her just reasons instead of reproving her and killing her as oftentimes he threatned in his words he took her in his Arms and weeping abundantly said unto her My daughter you are more righteous than my self for if there were any fault in you I was the principal cause But since God hath so ordained it I will give you satisfaction with advantage for the time to come and having brought her into his house he did use her as his only child She was at last demanded in marriage by a Gentleman of her Fathers own name and who gave with him the same Coat of arms who was a wise and a virtuous man and so highly esteemed Rolandine that he praised her for that for which other men did blame her knowing that the end did only tend unto virtue The marriage was agreeable both to the Father and Rolandine and was immediatly concluded True it is that a Brother which she had who was the only heir of the house would not agree that she should have any part in the Estate objecting against her that she had been disobedient to her Father and after the death of the good Man he did deport himself so churlishly unto her that her Husband who was but a younger brother and her self had enough to do to live for which God provided for the Brother who would needs have all by a sudden death did leave unto her all the Fortunes which he had of hers and of his own with it And thus was she the Heiresse of a very great Estate and lived honourably and holily in her husbands love And after she had brought up two children which God had given her she rendred with joy her Soul to him of whom for a long time she had such perfect knowledge Now my Ladies I would desire that those men who do declare us to be so inconstant would come hither and shew me as good a Husband as this was a wife and such a faith and perseverance I am confident it would be so difficult unto them that I had rather acquit them than put them to such an endlesse task But I must beseech you Ladies by the lustre of this example to continue your glory not to love at all or as perfectly as this Lady did and to have a care that your honours be not scandaliz'd since by her firmnesse and constancy she is an occasion to increase yours In good earnest Parlament said Oysilla you have reported to us the story of a Lady who had a great and an honest heart and who gained as much glory by her constancy as her Husband contracted shame by his disloyalty who did leave her for another I believe said Longaren that this affliction was too grievous to be endured for there is no burthen so heavy but the love of two persons well united may sweetly undergoe it but when one of them doth fail and lays all the charge upon the other the weight is insupportable You ought then said Guebron to have compassion on us who carry all the love and doe not deign of your selves so much as to put one finger forth to assist us Ah Guebron said Parlament the burthens of the Husband and the Wife doe often differ much For the love of the Wife being well grounded and depending upon God and on her Honour is so just and reasonable that he who parts himself from that love ought to be esteemed an inordinate man and guilty before God and all honest men But the love of the most part of men is grounded only upon pleasure and ignorant Women are oftentimes too prone to serve their loose desires but when God doth instruct them to understand the wickednesse of the hearts of those men whom they esteemed to be good they will leave them with honour and reputation The knowledge of the sin doth leave a greater guilt upon the Conscience Hircan replyed A goodly reason indeed grounded on a fancy that honest women may honestly leave the love of their Husbands and not honest men the love of their Wives because forsooth their hearts you say are different but suppose they are and that they doe differ as much as the countenances and the habits of men do differ from those of women yet I believe their affections and wills are both alike unlesse they differ in this that their follies being more covered are alwayes the worse Parlament in a little choler said unto him I understand well enough that you esteem those to be least evil whose intentions are most discovered But let us leave off this discourse said Simontault for to draw a conclusion from the hearts of men or women the best of them is worth nothing Let us know to whom Parlament will give her voice that we may hear some new account I do give it said she to Guebron Before I doe begin said he to speak of the Grey Fryers I must not forget those of the order of Saint Benedict and what befell unto two of them in my time Howsoever in giving you an account of a man wickedly religious It is not my intent to alter your good opinion which you ought to have to those of them who are religious indeed But since the Psalmist says that every man is a lyar And in another place that there are none that do good no not one It seems to me that we cannot erre in esteeming Man to be such as be is For if there be any thing good in him we ought to attribute it to him who is the original of all good and not unto the Creature in giving too much praise and glory to it or in esteeming better of men than indeed they are the greatest part of men are deceived and deceivers And to the end that you may see it is not impossible under an extreme severity to find an extreme concupiscence understand what not long since happened in the time of King Francis the first of that name A Prior a great Reformer of the times under the shaddow of Hypocrisie did by all means attempt to seduce a religious Virgin whose wickednesse at last was discovered The Second Novell IN the City of Paris there was a Prior of St. Martins in the Fields whose name I will conceal for the love which I have born unto him His life until he was fifty years of age was so austere that the report of his holinesse was spread over all the Kingdom of France insomuch that there was neither Prince nor Princesse but entertained him with all honour and reverence when he came to see them And there was no Reformation of Religion but it passed first through his hand for he was call'd the Father of true religion He was chosen Visitor of the great religion of the Ladies of Frontenaux who stood in such fear of him that when he came into any of their Monasteries all the religious women did tremble for fear and to appease him in taking off the great rigours which he did impose upon them they did entertain
Novell to us which yesterday in the Evening you did promise I protest unto you Madam said Saffredant I shall get no dishonour amongst Detractors by speaking the truth neither shall I lose the good opinion of virtuous Ladies by declaring those Errors which Fools commit for by experience I have found what a misery it is to be far removed from the Honour of their society and if I had been out of their Favour I should not have been now alive And speaking those words he turned his eyes towards her who was the cause of all his grief and joy and looking on Emarsuite he made her so to blush as if she had known that she was the Lady to whom those words did address themselves howsoever he was no lesse understood by her by whom he desired to be heard Madam Oysilla assured him that he might speak the truth freely to the expence of those only whom it properly concern'd Wherefore said Saffredant I doe begin THE NOVELLS Of Queen MARGARET The Marvellous obstinacy of the most impudent and bold Love of a Woman of Burgundie to a Canon in the City of Autun The first Novel IN the City of Autun there lived a beautiful Woman tall fair and of the best features in her face that ever I have seen She was married to an honest Gentleman who seemed to be younger than her self wherewith she had reason to be contented Not long after that he had married her he brought her unto the City of Autun having some affairs there to dispatch which required his presence And whiles the Husband followed the Courts of Justice his Wife altogether followed the Church to pray to God for him she so much frequented the holy place that one of the Canons a very rich man did fall in love with her and did court her so affectionately that in the end the poor Gentlewoman did consent unto him Her Husband had not the least suspition of it and had a greater care to look to his money than to his Wife His business being ended and the time being come that he must depart and return to his own house which was at the least seven leagues from the City it was not without great grief unto the Gentlewoman but the Canon promised her to come oftentimes to visit her which he did pretending some great journey but his way lying alwayes by that Gentlemans house He was not so foolish but perceived it well enough wherefore he gave that Order that when the Canon came he should not see his Wife but caused her to hide her self that he might not speak unto her The Wife understanding the Jealousie of her Husband did not seem to be displeased at it but resolved with her self to find out a way to come unto him for she esteemed it to be a Hell unto her to to lose the sight of her Heaven One day when her Husband was gone abroad she so imployed all her Grooms and Chambermaids that she was left alone by her self and taking with her what she conceived to be necessary she immediately without any Companion at all but Love only did go on foot to the City of Autun where she came not so late but her Canon knew her well enough who kept her locked up and concealed from her Husband above a year for all the Admonitions and Excommunications which her Husband did bring forth against him At the last when he could find no other remedy he made his Complaint to the Bishop who had an Archdeacon as pious a Man as any was in France who so diligently searched all the Houses of the Canons that at last he found her whom he thought to be lost the Bishop put her in prison and the Canon was censured to suffer a very great penance The Husband finding that his Wife was reclaimed by the Admonitions of the Archdeacon and many other honest Gentlemen was content to take her again upon the Oaths she made for the time to come to live a chast and a virtuous life The good Man her Husband did willingly believe her because he did bear an extraordinary affection to her and bringing her home to his house did use her as respectfully as before only he did imploy two old Chambermaids whose busines it was never to suffer her to be alone but the one or the other of them were alwayes with her But whatsoever good entertainment he did give her the inordinate love which she did bear unto the Canon did make her esteem all her pleasures but torment And although she was a goodly and a most beautifull women and her Husband a man of an excellent complexion and of a very strong body yet she had never any children by him for her heart was alwayes seven leagues from her body which she so well dissembled that her Husband thought she had forgotten all that had been passed as he did for his own part But her desires could not be contained within the Compass of her Husbands house for at the very same time that she saw her Husband most loving to her and least of all suspitious she counterseited her self to be sick so well did carry the dissimulation that her Husband was in a great perplexity for her and spared for no costs to relieve her in her counterfeit Extremities And she played her part so cunningly that both he and all in the house with him did think that she was even sick unto Death and that by little and little she did pass away She observing that her Husband was as sad as he ought to be joyfull did intreat him that he would give her leave to make her Will which weeping most bitterly for her he did willingly give way unto She did give unto her Husband all that which she could give and desired pardon of him for the faults she had committed against him Having sent for the Curat she confessed and received the holy Satrament of the Altar so devoutly that every one did weep tears of joy to see her make so glorious an end When the Evening came she entreated her Husband that she might have the extreme unction for she grew so weak that she was afraid she should not be able to receive it alive In great diligence her Husband caused it to be brought unto her and she received it in so great humility that she stirred up every one to praise God for her After she had received all these Mysteries she said unto her Husband that seeing God had vouchsafed her so great a grace as to have taken all that which the Church commandeth she found her Conscience in so great a peace that she had a desire to take a litle rest desiring her Husband to do the like having great need of it by reasoo of the many tears he had shed and his long watchings with her When her Husband was asleep and all his Servants with him the two old Chambermaids who had so long watched her in her health being consident they could not lose her now unlesse it
