droll stories-3-第26章

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L'Ile　Adam；　knowing　himself　to　be　dearly　loved　by　his　mistress；

troubled　himself　but　little　about　Madame　Imperia；　grave　or　gay；　and

frisked　about　like　a　goat　let　loose。　The　courtesan；　terribly　annoyed

at　this；　changed　her　tone；　from　being　sulky　became　gay　and　lively；

came　to　him；　softened　her　voice；　sharpened　her　glance；　gracefully

inclined　her　head；　rubbed　against　him　with　her　sleeve；　and　called　him

Monsiegneur；　embraced　him　with　the　loving　words；　trifled　with　his

hand；　and　finished　by　smiling　at　him　most　affably。　He；　not　imagining

that　so　unprofitable　a　lover　would　suit　her；　for　he　was　as　poor　as　a

church　mouse；　and　did　not　know　that　his　beauty　was　the　equal　in　her

eyes　to　all　the　treasures　of　the　world；　was　not　taken　in　her　trap；　but

continued　to　ride　the　high　horse　with　his　hand　on　his　hips。　This

disdain　of　her　passion　irritated　Madame　to　the　heart；　which　by　this

spark　was　set　in　flame。　If　you　doubt　this；　it　is　because　you　know

nothing　of　the　profession　of　the　Madame　Imperia；　who　by　reason　of　it

might　be　compared　to　a　chimney；　in　which　a　great　number　of　fires　have

been　lighted；　which　had　filled　it　with　soot；　in　this　state　a　match　was

sufficient　to　burn　everything　there；　where　a　hundred　fagots　has　smoked

comfortably。　She　burned　within　from　top　to　toe　in　a　horrible　manner；

and　could　not　be　extinguished　save　with　the　water　of　love。　The　cadet

of　l'Ile　Adam　left　the　room　without　noticing　this　ardour。



Madame；　disconsolate　at　his　departure；　lost　her　senses　from　her　head

to　her　feet；　and　so　thoroughly　that　she　sent　a　messenger　to　him　on　the

galleries；　begging　him　to　pass　the　night　with　her。　On　no　other

occasion　of　her　life　had　she　had　this　cowardice；　either　for　king；

pope；　or　emperor；　since　the　high　price　of　her　favours　came　from　the

bondage　in　which　she　held　her　admirers；　whom　the　more　she　humbled　the

more　she　raised　herself。　The　disdainful　hero　of　this　history　was

informed　by　the　head　chamber…women；　who　was　a　clever　jade；　that　in　all

probability　a　great　treat　awaited　him；　for　most　certainly　Madame　would

regale　him　with　her　most　delicate　inventions　of　love。　L'Ile　Adam

returned　to　the　salons；　delighted　at　this　lucky　chance。　Directly　the

envoy　of　France　reappeared；　as　everyone　had　seen　Imperia　turn　pale　at

his　departure；　the　general　joy　knew　no　bounds；　because　everyone　was

delighted　to　see　her　return　to　her　old　life　of　love。　An　English

cardinal；　who　had　drained　more　than　one　big…bellied　flagon；　and　wished

to　taste　Imperia；　went　to　l'Ile　Adam　and　whispered　to　him；　〃Hold　her

fast；　so　that　she　shall　never　again　escape　us。〃



The　story　of　this　remark　was　told　to　the　pope　at　his　levee；　and　caused

him　to　remark；　/Laetamini；　gentes；　quoniam　surrexit　Dominus/。　A

quotation　which　the　old　cardinals　abominated　as　a　profanation　of

sacred　texts。　Seeing　which；　the　pope　reprimanded　them　severely；　and

took　occasion　to　lecture　them；　telling　them　that　if　they　were　good

Christians　they　were　bad　politicians。　Indeed；　he　relied　upon　the　fair

Imperia　to　reclaim　the　emperor；　and　with　this　idea　he　syringed　her

well　with　flattery。



The　lights　of　the　palace　being　extinguished；　the　golden　flagons　on　the

floor；　and　the　servants　drunk　and　stretched　about　on　the　carpets；

Madame　entered　her　bedchamber；　leading　by　the　hand　her　dear　lover…

elect；　and　she　was　well　pleased；　and　has　since　confessed　that　so

strongly　was　she　bitten　with　love；　she　could　hardly　restrain　herself

