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
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
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
any beast He it is who contrary to his oath and promise hath revealed the happy life which without any prejudice to any we have a long time lived O my friend my friend whose only love is entred into my heart with whose life my own hath been woven must it now come to passe that in declaring you my mortal Enemy my Honour must be carryed away by the winds my body crumble into ashes and my Soul for ever depart to its last place of residence What was the beauty of the Dutchess so inchanting that it hath had the power to transform you as somtimes had that of Circe Hath she made you of virtuous to become vicious of good wicked of a Man a Beast a cruel Beast O my Friend my Friend although you have failed in your promise made to me yet I will keep my promise made to you which is that I will never see you again after the divulgation of our Love and being no longer able to live without your presence I do willingly accord to the extreme sorrow which I feel and for which I will provide no remedy neither by Reason nor Physick for Death only shall put an end to it which shall be more pleasant to me than to continue in the World without a Friend without Honour and without Contentment Neither Death nor the War hath deprived me of my Friend neither Lust nor Rage have taken from me my Honour neither Deviation nor Demerit of my own hath made me to lose my Contentment but the cruelty of treachery which hath caused the most obliged of all Men to become the most ingratefull Alas Madam the Dutchesse What pleasure was it unto you when by mockery you did upbraid me with my little Dogg Go on as you have begun and continue to delight your self with that happinesse which doth belong to me alone You make your sport at her who by wisely concealing and who by virtuously loving did promise to her self to be exempted from all mockery O how hath this word contracted my heart How hath it made me to look red with shame and pale with jealousie Wo is me my heart my heart I do feel you can hold out no longer Love unadvisedly or treacherously made known doth consume you with Fire Jealousie and the Injury you have received do freez you with Ice and with Grief and Indignation kils you not permitting the least consolation to arrive Alas for thee O my Soul who by too much adoring the Creature hast forgot the Creator Thou must return again into the hands of him from whom vain Love hath ravished thee Take Confidence O my Soul thou shalt find God a better Father than thou hast found him a Friend for whom thou so often hast forgot God O my God my Creator who art the true and only Friend by whose Grace the love which I have born unto my Friend hath been stained with no Vice unlesse by too much loving him I beseech thee of thy infinite mercy to receive the Soul and Spirit of her who doth truly repent that she hath so much disobeyed thy first and most just Commandement And for the merit of him whose Love is incomprehensible be pleased to excuse that fault which too much love hath caused me to commit for in Thee alone I have perfect Confidence And adieu my false Friend whose Name without the Effect hath broken my Heart Having spoke those words she did fall down from the Bed upon the Ground and her colour waxed pale and her lips blew and an universal coldnesse seized on every part of her Body At that instant the Gentleman who did love her came into the hall and seeing the Dutchesse dancing with the other Ladies looked every where up and down where his Mistresse was and not finding her he did repair into the Chamber of the Dutchesse near unto which he found the Duke walking in the Gallery who conjecturing what his thoughts were did whisper him in the ear and said Your Sweet-heart is gone into yonder Wardrobe I am afraid she is not well The Gentleman demanded of him that he would be pleased to give him leave to wait upon her to which the Duke was easily intreated As soon as he was entred into the Wardrobe he found that she was even ready to breath forth the last breath of her life and falling down on his knees he imbraced her and said unto her O my dear Love How do you do What will you forsake me The poor Lady hearing the voice which so well she knew did begin a little to recover her colour and opening her eyes she looked stedfastly on him who was the occasion of her Death But so looking on him Love and Despite did so violently increase upon her that with a pittifull sigh she rendred her Soul to God The Gentleman more dead than she that was dead did demand of the Damosel How that Extremity seized upon her who all along did account unto him the words which she had heard her speak whereupon he immediately perceived that the Duke had revealed the Secret to the Dutchesse and was transported with so great a fury that imbracing the Body of his Sweet-heart he did along time bedew it with his tears and at last said Wo is me the most treacherous most wicked and the most unfortunate Man in the world How is it come to passe that the punishment of my Treason is not fallen on my self but on her who is innocent O why did Heaven spare me Why did not Thunder check my Tongue in that hour when I first revealed our most secret and most virtuous Love Why did not the Earth open her self Why did it not devour this unadvised Breaker of his Faith Be thou punished O my tongue as was the tongue of the rich Glutton in Hell O my heart be thou perpetually torn in pieces by Eagles as was the heart of Titius O Dear Sweet-heart the most unfortunate misfortune of all misfortunes is befallen me Thinking to have preserved you I have lost you thinking to see you live a long time with content I imbrace you discontented and dead O thou the most loyal and the most faithfull Woman that ever was I shall by all be condemned to be the most inconstant disloyal and the most unfaithful man in the world I might complain of the Duke in whose promise I so much trusted hoping by that to give a longer continuance to our happy life but alas I might know that no man could keep my secret better than my self The Duke had more reason to impart it unto his Wife than I to impart it unto him I can accuse none but my self of the greatest disloyalty that ever was committed by a Lover I had better by far be thrown into the River accordingly as the Duke did threaten that thou my dear friend mightst be preserved alive and I gloriously might have died in observing the laws which true love commandeth but breaking them I remain alive and thou who most perfectly
Spiritual race When the Lavolto was of Provence danc'd The King with this his Sister Grace advanc'd In a grave Sweetnesse nimbly following she With Ayrie motion 'bout the Hall did flee So oft in Autumns foggy nights we may See a swift Meteor on the waters play Which now wheels here and now whirls there his flame And no Repose doth grant unto the same She in a thousand shapes did change anew The hearts of all who but her face did veiw Flashes of fire from her bright eyes did flow And wheresoere she trod did Roses grow Virtue and Honour her chief Ushers were And joyn'd to them did Majestie appear Which kept her beauty safe as Fame doth bruit The Dragon sometimes did th' Hesperian fruit Soon as the noise of Viols did forbear Their sweet Inchantments on the ravish'd air This Nymph return'd unto her Heav'n agen Abandoning the Company of Men. So the thick eye-lid of the night being clos'd In slumbers sweet is oftentimes suppos'd Some Angel seen who sudden doth display Himself and sudden fleets like smoke away Adieu fair Grace Nymph heav'nly born adieu Or mount to Heav'n or fly where 't pleaseth you Soon to this Court you shall again return And Hymens torches all for you shall burn Then a more high and a devouter fire My re-inforced Courage shall inspire To sound your happy Mariage Joyes as far As are the fields of flourishing Navarre On the two Margarets A Sonnet THe famous Phoenix whom the East admires One in her kind rare in her brave attires The brightest Ray the new-born Sun displays To whom she onely her Devotion pays Soon as the Morn from Tiâ—hons bed