_The piteous and chaste death of one of the muleters wiues of the
Queene of Nauarre._
In the citie of Amboise, there was a muleter that serued the
Queene of Nauarre, sister to king Fraunces the firste of that
name, which was broughte a bedde of a sonne at Blois: to which
towne the said muleter was gone to be paide his quarter's wages:
whose wyfe dwelled at Amboise beyond the bridges. It chaunced
that of long time one of her husband's seruauntes did so
disordinately loue her, as vppon a certaine day he could not
forbeare but he muste vtter the effect of his loue borne vnto
her. Howbeit shee being a right honest woman, tooke her man's
sute in very ill part, threatning to make her husband to beat
him, and to put him away, and vsed him in suche wyse, that after
that time he durst not speake thereof any more, ne yet to make
signe or semblance: keeping yet that fier couered within his
brest, vntill his Maister was ridden out of the towne, and that
his Maistresse was at euensong at Saint Florentine's, a Church
of the Castle, farre from her house: who now being alone in the
house, began to imagine how he might attempt that thinge by
force, which before by no supplication or seruice he was able to
attaine. For which purpose, hee brake vp a borde betweene his
Maistresse chamber and his: but because the curteins of his
maister and maistresse bed, and of the seruauntes of the other
side couered and hid the walles betweene, it could not be
perceyued, nor yet his malice discried vntill suche time as his
Maistresse was gone to bed, with a litle wenche of XII. yeares
of age: and so sone as the poore woman was fallen into her first
sleepe, this varlet entred in at a hole which he had broken, and
conueyed himself into her bed in his shirt, with a naked sworde
in his hande: who so sone as she felt him layed downe by her,
lepte out of her bed, perswading him by all possible meanes
meete for an honest woman to do: and he indued with beastly
loue, rather acquainted with the language of his mulets than
with her honest reasons, shewed himselfe more beastly then the
beasts with whom he had of long time bin conuersant: for seing
her so oft to runne about the table that he could not catch her,
and also that she was so strong, that twise she ouercame him, in
dispaire that he should neuer enioy her aliue, hee gaue her a
great blow with his sword ouer the raines of the back, thinking
that if feare and force could not make her to yeld, paine and
smart should cause her. Howbeit, the contrarie chaunced: for
like as a good man of armes when he seeth his owne bloud, is
more set on fier to be reuenged vpon his enemies to acquire
honor: euen so the chaste hart of this woman, did reenforce and
fortefie her courage in double wise, to auoyde and escape the
hands of this wicked varlet, deuising by all meanes possible by
fayre words to make him acknowledge his fault: but he was so
inflamed with furie, there was no place in him to receiue good
counsell. And eftsones with his sword, he gashed her tender
bodye with diuers and sondry strokes, for the auoydiug wherof,
so fast as her legges could beare her, she ran vp and downe the
chamber: and when through want of bloud she perceiued death
approch, lifting vp her eyes vnto heaven, and ioyning her hands
together, gaue thanckes vnto God, whom she termed to be her
force, her vertue, her pacience and chastitie, humblie
beseeching him to take in good part the bloude whiche by his
commandemente was sheade in honor of that precious bloude, which
from his owne sonne did issue vppon the Crosse, whereby shee did
beleeue, firmelye and stedfastlye that all her sinnes were wiped
awaye and defaced from the memorye of his wrathe and anger, and
in sayinge: "Lorde receiue my soule which was dearely bought and
redeemed with thy bounty and goodnes:" shee fell downe to the
ground vpon her face where the wycked villaine inflicted her
bodye with manifold wounds: and after she had lost her speache
and the force of her body, thys most wicked and abhominable
varlet toke her by force, whiche had no more strength and power
to defende herselfe: and when he had satisfied his cursed
desire, he fled away in such hast, as afterwards for all the
pursute made after him he could not be found. The yong wench
which lay with her, for feare hid herselfe vnder the bed. But
when she perceyued the villaine departed, shee came vnto her
Maistresse and finding her speachlesse and without mouing, she
cryed out at the window vnto the nexte neighbours to come to
succour her: and they which loued her and esteemed her so wel as
any woman in the towne, came presently vnto her, and brought
diuers surgeons with them, who findinge vpon her body XXV.
mortall woundes, they did so much as in them laye to helpe her:
but it was impossible. Howbeit shee laye one houre without
speache, makinge signes with hir eyes and hands, declaring that
she had not lost her vnderstanding: being demaunded by the
priest, of the fayth wherin she died, and of her saluacion, she
aunswered by such euident signes, as her liuely speach and
communication coulde not haue declared it better, howe that her
trust and confidence was in the death of Iesus Christ, whom she
hoped to see in the Celestiall citie, and so with a ioyfull
countenaunce, her eyes erected vp to the heauens, she rendred
her chast body to the earth, and her soule to her Creator: and
when shee was shrouded ready to the buriall, as her neighbours
were attending to followe her to the Church, her poore husbande
came home, and the first sight he sawe, was the body of his dead
wife before his doore, wherof before that instant hee had no
newes. And when he vnderstode the order of her death, he then
doubled his sorrowe, in such wyse that he was also like to die.
In this sort was this marter of chastitie buried in the church
of S. Florentine, where all the honest dames and wiues of the
citie endeuoured themselues to accompany her, and to honour her
with suche reuerence as they were able to do: accomptinge
themselues most happie to dwell in that towne, where a woman of
such vertuous behauiour did dwell. The foolish and wanton seing
the honour done to that deade bodye, determined from that time
forth to renue their former life, and to chaunge the same into a
better.