remember that you must here utter the truth."

"I promise you," said Dagoucin, "that I will tell it in all its
simplicity, without any colouring or disguise."

[Illustration: 124.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 125a. The King asking the Young Lord to join his Banquet]

[The King asking the Young Lord to join his Banquet]

[Illustration: 125.jpg Page Image]

_TALE LXIII_.

_A gentleman's refusal of an amour that was sought after by
all his comrades, was imputed to him as great virtue, and
his wife loved him and esteemed him in consequence far more
than before_. (1)

In the city of Paris there lived four girls, of whom two were sisters,
and such was their beauty, youth and freshness, that they were run after
by all the gallants. A gentleman, however, who at that time held the
office of Provost of Paris (2) from the King, seeing that his master was
young, of an age to desire such company, so cleverly contrived matters
with all four of the damsels that each, thinking herself intended for
the King, agreed to what the aforesaid Provost desired. This was that
they should all of them be present at a feast to which he invited his
master.

1 This story, omitted by Boaistuau, was included in
Gruget's edition of the _Heptameron_.--L.

2 This is John de la Barre, already alluded to in Tale I.
The _Journal d'un Bourgeois de Paris_ tells us that he was
born in Paris of poor parents, and became a favourite of
Francis I., who appointed him Bailiff of the capital,
without requiring him to pay any of the dues attaching to
the office. From the roll of the royal household for 1522,
we also find that he was then a gentleman of the bed chamber
with 1200 _livres_ salary, master of the wardrobe (a post
worth 200 _livres_) and governor of the pages, for the board
and clothing of whom he received 5000 _livres_ annually. In
1526 he became Provost as well as Bailiff of Paris, the two
offices then being amalgamated. He was further created Count
of Etampes, and acquired the lordship of Veretz, best
remembered by its associations with the murder of Paul Louis
Courier. La Barre fought at Pavia, was taken prisoner with
the King, and remained his constant companion during his
captivity. Several letters of his, dating from this period
and of great historical interest, are still extant; some of
them have been p