THE TENTH STORY
[Day the Eighth]
A CERTAIN WOMAN OF SICILY ARTFULLY DESPOILETH A MERCHANT OF THAT WHICH HE HAD BROUGHT TO PALERMO; BUT HE, MAKING BELIEVE TO HAVE RETURNED THITHER WITH MUCH GREATER PLENTY OF MERCHANDISE THAN BEFORE, BORROWETH MONEY OF HER AND LEAVETH HER WATER AND TOW IN PAYMENT
How much the queen's story in divers places made the ladies laugh, itneeded not to ask; suffice it to say that there was none of them towhose eyes the tears had not come a dozen times for excess oflaughter: but, after it had an end, Dioneo, knowing that it was cometo his turn to tell, said, "Gracious ladies, it is a manifest thingthat sleights and devices are the more pleasing, the subtler thetrickster who is thereby artfully outwitted. Wherefore, albeit youhave related very fine stories, I mean to tell you one, which shouldplease you more than any other that hath been told upon the samesubject, inasmuch as she who was cheated was a greater mistress of theart of cheating others than was any of the men or women who werecozened by those of whom you have told.
There used to be, and belike is yet, a custom, in all maritime placeswhich have a port, that all merchants who come thither withmerchandise, having unloaded it, should carry it all into a warehouse,which is in many places called a customhouse, kept by the commonalityor by the lord of the place. There they give unto those who aredeputed to that end a note in writing of all their merchandise and thevalue thereof, and they thereupon make over to each merchant astorehouse, wherein he layeth up his goods under lock and key.Moreover, the said officers enter in the book of the Customs, to eachmerchant's credit, all his merchandise, causing themselves after hepaid their dues of the merchants, whether for all his said merchandiseor for such part thereof as he withdraweth from the customhouse. Bythis book of the Customs the brokers mostly inform themselves of thequality and the quantity of the goods that are in bond there and alsowho are the merchants that own them; and with these latter, asoccasion serveth them, they treat of exchanges and barters and salesand other transactions. This usance, amongst many other places, wascurrent at Palermo in Sicily, where likewise there were and are yetmany women, very fair of their person, but sworn enemies to honesty,who would be and are by those who know them not held great ladies andpassing virtuous and who, being given not to shave, but altogether toflay men, no sooner espy a merchant there than they inform themselvesby the book of the Customs of that which he hath there and how much hecan do;[414] after which by their lovesome and engaging fashions andwith the most dulcet words, they study to allure the said merchantsand draw them into the snare of their love; and many an one have theyaforetime lured thereinto, from whom they have wiled great part oftheir merchandise; nay, many have they despoiled of all, and of thesethere be some who have left goods and ship and flesh and bones intheir hands, so sweetly hath the barberess known to ply the razor.
[Footnote 414: _i.e._ what he is worth.]
It chanced, not long since, that there came thither, sent by hismasters, one of our young Florentines, by name Niccolo da Cignano,though more commonly called Salabaetto, with as many woollen cloths,left on his hands from the Salerno fair, as might be worth some fivehundred gold florins, which having given the customhouse officers theinvoice thereof, he laid up in a magazine and began, without showingovermuch haste to dispose of them, to go bytimes a-pleasuring aboutthe city. He being of a fair complexion and yellow-haired and withalvery sprightly and personable, it chanced that one of these samebarberesses, who styled herself Madam Biancofiore, having heardsomewhat of his affairs, cast her eyes on him; which he perceiving andtaking her for some great lady, concluded that he pleased her for hisgood looks and bethought himself to order this amour with the utmostsecrecy; wherefore, without saying aught thereof to any, he fell topassing and repassing before her house. She, noting this, after shehad for some days well enkindled him with her eyes, making believe tolanguish for him, privily despatched to him one of her women, who wasa past mistress in the procuring art and who, after much parley, toldhim, well nigh with tears in her eyes, that he had so taken hermistress with his comeliness and his pleasing fashions that she couldfind no rest day or night; wherefore, whenas it pleased him, shedesired, more than aught else, to avail to foregather with him privilyin a bagnio; then, pulling a ring from her pouch, she gave it to himon the part of her mistress. Salabaetto, hearing this, was thejoyfullest man that was aye and taking the ring, rubbed it against hiseyes and kissed it; after which he set it on his finger and replied tothe good woman that, if Madam Biancofiore loved him, she was wellrequited it, for that he loved her more than his proper life and wasready to go whereassoever it should please her and at any hour. Themessenger returned to her mistress with this answer and it wasappointed Salabaetto out of hand at what bagnio he should expect heron the ensuing day after vespers.
