the gallant Percinet had bewitched the eyes of these women. They imagined they had birch-rods in their hands, but they had only bunches of feathers of all sorts of colours, and from the moment they began to flog her, Gracieuse observed the fact and ceased to be afraid, saying to herself, "Ah, Percinet, you have most generously come to my assistance! What should I have done without you?" The flagellants so fatigued themselves, that they could no longer lift their arms. They huddled her into her clothes and turned her out of the room with a thousand abusive epithets. She returned to her own chamber pretending to be very ill, went to bed, and ordered that no one should stay near her but her nurse, to whom she related her adventure. She talked herself to sleep, the nurse left her, and on awaking she saw in a corner of the room the green page whose respect prevented him from approaching her. She assured him she should never forget, as long as she lived, her obligations to him. She conjured him not to abandon her to the fury of her enemy, but begged he would leave the room, as she had always been taught that it was not correct to remain alone with young gentlemen. He replied, that she should see the respect he entertained for her; that it was but just, as she was his mistress, that he should obey her in all things, even at the expense of his own happiness, and thereupon he left her, after advising her to continue feigning indisposition in consequence of the ill usage she had received.
Grognon was so gratified to learn that Gracieuse was in such a condition, that she got well in half the time she would otherwise have done, and the marriage was celebrated with great magnificence. But as the king was aware that Grognon preferred, above everything, to be extolled for her beauty, he had her portrait painted, and commanded a tournament in which six of the best knights in his court should maintain against all comers that Queen Grognon was the loveliest princess in the world.
A great many foreign knights appeared in the lists to maintain the contrary. The baboon herself was present at all the encounters, seated in a grand balcony hung with cloth of gold, and had the pleasure of seeing the skill of her champions successful in her bad cause. Gracieuse, placed behind her, attracted every eye, and Grognon, as silly as she was vain, imagined that no one could look at anybody but her.
