for all the lady's affairs as though they were his own, and his wife
doing no less. By reason, however, of her beauty many great lords and
gentlemen earnestly sought the lady's favour, some only for love's sake,
others for sake of the ring, for, besides being beautiful, she was also
very rich.

Among the rest was a young gentleman, called the Lord des Cheriots, (3)
who wooed her so ardently that he was never absent from her levee and
couchée, and was also with her as much as possible during the day. This
did not please the Prince of Belhoste, who thought that a man of such
poor estate, and so lacking in grace, did not deserve an honourable
and gracious reception, and he often made remonstrances about it to the
lady. She, however, being one of Eve's daughters, (4) excused herself
by saying that she spoke with every one in general, and that their own
affection was the better concealed, since she never spoke more with one
than with another.

3 "Des Cheriots" (occasionally Des Cheriotz in the MS.) may
be a play upon the name of D'Escars, sometimes written Des
Cars. According to La Curne de Ste. Palaye _car_ as well as
_char_ signified chariot. The D'Escars dukedom is modern,
dating from 1815, and in the time of Francis I. the family
was of small estate. Some members of it may well have filled
inferior offices about the court, as in 1536 a Demoiselle
Suzanne d'Escars married Geoffrey de Pompadour, who was both
a prothonotary and cupbearer to Francis I., and lived to
become Governor of the Limousin under Charles IX.--M. and
Ed.

4 We take this expression from MS. 1520. Ours says, "a