mother saying vnto him be of good courage and I promise you of my faith that if God send you your health my daughter shall never haue other husband then your selfe and here shee is in presence whom I command to giue her faith vnto you The daughter weeping laboured to do that which her mother promised shee should but he knowing that when he should be whole he should not haue his loue and that the good speech shee vttered vnto him was onely but to prooue if that shee could reviue him Once againe he said vnto her that if those words had beene spoken vnto him three months before he had beene the healthfullest and the happiest Gentleman in France but the reliefe came now so late that it could not be beleeved nor yet hoped and when he sawe they inforced themselues to make him to beleeue it he said vnto them Well seeing I perceiue you promise me that good which never wil come to passe although you desire it should for the weaknes wherein I am I craue of you a thing much lesse then that which hitherto I neuer was so bold for to require with that both of them sware to grant it bidding him freely speake I beseech you then said he that you will giue her into my armes whom you doe promise me shall bee my wife and command her to imbrace and kisse me The daughter that neuer had vsed any such entertainement thought to denie it him but her mother commanded her expressely perceiuing there was no more liuely feeling in him then in a dead man Therewith the daughter by her mothers commandement went to the sicke mans bed and said vnto him my good friend I pray you comfort your selfe The poore languishing Gentleman as well as he could in his extreame weakenes stretched forth his armes nothing but shinne and bones and with all the strength of his body imbraced the cause of that his death and kissing hir with his pale and cold lippes held her as long as possible he could and then saide vnto her the loue I haue borne vnto you hath beene so great and honest that neuer mariage set apart did I desire other fauour at your hands then I haue nowe for want whereof and therewith I will most gladly yeeld my spirit vnto God who is perfect loue and charity and knoweth the greatnes of my loue and my honest desire beseeching him hauing my whole delight betweene mine armes to receiue my spirit in his hands saying so took her again into his armes so vehemently that the weake heart beeing not able to sustaine that force was wholy forsaken of all his liuely spirits for that the ioie made it so to reioice that the soule abandoning hir place departed from the body and although the poore body continued without life and by that meanes coulde no more holde her griefe neuerthelesse the loue which the Gentlewoman had alwaies hidden shewed it selfe so much at that time that the mother and her seruants had much adoe to seperate their bodies But by force pulled the liuing almost dead from the dead whom they caused honourably to be buried but the greatest triumph vsed at his obsequie was the teares sorrowes and cries of the poore Gentlewoman which shewed so much the more after his death as shee dissembled them during his life in a maner satisfying the wrong that shee had done vnto him and since that time as I haue heard what husband soeuer shee had giuen her shee was neuer merry at her heart The tenth Nouell ¶ The incontinencie of a Duke together with his impudencie to attaine his desire with the iust punishment of his euill intent LOng since there was a Duke of Florence that had married the ladie Margaret bastard daughter to the emperour Charles the fift and because as yet she was so yong that hee might not lie with her staying till shee came to yeares he vsed her very kindly for that to spare her he was amorous of certaine Ladies in the cittie which by night he went to visite while his wife slept Among others he loued a very faire wise and honest Gentlewoman sister to a Gentleman of whome the Duke made great account and to whom he gaue so great authoritie in his house that his word was as much feared and obeied as if he had bin the Duke himselfe and there was no secret in his hart that he made not knowne to him in such sort that he might well be termed a second Duke The Duke perceiuing his sister to be so honest that by no meanes hee could declare his loue vnto her after he had sought all meanes he could he went to the Gentleman whome he loued so well and said vnto him If there were anie thing in this world my good friend saide he that I would refuse to do for you I should feare to shew you my desire and much more to intreate you to be assistant vnto me But I beare such loue vnto you as that if I had either wife mother or daughter that might be a meanes to saue your life I would rather imploy them therein than let you die for want of them And I esteeme the loue you beare to me to be no lesse and in such sort that if I my selfe which am your maister do beare you such affection you can not at the least beare lesse to me Wherefore I meane to vtter a secret vnto you the secrecie whereof brings mee in such a case as you now see whereof I neuer hope redresse but onelie by death or by the seruice which in this respect you now may do vnto me The Gentleman hearing his maisters reasons and perceuing his face vnfainedly wet with teares took such