Accordingly, without saying aught of the matter to any, he punctuallyrepaired thither at the hour appointed him and found the bagnio takenby the lady; nor had he waited long ere there came two slave-girlsladen with gear and bearing on their heads, the one a fine largemattress of cotton wool and the other a great basket full of gear. Themattress they set on a bedstead in one of the chambers of the bagnioand spread thereon a pair of very fine sheets, laced with silk,together with a counterpane of snow-white Cyprus buckram[415] and twopillows wonder-curiously wrought.[416] Then, putting off their clothesthey entered the bath and swept it all and washed it excellent well.Nor was it long ere the lady herself came thither, with other twoslave-girls, and accosted Salabaetto with the utmost joy; then, asfirst she had commodity, after she had both clipped and kissed himamain, heaving the heaviest sighs in the world, she said to him, 'Iknow not who could have brought me to this pass, other than thou; thouhast kindled a fire in my vitals, little dog of a Tuscan!' Then, ather instance, they entered the bath, both naked, and with them two ofthe slave-girls; and there, without letting any else lay a finger onhim, she with her own hands washed Salabaetto all wonder-well withmusk and clove-scented soap; after which she let herself be washed andrubbed of the slave-girls. This done, the latter brought two verywhite and fine sheets, whence came so great a scent of roses thateverything there seemed roses, in one of which they wrapped Salabaettoand in the other the lady and taking them in their arms, carried themboth to the bed prepared for them. There, whenas they had leftsweating, the slave-girls did them loose from the sheets wherein theywere wrapped and they abode naked in the others, whilst the girlsbrought out of the basket wonder-goodly casting-bottles of silver,full of sweet waters, rose and jessamine and orange and citron-flowerscented, and sprinkled them all therewith; after which boxes ofsuccades and wines of great price were produced and they refreshedthemselves awhile.
[Footnote 415: _Bucherame._ The word "buckram" was anciently appliedto the finest linen cloth, as is apparently the case here; seeDucange, voce _Boquerannus_, and Florio, voce _Bucherame_.]
[Footnote 416: _i.e._ in needlework.]
It seemed to Salabaetto as he were in Paradise and he cast a thousandglances at the lady, who was certes very handsome, himseeming eachhour was an hundred years till the slave-girls should begone and heshould find himself in her arms. Presently, at her commandment, thegirls departed the chamber, leaving a flambeau alight there; whereuponshe embraced Salabaetto and he her, and they abode together a greatwhile, to the exceeding pleasure of the Florentine, to whom it seemedshe was all afire for love of him. Whenas it seemed to her time torise, she called the slave-girls and they clad themselves; then theyrecruited themselves somedele with a second collation of wine andsweetmeats and washed their hands and faces with odoriferous waters;after which, being about to depart, the lady said to Salabaetto, 'Soit be agreeable to thee, it were doing me a very great favour an thoucamest this evening to sup and lie the night with me.' Salabaetto, whowas by this time altogether captivated by her beauty and the artfulpleasantness of her fashions and firmly believed himself to be lovedof her as he were the heart out of her body, replied, 'Madam, yourevery pleasure is supremely agreeable to me, wherefore both t
o-nightand at all times I mean to do that which shall please you and thatwhich shall be commanded me of you.'
Accordingly the lady returned to her house, where she caused wellbedeck her bedchamber with her dresses and gear and letting make readya splendid supper, awaited Salabaetto, who, as soon as it was grownsomewhat dark, betook himself thither and being received with openarms, supped with all cheer and commodity of service. Thereafter theybetook themselves into the bedchamber, where he smelt a marvellousfragrance of aloes-wood and saw the bed very richly adorned withCyprian singing-birds[417] and store of fine dresses upon the pegs,all which things together and each of itself made him conclude thatthis must be some great and rich lady. And although he had heard somewhispers to the contrary anent her manner of life, he would notanywise believe it; or, if he e'en gave so much credit thereto as toallow that she might erst have cozened others, for nothing in theworld could he have believed that this might possibly happen tohimself. He lay that night with her in the utmost delight, stillwaxing more enamoured, and in the morning she girt him on a quaint andgoodly girdle of silver, with a fine purse thereto, saying, 'Sweet mySalabaetto, I commend myself to thy remembrance, and like as my personis at thy pleasure, even so is all that is here and all that dependethupon me at thy service and commandment.' Salabaetto, rejoiced,embraced and kissed her; then, going forth of her house, he betookhimself whereas the other merchants were used to resort.
