(1) The statue would doubtless be that of St. Ambrose
of Siena, of the Dominican Order.
— Tofano one night locks his wife out
of the house: she, finding that by no entreaties
may she prevail upon him to let her in, feigns to throw
herself into a well, throwing therein a great stone.
Tofano hies him forth of the house, and runs to the
spot: she goes into the house, and locks him
out, and hurls abuse at him from within. —
The king no sooner wist that Elisa’s story was
ended, than, turning to Lauretta, he signified his
will that she should tell somewhat: wherefore
without delay she began:—O Love, how great
and signal is thy potency! how notable thy stratagems,
thy devices! Was there ever, shall there ever
be, philosopher or adept competent to inspire, counsel
and teach in such sort as thou by thine unpremeditated
art dost tutor those that follow thy lead? Verily
laggard teachers are they all in comparison of thee,
as by the matters heretofore set forth may very well
be understood. To which store I will add, loving
ladies, a stratagem used by a woman of quite ordinary
understanding, and of such a sort that I know not by
whom she could have been taught it save by Love.
Know, then, that there dwelt aforetime at Arezzo a
rich man, Tofano by name, who took to wife Monna Ghita,
a lady exceeding fair, of whom, for what cause he
knew not, he presently grew jealous. Whereof the
lady being ware, waxed resentful, and having on divers
occasions demanded of him the reason of his jealousy,
and gotten from him nought precise, but only generalities
and trivialities, resolved at last to give him cause
enough to die of that evil which without cause he
so much dreaded. And being ware that a gallant,
whom she deemed well worthy of her, was enamoured of
her, she, using due discretion, came to an understanding
with him; which being brought to the point that it
only remained to give effect to their words in act,
the lady cast about to devise how this might be.
And witting that, among other bad habits that her
husband had, he was too fond of his cups, she would
not only commend indulgence, but cunningly and not
seldom incite him thereto; insomuch that, well-nigh
as often as she was so minded, she led him to drink
to excess; and when she saw that he was well drunken,
she would put him to bed; and so not once only but
divers times without any manner of risk she forgathered
with her lover; nay, presuming upon her husband’s
intoxication, she grew so bold that, not content with
bringing her lover into her house, she would at times
go spend a great part of the night with him at his
house, which was not far off.