doth rise Her warbling layes she ecchoes round the skies And when that envious Age doth life deprive Burning her self she doth her self revive How justly France maist thou hereafter vant T' have had a Phoenix did so sweetly chant That none comes neer her all the world doth grant Unless another Phoenix who doth own As well her Name as glory and renown Left by her Death our Margaret alone Johan Passeratus Another Sonnet TH' Athenian Timon Mans great Enemy Too strict a Judge of our Infirmity In horror great against those sins inveigh'd To melt in tears Heraclitus which made His fleering mirth Democritus did raise And Jester-like laught at the vain assays Of Men whom pleasures and vile lusts controul The poison of the Body and the Soul His laughter lowd the Seconds tears as rife ' Gainst human frailty the Thirds Hate and Strife Singly invite us to a vertuous life But in this Book this peerless Queen to us Doth loathing vice in tears and smiles discuss Timon Heraclitus and Democritus J. Troyen The PREFACE ON the first day of September in which the Baths of the Pyrenaean mountains doe begin to enter into their greatest virtues there were lodged in the Houses of those that kept the Baths several persons as well of France Spain as of other places Some of them to drink the water others of them to bath themselves in it and some again to make use of the very mud thereof which are so wonderfull in the effects that the sick who have come thither being forsaken by their Physicians have returned all sound in good health It is not my intention to declare unto you the situation or virtue of these Baths but to give you an account of that only which shall concern the subject of what I write In these Baths the sick do continue three months and more untill by their amendment they do find that they are in a good condition to return from whence they came But at that very time there fell such great wonderfull showrs that it seemed God had forgot his promise which he made to Noah to destroy the world no more by water for all the Cubans and Lodgings of the Hosts that were toward the Baths were so fill'd with water that it was impossible to continue in them Those who came from the Coast of Spain returned by the Mountains making what shift they could and those who knew which were the nearest and most compendious ways were those who escaped best of all But the Lords and Ladies of France thinking to return as pleasantly as they came forth did find the small Brooks so greatly encreased that they could not ford them and when they came to passe over the River Gane in Bearn which was not two foot in depth when they set forth they found it on their return swolln so impetuous that they turned another way to find the bridge which being made of wood only was carried away by the violence of the waters and some of them thinking that by the assembling together of many men they should in their passage break the course of the raging stream they were suddenly born down before it so that those who were to follow did lose both the power and the desire to go after them wherfore as well to find out a new way as for that they were of several opinions they did separate themselves Some of them travelled over the hight of the hills and passing by Arragon they came into the County of Rousillon froÌ„ thence to Narbon Others repaired directly to Barcelona where some took shipping passed by Sea to Marseilles others to Aiguemore But an antient Gentlewoman and of great experience called Oysilla did determin with her self to forget all the danger of the bad ways to reach unto our Ladies at Serrance being assured that if she could find means to escape the danger that the Monks there would give her courteous entertainment and so much she laboured that at last she arrived to that place passing by strange ways up hill and down hill so difficult that for all her age and the weight of her body she was enforced to goe on foot the greatest part of the way but the thing most to be pittied was that the greatest part of her Servants and Horses dyed on the unpassable places so that she arrived at Serrance attended only with one Man and one Woman where she was charitably received by the Abbot There was also at those Baths amongst the French two Gentlemen who travelled thither rather to accompany the Ladies whose servants they were than for any indisposition of their bodies These Gentlemen observing the company to depart and that the hushands of the Ladies did take them along with them did resolve with themselves to follow them at some distance that they might not be discovered by any One Evening the two married Gentlemen and their Ladies taking up their lodging at the house of one who was rather a Nighway-man than a Peasant the two young Gentlemen were contented to take their repose for that night in a Cottage not far from them About midnight they heard a great noise at the sound whereof they did arise and their Grooms with them and demanded of the Host of the House what was the occasion of the Tumult The poor man who did partake
Novell IN the City of Ambois there dwelled a Keeper of Mules who served the Queen of Navarre Sister to King Francis the First of that Name who was brought to Bed of a Son at Blois to which place the Keeper of the Mules repaired to be payed for his Quarters service His Wife continued still at Ambois and lodged not far from the Bridge Her Husband had a servant who for a long time did love her so desperately that one day he could not contain froÌ„ speaking to her but she who was a most virtuous Woman did reprove him so severely threatning that her Husband should beat him and put him away that after that time he durst not speak to her any more nor make any countenance of Love but kept that fire concealed in his heart Untill that on a time his Master was gon out of Town and his Mistresse was at the Vespers at St. Florentines a Church belonging to the Castle of the City and a great way from her own house Being alone it came into his head to enjoy that by force which by no prayer or service he could obtain whereupon he did break down a board which was the partition betwixt his Mistresse Chamber and that wherein he lay but because there was a hanging cloath neer to the Bed of his Master and Mistresse which did cover the walls so well that the rupture which he made could not be perceived his malice and treachery was not discovered untill that his Mistresse was in bed with a Girl she kept of about twelve years of age As the poor woman was in her first sleep her servant came in his shirt only into her bed through the whole made in the wall and had a sword drawn in his hand But as soon as she perceived him to draw near unto her she leaped out of the Bed and used all tho reasons and perswasions to him as it was possible for a good Woman to deliver but he who was transported with a Bestial desire and did understand better the language of Mules than her honest Remonstrances did shew himself more brutish than the Beasts with whom so long time he conversed for observing that she did run round the Table and that he could not take hold of her and withall that she was so strong that twice together she got off from him growing into a despair ever to enjoy her alive he gave her with his sword a great blow upon the back conceiving to himself if neither fear nor force could make her to yeeld that pain should effect it But it proved contrary to his expectation for as a gallant Soldier seeing his blood is more inflamed to revenge himself on his Enemies and to purchase honour so her chast heart did doubly inforce her to run and to flie from the hands of this wicked villain and oftentimes at some distance she would hold him in the best discourse she could to see if by any means she could reduce him to the acknowledgement of his offence but he was inflam'd with such a furie that there was no place in him to receive good counsell insomuch that he gave the poor Woman many wounds more which to avoyd she always ran from him as long as her leggs were able to carry her and when by the great effusion of her blood she found that Death approached joyning her hands together and lifting her eyes to Heaven she gave thanks unto