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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:53:42 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:53:42 -0700 |
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diff --git a/old/orig18575-h/p2.htm b/old/orig18575-h/p2.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..36a84ad --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig18575-h/p2.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5922 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<title> +CENT NOUVELLES NOUVELLES, Part II., Stories 21-40 +</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background: #faebd7; text-align:justify} + P { margin:10%; + text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; } + hr { width: 50%; } + hr.full { width: 100%; } + .foot { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 95%; } + img {border: 0;} + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%;} + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 10%; margin-left: 1%;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + PRE { font-size: 90%; margin-left: 20%;} + // --> +</style> + +</head> +<body> + +<center> +<big><b>PART II., STORIES 21-40</b></big> +<br /> + + +<br /> + +<a href="#contents"><big><b>Table of Contents</b></big></a> +<br /><br /> + +<a href="#illustrations"><big><b>List of Illustrations</b></big></a> +</center> + + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p1.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="main.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p3.htm">Next Part</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +<a name="image-0001"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" height="955" width="616" +alt="Cover.jpg" title="Cover +"> +</center> + +<a name="image-0002"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/spines.jpg" height="965" width="338" +alt="Spines.jpg" title="Spines +"> +</center> + +<a name="image-0003"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/titlepage.jpg" height="934" width="667" +alt="Titlepage.jpg" title="Titlepage +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0001"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + ONE HUNDRED MERRIE AND DELIGHTSOME STORIES +</h2> +<h4> + Right Pleasaunte To Relate In All Goodly Companie By Way Of Joyance And Jollity +</h4> +<h1> +<i>LES CENT NOUVELLES NOUVELLES</i> +</h1> +<h4> +Now First Done Into The English Tongue By Robert B. Douglas +<br /> +<br /> + +Various Authors</h4> +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h2>Edited by Antoine de la Salle</h2> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h3>Illustrated by Léon Lebèque</h3> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4> +Paris +<br /> +<br /> + +Charles Carrington +<br /> +<br /> + +13 Faubourg Montmartre +<br /> +<br /> + +1899 +</h4> + + + + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr> +<a name="contents"></a> +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0022"> +STORY THE TWENTY-FIRST — THE ABBESS CURED [21] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0023"> +STORY THE TWENTY-SECOND — THE CHILD WITH TWO FATHERS. [22] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0024"> +STORY THE TWENTY-THIRD — THE LAWYER'S WIFE WHO PASSED THE LINE. [23] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0025"> +STORY THE TWENTY-FOURTH — HALF-BOOTED. [24] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0026"> +STORY THE TWENTY-FIFTH — FORCED WILLINGLY. [25] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0027"> +STORY THE TWENTY-SIXTH — THE DAMSEL KNIGHT. [26] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0028"> +STORY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH — THE HUSBAND IN THE CLOTHES-CHEST. [27] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0029"> +STORY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH — THE INCAPABLE LOVER. [28] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0030"> +STORY THE TWENTY-NINTH — THE COW AND THE CALF. +</a></p> + +<p class="toc"><a href="#story30"> +STORY THE THIRTIETH — THE THREE CORDELIERS +</a></p> + +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0031"> +STORY THE THIRTY-FIRST — TWO LOVERS FOR ONE LADY. [31] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0032"> +STORY THE THIRTY-SECOND — THE WOMEN WHO PAID TITHE. [32] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0033"> +STORY THE THIRTY-THIRD — THE LADY WHO LOST HER HAIR. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0034"> +STORY THE THIRTY-FOURTH — THE MAN ABOVE AND THE MAN BELOW. [34] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0035"> +STORY THE THIRTY-FIFTH — THE EXCHANGE. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0036"> +STORY THE THIRTY-SIXTH — AT WORK. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0037"> +STORY THE THIRTY-SEVENTH — THE USE OF DIRTY WATER. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0038"> +STORY THE THIRTY-EIGHTH — A ROD FOR ANOTHER'S BACK. [38] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0039"> +STORY THE THIRTY-NINTH — BOTH WELL SERVED. [39] +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0040"> +STORY THE FORTIETH — THE BUTCHER'S WIFE WHO PLAYED THE GHOST IN THE +</a></p> + + + + + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr> +<a name="illustrations"></a> +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h2>List of Illustrations</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0018"> +23.jpg The Lawyer's Wife Who Passed The Line. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0019"> +24.jpg Half-booted +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0020"> +27.jpg The Husband in The Clothes-chest. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0021"> +28.jpg The Incapable Lover. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0022"> +32.jpg The Women Who Paid Tithe. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0023"> +34.jpg The Man Above and The Man Below. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0024"> +37.jpg The Use of Dirty Water. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0025"> +38.jpg A Rod for Another's Back. +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0026"> +39.jpg Both Well Served. +</a></p> + + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr> + +<a name="2H_TOC"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h2> + DETAILED CONTENTS CONTENTS +</h2> + +<blockquote> + +<a href="#2H_4_0022">STORY THE TWENTY-FIRST — THE ABBESS CURED</a> +<br> +<i>Of an abbess who was ill for want of—you know what—but would not have +<br> +it done, fearing to be reproached by her nuns, but they all agreed to do +<br> +the same and most willingly did so.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0023">STORY THE TWENTY-SECOND — THE CHILD WITH TWO FATHERS.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a gentleman who seduced a young girl, and then went away and joined +<br> +the army. And before his return she made the acquaintance of another, +<br> +and pretended her child was by him. When the gentleman returned from the +<br> +war he claimed the child, but she begged him to leave it with her second +<br> +lover, promising that the next she had she would give to him, as is +<br> +hereafter recorded.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0024">STORY THE TWENTY-THIRD — THE LAWYER'S WIFE WHO PASSED THE LINE.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a clerk of whom his mistress was enamoured, and what he promised to +<br> +do and did to her if she crossed a line which the said clerk had made. +<br> +Seeing which, her little son told his father when he returned that he +<br> +must not cross the line; or said he, "the clerk will serve you as he did +<br> +mother."</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0025">STORY THE TWENTY-FOURTH — HALF-BOOTED.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a Count who would ravish by force a fair, young girl who was one of +<br> +his subjects, and how she escaped from him by means of his leggings, +<br> +and how he overlooked her conduct and helped her to a husband, as is +<br> +hereafter related.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0026">STORY THE TWENTY-FIFTH — FORCED WILLINGLY.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a girl who complained of being forced by a young man, whereas +<br> +she herself had helped him to find that which he sought;—and of the +<br> +judgment which was given thereon.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0027">STORY THE TWENTY-SIXTH —THE DAMSEL KNIGHT.</a> +<br> +<i>Of the loves of a young gentleman and a damsel, who tested the loyalty +<br> +of the gentleman in a marvellous and courteous manner, and slept three +<br> +nights with him without his knowing that it was not a man,—as you will +<br> +more fully hear hereafter.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0028">STORY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH — THE HUSBAND IN THE CLOTHES-CHEST.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a great lord of this kingdom and a married lady, who in order +<br> +that she might be with her lover caused her husband to be shut in a +<br> +clothes-chest by her waiting women, and kept him there all the night, +<br> +whilst she passed the time with her lover; and of the wagers made +<br> +between her and the said husband, as you will find afterwards recorded.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0029">STORY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH —THE INCAPABLE LOVER.</a> +<br> +<i>Of the meeting assigned to a great Prince of this kingdom by a damsel +<br> +who was chamber-woman to the Queen; of the little feats of arms of the +<br> +said Prince and of the neat replies made by the said damsel to the Queen +<br> +concerning her greyhound which had been purposely shut out of the room +<br> +of the said Queen, as you shall shortly hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0030">STORY THE TWENTY-NINTH — THE COW AND THE CALF.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a gentleman to whom—the first night that he was married, and after +<br> +he had but tried one stroke—his wife brought forth a child, and of +<br> +the manner in which he took it,—and of the speech that he made to his +<br> +companions when they brought him the caudle, as you shall shortly hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#story30">STORY THE THIRTIETH — THE THREE CORDELIERS.</a> +<br> +<i>Of three merchants of Savoy who went on a pilgrimage to St. Anthony +<br> +in Vienne, and who were deceived and cuckolded by three Cordeliers who +<br> +slept with their wives. And how the women thought they had been with +<br> +their husbands, and how their husbands came to know of it, and of the +<br> +steps they took, as you shall shortly hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0031">STORY THE THIRTY-FIRST — TWO LOVERS FOR ONE LADY.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a squire who found the mule of his companion, and mounted thereon +<br> +and it took him to the house of his master's mistress; and the squire +<br> +slept there, where his friend found him; also of the words which passed +<br> +between them—as is more clearly set out below.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0032">STORY THE THIRTY-SECOND — THE WOMEN WHO PAID TITHE.</a> +<br> +<i>Of the Cordeliers of Ostelleria in Catalonia, who took tithe from the +<br> +women of the town, and how it was known, and the punishment the lord of +<br> +that place and his subjects inflicted on the monks, as you shall learn +<br> +hereafter.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0033">STORY THE THIRTY-THIRD — THE LADY WHO LOST HER HAIR.</a> +<br> +Of a noble lord who was in love with a damsel who cared for another +<br> +great lord, but tried to keep it secret; and of the agreement made +<br> +between the two lovers concerning her, as you shall hereafter hear. +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0034">STORY THE THIRTY-FOURTH — THE MAN ABOVE AND THE MAN BELOW.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a married woman who gave rendezvous to two lovers, who came and +<br> +visited her, and her husband came soon after, and of the words which +<br> +passed between them, as you shall presently hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0035">STORY THE THIRTY-FIFTH — THE EXCHANGE.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a knight whose mistress married whilst he was on his travels, and on +<br> +his return, by chance he came to her house, and she, in order that she +<br> +might sleep with him, caused a young damsel, her chamber-maid, to go to +<br> +bed with her husband; and of the words that passed between the husband +<br> +and the knight his guest, as are more fully recorded hereafter.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0036">STORY THE THIRTY-SIXTH — AT WORK.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a squire who saw his mistress, whom he greatly loved, between +<br> +two other gentlemern, and did not notice that she had hold of both of +<br> +them till another knight informed him of the matter as you will hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0037">STORY THE THIRTY-SEVENTH — THE USE OF DIRTY WATER.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a jealous man who recorded all the tricks which he could hear or +<br> +learn by which wives had deceived their husbands in old times; but at +<br> +last he was deceived by means of dirty water which the lover of the said +<br> +lady threw out of window upon her as she was going to Mass, as you shall +<br> +hear hereafter.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0038">STORY THE THIRTY-EIGHTH — A ROD FOR ANOTHER'S BACK.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a citizen of Tours who bought a lamprey which he sent to his wife +<br> +to cook in order that he might give a feast to the priest, and the said +<br> +wife sent it to a Cordelier, who was her lover, and how she made a woman +<br> +who was her neighbour sleep with her husband, and how the woman was +<br> +beaten, and what the wife made her husband believe, as you will hear +<br> +hereafter.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0039">STORY THE THIRTY-NINTH — BOTH WELL SERVED.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a knight who, whilst he was waiting for his mistress amused himself +<br> +three times with her maid, who had been sent to keep him company that +<br> +he might not be dull; and afterwards amused himself three times with +<br> +the lady, and how the husband learned it all from the maid, as you will +<br> +hear.</i> +<br> +<a href="#2H_4_0040">STORY THE FORTIETH — THE BUTCHER'S WIFE THE GHOST IN THE CHIMNEY.</a> +<br> +<i>Of a Jacobin who left his mistress, a butcher's wife, for another woman +<br> +who was younger and prettier, and how the said butcher's wife tried to +<br> +enter his house by the chimney.</i> + + + + +</blockquote> + + +<a name="2H_4_0022"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="21pg (118K)" src="images/21pg.jpg" height="952" width="589" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-FIRST — THE ABBESS CURED <a href="#note-21" name="noteref-21">21</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Philippe De Laon. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of an abbess who was ill for want of—you know what—but would not have +it done, fearing to be reproached by her nuns, but they all agreed to do +the same and most willingly did so.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +In Normandy there is a fair nunnery, the Abbess of which was young, +fair, and well-made. It chanced that she fell ill. The good sisters who +were charitable and devout, hastened to visit her, and tried to comfort +her, and do all that lay in their power. And when they found she was +getting no better, they commanded one of the sisters to go to Rouen, and +take her water to a renowned doctor of that place. +</p> +<p> +So the next day one of the nuns started on this errand, and when she +arrived there she showed the water to the physician, and described at +great length the illness of the Lady Abbess, how she slept, ate, drank, +etc. +</p> +<p> +The learned doctor understood the case, both from his examination of +the water, and the information given by the nun, and then he gave his +prescription. +</p> +<p> +Now I know that it is the custom in many cases to give a prescription in +writing, nevertheless this time he gave it by word of mouth, and said to +the nun; +</p> +<p> +"Fair sister, for the abbess to recover her health there is but one +remedy, and that is that she must have company with a man; otherwise in +a short time she will grew so bad that death will be the only remedy." +</p> +<p> +Our nun was much astonished to hear such sad news, and said, +</p> +<p> +"Alas! Master John! is there no other method by which our abbess can +recover her health?" +</p> +<p> +"Certainly not," he replied; "there is no other, and moreover, you must +make haste to do as I have bid you, for if the disease is not stopped +and takes its course, there is no man living who could cure it." +</p> +<p> +The good nun, though much disconcerted, made haste to announce the news +to the Abbess, and by the aid of her stout cob, and the great desire she +had to be at home, made such speed that the abbess was astonished to see +her returned. +</p> +<p> +"What says the doctor, my dear?" cried the abbess. "Is there any fear of +death?" +</p> +<p> +"You will be soon in good health if God so wills, madam," said the +messenger. "Be of good cheer, and take heart." +</p> +<p> +"What! has not the doctor ordered me any medicine?" said the Abbess. +</p> +<p> +"Yes," was the reply, and then the nun related how the doctor had looked +at her water, and asked her age, and how she ate and slept, etc. "And +then in conclusion he ordered that you must have, somehow or other, +carnal connection with some man, or otherwise you will shortly be dead, +for there is no other remedy for your complaint." +</p> +<p> +"Connection with a man!" cried the lady. "I would rather die a thousand +times if it were possible." And then she went on, "Since it is thus, and +my illness is incurable and deadly unless I take such a remedy, let +God be praised! I will die willingly. Call together quickly all the +convent!" +</p> +<p> +The bell was rung, and all the nuns flocked round the Abbess, and, when +they were all in the chamber, the Abbess, who still had the use of her +tongue, however ill she was, began a long speech concerning the state of +the church, and in what condition she had found it and how she left it, +and then went on to speak of her illness, which was mortal and incurable +as she well knew and felt, and as such and such a physician had also +declared. +</p> +<p> +"And so, my dear sisters, I recommend to you our church, and that you +pray for my poor soul." +</p> +<p> +At these words, tears in great abundance welled from all eyes, and the +heart's fountain of the convent was moved. This weeping lasted long, and +none of the company spoke. +</p> +<p> +After some time, the Prioress, who was wise and good, spoke for all the +convent, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Madam, your illness—what it is, God, from whom nothing is hidden, +alone knows—vexes us greatly, and there is not one of us who would not +do all in her power to aid your recovery. We therefore pray you to spare +nothing, not even the goods of the Church, for it would be better for us +to lose the greater part of our temporal goods than be deprived of the +spiritual profit which your presence gives us." +</p> +<p> +"My good sister," said the Abbess, "I have not deserved your kind offer, +but I thank you as much as I can, and again advise and beg of you to +take care of the Church—as I have already said—for it is a matter +which concerns me closely, God knows; and pray also for my poor soul, +which hath great need of your prayers." +</p> +<p> +"Alas, madam," said the Prioress, "is it not possible that by great +care, or the diligent attention of some physician, that you might be +restored to health?" +</p> +<p> +"No, no, my good sister," replied the Abbess. "You must number me among +the dead—for I am hardly alive now, though I can still talk to you." +</p> +<p> +Then stepped forth the nun who had carried the water to Rouen, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Madam, there is a remedy if you would but try it." "I do not choose +to," replied the Abbess. "Here is sister Joan, who has returned from +Rouen, and has shown my water, and related my symptoms, to such and such +a physician, who has declared that I shall die unless I suffer some man +to approach me and have connection with me. By this means he hopes, and +his books informed him, that I should escape death; but if I did not do +as he bade me, there was no help for me. But as for me, I thank God that +He has deigned to call me, though I have sinned much. I yield myself to +His will, and my body is prepared for death, let it come when it may." +</p> +<p> +"What, madam!" said the infirmary nun, "would you murder yourself? It +is in your power to save yourself, and you have but to put forth your +hand and ask for aid, and you will find it ready! That is not right; and +I even venture to tell you that you are imperilling your soul if you die +in that condition." +</p> +<p> +"My dear sister," said the Abbess, "how many times have I told you that +it is better for a person to die than commit a deadly sin. You know that +I cannot avoid death except by committing a deadly sin. Also I feel sure +that even by prolonging my life by this means, I should be dishonoured +for ever, and a reproach to all. Folks would say of me, 'There is the +lady who ——'. +</p> +<p> +"All of you,—however you may advise me—would cease to reverence and +love me, for I should seem—and with good cause—unworthy to preside +over and govern you." +</p> +<p> +"You must neither say nor think that," said the Treasurer. "There is +nothing that we should not attempt to avoid death. Does not our good +father, St. Augustine, say that it is not permissible to anyone to take +his own life, nor to cut off one of his limbs? And are you not acting in +direct opposition to his teaching, if you allow yourself to die when you +could easily prevent it?" +</p> +<p> +"She says well!" cried all the sisters in chorus. "Madam, for God's sake +obey the physician, and be not so obstinate in your own opinion as to +lose both your body and soul, and leave desolate, and deprived of your +care, the convent where you are so much loved." +</p> +<p> +"My dear sisters," replied the Abbess, "I much prefer to bow my head to +death than to live dishonoured. And would you not all say—'There is the +woman who did so and so'." +</p> +<p> +"Do not worry yourself with what people would say: you would never be +reproached by good and respectable people." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, I should be," replied the Abbess. +</p> +<p> +The nuns were greatly moved, and retired and held a meeting, and passed +a resolution, which the Prioress was charged to deliver to the Abbess, +which she did in the following words. +</p> +<p> +"Madam, the nuns are greatly grieved,—for never was any convent more +troubled than this is, and you are the cause. We believe that you are +ill-advised in allowing yourself to die when we are sure you could +avoid it. And, in order that you should comprehend our loyal and +single-hearted love for you, we have decided and concluded in a general +assembly, to save you and ourselves, and if you have connection secretly +with some respectable man, we will do the same, in order that you may +not think or imagine that in time to come you can be reproached by any +of us. Is it not so, my sisters?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," they all shouted most willingly. +</p> +<p> +The Abbess heard the speech, and was much moved by the testimony of the +love the sisters bore her, and consented, though with much regret, that +the doctor's advice should be carried out. Monks, priests, and clerks +were sent for, and they found plenty of work to do, and they worked +so well that the Abbess was soon cured, at which the nuns were right +joyous. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0023"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="22pg (128K)" src="images/22pg.jpg" height="934" width="570" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-SECOND — THE CHILD WITH TWO FATHERS. <a href="#note-22" name="noteref-22">22</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Caron. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a gentleman who seduced a young girl, and then went away and joined +the army. And before his return she made the acquaintance of another, +and pretended her child was by him. When the gentleman returned from the +war he claimed the child, but she begged him to leave it with her second +lover, promising that the next she had she would give to him, as is +hereafter recorded.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +Formerly there was a gentleman living at Bruges who was so often and so +long in the company of a certain pretty girl that at last he made her +belly swell. +</p> +<p> +And about the same time that he was aware of this, the Duke called +together his men-at-arms, and our gentleman was forced to abandon his +lady-love and go with others to serve the said lord, which he willingly +did. But, before leaving, he provided sponsors and a nurse against the +time his child should come into the world, and lodged the mother with +good people to whose care he recommended her, and left money for her. +And when he had done all this as quickly as he could, he took leave of +his lady, and promised that, if God pleased, he would return quickly. +</p> +<p> +You may fancy if she wept when she found that he whom she loved better +than any one in the world, was going away. She could not at first speak, +so much did her tears oppress her heart, but at last she grew calmer +when she saw that there was nothing else to be done. +</p> +<p> +About a month after the departure of her lover, desire burned in her +heart, and she remembered the pleasures she had formerly enjoyed, and of +which the unfortunate absence of her friend now deprived her. The God of +Love, who is never idle, whispered to her of the virtues and riches of a +certain merchant, a neighbour, who many times, both before and since the +departure of her lover, had solicited her love, so that she decided +that if he ever returned to the charge he should not be sent away +discouraged, and that even if she met him in the street she would behave +herself in such a way as would let him see that she liked him. +</p> +<p> +Now it happened that the day after she arrived at this determination, +Cupid sent round the merchant early in the morning to present her with +dogs and birds and other gifts, which those who seek after women are +always ready to present. +</p> +<p> +He was not rebuffed, for if he was willing to attack she was not the +less ready to surrender, and prepared to give him even more than he +dared to ask; for she found in him such chivalry, prowess, and virtue +that she quite forgot her old lover, who at that time suspected nothing. +</p> +<p> +The good merchant was much pleased with his new lady, and they so loved +each other, and their wills, desires, and thoughts so agreed, that it +was as though they had but a single heart between them. They could +not be content until they were living together, so one night the wench +packed up all her belongings and went to the merchant's house, thus +abandoning her old lover, her landlord and his wife, and a number of +other good people to whose care she had been recommended. +</p> +<p> +She was not a fool, and as soon as she found herself well lodged, +she told the merchant she was pregnant, at which he was very joyful, +believing that he was the cause; and in about seven months the wench +brought forth a fine boy, and the adoptive father was very fond both of +the child and its mother. +</p> +<p> +A certain time afterwards the gentleman returned from the war, and came +to Bruges, and as soon as he decently could, took his way to the house +where he had left his mistress, and asked news of her from those whom he +had charged to lodge her and clothe her, and aid her in her confinement. +</p> +<p> +"What!" they said. "Do you not know? Have you not had the letters which +were written to you?" +</p> +<p> +"No, by my oath," said he. "What has happened?' +</p> +<p> +"Holy Mary!" they replied, "you have good reason to ask. You had not +been gone more than a month when she packed up her combs and mirrors +and betook herself to the house of a certain merchant, who is greatly +attached to her. And, in fact, she has there been brought to bed of a +fine boy. The merchant has had the child christened, and believes it to +be his own." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John! that is something new," said the gentleman, "but, since +she is that sort of a woman, she may go to the devil. The merchant may +have her and keep her, but as for the child I am sure it is mine, and I +want it." +</p> +<p> +Thereupon he went and knocked loudly at the door of the merchant's +house. By chance, the lady was at home and opened the door, and when +she recognised the lover she had deserted, they were both astonished. +Nevertheless, he asked her how she came in that place, and she replied +that Fortune had brought her there. +</p> +<p> +"Fortune?" said he; "Well then, fortune may keep you; but I want my +child. Your new master may have the cow, but I will have the calf; so +give it to me at once, for I will have it whatever may happen." +</p> +<p> +"Alas!" said the wench, "what will my man say? I shall be disgraced, for +he certainly believes the child is his." +</p> +<p> +"I don't care what he thinks," replied the other, "but he shall not have +what is mine." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, my friend, I beg and request of you to leave the merchant this +child; you will do him a great service and me also. And by God! you will +not be tempted to have the child when once you have seen him, for he is +an ugly, awkward boy, all scrofulous and mis-shapen." +</p> +<p> +"Whatever he is," replied the other, "he is mine, and I will have him." +</p> +<p> +"Don't talk so loud, for God's sake!" said the wench, "and be calm, I +beg! And if you will only leave me this child, I promise you that I will +give you the next I have." +</p> +<p> +Angry as the gentleman was, he could not help smiling at hearing these +words, so he said no more and went away, and never again demanded the +child, which was brought up by the merchant. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0018"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/23.jpg" height="895" width="610" +alt="23.jpg" title="The Lawyer's Wife Who Passed The Line. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0024"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="23pg (137K)" src="images/23pg.jpg" height="936" width="586" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-THIRD — THE LAWYER'S WIFE WHO PASSED THE LINE. <a href="#note-23" name="noteref-23">23</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Commesuram. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a clerk of whom his mistress was enamoured, and what he promised to +do and did to her if she crossed a line which the said clerk had made. +Seeing which, her little son told his father when he returned that he +must not cross the line; or said he, "the clerk will serve you as he did +mother."</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +Formerly there lived in the town of Mons, in Hainault, a lawyer of a +ripe old age, who had, amongst his other clerks, a good-looking and +amiable youth, with whom the lawyer's wife fell deeply in love, for it +appeared to her that he was much better fitted to do her business than +her husband was. +</p> +<p> +She decided that she would behave in such a way that, unless he were +more stupid than an ass, he would know what she wanted of him; and, to +carry out her design, this lusty wench, who was young, fresh, and buxom, +often brought her sewing to where the clerk was, and talked to him of a +hundred thousand matters, most of them about love. +</p> +<p> +And during all this talk she did not forget to practise little tricks: +sometimes she would knock his elbow when he was writing; another time +she threw gravel and spoiled his work, so that he was forced to write it +all over again. Another time also she recommenced these tricks, and took +away his paper and parchment, so that he could not work,—at which he +was not best pleased, fearing that his master would be angry. +</p> +<p> +For a long time his mistress practised these tricks, but he being young, +and his eyes not opened, he did not at first see what she intended; +nevertheless at last he concluded he was in her good books. +</p> +<p> +Not long after he arrived at this conclusion, it chanced that the lawyer +being out of the house, his wife came to the clerk to teaze him as was +her custom, and worried him more than usual, nudging him, talking to +him, preventing him from working, and hiding his paper, ink &c. +</p> +<p> +Our clerk more knowing than formerly, and seeing what all this meant, +sprang to his feet, attacked his mistress and drove her back, and begged +of her to allow him to write—but she who asked for nothing better than +a tussle, was not inclined to discontinue. +</p> +<p> +"Do you know, madam," said he, "that I must finish this writing which I +have begun? I therefore ask of you to let me alone or, morbleu, I will +pay you out." +</p> +<p> +"What would you do, my good lad?" said she. "Make ugly faces?" +</p> +<p> +"No, by God!* +</p> +<p> +"What then?" +</p> +<p> +"What?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes, tell me what!" +</p> +<p> +"Why," said he, "since you have upset my inkstand, and crumpled my +writing, I will well crumple your parchment, and that I may not be +prevented from writing by want of ink, I will dip into your inkstand." +</p> +<p> +"By my soul," quoth she, "you are not the man to do it. Do you think I +am afraid of you?" +</p> +<p> +"It does not matter what sort of man I am," said the clerk, "but if you +worry me any more, I am man enough to make you pay for it. Look here! +I will draw a line on the floor, and by God, if you overstep it, be it +ever so little, I wish I may die if I do not make you pay dearly for +it." +</p> +<p> +"By my word," said she, "I am not afraid of you, and I will pass the +line and see what you will do," and so saying the merry hussy made a +little jump which took her well over the line. +</p> +<p> +The clerk grappled with her, and threw her down on a bench, and punished +her well, for if she had rumpled him outside and openly, he rumpled her +inside and secretly. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that there was present at the time a young child, +about two years old, the son of the lawyer. It need not be said +either, that after this first passage of arms between the clerk and his +mistress, there were many more secret encounters between them, with less +talk and more action than on the first occasion. +</p> +<p> +You must know too that, a few days after this adventure, the little +child was in the office where the clerk was writing, when there came in +the lawyer, the master of the house, who walked across the room to +his clerk, to see what he wrote, or for some other matter, and as he +approached the line which the clerk had drawn for his wife, and which +still remained on the floor, his little son cried, +</p> +<p> +"Father, take care you do not cross the line, or the clerk will lay you +down and tumble you as he did mother a few days ago." +</p> +<p> +The lawyer heard the remark, and saw the line, but knew not what to +think; but if he remembered that fools, drunkards, and children always +tell the truth, at all events he made no sign, and it has never come to +my knowledge that he ever did so, either through want of confirmation of +his suspicions, or because he feared to make a scandal. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0025"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="24pg (140K)" src="images/24pg.jpg" height="957" width="587" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-FOURTH — HALF-BOOTED. <a href="#note-24" name="noteref-24">24</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Fiennes. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a Count who would ravish by force a fair, young girl who was one of +his subjects, and how she escaped from him by means of his leggings, +and how he overlooked her conduct and helped her to a husband, as is +hereafter related.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +I know that in many of the stories already related the names of the +persons concerned are not stated, but I desire to give, in my little +history, the name of Comte Valerien, who was in his time Count of St. +Pol, and was called "the handsome Count". Amongst his other lordships, +he was lord of a village in the district of Lille, called Vrelenchem, +about a league distant from Lille. +</p> +<p> +This gentle Count, though of a good and kind nature, was very amorous. +He learned by report from one of his retainers, who served him in these +matters, that at the said Vrelenchem there resided a very pretty girl +of good condition. He was not idle in these matters, and soon after he +heard the news, he was in that village, and with his own eyes confirmed +the report that his faithful servants had given him concerning the said +maiden. +</p> +<p> +"The next thing to be done," said the noble Count, "is that I must speak +to her alone, no matter what it may cost me." +</p> +<p> +One of his followers, who was a doctor by profession, said, "My lord, +for your honour and that of the maiden also, it seems to me better that +I should make known to her your will, and you can frame your conduct +according to the reply that I receive." +</p> +<p> +He did as he said, and went to the fair maiden and saluted her +courteously, and she, who was as wise as she was fair and good, politely +returned his salute. +</p> +<p> +To cut matters short, after a few ordinary phrases, the worthy messenger +preached much about the possessions and the honours of his master, and +told her that if she liked she would be the means of enriching all her +family. +</p> +<p> +The fair damsel knew what o'clock it was. (*) Her reply was like +herself—fair and good—for it was that she would obey, fear, and serve +the Count in anything that did not concern her honour, but that she held +as dear as her life. +</p> +<pre> + (*) A literal translation. La bonne fille entendit tantost + quelle heure il estoit. +</pre> +<p> +The one who was astonished and vexed at this reply was our go-between, +who returned disappointed to his master, his embassy having failed. It +need not be said that the Count was not best pleased at hearing of this +proud and harsh reply made by the woman he loved better than anyone in +the world, and whose person he wished to enjoy. But he said, "Let us +leave her alone for the present. I shall devise some plan when she +thinks I have forgotten her." +</p> +<p> +He left there soon afterwards, and did not return until six weeks had +passed, and, when he did return it was very quietly, and he kept himself +private, and his presence unknown. +</p> +<p> +He learned from his spies one day that the fair maiden was cutting grass +at the edge of a wood, and aloof from all company; at which he was very +joyful, and, all booted as he was, set out for the place in company with +his spies. And when he came near to her whom he sought, he sent away his +company, and stole close to her before she was aware of his presence. +</p> +<p> +She was astonished and confused, and no wonder, to see the Count so +close to her, and she turned pale and could not speak, for she knew by +report that he was a bold and dangerous man to women. +</p> +<p> +"Ha, fair damsel," said the Count, "you are wondrous proud! One is +obliged to lay siege to you. Now defend yourself as best you can, for +there will be a battle between us, and, before I leave, you shall suffer +by my will and desire, all the pains that I have suffered and endured +for love of you." +</p> +<p> +"Alas, my lord!" said the young girl, who was frightened and surprised. +"I ask your mercy! If I have said or done anything that may displease +you, I ask your pardon; though I do not think I have said or done +anything for which you should owe me a grudge. I do not know what report +was made of me. Dishonourable proposals were made to me in your name, +but I did not believe them, for I deem you so virtuous that on no +account would you dishonour one of your poor, humble subjects like me, +but on the contrary protect her." +</p> +<p> +"Drop this talk!" said my lord, "and be sure that you shall not escape +me. I told you why I sent to you, and of the good I intended to do you," +and without another word, he seized her in his arms, and threw her down +on a heap of grass which was there, and pressed her closely, and quickly +made all preparations to accomplish his desire. +</p> +<p> +The young girl, who saw that she was on the point of losing that which +she held most precious, bethought her of a trick, and said, +</p> +<p> +"Ah, my lord, I surrender! I will do whatever you like, and without +refusal or contradiction, but it would be better that you should do with +me whatever you will by my free consent, than by force and against my +will accomplish your intent." +</p> +<p> +"At any rate," said my lord, "you shall not escape me! What is it you +want?" +</p> +<p> +"I would beg of you," said she, "to do me the honour not to dirty me +with your leggings, which are greasy and dirty, and which you do not +require." +</p> +<p> +"What can I do with them?" asked my lord. +</p> +<p> +"I will take them off nicely for you," said she, "if you please; for +by my word, I have neither heart nor courage to welcome you if you wear +those mucky leggings." +</p> +<p> +"The leggings do not make much difference," said my lord, "nevertheless +if you wish it, they shall be taken off." +</p> +<p> +Then he let go of her, and seated himself on the grass, and stretched +out his legs, and the fair damsel took off his spurs, and then tugged +at one of his leggings, which were very tight. And when with much +difficulty she had got it half off, she ran away as fast as her legs +could carry her with her will assisting, and left the noble Count, and +never ceased running until she was in her father's house. +</p> +<a name="image-0019"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/24.jpg" height="914" width="630" +alt="24.jpg" title=" Half-booted +"> +</center> + +<p> +The worthy lord who was thus deceived was in as great a rage as he could +be. With much trouble he got on his feet, thinking that if he stepped +on his legging he could pull it off, but it was no good, it was too +tight, and there was nothing for him to do but return to his servants. +He did not go very far before he found his retainers waiting for him by +the side of a ditch; they did not know what to think when they saw him +in that disarray. He related his story, and they put his boots on for +him, and if you had heard him you would have thought that she who thus +deceived him was not long for this world, he so cursed and threatened +her. +</p> +<p> +But angry as he was for a time, his anger soon cooled, and was converted +into sincere respect. Indeed he afterwards provided for her, and married +her at his own cost and expense to a rich and good husband, on account +of her frankness and loyalty. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0026"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="25pg (128K)" src="images/25pg.jpg" height="934" width="583" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-FIFTH — FORCED WILLINGLY. <a href="#note-25" name="noteref-25">25</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Philippe De Saint-Yon. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a girl who complained of being forced by a young man, whereas +she herself had helped him to find that which he sought;—and of the +judgment which was given thereon.</i> +</p></blockquote> + +<p> +The incident on which I found my story happened so recently that I need +not alter, nor add to, nor suppress, the facts. There recently came +to the provost at Quesnay, a fair wench, to complain of the force and +violence she had suffered owing to the uncontrollable lust of a young +man. The complaint being laid before the provost, the young man accused +of this crime was seized, and as the common people say, was already +looked upon as food for the gibbet, or the headsman's axe. +</p> +<p> +The wench, seeing and knowing that he of whom she had complained was +in prison, greatly pestered the provost that justice might be done +her, declaring that without her will and consent, she had by force been +violated and dishonoured. +</p> +<p> +The provost, who was a discreet and wise man, and very experienced in +judicial matters, assembled together all the notables and chief men, and +commanded the prisoner to be brought forth, and he having come before +the persons assembled to judge him, was asked whether he would confess, +by torture or otherwise, the horrible crime laid to his charge, and the +provost took him aside and adjured him to tell the truth. +</p> +<p> +"Here is such and such a woman," said he, "who complains bitterly that +you have forced her. Is it so? Have you forced her? Take care that you +tell the truth, for if you do not you will die, but if you do you will +be pardoned." +</p> +<p> +"On my oath, provost," replied the prisoner, "I will not conceal from +you that I have often sought her love. And, in fact, the day before +yesterday, after a long talk together, I laid her upon the bed, to do +you know what, and pulled up her dress, petticoat, and chemise. But +my weasel could not find her rabbit hole, and went now here now there, +until she kindly showed it the right road, and with her own hands pushed +it in. I am sure that it did not come out till it had found its prey, +but as to force, by my oath there was none." +</p> +<p> +"Is that true?" asked the provost. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, on my oath," answered the young man. +</p> +<p> +"Very good," said he, "we shall soon arrange matters." +</p> +<p> +After these words, the provost took his seat in the pontifical chair, +surrounded by all the notable persons; and the young man was seated on +a small bench in front of the judges, and all the people, and of her who +accused him. +</p> +<p> +'"Now, my dear," said the provost, "what have you to say about the +prisoner?" +</p> +<p> +"Provost!" said she, "I complain that he has forced me and violated me +against my will and in spite of me. Therefore I demand justice." +</p> +<p> +"What have you to say in reply?" asked the provost of the prisoner. +</p> +<p> +"Sir," he replied, "I have already told how it happened, and I do not +think she can contradict me." +</p> +<p> +"My dear!" said the provost to the girl, "think well of what you are +saying! You complain of being forced. It is a very serious charge! He +says that he did not use any force, but that you consented, and indeed +almost asked for what you got. And if he speaks truly, you yourself +directed his weasel, which was wandering about near your rabbit-hole, +and with your two hands—or at least with one—pushed the said weasel +into your burrow. Which thing he could never have done without your +help, and if you had resisted but ever so little he would never have +effected his purpose. If his weasel was allowed to rummage in your +burrow, that is not his fault, and he is not punishable." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, Provost," said the girl plaintively, "what do you mean by that? It +is quite true, and I will not deny it, that I conducted his weasel into +my burrow—but why did I do so? By my oath, Sir, its head was so stiff, +and its muzzle so hard, that I was sure that it would make a large cut, +or two or three, on my belly, if I did not make haste and put it where +it could do little harm—and that is what I did." +</p> +<p> +You may fancy what a burst of laughter there was at the end of +this trial, both from the judges and the public. The young man was +discharged,—to continue his rabbit-hunting if he saw fit. +</p> +<p> +The girl was angry that he was not hanged on a high forked tree for +having hung on her "low forks" (*). But this anger and resentment did +not last long, for as I heard afterwards on good authority, peace was +concluded between them, and the youth had the right to ferret in the +coney burrow whenever he felt inclined. +</p> +<pre> + (*) A play upon words, which is not easily translatable, in + allusion to the gallows. +</pre> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0027"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="26pg (122K)" src="images/26pg.jpg" height="942" width="588" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-SIXTH — THE DAMSEL KNIGHT. <a href="#note-26" name="noteref-26">26</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Foquessoles. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of the loves of a young gentleman and a damsel, who tested the loyalty +of the gentleman in a marvellous and courteous manner, and slept three +nights with him without his knowing that it was not a man,—as you will +more fully hear hereafter.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +In the duchy of Brabant—not so long ago but that the memory of it is +fresh in the present day—happened a strange thing, which is worthy of +being related, and is not unfit to furnish a story. And in order that it +should be publicly known and reported, here is the tale. +</p> +<p> +In the household of a great baron of the said country there lived and +resided a young, gracious, and kind gentleman, named Gerard, who was +greatly in love with a damsel of the said household, named Katherine. +And when he found opportunity, he ventured to tell her of his piteous +case. Most people will be able to guess the answer he received, and +therefore, to shorten matters, I omit it here. +</p> +<p> +In due time Gerard and Katherine loved each other so warmly that there +was but one heart and one will between them. This loyal and perfect love +endured no little time—indeed two years passed away. Love, who blinds +the eyes of his disciples, had so blinded these two that they did not +know that this affection, which they thought secret, was perceived by +every one; there was not a man or a woman in the chateau who was not +aware of it—in fact the matter was so noised abroad that all the talk +of the household was of the loves of Gerard and Katherine. +</p> +<p> +These two poor, deluded fools were so much occupied with their own +affairs that they did not suspect their love affairs were discussed by +others. Envious persons, or those whom it did not concern, brought +this love affair to the knowledge of the master and mistress of the +two lovers, and it also came to the ears of the father and mother of +Katherine. +</p> +<p> +Katherine was informed by a damsel belonging to the household, who was +one of her friends and companions, that her love for Gerard had been +discovered and revealed both to her father and mother, and also to the +master and mistress of the house. +</p> +<p> +"Alas, what is to be done, my dear sister and friend?" asked Katherine. +"I am lost, now that so many persons know, or guess at, my condition. +Advise me, or I am ruined, and the most unfortunate woman in the world," +and at these words her eyes filled with tears, which rolled down her +fair cheeks and even fell to the edge of her robe. +</p> +<p> +Her friend was very vexed to see her grief, and tried to console her. +</p> +<p> +"My sister," she said, "it is foolish to show such great grief; for, +thank God, no one can reproach you with anything that touches your +honour or that of your friends. If you have listened to the vows of a +gentleman, that is not a thing forbidden by the Court of Honour, it is +even the path, the true road, to arrive there. You have no cause for +grief, for there is not a soul living who can bring a charge against +you. But, at any rate, I should advise that, to stop chattering tongues +which are discussing your love affairs, your lover, Gerard, should, +without more ado, take leave of our lord and lady, alleging that he is +to set out on a long voyage, or take part in some war now going on, and, +under that excuse, repair to some house and wait there until God and +Cupid have arranged matters. He will keep you informed by messages how +he is, and you will do the same to him; and by that time the rumours +will have ceased, and you can communicate with one another by letter +until better times arrive. And do not imagine that your love will +cease—it will be as great, or greater, than ever, for during a long +time you will only hear from each other occasionally, and that is one of +the surest ways of preserving love." +</p> +<p> +The kind and good advice of this gentle dame was followed, for as soon +as Katherine found means to speak to her lover, Gerard, she told him +how the secret of their love had been discovered and had come to the +knowledge of her father and mother, and the master and mistress of the +house. +</p> +<p> +"And you may believe," she said, "that it did not reach that point +without much talk on the part of those of the household and many of the +neighbours. And since Fortune is not so friendly to us as to permit us +to live happily as we began, but menaces us with further troubles, it is +necessary to be fore-armed against them. Therefore, as the matter much +concerns me, and still more you, I will tell you my opinion." +</p> +<p> +With that she recounted at full length the good advice which had been +given by her friend and companion. +</p> +<p> +Gerard, who had expected a misfortune of this kind, replied; +</p> +<p> +"My loyal and dear mistress, I am your humble and obedient servant, and, +except God, I love no one so dearly as you. You may command me to +do anything that seems good to you, and whatever you order shall be +joyfully and willingly obeyed. But, believe me, there is nothing left +for me in the world when once I am removed from your much-wished-for +presence. Alas, if I must leave you, I fear that the first news you will +hear will be that of my sad and pitiful death, caused by your absence, +but, be that as it may, you are the only living person I will obey, and +I prefer rather to obey you and die, than live for ever and disobey you. +My body is yours. Cut it, hack it, do what you like with it!" +</p> +<p> +You may guess that Katherine was grieved and vexed at seeing her lover, +whom she adored more than anyone in the world, thus troubled. Had it not +been for the virtue with which God had largely endowed her, she would +have proposed to accompany him on his travels, but she hoped for happier +days, and refrained from making such a proposal. After a pause, she +replied; +</p> +<p> +"My friend you must go away, but do not forget her who has given you her +heart. And that you may have courage in the struggle which is imposed +on you, know that I promise you on my word that as long as I live I will +never marry any man but you of my own free-will, provided that you are +equally loyal and true to me, as I hope you will be. And in proof of +this, I give you this ring, which is of gold enamelled with black tears. +If by chance they would marry me to some one else, I will defend myself +so stoutly that you will be pleased with me, and I will prove to you +that I can keep my promise without flinching from it. And, lastly, I beg +of you that wherever you may stop, you will send me news about yourself, +and I will do the same." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, my dear mistress," said Gerard, "I see plainly that I must leave +you for a time. I pray to God that he will give you more joy and +happiness than I am likely to have. You have kindly given me, though I +am not worthy of it, a noble and honourable promise, for which I cannot +sufficiently thank you. Still less do I deserve it, but I venture in +return to make a similar promise, begging most humbly and with all my +heart, that my vow may have as great a weight as if it came from a much +nobler man than I. Adieu, dearest lady. My eyes demand their turn, and +prevent my tongue from speaking." +</p> +<p> +With these words he kissed her, and pressed her tightly to his bosom, +and then each went away to think over his or her griefs. +</p> +<p> +God knows that they wept with their eyes, their hearts, and their heads, +but ere they showed themselves, they concealed all traces of their +grief, and put on a semblance of cheerfulness. +</p> +<p> +To cut matters short, Gerard did so much in a few days that he obtained +leave of absence from his master—which was not very difficult, not that +he had committed any fault, but owing to his love affair with Katherine, +with which her friends were not best pleased, seeing that Gerard was +not of such a good family or so rich as she was, and could not expect to +marry her. +</p> +<p> +So Gerard left, and covered such a distance in one day that he came to +Barrois, where he found shelter in the castle of a great nobleman of +the country; and being safely housed he soon sent news of himself to the +lady, who was very joyful thereat, and by the same messenger wrote to +tell him of her condition, and the goodwill she bore him, and how she +would always be loyal to him. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that as soon as Gerard had left Brabant, many +gentlemen, knights and squires, came to Katherine, desiring above all +things to make her acquaintance, which during the time that Gerard +had been there they had been unable to do, knowing that her heart was +already occupied. +</p> +<p> +Indeed many of them demanded her hand in marriage of her father, and +amongst them was one who seemed to him a very suitable match. So he +called together many of his friends, and summoned his fair daughter, and +told them that he was already growing old, and that one of the greatest +pleasures he could have in the world was to see his daughter well +married before he died. Moreover, he said to them; +</p> +<p> +"A certain gentleman has asked for my daughter's hand, and he seems to +me a suitable match. If your opinion agrees with mine, and my daughter +will obey me, his honourable request will not be rejected." +</p> +<p> +All his friends and relations approved of the proposed marriage, on +account of the virtues, riches, and other gifts of the said gentleman. +But when they asked the opinion of the fair Katherine, she sought to +excuse herself, and gave several reasons for refusing, or at least +postponing this marriage, but at last she saw that she would be in the +bad books of her father, her mother, her relatives, friends, and her +master and mistress, if she continued to keep her promise to her lover, +Gerard. +</p> +<p> +At last she thought of a means by which she could satisfy her parents +without breaking her word to her lover, and said, +</p> +<p> +"My dearest lord and father, I do not wish to disobey you in anything +you may command, but I have made a vow to God, my creator, which I must +keep. Now I have made a resolution and sworn in my heart to God that +I would never marry unless He would of His mercy show me that that +condition was necessary for the salvation of my poor soul. But as I do +not wish to be a trouble to you, I am content to accept this condition +of matrimony, or any other that you please, if you will first give me +leave to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Nicolas at Varengeville +(*) which pilgrimage I vowed and promised to make before I changed my +present condition." +</p> +<pre> + (*) A town of Lorraine, on the Meurthe, about six miles from + Kancy. Pilgrims flocked thither from all parts to worship + the relics of St. Nicolas. +</pre> +<p> +She said this in order that she might see her lover on the road, and +tell him how she was constrained against her will. +</p> +<p> +Her father was rather pleased to hear the wise and dutiful reply of +his daughter. He granted her request, and wished to at once order her +retinue, and spoke to his wife about it when his daughter was present. +</p> +<p> +"We will give her such and such gentlemen, who with Ysabeau, Marguerite +and Jehanneton, will be sufficient for her condition." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, my lord," said Katherine, "if it so please you we will order it +otherwise. You know that the road from here to St. Nicolas is not very +safe, and that when women are to be escorted great precautions must be +taken. I could not go thus without great expense; moreover, the road is +long, and if it happened that we lost either our goods or honour (which +may God forfend) it would be a great misfortune. Therefore it seems good +to me—subject to your good pleasure—that there should be made for me a +man's dress and that I should be escorted by my uncle, the bastard, each +mounted on a stout horse. We should go much quicker, more safely, and +with less expense, and I should have more confidence than with a large +retinue." +</p> +<p> +The good lord, having thought over the matter a little while, spoke +about it to his wife, and it seemed to them that the proposal showed +much common sense and dutiful feeling. So everything was prepared for +their departure. +</p> +<p> +They set out on their journey, the fair Katherine and her uncle, the +bastard, without any other companion. Katherine, who was dressed in +the German fashion very elegantly, was the master, and her uncle, the +bastard, was the serving man. They made such haste that their pilgrimage +was soon accomplished, as far as St. Nicolas was concerned, and, as they +were on their return journey-praising God for having preserved them, and +talking over various matters Katherine said to her uncle, +</p> +<p> +"Uncle, you know that I am sole heiress to my father, and that I could +bestow many benefits upon you, which I will most willingly do if you +will aid me in a small quest I am about to undertake—that is to go to +the castle of a certain lord of Barrois (whom she named) to see Gerard, +whom you know. And, in order that when we return we may have some news +to tell, we will demand hospitality, and if we obtain it we will stop +there for some days and see the country, and you need be under no fear +but that I shall take care of my honour, as a good girl should." +</p> +<p> +The uncle, who hoped to be rewarded some day, and knew she was virtuous, +vowed to himself that he would keep an eye upon her, and promised to +serve her and accompany her wherever she wished. He was much thanked no +doubt, and it was then decided that he should call his niece, Conrad. +</p> +<p> +They soon came, as they desired, to the wished-for place, and addressed +themselves to the lord's major-domo, who was an old knight, and who +received them most joyfully and most honourably. +</p> +<p> +Conrad asked him if the lord, his master, did not wish to have in his +service a young gentleman who was fond of adventures, and desirous of +seeing various countries? +</p> +<p> +The major-domo asked him whence he came, and he replied, from Brabant. +</p> +<p> +"Well then," said the major-domo, "you shall dine here, and after dinner +I will speak to my lord." +</p> +<p> +With that he had them conducted to a fair chamber, and ordered the table +to be laid, and a good fire to be lighted, and sent them soup and a +piece of mutton, and white wine while dinner was preparing. +</p> +<p> +Then he went to his master and told him of the arrival of a young +gentleman of Brabant, who wished to serve him, and the lord was content +to take the youth if he wished. +</p> +<p> +To cut matters short, as soon as he had served his master, he returned +to Conrad to dine with him, and brought with him, because he was of +Brabant, the aforesaid Gerard, and said to Conrad; +</p> +<p> +"Here is a young gentleman who belongs to your country." +</p> +<p> +"I am glad to meet him," said Conrad. +</p> +<p> +"And you are very welcome," replied Gerard. +</p> +<p> +But he did not recognise his lady-love, though she knew him very well. +</p> +<p> +Whilst they were making each other's acquaintance, the meat was brought +in, and each took his place on either hand of the major-domo. +</p> +<p> +The dinner seemed long to Conrad, who hoped afterwards to have some +conversation with her lover, and expected also that she would soon be +recognised either by her voice, or by the replies she made to questions +concerning Brabant; but it happened quite otherwise, for during all the +dinner, the worthy Gerard did not ask after either man or woman in all +Brabant; which Conrad could not at all understand. +</p> +<p> +Dinner passed, and after dinner my lord engaged Conrad in his service; +and the major-domo, who was a thoughtful, experienced man, gave +instructions that as Gerard and Conrad came from the same place, they +should share the same chamber. +</p> +<p> +After this Gerard and Conrad went off arm in arm to look at their +horses, but as far as Gerard was concerned, if he talked about +anything it was not Brabant. Poor Conrad—that is to say the fair +Katherine—began to suspect that she was like forgotten sins, and had +gone clean out of Gerard's mind; but she could not imagine why, at +least, he did not ask about the lord and lady with whom she lived. The +poor girl was, though she could not show it, in great distress of mind, +and did not know what to do; whether to still conceal her identity, and +test him by some cunning phrases, or to suddenly make herself known. +</p> +<p> +In the end she decided that she would still remain Conrad, and say +nothing about Katherine unless Gerard should alter his manner. +</p> +<p> +The evening passed as the dinner had done, and when they came to their +chamber, Gerard and Conrad spoke of many things, but not of the one +subject pleasing to the said Conrad. When he saw that the other only +replied in the words that were put into his mouth, she asked of what +family he was in Brabant, and why he left there, and where he was when +he was there, and he replied as it seemed good to him. +</p> +<p> +"And do you not know," she said, "such and such a lord, and such +another?" +</p> +<p> +"By St. John, yes!" he replied. +</p> +<p> +Finally, she named the lord at whose castle she had lived; and he +replied that he knew him well, but not saying that he had lived there, +or ever been there in his life. +</p> +<p> +"It is rumoured," she said, "there are some pretty girls there. Do you +know of any?" +</p> +<p> +"I know very little," he replied, "and care less. Leave me alone; for I +am dying to go to sleep!" +</p> +<p> +"What!" she said. "Can you sleep when pretty girls are being talked +about? That is a sign that you are not in love!" +</p> +<p> +He did not reply, but slept like a pig, and poor Katherine began to have +serious doubts about him, but she resolved to try him again. +</p> +<p> +When the morrow came, each dressed himself, talking and chattering +meanwhile of what each liked best—Gerard of dogs and hawks, and Conrad +of the pretty girls of that place and Brabant. +</p> +<p> +After dinner, Conrad managed to separate Gerard from the others, and +told him that the country of Barrois was very flat and ugly, but Brabant +was quite different, and let him know that he (Conrad) longed to return +thither. +</p> +<p> +"For what purpose?" asked Gerard. "What do you see in Brabant that is +not here? Have you not here fine forests for hunting, good rivers, and +plains as pleasant as could be wished for flying falcons, and plenty of +game of all sorts?" +</p> +<p> +"Still that is nothing!" said Conrad. "The women of Brabant are very +different, and they please me much more than any amount of hunting or +hawking!" +</p> +<p> +"By St. John! they are quite another affair," said Gerard. "You are +exceedingly amorous in your Brabant, I dare swear!" +</p> +<p> +"By my oath!" said Conrad, "it is not a thing that can be hidden, for +I myself am madly in love. In fact my heart is drawn so forcibly that I +fear I shall be forced to quit your Barrois, for it will not be possible +for me to live long without seeing my lady love." +</p> +<p> +"Then it was a madness," said Gerard, "to have left her, if you felt +yourself so inconstant." +</p> +<p> +"Inconstant, my friend! Where is the man who can guarantee that he will +be constant in love. No one is so wise or cautious that he knows for +certain how to conduct himself. Love often drives both sense and reason +out of his followers." +</p> +<p> +The conversation dropped as supper time came, and was not renewed till +they were in bed. Gerard would have desired nothing better than to go to +sleep, but Conrad renewed the discussion, and began a piteous, long, and +sad complaint about his ladylove (which, to shorten matters, I omit) and +at last he said, +</p> +<p> +"Alas, Gerard, and how can you desire to sleep whilst I am so wide +awake, and my soul is filled with cares, and regrets, and troubles. It +is strange that you are not a little touched yourself, for, believe +me, if it were a contagious disease you could not be so close to me and +escape unscathed. I beg of you, though you do not feel yourself, to have +some pity and compassion on me, for I shall die soon if I do not behold +my lady-love." +</p> +<p> +"I never saw such a love-sick fool!" cried Gerard. "Do you think that I +have never been in love? I know what it is, for I have passed through +it the same as you—certainly I have! But I was never so love-mad as to +lose my sleep or upset myself, as you are doing now. You are an idiot, +and your love is not worth a doit. Besides do you think your lady is the +same as you are? No, no!" +</p> +<p> +"I am sure she is," replied Conrad; "she is so true-hearted." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, you speak as you wish," said Gerard, "but I do not believe that +women are so true as to always remain faithful to their vows; and those +who believe in them are blockheads. Like you, I have loved, and still +love. For, to tell you the truth, I left Brabant on account of a love +affair, and when I left I was high in the graces of a very beautiful, +good, and noble damsel, whom I quitted with much regret; and for no +small time I was in great grief at not being able to see her—though I +did not cease to sleep, drink, or eat, as you do. When I found that +I was no longer able to see her, I cured myself by following Ovid's +advice, for I had not been here long before I made the acquaintance of a +pretty girl in the house, and so managed, that—thank God—she now likes +me very much, and I love her. So that now I have forgotten the one I +formerly loved, and only care for the one I now possess, who has turned +my thoughts from my old love!" +</p> +<p> +"What!" cried Conrad. "Is it possible that, if you really loved the +other, you can so soon forget her and desert her? I cannot understand +nor imagine how that can be!" +</p> +<p> +"It is so, nevertheless, whether you understand it or not." "That is not +keeping faith loyally," said Conrad. "As for me, I would rather die +a thousand times, if that were possible, than be so false to my lady. +However long God may let me live, I shall never have the will, or even +the lightest thought, of ever loving any but her." +</p> +<p> +"So much the greater fool you," said Gerard, "and if you persevere in +this folly, you will never be of any good, and will do nothing but dream +and muse; and you will dry up like the green herb that is cast into the +furnace, and kill yourself, and never have known any pleasure, and +even your mistress will laugh at you,—if you are lucky enough to be +remembered by her at all." +</p> +<p> +"Well!" said Conrad. "You are very experienced in love affairs. I would +beg of you to be my intermediary, here or elsewhere, and introduce me to +some damsel that I may be cured like you." +</p> +<p> +"I will tell you what I will do," said Gerard. "Tomorrow I will speak to +my mistress and tell her that we are comrades, and ask her to speak to +one of her lady friends, who will undertake your business, and I do not +doubt but that, if you like, you will have a good time, and that the +melancholy which now bears you down will disappear—if you care to get +rid of it." +</p> +<p> +"If it were not for breaking my vow to my mistress, I should desire +nothing better," said Conrad, "but at any rate I will try it." +</p> +<p> +With that Gerard turned over and went to sleep, but Katherine was so +stricken with grief at seeing and hearing the falsehood of him whom she +loved more than all the world, that she wished herself dead and more +than dead. Nevertheless, she put aside all feminine feeling, and assumed +manly vigour. She even had the strength of mind to talk for a long time +the next day with the girl who loved the man <i>she</i> had once adored; and +even compelled her heart and eyes to be witnesses of many interviews and +love passages that were most galling to her. +</p> +<p> +Whilst she was talking to Gerard's mistress, she saw the ring that she +had given her unfaithful lover, but she was not so foolish as to admire +it, but nevertheless found an opportunity to examine it closely on the +girl's finger, but appeared to pay no heed to it, and soon afterwards +left. +</p> +<p> +As soon as supper was over, she went to her uncle, and said to him; +</p> +<p> +"We have been long enough in Barrois! It is time to leave. Be ready +to-morrow morning at daybreak, and I will be also. And take care that +all our baggage is prepared. Come for me as early as you like." +</p> +<p> +"You have but to come down when you will," replied the uncle. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that after supper, whilst Gerard was conversing with +his mistress, she who had been his lady-love went to her chamber and +began to write a letter, which narrated at full length the love affairs +of herself and Gerard, also "the promises which they made at parting, +how they had wished to marry her to another and how she had refused, and +the pilgrimage that she had undertaken to keep her word and come to him, +and the disloyalty and falsehood she had found in him, in word, act, +and deed. And that, for the causes mentioned, she held herself free +and disengaged from the promise she had formerly made. And that she was +going to return to her own country and never wished to see him or meet +him again, he being the falsest man who ever made vows to a woman. And +as regards the ring that she had given him, that he had forfeited it by +passing it into the hands of a third person. And if he could boast that +he had lain three nights by her side, there was no harm, and he might +say what he liked, and she was not afraid." +</p> +<p> +<i>Letter written by a hand you ought to know</i>, and underneath <i>Katherine +etc., otherwise known as Conrad</i>; and on the back, <i>To the false Gerard</i> +etc. +</p> +<p> +She scarcely slept all night, and as soon as she saw the dawn, she rose +gently and dressed herself without awaking Gerard. She took the letter, +which she had folded and sealed, and placed it in the sleeve of Gerard's +jerkin; then in a vow voice prayed to God for him, and wept gently on +account of the grief she endured on account of the falseness she had met +with. +</p> +<p> +Gerard still slept, and did not reply a word. Then she went to her +uncle, who gave her her horse which she mounted, and they left the +country, and soon came to Brabant, where they were joyfully received, +God knows. +</p> +<p> +You may imagine that all sorts of questions were asked about their +adventures and travels, and how they had managed, but whatever they +replied they took care to say nothing about their principal adventure. +</p> +<p> +But to return to Gerard. He awoke about 10 o'clock on the morning of the +day when Katherine left, and looked to see if his companion Conrad was +already risen. He did not know it was so late, and jumped out of bed +in haste to seek for his jerkin. When he put his arm in the sleeve, +out dropped the letter, at which he was much astonished, for he did not +remember putting it there. +</p> +<p> +At any rate, he picked it up, and saw that it was sealed, and had +written on the back, <i>To the false Gerard</i>. If he had been astonished +before, he was still more so now. +</p> +<p> +After a little while he opened it and saw the signature, <i>Katherine +known as Conrad</i> etc. +</p> +<p> +He did not know what to think, nevertheless he read the letter, and in +reading it the blood mounted to his cheeks, and his heart sank within +him, so that he was quite changed both in looks and complexion. +</p> +<p> +He finished reading the letter the best way he could, and learned that +his falseness had come to the knowledge of her who wished so well to +him, and that she knew him to be what he was, not by the report of +another person, but by her own eyes; and what touched him most to the +heart was that he had lain three nights with her without having thanked +her for the trouble she had taken to come so far to make trial of his +love. +</p> +<p> +He champed the bit, and was wild with rage, when he saw how he had been +mystified. After much thought, he resolved that the best thing to do was +to follow her, as he thought he might overtake her. +</p> +<p> +He took leave of his master and set out, and followed the trail of their +horses, but did not catch them up before they came to Brabant, where +he arrived opportunely on the day of the marriage of the woman who had +tested his affection. +</p> +<p> +He wished to kiss her and salute her, and make some poor excuse for his +fault, but he was not able to do so, for she turned her back on him, +and he could not, all the time that he was there, find an opportunity of +talking with her. +</p> +<p> +Once he advanced to lead her to the dance, but she flatly refused in the +face of all the company, many of whom took note of the incident. For, +not long after, another gentleman entered, and caused the minstrels to +strike up, and advanced towards her, and she came down and danced with +him. +</p> +<p> +Thus, as you have heard, did the false lover lose his mistress. If there +are others like him, let them take warning by this example, which is +perfectly true, and is well known, and happened not so very long ago. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0020"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/27.jpg" height="895" width="611" +alt="27.jpg" title="The Husband in The Clothes-chest. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0028"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="27pg (139K)" src="images/27pg.jpg" height="919" width="592" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH — THE HUSBAND IN THE CLOTHES-CHEST. <a href="#note-27" name="noteref-27">27</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Beauvoir. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a great lord of this kingdom and a married lady, who in order +that she might be with her lover caused her husband to be shut in a +clothes-chest by her waiting women, and kept him there all the night, +whilst she passed the time with her lover; and of the wagers made +between her and the said husband, as you will find afterwards recorded.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +It is not an unusual thing, especially in this country, for fair dames +and damsels to often and willingly keep company with young gentlemen, +and the pleasant joyful games they have together, and the kind requests +which are made, are not difficult to guess. +</p> +<p> +Not long ago, there was a most noble lord, who might be reckoned as one +of the princes, but whose name shall not issue from my pen, who was much +in the good graces of a damsel who was married, and of whom report spoke +so highly that the greatest personage in the kingdom might have deemed +himself lucky to be her lover. +</p> +<p> +She would have liked to prove to him how greatly she esteemed him, +but it was not easy; there were so many adversaries and enemies to be +outwitted. And what more especially annoyed her was her worthy husband, +who kept to the house and played the part of the cursed Dangier, (*) and +the lover could not find any honourable excuse to make him leave. +</p> +<pre> + (*) Allegorical personage typifying jealousy, taken from <i>Le + Romaunt de la Rose</i>. +</pre> +<p> +As you may imagine, the lover was greatly dissatisfied at having to wait +so long, for he desired the fair quarry, the object of his long chase, +more than he had ever desired anybody in all his life. +</p> +<p> +For this cause he continued to importune his mistress, till she said to +him. +</p> +<p> +"I am quite as displeased as you can be that I can give you no better +welcome; but, you know, as long as my husband is in the house he must be +considered." +</p> +<p> +"Alas!" said he, "cannot you find any method to abridge my hard and +cruel martyrdom?" +</p> +<p> +She—who as has been said above, was quite as desirous of being with her +lover as he was with her—replied; +</p> +<p> +"Come to-night, at such and such an hour, and knock at my chamber +door. I will let you in, and will find some method to be freed from my +husband, if Fortune does not upset our plans." +</p> +<p> +Her lover had never heard anything which pleased him better, and after +many gracious thanks,—which he was no bad hand at making—he left her, +and awaited the hour assigned. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that a good hour or more before the appointed time, +our gentle damsel, with her women and her husband, had withdrawn to her +chamber after supper; nor was her imagination idle, but she studied +with all her mind how she could keep her promise to her lover. Now she +thought of one means, now of another, but nothing occurred to her by +which she could get rid of her cursed husband; and all the time the +wished-for hour was fast approaching. +</p> +<p> +Whilst she was thus buried in thought, Fortune was kind enough to do her +a good turn, and her husband a bad one. +</p> +<p> +He was looking round the chamber, and by chance he saw at the foot of +the bed his wife's clothes-chest. In order to make her speak, and arouse +her from her reverie, he asked what that chest was used for, and why +they did not take it to the wardrobe, or some other place where it would +be more suitable. +</p> +<p> +"There is no need, Monseigneur," said Madame; "no one comes here but us. +I left it here on purpose, because there are still some gowns in it, but +if you are not pleased, my dear, my women will soon take it away." +</p> +<p> +"Not pleased?" said he. "No, I am not; but I like it as much here as +anywhere else, since it pleases you; but it seems to me much too small +to hold your gowns well without crumpling them, seeing what great and +long trains are worn now." +</p> +<p> +"By my word, sir," said she, "it is big enough." +</p> +<p> +"It hardly seems so," replied he, "really; and I have looked at it +well." +</p> +<p> +"Well, sir," said she, "will you make a bet with me?" +</p> +<p> +"Certainly I will," he answered; "what shall it be?" +</p> +<p> +"I will bet, if you like, half a dozen of the best shirts against the +satin to make a plain petticoat, that we can put you inside the box just +as you are." +</p> +<p> +"On my soul," said he, "I will bet I cannot get in." +</p> +<p> +"And I will bet you can." +</p> +<p> +"Come on!" said the women. "We will soon see who is the winner." +</p> +<p> +"It will soon be proved," said Monsieur, and then he made them take +out of the chest all the gowns which were in it, and when it was empty, +Madam and her women put in Monsieur easily enough. +</p> +<p> +Then there was much chattering, and discussion, and laughter, and Madam +said; +</p> +<p> +"Well, sir; you have lost your wager! You own that, do you not?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," said he, "you are right." +</p> +<p> +As he said these words, the chest was locked, and the girls all +laughing, playing, and dancing, carried both chest and man together, and +put it in a big cupboard some distance away from the chamber. +</p> +<p> +He cried, and struggled, and made a great noise; but it was no good, +and he was left there all the night. He could sleep, or think, or do the +best he could, but Madam had given secret instructions that he was not +to be let out that day, because she had been too much bothered by him +already. +</p> +<p> +But to return to the tale we had begun. We will leave our man in his +chest, and talk about Madam, who was awaiting her lover, surrounded +by her waiting women, who were so good and discreet that they never +revealed any secrets. They knew well enough that the dearly beloved +adorer was to occupy that night the place of the man who was doing +penance in the clothes-chest. +</p> +<p> +They did not wait long before the lover, without making any noise or +scare, knocked at the chamber door, and they knew his knock, and quickly +let him in. He was joyfully received and kindly entertained by Madam and +her maids; and he was glad to find himself alone with his lady love, who +told him what good fortune God had given her, that is to say how she had +made a bet with her husband that he could get into the chest, how he had +got in, and how she and her women had carried him away to a cupboard. +</p> +<p> +"What?" said her lover. "I cannot believe that he is in the house. By my +word, I believed that you had found some excuse to send him out whilst I +took his place with you for a time." +</p> +<p> +"You need not go," she said. "He cannot get out of where he is. He may +cry as much as he will, but there is no one here likes him well enough +to let him out, and there he will stay; but if you would like to have +him set free, you have but to say so." +</p> +<p> +"By Our Lady," said he, "if he does not come out till I let him out, he +will wait a good long time." +</p> +<p> +"Well then, let us enjoy ourselves," said she, "and think no more about +him." +</p> +<p> +To cut matters short, they both undressed, and the two lovers lay down +in the fair bed, and did what they intended to do, and which is better +imagined than described. +</p> +<p> +When day dawned, her paramour took leave of her as secretly as he could, +and returned to his lodgings to sleep, I hope, and to breakfast, for he +had need of both. +</p> +<p> +Madam, who was as cunning as she was wise and good, rose at the usual +hour, and said to her women; +</p> +<p> +"It will soon be time to let out our prisoner. I will go and see what he +says, and whether he will pay his ransom." +</p> +<p> +"Put all the blame on us," they said. "We will appease him." +</p> +<p> +"All right, I will do so," she said. +</p> +<p> +With these words she made the sign of the Cross, and went nonchalantly, +as though not thinking what she was doing, into the cupboard where her +husband was still shut up in the chest. And when he heard her he began +to make a great noise and cry out, "Who is there? Why do you leave me +locked up here?" +</p> +<p> +His good wife, who heard the noise he was making replied timidly, as +though frightened, and playing the simpleton; +</p> +<p> +"Heavens! who is it that I hear crying?" +</p> +<p> +"It is I! It is I!" cried the husband. +</p> +<p> +"You?" she cried; "and where do you come from at this time?" +</p> +<p> +"Whence do I come?" said he. "You know very well, madam. There is no +need for me to tell you—but what you did to me I will some day do to +you,"—for he was so angry that he would willingly have showered abuse +upon his wife, but she cut him short, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Sir, for God's sake pardon me. On my oath I assure you that I did not +know you were here now, for, believe me, I am very much astonished that +you should be still here, for I ordered my women to let you out whilst I +was at prayers, and they told me they would do so; and, in fact, one of +them told me that you had been let out, and had gone into the town, +and would not return home, and so I went to bed soon afterwards without +waiting for you." +</p> +<p> +"Saint John!" said he; "you see how it is. But make haste and let me +out, for I am so exhausted that I can stand it no longer." +</p> +<p> +"That may well be," said she, "but you will not come out till you have +promised to pay me the wager you lost, and also pardon me, or otherwise +I will not let you out." +</p> +<p> +"Make haste, for God's sake! I will pay you—really." +</p> +<p> +"And you promise?