were by Death did goe both to bed also to sleep out their fill And when she heard them to sleep so soundly that they did snort again she did rise in her Smock and did goe out of the Chamber listning if she could hear any noise about the House but being assured that all was quiet she took a Staff in her hand and did goe out at a little Garden door which was not shut and all that night in her Smock only she travelled bare foot towards Autun to her Saint that did preserve her from death But because the way was long she could not reach to the end of her journey before the break of day Not long afterwards she looked behind her and observed two Horsemen in a full gallop riding towards Autun and suspecting that it was her Husband who did ride in the pursute of her she did hide her self in the Fens hard by and covered her head with the Rushes and her Husband in full speed passing clole by she heard him to speak unto his Man as if he were in some great perplexity O wretched Woman who would have thought that under the covert of the holy Sacraments of the Church she would cover so wicked and so abhominable a design His Servant said unto him Sir Judas who was one of the Apostles taking such a Morsel did not fear to betray his Master think not the treachery of a Woman to be so strange and speaking those words her Husband passed by and his Wife continued amongst the rushes more joyfull that she had deceived him than she was at home in a bed of down in Slavery Her poor Husband searched over the whole City of Autun and found for certain that she was not there Wherefore he returned by the same way which he came and did nothing but complain of her all the way he did ride and of the losse which he received threatning her with death without mercy if ever he should find her again of which she had no more fear in her Soul than she felt cold in her body although the season of the year and the place wherein she covered her self might give her just reason to complain of her cold and melancholy voyage And by the imagination only how the fire of Hell doth burn those who are punished therein we may conceive the wonder how this poor wretch coming out of a Warm bed could be able to continue a whole day together in that extremity of cold Howsoever she lost not her resolution or her way for as soon as ever night appeared she did begin her journey again and in the dusk of the Evening when the Gate of the City was about to be shut this poor pilgrim arrived and failed not to goe directly to the place where her Saint lived who was so amazed at the sight that he could hardly believe that it was she but having diligently examined her with his eye and found by his hand that she had flesh and bones which a Spirit hath not he did rest himself assur'd that it was no Apparition and immediately did comply so well with her that she after wards did continue with him fifteen years together Having concealed her self for a certain time at the last she lost all fear and modesty and which is worse she took such a glory that she had such a friend that she shewed her self openly at the Church before the greatest part of the Ladies of that City and before the Magistrates the Officers and others and had many children by the Canon and amongst others a Daughter who was married to a very rich Merchant and so gorgeously apparelled at her Wedding day that all the good women of the City did murmur very greatly at it but it was not in their power to give any redresse unto it It so came to pass that in those dayes Queen Claudia Wife to the late King Francis travelling that way did lodge in that City and had in her Company Madam the Regent Mother to the King and the Dutchesse of Alençon who was her Daughter A Gentlewoman of the Chamber named Peretta did come unto the Dutchess and said unto her Madam I must beseech you to hear me you may peradventure do a greater work than if this day you had heard the Masses in all the Churches of France The Dutchess stayed very willingly to give ear unto her knowing that from her nothing but good Counsels could proceed Peretta immediately declared to her That she had taken a little Girl to assist her in the Queens Landry and having asked of her what was the Newes in the City she acquainted her with the Indignation of a great many Ladies and Gentlewomen of that City to see the Canons Lemman to be so impudent as to take the wall of them and informed her of a great part of her incontinent life The Dutchesse immediatly repaired to the Queen and to Madam the Regent and repeated the story unto her and they without any form of processe at all did send to seek out this ungracious Woman who did not conceal her self from them for she had turned her shame and her infamy into a glory to be the Mistresse of the house of so reverend and so rich a Man And being nothing dismayed she came without the least alteration of her Countenance to present her self before the Ladies who were so amazed at her Impudence that on the sudden they knew not what to say unto her And after that Madam the Regent had made such Demonstrations to her that they would have fetched tears from the eyes of any Woman that was of a modest understanding she stood before them without the least apprehension at all and with an extreme confidence did say unto them I must beseech you Ladies to take care that my Honour may not be brought into Question for God be praised I have lived with Monseiur the Canon so well and vertuously that there is neither man nor woman living that can reprove me neither ought any one to think but that I live after the will of God for it is now full three years since the Canon hath had any carnal knowledge of me and we do live as chastly and in as great love as two Angels there being not betwixt him and me the least crosse word or contrariety of disposition And they who shall go about to part us shall commit a great sin for the good Man who is almost fourscore years of age will never endure to live without me who am my self five and forty yeers of age You may conceive with your selves that these Ladies could not forbear to speak unto her as she deserved and what were the Remonstrances which every one of them did make unto her seeing her obstinatenesse which could not be molified by the words which they did speak unto her nor by the consideration of her own Age nor by the presence of those honourable personages Wherefore to humble her they did send for the Archdeacon who did condemn her
Kinswomen and who knew not the humor of the Confessor began to be offended at him But after that they had heard him further they turned their scandal into laughter especially when he said That to eat the Paschal Lamb they must have girded their reins and their feet on their shooes and their hands in the staff The Frier observing them to laugh and doubting for what it was did immediately correct himself and well well said he their shooes then on their feet and a staff in their hands A hat white or a white hat is it not all one His auditors did fall all a-laughing at this and the Ladies themselves could not contain to whom he did apply himself with variety of such vain discourse and perceiving that his hour was almost out he was unwilling that the young Women should depart discontented from him he said therefore unto them And now my young Ladies I am sure that by and by you will in your prattle ask the Gossips that are with you What Mr. Frier is this that delivers himself so confidently this day Why I will tell you Ladies he is a good Fellow and be not you astonished be not I say though he talketh never so lowdly for I am of Anjou and at your service Ladies And speaking those words he did make an end of his Preachment by which he did leave his Auditors more ready to laugh at his foolish discourse than to weep in the memory of the Passion of our Saviour the Commemoration whereof was then to be solemnized His other Sermons during the said Feast of Easter were of the same efficacy And as you know well enough that these Brothers are very forward in their exhortations to receive their benevolences at Easter by which they have not onely their Eggs given them but many other things as odd Remnants of Linnen and Flax Puddings Gammons or Leggs of Bacon and Chines of Bacon and many other such small Collations Easter Tuesday being come when he was to make his Recommendations of which these people are alwayes liberal enough he directing his course again to the Women said Ladies I am bound to give you thanks for your liberality which you have shewed to our poor Covent but it is requisite that I speak plain unto you That you have not considered of the Necessities in which we stand for the greatest part of that which you have given us are Links and Puddings and God be praised we have no need of them our Covent is full of good Puddings already What shall we doe with them then would you know what Ladies I shall advise you then if you would but put your Gammons to our Puddings you would give us a good Alms indeed In this manner continuing his Sermon he gave a new occasion of offence and discoursed very briskly from above having instanced some Examples he did put himself into an Admiration and said My good Sirs and Ladies of St. Martins I am much astonished at you that you should make strange at that which is nothing and speaking of me to one another should say This is a strange Frier I will tell you what Suppose that a Monk should get the Daughter of his Hostesse with Child this would be some wonder that a Monk should get a Girl with Child but let us come to the point my Ladies Suppose that this Girl should get the Monk with Child why there would be your cause of wonder indeed See here my Ladies the Viands with which this gentle Pastor did nourish the flock of God And yet he is so impudent as still to go into the Pulpit where he ought not to make any discourse at all which is not wholly for the Instruction of his neighbours or the glory of God This was a Master-Frier in earnest said Saffredant I should love him as well as I do Frier Annebant on whose back I would put all the merry Discourse which can be delivered in a whole Parish Oysilla made answer I love not to have men laugh at such prophaneness especially in this Case Nomerfide replyed Madam it is not long ago if it be not so still that not only the honest people of the Villages but also a considerable part in the greatest Towns who think better of themselves than the rest had such Preachers in far greater Reverence than those who purely and sincerely preached the Holy Gospel In whatsover sort it was said Hircan Was it not an Injury to demand the Womens Gammons to be mingled with their Puddings since there is far more meat in the Gammons Nay and if some devout Woman had understood him according to his fallacy as I believe that he himself did mean it neither he nor his Companions would be in any other conditiō than the young Girl who had her Sack too full But you may behold said Oysilla what a most impudent Man this was to corrupt at his pleasure the Text of holy Scripture thinking to meet with such Beasts as himself and in doing so most wickedly to endeavour to supplant poor women by teaching them how to eat raw flesh at night You take no notice at all said Simontault that he saw before him the young women of Amboys in whose Troughs he would willingly have washed his Whatch-I-call-it No but you understand it well enough and make them to tast it not rosted but hot in a wanton Exercise to give them greater pleasure Good good Signior Simontault said Parlament you do forget your self or do you keep your accustomed Modesty in Reserve to be only ready when you have need of it No Madam said he but the dishonesty of the Monk did cause me so far to wander from my self Therefore to put our selves again into our first course I desire Nomerfide who was the occasion of my digression to give her voice to some one who might make us to forget our common fault Since you make me to partake of your fault said Nomerfide I will address my self to one who will help our present imperfection it is Dagoucin who is so grave that he will rather die than have a foolish word come from him Dagoucin thanked her for the good opinon she had of him and began to spoak his History the effect whereof was to make you understand how much Love doth blind the most great and the most honest hearts and that a Discourtesie is hard to be overcome by any former benefit how great soever it be The Inconvenience that b◠fell a Duke and his impudence to arrive to his Intentions with the just punishment of his ill-laid Designe The Second Novell SOme time since in the City of Florence there lived a Duke who espoused Madam Margaret daughter to the Emperor Charles the Fifth and because she was so young that it was nor yet lawfull for him to lie with her he entertained her very honourably and lovingly until she did arrive unto the ripeness of age For to forbear her he became amorous of some other Ladies in the
hearing of his lamentable and Christian death changed the roughnesse of her language with which she thought to have entertained him at his return into tears and sighes in which her Husband did keep Company with her being thus sadly disappointed of his hopes in his Journey to Jerusalem I cannot here forget That a Damosel who lived with this Gentlewoman whose Name was Joan and loved the Gentleman that was given to the Captain better than the loved her self on the same morning that the Captain and the Gentleman were slain did come unto her Mistresse and told her That she had seen him in her sleep last night whom so well she loved cloathed all in white who was come unto her to take his Farewell of her being on that day to go into Paradise with his Captain But when she found that her Dream was true she made so great a lamentation that her Mistresse had enough to do to comfort her Some moneths afterwards the Court removed into Normandy of which Province the Captain was whose Wife never failed to come to do Reverence to Madam the Mother Regent And to be presented to her she addressed her self to that Gentlewoman whom her Husband so much loved And attending the hour in which they were to go unto the Church to hear Mattens the old woman began to praise and to lament her Husband and amongst other discourses she said unto her Madam My misfortune is greater than ever did befall any woman for just at the time that he began to love me better than ever he did before God took him from me And speaking those words she shewed her the Ring which she had upon her fingers as the token of his perfect love which was not without many tears at which the Lady though she was sensible enough of the old Womans grief had so great a desire to laugh especially since her deceit produced this good that she was unable to present her to Madam the Regent but gave her to another and retired her self into the Chapel where having laughed her fill she passed away the defire she had to laugh any more Ladies It seems to me that they unto whom such gifts are presented should desire to do works that may come to so good an end as this Gentlewoman did for they only by experience do find that good Deeds do redound to the joy of the Doers And we ought not to accuse this Gentlewoman of Deceit but to esteem of her good Intentions who converted that into a Benefit which of it self is worth nothing Will you say so said Nomerfide Is a fair Diamond of two hundred Crowns price worth nothing I dare assure you that if it had fallen into my hands neither his Wife nor any of his Kinred should ever have seen it again There is nothing better to any one self than that which is given The Captain was dead No man knew any thing of it Upon my word you have reason for it said Hircan for there are some women who to shew themselves more excellent than others do some works apparently against their Natures for we all know well enough that there is nothing more covetous than a woman and yet their Glory doth oftentimes exceed their Avarice which doth inforce their hearts to do those things which they would not And I believe that she who forsook the Diamond was not worthy to wear it Hola Hola said Oysilla I do suspect I know the Gentlewoman I do beseech you