almost without intermission for I believe that such a Malady cannot proceed only from your great Belly The Dutchesse perceiving her Husband to be so kind unto her as that she could not have desired him to be more thinking that now was the time to revenge her self on the denying Gentleman she imbraced the Duke and beginning to weep abundantly she said unto him Alas my Lord The greatest grief which I have is to see you deceived by those who are so much obliged to maintain your Honour and your welfare The Duke understanding those wordâ— had a great desire to know by whom it was she spoke them and with much importunity did intreat her without fear to declare unto him all the Truth She having made many denyals the better to colour her pretence did at the last say unto him I do not wonder much if Strangers make Warr on Princes when those who are most obliged to them do enterprise so wicked a Deed that the losse of Goods is nothing in comparison of it Sir I will tell you the Gentleman and speaking those words she gave him the name of him whom she hated He said she being nourished by your own hand advanced and treated more like a kinsman or a Son than a Servant hath dared to undertake so cruel and so wretched an enterprise as to procure the losse of the honour of your Wife in which consists the honour of your House and of your Children And although for a long time he hath made many covert Invitations of Allurement tending to the Accomplishment of his wicked Design yet my heart which hath regarded none but your self would understand nothing at all untill that at the last he declared himself by his words To which I returned such an answer as my heart and my chastity did command me Neverthelesse I have ever since born such a hatred to him that I cannot endure to look on him which is the cause that I have kept my Chamber and lost the happinesse of your Company beseeching you that you will no longer keep any such Servant near unto your Person For after so great a crime he fearing that I may acquaint you with it may yet commit a greater Sir I have here given you the cause of my affliction which seems to me to be so just that it is worthy you should give a sudden redresse unto it The Duke who loved his Wife and according to her accusation did find her to be much injured and himself also to be interested in it and on the other side loved his Servant of whose fidelity he had so great experience that he could hardly believe this Fable to be a truth was in a great perplexity and being filled with choler and amazement did command his Servant not to appear in his presence but for a certain time to withdraw himself from the Court The Gentleman being altogether ignorant of the occasion was as much grieved as possibly could be being conscious to himself that his uprightnesse and fidelity did deserve a far better construction And being well assured of his loyalty and demeanour he sent one of his Companions to speak unto the Duke and to present his Letter to him most humbly beseeching him that if by any false instigation he was removed from his presence he would be pleased to suspend his Judgement until he had been examined and the truth of the accusation had been understood and that he would then find that he had not given him the least occasion of offence The Duke reading the Letter did a little rebate the edge of his fury and privately sent for him to come into his Chamber to him the Gentleman being come he look'd upon him with a furious countenance and said I never thought that the care I taken to bring you up from your infancy as my own Child should be turned into a repentance to have so highly advanced you Since you have endeavoured to bring that upon me which would be more prejudicial to me than the losse of my life and fortunes in seeking by corrupting the Honour of her who is half of my self to render my House and my posterlty infamous throughout all ages You may well conceive that such an injury doth leave such an impression in my heart that if it were not for the doubt I entertain whether the report be true or no you had been before this in the bottom of the Sea and had in secret received a punishment for that offence which secretly you would have committed against me The Gentleman was not much amazed at his words for his innocence did cause him to speak with confidence unto him and did beseech him that he would be pleased to tell him who was his Accuser for such words said he ought rather to be justified by the Lance than by the tongue Your Accuser said the Duke doth bear no other Arms but her own Chastity for I assure you that no other Woman but my own Wife did disclose it to me and withal hath besought me to take vengeance on you The poor Gentleman observing the great malice of the Lady would not altogether accuse her but said unto him Sir Madam the Dutchesse may say what she pleaseth and what already she hath spoken you doe know far better than my self but believe me Sir I did never see her out of your company but once or twice at the most at which time she did not expresse her self in many words unto me God hath indued you with as much Judgement as any Prince that I doe know in Christendom wherefore Sir I beseech you to tell me if you did ever observe in me the least Countenance which might beget the least suspition for Love is a Fire which cannot so long he concealed but it will be sometimes discovered by those who languish in the same malady I beseech you Sir that you would believe two things in me the one is that I am so loyal to you that if your Wife were the most beautiful and the most accomplished Lady in the World yet Love should never so much overcome me as to stain my honour and my fidelity the other is that if she were not your Wife yet of all the Women which I have seen she is that Lady of whom I should be the least amorous and there are besides her in your Court many other Ladies on whom more readily I could fix my fancy The Duke began to soften himself into a mercy having heard these words of truth said unto him I do believe what you have represented to me wherfore continue your place in your attendance on me as you have been accustomed for I assure you that if I shall find the truth to be on your side I shall love you yet better than ever I have done and if I shall find to the contrary Know that your life doth ly in my hands The Gentleman did humbly thank him and did submit himself to all punishment if he were found guilty The Dutchesse
with them in the fear told them that they were naughty boys who came to a Highway-man who kept an Inn close by him to take a part with him in the booty Whereupon the two Gentlemen with their Grooms did immediatly arm themselves and made hast to the succour of the Ladies for whom they esteemed Death to be more happy than to live after them And as soon as they came unto the house they found the first Gate broken open and the two married Gentlemen gallantly defending themselves with their servants but because the Robbers were too numerous and that they were sorely wounded they began to retire themselves having lost a great number of their servants the two young Gentlemen looking up to the window beheld the two Ladies weeping and crying out so lowdly that being transported with love and pity like two inraged Bears descending from the Mountains they fell upon the Robbers with so much sury that having killed a great number of them those that were lest not desiring to come under such violent blowes did fly unto a place of retreat The young Gentlemen having thus defeated those Assassinates of whom the Host himself was one did understand that the Hostess was worse than her Hushand and therefore they did send her after him by a thrust of a Rapier and entring into one of the lower Chambers they found one of the married Gentlemen giving up the Ghost the other had received no hurt at all but onely his cloaths were much slashed and run through with swords and his sword was broken and being very sensible of the relief which these two Gentlemen brought unto him having embraced them and thanked them he desired that they would not forsake him which was a request very easie unto them to grant wherefore having interred the Gentleman that was dead and comforted his Lady in the best manner that they could they took their way as God did direct them without knowing on what hand to go If you please to understand the names of the three Gentlemen and the Ladies he that was maried was called Hircan and his wife Parlament the other Lady who so lately became a Widdow was called Longeren the two Gentlemen who so happily came in to their succour the one of them was named Dagoucin and the other Saffredant After they had been all day on horsback on the Evening they heard a Bell to which place but not without pain and travail they did their utmost endeavour to arrive and were courteously entertained by the Abbot and the Monks It was the Abbey of Saint Savin The Abbot who was of a noble family having brought them to their Lodgings which were magnificent did demand them of their fortunes And having understood the truth thereof he told them That they were not alone who suffered in that Ruin for in another Chamber there were two young Ladies who had escaped the like danger and so much the greater by how much there is more compassion in Man than in a Beast for the poor Ladies half a mile on this side of Pyrchita had discovered a great Bear comming down the Hill upon them from whom they sled with so much speed that at their entrance into his Gates their horses fell down dead under them and two of their women who came a long time after them did inform them That the Bear had destroyed all their servants whereupon the two Ladies and three Gentlemen did enter into the Chamber where they were and found them weeping and knew that one of them was Nomerfide and the other Emarsuite who imbracing each other did recount what had happened and began to comfort themselves being more incited thereunto by the consolations of the good Abbot that thus they met together On the morning they heard Mass with great devotion praysing God for their deliverance from their dangers When they were all at Mass Behold a Man who had nothing on him but his shirt only did run into the Church flying as some body had pursued him and crying aloud for Help Immediatly Hircan and the other Gentlemen made up to him to see what the business was and they found two men following him at the heels with their swords drawn who observing so great a company would have betaken themselves to flight but Hircan and those with him did follow them so close that they left their lives on the place When Hircan had well observed the party that was relieved and who was in his shirt only he perceived that it was Guebron who was one of their Companions who did impart unto them That lodging in a Cottage near unto Pyrchita there came three men to assault him being in bed who although he was in his shirt he did wound one of them with his sword in such manner that immediatly he died and whiles the other were busie and in debate where to bestow him he observing that he was naked and they armed did conceive that there was no other way to be too hard for them but by flight only which he might the better do being not charged with habiliments and he thanked God and them who thus had executed vengeance for him on his Enemies After that they had said Mass and dined they sent to see if it were possible to passe the River of Gane and understanding the impossibility of it they were in a great distresse although the Abbot had often offered them to continue there untill such time as the waters were decreased to which they only accorded for that day As they were going to bed at night there arived an old Monk who every year never failed in September to have recourse unto our Lady at Serrance who being demanded of the occurrences of his Journey made answer That by reason of the high waters he came all along the mountains and the worst ways that were ever travelled where he beheld one spectacle of great pity which was That he met with a Gentleman called Simontault who being impatient at the long continuance of the over-flowing River did resolve to force it trusting in the goodness of his Horse to effect which he did place his servants on each side of him to break the furious eddy of the stream but when they were in the middle of it those who were worst of all mounted were carried away by the violence of the River and never did return again The Gentleman seeing himself alone turned back his horse from whence he came but his horse for all his force and promptnesse did sink under him But it pleased God that he was so near the Bank that being but four foot from it and having drank much water he waded forth and sat down upon two flints so weak and feeble that he was not able to support himself It so fell out that a Shepherd driving homeward his flocks in the Evening did find him almost covered with mud upon the stones and no lesse sorrowfull for his people whom he saw to be carried away by the River and destroyed
in the most humble manner exercise your Devotions at the Mass that even in this wilderness you would find that beauty which it may be you cannot in the greatest Cities For he who knoweth God beholde hâ—all things that are beautifull in him and without him all things are deformed Wherefore I beseech you to receive my counseâ— if you will live well and with Comfort Hircan took the word from her and said Madam Those who have read the holy Bible as I believe that all of us have will confess that you speak the truth but you must regard that we are not yet so mortifyed as to deprive our selves of all Pastime and Corporal Recreation For if we are in our own houses we have Dogs to hunt and Hawks for the flight which make us to pass over and to forget a thousand foolish thoughts And the Ladies have their works of Housewifry and sometimes their dancings in which they honestly do delight themselves which causeth me speaking only on the behalf of the men to desire that you who are the most antient amongst us would every Morning read the life unto us which our Saviour Jesus Christ did lead and the great and admirable works which he hath done for us And after dinner untill Vespers that you will make choice of some Pastime which may not be prejudiciall to the Soul and be pleasant to the Body and so with comfort we shall pass over the ten days Madam Oysilla made answer to him That she had so much laboured with her self to forget all the vanities of the world that she was afraid they had made a bad choice of her for such pastimes howsoever she would submit to the plurality of voices desiring Hircan to understand what was his opinion first of all For my part said he If I thought the pastime I would choose were as agreeable to any of the Company as to my self my opiniö should quickly be known wherfore for this time I will hold my peace and will believe that which others shall speak Parlament began to blush thinking that â—e spoke of her and half in choler and half in laughter said Hircan It may be that she whom you speak of can find enough to recompense her self if she hath a mind thereunto but let us leave off this pastime wherein two of us only can bear part and let us speak of that which ought to be common to us all whereupon Hircan said to all the Ladies Since my Wife hath so well understood and expounded and glossed upon my sense and allegeth that a particular pastime doth not please her I believe that she will be able better than any other to speak of that in which every one will take pleasure and from this time I shall be of her opinion as being he who hath no other opinion but her own To this all the Company did agree Parlament perceiving that the Lot was fallen upon her did speak in this manner If I knew my self as sufficient as the Antients who found out the Arts I would invent some play or pastime to satisfy the charge which you have imposed on me but being conscious to my self of my knowledge and faculties which with much trouble can hardly remember things well clone I shall esteem my self happy to follow close unto those who have already satisfied your demand Amongst others I do believe that there is not any of you who hath not read over the hundred Novels of John Boccace newly translated out of Italian into French which the most Christian King Francis the first of that Name Monseigneur the Daulphin Madam the Daulphinesse Madam Margaret have and do so highly esteem that if Boccace could but hear them in the place where he is he would be revived at the prayses of such persons I have heard that the two Ladies above-named with many others of the Court have determined with themselves to make the like work and only different from Boccace in one particular which is not to make mention of any Novell which is not a perfect History And first of all the said Ladies and Monseigneur the Daulphin did conclude amongst themselves to make every one of them Ten and to have a List of Ten persons whom they conceived to be most worthy to give an account of them those being to be excepted out of that number who were given to their study and were lettered men for Monsteur the Daulphin would not that their art should be mingled in these Novells and was also afraid that the beauty of their Rhetorick should in some part be prejudiciall to the truth of this History But the great affairs which since have taken up the King and the Peace betwixt him and the King of England and the lying down of Madam the Daulphinesse and many other things worthy to divert the whole Court have made all that enterprise to be forgotten which now by reason of our long leisure may be brought unto a period attending till the Bridge be made And if you please that every day presently after twelve of the clock we shall meet and continue untill four in yonder Meadow by the River of the Gauve where the Trees are so leavie that the Sun can neither prejudice the shade nor grow so hot as to vex the freshnesse of the air being there sat at ease every one maâ— repeat a story which he hath seen or heard from some Man of Reputation at the end of ten days we shall have finished the Century And if God shall please that our labour shall be found worthy of the eyes of the Princes and Ladies above-named we will give it them at our Return and I dare assure you that it will be a present very acceptable to them Neverthelesse whatsoever I have said if any amongst us shall find out a subject that shall be more pleasant I will accord in opinion with them All the Company made answer That it was impossible to have advised better and that the time seemed tedious to them that the next day was not already come to begin the Assembly In this manner they with delight passed away the travell of that day rehearsing to one another that which they had seen in their own times As soon as the Morning was come they resorted to the Chumber of Madam Oysilla whom they found already at her Devotions and when for the space of a full hour they had heard her Lecture and afterward the Masse about ten of the clock they went to Dinner and afterwards every one of them did retire into his own Chamber to do that which was to be done and failed not at twelve of the clock to be in the Meadow according as it was appointed which was so pleasant a place that they had need of a Boccace in earnest to set it forth to the life but you may content your selves that the like unto it was never seen When the Assembly were all sat down upon the green grass so soft and delicate that they needed not