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes—on my oath!" +</p> +<p> +This arrangement being concluded, Madam opened the chest, and Monsieur +came out, tired, cramped, and exhausted. +</p> +<p> +She took him by the arm, and kissed him, and embraced him as gently as +could be, praying to God that he would not be angry. +</p> +<p> +The poor blockhead said that he was not angry with her, because she knew +nothing about it, but that he would certainly punish her women. +</p> +<p> +"By my oath, sir," said she, "they are well revenged upon you—for I +expect you have done something to them." +</p> +<p> +"Not I certainly, that I know of—but at any rate the trick they have +played me will cost them dear." +</p> +<p> +He had hardly finished this speech, when all the women came into the +room, and laughed so loudly and so heartily that they could not say a +word for a long time; and Monsieur, who was going to do such wonders, +when he saw them laugh to such a degree, had not the heart to interfere +with them. Madame, to keep him company, did not fail to laugh also. +There was a marvellous amount of laughing, and he who had the least +cause to laugh, laughed one of the loudest. +</p> +<p> +After a certain time, this amusement ceased, and Monsieur said; +</p> +<p> +"Mesdames, I thank you much for the kindness you have done me." +</p> +<p> +"You are quite welcome, sir," said one of the women, "and still we are +not quits. You have given us so much trouble, and caused as so much +mischief, that we owed you a grudge, and if we have any regret it is +that you did not remain in the box longer. And, in fact, if it had not +been for Madame you would still be there;—so you may take it how you +will!" +</p> +<p> +"Is that so?" said he. "Well, well, you shall see how I will take it. +By my oath I am well treated, when, after all I have suffered, I am only +laughed, at, and what is still worse, must pay for the satin for the +petticoat. Really, I ought to have the shirts that were bet, as a +compensation for what I have suffered." +</p> +<p> +"By Heaven, he is right," said the women. "We are on your side as to +that, and you shall have them. Shall he not have them, Madame?" +</p> +<p> +"On what grounds?" said she. "He lost the wager." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, yes, we know that well enough: he has no right to them,—indeed he +does not ask for them on that account, but he has well deserved them for +another reason." +</p> +<p> +"Never mind about that," said Madame. "I will willingly give the +material out of love for you, mesdames, who have so warmly pleaded for +him, if you will undertake to do the sewing." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, truly, Madame." +</p> +<p> +Like one who when he wakes in the morning has but to give himself a +shake and he is ready, Monsieur needed but a bunch of twigs to beat his +clothes and he was ready, and so he went to Mass; and Madame and her +women followed him, laughing loudly at him I can assure you. +</p> +<p> +And you may imagine that during the Mass there was more than one giggle +when they remembered that Monsieur, whilst he was in the chest (though +he did not know it himself) had been registered in the book which has no +name. (*) And unless by chance this book falls into his hands, he will +never,—please God—know of his misfortune, which on no account would I +have him know. So I beg of any reader who may know him, to take care not +to show it to him. +</p> +<pre> + (*) The Book of Cuckolds. +</pre> +<hr> +<a name="image-0021"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/28.jpg" height="914" width="625" +alt="28.jpg" title="The Incapable Lover. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0029"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="28pg (141K)" src="images/28pg.jpg" height="939" width="590" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH — THE INCAPABLE LOVER. <a href="#note-28" name="noteref-28">28</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Messire Miohaut De Changy. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of the meeting assigned to a great Prince of this kingdom by a damsel +who was chamber-woman to the Queen; of the little feats of arms of the +said Prince and of the neat replies made by the said damsel to the Queen +concerning her greyhound which had been purposely shut out of the room +of the said Queen, as you shall shortly hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +If in the time of the most renowned and eloquent Boccaccio, the +adventure which forms the subject of my tale had come to his knowledge, +I do not doubt but that he would have added it to his stories of great +men who met with bad fortune. For I think that no nobleman ever had a +greater misfortune to bear than the good lord (whom may God pardon!) +whose adventure I will relate, and whether his ill fortune is worthy +to be in the aforesaid books of Boccaccio, I leave those who hear it to +judge. +</p> +<p> +The good lord of whom I speak was, in his time, one of the great +princes of this kingdom, apparelled and furnished with all that befits a +nobleman; and amongst his other qualities was this,—that never was man +more destined to be a favourite with the ladies. +</p> +<p> +Now it happened to him at the time when his fame in this respect most +flourished, and everybody was talking about him, that Cupid, who casts +his darts wherever he likes, caused him to be smitten by the charms of +a beautiful, young, gentle and gracious damsel, who also had made a +reputation second to no other of that day on account of her great and +unequalled beauty and her good manners and virtues, and who, moreover, +was such a favourite with the Queen of that country that she shared the +royal bed on the nights when the said Queen did not sleep with the king. +</p> +<p> +This love affair, I must tell you, had advanced to such a point that +each only desired time and place to say and do what would most +please both. They were many days considering how to find a convenient +opportunity, and at last, she—who was as anxious for the welfare of her +lover as she was for the safety of her own reputation—thought of a good +plan, of which she hastened to inform him, saying as follows; +</p> +<p> +"My dearest friend, you know that I sleep with the Queen, and that it +is not possible for me—unless I would spoil everything—to resign +that honour and position which the noblest lady of the land would think +herself proud and happy to obtain. So that, though I would like to +please you and do your pleasure, I would remain on good terms with her, +and not desert her who can and does give me all the advancement and +honour in the world. I do not suppose that you would have me act +otherwise." +</p> +<p> +"No, by my soul, dearest," replied the worthy lord; "but at any rate I +would beg you that in serving your mistress your devoted lover should +not be forgotten, and that you do for him all that lies in your power, +for he would rather gain your love and good-will than aught else in the +world." +</p> +<p> +"This is what I will do for you, Monseigneur," said she. "The Queen, as +you know, has a greyhound of which she is very fond, that sleeps in +her chamber. I will find means to shut it out of the room without her +knowledge, and when everybody has retired, I will jump out of bed, run +to the reception room, and unbolt the door. Then, when you think that +the Queen is in bed, you must come quietly, and enter the reception room +and close the door after you. There you will find the greyhound, who +knows you well enough, and will let you approach it; pull its ears and +make it cry out, and when the Queen hears that, I expect that she will +make me get out of bed at once to let it in. Then I will come to you, +and fail me not, if ever you would speak to me again." +</p> +<p> +"My most dear and loyal sweetheart," said Monseigneur, "I thank you all +I can. Be sure that I will fail not to be there." +</p> +<p> +Then he rose and went away, and the lady also; each thinking and +desiring how to carry out the proposed plan. +</p> +<p> +What need of a long story? The greyhound wanted to come into the chamber +of his mistress at the usual time, as it had been accustomed, but the +damsel had condemned it to banishment, and it was quickly made to beat a +retreat. The Queen went to bed without noticing the absence of the dog, +and soon afterwards there came to keep her company, the gentle damsel, +who was only waiting to hear the greyhound cry out as the signal for the +battle. +</p> +<p> +It was not long before the worthy lord set to work, and soon managed to +reach the chamber where the greyhound was sleeping. He felt for it, with +his foot or with his hand, until he found it, then he took it by the +ears and made it cry aloud two or three times. +</p> +<p> +The Queen, who heard it, soon knew that it was her greyhound, and +thought that it wanted to come in. She called the damsel, and said; +</p> +<p> +"My dear, my greyhound is howling outside. Get up, and let it in!" +</p> +<p> +"Willingly, madam," said the damsel, and as she awaited the battle, the +day and hour of which she had herself appointed, she only armed herself +with her chemise, and in that guise, came to the door and opened it, and +soon met with him who was awaiting her. +</p> +<p> +He was so delighted and so surprised to see his ladylove so beautiful, +and so well-prepared for the encounter, that he lost his strength and +sense, and had not force enough left to draw his dagger, and try whether +it could penetrate her cuirass. Of kissing, and cuddling, and +playing with her breasts, he could do plenty; but for the grand +operation—nihil. +</p> +<p> +So the fair damsel was forced to return without leaving him that which +he could not gain by force of arms. But when she would quit him, he +tried to detain her by force and by soft speeches, but she dared not +stay, so she shut the door in his face, and came back to the Queen, who +asked her if she had let the greyhound in? And she said, "No, because +she could not find it though she had looked well for it." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, well" said the Queen, "go to bed. It will be all right." +</p> +<p> +The poor lover was very dissatisfied with himself, and thought himself +dishonoured and disgraced, for he had up till then had such confidence +in himself that he believed he could in less than one hour have tackled +three ladies, and come off every time with honour. +</p> +<p> +At last his courage returned, and he said to himself that if he +ever were so fortunate as to find another such opportunity with his +sweetheart, she should not escape as she did the previous time. +</p> +<p> +Thus animated and spurred on by shame and desire, he again took the +greyhound by the ears, and made it cry out much louder than it had +before. +</p> +<p> +Awakened by this cry, the Queen again sent her damsel, who opened the +door as before, but had to return to her mistress without getting any +more pleasure than she had the first time. +</p> +<p> +A third time did the poor gentleman do all in his power to tumble her, +but the devil a bit could he find a lance to encounter her with, though +she awaited his onslaught with a firm foot. And when she saw that she +could not have her basket pierced, and that he could not lay his lance +in rest, whatever advantage she gave him, she knew that the joust had +come to nothing, and had a very poor opinion of the jouster. +</p> +<p> +She would no longer stay with him for all that he could say or do. She +wished to return to the chamber, but her lover held her by force and +said; +</p> +<p> +"Alas, sweetheart, stay a little longer, I pray!" +</p> +<p> +"I cannot," she said: "let me go! I have stayed too long already, +considering the little I got by it," and with that she turned towards +the chamber, but he followed her and tried to detain her. +</p> +<p> +When she saw that—to pay him out, and also hoodwink the Queen—she +called out loud, +</p> +<p> +"Get out! get out! dirty beast that you are! By God! you shall not come +in here, dirty beast that you are!" and so saying she closed the door. +</p> +<p> +The Queen, who heard it, asked, +</p> +<p> +"To whom are you speaking, my dear?" +</p> +<p> +"To this dirty dog, madam, who has given me such trouble to look for +him. He was lying quite flat, and with his nose on the ground, hidden +under a bench, so that I could not find him. And when I did find him he +would not get up for anything that I could do. I would willingly have +put him in, but he would not deign to lift up his head, so, in disgust, +I have shut the door upon him and left him outside." +</p> +<p> +"You did quite right, my dear," said the Queen. "Come to bed, and go to +sleep!" +</p> +<p> +Such, as you have heard, was the bad luck of this noble lord; and since +he could not when his lady would, I believe that since then, when he had +the power, his lady's will was not to be had. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0030"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="29pg (132K)" src="images/29pg.jpg" height="931" width="589" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE TWENTY-NINTH — THE COW AND THE CALF. +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a gentleman to whom—the first night that he was married, and after +he had but tried one stroke—his wife brought forth a child, and of +the manner in which he took it,—and of the speech that he made to his +companions when they brought him the caudle, as you shall shortly hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +It is not a hundred years ago since a young gentleman of this country +wished to know and experience the joys of matrimony, and—to cut matters +short—the much-desired day of his marriage duly came. +</p> +<p> +After much good cheer and the usual amusements, the bride was put to +bed, and a short time afterwards her husband followed, and lay close to +her, and without delay duly began the assault on her fortress. With some +trouble he entered in and gained the stronghold, but you must understand +that he did not complete the conquest without accomplishing many feats +of arms which it would take long to enumerate; for before he came to the +donjon of the castle he had other outworks, with which it was provided, +to carry, like a place that had never been taken or was still quite new, +and which nature had provided with many defences. +</p> +<p> +When he was master of the place, he broke his lance, and ceased the +assault. But the fair damsel when she saw herself at the mercy of her +husband, and how he had foraged the greater part of her manor, wished +to show him a prisoner whom she held confined in a secret place,—or to +speak plainly she was delivered on the spot, after this first encounter, +of a fine boy; at which her husband was so ashamed and so astonished +that he did not know what to do except to hold his tongue. +</p> +<p> +Out of kindness and pity, he did all that he possibly could for both +mother and child, but, as you may believe, the poor woman could not +restrain from uttering a loud cry when the child was born. Many persons +heard this cry, and believed that it was "the cry of the maidenhead," +(*) which is a custom of this country. +</p> +<pre> + (*) A singular custom which obliged the bride to utter a + loud cry when she lost her virginity, and to which the + groomsmen replied by bringing a large bowl of caudle or some + invigorating drink into the bed chamber. From some verses + written by Clement Marot on the marriage of the Duke of + Ferrara to Princess Rénée, it would appear that the custom + existed at the Court of France. +</pre> +<p> +Immediately all the gentlemen in the house where the bridegroom resided, +came and knocked at the door of the chamber, and brought the caudle; but +though they knocked loudly they received no reply, for the bride was in +a condition in which silence is excusable, and the bridegroom had not +much to chatter about. +</p> +<p> +"What is the matter?" cried the guests. "Why do you not open the door? +If you do not make haste we will break it open; the caudle we have +brought you will be quite cold;" and they began to knock louder than +ever. +</p> +<p> +But the bridegroom would not have uttered a word for a hundred francs; +at which those outside did not know what to think, for he was not +ordinarily a silent man. At last he rose, and put on a dressing-gown he +had, and let in his friends, who soon asked him whether the caudle had +been earned, and what sort of a time he had had? Then one of them +laid the table-cloth, and spread the banquet, for they had everything +prepared, and spared nothing in such cases. They all sat round to eat, +and the bridegroom took his seat in a high-backed chair placed near his +bed, looking very stupid and pitiful as you may imagine. And whatever +the others said, he did not answer a word, but sat there like a statue +or a carved idol. +</p> +<p> +"What is the matter?" cried one. "You take no notice of the excellent +repast that our host has provided. You have not said a single word yet." +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said another, "he has no jokes ready." +</p> +<p> +"By my soul!" said another, "marriage has wondrous properties. He has +but been married an hour and he has lost his tongue. If he goes on at +that rate there will soon be nothing left of him." +</p> +<p> +To tell the truth, he had formerly been known as a merry fellow, fond of +a joke, and never uttered a word but a jest; but now he was utterly cast +down. +</p> +<p> +The gentlemen drank to the bride and bridegroom, but devil a drop would +either of them quaff in return; the one was in a violent rage, and the +other was far from being at ease. +</p> +<p> +"I am not experienced in these affairs," said a gentleman, "but it seems +we must feast by ourselves. I never saw a man with such a grim-looking +face, and so soon sobered by a woman. You might hear a pin drop in his +company. Marry! his loud jests are small enough now!" +</p> +<p> +"I drink to the bridegroom," said another, but the bridegroom neither +drank, eat, laughed, or spoke. Nevertheless, after some time that he had +been both scolded and teased by his friends, like a wild boar at bay, he +retorted; +</p> +<p> +"Gentlemen, I have listened for some time to your jokes and reproofs. I +would like you to understand that I have good reason to reflect and keep +silent, and I am sure that there is no one here but would do the same +if he had the same reasons that I have. By heavens! if I were as rich +as the King of France, or the Duke of Burgundy, or all the princes of +Christendom, I should not be able to provide that which, apparently, I +shall <i>have</i> to provide. I have but touched my wife once, and she has +brought forth a child! Now if each time that I begin again she does the +same, how shall I be able to keep my family?" +</p> +<p> +"What? a child?" said his friends. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, yes! Really a child! Look here!" and he turned towards the bed and +lifted up the clothes and showed them. +</p> +<p> +"There!" said he. "There is the cow and the calf! Am I not well +swindled?" +</p> +<p> +Many of his friends were much astonished, and quite excused their host's +conduct, and went away each to his own home. And the poor bridegroom +abandoned his newly-delivered bride the first night, fearing that she +would do the same another time, and not knowing what would become of him +if so. +</p><br /> + +<hr> + +<a name="story30"></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="30pg (144K)" src="images/30pg.jpg" height="948" width="595" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h2>STORY THE THIRTIETH — THE THREE CORDELIERS</h2> + + +<h3> +By Monsigneur de Beauvoir +</h3> + +<blockquote> +<p> +Of three merchants of Savoy who went on a pilgrimage to St. Anthony in +Bienne, (*) and who were deceived and cuckolded by three Cordeliers who +slept with their wives. And how the women thought they had been with +their husbands, and how their husbands came to know of it, and of the +steps they took, as you shall shortly hear. +</p> +</blockquote> + +<pre> + (*) This according to M. Lacroix is the old town of La Mothe + St. Didier in Dauphiné, which took the name of Saint Antoine + on account of the relics of the Saint, which were brought + there in the 11th century. +</pre> +<p> +It is as true as the Gospel, that three worthy merchants of Savoy set +out with their wives to go on a pilgrimage to St. Anthony of Vienne. And +in order to render their journey more devout and more agreeable to God +and St. Anthony, they determined that from the time they left their +houses, and all through the journey, they would not sleep with their +wives, but live in continence, both going and returning. +</p> +<p> +They arrived one night in the town, where they found good lodgings, and +had excellent cheer at supper, like those who have plenty of money and +know well what to do with it, and enjoyed themselves so much that each +determined to break his oath, and sleep with his wife. +</p> +<p> +However, it happened otherwise, for when it was time to retire to rest, +the women said good night to their husbands and left them, and shut +themselves up in a chamber near, where each had ordered her bed to be +made. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that that same evening there arrived in the house +three Cordeliers, who were going to Geneva, and who ordered a chamber +not very far from that of the merchant's wives. +</p> +<p> +The women, when they were alone, began to talk about a hundred thousand +things, and though there were only three of them they made enough noise +for forty. +</p> +<p> +The good Cordeliers, hearing all this womens' chatter, came out of their +chamber, without making any noise, and approached the door without being +heard. They saw three pretty women, each lying by herself in a fair bed, +big enough to accommodate a second bed-fellow; then they saw and heard +also the three husbands go to bed in another chamber, and they said to +themselves that fortune had done them a good turn, and that they would +be unworthy to meet with any other good luck if they were cowardly +enough to allow this opportunity to escape them. +</p> +<p> +"So," said one of them, "there needs no further deliberation as to what +we are to do; we are three and they are three—let each take his place +when they are asleep." +</p> +<p> +As it was said, so it was done, and such good luck had the good brothers +that they found the key of the room in which the women were, and opened +the door so gently that they were not heard by a soul, and they were not +such fools when they had gained the outworks as not to close the door +after them and take out the key, and then, without more ado, each picked +out a bed-fellow, and began to ruffle her as well as he could. +</p> +<p> +One of the women, believing it was her husband, spoke, and said; +</p> +<p> +"What are you doing? Do you not remember your vow?" But the good +Cordelier answered not a word, but did that for which he came, and did +it so energetically that she could not help assisting in the +performance. +</p> +<p> +The other two also were not idle, and the good women did not know what +had caused their husbands thus to break their vow. Nevertheless, they +thought they ought to obey, and bear it all patiently without speaking, +each being afraid of being heard by her companions, for really each +thought that she alone was getting the benefit. +</p> +<p> +When the good Cordeliers had done all they could, they left without +saying a word, and returned to their chamber, each recounting his +adventures. One had broken three lances; another, four; and the other, +six. They rose early in the morning, and left the town. +</p> +<p> +The good ladies, who had not slept all night, did not rise very early in +the morning, for they fell asleep at daybreak, which caused them to get +up late. +</p> +<p> +On the other hand, their husbands, who had supped well the previous +night, and who expected to be called by their wives, slept heavily till +an hour so late that on other days they had generally travelled two +leagues by that time. +</p> +<p> +At last the women got up, and dressed themselves as quickly as they +could, and not without talking. And, amongst other things, the one who +had the longest tongue, said; +</p> +<p> +"Between ourselves, mesdames—how have you passed the night? Have +your husbands worked like mine did? He has not ceased to ruffle me all +night." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John!" said they, "if your husband ruffled you well last night, +ours have not been idle. They have soon forgotten what they promised at +parting; though believe us we did not forget to remind them." +</p> +<p> +"I warned mine also," said the first speaker, "when he began, but he +did not leave off working, and hurried on like a hungry man who had been +deprived of my company for two nights." +</p> +<p> +When they were attired, they went to find their husbands, who were +already dressed; +</p> +<p> +"Good morning, good morning! you sleepers!" cried the ladies. +</p> +<p> +"Thank you," said the men, "for having called us." +</p> +<p> +"By my oath!" said one lady. "We have no more qualms of conscience for +not calling you than you have for breaking your vow." +</p> +<p> +"What vow?" said one of the men. +</p> +<p> +"The vow," said she, "that you made on leaving, not to sleep with your +wife." +</p> +<p> +"And who has slept with his wife?" asked he. "You know well enough," +said she, "and so do I." +</p> +<p> +"And I also," said her companion. "Here is my husband who never gave me +such a tumbling as he did last night—indeed if he had not done his duty +so well I should not be so pleased that he had broken his vow, but I +pass over that, for I suppose he is like young children, who when they +know they deserve punishment, think they may as well be hanged for a +sheep as a lamb." