The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 1 (of 5)Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
General
The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 1 (of 5)
Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
Love stories, French -- Translations into English; Tales -- France -- Translations into English
“But Dumesnil ill-requited the aforesaid good services and courtesies,
and rendering evil for good, as is the practice of iniquity, endeavoured
to and did cause an estrangement between the said St. Aignan and
his wife, who had always lived together in good, great, and perfect
affection. And the better to effect his purpose he (Dumesnil) gave the
said wife to understand, among other things, that St. Aignan bore her
no affection; that he daily desired her death; that she was mistaken in
trusting him; and other evil things not fitting to be repeated, which
the wife withstood, enjoining Dumesnil not to use such language again,
as should he do so she would repeat it to her husband; but Dumesnil,
persevering, on divers occasions when St. Aignan had absented himself,
gave the wife of the latter to understand that he (St. Aignan) was dead,
devising proofs thereof and conjectures, and thinking that by this means
he would win her favour and countenance. But she still resisted him,
which seeing, the said Dumesnil gave her to understand that St. Aignan
would often absent himself, and that she would be happier if she had a
husband who remained with her. And plotting to compass the death of
the said St. Aignan, Dumesnil gave her to understand that if she would
consent to the death of her husband he would marry her; and, in fact,
he promised to marry her. And whereas she still refused to consent, the
said Dumesnil found a means to gain a servant woman of the house,
who, St. Aignan being absent and his wife in bed, opened the door to
Dumesnil, who compelled the said wife to let him lie with her. And
thenceforward Dumesnil made divers presents to the servant woman, so
that she should poison the said suppliant; and she consented to his
face; but at Easter confessed the matter to St. Aignan, entreating his
forgiveness, and also saying and declaring it to the neighbours. And
the said Dumesnil, knowing that he would incur blame and reproach if the
matter were brought forward, seized and abducted the said servant woman
in all diligence, and took her away from the town, whereby a scandal was
occasioned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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