VOLUME THE FOURTH

LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY OF ENGLISH BIBLIOPHILISTS

MDCCCXCIV

Volume I.

Volume II.

Volume III.

Volume V.

Frontispiece

[Margaret, Queen of Navarre, from a crayon drawing by Clouet, preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris]

Titlepage

Contents

FOURTH DAY.

PROLOGUE.

TALE XXXI.

TALE XXXII.

TALE XXXIII.

TALE XXXIV.

TALE XXXV.

TALE XXXVI.

TALE XXXVII.

TALE XXXVIII.

TALE XXXIX.

TALE XL.

FIFTH DAY.

PROLOGUE.

TALE XLI.

TALE XLII.

TALE XLIII.

TALE XLIV.(A).

TALE XLIV. (B).

TALE XLV.

TALE XLVI. (A).

TALE XLVI.(B).

TALE XLVII.

TALE XLVIII.

TALE XLIX.

TALE L.

APPENDIX.

A. (Tale XXXVI., Page 63.)

List of Illustrations

Frontispiece

Titlepage

007a.jpg the Wicked Friar Captured

007.jpg Page Image

0016.jpg Tailpiece

017a.jpg Bernage Observing the German Lady's Strange Penance

017.jpg Page Image

028.jpg Tailpiece

029a.jpg the Execution of The Wicked Priest and his Sister

029.jpg Page Image

037.jpg Tailpiece

039a.jpg the Grey Friar Imploring The Butcher to Spare his Life

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047.jpg Tailpiece

049a.jpg the Lady Embracing The Supposed Friar

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062.jpg Tailpiece

063a.jpg the Clerk Entreating Forgiveness of The President

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072.jpg Tailpiece

073a.jpg the Lady of Loué Bringing Her Husband The Basin Of Water

073.jpg Page Image

081.jpg Tailpiece

083a.jpg the Lady of Tours Questioning Her Husband's Mistress

083.jpg Page Image

088.jpg Tailpiece

089a.jpg the Lord of Grignaulx Catching The Pretended Ghost

089.jpg Page Image

094.jpg Tailpiece

095a.jpg the Count of Jossebelin Murdering his Sister's Husband

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109.jpg Tailpiece

115a.jpg the Beating of The Wicked Grey Friar

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122.jpg Tailpiece

123a.jpg the Girl Refusing The Gift of The You ng Prince

123.jpg Page Image

142.jpg Tailpiece

143a.jpg Jambicque Repudiating Her Lover

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155.jpg Tailpiece

157.jpg Page Image

162.jpg Tailpiece

163a.jpg the Lovers Returning from The ir Meeting in The Garden

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176.jpg Tailpiece

177a.jpg the Man of Tours and his Serving-maid in The Snow

177.jpg Page Image

186.jpg Tailpiece

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193.jpg Tailpiece

195a.jpg the You ng Man Beating his Wife

195.jpg Page Image

201.jpg Tailpiece

203a.jpg the Gentleman Reproaching his Friend for His Jealousy

203.jpg Page Image

211.jpg Tailpiece

213a.jpg the Grey Friars Caught and Punished

213.jpg Page Image

218.jpg Tailpiece

219a.jpg the Countess Facing Her Lovers

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232.jpg Tailpiece

233a.jpg the Lady Killing Her self on The Death of Her Lover

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240.jpg Tailpiece

DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV.

FOURTH DAY.

Prologue

Tale XXXI. Punishment of the wickedness of a Friar who sought to lie

with a gentleman's wife.

Tale XXXII. How an Ambassador of Charles VIII., moved by the repentance

of a German lady, whom her husband compelled to drink out of her lover's

skull, reconciled husband and wife together.

Tale XXXIII. The hypocrisy of a priest who, under the cloak of sanctity,

had lain with his own sister, is discovered and punished by the wisdom

of the Count of Angoulême.

Tale XXXIV. The terror of two Friars who believed that a butcher

intended to murder them, whereas the poor man was only speaking of his

Pigs.

Tale XXXV. How a husband's prudence saves his wife from the risks she

incurred while thinking to yield to merely a spiritual love.

Tale XXXVI.

The story of the President of Grenoble, who saves the honour

of his house by poisoning his wife with a salad.

Tale XXXVII. How the Lady of Loué regained her husband's affection.

Tale XXXVIII.

The kindness of a townswoman of Tours to a poor

farm-woman who is mistress to her husband, makes the latter so ashamed

of his faithlessness that he returns to his wife.

Tale XXXIX. How the Lord of Grignaulx rid one of his houses of a

pretended ghost.

