honestie she found her selfe sodainly caried and borne vnto the last and the saide night became with child by him whom she sought to keepe from getting others with childe The same was no sooner committed but the remorce of conscience brought her into into so great torment that the repentance neuer left her during her whole life which at the first was so sharp that she rose out of the bed from her sonne that knew no other but it had bin the maid and went into a closet where calling her good determination vnto mind and the wicked execution thereof she passed al the night in weeping and lamenting all alone but in stead of acknowledging of the impossiblitie of our flesh that without Gods help can not but sinne desiring by her selfe and by her teares to satisfie hir fault past and by hir wisedome to auoyde the euill to come she laide the excuse of her sinne vpon the occasion and vpon the weakenes of flesh and blood whereunto there is no remedy but only by the grace of God she thought to do that whereby in time to come she might not fal into the like inconuenience â—nd as though there were but one kinde of sinne to damne men â—he deuised all the meanes she could to auoyde the same Buâ— the roote of pride which externall sinne should heale increase◠〈◊〉 her heart in such maner that by auoyding one mischiefe she fel into diuers others for the next morning as sonne as it was day she sent for her sonnes Schoole maister and â—aid vnto him Now my son beginneth to wax great it is time to send him abroade I haue a kinsman that dwelleth beyond the mountains with Mousis the great maister du Chaumont that will be very glad to haue him in his company wherefore I pray you bring him thither and to th end I be not grieued with his departure let him not come to take his leaue of me And saying so she gaue him money to beare his charges for the voyage and the same morning caused the yong gentleman to depart that was very glad at nothing else than after the inioying the pleasure of his loue to goe vnto the wars The lady continued long time in great melancholy and distresse and had it not bin for the feare of God she had often â—â—shed the end of the vnfortâ—nat fruit she bare within her boâ—â— In the end she fained to be sicke that vnder that vnder thâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might couer her imperfection and being reâ—dy to 〈…〉 remembring that there was no man in the world in whome she so much trusted as a bastard brother of hers whom she intertained did him much good she sent for him and shewing him her hard fortune but made him not acquainted that it was by her sonne desired him to help her and to saue her honour which he did and not long before she should lie downe he gaue her counsell to chaunge the aire and to go to his house where she might sooner recouer her health than in her owne She went thither but with small traine and there she found a midwife ready for her that by night not knowing her brought her to bed of a fayre daughter the gentleman deliuered it vnto a nurse and caused it to be nursed for his owne The Lady hauing stayed there a moneth went home vnto her owne house where after that she liued more strictly than euer she did both in fasting and discipline But when her sonne became great perceiuing no warre to be in Italie he sent to desire his mother that hee might come see her shee fearing to fall into the euill from whence she had escaped would not permit him till in th end he was so importunate with her that she had no reason to deny him Neuerthelesse she sent him word that he should neuer come vnto her if he were not married to a wife that he loued wel and that he should not respect her riches so she were honest and it should suffice In the meane time bastard brother perceiuing the daughter whereof he had the charge to waxe great very faire thought to place her in some house farre off where shee should not be knowne and by the mothers counsell gaue her vnto the Queene of Nauarre This daughter named Katharine grew to the age of twelue or thirteene yeres and became so faire honest that the Q. of Nauarre bare her good affection and desired much to mary her richly But by reason she was poore she found her selfe to haue suters great store but none that would bee her husband Vpon a day it happened that the Gentleman that was her vnknowne father returning from the other side of the Alpes went vnto the Queene of Nauarres house where he had no sooner espied the mayd but he became amarous of her and bicause he had licence of his mother to mary one that liked him he tooke no care but onely to haue a wife that pleased his fantasie and knowing her to be such asked her in mariage of the Queen that most willingly consented as knowing the Gentleman to be rich and with his riches both faire and honest The mariage being finished the Gentleman wrot vnto his mother that from thencefoorth she neede not refuse him her house for seeing he brought with him as faire a wife as any could be found the Gentlewoman that enquired with what house he had matched himselfe found hee had maried their owne daughter wherwith she was in such despaire that he presently thought to die perceiuing that the more she sought to hinder her griefe the more she was the means to increase the same Whereupon not knowing what to doe she went vnto the Legate being at Auignion to whom she confessed the greatnes of her sinne asking his counsell what she should doe therein The Legat to satisfie her desire sent for certaine