intertaynement. But the feast and variety of meats that should
be serued, she alone tooke vppon hir to dispose and order:
wherefore speedily sendinge about, and makinge prouision for all
the Hennes that might be gotten throughout the countrey,
commaunded hir cookes, of those Hennes without other thing what
so euer, to prepare diuers seruices. The king fayled not the
next day to come accordingly as he had sent word: and was with
great honour receyued of the Lady, and in beholdinge hir, she
seemed vnto hym (besides hys imagination comprehended by the
former woordes of the Knyght) to be farre more faire, honest and
vertuous, than hee thought, attributyng vnto hir, singular
prayse and commendation. And so much the more his desire was
kindled, as she passed the estimation bruted of hir. And after
that the King had wythdrawen him selfe into the chamber ordeined
and made ready for him, as appertained to a Prynce so greate,
and that dinner time was come, the King and Madame the
Marchionisse sat together at one boorde, and other accordyng to
their degrees were placed at seueral tables. The King serued
with many Dishes and excellent Wynes, beholdinge sometymes the
Lady Marchionesse, conceyued great delight and pleasure. But
vewing the seruice, and meates (although dressed in diuers
sortes) to be but Hennes, he began to wonder, specially knowing
the soyle wherein they were to be so rich and plentifull, as by
little trauayle, great abundance of Foule and Venison might haue
bin prouided, and thought that she had indifferent leysure to
Chase and Hunt, after that he had sent hir woorde of hys
comminge. Notwythstandinge he would not take occasion to enter
into talke of those wants of better Cheare (hir Hennes only
excepted) who lookyng vpon hir, with mery Countenaunce hee sayde
vnto hir: "Madame were all these Hennes bred in thys countrey
wythout a Cock?" The Marchionisse which full well vnderstoode
the cause of his demaunde, thinkinge that God had sent hir an
apt tyme for aunswere as she desired, boldly aunswered the
Kinge: "No and it please your grace, but of Women, albeit in
honour and apparell there is some difference, yet they be al
made in this Countrey as they be else where." The kyng hearing
hir aunswere, right wel did know the occasion of the Banket of
Hennes, and whereunto hir wordes did tend: and considred that to
bestow any further talke to so wyse a Lady, it were in vayne,
and that force there could take no place. Lyke