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pernicious　is　woman　to　man。　The　Baron　showed　the　heavy　gold　chain　that

he　had　in　his　hauberk　to　present　to　Saint　Peter；　and　said　his　crime

was　such　that　he　would　not　get　rid　of　with　the　value　of　two　such

chains。　The　Parisian　took　off　his　glove；　and　exposed　a　ring　set　with　a

white　diamond；　saying　that　he　had　a　hundred　like　it　for　the　pope。　The

Burgundian　took　off　his　hat；　and　exhibited　two　wonderful　pearls；　that

were　beautiful　ear…pendants　for　Notre…Dame…de…Lorette；　and　candidly

confessed　that　he　would　rather　have　left　them　round　his　wife's　neck。



Thereupon　the　servant　exclaimed　that　their　sins　must　have　been　as

great　as　those　of　Visconti。



Then　the　pilgrims　replied　that　they　were　such　that　they　had　made　a

solemn　vow　in　their　minds　never　to　go　astray　again　during　the

remainder　of　their　days；　however　beautiful　the　woman　might　be；　and

this　in　addition　to　the　penance　which　the　pope　might　impose　upon　them。



Then　the　servant　expressed　her　astonishment　that　all　had　made　the　same

vow。　The　Burgundian　added；　that　this　vow　had　been　the　cause　of　his

lagging　behind；　because　he　had　been　in　extreme　fear　that　his　son；　in

spite　of　his　age；　might　go　astray；　and　that　he　had　made　a　vow　to

prevent　people　and　beasts　alike　gratifying　their　passions　in　his

house；　or　upon　his　estates。　The　baron　having　inquired　the　particulars

of　the　adventure；　the　sire　narrated　the　affair　as　follows：



〃You　know　that　the　good　Countess　Jeane　d'Avignon　made　formerly　a　law

for　the　harlots；　who　she　compelled　to　live　in　the　outskirts　of　the

town　in　houses　with　window…shutters　painted　red　and　closed。　Now

passing　in　my　company　in　this　vile　neighbourhood；　my　lad　remarked

these　houses　with　closed　window…shutters；　painted　red；　and　his

curiosity　being　arousedfor　these　ten…year　old　little　devils　have

eyes　for　everythinghe　pulled　me　by　the　sleeve　and　kept　on　pulling

until　he　had　learnt　from　me　what　these　houses　were。　Then；　to　obtain

peace；　I　told　him　that　young　lads　had　nothing　to　do　with　such　places；

and　could　only　enter　them　at　the　peril　of　their　lives；　because　it　was

a　place　where　men　and　women　were　manufactured；　and　the　danger　was　such

for　anyone　unacquainted　with　the　business　that　if　a　novice　entered；

flying　chancres　and　other　wild　beasts　would　seize　upon　his　face。　Fear

seized　the　lad；　who　then　followed　me　to　the　hostelry　in　a　state　of

agitation；　and　not　daring　to　cast　his　eyes　upon　the　said　bordels。

While　I　was　in　the　stable；　seeing　to　the　putting　up　of　the　horses；　my

son　went　off　like　a　robber；　and　the　servant　was　unable　to　tell　me　what

had　become　of　him。　Then　I　was　in　great　fear　of　the　wenches；　but　had

confidence　in　the　laws；　which　forbade　them　to　admit　such　children。　At

supper…time　the　rascal　came　back　to　me　looking　no　more　ashamed　of

himself　than　did　our　divine　Saviour　in　the　temple　among　the　doctors。



〃'Whence　comes　you？'　said　I　to　him。



〃'From　the　houses　with　the　red　shutters；'　he　replied。



〃'Little　blackguard；'　said　I；　'I'll　give　you　a　taste　of　the　whip。'



〃Then　he　began　to　moan　and　cry。　I　told　him　that　if　he　would　confess

all　that　had　happened　to　him　I　would　let　him　off　the　beating。



〃'Ha；'　said　he；　'I　took　care　not　to　go　in；　because　of　the　flying

chancres　and　other　wild　beasts。　I　only　looked　through　the　chinks　of

the　windows；　in　order　to　see　how　men　were　manufactured。'



〃'And　what　did　you　see？'　I　asked。



〃'I　saw；'　said　he；　'a　fine　woman　just　being　finished；　because　she　only

wanted　one　peg；　which　a　young　worker　was　fitting　in　with　energy。

Directly　she　was　finished　she　turned　round；　spoke　to；　and　kissed　her

manufacturer。'



