In M. de Laborde’s Comptes des Batiments du Roi au XVIeme Siecle (vol. ii.) mention is made of “a shirt with gold work,” “a shirt with white work,” &c.; and also of two beautiful women’s chemises in Holland linen “richly worked with gold thread and silk, at the price of six crowns apiece.”—­M.

“Beauty! now hast thou been rewarded according to thy deserts.  By reason of thy vain promises I attempted an impossible undertaking, and one that, instead of increasing my happiness, will perchance double my misfortune.  I feel sure that if she knows I made this foolish attempt contrary to the promise I gave her, I shall lose the honourable and accustomed companionship which more than any other I have had with her.  And my folly has well deserved this, for if I was to turn my good looks and grace to any account, I ought not to have hidden them in the darkness.  I should not have sought to take that chaste body by force, but should have waited in long service and humble patience till love had conquered her.  Without love, all man’s merits and might are of no avail.”

Thus he passed the night in tears, regrets, and sorrowings such as I cannot describe; and in the morning, finding his face greatly torn, he feigned grievous sickness and to be unable to endure the light, until the company had left his house.

The lady, who had come off victorious, knew that there was no man at her brother’s Court that durst attempt such an enterprise save him who had had the boldness to declare his love to her.  She therefore concluded that it was indeed her host, and made search through the room with her lady of honour to discover how he could have entered it.  But in this she failed, whereupon she said to her companion in great anger—­

“You may be sure that it can have been none other than the lord of this house, and I will make such report of him to my brother in the morning that his head shall bear witness to my chastity.”

Seeing her in such wrath, the lady of honour said to her—­

“Right glad am I, madam, to find you esteem your honour so highly that, to exalt it, you would not spare the life of a man who, for the love he bears you, has put it to this risk.  But it often happens that one lessens what one thinks to increase; wherefore, I pray you, madam, tell me the truth of the whole matter.”

When the lady had fully related the business, the lady of honour said to her—­

“You assure me that he had nothing from you save only scratches and blows?”

“I do assure you that it was so,” said the lady; “and, unless he find a rare surgeon, I am certain his face will bear the marks tomorrow.”

“Well, since it is thus, madam,” said the lady of honour, “it seems to me that you have more reason to thank God than to think of vengeance; for you may well believe that, since the gentleman had spirit enough to make such an attempt, his grief at having failed will be harder of endurance than any death you could award him.  If you desire to be revenged on him, let love and shame do their work; they will torment him more grievously than could you.  And if you would speak out for your honour’s sake,(10) beware, madam, lest you fall into a mishap like to his own.