is comrade, who had deserted him in his need, ran all night long, and
in the morning came to the house of the Lord of Fors, where he lodged
a complaint against the butcher, whom he suspected of killing his
companion, seeing that the latter had not followed him. The Lord of Fors
forthwith sent to Grip to learn the truth, and this, when known, was by
no means the cause of tears. And he failed not to tell the story to his
mistress the Duchess of Angouleme, mother of King Francis, first of that
name. (4)

4 Many modern stories and anecdotes have been based on this
amusing tale.--Ed.

"You see, ladies, how bad a thing it is to listen to secrets that do not
concern us, and to misunderstand what other people say."

"Did I not know," said Simontault, "that Nomer-fide would give us no
cause to weep, but rather to laugh? And I think that we have all done so
very heartily."

"How comes it," said Oisille, "that we are more ready to be amused by a
piece of folly than by something wisely done?"

"Because," said Hircan, "the folly is more agreeable to us, for it is
more akin to our own nature, which of itself is never wise. And like is
fond of like, the fool of folly, and the wise man of discretion. But
I am sure," he continued, "that no one, whether foolish or wise, could
help laughing at this story."

"There are some," said Geburon, "whose hearts are so bestowed on the
love of wisdom that, whatever they may hear, they cannot be made to
laugh. They have a gladness of heart and a moderate content such as
nought can move."

"Who are they?" asked Hircan.

"The philosophers of olden days," said Geburon. "They were scarcely
sensible of either sadness or joy, or at least they gave no token of
either, so great a virtue did they deem the conquest of themselves and
their passions. I too think, as they did, that it is well to subdue a
wicked passion, but a victory over a natural passion, and one that tends
to no evil, appears useless in my eyes."

"And yet," added Geburon, "the ancients held it for a great virtue."

"It is not maintained," said Saffredent, "that they all were wise. They
had more of the appearance of sense and virtue than of the reality."

"Nevertheless, you will find that they rebuke everything bad," said
Geburon. "Diogenes himself, even, trod on the bed of Plato, who was too
fond (5) of rare and precious things for his taste, and this in order to
show that he despised Plato's vanity and greed, and woul