deuines to whom he vttered the matter not naming the persons found by their counsel that the Gentlewoman ought not to make it knowne vnto her children for that for their parts considering their ignorance they had not sinned but that she during her life ought to do penance without making any shew thereof Which done the poore woman returned home where not long after ariued her sonne and her daughter in lawe that loued so wel that neuer husband nor wife loued in better sort for she was both his daughter sister and wife he too her father brother and husband in which great amity they continued long and the poore Gentlewoman in her extreame penance that neuer sawe them merry but shee withdrew her selfe to weepe The sixteenth Nouell ¶ Of a merry conceited Bricke-layer that had a curst queane to his wife and of that which happened IN the towne of Bleare nere Aragon there is a village called S. Mortis the faire where there dwelt a handsome propper fellow as any in Paris where he was borne and for his valour he durst haue trauailed into any Gentlemans buttery where all the barrels had
rest had done before him and when he had lookt til he was wearie said neuer a word but shaking a little his head was going away till nature seeing this strange demeanor called him backe and in curteous sort demaunded of him how he liked of the obiect that hee had so aduisedly perused to the which he answered In faith it is not to be misliked it is a very goodly presence hansome comely God had done his part and he saw nothing but the man was well inough But I pray saide Nature againe what is it that you mislike I perceiue by your speeches there is somthing amisse and therefore tell me what it is that you do thinke might be amended Gentlewoman saide he seeing you presse me so farre I wil deale plainely with you the fault that I finde is this It is pitty that he is not an English man borne but if hee had beene an English man borne I coulde then haue commended these perfections which I will nowe forbeare And it is pitie said Nature that thou art an Englishman borne for if thou wert not an Englishman borne I woulde so display thy imperfections which in regard of that renowmed Nation now I wil omit This poore pedant meeting with such a counter-buffe thought it not good to fall a scolding with a Gentlewoman but caling her curst queane went his way scratching of his head And here an end of an olde tale Now M. Oxenbridge I wil direct my text again to your priuate selfe how shal you and I escape the gentle frump from these same perillous conceited fellowes that will not omit to finde a fault at anie thing nor wil not forbeare to breake a iest vppon any man mary I le tell you how wee le stop their mouthes if we can wee wil giue them the foole aforehand I do not meane to any friendly Reader that will sooner winke at a fault than finde a fault but to these mungrell curres that although they cannot bite will yet stand aloofe and barke And this Misacmos in his Apologie of Aiax saith is a figure and he calles it Prolepsis or Preuention Now if we by giuing the foole aforehand could preuent them that they should not snarle at vs t were a prety tricke And why not For now I remember me I knew the practise of it long before I knewe Misacmos and learned it of a Gentlewoman that had borne a bastard before shee was married who for preuention sake would cal whoore first would raise slaunderous reportes of euery other woman how honest soeuer because she would brand them all with her owne marke Call you this a Figure No sir it was wit and I warrant you it proceeded from a very quicke conceit as how Mary shee would not venture vpon a husband til she had made triall how she was able to endure the bearing of a child for Omnia probata wittrieth all things Sir I do commend her for her wit but by your leaue if my wife were but halfe so wise I would thinke that a Carte were fitter for her than a Coach Well I thanke you Misacmos we haue made a litle bold with your Figure and I hope without offence and I see preuention is very good but I like not of his preuention that being a knowne cuckold himselfe and to preuent ill language woulde hang hornes in the night at his neighbours doore Like to a cunning fellowe that I know I will not say a Conie-catcher but a scaulled squire named Will Cogge a trencher scraping cullion but this other day who in lesse then a yeares cogging being skilfull in that facultie hath got more then nowe by his trade hee le get these seuen yeeres This Canniball I say in the night would hang vp horns at his neighbors doors that they might seeme as shamefull to the worlde as hee shamelesse and nowe associating himselfe with one a iolly fellowe who though hee seeme to the view of the world by the cariage of his body a well accomplisht K at armes yet otherwayes but a paultry shifting wenching companion when a man hath made the best of him who because hee might not haue the maidenhead of his neighbors wise the first night but Iacke Drummers entertainment after hee had shamefully demaunded it runnes vp and downe threatning highly in his hose and dublet like a masterlesse man with his collar turned downe round about his necke making way for the halter as one that were going to be hangd to mince them as small as flesh to the pot Well birdes of a feather wil hang together these two knaues I found them knaues I leaue them and that is all the reckoning I make of them Well let them winch that are rubbed on the gall but if they kicke I will