God the God of Power Virtue Patience and Chastity and besought him to accept of her blood which by his appointment was shed in reverence and obedience to that of his Sons in whom she most assuredly did beleeve that all her sins were washed and wiped away from the Memory of his Anger And speaking Lord receive my Soul which by thy mercy hath been redeemed shee fell on her face upon the Earth where the bloody Miscreant did still print more wounds on her body and when she had lost both her speech and the strength of her body the Villain seised upon her by force who no longer could defend her self and having satisfied his reprobate concupiscence he fled away so hastily that for all the Hue and Cryes that did follow him he could never be heard of more The young Girle who lay with this poor woman being overcome with fear did hide her self under the bed but when she saw that the Man was gone she came unto her Mistresse and found her without speech or motion whereupon she cryed to the neighbors out of the window to come to her assistance They who did love and as much respect her as any woman in the City did immediatly come to her and brought with them two Chirurgions who found that she had on her body five and twenty mortal wounds they did what they could to keep that little life that was left in her but it was impossible Yet she continued languishing away for the Space of a whole hour without speaking any word making signs with her eyes and hands by which she shewed that she had not lost her understanding Being asked by a Church-man of the Faith in which she dyed and of her Salvation she made answer by signs so evident that her words could not more manifestly declare that her confidence was in the Death of Jesus Christ whom she hoped to behold in his coelestial City and thus with a joyfull countenance lifting up her eyes to heaven she surrendred her chast Body to the Earth and her Soul to her Creâ—tor Being taken up and a shrowd cast on her her Body was no sooner brought down to the Door of her house attending the coming of the Company to her burial but behold her poor Husband did arrive who first saw the dead Body of his wife at the Door of his house before he had heard the melancholy news of her death And having understood the occasion of it he had double reason to lament which he did in such a manner that he almost had lost his life Thus this Martyr of Chastity was carried to her burial into the Church of Saint Florencin where all the good women of the City did not fail in their endeavours to accompany her and did honour her as much as possibly they could esteeming themselves most happy to be of that City in which so virtuous a woman lived The foolish and light Huswives beholding the honour that was done unto her did resolve with them selves to change their wanton lives You have heard Ladies a true History which ought to make our hearts more circumspest to guard this honorable Virtue of Chastity And we that are descended of noble Families ought even to die for shame to find in our hearts that sensuality to avoid which a poor Mule-Keepers wife did not fear so cruell a Death Alas How many are there who esteem themselves good women and yet never understood what it is to resest unto Bloud Wherefore we ought to exercise our selves with repentance and humility for the Graces of God are not given
to have suffered us to discourse together and I do assure you that I had rather dye than change my affection into worse having loved you with so honest and so virtuous a love and purchased that of you which during my life I ought to defend And because that in seeing you I cannot endure that hard patience as not to speak unto you and because in not seeing you my heart which never can be empty will be filled with despair which will make my end unfortunate I am resolved and have a long time been to put my self in a religious house not but that I know very well that in all Estates a man may be saved but to have the more leisure to contemplate the divine bounty which I do hope will have pity on the faults of my youth and will work a change in my heart to love spiritual things as well as temporal and if God shall give me the grace to arrive to the knowledge of the Religion my devotions shall incessantly be imployed to pray unto God for you beseeching you by that love so firm and loyal which hath been betwixt us two to remember me in your prayers and to beseech our Lord to give me as much patience in not seeing you as he hath given me content in seeing you And because I hoped all my life to have enjoyed you in marriage which honour and conscience do permit I am contented that I had that hope although I must now lose it and because I cannot receive the entertainment from you which belongs unto a Husband yet at the least in bidding farewell unto you vouchsafe me the entertainment of a Brother and give me leave to kisse you Poor Paulina who had been always too severe unto him understanding the extremity of his grief and the honesty of his request that in so great a despair he would content himself with a thing so reasonable without giving any answer to him did throw her arms about his neck and weeped with so much bitternesse and fainting of heart that her words her understanding and her force failed her and she swouned away between his arms and the pity thereof accompanied with his love and sorrow did cause him to do the like Insomuch that one of her companions seeing her to fall down on the one side and him on the other did call out for help and by force of remedies did revive them Paulina who was desired to dissemble her affection was ashamed that she had shewed her love to be so violent Neverthelesse the pity she had on the poor Gentleman did serve her for an excuse being not able to endure the word that did bid her farewell for ever she did go away presently her teeth as shut up as her heart entring into her chamber as a dead body without a Soul she fell down upon her bed and passed away that night in such complaints and lamentations that her servants believed she at once had lost her parents and all her kinred and friends and whatsoever was of comfort to her upon Earth In the morning she in her prayers recommended to our Saviour the Gentleman that was her friend who after he had distributed amongst his Servants the poor fortunes he was master of and taken with him a certain sum of silver he did forbid any of his people to follow him and repaired all alone to a Religious house to demand the habit being resolved with himself never to put on any other The Warden of the Covent who had seen him before did think at first that it was but a Fable or Mockery for in all the Countrey there was not a Gentleman that shewed lesse respect unto a Grey Frier than himself for he had in him all the knowing virtues and graces that could belong unto a Gentleman But after he had understood his words and observed his tears falling like Rivers from his eyes being not ignorant from whence the source proceeded he courteously did receive him and not long afterwards seeing his perseverance he gave him the habit of a Frier which he did put on with great Content The Marquesse and the Marchionesse being advertised of it did find it so strange that not without great difficulty they could believe it Paulina to shew her self not subject unto the tyranny of Love did dissemble it as well as possibly she could insomuch that every one told her That she quickly had forgot the great affection of her loyal Servant She continued thus five or six moneths without making any other Remonstrance during which time there was shewed unto her a Song by one of the Religious Men which her Servant had composed presently after he had put on his religious habit the Song is in Italian and common enough Which when she had perused and read it all over going into the Chapel by her self she wept so abundantly that she dewed all the paper with her tears and were it not for a fear she entertained that she should shew her self more affectionate than became her she had immediatly gone into some Hermitage with a resolution never to see again any creature in the world but the Discretion which she had did constrain her for a short time to