unto us for our nobleness or our riches but according to the pleasure of his Bounty who is no accepter of persons and who chooseth whom he pleaseth For those whom he chooseth he doth honour with his virtues and doth crown them with his glory and oftentimes he maketh choice of base things to confound those which the world esteems to be high and honourable Therefore as he himself saith let us not rejoice in our greatness but in this that our Names are written in the Book of Life There was not a Lady in the Company that had not tears in her eyes in compassion of the lamentable and glorious Death of that poor Woman Every one resolved with themselves that if the like fortune should befall them they would imitate the same Martyr Madam Oysilla observing that the Time did passe away in the many praises of this dead Woman did say to Saffredant If you speak not something to make the Company laugh I do not see any amongst you who can forget the fault I have committed which is to make you weep Wherefore I give you my voice Saffredant had a desire to speak some good thing which might be agreeable to the Company and above all to one of them how soever some wrong was done in regard that there were some more antient and more experienced than himself who should have spoke before him Nevertheless his lot being such he had rather dispatch it now for there were more to come of good speakers and the longer he stayed the more his Account would appear lesse pleasing A King of Naples abusing the Wife of a Gentleman did in the end carry the Horn himself The Third Novell LAdies said Sassredant Because I have oftentimes wished my self to be a companion of his Fortune of whom I am now giving you an account I shall tell you That in the City of Naples in the time of King Alphonsus whose Lust was the Scepter of his Realm there was a Gentleman so gallant goodly and attractive that for his perfections an antient Gentleman gave him his Daughter in Marriage which in Beauty and sweetnesse of Disposition was nothing inferiour to her Husband The Love between these two was great untill that wanton time when the King in a Masque did go amongst the Houses of the Great Ones of his Kingdom where every one did strive to give him the greatest entertainment that they could and when he came into the house of this Gentleman he was more magnificently received than in any other place as well by Collations as by Songs and Musick and by the most beautifull Lady that ever he beheld who at the end of the Feast did bear a part in a Song with her Husband which she did with so much grace that it did encrease her beauty The King beholding two perfections in one body took not so much pleasure at the mutuall according of the Husband and the Wife as he took care how to dissolve it He found the difficulty to perform it was in the united affection which he observ'd betwixt them Therefore he carried in his heart his passion as closely as possibly he could but to comfort it in part he made many Feasts to all the Lords and Ladies of Naples at which this Gentleman and his Wife were never forgotten And because that we do willingly believe that which we see it seemed to him that the fair eyes of this Lady did promise him some Good to come if the Presence of her Husband did give no hinderance to it and to make tryall if this conjecture of his were true or not he gave her Husband a Commission to go to Rome for fifteen dayes or three weeks and as soon as he was gon his Wife who never before was deprived of the sight of him made many great laments for which she was comforted by the King as often as he could by his perswasions and by his presents Insomuch that at last she was not only comforred but contented also with the absence of her Husband and before the three weeks were expired that her Husband should return she was so amorous of the King that she was as much grieved at the return of her Husband as she was at his going from her And that she might not lose the presence of the King she did conclude with him that when her Husband did goe unto his Houses in the Country she would acquaint him with it who then with assurance might come unto her and so secretly that no man whom she feared more than her own Conscience could have any notice of it In this hope the Lady remained very joyfull and when her Husband was come home she gave him such good entertainment that although he understood that in his absence the King made very much of her yet he could not receive it into his belief But in the processe of time the fire so hard to be concealed did by degrees begin to shew it self insomuch that her Husband began to have a strong suspition of her and did keep over her so strict a watch that he was almost assured of the Truth But by reason of the fear that did invade him that he who had done him this injury would do him a greater if he should make it known he tesolved with himself to dissemble it for he believed it to be safer to live though with some discontent than to hazard his life for a Woman that had forfeited her love Neverthelesse in this despite he resolved to render the like unto the King if it were possible And knowing that Love doth assail those most of all who have a heart great and honourable he assumed the boldnesse one day talking with the Queen to tell her That he did extremely pity her that she was no better beloved of the King her Husband The Queen who had understood of the familiarity of the King and his Wife made answer I cannot enjoy Honour and Pleasure together I know very well that I have the Honour of which another receives the Pleasure and she that hath the Pleasure cannot enjoy the Honor which I have He who understood sufficiently upon what account those words were spokē replied to her Madam Honour is born with you for you are of so high-born an extract that to be Queen or an Empress doth not augment your nobility but your beauty grace and sweetness doth deserve so much pleasure as she who hath taken that from you which belongs unto you doth doe more wrong to her self than you she for a little glory which turns into her shame doth lose as much pleasure as you or any Lady in the Land can enjoy and I can tell you Madam that if the King would but put the Crown from off his head I am confident he had no advantage above me in giving content unto a Lady being sure that to satisfie so gallant a personage as your self he ought to change his complexion into mine The Queen in laughter made answer to him Although the King
be not of so delicate a complexion as your self so it is that the love which he bears to me doth so much content me that I prefer it above any other thing The Gentleman said unto her Madam If it were so you should not pitty me for I know well that the honest love of your heart would give all contentment if it sound the like love in the heart of the King but God hath so appointed it that not finding in him that which you expected you should not make to your self any God on earth I doe confesse unto you said the Queen that the love I bear him is so great that the like cannot be found in any other heart but my own Pardon me Madam said the Gentleman you have not yet sounded the love of all hearts for I dare professe unto you that such a one doth love you whose affection is so great an insupportable that yours in comparison of his would appear nothing at all And because he finds the love of the King to decrease towards you and his own most infinitely augmented if it be agreable to you you shall be recompensed for all your sufferings The Queen as well by his countenance as by his words did begin to understand that what he spake did proceed from the bottom of his heart and did consider with her self it was long since that he first professed service to her with such affection that he became melancholy therewith which at first she conceived to be occasioned by his wife but now she firmly believed that it was for the love of her And thus the virtue of Love which can make it self to be perceived when it is not counterfit doth also make it self certain of that which is hid from all the world And looking on the Gentleman who was more lovely than her own Husband finding that he was forsaken by his wife as she was by the King being possessed with despite and Jealousie of her Husband and incited by the love of the Gentleman she began to speak with tears and sighes O my God! And can vengeance then force that from me which no Love could ever do The Gentleman who well understood the sense of her words made answer Madam Sweet is his Vengeance who instead of killing an Enemy doth give life to a perfect friend It appears to me that it is now high time that Truth and a just and reasonable love should take from you that sottish love which you bear to him who loves not you Chase from you that sordid fear which cannot have a Mansion in a heart great and noble Let us lay aside Madam the greatnesse of your Estate and regard that you and my self are the most laugh'd at Man and Woman in the world betrayed by those whom most perfectly we have loved Let us revenge our selves Madam not so much to render them their deserts as to satisfie Love which on my part cannot any longer be sustained without Death And I beleeve if you have not a heart more hard than a flint or diamond that it is impossible for you not to feel some sparks of that fire which so much the more increaseth in me as I endeavour to conceal it And if that pity on me who die for the love of you cannot incite you to love me at least let the pity which you ought to have on your self constrain you to it who being so absolutely perfect do deserve to be the Mistresse of the hearts of all the gallant Men in the world and are undervalued and forsaken by him for whom you have disdained all others The Queen hearing these words was so transported that she was afraid to shew by her countenance the trouble of her spirit leaning on the â—rm of the Gentleman did go with him into a garden neer unto her Chamber where a long time she walked without speaking one word to him The Gentleman seeing her half vanquished when they were come to the end of an Alley where none could descry them did by effect declare that love unto her which so long a time he concealed and thus with delight they both fulfill'd their vengeance the passion whereof before was so unsupportable to them They determined there between them both that as often as he repaired to his Country house and the King should come from his Palace into the Town to her that immediately he should come about and return to the Palace to the Queen And thus deceiving the deceivers they were all four partakers in that pleasure which two of them thought to have had alone by themselves The agreement being made they returned the Queen to her Chamber in the Palace and the Gentleman to his house both of them with such content that they had forgot all their former distractions And the fear which before possessed them that the King was with this Gentlemans wife was now turn'd into a desire to have it so which was the cause that the Gentleman more often than he was accustomed did repair unto his Village which was but half a mile from the City and as soon as the King understood of it he did not fail to give a visitation to his Wife and when ever night drew on the Gentleman did constantly come into the Palace to the Queen to perform the Office of the Kings Lieutenant but so privatly that never any did perceive it This course of life continued a long time but the King being a publick person could not so well dissemble his love and many honest men took great pity on the Gentleman for the naughty boyes would make horns at him behind his back in sign of Mockery which he understood well enough but this mockery was so pleasing to him that he as highly esteemed of his Horns as of the Crown of the King who one day his Wife being with him could hardly contain themselves from laughing out-right they both beholding the head of a Stagg which was nailed up in the House of the Gentleman the King said the head was very suitable in that place The Gentleman who had as good a heart as himself presently after the Kings departure did write upon the head To porto le corna chi ascundo vede ma talle porta chi nolo crede The King not long afterwards returning to his house did observe the writing on the head of the Stagg and demanded of the Gentleman the reason of it who made answer unto him If the secret of the King be concealed to the Stagg I see no reason that the secret of the Stagg should be declared to the King But you may content your self he said that those who carry horns do not all show theÌ„ beaming forth from their head for some of theÌ„ are so pleasant that they will not unbonnet any Man and he doth bear them lightest who thinketh that he hath none at all The King understood by these words well enough that he knew something of his own affairs but never suspected the love between the
But observing that his wife was throughly mov'd at the love which he did bear to his Chamber-maid he did forbear to acquaint her with the evil turn that he had done her and asking pardon of her he did faithfully promise to abandon all-together his idle course of life This being done he gave back unto her the Ring which he had taken from his Companion whom he intreated not to reveal his shame to any But as all things whispered in the car are preached upon the House-top so not long afterward the truth was known and he was called Cuckold without any disgrace unto his wife Ladies I believe that if all those who have committed the like offences should endure the same punishment Hircan and Saffradant would be in a great fear and danger And why so Longaren said Saffredant Are there none married in this Company but only Hircan and my self There are said she but none that do play at such a Game When or where have you seen said Saffredant that we have made Chamber-maids of our Wives If the Ladies whom it concerneth would speak the truth said Longaren there may be found of their Chambermaids who have been gon from them before the Quarter day Truly said Guebron Are not you a strange Lady who instead of making the Company to laugh according to your promise do put these two poor Gentlemen into a choler T is all one said Longaren as long as it proceeds not to the drawing of swords their choler shall but double our laughter Let it pass said Hircan But if our wives were so rash as to believe his Lady she would move the most temperate of them unto Jealousie I know well enough before whom I speak said Longaren for their Ladies are so discreet and so intirely do affect them that although we should make them horns as great as those of a Stagg yet they would perswade themselves and the world also that they were Chaplets of Roses At that the Company and they themselves whom most nearly it did concern did begin to laugh so heartily that for the present they could not speak a word Dagoucin who had yet been silent could no longer contain himself and said That Man is unreasonable who having wherewith to content himself will search after other things for I have often seen that thinking to fare better and not to content themselves with their own sufficiency Men do fall into the worst of all when it is too late to complain for inconstancy is always to be disproved Simontault said unto him But what think you of those who have not yet found out their half part of love Do you call it inconstancy to seek for it in every place where it is to be found Dagoucin made answer Because a Man cannot tell what that â—alf part is whose union is so equal that the one differeth not from the other it is requisite that we should stay there where Love constraineth and whatsoever the temptation may be to change neither the heart nor the will for if she whom you love be so like unto you that she is of the same will the same desire with you It is your self whom you love rather than her Hircan replyed Dagoucin I will affirm That if our love be founded upon beauty complexion fashion or the favour of a woman and the end of that love be for pleasure honour or for profit the love cannot long continue for if that on which we doe ground our love prove defective the love will suddenly decay but I am confident in my Judgement that he who loveth hath no other end or desire but to be beloved and will rather lose his life than his love Upon my faith said Simontault I do not believe Dagoucin that you were ever in love for if you had known that fire as well as others you would not here have given us a description of Plato's Commonwealth which he did write of onely and had no other experience of it If I ever did love said Dagoucin I do love still and will love as long as I live but I have so great a fear that the expression of my love shall not be answerable to the perfection of it thaâ— I forbear to speak of it lest she from whom I do desire thâ— like height of love should not understand me according 〈◊〉 the absolutenesse of it as indeed it is And I dare not think my own thoughts for fear my eyes should reveal something of them For the more that I keep this fire concealed and covered the more doth the pleasure increase in me to find that I love so perfectly Shall I not believe then said Guebron that you would be glad to be beloved I do not say the contrary said Dagoucin but when I shall be so well beloved as I do love our love shall be so great that it shall not know how to increase nor be capable either of extension or diminution And till I find that love I shall be carefull how I do reveal it Parlament who suspected whither that fancy tended said unto him Take heed Dagoucin to your self for I have seen others who had rather die than confesse their loves Those said Dagoucin do esteem themselves to be thrice happy I said Saffredant and worthy to be put in the Chronicle of Innocents of whom the Church speaketh Non loquendo sed moriendo confessi sunt I have heard much Discourse of these extasies of love but never yet have I seen any one to die for Love And because I have escaped all the torments that love can afflict and have seen as I conceive the utmost of his tyranny on others I am of opinion that no man can die for love Say you so Saffredant said Dagoucin and would you be beloved because none of your opinion do die for love I can reckon a whole Catalogue to you of those who died of no other disease than of too violent a love Because you are so well experienced in the stories of them I will give you my voice said Longaren to give us an account of one which shall make the Ninth of this Journall To the end said Dagoucin that my true History followed with signs and miracles should work a faith into you to believe it I will in this place recite unto you what to my knowledge did happen about three years ago The Lamentable Death of a Gentleman in Love who too late received comfort of her whom he affected The ninth Novell BEtween Dauphin and Provence there lived a Gentleman more rich in virtue beauty and in courtesie than in the goods of Fortune who most intirely loved a young Gentlewoman whose Name I will not rehearse in respect unto her Kinred who are descended of good and great Families but you may assure your selves that the Story is most true and because he was not descended of so great a house as she was he durst not discover his affection to her for the extreme love which he did bear unto her
to your body that he deserved to lose both together He who doth now possesse your body is not worthy to have your heart wherfore neither is your Body his nor can it properly appertain unto him But I Madam for the continued space of five or six years have endured so much love and travel for you that you cannot be ignorant that both your heart and your body do pertain to me for which I have so often hazarded my own And if you think to defend your self by Conscience be you assured that those who have proved the power of Love will lay all the blame upon you who have so ravished my liberty from me and by your divine perfections blinded my understanding that for the time to come not knowing what to do I am constrained to be gone from you without any hope of ever seeing you again Neverthelesse you may be most confident that in any part of the World wheresoever I shall be whether it be on the Sea or on the Land or in the hands of my most cruel Enemies you shall have my heart which shall continue for ever yours And if before my departure I could have that assurance from you which my great love doth merit I should be made strong to endure with patience the affliction of my long absence And if you please not to grant me my request you will quickly hear it spoken that your cruelty hath given me an unhappy Death Florinda being transported with as much sorrow as amazement to hear these words to proceed from him of whom she had never the least suspition did reply in tears unto him And woe is me now Amadour Are these the effects of the virtuous Discourses which from my Youth hither to we have had together Is this the Honour of Conscience which so oftentimes you have counselled me rather to die than to abandon Have you forgotten the great Examples you have instanced to me of so many excellent Ladies who have resisted that foolish Love Have you forgotten the neglect which you your self have had of light and inconstant Ladies I cannot beleeve O Amadour that you should be so far from your self or that God your Conscience and my Honour should be all dead in you But if it be accordingly as you speak I blesse the Divine goodnesse which hath prevented the mischief into which I headlong was falling by shewing me by your words your heart of which I was so much ignorant for having lost the Son of the Infant Fortunate not only by being married my self unto another but because I found and sufficiently understood that he loved another Lady and seeing my self married to one whom I cannot love and that let me do what I can he cannot be agreeable unto me I considered and intirely resolved with my self to love you with all my heart and affections grounding my love upon the Virtue which I have found in you and which by your means I have in some measure attain'd my self which is to love my Honour and my Conscience more than my life To this rock of Honour I am come where I was confident I should find a most sure foundation but in one moment Amadour you have shewn me that in the place of a Rock sure as I thought and beautifull the foundation of the building is upon loose and uncertain Sands or upon a soft and ruinous Bogg And although I had already begun a great part of the building where I resolved to have made my perpetual residence you on the sudden have overthrown it Wherefore you ought by degrees to forsake all hopes which you have promised to your self of me and to resolve with your self that in whatsoever place you see me not to court me at all either by words or countenance And be not so vain to hope that I either can or will ever change my thoughts I speak them to you with so much sorrow that it is impossible it should be greater but if I had proceeded so far as to have sworn unto you perfect love I do well perceive my heart to be such that it would have been dead within me in this rupture although the amazement that is upon me to be deceived by you is so great that I am confident it will render my life either short or dolorous And on these words I do bid you Adieu for ever I will not here undertake to tell you the grief which entred into the heart of Amadour hearing these words for it is not only impossible for a pen to expresse it but for a heart to conceive it unlesse it be such a heart who by experience hath found the like And observing on that â—â—el conclusion that she was going away he did stay her by the arm knowing very well that if he should not take from her again that evil opinion of him which he had caused her to entertain he should lose her for ever wherefore he said unto her with the most dejected countenance that he could put on Madam Through the whole travels of my life I have desired to love a virtuous Lady and because I have found so few I thought good to make experience to see if by your virtue you were as worthy to be esteemed as you are to be loved which now I understand for certain and I thank God who hath put it into my heart to love such great perfection beseeching you to pardon that foolish and presumptuous enterpise and the rather because it turns to your honour and to my great contentment Florinda who by him did begin to understand the subtility of men as she was difficult to believe the Evil in which he was so she was more difficult to believe the Good in which he was not did say unto him I would to God that you did speak the truth but I am not so ignorant but the estate of Mariage in which I am doth make me clearly enough to understand that a blind and a violent passion did make you to do that which you have done for if God had suffered me to let loose my hand I am sure enough that you would have gone away with the bridle Those Signior Amadour who make it their businesse to follow virtue must not tread in that path in which you would go But it is enough that heretofore I have lightly believed any Good in you it is now time that I should know the truth which doth deliver me from you And speaking those words she departed out of the Chamber and did weep away that night finding so great a grief in this change that her heart had enough to do to sustain the assaults of sorrow which love had given her For although according to her Reason she resolved never to love him more yet he heart which now was not subject to the rules of Reason would not consent unto it wherefore being not able to love him lesse than she was accustomed to do and knowing that love was the occasion of that defect she determined with
