ce and peasant equal, but
employed only such means as honour allows."

"There are many," said Hircan, "who would not have acted in the same
way."

"So much the more is he to be esteemed," said Longarine, "in having
subdued the common craftiness of men. He who can do evil and yet does it
not is happy indeed."

"Your words," said Geburon, "remind me of one who was more afraid of
doing wrong in the eyes of men than of offending against God, her honour
and love."

"Then I pray you tell us the story," said Parlamente, "for I give you my
vote."

"There are some persons," said Geburon, "who have no God, or, if they
believe in one, think Him so far away that He can neither see nor know
the wicked acts that they commit; or, if He does, imagine that He pays
no heed to things here below, and is too careless to punish them. Of
this opinion was a lady, whose name I will alter for the sake of her
family, and whom I will call Jambicque.( 5) She used often to say that a
woman who had only God to deal with was very fortunate, if for the rest
she was able to maintain her honour among men. But you will see, ladies,
that her prudence and her hypocrisy did not prevent her secret from
being discovered, as will appear from her story, wherein the truth shall
be set forth in full, except that the names of persons and places will
be changed."

5 Some of the MSS. give the name as Camele or Camille,
which is also that adopted by Boaistuau.--L.

[Illustration: 142.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 143a.jpg Jambicque repudiating her Lover]

[Jambicque repudiating her Lover]

[Illustration: 143.jpg Page Image]

_TALE XLIII_.

_Jambicque, preferring the praise of the world to a good
conscience, strove to appear before men other than site
really was; but her friend and lover discovered her
hypocrisy by means of a little chalk-mark, and made known to
everybody the wickedness that she was at such pains to
hide_.

There dwelt in a very handsome castle a high and mighty Princess, who
had in her train a very haughty lady called Jambicque. (1) The latter
had so deceived her mistress that the Princess did nothing save by her
advice, deeming her the discreetest and most virtuous lady of her day.

1 There are no means of positively identifying this woman.
Brantome, who refers at length to the above tale in his
_Vies des Dames Galantes_ (Lalanne's edition, pp. 236-8),
implies