Part 2

STORY THE FIFTY-FIRST — THE REAL FATHERS. Of a woman who on her death-bed, in the absence of her husband, made over her children to those to whom they belonged, and how one of the youngest of the children informed his father.

STORY THE FIFTY-SECOND — THE THREE REMINDERS. Of three counsels that a father when on his deathbed gave his son, but to which the son paid no heed. And how he renounced a young girl he had married, because he saw her lying with the family chaplain the first night after their wedding.

STORY THE FIFTY-THIRD — THE MUDDLED MARRIAGES. Of two men and two women who were waiting to be married at the first Mass in the early morning; and because the priest could not see well, he took the one for the other, and gave to each man the wrong wife, as you will hear.

STORY THE FIFTY FOURTH — THE RIGHT MOMENT. Of a damsel of Maubeuge who gave herself up to a waggoner, and refused many noble lovers; and of the reply that she made to a noble knight because he reproached her for this—as you will hear.

STORY THE FIFTY-FIFTH — A CURÉ FOR THE PLAGUE. Of a girl who was ill of the plague and caused the death of three men who lay with her, and how the fourth was saved, and she also.

STORY THE FIFTY-SIXTH — THE WOMAN, PRIEST, SERVANT, AND WOLF. Of a gentleman who caught, in a trap that he laid, his wife, the priest, her maid, and a wolf; and burned them all alive, because his wife committed adultery with the priest.

STORY THE FIFTY-SEVENTH — THE OBLIGING BROTHER. Of a damsel who married a shepherd, and how the marriage was arranged, and what a gentleman, the brother of the damsel, said.

STORY THE FIFTY-EIGHTH — SCORN FOR SCORN. Of two comrades who wished to make their mistresses better inclined towards them, and so indulged in debauchery, and said, that as after that their mistresses still scorned them, that they too must have played at the same game—as you will hear.

STORY THE FIFTY-NINTH — THE SICK LOVER. Of a lord who pretended to be sick in order that he might lie with the servant maid, with whom his wife found him.

STORY THE SIXTIETH — THREE VERY MINOR BROTHERS. Of three women of Malines, who were acquainted with three cordeliers, and had their heads shaved, and donned the gown that they might not be recognised, and how it was made known.

STORY THE SIXTY-FIRST — CUCKOLDED—AND DUPED. Of a merchant who locked up in a bin his wife’s lover, and she secretly put an ass there which caused her husband to be covered with confusion.

STORY THE SIXTY-SECOND — THE LOST RING. Of two friends, one of whom left a diamond in the bed of his hostess, where the other found it, from which there arose a great discussion between them, which the husband of the said hostess settled in an effectual manner.

STORY THE SIXTY-THIRD — MONTBLERU; OR THE THIEF. Of one named Montbleru, who at a fair at Antwerp stole from his companions their shirts and handkerchiefs, which they had given to the servant-maid of their hostess to be washed; and how afterwards they pardoned the thief, and then the said Montbleru told them the whole of the story.

STORY THE SIXTY-FOURTH — THE OVER-CUNNING CURÉ. Of a priest who would have played a joke upon a gelder named Trenche-couille, but, by the connivance of his host, was himself castrated.

STORY THE SIXTY-FIFTH — INDISCRETION REPROVED, BUT NOT PUNISHED. Of a woman who heard her husband say that an innkeeper at Mont St. Michel was excellent at copulating, so went there, hoping to try for herself, but her husband took means to prevent it, at which she was much displeased, as you will hear shortly.

STORY THE SIXTY-SIXTH — THE WOMAN AT THE BATH. Of an inn-keeper at Saint Omer who put to his son a question for which he was afterwards sorry when he heard the reply, at which his wife was much ashamed, as you will hear, later.

STORY THE SIXTY-SEVENTH — THE WOMAN WITH THREE HUSBANDS Of a “fur hat” of Paris, who wished to deceive a cobbler’s wife, but over-reached, himself, for he married her to a barber, and thinking that he was rid of her, would have wedded another, but she prevented him, as you will hear more plainly hereafter.

STORY THE SIXTY-EIGHTH — THE JADE DESPOILED. Of a married man who found his wife with another man, and devised means to get from her her money, clothes, jewels, and all, down to her chemise, and then sent her away in that condition, as shall be afterwards recorded.