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John! so did mine!" cried the third. "But I am not going to +scold him for it. If there was any harm done there was good reason for +it." +</p> +<p> +"And I declare by my oath," cried one of the men, "that you dream, and +that you are drunken with sleep. As for me I slept alone, and did not +leave my bed all night." +</p> +<p> +"Nor did I," said another. +</p> +<p> +"Nor I, by St. John!" said the third. "I would not on any account break +my oath. And I feel sure that my friend here, and my neighbour there, +who also promised, have not so quickly forgotten." +</p> +<p> +The women began to change colour and to suspect some trickery, when one +of the husbands began to fear the truth. Without giving the women time +to reply, he made a sign to his companions, and said, laughing; +</p> +<p> +"By my oath, madam, the good wine here, and the excellent cheer +last night made us forget our promise; but be not displeased at the +adventure; if it please God we each last night, with your help, made +a fine baby, which is a work of great merit, and will be sufficient to +wipe out the fault of breaking our vow!" +</p> +<p> +"May God will it so!" said the women. "But you so strongly declared that +you had not been near us that we began to doubt a little." +</p> +<p> +"We did it on purpose," said he, "in order to hear what you would say." +</p> +<p> +"And so you committed a double sin; first to break your oath, then to +knowingly lie about it; and also you have much troubled us." +</p> +<p> +"Do not worry yourselves about that," said he; "it is no great matter; +but go to Mass, and we will follow you." +</p> +<p> +The women set out towards the church, and their husbands remained +behind, without following them too closely; then they all said together, +without picking their words; +</p> +<p> +"We are deceived! Those devils of Cordeliers have cuckolded us; they +have taken our places, and shown us the folly of not sleeping with our +wives. They should never have slept out of our rooms, and if it was +dangerous to be in bed with them, is there not plenty of good straw to +be had?" +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said one of them, "we are well punished this time; but at any +rate it is better that the trick should only be known to us than to +us and our wives, for there would be much danger if it came to their +knowledge. You hear by their confession that these ribald monks have +done marvels—both more and better than we could do. And, if our wives +knew that, they would not be satisfied with this experience only. My +advice is that we swallow the business without chewing it." +</p> +<p> +"So help me God!" cried the third, "my friend speaks well. As for me, I +revoke my vow, for it is not my intention to run any more risks." +</p> +<p> +"As you will," said the other two; "and we will follow your example." +</p> +<p> +So all the rest of the journey the wives slept with their husbands, +though the latter took care not to explain the cause. And when the +women saw that, they demanded the cause of this sudden change. And they +answered deceitfully, that as they had begun to break their vow they had +better go on. +</p> +<p> +Thus were the three worthy merchants deceived by the three good +Cordeliers, without it ever coming to the knowledge of their wives, who +would have died of grief had they known the truth; for every day we see +women die for less cause and occasion. +</p> +<hr> + +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="31 (152K)" src="images/31.jpg" height="880" width="606" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<a name="2H_4_0031"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="31pg (136K)" src="images/31pg.jpg" height="946" width="585" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-FIRST — TWO LOVERS FOR ONE LADY. <a href="#note-31" name="noteref-31">31</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De La Barde. +</h3> +<p> +<i>Of a squire who found the mule of his companion, and mounted thereon +and it took him to the house of his master's mistress; and the squire +slept there, where his friend found him; also of the words which passed +between them—as is more clearly set out below.</i> +</p> +<p> +A gentleman of this kingdom—a squire of great renown and +reputation—fell in love with a beautiful damsel of Rouen, and did all +in his power to gain her good graces. But fortune was contrary to +him, and his lady so unkind, that finally he abandoned the pursuit in +despair. +</p> +<p> +He was not very wrong to do so, for she was provided with a lover—not +that the squire knew of that, however much he might suspect it. +</p> +<p> +He who enjoyed her love was a knight, and a man of great authority, +and was so familiar with the squire as to tell him much concerning his +love-affair. Often the knight said; "By my faith, friend, I would have +you know that I have a mistress in this town to whom I am devoted; for, +however tired I may be, I would willingly go three or four leagues to +see her—a mere couple of leagues I would run over without stopping to +take breath." +</p> +<p> +"Is there no request or prayer that I can make" said the squire, "that +will cause you to tell me her name?" +</p> +<p> +"No, no!" said the other, "you shall not know that." +</p> +<p> +"Well!" said the squire, "when I am so fortunate as to have something +good, I will be as reticent as you are." +</p> +<p> +It happened some time after this that the good knight asked the squire +to supper at the castle of Rouen, where he was then lodged. He came, and +they had some talk; the gentle knight, who had an appointment to see his +lady at a certain hour, said farewell to the squire, and added, +</p> +<p> +"You know that we have various things to see to to-morrow, and that we +must rise early in order to arrange various matters. It is advisable +therefore to go to bed early, and for that reason I bid you goodnight." +</p> +<p> +The squire, who was cunning enough, suspected that the good knight +wished to go somewhere, and that he was making the duties of the morrow +an excuse to get rid of him, but he took no notice, and on taking leave +and wishing good-night to his host, said; +</p> +<p> +"Monseigneur you say well; rise early to-morrow morning, and I will do +the same." +</p> +<p> +When the good squire went down, he found a little mule at the foot of +the staircase of the castle, with no one minding it. He soon guessed +that the page he had met as he came down had gone to seek for a +saddle-cloth for his master. +</p> +<p> +"Ah, ah" he said to himself, "my host did not get rid of me at this +early hour for nothing. Here is his mule, which only waits till I am +gone to carry his master to some place he does not wish me to know. Ah, +mule!" said he, "if you could speak, you could tell me some news. Let me +beg of you to lead me where your master wishes to be." +</p> +<p> +With that he made his page hold the stirrup, and mounted the mule, +and laid the reins on the mule's neck, and let it amble on wherever it +liked. +</p> +<p> +And the little mule led him by streets and alleys here and there, till +at last it stopped before a little wicket, which was in a side street +where its master was accustomed to come, and which was the garden +gate of the house of the very damsel the squire had so loved and had +abandoned in despair. +</p> +<p> +He dismounted, and tapped gently at the wicket, and a damsel, who was +watching through a hidden lattice, believing it to be the knight, came +down and opened the door, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Monseigneur you are welcome; mademoiselle is in her chamber, and awaits +you." +</p> +<p> +She did not recognise him, because it was late, and he had a velvet cap +drawn down over his face. And the good squire replied, "I will go to +her." +</p> +<p> +The he whispered to his page, "Go quickly and put the mule where we +found it; then go to bed." +</p> +<p> +"It shall be done, sir," he said. +</p> +<p> +The woman closed the gate, and led the way to the chamber. Our good +squire, much occupied with the business in hand, walked boldly to the +room where the lady was, and he found her simply dressed in a plain +petticoat, and with a gold chain round her neck. +</p> +<p> +He saluted her politely, for he was kind, courteous and well-spoken, but +she, who was as much astonished as though horns had sprouted out of her +head, did not for the moment know how to reply, but at last she asked +him what he sought there, why he came at that hour, and who had sent +him? +</p> +<p> +"Mademoiselle," said he, "you may well imagine that if I had had to rely +on myself alone I should not be here; but, thank God, one who has more +pity for me than you ever had, has done this kindness to me." +</p> +<p> +"Who brought you here, sir?" she asked. +</p> +<p> +"By my oath, mademoiselle, I will not conceal that from you; it was such +and such a lord (and he named the knight who had invited him to supper), +who sent me here." +</p> +<p> +"Ah!" she cried. "Traitor and disloyal knight that he is, has he +betrayed my confidence? Well, well! I will be revenged on him some day." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, mademoiselle! it is not right of you to say that, for it is no +treason to give pleasure to one's friend, or to render him aid and +service when one can. You know what a great friendship exists between +him and me, and that neither hides from the other what is in his heart. +It happened that not long ago I related and confessed to him the great +love I bore you, and that because of you I had no happiness left in the +world, for that by no means could I ever win your affection, and that it +was not possible for me to long endure this horrible martyrdom. When the +good knight knew that my words were really true, and was aware of the +sorrow I endured, he was fain to tell me how he stood with regard to +you, and preferred to lose you, and so save my life, than to see me die +miserably and retain your affection. And if you are such a woman as you +should be, you would not hesitate to give comfort and consolation to me, +your obedient servant, who has always loyally served and obeyed you." +</p> +<p> +"I beg of you," she said, "not to speak of that, and to leave here at +once. Cursed be he who made you come!" +</p> +<p> +"Do you know, mademoiselle," he replied, "that it is not my intention to +leave here before to-morrow morning?" +</p> +<p> +"By my oath," she cried, "you will go now, at once!" +</p> +<p> +"Morbleu! I will not—for I will sleep with you." +</p> +<p> +When she saw that he was not to be got rid of by hard words, she +resolved to try kindness, and said; +</p> +<p> +"I beg of you with all my heart to leave my house now, and by my oath, +another time I will do whatever you wish." +</p> +<p> +"Bah!" said he; "Waste no more words, for I shall sleep here," and +with that he removed his cloak, and led the damsel to the table, and +finally—to cut the tale short—she went to bed with him by her side. +</p> +<p> +They had not been in bed long, and he had but broken one lance, when +the good knight arrived on his mule, and knocked at the wicket. When the +squire heard that and knew who it was, he began to growl, imitating a +dog very well. +</p> +<p> +The knight, hearing this, was both astonished and angry. He knocked +at the door more loudly than before, and the other growled louder than +ever. +</p> +<p> +"Who is that growling?" said he outside. "Morbleu! but I will soon find +out! Open the door, or I will carry it away!" +</p> +<p> +The fair damsel, who was in a great rage, went to the window in her +chemise, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Are you there, false and disloyal knight? You may knock as much as you +like, but you will not come in!" +</p> +<p> +"Why shall I not come in?" said he. +</p> +<p> +"Because," said she, "you are the falsest man that ever woman met, and +are not worthy to be with respectable people." +</p> +<p> +"Mademoiselle," said he, "you blason my arms very well, but I do not +know what excites you, for I have never been false to you that I am +aware of." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, you have," she cried, "done me the greatest wrong that ever man +did to woman." +</p> +<p> +"I have not, I swear. But tell me who is in there?" +</p> +<p> +"You know very well, wretched traitor that you are," she replied. +</p> +<p> +Thereupon the squire, who was in bed, began to growl like a dog as +before. +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said he outside, "I do not understand this. Who is this +growler?" +</p> +<p> +"By St. John! you shall know," cried the other, and jumped out of bed +and came to the window, and said; +</p> +<p> +"And please you, sir, you have no right to wake us up." +</p> +<p> +The good knight, when he knew who spoke to him, was marvellously +astonished, and when at last he spoke, he said. +</p> +<p> +"How did you come here?" +</p> +<p> +"I supped at your house and slept here." +</p> +<p> +"The fault is mine," said he. Then addressing the damsel, he added, +"Mademoiselle, do you harbour such guests in your house?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes, monseigneur," she replied, "and thank you for having sent him." +</p> +<p> +"I?" said he. "By St. John I have nothing to do with it. I came to +occupy my usual place, but it seems I am too late. At least I beg, since +I cannot have anything else, that you open the door and let me drink a +cup of wine." +</p> +<p> +"By God, you shall not enter here!" she cried. +</p> +<p> +"By St. John! he shall," cried the squire, and ran down and opened the +door, and then went back to bed, and she did also, though, God knows, +much ashamed and dissatisfied. +</p> +<p> +When the good knight entered the chamber, he lighted a candle, and +looked at the couple in bed and said; +</p> +<p> +"Good luck to you, mademoiselle, and to you also squire." +</p> +<p> +"Many thanks, monseigneur," said he. +</p> +<p> +But the damsel could not say a word, her heart was so full, for she felt +certain that the knight had connived at the squire's coming, and she +felt so angry that she would not speak to him. +</p> +<p> +"Who showed you the way here, squire?" asked the knight. +</p> +<p> +"Your little mule, monseigneur," said he. "I found it at the foot of the +stairs, when I supped with you at the castle. It was there alone, and +seemingly lost, so I asked it what it was waiting for, and it replied +that it was waiting for its saddle-cloth and you. 'To go where?' I +asked. 'Where we usually go,' replied the mule. 'I am sure,' said I, +'that your master will not leave the house to-night, for he is going +to bed, so take me where you usually go, I beg.' It was content, so I +mounted on it, and it brought me here, for which I give it thanks." +</p> +<p> +"God reward the little beast that betrayed me," said the good knight. +</p> +<p> +"Ah, you have fully deserved it, monseigneur," said the damsel, when at +last she was able to speak. "I know well that you have deceived me, +but I wish you to know that it is not much to your honour. There was +no need, if you would not come yourself, to send some one else +surreptitiously. It was an evil day for me when first I saw you." +</p> +<p> +"Morbleu! I never sent him," he said; "but since he is here I will not +drive him away. Besides there is enough for the two of us; is there not +my friend?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh, yes, monseigneur, plenty of spoil to divide. Let us celebrate the +arrangement by a drink." +</p> +<p> +He went to the side-board and filled a large cup with wine, and said, "I +drink to you, friend." +</p> +<p> +"And I pledge you, friend," said the other, and poured out another cup +for the damsel, who refused to drink, but at last, unwillingly, kissed +the cup. +</p> +<p> +"Well, friend," said the knight, "I will leave you here. Ruffle her +well; it is your turn to-day and will be mine to morrow, please God, and +I hope you will be as obliging to me, if ever you find me here, as I am +to you now." +</p> +<p> +"By Our Lady, friend, doubt not but I shall be." +</p> +<p> +Then the knight went away and left the squire, who did as well as he +could on the first night. And he told the damsel the whole truth of his +adventure, at which she was somewhat relieved to find that he had not +been sent. +</p> +<p> +Thus was the fair damsel deceived by the mule, and obliged to obey the +knight and the squire, each in his turn—an arrangement to which she +finally became accustomed. The knight and squire grew more attached to +each other than before this adventure; their affection increased, and no +evil counsels engendered discord and hate between them. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0022"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/32.jpg" height="876" width="615" +alt="32.jpg" title=" The Women Who Paid Tithe. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0032"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="32pg (133K)" src="images/32pg.jpg" height="938" width="582" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-SECOND — THE WOMEN WHO PAID TITHE. <a href="#note-32" name="noteref-32">32</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Villiers. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of the Cordeliers of Ostelleria in Catalonia, who took tithe from the +women of the town, and how it was known, and the punishment the lord of +that place and his subjects inflicted on the monks, as you shall learn +hereafter.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +In order that I may not be excluded from the number of fortunate and +meritorious writers who have worked to increase the number of stories +in this book, I will briefly relate a new story, which will serve as a +substitute for the tale previously required of me. +</p> +<p> +It is a well-known fact that in the town of Hostelleria, in Catalonia, +(*) there arrived some minor friars of the order of Observance, (**) who +had been driven out of the kingdom of Spain. +</p> +<pre> + (*) Hostalrich, a town of Catalonia, some 28 miles from + Girona. + + (**) One of the principal branches of the order of + Franciscans. +</pre> +<p> +They managed to worm themselves into the good graces of the Lord of that +town, who was an old man, so that he built for them a fair church and a +large convent, and maintained and supported them all his life as best he +could. And after him came his eldest son, who did quite as much for them +as his worthy father had done. +</p> +<p> +In fact they prospered so, that, in a few years they had everything that +a convent of mendicant friars could desire. Nor were they idle during +all the time they were acquiring these riches; they preached both in the +town and in the neighbouring villages, and had such influence over the +people that there was not a good christian who did not confess to them, +they had such great renown for pointing out faults to sinners. +</p> +<p> +But of all who praised them and held them in esteem, the women were +foremost, such saints did they deem them on account of their charity and +devotion. +</p> +<p> +Now listen to the wickedness, deception, and horrible treason which +these false hypocrites practised on the men and women who every day gave +them so many good gifts. They made it known to all the women in the town +that they were to give to God a tenth of all their goods. +</p> +<p> +"You render to your Lord such and such a thing; to your parish and +priest such and such a thing; and to us you must render and deliver the +tithe of the number of times that you have carnal connection with your +husband. We will take no other tithe from you, for, as you know, we +carry no money—for the temporal and transitory things of this world are +nothing to us. We ask and demand only spiritual goods. The tithes +which we ask and which you owe us are not temporal goods; as the Holy +Sacrament, which you receive, is a divine and holy thing, so no one may +receive the tithe but us, who are monks of the order of the Observance." +</p> +<p> +The poor simple women, who believed the good friars were more like +angels than terrestrial beings, did not refuse to pay the tithe. There +was not one who did not pay in her turn, from the highest to the lowest, +even the wife of the Lord was not excused. +</p> +<p> +Thus were all the women of the town parcelled out amongst these rascally +monks, and there was not a monk who did not have fifteen or sixteen +women to pay tithes to him, and God knows what other presents they had +from the women, and all under cover of devotion. +</p> +<p> +This state of affairs lasted long without its ever coming to the +knowledge of those who were most concerned in the payment of the new +tithe; but at last it was discovered in the following manner. +</p> +<p> +A young man who was newly married, was invited to supper at the house of +one of his relations—he and his wife—and as they were returning home, +and passing the church of the above-mentioned good Cordeliers, suddenly +the bell rang out the <i>Ave Maria</i>, and the young man bowed to the ground +to say his prayers. +</p> +<p> +His wife said, "I would willingly enter this church." +</p> +<p> +"What would you do in there at this hour?" asked her husband. "You can +easily come again when it is daylight; to-morrow, or some other time." +</p> +<p> +"I beg of you," she said, "to let me go: I will soon return." +</p> +<p> +"By Our Lady!" said he, "you shall not go in now." +</p> +<p> +"By my oath!" she replied, "it is compulsory. I must go in, but I will +not stay. If you are in a hurry to get home, go on, and I will follow +you directly." +</p> +<p> +"Get on! get forward!" he said, "you have nothing to do here. If you +want to say a <i>Pater noster</i>, or an <i>Ave Maria</i>, there is plenty of room +at home, and it is quite as good to say it there as in this monastery, +which is now as dark as pitch." +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said she, "you may say what you like, but by my oath, it is +necessary that I should enter here for a little while." +</p> +<p> +"Why?" said he. "Do you want to sleep with any of the brothers." +</p> +<p> +She imagined that her husband knew that she paid the tithe, and replied; +</p> +<p> +"No, I do not want to sleep with him; I only want to pay." +</p> +<p> +"Pay what?" said he. +</p> +<p> +"You know very well," she answered; "Why do you ask?" +</p> +<p> +"What do I know well?" he asked, "I never meddle with your debts." +</p> +<p> +"At least," she said, "you know very well that I must pay the tithe." +</p> +<p> +"What tithe?" +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" she replied. "It always has to be paid;—the tithe for our +nights together. You are lucky—I have to pay for us both." +</p> +<p> +"And to whom do you pay?" he asked. +</p> +<p> +"To brother Eustace," she replied. "You go on home, and let me go in and +discharge my debt. It is a great sin not to pay, and I am never at ease +in my mind when I owe him anything." +</p> +<p> +"It is too late to-night," said he, "he has gone to bed an hour ago." +</p> +<p> +"By my oath," said she, "I have been this year later than this. If one +wants to pay one can go in at any hour." +</p> +<p> +"Come along! come along!" he said. "One night makes no such great +matter." +</p> +<p> +So they returned home; both husband and wife vexed and displeased—the +wife because she was not allowed to pay her tithe, and the husband +because he had learned how he had been deceived, and was filled with +anger and thoughts of vengeance, rendered doubly bitter by the fact that +he did not dare to show his anger. +</p> +<p> +A little later they went to bed together, and the husband, who was +cunning enough, questioned his wife indirectly, and asked if the other +women of the town paid tithes as she did? +</p> +<p> +"By my faith they do," she replied. "What privilege should they have +more than me? There are sixteen to twenty of us who pay brother Eustace. +Ah, he is so devout. And he has so much patience. Brother Bartholomew +has as many or more, and amongst others my lady (*) is of the number. +Brother Jacques also has many; Brother Anthony also—there is not one of +them who has not a number." +</p> +<pre> + (*) The wife of the Seigneur. +</pre> +<p> +"St. John!" said the husband, "they do not do their work by halves. Now +I understand well that they are more holy than I thought them; and truly +I will invite them all to my house, one after the other, to feast them +and hear their good words. And since Brother Eustace receives your +tithes, he shall be the first. See that we have a good dinner to-morrow, +and I will bring him." +</p> +<p> +"Most willingly," she replied, "for then at all events I shall not have +to go to his chamber to pay him; he can receive it when he comes here." +</p> +<p> +"Well said," he replied; "give it him here;" but as you may imagine he +was on his guard, and instead of sleeping all night, thought over at his +leisure the plan he intended to carry out on the morrow. +</p> +<p> +The dinner arrived, and Brother Eustace, who did not know his host's +intentions stuffed a good meal under his hood. And when he had well +eaten, he rolled his eyes on his hostess, and did not spare to press her +foot under the table—all of which the host saw, though he pretended not +to, however much to his prejudice it was. +</p> +<p> +After the meal was over and grace was said, he called Brother Eustace +and told him that he wanted to show him an image of Our Lady that he had +in his chamber, and the monk replied that he would willingly come. +</p> +<p> +They both entered the chamber, and the host closed the door so that +he could not leave, and then laying hold of a big axe, said to the +Cordelier. +</p> +<p> +"By God's death, father! you shall never go out of this room—unless it +be feet foremost—if you do not confess the truth." +</p> +<p> +"Alas, my host, I beg for mercy. What is it you, would ask of me?" +</p> +<p> +"I ask," said he, "the tithe of the tithe you have received from my +wife." +</p> +<p> +When the Cordelier heard the word tithes, he began to think that he was +in a fix, and did not know what to reply except to beg for mercy, and to +excuse himself as well as he could. +</p> +<p> +"Now tell me," said the husband, "what tithe it is that you take from my +wife and the others?" +</p> +<p> +The poor Cordelier was so frightened that he could not speak, and +answered never a word. +</p> +<p> +"Tell me all about it," said the young man, "and I swear to you I will +let you go and do you no harm;—but if you do not confess I will kill +you stone dead." +</p> +<p> +When the other felt convinced that he had better confess his sin and +that of his companions and escape, than conceal the facts and be in +danger of losing his life, he said; +</p> +<p> +"My host, I beg for mercy, and I will tell you the truth. It is true +that my companions and I have made all the women of this town believe +that they owe us tithes for all the times their husbands sleep with +them. They believed us, and they all pay—young and old—when once they +are married. There is not one that is excused—my lady even pays like +the others—her two nieces also—and in general there is no one that is +exempt." +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said the other, "since my lord and other great folks pay it, I +ought not to be dissatisfied, however much I may dislike it. Well! you +may go, worthy father, on this condition—that you do not attempt to +collect the tithe that my wife owes you." +</p> +<p> +The other was never so joyous as when he found himself outside the +house, and said to himself that he would never ask for anything of the +kind again, nor did he, as you will hear. +</p> +<p> +When the host of the Cordelier was informed by his wife of this new +tithe, he went to his Lord and told him all about the tax and how it +concerned him. You may imagine that he was much astonished, and said; +</p> +<p> +"Ah, cursed wretches that they are! Cursed be the hour that ever my +father—whom may God pardon—received them! And now they take our spoils +and dishonour us, and ere long they may do worse. What is to be done?" +</p> +<p> +"By my faith, Monseigneur" said the other, "if it please you and seem +good to you, you should assemble all your subjects in this town, for +the matter touches them as much as you. Inform them of this affair, and +consult with them what remedy can be devised before it is too late." +</p> +<p> +Monseigneur approved, and ordered all his married subjects to come to +him, and in the great hall of his castle, he showed them at full length +why he had called them together. +</p> +<p> +If my lord had been astonished and surprised when he heard the news, +so also were all the good people who were there assembled. Some of them +said, "We ought to kill them," others "They should be hanged!" others +"Drown them!" Others said they could not believe it was true—the monks +were so devout and led such holy lives. One said one thing, another said +another. +</p> +<p> +"I will tell you," said the Seigneur, "what we will do. We will bring +our wives hither, and Master John, or some other, shall preach a little +sermon in which he will take care to make allusion to tithes, and ask +the women, in the name of all of us, whether they discharge their debts, +as we are anxious they should be paid, and we shall hear their reply." +</p> +<p> +After some discussion they all agreed to the Seigneur's proposal. So +orders were issued to all the married women of the town, and they all +came to the great hall, where their husbands were assembled. My lord +even brought my lady, who was quite astonished to see so many persons. +An usher of my lord's commanded silence, and Master John, who was +slightly raised above the other people, began the address which follows; +</p> +<p> +"Mesdames and mesdemoiselles, I am charged by my lord and those of his +council to explain briefly the reason why you are called together. It +is true that my lord, his council, and all his people who are here met +together, desire to make a public examination of their conscience,—the +cause being that that they wish (God willing) to make ere long a holy +procession in praise of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Glorious Mother, +and from the present moment to be in such a devout frame of mind that +they may the better praise him in their prayers, and that all the works +which they do may be most agreeable to God. You know that there have +been no wars in our time, and that our neighbours have been terribly +afflicted both by pestilence and famine. Whilst others have been cast +down, we have nothing to complain of, and we must own that God has +preserved us. There is good reason that we should acknowledge that this +is not due to our own virtues, but to the great and liberal mercy of +our Blessed Redeemer, who cries, calls, and invites us to put up in our +parish church, devout prayers, to which we are to add great faith and +firm devotion. The holy convent of the Cordeliers in this town has +greatly aided, and still aids us in preserving the above-mentioned +benefits. Moreover, we wish to know if you women also perform that +which you have undertaken, and whether you sufficiently remember the +obligation you owe the Church, and therefore it will be advisable that, +by way of precaution, I should mention the principal points. Four times +a year,—that is to say at the four Natales (*) you must confess to some +priest or monk having the power of absolution, and if at each festival +you receive your Creator that will be well done, but twice, or at least +once a year, you ought to receive the Communion. Bring an offering every +Sunday to each Mass; those who are able should freely give tithes to +God—as fruit, poultry, lambs, pigs, and other accustomed gifts. You owe +also another tithe to the holy monks of the convent of St. Francis, and +which we earnestly desire to see paid. It greatly concerns us, and we +desire it to be continued, nevertheless there are many of you who +have not acted properly in this respect, and who by negligence, or +backwardness, have neglected to pay in advance. You know that the good +monks cannot come to your houses to seek their tithes;—that would +disturb and trouble them too much; it is quite enough if they take the +trouble to receive it. It is important that this should be mentioned—it +remains to see who have paid, and who still owe." +</p> +<pre> + (*) The four principal festivals in the life of Christ— + Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and Ascension. +</pre> +<p> +Master John had no sooner finished his discourse, than more than twenty +women began to cry at the same time, "I have paid!" "I have paid!" +"I owe nothing!" "Nor I," "Nor I." A hundred other voices chimed +in—generally to say that they owed nothing—and four or six pretty +young women were even heard to declare that they had paid well in +advance, one four times; one, six; and another, ten. +</p> +<p> +There were also I know not how many old women who said not a word, and +Master John asked them if they had paid their tithe, and they replied +that they had made an arrangement with the Cordeliers. +</p> +<p> +"What!" said he, "you do not pay? You ought to advise and persuade the +others to do their duty, and you yourselves are in default!" +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" said one of them, "I am not to blame. I have been several times +to perform my duty, but my confessor would not listen to me: he always +says he is too busy." +</p> +<p> +"St. John!" said the other old women, "we have compounded with the monks +to pay them the tithe we owe them in linen, cloth, cushions, quilts, +pillow-cases and such other trifles; and that by their own instructions +and desire, for we should prefer to pay like the others." +</p> +<p> +"By Our Lady!" said Master John, "there is no harm done; it is quite +right. +</p> +<p> +"I suppose they can go away now; can they not?" said the Seigneur to +Master John. +</p> +<p> +"Yes!" said he, "but let them be sure and not forget to pay the tithe." +</p> +<p> +When they had all left the hall, the door was closed, and every man +present looked hard at his neighbour. +</p> +<p> +"Well!" said the Seigneur. "What is to be done? We know for certain what +these ribald monks have done to us, by the confession of one of them, +and by our wives; we need no further witness." +</p> +<p> +After many and various opinions, it was resolved to set the convent on +fire, and burn both monks and monastery. +</p> +<p> +They went to the bottom of the town, and came to the monastery, and took +away the <i>Corpus Domini</i> and all the relics and sent them to the parish +church. Then without more ado, they set fire to the convent in several +places, and did not leave till all was consumed—monks, convent, church, +dormitory, and all the other buildings, of which there were plenty. So +the poor Cordeliers had to pay very dearly for the new tithe they had +levied. Even God could do nothing, but had His house burned down. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0033"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="33pg (130K)" src="images/33pg.jpg" height="929" width="590" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-THIRD — THE LADY WHO LOST HER HAIR. +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a noble lord who was in love with a damsel who cared for another +great lord, but tried to keep it secret; and of the agreement made +between the two lovers concerning her, as you shall hereafter hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +A noble knight who lived in the marches of Burgundy, who was wise, +valiant, much esteemed, and worthy of the great reputation he had, was +so much in the graces of a fair damsel, that he was esteemed as her +lover, and obtained from her, at sundry times, all the favours that she +could honourably give him. She was also smitten with a great and noble +lord, a prudent man, whose name and qualities I pass over, though if I +were to recount them there is not one of you who would not recognise the +person intended, which I do not wish. +</p> +<p> +This gentle lord, I say, soon perceived the love affair of the valiant +gentleman just named, and asked him if he were not in the good graces of +such and such a damsel,—that is to say the lady before mentioned. +</p> +<p> +He replied that he was not, but the other, who knew the contrary to be +case, said that he was sure he was, +</p> +<p> +"For whatever he might say or do, he should not try to conceal such a +circumstance, for if the like or anything more important had occurred to +him (the speaker) he would not have concealed it." +</p> +<p> +And having nothing else to do, and to pass the time, he found means to +make her fall in love with him. In which he succeeded, for in a very +short time he was high in her graces and could boast of having obtained +her favours without any trouble to win them. +</p> +<p> +The other did not expect to have a companion, but you must not think +that the fair wench did not treat him as well or better than before, +which encouraged him in his foolish love. And you must know that the +brave wench was not idle, for she entertained the two at once, and would +with much regret have lost either, and more especially the last-comer, +for he was of better estate and furnished with a bigger lance than her +first lover; and she always assigned them different times to come, one +after the other, as for instance one to-day and the other to-morrow. +</p> +<p> +The last-comer knew very well what she was doing, but he pretended +not to, and in fact he cared very little, except that he was rather +disgusted at the folly of the first-comer, who esteemed too highly a +thing of little value. +</p> +<p> +So he made up his mind that he would warn his rival, which he did. He +knew that the days on which the wench had forbidden him to come to +her (which displeased him much) were reserved for his friend the +first-comer. He kept watch several nights, and saw his rival enter by +the same door and at the same hour as he did himself on the other days. +</p> +<p> +One day he said to him, "You well concealed your amours with such an +one. I am rather astonished that you had so little confidence in me, +considering what I know to be really the case between you and her. And +in order that you may understand that I know all, let me tell you that +I saw you enter her house at such and such an hour, and indeed no longer +ago than yesterday I had an eye upon you, and from a place where I was, +I saw you arrive—you know whether I speak the truth." +</p> +<p> +When the first-comer heard this accusation, he did not know what to say, +and he was forced to confess what he would have willingly concealed, +and which he thought no one knew but himself; and he told the last-comer +that he would not conceal the fact that he was in love, but begged him +not to make it known. +</p> +<p> +"And what would you say," asked the other, "if you found you had a +companion?" +</p> +<p> +"Companion?" said he; "What companion? In a love affair? I never thought +of it." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John!" said the last-comer, "I ought not to keep you longer in +suspense—it is I. And since I see that you are in love with a woman +who is not worth it, and if I had not more pity on you than you have on +yourself I should leave you in your folly, but I cannot suffer such a +wench to deceive you and me so long." +</p> +<p> +If any one was astonished at this news it was the first-comer who +believed himself firmly established in the good graces of the wench, and +that she loved no one but him. He did not know what to say or think, and +for a long time could not speak a word. When at last he spoke, he said, +</p> +<p> +"By Our Lady! they have given me the onion (*) and I never suspected it. +I was easily enough deceived. May the devil carry away the wench, just +as she is!" +</p> +<pre> + (*) i.e. "they have made a fool of me." +</pre> +<p> +"She has fooled the two of us," said the last-comer; +</p> +<p> +"at least she has begun well,—but we must even fool her." +</p> +<p> +"Do so I beg," said the first. "St. Anthony's fire burn me if ever I see +the jade again." +</p> +<p> +"You know," said the second, "that we go to her each in turn. Well, the +next time that you go, you must tell her that you well know that I am +in love with her, and that you have seen me enter her house at such an +hour, and dressed in such a manner, and that, by heaven, if ever you +find me there again you will kill me stone dead, whatever may happen to +you. I will say the same thing about you, and we shall then see what she +will say and do, and then we shall know how to act." +</p> +<p> +"Well said, and just what I would wish," said the first. +</p> +<p> +As it was arranged, so was it done, for some days later it was the +last-comer's turn to go and visit her; he set out and came to the place +appointed. +</p> +<p> +When he was alone with the wench, who received him very kindly and +lovingly it appeared, he put on—as he well knew how—a troubled, +bothered air, and pretended to be very angry. She, who had been +accustomed to see him quite otherwise, did not know what to think, and +she asked what was the matter, for his manner showed that his heart was +not at ease. +</p> +<p> +"Truly, mademoiselle," said he, "you are right; and I have good cause to +be displeased and angry. Moreover, it is owing to you that I am in this +condition." +</p> +<p> +"To me?" said she. "Alas, I have done nothing that I am aware of, for +you are the only man in the world to whom I would give pleasure, and +whose grief and displeasure touch my heart." +</p> +<p> +"The man who refuses to believe that will not be damned," said he. "Do +you think that I have not perceived that you are on good terms with +so-and-so (that is to say the first-comer). It is so, by my oath, and +I have but too often seen him speak to you apart, and, what is more, I +have watched and seen him enter here. But by heaven, if ever I find him +here his last day has come, whatever may happen to me in consequence. I +could not allow him to be aware that he has done me this injury—I would +rather die a thousand times if it were possible. And you are as false as +he is for you know of a truth that after God I love no one but you, and +yet you encourage him, and so do me great wrong!" +</p> +<p> +"Ah, monseigneur!" she replied, "who has told you this story? By my +soul! I wish that God and you should know that it is quite otherwise, +and I call Him to witness that never in my life have I given an +assignation to him of whom you speak, nor to any other whoever he may +be—so you have little enough cause to be displeased with me. I will not +deny that I have spoken to him, and speak to him every day, and also to +many others, but I have never had aught to do with him, nor do I believe +that he thinks of me even for a moment, or if so, by God he is mistaken. +May God not suffer me to live if any but you has part or parcel in what +is yours entirely." +</p> +<p> +"Mademoiselle," said he, "you talk very well, but I am not such a fool +as to believe you." +</p> +<p> +Angry and displeased as he was, he nevertheless did that for which he +came, and on leaving, said, +</p> +<p> +"I have told you, and given you fair warning that if ever I find any +other person comes here, I will put him, or cause him to be put, in such +a condition that he will never again worry me or any one else." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, Monseigneur," she replied, "by God you are wrong to imagine such +things about him, and I am sure also that he does not think of me." +</p> +<p> +With that, the last-comer left, and, on the morrow, his friend, the +first-comer did not fail to come early in the morning to hear the news, +and the other related to him in full all that had passed, how he had +pretended to be angry and threatened to kill his rival, and the replies +the jade made. +</p> +<p> +"By my oath," said the first, "she acted the comedy well! Now let me +have my turn, and I shall be very much surprised if I do not play my +part equally well." +</p> +<p> +A certain time afterwards his turn came, and he went to the wench, who +received him as lovingly as she always did, and as she had previously +received her other lover. If his friend the last-comer had been cross +and quarrelsome both in manner and words, he was still more so, and +spoke to her in this manner; +</p> +<p> +"I curse the hour and the day on which I made your acquaintance, for +it is not possible to load the heart of a poor lover with more sorrows, +regrets, and bitter cares than oppress and weigh down my heart to-day. +Alas! I chose you amongst all others as the perfection of beauty, +gentleness, and kindness, and hoped that I should find in you truth and +fidelity, and therefore I gave you all my heart, believing in truth that +it was safe in your keeping, and I had such faith in you that I would +have met death, or worse, had it been possible, to save your honour. +Yet, when I thought myself most sure of your faith, I learned, not only +by the report of others but by my own eyes, that another had snatched +your love from me, and deprived me of the hope of being the one person +in the world who was dearest to you." +</p> +<p> +"My friend," said the wench, "I do not know what your trouble is, but +from your manner and your words I judge that there is something +the matter, but I cannot tell what it is if you do not speak more +plainly—unless it be a little jealousy which torments you, and if so, I +think, if you are wise, that you will soon banish it from your mind. For +I have never given you any cause for that, as you know me well enough +to be aware, and you should be sorry for having used such expressions to +me." +</p> +<p> +"I am not the sort of man," said he, "to be satisfied with mere words. +Your excuses are worth nothing. You cannot deny that so-and-so (that +is to say the last-comer) does not keep you. I know well he does, for I +have noticed you, and moreover, have watched, and saw him yesterday come +to you at such an hour, dressed in such and such a manner. But I swear +to God he has had his last pleasure with you, for I bear him a grudge, +and were he ten times as great a man as he is, when I meet him I will +deprive him of his life, or he shall deprive me of mine; one of us two +must die for I cannot live and see another enjoy you. You are false and +disloyal to have deceived me, and it is not without cause that I curse +the hour I made your acquaintance, for I know for a certainty that you +will cause my death if my rival knows my determination, as I hope he +will. I know that I am now as good as dead, and even if he should spare +me, he does but sharpen the knife which is to shorten his own days, and +then the world would not be big enough to save me, and die I must." +</p> +<p> +The wench could not readily find a sufficient excuse to satisfy him in +his present state of mind. Nevertheless, she did her best to dissipate +his melancholy, and drive away his suspicions, and said to him; +</p> +<p> +"My friend, I have heard your long tirade, which, to tell the truth, +makes me reflect that I have not been so prudent as I ought, and have +too readily believed your deceitful speeches, and obeyed you in all +things, which is the reason you now think so little of me. Another +reason why you speak to me thus, is that you know that I am so much in +love with you that I cannot bear to live out of your presence. And for +this cause, and many others that I need not mention, you deem me your +subject and slave, with no right to speak or look at any but you. Since +that pleases you, I am satisfied, but you have no right to suspect me +with regard to any living person, nor have I any need to excuse myself. +Truth, which conquers all things, will right me in the end!" +</p> +<p> +"By God, my dear," said the young man, "the truth is what I have already +told you—as both and he will find to your cost if you do not take +care." +</p> +<p> +After these speeches, and others too long to recount here, he left, and +did not forget on the following morning to recount everything to his +friend the last-comer; and God knows what laughter and jests they had +between them. +</p> +<p> +The wench, who still had wool on her distaff (*), saw and knew very well +that each of her lovers suspected the other, nevertheless she continued +to receive them each in his turn, without sending either away. She +warned each earnestly that he must come to her in the most secret +manner, in order that he should not be perceived. +</p> +<pre> + (*) i.e. plenty of tricks or resources. +</pre> +<p> +You must know that when the first-comer had his turn that he did not +forget to complain as before, and threatened to kill his rival should he +meet him. Also at his last meeting, he pretended to be more angry than +he really was, and made very light of his rival, who, according to him, +was as good as dead if he were caught with her. But the cunning and +double-dealing jade had so many deceitful speeches ready that her +excuses sounded as true as the Gospel. For she believed that, whatever +doubts and suspicions they had, the affair would never really be found +out, and that she was capable of satisfying them both. +</p> +<p> +It was otherwise in the end, for the last-comer, whom she was greatly +afraid to lose, one day read her a sharp lesson. In fact he told +her that he would never see her again, and did not for a long time +afterwards, at which she was much displeased and dissatisfied. +</p> +<p> +And in order to embarrass and annoy her still more, he sent to her a +gentleman, a confidential friend, to point out how disgusted he was to +find he had a rival, and to tell her, in short, that if she did not send +away this rival, that he would never see her again as long as he lived. +</p> +<p> +As you have already heard, she would not willingly give up his +acquaintance, and there was no male or female saint by whom she did +not perjure herself in explaining away her love passages with her other +lover, and at last, quite beside herself, she said to the squire; +</p> +<p> +"I will show your master that I love him; give me your knife." +</p> +<p> +Then, when she had the knife, she took off her headdress, and with the +knife cut off all her hair—not very evenly. +</p> +<p> +The squire, who knew the facts of the case, took this present, and said +he would do his duty and give it to his master, which he soon did. The +last-comer received the parcel, which he undid, and found the hair of +his mistress, which was very long and beautiful. He did not feel much at +ease until he had sent for his friend and revealed to him the message he +had sent, and the valuable present she had given him in return, and then +he showed the beautiful long tresses. +</p> +<p> +"I fancy," said he, "I must be very high in her good graces. You can +scarcely expect that she would do as much for you." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John!" said the other, "this is strange news. I see plainly that +I am left out in the cold. It is finished! You are the favoured one. But +let us" he added, "think what is to be done. We must show her plainly +that we know what she is." +</p> +<p> +"That's what I wish," said the other. +</p> +<p> +They thought the matter over, and arranged their plan as follows. +</p> +<p> +The next day, or soon afterwards, the two friends were in a chamber +where there were assembled their fair lady and many others. Each took +his place where he liked; the first-comer sat near the damsel, and after +some talk, he showed her the hair which she had sent to his friend. +</p> +<p> +Whatever she may have thought, she was not startled, but said she did +not know whose hair it was, but it did not belong to her. +</p> +<p> +"What?" he said. "Has it so quickly changed that it cannot be +recognised?" +</p> +<p> +"That I cannot say," she replied, "but it does not belong to me." +</p> +<p> +When he heard that, he thought it was time to play his best card, and, +as though by accident, gave her <i>chaperon</i> (*) such a twitch that it +fell to the ground, at which she was both angry and ashamed. And all +those who were present saw that her hair was short, and had been badly +hacked. +</p> +<pre> + (*) The chaperon, in the time of Charles VII, was fastened + to the shoulder by a long band which sometimes passed two or + three times round the neck, and sometimes hung down the + back. +</pre> +<p> +She rose in haste, and snatched up her head-dress, and ran into another +chamber to attire herself, and he followed her. He found her angry and +ashamed, and weeping bitterly with vexation at being thus caught. He +asked her what she had to weep about, and at what game she had lost her +hair? +</p> +<p> +She did not know what to reply, she was so vexed and astonished; and he, +who was determined to carry out the arrangement he had concluded with +his friend, said to her; +</p> +<p> +"False and disloyal as you are, you have not cared that I and my +friend were deceived and dishonoured. You wished,—as you have plainly +shown—to add two more victims to your list, but, thank God, we were on +our guard. And, in order that you may see that we both know you, here is +your hair which you sent him, and which he has presented to me; and do +not believe that we are such fools as you have hitherto thought us." +</p> +<p> +Then he called his friend, who came, and the first said, +</p> +<p> +"I have given back this fair damsel her hair, an have begun to tell her +how she has accepted the love of both of us, and how by her manner of +acting she has shown us that she did not care whether she disgraced us +both—may God save us!" +</p> +<p> +"Truly—by St. John!" said the other, and thereupon he made a long +speech to the wench, and God knows he talked to her well, remonstrating +with her on her cowardice and disloyal heart. Never was woman so well +lectured as she was at that time, first by one then by the other. +</p> +<p> +She was so taken by surprise that she did not know what to reply, except +by tears, which she shed abundantly. +</p> +<p> +She had never had enough pleasure out of both her lovers to compensate +for the vexation she suffered at that moment. +</p> +<p> +Nevertheless, in the end they did not desert her, but lived as they did +before, each taking his turn, and if by chance they both came to her +together, the one gave place to the other, and they were both good +friends as before, without ever talking of killing or fighting. +</p> +<p> +For a long time the two friends continued this pleasant manner of +loving, and the poor wench never dared to refuse either of them. And +whenever the one wished to have intercourse with her, he told the other, +and whenever the second went to see her, the first stayed at home. They +made each other many compliments, and sent one another rondels and +songs which are now celebrated, about the circumstances I have already +related, and of which I now conclude the account. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0023"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/34.jpg" height="887" width="633" +alt="34.jpg" title="The Man Above and The Man Below. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0034"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="34pg (130K)" src="images/34pg.jpg" height="916" width="595" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-FOURTH — THE MAN ABOVE AND THE MAN BELOW. <a href="#note-34" name="noteref-34">34</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monsigneur De La Roche. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a married woman who gave rendezvous to two lovers, who came and +visited her, and her husband came soon after, and of the words which +passed between them, as you shall presently hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +I knew in my time a brave and worthy woman, deserving to be remembered +and respected, for her virtues should not be hidden and kept dark, but +publicly blazoned to the world. You will shortly hear, if you will, in +this story something which will increase and magnify her fame. +</p> +<p> +This gallant wench was married to a countryman of ours, and had many +lovers seeking and desiring her favours,—which were not over difficult +to obtain, for she was so kind and compassionate that she both would and +could bestow herself freely whenever she liked. +</p> +<p> +It happened one day that two men came to see her, as both were +accustomed, to ask for a rendezvous. She would not have retreated before +two or even three, and appointed a day and hour for each to come to +her—the one at eight o'clock the morrow morning, and the other at +nine, and charged each one expressly that he should not fail to keep his +appointed hour. +</p> +<p> +They promised on their faith and honour that if they were alive they +would keep their assignation. +</p> +<p> +When the morrow came, at about 6 o'clock in the morning, the husband +of this brave wench rose, dressed himself, and called his wife, but she +bluntly refused to get up when ordered. +</p> +<p> +"Faith!" she said, "I have such a headache that I cannot stand on my +feet, or if I did get up I should die, I am so weak and worn-out; and, +as you know, I did not sleep all the night. I beg of you to leave me +here, and I hope that when I am alone I shall get a little rest." +</p> +<p> +Her husband, though he suspected something, did not dare to contradict +her or reply, but went about his business in the town, whilst his wife +was not idle at home, for eight o'clock had no sooner struck than the +honest fellow, to whom on the previous day an assignation had been +given, came and knocked at the door, and she let him in. He soon took +off his long gown and his other clothes, and joined madame in bed, in +order to cheer her up. +</p> +<p> +Whilst these two were locked in each other's arms, and otherwise +engaged, the time passed quickly without her noticing it, when she heard +some one knock loudly at the door. +</p> +<p> +"Ah!" she said, "as I live, there is my husband; make haste and take +your clothes." +</p> +<p> +"Your husband?" he said, "Why, do you know his knock?