THE FIRST STORY
[Day the Sixth]
A GENTLEMAN ENGAGETH TO MADAM ORETTA TO CARRY HER A-HORSEBACK WITH A STORY, BUT, TELLING IT DISORDERLY, IS PRAYED BY HER TO SET HER DOWN AGAIN
"Young ladies, like as stars, in the clear nights, are the ornamentsof the heavens and the flowers and the leaf-clad shrubs, in theSpring, of the green fields and the hillsides, even so arepraiseworthy manners and goodly discourse adorned by sprightlysallies, the which, for that they are brief, beseem women yet betterthan men, inasmuch as much speaking is more forbidden to the formerthan to the latter. Yet, true it is, whatever the cause, whether it bethe meanness of our[298] understanding or some particular grudge borneby heaven to our times, that there be nowadays few or no women leftwho know how to say a witty word in due season or who, an it be saidto them, know how to apprehend it as it behoveth; the which is ageneral reproach to our whole sex. However, for that enough hath beensaid aforetime on the subject by Pampinea,[299] I purpose to say nomore thereof; but, to give you to understand how much goodliness thereis in witty sayings, when spoken in due season, it pleaseth me torecount to you the courteous fashion in which a lady imposed silenceupon a gentleman.
[Footnote 298: _i.e._ women's.]
[Footnote 299: See ante, p. 43, Introduction to the last story of theFirst Day.]
As many of you ladies may either know by sight or have heard tell,there was not long since in our city a noble and well-bred andwell-spoken gentlewoman, whose worth merited not that her name be leftunsaid. She was called, then, Madam Oretta and was the wife of MesserGeri Spina. She chanced to be, as we are, in the country, going fromplace to place, by way of diversion, with a company of ladies andgentlemen, whom she had that day entertained to dinner at her house,and the way being belike somewhat long from the place whence they setout to that whither they were all purposed to go afoot, one of thegentlemen said to her, 'Madam Oretta, an you will, I will carry youa-horseback great part of the way we have to go with one of the fineststories in the world.' 'Nay, sir,' answered the lady, 'I pray youinstantly thereof; indeed, it will be most agreeable to me.' Mastercavalier, who maybe fared no better, sword at side than tale ontongue, hearing this, began a story of his, which of itself was intruth very goodly; but he, now thrice or four or even half a dozentimes repeating one same word, anon turning back and whiles saying, 'Isaid not aright,' and often erring in the names and putting one foranother, marred it cruelly, more by token that he delivered himselfexceedingly ill, having regard to the quality of the persons and thenature of the incidents of his tale. By reason whereof, Madam Oretta,hearkening to him, was many a time taken with a sweat and failing ofthe heart, as she were sick and near her end, and at last, beingunable to brook the thing any more and seeing the gentleman engaged inan imbroglio from which he was not like to extricate himself, she saidto him pleasantly, 'Sir, this horse of yours hath too hard a trot;wherefore I pray you be pleased to set me down.' The gentleman, who,as it chanced, understood a hint better than he told a story, took thejest in good part and turning it off with a laugh, fell to discoursingof other matters and left unfinished the story that he had begun andconducted so ill."