her self to satisfy her love and to love him with all her heart but withall to be no wayes forgetfull of her honour In the morning Amadour departed sick and sad as I have told you neverthelesse his heart which was so great that the World could not shew an equal to it did not suffer him to despair but did give him a new intention to enjoy the presence of Florinda and again to be entertained in her favour Wherefore repairing to the King of Spain who was at Toledo he made it his way to go by the Countesse of Arands to whom he came one Evening very late and found the Countesse very sick by reason of the sorrow which she had for the absence of her Daughter Florinda When she beheld Amadour she kissed and embraced him as if he had been her own Son as well for the love she 〈◊〉 bear unto him as for the Love which she conceived he did bear unto Florinda concerning whom she very sollicitously did demand He informed her the best that possibly he could but did not acquaint her with all the Truth and confessed unto her the love betwixt Florinda and himself which Florinda had always concealed desiring her that he might hear from her as often as she could and that she would be pleased to send for her for the more speedy recovery of her own health In the morning he departed and having dispatched his affairs with the Queen he advanced to the Wars but so sad and so changed in his complexion that the Ladies Captains and all those who had been accustomed to his Company did not know him He was altogether cloathed in black and by the outward mourning which he made for his wife he concealed the inward mourning of his heart In this manner Amadour lived three or four years without returning to the Court. And the Countesse of Arand hearing it spoken that Florinda was so extremely altered that it would grieve any one to behold her did send for her hoping that she would be joyfull to come to her but it fell out to the contrary for when Florinda understood that Amadour had declared to her Mother the love that was betwixt them she was in a wonderfull perplexity for on the one side she saw her Mother did esteem so highly of him that if she should acquaint her with the truth Amadour would receive some great displeasure which she would rather die than be the occusion of for she thought her self able enough to punish him for his follies without any assistance of her friends On the other side she feared That in dissembling the evil which she knew she should be constrained by her Mother and by her friends to continue her Discourses and to make much of him by which she was afraid that she should fortifie him in his Presumptions But seeing that he was far remote she made an apparence of being willing to it and sometimes did write unto Amadour when the Countesse did command her but they were such Letters that it was easie to be perceived that they did proceed rather from obedience to her Mother than good will to him Wherefore Amadour was as much grieved at the reading of them as he was accustomed to rejoice at those Letters which heretofore were sent him At the end of two or three years after so many admirable atchievments in the Wars that all the Paper in Spain was not able to contain them he entertained a strange invention not to gain the heart of Florinda for he held that for lost but to obtain another victory over her He did cast behind him all the Counsel of Reason and fear of Death it self to the danger whereof he did so manifestly expose himself The Debate being discussed and concluded he prevailed so much upon the Governour that he was deputed by him to go unto the King concerning some enterprize to be made upon Locat which he adventured to communicate to the Countesse of Arand before he declared it to the King to take her counsel therein he came in Post into the County of Arand where he knew that then Florinda was and sent privately a friend of his to the Countesse of Arand to acquaint her with his comming beseeching her That she would be pleased to keep it secret and that at night he would have some conference with her without the knowledge of any one besides The Countesse being very joyfull of his comming acquainted Florinda with it and sent to her to prepare her self in the Chamber of her Husband to the end that she might be ready when she should send for her and when every one else were withdrawn Florinda who yet was not delivered from her first fear made an apparence to her Mother to do as she commanded but betook her self to her Devotions and did commend her self to God beseeching him to preserve her heart from all inordinate affections and considering with her self that Amadour had often praised her beauty which was not much diminished although she had been a long time sick she determined that it was better to commit an injury upon her beauty than by her means to suffer that the heart of so brave a Man should burn in so loose a fire Wherefore she took a great stone which she found in the Chapel and gave her self so great a blow on the face that her mouth her nose and her eyes were all hurt and bruized with it And because it might not be suspected that she her self had done it when the Countesse her Mother sent for her she fell down at the door of the Chapel upon a great stone and crying out aloud the Countesse came her self to her relief and found her in that pitifull estate Her face was immediately dressed which being done the Countesse did bring her into her own Chamber and did intreat her to repair into her Cabinet to entertain Amadour until such time as she could get cleer of the Company that was with her which accordingly she did thinking that there were some of his servants with him but finding her self all alone and the Doâ—e shut upon her she became as sorrowfull as Amadour was content thinking that either by love or by force he should now enjoy that which he had much desired Having entertained her with a short Discourse and found her in the same mind as he left her and that she had rather die than change her opinion he said unto her Madam I vow unto you the fruit of my labour shall not be taken from me for a scruple and since that Love Patience and humble Prayers can nothing prevail upon you I will not spare by force to obtain that which if not had will procure my Death when Florinda saw his face and eyes so much changed and that the best Complexion in the world did grow red as fire and that most sweet and pleasant look did become so horrible and furious that the fire seem'd to sparkle forth from his eyes which burn'd in his heart And when
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
no lesse wit than beauty did direct him so discreetly that he came into her Chamber on the hour she assigned where he found her lying alone in a very rich Bed and as he made hast to put off his cloaths to go into the Bed to her he heard a great noise at the door of people speaking to one another and of swords clashing against the walls The Lady with a Countenance half dead said unto him At this minute is both your Life and my Honour in the greatest Danger that possibly can be for too well I understand that my Brothers are seeking you out to kill you Wherefore I intreat you to conceal your self under my Bed for when they cannot find you I shall have a just occasion to be angry with them by reason of this alarm which without Cause they have given The Gentleman whose noble heart did always scorn the base effects of Fear replyed unto her And who are your Brothers that they should make me afraid If the whole Generation of them were together I am confident that they would not stand against the point or the edge of my Sword wherefore lie still in your Bed and let me alone to guard your Door Immediatly he clapped his cloak about his arm and took his Sword in his hand and opened the Door to find those Swords more neer him which made so great a noise The Door being opened he beheld two Chambermaids who with two swords in either hand did occasion the Alarm they said unto him Monsieur Pardon us for we have received Commission from our Mistresse to do as we have done but you shall have no other hinderance or disturbance by us The Gentleman seeing they were two Maids did wish all the Devils in Hell take them both and shutting the Door on the faces of them he made all the speed he could to the Ladies Bed whose frights had no ways diminished his love and forgetting to ask her the reason of that skirmish he thought on nothing but to satisfie his desires And perceiving that the Day approached he intreated her to tell him wherefore she had done him so ill an office by holding him so long in delayes and also what was the meaning of the Enterprise of the two Chambermaids the last night She laughing made answeâ— to him My Resolution was never to love again which from my Widdowhood I had a long time observed but your civil Deportment from the first hour wherein you spake unto me at the Banket hath made me to alter my purpose and I began at that instant to love you as much as you could love me It is true that Honour which in all my actions hath been my guide would not permit that Love should cause me to do any thing whereby my Reputation might suffer but as the Hart wounded to Death doth think by changing of place to change the malady he beareth along with him so did I remove from Church to Church thinking to flie from him whom I carried in my heart who hath now proved his love to be so perfect that the Agreement is made and Honour doth accord with Love But to the end that I might be the more assured to commit my heart my love to an absolute Man I was willing to make this last proof by my Chambermaids assuring you that if either for fear of your life or any other regard I had found you so timorous and so tame as to have hid your self under my Bed I was resolved with my self to rise and to withdraw my self into another Chamber without ever seeing you again But because I have found you courteous and lovely and more full of Spirit and courage than it was reported to me that fear cannot enter into your heart nor make cold that love which you bear unto me I am resolved to continue with you untill the end of my dayes being confident that I cannot put my Life and Honour in a surer hand than in his who I believe hath not his equal in all Virtues And as if the Will and Desires of Lovers were immutable they did promise and swear unto one another to perform that which was not in their power to perform which was a perpetual Love which cannot continue in the hearts of Men as those Women know who have made trial of it and how long those Resolutions do endure And therefore Ladies you should take heed of us as the Buck if he had understanding would of the Hunter For our Glory Felicity and Indeavour is to see you surprized and to take that from you which is more dear unto you than life it self How now said Hircan unto Guebron How long ago is it since you have been a Preacher I have known the time that you have maintained another Doctrine It is true said Guebron I do speak now against that which I have practised heretofore all the whole Course of my life but because I have teeth so weak that I cannot eat Venison my self I would advertise the poor Does to beware of the Hunters to make some recompence in my old age for the sins I have committed in my youth We thank you Guebron said Nomerfide for that which you have counselled us to our profit but we do now perceive our selves to be a great deal too young for you for it appears that in your Youth you gave not the same exhortations to her whom you loved which is a sign that now in your age you do neither love us nor your self neither would you willingly suffer us to be loved by any other Howsoever we think our selves to be as wise and virtuous as she whom so long you followed and courted in your Youth But it is alwayes the Glory of the gray beard and those that walk with a staff to think themselves more wise than those who do come after them Nomerfide said Guebron it is very well when the Deceit of some of your Servants shall by experience teach you to understand the subtilty of Men you will then believe what now I have spoken to be truth Oysilla said to Guebron It seems to me that the Gentleman whom you so much commend for Courage ought to be praised more for the violence of his love which is a Power so strong that it will make the greatest Cowards in the world to enterprise that which the most valiant would think and think of again before they would undertake it Saffredant said unto him Madam It seems to me that if this French Gentleman esteemed not the Italians to excell more in their words than in their deeds he might have some great occasion for fear He had so indeed said Oysilla were it not for that fire in his heart which consumed his fear If you find not his Courage commendable enough said Hircan give us an account of some one else who is more worthy of praise To speak the Truth said Oysilla the Gentleman was to be praised but I can give you an instance of One in the
on his back and followed the War and a strong chined and a well-fed Groom who never stirred out of doore you would easily excuse this poor widdow Hircan said Oysilla I cannot believe that whatsoever you can allege will make any Excuse for her I have often heard it spoken said Simontault that there are women who keep Men on purpose to preach unto the world their Virtue and their Chastity and do give them the best entertainment and the most private that possibly they can assuring them that if their Honours and Consciences might not suffer in it they would comply with them in all their desires And those silly Creatures when they speak of them in company will swear That they have put their fingers in the fire without burning them to prove that they are Ladies of Honour and Virtue because they have had experience of their Goodness even to their singers end And thus those women do hear themselves to be commeaded by such dishonest Man and shew themselves such as they are to those of their own Complexion and choose such to be their Servants who amongst Men of worth have not the considence to speak or if they do speak by reason of their sordid and vile condition they have not the credit to be believed This is the same opinion said Longaren which in another sense I have heard spoken of jealous and suspitious men But this is to pourtray a Chimaera for although it may fall out to be true in one unfortunate woman it ought not to be suspected in another Before we proceed further in this discourse said Parlament and the Gentlemen here present exercise their wits on our expence let us rise and repair to the Vespers that we may not make the religious men to attend us so long as yesterday they did The Company were all of her opinion and being on their way to the Chapel Oysilla said unto them If any of us were too blame for having not this day spoken the truth in those histories which we have delivered Saffredant ought to demand pardon for having made so vile a commemoration to the dishonour of our Sex Upon the credit of my oath said Saffredant I believe my account to be true enough yet I must confess that I only heard it speken but I know so much of women that should I speak all what I knew of them I should make as many or more signs of the Cross than they do at the consecratiō of a Church Parlament replyed He is far enough from Repentance whose confessiō doth aggravat his sin But because you have such a bad opinion of women they ought to deprive you of all entertainment and familiarity with them He made answer some of them in my behalf have so used the Counsel that you now give them in denying me things just and honest that if I could either speak or do worse unto them I would not forbear it to revenge my self on her who doth detain me in so great a thraldom And speaking those words Parlament began to sneeze as she entred with the other Ladies into the Church where although the Saints bell had rung yet there were none of the Monks to say service because they understood that this gallant Company were assembled in the Meadow to discourse of those pleasant Subjects and being such who preferred the vanity of their delight above their Devotions they hid themselves in the bottom of a ditch behind a thick hedge lying with their Bellies on the Earth where they listned so attentively to their agreeable accounts that they could not hear the Bell of the Monastery Which did easily appear for they arrived in so much hast that their breath failed them to begin Vespers And the service being ended they confessed to those who demanded the reason why they came so late and chanted so disorderly that it was to listen to these Histories in the Meadow wherefore seeing their good will it was permitted to them that sitting at their ease they should every afternoon be behind the hedge Supper being ended they began the continuation of the discourse to which they had not put a period in the Meadow Oysilla at the last entreated them that she might retire herself to have her spirits more chearfull against the next morning And after many passages full of variety and delight Oysilla affirming that one hour before midnight was worth three afterwards this gnllant Company parted putting an end to their discourse and the recital of their Histories for the second day The end of the second Book The Third Dayes Work of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface ON the morning the Company could not come so soon into the Hall but Madam Oysilla was there half an hour before them having before hand studied the Lecture which she was to read And if they were content with the foregoing Discourse they were no less taken with this second and had it not been that one of the Monks had come to call them to the Mass their contemplation had hindred them from hearing the Bell. Mass being heard and a short Dinner ended that their memories might not be prejudiced by the abundance of too much Viands they all began in their orders to acquit themselves as well as they could and retiring to their Chambers to read over again their Accounts they attended the accustomed hour to go into the Meadow which being come they sailed not to commence their happy voyage Those who had determined with themselves to discourse on some merry Subject had already such joyfull countenances that the rest did promise to themselves a just occasion of laughter to come When they were sat down they demanded of Saffredant to whom he would give his voice Since said he the fault which yesterday I committed is so great that you suppose there can be no Account given that is worthy enough to make amends for it I give my voice to Parlament who by her good discourse doth know so well to please and to commend the Ladies that she will make them to forget the truth which I have spoken I take not upon me said Parlament to mend your faults but to take heed to my self that I do not follow them wherefore I am determined giving you an account of the Truth as we are sworn to do to demonstrate to you by Example that there are Ladies who in their loves have sought for no other end but honesty And because she of whom I shall now speak unto you was of a great house I will change nothing in her History but the Name only desiring you Madams to understand that Love hath not the power to change a chast heart as you shall find by this History which I shall recite unto you THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The honest and wonderfull Love betwixt a young Lady of an honourable Descent and a Bastard and the Obstructions which the Queen made in their marriage with the wise Answer of the young Lady to the