therfore not to condemn her before you see her Madam said Hircan I do not condemn her but if the Captain were as virtuous as you say he was she had been honoured to have had such a Servant and to have worn his Ring but it may be that one lesse worthy to be beloved did take so fast hold on her finger that his Ring could not come on Truly said Guebron she might well have kept it because there was not one who knew any thing of it How is that said Guebron Are all things lawfull to those that love because no man knows of them Take my word for it said Saffredant I never saw any mis-deed punished but only foolishness for there is neither Murderer Thief nor Adulterer but let him be as cunning as he is wicked that was ever either condemned by Justice or reproved amongst Men but oftentimes their subtilty is so great that it doth blind them so that they become fools and as I have said only the fools and not the vicious are punished You may speak what you please said Oysilla God only can judge of the heart of that Lady but as far as I can conjecture I do find the Deed most honourable and virtuous And to debate no more upon it I pray you Parlament to give your voice to some one I give it most willingly said she to Simontault for after these two sad Novells he will give us one you may be sure of it that will not make us weep I thank you said Simontault for in giving me your voice you do not now as lately call me pleasant which is a word I love not and to revenge myself on you I will demonstrate that there are women who make a great appearance that they are wondrous chast to some and for a time but the event doth show them to be as they are as you will find by this Story which is undoubtedly true The Subtilty of a Lover who under the pretence of a true Friend did gather of a Lady of Milan the fruit of his passed labours The Fourth Novell IN the Dutchie of Milan in the time when the great Master Châ—umont was Governor there was a Gentleman called Signior de Bonninet who afterwards for his virtues was made Admiral of France and was highly esteemed at Milan by the great Master and by all the world for the rare parts that were in him He was often invited to the Banquets where the chiefest of the Ladies met by whom he was better beloved than ever Frenchman was as well for his Beauty Gracefulnesse and Language as for the great Name he had in Arms being second therein to none of his Time One day being in a Mask he did lead in the Dance one of the most brave and most beautifull Ladies that were in that City and when the Hoboyes ceased he did alwayes discourse unto her of Love which he could better do than any other but she would make no answer to him but oftentimes to interrupt him in his Discourse and to give a stop to his desires she would assure him That she neither did nor ever would love any but her Husband and would by no means seem to understand him At this answer this refused Gentleman would not desist and vigorously prosecuted his sute untill the Middle of Lent But for all his endeavours he found her firm in her resolutions neither to love him nor any else which he could hardly beleeve seeing the hard favour and course deportment of her Husband and the excellent beauty
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
promised For as when he was in choler there was no man living that durst assault him so without some great occasion that did provoke him he had rather die himself than commit a murder if his Honour had not constrained him to it In the like manner without an extreme force of Love which begetteth blindnesse in virtuous men he had rather die than defile his marriage bed by a depraved appetite to another which was the cause that his wife did so much respect and love him observing so stayed an honesty to dwell in such a tendernesse of youth And she demanding of him how he could excuse himself seeing that Princes oftentimes are much incensed against those men who do not praise and follow that which they themselves do love he made answer That a wise Man hath always a sicknesse or a Journey in his sleeve to assist himself with at the time of great necessity Wherefore some four or five days before I am to goe I am determined to counterfeit my self to be very sick in which excuse the sadnesse of your countenance will much advantage me Behold said his Wife a good and a holy Hypocrisie I will not fail to put on the saddest and most disconsolate look that possibly I can for they who can avoid the offence of God and the anger of their Prince are said to be happy Creatures Accordingly as they determined they performed and the King was very sad to understand by the Wife the sicknesse of her Husband which lasted but a little for by reason of the intervention of some great affairs the King did forget his pleasure to follow his Duty in the Government of the Kingdom and departed out of Paris And one day afterwards having in his memory the design which was not put in practise did say unto the young Prince What fools were we to go so soon out of Paris without seeing the four Maids who as it was assured me were the fairest in my Kingdom The young Prince being then present made answer I am very glad of it that you did fail for during my sicknesse I had a great fear that I alone should lose my part in the adventure having spoke those words the King did never suspect the dissimulation of the young Signior who afterwards was more beloved by his Wife than he was before Parlament did immediatly begin to laugh and could not forbear from speaking And she might have loved him yet better if he had made this refusal for the love of her alone but in what manner soever it was the Gentleman was commendable enough It seems to me said Hircan it is no great praise for a Man to preserve his Chastity for the love which he doth bear unto his Wife for there are so many reasons for it that in a manner he is constrained to do it First of all God doth command him Secondly his oath doth oblige him And lastly Nature which is satisfied is not so subject either to temptation or desire as is necessity But the free love whish a Man doth bear unto his Mistresse of whom he receiveth no delight at all nor other contentment but to see her and to speak unto her and instead of good words from her doth oftentimes receive a churlish answer when this Love is so loyal and firm that for no adventure whatsoever can arrive it can be changed I say this is Chastity not only praise-worthy but miraculous It is no miracle at all said Oysilla for where the heart doth resolve and devote it self there is nothing impossible to the body Not to the bodies said Hircan which are already angelized I speak not of those said Oysilla who by the Grace of God are altogether transformed into him but of those which we see here on earth amongst Men and if you please but to take notice of them you shall find that those who have devoted all their heart and all their affections to attain unto the perfection of sciences have not only forgotten the pleasure of the flesh but even those things which are most necessary for the sustenance of life as to eat and to drink for so long as the Soul is active within the Body the flesh doth remain as it were insensible And from hence it comes to passe that those who love beautiful and virtuous Ladies do receive such a full contentment of Spirit to behold them and to hear them speak that the flesh is as it were appeased and taken off from all the heat of her desires And those who cannot feel those contentments are sensual and carnal and being overburthened with the weight and frailty of their flesh do not well know whether they have in them a Soul or no. But when the Body is subject to the Spirit it is as it were insensible to the imperfections of the flesh insomuch that the earnest study of the Soul in the strength of contemplation hath rendred Men insensible I have known a Gentleman who to give a demonstration that he hath loved a Lady more than any other hath held his naked fingers in the flame of a Candle his Companions standing by and looking stedfastly on the Lady he not stirring his hand at all did burn his Fingers to the very Bone yet nevertheless affirmed that he was not sensible of any pain In my opinion said Guebron the Devil whose Martyr he was should have made a Saint Laurence of him for there are some in whom the fire of love is so great that they will not fear that which is lesse in violence But if a Lady should have desired me to endure so much for her I should certainly have demanded some great recompense or drawn off my fancy to some other who would have been more merciful to me You would then said Parlament have your own will after that your Mistresse had hers like a Gentleman at Valence in Spain of whom a Commander who was a brave Souldier did not long since give me an account Madam I beseech you said Dagoucin that you will take my place and be pleased to relate it to us for I do presume it is a good story Ladies said Parlaâ— hata according to this Account you ought to look again aâ— again on that which you do refuse and never thnd that time without variation will be always the same but knowing how subject the present time is unto change you would take order for the time to come A Gentleman being disdained for an Husband did take upon him the orders of a Grey Frier by reason whereof his Sweet-heart not long afterwards did undergo the same punishment The fourth Novel IN the City of Valence there was a Gentleman who for the space of five or six years did love a Lady so absolutely that during that time neither the Honour nor the Conscience of either of them was prejudiced for it was his intention to have her to his Wife which seemed to their friends on both sides to be very reasonable for he was very handsome rich
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
of her self He determined therefore with himself since she used dissimulation to practise the same art himself and from that hour did forbear to Court he and so narrowly enquired after her conversation that he found at last she loved an Italian Gentleman who was very young and wise and lovely Signior Bonninet by little and little acquainted himself with that Gentleman with such cunning and sweetnesse that he perceived not the occasion and the Gentleman loved him so intirely that next unto his Mistresse who was this Lady there was not any in the world whom he tendred more affectionately Signior Bonninet to pluck his secret from his heart did counterfeit to tell him all his own and amongst other things told him That he loved such a Lady when indeed he scarce ever thought of her and desired him to keep it private because that they two had but one heart and but one thought The poor Gentleman to shew him a reciprocal Love did declare unto him all along the affection which he did bear to that Dame on whose disdain Bonninet would revenge himself Once a day they met together to acquaint one another with the fortunes which on that day they incounter'd which the Gentleman did in Truth and the other in Dissimulation The Gentleman confessed unto him That he had loved this Lady three years without receiving any thing but good words from her and an assurance to be beloved Bonninet did counsel and instruct him in all the ways that possibly he could by which he might arrive to the fruition of his Desires which the Gentleman found so effectual that in a few dayes she consented to all that he desired there nothing remained but to find out the opportunity which by the means of Signior Bonninet was brought about One day a little before Supper the Gentleman said unto him I am more obliged to you than to all the Gentlemen in the world for by your good Directions I hope to enjoy that this night which so many years I have desired I pray you said Bonninet tell me the manner of your enterprize to see if there be any deceit or danger in it that I may assist and serve you according to the obligations of our friendship Whereupon the Gentleman did particularly account unto him that the Lady had got the opportunity to have the great gate of her House left open in pretence of an Infirmity which one of her Brothers had by reason whereof every hour in the night they must send into the City to help him with some remedy in his necessities she informed him that he might safely come into the Court but advised him to have a care how he went up the stairs and that he might more safely passe another way and on lesse stairs which were on the right hand and that being come into the first gallery where were the chambers of her Father-in-law and her Brother-in-law he should come to the third Chamber next to the little stairs and knocking at the door gently if he should find it latched that then he should be gone for he might assure himself that her Husband was come home but if he found the door open that he should softly come in and latch the door fast being confident that there was none in the Chamber but her self and above all things that he should not forget to come to her with shooes made of Felt for fear of making a noise and withall that he should have a great care that he came not till two of the clock after Midnight because her Brothers-in-law who were much given to play did seldome go to bed till after one Bonninet said unto him Go my Friend God be thy guide whom I beseech to guard thee from all Inconveniences if my Company may do thee any good I will not spare any thing that lies in my power The Gentleman did thank him very heartily and told him That in that affair he could not be too secure and that he would go to prepare himself But Signior Bonninet would not hear on that ear and seeing it was the only hour to revenge himself on that cruel Lady he retired to his own Lodging betimes and caused his beard to be cut after the same length and largenesse as was the Gentlemans he also commanded in the same manner the hair of his head to be cut that by her touch she might not find any difference He did remember also the shooes of Felt and did put on such cloaths as were most like unto those which the Gentleman was accustomed to wear when he would be most gallant And because he was very well beloved by the Father-in-law of the Lady he feared not to go thither before the appointed hour conceiving with himself that if he was perceived he would go directly to his Chamber with whom he had some businesse About twelve of the clock he came into the House where he found many servants and some others comming and going amongst whom he passed without being known and came into the gallery And thrusting against the two first doors he found them shut but the third not having softly knocked at which he entred into it and having latched fast the door he found all the Chamber hung with white Linnen and the floor and the feeling with the same and a bed of Needlework excellently wrought all in white that it was impossible to have it better and the Lady alone within it having on a most rich Coyf and a Smock all covered with pearls and precious stones which he saw through one corner of the Curtain being not himself perceived by her for there was burning in the Chamber a great Candle of white Wâ—x which made the Chamber as bright as day And for fear he should be known by her he first of all put out the light which was burning in the Chamber afterwards he put off his cloaths and came into the bed to her who thinking it was he whom so long she loved did receive him with all the Love that possibly she could But he who knew well enough that it was in the Name of another did not speak one word and thought on nothing but thoroughly to put his vengeance into execution which was to take away from her her honour and her chastity against her will But the Lady was so well contented with that vengeance that she thought she had recompenced him for his long sufferings The clock had now struck one which was the time to bid her Farewel And speaking to her as softly as he could he asked her If she was as well contented with him as he was with her She thinking that it was her Friend made answer That she was not only contented but also marvelled at the greatnesse of his Love which had held him a whole hour without speaking to her At that he began to laugh outright and said unto her Now Madam will you refuse me another time as you have been accustomed to do untill this present She knowing
