utish
satisfaction will never find it where honour enjoins."

"Do you call it brutish," asked Geburon, "if a wife desires that her
husband should give her her due?"

"I say," said Longarine, "that a chaste woman, whose heart is filled
with true love, is more content to be perfectly loved than to have all
the delights that the body can desire."

"I am of your opinion," said Dagoucin, "but my lords here will neither
hear it nor confess it. I think if mutual love cannot satisfy a woman,
her husband alone will not do so; for unless she live in the love
that is honourable for a woman, she must be tempted by the infernal
lustfulness of brutes."

"In truth," said Oisille, "you remind me of a lady who was both handsome
and well wedded, but who, through not living in that honourable love,
became more carnal than swine and more cruel than lions."

"I ask you, madam," said Simontault, "to end the day by telling us her
story."

"That I cannot do," said Oisille, "and for two reasons. The first is
that it is exceedingly long; and the second, that it does not belong to
our own day. It is written indeed by an author worthy of belief; but we
are sworn to relate nothing that has been written."

"That is true," said Parlamente; "but I believe I know the story you
mean, and it is written in such old language that methinks no one
present except ourselves has ever heard of it. It will therefore be
looked upon as new."

Upon this the whole company begged her to tell it without fear for its
length, seeing that a full hour was yet left before vespers. So, at
their request, the Lady Oisille thus began:--

[Illustration: 174.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 175a. The Gentleman Killing Himself on the Death of his Mistress]

[The Gentleman Killing Himself on the Death of his Mistress]

[Illustration: 175.jpg Page Image]

_TALE LXX_.

_The Duchess of Burgundy, not content with the love that her
husband bore her, conceived so great an affection for a
young gentleman that, when looks and glances were not
sufficient to inform him of her passion, she declared it to
him in words which led to an evil ending_. (1)

1 This story is borrowed from an old _fabliau_, known under
the title of the _Chatelaine de Vergy_, which will be found
in the _Recueil de Barbazan_ (vol iv.) and in Legrand
d'Aussy's _Fabliaux_ (vol iii.). Margaret calls the lady
Madame du Vergier (literally the lady o