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," she replied, "I know it very well. Make haste lest he find you +here." +</p> +<p> +"If it be your husband, he must find me here, for I know not where I can +hide." +</p> +<p> +"No, please God, he must not find you here, for you would be killed and +so should I, he is so terrible. Get up into this little attic, and keep +quite quiet and do not move, that he may not find you here." +</p> +<p> +The other climbed into the garret as he was told, and found the planks +stripped away in many places, and the laths broken. +</p> +<p> +As soon as he was safe, mademoiselle made one bound to the door, knowing +very well that it was not her husband who was there, and let in the +man who had promised to come to her at nine o'clock. They came into +the chamber, where they were not long on their feet, but laid down and +cuddled and kissed in the same manner as he in the garret had done, +whilst he, through a chink, kept his eye on the couple, and was not best +pleased. He could not make up his mind whether he should speak or hold +his tongue. At last he determined to keep silence, and not say a word +till the opportunity came,—and you may guess that he had plenty of +patience. +</p> +<p> +Whilst he was waiting and looking at the lady engaged with the last +comer, the worthy husband came home to enquire after the health of his +good wife, as it was very proper of him to do. +</p> +<p> +She soon heard him, and as quickly as may be, made her lover get out of +bed, and as she did not know where to hide him, since she could not put +him in the garret, she made him lie down between the bed and the wall, +and covered him with his clothes, and said to him. +</p> +<p> +"I have no better place to put you—have a little patience." +</p> +<p> +She had hardly finished speaking when her husband came into the room, +and though he had heard nothing, he found the bed all rumpled and tossed +about, the quilt dirty and soiled, and looking more like the bed of a +bride than the couch of an invalid. +</p> +<p> +The doubts he had formerly entertained, combined with the appearance of +the bed, made him call his wife by her name, and say. +</p> +<p> +"Wicked whore that you are! I did not believe you when you shammed +illness this morning! Where is the whoremonger? I swear to God, if I +find him, he will have a bad end, and you too." Then, putting his hand +on the quilt, he went on. "This looks nice, doesn't it? It looks as +though the pigs had slept on it!" +</p> +<p> +"What is the matter with you, you nasty drunkard?" she replied. "Why +make me suffer when you get too much wine in your belly? That's a nice +salutation, to call me a whore! I would have you to know that I am +nothing of the kind, but much too virtuous and too honest for a rascal +like you, and my only regret is that I have been so good to you, for +you are not worth it. I do not know why I do not get up and scratch +your face in such a manner that you would remember it all your life, for +having abused me without cause." +</p> +<p> +If you ask how she dared reply to her husband in this manner, I should +answer there were two reasons,—that is she had both right and might on +her side. For, as you may guess, if it had come to blows, both the +lover in the garret, and the one by the bed, would have come to her +assistance. +</p> +<p> +The poor husband did not know what to say when he heard his wife abuse +him thus, and as he saw that big words were of no use, he left the +matter to God, who does justice to all, and replied; +</p> +<p> +"You make many excuses for your palpable faults, but I care little what +you say. I am not going to quarrel and make a noise; there is One above +who will repay all!" +</p> +<p> +By "One above", he meant God,—as though he had said, +</p> +<p> +"God, who gives everyone his due, will repay you according to your +deserts." But the gallant who was in the garret, and heard these words, +really believed they were meant for him, and that he was expected to pay +for the misdeeds of another besides himself, and he replied aloud; +</p> +<p> +"What? Surely it will suffice if I pay half! The man who is down by the +side of the bed can pay the other half—he is as much concerned as I +am!" +</p> +<p> +You may guess that the husband was much astonished, for he thought that +God was speaking to him; and the man by the bed did not know what to +think, for he knew nothing about the existence of the other man. He +quickly jumped up, and the other man came down, and they recognised each +other. +</p> +<p> +They went off together, and left the couple looking vexed and angry, but +they did not trouble much about that and for good reason. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0035"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="35pg (131K)" src="images/35pg.jpg" height="936" width="577" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-FIFTH — THE EXCHANGE. +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Villiers. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a knight whose mistress married whilst he was on his travels, and on +his return, by chance he came to her house, and she, in order that she +might sleep with him, caused a young damsel, her chamber-maid, to go to +bed with her husband; and of the words that passed between the husband +and the knight his guest, as are more fully recorded hereafter.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +A gentleman, a knight of this kingdom, a most virtuous man, and of great +renown, a great traveller and a celebrated warrior, fell in love with a +very beautiful damsel, and so advanced in her good graces that nothing +that he demanded was refused him. It happened, I know not how long after +that, this good knight, to acquire honour and merit, left his castle, +in good health and well accompanied, by the permission of his master, to +bear arms elsewhere, and he went to Spain and various places, where he +did such feats that he was received in great triumph at his return. +</p> +<p> +During this time the lady married an old knight who was courteous and +wise, and who in his time had been a courtier, and—to say truth—was +known as the very mirror of honour. It was a matter for regret that he +did not marry better, but at any rate he had not then discovered his +wife's misconduct, as he did afterwards, as you shall hear. +</p> +<p> +The first-named knight, returning from the war, as he was travelling +through the country, arrived by chance one night at the castle where his +mistress lived, and God knows what good cheer she and her husband made +for him, for there had been a great friendship between them. +</p> +<p> +But you must know that whilst the master of the house was doing all +he could to honour his guest, the guest was conversing with his former +lady-love, and was willing to renew with her the intimacy that had +existed before she married. She asked for nothing better, but excused +herself on account of want of opportunity. +</p> +<p> +"It is not possible to find a chance." +</p> +<p> +"Ah, madam," he said, "by my oath, if you want to, you will make a +chance. When your husband is in bed and asleep, you can come to my +chamber, or, if you prefer it, I will come to you." +</p> +<p> +"It cannot be managed so," she replied; "the danger is too great; for +monseigneur is a very light sleeper, and he never wakes but what he +feels for me, and if he did not find me, you may guess what it would +be." +</p> +<p> +"And when he does find you," he said, "what does he do to you?" +</p> +<p> +"Nothing else," she replied; "he turns over on the other side." +</p> +<p> +"Faith!" said he, "he is a very bad bed-fellow; it is very lucky for you +that I came to your aid to perform for you what he cannot." +</p> +<p> +"So help me God," she said, "when he lies with me once a month it is the +best he can do. I may be difficult to please, but I could take a good +deal more than that. +</p> +<p> +"That is not to be wondered at," he said; "but let us consider what we +shall do." +</p> +<p> +"There is no way that I see," she replied, "that it can be managed." +</p> +<p> +"What?" he said; "have you no woman in the house to whom you can explain +the difficulty?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes, by God! I have one," she said, "in whom I have such confidence +that I would tell her anything in the world I wanted kept secret? +without fearing that she would ever repeat it." +</p> +<p> +"What more do we want then?" he said. "The rest concerns you and her." +</p> +<p> +The lady who was anxious to be with her lover, called the damsel, and +said, +</p> +<p> +"My dear, you must help me to-night to do something which is very dear +to my heart." +</p> +<p> +"Madam," said the damsel, "I am ready and glad, as I ought to be, to +serve you and obey you in any way possible; command me, and I will +perform your orders." +</p> +<p> +"I thank you, my dear," said madam, "and be sure that you will lose +nothing by it. This is what is the matter. The knight here is the man +whom I love best in all the world, and I would not that he left here +without my having a few words with him. Now he cannot tell me what is +in his heart unless we be alone together, and you are the only person to +take my place by the side of monseigneur. He is accustomed, as you know, +to turn in the night and touch me, and then he leaves me and goes to +sleep again." +</p> +<p> +"I will do your pleasure, madam; there is nothing that you can command +that I will not do." +</p> +<p> +"Well, my dear," she said, "you will go to bed as I do, keeping a good +way off from monseigneur, and take care that if he should speak to you +not to reply, and suffer him to do whatever he may like." +</p> +<p> +"I will do your pleasure, madam." +</p> +<p> +Supper-time came. There is no need to describe the meal, suffice it to +say there was good cheer and plenty of it, and after supper, sports, and +the visitor took madam's arm, and the other gentlemen escorted the other +damsels. The host came last, and enquired about the knight's travels +from an old gentleman who had accompanied him. +</p> +<p> +Madame did not forget to tell her lover that one of her women would take +her place that night, and that she would come to him; at which he was +very joyful, and thanked her much, and wished that the hour had come. +</p> +<p> +They returned to the reception hall, where monseigneur said good +night to his guest, and his wife did the same. The visitor went to +his chamber, which was large and well-furnished, and there was a fine +sideboard laden with spices and preserves, and good wine of many sorts. +</p> +<p> +He soon undressed, and drank a cup, and made his attendants drink also, +and then sent them to bed, and remained alone, waiting for the lady, who +was with her husband. Both she and her husband undressed and got into +bed. +</p> +<p> +The damsel was in the <i>ruelle</i>, and as soon as my lord was in bed, she +took the place of her mistress, who—as her heart desired—made but one +bound to the chamber of the lover, who was anxiously awaiting her. +</p> +<p> +Thus were they all lodged—monseigneur with the chambermaid, and his +guest with madame—and you may guess that these two did not pass all the +night in sleeping. +</p> +<p> +Monseigneur, as was his wont, awoke an hour before day-break, and turned +to the chamber-maid, believing it to be his wife, and to feel her he put +out his hand, which by chance encountered one of her breasts, which were +large and firm, and he knew at once that it was not his wife, for she +was not well furnished in that respect. +</p> +<p> +"Ha, ha!" he said to himself, "I understand what it is! They are playing +me a trick, and I will play them another." +</p> +<p> +He turned towards the girl, and with some trouble managed to break a +lance, but she let him do it without uttering a word or half a word. +</p> +<p> +When he had finished, he began to call as loudly as he could to the man +who was sleeping with his wife. +</p> +<p> +"Hallo! my lord of such a place! Where are you? Speak to me!" +</p> +<p> +The other, when he heard himself called, was much astonished, and the +lady quite overwhelmed with shame. +</p> +<p> +"Alas!" she said, "our deeds are discovered: I am a lost woman!" +</p> +<p> +Her husband called out, +</p> +<p> +"Hallo, monseigneur! hallo, my guest! Speak to me." +</p> +<p> +The other ventured to speak, and said, +</p> +<p> +"What is it, so please you, monsiegneur?" +</p> +<p> +"I will make this exchange with you whenever you like." +</p> +<p> +"What exchange?" he asked. +</p> +<p> +"An old, worn-out false, treacherous woman, for a good, pretty, and +fresh young girl. That is what I have gained by the exchange and I thank +you for it." +</p> +<p> +None of the others knew what to reply, even the poor chamber-maid wished +she were dead, both on account of the dishonour to her mistress and the +unfortunate loss of her own virginity. +</p> +<p> +The visitor left the lady and the castle as soon as could, without +thanking his host, or saying farewell. And never again did he go there, +so he never knew how she settled the matter with her husband afterwards, +so I can tell you no more. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0036"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="36pg (135K)" src="images/36pg.jpg" height="956" width="587" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-SIXTH — AT WORK. +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De La Roche. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a squire who saw his mistress, whom he greatly loved, between +two other gentlemern, and did not notice that she had hold of both of +them till another knight informed him of the matter as you will hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +A kind and noble gentleman, who wished to spend his time in the service +of the Court of Love, devoted himself, heart, body, and goods, to a fair +and honest damsel who well deserved it, and who was specially suited to +do what she liked with men; and his amour with her lasted long. And he +thought that he stood high in her good graces, though to say the truth, +he was no more a favourite than the others, of whom there were many. +</p> +<p> +It happened one day that this worthy gentleman found his lady, by +chance, in the embrasure of a window, between a knight and a squire, to +whom she was talking. Sometimes she would speak to one apart and not let +the other hear, another time she did the same to the other, to please +both of them, but the poor lover was greatly vexed and jealous, and did +not dare to approach the group. +</p> +<p> +The only thing to do was to walk away from her, although he desired her +presence more than anything else in the world. His heart told him that +this conversation would not tend to his advantage, in which he was not +far wrong. For, if his eyes had not been blinded by affection, he could +easily have seen what another, who was not concerned, quickly perceived, +and showed him, in this wise. +</p> +<p> +When he saw and knew for certain that the lady had neither leisure nor +inclination to talk to him, he retired to a couch and lay down, but he +could not sleep. +</p> +<p> +Whilst he was thus sulking, there came a gentleman, who saluted all the +company, and seeing that the damsel was engaged, withdrew to the recess +where the squire was lying sleepless upon the couch; and amongst other +conversation the squire said, +</p> +<p> +"By my faith, monseigneur, look towards the window; there are some +people who are making themselves comfortable. Do you not see how +pleasantly they are talking." +</p> +<p> +"By St. John, I see them," said the knight, "and see that they are doing +something more than talking." +</p> +<p> +"What else?" said the other. +</p> +<p> +"What else? Do you not see that she has got hold of both of them?" +</p> +<p> +"Got hold of them!" +</p> +<p> +"Truly yes, poor fellow! Where are your eyes? But there is a great +difference between the two, for the one she holds in her left hand is +neither so big nor so long as that which she holds in her right hand." +</p> +<p> +"Ha!" said the squire, "you say right. May St. Anthony burn the wanton;" +and you may guess that he was not well pleased. +</p> +<p> +"Take no heed," said the knight, "and bear your wrong as patiently +as you can. It is not here that you have to show your courage: make a +virtue of necessity." +</p> +<p> +Having thus spoken, the worthy knight approached the window where the +three were standing, and noticed by chance that the knight on the left, +hand, was standing on tip-toe, attending to what the fair damsel and the +squire were saying and doing. +</p> +<p> +Giving him a slight tap on his hat, the knight said, +</p> +<p> +"Mind your own business in the devil's name, and don't trouble about +other people." +</p> +<p> +The other withdrew, and began to laugh, but the damsel, who was not the +sort of woman to care about trifles, scarcely showed any concern, but +quietly let go her hold without brushing or changing colour, though she +was sorry in her heart to let out of her hand what she could have well +used in another place. +</p> +<p> +As you may guess, both before and after that time, either of those two +would most willingly have done her a service, and the poor, sick lover +was obliged to be a witness of the greatest misfortune which could +happen to him, and his poor heart would have driven him to despair, +if reason had not come to his help, and caused him to abandon his love +affairs, out of which he had never derived any benefit. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0024"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/37.jpg" height="889" width="622" +alt="37.jpg" title="The Use of Dirty Water. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0037"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="37pg (131K)" src="images/37pg.jpg" height="942" width="589" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-SEVENTH — THE USE OF DIRTY WATER. +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De La Roche. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a jealous man who recorded all the tricks which he could hear or +learn by which wives had deceived their husbands in old times; but at +last he was deceived by means of dirty water which the lover of the said +lady threw out of window upon her as she was going to Mass, as you shall +hear hereafter.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +Whilst others are thinking and ransacking their memories for adventures +and deeds fit to be narrated and added to the present history, I will +relate to you, briefly, how the most jealous man in this kingdom, in his +time, was deceived. I do not suppose that he was the only one who ever +suffered this misfortune, but at any rate I will not omit to describe +the clever trick that was played upon him. +</p> +<p> +This jealous old hunks was a great historian, and had often read and +re-read all sorts of stories; but the principal end and aim of all his +study was to learn and know all the ways and manners in which wives had +deceived their husbands. For—thank God—old histories like Matheolus +(*), Juvenal, the Fifteen Joys of Marriage (**), and more others than I +can count, abound in descriptions of deceits, tricks, and deceptions of +that sort. +</p> +<pre> + (*) <i>Le Lime</i>, de Matheolus, a poem of the early part of the + 15th Century, written by Jean le Febvre, Bishop of + Therouenne. It is a violent satire against women. + + (**) A curious old work the authorship of which is still + doubtful. It is often ascribed to Antoine de la Sale, who is + believed to have partly written and edited the <i>Cent + Nouvelles Nouvelles</i>. The allusion is interesting as showing + that the Quinze Joyes de mariage was written before the + present work. +</pre> +<p> +Our jealous husband had always one or other of these books in his hand, +and was as fond of them as a fool is of his bauble,—reading or studying +them; and indeed he had made from these books a compendium for his own +use, in which all the tricks and deceits practised by wives on their +husbands were noted and described. +</p> +<p> +This he had done in order to be forewarned and on his guard, should +his wife perchance use any of the plans or subterfuges chronicled or +registered in his book. For he watched his wife as carefully as the most +jealous Italian would, and still was not content, so ruled was he by +this cursed passion of jealousy. +</p> +<p> +In this delectable state did the poor man live three or four years with +his wife, and the only amusement she had in that time was to escape +out of his hateful presence by going to Mass, and then she was always +accompanied by an old servant, who was charged to watch over her. +</p> +<p> +A gentle knight, who had heard how the fair lady was watched, one day +met the damsel, who was both beautiful and witty, and told her how +willing he was to do her a service, that he sighed for her love, and +condoled with her evil fortune in being allied to the most jealous +wretch there was on the face of the earth, and saying, moreover, that +she was the sole person on earth for whom he cared. +</p> +<p> +"And since I cannot tell you here how much I love you, and many other +things which I hope you will be glad to hear, I will, if you wish, put +it all in writing and give it you to-morrow, begging also that any small +service that I most willingly do for you, be not refused." +</p> +<p> +She gladly listened, but owing to the presence of Dangier, (*) who was +near, hardly replied; nevertheless she said she would be glad to have +his letter when it came. +</p> +<pre> + (*) See note page 159. +</pre> +<p> +Her lover was very joyful when he took leave of her, and with good +cause, and the damsel said farewell to him in a kind and gracious +manner, but the old woman, who watched her, did not fail to ask her what +conversation had taken place between her and the man who had just left. +</p> +<p> +"He brought me news of my mother," she replied; "at which I am very +joyful, for she is in good health." +</p> +<p> +The old woman asked no more, and they returned home. +</p> +<p> +On the morrow, the lover, provided with a letter written God knows +in what terms, met the lady, and gave her this letter so quickly and +cunningly that the old servant, who was watching, saw nothing. +</p> +<p> +The letter was opened by her most joyfully when she was alone. The gist +of the contents was that he had fallen in love with her, and that he +knew not a day's happiness when he was absent from her, and finally +hoped that she would of her kindness appoint a suitable place where she +could give him a reply to this letter. +</p> +<p> +She wrote a reply in which she said she could love no one but her +husband, to whom she owed all faith and loyalty; nevertheless, she was +pleased to know the writer was so much in love with her, but, though she +could promise him no reward, would be glad to hear what he had to say, +but certainly that could not be, because her husband never left her +except when she went to church, and then she was guarded, and more than +guarded, by the dirtiest old hag that ever interfered with anybody. +</p> +<p> +The lover, dressed quite differently to what he had been the preceding +day, met the lady, who knew him at once, and as he passed close to her, +received from her hand the letter already mentioned. That he was anxious +to know the contents was no marvel. He went round a corner, and there, +at his leisure, learned the condition of affairs, which seemed to be +progressing favourably. +</p> +<p> +It needed but time and place to carry out his enterprise, and he thought +night and day how this was to be accomplished. At last he thought of +a first-rate trick, for he remembered that a lady friend of his lived +between the church where his lady went to Mass and her house, and he +told her the history of his love affair, concealing nothing from her, +and begging her to help him. +</p> +<p> +"Whatever I can do for you, I will do with all my heart," she said. +</p> +<p> +"I thank you," said he. "Would you mind if I met her here?" +</p> +<p> +"Faith!" she said, "to please you, I do not mind!" +</p> +<p> +"Well!" he replied, "if ever it is in my power to do you a service, you +may be sure that I will remember this kindness." +</p> +<p> +He was not satisfied till he had written again to his lady-love and +given her the letter, in which he said that he had made an arrangement +with a certain woman, "who is a great friend of mine, a respectable +woman, who can loyally keep a secret, and who knows you well and loves +you, and who will lend us her house where we may meet. And this is the +plan I have devised. I will be to-morrow in an upper chamber which looks +on the street, and I will have by me a large pitcher of water mingled +with ashes, which I will upset on you suddenly as you pass. And I shall +be so disguised that neither your old woman, nor anyone else in the +world, will recognise me. When you have been drenched with this water, +you will pretend to be very angry and surprised, and take refuge in the +house, and send your Dangier to seek another gown; and while she is on +the road we will talk together." +</p> +<p> +To shorten the story, the letter was given, and the lady, who was very +well pleased, sent a reply. +</p> +<p> +The next day came, and the lady was drenched by her lover with a pitcher +of water and cinders, in such fashion that her kerchief, gown, and other +habiliments were all spoiled and ruined. God knows that she was very +astonished and displeased, and rushed into the house, as though she were +beside herself, and ignorant of where she was. +</p> +<p> +When she saw the lady of the house, she complained bitterly of the +mischief which had been done, and I cannot tell you how much she grieved +over this misadventure. Now she grieved for her kerchief, now for her +gown, and another time for her other clothes,—in short, if anyone had +heard her, they would have thought the world was coming to an end. +</p> +<p> +The old woman, who was also in a great rage, had a knife in her hand, +with which she scraped the gown as well as she could. +</p> +<p> +"No, no, my friend! you only waste your time. It cannot be cleaned as +easily as that: you cannot do any good. I must have another gown and +another kerchief-there is nothing else to be done. Go home and fetch +them, and make haste and come back, or we shall lose the Mass in +addition to our other troubles." +</p> +<p> +The old woman seeing that there was imperative need of the clothes, did +not dare to refuse her mistress, and took the gown and kerchief under +her mantle, and went home. +</p> +<p> +She had scarcely turned on her heels, before her mistress was conducted +to the chamber where her lover was, who was pleased to see her in a +simple petticoat and with her hair down. +</p> +<p> +Whilst they are talking together, let us return to the old woman, who +went back to the house, where she found her master, who did not wait for +her to speak, but asked her at once, +</p> +<p> +"What have you done with my wife? where is she?" +</p> +<p> +"I have left her," she replied, "at such a person's house, in such a +place." +</p> +<p> +"And for what purpose?" said he. +</p> +<p> +Then she showed him the gown and the kerchief, and told him about the +pitcher of water and ashes, and said that she had been sent to seek +other clothes, for her mistress could not leave the place where she was +in that state. +</p> +<p> +"Is that so?" said he. "By Our Lady! that trick is not in my book! Go! +Go! I know well what has happened." +</p> +<p> +He would have added that he was cuckolded, and I believe he was at that +time, and he never again kept a record of the various tricks that had +been played on husbands. Moreover, it is believed that he never forgot +the trick which had been played on him. There was no need for him to +write it down—he preserved a lively memory of it the few good days that +he had to live. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0025"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/38.jpg" height="906" width="634" +alt="38.jpg" title="A Rod for Another's Back. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0038"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="38pg (124K)" src="images/38pg.jpg" height="881" width="566" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-EIGHTH — A ROD FOR ANOTHER'S BACK. <a href="#note-38" name="noteref-38">38</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By The Seneschal Of Guyenne. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a citizen of Tours who bought a lamprey which he sent to his wife +to cook in order that he might give a feast to the priest, and the said +wife sent it to a Cordelier, who was her lover, and how she made a woman +who was her neighbour sleep with her husband, and how the woman was +beaten, and what the wife made her husband believe, as you will hear +hereafter.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +There was formerly a merchant of Tours, who, to give a feast to his +curé and other worthy people, bought a large lamprey, and sent it to his +house, and charged his wife to cook it, as she well knew how to do. +</p> +<p> +"And see," said he, "that the dinner is ready at twelve o'clock, for I +shall bring our curé, and some other people" (whom he named). +</p> +<p> +"All shall be ready," she replied, "bring whom you will." +</p> +<p> +She prepared a lot of nice fish, and when she saw the lamprey she wished +that her paramour, a Cordelier, could have it, and said to herself, +</p> +<p> +"Ah, Brother Bernard, why are you not here? By my oath, you should not +leave till you had tasted this lamprey, or, if you liked, you should +take it to your own room, and I would not fail to keep you company." +</p> +<p> +It was with great regret that the good woman began to prepare the +lamprey for her husband, for she was thinking how the Cordelier could +have it. She thought so much about it that she finally determined to +send the lamprey by an old woman, who knew her secret. She did so, and +told the Cordelier that she would come at night, and sup and sleep with +him. +</p> +<p> +When the Cordelier heard that she was coming, you may guess that he was +joyful and contented, and he told the old woman that he would get some +good wine to do honour to the lamprey. The old woman returned, and +delivered his message. +</p> +<p> +About twelve o'clock came our merchant, the curé, and the other guests, +to eat this lamprey, which had now gone far out of their reach. When +they were all in the merchant's house, he took them all into the kitchen +to show them the big lamprey that he was going to give them, and called +his wife, and said, +</p> +<p> +"Show us our lamprey, I want to tell our guests how cheap I bought it." +</p> +<p> +"What lamprey?" she asked. +</p> +<p> +"The lamprey that I gave you for our dinner, along with the other fish." +</p> +<p> +"I have seen no lamprey," she said; "I think you must be dreaming. Here +are a carp, two pike, and I know not what fish beside, but I have seen +no lamprey to day." +</p> +<p> +"What?" said he. "Do you think I am drunk?