That although he believed he was innocent of that which was laid to his charge yet he found that he was possessed with a great fear which brought forth a desire to be gone from that Master whose complexion he as yet not understood For my own part Ladies I can find no other thing that could move the heart of the King to hazard himself alone against so brave a Man at Arms and leaving all the Company and the place and Majesty due unto a King to demand the Combat of his Inferiour but only that he would render himself equal to that admirable Prince who doubted of his Enemy and to content himself did give him the Experience of the Noblenesse and Courage of his own heart And without contradiction said Parlament he had reason for it for the praises of all the Men in the world cannot so much satisfie a good heart as the knowledge and the experience that it hath of the Virtues wherewith God hath endued it It is many hundred years since said Guebron that the Poets and others have informed us that to come to the Temple of Renown we must first passe through the Temple of Virtue And for my self who knew very well the two Personages who were the Subjects of this Account I am most assured that the King was absolutely one of the most valiant men that were in his Kingdom Upon my faith said Hircan from the hour that Count William came first from Germany into France I did more stand in fear of his Sword than of all theirs who were esteemed to be the most stout Italians in the Court You know well said Emarsuite that the King was so highly reputed for his valour that our praises cannot reach his Deserts and that this Dayes work will be finished before every one of us shall have given a due character of him Wherefore Madam Give your voice to some one else who hath yet something to say of the Goodnesse of Men if there be any Goodnesse at all in them Oysilla turning to Hircan said unto him you have been so much accustomed to speak ill of Women that it seems to me it will be easie to you to give us some ready account of the praise of Men Wherefore I give you my voice It will be a thing easie to me to do said Hircan for it is not long since that one did give me an account of the praises of a Gentleman whose Love Patience and Perseverance is so commendable that I cannot lose the Memory of it A fair young Lady made trial of the Faith of a young Scholar her Friend before she would permit him to intrench too far upon her Honour The Eighth Novell IN one of the good Cities of France there was a Lord of a great Family who was at the University desiring to attain unto the knowledge by what means virtue and honour ought to be acquired amongst virtuous Men. And although he was so knowing that being but eighteen years of age he seemed to be a Document and an Example unto others yet Love made him to sing after his Lesson And to be the better understood and received Love hid himself under the Damask complexion and in the eyes of the most beautiful young Lady that was in all that Countrey who for the following of a Sute she had in Law was come to that City But before Love had assayed to overcome the Gentleman by the beauties of this Lady he had gained the heart of her by observing the perfections that were in him for in Beauty Grace good Sense and gallant Elocution there was not any of whatsoever condition he was that could surpasse him You who do apprehend the ready and uncontrolled way which this Fire doth make when it hath taken hold of one of the corners of the heart and of the Fancy will easily judge that in two so perfect Subjects Love made no long delay but had them both at his Commandement and filled them both with so clear a light that all their thoughts will and discourse were but the flames of that Love which with their youth which begot a fear in them did make him to purchase and compleat his Affairs with the greatest sweetnesse that possibly could be But she who at first was overcome by Love needed no force Neverthelesse by reason of the shame which accompanieth young Ladies to the uttermost of her power she did stand upon her guard and did forbear to shew her good will untill that at the last the Fortresse of her heart which is the Seat of Honour was so ruined that the poor Lady did agree to that to which she could not be disagreeing Howsoever to make trial of the patience assurance and love of her Servant she did grant him that which he demanded but upon too hard conditions assuring him That if he should observe them she would alwayes love him most intirely and if he failed in the performance he should never enjoy her whilest he lived The Condition was That she was content to Discourse with him in Bed together having nothing on him but the Linen next unto their Bodies but so that he must not demand any thing at all of her but only a Complement and a Kisse He who thought there was no Joy that was worthy to be compared to this did easily accord unto it The Evening being come the promise was accomplished where for all the good entertainment she gave him and his and her striving desires he would not violat his oath And although he conceived that his torment was not lesse than that of Purgatory yet his love was so great and his hope so strong being sure of the perpetual continuance of her love which with so long reluctation he had purchased that his patience overcame and in the morning he did rise from her without doing her the least dishonor The young Lady as I believe being more astonished than contented with it did immediately begin to suspect with her self that his love was not so great as she conceived or that he found not in her so much delight as at first he propounded to himself she had not the least thought of the greatnesse of his honesty nor of his patience or fidelity and his care to keep his oath Wherfore she resolved with herself to make one proof more of his Love and intreated him to Court a Gentlewoman in her company that was younger than her self and almost as handsom that those who observed him so often to come unto her lodgings might conceive that his love was to her Companion and not unto herself The young Lord who assured himself to be beloved by her as long as he was a faithfull Servant to her did obey her command and inforced himself by the love he did vow to her to make love to this young Gentlewoman who seeing him so lovely and so well spoken did believe his pretence as it had been a truth and loved him as if altogether she had been beloved by him When the
you had a true repentance O Madam said Hircan the sin indeed hath much displeased me and I have been sorry that I have offended God but the pleasure hath pleased me You and such as are like unto you said Parlament would have neither God nor Laws but such only as your affections do prescribe unto you I must confesse said Hircan I could wish with all my heâ—rt that God took as great pleasure in my pleasures as I my self do You must not make to your self any new God said Guebron but be careful to obey him whom you have but let us leave this disputation to the Divines and let Longaren give her voice to some one else I do give it she said to Saffredant but I must intreat him to give us the best account that he can call to mind of Women and that he would not regard so much to speak evil of them as to conceal the truth when good is to be spoken of them Yruly said Saffredant I do consent unto you for I have in my hand an example of a wise Woman and a foolish one you may take that example which shall most please you and you shall understand that as in the hearts of the wicked love doth work wickedness's so in an honest he art it doth produce things worthy of prâ—ise For love of it self is good and it is the iniquity of the subject that oftentimes doth make it take the sirname of foolish light cruel or outragious Neverthelesse by this History which I shall account unto you it will easily appear that love doth not change the heart at all but doth shew it such as it is foolish unto the fools and wise unto the wise The pleasant discourse of a great Signior and the fine invention which he used to delight himself with a Lady of Pampelone The sixth Novel IN the reign of Lewis the twelfth there was a young Signior called Monsieur D' Avanes the Son of Monsieur Alebret brother to King Iohn of Navarre with whom the said Signior D' Avanes had his ordinary residence This young Signior was about fifteen years of age so lovely and graceful that it seems he was not made but to be loved and honoured which he was by all those whoever saw him and above all by a Gentlewoman living in the City of Pampelone in Navarre who was married there to a very rich man with whom she lived in a good and a great repute and although she was not above three and twenty years of age yet because her Husband was above fifty she did attire her self so modestly that she seemed by her dresse to be rather a Widdow than a young married Woman and never did any one see her go to Wedding or Feast without her Husband whose virtue and goodnesse she did so much esteem that she preferred it to the youth and lovelinesse of all others Her Husband finding her so discreet had such a confidence in her that he committed to her care and charge all the affairs of his house One day this rich man with his Wife was invited to the marriage of one of his kinted in which the more to honour the Nuptials there was the young Signior of Avanes who naturally loved dancings in which exercise of delight there was none that could surpasse him After dinner when the Mask began the rich man desired Signior D' Avanes to dancent the Signior demanded of him what Lady he should lead who made answer to him Sir if there were any here more lovely or more at my commandment than my own wife I would present her to you and I beseech you that you would do me the honour as to lead my Wife in the dance which the young Prince did but his youth at that time was so unexperienced that he took more pleasure to vault and cut capers than to regard the beauty of the Ladies And on the contrary she whom he did lead did more reguard the beauty and gracefulnesse of the said Signior than the dance in which she was although her discretion was such that she made not the least appearance of it The hour of Supper being come Signior D' Avanes did bid adieu to the company and returned to the Castle to which place the rich man did accompany him being mounted on his Mule and in the way he said unto him Sir you have this day done so great an honour to my self and to my kinred that in me it would be ingratitude if with all my fortunes I should not offer my self to do you service Sir I know very well that such young Lords as you who hard and covetous Fathers have oftentimes more need of money than we who keeping but a poor train and an ordinary house do think more of the heaping of it up than which way to lay it forth Sir so is is that God having given me a Wife according to my own desire hath not only in this World given me my Paradise being frustrated of those hopes and joys which Parents have of their Children Sir I know that it is too much honour to me to adopt you as my child but if you please to receive me for a Servant and declare unto me what your occasions are I will not fail to be ayding to you in your necessities as far as one hundred thousand Crowns will stretch Monsieur Avanes was very joyful of this offer for he had such a Father as the rich man had character'd and having heartlly thanked him he called him Father by alliance From the same hour the rich man did take such affection to Signior D' Avanes that Evening and Morning he did not fail to send unto him to hnow if he stood in need of any thing And he concealed not from his Wife the Devotion he had to Signior D' Avanes which made her doubly to love him and after that hour the Signior had of him whatsoever he desired He oftentimes would repair to the rich mans house to eat and drink with him and when he was not at home his Wise would give unto him whatsoever with reason he desired and moreover would speak so discreetly to him admonishing him to be virtuous that he stood in fear of her and did love her more than all the Women in the World She who had God and her Honour before her eyes was contented with his sight and to heat him speak unto her in which consists the satisfaction of honesty and true love insomuch that she never gave him any sign whereby he might conceive or judge that she did bear any other affection to him but what was pious and fraternal During this covered Love Monsieur D' Avanes having received the large supplies above-spoken was very gorgeous in his cloaths and maintained a gallant Equipage and being about eighteen years of Age he began to court Ladies and to seek after them more than he was accustomed to do And although he had rather make love to this wise young Gentlewoman than to any other yet the