[Footnote 417: "It was the custom in those days to attach to thebedposts sundry small instruments in the form of birds, which, bymeans of certain mechanical devices, gave forth sounds modulated likethe song of actual birds."--_Fanfani._]
On this wise consorting with her at one time and another, without itscosting him aught in the world, and growing every hour more entangled,it befell that he sold his stuffs for ready money and made a goodprofit thereby; of which the lady incontinent heard, not from him, butfrom others, and Salabaetto being come one night to visit her, shefell to prattling and wantoning with him, kissing and clipping him andfeigning herself so enamoured of him that it seemed she must die oflove in his arms. Moreover, she would fain have given him two veryfine hanaps of silver that she had; but he would not take them, forthat he had had of her, at one time and another, what was worth a goodthirty gold florins, without availing to have her take of him so muchas a groat's worth. At last, whenas she had well enkindled him byshowing herself so enamoured and freehanded, one of her slave-girlscalled her, as she had ordained beforehand; whereupon she left thechamber and coming back, after awhile, in tears cast herself facedownward on the bed and fell to making the woefullest lamentation everwoman made. Salabaetto, marvelling at this, caught her in his arms andfell a-weeping with her and saying, 'Alack, heart of my body, whataileth thee thus suddenly? What is the cause of this grief? For God'ssake, tell it me, my soul.' The lady, after letting herself be longentreated, answered, 'Woe's me, sweet my lord, I know not what to sayor to do; I have but now received letters from Messina and my brotherwriteth me that, should I sell or pawn all that is here,[418] I mustwithout fail send him a thousand gold florins within eight days fromthis time, else will his head be cut off; and I know not how I shalldo to get this sum so suddenly. Had I but fifteen days' grace, I wouldfind a means of procuring it from a certain quarter whence I am tohave much more, or I would sell one of our farms; but, as this may notbe, I had liefer be dead than that this ill news should have come tome.'
[Footnote 418: Syn. that which belongeth to us (_cio che ci e_,) _ci_,as I have before noted, signifying both "here" and "us," dative andaccusative.]
So saying, she made a show of being sore afflicted and stinted notfrom weeping; whereupon quoth Salabaetto, whom the flames of love hadbereft of great part of his wonted good sense, so that he believedher tears to be true and her words truer yet, 'Madam, I cannot obligeyou with a thousand florins, but five hundred I can very well advanceyou, since you believe you will be able to return them to me within afortnight from this time; and this is of your good fortune that Ichanced but yesterday to sell my stuffs; for, had it not been so, Icould not have lent you a groat.' 'Alack,' cried the lady, 'hast thouthen been straitened for lack of money? Marry, why didst thou notrequire me thereof? Though I have not a thousand, I had an hundred andeven two hundred to give thee. Thou hast deprived me of all heart toaccept of thee the service thou profferest me.' Salabaetto was morethan ever taken with these words and said, 'Madam, I would not haveyou refrain on that account, for, had I had such an occasion thereforas you presently have, I would assuredly have asked you.' 'Alack,Salabaetto mine,' replied the lady, 'now know I aright that thine is atrue and perfect love for me, since, without waiting to be required,thou freely succoureth me, in such a strait, with so great a sum ofmoney. Certes, I was all thine without this, but with this I shall befar more so; nor shall I ever forget that I owe thee my brother'slife. But God knoweth I take it sore unwillingly, seeing that thou arta merchant and that with money merchants transact all their affairs;however, since need constraineth me, and I have certain assurance ofspeedily restoring it to thee, I will e'en take it; and for the rest,an I find no readier means, I will pawn all these my possessions.' Sosaying, she let herself fall, weeping, on Salabaetto's neck. He fellto comforting her and after abiding the night with her, he, nextmorning, to approve himself her most liberal servant, without waitingto be asked by her, carried her five hundred right gold florins, whichshe received with tears in her eyes, but laughter in her heart,Salabaetto contenting himself with her simple promise.