dissemble it And although she had taken a resolution altogether to renounce the world she pretended the contrary and kept her countenance so reserved that being in Company there appeared nothing of that Melancholly to which she had abandoned her self She carried this Resolution covered in her heart five or six moneths shewing her self more joyful than she was accustomed to be But one day waiting upon her Mistresse to hear the High Masse after that the Priest was come out of the Vestry to go unto the great Altar her poor Servant who was yet in the year of his Probationership did serve at the Eucharist and carrying two little bottles covered with white Silk in either hand was the first that presented himself having his eyes fixed on the Ground When Paulina saw him in that habiliment in which his Gracefulnesse and Beauty was rather increased than diminished she was so troubled and astonished that to cover the blushes which took possession of her cheeks she began to cough Her poor Servant who did better understand that sound than the Bel of the Monastery durst not turn aside his head but passing along by her he could not govern his eyes from beholding that Object to which so long they had been accustomed and looking on Paulina he was so inflamed anew with the fire which he thought had been almost extinguished that beyond his ability endeavouring to conceal it he fell down all along before her And the fear which he had that the Cause of his Misfortune should be discovered he made an Excuse that the Pavement of the Church which was broken just in that place was the occasion of his fall When Paulina understood that the change of his habit had not changed his heart and that it was so long since he took
that Order upon him that every one thought she had forgotten him she resolved with her self to put her Design in Execution which was to render their loves alike in habit form and in condition of life as it was when they lived in one house under one Master and Mistresse And because that fourteen Months before she had given order for all things that were necessary for her to enter into a Religious house she one morning demanded leave of the Marchionesse to goe to hear Masse at the Covent of St. Clare which she granted being ignorant wherefore she did ask it and passing by the Grey Friers she intreated the Warden of the Covent to give her leave to see one of the Friers whom she called her Kinsman When she saw him in the Chapel by himself she said unto him If my Honour had permitted me to put my self into a Religious House as soon as you did I would not have attended untill this time but having by my patience broken through the opinions of those who are more apt to judge Evil than Good I have determined with my self to take upon me the same Condition Robe and Life which I see you have done without inquiring what it is for if you find any Good I shall have my part therein and if you find any thing that is grievous I will not be exempt from it for by what way you go into Paradise in the same I will follow you being assured that he who is the true perfect and the most worthy to be called LOVE hath drawn us to his service by a chast and virtuous love which by his holy Spirit he will convert to our advantage beseeching him That my self as well as you may forget the Body that perisheth and the tincture of the old Adam to receive and put on him who is our Spouse Jesus Christ Her religious Servant the Frier was so well contented and so glad to hear her holy Resolution that with weeping tears of Joy he fortified her in her opinion as much as possibly he could saying Since he could have nothing of her in this world but words only and was hardly permitted to have those also that he thought himself very happy to have now the means daily to see her and that she was of the same mind with him that neither the one nor the other did care which of them were the happiest living in one estate of Love of one heart and of one spirit being perswaded and conducted by the bounty of God whom he besought to keep them both in his hand where none could take them from him And speaking those words and weeping with tears of love and joy he kissed her hands and she stooped her down unto his hand and in true charity did give it the holy kisse of Dilection And thus in a great content Paulina departed and entred into the Covent where she was received and veiled Which afterwards she sent word of to Madam the Marchionesse who hardly could be induced to believe it Wherefore the next morning she repaired to the Monastery to see her and to disswade her from her resolution and if words would not prevail to add force unto her words but Paulina did assure her that if she had the power to take from her a Husband of flesh a man whom she loved best in this world she ought to content her self without attempting to divorce her from him who is immortal and invisible for he was not in her power nor under any power in the world The Marchionesse observing her resolution did kisse her and full of sorrow did take her leave of her After that time Paulina and her servant did live so holily and so devoutly in their places of observance that we ought not to doubt but that he the end of whose Law is charity did in the end of their lives say unto them as unto Mary Magdalen that their sins were all pardoned because they had loved much and that in peace he brought them to a place where their recompence doth surpasse all the merits of men and their good deeds are crown'd with an incomprehensible reward Ladies you cannot be ignorant that never any man did shew a greater love or which so perfectly was returned to him by her whom he loved that I could wish that all those in their condition of love were as well recompenced There would be then said Hircan more he-Fools and she-Fools than were ever yet seen in the world Do you call it folly said Oysilla to love honestly in our youth and afterwards to convert all that love unto the love of God Hircan laughing made answer to her if melancholy and despair be virtues I will confesse that Paulina and her servant are most worthy to be praised So it is said Guebron that God hath many means to draw us to him the beginnings whereof may seem to be unpleasant but their end is good I am of opinion said Parlament that a man can never love God perfectly until first he hath perfectly loved some Creature in this World What do you call it to love perfectly said Saffredant Do you esteem those to be perfect lovers who are in a rapsody at the sight of their Mistresse and kneel down before them at a great distance without daring to declare their affections to them Parlament made answer I call those perfect lovers who do seek for some perfection in those they love whether it be goodnesse beauty or gracefulnesse or whatsoever it be that is always tending unto virtue and who have a heart so high and honest that they will rather by their deaths put an end to all corrupt desires than that their honours or their consciences should suffer For the Soul which is not created but to return unto its soveraign good hath as long as it is even in this Body a desire to arrive unto it But by reason that the understanding by which it should learn the way is obscure and carnal by the sin of our first Father it cannot represent any thing unto it but things visible and which only do approach unto perfection after which the Soul doth run thinking to find in a visible grace and in moral virtues the Soveraign beauty and the Soveraign Grace and Virtue But when she hath examined and proved them and found that it is not that which perfectly she loveth she throws them by goes on further like an infant who in its first infancy loveth apples and pears and puppets and the fairest things that can be presented to the eye and doth esteem it great riches to heap small stones together afterwards growing into age it loveth living creatures and to amasse those precious stones and treasures which are necessary for the life of man But when by grave experience it knoweth that in transitory things there is no perfection nor felicity it desireth to search after true happinesse and the Giver who is the Fountain of it Neverthelesse if God should not open unto us the
