The Heptameron - Day 6

Heptameron Day 6

What Stories Are Told on the Sixth Day of the Heptameron?

On the Sixth Day of the Heptameron are related the deceits practised by Man on Woman, Woman on Man, or Woman on Woman, through greed, revenge, and wickedness.

Heptameron Day 6 Summary

Tales of Deceit

The Theme of the Sixth Day

The Stories Told on the Sixth Day of Heptameron

The FIRST Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Cruelty of the Duke of Urbino, who, contrary to the promise he had given to the Duchess, hanged a poor lady that had consented to convey letters to his son's sweetheart, the sister of the Abbot of Farse.

The SECOND Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Merry trick played by the varlet of an apothecary at Alençon on the Lord de la Tirelière and the lawyer Anthony Bacheré, who, thinking to breakfast at his expense, find that they have stolen from him something very different to a loaf of sugar.

The THIRD Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Story of the Lady of Neufchâtel, a widow at the Court of Francis I., who, through not admitting that she has plighted her troth to the Lord des Cheriots, plays him an evil trick through the means of the Prince of Belhoste.

The FOURTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Merry adventure of a serving-woman and a gentleman named Thogas, whereof his wife has no suspicion

The FIFTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- The widow of a merchant of Saragossa, not wishing to lose the value of a horse, the price of which her husband had ordered to be given to the poor, devises the plan of selling the horse for one ducat only, adding, however, to the bargain a cat at ninety-nine.

The SIXTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Notable deception practised by an old Grey Friar of Padua, who, being charged by a widow to find a husband for her daughter, did, for the sake of getting the dowry, cause her to marry a young Grey Friar, his comrade, whose condition, however, was before long discovered

The SEVENTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Singular behaviour of an English lord, who is content merely to keep and wear upon his doublet the glove of a lady whom he loves.

The EIGHT Tale, of the Sixth Day-- A lady at the Court of Francis I., wishing to prove that she has no commerce with a certain gentleman who loves her, gives him a pretended tryst and causes him to pass for a thief.

The NINTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- Story of the same lady, who, learning that her husband is in love with her waiting-woman, contrives to surprise him and impose her own terms upon him

The TENTH Tale, of the Sixth Day-- A man of Paris, thinking his wife to be well and duly deceased, marries again, but at the end of fifteen years is forced to take his first wife back, although she has been living meantime with one of the chanters of Louis XII.

The Sixth Day

In the morning the Lady Oisille went earlier than was her wont to make ready for her reading in the hall, but the company being advised of this, and eager to hearken to her excellent instruction, used such despatch in dressing themselves that she had not long to wait. Perceiving their fervour, she set about reading them the Epistle of St. John the Evangelist, which is full of naught but love, in the same wise as, on the foregoing days, she had expounded to them St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. The company found this fare so much to their taste, that, although they tarried a half-hour longer than on the other days, it seemed to them as if they had not remained there a quarter of an hour altogether. From thence they proceeded to the contemplation of the mass, when one and all commended themselves to the Holy Ghost in order that they might that day be enabled to satisfy their merry audience; and, after they had broken their fast and taken a little rest, they set out to resume their accustomed diversion.

And the Lady Oisille asking who should begin the day, Longarine made answer—

"I give my vote to Madame Oisille; she has this day read to us so beauteous a lesson, that she can but tell us some story apt to crown the glory which she won this morning."

"I am sorry," said Oisille, "that I cannot tell you aught so profitable this afternoon as I did in the morning. But at least the purport of my story shall not depart from the teaching of Holy Scripture, where it is written, 'Trust not in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom is not our salvation.' (1) And that this truth may not be forgotten by you for lack of an example, I will tell you a tale which is quite true, and the memory of which is so fresh that the eyes of those that saw the piteous sight are scarcely yet dried."

The FIRST Tale, of the Sixth Day