9 This sentence, defective in our MS., is taken from No.
     1520.—­L.

     10 1 St. John iii. 15.—­M.

“God, who judges the heart,” said Longarine, “must decide that.  But it is an important thing that men should not be able to accuse us, for the goodness of God is so great, that He will not judge us unless there be an accuser.  And so well, moreover, does He know the frailty of our hearts, that He will even love us for not having put our thoughts into execution.”

“I pray you,” said Saffredent, “let us leave this dispute, for it savours more of a sermon than of a tale.  I give my vote to Ennasuite, and beg that she will bear in mind to make us laugh.”

“Indeed,” said she, “I will not fail to do so; for I would have you know that whilst coming hither, resolved upon relating a fine story to you to-day, I was told so merry a tale about two servants of a Princess, that, in laughing at it, I quite forgot the melancholy story which I had prepared, and which I will put off until to-morrow; for, with the merry face I now have, you would scarce find it to your liking.”

[Illustration:  170.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration:  171a.jpg The Secretary imploring the Lady not To Tell Of His Wickedness]

[The Secretary imploring the Lady not To Tell Of His Wickedness]

[Illustration:  171.jpg Page Image]

TALE XXVII.

A secretary sought the wife of his host and comrade in dishonourable and unlawful love, and as she made show of willingly giving ear to him, he was persuaded that he had won her.  But she was virtuous, and, while dissembling towards him, deceived his hopes and made known his viciousness to her husband. (1)

1 The incidents here related would have occurred at Amboise between 1540 and 1545.  The hero of the story would probably be John Frotte, Queen Margaret’s First Secretary, who also apparently figures in Tale XXVIII.  The Sires de Frotte had been in the service of the Dukes of Alencon since the early part of the fifteenth century.  Ste-Marthe says of John Frotte that he was a man of great experience and good wit, prudent, dutiful and diligent.  He died secretary to Francis I.—­L. and B. J.

In the town of Amboise there lived one of this Princess’s servants, an honest man who served her in the quality of valet-de-chambre, and who used readily to entertain those that visited his house, more especially his own comrades; and not long since one of his mistress’s servants came to lodge with him, and remained with him ten or twelve days.