The Heptameron (Machen)/Novel 66

During the year in which my lord of Vendôme espoused the Princess of Navarre, the King and Queen their father and mother having been feasted at Vendôme, went into Guienne with them. And tarrying in the house of a gentleman, in the which were many fair maids, they danced for so long a time in this good company, that the bridegroom and his bride grew weary, and went to their chamber. There they threw them on the bed in their clothes, the doors and windows being shut, and no one remaining with them. But in the midst of their slumbers they were awakened by the opening of a door, and my lord of Vendôme, drawing the curtain, looked to see how it was, supposing it to be one of his friends endeavouring to take him by surprise. But in the stead thereof he beheld entering in a tall old bedchamber woman, who for the darkness of the room knew them not, but seeing them mighty close to one another, fell to crying; "Ah! thou nasty wanton strumpet, 'tis a long time that I have suspected thee for what thou art, but for want of proof have not told my mistress! Now are thy wanton ways so manifest, that I am determined to cloak them no more. And thou, apostatical wretch, who hast brought such shame upon this house, by leading the poor wench astray, were it not for the fear of God, I would beat thee soundly where thou liest. Arise, in the name of the devil, arise, for it seemeth as if there were no shame in thee!" My lord of Vendôme and his Princess, to make this discourse last the longer, hid their faces against one another, and laughed so heartily that they could not speak a word. But the old woman, perceiving that for all her threats they would not budge an inch, came near to them to have them forth by the arms. Then she knew both by their faces and their dress that they were not what she sought for; and recognising them, threw herself on her knees, entreating them to pardon her for disturbing their rest. But my lord of Vendôme, willing to learn somewhat more on the matter, arose incontinent, and would have the old woman tell him for whom she had mistaken them. This at first she would ​not confess, but having obtained their oath never to reveal it, she declared it was a girl of the house, on whom a prothonotary was amorous; and said she had watched them a long while for her displeasure that her mistress put her trust in a man that would bring this shame upon the house. With this she left the Prince and Princess with closed doors, as she had found them, and they were mighty merry over the case. And though they told the story again, yet they would never name the persons concerned in it.

"And so the good woman, thinking to execute a righteous judgment, made that manifest to strange princes, of which the servants of the house had never heard a word." "I shrewdly suspect," said Parlamente, "whose house it was, and who was the prothonotary, for he has governed many a lady's house for her, and when he is not able to gain the favour of the mistress, he will have that of her maids; but, for the rest, he is a good and honest gentleman." "Wherefore say you for the rest," said Hircan, "since it is for what you have told of him that I esteem him an honest gentleman?" Parlamente replied: "I am persuaded you know the sickness and the sick man, and that if he stood in need of defence, you would be his master attorney; but I would not willingly trust to a man who cannot manage his own passages without servants being advertised of them." "Think you," said Nomerfide, "that men care who knows, if they can but attain their ends? Trust me, if none other were to speak of it, by their own mouths they would proclaim what they had done." Hircan said to her in anger: "It needs not that men should tell all they know." But she, blushing, replied to him: "Perchance that same would not be altogether to their advantage." "By this discourse of yours," said Simontault, "it would seem as if men took pleasure in the hearing evil of women, and I am assured you place me among such. Wherefore I desire greatly to speak well of one, that the rest hold me not as an evil speaker." "I give you my place," said Ennasuitte, "but pray you have your natural disposition under control, so that you may quit you worthily in our honour." Then began Simontault: "'Tis no new thing, ladies, to hear some virtuous deed of yours, not worthy of forgetfulness, but rather fit to be written in letters of gold, for an ensample to women, and an admiration to men, seeing in the weaker vessel ​that which is repugnant to weakness. Wherefore I tell you this that I have heard from the lips of Captain Robertval and from several of his fellowship."