A gentleman, however, who at that time held the
office of Provost of Paris (2) from the King, seeing that his master was
young, of an age to desire such company, so cleverly contrived matters
with all four of the damsels that each, thinking herself intended for
the King, agreed to what the aforesaid Provost desired. This was that
they should all of them be present at a feast to which he invited his
master.
1 This story, omitted by Boaistuau, was included in
Gruget's edition of the _Heptameron_.--L.
2 This is John de la Barre, already alluded to in Tale I.
The _Journal d'un Bourgeois de Paris_ tells us that he was
born in Paris of poor parents, and became a favourite of
Francis I., who appointed him Bailiff of the capital,
without requiring him to pay any of the dues attaching to
the office. From the roll of the royal household for 1522,
we also find that he was then a gentleman of the bed chamber
with 1200 _livres_ salary, master of the wardrobe (a post
worth 200 _livres_) and governor of the pages, for the board
and clothing of whom he received 5000 _livres_ annually. In
1526 he became Provost as well as Bailiff of Paris, the two
offices then being amalgamated.
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