droll stories-3-第27章

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

passed　through；　especially　in　Piedmont；　where　the　fetes　were　splendid。

Verses　which　the　poet　then　composed；　such　as　sonnets；　epithalamias；

and　odes；　have　been　given　in　certain　collections；　but　all　poetry　was

weak　in　comparison　with　her；　who　was；　according　to　an　expression　of

Monsieur　Boccaccio；　poetry　herself。



The　prize　in　this　tourney　of　fetes　and　gallantry　must　be　awarded　to

the　good　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　who；　knowing　of　the　misbehaviour　of

the　Duke　of　Ferrara；　dispatched　an　envoy　to　his　old　flame；　charged

with　Latin　manuscripts；　in　which　he　told　her　that　he　loved　her　so　much

for　herself；　that　he　was　delighted　to　know　that　she　was　happy；　but

grieved　to　know　that　all　her　happiness　was　not　derived　from　him；　that

he　had　lost　his　right　to　make　her　presents；　but　that；　if　the　king　of

France　received　her　coldly；　he　would　think　it　an　honour　to　acquire　a

Villiers　to　the　holy　empire；　and　would　give　him　such　principalities　as

he　might　choose　from　his　domains。　The　fair　Imperia　replied　that　she

was　extremely　obliged　to　the　Emperor；　but　that　had　she　to　suffer

contumely　upon　contumely　in　France；　she　still　intended　there　to　finish

her　days。





II

HOW　THIS　MARRIAGE　ENDED



Not　knowing　if　it　she　would　be　received　or　not；　the　lady　of　l'Ile　Adam

would　not　go　to　court；　but　lived　in　the　country；　where　her　husband

made　a　fine　establishment；　purchasing　the　manor　of　Beaumont…le…

Vicomte；　which　gave　rise　to　the　equivoque　upon　his　name；　made　by　our

well…beloved　Rabelais；　in　his　most　magnificent　book。　He　acquired　also

the　domain　of　Nointel；　the　forest　of　Carenelle；　St。　Martin；　and　other

places　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　l'Ile　Adam；　where　his　brother

