ublished by Champollion-Figeac (_Captivite
de Francois Ier_) and Genin (_Lettres de Marguerite, &c_).
Under date 1533 (o. s.) the "Bourgeois de Paris" writes in
his _Journal_: "At the beginning of March there died in
Paris, at the house of Monsieur Poncher, Monsieur le Prevost
de Paris, named de La Barre.... The King was then in Paris,
at his chateau of the Louvre, and there was great pomp at
the obsequies; and he was borne to his lordship of Veretz,
near Tours, that he might be buried there." Numerous
particulars concerning La Barre will also be found in M. de
Laborde's _Comptes des Batiments du Roi au XVIeme Siecle_.--
L. and Ed.

He told the latter his plan, which was approved both by the Prince and
by two other great personages of the Court, all three agreeing together
to share in the spoil.

While they were looking for a fourth comrade, there arrived a handsome
and honourable lord who was ten years younger than the others. He
was invited to the banquet, but although he accepted with a cheerful
countenance, in his heart he had no desire for it. For on the one part
he had a wife who was the mother of handsome children, and with whom he
lived in great happiness, and in such peacefulness that on no account
would he have had her suspect evil of him. And on the other hand he was
the lover of one of the handsomest ladies of her time in France, whom
he loved and esteemed so greatly that all other women seemed to him ugly
beside her.

In his early youth, before he was married, he had found it impossible to
gaze upon and associate with other women, however beautiful they might
be; for he took more delight in gazing upon his sweetheart, and in
perfectly loving her, than in having all that another might have given
him.

This lord, then, went to his wife and told her secretly of the
enterprise that his master had in hand, saying that he would rather die
than do what he had promised. For (he told her) just as there was no
living man whom he would not venture to attack in anger, although he
would rather die than commit a causeless and wilful murder unless his
honour compelled him to it; even so, unless driven by extreme love, such
as may serve to blind virtuous men, he would rather die than break his
marriage vow to gratify another.

On hearing these words of his, and finding that so much honour dwelt
in one so young, his wife loved and esteemed him more than she had e