a temper that neither words nor kisses can heat them to any Insurrectiō they come to assay the strongest and the last temptation which is to ly together to imbrace one another without Concupiscence But not one of a thousand have attained to this perfection and from hence there have arised so many inconveniences that the Archbishop of Milan when this Religion was first exercised was advised to sepeparate them for altogether and to put the Women in the Covents of the Men and the Men in the Covents of the Women Truly said Guebron it is the extremity and height of Folly to believe that we cannot sin and so violently to seek out all the occasions of sin There are some said Saffredant who altogether do clean contrary to those fools for although as much as possibly they can they do avoid all occasions of sin yet their Concupiscence still doth follow them and the good Saint Hierom after he had chastised himself and had retired himself into the Desart did confesse that he could not there escape the fire that did burn within him Wherefore we must recommend our selves to God for if by his Power Virtue and Goodnesse he doth not restrain us we are so weak and wicked of our selves that we shall take pleasure to fall You do not observe that which I take notice of said Hircan that whiles we are here relating our Histories the Monks behind yonder hedge did not hear the Bell ring to their Vespers and now when we begin to speak of God they are all gone and because the Bell doth ring the second time we shall do well to follow them said Oysilla and praise God that we have passed away this day so joyfully and speaking those words they did all rise up and repaired to the Church where they heard Vespers very de coutly which being ended they departed from thence to Supper and communed amongst themselves of the Discourses which had that day passed and called into their memory divers other things which had happened in their times to understand which of them were worthy to be the next day recited And having with great content passed a way the Evening they repaired all unto their Refts hoping the next day not to fail to continue their Convention which was so agreeable unto them And there was an end put unto the third days Journal The end of the third days Account The Fourth Days Account of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface MAdam Oysilla according to her good Custome did rise far more early than any of the rest and meditating on her Book of the Holy Scriptures she attended the comming of the Company who by little and little did begin to assemble themselves but the slothfull did excuse themselves saying I have a Wife and cannot come And Hircan and Parlament his wife did perceive that the Lecture was begun a great while before they came but Oysilla knew very well to find out those places where the Scripture reproveth those who are negligent And she not only did read the Text but moreover did make so many good expositions and exhortations that it was impossible to be weary to hear her The Lecture being ended Parlament said unto her I am sorry I have been so neglegent to appear in this place but since my fault hath been the occasion that you have spoke so well my sloth hath soundly profited for I have had with advantage the repose of my Body having slept so soundly and have now the repast of my Soul having heard you to speak so soundly to me For penance said Oysilla to her let us goe to Masse and beseech the Lord to give us both the will and the means to execute his Commandements and let him then command us what he pleaseth And speaking these words they entred into the Church where they heard Masse very devoutly And afterwards they sate down at the table to dinner where Hircan did not forget to make merry with that mornings slothfulnesse of his Wife After dinner they did all separate themselves to study their accounts and when the hour came they repaired to the accustomed place Oysilla demamded of Hircan to whom he would give his voice If my Wife said he had not begun yesterday I had now given her my voice for although I always thought that she loved me more than all the men in the World yet this morning she hath made it manifest that she loveth me better than she loveth God or his Word in being absent from your good Lecture to keep me company I would willingly therefore have bestowed this honour on her But since I cannot give it to the wisest Woman in the Company I will give it to the wisest Man which is Guebron and will intreat him that he will not forhear the Monks Guebron replied you had not need to entreat me I have them recommended to me For it is not very long since I heard an Account delivered to me by Monsieur of Saint Vincent who was then Ambassadour to the Emperour which is worthy not to be buried in oblivion THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The Execrable cruelty of a Frier to obtain his detestable Desires and the punishment which he endured The first Novell of the Fourth Book IN the Lands subject to the Emperor Maximilian of Austria there was a Covent of Friers in high Estimation neer unto which a Gentleman had his house and did bear so great a love to the Religious people that were within it that he gave them a part in all his Goods to have a part himself in their Abstinences and Prayers Amongst others there was amongst them a handsom lusty Frier whom the Gentleman loved above the rest and made him his Confessor who had as great a command and power in the Gentlemans House as he himself This Frier observing the Wife of this Gentleman to be so wise and beautiful that it was impossible to be more did become so amorous of her that he forgat to eat and to drink and began to lose the light of his reason Resolving with himself one day to execute his Enterprise he alone repaired to the house of the Gentleman and not finding him within he demanded of his Wife whither he was gone She made answer to him That he was gone to some Lands of his about twenty miles from thence where he intended to stay two or three dayes but if he had any businesse to him she would send a man on purpose to inform him of it He replyed No and began to walk up and down the room as if he had in his mind some businesse of great importance And when he was gon out of the Chamber she said to one of her Maids having at that time but two about her Go to the Confessor and ask of him What it is he would have For I do find by him that he hath the Countenance of a discontented Man The Chambermaid did go down into the Court and demanded of him If he would
often heard it affirmed said Simontault that Men ought not to be reproved when they purchase the love of Women for God hath planted in the hearts of Men Love and Boldness to demand them and in the hearts of Women Fear and Chastity to refuse them If Man should be punished for using the faculties which are given to him he should suffer wrong But this seemeth strange to me said Longaren that he had so often praised him to his Sister for it would appear great folly or cruelty in any one who keeps a fountain to praise the clearness of the water to one that looks upon it and is languishing for thirst and then to kill him if he offers to take any of it to drink Without all doubt said Parlament the fire was the occasion that did kindle the fire by the temptation of his words which he ought not to have extinguished with the edge of his sword And why should it so heinously be rendred said Saffredant that an ordinary Gentleman using no other force but service should come to marry a Lady of so great a Family seeing the Philosophers do affirm That the least and most inconsiderable man in the world is worth more than the greatest and the most virtuous Woman The reason is said Dagoucin That to establish the Publique peace the Degrees of Families the Ages of persons and the Ordinances of Laws are altogether looked upon without weighing the Love and the Virtues of Men that so there may be no confusion in the State and from hence it doth proceed that the Marriages which are made amongst equals and according to the Judgement and Consent of Friends and Kinred do differ oftentimes so much in heart complexion and