herself airs, and heated to the strife of words, turned
to Tindaro, and scowling upon him said:—“Unmannerly
varlet that makest bold to speak before me; leave
me to tell the story.” Then, turning to
the queen, she said:—“Madam, this
fellow would fain instruct me as to Sicofante’s
wife, and—neither more or less—as
if I had not known her well—would have me
believe that, the first night that Sicofante lay with
her, ’twas by force and not without effusion
of blood that Master Yard made his way into Dusky Hill;
which I deny, averring that he met with no resistance,
but, on the contrary, with a hearty welcome on the
part of the garrison. And such a numskull is
he as fondly to believe that the girls are so simple
as to let slip their opportunities, while they wait
on the caprice of father or brothers, who six times
out of seven delay to marry them for three or four
years after they should. Ay, ay indeed, doubtless
they were well advised to tarry so long! Christ’s
faith! I should know the truth of what I swear;
there is never a woman in my neighbourhood whose husband
had her virginity; and well I know how many and what
manner of tricks our married dames play their husbands;
and yet this booby would fain teach me to know women
as if I were but born yesterday.”
While Licisca thus spoke, the ladies laughed till
all their teeth were ready to start from their heads.
Six times at least the queen bade her be silent:
but all in vain; she halted not till she had said all
that she had a mind to. When she had done, the
queen turned with a smile to Dioneo saying:—“This
is a question for thee to deal with, Dioneo; so hold
thyself in readiness to give final judgment upon it,
when our stories are ended.” “Madam,”
replied Dioneo forthwith, “I give judgment without
more ado: I say that Licisca is in the right;
I believe that ’tis even as she says, and that
Tindaro is a fool.” Whereupon Licisca burst
out laughing, and turning to Tindaro:—“Now
did I not tell thee so?” quoth she. “Begone
in God’s name: dost think to know more than
I, thou that art but a sucking babe? Thank God,
I have not lived for nothing, not I.” And
had not the queen sternly bade her be silent, and
make no more disturbance, unless she had a mind to
be whipped, and sent both her and Tindaro back to
the kitchen, the whole day would have been spent in
nought but listening to her. So Licisca and Tindaro
having withdrawn, the queen charged Filomena to tell
the first story: and gaily thus Filomena began.
— A knight offers to carry Madonna Oretta
a horseback with a story, but tells it so ill that
she prays him to dismount her.
—
