compared with some of Clement Marot's elegies, notably with
one in which he complains of having been surprised while
conversing with his mistress in a church.--B. J.

This reply came to the ears of so many people, that the Queen heard of
it and asked her why she spoke in that way. Rolandine replied that it
was done in obedience to herself, who had never been pleased to marry
her to any man who would have well and comfortably provided for her;
accordingly, being taught by years and patience to be content with her
present condition, she would always return a like answer whensoever any
one spoke to her of marriage.

When the wars were over, (7) and the Bastard had returned to Court, she
never spoke to him in presence of others, but always repaired to
some church and there had speech with him under pretence of going to
confession; for the Queen had forbidden them both, under penalty of
death, to speak together except in public. But virtuous love, which
recks naught of such a ban, was more ready to find them means of speech
than were their enemies to spy them out; the Bastard disguised himself
in the habit of every monkish order he could think of, and thus their
virtuous intercourse continued, until the King repaired to a pleasure
house he had near Tours. (8)

7 The wars here referred to would be one or another of Louis
XII.'s Italian expeditions, probably that of 1507, when the
battle of Aignadel was fought.--Ed.

8 This would no doubt be the famous château of Plessis-lez-
Tours, within a mile of Tours, and long the favourite
residence of Louis XI. Louis XII. is known to have sojourned