stand aloofe and crie guppe olde Iade are you coltish And when I haue a little laughed I will leane my selfe to this olde axiome Qui moccat moccabitur the which in our mother tongue may thus be interpreted shee is a sorie Lady that hath neuer a Ioynter Thus M. Oxenbridge if you shall accept of these lines thus hastily hatched I hope the curteous Reader will not be offended and for the malitious I care not Thus with my commendations to your selfe I ende Your assured friend A. B. ⧠The Queene of Nauarres Tales The first Nouell ¶ Of a woman of Alancon that had two friends one for pleasure the other for profite which caused one of them to be killed that first perceiued her deceit for the which shee obtained a pardon both for her selfe and her husband that was fled who after that to saue a peece of money wherein hee was condemned sought counsell of a Coniurer but his enterprice being discouered they were both punished IN the Towne of Alancon in the time of Duke Charles that last deceased there dwelt an Attourney that had married a gentlewoman of that countrey more faire than honest who by reason of her beauty together with her lightnes was greatly sought vnto by a religious man whose name I will conceale for the reuerence of their state who to attaine to his desire entertained her husband so wel and vsed him so friendly that being blinded with simplicitie could not perceiue the lewdnes of his wife but which is more caused him to forget the affection that hee alwayes had to the seruice of his master and mistris in such sort that of a faithful seruant he became so contrary that in fine he sought by Coniurations to bring the Dutchesse to her end This priest liued long time in that maner with this wicked woman which obeyed him more for desire of money than for loue as also that her husband ceased not to incite her thereunto But there was a yong man in the said towne of Alancon sonne to the lieutenant generall whom she loued with so great affection that for his loue she was in a maner halfe beside her wits Wherin ofttimes she holp herselfe by the priests means by sending her husband
foorth whereby hee beeing busied shee might with better leisure visit the lieutenants sonne This manner of behauiour continued so long time that for her profit she entained the priest and for her pleasure receiued the other vnto whom she sware that al the entertainement she gaue vnto the priest was only by that means freely to vse his companie and that whatsoeuer passed betweene them yet she saide the priest had obtained naught of her but wordes and that he might be wel assured that neuer any man but himselfe should reape other pleasure at her hands Vpon a day as her husband went to see the priest she asked him leaue to goe into the countrey saying that the aire of the citie was somewhat contagious for her and being at her country house she wrote vnto the lieuetenants sonne that he shoulde not faile about ten of the clocke at night to come vnto her which he failed not to doe but at the doore he found the maid that vsed to let him in who spake vnto him and said Friend you must now go walke some other way for your place is taken vp Hee thinking her husband had bin come asked her the cause wherewith the poore maide pittying his estate and perceiuing him to be so fayre and honest a yong man and one that loued so wel and so litle beloued againe opened her mistris folie vnto him thinking that when he vnderstoode thereof hee woulde blame himselfe for louing so constantly She told him that the priest was but newly come thither and gone to bed to her mistris whom at that time she looked not for in that she had not appointed him to come before the next day but he hauing busied her husband about his affaires was secretly come that night to visite her If any man euer dispaired assure your selues it was the lieutenants sonne who for that time would scant beleeue it But to trie the trueth he stayed at a house hard by till he sawe the priest come foorth not so wel disguised but that he knew him better than he would In which dispayre hee went to Alanson whicher not long time after his counterfet friend returned who thinking to abuse him as she had often done went to speake with him but hee saide shee was too holy hauing touched consecrated things to speake with him being so miserable a sinner as he was whose repentaunce was so great that he hoped it could soone be pardoned When she perceiued her wanton life discouered and that neither excuse oathe nor promise neuer to do it againe would aught preuaile she made complaint vnto the Priest And hauing consulted with him went and told her husband that shee coulde no longer stay in Alanson because the lieutenants sonne whome shee accounted for her friend sought continually to dishonour her wherevpon she desired him to giue her leaue to stay at Argenton thereby to cease suspition her husband that suffered himselfe to be ruled by her yeelded to her request They were not long at Argenton but this wicked woman sent worde vnto the lieutenants sonne that shee thought him the wickedest man at that time liuing on earth and that shee had heard that hee ceased not openly to speake euil of hir and of the priest for the which she swore she would be reuenged The yong man that neuer had spoken thereof but to her selfe and that feared the priests displeasure with two of his seruants went strait vnto Argenton and found the woman in the Iacobins Church at euening prayer where hee went and kneeled downe hard