〃'Have　your　supper；'　said　I；　and　the　same　night　I　returned　into

Burgundy；　and　left　him　with　his　mother；　being　sorely　afraid　that　at

the　first　town　he　might　want　to　fit　a　peg　into　some　girl。〃



〃These　children　often　make　these　sort　of　answers；〃　said　the　Parisian。

〃One　of　my　neighbour's　children　revealed　the　cuckoldom　of　his　father

by　a　reply。　One　day　I　asked；　to　see　if　he　was　well　instructed　at

school　in　religious　matters；　'What　is　hope？'　'One　of　the　king's　big

archers；　who　comes　here　when　father　goes　out；'　said　he。　Indeed；　the

sergeant　of　the　Archers　was　named　Hope。　My　friend　was　dumbfounded　at

this；　and；　although　to　keep　his　countenance　he　looked　in　the　mirror；

he　could　not　see　his　horns　there。〃



The　baron　observed　that　the　boy's　remark　was　good　in　this　way：　that

Hope　is　a　person　who　comes　to　bed　with　us　when　the　realities　of　life

are　out　of　the　way。



〃Is　a　cuckold　made　in　the　image　of　God？〃　asked　the　Burgundian。



〃No；〃　said　the　Parisian；　〃because　God　was　wise　in　this　respect；　that

he　took　no　wife；　therefore　is　He　happy　through　all　eternity。〃



〃But；〃　said　the　maid…servant；　〃cuckolds　are　made　in　the　image　of　God

before　they　are　horned。〃



Then　the　three　pilgrims　began　to　curse　women；　saying　that　they　were

the　cause　of　all　the　evils　in　the　world。



〃Their　heads　are　as　empty　as　helmets；〃　said　the　Burgundian。



〃Their　hearts　are　as　straight　as　bill…hooks；〃　said　the　Parisian。



〃Why　are　there　so　many　men　pilgrims　and　so　few　women　pilgrims？〃　said

the　German　baron。



〃Their　cursed　member　never　sins；〃　replied　the　Parisian；　〃it　knows

neither　father　nor　mother；　the　commandments　of　God；　nor　those　of　the

Church；　neither　laws　divine　or　human：　their　member　knows　no　doctrine；

understands　no　heresies；　and　cannot　be　blamed；　it　is　innocent　of　all；

and　always　on　the　laugh；　its　understanding　is　nil；　and　for　this　reason

do　I　hold　it　in　utter　detestation。〃



〃I　also；〃　said　the　Burgundian；　〃and　I　begin　to　understand　the

different　reading　by　a　learned　man　of　the　verses　of　the　Bible；　in

which　the　account　of　the　creation　is　given。　In　this　Commentary；　which

in　my　country　we　call　a　Noel；　lies　the　reason　of　imperfection　of　this

feature　of　women；　of　which；　different　to　that　of　other　females；　no　man

can　slake　the　thirst；　such　diabolical　heat　existing　there。　In　this

Noel　is　stated　that　the　Lord　God；　having　turned　his　head　to　look　at　a

donkey；　who　had　brayed　for　the　first　time　in　his　Paradise；　while　he

was　manufacturing　Eve；　the　devil　seized　this　moment　to　put　his　finger

into　this　divine　creature；　and　made　a　warm　wound；　which　the　Lord　took

care　to　close　with　a　stitch；　from　which　comes　the　maid。　By　means　of

this　frenum；　the　woman　should　remain　closed；　and　children　be　made　in

the　same　manner　in　which　God　made　the　angels；　by　a　pleasure　far　above

carnal　pleasure　as　the　heaven　is　above　the　earth。　Observing　this

closing；　the　devil；　wild　at　being　done；　pinched　the　Sieur　Adam；　who

was　asleep；　by　the　skin；　and　stretched　a　portion　of　it　out　in

imitation　of　his　diabolical　tail；　but　as　the　father　of　man　was　on　his

back　this　appendage　came　out　in　front。　Thus　these　two　productions　of

the　devil　had　the　desire　to　reunite　themselves；　following　the　law　of

similarities　which　God　had　laid　down　for　the　conduct　of　the　world。

From　this　came　the　first　sin　and　the　sorrows　of　the　human　race；

because　God；　noticing　the　devil's　work；　determined　to　see　what　would

come　of　it。〃



The　servant　declared　that　they　were　quite　correct　in　the　statements；

for　that　woman　was　a　bad　animal；　and　that　she　herself　knew　some　who

were　better　under　the　ground　than　on　it。　The　pilgrims；　noticing　then

how　pretty　the　girl　was；　were　afraid　of　breaking　their　vows；　and　went

straight　to　bed。　The　girl　went　and　told　her　mistress　she　was

harbouring　infidels；　and　told　her　what　they　had　said　about　women。



〃Ah！〃　said　the　landlady；　〃what　matters　it　to　me　the　thoughts　my

customers　have　in　their　brains；　so　long　as　their　purses　are　well

filled。〃



And　when　the　servant　had　told　of　the　jewels；　she　exclaimed



〃Ah；　these　are　questions　which　concern　all　women。　Let　us　go　and　reason

with　them。　I'll　take　the　nobles；　you　can　have　the　citizen。〃



The　landlady；　who　was　the　most　shameless　inhabitant　of　the　duchy　of

Milan；　went　into　the　chamber　where　the　Sire　de　La　Vaugrenand　and　the

German　baron　were　sleeping；　and　congratulated　them　upon　their　vows；

saying　that　the　women　would　not　lose　much　by　them；　but　to　accomplish

these　said　vows　it　was　necessary　they　should　endeavour　to　withstand

the　strongest　temptations。　Then　she　offered　to　lie　down　beside　them；

so　anxious　were　she　to　see　if　she　would　be　left　unmolested；　a　thing

which　had　never　happened　to　her　yet　in　the　company　of　a　man。



On　the　morrow；　at　breakfast；　the　servant　had　the　ring　on　her　finger；

her　mistress　had　the　gold　chain　and　the　pearl　earrings。　The　three

pilgrims　stayed　in　the　town　about　a　month；　spending　there　all　the

money　they　had　in　their　purses；　and　agreed　that　if　they　had　spoken　so

severely　of　women　it　was　because　they　had　not　known　those　of　Milan。



On　his　return　to　Germany　the　Baron　made　this　observation：　that　he　was

only　guilty　of　one　sin；　that　of　being　in　his　castle。　The　Citizen　of

Paris　came　back　full　of　stories　for　his　wife；　and　found　her　full　of

Hope。　The　Burgundian　saw　Madame　de　La　Vaugrenand　so　troubled　that　he

ne