About midnight came a young man, which seemed to be one of the family of the good woman Charites, who sometimes endured so much misery and calamity with me amongst the thieves, who after that he had taken a stool, and sat down before the fireside, in the company of the servants, began to declare many terrible things that had happened unto the house of Charites, saying: Oh ye housekeepers, shepherds and cowherds, you shall understand that we have lost our good mistress Charites miserably and by evil adventure: and to the end you may learn and know all the whole matter, I purpose to tell you the circumstances of every point, whereby such as are more learned then I (to whom fortune hath ministered more copious style) may paint it out in paper in form of an history. There was a young gentleman dwelling in the next city, born of good parentage, valiant in prowess, and rich in substance, but very much given and addicted to whore-hunting, and continual revelling. Whereby he fell in company with thieves, and had his hand ready to the effusion of human blood; his name was Thrasillus. The matter was this according to the report of every man. He demanded Charites in marriage, who although he were a man more comely then the residue that wooed her, and also had riches abundantly, yet because he was of evil fame, and a man of wicked manners and conversation, he had the repulse and was put off by Charites, and so she married with Lepolemus. Howbeit this young man secretly loved her, yet moved somewhat at her refusal, he busily searched some means to work his damnable intent. And (having found occasion and opportunity to accomplish his purpose, which he had long time concealed) brought to pass, that the same day that Charites was delivered by the subtle mean and valiant audacity of her husband, from the puissance of the thieves, he mingled himself among the assembly, feigning that he was glad of the new marriage, and coming home again of the maiden, whereby (by reason that he came of so noble parents) he was received and entertained into the house as one of their chief and principal friends: howbeit under cloak of a faithful well-willer, he dissimuled his mischievous mind and intent: in continuance of time by much familiarity and often conversation and banqueting together, he fell more and more in favour, like as we see it fortuneth to lovers, who first do little delight themselves in love: till as by continual acquaintance they kiss and embrace each other. Thrasillus perceiving that it was a hard matter to break his mind secretly to Charites, whereby he was wholly barred from the accomplishment of his luxurious appetite, and on the other side perceiving that the love of her and her husband was so strongly linked together, that the bond between them might in nowise be dissevered, moreover, it was a thing impossible to ravish her, although he had consented thereto, yet was he still provoked forward by vehement lust, when as he saw himself unable to bring his purpose to pass. Howbeit at length the thing which seemed so hard and difficill, thorough hope of his fortified love, did now appear easy and facill: but mark I pray you diligently to what end the furious force of his inordinate desire came. On a day Lepolemus went to the chase with Thrasillus, to hunt for goats, for his wife Charites desired him earnestly to meddle with no other beasts, which were of more fierce and wild nature. When they were come within the chase to a great thicket fortressed about with briers and thorns, they compassed round with their dogs and beset every place with nets: by and by warning was given to let loose. The dogs rushed in with such a cry, that all the Forest rang again with the noise, but behold there leaped out no goat, nor deer, nor gentle hind, but an horrible and dangerous wild boar, hard and thick skinned, bristled terribly with thorns, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and looking direfully with fiery eyes. The dogs that first set upon him, he tore and rent with his tusks, and then he ran quite through the nets, and escaped away. When we saw the fury of this beast, we were greatly stricken with fear, and because we never accustomed to chase such dreadful boars, and further because we were unarmed and without weapons, we got and hid ourselves under bushes and trees. Then Thrasillus having found opportunity to work his treason, said to Lepolemus: What stand we here amazed? Why show we ourselves like dastards? Why lose we so worthy a prey with our feminine hearts? Let us mount upon our horses, and pursue him incontinently: take you a hunting staff, and I will take a chasing spear. By and by they leaped upon their horses, and followed the beast. But he returning against them with furious force, pried with his eyes, on whom he might first assail with his tusks: Lepolemus struck the beast first on the back with his hunting staff. Thrasillus feigning to aid and assist him, came behind, and cut off the hinder legs of Lepolemus’ horse, in such sort that he fell down to the ground with his master: and suddenly the Boar came upon Lepolemus and furiously tore and rent him with his teeth. Howbeit, Thrasillus was not sufficed to see him thus wounded, but when he desired his friendly help, he