pitie on him that he saide vnto him My Lord al the good and honour I haue proceedes from you you may speake to me as to your friend being wel assured that the thing which is in my power is already in your handes With that the Duke beganne to declare vnto him the loue he bare vnto his sister which was so great and strong as that if by his means he could not obtaine the same he was not able to liue long as knowing well that in regard of her neither prayers nor presents would ought preuaile wherefore he desired him that if he loued his life as much as he his he would finde meanes to win him that fauour which without him he neuer hoped for The brother that loued his sister and the honour of his house more then the Dukes pleasure sought by certeine reasons to disswade him beseeching him to imploy him in any other thing rather than that which might be so great a dispight vnto him as to purchase the dishonor of his owne blood saying that his heart and honour could not agree to do him seruice therein The Duke inflamed with an insupportable rage put his finger in his mouth biting his naile and answered him in great fury Well seeing I finde no friendship in you I know what I must
consciences For if you meane to liue as you haue done I had rather separate my selfe then dayly to beholde the destruction of your soule your body and your goods before my face But if you will confesse your fault and purpose now to liue in godly sort obeying him I will forget all former faults as I beseech the Lord to pardon my ingratitude in not louing him as I ought If euer man was abasht and in despaire surely it was this man perceiuing his wife so faire so chaste and honest to haue bene left by him for one that loued him not and which is worse to haue bene so accurst to haue made her do amisse not knowing it and made another partaker of that pleasure that onely was for him whereby he made himselfe to weare the hornes to his perpetuall shame But perceiuing his wife so moued touching the loue he bare vnto the mayde was well aduised not to disclose the wicked touch he had playd with her but asking her forgiuenesse with promise to forgoe his wicked life he gaue her the ring againe which he had taken from the other man whome he besought not to disclose the fact But diuers thinges are spoken secretly that after come to light for not long time after the trueth thereof was knowne and he was called cuckold without disgrace to her The ninth Nouell ¶ The pitifull death of an amorous Gentleman by hauing ouer late receiued comfort from the Gentlewoman whom he loued BEtweene Daulphinois and Prouance there was a Gentleman much richer in vertue beautie and honestie than of worldly goods that extreamely loued a Gentlewoman whose name I wil not now rehearse for her kinred sake that are proceeded of great and rich houses but assure your selues the thing is most true and because hee was not of the like house he durst not discouer his affection for that the extreme loue he bare vnto her was so great and so perfect that he had rather die than to desire any thing that might haue beene to her dishonour and perceiuing himselfe to be of so meane parentage in respect of hers was wholy out of hope to marrie her Wherefore his loue was grounded vpon no other point than onelie to loue her with all his power as perfectly as he could which he so long continued that in the end she hadde some inkling thereof and perceiuing the loue hee bare vnto her so ful of vertue and good speeches she esteemed herselfe most happy to be beloued of one that was so vertuous and gaue him thereupon so good countenaunces that hee which sought no other thing was there with well pleased But malice the enemy of all quietnes could not indure this honest and happy life for that certaine men saide vnto the mother of the gentlewoman that they were much abashed what that gentleman made so much within her house and that it was thought her daughters beautie was the onely cause with whome he was often seene to speake The mother which nothing doubted of the gentlemans honest behauiour whereof she assured herselfe as much as of any of her owne children was very sorie to heare that it was taken in euil part insomuch that in the ende fearing some slaunder by malitious heades might thereby arise desired him for a time not to frequent her house as vsually hee had doone a thing which hee found very hard to be visgested knowing that the honest speches hee had vsed to her daughter deserued no such cause of absence Neuerthelesse to the end he might cease euill speeches he forbare for so long time and at last returned thither againe as he had done before whose absence had not diminished his goodwill But being in the house hee vnderstoode they meant to marry the Gentlewoman with a gentleman who in his opinion was not so rich that hee should doe him such wrong to haue his loue no more thou he himselfe And thereupon beganne to take heart and to employ his friends to speake for him thinking that if the choise were put vnto the gentlewoman she would preferre him before the other neuerthelesse the mother of the gentlewoman and her friends because the other was richer chose him where at the gentleman was so much displeased that knowing his friend lost as much contentment as himselfe by little and