The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 4 (of 5)Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
General
The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 4 (of 5)
Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
Love stories, French -- Translations into English; Tales -- France -- Translations into English
After he had given several tokens of his wanton purpose, he one day
espied her going up into the garret alone. Thinking to surprise her, he
followed, but hearing his footsteps she turned and asked whither he was
going. “I am going after you,” he replied, “to tell you a secret.”
“Nay, good father,” said the Judge’s wife. “I will have no secret
converse with such as you. If you come up any higher, you will be sorry
for it.”
Seeing that she was alone, he gave no heed to her words, but hastened
up after her. She, however, was a woman of spirit, and when she saw the
Friar at the top of the staircase, she gave him a kick in the stomach,
and with the words, “Down! down! sir,” (3) cast him from the top to the
bottom. The poor father was so greatly ashamed at this, that, forgetting
the hurt he had received in falling, he fled out of the town as fast
as he was able. He felt sure that the lady would not conceal the matter
from her husband; and indeed she did not, nor yet from the Count and
Countess, so that the Friar never again durst come into their presence.
3 The French words here are “_Dévaliez, dévaliez,
monsieur_,” whilst MS. No. 1520 gives, “_Monsieur de Vale,
dévalés_.” In either case there is evidently a play upon the
friar’s name, which was possibly pronounced Vallès or
Vallès. Adrien de Valois, it maybe pointed out, rendered his
name in Latin as _Valesius_; the county of Valois and that
of Valais are one and the same; we continue calling the old
French kings Valois, as their name was written, instead of
Valais as it was pronounced, as witness, for instance, the
nickname given to Henry III. by the lampooners of the
League, “_Henri dévalé_.” See also _post_, Tale XLVI. (B),
note 2.--M. and Ed.
To complete his wickedness, he repaired to the house of a lady who
preferred the Grey Friars to all other folk, and, after preaching a
sermon or two before her, he cast his eyes upon her daughter, who was
very beautiful. And as the maiden did not rise in the morning to hear
his sermon, he often scolded her in presence of her mother, whereupon
the latter would say to him--“Would to God, father, that she had some
taste of the discipline which you monks receive from one another.”
The good father vowed that if she continued to be so slothful, he would
indeed give her some of it, and her mother earnestly begged him to do
so.
A day or two afterwards, he entered the lady’s apartment, and, not
seeing her daughter there, asked her where she was.
“She fears you so little,” replied the lady, “that she is still in bed.”
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