Villiers　resided。　These　said　acquisitions　made　him　the　most　powerful

lord　in　the　l'Ile　de　France　and　county　of　Paris。　He　built　a　wonderful

castle　near　Beaumont；　which　was　afterwards　ruined　by　the　English；　and

adorned　it　with　the　furniture；　foreign　tapestries；　chests；　pictures；

statues；　and　curiosities；　of　his　wife；　who　was　a　great　connoisseur；

which　made　this　place　equal　to　the　most　magnificent　castles　known。



The　happy　pair　led　a　life　so　envied　by　all；　that　nothing　was　talked

about　in　Paris　and　at　Court　but　this　marriage；　the　good　fortune　of　the

Sire　de　Beaumont；　and；　above　all；　of　the　perfect；　loyal；　gracious；　and

religious　life　of　his　wife；　who　from　habit　many　still　called　Madame

Imperia；　who　was　no　longer　proud　and　sharp　as　steel；　but　had　the

virtues　and　qualities　of　a　respectable　woman；　and　was　an　example　in

many　things　to　a　queen。　She　was　much　beloved　by　the　Church　on　account

of　her　great　religion；　for　she　had　never　once　forgotten　God；　having；

as　she　once　said；　spent　much　of　her　time　with　churchmen；　abbots；

bishops；　and　cardinals；　who　had　sprinkled　her　well　with　holy　water；

and　under　the　curtains　worked　her　eternal　salvation。



The　praises　sung　in　honour　of　this　lady　had　such　an　effect；　that　the

king　came　to　Beauvoisis　to　gaze　upon　this　wonder；　and　did　the　sire　the

honour　to　sleep　at　Beaumont；　remained　there　three　days；　and　had　a

royal　hunt　there　with　the　queen　and　the　whole　Court。　You　may　be　sure

that　he　was　surprised；　as　were　also　the　queen；　the　ladies；　and　the

Court；　at　the　manners　of　this　superb　creature；　who　was　proclaimed　a

lady　of　courtesy　and　beauty。　The　king　first；　then　the　queen；　and

afterwards　every　individual　member　of　the　company；　complemented　l'Ile

Adam　on　having　chosen　such　a　wife。　The　modesty　of　the　chatelaine　did

more　than　pride　would　have　accomplished；　for　she　was　invited　to　court；

and　everywhere；　so　imperious　was　her　great　heart；　so　tyrannic　her

violent　love　for　her　husband。　You　may　be　sure　that　her　charms；　hidden

under　the　garments　of　virtue；　were　none　the　less　exquisite。　The　king

gave　the　vacant　post　of　lieutenant　of　the　Ile　de　France　and　provost　of

Paris　to　his　ancient　ambassador；　giving　him　the　title　of　Viscount　of

Beaumont；　which　established　him　as　governor　of　the　whole　province；　and

put　him　on　an　excellent　footing　at　court。　But　this　was　the　cause　of　a

great　wound　in　Madame's　heart；　because　a　wretch；　jealous　of　this

unclouded　happiness；　asked　her；　playfully；　if　Beaumont　had　ever　spoken

to　her　of　his　first　love；　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorency；　who　at　that

time　was　twenty…two　years　of　age；　as　she　was　sixteen　at　the　time　the

marriage　took　place　in　Romethe　which　young　lady　loved　l'Ile　Adam　so

much　that　she　remained　a　maiden；　would　listen　to　no　proposals　of

marriage；　and　was　dying　of　a　broken　heart；　unable　to　banish　her

perfidious　lover　from　her　remembrance　and　was　desirous　of　entering　the

convent　of　Chelles。　Madame　Imperia；　during　the　six　years　of　her

marriage；　had　never　heard　this　name；　and　was　sure　from　this　fact　that

she　was　indeed　beloved。　You　can　imagine　that　this　time　had　been　passed

as　a　single　day；　that　both　believed　that　they　had　only　been　married

the　evening　before；　and　that　each　night　was　as　a　wedding　night；　and

that　if　business　took　the　knight　out　of　doors；　he　was　quite

melancholy；　being　unwilling　ever　to　have　her　out　of　his　sight；　and　she

was　the　same　with　him。



The　king；　who　was　very　partial　to　the　viscount；　also　made　a　remark　to

him　which　stung　him　to　the　quick；　when　he　said；　〃You　have　no

children？〃



To　which　Beaumont　replied；　with　the　face　of　a　man　whose　raw　place　you

have　touched　with　your　finger；　〃Monsiegneur；　my　brother　has；　thus　our

line　is　safe。〃



Now　it　happened　that　his　brother's　two　children　died　suddenlyone

from　a　fall　from　his　horse　at　a　tournament　and　the　other　from　illness。

Monsieur　l'Ile　Adam　the　elder　was　so　stricken　with　grief　at　these　two

deaths　that　he　expired　soon　after；　so　much　did　he　love　his　two　sons。

By　this　means　the　manor　of　Beaumont；　the　property　at　Carenelle；　St。

Martin；　Nointel；　and　the　surrounding　domains；　were　reunited　to　the

manor　of　l'Ile　Adam；　and　the　neighbouring　forests；　and　the　cadet

became　the　head　of　the　house。　At　this　time　Madame　was　forty…five；　and

was　still　fit　to　bear　children；　but　alas！　she　conceived　not。　As　soon

as　she　saw　the　lineage　of　l'Ile　Adam　destroyed；　she　was　anxious　to

obtain　offspring。



Now；　as　during　the　seven　years　which　had　elapsed　she　had　never　once

had　the　slightest　hint　of　pregnancy；　she　believed；　according　to　the

statement　of　a　clever　physician　whom　she　sent　for　from　Paris；　that

this　barrenness　proceeded　from　the　fact；　that　both　she　and　her

husband；　always　more　lovers　than　spouses；　allowed　pleasure　to

interfere　with　business；　and　by　this　means　engendering　was　prevented。

Then　she　endeavoured　to　restrain　her　impetuosity；　and　to　take　things

coolly；　because　the　physician　had　explained　to　her　that　in　a　state　of

nature　animals　never　failed　to　breed；　because　the　females　employed

none　of　those　artifices；　tricks；　and　hanky…pankies　with　which　women

accommodate　the　olives　of　Poissy；　and　for　this　reason　they　thoroughly

deserved　the　title　of　beasts。　She　promised　him　no　longer　to　play　with

such　a　serious　affair；　and　to　forget　all　the　ingenious　devices　in

which　she　had　been　so　fertile。　But；　alas！　although　she　kept　as　quiet

as　that　German　woman　who　lay　so　still　that　her　husband　embraced　her　to

death；　and　then　went；　poor　baron；　to　obtain　absolution　from　the　pope；

who　delivered　his　celebrated　brief；　in　which　he　requested　the　ladies

of　Franconia　to　be　a　little　more　lively；　and　prevent　a　repetition　of

such　a　crime。　Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　did　not　conceive；　and　fell　into　a

