statues；　and　curiosities；　of　his　wife；　who　was　a　great　connoisseur；
  which　made　this　place　equal　to　the　most　magnificent　castles　known。
  The　happy　pair　led　a　life　so　envied　by　all；　that　nothing　was　talked
  about　in　Paris　and　at　Court　but　this　marriage；　the　good　fortune　of　the
  Sire　de　Beaumont；　and；　above　all；　of　the　perfect；　loyal；　gracious；　and
  religious　life　of　his　wife；　who　from　habit　many　still　called　Madame
  Imperia；　who　was　no　longer　proud　and　sharp　as　steel；　but　had　the
  virtues　and　qualities　of　a　respectable　woman；　and　was　an　example　in
  many　things　to　a　queen。　She　was　much　beloved　by　the　Church　on　account
  of　her　great　religion；　for　she　had　never　once　forgotten　God；　having；
  as　she　once　said；　spent　much　of　her　time　with　churchmen；　abbots；
  bishops；　and　cardinals；　who　had　sprinkled　her　well　with　holy　water；
  and　under　the　curtains　worked　her　eternal　salvation。
  The　praises　sung　in　honour　of　this　lady　had　such　an　effect；　that　the
  king　came　to　Beauvoisis　to　gaze　upon　this　wonder；　and　did　the　sire　the
  honour　to　sleep　at　Beaumont；　remained　there　three　days；　and　had　a
  royal　hunt　there　with　the　queen　and　the　whole　Court。　You　may　be　sure
  that　he　was　surprised；　as　were　also　the　queen；　the　ladies；　and　the
  Court；　at　the　manners　of　this　superb　creature；　who　was　proclaimed　a
  lady　of　courtesy　and　beauty。　The　king　first；　then　the　queen；　and
  afterwards　every　individual　member　of　the　company；　complemented　l'Ile
  Adam　on　having　chosen　such　a　wife。　The　modesty　of　the　chatelaine　did
  more　than　pride　would　have　accomplished；　for　she　was　invited　to　court；
  and　everywhere；　so　imperious　was　her　great　heart；　so　tyrannic　her
  violent　love　for　her　husband。　You　may　be　sure　that　her　charms；　hidden
  under　the　garments　of　virtue；　were　none　the　less　exquisite。　The　king
  gave　the　vacant　post　of　lieutenant　of　the　Ile　de　France　and　provost　of
  Paris　to　his　ancient　ambassador；　giving　him　the　title　of　Viscount　of
  Beaumont；　which　established　him　as　governor　of　the　whole　province；　and
  put　him　on　an　excellent　footing　at　court。　But　this　was　the　cause　of　a
  great　wound　in　Madame's　heart；　because　a　wretch；　jealous　of　this
  unclouded　happiness；　asked　her；　playfully；　if　Beaumont　had　ever　spoken
  to　her　of　his　first　love；　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorency；　who　at　that
  time　was　twenty…two　years　of　age；　as　she　was　sixteen　at　the　time　the
  marriage　took　place　in　Romethe　which　young　lady　loved　l'Ile　Adam　so
  much　that　she　remained　a　maiden；　would　listen　to　no　proposals　of
  marriage；　and　was　dying　of　a　broken　heart；　unable　to　banish　her
  perfidious　lover　from　her　remembrance　and　was　desirous　of　entering　the
  convent　of　Chelles。　Madame　Imperia；　during　the　six　years　of　her
  marriage；　had　never　heard　this　name；　and　was　sure　from　this　fact　that
  she　was　indeed　beloved。　You　can　imagine　that　this　time　had　been　passed
  as　a　single　day；　that　both　believed　that　they　had　only　been　married
  the　evening　before；　and　that　each　night　was　as　a　wedding　night；　and
  that　if　business　took　the　knight　out　of　doors；　he　was　quite
  melancholy；　being　unwilling　ever　to　have　her　out　of　his　sight；　and　she
  was　the　same　with　him。
  The　king；　who　was　very　partial　to　the　viscount；　also　made　a　remark　to
  him　which　stung　him　to　the　quick；　when　he　said；　〃You　have　no
  children？〃
  To　which　Beaumont　replied；　with　the　face　of　a　man　whose　raw　place　you
  have　touched　with　your　finger；　〃Monsiegneur；　my　brother　has；　thus　our
  line　is　safe。〃
  Now　it　happened　that　his　brother's　two　children　died　suddenlyone
  from　a　fall　from　his　horse　at　a　tournament　and　the　other　from　illness。
  Monsieur　l'Ile　Adam　the　elder　was　so　stricken　with　grief　at　these　two
  deaths　that　he　expired　soon　after；　so　much　did　he　love　his　two　sons。
  By　this　means　the　manor　of　Beaumont；　the　property　at　Carenelle；　St。
  Martin；　Nointel；　and　the　surrounding　domains；　were　reunited　to　the
  manor　of　l'Ile　Adam；　and　the　neighbouring　forests；　and　the　cadet
  became　the　head　of　the　house。　At　this　time　Madame　was　forty…five；　and
  was　still　fit　to　bear　children；　but　alas！　she　conceived　not。　As　soon
  as　she　saw　the　lineage　of　l'Ile　Adam　destroyed；　she　was　anxious　to
  obtain　offspring。
  Now；　as　during　the　seven　years　which　had　elapsed　she　had　never　once
  had　the　slightest　hint　of　pregnancy；　she　believed；　according　to　the
  statement　of　a　clever　physician　whom　she　sent　for　from　Paris；　that
  this　barrenness　proceeded　from　the　fact；　that　both　she　and　her
  husband；　always　more　lovers　than　spouses；　allowed　pleasure　to
