messenger told us that you shook like a reed and knew not where you
were. Marry, for the nonce you have befooled us finely; but never
again shall any one serve us thus, and we will yet do you such honour
thereof as you merit.' The physician fell to craving pardon and
conjuring them for God's sake not to dishonour him and studied to
appease them with the best words he could command. And if aforetime he
had entreated them with honour, from that time forth he honoured them
yet more and made much of them, entertaining them with banquets and
otherwhat, for fear lest they should publish his shame. Thus, then, as
you have heard, is sense taught to whoso hath learned no great store
thereof at Bologna."

THE TENTH STORY

[Day the Eighth]

A CERTAIN WOMAN OF SICILY ARTFULLY DESPOILETH A MERCHANT OF
THAT WHICH HE HAD BROUGHT TO PALERMO; BUT HE, MAKING BELIEVE
TO HAVE RETURNED THITHER WITH MUCH GREATER PLENTY OF
MERCHANDISE THAN BEFORE, BORROWETH MONEY OF HER AND LEAVETH
HER WATER AND TOW IN PAYMENT

How much the queen's story in divers places made the ladies laugh, it
needed not to ask; suffice it to say that there was none of them to
whose eyes the tears had not come a dozen times for excess of
laughter: but, after it had an end, Dioneo, knowing that it was come
to his turn to tell, said, "Gracious ladies, it is a manifest thing
that sleights and devices are the more pleasing, the subtler the
trickster who is thereby artfully outwitted. Wherefore, albeit you
have related very fine stories, I mean to tell you one, which should
please you more than any other that hath been told upon the same
subject, inasmuch as she who was cheated was a greater mistress of the
art of cheating others than was any of the men or women who were
cozened by those of whom you have told.

There used to be, and belike is yet, a custom, in all maritime places
which have a port, that all merchants who come thither with
merchandise, having unloaded it, should carry it all into a warehouse,
which is in many places called a customhouse, kept by the commonality
or by the lord of the place. There they give unto those who are
deputed to that end a note in writing of all their merchandise and the
value thereof, and they thereupon make over to each merchant a
storehouse, wherein he layeth up his goods under lock and key.
Moreover, the said officers enter in the book of the Customs, to each
merchant's credit, all his merchandis