state　of　great　melancholy。



Then　she　began　to　notice　how　thoughtful　had　become　her　husband；　l'Ile

Adam；　whom　she　watched　when　he　thought　she　was　not　looking；　and　who

wept　that　he　had　no　fruit　of　his　great　love。　Soon　this　pair　mingled

their　tears；　for　everything　was　common　to　the　two　in　this　fine

household；　and　as　they　never　left　the　other；　the　thought　of　the　one

was　necessarily　the　thought　of　the　other。　When　Madame　beheld　a　poor

person's　child　she　nearly　died　of　grief；　and　it　took　her　a　whole　day

to　recover。　Seeing　this　great　sorrow；　l'Ile　Adam　ordered　all　children

to　be　kept　out　of　his　wife's　sight；　and　said　soothing　things　to　her；

such　as　that　children　often　turned　out　badly；　to　which　she　replied；

that　a　child　made　by　those　who　loved　so　passionately　would　be　the

finest　child　in　the　world。　He　told　her　that　her　sons　might　perish；

like　those　of　his　poor　brother；　to　which　she　replied；　that　she　would

not　let　them　stir　further　from　her　petticoats　than　a　hen　allows　her

chickens。　In　fact；　she　had　an　answer　for　everything。



Madame　caused　a　woman　to　be　sent　for　who　dealt　in　magic；　and　who　was

supposed　to　be　learned　in　these　mysteries；　who　told　her　that　she　had

often　seen　women　unable　to　conceive　in　spite　of　every　effort；　but　yet

they　had　succeeded　by　studying　the　manners　and　customs　of　animals。

Madame　took　the　beasts　of　the　fields　for　her　preceptors；　but　she　did

not　increase　in　size；　her　flesh　still　remained　firm　and　white　as

marble。　She　returned　to　the　physical　science　of　the　master　doctors　of

Paris；　and　sent　for　a　celebrated　Arabian　physician；　who　had　just

arrived　in　France　with　a　new　science。　Then　this　savant；　brought　up　in

the　school　of　one　Sieur　Averroes；　entered　into　certain　medical

details；　and　declared　that　the　loose　life　she　had　formerly　led　had　for

ever　ruined　her　chance　of　obtaining　offspring。　The　physical　reasons

which　he　assigned　were　so　contrary　to　the　teaching　of　the　holy　books

which　establish　the　majesty　of　man；　made　in　the　image　of　his　creator；

and　so　contrary　to　the　system　upheld　by　sound　sense　and　good　doctrine；

that　the　doctors　of　Paris　laughed　them　to　scorn。　The　Arabian　physician

left　the　school　where　his　master；　the　Sieur　Averroes；　was　unknown。



The　doctors　told　Madame；　who　had　come　to　Paris；　that　she　was　to　keep

on　as　usual；　since　she　had　had　during　her　gay　life　the　lovely

Theodora；　by　the　cardinal　of　Ragusa；　and　that　the　right　of　having

children　remained　with　women　as　long　as　their　blood　circulated；　and

all　that　she　had　to　do　was　to　multiply　the　chances　of　conception。　This

advice　appeared　to　her　so　good　that　she　multiplied　her　victories；　but

it　was　only　multiplying　her　defeats；　since　she　obtained　the　flowers　of

love　without　its　fruits。



The　poor　afflicted　woman　wrote　then　to　the　pope；　who　loved　her　much；

and　told　him　of　her　sorrows。　The　good　pope　replied　to　her　with　a

gracious　homily；　written　with　his　own　hand；　in　which　he　told　her　that

when　human　science　and　things　terrestrial　had　failed；　we　should　turn

to　Heaven　and　implore　the　grace　of　God。　Then　she　determined　to　go　with

naked　feet；　accompanied　by　her　husband；　to　Notre　Dame　de　Liesse；

celebrated　for　her　intervention　in　similar　cases；　and　made　a　vow　to

build　a　magnificent　cathedral　in　gratitude　for　the　child。　But　she

bruised　and　injured　her　pretty　feet；　and　conceived　nothing　but　a

violent　grief；　which　was　so　great　that　some　of　her　lovely　tresses　fell

off　and　some　turned　white。



At　last　the　faculty　of　making　children　wa