nto him: "Maister Philenio, you haue had sufficient reueng vpon
vs: the best for you to do now, is to take your sword, and to
bereue us of oure life, which is more lothsome vnto vs than
pleasaunt: and if you will not do vs that good tourne, suffer vs
to go home to our houses vnknowen, that our honours may be
saued." Then Philenio thinking that he had at pleasure vsed
their persons, deliuered them their apparel, and so sone as they
were ready, he let them out at a litle dore, very secretlye
vnknowen of anye, and so they went home to their houses. So sone
as they had put of their fayre furnitures, they folded them vp,
and layd them in their chestes: which done, they went about
their houshold busines, till their husbands came home, who being
retourned they founde their wives sowing by the fire side in
their chambers: and because of their apparell, their ringes and
iewels, which they had seene in the Scholler's Chamber, it made
them to suspect their wiues, euery of them demaunding his
seuerall wife, where she had bin that nighte, and where their
apparell was. They well assured of themselues, aunswered boldly,
that they were not out of their house all the euening, and
taking the keyes of their cofers shewed them their aparell,
their ringes and other things, which their husbandes had made
them. Which when their husbandes saw, they could not tell what
to say, and forthwith reiected all suspicion, which they had
conceiued: telling them from point to point, what they had seen
that night. The women vnderstanding those woordes, made as
though they knew nothing and after a little sport and laughter
betweene them, they went to bed. Many times Philenio met his
Gentlewomen in the streates and sayde vnto them: "Which of you
was most afraide or worste intreated?" But they holding downe
their heads, passed forth not speaking a word: in this maner the
Scholler was requited so well as he could of the deceites done
against him, by the three Gentlewomen aforesaid.

THE FIFTYETH NOUELL.

_The piteous and chaste death of one of the muleters wiues of the
Queene of Nauarre._

In the citie of Amboise, there was a muleter that serued the
Queene of Nauarre, sister to king Fraunces the firste of that
name, which was broughte a bedde of a sonne at Blois: to which
towne the said muleter was gone to be paide his quarter's wages:
whose wyfe dwelled at Amboise beyond the bridges. It chaunced
that of long time one of her husband's seruau