of Boccaccio, a decade of stories, illustrative
of some single topic, to each day's entertainment, the Queen of
Navarre had reached the seventh day, when the death of her
brother, the near approach of her own end, and disgust with so
frivolous an occupation, induced her to suspend her labors. The
Heptameron, as the interrupted work was now called, was not
apparently intended for publication, but was, after Margaret's
death, printed under the auspices of her daughter, the celebrated
Jeanne d'Albret.

As to the stories themselves, they treat of adventures, in great
part amorous and often immodest. In this particular they are
scarcely less objectionable than those of Boccaccio. They differ
from the latter in the circumstance that the author's avowed
purpose is to insert none but actual occurrences. They are
distinguished from them more especially by the attempt uniformly
made to extract a wholesome lesson from every incident. The
prevalent vices of the day are portrayed--with too much minuteness
of detail, indeed, but only that they may be held up to the greater
condemnation. It is particularly the monks of various orders who,
for their flagrant crimes against morality, are made the object of
biting sarcasm. The abominable teachings of these professed
instructors of religion are justly reprobated. For example, in the
Forty-fourth Nouvelle, Parlamente, while admitting that some
Franciscans preach a pure doctrine, affirms that "_the streets are
not paved with such, so much as marked by their opposites_;" and
she relates the attempt of one of their prominent men, a doctor of
theology, to convince some members of his own fraternity that the
Gospel is entitled to no more credit than Caesar's Commentaries.
"From the hour I heard him," she adds, "I have refused to believe
the words of any preacher unless I find them in agreement with
God's Word, _which is the true touchstone_ to ascertain what words
are true and what false" (Ed. Soc. des bibliophiles, ii. 382-384).

Modern French _litterateurs_ have not failed to eulogize the author
as frequently rivalling her model in dramatic vividness of
narration. At the same time they take exception to the numerous
passages wherein she "preaches," as detracting from the artistic
merit of her work. It is, however,