ween two
subjects so perfect as these it knew little pause until it had them at
its will, and had so filled them with its clear light, that thought,
wish and speech were all aflame with it. Youth, begetting fear in the
young lord, led him to urge his suit with all the gentleness imaginable;
but she, being conquered by love, had no need of force to win her.
Nevertheless, shame, which tarries with ladies as long as it can,
for some time restrained her from declaring her mind. But at last the
heart's fortress, which is honour's abode, was shattered in such sort
that the poor lady consented to that which she had never been minded to
refuse.

In order, however, to make trial of her lover's patience, constancy
and love, she only granted him what he sought on a very hard condition,
assuring him that if he fulfilled it she would love him perfectly for
ever; whereas, if he failed in it, he would certainly never win her as
long as he lived. And the condition was this:--she would be willing to
talk with him, both being in bed together, clad in their linen only, but
he was to ask nothing more from her than words and kisses.

He, thinking there was no joy to be compared to that which she promised
him, agreed to the proposal, and that evening the promise was kept; in
such wise that, despite all the caresses she bestowed on him and the
temptations that beset him, he would not break his oath. And albeit his
torment seemed to him no less than that of Purgatory, yet was his
love so great and his hope so strong, sure as he felt of the ceaseless
continuance of the love he had thus painfully won, that he preserved his
patience and rose from beside her without having done anything contrary
to her expressed wish. (2)

2 Brantome's _Dames Galantes_ contains an anecdote which is
very similar in character to this tale: "I have heard
speak," he writes, "of a very beautiful and honourable lady,
who gave her lover an assignation to sleep with her, on the
condition that he should not touch her... and he actually
obeyed her, remaining in a state of ecstasy, temptation and
continence the whole night long; whereat she was so well
pleased with him that some time afterwards she consented to
become his mistress, giving as her reason that she had
wished to prove his love by his obedience to her
injunctions; and on this account she afterwards loved him
the more, for she felt sure that he was c