been the most just
and virtuous woman in the world, saying her prayers to God, she replied
as calmly as though the Holy Spirit had inspired her,

"Poor fool! why do you thus worry yourself, you know not wherefore?
Listen to me, if you please; and be assured that I knew perfectly well
that I was confessing to you. I served you as you deserved, and without
one word of falsehood confessed to you the real circumstances. These are
the facts: you are the squire who slept with me, for when I married you,
you were a squire, and did with me as you wished; you are the knight
of whom I spoke, for on your return you made me a lady; and you are the
priest also, for no one who is not a priest can hear a confession."

"By my oath, my dear," he replied, "you have convinced me, and proved to
me that you are a virtuous woman and that I was wrong to accuse you. I
repent, and ask your pardon, and promise never to suspect you again."

"I willingly pardon you," said his wife, "since you confess your fault."

Thus, as you have heard, was the good knight deceived by the ready wit
of his wife.

*****

STORY THE SEVENTY-NINTH -- THE LOST ASS FOUND. [79]

By Michault De Changy.

_Of a good man of Bourbonnais who went to seek the advice of a wise man
of that place about an ass that he had lost, and how he believed that he
miraculously recovered the said ass, as you will hear hereafter._

In the fair land of Bourbonnais, where many good professions are carried
on, there lived, not long ago, a doctor of God knows what sort, for
never Hippocrates or Galen practised the science as he did. For instead
of syrups, decoctions, electuaries, and the hundred thousand other
things that physicians order to preserve the health of man, or restore
it if it is lost, this good doctor of whom I am speaking had only one
method of procedure, and that was to order clysters. Whatever matter was
brought to him, (*) he always exhibited clysters, and generally so well
did this remedy turn out that everyone was satisfied with him, and he
cured them all, so that his fame spread abroad and increased in such
a manner that he was called "Master" Jehan (**) by all, both in the
houses of princes and lords, and in the great abbeys, and in the towns,
and never was Aristotle or Galen so honoured, especially by the common
people, as was our said Master. And his fame so increased that his
advice was asked on every subject, and he was so incessantly in demand
that