“Yet I promise you,” said Hircan, “that for my own part I shall never essay so great and difficult a task, for if I but render you content my day will not have been ill spent.”

“If mutual love,” said Parlamente, “cannot content the heart, nothing else can.”

“In sooth,” said Simontault, “I think there is no greater grief in the world than to love and not be loved.”

“To be loved,” said Parlamente, “it were needful to turn to such as love.  Very often, however, those women who will not love are loved the most, while those men who love most strongly are loved the least.”

“You remind me,” said Oisille, “of a story which I had not intended to bring forward among such good ones.”

“Still I pray you tell it us,” said Simontault.  “That will I do right willingly,” replied Oisille.

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TALE XLVI. (A).

A Grey Friar named De Vale, being bidden to dinner at the house of the Judge of the Exempts in Angouleme, perceived that the Judge’s wife (with whom he was in love) went up into the garret alone; thinking to surprise her, he followed her thither; but she dealt him such a kick in the stomach that he fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom, and fled out of the town to the house of a lady that had such great liking for those of his Order (foolishly believing them possessed of greater virtues than belong to them), that she entrusted him with the correction of her daughter, whom he lay with by force instead of chastising her for the sin of sloth-fulness, as he had promised her mother he would do. (1)

1 Boaistuau and Gruget omit this tale, and the latter replaces it by that numbered XLVI. (B).  Count Charles of Angouleme having died on January i, 1496, the incidents related above must have occurred at an earlier date.—­L.

In the town of Angouleme, where Count Charles, father of King Francis, often abode, there dwelt a Grey Friar named De Vale, the same being held a learned man and a great preacher.  One Advent this Friar preached in the town in presence of the Count, whereby he won such renown that those who knew him eagerly invited him to dine at their houses.  Among others that did this was the Judge of the Exempts (2) of the county, who had wedded a beautiful and virtuous woman.  The Friar was dying for love of her, yet lacked the hardihood to tell her so; nevertheless she perceived the truth, and held him in derision.

     2 The Exempt was a police officer, and the functions of
     the Juge des Exempts were akin to those of a police
     magistrate.—­Ed.

After he had given several tokens of his wanton purpose, he one day espied her going up into the garret alone.  Thinking to surprise her, he followed, but hearing his footsteps she turned and asked whither he was going.  “I am going after you,” he replied, “to tell you a secret.”