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marvellous　and　most　masterly　manner。　Madame　told　her　women　that　at

last　she　had　placed　her　hand　on　a　phoenix　of　love；　since　he　revived

from　every　attack。　Nothing　was　talked　of　in　Rome　and　Italy　but　the

victory　that　had　been　gained　over　Imperia；　who　had　boasted　that　she

would　yield　to　no　man；　and　spat　upon　all　of　them；　even　the　dukes。　As

to　the　aforesaid　margraves　and　burgraves；　she　gave　them　the　tail　of

her　dress　to　hold；　and　said　that　if　she　did　not　tread　them　under　foot；

they　would　trample　upon　her。　Madame　confessed　to　her　servants　that；

differently　to　all　other　men　she　had　had　to　put　up　with；　the　more　she

fondled　this　child　of　love；　the　more　she　desired　to　do　so；　and　that

she　would　never　be　able　to　part　with　him；　nor　his　splendid　eyes；　which

blinded　her；　nor　his　branch　of　coral；　that　she　always　hungered　after。

She　further　declared　that　if　such　were　his　desire；　she　would　let　him

suck　her　blood；　eat　her　breastswhich　were　the　most　lovely　in　the

worldand　cut　her　tresses；　of　which　she　had　only　given　a　single　one

to　the　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　who　kept　it　in　his　breast；　like　a

precious　relic；　finally；　she　confessed　that　on　that　night　only　had

life　begun　for　her；　because　the　embrace　of　Villiers　de　l'Ile　Adam　sent

the　blood　to　her　in　three　bounds　and　in　a　brace　of　shakes。



These　expressions　becoming　known；　made　everyone　very　miserable。

Directly　she　went　out；　Imperia　told　the　ladies　of　Rome　that　she　should

die　it　if　she　were　deserted　by　this　gentleman；　and　would　cause

herself；　like　Queen　Cleopatra；　to　be　bitten　by　an　asp。　She　declared

openly　that　she　had　bidden　an　eternal　adieu　her　to　her　former　gay

life；　and　would　show　the　whole　world　what　virtue　was　by　abandoning　her

empire　for　this　Villiers　de　l'Ile　Adam；　whose　servant　she　would　rather

be　than　reign　of　Christendom。　The　English　cardinal　remonstrated　with

the　pope　that　this　love　for　one；　in　the　heart　of　a　woman　who　was　the

joy　of　all；　was　an　infamous　depravity；　and　that　he　ought　with　a　brief

/in　partibus/；　to　annul　this　marriage；　which　robbed　the　fashionable

world　of　its　principal　attraction。　But　the　love　of　this　poor　woman；

who　had　confessed　the　miseries　of　her　life；　was　so　sweet　a　thing；　and

so　moved　the　most　dissipated　heart；　that　she　silenced　all　clamour；　and

everyone　forgave　her　her　happiness。　One　day；　during　Lent；　Imperia　made

her　people　fast；　and　ordered　them　to　go　and　confess；　and　return　to

God。　She　herself　went　and　fell　at　the　pope's　feet；　and　there　showed

such　penitence；　that　she　obtained　from　him　remission　of　all　her　sins；

believing　that　the　absolution　of　the　pope　would　communicate　to　her

soul　that　virginity　which　she　was　grieved　at　being　unable　to　offer　her

lover。　It　is　impossible　to　help　thinking　that　there　was　some　virtue　in

the　ecclesiastical　piscina；　for　the　poor　cadet　was　so　smothered　with

love　that　he　fancied　himself　in　Paradise；　and　left　the　negotiations　of

the　King　of　France；　left　his　love　for　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorencyin

fact；　left　everything　to　marry　Madame　Imperia；　in　order　that　he　might

live　and　die　with　her。　Such　was　the　effect　of　the　learned　ways　of　this

great　lady　of　pleasure　directly　she　turned　her　science　to　the　root　of

a　virtuous　love。　Imperia　bade　adieu　to　her　admirers　at　a　royal　feast；

given　in　honour　of　her　wedding；　which　was　a　wonderful　ceremony；　at

which　all　the　Italian　princes　were　present。　She　had；　it　is　said；　a

million　gold　crowns；　in　spite　of　the　vastness　of　this　sum；　every　one

far　from　blaming　L'Ile　Adam；　paid　him　many　compliments；　because　it　was

evident　that　neither　Madame　Imperia　nor　her　young　husband　thought　of

anything　but　one。　The　pope　blessed　their　marriage；　and　said　that　it

was　a　fine　thing　to　see　the　foolish　virgin　returning　to　God　by　the

road　of　marriage。



But　during　that　last　night　in　which　it　would　be　permissible　for　all　to

behold　the　Queen　of　Beauty；　who　was　about　to　become　a　simple

chatelaine　of　the　kingdom　of　France；　there　were　a　great　number　of　men

who　mourned　for　the　merry　nights；　the　suppers；　the　masked　balls；　the

joyous　games；　and　the　melting　hours；　when　each　one　emptied　his　heart

to　her。　Everyone　regretted　the　ease　and　freedom　which　had　always　been

found　in　the　residence　of　this　lovely　creature；　who　now　appeared　more

tempting　than　she　had　ever　done　in　her　life；　for　the　fervid　heat　of

her　great　love　made　her　glisten　like　a　summer　sun。　Much　did　they

lament　the　fact　that　she　had　had　the　sad　fantasy　to　become　a

respectable　woman。　To　these　Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　answered　jestingly；

