



Produced by David Widger





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ONE HUNDRED MERRIE AND DELIGHTSOME STORIES

Right Pleasaunte To Relate In All Goodly Companie By Way Of Joyance And Jollity


LES CENT NOUVELLES NOUVELLES

Now First Done Into The English Tongue By Robert B. Douglas


Various Authors


Edited by Antoine de la Salle


Illustrated by Leon Lebeque


Paris

Charles Carrington

13 Faubourg Montmartre

1899




CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION


STORY THE FIRST -- THE REVERSE OF THE MEDAL.

_The first story tells of how one found means to enjoy the wife of his
neighbour, whose husband he had sent away in order that he might have
her the more easily, and how the husband returning from his journey,
found his friend bathing with his wife. And not knowing who she was, he
wished to see her, but was permitted only to see her back--, and then
thought that she resembled his wife, but dared not believe it. And
thereupon left and found his wife at home, she having escaped by a
postern door, and related to her his suspicions._


STORY THE SECOND -- THE MONK-DOCTOR.

_The second story, related by Duke Philip, is of a young girl who had
piles, who put out the only eye he had of a Cordelier monk who was
healing her, and of the lawsuit that followed thereon._


STORY THE THIRD -- THE SEARCH FOR THE RING.

_Of the deceit practised by a knight on a miller's wife whom he made
believe that her front was loose, and fastened it many times. And the
miller informed of this, searched for a diamond that the knight's lady
had lost, and found it in her body, as the knight knew afterwards: so he
called the miller "fisherman", and the miller called him "fastener"._


STORY THE FOURTH -- THE ARMED CUCKOLD.

_The fourth tale is of a Scotch archer who was in love with a fair
and gentle dame, the wife of a mercer, who, by her husband's orders
appointed a day for the said Scot to visit her, who came and treated her
as he wished, the said mercer being hid by the side of the bed, where he
could see and hear all._


STORY THE FIFTH -- The Duel with the Buckle-Strap.

_The fifth story relates two judgments of Lord Talbot. How a Frenchman
was taken prisoner (though provided with a safe-conduct) by an
Englishman, who said that buckle-straps were implements of war, and who
was made to arm himself with buckle-straps and nothing else, and meet
the Frenchman, who struck him with a sword in the presence of Talbot.
The other, story is about a man who robbed a church, and who was made to
swear that he would never enter a church again._


STORY THE SIXTH --THE DRUNKARD IN PARADISE.

_The sixth story is of a drunkard, who would confess to the Prior of the
Augustines at the Hague, and after his confession said that he was then
in a holy state and would die; and believed that his head was cut off
and that he was dead, and was carried away by his companions who said
they were going to bury him._


STORY THE SEVENTH -- THE WAGGONER IN THE BEAR.

_Of a goldsmith of Paris who made a waggoner sleep with him and his
wife, and how the waggoner dallied with her from behind, which the
goldsmith perceived and discovered, and of the words which he spake to
the waggoner._


STORY THE EIGHTH -- TIT FOR TAT.

_Of a youth of Picardy who lived at Brussels, and made his master's
daughter pregnant, and for that cause left and came back to Picardy to
be married. And soon after his departure the girl's mother perceived the
condition of her daughter, and the girl confessed in what state she was;
so her mother sent her to the Picardian to tell him that he must undo
that which he had done. And how his new bride refused then to sleep with
him, and of the story she told him, whereupon he immediately left her
and returned to his first love, and married her._


STORY THE NINTH -- THE HUSBAND PANDAR TO HIS OWN WIFE.

_Of a knight of Burgundy, who was marvellously amorous of one of his
wife's waiting women, and thinking to sleep with her, slept with his
wife who was in the bed of the said tire-woman. And how he caused, by
his order, another knight, his neighbour to sleep with the said woman,
believing that it was really the tirewoman--and afterwards he was not
well pleased, albeit that the lady knew nothing, and was not aware, I
believe, that she had had to do with aught other than her own husband._


STORY THE TENTH -- THE EEL PASTIES.

_Of a knight of England, who