uld perform with all his
heart, and never leave her whatever might happen, but inform his master
of all that occurred, as a good servant should.

The master, pleased and joyful at the new guardian he had found for his
wife, left the house, and went to the town to do his business. And the
good clerk at once entered upon his duties, and, as much as they dared,
employed the members with which they were provided, and made great cheer
over the subtle manner in which the husband had been deceived. For a
long period did they continue thus to enjoy themselves; and if at any
time the good husband was forced to go abroad, he took care to leave
his clerk behind; rather would he borrow a servant from one of his
neighbours than not leave the clerk to mind house. And if the lady
had leave to go on any pilgrimage, she would rather go without her
tire-woman than without the kind and obliging clerk.

In short, as you may suppose, never could clerk boast of a more lucky
adventure, and which--so far as I know--never came to the knowledge of
the husband, who would have been overcome with grief had he learned of
the trick.

*****

[Illustration: 14.jpg THE POPE-MAKER, OR THE HOLY MAN.]

STORY THE FOURTEENTH -- THE POPE-MAKER, OR THE HOLY MAN. [14]

By Monseigneur de Crequy

_Of a hermit who deceived the daughter of a poor woman, making her
believe that her daughter should have a son by him who should become
Pope; and how, when she brought forth it was a girl, and thus was the
trickery of the hermit discovered, and for that cause he had to flee
from that countery._

The borders of Burgundy furnish many adventures worthy to be written and
remembered, and have provided the present story, not to speak of many
others which could be related. I will here only speak of an adventure
which happened formerly in a big village on the river Ousche.

There was, and is still, a mountain near, on which a hermit--of
God knows what sort--made his residence, and who under the cloak of
hypocrisy did many strange things, which did not come to the knowledge
of the common people until the time when God would no longer suffer his
most damnable abuses to continue.

This holy hermit was during all his life as lewd and mischievous as an
old ape, but surpassed all ordinary mortals in cunning. And this is what
he did.

He sought amongst all the women and pretty girls the one most worthy to
be loved and desired, and resolved that it was the daug