by her and said vnto her Gentlewoman I am come hither to protest vnto you by the liuing God that I neuer spake to any man of you to your dishonor but only to your selfe and yet you haue committed so heynous an offence in my behalfe as I haue not vsed halfe so many iniurious speeches in your behalfe as you deserue for if either man or woman wil affirme that euer they heard it from my mouth I am come hither before your face to prooue them liers Shee perceiuing many people to be in the church and that he was accompanied with two lusty seruingmen spake as softly as she could saying vnto him she doubted not but he said the truth that she counted him too honest to speake euil of any woman in the world specially of her being one that loued him wel but shee saide her husband had some inkling thereof wherefore she desired him that he would cleare himselfe before him whereby hee might be thorowly perswaded of her honestie which hee agreed vnto and thinking to bring her home tooke her by the arme but she tolde him it was not good for him to goe with her for if he should her husband would conceiue that shee had caused him to come And therewith taking one of his men by the cloke she said vnto him let your man goe with mee and when time serueth I wil send him to fetch you meane time goe you vnto your lodging hee not fearing her conspiracie went thither and she being at home made his man that went with her to stay to supper who demanded of her oftentimes when hee should fetch his maister she answered hee woulde come time enough When midnight came she sent one of her seruants secretly to fetch him who nothing doubting her pretended mischiefe went boldly to saint Aignans house where the gentlewoman stayed his seruant whereby he had but one with him And when he was at the dore her seruant told him that his mistris would faine speake with him before her husband and that she stayed for him in a chamber only with his owne seruant saying he should do wel to send his other home which he presently did and going vp a paire of darke-staires the Attourney that had set men to watch in a chamber hard by hearing the noyse of his feete asked who went there and it was told him it was a man that woulde secretely come into his house With that one Thomas Guerin a common murtherer and by the Atturney hyred for the purpose strooke so many blowes with his sword at the poore young man that what defence soeuer he made hee could not saue his life but was presently slaine His man that in the meane time was talking with the Gentlewoman saide vnto her I thinke I heard my maister on the staires I will go see But she made him stay and said take you no care he wil come soone enough But not long after hearing his master say alas I am dead Lord receiue my soule he said he would go help him yet shee stil held him saying doubt not it is nothing but that my husband hath taught him how to leaue his youthful tricks let vs go see and looking downe from the staires head asked her husband what the matter was saying what haue you done who replied come downe and see Nowe haue I reuenged you of him that lought you so much shame saying so with a poinyard that he had thrust ten
Marseills there to rowe in the galliâ—s of Saint Blanquart where in they ended their dayes in great captiuitie and thereby had meanes to confesse and acknowledge the greatnesse of then sinnes and the wicked woman in the absence of her husband continued in her wickedneâ— more than euer she did before 〈◊〉 â—ieâ— miserably The second Nouel ¶ The pitiful and chaste death of the wife of one of the Multiers of the Queene or Nauarre THere dwelt in the towne of Ambois a multier that serued the Queene of Nauarre sister to Frauncis the French king whose wife lay in childbed of a sonne within the Cittie of Blois whither the sâ—idâ— multier 〈◊〉 receiue his quarters wages leauing his wife at Ambois lodging beyond the bridges now he had a seruant that of long time had so desperately loued his wife that vppon a certaine day hee could not choose but 〈◊〉 iâ— vnto her buâ— she bâ—ing an honest woman tooke it 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 reprooued him but threatned to cause her husband to beat him whereby hemener after durst venture to speake vnto her or once shew any countenaunce thereof keeping it secret in his heart vntill such time his master was gone abroad and his mistris in S. Florontines a church belonging to the castle and standing farre from thence at euening prayer And he being at home without company it came in his minde to seeke that by force and violence which by prayer and seruice he could neuer obtaine and to that end brake a planke out of the wall between the chamber of his mistris and that where he lay which because the side of the hed as wel of his maister and mistris as of the seruauntes on the other side stoode close vnto the wall could not be perceiued whereby his wicked pretence coulde neuer be espied till vpon a time she being in bed with a yong wench of eleuen or twelue yeares old and in her first sleepe this villaine in his shirt entred through the saide hole into the chamber with his naked sword in his hand but as soone as she felt him by her she quickly sprang out of the bed disswading him by all meanes and exhortations that possibly an honest woman could deuise but he that had naught but heastly loue and better vnderstood in the Mules language than her honest reasons shewed himselfe beastilier than those beasts with whome he had long