fear he had to lose her love if she should understand his Intents did cause him to hold his peace and to think where to place his affections somewhere elfe In this resolution he did address himself to a young Lady not far from Pampelone who had a house also in that City and was newly married to a young man who above all things did love horses and doggs and hawks For the love of her Signior D' Avanes began to make a thousand pastimes as Turnaments Horse-races Masks Feasts and other sports at all which this young Lady would be alwayes present But because her Husband was very phantastical her Father and Mother being jealous of her honour because they knew her to be beautiful and of a frolick disposition did keep her so close that Signior D' Avanes could have nothing of her but now and then some few words when they danced together although in a small time he did easily perceive that to the compleating of their loves there was nothing wanting but Time and place Wherefore he came to his good Father the rich Man and told him that he had a great Devotion to go visit our Lady of Mont-serral desiring him till his return to take into his House all his servants because he had a desire to travel alone to which the Gentleman consented But his Wife who had in her heart that great Prophet called Love did incontinently suspect the truth of the voyage and could not contain her self from speaking to him and said Monsieur the Lady which you are going to adore is not out of the walls of this City wherefore above all things I do beseech you to have a care of your health especially of the health of your soul He who did both fear and love her did blush so much to hear those words that without speaking any thing his cheeks did confesse the truth thereof unto her and upon that he departed and having bought two gallant Spanish Jennets he disguized himself in the habite of a Hors-keeper and so discoloured his face that none could know him The Gentleman who was Husband to this foolish Lady who above all things loved Horses having beheld those two which Signior D' Avanes had brought with him did incontinently buy them and having well looked upon the Horsekeeper that did bring them he demanded of him if he had a mind to serve him Signior D' Avanes made answer Yes and told him That he was a poor young Man that had no other way to live but only by dressing and looking to Horses in which he could so well acquit himself that he was most consident that he would rest content The Gentleman being very glad of it did give him the charge of all his Horses and entring into his house he told his Wife That being to go unto the Castle he did recommend his Horses and his Horsman to her The young Lady as well to please her Husband as having no other recreation did go unto the Stable and looked upon the Horses and observed the new Horsekeeper who seemed to her to be a very handsome young Man but she had not the least knowledge of him He when he perceived that he was not known by her did approach to make his reverence to her after the manner of Spain and having taken her by the hand he kissed it and kissing of it did lock her hand so fast in his that presently she knew him for in dancing with her heretofore he oftentimes would use the same From that time the young Lady ceased not to seek out some place where she might discourse with him by her self which she did the very same Evening for being invited forth to a Feast whither her Husband would have her to go with him she feigned that she was sick and not able to go Her Husband who would not disappoint his friends did say unto her Sweet-heart Since you are not pleased to go with me I pray have a care of my Dogs and my Horses and see that they want nothing The young Lady found this Commission very agreeable unto her and without making any other apparence she said unto him That seeing he would not imploy her in any better business she would make him understand in the meanest services how much she desired to be complacent to him Her Husband was no sooner out of the Gate but she came down into the Stable where she found divers faults and to redresse them she imployed all her Grooms on so many errands that she remained alone with the Master Horsekeeper And for fear that any one should interrupt her she said unto him Go into the Garden and stay a little in the Cabinet which is at the end of the Allee Which he so readily performed that he had not the leisure to thank her and after she had given orders to all the Grooms of the Stables she did go to see the Doggs taking the like care that they might want nothing sitting for Doggs to have insomuch that of a Mistresse she was become a servant-maid Returning to her Chamber she sound her self so weary that immediately she did go to bed saying that she would take a little rest and all her women left her excepring one whom she trusted to whom she said Go into the Garden and bring him hither to me whom you shall find at the end of the Allee The Chamber-maid did go thither where she found the Master Horse-keeper whom she brought immediately to the Lady who commanded the Maid to go forth and watch when her Husband did come Signior D' Avanes seeing himself alone with the Lady did despoil himself of the habiliments of a Horse-keeper he took off his false Nose and his false beard and not as a fearful Horse-keeper but as a gallant young Signior without demanding any leave of the Lady he did leap boldly into the bed to her where he was received as the bravest young man that was in those days by the most wanton of all the Ladies of that Country and he continued with her until such time as her Husband did return of which having timely notice he did put on his disguises and forsook the pleasures which by subtilty he usurped The Gentleman coming into the Court did understand the diligence which his Wife had used to obey him and gave her many thanks for it Sweet-heart said the Lady I have but only done my duty but it is true that if a narrow eye be not had over those naughty boys you will not have a Horse but will be lean nor a Dog but will be mangy But since I understand their sloth and your good will they shall be better look'd unto than they were ever heretofore The Gentleman who thought he had got the best Horse-keeper in the World demanded of her what she thought of him I assure you Sir said she that he understands himself as well as any Servant you could have chosen but he had need to be followed and rouzed up for he is one
that according to my imperfection I will not cease to bear you that affection which shall become a Woman fearing God and her own Honour but this affection can never be fully made known unto you until your Heart be capable of the patience which a virtuous Love doth command And for the present Sir I do know what Language I am to hold with you Howsoever you may assure your self that you love not so well your own Good Person or Honour as I do love it Signior Avanes being daunted did make a little pause and taking new Courage he did humbly beseech her That to give him an assurance of what she spake she would be pleased to kiss him But she refused it affirming that for so vain a thing she would not break the Custom of her Countrey As they were in this Debate her Husband did come in to whom Signior D' Avanes said My Father I do perceive my self to be so much obliged to you to your good Wife that I must beseech you that for ever you will repute me to be your Son which the good Man most willingly did consent unto And in the assurance of this love I do intreat you said Signior D' Avanes that I might kisse you Immediately the good Man kissed him and Signior Avanes said unto him If it were not for fear to offend the Law and Custome of the Country I would do as much to my Mother your Wife The Husband hearing that did command his Wife to kisse him which she did without making any appearance to be either willing or unwilling because her Husband did command her Immediatly the fire which her words before did begin to kindle in the heart of the poor Signior did vehemently increase by her kisse so much desired and at first so cruelly refused This being done Signior D' Avanes repaired to the King his Brother in the Castle where he told many fine stories of his Voyage to Montserrat and understood that the King his Brother was preparing to go to Olly and Tassares and considering with himself that the Journey would be long he was surprized with a great sadnesse which constrained him to resolve before his departure to make an essay whether this virtuous Lady did bear him more good will than she seemed to do wherupon he took up his lodgings in a house of the City and in the same street where she lived The house being old ruinous and made of Wood about midnight he did set it on fire whereupon the Cry was so great throughout the City that it came to the house of the rich man who comming to the window demanded what the businesse was it was answered to him that there was a great fire at the House of Signior D' Avanes He immediatly repaired thither with all his people and found the young Signior in the middle of the street in his shirt having pity on him he took him in his Armes and covered him with his Gown and conveying him to his house with all the speed that possibly he could he said to his Wife who was in bed Sweetheart I give you here this prisoner to keep use him as you would use my self And as soon as ever he was departed Signior D' Avanes who would willingly be intreated by her as if he were her Husband did lightly leap into the bed hoping that the occasion and the place would aler the resolution of that virtuous Woman but he found it otherwise for as soon that on one fide he leapt into the bed she made hast out of it on the other and throwing her night Gown on her she came up to the head of the bed and said unto him How now Monsieur do you believe that any opportunities can alter a chast heart You may assure your self that as Gold is proved in the furnace so is a chast heart in the midest of all temptations by which oftentimes it is proved to be more strong and virtuous and doth grow more cold by being assaulted by the most violent hears Wherefore rest your self assured that if I had any other will than what I have represented to you I could not fail to find means to make you know the injury you would doe me which not desiring to use I doe account them nothing But I must desire you if you would have me to continue the affection which I do bear unto you that you would remove far from you not only the will but also the very thought to find me otherwise than I am During this Discourse her Maids came in to whom she gave a command to bring her a Collation of all manner of Confects But he at that time was sensible neither of hunger or thirst with such a desperation was he possessed that he had failed in his enterprise he was afraid that the demonstration which he had made unto her of his passionate love might be an occasion to deprive him of all familiarities with her for the time to come Her Husband having given order for the extinguishing of the Fire was now returned and intreated Monsieur D' Avanes that he would stay in his House for that night which he consented to But the night was passed away in such a manner that his Eyes were more exercised in weeping than in sleeping And early in the morning he came to their bedside to bid them Farewell and kissing the Lady he readily found that she had more pity of him than ill will towards him for his offence and this was a new coal which over and above was added to the fire of his Love After Dinner he did set forth with the King to Trassares but before he took Horse he did once more repair to the House of his Father and Mother to bid them Adieu who after the first Commandement of her Husband did make no more difficulty to kisse him than if he had been her own Son But you may be sure that the more that Virtue did forbid her to reveal her hidden flame by her eyes and by her countenance the more it did increase and become insupportable insomuch that being no longer able to endure the War which Love and Honour had made in her Heart which neverthelesse she had determined with her self never to demonstrate having lost the comfort both of seeing and hearing him for whom she lived she was surprized by so violent a Feaver occasioned by a continual melancholly that the outward parts of her body became cold although she burned incessantly within The Physicians in whose hands the health of men doe always depend did begin to doubt of her recovery by reason of her great oppilation which did render her so melancholy and counselled her Husband to advise her to make her peace with the Physician of her Soul The poor Husband who most intirely loved his Wife was oppressed with so extream a sorrow by reason of those words that to comfort himself he did write to Signior D' Avanes beseeching him to take the pains to come