Tale XL. The unhappy history of the Count de Jossebelin's sister, who

shut herself up in a hermitage because her brother caused her husband to

be slain.

FIFTH DAY.

Prologue

Tale XLI. Just punishment of a Grey Friar for the unwonted penance that

he would have laid upon a maiden.

Tale XLII.

The virtuous resistance made by a young woman of Touraine

causes a young Prince that is in love with her, to change his desire to

respect, and to bestow her honourably in marriage.

Tale XLIII. How a little chalk-mark revealed the hypocrisy of a lady

called Jambicque, who was wont to hide the pleasures she indulged in,

beneath the semblance of austerity.

Tale XLIV. (A). Through telling the truth, a Grey Friar receives as alms

from the Lord of Sedan two pigs instead of one.

Tale XLIV. (B). Honourable conduct of a young citizen of Paris, who,

after suddenly enjoying his sweetheart, at last happily marries.

Tale XLV. Cleverness of an upholsterer of Touraine, who, to hide that

he has given the Innocents to his serving-maid, contrives to give them

afterwards to his wife.

Tale XLVI. (A).

Wicked acts of a Grey Friar of Angoulême called De Vale,

who fails in his purpose with the wife of the Judge of the Exempts, but

to whom a mother in blind confidence foolishly abandons her daughter.

Tale XLVI. (B). Sermons of the Grey Friar De Vallès, at first against

and afterwards on behalf of husbands that beat their wives.

Tale XLVII. The undeserved jealousy of a gentleman of Le Perche towards

another gentleman, his friend, leads the latter to deceive him.

Tale XLVIII. Wicked act of a Grey Friar of Perigord, who, while a

husband was dancing at his wedding, went and took his place with the

bride.

Tale XLIX. Story of a foreign Countess, who, not content with having

King Charles as her lover, added to him three lords, to wit, Astillon,

Durassier and Valnebon.

Tale L. Melancholy fortune of Messire John Peter, a gentleman of

Cremona, who dies just when he is winning the affection of the lady he

loves.

Appendix to Vol. IV.

FOURTH DAY.

On the Fourth Day are chiefly told Tales of the

virtuous patience and long suffering of

Ladies to win over their husbands;

and of the prudence that Men

have used towards Women

to save the honour of

their families and

lineage.

PROLOGUE.

The Lady Oisille, as was her excellent custom, rose up on the morrow very much earlier than the others, and meditating upon her book of Holy Scripture, awaited the company which, little by little, assembled together again. And the more slothful of them excused themselves in the words of the Bible, saying,"I have a wife, and therefore could not come so quickly."(1) In this wise it came to pass that Hircan and his wife Parlamente found the reading of the lesson already begun. Oisille, however, knew right well how to pick out the passage in the Scriptures, which reproves those who neglect the hearing of the Word, and she not only read the text, but also addressed to them such excellent and pious exhortations that it was impossible to weary of listening to her.

1"I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."—St.

Luke xiv. 20.—M.

The reading ended, Parlamente said to her—

"I felt sorry for my slothfulness when I came in, but since my error has led you to speak to me in such excellent fashion, my laziness has profited me double, for I have had rest of body by sleeping longer, and satisfaction of spirit by hearing your godly discourse.""We ll,"said Oisille,"let us for penance go to mass and pray Our Lord to give us both will and power to fulfil His commandments; and then may He command us according to His own good pleasure."

As she was saying these words, they reached the church, where they piously heard mass. And afterwards they sat down to table, where Hircan failed not to laugh at the slothfulness of his wife. After dinner they withdrew to rest and study their parts, (2) and when the hour was come, they all found themselves at the wonted spot.

2 Meaning what they had to relate. The French word is

rolle from rotulus.—M.

Then Oisille asked Hircan to whom he would give his vote to begin the day.

"If my wife,"said he,"had not begun yesterday, I should have given her my vote, for although I always thought that she loved me more than any man alive, she has further proved to me this morning that she loves me better than God or His Word, seeing that she neglected your excellent reading to bear me company. However, since I cannot give my vote to the discreetest lady of the company, I will present it to Geburon, who is the discreetest among the men; and I beg that he will in no wise spare the monks."

"It was not necessary to beg that of me,"said Geburon;"I was not at all likely to forget them. Only a short while ago I heard Monsieur de Saint-Vincent, Ambassador of the Emperor, tell a story of them which is well worthy of being rememorated and I will now relate it to you."