the fire which had consumed them he understood that the boy was too hard for him and immediately did acquaint the Queen with it The Bastard after this time did never imploy â—his little Page any more but sent an old Servant which he had who forgetting the fear of death threatned by the Queen to any whosoever they were that should be taken in that affair did promise his Master that for all those threatnings he would deliver his Letters unto Rolandine And when he was come into the Castle where she was he addressed himself to a Door at the foot of the stairs where all the Ladies were to passe but one of the Grooms who had seen him elsewhere did presently know him and acquainted one of the Officers of the Queen with it who immediatly came to apprehend him The old Servant of the Bastard being wise and advised observing that a far off they looked upon him did turn himself toward the wall as if he would make water and did tear the Letter into as small pieces as possibly he could and threw them behind the door Immediately he was apprehended and searched all over and when they could find nothing about him they did put him to Interrogatories upon his oath if he brought not any Letters using all rigors and perswasions that possibly they could to make him to confesse the Truth but neither by premises nor by threatnings could they draw any confession from him The Report thereof was made unto the Queen and some of the Company did give advise that it were necessary to look behind the door neer unto which he was taken which was done accordingly and the pieces of the Letters were found for which they sought Immediatly the Confessor of the King was sent for who having put the pieces in order upon the Table did read the Letter all along in which the truth of the marriage so long dissembled was perfectly understoood for the Bastard in many places of it did call her his Wife The Queen who deliberated not with her self to cover the fault of her kinswoman as she ought to doe did raise a great noise and commanded that by all means the poor man should be enforced to confesse the truth of the Letter alleging to him that he could not deny it but all the perswasions they could use and the remonstrances they could make could prevail nothing with him nor change him from his first resolution Those who had the charge of him did bring him to the Bank of a River and did put him into a sack saying that he had lyed against God and the Queen and against the proved truth But he who had rather lose his life than accuse his Master did desire that he might be allowed a Confessor and having satisfied his Conscience as well as he could he said unto them Sirs Tell my Master the Bastard that I commend unto his care the lives of my Wife and of my Children for with a good heart I lay down my own for his service And do with me now what you please for you shall never force one word from me that shall be against my Master Immediatly to put him into a greater fear they did throw him being in the Sack into the water crying out unto him If thou wilt speak the Truth thou shalt be saved but seeing that he would confesse nothing they did draw him out and made a Report of his Constancy to the Queen who immediatly replyed That neither the King her Husband nor her self were so happy in a Servant as was this Bastard who had not wherewith to recompence him and did what she could to disswade him from his service but he would never he said be inforced to abandon his Master Neverthelesse It being his Masters desire he was afterwards admitted into the service of the King where he lived well and happily The Queen after she understood the Truth of the Marriage by the Letter of the Bastard did send to seek out Rolandine and with an angry countenance did oftentimes instead of Cozen call her wicked and unfortunate Creature She shewed her the Dishonour that she had done her Fathers house and to all her Kinred and to her self also to be married without her knowledge and consent Rolandine who a long time did know the little affection which the Queen did bear unto her resolved to answer her with the like and because the Queen was wanting in her love she was resolved there should be no place in her own heart for fear for she knew that this Rebuke given to her before so many Personages did not proceed from any love but only to procure her shame as being one whom she took more pleasure to reproach than grief to see her to transgresse She therefore with a countenance as joyfull and assured as the Queen had shewed an angry and a troubled one did say unto her Madam If you know not your own heart to be such as it is I will represent unto you the ill will which along time you have born unto Mounsier my Father and to my self but you know it so well that it cannot be strange unto you though all the world should doubt it and for my self Madam I have a long time perceived it to my great prejudice For if it had pleased you to grace me as much with your favour as you have done those who are not so near unto you as my self I had been married to your honour and my own but you have left me as one forgotten in your good opinion insomuch that all the good Matches which I might have had are passed from me by the negligence of my Father and by the little esteem which you have had of me by reason whereof I do find my self so forlorn that if my health had permitted me to take upon me the condition of a Nun I had most willingly put on that religious habit to free my self from those continuall afflictions which your rigour hath imposed upon me In this despair it was my fortune to find out him who was of as good and as great a Family as my self He hath a long time loved and courted me but you Madam who never pardoned me for the least fault nor commended me for the greatest good although by experience you do know that I am not accustomed to maintain any discourse of love or of the vanities of this world and that I was altogether retired from it being resolved to lead that life which was most religious doe now find it strange that I should speak unto a Gentleman as unfortunate as my self in whose love I neither desired nor sought for any thing but only some relaxation of my spirit Of which when altogether I beheld my self to be frustrated I did enter into such a despair that I had as great a resolution to procure some case unto my self as you had a desire to take it from me And not long after we entred into a discourse of marriage which was consummated by
mutual promises and by the Ceremony of a Ring Wherefore Madam it seems to me that you do me a great wrong to call me wicked seeing that in so great and perfect a love I could find occasion if I would to doe evil which I do forbear for there hath been never betwixt him and my self any other privacy but to kisse only hoping that God would so blesse my undertakings that before the publick celebration of my marriage I should gain the heart of my Father to consent unto it I have neither offended God nor my Conscience For I have attended unto the age of thirty years to see what you and Monsieur my Father would doe for me having preserved my youth in so much chastity that no man living can in the least manner reproach me And by the counsel of that reason which God hath given me seeing my self growing into age I determined with my self to espouse one according to my own heart nor to satisfie the concupiscence of my eyes for you know he is not handsom nor the desires of the flesh for I doe hope he is not carnally given nor to satisfie my ambition or the pride of this life for he is but poor and unadvanced but I look purely and sincerely upon the Virtue the Honesty and the Graces that are in him for which all the world commends him and on the great love which he bears unto me which doth cause me to hope that I shall find comfort and good use with him and having well considered with my self all the good and all the evils that could arrive unto me by him I have taken that part which did seem to be the best unto me and which I have looked up in my heart these two years and more which is to lay out all the remainder of my life in his company And I am determined to hold this resolution so firm that all the torments I can endure be it death it self shall never cause me to startle from this resolution Wherefore Madam Be pleased to excuse that in me which is most excusable as your self no doubt doe well understand and give me leave to live in that peace which I doe hope to enjoy with him The Queen beholding her countenance so constant and finding her words so true could not answer her according unto reason but continuing her choleâ—ick and reproachful words did begin to weep and said unto her Wicked and stubborn as you are who instead of humbling your self before me and of repenting of so great a fault doe assume the boldnesse to speak so peremptorily in the justification of it without so much as one tear in your eye whereby you shew the obstinacy and the insensiblenesse of your heart But if hâ— King and your Father would take my counsel they should send you into another place where you should be constrained to speak words of another sense Madam said Rolandine because you accuse me of speaking too boldly I am resolved to hold my peace if that you are not pleased to give me leave to speak and answer you When she had received commandment to speak she said unto her Madam Far be it from me to speak boldly and without reverence to you who are my Mistresse and the greatest Princesse in Christendom I have not the least thought so to doe but because I have no Advocate to plead for me but the truth only which I my self do know I am bound to declare it without fear hoping that when it is well understood by you you will not esteem me to be such as you call me I fear not that any mortal creature understanding how I have carried my self in the affair I am charged with should condemn me for it for I know that God and my Honor are not offended in it And but be pleased to consider what it is that makes me to speak without fear It is an assurance that he who sees my heart is with me and since I have so great and so just a Judge for me I should offend if I should fear those who are subject to his Judgement And wherefore then Madam ought I to weep since neither my conscience nor my honour do any ways reprove me for this fact and that I am so far from repentance that 〈◊〉 I were to begin it again I would do no otherwise than what I have done But you Madam have a great occasion to weep as well for the many great injuries which you have done me from my first youth hitherto as for that which you do me at this present in rebuking me for a fault before all the world which ought more to be imputed to you than to my self If I had offended God the King you my Parents or my Conscience I should appear very obstinate if I should not melt in repentance for so great a fault But for a good cause which is just and holy and which alwayes carried with it an honourable report unlesse you have too much undervalued it and made it an offence which sheweth the desire you have to deprave me to be greater than your endeavour to preserve or advance the honour of your house and kinred I have no reason to weep at all But Madam since it doth please you I will not contradict it For albeit that you inflict upon me what punishment you please I shall take no lesse pleasure without reason to suffer it than you shall take without reason to command it Wherefore Madam doe you and my Eather give order what shall be the torment I am to endure for I know he will not be wanting to you and I shall be glad at least that for my punishment only he doth altogether follow your will and having been negligent for my good yet it being your desire that he is ready for my evil to be obedient to you But I have a Father in Heaven who I am confident will give me as much patience as I see there are afflictions prepared by you for me and in him alone I have perfect confidence The Queen being full of anger and in dignation to hear those words to proceed from her did command that she should be taken away from before her and put in a chamber by her self where not any should be permitted to speak unto her but they took not her Governesse from her by the means whereof she acquainted the Bastard with the whole progresse of her fortunes and desired to be informed of him what she ought to doe who conceiving that his Imployments in the Kings service were of some value to render him acceptable unto him did with all diligence repair unto the Court and finding the King in the fields he acquainted him with the truth of the fact and besought him that he would doe him being a poor Gentleman so great a pleasure as to appease the Queen and be a means that the marriage might publickly be solemnized The King made no other answer to him but only demanded Do you assure me that
not permit him to take any Rest but he directed his Course to the Porter of the House and said unto him Friend Moâ—ensieur your Master hath commanded me to go immediatly to our Covent to make some prayers it being now the second hour of Devotion wherefore I pray you give me my Packet of Papers and open the Door but do it so softly that no body may hear it for my businesse is necessary and secret The Porter knowing very well that to obey the Frier was a service very agreeable to his Master did open the Door very softly for him and did let him forth The Gentleman at that instant did awake and finding that the hour did approach which was admitted to him by his Confessor to give a visit to his Wife he did arise from his bed and having put on his Night-Gown he made hast thither whither he lawfully might come by the Ordinance of God without any permission of Man When his Wife did hear him speak unto her being ignorant of her miscarriage she was possessed with such an amazement that she said unto him Is this your promise Sir which you have made to the Confessor to have such a care both of your Soul and mine was it not enough to come to me once before your hour but do you now return again The Gentleman was so troubled to hear this Interrogatory that he could not dissemble his affliction but said unto her What mean these words which you speak unto me I know for a truth that these three weeks I have not lain with you and do you reprove me for comming so often to you If you continue in this discourse you will make me to believe that my Company is hatefull to you and against my custom and desire you will constrain me to look for that pleasure from others which by the Law of God I am to receive from you The young Lady who thought that he had mocked her said unto him Sir I beseech you that in imagining me to be a deceiver you do not deceive your self for though you did not speak unto me about an hour ago when you were with me yet I am satisfied within my self that it was you The Gentleman immediatly understood that they were both deceived and added Oaths to his Protestations that he did not come unto her whereupon the Lady took so great a grief that with tears she besought him to make a diligent scrutiny to find who it was for none that night lay in her house but her Brother and the Frier The Gentleman being surprised with a Jealousie that it was the Frier did in all hast repair unto the Chamber where he lay and found him not there And the better to be assured what was become of him in an angry and a trembling speed he did go unto the Porter and demanded of him if he knew what was become of him who according to what the Frier told him did give him a full Relation of the Truth The Gentleman being fully assured that it was he who did commit this wickednesse did presently return to the Chamber of his Wise and said unto her Without all doubt Sweet-heart the Man who lay with you and did ring so well his Mattens Bell was our Father the Confessor The young Lady who all her life had loved her Honour as her Conscience did enter into such a Despair that forgetting all humanity and the nature of a woman she did on her knees beseech him to revenge that great Injury Wherefore on a sudden without any delay the Gentleman took horse and pursued the Frier The poor young Lady being alone in her Bed and as much without counsel as without comfort save only in her little Infant but newly born considered with her self the marvellous and horrible mischance that had befalln her and without excusing her own Ignorance did repute her self the most guilty and the most unfortunate Woman in the world and found her self so overcome in this assault of her Despair grounded on the enormity and greatnesse of her sin and the love of her Husband to her and on the honour of both their Families that she esteemed Death far more happy than Life and was suddenly transported with so violent a Melancholy that she fell into such a Despair that she not only lost that hope which every Christian ought to have in God but was quite estranged from common sense and forgat her own Nature Insomuch that being as far from all knowledge of God as from all knowledge of her self as a Woman quite bereft of sense and reason she took the cord of her Bed and with her own hands strangled her self and which is worse being in the agony of this cruel Death her body which combated against it did remove it self in such a sort that with her foot she struck against the poor Infant whose Innocence could not preserve it from following by her own Death her most afflicted and dolorous Mother But dying she made so great a noise that one of her Maids in the next Chamber being amazed at it did rise in great hast to light the Candle and on her Return having beheld her Mistresse hanging and strangled with the cord of the bed and her Infant dead and lying at her feet she afrighted did run into the Chamber where her Mistresses Brother did lye whom she took along with her to behold this lamentable spectacle The Brother crying out Woe and Alas and making so great a lamentation as such a Brother ought to do who loved his Sister with all his heart did demand of the Chambermaid Who it was that had committed so great a villany She made answer that she knew not who and that none but her Master came into the Chamber who was not long since gone out of it The Brother entring into the Chamber of the Gentleman and finding him not there did assuredly believe that it was he who was guilty of this horrible Murder and taking his horse without demanding any further did gallop after him and met him in the way returning from the pursute of the Frier being sad that he could not overtake him When ever his Brother-in-law did behold him he did cry out unto him Wicked and Wretched as thou art defend thy self for this day I doubt not but with this sword God will revenge me The Gentleman who would have excused himself did see the sword of his Brother-in-law so near unto his throat that he found he had more need to defend himself than to make any pause to demand the Cause of the Debate and drawing upon him they gave one another so many cuts and slashes that the effusion of their blood and their wearinesse together did constrain them to sit down upon the Ground both on the one side and on the other to take breath The Gentleman said unto him What occasion is it my Brother that hath converted the great love that hath been always between us into so cruel a Fight The Brother-in-law made
