_A gentleman of Perche suspecting iniurie done vnto him by his
friend, prouoked him to execute and put in proufe the cause of his
suspicion._
Besides the countrie of Perche, there were two Gentlemen, which
from the tyme of theyr youthe lyued in sutche great and perfect
amitie, as there was betwene them but one harte, one bed, one
house, one table, and one purse. Long time continued this
perfect frendship: betwene whom there was but one will and one
woorde, no difference in either of them: in so muche as they not
onely semed to be two brethren, but also they appeared in al
semblances to be but one man. One of them chaunced to mary:
notwithstanding they gaue not ouer their frendship, but
perseuered in their vsual amitie as they were wont to doe: and
whan they happened to be strained to straight lodging, the
maried gentleman would not stick to suffer his friend to lie
with him and his wife. But yet you ought for frendship sake to
consider that the maried man lay in the mids. Their goodes were
common betwene them, and the mariage did yelde no cause to
hinder their assured amitie. But in processe of time, the
felicitie of this worlde (whiche carieth with it a certaine
mutabitie) could not continue in the house, which was before
right pleasaunt and happy: for the maried man forgetting the
faithfull fidelitie of his friend, without any cause conceiued a
greate suspicion betwene hym and his wyfe, from whom he could
not dissemble the case, but sharpely tolde her his mynde. She
therewithall was wonderfully amazed: howbeit, he commaunded her
to doe all thinges (one thing excepted) and to make so muche of
his companion as of himselfe. Neuerthelesse he forbade her to
speake vnto hym except it were in the presence of many. All
which she gaue her husbande's companion to vnderstande, who
would not beleue her, knowyng that hee had neither by thought or
deede done anye thing whereof his companion had cause to be
offended. And likewise because he used to kepe nothing secrete
from hym, he tolde him what he had sayde, praying hym to tell
him the truthe of the matter, because he purposed neither in
that, ne yet in any other thing, to geue occasion of breach of
that amitie which of long time they had imbraced. The maried
Gentleman assured him that he neuer thought it, and how they
which had sowen that rumor, had wickedly belied him. Whereunto
his companion replied: "I knowe wel enough that Ielousie is a
passion so intollerable as loue it selfe. And when you shall
conceiue that opinion of Ialousie, yea and it were of my selfe,
I should do you no wrong, for your selfe were not able to kepe
it. But of one thing which is in your power, I haue good matter
whereof to complayne, and that is because you will concele from
me your maladie, sith there was no passion or opinion which you
conceiued, that before this time you kept secret from me.
Likewise for my owne parte if I were amorous of your wife, you
ought not to impute it as a fault vnto me, because it is a fier
which I bare not in my handes, to vse at my pleasure. But if I
kepe it to my selfe from you, and indeuour to make youre wife
knowe it by demonstration of my loue, I might then be accompted
that vntrustiest friend that euer liued: and for me I doe assure
you that shee is a right honest and a good woman, and one that
my fansie doth lest fauour (although she were not your wife) of
all them that euer I sawe. But now sithens there is no cause,
I do require you that if you perceiue any suspicion, be it neuer
so litle, to tell me of it, because I would so vse myself, as
our frendship which hath indured so long tyme, might not bee
broken for a woman: and if I did loue her aboue any thing in the
worlde, yet surely I would neuer speake worde vnto her, bicause
I doe esteme our frendship better then the greatest treasure."
His companion swore vnto him very great othes that he neuer
thought it, praying him to vse his house as he had done before.
Whereunto he aunswered: "Sithe you will haue me so to doe, I am
content: but I praye you if hereafter you doe conceiue any
sinistre opinion in me, not to dissemble the same, which if you
doe I will neuer continue longer in your companie." In processe
of time, liuing together according to their custome, the maried
Gentleman entred againe into greater Ielousie than euer he did,
commaunding his wife to beare no more that countenaunce towards
him that she was wont to doe. Whiche commaundement she tolde her
husbande's companion, praying him after that time to forbeare to
speake vnto her, for that she was forbidden to doe the like to
him. The gentleman vnderstanding by wordes and certaine
countenaunces, that his companion had not kept promise, he sayd
vnto him in great choler: "To be Ialous (my companion) is a
thing naturall: but bicause thou diddest sweare vnto me by othes
not to dissemble, I can by no meanes forbeare any longer: for I
did euer thinke that betwene thyne harte and mine, there could
be no let and interruption: but to my great griefe and without
anye fault on my part, I doe see the contrarie. For as muche as
thou art not only very Ialous betwene thy wife and mee, but also
thou wouldest dissimulate and couer the same, so that in the
ende thy maladie and disease continuing so long, is altered into
mere malice, and lyke as oure loue hath bene the greateste that
hathe bene seene in oure tyme, euen so our displeasure and
hatred is nowe moste mortall. I haue done so mutche as lyeth in
mee, to auoyde this inconuenience, but sithe thou hast suspected
me to be an ill man, and I haue still shewed my selfe to be the
contrary, I doe sweare, and therwithal assure thee, by my faith,
that I am the same thou thinkest me to be, and therefore from
henceforth take hede of me: for since suspicion hath separated
the from my loue and amitie, despite shall deuide me from
thine." And albeit that his companion would haue made him beleue
the contrarie, and that hee mistrusted hym nothing at all, yet
he withdrewe his part of his moueables and goodes that before
were common betweene them, so that then both their hartes and
goodes were so farre separated as before they were vnited and
ioyned together. In such wyse as the vnmaried Gentleman neuer
ceassed till he had made his companion cockolde, according to
his promise.