As soon as the lady had the money, the signs began to change, andwhereas before he had free access to her whenassoever it pleased him,reasons now began to crop up, whereby it betided him not to winadmission there once out of seven times, nor was he received with thesame countenance nor the same caresses and rejoicings as before. Andthe term at which he was to have had his monies again being, not tosay come, but past by a month or two and he requiring them, words weregiven him in payment. Thereupon his eyes were opened to the wickedwoman's arts and his own lack of wit, wherefore, feeling that he couldsay nought of her beyond that which might please her concerning thematter, since he had neither script nor other evidence thereof, andbeing ashamed to complain to any, as well for that he had beenforewarned thereof as for fear of the scoffs which he might reasonablyexpect for his folly, he was beyond measure woeful and inwardlybewailed his credulity.
At last, having had divers letters from his masters, requiring him tochange[419] the monies in question and remit them to them, hedetermined to depart, lest, an he did it not, his default should bediscovered there, and accordingly, going aboard a little ship, hebetook himself, not to Pisa, as he should have done, but to Naples.There at that time was our gossip Pietro dello Canigiano, treasurer tothe Empress of Constantinople, a man of great understanding and subtlewit and a fast friend of Salabaetto and his family; and to him, as toa very discreet man, the disconsolate Florentine recounted that whichhe had done and the mischance that had befallen him, requiring him ofaid and counsel, so he might contrive to gain his living there, andavouching his intention nevermore to return to Florence. Canigiano wasconcerned for this and said, 'Ill hast thou done and ill hast thoucarried thyself; thou hast disobeyed thy masters and hast, at onecast, spent a great sum of money in wantonness; but, since it is done,we must look for otherwhat.'[420] Accordingly, like a shrewd man as hewas, he speedily bethought himself what was to be done and told it toSalabaetto, who was pleased with the device and set about putting itin execution. He had some money and Canigiano having lent him othersome, he made up a number of bales well packed and corded; then,buying a score of oil-casks and filling them, he embarked the wholeand returned to Palermo, where, having given the customhouse officersthe bill of lading and the value of the casks and let enter everythingto his account, he laid the whole up in the magazines, saying that hemeant not to touch them till such time as certain other merchandisewhich he expected should be come.
[Footnote 419: _i.e._ procure bills of exchange for.]
[Foot
note 420: _i.e._ we must see what is to be done.]
Biancofiore, getting wind of this and hearing that the merchandise hehad presently brought with him was worth good two thousand florins,without reckoning what he looked for, which was valued at more thanthree thousand, bethought herself that she had flown at too small gameand determined to restore him the five hundred florins, so she mightavail to have the greater part of the five thousand. Accordingly, shesent for him and Salabaetto, grown cunning, went to her; whereupon,making believe to know nothing of that which he had brought with him,she received him with a great show of fondness and said to him,'Harkye, if thou wast vexed with me, for that I repaid thee not thymonies on the very day....' Salabaetto fell a-laughing and answered;'In truth, madam, it did somewhat displease me, seeing I would havetorn out my very heart to give it you, an I thought to pleasure youwithal; but I will have you hear how I am vexed with you. Such and sogreat is the love I bear you, that I have sold the most part of mypossessions and have presently brought hither merchandise to the valueof more than two thousand florins and expect from the westward as muchmore as will be worth over three thousand, with which I mean to stockme a warehouse in this city and take up my sojourn here, so I maystill be near you, meseeming I fare better of your love than everlover of his lady.'
'Look you, Salabaetto,' answered the lady, 'every commodity of thineis mighty pleasing to me, as that of him whom I love more than mylife, and it pleaseth me amain that thou art returned hither withintent to sojourn here, for that I hope yet to have good time galorewith thee; but I would fain excuse myself somedele to thee for that,whenas thou wast about to depart, thou wouldst bytimes have comehither and couldst not, and whiles thou camest and wast not so gladlyseen as thou wast used to be, more by token that I returned thee notthy monies at the time promised. Thou must know that I was then invery great concern and sore affliction, and whoso is in such case, howmuch soever he may love another, cannot always show him so cheerful acountenance or pay him such attention as he might wish. Moreover, thoumust know that it is mighty uneasy for a woman to avail to find athousand gold florins; all day long we are put off with lies and thatwhich is promised us is not performed unto us; wherefore needs must wein our turn lie unto others. Hence cometh it, and not of my default,that I gave thee not back thy monies. However, I had them a littleafter thy departure, and had I known whither to send them, thou maystbe assured that I would have remitted them to thee; but, not knowingthis, I kept them for thee.' Then, letting fetch a purse wherein werethe very monies he had brought her, she put it into his hand, saying,'Count them if there be five hundred.' Never was Salabaetto so glad;he counted them and finding them five hundred, put them up and said,'Madam, I am assured that you say sooth; but you have done enough [toconvince me of your love for me,] and I tell you that, for this andfor the love I bear you, you could never require me, for any youroccasion, of whatsoever sum I might command, but I would oblige youtherewith; and whenas I am established here, you may put this to theproof.'
