e espied the
women making all this noise; and they, taking fright at sight of him,
began to cry out and confess everything. M. de Bonnivet, seeing that it
was nothing more serious, left them, bidding them betake themselves to
the devil; and then, returning into the room, he closed the door after
him and went to find his lady, who began to laugh and embrace him, and
confess to him that it was a trick devised by herself, assuring him that
if he had behaved as a poltroon, and had not thus displayed the valour
which he was said to possess, he should never have had her favours....
She was one of the most beautiful women of Milan, and he had had a deal
of trouble to win her.

"I knew a brave gentleman who, one day at Rome, was alone with a pretty
Roman lady--her husband being away--and she gave him a similar alarm,
causing one of her women to come in hastily to warn her that her husband
had returned from the country. The lady, feigning astonishment, begged
the gentleman to hide himself in a closet, as otherwise she would be
lost. 'No, no,' said the gentleman; 'I would not do that for all the
wealth in the world; if he comes I will kill him.' And as he seized upon
his sword the lady began to laugh and confess that she had contrived
this to try him so as to see how he would act, and if he would defend
her well should her husband seek to do her any harm.

"I also knew a very beautiful lady who suddenly left a lover she
had, because she did not find him brave, and took another who did not
resemble him, but who was extremely feared and redoubted on account
of his sword, he being one of the best swordsmen that could then be
found."--Lalanne's _OEuvres de Brantome_, vol. ix. pp. 388-90.

E. (Tale XVII., Page 195.)

Brantome, in the Thirtieth Discourse of his _Capitaines Etrangers_,
writes of Furstemberg as follows:--

"Count William von Furstemberg was accounted a good and valiant captain,
and would have been more highly esteemed had he not been deficient in
faith, over greedy and too much addicted to pillage, as he showed once
in France, when he passed along with his troops; for after his passage
there was nothing left. He served King Francis for the space of six or
seven years [not more than six.--Ed.] with some five companies always
numbering from six to seven thousand men; however, after this long term
of services, or rather ravages and pillage, he was suspected of having
designs against the King's person, as I have e