e, at
the king's commandment, spread upon the grass, not far from the place
where they had eaten, and all having seated themselves thereon hard by
the lake, the king bade Emilia begin; whereupon she blithely proceeded
to speak, smiling, thus:

THE FIRST STORY

[Day the Seventh]

GIANNI LOTTERINGHI HEARETH KNOCK AT HIS DOOR BY NIGHT AND
AWAKENETH HIS WIFE, WHO GIVETH HIM TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A
PHANTOM; WHEREUPON THEY GO TO EXORCISE IT WITH A CERTAIN
ORISON AND THE KNOCKING CEASETH

"My Lord, it had been very agreeable to me, were such your pleasure,
that other than I should have given a beginning to so goodly a matter
as is that whereof we are to speak; but, since it pleaseth you that I
give all the other ladies assurance by my example, I will gladly do
it. Moreover, dearest ladies, I will study to tell a thing that may be
useful to you in time to come, for that, if you others are as fearful
as I, and especially of phantoms, (though what manner of thing they
may be God knoweth I know not, nor ever found I any woman who knew it,
albeit all are alike adread of them,) you may, by noting well my
story, learn a holy and goodly orison of great virtue for the
conjuring them away, should they come to you.

There was once in Florence, in the quarter of San Brancazio, a
wool-comber called Gianni Lotteringhi, a man more fortunate in his
craft than wise in other things, for that, savoring of the simpleton,
he was very often made captain of the Laudsingers[340] of Santa Maria
Novella and had the governance of their confraternity, and he many a
time had other little offices of the same kind, upon which he much
valued himself. This betided him for that, being a man of substance,
he gave many a good pittance to the clergy, who, getting of him often,
this a pair of hose, that a gown and another a scapulary, taught him
in return store of goodly orisons and gave him the paternoster in the
vulgar tongue, the Song of Saint Alexis, the Lamentations of Saint
Bernard, the Canticles of Madam Matilda and the like trumpery, all
which he held very dear and kept very diligently for his soul's
health. Now he had a very fair and lovesome lady to wife, by name
Mistress Tessa, who was the daughter of Mannuccio dalla Cuculia and
was exceeding discreet and well advised. She, knowing her husband's
simplicity and being enamoured of Federigo di Neri Pegolotti, a brisk
and handsome youth, and he of her, took order with a se