condition that instead of entring into a state that leads unto Safety they are brought into the Suburbs of Hell And it is as much to be observed said Guebron that those who marry only for pure love having hearts conditions and complexions alike without any reflection at all on the differences of Houses and Descents are not left without repentance for this great and indiscreet Love doth oftentimes turn it self into Jealouste and Fury In my opinion said Parlament neither the one nor the other is commendable but those only are to be praised who submit themselves to the will of God and look not either upon Glory Avarice or Pleasure but only upon a virtuous love and by a mutual Consent do desire to live in the state of Marriage as God and Nature have ordained And although there is no Estate without some tribulation yet I have seen these to live without Repentance and we are not all so unhappy in this Company but some of us who are married are in this number Thereupon Hircan Saffredant Guebron and Simontault did all swear that they were married in the like resolutions and that they never repented of their Marriages But whatsoever the Truth herein was they whom this Discourse concerned were so much contented that it is impossible they should hear any thing that was more agreeable to them they did all rise from Ground to give praise and thanks unto God and found the Monks ready to begin Vespers The Service being ended they did repair to Supper the whole Subject of their Discourse being concerning their Marriages which continued all that Evening repeating the Fortunes they incountered during the time of their wooing and the Joys of their Bridal Days but because one interrupted the Discourse of the other I cannot give you a particular Account of it which was no lesse pleasant to describe than was their Discourses in the Meadow but sure enough it is that they did take great delight therein and had no other Conference til the hour was come in which they were accustomed to go to bed which did steal upon them sooner than they perceived But Madam Oysilla finding that it was high time to retire her self did give occasion to the whole Company to do the like every one being much joyed in his own particular but especially the marryed who that night did not sleep at all but having spent the first part thereof in the Accounts of their past love they imployed the remainder in the Demonstration of their present And thus pleasantly this Night did pass away until the Morning The End of the Fourth Days Work The Fifth Days Account of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface VVHen the Morning was come Madam Oysilla did prepare for them their spiritual Breakfast which was of so transcendent a rellish that it was able to fortifie both the Body and the Soul and the whole Company was so much pleased that it seemed to them they never heard a Sermon which did profit more And when they heard the Bell to tole unto the Masse they resorted all together to it exercising their contemplations in the way on the holy Instructions which they had received Masse being heard having walked a little after it they did sit down to dinner promising to themselves that the Account of that present day should be as pleasant as were the Discourses of the dayes before Saffredant said unto them he could wish that the bridge might be a whole moneth in building so great was the pleasure he received in this gallant Company But the Abbot within caused all possible diligence to be made because it was not for his advantage to have so many honourable personages in his Abby whose presence detained his accustomed Pilgrims from going so often as before to visit the holy places Having reposed themselves a little after dinner they returned to their pastime in the Meadow and every one of them having taken their seat they demanded of Parlament to whom she would give her voice It appears to me said she that Saffredant should do well to begin this Journal for I doe already perceive by him that he hath not a countenance that would make us weep Ladies said Saffredant you may think what you please but beshrew me you will shew your selves cruel enough if you should not take pity on the poor Frier whose History I shal account unto you and although his Design was prevented by the virtue of a chast Lady such as are amongst us yet you may imagine what doth become of those poor maids whom the desire of the Act hath made without fear to begin the Enterprise To shew therefore unto you that the blindness of concupiscence doth take away all fear and prudent consideration I will in this place give you an account of a Frier in Flanders THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The strange and wild penitence imposed by a Frier Confessor on a young Lady The first Novell IN that year when Madam Margaret of Austria did come unto Cambray on the behalf of her Nephew the Emperor to treat of a Peace betwixt him and the most Christian King there was the Countesse of Aiguemont in the Company of Madam Margaret of Austria which Countesse of Aiguemont did carry the Fame to be the
conceived with himself that it was the only and last expedient he could use And seeing there was no remedy he did seek her out so diligently that at the last he did find her in a company and place where she could not avoid him and he did chide her much for her harsh and rigorous usage of him and for her leaving of her Brorhers house She made answer to him That she knew no place more dangerous than that and that he was much beholding to his Butler who served him not only with his Body and his Goods but with his Soul also and his Conscience The Prince perceiving there was no remedy resolved with himself to force his passion and to importune her no more neverthelesse all his life afterwards he had her in high esteem A Servant of the said Prince observing the honesty of this Maid did court her in the way of marriage to which she would not consent without the leave and commandment of the Prince to whom she had given up all her affection which the Prince was acquainted with and with his good will the marriage was concluded in which she lived all her life afterwards with great reputation and the young Prince did inrich her with dayly benefits Ladies what shall we say to this have we hearts so low as to make our Servants our Masters Seeing this Virgin could not be overcome neither by love nor importunities I must beseech you that by her Example we may become victorious over our selves for it is the most noble victory that we can obtain I doe lament said Oysilla that such virtuous acts were not in the time of the old Historiographers for they who so much extolled their Lucretia would let their pens sall from their hands and have altered their Subjest to have described all along the Virtues of this Virgin which I do find to be so great that I should bardly have believed them were it not for the solemn Oath which doth oblige us to speak the truth I find not her virtues to be such said Hircan as you declare them for oftentimes we have seen sick men whose Palats are out of tast to refuse good and whotsom Diet and to feed on that which is naught and hurtfull And so it may be that this Maid was in love with some one else which made her to despise Nobility Parlament made answer Her life and her death did sufficiently manifest that she never during the whole course of her life had a better opinion of any man living than of him whom she loved more than her life but not more than her Honour Remove from your fancy that fond humour said Saffredant and understand from whence that word Honour is derived so far as it belongeth unto Women For it may be that those Who speak so much of it doe not know the Intention of the word Know then that in the beginning before Dissimulation was too common amongst Men and Women love was so full of life and strength that Hypocrisie had no place and they were most praised who most truly loâ—ed But when Decript and Avarice had seized upon their hearts they did drive both God and Love out of them and in their place entertained the love of themselves Hypocrisie and Dissembling And Women perceiving that they had not in their hearts the