CONTENTS.

		Page.
FOREWORD.		[v].
VIRGINITY AND ITS TRADITIONS.		[xix].
THE ENCHANTED RING:
	Of a Young Husband who Sought to Redeem his Yard from Pawn, and of the Divers Adventures that Befell him in his Quest.	[1]
VARIANT:
	Of a Tailor who Consented to Sin with a certain Woman who Admired his Proportions; and how they Fared.	[10]
THE INSTRUMENT:
	Of a Young Girl who Desired her Lover to Buy a Better Instrument, which she Enjoyed, Lost and Found again.	[13]
EXCURSUS to THE INSTRUMENT.		[16]
THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE:
	Of a Maid who would Wed None save Ivan the No-Yard; and how they were Wed, after which she first Hired, then Bought, a Good Yard from Ivan’s Uncle.	[17]
EXCURSUS to THE ENCHANTED RING, THE INSTRUMENT, and THE TIMOROUS FIANCÉE.		[22]
ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE AT GENEVA:
	Of an Adventure with two Charming Cousins, one of whom Desired to know why a Deity could not Impregnate a Woman; and how the Hero of our Story gave Demonstration of Theological and other Matters.	[24]
EXCURSUS to ADVENTURES WITH HEDVIGE AND HELÈNE.		[37]
THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE:
	Of a Young Lady, who, being Enamoured of a Prince, Sendeth for one of his Chaplains, and with him Entereth into a Plot which Bringeth the Affair to the Desired Issue.	[42]
EXCURSUS to THE DAMSEL AND THE PRINCE.		[49]
THE PENITENT NUN:
	Of a Nun, who Strove to Flee the Shafts of Love; how she Succeeded; and how certain Young Nuns Received her Counsel.	[52]
BEYOND THE MARK:
	Of a Shepherd who Made an Agreement with a Shepherdess that he should Mount upon her; and how he Kept that Agreement.	[53]
THE DEVIL IN HELL:
	Of a Young Maid, who, Turning Hermit, was Taught by a Monk to Put the Devil in Hell; and how she found Much Pleasure therein.	[56]
EXCURSUS to THE DEVIL IN HELL.		[63]
THE WEDDING NIGHT OF JEAN THE FOOL:
	Of a Young Husband who thought his Wife would Give him a Chicken on their Wedding Night; and how he Learned in what Fashion he must Comport himself to have that Chicken.	[65]
THE MAIDEN WELL GUARDED:
	Of a Maid who had been most Strictly Enjoined to Guard her Maidenhead; and how a Youth Restored it to her when she Lost it.	[69]
VARIANT:
	Of one Coypeau, who Securely Sewed up a Damsel’s Maidenhead with his own Thread.	[72]
TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN:
	Of a Prince and a Princess who became Acquainted in Strange Circumstances; of their Loves, Separation, Re-union, and divers Remarkable Happenings.	[74]
EXCURSUS to the TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN.		[92]
THE FOOL:
	Of a Young Man who would fain have Wed, yet Contrived to Satisfy his Wish without Marriage.	[101]
“OH MOTHER, ROGER WITH HIS KISSES”:
	Of the Emotions of an Innocent Virgin when Wooed Boisterously by her Swain.	[103]
FOOLISH FEAR:
	Of a Virgin Wife who did not Understand the Business of Marriage; and how the Parties went to Law, and what Ensued therefrom.	[104]
THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS:
	Of a King’s Daughter, the Like of whom was not Seen Elsewhere on Earth; and how she was Cured of her Ways by a Young Peasant, divers Physicians and Charlatans having Failed in the Task.	[111]
THE COMB:
	Of a Pope’s Daughter who was “Combed” by a Peasant; and how the Comb was Lost and Found again, together with other Strange and Delightsome Happenings.	[116]
EXCURSUS to THE PRINCESS WHO PISSETH OVER THE HAYCOCKS and THE COMB.		[121]
THE SKIRMISH:
	Of a Virgin who, on her Marriage Eve, told a Wedded Friend of the Recent and Disturbing Conduct of her Fiancé.	[124]
EXCURSUS to THE SKIRMISH.		[132]
THE NIGHTINGALE:
	Of a Maid who would fain Hear the Nightingale Sing; and how she Made it Sing many Times and even Held it in her Hand.	[134]
THE PIKE’S HEAD:
	Of a Young Virgin who Played a Trick on a Youth; and how the Youth, from Fear of being “Bitten,” was for some Time Ignorant of the Pleasures of Marriage.	[142]
THE LOVELY NUN AND HER YOUNG BOARDER:
	Of a Lovely Young Virgin, who was of an Inquisitive Turn of Mind, and Proved herself an Apt Pupil in the School of Love.	[147]
JOHN AND JOAN:
	Of a Serving Wench who sent her Fellow Servant to Buy her a Steel; and how she Fared thereafter.	[158]
THE HUSBAND AS DOCTOR:
	Of a Young Squire who, when he Married, had never Mounted a Christian Creature; of the Means found to Instruct him; and how, on a Sudden, he Wept at a great Feast shortly after he had been Instructed.	[162]
THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER:
	Of a Priest’s two Daughters who were Tricked by a Labourer; and of divers Strange and Diverting Happenings thereafter.	[171]
EXCURSUS to THE PRIEST AND THE LABOURER.		[178]
THE TWO LOVERS AND THE TWO SISTERS:
	Of two Cavaliers who became Enamoured of two Sisters; and how they found Enjoyment of their Love, albeit in Strange Fashion but none the less Pleasant.	[179]
THE BURNING YARD:
	Of a Maid who would not Suffer a Youth to Pleasure her, since, so she Alleged, he had a Burning Yard.	[188]
TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK:
	Of a Young Virgin Wife who was Paid back in her own Coin by her Husband.	[190]
EXCURSUS to TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK.		[192]
FIRST MEETING BETWEEN A YOUTH AND HIS FIANCÉE:
	Of a Maid and a Youth who held Pleasant Converse in a Coach-house; and of divers Experiments and Discoveries they made there.	[193]
THE BREAKER OF EGGS:
	Of a certain Wench who had Eggs in her Belly, which were Broken for her by an Obliging Youth.	[195]
EXCURSUS to THE BREAKER OF EGGS.		[198]

VIRGINITY AND ITS TRADITIONS.

Chloe! Like a fawn she flees,

Trembling, timid mother-seeking,

Far among the trackless hills;

Starting back from bush and breeze,

When the new-born spring is speaking

To green leaves in little trills.

Oh, how shake her heart, her knees!

Run! A lizard sets a-creaking

That big bush! I bring no ills;

I don’t follow you to seize,

Like some cruel tigress, reeking

Rage; no lion I that kills

In Gætulia, hot to tease

Out your life! So quit your meeking

By your mother! Trust your thrills!

Come and learn my mysteries!

HORACE, I., xxiii.