The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. I. (of V.)

by King of Navarre consort of Henry II Queen Margueri

  PROLOGUE.

  On the first day of September, when the baths in the PyreneesMountains begin to be possessed of their virtue, there were at those ofCauterets(1) many persons as well of France as of Spain, some to drinkthe water, others to bathe in it, and again others to make trial of themud; all these being remedies so marvellous that persons despaired ofby the doctors return thence wholly cured. My purpose is not to speak toyou of the situation or virtue of the said baths, but only to set forthas much as relates to the matter of which I desire to write.

  1 There are no fewer than twenty-six sources at Cauterets, the waters being either of a sulphureous or a saline character. The mud baths alluded to by Margaret were formerly taken at the Source de Cesar Vieux, half-way up Mount Peyraute, and so called owing to a tradition that Julius Caesar bathed there. It is at least certain that these baths were known to the Romans.--Ed.

  Cauterets is frequently mentioned by the old authors, and Rabelais refers to it in this passage: "Pantagruel's urine was so hot that ever since that time it has not cooled, and you have some of it in France, at divers places, at Coderetz, Limous, Dast, Ballerue, Bourbonne, and elsewhere"(Book ii. chap, xxxiii.).--M.

  All the sick persons continued at the baths for more than three weeks,until by the amendment in their condition they perceived that they mightreturn home again. But while they were preparing to do so, there fellsuch extraordinary rains that it seemed as though God had forgotten thepromise He made to Noah never to destroy the world with water again; forevery cottage and every lodging in Cauterets was so flooded with waterthat it was no longer possible to continue there. Those who had comefrom the side of Spain returned thither across the mountains as bestthey could, and such of them as knew whither the roads led fared best inmaking their escape.

  The French lords and ladies thought to return to Tarbes as easily asthey had come, but they found the streamlets so deep as to be scarcelyfordable. When they came to pass over the Bearnese Gave,(1) which at thetime of their former passage had been less than two feet in depth,they found it so broad and swift that they turned aside to seek forthe bridges. But these being only of wood, had been swept away by theturbulence of the water.

  1 The Basques give the name of Gave to those watercourses which become torrents in certain seasons. The Bearnese Gave, so named because it passes through the territory of the ancient city of Beam, takes its source in the Pyrenees, and flows past Pau to Sorde, where it joins the Adour, which falls into the sea at Bayonne. It is nowadays generally known as the Gave of Pau.--L. & M.

  Then certain of the company thought to stem the force of the current bycrossing in a body, but they were quickly carried away, and the otherswho had been about to follow lost all inclination to do so. Accordinglythey separated, as much because they were not all of one mind as to findsome other way. Some crossed over the mountains, and passing throughAragon came to the county of Rousillon, and thence to Narbonne; whilstothers made straight for Barcelona, going thence by sea, some toMarseilles and others to Aigues-Mortes.

  But a widow lady of long experience, named Oisille, resolved to layaside all fear of bad roads and to betake herself to Our Lady ofSerrance.(3)

  3 The Abbey of Our Lady of Serrance, or more correctly Sarrances, in the valley of Aspe, was occupied by monks of the Premontre Order, who were under the patronage of St. Mary. An apparition of the Virgin having been reported in the vicinity, pilgrimages were made to Sarrances on the feasts of her nativity (Sept. 8) and her assumption (Aug. 15). In 1385 Gaston de Foix, who greatly enriched the abbey, built a residence in the neighbourhood, his example being followed by the Gramonts, the Miollens, and other nobles. The pilgrimages had become very celebrated in the fifteenth century, when Louis XI. repaired to Sarrances, accompanied by Coictier, his physician. In 1569, however, the Huguenots pillaged and burned down the abbey, together with the royal and other residences. The monks who escaped the flames were put to the sword.--M. & Ed.

  She was not, indeed, so superstitious as to think that the gloriousVirgin would leave her seat at her Son's right hand to come and dwellin a desolate country, but she was desirous to see the hallowed spotof which she had so often heard, and further she was sure that if therewere a means of escaping from a danger, the monks would certainly findit out. At last she arrived, after passing through places so strange,and so difficult in the going up and coming down, that, in spite of heryears and weight, she had perforce gone most of the way on foot But themost piteous thing was, that the greater part of her servants and horseswere left dead on the way, and she had but one man and one woman withher on arriving at Serrance, where she was charitably received by themonks.