not suffer her desires to go beyond her reason You may paint it forth unto us said Hircan as you please but I know that the worse Devil always doth turn out the other and that Pride and Hypocrisie did turn from her away her pleasure for Ladies robes are so long and so woven with dissimulation that we cannot know what they carry within them for if they were not more nice of their honour than we are we should find that Nature had forgot her self no more in them than in Men And by reason of the fear they have not to dare to take the pleasure they do desire they have changed that vice into a greater which they conceive to be more honest and that is into a Glory and a Cruelty by which they hope to purchase themselves an Immortality and thus they boast they can resist the vice of the Law of Nature If our Nature be vicious what is theirs who not only make themselves like unto Beasts which are inhumane and cruel but also like unto Devils from whom they receive their Pride and Dissimulation It is pity said Nomerfide that you have so virtuous a Lady to your wife seeing you do not only undervalue Virtue in another but would prove all Women to be vitious I am happy said Hircan to have a Wife who is not scandalized and I would not have her to be so but as for that Chastity of Heart you speak of I believe that she and I are both of us the Children of Adam and Eve wherefore in beholding our selves we should not only cover our nakednesse with leaves but also confesse our frailty I know said Parlament that we do all stand in need of the Grace of God because we are inclined unto Sin but our Temptations are not like unto yours and if we do sin through Pride there is no second prejudiced by it neither are our hands soyled or our bodies defiled But your pleasure doth consist in the dishonouring of Women and it is your Honour to kill men in Wars which are two positions directly contrary to the Law of God I do confesse unto you said Guebron that you speak the Truth but God having said That whosoever looketh with Concupiscence is already an Adulteress in his heart and that whosoever hateth his neighbour is an homicide satisfie me I pray you Are Women exempted more than Men God who judgeth the heart said Longaren will give sentence But it is too much that Men should be our Accusers for the goodnesse of God is so great that he knows and pardons the frailties of our hearts But let us leave off this Dispute said Saffredant for it doth savour more of a Preachment than of a pleasant Account Wherefore said he I give my voice to Emarsuite desiring her that she will not forget to make us to laugh Truly said she I shall take care not to fail you being determined to give a brief account of two servants of a Princesse so pleasant that it doth make me to forget the melancholy of another History which I had an intent to exhibit unto you and to put some mirth upon my face to make it appear more agreeable unto you The rashnesse of a foolish Secretary who sollicited the Wife of his Companion by the means whereof he received great shame The seventh Novell IN the City of Ambois there dwelled the Servant of a Princesse who was Groom of her Chamber an honest Man and who gave good entertainment to all that came unto his House but above all to his Companions It is not long since that one of the Secretaries of his Mistresse did come thither to lodge where he stayed ten or twelve dayes This Secretary was so deformed that he seemed rather to be King of the Canibals than a Christian And although his Host who was also his Companion did intreat him as his Brother or his dearest friend and with all the honour that possibly he could yet he did go about such an Enterprise that it did seem he had not only fogot all honesty but had never entertained any in his heart which was in a dishonest and an unlawful way to sollicit the Wife of his Companion who had nothing in her that might incite him to love although she was indeed as virtuous a Woman as any was in the City where she lived she perceiving the lustfull desires of the Secretary thinking it better by dissimulation for a time to discover his Vice at last than to cover it by a sudden refusal did counterfeit to approve and like his motion Therefore he who thought that he should gain her to his will without regarding her age which was above fifty and that she was none of the handsomest and without considering the good report she had to be a very honest Woman and to love her Husband most intirely did incessantly importune her One day amongst the rest her Husband being imployed about some great businesse at home and they two being together in the Hall she pretended that she only deferred him to find out a â—ure place to be alone with him accordingly as he desired To whom immediatly he replyed That he would go up into the Cockloft She suddenly did rise and did desire him to go before and said she would follow after him He laughing for joy with a sweetnesse of face much like unto a great Baboon when it is about to feed did very lightly go up the stairs and with a labouring Expectation attending that which he so much did desire burning not with a cleer five but as a great Coal in the forge did listen if she were comming up after him but instead of hearing her feet he did hear her voice speaking unto him Master Secretary Stay there a little I am going to my Husband to know of him If he be pleased that I shall come up unto you You may imagin with your selves what a face he made when he wept who did look so ugly when he laughed He immediatly came down with tears in his eyes and for the love of God did beseech her to be silent and nor by her words to break the love which was between her Husband and himself She made answer to him that she was sure he loved her Husband so well that he would not speak of any thing to her which he would not have him to understand wherefore said she I goe to acquaint him with it which she did whatsoever intreaties he made or constraints he could use to the contrary whereupon he took himself to his heels and did run away out of the doors and was as much ashamed as her Husband was glad to understand the honest deceit which his Wife had used and her virtue so much pleased him that he made no account of the vice of his Companion who was sufficiently punished to carry on him his own shame which he would have brought upon that house Ladies it doth appeart to me that personages of worth ought to learn by this account not to
entertain those whose Consciences hearts and understandings are ignorant of God and true love and Honour Although your account be but short said Oysilla yet it is as pleasant as may be and conduceth much to the honour of the good Woman In sober sadness said Simontault it is no great honour to an honest woman to refuse so deformed a Creature as you have expressed this Secretary to be but if he had been lovely and debonair then had she shewed her Virtue And because I peradventure do conceive who this Secretary was if it were now my turn I could rehearse another account unto you as pleasant altogether as this you shall not he wanting for that said Emarsuite for I give you my voice whereupon he did immediatly begin Those who are accustomed to have their residence at the Court or in some great Cities doe esteem so highly of their own knowledge that they think all others are but fools and clowns in the comparison of them but it is not so for in all Countreys and amongst all conditions of men there have been found some as witty always and as subtle as the others possible can be neverthelesse by reason of the Pride of those who think themselves most cunning the mockery of them when they are over-matched is always more remarkable as I shall shew you by this true Account which happened not many years agoe A certain Secretary was resolved to be too hard for a Merchant who was too hard for him and what befell him thereupon The eighth Novel FRancis the first of that name being in the City of Paris and his Sister the Queen of Navar in his company she had a Secretary who was none of those who would let any thing fall down on the ground and refuse to take it up again insomuch there was neither President nor Counsellor which he did not know nor Merchant or rich man whose house he did not frequent and hold intelligence with them There came into the said City of Paris a Merchant of Bayons named Bernard du Ha who as well for the discharge of his affaires as for that the Lieutenant Civil was of his Country did addresse himself unto him for his Counsel and Assistance This Secretary of the Queen of Navar did oftentimes repair to visit the Lieutenant who was a good Servant of his Master and of his Mistresse and going to him upon a Holy-day he found neither him nor his Wife at home but heard Bernard du Ha within as busie as might be with a Viol or some other Instrument teaching the Maid-Servants to dance the Morice of Gascogny When the Secretary beheld him he would have made him believe that he did very ill and assured him that if the Lieutenant or his Wife should know of it they would be highly displeased with him And having sufficiently laid forth the inconvenience of what he had done and the danger that might ensue thereon Bernard du Ha did beseech the Secretary not to speak unto the Lieutenant of it who said unto him what will you give me and I will hold my peace Bernard du Ha who entertained not so great a fear as he made a shew for observing that the Secretary would cajole him to a forfeit did promise him to give him a Pasty of the best Hanch of Gascony Venison that he did ever ear The Secretary being well contented with it did desire him that he might have his Pasty on Sunday after Dinner which Bernard du Ha did promise and assured him that he should not fail of it Whereupon the Secretary repaired to a Gentlewoman in Paris whom above all Creatures he desired to espouse and said unto her Madam If you please I will come on Sunday next to sup with you but you are to take care for nothing but only good bread and good Wine for I have over-reached so hansomly a Merchant of Bayons that all the rest shall be at his expence and by my fine circumvention of him you shall eat of the bravest Hanch of Venison that ever was brought from Gascogny to Paris The Gentlewoman who did believe him did send for three or four of the most considerable of her Neighbours and did assure them of something which was very dainty and which they never tasted of before When Sunday was come the Secretary was fain to look after the Merchant and finding him upon the bridge he graciously saluting him said unto him The Devills take you all of them what a trouble have you put me to to find you out Bernard du Ha replyed unto him many men have taken more pains than you who have not been recompensed with such a present And speaking those words unto him he shewed him the Pasty which he had underneath his cloak and was big enough to feed a whole Camp at which the Secretary was so overjoyed that having made up his wide mouth he hastily took it and leaving the Merchant in the street without inviting him to cat of his own Venison he brought his Present to the young Gentlewoman who had a great desire to know If the Viands of Guyen were as good as the Dainties of Paris The hour of Supper being come as they were earing their pottage the Secretary said unto them Let us leave off this watry Diet and tast of this Flagon of Wine and speaking those words he uncovered the Pasty and thinking to cut up the Hanch he did find it so extremely hard that he could not put his knife into it wherefore he used the utmost of his strength and found that it was a broad piece or Sabot of wood of which their shooes are made in Gascoigny to which on each side he had placed two great brands taken out of the Chimney and strowed on the tops thereof the Dusts of rusty Iron mingled with foot which could not but render a gratefull smell Who was perplexed now It was the Secretary as much that he was deceived by him whom he thought to deceive himself as also that he had deceived her to whom he thought that he had spoken the Truth And on the other side he was no wise pleased to content himself only with pottage for his Supper The women who were altogether as sorry as himself had accused him for his Imposture but that they perceived by his Countenance that he did partake with them in the abuse Having thus contrary to his expectation made but a light Supper he departed in a great choler And seeing that Bernard du Ha had failed in his promise he resolved with himself to break his own and addressing himself to the Lieutenant he did speak the worst words that possibly he could of Bernard But he could not come so soon but Bernard du Ha had been with him before and revealed unto him all the mystery The Lieutenant therefore did passe his sentence on the Secretary and said that at his own expence he had now learned to circumvent a Gascoign and must therefore return with
more to acknowledge the Virtue and the Goodness of Men which causeth me to follow the trace of the last account by giving you a History that hath relation to it A President of Grenoble being adverised of the inordinate affection of his Wife did so well manage the business that his honour was not interested in it and he himself was thoroughly revenged The sixth Novel IN the City of Grenoble there was a President whose Name I will conceal howsoever he was no French man he had a very handsom Wife and lived in great peace with her This Woman observing that her Husband was grown old did fall in love with a Clerk of his a lovely young fellow and comming on Every morning when her Husband repaired to the Palace the Clerk entred into his Chamber and possessed his place One of the servants of the President did perceive it who having served him above thirty years and being loyal to his Master could not contein himself from giving him notice of it The President who was a wise man would not lightly give any credence to it but told him that he had a desire to plant Division betwixt his Wife himself And to prove the truth he commanded him to shew her to him in the manner of it Which if he could not do he would believe he said that he had contrived that slander to make a separation betwixt them His Groom assured him that what he had spoken he would cause him to see with his own eyes and accordingly one morning as soon as the President was gone unto the Palace and the Clerk was entred into the Chamber of his Wife The Servant sent one of his fellows to acquaint his Master that he might come at that instant and take them together and stayed at the Chamber door himself to watch that the Clerk should not come forth The President had no sooner this news brought unto him by his Servant but feigning himself to be sick on the sudden and that a great qualm came over his stomack he returned in great hast to his own house where he found his old Servant at the door of his Chamber who assured him for certain that his Clerk was within and that he had not been very long there His Master said unto him stir not from this door for thou knowest well enough that there is no other entry nor door but only this saving only a Cabinet within of which I always take the Key with me Having spoke these words the President entred into his Chamber and found his Wife and the Clerk both in bed together The Clerk seeing him did in his shirt throw himself down at his feet and craved pardon of him and his Wife on the other side did begin to weep The President said unto them Although the injury which you have done me is such as you your selves may well conceive to be unpardonable yet I doe tender you so much that I will not have my house to be dishonoured nor my children which I had by you to be disgraced wherefore said he to his Wife do not weep but observe what I will doe and doe you Nicholas for so his Clerk was named withdraw and conceal your self in my Cabinet and make not the least noise When he had so don he opened the door and calling in his old Servant he said unto him Didst not thou assure me that thou wouldst shew me my Clerk lying in bed with my Wife and on thy word am I come hither and