moment when God left them to wander about the terrestrial Paradise, and were painted their full height, in the costume of the period, in which it is difficult to make a mistake, because they were attired in their ignorance, and caparisoned with the divine grace which enveloped them—­a difficult thing to execute on account of the colour, but one in which the said Sieur Titian excelled.  The picture was put into the room of the poor king, who was then ill with the disease of which he eventually died.  It had a great success at the Court of France, where everyone wished to see it; but no one was able to until after the king’s death, since at his desire it was allowed to remain in his room as long as he lived.

One day Madame Catherine took with her to the king’s room her son Francis and little Margot, who began to talk at random, as children will.  Now here, now there, these children had heard this picture of Adam and Eve spoken about, and had tormented their mother to take them there.  Since the two little ones at times amused the old king, Madame the Dauphine consented to their request.

“You wished to see Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; there they are,” said she.

Then she left them in great astonishment before Titian’s picture, and seated herself by the bedside of the king, who delighted to watch the children.

“Which of the two is Adam?” said Francis, nudging his sister Margot’s elbow.

“You silly!” replied she, “to know that, they would have to be dressed!”

This reply, which delighted the poor king and the mother, was mentioned in a letter written in Florence by Queen Catherine.

No writer having brought it to light, it will remain, like a sweet flower, in a corner of these Tales, although it is no way droll, and there is no other moral to be drawn from it except that to hear these pretty speeches of infancy one must beget the children.

THE FAIR IMPERIA MARRIED

I
HOW MADAME IMPERIA WAS CAUGHT BY THE VERY NET SHE WAS
ACCUSTOMED TO SPREAD FOR HER LOVE-BIRDS

The lovely lady Imperia, who gloriously opens these tales, because she was the glory of her time, was compelled to come into the town of Rome, after the holding of the council, for the cardinal of Ragusa loved her more than his cardinal’s hat, and wished to have her near him.  This rascal was so magnificent, that he presented her with the beautiful palace that he had in the Papal capital.  About this time she had the misfortune to find herself in an interesting condition by this cardinal.  As everyone knows, this pregnancy finished with a fine little daughter, concerning whom the Pope said jokingly that she should be named Theodora, as if to say The Gift Of God.  The girl was thus named, and was exquisitely lovely.  The cardinal left his inheritance to this Theodora, whom the fair Imperia established in her hotel, for