  There were also among the French two gentlemen who had gone to the bathsrather that they might be in the company of the ladies whose loversthey were, than because of any failure in their health. These gentlemen,seeing that the company was departing and that the husbands of theirladies were taking them away, resolved to follow them at a distancewithout making their design known to any one. But one evening, while thetwo married gentlemen and their wives were in the house of one who wasmore of a robber than a peasant, the two lovers, who were lodged in afarmhouse hard by, heard about midnight a great uproar. They got up,together with their serving-men, and inquired what this tumult meant.The poor man, in great fear, told them that it was caused by certainevil-doers who were come to share the spoil which was in the house oftheir fellow-bandit. Thereupon the gentlemen immediately took theirarms, and with their serving-men set forth to succour the ladies,esteeming it a happier thing to die for them than to outlive them.

  When they reached the house, they found the first door broken through,and the two gentlemen with their servants defending themselvesvaliantly. But inasmuch as they were outnumbered by the robbers, andwere also sorely wounded, they were beginning to fall back, havingalready lost many of their servants. The two gentlemen, looking in atthe windows, perceived the ladies shrieking and sobbing so bitterlythat their hearts swelled with pity and love at the sight; and, like twoenraged bears coming down from the mountains, they fell upon the banditswith such fury that many of them were slain, while the remainder,unwilling to await their onset, fled to a hiding-place which was knownto them.

  When the gentlemen had worsted these rogues and had slain the hosthimself among the rest, they heard that the man's wife was evenworse than her husband; and they therefore sent her after him with asword-thrust. Then they entered a lower room, where they found one ofthe married gentlemen on the point of death. The other had received nohurt, save that his clothes were all pierced with thrusts and that hissword was broken in two. The poor gentleman, perceiving what help thetwo had afforded him, embraced and thanked them, and besought them notto abandon him, which was to them a very agreeable request. When theyhad buried the dead gentleman, and had comforted his wife as wellas they were able, they took the road which God set before them, notknowing whither they were going.

  If it pleases you to know the names of the three gentlemen, the marriedone was called Hircan, and his wife Parlamente, the name of the widowbeing Longarine; of the two lovers one was called Dagoucin and theother Saffredent. After having been the whole day on horseback, towardsevening they descried a belfry, whither with toil and trouble they madethe best of their way, and on their arrival were kindly received by theAbbot and the monks. The abbey is called St. Savyn.(4)

  4 The Abbey of St. Savin of Tarbes, situated between Argelez and Pierrefitte, in what was formerly called the county of Lavedan, is stated to have been founded by Charlemagne; and here the Paladin Roland is said to have slain the giants Alabaster and Passamont to recompense the monks for their hospitality. The abbey took its name from a child (the son of a Count of Barcelona) who led a hermit's life, and is accredited with having performed several miracles in the neighbourhood. About the year 1100 the Pope, siding with
the people of the valley of Aspe in a quarrel between them and the Abbot of St. Savin, issued a bull forbidding the women of Lavedan to conceive for a period of seven years. The animals, moreover, were not to bring forth young, and the trees were not to bear fruit for a like period. The edict remained in force for six years, when the Abbot of St. Savin compromised matters by engaging to pay an annual tribute to Aspe. This tribute was actually paid until the Revolution of 1789. On the other hand, the abbey was entitled to the right shoulder of every stag, boar, and izard (the Pyrenean chamois) killed in the valley, with other tributes of trout, cheese, and flowers, which last the Abbot acknowledged by kissing the prettiest maiden of Argelez. Amongst various privileges possessed by the monks was that of having their beds made by the girls of the neighbourhood on certain high days and holidays.

  In the tenth century Raymond of Bigorre presented the abbey with the valley of Cauterets on condition that a church should be built there and "sufficient houses kept in repair to facilitate the using of the baths." In 1290 Edward III. of England confirmed the monks of St. Savin in possession of Cauterets. In 1316, when the inhabitants of the latter place wished to change the situation of their village, the Abbot of St. Savin consented, but a woman opposed her veto (all women had the right of vote) and this sufficed to frustrate the scheme. The abbey derived a considerable income from Cauterets, the baths and the houses built there for the accommodation of visitors being let out on lease. The leases of 1617 and 1697 are preserved in the archives of Pau. In the time of Queen Margaret the abbey was extremely wealthy; the Abbot to whom she refers, according to M. Le Roux de Lincy, was probably Raymond de Fontaine, who ruled St. Savin from 1534 to 1540, under the authority of the commendatory abbots, Anthony de Rochefort and Nicholas Dangu, Bishop of Seez. Some of the commentators of the _Heptameron_ believe the latter to have been the original "Dagoucin" who is supposed to tell several of the tales.--Ed.