had taken a full resolution to kill my Wife I have not found any thing of what thou hast said unto me and yet have thorowly searched the Chamber as I will shew unto you and speaking those words he commanded his Groom to look under the Bed and in every corner of the Chamber When the Groom could not discover him he said to his Master in a great amazement The Devil sure must carry him away for I will take my oath that I saw him goe in and which way he is gone out God knows but out at this door he is not gone His Master replyed unto him Thou art a wicked Knave to attempt to make any difference between me and my Wife wherefore I do charge thee to be gone out of my house and for the Services which thou hast done me I will pay thee what I owe thee and more than what I owe thee but get thee out of my doors and be sure that thou art not in this City fout and twenty hours And having thus rebuked him he liberally paid him his wages and gave him a reward for 5 or 6 years service to come and knowing that he had been a dutiful Servant he told him that for all the discharging his house of him he might be yet more beneficial to him The Servant being dismissed and gone the President commanded the Clerk to come out of the Cabinet and having as he thought good reproved him and his Wife for their irregular excess of love he did forbid them to make any appearance of it to any man and desired his Wife to attire her self more gorgeously than she was accustomed to doe and gave her leave freely to goe to all Companies and Feasts He also did look upon the Clerk with a more friendly eye than he was accustomed and whispering him in his ear he bid him to goe into the City and take his pleasure there for three or four hours This being done the President repaired to the Palace without making the least appearance of any thing and for fifteen days together quite contrary to his former custom he did nothing but Feast his Friends and Neighbours and after the Banquet he had Musick to invite the Ladies to dance One day observing that his Wife was melancholy and did refuse to dance he commanded his Clerk to lead her forth into the dance The Clerk believing that he had forgotten all former faults did with great joy take her by the hand and used many frolicks with her in the dance but the dance being ended the President pretending he had some businesse with him did whisper him in the ear and said unto him Now get thee gone for good and all and be sure that thou dost come no more into my house The Clerk was very sorrowful to forsake the Genwoman his Mistresse but as glad on the other side that he had saved his own life After that the President by this good entertainment of them had given assurances to all the kinred and friends of his Wife and to all the Country how much he did affect her He retired in his Garden on a Sun-shine day to gather a Sallad of herbs for her which his Wife had no sooner tasted of but she died within four and twenty hours for whom he made so great a funeral and so much lamenration that not any one could suspect he was the occasion of her death and by this means he revenged himself of his Enemy and saved the Honour of his House
that above all things to the utmost of her power she did fly all temptations to behold him At the sast the great Desire which he had to expresse his love unto her did prompt him to an Expedient for the accomplishment thereof which was to ride on his great Horse he being most experienced in that Art in a publique place of the City before the house of his Butler where Frances lived and having made his Horse to tread many Rings and to rise aloft into many dangerous Corvetts where Frances might behold him he did premeditately fall from his Horse into a deep Mire and so easily that he received no hurt at all howsoever he complained much and demanded if there were no lodgings thereabouts that he might change his habiliments Every one was ready at his Door to present their service to him but some that stood by did assure him that his own Butlers house was the next and the best of which he made choice above all others He found there a Chamber richly accommodated and stripped himself into his shirt for his cloaths were all corered with Mud When he was in Bed and observed that his Servants were gone from him to provide him with new habiliments he called for his Host and Hostesse and demanded of them where Frances was They had much to do to find her for as soon as she perceived the Prince did enter into the house she did hide her self in the most obscure and unfrequented place thereof Neverthelesse her Sister found her out who did intreat her not to be afraid to hold Discourse with such a Civil and so Virtuous a Prince How my Sister said Frances Do you whom I reverence as my Mother advise me to Discourse with a young Lord whose Desires you can witnesse with me I do know too well Her Sister made her so many Remonstrances and Promises that she would not leave her alone with him that at the last she did go along with her but with a countenance so discoloured so wan and spiritlesse that it would rather beget Pity than Concupiscence When the Prince beheld her near unto his Bed he did take her by her hand which was cold and trembling and said unto her Frances Do you esteem me to be so cruel a man so barbarous and devouring that I ear up Women when I doe look upon them Wherefore have you so great a fear of him who regardeth nothing more than your honour and advantage You know that in all places that it was possible for me to find you I have sought you out only to see you and to speak unto you and to do me the greatest spite in the world you have forsaken all those places where I was accustomed to see you at Masse that I might receive no contentment at all either by seeing you or by speaking to you But all this hath served you to no purpose for I have not ceased to follow you and am come hither by the means which you have seen having endanger'd to break my neck by falling willfully from my Horse to receive the Contentment onely but to speak to you Wherefore I intreat you Frances because I have put my self into Danger with so much inconvenience that it may not be unprofitable to me and that with my great love I may purchase yours When a long time he attended her answer and beheld that she had tears in her eyes which were fixed on the ground drawing her unto him as close as possibly he could he thought to have kissed and embraced her but she said unto him No Sir No That which you search after must not be had for although I am but a Worm of the Earth in comparison of you my honour is so dear unto me that I had rather dye than have it diminished for the greatest pleasure in the world and the fear which I have that those who have seen you come into this House do suspect me to be the cause of it is the occasion of that great trembling which is upon me And because it hath pleased you to do me so great an Honour as to speak unto me you must pardon me if I make an answer to you according as my Honour doth command me I am not so blind my Lord either in my understanding or my eys that I do not perfectly see the great Beauty and the Graces with which God hath indued you and I do believe that Lady shall be the most happy Woman in the world who shall possesse the Body and the Love of so accomplished a Prince But to what purpose is all this seeing it is not for me to enjoy nor any Maid of my low condition insomuch that but onely the desire of it should be in me a perfect folly What may I conceive to be the Reason which doth cause you to addresse your self to me but onely that the Ladies of your Court whom you cannot chuse but love if Beauty and all her Graces are to be loved by you are so virtuous that you dare not demand that of them which the smallnesse of my Estate doth prompt you unto a hope to receive from me And I am confident that when you shall enjoy that which you do desire of such a silly Maid as my self it will serve as a subject only to you to entertain discourse with your Mistresse for two long hours and more in accounting to her your great Victories to the prejudice and overthrow of a weak and credulous Virgin But my Lord I must beseech you to consider with your self that I am not of that Condition I have been brought up in a House where I have learned what it is to love My Father and my Mother were your faithfull Servants wherefore I must beseech you since God hath not made me a Princesse to be espoused to you nor of Estate to be accounted your Mistresse or your Sweet-heart that you would not make me your Prostitute for I do highly esteem of your Virtues and do desire that you may be the most happy of all the Princes in Christendom And if for your Recreation you will have Women of my Estate you may find enough in this City and beyond all comparison far more handsom than my self who will not put you to so much trouble to intreat them Addresse your self therefore unto those the purchase of whose honour may be pleasing to you and let her alone who doth love you better than her self for if it should so fall out that either your life or my own should this day be required of God I should esteem my self most happy to sacrifise my own for the preservation of yours It is not for want of love that I doe fly from your Company but something else is lodged in my Conscience for my Honour is more dear unto me than my life If it please you my Lord I will doe the uttermost of my indeavour to continue in your good opinion and through all my life will pray unto God for your health
be the Cause that she should be unfortunately married to another but with much patience attended the happy hour to espouse her himself in which he is much to be commended To speak the truth said Oysilla they were both of them worthy of blame and the Third also who was their Go-between and an Adjunct in this Violation of Chastity Do you call that a Violation said Saffredant when two parties are so well accorded Can there be a better Marriage than that which is celebrated by Lovers This is the occasion of the Proverb that Marriages are made in Heaven And it is not to be understood of forced Marriages not of those which are made for the lucre of money and which have been approved because the Father and the Mother have given their Consent unto them You may speak what you please said Oysilla but it is necessary that in this we must acknowledge an obedience to our Parents and in the defect of Father and Mother we ought to have Recourse to our next Kinred For otherwise if it were permitted to all to marry themselves according to their own pleasure How many cornuted Marriages would there be Do you believe that a young Man or a Girl of twelve or fifteen years of Age being married together do understand what doth belong unto them He who with a stedfastâ—ey shall look upon the occasion of the Contempt of all Marriages shall find that there are at least as many of those whose Events are unfortunate that have passionately been begun by Lovers as of those which have been carried on by force Wherefore let young people who know not what doth belong unto themselves first examine and prove what without Consideration they have begun and by little and little they will discover those errours which will occasion them to enter into a greater emazement On the other side the most part of those Marriages which are made by compulsion do proceed from the experience of those who have more sight and judgement than those whom most nearly it doth concern insomuch that when they come to the years of discretion to be sensible of the Good which they did not understand they will then both acknowledge it and imbrace it with a more distinct acceptance and with a far greater affection But Madam said Hircan you make no mention at all that the Maid was of a good Age and marriageable and understood well enough the Iniquity of her Father who would not have the Maidenhead of his Daughter to be lost because he would have his Crowns to be saved And do you not know that Nature of her self is the most provident Huswife This Maid loved she was beloved she knew of her self what she had to do and was old enough to remember the Proverb Those who refuse do afterwards repent All these things put together with the prompt execution of the Wooer did not give her the leisure to withstand him You have heard also in this Account that presently afterwards it was to be discovered by her face that there was some remarkable change which peradventure was occasioned by the sorrow which she entertained that she had no more leisure to judge whether the thing that was done was good or evil for she did not with any great unwillingnesse draw back from giving consent to the second Assault For my part said Longaren I cannot excuse her but must approve of the faith of the young Man who governing himself by the Laws of Honesty would not abandon her especially since he had made her such as she was In which he seems to me to be worthy of the highest Commendation especially if we consider the depraved Corruption of Youth in these present times Howsoever for all this I cannot so excuse him for the first fault but if I look upon the Maid I must accuse him of a Rape and if I look upon her Mother I must accuse him of subornation No no said Dagoucin Here is no place at all either for Rape or Subornation It was done on all sides with pure consent as well on the Mothers side who did not hinder it as on the Daughâ—ers who did like so well of it that she did not complain All this proceeded said Parlament out of the great good Nature and Simplicity of her Mother who under the title of good neighbourhood without so much as thinking of it did bring her Daughter to the Butchery Not to the Butchery but to her marriage said Simontault insomuch that this simplicity was profitable to the Maid If you have any Account in readinesse said Nomerfide I do give you my voice to recite it to us I will not fail said Simontault but upon condition that the Ladies shall promise me not to weep And Ladies they who will affirm that your subtility doth exceed that of Men will have enough to do to produce such an Example to prove it as I now am going about to account unto you to prove the contrary in which I intend not only to declare unto you the great cunning and dissimulation of a Husband but withal the greater Simplicity and Goodnesse of his Wife A Husband chastising his Chambermaid did deceive the Simplicity of his Wife The fifth Novel IN the City of Tours there lived a man of a subtle and a sharp understanding who was the maker of the Tapistry for the late Duke of Orleans Son to King Francis the first and although by the injury of sickness he became deaf yet he had nothing at all diminished in his understanding for he was the most experienced man alive in his profession and in other things you shall hear how ready he was to assist himself He was married to a good Woman of good fortunes with whom he lived in great peace and comfort He was afraid to displease her and her endeavour was to obey and please him in all things but for all the good love he did bear unto her he was withall so charitable that oftentimes he gave that unto his neighbours which did belong unto his Wife although he carried it as secretly as possibly he could He had in his house a Chambermaid a Wench of a delicate complexion of whom he was very amorous and neverthelesse fearing that his Wife should take notice of it he often made an apparence to his Wife to rebuke and chide her telling her Mistresse that she was the laziest Slut that ever he saw and that he did much wonder that she did not beat her And speaking one day of whipping and chastising little Children he said unto his Wife it would be a good Almes to give such stripes to your lazy Girl whom you keep but then it must not be with your hand for your hand is too weak and your heart too pittiful I doe believe if she should feel the weight of my hand we should be far better served by her than we are The poor Woman who thought no hurt at all desired him that he would put in execution what he said
