ut he shall feel it.'

Having thus spoken, he opened the casket, chanting the while a
canticle in praise of St. Lawrence, and showed the coals, which after
the simple multitude had awhile beheld with reverent admiration, they
all crowded about Fra Cipolla and making him better offerings than
they were used, besought him to touch them withal. Accordingly, taking
the coals in hand, he fell to making the biggest crosses for which he
could find room upon their white smocks and doublets and upon the
veils of the women, avouching that how much soever the coals
diminished in making these crosses, they after grew again in the
casket, as he had many a time proved. On this wise he crossed all the
people of Certaldo, to his no small profit, and thus, by his ready wit
and presence of mind, he baffled those who, by taking the feather from
him, had thought to baffle him and who, being present at his
preachment and hearing the rare shift employed by him and from how far
he had taken it and with what words, had so laughed that they thought
to have cracked their jaws. Then, after the common folk had departed,
they went up to him and with all the mirth in the world discovered to
him that which they had done and after restored him his feather, which
next year stood him in as good stead as the coals had done that day."

* * * * *

This story afforded unto all the company alike the utmost pleasure and
solace, and it was much laughed of all at Fra Cipolla, and
particularly of his pilgrimage and the relics seen and brought back by
him. The queen, seeing the story and likewise her sovantry at an end,
rose to her feet and put off the crown, which she set laughingly on
Dioneo's head, saying, "It is time, Dioneo, that thou prove awhile
what manner charge it is to have ladies to govern and guide; be thou,
then, king and rule on such wise that, in the end, we may have reason
to give ourselves joy of thy governance." Dioneo took the crown and
answered, laughing, "You may often enough have seen much better kings
than I, I mean chess-kings; but, an you obey me as a king should in
truth be obeyed, I will cause you enjoy that without which assuredly
no entertainment is ever complete in its gladness. But let that talk
be; I will rule as best I know."

Then, sending for the seneschal, according to the wonted usance, he
orderly enjoined him of that which he should do during the continuance
of his seignory and after said,