alive and kicking, and born with two teeth.  From this marriage came the house of Bonne-C------, who from motives modest but wrong, besought our well-beloved King Louis Eleventh to grant them letters patent to change their names into that of Bonne-Chose.  The king pointed out to the Sieur de Bonne-C------ that there was in the state of Venice an illustrious family named Coglioni, who wore three “C------ au natural” on their coat of arms.  The gentlemen of the House of Bonne-C------ stated to the king that their wives were ashamed to be thus called in public assemblies; the king answered that they would lose a great deal, because there is a great deal in a name.  Nevertheless, he granted the letters.  After that this race was known by this name, and founded families in many provinces.  The first Sieur de Bonne-C------ lived another 27 years, and had another son and two daughters.  But he grieved much at becoming rich, and no longer being able to pick up a living in the street.

From this you can obtain finer lessons and higher morals than from any story you will read all your life long—­of course excepting these hundred glorious Droll Tales—­namely, that never could adventure of this sort have happened to the impaired and ruined constitutions of court rascals, rich people and others who dig their graves with their teeth by over-eating and drinking many wines that impair the implements of happiness; which said over-fed people were lolling luxuriously in costly draperies and on feather beds, while the Sieur de Bonne-Chose was roughing it.  In a similar situation, if they had eaten cabbage, it would have given them the diarrhoea.  This may incite many of those who read this story to change their mode of life, in order to imitate Vieux par-Chemins in his old age.

ODD SAYINGS OF THREE PILGRIMS

When the pope left his good town of Avignon to take up his residence in Rome, certain pilgrims were thrown out who had set out for this country, and would have to pass the high Alps, in order to gain this said town of Rome, where they were going to seek the remittimus of various sins.  Then were to be seen on the roads, and the hostelries, those who wore the order of Cain, otherwise the flower of the penitents, all wicked fellows, burdened with leprous souls, which thirsted to bathe in the papal piscina, and all carrying with them gold or precious things to purchase absolution, pay for their beds, and present to the saints.  You may be sure that those who drank water going, on their return, if the landlords gave them water, wished it to be the holy water of the cellar.