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
was but whatsoever prayer she could make or reasons she could allege nothing would mollifie his heart nor overcome the heady resolution he had taken with himself to be revenged on her for without answering his Wife one Word he withdrew himself from her as fast as he could and forgetting God and the honour of his House without any form of Justice he most cruelly caused the Maid to be apprehended I will not in this place undertake to describe unto you the perplexity of the Dutchesse which was such that a Lady of Honour and of a good spirit ought to have who on the obligation of her faith did see her to die whom she desired to preserve But much lesse may the lamentations of the poor Gentleman be represented who was his Servant and failed not to use the utof his endeavour as much as it was possible for him to doe to save the life of the Maid offering to lose his own life for her but it would not be accepted and no pity could touch the heart of the Duke who knew no other felicity but to revenge himself of those whom he hated In this manner was the innocent Maid put to death by this cruel Duke against all Law of honesty to the great grief of all those who knew her See here Ladies what are the effects of malice when power is joyned unto it I have heard it spoken said Longaren that the greatest part of the Italians I say the greatest part for no doubt there are some honest men amongst them as in all other Nations are subject to their Vices in which none do exceed them but I though that Vengeance and Cruelty had not been so predominant as upon every small occasion to give so cruel a death Saffredant smiling did say unto her Longaren you have given us a true Account of one of the three Vices I would fain know what are the other two If you do not know them already said Longaren I will tell them you but I am confident you are not to learn what they are By your words said Saffredant you would make me a very vicious Man Not by deeds said Longaren but in knowing the filthinesse of Vice you can better than another know how to avoid it Wonder not said Simontault at their cruelty for those who have travelled into Italy will tell you such incredible things of them that this in the comparison will appear but a little Sin or no Sin at all Believe me said Guebron when Rivoli was taken by the French there was an Italian Captain who was esteemed to be a Gentleman who seeing one dead who was not his Enemy in particular but only took part against the Gibelins did tear his heart out of his belly and rosting it upon the Coals did greedily devour it and some present demanding of him what tast it had he made answer that he never did eat a sweeter or a more voluptuous morsel And not content with this goodly Act he killed the Wife of the Dead Man and tearing her young child out of her belly being almost ready to be delivered did dash it into pieces against the walls and afterwards filled the two Bodys of the Husband and Wise with Oats and threw them to his Horses to seed on How do you think he would have used this Girl whom he had suspected to have done him a displeasure It might well be affirmed said Emarsuite that the Duke was very much afraid that his Son should have married poorly and that was the reason that he would not suffer him to have a Wife according to his own mind You are not to doubt said Simontault that the Nature of them is to love that more than Nature which was only created for the use of Nature Behold said Longaren the second Sin which I would have represented to you for we all know well enough that to love money beyond the use of it for which it serves which is only to aid us in our necessities is to make an Idol of it Parlament added that Saint Paul had not forgot their Vices nor the vices of those men who think they do surpasse and excell all others in wisdom and humane reason in which they do confound themselves because they render not to God the glory which is due unto him Therefore God who is jealous of his Honour hath renderd them more insensible than Beasts who believed they had more sense than all other men and by their lusts against Nature they do show that they are delivered up to a reprobate sense Longaren interupted her in her discourse and said this is the third Sin to which the greatest part of the Italians are subject In good earnest said Nomerfide I take an extraordinary delight to hear this discourse for since those Spirits which we esteem to be the most subtle and the greatest Discoverers do endure such a punishment as to be more sencelesse than beasts We ought to conclude that those who are humble and dejected in their beauty as I my self am shall be filled with the wisdom of Angels and with the grace of God I assure you answered Oysilla I am not far from your opinion for no man is more ignorant than he who thinks he knows something I never said Guebron saw a mocker but he was mocked nor a deceiver but he was deceived nor a vain glorious person but he was humbled You do make me to remember an Imposture said Simontault which if it had been an honest one I would willingly have recited It is no great matter said Oysilla for since we are met here to speak the truth be it of what quality it will I do give you my voice to speak it Since the place is given to me said Simontault I must take it and will give you an Account thereof The Slovenly Breakfast prepared by an Apothecaries man for an Advocate and a Gentleman The second Novel IN the City of Alençon in the time of Charles the last there was an Advocate named Anthony Bachet an honest man and a great Lover of a good Breakfast in a Winters morning One day sitting very early at his door he observed a Gentleman to passe by who was called Monsieur de Tyrelier who by reason of the great Frost which was that morning was come a foot from his own house into the City to dispatch some businesse and he had put on a long Coat furred with Fox-skins When he beheld the Advocate who was of his own complexion he told him that he had been in the Town almost two hours and already done all his businesse and that nothing remained but to goe to some place of resort to find out a good Breakfast The Advocate made answer to him that the Breakfast was easily to be found but then he must pay for it And taking him by the Arm he said unto him Let us goe my Companion we may possibly find one fool or another who will pay the shot for us both By fortune there was
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
Men take delight to speak Evil of Women and I am confident that you rank me in that number Wherefore believe me I have a great desire to speak well of them that I might not be mistaken by the whole Sex for a Detractor I give you my place said Emarsuite requesting you so much to force your Jnclinations and your Nature as to speak something in our Honour Immediatly Simontault began to say It is no wonder Ladies nor any News at all to hear of your virtuous Deeds which cannot but proceed from the many virtuous personages of your Sex who are accomplished with all perfections Amongst many others there is one Example in my memory which me thinks ought not to be concealed but rather to he recorded in Letters of gold that it might be a president unto Women and an admiration unto Men by beholding that in that frail Sex which is most repugnant unto frailty it is the Occasion which doth cause me to relate what I have heard spoken by Captain Robernall and by divers of his Company The Extreme Love and Austerity of a Woman in a strange Land The seventh Novell RObernall making a Voyage on the Sea to the Isse of Canada being Governour of that Fleet by the Commandment of the King his Master he resolved to continue in the said Iland if the Air of the Country had been healthfull and to build there Towns and Castles In which he made so good a beginning that to be satisfied in the fruitfulness of the place and to inhabite it with Christians he took with him divers sorts of Artists amongst whom there was one so wicked and barbarously cruel that he betrayed his own Master and did bring him in great danger to be taken by the Inhabitants of the Country But it pleased God that his Enterprize was discovered and Captain Robernall received no prejudice at all who commanded the miscinevous Traytor to be apprehended resolving to bring him unto punishment according to his deserts You are to understand that he had contrived the plot with the Inhabitants against the knowledge of his Wife who having followed her Husband thorough the perils of the Sea would not abandon him until death but with her tears and her petitions she so prevailed with the Captain and all the Company that in Compassion of her and in regard of the good services which she had done he did grant her her request but upon a condition that both she and her Husband should be left in a little Iland in the Sea inhabited only by wild Beasts and to take that with them which should be necessary for their sustenance and to defend themselves This wretched Husband and his poor Wife finding themselves alone and in a wilderness of sorrows having none but cruel wild Beasts to keep them company had their recourse unto God alone who had been alwayes the hope and the assurance of that desolate Woman who as one who had all her comfort in him did take along with her for the Instruction and nourishment of her Soul and for all her comfort and her Refuge the New Testament in which incessantly she did read The Extremity of Winter approaching she did take pains with her Husband to build a little House the Lions and other wild Beasts approaching to devour them but her Husband with his Harquebuse and she with great stones did so well defend themselves that not only the Beasts nor the Birds durst adventure to come near them but oftentimes they would kill those which were good to eat and with such flesh and herbs that the Country did bring forth they did live a certain time when their bread failed them But her Husband could not long endure that nourishment and by reason of the abundance of the cold water which he drank he was so blown up with a Dropsie that in a short time he deceased having none to assist him or to comfort him but his Wife who was both his Physician and his Confessor and having given him the best Comforts she could administer he departed with joy from that Desart unto Paradise And the poor Woman being left alone did bury him in the ground not far from her house as well as possibly she could but the Beasts had immediately the sent of him and smelling to the Grave they did digg with their paws to find out and feed upon the Carkass but the poor woman did shoot at them out of her little house and did drive them away with the Harquebuse using her endeavour that the flesh of her Husband might not have such a Sepulcher And thus living with her body the life of a Beast and in her Soul the life of an Angel she passed away her time in reading contemplation and in prayers having a contented and a joyfull spirit in a lean and a consumed body But God who never doth forsake those in their distress who do put their trust in him and who in the greatest despair doth make his mercy and his power to be most remarkable did not permit that the Virtue with which he had indued that Woman should be concealed from Men but that it should be manifested to his glory Wherefore at the end of a certain time one of the shipps belonging to the French Fleet passing before that Iland the people who were above the Decks did observe a Woman waving with her hand her Apron over her head and making a sign unto them whereupon the Master of the ship immediatly called to mind those two whom they had left upon that Iland and determined with himself to goe unto them and to see how God had disposed of them The poor Woman seeing the ship to make up unto her and to draw near unto the shore did come down into the Beach where they took her in and departed Having praised God for her unexpected preservation she shewed them where her little house did stand in the Iland and did inform them what was her miserable Diet during the time of her melancholy abode there which had been altogether incredible to the Seamen but that they knew that God is as able to nourish his People in the Wildernesse as with the best Diet in the greatest Palace of the World And when on their return they had caused the fidelity and the perseverance of the said Woman to be made known both in the City and at the Court she was received with great Honour by all the Ladies who of their own accord did send their Children to her to teach them to work with the Needle and to Read and Write And by that honest indeavour she gained sufficiently wherewith to live all the remainder of her life having no other desire but to exhort every one to the love of God and to a safe considence in him propounding for an example the great Mercy which he had vouchsafed unto her Ladies you cannot now deny but that I have abundantly extolled those virtues with which God hath indued you which are so much the greater