that　after　twenty…four　years　passed　in　the　service　of　the　public；　she

had　a　right　to　retire。　Others　said　to　her；　that　however　distant　the

sun　was；　people　could　warm　themselves　in　it；　while　she　would　show

herself　no　more。　To　these　she　replied　that　she　would　still　have　smiles

to　bestow　upon　those　lords　who　would　come　and　see　how　she　played　the

role　of　a　virtuous　woman。　To　this　the　English　envoy　answered；　he

believed　her　capable　of　pushing　virtue　to　its　extreme　point。　She　gave

a　present　to　each　of　her　friends；　and　large　sums　to　the　poor　and

suffering　of　Rome；　besides　this；　she　left　to　the　convent　where　her

daughter　was　to　have　been；　and　to　the　church　she　had　built；　the　wealth

she　had　inherited　from　Theodora；　which　came　from　the　cardinal　of

Ragusa。



When　the　two　spouses　set　out　they　were　accompanied　a　long　way　by

knights　in　mourning；　and　even　by　the　common　people；　who　wished　them

every　happiness；　because　Madame　Imperia　had　been　hard　on　the　rich

only；　and　had　always　been　kind　and　gentle　with　the　poor。　This　lovely

queen　of　love　was　hailed　with　acclamations　throughout　the　journey　in

all　the　towns　of　Italy　where　the　report　of　her　conversion　had　spread；

and　where　everyone　was　curious　to　see　pass；　a　case　so　rare　as　two　such

spouses。　Several　princes　received　this　handsome　couple　at　their

courts；　saying　it　was　but　right　to　show　honour　to　this　woman　who　had

the　courage　to　renounce　her　empire　over　the　world　of　fashion；　to

become　a　virtuous　woman。　But　there　was　an　evil…minded　fellow；　one　my

lord　Duke　of　Ferrara；　who　said　to　l'Ile　Adam　that　his　great　fortune

had　not　cost　him　much。　At　this　first　offence　Madame　Imperia　showed

what　a　good　heart　she　had；　for　she　gave　up　all　the　money　she　had

received　from　her　lovers；　to　ornament　the　dome　of　St。　Maria　del　Fiore；

in　the　town　of　Florence；　which　turned　the　laugh　against　the　Sire

d'Este；　who　boasted　that　he　had　built　a　church　in　spite　of　the　empty

condition　of　his　purse。　You　may　be　sure　he　was　reprimanded　for　this

joke　by　his　brother　the　cardinal。



The　fair　Imperia　only　kept　her　own　wealth　and　that　which　the　Emperor

had　bestowed　upon　her　out　of　pure　friendship　since　his　departure；　the

amount　of　which　was　however；　considerable。　The　cadet　of　l'Ile　Adam　had

a　duel　with　the　duke；　in　which　he　wounded　him。　Thus　neither　Madame　de

l'Ile　Adam；　nor　her　husband　could　be　in　any　way　reproached。　This　piece

of　chivalry　caused　her　to　be　gloriously　received　in　all　places　she

passed　through；　especially　in　Piedmont；　where　the　fetes　were　splendid。

Verses　which　the　poet　then　composed；　such　as　sonnets；　epithalamias；

and　odes；　have　been　given　in　certain　collections；　but　all　poetry　was

weak　in　comparison　with　her；　who　was；　according　to　an　expression　of

Monsieur　Boccaccio；　poetry　herself。



The　prize　in　this　tourney　of　fetes　and　gallantry　must　be　awarded　to

the　good　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　who；　knowing　of　the　misbehaviour　of

the　Duke　of　Ferrara；　dispatched　an　envoy　to　his　old　flame；　charged

with　Latin　manuscripts；　in　which　he　told　her　that　he　loved　her　so　much

for　herself；　that　he　was　delighted　to　know　that　she　was　happy；　but

grieved　to　know　that　all　her　happiness　was　not　derived　from　him；　that

he　had　lost　his　right　to　make　her　presents；　but　that；　if　the　king　of

France　received　her　coldly；　he　would　think　it　an　honour　to　acquire　a

Villiers　to　the　holy　empire；　and　would　give　him　such　principalities　as

he　might　choose　from　his　domains。　The　fair　Imperia　replied　that　she

was　extremely　obliged　to　the　Emperor；　but　that　had　she　to　suffer

contumely　upon　contumely　in　France；　she　still　intended　there　to　finish

her　days。





II

HOW　THIS　MARRIAGE　ENDED



Not　knowing　if　it　she　would　be　received　or　not；　the　lady　of　l'Ile　Adam

would　not　go　to　court；　but　lived　in　the　country；　where　her　husband

made　a　fine　establishment；　purchasing　the　manor　of　Beaumont…le…

Vicomte；　which　gave　rise　to　the　equivoque　upon　his　name；　made　by　our

well…beloved　Rabelais；　in　his　most　magnificent　book。　He　acquired　also

the　domain　of　Nointel；　the　forest　of　Carenelle；　St。　Martin；　and　other

places　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　l'Ile　Adam；　where　his　brother

Villiers　resided。　These　said　acquisitions　made　him　the　most　powerful

lord　in　the　l'Ile　de　France　and　county　of　Paris。　He　built　a　wonderful

castle　near　Beaumont；　which　was　afterwards　ruined　by　the　English；　and

adorned　it　with　the　furniture；　foreign　tapestries；　chests；　pictures；

statues；　and　curiosities；　of　his　wife；　who　was　a　great　connoisseur；