007a.jpg the Wicked Friar Captured

[The Wicked Friar Captured]

007.jpg Page Image

TALE XXXI.

A monastery of Grey Friars was burned down, with the monks

that were in it, as a perpetual memorial of the cruelty

practised by one among them that was in love with a lady.

In the lands subject to the Emperor Maximilian of Austria (1) there was a monastery of Grey Friars that was held in high repute, and nigh to it stood the house of a gentleman who was so kindly disposed to these monks that he could withhold nothing from them, in order to share in the benefits of their fastings and disciplines. Among the rest there was a tall and handsome friar whom the said gentleman had taken to be his confessor, and who had as much authority in the gentleman's house as the gentleman himself. This friar, seeing that the gentleman's wife was as beautiful and prudent as it was possible to be, fell so deeply in love with her that he lost all appetite for both food and drink, and all natural reason as well. One day, thinking to work his end, he went all alone to the house, and not finding the gentleman within, asked the lady whither he was gone. She replied that he was gone to an estate where he proposed remaining during two or three days, but that if the friar had business with him, she would despatch a man expressly to him. The friar said no to this, and began to walk to and fro in the house like one with a weighty matter in his mind.

1 Maximilian I., grandfather of Charles V. and Ferdinand

I., and Emperor of Germany from 1494 to 1519.—Ed.

When he had left the room, the lady said to one of her women (and there were but two)"Go after the good father and find out what he wants, for I judge by his countenance that he is displeased."

The serving-woman went to the courtyard and asked the friar whether he desired aught, whereat he answered that he did, and, drawing her into a corner, he took a dagger which he carried in his sleeve, and thrust it into her throat. Just after he had done this, there came into the courtyard a mounted servant who had been gone to receive the rent of a farm. As soon as he had dismounted he saluted the friar, who embraced him, and while doing so thrust the dagger into the back part of his neck. And thereupon he closed the castle gate.

The lady, finding that her serving-woman did not return, was astonished that she should remain so long with the friar, and said to the other—

"Go and see why your fellow-servant does not come back."

The woman went, and as soon as the good father saw her, he drew her aside into a corner and did to her as he had done to her companion. Then, finding himself alone in the house, he came to the lady, and told her that he had long been in love with her, and that the hour was now come when she must yield him obedience.

The lady, who had never suspected aught of this, replied—

"I am sure, father, that were I so evilly inclined, you would be the first to cast a stone at me."

"Come out into the courtyard,"returned the monk,"and you will see what I have done."

When she beheld the two women and the man lying dead, she was so terrified that she stood like a statue, without uttering a word. The villain, who did not seek merely an hour's delight, would not take her by force, but forthwith said to her—

"Mistress, be not afraid; you are in the hands of him who, of all living men, loves you the most."

So saying, he took off his long robe, beneath which he wore a shorter one, which he gave to the lady, telling her that if she did not take it, she should be numbered with those whom she saw lying lifeless before her eyes.

More dead than alive already, the lady resolved to feign obedience, both to save her life, and to gain time, as she hoped, for her husband's return. At the command of the friar, she set herself to put off her head-dress as slowly as she was able; and when this was done, the friar, heedless of the beauty of her hair, quickly cut it off. Then he caused her to take off all her clothes except her chemise, and dressed her in the smaller robe he had worn, he himself resuming the other, which he was wont to wear; then he departed thence with all imaginable speed, taking with him the little friar he had coveted so long.

But God, who pities the innocent in affliction, beheld the tears of this unhappy lady, and it so happened that her husband, having arranged matters more speedily than he had expected, was now returning home by the same road by which she herself was departing. However, when the friar perceived him in the distance, he said to the lady—

"I see your husband coming this way. I know that if you look at him he will try to take you out of my hands. Go, then, before me, and turn not your head in his direction; for, if you make the faintest sign, my dagger will be in your throat before he can deliver you."

As he was speaking, the gentleman came up, and asked him whence he was coming.

"From your house,"replied the other,"where I left my lady in good health, and waiting for you."

The gentleman passed on without observing his wife, but a servant who was with him, and who had always been wont to foregather with one of the friar's comrades named Brother John, began to call to his mistress, thinking, indeed, that she was this Brother John. The poor woman, who durst not turn her eyes in the direction of her husband, answered not a word. The servant, however, wishing to see her face, crossed the road, and the lady, still without making any reply, signed to him with her eyes, which were full of tears.

The servant then went after his master and said—"Sir, as I crossed the road I took note of the friar's companion. He is not Brother John, but is very like my lady, your wife, and gave me a pitiful look with eyes full of tears."