and gentleness, surpassed all others of her time, and who when she was
fifteen was renowned for her virtue and beauty.

God knows that many folk of good position desired and sought for her
good grace by all the divers manners used by lovers,--which was no
small pleasure to her father and mother, and increased their ardent and
paternal affection for their beloved daughter.

But it happened that, either by the permission of God, or that Fortune
willed and ordered it so, being envious and discontented at the
prosperity of this beautiful girl, or of her parents, or all of
them,--or may be from some secret and natural cause that I leave to
doctors and philosophers to determine, that she was afflicted with an
unpleasant and dangerous disease which is commonly called piles.

The worthy family was greatly troubled when they found the fawn they so
dearly loved, set on by the sleuth-hounds and beagles of this unpleasant
disease, which had, moreover, attacked its prey in a dangerous place.
The poor girl--utterly cast down by this great misfortune,--could do
naught else than weep and sigh. Her grief-stricken mother was much
troubled; and her father, greatly vexed, wrung his hands, and tore his
hair in his rage at this fresh misfortune.

Need I say that all the pride of that household was suddenly cast down
to the ground, and in one moment converted into bitter and great grief.

The relations, friends, and neighbours of the much-enduring family came
to visit and comfort the damsel; but little or nothing might they profit
her, for the poor girl was more and more attacked and oppressed by that
disease.