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," replied the curé and the other guests, "we think no less. You are +too niggardly to buy such a lamprey." +</p> +<p> +"By God," said his wife, "he is either making fun of you or he is +dreaming—for certainly I have never seen this lamprey." +</p> +<p> +Her husband grew angry, and cried, +</p> +<p> +"You lie, you whore! Either you have eaten it, or you have hidden it +somewhere. I promise you it will be the dearest lamprey you ever had." +</p> +<p> +With that he turned to the curé and the others, and swore by God's death +and a hundred other oaths, that he had given his wife a lamprey which +had cost him a franc; but they, to tease him and torment him still more, +pretended not to believe him, and that they were very disappointed, and +said; +</p> +<p> +"We were invited to dinner at such houses, but we refused in order to +come here, thinking we were going to eat this lamprey; but, as far as we +can see, there is no chance of that." +</p> +<p> +Their host, who was in a terrible rage, picked up a stick, and advanced +towards his wife to thrash her, but the others held him back, and +dragged him by force out of the house, and with much trouble appeased +him as well as they could. Then, since they could not have the lamprey, +the curé had the table laid, and they made as good cheer as they could. +</p> +<p> +The good dame meanwhile sent for one of her neighbours, who was a widow, +but still good-looking and lively, and invited her to dinner; and when +she saw her opportunity, she said; +</p> +<p> +"My dear neighbour, it would be very kind of you to do me a great +service and pleasure, and if you will do this for me, I will repay you +in a manner that will please you." +</p> +<p> +"And what do you want me to do?" asked the other. +</p> +<p> +"I will tell you," said she. "My husband is so violent in his night-work +that it is astounding, and, in fact, last night he so tumbled me, that +by my oath I am afraid of him to-night. Therefore I would beg of you to +take my place, and if ever I can do anything for you in return, you may +command me—body and goods." +</p> +<p> +The good neighbour, to oblige her, promised to take her place—for which +she was greatly thanked. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that our merchant when he returned from dinner, laid +in a good stock of birch rods, which he carried secretly into his house, +and hid near his bed, saying to himself that if his wife worried him she +should be well paid. +</p> +<p> +But he did not do this so secretly but what his wife was on her guard +and prepared, for she knew by long experience her husband's brutality. +</p> +<p> +He did not sup at home, but stopped out late, and came home when he +expected she would be in bed and naked. But his design failed, for late +that evening she made her neighbour undress and go to bed in her place, +and charged her expressly not to speak to her husband when he came, but +pretend to be dumb and ill. And she did more, for she put out the fire +both in the chamber and in the kitchen. That being done, she told her +neighbour that as soon as ever her husband rose in the morning, she was +to leave and return to her own house, and she promised that she would. +</p> +<p> +The neighbour being thus put to bed, the brave woman went off to the +Cordelier to eat the lamprey and gain her pardons, as was her custom. +</p> +<p> +While she was feasting there, the merchant came home after supper, full +of spite and anger about the lamprey, and to execute the plan he had +conceived, took his rods in his hand and then searched for a light for +the candle, but found no fire even in the chimney. +</p> +<p> +When he saw that, he went to bed without saying a word, and slept till +dawn, when he rose and dressed, and took his rods, and so thrashed his +wife's substitute, in revenge for the lamprey, till she bled all over, +and the sheets of the bed were as bloody as though a bullock had been +flayed on them, but the poor woman did not dare to say a word, or even +to show her face. +</p> +<p> +His rods being all broken, and his arm tired, he left the house, and the +poor woman, who had expected to enjoy the pleasant pastime of the +sports of love, went home soon afterwards to bemoan her ill-luck and +her wounds, and not without cursing and threatening the woman who had +brought this upon her. +</p> +<p> +Whilst the husband was still away from home, the good woman returned +from seeing the Cordelier, and found the bed-chamber all strewn with +birch twigs, the bed all crumpled, and the sheets covered with blood, +and she then knew that her neighbour had suffered bodily injury, as she +had expected. She at once remade the bed, and put on fresh and clean +sheets, and swept the chamber, and then she went to see her neighbour, +whom she found in a pitiable condition, and it need not be said was not +able to give her any consolation. +</p> +<p> +As soon as she could, she returned home, and undressed, and laid down +on the fair white bed that she had prepared, and slept well till her +husband returned from the town, his anger quite dissipated by the +revenge he had taken, and came to his wife whom he found in bed +pretending to sleep. +</p> +<p> +"What is the meaning of this, mademoiselle?" he said. "Is it not time +to get up?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh dear!" she said, "is it day yet? By my oath I never heard you get +up. I was having a dream which had lasted a long time." +</p> +<p> +"I expect," he replied, "that you were dreaming about the lamprey, +were you not? It would not be very wonderful if you did, for I gave you +something to remember it by this morning." +</p> +<p> +"By God!" she said, "I never thought about you or your lamprey." +</p> +<p> +"What?" said he. "Have you so soon forgotten?" +</p> +<p> +"Forgotten?" she answered. "Why not? a dream is soon forgotten." +</p> +<p> +"Well, then, did you dream about the bundle of birch rods I used on you +not two hours ago?" +</p> +<p> +"On me?" she asked. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, certainly; on you," he said. "I know very well I thrashed you +soundly, as the sheets of the bed would show." +</p> +<p> +"By my oath, dear friend," she replied, "I do not know what you did +or dreamed, but for my part I recollect very well that this morning you +indulged in the sports of love with much desire; I am sure that if you +dreamed you did anything else to me it must be like yesterday, when you +made sure you had given me the lamprey." +</p> +<p> +"That would be a strange dream," said he. "Show yourself that I may see +you." +</p> +<p> +She turned down the bed-clothes and showed herself quite naked, and +without mark or wound. He saw also that the sheets were fair and white, +and without any stain. It need not be said that he was much astonished, +and he thought the matter over for a long time, and was silent. At last +he said; +</p> +<p> +"By my oath, my dear, I imagined that I gave you a good beating this +morning, even till you bled—but I see well I did nothing of the kind, +and I do not know exactly what <i>did</i> happen." +</p> +<p> +"Marry!" she said "Get the idea that you have beaten me out of your +head, for you never touched me, as you can see. Make up your mind that +you dreamed it." +</p> +<p> +"I am sure you are right," said he, "and I beg of you to pardon me, +for I did wrong to abuse you before all the strangers I brought to the +house." +</p> +<p> +"That is easily pardoned," she replied; "but at any rate take care that +you are not so rash and hasty another time." +</p> +<p> +"No, I will not be, my dear!" said he. +</p> +<p> +Thus, as you have heard, was the merchant deceived by his wife, and +made to believe that he had dreamed that he had bought the lamprey; also +in the other matters mentioned above. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="image-0026"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/39.jpg" height="901" width="615" +alt="39.jpg" title=" Both Well Served. +"> +</center> + +<a name="2H_4_0039"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="39pg (135K)" src="images/39pg.jpg" height="935" width="583" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE THIRTY-NINTH — BOTH WELL SERVED. <a href="#note-39" name="noteref-39">39</a> +</h2> +<h3> + By Monseigneur De Saint Pol. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a knight who, whilst he was waiting for his mistress amused himself +three times with her maid, who had been sent to keep him company that +he might not be dull; and afterwards amused himself three times with +the lady, and how the husband learned it all from the maid, as you will +hear.</i> +</p></blockquote> +<p> +A noble knight of the Marches of Haynau—rich, powerful, brave, and a +good fellow—was in love with a fair lady for a long time, and was so +esteemed and secretly loved by her, that whenever he liked he repaired +to a private and remote part of her castle, where she came to visit him, +and they conversed at their leisure of their pleasant mutual love. +</p> +<p> +Not a soul knew of their pleasant pastime, except a damsel who served +the lady, and who had kept the matter secret for a long time, and had +served the dame so willingly in all her affairs that she was worthy of a +great reward. Moreover, she was such a good girl, that not only had she +gained the affection of her mistress for her services in this and other +matters, but the husband of the lady esteemed her as much as his wife +did, because he found her good, trustworthy, and diligent. +</p> +<p> +It chanced one day that the lady knew her aforesaid lover to be in +the house, but could not go to him as soon as she wished, because her +husband detained her; at which she was much vexed, and sent the damsel +to tell him that he must yet have patience, and that, as soon as she +could get rid of her husband, she would come to him. +</p> +<p> +The damsel went to the knight, who was awaiting the lady, and delivered +her message, and he, being a courteous knight, thanked her much for her +message, and made her sit by him; then tenderly kissed her two or +three times. She did not object, which gave the knight encouragement to +proceed to other liberties, which also were not refused him. +</p> +<p> +This being finished, she returned to her mistress, and told her that her +lover was anxiously awaiting her. +</p> +<p> +"Alas!" said the lady, "I know full well he is, but my husband will not +go to bed, and there are a lot of people here whom I cannot leave. God +curse them! I would much rather be with him. He is very dull, is he +not—all alone up there?" +</p> +<p> +"Faith! I believe he is," replied the damsel, "but he comforts himself +as well as he can with the hope of your coming.'' +</p> +<p> +"That I believe, but at any rate he has been all alone, and without a +light, for more than two hours; it must be very lonely. I beg you, my +dear, to go back to him again and make excuses for me, and stay with +him. May the devil take the people who keep me here!" +</p> +<p> +"I will do what you please, madam, but it seems to me that he loves you +so much you have no need to make excuses; and also, that, if I go, you +will have no woman here, and perhaps monseigneur may ask for me and I +cannot be found." +</p> +<p> +"Do not trouble about that," said the lady. "I will manage that all +right if he should ask for you. But it vexes me that my friend should be +alone—go and see what he is doing, I beg." +</p> +<p> +"I will go, since you wish it," she replied. +</p> +<p> +That she was pleased with her errand need not be said, though to conceal +her willingness she had made excuses to her mistress. She soon came to +the knight, who was still waiting, and said to him; +</p> +<p> +"Monseigneur, madame has sent me to you again to make her excuses for +keeping you so long waiting, and to tell you how vexed she is." +</p> +<p> +"You may tell her," said he, "that she may come at her leisure, and not +to hurry on my account, for you can take her place." +</p> +<p> +With that he kissed and cuddled her, and did not suffer her to depart +till he had tumbled her twice, which was not much trouble to him, for he +was young and vigorous, and fond of that sport. +</p> +<p> +The damsel bore it all patiently, and would have been glad to often have +the same luck, if she could without prejudice to her mistress. +</p> +<p> +When she was about to leave, she begged the knight to say nothing to her +mistress. +</p> +<p> +"Have no fear," said he. +</p> +<p> +"I beg of you to be silent," she said. +</p> +<p> +Then she returned to her mistress, who asked what her friend was doing? +</p> +<p> +"He is still," the damsel replied, "awaiting you." +</p> +<p> +"But," said the lady, "is he not vexed and angry?" +</p> +<p> +"No," said the damsel, "since he had company. He is much obliged to you +for having sent me, and if he often had to wait would like to have me to +talk to him to pass the time,—and, faith! I should like nothing better, +for he is the pleasantest man I ever talked to. God knows that it +was good to hear him curse the folks who detained you—all except +monseigneur; he would say nothing against him." +</p> +<p> +"St. John! I wish that he and all his company were in the river, so that +I could get away." +</p> +<p> +In due time monseigneur—thank God—sent away his servants, retired +to his chamber, undressed, and went to bed. Madame, dressed only in +a petticoat, put on her night-dress, took her prayer-book, and +began,—devoutly enough God knows—to say her psalms and paternosters, +but monseigneur, who was as wide awake as a rat, was anxious for a +little conversation, and wished madame to put off saying her prayers +till the morrow, and talk to him. +</p> +<p> +"Pardon me," she replied, "but I cannot talk to you now—God comes first +you know. Nothing would go right in the house all the week if I did not +give God what little praise I can, and I should expect bad luck if I did +not say my prayers now." +</p> +<p> +"You sicken me with all this bigotry," said monseigneur. "What is +the use of saying all these prayers? Come on, come on! and leave +that business to the priests. Am I not right, Jehannette?" he added, +addressing the damsel before mentioned. +</p> +<p> +"Monseigneur," she replied, "I do not know what to say, except that as +madame is accustomed to serve God, let her do so." +</p> +<p> +"There, there!" said madame to her husband, "I see well that you want +to argue, and I wish to finish my prayers, so we shall not agree. I will +leave Jehannette to talk to you, and will go to my little chamber behind +to petition God." +</p> +<p> +Monseigneur was satisfied, and madame went off at full gallop to her +friend, the knight, who received her with God knows how great joy, and +the honour that he did her was to bend her knees and lay her down. +</p> +<p> +But you must know that whilst madame was saying her prayers with her +lover, it happened, I know not how, that her husband begged Jehannette, +who was keeping him company, to grant him her favours. +</p> +<p> +To cut matters short, by his promises and fine words she was induced to +obey him, but the worst of it was that madame, when she returned from +seeing her lover, who had tumbled her twice before she left, found her +husband and Jehannette, her waiting-woman, engaged in the very same work +which she had been performing, at which she was much astonished; and +still more so were her husband and Jehannette at being thus surprised. +</p> +<p> +When madame saw that, God knows how she saluted them, though she would +have done better to hold her tongue; and she vented her rage so on poor +Jehannette that it seemed as though she must have a devil in her belly, +or she could not have used such abominable words. +</p> +<p> +Indeed she did more and worse, for she picked up a big stick and laid +it across the girl's shoulders, on seeing which, monseigneur, who was +already vexed and angry, jumped up and so beat his wife that she could +not rise. +</p> +<p> +Having then nothing but her tongue, she used it freely God knows, but +addressed most of her venomous speeches to poor Jehannette, who no +longer able to bear them, told monseigneur of the goings-on of his wife, +and where she had been to say her prayers, and with whom. +</p> +<p> +The whole company was troubled—monseigneur because he had good cause to +suspect his wife, and madame, who was wild with rage, well beaten, and +accused by her waiting-woman. +</p> +<p> +How this unfortunate household lived after that, those who know can +tell. +</p> +<hr> +<a name="2H_4_0040"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> +<br /> +<br /> +<center> +<img alt="40pg (132K)" src="images/40pg.jpg" height="943" width="592" /> +</center> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + STORY THE FORTIETH — THE BUTCHER'S WIFE WHO PLAYED THE GHOST IN THE CHIMNEY. +</h2> + +<h3> +By Michault De Changy. +</h3> +<blockquote><p> +<i>Of a Jacobin who left his mistress, a butcher's wife, for another woman +who was younger and prettier, and how the said butcher's wife tried to +enter his house by the chimney.</i> +</p></blockquote> + +<p> +It happened formerly at Lille, that a famous clerk and preacher of the +order of St. Dominic, converted, by his holy and eloquent preaching, +the wife of a butcher; in such wise that she loved him more than all the +world, and was never perfectly happy when he was not with her. +</p> +<p> +But in the end Master Monk tired of her, and wished that she would not +visit him so often, at which she was as vexed as she could be, but the +rebuff only made her love him the more. +</p> +<p> +The monk, seeing that, forbade her to come to his chamber, and charged +his clerk not to admit her, whatever she might say; at which she was +more vexed and infuriated than ever, and small marvel. +</p> +<p> +If you ask me why the monk did this, I should reply that it was not from +devotion, or a desire to lead a chaste life, but that he had made the +acquaintance of another woman, who was prettier, much younger, and +richer, and with whom he was on such terms that she had a key to his +chamber. +</p> +<p> +Thus it was that the butcher's wife never came to him, as she had been +accustomed, so that his new mistress could in all leisure and security +come and gain her pardons and pay her tithe, like the women of +Ostelleria, of whom mention has been made. +</p> +<p> +One day, after dinner, there was a great feast held in the chamber of +Master Monk, and his mistress had promised to come and bring her +share both of wine and meat. And as some of the other brothers in that +monastery were of the same kidney, he secretly invited two or three of +them; and God knows they had good cheer at this dinner, which did not +finish without plenty of drink. +</p> +<p> +Now you must know that the butcher's wife was acquainted with many of +the servants of these preachers, and she saw them pass her house, some +bearing wine, some pasties, some tarts, and so many other things that it +was wonderful. +</p> +<p> +She could not refrain from asking what feast was going forward at +their house? And the answer was that all this dainties were for such an +one,—that is to say her monk—who had some great people to dinner. +</p> +<p> +"And who are they?" she asked. +</p> +<p> +"Faith! I know not," he said. "I only carry my wine to the door, and +there our master takes it from us. I know not who is there!" +</p> +<p> +"I see," she said, "that it is a secret. Well, well! go on and do your +duty." +</p> +<p> +Soon there passed another servant, of whom she asked the same questions, +and he replied as his fellow had done, but rather more, for he said, +</p> +<p> +"I believe there is a damsel there;—but she wishes her presence to be +neither seen nor known." +</p> +<p> +She guessed who it was, and was in a great rage, and said to herself +that she would keep an eye upon the woman who had robbed her of the love +of her friend, and, no doubt, if she had met her she would have read her +a pretty lesson, and scratched her face. +</p> +<p> +She set forth with the intention of executing the plan she had +conceived. When she arrived at the place, she waited long to meet the +person she most hated in the world, but she had not the patience to wait +till her rival came out of the chamber where the feast was being held, +so at last she determined to use a ladder that a tiler, who was at work +at the roof, had left there whilst he went to dinner. +</p> +<p> +She placed this ladder against the kitchen chimney of the house, with +the intention of dropping in and saluting the company, for she knew well +that she could not enter in any other way. +</p> +<p> +The ladder being placed exactly as she wished it, she ascended it to +the chimney, round which she tied a fairly thick cord that by chance she +found there. Having tied that firmly, as she believed, she entered the +said chimney and began to descend; but the worst of it was that she +stuck there without being able to go up or down, however much she +tried—and this was owing to her backside being so big and heavy, and to +the fact that the cord broke, so that she could not climb back. She was +in sore distress, God knows, and did not know what to say or do. She +reflected that it would be better to await the arrival of the tiler, and +make an appeal to him when he came to look for his ladder and his rope; +but this hope was taken from her, for the tiler did not come to work +until the next morning, on account of the heavy rain, of which she had +her share, for she was quite drenched. +</p> +<p> +When the evening grew late, the poor woman heard persons talking in +the kitchen, whereupon she began to shout, at which they were much +astonished and frightened, for they knew not who was calling them, +or whence the voice came. Nevertheless, astonished as they were, they +listened a little while, and heard the voice now in front and now +behind, shrieking shrilly. They believed it was a spirit, and went to +tell their master, who was in the dormitory, and was not brave enough to +come and see what it was, but put it off till the morning. +</p> +<p> +You may guess what long hours the poor woman spent, being all night in +the chimney. And, by bad luck, it rained heavily for a long time. +</p> +<p> +The next day, early in the morning, the tiler came to work, to make +up for the time the rain had made him lose on the previous day. He was +quite astonished to find his ladder in another place than where he left +it, and the rope tied round the chimney, and did not know who had done +it. He determined to fetch the rope, and mounted the ladder and came +to the chimney, and undid the cord, and put his head down the chimney, +where he saw the butcher's wife, looking more wretched than a drowned +cat, at which he was much astonished. +</p> +<p> +"What are you doing here, dame?" he asked. "Do you want to rob the poor +monks who live here?" +</p> +<p> +"Alas, friend," she replied, "by my oath I do not. I beg of you to help +me to get out, and I will give you whatever you ask." +</p> +<p> +"I will do nothing of the kind," he said, "if I do not know who you are +and whence you come." +</p> +<p> +"I will tell you if you like," she said, "but I beg of you not to repeat +it." +</p> +<p> +Then she told him all about her love affair with the monk, and why she +had come there. The tiler took pity on her, and with some trouble, +and by means of his rope, pulled her out, and brought her down to the +ground. And she promised him that if he held his tongue she would give +him beef and mutton enough to supply him and his family all the year, +which she did. And the other kept the matter so secret that everybody +heard of it. +</p> + + + + + + + + +<a name="2H_NOTE"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + NOTES. +</h2> + + + +<a name="note-21"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>21</u> (<a href="#noteref-21">return</a>)<br> +[ From Poggio (<i>Priapus vis</i>) and also forms the subject of +one of La Fontaine's <i>Contes</i>.] +</p> +<a name="note-22"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>22</u> (<a href="#noteref-22">return</a>)<br> +[ Caron was "clerk of the chapel" to the Duke of Burgundy.] +</p> +<a name="note-23"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>23</u> (<a href="#noteref-23">return</a>)<br> +[ From an old <i>fabliau</i>; since copied by several writers, +French and Italian. +</p> +<p> +The author's name is given as Commesuram by Verard and as de Qucevrain +in Mr. Wright's edition. He is possibly identical with Louis de +Luxembourg, Count of St. Pol, whose name appears at the head of story +39. He also contributed Nos. 62 and 72.] +</p> +<a name="note-24"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>24</u> (<a href="#noteref-24">return</a>)<br> +[ Taken from an old English ballad included in Percy's +Reliques. It is curious that the author—de Fiennes—bears the same name +as an English nobleman—Lord Saye and Sele. +</p> +<p> +Thebaut de Luxembourg (Monseigneur de Fiennes) after the death of his +wife, Phillipine de Melun, turned monk, and lived to be Abbot of Igny +and Orcamp, and finally Bishop of Mans. He died in 1477. He also wrote +No. 43.] +</p> +<a name="note-25"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>25</u> (<a href="#noteref-25">return</a>)<br> +[ Monseigneur de Saint Yon Was cup-bearer to Philippe le +Bel, with a salary of 100 francs a year.] +</p> +<a name="note-26"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>26</u> (<a href="#noteref-26">return</a>)<br> +[ Nothing is known of M. de Foquessoles the writer of this +story.] +</p> +<a name="note-27"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>27</u> (<a href="#noteref-27">return</a>)<br> +[ The name of de Beauvoir attached to this story proves +that the tales were not edited till after 1461. For Jean de Montespedan +followed Louis when he returned to take the throne, and was created by +him seigneur of Beauvoir. He was a faithful follower of Louis, and in +1460 carried a letter from the Dauphin to Charles VII—no pleasant, or +even safe, task. He also wrote No. 30.] +</p> +<a name="note-28"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>28</u> (<a href="#noteref-28">return</a>)<br> +[ Michault de Changy was a Privy Councillor, Chamberlain, +Chief Carver, and afterwards Steward, to Dukes Philip and Charles. He +was the trusty confidant and adviser of the latter, who loaded him with +favours. After the death of Charles le Téméraire, Louis XI confirmed de +Changy in all the offices which he held in Burgundy. See also Nos. 40, +64, 79, and 80.] +</p> +<a name="note-31"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>31</u> (<a href="#noteref-31">return</a>)<br> +[ An almost identical story is told of Henri de Guise in the +<i>Historiettes</i> of Tallemant des Réaux.] +</p> +<p> +Jean d'Estuer, Seigneur de la Barde was a trusty servant of Louis XI and +successively Seneschal of Limousin, Ambassador (or rather secret agent) +to England, Seneschal of Lyon, and Governor of Perpignan.] +</p> +<a name="note-32"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>32</u> (<a href="#noteref-32">return</a>)<br> +[ Taken from Poggio, and used afterwards by La Fontaine. +De Villiers became one of the most trusted servants of Louis XI, and +conducted many difficult and delicate negotiations for him.] +</p> +<a name="note-34"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>34</u> (<a href="#noteref-34">return</a>)<br> +[ The original of this story is an old <i>fabliau</i>. It has +been often imitated in more recent times.] +</p> +<a name="note-38"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>38</u> (<a href="#noteref-38">return</a>)<br> +[ From Boccaccio (<i>Dec</i>., day VII, nov VIII) but is of +Eastern origin, and is found in Bidpai. It was probably brought to +France by the Crusaders, for it is met with in the <i>fabliaux</i>. +</p> +<p> +Antoine de Chateauneuf, Baron de Lau, was a favourite of Louis XI, who +bestowed on him some important offices, and large sums of money. He +afterwards fell into disgrace, and was imprisoned in the castle of +Usson, in Auvergne, but managed to escape in 1468, retired to Burgundy, +and seems to have made his peace with Louis and been restored to favour, +for he was Governor of Perpignan in 1472. He died before 1485.] +</p> +<a name="note-39"><!--Note--></a> +<p class="foot"> +<u>39</u> (<a href="#noteref-39">return</a>)<br> +[ The Comte de Saint Pol has been thought to be identical +with M. de Commesuram, the author of several of the <i>Cent Nouvelles +Nouvelles</i>. Saint Pol occupied an important part in history, and was +Constable of France, but he tried to play a double game, and betrayed +in turn both Louis and Charles the Bold. At last he was arrested, +condemned, and executed, December, 1475.] +</p> + + + + +</body> +</html> + + |