The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. III | Page 8

full of
virtue.
It would take too long to tell you his love-speeches, his lengthened
visits to her, and the journeys he took in order to see her; it is enough to
say that this poor martyr, consumed by so pleasing a fire that the more
one burns the more one wishes to burn, continually sought for the
means of increasing his martyrdom.
One day the fancy took him to go post-haste to see the lady whom he
loved better than himself, and whom he prized beyond every other
woman in the world. On reaching her house, he inquired where she was,
and was told that she had just come from vespers, and was gone into
the warren to finish her devotions there. He dismounted from his horse
and went straight to the warren where she was to be found, and here he
met with some of her women, who told him that she had gone to walk
alone in a large avenue.
He was more than ever beginning to hope that some good fortune
awaited him, and continued searching for her as carefully and as quietly
as he could, desiring above all things to find her alone. He came in this
way to a summer-house formed of bended boughs, the fairest and

pleasantest place imaginable, (2) and impatient to see the object of his
love, he went in; and there beheld the lady lying on the grass in the
arms of a groom in her service, who was as ill-favoured, foul and
disreputable as the Lord of Riant was handsome, virtuous and gentle.
2 For a description of a summer-house of the kind referred to, see Cap's
edition of Palissy's _Dessein du Jardin Délectable_, p. 69. Palissy there
describes some summer- houses formed of young elmtrees, with seats,
columns, friezes, and a roofing so cunningly contrived of bent boughs
that the rain could not penetrate into the interior. It is to some such
construction that Queen Margaret refers.--M.
I will not try to depict to you his resentment, but it was so great that in
a moment it had power to extinguish the flame which neither length of
time nor lack of opportunity had been able to impair.
"Madam," he said to her, being now as full of indignation as once he
had been of love, "much good may this do you! (3) The revelation of
your wickedness has to-day cured me, and freed me from the continual
anguish that was caused by the virtue I believed to be in you." (4)
3 The French words here are "prou face," which in Margaret's time
were very generally used in lieu of "Amen" or "So be it."--M.
4 In Joconde La Fontaine gives the end of the adventure as follows:--
"Sans rencontrer personne et sans etre entendu Il monte dans sa
chambre et voit près de la dame Un lourdaud de valet sur son sein
étendu. Tous deux dormaient. Dans cet abord Joconde Voulut les
envoyer dormir en l'autre monde, Mais cependant il n'en fit rien Et mon
avis est qu'il fit bien."
Both in La Fontaine's Conte and in Ariosto's Rolando the lady is the
Queen, and the favoured lover the King's dwarf. --Ed.
And with this farewell he went back again more quickly than he had
come.

The unhappy woman made him no other reply than to put her hand to
her face; for being unable to hide her shame, she covered her eyes that
she might not see him who in spite of her deceit now perceived it only
too clearly.
"And so, ladies, if you are not minded to love perfectly, do not, I pray
you, seek to deceive and annoy an honest man for vanity's sake; for
hypocrites are rewarded as they deserve, and God favours those who
love with frankness."
"Truly," said Oisille, "you have kept us a proper tale for the end of the
day. But that we have all sworn to speak the truth, I could not believe
that a woman of that lady's condition could be so wicked both in soul
and in body, and leave so gallant a gentleman for so vile a muleteer."
"Ah, madam," said Hircan, "if you knew what a difference there is
between a gentleman who has worn armour and been at the wars all his
life, and a well-fed knave that has never stirred from home, you would
excuse the poor widow."
"I do not believe," said Oisille, "whatever you may say, that you could
admit any possible excuse for her."
"I have heard," said Simontault, "that there are women who like to have
apostles to preach of their virtue and chastity, and treat them as kindly
and familiarly as possible, saying that but for the restraints of honour
and conscience they would grant them their desire.