The Heptameron (Machen)/Novel 63

In Paris town there lived four girls, two of whom were sisters, of such a fresh youth and beauty that they had but to pick out from all the gallants. But a gentleman, who was made provost of Paris by the then King, perceiving that his master was young and of an age to desire such company, did so practice with all the four, that, each one thinking herself meat for the King, they all agreed to what the provost asked them. And this was to be present at a feast, whither he had bidden his master, to whom he made known the device, who found it a very pleasant one, as did also two other great personages of the Court, and the whole three of them were agreed to have a share in it. But as they were seeking for a fourth there came to them a fine and noble gentleman, younger by ten years than the rest, and they bade him to the feast, to which he consented with a cheerful countenance, though he had no desire for it in his heart. For on the one hand he was married to a wife that bore him brave children, and with whom he lived in such contentment that he would not for anything have her take inward discontents concerning him; and on the other hand he was the lover of one of the fairest ladies in all France, whom he loved so well that all women beside seemed to him ugly in comparison. And from his earliest youth before ​that he was married, he could not be made to resort with other women, howsoever beautiful they might be; and took more delight to see his sweetheart and love her with a perfect love, than to have all that another woman could give him. Now this lord came to his wife and told her in secret the undertaking his master had in hand, and that he would rather die than perform what he had promised; for in like manner, as there was no man living whom he dared not attack in a rage, so he would rather die than murder another without cause and in a manner of premeditation; nor no more would he break his marriage vows by coveting another woman. Thereupon his wife loved him all the more, perceiving such virtuousness to dwell in him who was young, and asked him in what fashion he would excuse himself, inasmuch as princes take it ill in them who praise not their pleasures. But he replied to her: "I have always heard that the wise man keeps a journey or a sickness up his sleeve, to aid him in his hour of need. Wherefore I am resolved to feign sickness four or five days before, and by your countenance you can give me good help in my dissembling." "Verily," said his wife, " a pious hypocrisy, wherein I will not fail to assist you with the saddest face I can put on me; for he who can escape the wrath of God and the rage of his prince, is happy indeed." As they had determined, so it was done, and the King was very sorry to hear through the wife the sickness of her husband, which sickness lasted no long time, for, upon some intervenient business, the King forgot his pleasure to be mindful of his duty, and set forth from Paris. But one day, remembering the undertaking which had not been brought to an end, he said to the young lord: "We were mighty foolish to have gone so incontinent, without a sight of the four girls that were assured for the prettiest in my whole kingdom." And the lord replied to him: "I am glad you failed in this matter, for I feared that I alone, through my sickness, should have no part in that brave venture." And the King never discovered how the young lord had dissembled with him, and he from henceforth was more beloved of his wife than ever he had been.

Forthwith Parlamente fell to laughing, and said: "Had he done this for the love of his wife alone, it would have been still better. But as it was, he was worthy of great praise." "Methinks," said Hircan, "'tis no great praise for a man to ​keep his body in chastity for the Jove of his wife; for, upon many causes, he is well-nigh constrained to do so. God commands him, his oath binds him, and more than this, nature, when satiate, is not as obnoxious to temptation as when its desires are unappeased. But when a man, for his freewill love of his mistress, of whom he has not the enjoying, nor other contentment, save seeing and speaking with her, and often getting no favourable replies, remains so firm and steadfast that, come what may, he will show no fickleness, then I maintain 'tis an admirable and miraculous chastity." "There is nought of the miracle in it," said Oisille, "for when the heart is entirely addicted, all things are possible to the body." "Ay," said Hircan, "to bodies that have taken upon them the angelical nature." Oisille replied: "I would not speak of those alone, that by God's grace are all transformed into Him, but of these on this earth who are still within the fleshly tabernacle. And if you make search you shall find that men who have set their hearts and affections on gaining a perfect knowledge of the sciences, have not only forgotten the lust of the flesh, but also such things as are needful, I would say eating and drinking; hence comes it that they who love comely and virtuous women are so content to behold them and hear them speak, and have their spirits so at rest, that the flesh is voided of all desire. And they who know not such contentment are the carnal, shut up within their own fatness, and ignorant whether they have a soul or no. But when the flesh is subject unto the spirit, a man has no thought for the imperfections of the body, and is, as it were, insensible to them. And I knew a gentleman who, to show that he loved his mistress more than any of his fellows, made proof of the same by holding his fingers in the flame of a candle, and, steadfastly looking upon the lady, remained so firm that he was burnt to the bone, and persisted that he had felt no pain." "Methinks," said Geburon, "that the devil, whose martyr he was, should have made a St. Lawrence the Less out of him; for there are few so consumed by the flame of love that they fear not that of the smallest taper, and if a lady had made me to endure so much for the sake of her, I should have asked a great reward, or put her altogether out of my brain." "You would then," said Parlamente, "have your hour after the lady had had hers; like a certain gentleman of Valencia, in ​Spain, whose story was told me by an honest captain." "I pray you," answered Dagoucin, "take my place and recount the tale to us, for I am assured it will be a pleasant one." "By this history, ladies," said Parlamente, "you will learn to think twice before you refuse a man, and not to trust that the present time will remain ever as it is, and so, knowing that it is subject to mutation, you will take thought for the future."