litle without other sickenes beganne to consume and in short space was changed and that in such sort that it seemed hee couered the beauty of his face with the maske of death whereunto from hower to hower he still approched yet could he not refraine but sometimes went to speake with her whom he so deerely loued But in the ende when strength failed him be was constrained to keepe his bed whereof he would not once aduertise her whome he loued fearing to procure her cause of griefe and so suffering himselfe to fall into despaire he lost both his eating drinking and his naturall rest in somuch that it was impossible to know him by reason of his leanenes and strange countenance By chance a friend of his aduertised the mother of his loue who being very charitable and on the otherside loued the Gentleman so well as that if all the friends had beene of her and her daughters opinion they had preferd his honest behauiour before all the riches of the other Gentleman but the fathers kindred would not consent thereto Shee with her daughter went to visit him whome she found rather dead then liuing and knowing his death to approch had confessed himselfe and received the holy sacrament thinking presently to die and never to see any man againe but being as it were within two fingers breadth neere to death seeing her that was his life and resurrection felt himselfe so strong that he cast himselfe vpon a bed saying vnto the lady what occasion hath brought you hither Madame to come and visit him that hath his foote already in the graue and of whose death you are the cause what said the Lady may it be possible that he whom we loue so well should receaue his death by our meanes I pray you shewe vs for what cause you vse this speech Madame said he although as much as in me lay I haue dissembled the loue I beare vnto the Gentlewoman your daughter so it is that my friends speaking of her mariage mine together haue spoken more then willingly I would considering the mischiefe that is fallen vpon me to loose the hope not for my particular pleasure but because I know full well shee shall not be so wel vsed nor so well beloved as shee should haue beene with me The good I perceiue shee looseth of the best and most affectionat servant and friend that shee hath in this world procureth me more grief then the losse of this my life which for her only I would preserue but seeing it can serue her to no end in loosing it it is to me great profit The mother and the daughter hearing his discourse sought by all meanes to comfort him The
cannot mooue you to loue me at least the loue of your owne selfe should constraine you thereunto who being so perfect deserue the hearts of all the honest Gentlemen in the world being dispised and forsaken of him for whome you haue disdained all the rest The queene hearing these words was therwith in such a transe that fearing once by countenance to shew hir troubled minde and leaning on the Gentlemans arme went into a Garden adioyning to her chamber where shee walked long before that she could vtter any word but the gentleman perceauing her to be halfe wonne being at the Allies end where no man could discouer what they did shewd her by effect the loue he had so long conceald from her finding themselues to be of one consent they tooke reuenge in that whereof the passion seemed intollerable and there they did agree that as often as he went into the Countrie and the King into the Towne he would not faile to come vnto the Castell to see the Queene and in that maner deceiuing the deceiuers they shuld be foure participants of that pleasure which two alone thought onely to inioye this agreement made the gentleman returned home and the Queene into her Chamber with such contented mindes that all their former griefe was cleane consumed and the feare that each of them might haue of the Kings repaire vnto the gentlwoman was wholy turned to desire which caused the gentleman oftener to go then he had vsed to his country house being but halfe a mile from thence Which the King no sooner knew but he went to see the gentlewoman and the gentlman when night came went likewise to the Queene as lieuetenant to the King so secretly as it neuer could be spied which life continued long notwithstanding the King being no common person could not so well dissemble his loue but that the world perceiued it full well whereby all honest men tooke pitie of the gentlemans estate in that some bad companions refrained not to mocke and scorne him which he perceiued wel where with he was so well content that he esteemed his hornes as much as the king esteemed his crowne Who on a time being with the Gentleman could not refraine seeing a harts head nailed vp in the Gentlemans house to smile before him saying that such a head became the house ful well But the gentleman in courage not inferior to the King wrote ouer the head saying I beare these hornes as euery one may see but some do beare them that beleeue it not And when the king came thither againe and found the same writing there he asked the gentleman the meaning thereof who made him answer if the kings secret be hidden from the heart it is no reason why the harts should be declared to the king but comtent your selfe my Lord said he that all those which beare hornes go not bare