e."

[Illustration: 132.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 133a. The Lady Swooning in the Arms of the Gentleman of
Valencia who had become a Monk]

[The Lady Swooning in the Arms of the Gentleman of Valencia who had
become a Monk]

[Illustration: 133.jpg Page Image]

_TALE LXIV_.

_After a lady had for the space of five or six years made
trial of the love that a certain gentleman bore her, she
desired to have a still stronger proof of it, and reduced
him to such despair that he turned monk, on which account
she was not able to win him back again when she would fain
have done so_.

In the city of Valencia there lived a gentleman, who for the space of
five or six years had loved a lady so perfectly that the honour and
conscience of neither of them had taken any hurt; for his intent was
to have her as his wife, and this was reasonable, seeing that he was
handsome, rich and of good descent. But, before he became her lover, he
first inquired concerning her own mind, whereupon she declared herself
willing to marry according to the counsels of her kinsfolk. The
latter, being come together for the purpose, deemed the marriage a very
reasonable one provided that the maiden was herself disposed to it; but
she--whether because she thought to do better or because she wished to
hide her love for him---made some difficulty, and the company separated,
not without regret at having failed to conclude a match so well suited
to both parties.

The most grieved of all was the poor gentleman, who would have borne
his misfortune with patience had he thought that the fault lay with the
kinsfolk and not with her; but he knew the truth, and the knowledge was
to him worse than death. So, without speaking to his sweetheart or to
any other person, he withdrew to his own house, and, after setting his
affairs in order, betook himself to a solitary spot, where he strove to
forget his love and change it wholly to that love of our Lord which were
truly a higher duty than the other.

During this time he received no tidings of his mistress or her kindred,
and he therefore resolved that, since he had failed to obtain the
happiest life he could hope for, he would choose the most austere and
disagreeable that he could imagine. With this sad intent, which
might well have been called despair, he went and became a monk in the
monastery of St. Francis. This monastery was not far from the dwellings
of divers of his k