THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
sulted her ladies one summer evening, while they were walking together in the shady alleys that were all around the castle, as to how she should best make the duke to amend his ways and live more like a good Christian gentleman for the future. And they all said that to consider this matter it was necessary that they should be seated and at their ease, for it was a knotty question and the very mention of it made them warm. So they walked on until they came to a large and special seat, placed under a great oak, and most exquisitely cut out in marble, and adorned with admirable devices that had generated in the brain and were shapen by the chisel of a young gentleman of Florence employed by the duke in the beautifying of his castle. Then my lady took her place in the centre of this fine form, and the rest who were (most of them) dark beauties, sat down with much rustling of silk and satin on either side of her; the girls who could not find places lying down on the grass in all sorts of pretty postures, and thus this brave Parliament proceeded to debate. And as is usual with assemblies of this kind there was a great diversity of opinions, theories, speculations, and methods; some would have Constance smile more on her lord, beguile him with allurements, and gently draw him into the mesh of love: some were for frowns, black looks, and words of reproach; some for floods of tears, long drawn sighs, and a pitiful beseeching countenance. Francesca of Mantua, who was one of the Bedchamber women, counselled Constance never to leave the duke by night or day, but to be ever beside
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