ocked at the shop dore, one of
the guard asked who was there. To whom Ricciardo said: "Can you
tel me wher one Ventura doth kepe his shop?" Of whom one of them
demaunded what Ventura? "I know not his surname," sayde
Ricciardo, "that I would he had bene hanged, when I came first
to dwell with him." "Why who sent thee?" said one of the guarde.
"His wyfe (quod Ricciardo) who bade me cary him this meate and
wyne for his supper: but I pray you (sayde Ricciardo,) let me
leaue the same with you, till I goe home to know better where he
kepeth his stall. And maruell not, my maisters, though I know
not where his shop is, for it is not long sithens I came to
dwell in this Citie." And so leauing behind him the Pie, and the
bread with the flagon of wyne, he made haste to departe, and
tolde them that he wold come againe by and by. When he was gone,
one of them toke the flagon and drancke, and afterwardes gaue it
to his companion, and said: "Drinke, for thou neuer diddest tast
of better wyne in all thy life." His companion dranke, and
merily communing of this matter, they fel a sleepe. Ricciardo
loking in at a hole of the dore, seing them a slepe, went in,
and toke the calfe, and caried it home whole as it was, and
saide to his mother: "Hold, mother, there is your luste, cut it
out:" and by and by she cut out a great pece. The duke so sone
as he heard that the calfe was stolen, and the maner howe, did
wonder very muche, purposing yet to knowe what hee was: and
caused a hundred poore people to come before him, whose names
being written, he said vnto them: {"}Get ye to all the houses in
Venice, vnder colour to begge almes. And marke if you see in any
house fleshe dressed, or any pece in making ready to be eaten at
the fier, which if you doe, ye must be importunate in begging,
till they giue you either flesh or broth. And he among all you
that shal bring me the first newes, I wil giue him xx crownes."
These beggers dispersed themselues into euery corner of the
Citie, crauing their almes, amongs whom one of them asked his
almes at the house of Ricciardo, and approching nere, espied
openly fleshe at the spit, and besought a morsell thereof for
God's sake: to whom the vndiscrete woman seeing that she had
plentye, gaue a litle pece. The poore man thanked the good wife,
and prayed God to saue her life. And as hee was going down the
steps of the dore, Ricciardo met him with the flesh in his hand.
Wherewithal astonned, he willed him to retour