o his
feet, he put out his hand to lay hold of the huckster; but the latter,
who was on his guard, promptly took to his heels and returning by
another way to Ciacco, who had seen all that had passed, told him what
Messer Filippo had said to him. Ciacco, well pleased, paid him and
rested not till he found Biondello, to whom quoth he, 'Hast thou been
late at the Cavicciuoli Gallery?' 'Nay,' answered the other. 'Why dost
thou ask me?' 'Because,' replied Ciacco, 'I must tell thee that Messer
Filippo enquireth for thee; I know not what he would have.' 'Good,'
rejoined Biondello; 'I am going that way and will speak with him.'
Accordingly, he made off, and Ciacco followed him, to see how the
thing should pass.

Meanwhile Messer Filippo, having failed to come at the huckster, abode
sore disordered and was inwardly all a-fume with rage, being unable to
make anything in the world of the huckster's words, if not that
Biondello, at whosesoever instance, was minded to make mock of him. As
he fretted himself thus, up came Biondello, whom no sooner did he espy
than he made for him and dealt him a sore buffet in the face. 'Alack,
sir,' cried Biondello, 'what is this?' Whereupon Messer Filippo,
clutching him by the hair and tearing his coif, cast his bonnet to the
ground and said, laying on to him amain the while, 'Knave that thou
art, thou shalt soon see what it is! What is this thou sendest to say
to me with thy "rubify me" and thy "minions"? Deemest thou me a child,
to be flouted on this wise?' So saying, he battered his whole face
with his fists, which were like very iron, nor left him a hair on his
head unruffled; then, rolling him in the mire, he tore all the clothes
off his back; and to this he applied himself with such a will that
Biondello could not avail to say a word to him nor ask why he served
him thus. He had heard him indeed speak of 'rubify me' and 'minions,'
but knew not what this meant.

At last, Messer Filippo having beaten him soundly, the bystanders,
whereof many had by this time gathered about them, dragged him, with
the utmost difficulty, out of the other's clutches, all bruised and
battered as he was, and told him why the gentleman had done this,
blaming him for that which he had sent to say to him and telling him
that he should by that time have known Messer Filippo better and that
he was not a man to jest withal. Biondello, all in tears protested his
innocence, declaring that he had never sent to Messer Filip