  The Abbot, who came of an ancient line, lodged them honourably, andwhen taking them to their apartments inquired of them concerning theiradventures. When he had heard the truth, he told them that others hadfared as badly as they, for in one of his rooms he had two ladies whohad escaped a like danger, or perchance a greater, inasmuch as they hadhad to do with beasts, and not with men. (5) Half a league on this sideof Peyrechitte (6) the poor ladies had met with a bear coming downfrom the mountain, before whom they had fled with such speed that theirhorses fell dead under them at the abbey gates. Further, two of theirwomen who arrived a long time afterwards had made report that the bearhad killed all the serving-men.

  5 In two MS. copies of the _Heptameron_ in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, numbered respectively 1520 and 1524, after the words "not with men" there follows "in men there is some mercy, but in animals none."--L.

  6 Peyrechitte is evidently intended for Pierrefitte, a village on the left bank of the Gave, between Argelez and Cauterets.--Ed.

  Then the two ladies and the three gentlemen entered the room where theseunhappy travellers were, and found them weeping. They recognised themto be Nomerfide and Ennasuite, whereupon they all embraced and recountedwhat had befallen them. At the exhortations of the good Abbot they beganto take comfort in having found one another again, and in the morningthey heard mass with much devotion, praising God for the perils fromwhich they had escaped.

  While they were all at mass there came into the church (7) a man cladonly in a shirt, fleeing as though he were pursued, and crying out foraid. Forthwith Hircan and the other gentlemen went to meet him to seewhat the affair might mean, and perceived two men behind him with drawnswords.

  (7) This church is still in existence. It is mainly in the Romanesque style and almost destitute of ornamentation. There are, however, some antique paintings of St. Savin's miracles; and the saint's tomb, which is still preserved, is considered to be some twelve hundred years old. The village is gathered about the church, and forms a wide street lined with houses of the fifteenth century, which Margaret and her friends must have gazed upon during their sojourn here.--Ed.

  These, on seeing so great a company, sought to fly, but they were hotlypursued by Hircan and his companions, and so lost their lives. WhenHircan came back, he found that the man in the shirt was one of hiscompanions named Geburon, who related to them how while he was in bedat a farmhouse near Peyrechitte three men came upstairs, and how he,although he was in his shirt and had no other weapon but his sword, hadstretched one of them on the ground mortally wounded. While the othertwo were occupied in raising their companion, he, perceiving himselfto be naked and the others armed, bethought him that he could notoutdo them except it were by flight, as being the least encumbered withclothes. And so he had escaped, and for this he praised God and thosewho had avenged him.

  When they had heard mass and had dined they sent to see if it waspossible to cross the river Gave, and on learning that it was not, theywere in great dismay. However, the Abbot urgently entreated them to staywith him until the water had abated, and they agreed to remain for thatday.

  In the evening, as they were going to bed, there arrived an aged monkwho was wont to come in September of every year to Our Lady of Serrance.They inquired of him concerning his journey, and he told them that onaccount of the floods he had come over the mountains and by the worstroads he had ever known. On the way he had seen a very pitiful sight. Hehad met a gentleman named Simontault, who, wearied by his long waitingfor the river to subside, and trusting to the goodness of his horse, hadtried to force a passage, and had placed all his servants round abouthim to break the force of the current. But when they were in the midstof the stream, those who were the worst mounted were swept away, horsesand men, down the stream, and were never seen again. The gentleman,finding himself alone, turned his horse to go back, but before he couldreach the bank his horse sank under him. Nevertheless, God willed thatthis should happen so close to the bank that the gentleman was able, bydragging himself on all fours and not without swallowing a great deal ofwater, to scramble out on to the hard stones, though he was then so weakand weary that he could not stand upright.

  By good fortune a shepherd, bringing back his sheep at even, found himseated among the stones, wet to the skin, and sad not only for himselfbut on account of his servants whom he had seen perish before his eyes.The shepherd, who understood his need even better from his appearancethan from his speech, took him by the hand and led him to his humbledwelling, where he kindled some faggots, and so dried him in the bestway that he could. The same evening God led thither this good monk, whoshowed him the road to Our Lady of Serrance assuring him that he wouldbe better lodged there than anywhere else, and would there find an agedwidow named Oisille who had been as unfortunate as himself.

