bridge, and sometimes facing about, utterly refused to go forward.  Whereat the muleteer, wroth beyond measure, fell a belabouring him with the stick now on the head, now on the flanks, and anon on the croup, never so lustily, but all to no purpose.  Which caused Melisso and Giosefo ofttimes to say to him:—­“How now, caitiff?  What is this thou doest?  Wouldst kill the beast?  Why not try if thou canst not manage him kindly and gently?  He would start sooner so than for this cudgelling of thine.”  To whom:—­“You know your horses,” replied the muleteer, “and I know my mule:  leave me to deal with him.”  Which said, he resumed his cudgelling of the mule, and laid about him on this side and on that to such purpose that he started him; and so the honours of the day rested with the muleteer.  Now, as the two young men were leaving the bridge behind them, Giosefo asked a good man that sate at its head what the bridge was called, and was answered:—­“Sir, ’tis called the Bridge of Geese.”  Which Giosefo no sooner heard than he called to mind Solomon’s words, and turning to Melisso:—­“Now, comrade, I warrant thee I may yet find Solomon’s counsel sound and good, for that I knew not how to beat my wife is abundantly clear to me; and this muleteer has shewn me what I have to do.”

Now some days afterwards they arrived at Antioch, where Giosefo prevailed upon Melisso to tarry with him and rest a day or two; and meeting with but a sorry welcome on the part of his wife, he told her to take her orders as to supper from Melisso, who, seeing that such was Giosefo’s will, briefly gave her his instructions; which the lady, as had been her wont, not only did not obey, but contravened in almost every particular.  Which Giosefo marking:—­“Wast thou not told,” quoth he angrily, “after what fashion thou wast to order the supper?” Whereto:—­“So!” replied the lady haughtily:  “what means this?  If thou hast a mind to sup, why take not thy supper?  No matter what I was told, ’tis thus I saw fit to order it.  If it like thee, so be it:  if not, ’tis thine affair.”  Melisso heard the lady with surprise and inward disapprobation:  Giosefo retorted:—­“Ay wife, thou art still as thou wast used to be; but I will make thee mend thy manners.”  Then, turning to Melisso:—­“Friend,” quoth he, “thou wilt soon prove the worth of Solomon’s counsel:  but, prithee, let it not irk thee to look on, and deem that what I shall do is but done in sport; and if thou shouldst be disposed to stand in my way, bear in mind how we were answered by the muleteer, when we pitied his mule.”  “I am in thy house,” replied Melisso, “and thy pleasure is to me law.”