The wife, utterly confounded by what she heard, answered, all trembling with fear:

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Sir, in good faith I do not mean to jeer at you," and then she went on to tell him all about the second trick which had been put upon her.

Master Floriano, when he heard this, fell into a humor so overwrought and grief-stricken that he came little short of losing his wits entirely; and after he had spent a great deal of time and tried every scheme, with all sorts of most subtle investigations, to lay his hands on the thieves, he lived for a long season with his wife in sore hatred and illwill, having failed altogether to discover anything about those who had duped him. And in this fashion the Romans enjoyed the fruit of their cunning deceit, and left the doctor, tricked and flouted, with his sorrow and loss.

-The Collection of Tales, or “Novellino.”

Francesco Berni

Living in Bed

YET field-sports, dice, cards, balls, and such like courses,
Things which he might be thought to set store by,
Gave him but little pleasure. He liked horses,

But was content to let them please his eye-
Buying them, not squaring with his resources.
Therefore his summum bonum was to lie
Stretch'd at full length-yea, frankly be it said,
To do no single thing but lie in bed.

'Twas owing all to that infernal writing.

Body and brains had borne such grievous rounds
Of kicks, cuffs, floors, from copying and inditing,
That he could find no balsam for his wounds,
No harbor for his wreck half so inviting

As to lie still, far from all sights and sounds,

And so, in bed, do nothing on God's earth

But try and give his senses a new birth.

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'Bed-bed's the thing, by Heaven!" thus would he swear. "Bed is your only work, your only duty.

Bed is one's gown, one's slippers, one's armchair,
Old coat; you're not afraid to spoil its beauty.
Large you may have it, long, wide, brown, or fair,
Down-bed or mattress, just as it may suit ye.

Then take your clothes off, turn in, stretch, lie double;
Be but in bed, you're quit of earthly trouble!"

Borne to the fairy palace then, but tired
Of seeing so much dancing, he withdrew
Into a distant room, and there desired

A bed might be set up, handsome and new,
With all the comforts that the case required:
Mattresses huge, and pillows not a few
Put here and there, in order that no ease
Might be found wanting to cheeks, or arms, or knees.

The bed was eight feet wide, lovely to see,

With white sheets, and fine curtains, and rich loopsThings vastly soothing to calamity;

The coverlet hung light in silken droops;

It might have held six people easily;

But he disliked to lie in bed by groups.

A large bed to himself, that was his notion,
With room enough to swim in-like the ocean.

In this retreat there joined him a good soul,

A Frenchman, one who had been long at court,
An admirable cook-though, on the whole,

His gains of his deserts had fallen short.
For him was made, cheek, as it were, by jowl,
A second bed of the same noble sort,
Yet not so close but that the folks were able
To set between the two a dinner-table.

Here was served up, on snow-white table-cloths,
Each daintiest procurable comestible

In the French taste (all others being Goths),
Dishes alike delightful and digestible.

Only our scribe chose sirups, soups, and broths,
The smallest trouble being a detestable

Bore, into which not ev'n his dinner led him.
Therefore the servants always came and fed him.

Nothing at these times but his head was seen;
The coverlet came close beneath his chin;
And then, from out the bottle or tureen,

They fill'd a silver pipe, which he let in
Between his lips, all easy, smooth, and clean,
And so he filled his philosophic skin.

And not a finger all the while he stirred,

Nor, lest his tongue should tire, scarce uttered word.

The name of that same cook was Master Pierre;
He told a tale well-something short and light.
Quoth scribe, "Those people who keep dancing there
Have little wit." Quoth Pierre, "You're very right."
And then he told a tale, or hummed an air;

Then took a sip of something, or a bite; And then he turned himself to sleep; and then 'Awoke and ate. And then he slept again.

One more thing I may note that made the day
Pass well-one custom, not a little healing,
Which was, to look above him, as he lay,

And count the spots and blotches in the ceiling;
Noting what shapes they took to, and which way,
And where the plaster threatened to be peeling;
Whether the spot looked new, or old, or what—
Or whether 'twas, in fact, a spot or not.

-"Roland Enamored."

Lodovico Ariosto

What Astolfo Saw in the Moon

AFTER Astolfo and Saint John had spent two days in discourse, during which meals had been served up consisting of fruit so exquisite that the paladin could not help thinking our first parents had some excuse for eating it, the evangelist, when the moon rose, took him into the car which had borne Elijah to heaven; and four horses redder than fire conveyed them to the lunar world.

The mortal visitant was amazed to see in the moon a world resembling his own, full of wood and water, and containing even cities and castles, though of a different sort from ours. It was strange to find a sphere so large which had seemed so petty afar off; and no less strange was it to look down on the world he had left and be compelled to knit his brows and look sharply before he could well discern it, for it hap、 pened at the time to be in want of light.

But his guide did not leave him much time to look about He conducted him with due speed to a valley which contained, in one miraculous collection, whatsoever had been lost or wasted on earth-not only riches and dominions and such like gifts of fortune, but things also which fortune can neither grant nor resume. Much fame is there which time has withdrawn, infinite prayers and vows which are made to God Almighty by us poor sinners. There lie the tears and the sighs of lovers, the hours lost in play, the leisures of the dull, and the intentions of the lazy. As to desires, they are so numerous that they shadow the whole place. Astolfo