answer to him What was the occasion that moved you to put my poor Sister who was one of the most virtuous women that ever lived to so ignominious a death and so barbarously to act your Murder as under the prerence of lying with her to strangle her with the Cord of the Bed The Gentleman understanding these words being more dead than alive did say unto him Is it possible Have you seen your Sister in that Estate as you inform me When the other Brother did assure him of it he proceeded and said But what was the Reason that did cause you to forsake your House Whereupon he told him what the wicked Frier had done at which his Brother was much amazed and being sorry at the heart that against all reason he had assaulted him he demanded pardon of him The Gentleman replyed unto him Although you have done the Injury it is I who have the punishment for I am so sorely wounded that I believe I shall not escape with life His Brother-in-law did endeavour the best that possibly he could to help him upon his Horse which being done he did bring him gently to his house where the next morning he died His Brother-in-law confessed before all his Friends and Kinsmen that he was the only occasion of his Death And to satisfie Justice he was counselled to addresse himself to King Francis the first of that Name to demand pardon of him Wherefore having honourably interred the Husband Wife and Infant he repaired on Good Friday to the Court to purchase his Remission and obtained it by the sollicitation of Mr. Francis Oliver who was then Chancellor of Alençon and since for his great Virtues chosen by the King to be Chancellor of France Ladies I believe that understanding this most true History there is not any of you here but will beware and beware again how you lodge such people in your houses and be assured that there is no poyson more dangerous than that which is most concealed Do you not think said Hircan that this Husband was a very Fool to bring such a gallant to Supper and to sit near to such a fair and virtuous Lady I have known in my time said Guebron that there was not a House in our Country in which there was not a Chamber set apart for these Friers but now they are so well known that they do fear them more than before they loved them It seems to me said Parlament that a Woman being in bed unlesse it were in case of necessity to administer the Sacrament unto her there ought not to come either Frier or Priest into her Chamber and when I send for any of them you may well judge me to be in a very dangerous condition If all the world were as severe as you said Emarsuite the poor Priests would be worse than Excommunicated being to be deprived of the sight of Women Take no care for that said Saffredant for it will never come to passe No said Simontault It is they who by marriage do tie us unto Women and by their wickednsse do attempt again to untie the knot and tempt us to break the Oath which we have made unto them It is great pity said Oysilla that they to whom are committed the Administration of the Sacraments should play thus fast and loose they deserve to be burned alive But let us proceed and see who shall have the voice of Oysilla I give it said she and the Speakers place with it to Dagoucin for I perceive him to enter into a Contemplation which as it seems to me doth promise to give us some good account Although I neither can nor dare speak said Dagoucin what I think I will nevertheless give you the Account of One to whom Cruelty first brought loss and afterwards advantage For although Love doth esteem himself so great and mighty that he will go stark naked and it is a thing at the first troublesom unto him and afterwards insupportable to be covered yet it so falls out that they who oftentimes to obey his counsel have advanced too soon to discover themselves have been found to be but bad Merchants as it happened â—â—o a Gentleman of Castile whose History I will give unto you The fine Invention of a Gentleman to declare his love unto a Queen and what became of it The Fourth Novell IN the Court of the King and Queen of Castile whose Names shall not be expressed there was a Gentleman so exquisit in his Complexion and proportion of Body and the sweetnesse of Condition that in all Spain there was not an Equal to him Every one had his Virtues in admiration but admired more the strange Conditions of him for it was never known that he loved or served any Lady and although there were in the Court so great and so fair a number of them that they were able to melt the very Ice it self yet not any of them had the power to captivat the heart of this Gentleman whose Name was Elisor The Queen who was a Lady of great Virtue but not altogether exempt from the Flame which the lesse it is known the more it burneth observing this Gentleman who courted not any one of all the Ladies in her Court did much wonder at him and one day demanded of him If it were possible that he did love so little as he did make the world to believe He made answer to her that if she could see his Heart as well as his Countenance she would not propound that question to him She desiring to know what it was that he would confesse did presse him so much that he acknowledged to her that he did indeed love a Lady and the most virtuous one in all Christendom She used all her power by Intreaties and Commands to understand who it was but she could not learn it of him Whereupon seeming to be angry with him she did swear That she would never speak vnto him more if he would not give her the Name of that Lady whom so much he loved at which he was so much perplexed that he was constrained to professe unto her That he had rather die than confesse unto her who it was but seeing that he should be deprived of her respects and favour if he should not acknowledge the Truth unto her which was so honest that it could not be taken in ill part by any he said unto her in a great fear Madam I have neither the force nor the boldnesse to declare it to you but the first time that you go a hunting I will shew you her be you assured that you will believe her to be the fairest the most accomplished Lady in the world This answer being made the Qâ— did go a hunting sooner than she was accustomed and Elisor being advertised of it did prepare himself to wait upon her and had caused to be made a great Mirror of Christal in the fashion of a Corslet and having buckled it to his Brest he did cover it with a
wherefore did she give him such a promise to entertain him after the seven years were passed I am of your opinion said Longaren for those who for love will not return love again will give no occasion of love to those that bear love unto them It may be said Nomerfide that she loved another who was in deserts far inserior to this honest Gentlemen and that she left the better for the worse Upon my credit said Saffredant I conceive that hereby she made good provision for her self to take him in an hour when she had left off the other whom peradventure at that present she loved better I see very well said Oysilla that the more we examine and debate upon this Subject the more those who will have all things go on their side will take occasion to speak the worst of us that possibly they can wherefore Dagoucin I request you to give your voice to some one I do give it said he to Longaren being assured that she will acquaint us with some grateful novelty and will not to speak the Truth forbear either Man or woman Since you do esteem me to be so impartial said Longaren I will assume the hardinesse to acquaint you with the Fortune which happened to a very great Prince who in virtue surpassed all others of his time Understand withall that the thing which we ought least to use but in the case only of extreme Necessity is Dissimulation It is a Vice both vile and infamous especially amongst Potencates and Princes in the mouths and countenances of whom Truth is far more becomming than in any other person But there is no Frince so great although he hath all the honours and the riches that he can desire who is not subject unto the Empire and the Tyranny of Love insomuch that the more noble the Prince is and of greater spirit the more Love delighteth to make him to stoop under his powerful hand for that wanton and glorious little God doth take no care of small or common things and his Majesty doth make it his exercise every day to do wonders as to make weak the strong and to make strong the weak to give understanding to the ignorant and to take it away from the wise to savour passions and to destroy reason and all his delight is in such changes And because Princes are not exempt from love no more are they from the extremity into which the servitude of Love doth throw them And therfore by force they may be permitted to use Dissimulation hypocrifie and fiction which are the means to overcome their Enemies according to the Doctrine of Master Iohn de-Moon And since in such an act the Condition of a Prince is pardonable which in no other act is to be allowed because it layes them open to Disrepute I will in this place give an account unto you of the Inventions of a young Prince by which he deceived those who are accustomed to deceive all the world The subtilty which a great Prince used to delight himself in the Company of the Wife of an Advocate of Paris The Fifth Novell IN the City of Paris there was an Advocate more esteemed than nine Men of his profession and by reason of his great sufficiency being sought after by all he was the richest man of all those of his Robe who finding that he had no children by his first Wife did hope to have issue by his second And although his Body was old and dryed up yet his heart and his hope were not dead wherefore he did choose to wife a young Geutlewoman of the City of about eighteen or nineteen years of Age very fair and of a delicat complexion whom he loved and tendred as much as possibly he could but she had no more Children by him than he had by the former which at the last did much trouble her Wherefore her youth which was not suitable to Melancholy did cause her to seek out recreations in other places than in her own house and she repaired oftentimes to Feasts and Dancings but she always deported her self so civilly that her Husband could not entertain any bad opinion of her For she was alwayes in the company of those in whom he had great confidence Being one day invited to a Marriage there was present a great Prince who in rehersing the account did for bid me to use his name But I may well say unto you that he was so brave a Prince and of such a Grace that the like was never seen before in France nor ever I do believe will after him be seen again This Prince beholding this young Gentlewoman whose eys and whose Countenance did incite him to affect her did come unto her and did court her with such fine language that she her self was much taken with him and it and did not conceal from him that for a long time she had that love in her heart for which he did intreat her and that he should not take pains to perswade her to that to which at the first sight Love had made her to consent The young Prince by the courage of Love having obtained that happinesse the purchase whereof did well deserve a longer time he thanked the blind little God who so much favoured him And after that hour he so well followed his affair that they did both agree upon the means how they might come together without the observation of any The place and time being agreed upon the young Prince did not fail to come and to preserve the honour of the Gentlewoman he did come disguized but by reason of the dissolute boyes who did run up and down the streets in the night by whom he would not be known he took some Gentlemen with him to attend him And in the entrance into the street where she lived he did dismisse them saying to them If you hear no noise at all within this quarter of an hour you may retire into your own lodgings and about three or four hours hence fail not to expect me in this place again This they did accordingly and hearing not any noise they withdrew themselves into their own Chambers The young Prince did directly take his Course to the House of his Advocate and found the Door open as it was promised him But going up the stairs he did meet with her Husband by reason whereof he was more seen than he desired Neverthelesse Love which giveth understanding and boldnesse in the greatest necessities did so dispose it that the young Prince came directly to him and said Monsieur the Advocate You know the confidence which I and all those of my House do repose in you and that I do esteem you to be one of the best and most faithfull Servants that I have I was willing to come privatly to you to visit you as well to recommend my affairs unto you as to desire a Cup of your wine for I stand in need of it and not to acquaint any whomsoever that I am here for
and see him hoping also that his sight would conduce something to the health of his Wife Signior D' Avanes having received the Letter did make no delay at all and came in Post to the House of his Father At the entrance into the house he found the Men servants and the Maid servants making so great a lamentation as the losse of so good a Mistresse did deserve whereat the Signior was so amazed that he stayed at the door like a man in a trance the good old man his Father seeing him did make hast to imbrace him and began to weep so abundantly that he was not able to speak one word He brought him into the Chamber where his Wife was who turning her languishing eyes towards him did give him her hand and drawing him with it towards her with all the strength she had she imbraced him and kissing him again and again did make a marvellous complaint and said unto him O Sir the hour is now come that all dissimulation must cease and that I must confesse the truth which I have so much indeavoured to conceal from you It is that if you for your part have born any love to me you may believe that my love hath been altogether as great as yours but my affliction hath surpassed yours because I have taken such pains to conceal it against my own heart For Sir you are to understand that God and my Honour did not permit me to declare it to you fearing that I should add that unto you which I had a desire to diminish But know Sir that the word of Denyal which I have so often spoke unto you hath done me so much prejudice to pronounce it that it is the occasion of my death with which I am well contented since God hath made me so happy that neither the violence nor the excesse of my love hath blemished at all my conscience or reputation For with a far lesse Fire than is mine there hath been far greater and more noble structures ruined But now I shall depart contented that before I die I shall declare my affection to you to be equal unto yours nothing excepted but that the honour of men and women are not alike I shall desire you Sir for the time to come that you will enforce your self to make no addresses but to the most noble and most virtuous Ladies for in their hearts do dwell the strongest passions and are alwayes most wisely managed and the Grace Beauty and Civility which is in you will not permit that you shall be fruitlesse And I beseech you so to remember me and to think of my constancy as that you will not impute that unto cruelty which is to be attributed to Honour Conscience and Virtue which ought a thousand times to be more dear unto us than life it self Now Sir I shall bid you farewell and commend you to the good man whom you vouchsafe to call Father and who is my Husband to whom I must beseech you to declare the truth what you know of me that he might throughly understand how much I have loved God and himself and I must beseech you to forbear to come any more before my eyes for the few hours I have to live I will altogether imploy them in the meditation of the promises which God hath made unto me before the Creation of the World and speaking these words she gave him the last kisse and imbraced him with all the force of her feeble arms Signior D' Avanes who had his heart within him as surprized with compassion as was hers with the Agony of Death being not able to speak one word unto her did withdraw himself from before her and threw himself upon a Bed which was in the next Chamber where oftentimes he swouned away Not long after the Lady called for her Husband and having made many honest remonstrances unto him she did recommend unto him the care of Signior D' Avanes assuring him that next unto himself he was the person whom she best loved in the World And kissing her Husband she did bid him adiew Immediatly afterwards she commanded that the Sacrament of the Altar should be brought unto her and after that the Unction which she received with great joy as being assured of her Salvation And finding that her eyes began to grow dim and all her strength to fail her she did speak aloud her In manus At that Cry Signior D' Avanes did rise from the bed and looking compassionatly on her he came in a sweet sigh to render his Soul unto her as she was rendring her Soul unto God to whom she was going and when he perceived that she was dead he did run to the dead body to which being alive he durst not approach but in fear and imbraced it and kissed it in such a manner that with much difficulty they did take her from between his Arms her Husband was much astonied at it for he never perceived that he did bear such an affection to her and saying to him Sir It is too much they both retired from her And having made a long lamentation the one for the Death of his Wife the other for the Death of his Friend Monsieur D' Avanes did give him an account at large of the whole course of his Love and that to her Death she never made any signe unto him but what did expresse Severity and an obstinate Chastnesse whereat her Husband being more contented than ever did double his grief for the losse of her and continued all his life afterwards in doing good services to Signior D' Avanes who was then not above eighteen years of Age. After this he departed to the Court where he continued divers years without seeing or speaking to any Woman in the world and he did wear mourning apparel two years together for her Ladies you may here observe the difference betwixt a wise woman and a foolish who do shew distinctly by themselves the different effects of love by which one of them received a death commendable and glorious and the other did lead a life loose and infamous For as the Death of a holy Man or Woman is pretious before God so the Death of a Sinner is as displeasing Truly Saffredant said Oysilla you have rehearsed to us as pleasant a History as I have ever heard and he who knew the persons as well as my self would find it yet more pleasant for I have never seen a braver Gentleman nor of a greater Gracefulness than the said Signior D' Avanes Do you think said Saffredant that a wise and a young Woman to dissemble her love which the counsel of Nature doth admit that she should bear to so desireable a Gentleman should ever suffer her self to dy for denying her self that pleasure of which so violently she desired the content covertly and he openly If she had such a desire said Parlament she had place and occasion enough to declare it to him but her Virtue was so great that she would
her Husband did give him many wounds with the poynado so that the Frier desired pardon and confessed the Truth of all his wickednesse The Gentleman although he might would not kill him but intreated his Wife to go home to his House and bring some of his servants to him and to bring a little Wagon with them to convey himself to his House with more ease which she did The Frier being despoyled of his habit which he had polluted with so much blood and lust did run in his shirt and his shorn head towards his own Covent But the servants of the Gentleman did overtake him as they were going to their Master to assist him to bring away the Wolf which he had taken and did dragg him to his house who did cause him to be brought before the Justice of the Emperor in Flanders before which Court he confessed his villany and it being found by his Confession and proof made by the Commissaries there present that a great number of Gentlewomen and beautifull Maids had been brought into that Monastery by the same Art as this Frier would have brought this Gentlewoman It was ordered That the said Monastery should be examined and despoyled of those beautiful Larcenies and that in the perpetual memory of this Crime the Monks should be all shut up and be burned with the Monastery By this it may appear that there is nothing more cruel than Love when it is grounded upon Vice as there is nothing again more commen dable than Love when it doth dwell in a virtuous heart Ladies I am very sorry that the truth of these Accounts doth not lead us as much to the commendations of Friers as it doth unto their prejudice for it would be a great pleasure to me in the respect of the love which I do bear unto their Order to know any one of them who would give me a just cause to praise them But we have sworn so much to speak the truth that after the report of Men so worthy to be believed I am constrained not to conceal it assuring you that when the Friers of these times shall do any act worthy of memory I will endeavour to set it forth far better to their Glory than I have given you the account of this Truth unto their Infamy In good carnest Guebron said Oysilla Behold here a Love which ought to be called Cruelty I doe wonder said Simonâ—ault how this Frier had the patience seeing this Gentlewoman in her smock and in a place where he himself was Master that he did not take her by force He had not so sudden a stomack said Saffredant but was a true Gormandizer for through the desire which he had to be-glut him self with her all day long he would not make any stay â—ow to take a tast of her It is not so said Parlament for you are to understand that every Man who is furious is also timorous and the fear which surprized him that his prey should be taken from him did cause him to take away that Lamb as a Wolf doth a sheep to seed upon it with more appetite at his own leisure I cannot believe said Dagouâ—in that he did bear any love unto her or that Love could ever inhabit in a heart so barbarous However it was said Oysilla I do beseech God that as he was punished so the like enterprizes may alwayes meet with the like chastisement But to whom will you give your voice To you Lady said Guebron for you will be sure to give us some good Account Since it comes to my turn said Oysilla I will give you a memorable account which happened in our times and of which she her self was an ey-witnesse who did acquaint me with it I am sure that you are not ignorant that Death is the end of all our Miseries and therfore putting an end unto our miseries it may be called our Felicity and sure Repose for the greatest misery that a man can have is to desire Death and to be deprived of it and of the means to enjoy it The greatest punishment which can be given to a Malefactor is not Death but to afflict him with a perpetual torment so great it makes him to desire it and so little that he cannot obtain it just as a Husband did deal by his Wife as you shall hear by this following story The punishment more rigorous than Death which a Husband inflicted on his Wife having taken her in Adultery The second Novell KIng Charls the Eighth of that Name did send into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lord of Cyure neer unto Ambois whose diligence was so remarkable in his Masters service that he travelled both day and night One evening he arrived very late at the Castle of a Gentleman where he demanded lodging which with great difficulty was at last granted Neverthelesse when the Gentleman understood that he was the Servant of so great a King he did go forth to meet him and did beseech him not to be discontented at the rudenesse of his people for by reason of some kinred of his Wives who intended ill unto him he was enforced to keep his Gate shut Immediately Bernage acquainted him with the occasion of his Legation in which the Gentleman did offer him all service that possibly he could in the behalf of the King his Master and brought him into his House where he did lodge him and gave him honourable entertainment The hour of Supper being come the Gentleman did lead him into a Parlor hung round with very rich tapestry where as soon as the meat was upon the Table he did behold a Lady of a most excellent beauty to come forth from behind the Arras her head was shaven all over and the rest of her body cloathed with Blacks of Almaign After the Gentleman had washed with Monsieur Bernage water was brought to the said Lady who having washed her hands did sit down at the end of the Table and spake not to any one nor any one to her Signior Bernage did often look upon her and she seemed to him to be the most beautiful Lady that ever he beheld but only that she looked pale and withall was very sad After she had eaten a little she demanded Drink which a Servant did bring her in a wonderful vessel for it was the scull of a dead Man the edge whereof was round about tipped with silver The Lady did drink twice or thrice in it and after she had supped and washed her hands she made a low Reverence â—o the Master of the House and returned again from whence she came without speaking any word Bernage was so amazed to see a thing so strange that he became very sad and pensive The Gentleman perceived it and said unto him I observe very well that you are astonished at what you have seen at this Table but because of the civility which I have found in you I will not conceal from you the occasion of it that if in me there be