Having again on this wise renewed his loves with her in words, he fellagain to using amically with her, whilst she made much of him andshowed him the greatest goodwill and honour in the world, feigning theutmost love for him. But he, having a mind to return her cheat forcheat, being one day sent for by her to sup and sleep with her, wentthither so chapfallen and so woebegone that it seemed as he would die.Biancofiore, embracing him and kissing him, began to question him ofwhat ailed him to be thus melancholy, and he, after letting himself beimportuned a good while, answered, 'I am a ruined man, for that theship, wherein is the merchandise I expected, hath been taken by thecorsairs of Monaco and held to ransom in ten thousand gold florins,whereof it falleth to me to pay a thousand, and I have not a farthing,for that the five hundred pieces thou returnedst to me I sentincontinent to Naples to lay out in cloths to be brought hither; andshould I go about at this present to sell the merchandise I have here,I should scarce get a penny for two pennyworth, for that it is no timefor selling. Nor am I yet so well known that I could find any here tohelp me to this, wherefore I know not what to do or to say; for, if Isend not the monies speedily, the merchandise will be carried off toMonaco and I shall never again have aught thereof.'
The lady was mightily concerned at this, fearing to lose himaltogether, and considering how she should do, so he might not go toMonaco, said, 'God knoweth I am sore concerned for the love of thee;but what availeth it to afflict oneself thus? If I had the monies, Godknoweth I would lend them to thee incontinent; but I have them not.True, there is a certain person here who obliged me the other daywith the five hundred florins that I lacked; but he will have heavyusance for his monies; nay, he requireth no less than thirty in thehundred, and if thou wilt borrow of him, needs must he be made securewith a good pledge. For my part, I am ready to engage for thee allthese my goods and my person, to boot, for as much as he will lendthereon; but how wilt thou assure him of the rest?' Salabaetto readilyapprehended the reason that moved her to do him this service anddivined that it was she herself who was to lend him the money;wherewith he was well pleased and thanking her, answered that he wouldnot be put off for exorbitant usance, need constraining him. Moreover,he said that he would give assurance of the merchandise he had in thecustomhouse, letting inscribe it to him who should lend him the money;but that needs must be kept the key of the magazines, as well that hemight be able to show his wares, an it were required of him, as thatnothing might be touched or changed or tampered withal.
The lady answered that it was well said and that this was good enoughassurance; wherefore, as soon as the day was come, she sent for abroker, in whom she trusted greatly, and taking order with him of thematter, gave him a thousand gold florins, which he lent to Salabaetto,letting inscribe in his own name at the customhouse that which thelatter had there; then, having made their writings and counter-writingstogether and being come to an accord,[421] they occupied themselveswith their other affairs. Salabaetto, as soonest he might, embarked,with the fifteen hundred gold florins, on board a little ship andreturned to Pietro dello Canigiano at Naples, whence he remitted tohis masters, who had despatched him with the stuffs, a good and entireaccount thereof. Then, having repaid Pietro and every other to whom heowed aught, he made merry several days with Canigiano over the cheathe had put upon the Sicilian trickstress; after which, resolved to beno more a merchant, he betook himself to Ferrara.
[Footnote 421: _i.e._ having executed and exchanged the necessarylegal documents for the proper carrying out of the transaction andcompleted the matter to their mutual satisfaction.]
Meanwhile, Biancofiore, finding that Salabaetto had left Palermo,began to marvel and wax misdoubtful and after having awaited him goodtwo months, seeing that he came not, she caused the broker force openthe magazines. Trying first the casks, which she believed to be filledwith oil, she found them full of seawater, save that there was in eachmaybe a runlet of oil at the top near the bunghole. Then, undoing thebales, she found them all full of tow, with the exception of two,which were stuffs; and in brief, with all that was there, there wasnot more than two hundred florins' worth. Wherefore Biancofiore,confessing herself outwitted, long lamented the five hundred florinsrepaid and yet more the thousand lent, saying often, 'Who with aTuscan hath to do, Must nor be blind nor see askew.' On this wise,having gotten nothing for her pains but loss and scorn, she found, toher cost, that some folk know as much as others."