  interfere　with　business；　and　by　this　means　engendering　was　prevented。
  Then　she　endeavoured　to　restrain　her　impetuosity；　and　to　take　things
  coolly；　because　the　physician　had　explained　to　her　that　in　a　state　of
  nature　animals　never　failed　to　breed；　because　the　females　employed
  none　of　those　artifices；　tricks；　and　hanky…pankies　with　which　women
  accommodate　the　olives　of　Poissy；　and　for　this　reason　they　thoroughly
  deserved　the　title　of　beasts。　She　promised　him　no　longer　to　play　with
  such　a　serious　affair；　and　to　forget　all　the　ingenious　devices　in
  which　she　had　been　so　fertile。　But；　alas！　although　she　kept　as　quiet
  as　that　German　woman　who　lay　so　still　that　her　husband　embraced　her　to
  death；　and　then　went；　poor　baron；　to　obtain　absolution　from　the　pope；
  who　delivered　his　celebrated　brief；　in　which　he　requested　the　ladies
  of　Franconia　to　be　a　little　more　lively；　and　prevent　a　repetition　of
  such　a　crime。　Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　did　not　conceive；　and　fell　into　a
  state　of　great　melancholy。
  Then　she　began　to　notice　how　thoughtful　had　become　her　husband；　l'Ile
  Adam；　whom　she　watched　when　he　thought　she　was　not　looking；　and　who
  wept　that　he　had　no　fruit　of　his　great　love。　Soon　this　pair　mingled
  their　tears；　for　everything　was　common　to　the　two　in　this　fine
  household；　and　as　they　never　left　the　other；　the　thought　of　the　one
  was　necessarily　the　thought　of　the　other。　When　Madame　beheld　a　poor
  person's　child　she　nearly　died　of　grief；　and　it　took　her　a　whole　day
  to　recover。　Seeing　this　great　sorrow；　l'Ile　Adam　ordered　all　children
  to　be　kept　out　of　his　wife's　sight；　and　said　soothing　things　to　her；
  such　as　that　children　often　turned　out　badly；　to　which　she　replied；
  that　a　child　made　by　those　who　loved　so　passionately　would　be　the
  finest　child　in　the　world。　He　told　her　that　her　sons　might　perish；
  like　those　of　his　poor　brother；　to　which　she　replied；　that　she　would
  not　let　them　stir　further　from　her　petticoats　than　a　hen　allows　her
  chickens。　In　fact；　she　had　an　answer　for　everything。
  Madame　caused　a　woman　to　be　sent　for　who　dealt　in　magic；　and　who　was
  supposed　to　be　learned　in　these　mysteries；　who　told　her　that　she　had
  often　seen　women　unable　to　conceive　in　spite　of　every　effort；　but　yet
  they　had　succeeded　by　studying　the　manners　and　customs　of　animals。
  Madame　took　the　beasts　of　the　fields　for　her　preceptors；　but　she　did
  not　increase　in　size；　her　flesh　still　remained　firm　and　white　as
  marble。　She　returned　to　the　physical　science　of　the　master　doctors　of
  Paris；　and　sent　for　a　celebrated　Arabian　physician；　who　had　just
  arrived　in　France　with　a　new　science。　Then　this　savant；　brought　up　in
  the　school　of　one　Sieur　Averroes；　entered　into　certain　medical
  details；　and　declared　that　the　loose　life　she　had　formerly　led　had　for
  ever　ruined　her　chance　of　obtaining　offspring。　The　physical　reasons
  which　he　assigned　were　so　contrary　to　the　teaching　of　the　holy　books
  which　establish　the　majesty　of　man；　made　in　the　image　of　his　creator；
  and　so　contrary　to　the　system　upheld　by　sound　sense　and　good　doctrine；
  that　the　doctors　of　Paris　laughed　them　to　scorn。　The　Arabian　physician
  left　the　school　where　his　master；　the　Sieur　Averroes；　was　unknown。
  The　doctors　told　Madame；　who　had　come　to　Paris；　that　she　was　to　keep
  on　as　usual；　since　she　had　had　during　her　gay　life　the　lovely
  Theodora；　by　the　cardinal　of　Ragusa；　and　that　the　right　of　having
  children　remained　with　women　as　long　as　their　blood　circulated；　and
  all　that　she　had　to　do　was　to　multiply　the　chances　of　conception。　This
  advice　appeared　to　her　so　good　that　she　multiplied　her　victories；　but
  it　was　only　multiplying　her　defeats；　since　she　obtained　the　flowers　of
  love　without　its　fruits。
  The　poor　afflicted　woman　wrote　then　to　the　pope；　who　loved　her　much；
  and　told　him　of　her　sorrows。　The　good　pope　replied　to　her　with　a
  gracious　homily；　written　with　his　own　hand；　in　which　he　told　her　that
  when　human　science　and　things　terrestrial　had　failed；　we　should　turn
  to　Heaven　and　implore　the　grace　of　God。　Then　she　determined　to　go　with
  naked　feet；　accompanied　by　her　husband；　to　Notre　Dame　de　Liesse；
  celebrated　for　her　intervention　in　similar　cases；　and　made　a　vow　to
  build　a　magnificent　cathedral　in　gratitude　for　the　child。　But　she
  bruised　and　injured　her　pretty　feet；　and　conceived　nothing　but　a
  violent　grief；　which　was　so　great　that　some　of　her　lovely　tresses　fell
  off　and　some　turned　white。
  At　last　the　faculty　of　making　children　was　taken　from　her；　which
  brought　on　the　vapours　conseq