that those whom God keeps are well kept In my opinion said Parlament the punishment is but reasonable and as just as moy be for as the offence was worse than death so was the punishment worse than death I am not of your opinion said Emarsuite for I had rather all my life time behold the bones of dead Servants in my Cabinet than indure to die for them there is no crime so great which cannot be amended but after death there is no amendment at all How is that said Longaren can you amend your Honour you know I am sure that after such a misfortune whatsoever a Woman can doe she can never recover her honour Tell me I pray you said Emarsuite if Mary Magdalen hath not more honour now amongst men than her Sister who was a Virgin I must confesse said Longarine that we do praise her more but it is for the great love which she did bear our Saviour and for her repentance for if you doe observe it the title of a Sinner doth continue with her still I care not said Emarsuite what name men give unto me for if God doth pardon me and my Husband to boot there is nothing that I know of for which I would die Although that Gentlewoman did not love her Husband as she ought said Dagoucin yet I doe wonder that she did not die for grief to behold the bones of him whose death she occasioned by her own offence Say you so Dagoucin said Simontault are you yet to understand that Women are capable neither of grief nor love Yes said he and that is the reason that I never dare to tempt their loves for fear I should find lesse than I desire You live then said Nomerfide like a Plover of the Wind upon Faith and Hope we may seed you at a cheap rate I am contented said he with the love which I doe find in my self and the hope I have in the heart of one Lady which if I know to be such as I hope it is the extream content thereof would so transport me that I should not endure it without death Nay be wise said Guebron and take heed of that Plague for it is a dangerous malady I dare assure you But I would know to whom Madam Oysilla will give her voice I doe give it said she to Simontault who I do know will not spare any You praise me so highly said Simontault that you doe almost call me a Detractor Howsoever I will not forbear to represent unto you that those whom they call Detractors have spoken the truth And Ladies I am confident ye are not so foolish to believe that in all these Novells which have been spoken whatsoever appearance they may have of truth yet if they were brought to the triall the proof is not so great but they may be a sufficient Subject for the Sceptick nay oftentimes we find a great abuse under the pretence of a miracle and therefore I have a desire io give you an account of one which will be no lesse to the honour of a faithfull Prince than to the Dishonour of a wicked Minister of the Church The abhomination of an incestuous Priest whose Sister under the pretence of a holy life was great with child by him and of the punishment that did follow thereupon The third Novell COunt Charles of Angoulesm Father to King Francis the first of that name a virtuous Prince and fearing God being at Coignac intelligence was brought unto him that in a Village not far from thence called Chernes there was a Vigin lived so austere a life that it was admirable yet neverthelesse she was great with Child which she no ways dissembled but was proud of it and assured all the people that came to behold her that she never knew man and that she could not conceive which way she conceived it if it were not by the adumbration of the Holy Ghost which the people easily believed and did repute her to be a second Virgin Mary Every one that knew her did affirm that from her Infancy she was so precise that there never appeared the least sign of any worldlinesse in her She fasted not only the Fasts commanded by the Church but many days in the week she made Fast-days for her private Devotion and as song as any service was said in the Church she never stirred from it wherefore her life was so much esteemed by all the people that every one did come on purpose to look upon her as a wonder and happy was he who could but touch her garment The Curat of the Parish was her Brother a man of about fifty years of age and of a very austere life and accounted by his Parishioners to be a very holy Man who to outward appearance did intreat his Sister so roughly that he did in a House keep her shut up as in a prison at which the people were very much displeased and the report of this miracle was so great that the news thereof was brought to the Ears of the Count who perceiving the abuse with which all the world was possest did desire to take it away wherefore he sent the Master of the Requests and his Almoner two very accomplished personages to understand the truth thereof who repaired to the place and to be informed as diligently as possibly they could they did addresse themselves to the Curat who seemed to be much amazed at the affair and besought them both to assist him in the attestation of it which he said he hoped would give satisfaction to the World The next morning the said Curat did sing Masse in the Church at which his Sister did assist him on her knees being very big with Child At the end of the Masse the Curat did take into his hand Corpus Domini and in the presence of all the Assembly did speak unto his Sister Wicked and Blasphemous as thou art accused to be Behold here him who hath suffered death and who was crucified for thee before whom I demand if thou art a Virgin as thou hast always assured me She boldly and without the least Impression of fear made answer to him Yes And how then is it possible said he that thou shouldest be great with Child and yet remain a Virgin She answered I can give no other cause thereof but that it is only by the Grace of the Holy Spirit who doth in me that which he pleaseth Howsoever I ought not to deny the grace which God hath vouchsafed to me which is to preserve my Virginity for I had never the least desire to a Husband Her Brother then said unto her I give thee here the precious Body of Jesus Christ which thou shalt receive to thy own Damnation if it be otherwise than thou allegest of which these Honourable personages who are sent hither from the Count shall be the Witnesses whereupon his Sister who was about thirty years of age did take this following Oath I take the Body of my Lord here present to
my Damnation before you Gentlemen and before you my Brother that never any Man hath touched me any more than you And speaking those words she received the Body of our Lord. The Master of the Request and the Almoner hearing those words departed with great Amazement believing that amongst such Protestations no Dissimulation could have place and made report thereof unto the King perswading him to believe that which they believed But he who was wise having thoroughly considered of it did cause them to repeat again unto him the words of the Oath and having well weighed them he said unto them She hath taken her Oath upon the Sacrament that never any Man hath touched her any more than her own Brother And I do believe it for a Truth that she is big with child by her Brother and would cover her sin with that dissimulation for we who believe in Jesus Christ already come ought not to expect any other wherefore they shall both suffer and be burned for their most horrible and blasphemous attempts And doe you but put the Curat in Prison I am confident that he will confesse the Truth This was performed according to his Commandement but not without the great offence of the People that so holy a man should so unjustly suffer The Priest had not been long under custody but he confessed his wickednesse and that he had counfelled his Sister to speak those words and to carry her self in so confident a posture as she did to cover the life which they did lead together not only by a light Excuse but also by a blasphemous one that they might be honoured by all the world And when it was objected to him how he could be so prophane as to take the body of the Lord to inforce her to swear upon it He made answer That he was not so bold and that the bread which he gave her was not consecrated The Report hereof was made unto the Count of Angoulesin who commanded that Justice should be executed on the Frier accordingly as belonged to such a blasphemous Imposter A little respite whereof there was untill his Sister was brought to bed who in the space of a few weeks was delivered of a lusty Boy and not long after they were both burned whereat the people were wonderfully amazed having under a religious mantle seen so horrible a Monster and under a life so holy and so commendable so detestable a Vice to reign Ladies You may here behold that the faith of this good Count was not overcome by signs nor exterior miracles knowing well enough that we have but one Saviour who in saying Consummatum est hath shewed that he left no place for any other to be his Successor in the work of our Salvation I promise you said Oysilla it was a great presumption under an extreme hypocrisie to cover so enormous a sin with the mantle of Religion and pretendings to the Holy Spirit I have heard said Hircan that those who under the Colour of the Kings Commission do exercise cruelties and tyrannies are doubly punished because they cover their Injustice with the Royal Justice So you may see that hypocrites although they prosper for a while under the covert of Religion yet so it is that when God shall take off that mantle he doth discover and set them open stark naked to all the world and then their nakednesse and enormities are found as loathsom as their Coverture was honourable There is nothing more pleasant said Nomerfide than to speak truly what the heart doth think It is the way indeed to grow fat said Longaren and I believe that you speak your opinion according to your Condition Why I will tell you said Nomerfide I do observe that Fools unlesse you kill them do live longer than those who are wise and I can find no other reason for it but because they do not dissemble their passions if they are angry they do strike if they are joyful they do laugh when those who do believe themselves to be wise do dissemble their Imperfections with the poyson whereof their heart is all over infected I do believe said Guebron that you speak the truth and that Hypocrisie whether it be towards God towards Men or towards Nature is the Cause of all the Evils which we suffer It would be a brave thing said Parlament if our hearts were so filled with Faith as to believe on him who is all Virtue and all Joy and that we might all and altogether enjoy him and freely communicate that Joy to one another That will be in the hour said Hircan when there shall be no more flesh on the Bones of Men. So it is said Oysilla that the Spirit of God which is stronger than Death can mortifie our hearts without any change of our body Madam said Saffredant you speak of the gift of God which is not common to Men. It is to those only who have Faith said Oysilla But because this cannot be understood by those who are carnal let us know to whom Simontault will give his voice I do give it said he to Nomerfide for because she hath a merry bea rt her discourse cannot be melancholy In good troth said Nomerfide because you have a desire to laugh I will give you the occasion And to shew you how much Fear and Ignorance are prejudicial to us and that the want of a good understanding is oftentimes the occasion of great trouble I will acquaint you with what happened to two Friers of Niort who by their ill understanding of the language of a Butcher had almost killed themselves by the only violence of their fear Two Friers too curious to listen to what did not belong unto them were so well recompenced for their vain curiosity that they thought they both should have dyed The fourth Novell THere is a Village betwixt Niort and Fo rs called Grip which belongeth to the Signiory of Fors. One day it fell out that two Friers comming from Niort did atrive very late in this village of Grip and lodged in the house of a Butcher and because betwixt their Chamber and their Hosts there was but a thin board ill nayled they had a great desire to listen to what the Husband did speak unto his Wife being in Bed together and they came up so close unto them that they both laid their ears directly against the Bedstead where their Host and his Wife lay who not suspecting the vigilance of his Guests did talk in private to his Wife of what belonged to his profession and said unto her Sweet-heart to morrow I must rise betimes to see my two Grey Friers whom I intend to kill and to sell them in the Market to make my profit of them And although by those words he did mean his two Hoggs whom he called Grey Friers so it was that the two poor Friers who heard that resolution did interpret that it was meant by them and in great fear and trembling they attended the break of
love only which she did hear unto her Children and I doe believe it And doe you find any great patience in this woman said Nomerfide to put fire under the bed where her Husband was afleep Yes said Longaren for when ever she saw the smoak about him she awaked him and peradventure it was in that only that she committed the greatest fault for to such Husbands Fire and Cinders are the best admonitions Longaren you are too cruel said Oysilla you have not so lived with your Husband No said Longaren for God be praised I had no such occasion but instead of complaining of him I shall grieve all the remnant of my life that I have lost him But if you had such a Husband said Nomerfide what would you have done with him I doe believe said Longaren that I should not have loved him so well but that I should have killed him first and afterwards my self for to die after such a vengeance had been a thing more agreeable unto me than to live loyal with one that is disloyal For ought that I can see said Hircan you only love your Husbands for your selves if they are good according to your desire you doe love them but if they commit the least fault in the world they have lost the labour of all their week for one Saturday And this is the reason that you will be Mistresses but for my part I am resolved and if all Husbands would be but of my mind It is reason said Parlament that the man should goveru us as our Head but not that he should forsake us or intreat us â—udely God said Oysilla hath given so good an order â—oth to the man and to the Wife that if it be not abuâ—â—d I doc believe marriage to be the most delightful â—nd the most sure estate that is in this world and I am â—â—nfident that all those who hear me whatsoever they â—â—etend to the contrary doe think my thoughts and peradventure more than my self and by how much the man is said to he more wise than the woman he shall by so much be the more grievously punished if the fault doth proceed from him But having discoursed enough let us see to whom Dagoucin will give his voice I doe give it said he to Longaren You have done me said she a great pleasure therein for I have an account that is worthy to follow yours and because we are now upon the praise of the virtuous patience of Ladies I will shew you one examrle more commendable than any that hath been yet recited and so much the more to be esteemed in that she was only the Wife of an ordinary Citizen who for the most part are not bâ—ed up so virtuously as those of the Gentry or in the Court are The memorable Charity of a Woman of Tours towards her Husband who was a whoremaster The eighth Novel IN the City of Tours ther was the wife of a Burgess a fair and an honest woman who was not only beloved for her Virtues but highly esteemed by her own Husband who following the frailty of men that are weary to feed always on good bread did become amorous of a Dairy maid he had and oftentimes would travel into the Country to see how his Dairy thrived where he would constantly stay two or three days and when he returned to Tours he would be so full of the Morphy that his poor Wife and all the Doctors of that City had enough to doe to recover him and as soon as ever he was on his leggs and well again he failed not to return to his Dairy where for a short pleasure he did forget all his former weaknesses His Wife who above all things did love the life and the health of her Husband observing him ordinarily to return in this weak Estate did repair her self unto the Dairy where she found the young Woman whom her Husband loved to whom with an unclowded and most pleasant Countenance without the least shew of discontent or choler she said That she knew very well her Husband came oftentimes to see her and that nothing troubled her but that she did not use him well for he alwayes returned unto her full of fâ—intnesse and a discoloured Infirmity The young Wench as well for the reverence she did bear unto her Dame as constrained unto it by the force of the Truth did not deny the fact but required pardon of her Her Dame desired to see the Bed and the Chamber in which her Husband being there was accustomed to lodge which she found so cold so dampish and so musty that she had great Compassion on him wherefore immediately she did send for a good Bed and Curtains and Valance correspondent to it as also for pillows sheets and coverlets She also caused the chamber to be hung with Tapestry and sent in fair bowles and good dishes in which her Husband might eat and drink she sent in also a pipe of good Wine and Confects and other Restoratives and desired the Dairy-maid that she would not send back her Husband any more unto her so full of his former Morphy Her Husband being all this while at Tours and not knowing what his Wife had done thought long to return unto his Dairy as he had been accustomed to do whither being come he much wondred to see all things there in so good order and much mote when the Maid did give him Wine to drink in a great Bowl of Silver He demanded of her How she came by those Goods The poor Maid melting into tears told him That his Wife had sent them who taking compassion of her ill usage of him when he was there had sent in all those moveables into the house and desired her at her departure to have a great Care of his health The Husband observing the great Goodnesse of his Wife and that she had returned him so many good offices for all the bad ones which he had performed to her esteeming his Fault as great as was her Virtue did give a sum of money to the Dairy-maid and desired her for the time to come to live in the reputation of an honest Servant and returning to his Wife he confessed his trespasse unto her as also that without that incomparable goodnesse and sweetnesse of her disposition it was impossible for him to forsake the life he lived After this they lived together in great peace and he altogether abandoned his former Incontinence Believe me Ladies that there are few Husbands whom the Patience and the Love of their Wives cannot gain at the last unlesse they have hearts more hard than a stone which the water maketh soft and hollow by the length of time Behold said Parlament a Woman without a heart and without wit what would you have her do said Longaren she hath put that in practise which God hath commanded to do good unto those who do evil I do believe said Hircan that she was in love with some Frier who in penance did command