  When all the company heard tell of the good Lady Oisille and the gentleknight Simontault, they were exceedingly glad, and praised the Creator,who, content with the sacrifice of serving-folk, had preserved theirmasters and mistresses. And more than all the rest did Parlamente givehearty praise to God, for Simontault had long been her devoted lover.

  Then they made diligent inquiry concerning the road to Serrance, andalthough the good old man declared it to be very difficult, they werenot to be debarred from attempting to proceed thither that very day.They set forth well furnished with all that was needful, for the Abbotprovided them with wine and abundant victuals,(8) and with willingcompanions to lead them safely over the mountains.

  8 According to MS. No. 1520 (Bib. Nat., Paris), the Abbot also furnished them with the best horses of Lavedan and good "cappes" of Beam. The Lavedan horses were renowned for their speed and spirit, and the Bearnese cappe was a cloak provided with a hood.--B. J.

  These they crossed more often on foot than on horseback, and after muchtoil and sweat came to Our Lady of Serrance. Here the Abbot, althoughsomewhat evill
y disposed, durst not deny them lodging for fear of theLord of Beam,(9) who, as he was aware, held them in high esteem. Beinga true hypocrite, he showed them as fair a countenance as he could, andtook them to see the Lady Oisille and the gentle knight Simontault.

  9 The Kings of Navarre had been Lords of Beam for two centuries, but Beam still retained its old customs and had its special government. The Lord of Beam here referred to was Henry d'Albret, Margaret's second husband.--B. J.

  The joyfulness of all this company who had been thus miraculouslybrought together was so great that the night seemed short to them whilepraising God in the Church for the goodness that He had shown to them.When towards morning they had taken a little rest, they all went tohear mass and receive the holy sacrament of fellowship, in which allChristians are joined together as one, imploring Him who of His mercyhad thus united them, that He would further their journey to His glory.After they had dined they sent to learn whether the waters were at allabated, and found that, on the contrary, they were rather increased, andcould not be crossed with safety for a long time to come. They thereforedetermined to make a bridge resting on two rocks which come very closetogether, and where there are still planks for those foot-passengerswho, coming from Oleron, wish to avoid crossing at the ford. The Abbotwas well pleased that they should make this outlay, to the end thatthe number of pilgrims might be increased, and he furnished them withworkmen, though he was too avaricious to give them a single farthing.

  The workmen declared that they could not finish the bridge in less thanten or twelve days, and all the company, both ladies and gentlemen,began to grow weary. But Parlamente, who was Hircan's wife, and who wasnever idle or melancholy, asked leave of her husband to speak, and saidto the aged Lady Oisille--

  "I am surprised, madam, that you who have so much experience, and nowfill the place of mother to all of us women, do not devise some pastimeto relieve the weariness we shall feel during our long stay; for if wehave not some pleasant and virtuous occupation we shall be in danger offalling ill."

  "Nay," added the young widow Longarine, "worse than that, we shallbecome ill-tempered, which is an incurable disease; for there is not oneamong us but has cause to be exceeding downcast, having regard to ourseveral losses."

  Ennasuite laughing replied--

  "Every one has not lost her husband like you, and the loss of servantsneed not bring despair, since others may readily be found. Nevertheless,I too am of opinion that we should have some pleasant exercise withwhich to while away the time, for otherwise we shall be dead byto-morrow."

  All the gentlemen agreed with what these ladies said, and begged Oisilleto tell them what they should do.

  "My children," she replied, "you ask me for something which I find verydifficult to teach you, namely, a pastime that may deliver you from yourweariness. I have sought for such a remedy all my life and have neverfound but one, which is the reading of the Holy Scriptures. In them themind may find that true and perfect joy from which repose and bodilyhealth proceed. If you would know by what means I continue so blithe andhealthy in my old age, it is because on rising I immediately take up theHoly Scriptures (10) and read therein, and so perceive and contemplatethe goodness of God, who sent His Son into the world to proclaim to usthe Sacred Word and glad tidings by which He promises the remission ofall sins and the satisfaction of all debts by the gift that He has madeus of His love, passion, and merits.