STORY THE SIXTY-NINTH — THE VIRTUOUS LADY WITH TWO HUSBANDS. Of a noble knight of Flanders, who was married to a beautiful and noble lady. He was for many years a prisoner in Turkey, during which time his good and loving wife was, by the importunities of her friends, induced to marry another knight. Soon after she had remarried, she heard that her husband had returned from Turkey, whereupon she allowed herself to die of grief, because she had contracted a fresh marriage.

STORY THE SEVENTIETH — THE DEVIL’S HORN. Of a noble knight of Germany, a great traveller in his time; who after he had made a certain voyage, took a vow to never make the sign of the Cross, owing to the firm faith and belief that he had in the holy sacrament of baptism—in which faith he fought the devil, as you will hear.

STORY THE SEVENTY-FIRST — THE CONSIDERATE CUCKOLD Of a knight of Picardy, who lodged at an inn in the town of St. Omer, and fell in lave with the hostess, with whom he was amusing himself—you know how—when her husband discovered them; and how he behaved—as you will shortly hear.

STORY THE SEVENTY-SECOND — NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION. Of a gentleman of Picardy who was enamoured of the wife of a knight his neighbour; and how he obtained the lady’s favours and was nearly caught with her, and with great difficulty made his escape, as you will hear later.

STORY THE SEVENTY-THIRD — THE BIRD IN THE CAGE. Of a curé who was in love with the wife of one of his parishioners, with whom the said curé was found by the husband of the woman, the neighbours having given him warning—and how the curé escaped, as you will hear.

STORY THE SEVENTY-FOURTH — THE OBSEQUIOUS PRIEST. Of a priest of Boulogne who twice raised the body of Our Lord whilst chanting a Mass, because he believed that the Seneschal of Boulogne had come late to the Mass, and how he refused to take the Pax until the Seneschal had done so, as you will hear hereafter.

STORY THE SEVENTY-FIFTH — THE BAGPIPE. Of a hare-brained half-mad fellow who ran a great risk of being put to death by being hanged on a gibbet in order to injure and annoy the Bailly, justices, and other notables of the city of Troyes in Champagne by whom he was mortally hated, as will appear more plainly hereafter.

STORY THE SEVENTY-SIXTH — CAUGHT IN THE ACT. Of the chaplain to a knight of Burgundy who was enamoured of the wench of the said knight, and of the adventure which happened on account of his amour, as you will hear below.

STORY THE SEVENTY-SEVENTH — THE SLEEVELESS ROBE. Of a gentleman of Flanders, who went to reside in France, but whilst he was there his mother was very ill in Flanders; and how he often went to visit her believing that she would die, and what he said and how he behaved, as you will hear later.

STORY THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH — THE HUSBAND TURNED CONFESSOR. Of a married gentleman who made many long voyages, during which time his good and virtuous wife made the acquaintance of three good fellows, as you will hear; and how she confessed her amours to her husband when he returned from his travels, thinking she was confessing to the curé, and how she excused herself, as will appear.

STORY THE SEVENTY-NINTH — THE LOST ASS FOUND. Of a good man of Bourbonnais who went to seek the advice of a wise man of that place about an ass that he had lost, and how he believed that he miraculously recovered the said ass, as you will hear hereafter.

STORY THE EIGHTIETH — GOOD MEASURE! Of a young German girl, aged fifteen or sixteen or thereabouts who was married to a gentle gallant, and who complained that her husband had too small an organ for her liking, because she had seen a young ass of only six months old which had a bigger instrument than her husband, who was 24 or 26 years old.

STORY THE EIGHTY-FIRST — BETWEEN TWO STOOLS. Of a noble knight who was in love with a beautiful young married lady, and thought himself in her good graces, and also in those of another lady, her neighbour; but lost both as is afterwards recorded.

STORY THE EIGHTY-SECOND — BEYOND THE MARK. Of a shepherd who made an agreement with a shepherdess that he should mount upon her “in order that he might see farther,” but was not to penetrate beyond a mark which she herself made with her hand upon the instrument of the said shepherd—as will more plainly appear hereafter.

STORY THE EIGHTY-THIRD — THE GLUTTONOUS MONK. Of a Carmelite monk who came to preach at a village and after his sermon, he went to dine with a lady, and how he stuffed out his gown, as you will hear.

STORY THE EIGHTY-FOURTH — THE DEVIL’S SHARE. Of one of his marshals who married the sweetest and most lovable woman there was in all Germany. Whether what I tell you is true—for I do not swear to it that I may not be considered a liar—you will see more plainly below.

