“Nay,” said Simontault, “the Italian maintains that the greater the sin the greater the pleasure.” (7)

     7 This may be a reference to Boccaccio or Castiglione, but
     the expression is of a proverbial character in many
     languages.—­Ed.

“In very truth,” said Oisille, “he who invented such a saying must be the devil himself.  Let us therefore say no more of him, but see to whom Saffredent will give his vote.”

“To whom?” said he.  “Only Parlamente now remains; but if there were a hundred others, she should still receive my vote, as being the one from whom we shall certainly learn something.”

“Well, since I am to end the day,” said Parlamente, “and since I promised yesterday to tell you why Rolandine’s father built the castle in which he kept her so long a prisoner, I will now relate it to you.”

[Illustration:  094.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration:  095a.jpg The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister’s Husband]

[The Count of Jossebelin murdering his Sister’s Husband]

[Illustration:  095.jpg Page Image]

TALE XL.

The sister of the Count of Jossebelin, after marrying unknown to her brother a gentleman whom he caused to be put to death (albeit except for his lowlier rank he had often desired him for his brother-in-law) did, with great patience and austerity of life, spend the remainder of her days in a hermitage. (1)

This lord, who was the father of Rolandine and was called the Count of Jossebelin, had several sisters, some of whom were married to wealthy husbands, others becoming nuns, whilst one, who was beyond comparison fairer than all the rest, dwelt unwedded in his house. (2)

     1 The events here narrated would have occurred in or about
     1479.—­L.

2 The so-called Count of Jossebelin is John II., Viscount de Rohan, previously referred to in Tale XXI.  He was the son of Alan IX., Vicount of Rohan, by his second wife, Mary of Lorraine.  Alan, by a first marriage with Margaret of Brittany, had three daughters, Jane, Margaret and Catherine, all three of whom were married advantageously.  Contrary to Queen Margaret’s assertion above, none of them became nuns; Alan may, however, have had illegitimate daughters who took the veil.  By his second wife he had a son, John II., and a daughter christened Catherine, like her half-sister.  She died unmarried, says Anselme’s Histoire Genealogique (vol. iv. p. 57), and would appear to be the heroine of Queen Margaret’s tale.—­L. and B. J.

And so dearly did she love her brother that he, for his part, preferred her even to his wife and children.