Inthiseighty-secondyearofhisagehewascompelledtoremaincontinentforaboutsevenmonths，duringwhichtimehemetnowomankindlydisposedtowardshim；andhedeclaredbeforethejudgethatthathadcausedthegreatestastonishmentofhislongandhonourablelife。InthismostpitiablestatehesawinthefieldsduringthemerrymonthofMayagirl，whobychancewasamaiden，andmindingcows。Theheatwassoexcessivethatthiscowherdesshadstretchedherselfbeneaththeshadowofabeechtree，herfacetotheground，afterthecustomofpeoplewholabourinthefields，inordertogetalittlenapwhileheranimalsweregrazing。Shewasawakenedbythedeedoftheoldman，whohadstolenfromherthatwhichapoorgirlcouldonlyloseonce。Findingherselfruinedwithoutreceivingfromtheprocesseitherknowledgeorpleasure，shecriedoutsoloudlythatthepeopleworkinginthefieldsrantoher，andwerecalleduponbyheraswitnesses，atthetimewhenthatdestructionwasvisibleinherwhichisappropriateonlytoabridalnight。Shecriedandgroaned，sayingthattheoldapemightjustaswellhaveplayedhistricksonhermother，whowouldhavesaidnothing。
Hemadeanswertothepeasants，whohadalreadyraisedtheirhoestokillhim，thathehadbeencompelledtoenjoyhimself。Thesepeopleobjectedthatamancanenjoyhimselfverywellwithoutenjoyingamaiden——acasefortheprovost，whichwouldbringhimstraighttothegallows；andhewastakenwithgreatclamourtothejailofRouen。
Thegirl，interrogatedbytheprovost，declaredthatshewassleepinginordertodosomething，andthatshethoughtshewasdreamingofherlover，withwhomshewasthenatloggerheads，becausebeforemarriagehewishedtotakecertainliberties：andjokingly，inthisdreamshelethimreconnoitertoacertainextent，inordertoavoidanydisputeafterwards，andthatinspiteofherprohibitionshewentfurtherthanshehadgivenhimleavetogo，andfindingmorepainthanpleasureintheaffair，shehadbeenawakenedbyVieuxpar-Chemins，whohadattackedherasagray-friarwouldahamattheendoflent。
ThistrialcausedsogreatacommotioninthetownofRouenthattheprovostwassentforbytheduke，whohadanintensedesiretoknowifthethingweretrue。Upontheaffirmationoftheprovost，heorderedVieuxpar-Cheminstobebroughttohispalace，inorderthathemighthearwhatdefencehehadtomake。Thepooroldfellowappearedbeforetheprince，andinformedhimnaivelyofthemisfortunewhichhisimpulsivenaturebroughtuponhim，declaringthathewaslikeayoungfellowimpelledbyimperiousdesires；thatuptothepresentyearhehadsweetheartsofhisown，butforthelasteightmonthshehadbeenatotalabstainer；thathewastoopoortofindfavourwiththegirlsofthetown；thathonestwomenwhooncewerecharitabletohim，hadtakenadisliketohishair，whichhadfeloniouslyturnedwhiteinspiteofthegreenyouthofhislove，andthathefeltcompelledtoavailhimselfofthechancewhenhesawthismaiden，who，stretchedatfulllengthunderthebeechtree，leftvisibletheliningofherdressandtwohemispheres，whiteassnow，whichhaddeprivedhimofreason；
thatthefaultwasthegirl\'sandnothis，becauseyoungmaidensshouldbeforbiddentoenticepassers-bybyshowingthemthatwhichcausedVenustobenamedCallipyge；finallytheprinceoughttobeawarewhattroubleamanhadtocontrolhimselfatthehourofnoon，becausethatwasthetimeofdayatwhichKingDavidwassmittenwiththewifeoftheSieurUriah，thatwhereaHebrewking，belovedofGod，hadsuccumbed，apoorman，deprivedofalljoy，andreducedtobeggingforhisbread，couldnotexpecttoescape；thatforthatmatterofthat，hewasquitewillingtosingpsalmsfortheremainderofhisdays，andplayuponalutebywayofpenance，inimitationofthesaidking，whohadhadthemisfortunetoslayahusband，whilehehadonlydoneatriflinginjurytoapeasantgirl。ThedukelistenedtotheargumentsofVieuxpar-Chemins，andsaidthathewasamanofgoodparts。Thenhemadehismemorabledecree，thatif，asthisbeggardeclared，hehadneedofsuchgratificationathisagehegavepermissiontoproveitatthefootoftheladderwhichhewouldhavetomounttobehanged，accordingtothesentencealreadypassedonhimbytheprovost；thatifthen，theropebeingroundhisneck，betweenthepriestandthehangman，alikedesireseizedhimheshouldhaveafreepardon。