thrust Lepolemus through the right thigh with his spear, the more because he thought the wound of the spear would be taken for a wound of the Boars teeth, then he killed the beast likewise, and when he was thus miserably slain, every one of us came out of our holes, and went towards our slain master. But although that Thrasillus was joyful of the death of Lepolemus, whom he did greatly hate, yet he cloaked the matter with a sorrowful countenance, he feigned a dolorous face, he often embraced the body which himself slew, he played all the parts of a mourning person, saving there fell no tears from his eyes. Thus he resembled us in each point, who verily and not without occasion had cause to lament for our master, laying all the blame of this homicide unto the boar. Incontinently after the sorrowful news of the death of Lepolemus, came to the ears of all the family, but especially to Charites, who after she had heard such pitiful tidings, as a mad and raging woman, ran up and down the streets, crying and howling lamentably. All the citizens gathered together, and such as they met bare them company running towards the chasse. When they came to the slain body of Lepolemus, Charites threw herself upon him weeping and lamenting grievously for his death, in such sort, that she would have presently ended her life, upon the corpse of her slain husband, whom she so entirely loved, had it not been that her parents and friends did comfort her, and pulled her away. The body was taken up, and in funeral pomp brought to the city and buried. In the mean season, Thrasillus feigned much sorrow for the death of Lepolemus, but in his heart he was well pleased and joyful. And to counterfeit the matter, he would come to Charites and say: Oh what a loss have I had of my friend, my fellow, my companion Lepolemus? Oh Charites comfort yourself, pacify your dolour, refrain your weeping, beat not your breasts: and with such other and like words and diverse examples he endeavoured to suppress her great sorrow, but he spake not this for any other intent but to win the heart of the woman, and to nourish his odious love with filthy delight. Howbeit Charites after the burial of her husband sought the means to follow him, and (not sustaining the sorrows wherein she was wrapped) got her secretly into a chamber and purposed to finish her life there with dolour and tribulation. But Thrasillus was very importunate, and at length brought to pass, that at the intercession of the parents and friends of Charites, she somewhat refreshed her fallen members with refection of meat and bain. Howbeit, she did it more at the commandment of her parents, than for anything else: for she could in nowise be merry, nor receive any comfort, but tormented herself day and night before the image of her husband which she made like unto Bacchus, and rendered unto him divine honours and services. In the mean season Thrasillus not able to refrain any longer, before Charites had assuaged her dolor, before her troubled mind had pacified her fury, even in the middle of all her griefs, while she tore her hair and rent her garments, demanded her in marriage, and so without shame, he detected the secrets and unspeakable deceits of his heart. But Charites detested and abhorred his demand, and as she had been stricken with some clap of thunder, with some storm, or with the lightning of Jupiter, she presently fell down to the ground all amazed. Howbeit when her spirits were revived and that she returned to herself, perceiving that Thrasillus was so importunate, she demanded respite to deliberate and to take advice on the matter. In the mean season, the shape of Lepolemus that was slain so miserably, appeared to Charites saying, Oh my sweet wife (which no other person can say but I) I pray thee for the love which is between us two, if there he any memory of me in thy heart, or remembrance of my pitiful death, marry with any other person, so that thou marry not with the traitor Thrasillus, have no conference with him, eat not with him, lie not with him, avoid the bloody hand of mine enemy, couple not thyself with a parricide, for those wounds (the blood whereof thy tears did wash away) were not the wounds of the teeth of the boar, but the spear of Thrasillus, that deprived me from thee. Thus spake Lepolemus, unto his loving wife, and declared the residue of the damnable fact. Then Charites, awaking from sleep, began to renew her dolour, to tear her garments, and to beat her arms with her comely hands, howbeit she revealed the vision which she saw to no manner of person, but dissembling that she knew no part of the mischief, devised with herself how she might be revenged on the traitor, and finish her own life to end and knit up all sorrow. Incontinently came Thrasillus, the detestable demander of sudden pleasure, and wearied the closed ears of Charites with talk of marriage, but she gently refused his communication, and colouring the matter, with passing craft in the middest of his earnest desires gan say, Thrasillus you shall understand that yet the face of your brother and my husband, is always before mine eyes, I smell yet the cinnamon scent of his precious body, I yet feel Lepolemus alive in my heart: wherefore you shall do well if you