“If it were indeed true,” said Simontault, “that the ladies were without compassion, we might as well let our horses rest and our armour grow rusty until the next war, and think of nothing but household affairs.  And, I pray you, tell me whether it is an excellence in a lady to have the reputation of being without pity, or charity, or love, or mercy.”

“Without charity or love,” said Parlamente, “they should not be, but the word ‘mercy’ sounds so ill among women that they cannot use it without wounding their honour; for properly speaking ‘mercy’ means to grant a favour sought, and we well know what the favour is that men desire.”

“May it please you, madam,” said Simontault, “there are some men who are so reasonable that they crave nought but speech.”

“You remind me,” said Parlamente, “of one who was content with a glove.”

“We must know who this easy lover was,” said Hircan, “and so this time I give my vote to you.”

“It will give me pleasure to tell the tale,” said Parlamente, “for it is full of virtue.”

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[Illustration:  063a.jpg The English Lord seizing the Lady’s Glove]

[The English Lord seizing the Lady’s Glove]

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TALE LVII.

An English lord for seven years loved a lady without ever venturing to let her know of it, until one day, when observing her in a meadow, he lost all colour and control of feature through a sudden throbbing of the heart that came upon him.  Then she, showing her compassion, at his request placed her gloved hand upon his heart, whereupon he pressed it so closely, whilst declaring to her the love he had so long borne her, that she withdrew it, leaving in its place her glove.  And this glove he afterwards enriched with gems and fastened upon his doublet above his heart, and showed himself so graceful and virtuous a lover that he never sought any more intimate favour of her.

King Louis the Eleventh (1) sent the Lord de Montmorency to England as his ambassador, and so welcome was the latter in that country that the King and all the Princes greatly esteemed and loved him, and even made divers of their private affairs known to him in order to have his counsel upon them.

1 Some of the MS. say Louis XII., but we cannot find that either the eleventh or twelfth Louis sent any Montmorency as ambassador to England.  Ripault-Desormeaux states, however, in his history of this famous French family, that William de Montmorency, who, after fighting in Italy under Charles VIII. and Louis XII., became, governor of the Orleanais and chevalier d’honneur to Louise of Savoy was one of the signatories of the treaty concluded with Henry VIII. of England, after the-battle of Pavia in 1525.  We know that Louise, as Regent of France, at that time sent John Brinon and John Joachim de Passano as ambassadors