* * * * *
No sooner had Dioneo made an end of his story than Lauretta, knowingthe term to be come beyond which she was not to reign and havingcommended Canigiano's counsel (which was approved good by its effect)and Salabaetto's shrewdness (which was no less commendable) incarrying it into execution, lifted the laurel from her own head andset it on that of Emilia, saying, with womanly grace, "Madam, I knownot how pleasant a queen we shall have of you; but, at the least, weshall have a fair one. Look, then, that your actions be conformable toyour beauties." So saying, she returned to her seat, whilst Emilia, a
thought abashed, not so much at being made queen as to see herselfpublicly commended of that which women use most to covet, waxed suchin face as are the new-blown roses in the dawning. However, after shehad kept her eyes awhile lowered, till the redness had given place,she took order with the seneschal of that which concerned the generalentertainment and presently said, "Delightsome ladies, it is common,after oxen have toiled some part of the day, confined under the yoke,to see them loosed and eased thereof and freely suffered to goa-pasturing, where most it liketh them, about the woods; and it ismanifest also that leafy gardens, embowered with various plants, arenot less, but much more fair than groves wherein one seeth only oaks.Wherefore, seeing how many days we have discoursed, under therestraint of a fixed law, I opine that, as well unto us as to thosewhom need constraineth to labour for their daily bread, it is not onlyuseful, but necessary, to play the truant awhile and wandering thusafield, to regain strength to enter anew under the yoke. Wherefore,for that which is to be related to-morrow, ensuing your delectableusance of discourse, I purpose not to restrict you to any specialsubject, but will have each discourse according as it pleaseth him,holding it for certain that the variety of the things which will besaid will afford us no less entertainment than to have discoursed ofone alone; and having done thus, whoso shall come after me in thesovranty may, as stronger than I, avail with greater assurance torestrict us within the limits of the wonted laws." So saying, she setevery one at liberty till supper-time.
All commended the queen of that which she had said, holding it sagelyspoken, and rising to their feet, addressed themselves, this to onekind of diversion and that to another, the ladies to weaving garlandsand to gambolling and the young men to gaming and singing. On thiswise they passed the time until the supper-hour, which being come,they supped with mirth and good cheer about the fair fountain andafter diverted themselves with singing and dancing according to thewonted usance. At last, the queen, to ensue the fashion of herpredecessors, commanded Pamfilo to sing a song, notwithstanding thosewhich sundry of the company had already sung of their freewill; and hereadily began thus:
Such is thy pleasure, Love And such the allegresse I feel thereby That happy, burning in thy fire, am I.
The abounding gladness in my heart that glows, For the high joy and dear Whereto thou hast me led, Unable to contain there, overflows And in my face's cheer Displays my happihead; For being enamoured In such a worship-worthy place and high Makes eath to me the burning I aby.
I cannot with my finger what I feel Limn, Love, nor do I know My bliss in song to vent; Nay, though I knew it, needs must I conceal, For, once divulged, I trow 'Twould turn to dreariment. Yet am I so content, All speech were halt and feeble, did I try The least thereof with words to signify.
Who might conceive it that these arms of mine Should anywise attain Whereas I've held them aye, Or that my face should reach so fair a shrine As that, of favour fain And grace, I've won to? Nay, Such fortune ne'er a day Believed me were; whence all afire am I, Hiding the source of my liesse thereby.
This was the end of Pamfilo's song, whereto albeit it had beencompletely responded of all, there was none but noted the wordsthereof with more attent solicitude than pertained unto him, studyingto divine that which, as he sang, it behoved him to keep hidden fromthem; and although sundry went imagining various things, neverthelessnone happened upon the truth of the case.[422] But the queen, seeingthat the song was ended and that both young ladies and men wouldgladly rest themselves, commanded that all should betake themselves tobed.
[Footnote 422: The song sung by Pamfilo (under which name, as I havebefore pointed out, the author appears to represent himself)apparently alludes to Boccaccio's amours with the Princess Maria ofNaples (Fiammetta), by whom his passion was returned in kind.]
HERE ENDETH THE EIGHTH DAYOF THE DECAMERON