STORY THE EIGHTY-FIFTH — NAILED! Of a goldsmith, married to a fair, kind, and gracious lady, and very amorous withal of a curé, her neighbour, with whom her husband found her in bed, they being betrayed by one of the goldsmith’s servants, who was jealous, as you will hear.

STORY THE EIGHTY-SIXTH — FOOLISH PEAR. Of a young man of Rouen, married to a fair, young girl of the age of fifteen or thereabouts; and how the mother of the girl wished to have the marriage annulled by the Judge of Rouen, and of the sentence which the said Judge pronounced when he had heard the parties—as you will hear more plainly in the course of the said story.

STORY THE EIGHTY-SEVENTH — WHAT THE EYE DOES NOT SEE. Of a gentle knight who was enamoured of a young and beautiful girl, and how he caught a malady in one of his eyes, and therefore sent for a doctor, who likewise fell in love with the same girl, as you will hear; and of the words which passed between the knight and the doctor concerning the plaster which the doctor had put on the knight’s good eye.

STORY THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH — A HUSBAND IN HIDING. Of a poor, simple peasant married to a nice, pleasant woman, who did much as she liked, and who in order that she might be alone with her lover, shut up her husband in the pigeon-house in the manner you will hear.

STORY THE EIGHTY-NINTH — THE FAULT OF THE ALMANAC. Of a curé who forgot, either by negligence or ignorance, to inform his parishioners that Lent had come until Palm Sunday arrived, as you will hear—and of the manner in which he excused himself to his parishioners.

STORY THE NINETIETH — A GOOD REMEDY. Of a good merchant of Brabant whose wife was very ill, and he supposing that she was about to die, after many remonstrances and exhortations for the salvation of her soul, asked her pardon, and she pardoned him all his misdeeds, excepting that he had not worked her as much as he ought to have done—as will appear more plainly in the said story.

STORY THE NINETY-FIRST — THE OBEDIENT WIFE. Of a man who was married to a woman so lascivious and lickerish, that I believe she must have been born in a stove or half a league from the summer sun, for no man, however well he might work, could satisfy her; and how her husband thought to punish her, and the answer she gave him.

STORY THE NINETY-SECOND — WOMEN’S QUARRELS. Of a married woman who was in love with a Canon, and, to avoid suspicion, took with her one of her neighbours when she went to visit the Canon; and of the quarrel that arose between the two women, as you will hear.

STORY THE NINETY-THIRD — HOW A GOOD WIFE WENT ON A PILGRIMAGE. Of a good wife who pretended to her husband that she was going on a pilgrimage, in order to find opportunity to be with her lover the parish-clerk—with whom her husband found her; and of what he said and did when he saw them doing you know what.

STORY THE NINETY-FOURTH — DIFFICULT TO PLEASE. Of a curé who wore a short gown, like a gallant about to be married, for which cause he was summoned before the Ordinary, and of the sentence which was passed, and the defence he made, and the other tricks he played afterwards—as you will plainly hear.

STORY THE NINETY-FIFTH — THE SORE FINGER CURED. Of a monk who feigned to be very ill and in danger of death, that he might obtain the favours of a certain young woman in the manner which is described hereafter.

STORY THE NINETY-SIXTH — A GOOD DOG. Of a foolish and rich village curé who buried his dog in the church-yard; for which cause he was summoned before his Bishop, ana how he gave 60 gold crowns to the Bishop, and what the Bishop said to him—which you will find related here.

STORY THE NINETY-SEVENTH — BIDS AND BIDDINGS. Of a number of boon companions making good cheer and drinking at a tavern, and how one of them had a quarrel with his wife when he returned home, as you will hear.

STORY THE NINETY-EIGHTH — THE UNFORTUNATE LOVERS. Of a knight of this kingdom and his wife, who had a fair daughter aged fifteen or sixteen. Her father would have married her to a rich old knight, his neighbour, but she ran away with another knight, a young man who loved her honourably; and, by strange mishap, they both died sad deaths without having ever co-habited,—as you will hear shortly.

STORY THE NINETY-NINTH — THE METAMORPHOSIS. Relates how a Spanish Bishop, not being able to procure fish, ate two partridges on a Friday, and how he told his servants that he had converted them by his prayers into fish—as will more plainly be related below.

STORY THE HUNDREDTH AND LAST — THE CHASTE LOVER. Of a rich merchant of the city of Genoa, who married a fair damsel, who owing to the absence of her husband, sent for a wise clerk—a young, fit, and proper man—to help her to that of which she had need; and of the fast that he caused her to make—as you will find more plainly below.