her order of talke."
Therwithall Bernage sayde vnto her: "Madame, if your pacience be
correspondent to this torment, I deme you to be the happiest
woman of the worlde." The lady with teares trickeling down her
eyes with a grace so good and humble as was possible, spake thus
vnto him: "Sir, I doe confesse my fault to be so great, as all
the afflictions and torment that the Lorde of this place (for I
am not worthy to call him husbande) can doe vnto me, be nothing
comparable to the sorrowe I haue conceiued of myne offence." And
in sayinge so, she began pitifully to weepe. Therewithall the
Gentleman toke Bernage by the hande, and led him forth. The next
day morning he departed about the businesse which the king had
sent him. Notwithstanding, in bidding the Gentleman fare well,
he sayde vnto hym: "Sir, the loue whiche I beare vnto you, and
the honor and secretes wherewith you haue made me priuie, doth
force me to saye vnto you howe I doe thinke good (seing the
great repentance of the poore Gentlewoman your wife) that you
doe shewe her mercie. And bicause you be yong and haue no
children, it were a verie great losse and detriment to lose such
a house and ligneage as yours is. And it may so come to passe,
that your enemies thereby in time to come may be your heires,
and inioye the goodes and patrimonie whiche you doe leaue
behinde you." The Gentleman which neuer thought to speake vnto
his wife, with those wordes paused a great while, and in thend
confessed his saying to be true, promising him that if she would
continue in that humilitie, he would in time shew pittie vppon
her, with whiche promise Bernage departed. And when he was
retourned towardes the king his maister, hee recompted vnto him
the successe of his iourneyes. And amonges other thinges he
tolde him of the beautie of this Ladie, who sent his Painter
called Iohn of Paris, to bring him her counterfaicte: which with
the consent of her husband, he did. Who after that long
penaunce, for a desire he had to haue children, and for the
pitie hee bare to his wyfe which with great humblenesse receiued
that affliction, tooke her vnto hym agayne, and afterwardes
begat of her many children.

THE FIFTY-EIGHTH NOUELL.

_A President of Grenoble aduertised of the ill gouernement of his
wife, took such order, that his honestie was not diminished, and yet
reuenged the facte._

In Grenoble (the chiefe citie of a Countrie in Fraunce called
Daulphine, which citie ot