  10 Margaret read a portion of the Scriptures every day, saying that the perusal preserved one "from all sorts of evils and diabolical temptations" (_Histoire de Foix, Bearn, et Navarre_, by P. Olhagaray, Paris, 1609, p. 502).--L.

  "The thought of this gives me such joy that I take my Psalter and in allhumility sing with my heart and utter with my lips the sweet psalms andcanticles which the Holy Spirit put into the heart of David and of otherwriters. And so acceptable is the contentment that this brings tome, that any evils which may befall me during the day I look upon asblessings, seeing that I have in my heart, through faith, Him who hasborne them all for me. In the same way before supper I retire to feed mysoul by reading, and then in the evening I call to mind all I have doneduring the past day, in order that I may ask forgiveness for my sins,thank Him for His mercies, and, feeling safe from all harm, take my restin His love, fear, and peace. This, my children, is the pastime I havelong practised, after making trial of all others and finding in nonecontentment of spirit. I believe that if you give an hour every morningto reading and then offer up devout prayers during mass, you will findin this lonely place all the beauty that any town could afford. One whoknows God sees all things fair in Him, and without Him everything seemsuncomely; wherefore, I pray you, accept my advice, if you would live ingladness."

  Then Hircan took up the discourse and said--

  "Those, madam, who have read the Holy Scriptures, as I believe we allhave done, will acknowledge that what you have said is true. You must,however, consider that we are not yet so mortified that we have not needof some pastime and bodily exercise. When we are at home we have thechase and hawking, which cause us to lay aside a thousand foolishthoughts, and the ladies have their household cares, their work, andsometimes the dance, in all which they find honourable exercise. So,speaking on behalf of the men, I propose that you, who are the oldest,read to us in the morning about the life that was led by Our Lord JesusChrist and the great and wonderful works that He did for us; and thatbetween dinner and vespers we choose some pastime that shall be pleasantto the body and yet not hurtful to the soul. In this way we shall passthe day cheerfully."

  The Lady Oisille replied that she had been at pains to forget everydescription of worldly vanity, and she therefore feared that she shouldsucceed but ill in the choice of such an entertainment. The matter mustbe decided by the majority of opinions, and she begged Hircan to setforth his own first.

  "For my part," said he, "if I thought that the pastime I should choosewould be as agreeable to the company as to myself, my opinion would soonbe given. For the present, however, I withhold it, and will abide bywhat the rest shall say."

  His wife Parlamente, thinking he referred to her, began to blush, and,half in anger and half laughing, replied--

  "Perhaps, Hircan, she who you think would find it most dull mightreadily find means of compensation had she a mind for it. But let usleave aside a pastime in which only two can share, and speak of one thatshall be common to all."

  "Since my wife has understood the meaning of my words so well," saidHircan to all the ladies, "and a private pastime is not to her liking, Ithink she will be better able than any one else to name one that allmay enjoy; and I herewith give in to her opinion, having no other of myown."

  To this all the company agreed.

  Parlamente, perceiving that it had fallen to her to decide, spoke asfollows--

  "Did I find myself as capable as the ancients who invented the arts, Ishould devise some sport or pastime in fulfilment of the charge youlay upon me. But knowing as I do my knowledge and capacity, which arescarcely able to recall the worthy performances of others, I shall thinkmyself happy if I can follow closely such as have already satisfied yourrequest. Among the rest, I think there is not one of you who has notread the Hundred Tales of Boccaccio, (11) lately translated from theItalian into French. So highly were these thought of by King Francis,first of that name, Monseigneur the Dauphin, (12) Madame the Dauphiness,and Madame Margaret, that could Boccaccio have only heard them from theplace where he lay, the praise of such illustrious persons would haveraised him from the dead.

  11 Margaret here alludes to the French translation of the _Decameron_ made by her secretary, Anthony le Macon, and first issued in Paris in 1545. Messrs. De Lincy and Montaiglon accordingly think that the prologue of the _Heptameron_ was written subsequently to that date; but M. Dillaye states that Le Macon's translation was circulated at Court in manuscript long before it was printed. This contention is in some measure borne out by Le Macon's dedicati
on to Margaret, of which the more interesting passages are given in the Appendix to this volume (A).--ED.

