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

Hircan's opinion, which is
also mine, I pray you believe that Fortune favours the bold, and that
there is no man loved by a lady but may at last, in whole or in part,
obtain from her what he desires, provided he seek it with wisdom and
passion. But ignorance and foolish fear cause men to lose many a good
chance; and then they impute their loss to their mistress's virtue, which
they have never verified with so much as the tip of the finger. A
fortress was never well assailed but it was taken."
"Nay," said Parlamente, "I am amazed that you two should dare to talk
in this way. Those whom you have loved owe you but little thanks, or
else your courting has been carried on in such evil places that you deem
all women to be alike."
"For myself, madam," said Saffredent, "I have been so unfortunate that
I am unable to boast; but I impute my bad luck less to the virtue of the
ladies than to my own fault, in not conducting my enterprises with
sufficient prudence and sagacity. In support of my opinion I will cite no
other authority than the old woman in the Romance of the Rose, who
says--
'Of all, fair sirs, it truly may be said, Woman for man and man for
woman's made.' (3)
3 From John de Mehun's continuation of the poem.--M. 2
Accordingly I shall always believe that if love once enters a woman's
heart, her lover will have fair fortune, provided he be not a simpleton."
"Well," said Parlamente, "if I were to name to you a very loving
woman who was greatly sought after, beset and importuned, and who,
like a virtuous lady, proved victorious over her heart, flesh, love and
lover, would you believe this true thing possible?"
"Yes," said he, "I would."
"Then," said Parlamente, "you must all be hard of belief if you do not
believe this story."

"Madam," said Dagoucin, "since I have given an example to show how
the love of a virtuous gentleman lasted even until death, I pray you, if
you know any such story to the honour of a lady, to tell it to us, and so
end this day. And be not afraid to speak at length, for there is yet time
to relate many a pleasant matter."
"Then, since I am to wind up the day," said Parlamente, "I will make no
long preamble, for my story is so beautiful and true that I long to have
you know it as well as I do myself. Although I was not an actual
witness of the events, they were told to me by one of my best and
dearest friends in praise of the man whom of all the world he had loved
the most. But he charged me, should I ever chance to relate them, to
change the names of the persons. Apart, therefore, from the names of
persons and places the story is wholly true."
[Illustration: 024.jpg Tailpiece]
[Illustration: 025a.jpg The Countess asking an Explanation from
Amadour]
[The Countess asking an Explanation from Amadour]
[Illustration: 025.jpg Page Image]

TALE X.
_Florida, after virtuously resisting Amadour, who had assailed her
honour almost to the last extremity, repaired, upon her husbands death,
to the convent of Jesus, and there took the veil_. (1)
1 This tale appears to be a combination of fact and fiction. Although
Queen Margaret states that she has changed the names of the persons,
and also of the places where the incidents happened, several historical
events are certainly brought into the narrative, the scene of which is
laid in Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. M. Le Roux de
Lincy is of opinion, however, that Margaret really refers to some affair
at the Court of Charles VIII. or Louis XII., and he remarks that there is

great similarity between the position of the Countess of Aranda, left a
widow at an early age with a son and a daughter, and that of Louise of
Savoy with her two children. M. Lacroix and M. Dillaye believe the
hero and heroine to be Admiral de Bonnivet and Margaret. It has often
been suspected that the latter regarded her brother's favourite with
affection until after the attempt related in Tale IV.--Ed.
In the county of Aranda, (2) in Aragon, there lived a lady who, while
still very young, was left a widow, with a son and a daughter, by the
Count of Aranda, the name of the daughter being Florida. This lady
strove to bring up her children in all the virtues and qualities which
beseem lords and gentlemen, so that her house was reputed to be one of
the most honourable in all the Spains. She often went to Toledo, where
the