, if
you make me talk the one half, then shall you be contented far
otherwise than was of late a kinswoman of your own--but which one I
will not tell you; guess her if you can! Her husband had much
pleasure in the manner and behaviour of another honest man, and
kept him therefore much company, so that he was at his mealtime the
more often away from home. So happed it one time that his wife and
he together dined or supped with that neighbour of theirs, and then
she made a merry quarrel with him for making her husband so good
cheer outside that she could not keep him at home. "Forsooth,
mistress," quoth he (for he was a dry merry man), "in my company no
thing keepeth him but one. Serve him with the same, and he will
never be away from you." "What gay thing may that be?" quoth our
cousin then. "Forsooth, mistress," quoth he, "your husband loveth
well to talk, and when he sitteth with me, I let him have all the
words." "All the words?" quoth she, "marry, than am I content! He
shall have all the words with good will, as he hath ever had. But I
speak them all myself, and give them all to him, and for aught I
care for them, so shall he have them all. But otherwise to say that
he shall have them all, you shall keep him still rather than he get
the half!"

ANTHONY: Forsooth, cousin, I can soon guess which of our kin she
was. I wish we had none, for all her merry words, who would let
their husbands talk less!

VINCENT: Forsooth, she is not so merry but what she is equally
good. But where you find fault, uncle, that I speak not enough: I
was in good faith ashamed that I spoke so much and moved you such
questions as (I found upon your answer) might better have been
spared, they were of so little worth. But now, since I see you be
so well content that I shall not forbear boldly to show my folly, I
will be no more so shamefast but will ask you what I like.

I

And first, good uncle, ere we proceed further, I will be bold to
move you one thing more of that which we talked of when I was here
before. For when I revolved in my mind again the things that were
concluded here by you, methought you would in no wise wish that in
any tribulation men should seek for comfort in either worldly
things or fleshly. And this opinion of yours, uncle, seemeth
somewhat hard, for a merry tale with a friend refresheth a man
much, and without any harm delighteth his mind and amendeth his
courage and his stomach, so that it seemeth but well done