continued for perceiuing that shee ranne so fast about a table that he could not haue his will as also that she was so strong that she had twice loosed her selfe out of his hands being in dispaire neuer to haue his pleasure while she liued gaue her a great blowe vpon the reines thinking that if neither feare nor force could make her yeelde yet paine would doe it but he found the contrary for that euen as a good souldier perceiuing his blood is therby more moued to reuenge himselfe and winne his honour so her chaste heart inforced her much more to runne and flie out of the villaines hands alwaies giuing him the fairest words she could thinking by such meanes to make him knowe his fault but to the contrary he was so furious that by no means he wold be ruled by her good counsel giuing her diuers other blows which to auoyd she neuer ceased to runne as long as her legs would hold But in the end when with the losse of so much blood she felt her death approach listing her eies to heauen and holding vp her hands she yeelded thanks to God whom she named her force her vertue her patience and her chastitie beseeching him to accept that bloud which to obey his commaundement she then had shead in reuerence of Christ Iesus his sonne whereby she stedfastly beleeued all her sins to be forgiuen and saying Lord receiue the soule that by thy mercie hath freely beene redeemed she fell with her face vpon the ground and being fallen the wicked villaine gaue her diuers blows wherwith hauing lost her speech and strength of body failing the villaine tooke by force that which shee for want of strength could not defend And hauing satisfied his filthy lust fled so hastily that neuer after what meanes soeuer was wrought he could be found Meane time the young wench that lay with the Multiers wife with feare crept vnder the bed but perceiuing the man to be gone came out and finding her mistris to be without either speech or feeling shee cried at the window to the neighbors round about for helps whereat such as loued and liked her well came presently vnto her bringing Surgeons with them and found she had receyued fiue and twenty deadly wounds vpon hir body which as much as in them lay they sought to heale but all in vaine neuerthelesse shee languished without speech in that sort for the space of one whole houre mooued her handes and eyes whereby she shewed not to haue lost her memorie and being by a priest examined of her faith shee made thereof such euident signs as that by word of mouth she could not have done better shewing that her trust was in the death of Iesus Christ whom she hoped shortly to behold within his heauenly seate and so with a cheerefull countenance her eies looking vp to heauen she yeelded her chaste body vnto the earth and her soule vnto the Lord and being taken vp and her bodie wownd and set before the doore staying for company to bring her to her graue her husband chaunced to come home where he espied his dead wife standing at the doore before he knewe thereof and hauing inquired of the cause had double reason to be grieued thereat whereby he fell so sicke that hardly he escaped death In this manner that martire of chastitie was buried in saint Florentines Church whither all the honest wiues within the towne failed not to beare her company accounting themselues most happy to be of such a towne where so vertuous a woman was found and therewith those that were not so wise but lighter of behauiour seeing the honour done vnto that body determined from that time forwardes to change their wicked liues The third Nouell ¶ A King of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wife in the end ware hornes himselfe BEcause Gentlewomen saide Saffredant I have often wished my selfe to be companion in the fortune of him whereof I meane to speake I will shew you that in the cittie of Naples in the time of king Alphonsus whose lasciuious life was his Scepter there was a Gentleman so honest faire and curteous that by reason of his perfections an olde Gentleman gaue him his daughter in marriage that for beautie and good grace was nothing inferior to him who loued well together vntill Shrouetide after that the King in masking went from house to house to sport himselfe wherein eache man inforced themselues to honour him as they could and when he came to the Gentlemans house he was receiued and entertained much better than else-where as well with banquets as with musike and
I haue made so perfect proofe that it hath made mine honor to consent vnto my loue but to the end I might be well assured to place my loue and my heart in a perfect honest man I thought to make this proofe which my maides haue now effected assuring you that for feare of life or other respect I had found you fearefull so that you had hidden your selfe vnder my bed I was determined to haue risen and haue gone into another chamber without euer seeing you more but bicause I haue found you faire of good grace and full of vertue and hardines more then was certifyed vnto me and that feare could not ouercome your heart nor in any sort lessen the loue you beare vnto me I am dotermined to content my selfe with you vntill I die being assured that I cannot put my life and honour into a better hand then in his whose like for vertues I neuer found And so as if the mindes of men were not mutable they sware and promised that which was not in their powers that is a perpetuall amity which cannot spring nor yet dwell in mans heart and they knowe it well that