"She was not one of those," said Oisille, "against whom our Lord says,
'We have mourned to you and ye have not lamented, we have sung to you
and ye have not danced,' (2) for when her husband was ill, she wept, and
when he was merry, she laughed. In the same fashion every virtuous
woman ought to share the good and evil, the joy and the sadness of her
husband, and serve and obey him as the Church does Jesus Christ."

2 "They are like unto children sitting in the market-place,
and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto
you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye
have not wept."--_St. Luke_ vii. 32.--M.

"Then, ladies," said Parlamente, "our husbands should be to us what
Christ is to the Church."

"So are we," said Saffredent, "and, if it were possible, something more;
for Christ died but once for His Church, whereas we die daily for our
wives."

"Die!" said Longarine. "Methinks that you and the others here present
are now worth more crowns than you were worth pence before you were
wed."

"And I know why," said Saffredent; "it is because our worth is often
tried. Still our shoulders are sensible of having worn the cuirass so
long."

"If," said Ennasuite, "you had been obliged to wear harness for a month
and lie on the hard ground, you would greatly long to regain the bed of
your excellent wife, and wear the cuirass of which you now complain.