virtue of true Love and that the Name of Hypocrisie was so odious amongst Men they did give it the sirname of Honour so that those who had not in them that true and honourable Love did pretend that their Honour did forbid them to do this or that and have made thereby so cruel a law that even some Women who would love perfectly do Dissemble esteeming Virtue to be Vice But they who are of a good understanding and of a sound Judgement do never fall into such errours for they do know the difference betwixt light and darknesse and that true love consisteth in this to show the chastity of the heart which cannot live but by true love and will not seek for false Honour from the vice of Dissimulation Nevertheless I have heard said Dagoucin that the most private Love is the most commendable Private said Simontault and concealed from the eys of those that judge not aright but which is clear and known enough unto those two at least whom it doth concern I so understand said Dagoucin and I believe that this Virgin did love more violently because she did not declare it unto any Whatsoever she did said Longaren we ought to look upon her Virtue which to overcome her own heart was the greatest of all virtues and the occasions and temptations which she had being consider'd I do sâ—y that she ought to be accounted a most excellent Virgin If you esteem said Saffredant the greatnesse of Virtue by the mortification of our selves the young Lord was more commendable than she whether you look upon the greatnesse of the love which he did bear unto her or his power and the opportunities and the means he might have had yet neverthelesse he would not offend the rule of true love which makes the Prince and the Poorest Creature to be equal and doth use no other means but what Honesty doth permit There are many said Hircan who would not have done so Indeed he was highly to be esteemed said Longaren having overcome the common Imperfection of Men for he who can do evil and doth it not is a happy Man To this purpose said Guebron you cause me to think of one who had a greater fear to offend the eyes of Men than God his Honour or his Love I pray you said Parlament will you be pleasid to rehearse that Account unto us for the performance whereof I do give you my voice There are divers said Guebron who believe that there is no God or if there be a God they do conceive him to be so far from them that he can neither see nor understand the works they do and although he doth see them they do think he is so tame or so unmindfull of them that he will not punish them and that he takes no Care of the things that are done on Earth And of this opinion was a Lady whose Name for the honour I do bear unto her Family I will change and I will call her Camilla She was often heard to say that He or She who had nothing to do but with God only were happy if in the mean time they could preserve the reputation of their Honour entire from the eyes of the world but you shall perceive that neither her Wisdom nor her Hypocrisie could guard her but the mystery of her Lust was revealed as you shall find by this History the truth whereof I will give you all along excepting the Names of the Persons and the places both which shall be changed The Hypocrisie of a Lady of the Court was discovered by the misdemeanours of her Loves which she thought cunningly to have concealed The Third Novel IN a fair
promised For as when he was in choler there was no man living that durst assault him so without some great occasion that did provoke him he had rather die himself than commit a murder if his Honour had not constrained him to it In the like manner without an extreme force of Love which begetteth blindnesse in virtuous men he had rather die than defile his marriage bed by a depraved appetite to another which was the cause that his wife did so much respect and love him observing so stayed an honesty to dwell in such a tendernesse of youth And she demanding of him how he could excuse himself seeing that Princes oftentimes are much incensed against those men who do not praise and follow that which they themselves do love he made answer That a wise Man hath always a sicknesse or a Journey in his sleeve to assist himself with at the time of great necessity Wherefore some four or five days before I am to goe I am determined to counterfeit my self to be very sick in which excuse the sadnesse of your countenance will much advantage me Behold said his Wife a good and a holy Hypocrisie I will not fail to put on the saddest and most disconsolate look that possibly I can for they who can avoid the offence of God and the anger of their Prince are said to be happy Creatures Accordingly as they determined they performed and the King was very sad to understand by the Wife the sicknesse of her Husband which lasted but a little for by reason of the intervention of some great affairs the King did forget his pleasure to follow his Duty in the Government of the Kingdom and departed out of Paris And one day afterwards having in his memory the design which was not put in practise did say unto the young Prince What fools were we to go so soon out of Paris without seeing the four Maids who as it was assured me were the fairest in my Kingdom The young Prince being then present made answer I am very glad of it that you did fail for during my sicknesse I had a great fear that I alone should lose my part in the adventure having spoke those words the King did never suspect the dissimulation of the young Signior who afterwards was more beloved by his Wife than he was before Parlament did immediatly begin to laugh and could not forbear from speaking And she might have loved him yet better if he had made this refusal for the love of her alone but in what manner soever it was the Gentleman was commendable enough It seems to me said Hircan it is no great praise for a Man to preserve his Chastity for the love which he doth bear unto his Wife for there are so many reasons for it that in a manner he is constrained to do it First of all God doth command him Secondly his oath doth oblige him And lastly Nature which is satisfied is not so subject either to temptation or desire as is necessity But the free love whish a Man doth bear unto his Mistresse of whom he receiveth no delight at all nor other contentment but to see her and to speak unto her and instead of good words from her doth oftentimes receive a churlish answer when this Love is so loyal and firm that for no adventure whatsoever can arrive it can be changed I say this is Chastity not only praise-worthy but miraculous It is no miracle at all said Oysilla for where the heart doth resolve and devote it self there is nothing impossible to the body Not to the bodies said Hircan which are already angelized I speak not of those said Oysilla who by the Grace of God are altogether transformed into him but of those which we see here on earth amongst Men and if you please but to take notice of them you shall find that those who have devoted all their heart and all their affections to attain unto the perfection of sciences have not only forgotten the pleasure of the flesh but even those things which are most necessary for the sustenance of life as to eat and to drink for so long as the Soul is active within the Body the flesh doth remain as it were insensible And from hence it comes to passe that those who love beautiful and virtuous Ladies do receive such a full contentment of Spirit to behold them and to hear them speak that the flesh is as it were appeased and taken off from all the heat of her desires And those who cannot feel those contentments are sensual and carnal and being overburthened with the weight and frailty of their flesh do not well know whether they have in them a Soul or no. But when the Body is subject to the Spirit it is as it were insensible to the imperfections of the flesh insomuch that the earnest study of the Soul in the strength of contemplation hath rendred Men insensible I have known a Gentleman who to give a demonstration that he hath loved a Lady more than any other hath held his naked fingers in the flame of a Candle his Companions standing by and looking stedfastly on the Lady he not