said the youth.

"Then why do you complain now," said my lord, "since I cause you to be
served with that which you like?"

"I like them," replied the young man, "in moderation. I like exceedingly
to have eel pies once, or twice, or three times, or now and then, and
there is no dish I love better. But to eat it always, and nothing else
beside,--by Our Lady I will not. Any man would be sick and weary. My
stomach is so sick of eel pasties, that the moment I smell them I have
already dined. For God's sake, my lord, command that I be given some
other food that I may recover my appetite; otherwise I am a dead man."
"Ah!" said my lord, "Yet it seems that you do not think I shall be a
dead man if I content myself with the charms of my wife. By my soul, you
may believe that I am as weary of them as you are of the pasties,
and would as willingly have a change,--though there is none I love
so much--as you desire another dish, though you like pasties best. In
short, you shall eat no other food until you consent to serve me as you
did before, and bring me a variety of women,--even as you would have a
variety of dishes."

The young man, when he heard this subtle comparison, was confused, and
promised his master that he would do all that was desired, if he
could but be quit of his pasties, and would carry messages and conduct
intrigues as before. And from that time forth my lord, to spare my lady,
and by the good help of his _mignon_, passed his time with fair and
honest damsels, and the young man was relieved of his eel pasties, and
restored to his old office.

*****

STORY THE ELEVENTH -- A SACRIFICE TO THE DEVIL. [11]

By Monseigneur

_Of a jealous rogue, who after many offerings made to divers saints to
cure him of his jealousy, offered a candle to the devil who is usually
painted under the feet of St. Michael; and of the dream that he had and
what happened to him when he awoke._

A cowardly, jealous old hunks (I will not say that he was a cuckold)
knew not to whom to have recourse to be cured of his jealous grief and
misery. To-day he would make one pilgrimage, and to-morrow another,
and often would send his servants to perform his devotions and make
offerings whilst he was seated in his house to look after his wife, who
passed her time miserably with the most cursed husband and suspicious
grumbler that ever woman married.

One day, as he thought of the many offerings that he had made or was to
make to the v