haue tried and known how long such opinions doe continue The foureteenth Nouell ¶ A poore simple country man whose wife loued the Curate of the Church suffereth himselfe easily to be deceaued IN the County of Maime in a villadge called Arcelles there was a rich husbandman that in his age had maried a faire young wench that had no children by him but for the losse she had by him till the recompenced her selfe with other men and when gentlemen and other good companions failed she turned to her last reliefe which was the Church and made him companion of her sinne that could obsolue her which was the Curat that oftentimes came to visit his sheepe The husband being old and crasie suspected nothing but because he was rude and churlish his wife plaied her part as secretly as shee could fearing that if her husbaÌ„d should perceiue it he would kill her Vpon a day as he was abroad his wife thinking hee would come so soone againe sent for the Curate to confesse her and as they made good there togither her husband came in vpon the sodaine whereby the Curate had not leisure to go vnto his house but deuised meanes to hide himselfe and by the womans counsell went into a barne and couered the staires head where he went vp with a fanne of corne the husband being in the house she least he should suspect her made him so good cheere to dinner that she spared no drink wherof he tooke so much that togither with the wearines he had by labouring in the fieldes he fell a sleepe sitting in a chaire before the fier The Curate being weary to be so long in the barne hearing no noyse in the chamber went vnto the stairs thrusting out his necke as farre as he could to looke down perceiued the good man to be a sleepe and looking earnestly vpon him leand so hardly vpon the fanne that both fanne and he fell vnto the ground hard by the old man that slept where with he waked the Curate that arose vp sooner then the man could open his eies said vnto him there is your fanne and I thanke you wherewith he went his way and the poore man being abasht asked what it was she answered him it is your fanne that the Curate borrowed and nowe hath brought it home he grumbling said doe men vse to bring home things they borrowe in such rude maner I thought the house would haue fallen downe by which meanes the Curate saued himselfe to the poore mans cost that found fault with nothing but that he brought his fanne so rudely home The fifteenth Nouell ¶ The strange fragilitie of man that to couer his horrour falleth from euil to worse IN the time of king Lewes the twelfth one of the house of Ambois nephew to the legate of France named George being legate in Auigneon had in the country of Languedoc a Lady whose name I wil not rehearse for her kinreds sake that had better than foure thousand crownes yearely reuenue she being very yong was a widow and had but one child being a sonne and for griefe she had for the losse of her husband as also for the loue of her sonne determined not to marry againe And to auoyde all occasions would not vse the company of any other than religious persons thinking that sinne causeth temptations whereby the yong widow gaue her selfe only to diuine seruice wholy forsaking worldly company in such manner that she made conscience to goe to any wedding or to heare the Organs play within the church When her sonne was seuen yeares olde shee chose a man of zealous life to be his schoolemaister by whose good meanes he might be brought vp in godlinesse When hir sonne entred into his fifteenth yeare Nature which of it selfe is a secret Schoolemaister finding him too delicately nourished and full of idlenesse taught him an other lesson than his maister vsed to do for that he beganne to beholde and respect thinges that seemed faire and among the rest a gentlewoman that lodged in his mothers chamber wherof no man euer doubted for that they no more respected him than a yong infant no other thing being spoken of in the whole house but godlinesse This yong gentleman began secretly to seek vnto the maid that told it to her mistris who loued and esteemed her sonne so much that she suspected the maide to tell it her onely to make her hate him but she was so importunate with her mistris that shee said vnto her I wil know if it be true and assure your selfe I wil correct him if I finde it to be so but if you tell mee an vntruth I wil make you feele the price thereof And to finde the trueth she willed her to appoint her sonne to come about midnight to lie with her in a bed neere vnto the doore of the chamber where the maid lay The maid obeyed her mistris and when night came the Gentlewoman laide her selfe in hir maides bed determining if it were true to correct her sonne so well that neuer after he should desire to lie with maide againe And in that thought and displeasure her sonne came to bed vnto her She although she saw him lie downe would not yet beleeue he would commit any dishonest art but stayed to speake with him vntil she perceiued some signes of bad desire but not being persuaded with so small a signe that he would proceed further was so long paâ—ient and so fraile of nature that she conuerted her choller into a most abhominable pleasure forgetting the name of mother and euen as water that by force is holden in when it issueth foorth meketh more noyse than that which runneth his ordinary course so this poore lady turned her glory into the restraint she gaue vnto her body And when she proceeded to decline from the first degree of