The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. IV | Page 2

lady he
loves.
Appendix to Vol. IV.

PAGE ENGRAVINGS CONTAINED IN VOLUME IV.
Tale XXXI. The Wicked Friar Captured.
Tale XXXII. Bernage observing the German Lady's Strange Penance.
Tale XXXIII. The Execution of the Wicked Priest and his Sister.
Tale XXXIV. The Grey Friar imploring the Butcher to Spare his Life.
Tale XXXV. The Lady embracing the Supposed Friar.
Tale XXXVI. The Clerk entreating Forgiveness of the President.
Tale XXXVII. The Lady of Loué bringing her Husband the Basin of
Water.
Tale XXXVIII. The Lady of Tours questioning her Husband's Mistress.

Tale XXXIX. The Lord of Grignaulx catching the Pretended Ghost.
Tale XL. The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister's Husband.
Tale XLI. The Beating of the Wicked Grey Friar.
Tale XLII. The Girl refusing the Gift of the Young Prince.
Tale XLIII. Jambicque repudiating her Lover.
Tale XLIV. (B). The Lovers returning from their Meeting in the
Garden.
Tale Tale XLV. The Man of Tours and his Serving-maid in the Snow.
Tale XLVI. (B). The Young Man beating his Wife.
Tale XLVII. The Gentleman reproaching his Friend for his Jealousy.
Tale XLVIII. The Grey Friars Caught and Punished.
Tale XLIX. The Countess facing her Lovers.
Tale L. The Lady killing herself on the Death of her Lover.

FOURTH DAY.
_On the Fourth Day are chiefly told Tales of the virtuous patience and
long suffering of Ladies to win over their husbands; and of the
prudence that Men have used towards Women to save the honour of
their families and lineage._

PROLOGUE.
The Lady Oisille, as was her excellent custom, rose up on the morrow
very much earlier than the others, and meditating upon her book of

Holy Scripture, awaited the company which, little by little, assembled
together again. And the more slothful of them excused themselves in
the words of the Bible, saying, "I have a wife, and therefore could not
come so quickly." (1) In this wise it came to pass that Hircan and his
wife Parlamente found the reading of the lesson already begun. Oisille,
however, knew right well how to pick out the passage in the Scriptures,
which reproves those who neglect the hearing of the Word, and she not
only read the text, but also addressed to them such excellent and pious
exhortations that it was impossible to weary of listening to her.
1 "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."--St. Luke xiv.
20.--M.
The reading ended, Parlamente said to her--
"I felt sorry for my slothfulness when I came in, but since my error has
led you to speak to me in such excellent fashion, my laziness has
profited me double, for I have had rest of body by sleeping longer, and
satisfaction of spirit by hearing your godly discourse." "Well," said
Oisille, "let us for penance go to mass and pray Our Lord to give us
both will and power to fulfil His commandments; and then may He
command us according to His own good pleasure."
As she was saying these words, they reached the church, where they
piously heard mass. And afterwards they sat down to table, where
Hircan failed not to laugh at the slothfulness of his wife. After dinner
they withdrew to rest and study their parts, (2) and when the hour was
come, they all found themselves at the wonted spot.
2 Meaning what they had to relate. The French word is rolle from
rotulus.--M.
Then Oisille asked Hircan to whom he would give his vote to begin the
day.
"If my wife," said he, "had not begun yesterday, I should have given
her my vote, for although I always thought that she loved me more than
any man alive, she has further proved to me this morning that she loves

me better than God or His Word, seeing that she neglected your
excellent reading to bear me company. However, since I cannot give
my vote to the discreetest lady of the company, I will present it to
Geburon, who is the discreetest among the men; and I beg that he will
in no wise spare the monks."
"It was not necessary to beg that of me," said Geburon; "I was not at all
likely to forget them. Only a short while ago I heard Monsieur de
Saint-Vincent, Ambassador of the Emperor, tell a story of them which
is well worthy of being rememorated and I will now relate it to you."
[Illustration: 007a.jpg The Wicked Friar Captured]
[The Wicked Friar Captured]
[Illustration: 007.jpg Page Image]

TALE XXXI.
_A monastery of Grey Friars was burned down, with the monks that
were in it, as a perpetual memorial of the cruelty practised by one
among them that was in love with a lady_.
In the lands subject to the Emperor Maximilian of Austria (1) there was