a rose, more by token that I am a doctor of medicine, such as I
believe you have none among you. Moreover, I know many fine things and
goodly canzonets; marry, I will sing you one.' And incontinent he fell
a-singing.

[Footnote 402: _i.e._ love her beyond anything in the world. For
former instances of this idiomatic expression, see ante, passim.]

Bruno had so great a mind to laugh that he was like to burst; however
he contained himself and the physician, having made an end of his
song, said, 'How deemedst thou thereof?' 'Certes,' answered Bruno,
'there's no Jew's harp but would lose with you, so archigothically do
you caterwarble it.' Quoth Master Simone, 'I tell thee thou wouldst
never have believed it, hadst thou not heard me.' 'Certes,' replied
Bruno, 'you say sooth!' and the physician went on, 'I know store of
others; but let that be for the present. Such as thou seest me, my
father was a gentleman, albeit he abode in the country, and I myself
come by my mother of the Vallecchio family. Moreover, as thou mayst
have seen, I have the finest books and gowns of any physician in
Florence. Cock's faith, I have a gown that stood me, all reckoned, in
nigh upon an hundred pounds of doits, more than half a score years
ago; wherefore I pray thee as most I may, to bring me to be of your
company, and by Cock's faith, an thou do it, thou mayst be as ill as
thou wilt, for I will never take a farthing of thee for my services.'

Bruno, hearing this and the physician seeming to him a greater
numskull than ever, said, 'Doctor, hold the light a thought more this
way and take patience till I have made these rats their tails, and
after I will answer you.' The tails being finished, Bruno made believe
that the physician's request was exceeding irksome to him and said,
'Doctor mine, these be great things you would do for me and I
acknowledge it; nevertheless, that which you ask of me, little as it
may be for the greatness of your brain, is yet to me a very grave
matter, nor know I any one in the world for whom, it being in my
power, I would do it, an I did it not for you, both because I love you
as it behoveth and on account of your words, which are seasoned with
so much wit that they would draw the straps out of a pair of boots,
much more me from my purpose; for the more I consort with you, the
wiser you appear to me. And I may tell you this, to boot, that, though
I had none other reason, yet do I wish you well, for that I see you
enam