grant to me miserable woman, necessary time to bewail his death, that after the residue of a few months, the whole year may be expired, which thing toucheth as well my shame as your wholesome profit, lest peradventure by your speed and quick marriage we should justly raise and provoke the spirit of my husband to work our destruction. Howbeit, Thrasillus was not contented with this promise, but more and more came upon her: Insomuch, that she was enforced to speak to him in this manner: My friend Thrasillus, if thou be so contented until the whole year be complete and finished, behold here is my body, take thy pleasure, but in such sort and so secret that no servant of the house may perceive it. Then Thrasillus trusting to the false promises of the woman, and preferring his inordinate pleasure above all things in the world, was joyful in his heart and looked for night, when as he might have his purpose. But come thou about midnight (quoth Charites) disguised without company, and do but hiss at my chamber door, and my nurse shall attend and let thee in. This counsel pleased Thrasillus marvelously, who (suspecting no harm) did always look for night, and the hour assigned by Charites. The time was scarce come, when as (according to her commandment) he disguised himself, and went straight to the chamber, where he found the nurse attending for him, who (by the appointment of her mistress) fed him with flattering talk, and gave him mingled and doled drink in a cup, excusing the absence of her mistress Charites, by reason that she attended on her Father being sick, until such time, that with sweet talk and operation of the wine, he fell in a sound sleep: now when he lay prostrate on the ground ready to all adventure, Charites (being called for) came in, and with manly courage and bold force stood over the sleeping murderer, saying: Behold the faithful companion of my husband, behold this valiant hunter; behold me dear spouse, this is the hand which shed my blood, this is the heart which hath devised so many subtle means to work my destruction, these be the eyes whom I have ill pleased, behold now they foreshow their own destiny: sleep careless, dream that thou art in the hands of the merciful, for I will not hurt thee with thy sword or any other weapon: God forbid that I should slay thee as thou slewest my husband, but thy eyes shall fail thee, and thou shalt see no more, then that whereof thou dreamest: Thou shalt think the death of thine enemy more sweet than thy life: thou shalt see no light, thou shalt lack the aide of a leader, thou shalt not have me as thou hopest, thou shalt have no delight of my marriage, thou shalt not die, and yet living thou shalt have no joy, but wander between light and darkness as an unsure image: thou shalt seek for the hand that pricked out thine eyes, yet shalt thou not know of whom thou shouldest complain: I will make sacrifice with the blood of thine eyes upon the grave of my husband. But what gainest thou through my delay? Perhaps thou dreamest that thou embracest me in thy arms: leave off the darkness of sleep and awake thou to receive a penal deprivation of thy sight, lift up thy face, regard thy vengeance and evil fortune, reckon thy misery; so pleaseth thine eyes to a chaste woman, that thou shall have blindness to thy companion, and an everlasting remorse of thy miserable conscience. When she had spoken these words, she took a great needle from her head and pricked out both his eyes: which done, she by and by caught the naked sword which her husband Lepolemus accustomed to wear, and ran throughout all the city like a mad woman towards the sepulchre of her husband. Then all we of the house, with all the citizens, ran incontinently after her to take the sword out of her hand, but she clasping about the tomb of Lepolemus, kept us off with her naked weapon, and when she perceived that every one of us wept and lamented, she spake in this sort: I pray you my friends weep not, nor lament for me, for I have revenged the death of my husband, I have punished deservedly the wicked breaker of our marriage; now is it time to seek out my sweet Lepolemus, and presently with this sword to finish my life. And therewithal after she had made relation of the whole matter, declared the vision which she saw and told by what mean she deceived Thrasillus, thrusting her sword under her right breast, and wallowing in her own blood, at length with manly courage yielded up the ghost. Then immediately the friends of miserable Charites did bury her body within the same sepulchre. Thrasillus hearing all the matter, and knowing not by what means he might end his life, for he thought his sword was not sufficient to revenge so great a crime, at length went to the same sepulchre, and cried with a loud voice, saying: oh ye dead spirits whom I have so highly and greatly offended, vouchsafe to receive me, behold I make sacrifice unto you with my whole body: which said, he closed the sepulchre, purposing to famish himself, and to finish his life there in sorrow. These things the young man with pitiful sighs and tears, declared unto the cowherds and shepherds, which caused them all to weep: but they fearing to become subject unto new masters, prepared themselves to depart away.