doing wrong to either sex I may be allowed to speak the truth both of Men and women and to affirm that there is nothing good at all either in the one or the other But this Man said Parlament was marvellously deceitfull for on the one side he cousened his Maid and on the other side his Wife You do not well understand the story I perceive said Hircan for that saith that he did content them both on one morning and not deceive them which I look upon as a great Act of Virtue both of body and of mind as well by deeds as by words to give content unto two divers persons In that said Parlament he is doubly to be blamed in satisfying the simplicity of the one by Dissimulation and and the longings of the other by Lust but I understand well enough that such Sins as these being brought before such a Judge as you will find an easie pardon You may assure your self said Hircan to please two at once is no easie task and for my own part I will never undertake so great and difficult an enterprise I have given you my Account already and think herein I have not ill imployed my days work If a mutual Love said Parlament cannot content the heart I know no other thing in the world that can give content unto it To speak the truth said Simontault I do believe that there is not a greater punishment in the world than to love and not to be beloved again I do believe you said Oysilla and to that purpose I do remember a Story which indeed doth not deserve to be numbred on the file of good ones but because it is for the present purpose I am content to declare it to you Of a Frier whose Custom it was to bring his complaints to several Husbands which was the occasion that they did beat their Wives The sixth Novell IN the City of Angoulesm where Count Charls the Father of King Francis had oftentimes his residence there was a Frier called De Valles a very knowing Man and so great a Preacher that upon all Sundays in the Advents he preached in the City before the Count by means whereof his Reputation was much increased It so fell out that during the Advent a lusty young fellow of the City having married a handsom young Wench did not desist for all that to ramble up and down and to live as dissolutely if not more than those who were unmarried of which the young Woman being advertised could not hold her peace so that following him up and down and exclaiming on him she received such tokens from him as she would not willingly have and neverthelesse for all that she did not forbear to continue her exclamations and oftentimes would speak very high words and most passionately rail against him The young Man being much incited at it did begin to lay about him and to leave on her shoulders the marks of his displeasure whereat she began to cry out far louder than before and her Neighbours also that knew the occasion of it would inveigh against him and making a great noise in the streets would cry out Now fie on all such Husbands Let them go all to the Devil The Frier De Valles passing by that way and understanding the noise and the occasion of it did determine with himself to speak one word of it in his next dayes Sermon which accordingly he did for speaking of marriage and of the love which ought to be betwixt the Husband and the Wife he did highly praise it and blamed those that did go about to violate it and making a comparison betwixt conjugal and paternal Love he said amongst other things That it was a greater danger and a more grievous punishment for a Husband to beat his Wife than to beat his Father or his Mother for said he if you beat your Father or your Mother you are sent to Rome to do penance but if you beat your Wife both she and all her Neighbours will fall a cursing of you and send you immediately to the Devil that is to say to Hell You are to observe now said he what a difference there is betwixt these two penances for from Rome they do ordinarily come back again but from Hell-Oh There is no teturning Nulla est redemptio Not long after that Sermon he was advertised that Women made their boasts of that which he preached and that their Husbands could live in no quiet for them for which in his next Sermon he did resolve to prescribe an Order for the redresse of that inconvenience And in some part of it he compared Women unto Devils and said that they two were the greatest Enemies that Man had for they did always tempt Man without any intermission and he could never get rid of them especially of the Woman for the Devils he said will fly away if they be but shewed the Crosse but Women clean contrary to them will cleave the faster to them being the greatest cross themselves that can be to their Husbands And this doth make them so to run and to go and doth throw them into such an infinity of passions But good people be ruled by me and I will tell you what you shall do When you do find that your Wives do torment you in this manner without cease as I have said they are accustomed to do take off the handle from your crucisix and with that handle drive them as far from you as you can Do as I bid you and vigorously make experience of it three or four times and you shall find the good that will come of it you shall find that in the same manner that you doe chase away the Devil by the virtue of the Crosse you shall also chase away and make your Wives to hold their peace by the Virtue of the handle of the Crosse and they will no more presume to come too near unto you Loe here some part of the Preachments of that venerable de Valles of whose life I will make here no larger a recital but I can tell you whatsoever appearance he made to the contrary for I knew the man very well yet in his heart he took the Womens parts more than the Mens Madem said Parlament he did not shew it in that last Sermon in which he gave instructions unto Men to beat their Wives You do not understand his drift in it said Hircan had you been exercized in the discipline and the Stratagems of War you would have found that one of the greatest policies that is required is to make a Civil sedition in the Camp of the Enemy because it is then most easie to overcomâ— him In the like manner this Monk the Master of his Arts did understand well enough that the Anger and the Hatred betwixt the Husband and the Wife is the Cause oftentimes that makes the Wife to let loose the reigns of her honesty which being governed no more by virtue doth fall into the hands of
to Toby to procure an accomplished Husband for your Daughter for I dare assure you that I have now in hand one of the most honest young Gentlemen in all Italy who hath somewhere seen your Daughter and is so much taken with her that this day being in Prayer God did send him to me and of his own accord he declared unto me the passionate desire he had unto this marriage I who doe well know his Family and his Kinred and what is the conversation of his own life did promise him to acquaint you with it True it is there is one inconvenience in it and it is all which I doe know that ingaging himself to assist one of his friends whom another would have killed he did draw his Sword thinking to part them but it so fell out that his friend did kill his Enemy wherefore he although he did strike no blow at all was constrained to fly out of the Town because he was present at the Man-slaughter and by the counsel of his Parents he is come to this Town in the Habit of a Scholar where he doth live unknown until his Parents doe give satisfaction unto Justice which he hopeth will be in a very few days For this cause the marriage ought to be as private as possibly you can and you must be content to have him goe every day to the publick Lectures and every night he may come home to Supper and lie in your house The Lady being over-joyed did say unto him Sir in that which you speak I doe find a great advantage for by this means I shall have him near unto me and every night in my house which I desire above any thing in the world To accomplish this the Frier brought him to her in a very good Habit having on a Crimzen Satten doublet at which she was very glad After he was come the preparations for the Wedding immediatly began and when ever the midnight was passed Masse was said and the young couple were married and afterwards did goe to bed together About the break of day the Bridegroom said unto the Bride that because he must not be missing at the Lecture he was constrained to goe unto the College and having put on his doublet of Crimson Satten and his Scholars Gown not forgetting his square Cap he came to bid his Bride good morrow who was in bed and assured her that in the Evening he would come to Supper to her but at dinner he desired her that she would not expect him and so having kissed her he took his leave of his Wife who thought her self to be the happiest Woman in the World having got so good a Husband And the young married Frier returned to his old Father to whom he brought the two thousand Duckets accordingly as they had covenanted between themselves at the agreement of the mariage and at Evening he failed not to return to Supper unto her who did believe he was her Husband who preserved himself so well in hers and her Mâ—thers love that they would not have changed him for the greatest Prince in the World This life continued a certain time but as God hath pity on those who out of the simplicity of a good intent are deceived it so fell out that one morning this young Gentlewoman and her Mother had a great Devotion to hear Masse at the Covent of St Francis and to give a visit to their Father the Confessor by whose means they were so well provided the one with a Son-in-law and the other with an Husband and by fortune not finding their Confessor nor any other of their acquaintance they were resolved to hear high Masse which was then beginning expecting the coming of their Confessor The young Gentlewoman being attentive to the Divine Service and the Mysteries therein contained when the Priest turned towards the common people to say Dominus Vobiscum was struck with a sudden amazement for she thought with her self that it was her Husband or one very like him but she would not speak one word but attended until he turned once more towards them when she looked upon him more advisedly with the sharpest discretion of her eye and she did then assure her self that it was he wherefore she took her Mother by the Arm who was in a great contemplation and said unto her Woe is me Madam Who is that whom I see yonder Her Mother being startled at it said Who She replyed unto her it is my own Husband who says Masse it is impossible that any one in the world should so much resemble him Her Mother who had not well observed him did say unto her Daughter I pray you suffer not such a thought to invade your fancy for it is a thing absolutely impossible that those who are religious and holy men should be guilty of such a trompery you doe greatly Sin against God to believe such an opinion Neverthelesse her Mother did more stedfastly fasten her eyes upon him And when he turned again to say Ite Missa est she confessed that truly never two Brothers that came out of one Belly were more like for all this she was so innocent that lifting up her eyes she said My God assist me that I may not believe what I see but because it so much concerned her Daughter she determined to examin the businesse further and to be resolved in her self of the truth thereof When the Evening came her Husband who did not see them at Masse did return according to his Custom and the Mother coming to the Daughter said unto her We may now know the truth if you will whether he who said Masse be your Husband or no For as soon as he shall be in bed I will come to you and he not thinking of it you shall pluck his Cap from off his head and we shall both see if he hath such a Crown as he had who said Masse this day This resolution being taken was accordingly put in execution for as soon as the ungracious Husband was in bed the old Woman came into the Chamher and taking him by both his hands as it were in sport her Daugher pulled off his Cap and beheld his shaven Crown whereat they were so much astonished that it is impossible to be more And immediatly they called their Servants who did take him and bind him until it were morning the many excuses and the fair words he made being all in vain The morning appearing the Lady sent to seek her Confessor pretending that she had a great Secret to impart to him who immediatly did come unto her and she caused him to be taken and bound as was the younger Frier reproaching them for the horrible abuse they had committed And presently afterwards she delivered them unto Justice into whose hands she did commit them both where you may judge if any of understanding be present to judge that they did not goe unpunished Here Ladies by demonstration you may find that all those who do vow poverty
unto it and said unto her Ah Madam Receive the heart which will break through my Brest to leap into your hand from whom I doe hope for Grace Life and Mercy which now constrains me to declare unto you that love which for so long a time I have concealed from you for neither you nor I are Masters of that puissant God When she understood the words which I did speak unto her she found them very strange and would have drawn back her hand but I did hold it so fast to my heart that at last although she plucked away her cruel hand yet the gentle Glove stayed behind And because I had not then nor had ever since any greater familiarity with her I have fastned this Glove near unto my wounded heart it being the most propper Plaster which I could give unto it And I have adorned this Glove as you see with all the fairest Rings and the most pretious things which are in my possession and I will not leave it for the Kingdom of England for there is nothing in the World which doth me more good than to feell it near my Heart The Earl of Montmorancy who had rather kisse the Hand than love the Glove of a Lady did much extol him for his gerat honesty and assured him that he was the truest Lover that ever he beheld and seeing he made so much of so little what would he have done he told him if he had received a greater favour from her than a Glove It may be he would have dyed through the excesse and violence of his Joy My Lord did readily acknowledge what the Earl of Montmorancy said not suspecting that he did speak it out of mockery If all Gentlemen in the World were of my Lords honesty Ladies might well repose their confidence in them seeing it would cost them no more than the losse of a Glove I know so well the Earl of Montmorancy of whom you speak said Guebron that I am confident he would not have lived in that torment and if he would have been contented with so little he would never have received those great fortunes which he hath enjoyed by Love for the old Song says The Amorous Coward is unsuccesseful Do you think said Saffredant that the poor Lady did not discreetly draw back her hand when she found his heart to beat so violently for she might think with her self that he would have dyed and there is nothing in the World which Women doe hate more than to touch the dead If you had so much haunted the Hospitals as you have done the Taverns said Emarsuite you would not have spoken those words for you shall find Women there to bury the dead which is an office that Men oftentimes as hardy as they pretend themselves to be are afraid to perform It is true said Simontault that there are none who do penance but do clean contrary to that in which they have taken pleasure as the Gentlewoman whom I have seen in a great house in this Kingdom who to satisfie for the pleasure which she had to kisse one whom she loved was seen in a morning four hours together to kisse the dead body of a Gentleman who was slain the day before whom she loved no lesse than the other whereby it was known that she did penance for her passed pleasures We may see said Oysilla how all the good deeds which Women do receive a sinister interpretation amongst Men. I am of opinion that neither the dead nor the living ought to be kissed if God bad not commanded it As for my self said Hircan I do care so little for kissing any Woman but my own that I shall willingly accord to all the Laws that shall prohibit it only I shall pitty young people from whom you would take that little contentment and nullifie the Commandment of Saint Paul who doth give us order that we should kisse in osculo sancto If you were such a Man as Saint Paul said Nomerfide we should find it by the operation of that Spirit which did speak in him You had rather said Guebron doubt of the Truth of the Holy Scripture than fail in one of your petty Ceremonies We do not therefore doubt of the Truth of the Holy Scripture said Oysilla because we do not believe your Fables There is no Woman here but knoweth well enough what she ought to believe and what she ought to doe which is not to doubt of the truth of the Word of God but to give no belief to the vanities of men who would turn us aside from the truth I am of a firm belief said Simontault that there are more Men deceived by Women than Women by Men for the little Love which they bear to us doth keep them from believing the truth and the great Love which we do bear to them doth make us to repose confidence in their falshoods and their slatteries insomuch that we are deceived before we do suspect our selves to be so I believe said Parlament that you have heard the Complaint of the Fool who was deceived by his own folly for your Discourse is of so small authority that iâ— had need to be fortified by Example wherefore if you know any one I will give you my Place to account it to us And think not that for one word or two we will be subject to believe you but in listning to you to speak evil of us our Novels shall find no prejudice at all Since I have the place said Simontault I will rehearse unto you my History A Lady of the Court did pleasantly revenge her self of her Servant for his Love The eighth Novell IN the Court of King Francis the first there was a Lady of a gallant Spirit who by her civility gracefulness and good language had gained the hearts of many Servants with whom she knew very well to passe away the time for her Honour being reserved she entertained them all so pleasantly that they knew not what to think of themselves for those who were most assured were in some despair and those who wer most desperat did take some â—ssurance Neverthelesse making sport with all the rest she loved one of them intirely whom she called Cosin which gave a colour to his better entertainment But as there is nothing permanent their love oftentimes did turn into Discontent and not long afterwards they would renew their affections more than ever insomuch that almost not any of the Court were ignorant of it One day this Lady as well to make him understand that she took not so much delight in any thing as to put him to some perplexity for whose Love she had endured so much she contrived with her self to give him better respects than ever she had done heretofore Wherefore he who neither in Arms or in Love did want for boldnesse did begin vigorously to purchase that which so often he in vain had desired and she protending that out of meer pity she was no longer able to deny him
with so great a sorrow and anguish of mind that she was almost dead with the extremity thereof And if it were possible her conscience and honour being preserved she would willingly have dissembled her fortune But that was impossible For the Rumor thereof being spread abroad the Church did begin to look after them and gave order at first that the good Man and his Wife should live asunder until the truth of the fact was more fully known Whereupon the poor Man to his great grief was constrained to abandon his good Wife to seek after his bad one and came to Bloys a little after that King Francis the first of that Name was made King in which City he found Qu. Claudia and Madam the Regent before whom he made his complaint demanding her whom with all his heart he desired not to have seen but it must be so whether he would or no for which he had the pity of all the Inhabitants And when his Wife was presented to him she a long time would maintain that it was not her Husband but some Impostor which he also if possibly he could would have believed with all his heart She being more sorrowful than ashamed did professe openly That she had rather die than return to Paris with him at which he was much discontented But the Ladies before whom she did express her self so boldly did so much condemn her that she returned with him and they so preached to the Chanter and followed what they preached with so many uses of Reproof and Terror that he was constrained to advise his Sweet-heart to go home with her Husband and to assure him that he would visit her no more And thus being discountenanced on all sides the poor unfortunate Woman was constrained to go with her Husband by whom she was far better used than she deserved Ladies You may observe from hence that if at first this Husband had been but vigilant of his Wife he had never been robbed of her for a purchase well guarded is hardly lost and it is abundance that makes a Thief It is a strange thing said Hircan that Love should be so strong where it is most unreasonable I have heard it spoken said Simontault that it is easier to dissolve a thousand Marriages than to separate the Loves of a Priest and his Lemman I do easily believe it said Emarsuite for they who so often doâ—ty others in Mariage do know of themselves so well to tamper with the kuott that nothing but they and Death can dissolve it And since the Doctors do affirm that the spiritual language is the most excellent of all it doth by consequence fall out that the spiritual Love also doth surpasse all other Loves It is a thing said Dagoucin which I know not how to pardon in Ladies to forsake an honest Husband or a Friend for a Priest be he never so handsom or so civil I must beseech you said Hircan that you would forbear to speak or to censure our Mother the Church but to believe that it is a great pleasure to Women fearful and secret to sin with those who when ever they have don can absolve them of them sins for there are divers who are more ashamed to confess a sin than to commit it You speak of those only said Oysilla who have not the fear of God and who believe that secret things shall not one day be revealed before the Angels in Heaven But I have this opinion of those Women that they desire not so much Confession as the Confessours for the Enemy hath so blinded them that they seek rather to be in a place most covert and secure than to be absolved of their Evil of which they are not touched with the least Remorse Nay said Saffredant they are so far from Remorse that they conceive themselves to be more holy than other Women and I am confident there are some who think themselves much honour'd to persevere in such Loves You speak of some only said Oysilla and it appears that you know something of them Wherefore I shall desire you that to begin our Journal to morrow you would inform us of something which you know of this Subject for this is the last time that the Bell doth tole and hark the Saints Bell doth now ring in all to Vespers You might also have observed that at the end of the sixth Novell of this day the Religious men did all depart from the shade of yonder hedge and left us to our selves to compleat our Histories Having spoke those words all the Company did rise and repaired to the Church where they found that the Monks did attend their coming and having heard Vespers they supped altogether entertaining one another with excellent discourse Supper being ended they delighted themselves with walking in the meadow according to their custome and afterwards every one did go to rest in their several lodgings to have the better Memory for the next day The end of the sixth Days Work of the Novels of the Queen of Navarr The Seventh Days VVork of the Novells of the Queen of NAVARRE The Preface IN the Morning Madam Oysilla failed not to administer to them the saving food of their Soules which she had gleaned in reading of the Acts and Virtuous Deeds of the glorious Martyrs and Apostles of Jesus Christ as they are declared by Saint Luke telling them That what she read there did inflame her with a devout desire to see the happy condition of those times and to lament the Iniquity of these And when she had sufficiently read and expounded the beginning of that excellent Book she desired them to repair to the Church with her in the same Vnion as the Apostles did make their prayers and to demand Grace of God which is never refused to those who do in faith desire it This holy Counsel was well approved by all and they came into the Church just as the Mass of the holy Spirit did begin which seemed to conduce much to their present purpose which made them to give ear unto it with more than ordinary devotion and afterwards at Dinner all their Discourse was concerning the happy lives of the Apostles in those Primitive times in which they took so much delight that it seems they had forgot what they had been accustomed to do in the Afternoon of which Nomerfide being the youngest did advise them and said Madam Oysilla hath so long deteyned us with Discourses of Devotion that we have let pass the accustomed hour to retire us for the preparation of our Novells Her words were the occasion that all the Company presently did arise and having made a little stay in their Chambers they failed not to meet all together in the Meadow as they had done on the dayes before And being set one by one Madam Oysilla said to Saffredant Although I am assured that you will speak nothing that shall tend to the advantage of Women yet I must desire you that you will rehearse that
