And even when the poor body had lain a long time without life, and was thus unable to retain its hold, the love which the damsel had always concealed was made manifest in such a fashion that her mother and the dead man’s servants had much ado to separate her from her lover.  However, the girl, who, though living, was in a worse condition than if she had been dead, was by force removed at last out of the gentleman’s arms.  To him they gave honourable burial; and the crowning point of the ceremony was the weeping and lamentation of the unhappy damsel, who having concealed her love during his lifetime, made it all the more manifest after his death, as though she wished to atone for the wrong that she had done him.  And I have heard that although she was given a husband to comfort her, she has never since had joy in her heart. (1)

1 By an expression made use of by Dagoucin (see ante), Queen Margaret gives us to understand that the incidents here related occurred three years prior to the writing of the story.  It may be pointed out, however, that there is considerable analogy between the conclusion of this tale and the death of Geffroy Rudel de Blaye, one of the earliest troubadours whose name has been handed down to us.  Geffroy, who lived at the close of the twelfth century, became so madly enamoured of the charms of the Countess of Tripoli, after merely hearing an account of her moral and physical perfections, that, although in failing health, he embarked for Africa to see her.  On reaching the port of Tripoli, he no longer had sufficient strength to leave the vessel, whereupon the Countess, touched by his love, visited him on board, taking his hand and giving him a kindly greeting.  Geffroy could scarcely say a few words of thanks; his emotion was so acute that he died upon the spot.  See J. de Nostredame’s Vies des plus Celebres et Anciens Poetes Provencaux(Lyons, 1575, p. 25); Raynouard’s Choix des Poesies des Troubadours (vol. v. p. 165); and also Raynouard’s Histoire Litteraire de la France (vol. xiv. p. 559).—­L.

“What think you of that, gentlemen, you who would not believe what I said?  Is not this example sufficient to make you confess that perfect love, when concealed and disregarded, may bring folks to the grave?  There is not one among you but knows the kinsfolk on the one and the other side, (2) and so you cannot doubt the story, although nobody would be disposed to believe it unless he had some experience in the matter.”

2 This certainly points to the conclusion that the tale is founded upon fact, and not, as M. Leroux de Lincy suggests, borrowed from the story of Geffroy Rudel de Blaye.  It will have been observed (ante) that the Queen of Navarre curiously enough lays the scene of her narrative between Provence and Dauphine.  These two provinces bordered upon one another, excepting upon one point where they were separated by the so-called Comtat Venaissin or Papal state of Avignon.  Here, therefore, the incidents of the story, if authentic, would probably have occurred.  The story may be compared with Tale L. (post).—­Ed.

When the ladies heard this they all had tears in their eyes, but Hircan said to them—­