believe said Parlament I can tell in what House it was and who was the Protonotary for he hath been of some Authority heretofore in the House of Ladies where when he could not obtain the favour of the Mistress he would not fail to procure the love of some one of her Maids but now he is known to be a man of good parts and of good Reputation Wherefore do you speak said Hircan that he is now known to be a Man of good parts for in that lay the Act for which he did esteem himself to be a man before Parlament made answer to him I do perceive very well that you know both the Disease and the Patient and if there should be need of Excuses you would not fail to be his Advocate Howsoever for my part he should never sail in my Boat who did so ill conduct his own that even the Chambermaids themselves must take notice of what was done Do you think said Nomerfide that Men after they have arrived to the end of their Desires do take care who knows it You may believe that if there were none who either did or could speak of it yet they would make it known of themselves Hircan in choler replyed unto her It is not requisit that Men should speak all that which they know She blushing did make answer You say well for otherwise they might speak something which peradventure would tend but little to their Honour I have often heard you speak said Simontault that
Men take delight to speak Evil of Women and I am confident that you rank me in that number Wherefore believe me I have a great desire to speak well of them that I might not be mistaken by the whole Sex for a Detractor I give you my place said Emarsuite requesting you so much to force your Jnclinations and your Nature as to speak something in our Honour Immediatly Simontault began to say It is no wonder Ladies nor any News at all to hear of your virtuous Deeds which cannot but proceed from the many virtuous personages of your Sex who are accomplished with all perfections Amongst many others there is one Example in my memory which me thinks ought not to be concealed but rather to he recorded in Letters of gold that it might be a president unto Women and an admiration unto Men by beholding that in that frail Sex which is most repugnant unto frailty it is the Occasion which doth cause me to relate what I have heard spoken by Captain Robernall and by divers of his Company The Extreme Love and Austerity of a Woman in a strange Land The seventh Novell RObernall making a Voyage on the Sea to the Isse of Canada being Governour of that Fleet by the Commandment of the King his Master he resolved to continue in the said Iland if the Air of the Country had been healthfull and to build there Towns and Castles In which he made so good a beginning that to be satisfied in the fruitfulness of the place and to inhabite it with Christians he took with him divers sorts of Artists amongst whom there was one so wicked and barbarously cruel that he betrayed his own Master and did bring him in great danger to be taken by the Inhabitants of the Country But it pleased God that his Enterprize was discovered and Captain Robernall received no prejudice at all who commanded the miscinevous Traytor to be apprehended resolving to bring him unto punishment according to his deserts You are to understand that he had contrived the plot with the Inhabitants against the knowledge of his Wife who having followed her Husband thorough the perils of the Sea would not abandon him until death but with her tears and her petitions she so prevailed with the Captain and all the Company that in Compassion of her and in regard of the good services which she had done he did grant her her request but upon a condition that both she and her Husband should be left in a little Iland in the Sea inhabited only by wild Beasts and to take that with them which should be necessary for their sustenance and to defend themselves This wretched Husband and his poor Wife finding themselves alone and in a wilderness of sorrows having none but cruel wild Beasts to keep them company had their recourse unto God alone who had been alwayes the hope and the assurance of that desolate Woman who as one who had all her comfort in him did take along with her for the Instruction and nourishment of her Soul and for all her comfort and her Refuge the New Testament in which incessantly she did read The Extremity of Winter approaching she did take pains with her Husband to build a little House the Lions and other wild Beasts approaching to devour them but her Husband with his Harquebuse and she with great stones did so well defend themselves that not only the Beasts nor the Birds durst adventure to come near them but oftentimes they would kill those which were good to eat and with such flesh and herbs that the Country did bring forth they did live a certain time when their bread failed them But her Husband could not long endure that nourishment and by reason of the abundance of the cold water which he drank he was so blown up with a Dropsie that in a short time he deceased having none to assist him or to comfort him but his Wife who was both his Physician and his Confessor and having given him the best Comforts she could administer he departed with joy from that Desart unto Paradise And the poor Woman being left alone did bury him in the ground not far from her house as well as possibly she could but the Beasts had immediately the sent of him and smelling to the Grave they did digg with their paws to find out and feed upon the Carkass but the poor woman did shoot at them out of her little house and did drive them away with the Harquebuse using her endeavour that the flesh of her Husband might not have such a Sepulcher And thus living with her body the life of a Beast and in her Soul the life of an Angel she passed away her time in reading contemplation and in prayers having a contented and a joyfull spirit in a lean and a consumed body But God who never doth forsake those in their distress who do put their trust in him and who in the greatest despair doth make his mercy and his power to be most remarkable did not permit that the Virtue with which he had indued that Woman should be concealed from Men but that it should be manifested to his glory Wherefore at the end of a certain time one of the shipps belonging to the French Fleet passing before that Iland the people who were above the Decks did observe a Woman waving with her hand her Apron over her head and making a sign unto them whereupon the Master of the ship immediatly called to mind those two whom they had left upon that Iland and determined with himself to goe unto them and to see how God had disposed of them The poor Woman seeing the ship to make up unto her and to draw near unto the shore did come down into the Beach where they took her in and departed Having praised God for her unexpected preservation she shewed them where her little house did stand in the Iland and did inform them what was her miserable Diet during the time of her melancholy abode there which had been altogether incredible to the Seamen but that they knew that God is as able to nourish his People in the Wildernesse as with the best Diet in the greatest Palace of the World And when on their return they had caused the fidelity and the perseverance of the said Woman to be made known both in the City and at the Court she was received with great Honour by all the Ladies who of their own accord did send their Children to her to teach them to work with the Needle and to Read and Write And by that honest indeavour she gained sufficiently wherewith to live all the remainder of her life having no other desire but to exhort every one to the love of God and to a safe considence in him propounding for an example the great Mercy which he had vouchsafed unto her Ladies you cannot now deny but that I have abundantly extolled those virtues with which God hath indued you which are so much the greater