head for that they are thought that they vncouer no man and he beareth them lightest that thinketh he hath none The king knew wel by thâ—se words that somwhat was discouered yet neuer suspected the loue between the queene him for that the more the queene contented her selfe with the kings behauior so much the more she seemed discontent whereby long time they liued in that sort on all partes vntill by age they were constrained to leaue The fourth Nouell ¶ The rash enterprise of a Gentleman towards a Princesse of Flaunders with the shame and discredite hee reaped thereby THere dwelt in the country of Flaunders a Ladie of such state as better there could not be a widow of two husbands by whom she had no children whereby during her widowhoode shee continued in her brothers house of whom she was well beloued he being a great Lord and husband to a kings daughter This yong prince was much giuen vnto his pleasure louing hunting pastimes and company of Ladies as youth requireth hauing a wife so troublesome and melancholy that her husbands pleasures were no delight to her at al wherefore the said Lord still desired his sisters presence being a pleasant Gentlewoman and the best companion that might be found yet very wise and of great honestie There was in this great Lordes house a Gentleman whose port beautie and good behauior surpassed al the rest of his companions This gentleman perceiuing his Maisters sister to be a Gentlewoman addicted vnto mirth and alwayes pleasant thought to assay if moouing her with the choice of an honest friend would not offend her which he did but found contrary answere to her outward shew and though her answer was such as became an honest woman and so great a Princesse yet perceiuing him to be so faire and courteous withall she easily forgaue his bold attempt shewing by outward countenance not to be displeased with him in speaking vnto her telling him neuerthelesse that her desire was not that hee shoulde mooue her any more therein which he promised to obserue thereby not to loose the honor and contentment he receiued in darke speaking to her Neuerthelesse in time his affection so much increased that he cleane forgat his former promise not that he sought to hazard it by words as hauing ouermuch and sore against his wil tried her wise deniall but thinking if he could find her in some place conuenient that shee beeing a widow yong lusty and of good complexion would possibly take pitie of them both Which to effect he saide vnto his maister that not far from his house he shuld find good store of game and that if it pleased him to goe thither to hunt three or foure stags in the month of Maie he should not finde so pleasant sport elsewhere Which the Lord as well for the loue hee bare vnto the Gentleman as for the pleasure he vsually took in hunting agreed vnto going vnto his house which he found not onely faire but excellently furnished as any Gentleman 's within that country where he lodged the lorde and his lady in one chamber and in an other chamber right ouer against that he placed her whome hee loued better than himselfe The chamber being so wel hanged with arras both round about and ouer head and so well matted that it was impossible once to perceiue a trap doore vnder her bed that went downe into the chamber where his mother lay beeing an olde Gentlewoman and somewhat lame who by reason of her cough fearing to disease the Princesse that lay in the chamber ouer her chaunged chambers with her sonne and euery night after supper this olde Gentlewoman brought comfets into the Princes chamber whereat the Gentleman was assistant who being welbeloued and secret with her brother was not excluded from her when shee â—â—de her readie or when she went to bed where stil he found occasion to augment his loue in such manner that one night after hee had kept the Princesse waking so long time that she being sleepie caused him to retire he went into his chamber and hauing put on his brauest and best perfumd
honestie she found her selfe sodainly caried and borne vnto the last and the saide night became with child by him whom she sought to keepe from getting others with childe The same was no sooner committed but the remorce of conscience brought her into into so great torment that the repentance neuer left her during her whole life which at the first was so sharp that she rose out of the bed from her sonne that knew no other but it had bin the maid and went into a closet where calling her good determination vnto mind and the wicked execution thereof she passed al the night in weeping and lamenting all alone but in stead of acknowledging of the impossiblitie of our flesh that without Gods help can not but sinne desiring by her selfe and by her teares to satisfie hir fault past and by hir wisedome to auoyde the euill to come she laide the excuse of her sinne vpon the occasion and vpon the weakenes of flesh and blood whereunto there is no remedy but only by the grace of God she thought to do that whereby in time to come she might not fal into the like inconuenience â—nd as though there were but one kinde of sinne to damne men â—he deuised all the meanes she could to auoyde the same Buâ— the roote of pride which externall sinne should heale increase◠〈◊〉 her heart in such maner that by