from　rolling　at　his　feet　like　a　beast　of　the　field；　begging　him　to

crush　her　beneath　him　if　he　could。　L'Ile　Adam　slipped　off　his

garments；　and　tumbled　into　bed　as　if　he　were　in　his　own　house。　Seeing

which；　Madame　hastened　her　preparations；　and　sprang　into　her　lover's

arms　with　a　frenzy　that　astonished　her　women；　who　knew　her　to　be

ordinarily　one　of　the　most　modest　of　women　on　these　occasions。　The

astonishment　became　general　throughout　the　country；　for　the　pair

remained　in　bed　for　nine　days；　eating；　drinking；　and　embracing　in　a

marvellous　and　most　masterly　manner。　Madame　told　her　women　that　at

last　she　had　placed　her　hand　on　a　phoenix　of　love；　since　he　revived

from　every　attack。　Nothing　was　talked　of　in　Rome　and　Italy　but　the

victory　that　had　been　gained　over　Imperia；　who　had　boasted　that　she

would　yield　to　no　man；　and　spat　upon　all　of　them；　even　the　dukes。　As

to　the　aforesaid　margraves　and　burgraves；　she　gave　them　the　tail　of

her　dress　to　hold；　and　said　that　if　she　did　not　tread　them　under　foot；

they　would　trample　upon　her。　Madame　confessed　to　her　servants　that；

differently　to　all　other　men　she　had　had　to　put　up　with；　the　more　she

fondled　this　child　of　love；　the　more　she　desired　to　do　so；　and　that

she　would　never　be　able　to　part　with　him；　nor　his　splendid　eyes；　which

blinded　her；　nor　his　branch　of　coral；　that　she　always　hungered　after。

She　further　declared　that　if　such　were　his　desire；　she　would　let　him

suck　her　blood；　eat　her　breastswhich　were　the　most　lovely　in　the

worldand　cut　her　tresses；　of　which　she　had　only　given　a　single　one

to　the　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　who　kept　it　in　his　breast；　like　a

precious　relic；　finally；　she　confessed　that　on　that　night　only　had

life　begun　for　her；　because　the　embrace　of　Villiers　de　l'Ile　Adam　sent

the　blood　to　her　in　three　bounds　and　in　a　brace　of　shakes。



These　expressions　becoming　known；　made　everyone　very　miserable。

Directly　she　went　out；　Imperia　told　the　ladies　of　Rome　that　she　should

die　it　if　she　were　deserted　by　this　gentleman；　and　would　cause

herself；　like　Queen　Cleopatra；　to　be　bitten　by　an　asp。　She　declared

openly　that　she　had　bidden　an　eternal　adieu　her　to　her　former　gay

life；　and　would　show　the　whole　world　what　virtue　was　by　abandoning　her

empire　for　this　Villiers　de　l'Ile　Adam；　whose　servant　she　would　rather

be　than　reign　of　Christendom。　The　English　cardinal　remonstrated　with

the　pope　that　this　love　for　one；　in　the　heart　of　a　woman　who　was　the

joy　of　all；　was　an　infamous　depravity；　and　that　he　ought　with　a　brief

/in　partibus/；　to　annul　this　marriage；　which　robbed　the　fashionable

world　of　its　principal　attraction。　But　the　love　of　this　poor　woman；

who　had　confessed　the　miseries　of　her　life；　was　so　sweet　a　thing；　and

so　moved　the　most　dissipated　heart；　that　she　silenced　all　clamour；　and

everyone　forgave　her　her　happiness。　One　day；　during　Lent；　Imperia　made

her　people　fast；　and　ordered　them　to　go　and　confess；　and　return　to

God。　She　herself　went　and　fell　at　the　pope's　feet；　and　there　showed

such　penitence；　that　she　obtained　from　him　remission　of　all　her　sins；

believing　that　the　absolution　of　the　pope　would　communicate　to　her

soul　that　virginity　which　she　was　grieved　at　being　unable　to　offer　her

lover。　It　is　impossible　to　help　thinking　that　there　was　some　virtue　in

the　ecclesiastical　piscina；　for　the　poor　cadet　was　so　smothered　with

love　that　he　fancied　himself　in　Paradise；　and　left　the　negotiations　of

the　King　of　France；　left　his　love　for　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorencyin

fact；　left　everything　to　marry　Madame　Imperia；　in　order　that　he　might

live　and　die　with　her。　Such　was　the　effect　of　the　learned　ways　of　this

great　lady　of　pleasure　directly　she　turned　her　science　to　the　root　of

a　virtuous　love。　Imperia　bade　adieu　to　her　admirers　at　a　royal　feast；

given　in　honour　of　her　wedding；　which　was　a　wonderful　ceremony；　at

which　all　the　Italian　princes　were　present。　She　had；　it　is　said；　a

million　gold　crowns；　in　spite　of　the　vastness　of　this　sum；　every　one

far　from　blaming　L'Ile　Adam；　paid　him　many　compliments；　because　it　was

evident　that　neither　Madame　Imperia　nor　her　young　husband　thought　of

anything　but　one。　The　pope　blessed　their　marriage；　and　said　that　it

was　a　fine　thing　to　see　the　foolish　virgin　returning　to　God　by　the

road　of　marriage。



But　during　that　last　night　in　which　it　would　be　permissible　for　all　to

behold　the　Queen　of　Beauty；　who　was　about　to　become　a　simple

chatelaine　of　the　kingdom　of　France；　there　were　a　great　number　of　men

who　mourned　for　the　merry　nights；　the　suppers；　the　masked　balls；　the

joyous　games；　and　the　melting　hours；　when　each　one　emptied　his　heart

to　her。　Everyone　regretted　the　ease　and　freedom　which　had　always　been

found　in　the　residence　of　this　lovely　creature；　who　now　appeared　more

tempting　than　she　had　ever　done　in　her　life；　for　the　fervid　heat　of

her　great　love　made　her　glisten　like　a　summer　sun。　Much　did　they

lament　the　fact　that　she　had　had　the　sad　fantasy　to　become　a

respectable　woman。　To　these　Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　answered　jestingly；

that　after　twenty…four　years　passed　in　the　service　of　the　public；　she

had　a　right　to　retire。　Others　said　to　her；　that　however　distant　the

sun　was；　people　could　warm　themselves　in　it；　while　she　would　show

herself　no　more。　To　these　she　replied　that　she　would　still　have　smiles

to　bestow　upon　those　lords　who　would　come　and　see　how　she　played　the

role　of　a　virtuous　woman。　To　this　the　English　envoy　answered；　he

believed　her　capable　of　pushing　virtue　to　its　extreme　point。　She　gave

a　present　to　each　of　her　friends；　and　large　sums　to　the　poor　and

suffering　of　Rome；　besides　this；　she　left　to　the　convent　where　her

daughter　was　to　have　been；　and　to　the　church　she　had　built；　the　wealth

she　had　inherited　from　Theodora；　which　came　from　the　cardinal　of

Ragusa。



When　the　two　spouses　set　out　they　were　accompanied　a　long　way　by

knights　in　mourning；　and　even　by　the　common　people；　who　wished　them

every　happiness；　because　Madame　Imperia　had　been　hard　on　the　rich

only；　and　had　always　been　kind　and　gentle　with　the　poor。　This　lovely

queen　of　love　was　hailed　with　acclamations　throughout　the　journey　in

all　the　towns　of　Italy　where　the　report　of　her　conversion　had　spread；

and　where　everyone　was　curious　to　see　pass；　a　case　so　rare　as　two　such

spouses。　Several　princes　received　this　handsome　couple　at　their

courts；　saying　it　was　but　right　to　show　honour　to　this　woman　who　had

the　courage　to　renounce　her　empire　over　the　world　of　fashion；　to

become　a　virtuous　woman。　But　there　was　an　evil…minded　fellow；　one　my

lord　Duke　of　Ferrara；　who　said　to　l'Ile　Adam　that　his　great　fortune

had　not　cost　him　much。　At　this　first　offence　Madame　Imperia　showed

what　a　good　heart　she　had；　for　she　gave　up　all　the　money　she　had

received　from　her　lovers；　to　ornament　the　dome　of　St。　Maria　del　Fiore；

in　the　town　of　Florence；　which　turned　the　laugh　against　the　Sire

d'Este；　who　boasted　that　he　had　built　a　church　in　spite　of　the　empty

condition　of　his　purse。　You　may　be　sure　he　was　reprimanded　for　this

joke　by　his　brother　the　cardinal。



The　fair　Imperia　only　kept　her　own　wealth　and　that　which　the　Emperor

had　bestowed　upon　her　out　of　pure　friendship　since　his　departure；　the

amount　of　which　was　however；　considerable。　The　cadet　of　l'Ile　Adam　had

a　duel　with　the　duke；　in　which　he　wounded　him。　Thus　neither　Madame　de

l'Ile　Adam；　nor　her　husband　could　be　in　any　way　reproached。　This　piece

of　chivalry　caused　her　to　be　gloriously　received　in　all　places　she

passed　through；　especially　in　Piedmo