The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. III | Page 9

And so these poor
fools, when speaking in company of their mistresses, swear that they
would thrust their fingers into the fire without fear of burning in proof
that these ladies are virtuous women, since they have themselves
thoroughly tested their love. Thus are praised by honourable men, those
who show their true nature to such as are like themselves; and they
choose such as would not have courage to speak, or, if they did, would
not be believed by reason of their low and degraded position."
"That," said Longarine, "is an opinion which I have before now heard
expressed by jealous and suspicious men, but it may indeed be called
painting a chimera. And even although it be true of one wretched

woman, the same suspicion cannot attach to all."
"Well," said Parlamente, "the longer we talk in this way, the longer will
these good gentlemen play the critics over Simontault's tale, and all at
our own expense. So in my opinion we had better go to vespers, and
not cause so much delay as we did yesterday."
The company agreed to this proposal, and as they were going Oisille
said:--
"If any one gives God thanks for having told the truth to-day,
Saffredent ought to implore His forgiveness for having raked up so vile
a story against the ladies."
"By my word," replied Saffredent, "what I told you was true, albeit I
only had it upon hearsay. But were I to tell you all that I have myself
seen of women, you would have need to make even more signs of the
cross than the priests do in consecrating a church."
"Repentance is a long way off," said Geburon, "when confession only
increases the sin."
"Since you have so bad an opinion of women," said Parlamente, "they
ought to deprive you of their honourable society and friendship."
"There are some women," he returned, "who have acted towards me so
much in accordance with your advice, in keeping me far away from
things that are honourable and just, that could I do and say worse to
them, I should not neglect doing so, in order that I might stir them up to
revenge me on her who does me so much wrong."
Whilst he spoke these words, Parlamente put on her mask (5) and went
with the others into the church, where they found that although the bell
had rung for vespers, there was not a single monk, present to say them.
5 Little masks hiding only the upper part of the face, and called
tourets-de-nez, were then frequently worn by ladies of rank. Some
verses by Christine de Pisan show them to have been in vogue already

in the fourteenth century. In the MS. copy of Margaret's poem of La
Coche presented to the Duchess of Etampes, the ladies in the different
miniatures are frequently shown wearing masks of the kind referred to.
Some curious particulars concerning these tourets will be found in M.
Léon do Laborde's _Le Palais Mazarin et les grandes habitations de
ville et de campagne au XVIIe Siècle_, Paris, 1846, 8vo, p. 314.--L.
The monks, indeed, had heard that the company assembled in the
meadow to tell the pleasantest tales imaginable, and being fonder of
pleasure than of their prayers, they had gone and hidden themselves in
a ditch, where they lay flat on their bellies behind a very thick hedge;
and they had there listened so eagerly to the stories that they had not
heard the ringing of the monastery bell, as was soon clearly shown, for
they returned in such great haste that they almost lacked breath to begin
the saying of vespers.
After the service, when they were asked why they had been so late and
had chanted so badly, they confessed that they had been to listen to the
tales; whereupon, since they were so desirous of hearing them, it was
granted that they might sit and listen at their ease every day behind the
hedge.
Supper-time was spent joyously in discoursing of such matters as they
had not brought to an end in the meadow. And this lasted through the
evening, until Oisille begged them to retire so that their minds might be
the more alert on the morrow, after a long, sound sleep, one hour of
which before midnight was, said she, better than three after it.
Accordingly the company parted one from another, betaking
themselves to their respective rooms; and in this wise ended the Second
Day.
[Illustration: 029.jpg Tailpiece]

THIRD DAY.
_On the Third Day are recounted Tales of the Ladies who have only

sought what was honourable in Love, and of the hypocrisy and
wickedness of the Monks_.

PROLOGUE.
Though it was yet early when the company entered the hall on the
morrow, they found Madame