stirring his hand at all did burn his Fingers to the very Bone yet nevertheless affirmed that he was not sensible of any pain In my opinion said Guebron the Devil whose Martyr he was should have made a Saint Laurence of him for there are some in whom the fire of love is so great that they will not fear that which is lesse in violence But if a Lady should have desired me to endure so much for her I should certainly have demanded some great recompense or drawn off my fancy to some other who would have been more merciful to me You would then said Parlament have your own will after that your Mistresse had hers like a Gentleman at Valence in Spain of whom a Commander who was a brave Souldier did not long since give me an account Madam I beseech you said Dagoucin that you will take my place and be pleased to relate it to us for I do presume it is a good story Ladies said Parlaâ— hata according to this Account you ought to look again aâ— again on that which you do refuse and never thnd that time without variation will be always the same but knowing how subject the present time is unto change you would take order for the time to come A Gentleman being disdained for an Husband did take upon him the orders of a Grey Frier by reason whereof his Sweet-heart not long afterwards did undergo the same punishment The fourth Novel IN the City of Valence there was a Gentleman who for the space of five or six years did love a Lady so absolutely that during that time neither the Honour nor the Conscience of either of them was prejudiced for it was his intention to have her to his Wife which seemed to their friends on both sides to be very reasonable for he was very handsome rich
did love art dead Thy heart so pure and undefiled could not without death endure to understand the Vice which was in me your friend O my God wherefore didst thou create me a Man having a love so light and a heart so ignorant Why didst not thou rather create me a little dogg who so faithfully did know to serve his Mistresse Alas little Dog the joy which thy barking brought unto me is now turned into perpetual mourning because by my means another was admitted to hear thy voice But so it is dear friend that neither the Love of the Dutchesse nor of any Woman in the World hath caused me to change my affections although she oftentimes hath importuned me to it But ignorance overcame me thinking for ever to preserve your Love but this ignorance cannot excuse me for I have revealed the secret of my friend I have falsified my promise which is the only cause that I see you dead before my eyes Shall death be lesse cruel to me than to your self who only for Love have put an end to your innocent life I must believe shall I believe that death will not vouchsafe to touch my unfaithful and accursed heart for a dishonourable life and the memory of my losse through my own default is more insupportable than ten thousand deaths Woe is me my friend If any one either through malice â—r misfortune had been so cruel as to kill you I should readily have put my hand upon my Sword to have revenged you It is no reason therefore that I should pardon the murtherer who was the occasion of your death and by a more unrighteous act than to have killed you with a Sword If I knew any more wicked Executioner than my self I would desire him to see Justice performed on your treacherous friend O Love By the ignorance of loving I have offended thee and wilt not thou relieve me as thou didst her who inviolately did keep all thy Laws Is it nor reason that by the like honest means I doe end my life It is and most reasonable it is that it be done by my own hand and since with my tears I have bathed your face and with my Tongue I have required pardon of you nothing now remains but that with my own hand I doe render my body like unto yours and that my Soul do follow wheresoever yours is gone before me knowing that a virtuous and an honest love can have no end either in this world or in the World to come And immediately rising from the body as a man transported and out of his sense he drew his Sword and fixing the pummel of it against the Wall and the point of it against his Brest he with great violence did drive it quite through his body and falling down he took his Sweet-heart in his arms and did kisse and imbace her with such affection that he seemed to be more surprized by love than by death The Damosel observing him to draw his Sword did immediately run forth to cry out for help The Duke hearing the cry and doubting some sad accident had befallen those whom he most intirely loved was the first that came into the Wardrop and beholding this lamentable spectacle he endeavoured to take off the Gentleman from the body of the dead Lady if it were possible to save him but he held his Sweet-heart so fast in his arms that he could not sever him from her with all the strength he had until he was quite dead himself Neverthelesse understanding that the Duke did speak unto him and demanded who was the occasion of it he did lift up his head and looking furiously upon him he made answer Your Tongue Sir and my own and bowing down his head again he immediately dyed his face being close joyned to that of his Friends The Duke desiring to be thoroughly informed with all the particulars of this Tragedy did command the Damosel to declare at large unto him whatsoever she had seen or heard which she did all along without sparing any thing whereupon the Duke perceiving that he was the Original of all this Evil did throw himself upon the two dead Lovers and with great Lamentation craving pardon of them for his offence he oftentimes did kiss them rising from them in a fury he drew out the sword froÌ„ the dead body of the Gentleman And as a wild Boar being wounded by a Lance doth run with resistlesse violence at him who made the thrust so the Duke did addresse himself to her who had wounded him quite through his Soul He found her dancing in the Hall and more frolick by farr than she was accustomed to be conceiving that in some measure she had revenged her self upon the Niece of the Duke In the middle of the Dance the Duke did lay hold on her and said unto her you promised not to reveal the Secret upon the forfeit of your life And your life shall answer for your trespasse and speaking those words he took her by her Headgeer and sheathed the sword in her Body at which all the Company were so amazed that they conceiv'd the Duke was bereaved of his Senses Having thus put a violent period to the Life of his Dutchesse he called together his Friends and his Servants and did declare unto them the lamentable and most virtuous story of his Niece and the great Injury that his Wife had done her which caused many tears in all the standers by The Duke afterwards commanded that his Wife should be buried in an Abbey which he had founded and caused a fair Sepulcher to be builded where the bodies of his Niece and of the Gentleman were interred together and an Epitaph was laid upon the Monument declaring the History of their loves and their Tragical Deaths The Duke afterwards did undertake a Voyage against the Turks and God so prospered him that he atchieved great honours and gained large Revenues And on his Return finding his eldest Son able to manage the Government of his Estate he did put on the habit of Religion in the same Abbey where his Wife and the two Lovers were buried where devoutly he passed away the Remainder of his life Ladies this is the History which you have intreated me to declare unto you and which I perceive by your eyes that you have not received without compassion From hence methinks we ought to take an Example to have a care not to fix too much our affections on men For how honest and virtuous soever the love may seem to be in the beginning yet for the most part it goes off with an unpleasing Farewell And moreover you may read that Saint Paul would not that married people should set altogether their affections on one another for by how much the more our hearts are ingaged in a terrestrial Love by so much the lesse they are addicted to the Love of Heaven and spiritual things and the more noble and the more virtuous the Love is the more difficult it is to break