_A President of Grenoble aduertised of the ill gouernement of his
wife, took such order, that his honestie was not diminished, and yet
reuenged the facte._
In Grenoble (the chiefe citie of a Countrie in Fraunce called
Daulphine, which citie otherwise is named Gratianapolis) there
was a President that had a very fayre wyfe, who perceiuing her
husbande beginne to waxe olde, fell in loue with a yong man that
was her husband's Clark, a very propre and handsome felowe. Vpon
a time when her husband in a morning was gone to the Palace, the
clarke entred his chamber and tooke his Maister's place, whiche
thing one of the presidente's men, that faithfully had serued
him the space of XXX. yeres like a trustie seruant perceiuing,
could not keepe it secret, but tolde his Maister. The President
whiche was a wise man, would not beleue it vpon his light
report, but sayde that he did it of purpose to set discord
betwene him and his wife, notwithstanding if the thing were true
as he had reported, he might let him see the thing it selfe,
whiche if he did not, he had good cause to thinke that he had
deuised a lye to breake and dissolue the loue betwene them. The
seruaunt did assure him that he would cause him to see the thing
wherof he had tolde him. And one morning so sone as the
President was gone to the Court, and the Clarked entred into his
chamber, the seruaunt sent one of his companions to tel his
maister that he might come in good time, to see the thing that
he had declared vnto him, he himself standing stil at the doore
to watch that the partie might not goe out. The President so
sone as he sawe the signe that one of his men made vnto him,
fayning that he was not wel at ease, left the audience, and
spedely went home to his house, where he founde his olde
seruaunt watching at the chamber dore, assuring him for truth
that the Clarke was within, and that he should with spede to goe
in. The President sayd to his seruant: "Do not tarrie at the
dore, for thou knowest ther is no other going out or comming in
but onely this, except a litle closet wherof I alone do beare
the keye." The president entred the chamber, and found his wife
and the Clarke a bed together, who in his shirt fell downe at
the president's feete, crauing pardon, and his wife much afraid
began to weepe. To whome the President sayde: "For so muche as
the thing which thou hast done is such, as thou maist well
consider, that I can not abyde my house (for thee) in this sort
to be dishonored, and the daughters which I haue had by thee to
be disauaunced and abased: therfore leaue of thy weeping, and
marke what I shall doe. And thou Nicolas (for that was his
Clarke's name) hide thy selfe here in my closet, and in any wise
make no noyse." When he had so done, he opened the dore and
called in his olde seruaunt, and sayde vnto him: "Diddest not
thou warrant and assure me that thou wouldest let me see my
Clarke and wyfe in bedde together? And vppon thy words I am come
hether, thinking to haue killed my wife, and doe finde nothing
to be true of that which thou diddest tell me. For I haue
searched the chamber in euery place as I will shewe thee." And
with that he caused his seruant to looke vnder the beddes, and
in euery corner. And when the seruant founde him not, throughly
astonned, he sayde to his maister: "Sir, I sawe him goe into the
chamber, and out he is not gone at the dore: and so farre as I
can see he is not here: therefore I thinke the Diuel must nedes
carrie him awaye." Then his maister rebuked him in these words:
"Thou art a villayn, to set such diuision betwene my wife and
me, wherefore I doe discharge thee from my seruice, and for that
which thou hast done me, I will paye the thy dutie, with the
aduauntage: therefore get thee hence, and take hede that thou
doest not tarrie in this town aboue XXIIII. houres." The
President for that he knew him to be an honest and faithfull
seruaunt, gaue him five or sixe yeares wages, and purposed
otherwise to preferre him. When the seruaunt (with ill will and
weping teares) was departed, the President caused his Clark to
come out of his Closet: and after he had declared to his wife
and him, what hee thought of their ill behauiour, he forbad them
to shewe no likelyhode of any such matter, and commaunded his
wyfe to attire and dresse her selfe in more gorgeous apparell,
than she was wont to weare, and to haunt and resort to company
and feastes, willing the Clarke to make a better countenaunce on
the matter then hee did before, but whensoeuer he rounded him in
the eare and bad him depart, he charged him after that
commaundement not to tarry foure houres in the towne. And when
he had thus done, he retourned to the palace Courte, as though
there hadde no sutche thing chaunced. And the space of fiftene
dayes (contrary to his custome) he feasted his frendes and
neighbours, and after euery those bankettes, he caused the
minstrels to play, to make the Gentlewomen daunce. One daye he
seing his wife not to daunce, he commaunded his Clarke to take
her by the hande, and to leade her forth to daunce, who thinking
the President had forgotten the trespasse past, very ioyfully
daunced with her. But when the daunce was ended, the President
faining as though he would haue commaunded him to doe some thing
in his house, bad him in his eare to get him away and neuer to
retourne. Now was the Clark very sorowfull to leaue his Ladye,
but yet no lesse ioyfull he was that his life was saued.
Afterwardes when the President had made all his frendes and
kinsfolkes, and all the countrey, beleue what great loue he bare
to his wife, vppon a faire day in the moneth of May, he went to
gather a sallade in his garden, the herbes whereof after she had
eaten, she liued not aboue XXIIII. houres after, whereof he
counterfaited suche sorrowe, as no man could suspect the
occasion of her death. And by that meanes he was reuenged of his
enemy, and saued the honour of his house.
"¶ I will not by this Nouell (said Emarsuitte) prayse the
conscience of the President, but herein I haue declared the
light behauiour of a woman, and the great pacience and prudence
of a man: Praying you good Ladies all, not to be offended at the
truthe." "If all women (quo Parlamente) that loue their Clarkes
or seruauntes, were forced to eate such sallades, I beleue they
would not loue their gardens so well as they doe, but woulde
teare and plucke vp all the herbes bothe roote and rinde, to
auoyde those thinges that by death might aduaunce the honor of
their stock and ligneage." "If sallades be so costly (quod
Hircan) and so daungerous in May, I will prouoke appetite with
other sawces, or els hunger shall be my chiefest."