she had poysoned him and was very importunate to know of her what she had put in his Roastmeat She confessed the truth unto him and withall assured him that she had as much need of that Receipt as the Wife of his Companion The poor Apothecary could not beat her for the wrong she had done him he was at that time in so great an extremity but commanded her to goe out of his sight and sent for the Apothecary of the Queen of Navarr to desire him that he would take the pains to give him a visit who gave him all the cooling Receits that were effectual for his recovery In a short time he was well mended and the Queens Apothecary did reprehend him very sharply for his rashnesse that he was so unwise to counsel another to take those druggs which he would not use himself and that the good Woman his Wife had done no more than what she ought to doe especially seeing the great desire which she had to make him love her Whereupon the poor Man was inforced to overcome his folly with patience and to acknowledge that God justly punished him to make that mockery fall upon himself which he had prepared for another Ladies in my Judgement the Love of this Wife was as indiscreet as it was great Do you call that said Hircan Love to her Husband to make him suffer torment in a fond hope that she might receive some pleasure from him I do believe said Longaren that she had no other intention than to recover her Husbands love which she conceived if not to be altogether lost yet certainly to be gone astray for to obtain such a Commodity there is nothing which Women will refuse to do So it is said Guebron that whatsoever the occasion be a Woman ought not to give any thing unto her Husband either to eat or to drink which she knows not as well by her own experience as friends of good judgement whether it be hurtful or no But Ignorance ought to be excused and this Woman is excusable both for the passion which of all is most blinding that is Love and for the person most blinded which is a Woman who hath seldome judgement enough to mannage with discretion any great Act. Guebron said Oysilla you do not now follow your commendable custom which is to render your self agreeable to your Companions for I am confident there are Women who have patiently endured both love and jealousie which is an Act difficult enough Yes said Hircan and pleasantly too for those Women who are most wise do take as much pleasure to laugh at the follies of their Husbands as their Husbands take pleasure secretly to deceive them And if you will give me the place before that Madam Oysilla shall put a period to this days Account I will relate a story to you and done so lately that there is not one here present who doth not know both the Husband and the Wife Begin then said Nomerfide Hircan laughing said unto them An Italian suffered himself to be cajoled by his Chambermaid who caused that instead of her Servant her Mistresse should take her Husband bolting The ninth Novel IN the Castle of Doz in Bigorre there dwelled a Servant of the Kings who was called Charles the Italian who had espoused a virtuous woman and of a good Estate who having brought him many Children did grow old and he was none of the youngest himself and lived with her in great peace and love It is true enough that sometimes he would talk familiarly unto his Chambermaids at which the good woman would not put on the least apparence of discontent but gave them all the scope they could desire when she knew them to be most privat together in the house One day she hired a Servant who was a wise and a handsom Girl to whom she related the complexion and disposition of her Husband and her own and assured her that if shee were a Slut her Husband would never endure her but turn her out of doors immediatly The Chambermaid therefore to continue in a good esteem in the service of her Mistresse did resolve with her self to follow her businesse roundly and to be neat and carefull and to give no ear to the allurements of her Master who though oftentimes he did hold her in Discourse and inticed her unto wantonnesse yet she would make no reckoning of him but would acquaint her Mistresse with all his flatteries and promises As they passed away their time in the Legend of his follies one day this Chambermaid bolted in the back Chamber having on her head a long hood after the fashion of that Country which is made like a Kerchief but only that this covereth the shoulders and all the body behind Her Master seeing her in this habit did come unto her and sollicited her with much importunity but she who would rather die than give consent unto him did make an apparence to yield to his desires and demanded leave to go first forth and see if her Mistresse were busie about any thing to the end that they might not be both surprized which her Master did agree unto and she besought him in her absence to put her Hood on his head and to bolt that her Mistress might alwayes hear the noise of the Bolter This joyfully he performed hoping to enjoy that which he demanded The Chamber-maid who was not of a melancholike humour did run unto her Mistresse and said unto her Come and see your good Husband whom I have taught to bolt to acquit my self of him His Wife made all the hast she could to behold this new Chamber-maid and seeing the long Hood on her Husbands head and the Bolter in his hands she did begin to laugh so heartily and so to clap her hands that she had much to do to speak unto him In good time Honest Maid What wages shall I give you a moneth for your good service The Husband hearing the voice of his Wife and finding he was betrayed did throw on the ground that which he carried on his head and what he held in his hands to run after the Chambermaid calling her Whore a thousand times And if his Wife had not interposed her self and skreened betwixt his passion and the Chamber-maids honest mirth he had payed her with his cudgel But she appeased him to the content of every one and after that time they lived together without the least complaint Ladies What think you of this good woman Did she not do wisely to pass away her time in mirth at the pastimes of her Husband It was no pastime to her Husband said Saffredant to have failed in his Enterprize I do believe said Emarsuite that he took more pleasure to laugh afterwards with his Wife than being threescore years of age to play the wanton with his Chamber-maid It would have been no little perplexity to me said Simontault to be taken by my Wife with such a Kerchief on my head I have heard it spoken
perceiving the Gentleman to continue still in the service of the Duke as he was accustomed to do could not endure it with patience but said unto her Husband It would be no great matter Sir if you were poysoned because you have more confidence in your mortal Enemies than in your friends He replyed Sweet-heart Torment not your self concerning that affair for if I can find that to be true which you have spoken I do assure you that he shall not be alive four and twenty hours but he hath sworn so much unto me to the contrary and I my self besides could never perceive any thing by him that without great proof I cannot believe any thing unto the contrary In good truth Sir said she the goodnesse of your Nature doth render his Iniquity the greater Would you have a greater proof than to see a Man of his Condition to professe love and to make no noise thereof You may believe Sir that amongst so many Ladies in my Court so young a Fellow as he is would have found out a Mistresse for himself were it not for the high Enterprize that doth altogether take up his fancy to be a servant unto me for there was never any young Man that lived in such a Court as yours so solitary as this young Man neither would he be so if he had not his heart fixed in so high a place that he did content himself only with some vain hope and because you do entertain a belief that he doth conceal nothing from you I must beseech you to put him to his Oath to know if he be in love with any one or no. For if he be in love with any other I am content that you doe believe him if not you may assure your self that I do speak the Truth The Duke did much approve the reasons of his Lady and walking into the fields did take the Gentleman along with him to whom he said My Wife doth still continue in her opinion and doth allege unto me such reason for it that it doth cause in me a great suspition against you which is she wonders much that you being so young and affable were never yet in love as much as can be known which makes me to conceive that you nourish that ambitious love of which she doth accuse you the hope whereof doth render you so contented and doth fill you with so vain a joy that you cannot think of any other woman wherfore I do intreat you as a Friend and command you as your Master to tell me plainly if you are or ever have been in love or no. The poor Gentleman although he would have delayed to give an answer to this unexpected Interrogatory and would have excused his affection which that no other might find it out he had laid up in the very center of his heart was now constrained to satisfie the great Jealousie of the Duke his Master to swear unto him That it is true enough that he was in love with a Lady whose perfection was such that the beauty of the Dutchesse and of all the Ladies in her Court was but foulnesse and deformity unto her but he did beseech him that he may not be inforced to give unto him her Name for the obligation betwixt him and his Sweet-heart was such that who first of them did declare their love should absolutely dissolve it The Duke did promise that he would presse him no more unto it and was as much contented with the satisfaction which he had given him that he did countenance and advance him more than before which the Dutchesse did very well observe and finding there was more than an accustomed privacy betwixt the Duke her Husband and the Gentleman she did use her utmost indeavour to understand the occasion of it which the Duke could not be perswaded to reveal unto her whereupon her fruitful vengeance did beget another jealousie and she besought the Duke to command the Gentleman to impart unto him the name of that Sweet-heart of his assuring him that it was a meer invention and the best way he could contrive to gain credit to his words but if he would not name who it was whom he esteemed to be so beautiful he was the most foolish Prince in the World if he did believe what he professed The poor Duke whose opinion his Wife turned now on this side and now on that as she her self pleased did take the poor Gentleman to walk the other turn with him in the Fields again where he told him that he was in a far greater perplexity than before for he much doubted that he made him but an excuse to keep him off from finding out the truth which did torment him more than ever Therefore like a Prince he mingled his Authorities with his intreaties and did desire command him to declare unto him who it was whom so much he loved The poor Gentleman did beseech him that he would be mindful of his promise and not inforce him to commit so great fault against her whom so intirely he affected as now to break his promise which for a long time he had so faithfully observed and to lose in one minute that secrecy which for seven years and more he had kept locked up in a religious safety affirming that he had rather suffer death than do such a wrong to her who was so faithful unto him The Duke perceiving he would not acquaint him who it was did enter into so strong a jealousie that with a furious countenance he did say unto him Take your choice of two things either plainly to tell me who it is whom you doe love above all the World or to depart presently into banishment out of the lands of my Authority upon this penalty that if I find you here eight days after this I will undoubtedly put you to some cruel death If ever grief did possesse the heart of a loyal Servant it now did seize upon the heart of this Gentleman who might well say Angustiae sunt mihi Vndique for finding on the one side that if he should speak the truth he should lose his Mistresse if it should come unto her knowledge because he had failed in his promise and on the other side if he should not confesse it he should be banished from the Country in which he was brought up and where his Mistresse lived and never should have the means to see her again he was so oppressed with sorrow that a cold sweat did seize upon him as it doth on one who overcome by the extremity of grief doth find the last minute of his life approaching The Duke looking upon him and perceiving how much his countenance did change did Judge whatsoever he pretended to the contrary that he had no other Mistresse but only his Wife which was the reason because on the sudden he could not think on the name of any other he did endure that passion Wherefore he did speak very churlishly unto him If that which you have represented
to me were true you would not find such a difficulty in it as to declare unto me her name but I believe the guilt of your offence doth secretly torment you The Gentleman being much provoked with these words and inforced also by the love which he did bear unto the Duke did determin with himself to speak the truth being consident that his Master was a Man so full of Virtue that he would not for any thing reveal the secret Wherefore kneeling down before him with hands joyned which he did lift up unto him he said Sir The obligation which I do bear unto you is such that it doth prevail upon me more than any fear of Death for I doe see you deluded by such a fancy and false opinion of me that I am determined to confesse that which no torment could draw from me beseeching you for the honour of God to swear unto me upon the faith of a Prince and of a Christian that you will never reveal the secret which since you are so pleased I am constrained to speak unto you The Duke immediately by all the Oathes that he could devise did oblige himself unto him that he would never discover the least notion thereof to any Creature in the world neither by word deed nor countenance The Gentleman holding himself assured on the multiplyed Oathes of so virtuous a Prince did begin to lay the foundation of his misfortune to come in confessing to him Sir It is now seven years since having known your Niece to be a Widdow I have endeavoured to obtain her favour And because I was not of a birth great enough to espouse her I was contented that she was pleased to acknowledge me for her Servant And God hath hitherto permitted that our Love hath been so wisely managed that neither Man or Woman but only She and my self hath known any thing of it unlesse it be You into whose hands I do commit my Life and Honour beseeching you that you would keep it private and to have Madam your Niece in no lesse esteem than heretofore for I do believe that under Heaven there is not a more accomplished or a chaster Creature Who was a glad Man now It was the Duke for knowing the incomparable Beauty of his Niece he did not doubt but that she was more agreeable to him than his Wife but being not able to collect how so great a Mystery could be carryed without a Second he did intreat him to acquaint him how he could come to the sight of her The Gentleman thereupon did declare unto him That the Chamber of his Niece did butt forth into the Garden and on that night when he was to wait upon her the little door of the Garden was left open through which he came and walked on foot until he heard a little Dogg bark which the young Lady his Niece had left on purpose in the Garden when all her Women were gone out of it and that on the barking of that Dogg being presently admitted he had the happinesse to discourse with her all that night and at parting they would agree upon the night when he was to return again wherein without making any dilatory excuses they would never fail to meet The Duke who was the most curious Man in the World and who in his Youth knew wisely enough how to carry his Loves as well to satisfie his suspition as to understand the particulars of so strange a story did intreat him to take him along with him the next time that he did addresse himself unto her and to give him then not the respects of a Master but of a Companion The Gentleman seeing the Duke did so presse him did accord unto it of which the Duke was more glad than if he had gained a Kingdom and dissembling that he would he for a hight or two in his Wardrobe did cause two horses to be made ready the one for himself and the other for the Gentleman and they travelled far that evening to arrive at his Nieces house The Gentleman caused the Duke to enter into the Garden at the little Door and desired him that entring into the house he would be pleased to stay behind the skreen where he might perceive if he had spoke the truth unto him or nor They were no sooner entred into the Garden but immediatly a little Dogg did bark and the Gentleman did go directly towards the house and the young Lady did not fail to meet him in the way and having saluted and unbraced him she said unto him That she was afraid he had been sick it was so long since she last saw him and speaking those words they entred into the House and the Duke privatly did follow them in the dark for there was no light in the Room and understanding the whole Discourse of their chast love he was satisfied beyond his desires and made no long stay there for the Gentleman told the Lady that he was constrained to return sooner than he was accustomed to do because that morning the Duke did intend very early to go on hunting and of necessity he must attend upon him The Lady who loved honour more than pleasure would not stay him for the greatest thing which she esteemed in her chast and honest love was that it was kept secret from the observation of the World Much about one of the clock in the morning the Gentleman departed and the Duke undiscovered by the young Lady did goe out before him and they took horse and returned from whence they came and oftentimes in the way the Duke did swear unto the Gentleman that he had rather die a thousand times than reveal the Mystery of his Love and he afterwards did so much respect him and did put such a confidence in him that there was none in all the Court that was in greater favour The Dutchesse was much incensed at it and continued her complaints against the Gentleman But the Duke did forbid her to speak any more unto him concerning that Subject for he was throughly satisfied with the truth thereof and said that he was so contented thereat that he did believe the Lady whom he loved was more amiable than her self That word did leave such an impression and did so deeply wound her heart that she fell into a malady greater than before The Duke did dayly resort unto her to visit her and to comfort her but it was impossible unlesse he would disclose unto her who that Lady was who was so much beloved And she so much importuned him to know who it was that the Duke going out of the Chamber did say unto her if you will not let me be at quiet I must depart from you Those words did increase the malady of the Dutchesse who pretended that she did feel her child to stir within her at which the Duke was so glad that to manifest his love and joy he did goe to bed to her And making use of that minute in which she found him most