e off his bandages and bled to death.--Ed.

So long as Jambicque dwelt with her mistress, the gentleman returned
not to the Princess's house, nor did he ever have tidings of her who had
vowed to him that he should lose her as soon as he might seek her out.
(5)

5 After referring to this tale Brantome adds that he had
heard tell of another Court lady who was minded to imitate
Jambicque, but who, "every time she returned from her
assignation, went straight to her room, and let one of her
serving maids examine her on all sides to see if she were
marked. By this means she guarded herself against being
surprised and recognised, and indeed was never marked until
at her ninth assignation, when the mark was at once
discovered by her women. And thereupon, for fear of scandal
and opprobrium, she broke off her intrigue and never more
returned to the appointed spot. Some one said 'twould have
been better if she had let her lover mark her as often as he
liked, and each time have had his marks effaced, for in this
wise she would have reaped a double pleasure--contentment in
love and satisfaction at duping her lover, who, like he who
seeks the Philosopher's Stone, would have toiled hard to
discover and identify her, without ever succeeding in doing
so."--(Lalanne's _OEuvres de Brantome_, pp. 236-8).--M.

"By this tale, ladies, you may see how one who preferred the world's
esteem to a good conscience lost both the one and the other. For now
may the eyes of all men read what she strove to hide from those of her
lover, and so, whilst fleeing the derision of one, she has incurred the
derision of all. Nor can she be held excused on the score of simplicity
and artless love, for which all men should have pity, but she must
be condemned twice over for having concealed her wickedness with the
twofold cloak of honour and glory, and for making herself appear before
God and man other than she really was. He, however, who gives not His
glory to another, took this cloak from off her and so brought her to
double shame."

"Her wickedness," said Oisille, "was without excuse. None can defend her
when God, Honour, and even Love are her accusers."

"Nay," said Hircan, "Pleasure and Folly may; they are the true chief
advocates of the ladies."

"If we had no other advocates," said Parlamente, "than those you name,
our cause would indeed be ill supported; but