One day when her brothers and sisters-in-law offered an entertainment to
the Grand Master of Chaumont, this widow lady was obliged to be present,
though she made it her rule not to attend such gatherings when held in
other places. And when the Frenchmen saw her, they were all admiration
for her beauty and grace, especially one among them whose name I shall
not mention; for it will suffice for you to know that there was no
Frenchman in Italy more worthy of love than he, for he was endowed with
all the beauties and graces that a gentleman could have. And though he
saw that the lady wore black crape, and remained with several old women
in a corner apart from the young ones, yet, having never known what it
was to fear either man or woman, he set himself to converse with her,
taking off his mask, and leaving the dance in order to remain in her
company.
Throughout the whole of the evening he did not cease talking to her and
to the old women, and found more pleasure in doing so than if he had
been with the most youthful and bravely attired ladies of the Court. So
much, indeed, was this the case, that when the hour came to withdraw he
seemed to have not yet had time even to sit down. And although he only
spoke to the lady on such common matters as were suited to such company,
she knew very well that he desired to win her favour, and this she
resolved to guard against by all means in her power, so that he was
never afterwards able to see her at any banquet or assembly.
He inquired about the manner of her life, and found that she often went
to churches and convents; whereupon he kept such good watch that she
could never visit them so secretly but he was there before her. And he
would remain in the church as long as he had the happiness to see
her, and all the time that she was present would gaze at her so
affectionately that she could not remain in ignorance of the love he
bore her. In order to avoid him, she resolved to feign illness for a
time, and to hear mass in her own house; and at this the gentleman was
most sorely grieved, for he had no other means of seeing her than at
church.
Thinking that she had cured him of his habit, she at last returned to
the churches as before, but love quickly brought tidings of this to the
French gentleman, who then renewed his habits of devotion. He feared,
however, that she might again throw some hindrance in his way, and that
he might not have time to tell her what he would; and so one morning,
when she thought herself well concealed in a chapel, he placed himself
at the end of the altar at which she was hearing mass; and seeing that
she was but scantily attended, he turned towards her just as the priest
was elevating the host, and in a soft and loving voice said to her--
“May I be sent to perdition, madam, by Him whom the priest has now in
his hands, if you are not causing my death. Though you take from me
all means of speaking with you, you cannot be ignorant of my desire; my
wearied eyes and my deathly face must make the truth apparent to you.”
(3)
3 The Queen of Navarre is known to have had a considerable
knowledge of the Italian language, and it is therefore quite
possible that she was acquainted with the story of
Poliphilus and Polia, which, although no French translation
of it appeared until 1554, had been issued at Venice as
early as 1499. In any case, however, there is a curious
similarity between the speech of the French gentleman given
above and the discourse which Poliphilus addresses to Polia
when he finds her saying her prayers in the temple. A
considerable portion of the Italian story is in keeping with
the character of the _Heptameron_ tales.--M.