auoyding one mischiefe she fel into diuers others for the next morning as sonne as it was day she sent for her sonnes Schoole maister and â—aid vnto him Now my son beginneth to wax great it is time to send him abroade I haue a kinsman that dwelleth beyond the mountains with Mousis the great maister du Chaumont that will be very glad to haue him in his company wherefore I pray you bring him thither and to th end I be not grieued with his departure let him not come to take his leaue of me And saying so she gaue him money to beare his charges for the voyage and the same morning caused the yong gentleman to depart that was very glad at nothing else than after the inioying the pleasure of his loue to goe vnto the wars The lady continued long time in great melancholy and distresse and had it not bin for the feare of God she had often â—â—shed the end of the vnfortâ—nat fruit she bare within her boâ—â— In the end she fained to be sicke that vnder that vnder thâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might couer her imperfection and being reâ—dy to 〈…〉 remembring that there was no man in the world in whome she so much trusted as a bastard brother of hers whom she intertained did him much good she sent for him and shewing him her hard fortune but made him not acquainted that it was by her sonne desired him to help her and to saue her honour which he did and not long before she should lie downe he gaue her counsell to chaunge the aire and to go to his house where she might sooner recouer her health than in her owne She went thither but with small traine and there she found a midwife ready for her that by night not knowing her brought her to bed of a fayre daughter the gentleman deliuered it vnto a nurse and caused it to be nursed for his owne The Lady hauing stayed there a moneth went home vnto her owne house where after that she liued more strictly than euer she did both in fasting and discipline But when her sonne became great perceiuing no warre to be in Italie he sent to desire his mother that hee might come see her shee fearing to fall into the euill from whence she had escaped would not permit him till in th end he was so importunate with her that she had no reason to deny him Neuerthelesse she sent him word that he should neuer come vnto her if he were not married to a wife that he loued wel and that he should not respect her riches so she were honest and it should suffice In the meane time bastard brother perceiuing the daughter whereof he had the charge to waxe great very faire thought to place her in some house farre off where shee should not be knowne and by the mothers counsell gaue her vnto the Queene of Nauarre This daughter named Katharine grew to the age of twelue or thirteene yeres and became so faire honest that the Q. of Nauarre bare her good affection and desired much to mary her richly But by reason she was poore she found her selfe to haue suters great store but none that would bee her husband Vpon a day it happened that the Gentleman that was her vnknowne father returning from the other side of the Alpes went vnto the Queene of Nauarres house where he had no sooner espied the mayd but he became amarous of her and bicause he had licence of his mother to mary one that liked him he tooke no care but onely to haue a wife that pleased his fantasie and knowing her to be such asked her in mariage of the Queen that most willingly consented as knowing the Gentleman to be rich and with his riches both faire and honest The mariage being finished the Gentleman wrot vnto his mother that from thencefoorth she neede not refuse him her house for seeing he brought with him as faire a wife as any could be found the Gentlewoman that enquired with what house he had matched himselfe found hee had maried their owne daughter wherwith she was in such despaire that he presently thought to die perceiuing that the more she sought to hinder her griefe the more she was the means to increase the same Whereupon not knowing what to doe she went vnto the Legate being at Auignion to whom she confessed the greatnes of her sinne asking his counsell what she should doe therein The Legat to satisfie her desire sent for certaine deuines to whom he vttered the matter not naming the persons found by their counsel that the Gentlewoman ought not to make it knowne vnto her children for that for their parts considering their ignorance they had not sinned but that she during her life ought to do penance without making any shew thereof Which done the poore woman returned home where not long after ariued her sonne and her daughter in lawe that loued so wel that neuer husband nor wife loued in better sort for she was both his daughter sister and wife he too her father brother and husband in which great amity they continued long and the poore Gentlewoman in her extreame penance that neuer sawe them merry but shee withdrew her selfe to weepe The sixteenth Nouell ¶ Of a merry conceited Bricke-layer that had a curst queane to his wife and of that which happened IN the towne of Bleare nere Aragon there is a village called S. Mortis the faire where there dwelt a handsome propper fellow as any in Paris where he was borne and for his valour he durst haue trauailed into any Gentlemans buttery where all the barrels had