Tale L. The Lady killing herself on the Death of her Lover.




FOURTH DAY.

_On the Fourth Day are chiefly told Tales of the
virtuous patience and long suffering of
Ladies to win over their husbands;
and of the prudence that Men
have used towards Women
to save the honour of
their families and
lineage._




PROLOGUE.

The Lady Oisille, as was her excellent custom, rose up on the morrow
very much earlier than the others, and meditating upon her book of
Holy Scripture, awaited the company which, little by little, assembled
together again. And the more slothful of them excused themselves in the
words of the Bible, saying, "I have a wife, and therefore could not come
so quickly." (1) In this wise it came to pass that Hircan and his wife
Parlamente found the reading of the lesson already begun. Oisille,
however, knew right well how to pick out the passage in the Scriptures,
which reproves those who neglect the hearing of the Word, and she not