  12 The Dauphin here mentioned is Francis I.'s second son, who subsequently reigned as Henry II. He became Dauphin by the death of his elder brother on August 10, 1536. The Dauphiness is Catherine de' Medici, the wife of Henry, whom he married in 1533; whilst Madame Margaret, according to M. de Montaiglon, is the Queen of Navarre herself, she being usually called by that name at her brother's Court. M. Dillaye, who is of a different opinion, maintains that the Queen would not write so eulogistically of herself, and that she evidently refers to her brother's daughter, Margaret de Berry, born in 1523, and married to the Duke of Savoy.--Ed.

  Now I heard not long since that the two ladies I have mentioned,together with several others of the Court, determined to do likeBoccaccio, with, however, one exception--they would not write anystory that was not a true one. And the said ladies, and Monseigneur theDauphin with them, undertook to tell ten stories each, and to assemblein all ten persons, from among those whom they thought the most capableof relating something. Such as had studied and were people of letterswere excepted, for Monseigneur the Dauphin would not allow of their artbeing brought in, fearing lest the flowers of rhetoric should in somewise prove injurious to the truth of the tales. But the weighty affairsin which the King had engaged, the peace between him and the King ofEngland, the bringing to bed of the Dauphiness,(13) and many othermatters of a nature to engross the whole Court, caused the enterprise tobe entirely forgotten.

  13 The confinement mentioned here is that of Catherine de Medici, who, after remaining childless during ten years of wedlock, gave birth to a son, afterwards Francis II., in January 1543. The peace previously spoken of would appear to be that signed at Crespy in September 1544. Both M. de Montaiglon and M. Dillaye are of opinion, however, that a word or two is deficient in the MS., and that Margaret intended to imply the rupture of peace in 1543, when Henry VIII. allied himself with the Emperor Charles V. against Francis I.--Ed.

  By reason, however, of our now great leisure, it can be accomplished inten days, whilst we wait for our bridge to be finished. If it so pleasedyou, we might go every day from noon till four of the clock into yonderpleasant meadow beside the river Gave. The trees there are so leafy thatthe sun can neither penetrate the shade nor change the coolness to heat.Sitting there at our ease, we might each one tell a story of somethingwe have ourselves seen, or heard related by one worthy of belief. Atthe end of ten days we shall have completed the hundred,(14) and ifGod wills it that our work be found worthy in the eyes of the lords andladies I have mentioned, we will on our return from this journey presentthem with it, in lieu of images and paternosters,(15) and feelingassured that they will hold this to be a more pleasing gift. If,however, any one can devise some plan more agreeable than mine, I willfall in with his opinion."

  14 This passage plainly indicates that the Queen meant to pen a Decameron.--Ed.

  15 This is an allusion to the holy images, medals, and chaplets which people brought back with them from pilgrimages.--B. J.

  All the company replied that it was not possible to give better advice,and that they awaited the morning in impatience, in order to begin.

  Thus they spent that day joyously, reminding one another of what theyhad seen in their time. As soon as the morning was come they went tothe room of Madame Oisille, whom they found already at her prayers. Theylistened to her reading for a full hour, then piously heard mass, andafterwards went to dinner at ten o'clock.(16)

  16 At that period ten o'clock was the Court dinner-hour. Fifty years earlier people used to dine at eight in the morning. Louis XII., however, changed the hour of his meals to suit his wife, Mary of England, who had been accustomed to dine at noon.--B. J.

  After dinner each one withdrew to his chamber, and did what he had todo. According to their plan, at noon they failed not to return to themeadow, which was so fair and pleasant that it would need a Boccaccioto describe it as it really was; suffice to say that a fairer was neverseen.

  When the company were all seated on the green grass, which was sofine and soft that they needed neither cushion nor carpet, Simontaultcommenced by saying--

  "Which of us shall begin before the others?"

  "Since you were the first to speak," replied Hircan,"'tis reasonablethat you should rule us; for in sport we are all equal."

  "Would to God," said Simontault, "I had no worse fortune in this worldthan to be able to rule all the company present."

  On hearing this Parlamente, who well knew what it meant, began tocough. Hircan, therefore, did not perceive the colour that came into hercheeks, but told Simontault to begin, which he did as presently follows.

  039a.jpg Du Mesnil learns his Mistress's Infidelity from her Maid]

  [Du Mesnil learns his Mistress's Infidelity from her Maid]

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  FIRST DAY.

  _On the First Day are recounted the ill-turns whichhave been done by Women to Men and byMen to Women._