onciled an evildoer with the pope
or an old man's having proffered his weasand to the enemy's knife to
be evened with this deed of Messer Gentile, who, being young and
ardent and himseeming he had a just title to that which the
heedlessness of others had cast away and he of his good fortune had
taken up, not only honourably tempered his ardour, but, having in his
possession that which he was still wont with all his thoughts to covet
and to seek to steal away, freely restored it [to its owner]? Certes,
meseemeth none of the magnificences already recounted can compare with
this."

THE FIFTH STORY

[Day the Tenth]

MADAM DIANORA REQUIRETH OF MESSER ANSALDO A GARDEN AS FAIR
IN JANUARY AS IN MAY, AND HE BY BINDING HIMSELF [TO PAY A
GREAT SUM OF MONEY] TO A NIGROMANCER, GIVETH IT TO HER. HER
HUSBAND GRANTETH HER LEAVE TO DO MESSER ANSALDO'S PLEASURE,
BUT HE, HEARING OF THE FORMER'S GENEROSITY, ABSOLVETH HER OF
HER PROMISE, WHEREUPON THE NIGROMANCER, IN HIS TURN,
ACQUITTETH MESSER ANSALDO OF HIS BOND, WITHOUT WILLING AUGHT
OF HIS

Messer Gentile having by each of the merry company been extolled to
the very skies with the highest praise, the king charged Emilia follow
on, who confidently, as if eager to speak, began as follows: "Dainty
dames, none can with reason deny that Messer Gentile wrought
magnificently; but, if it be sought to say that his magnanimity might
not be overpassed, it will not belike be uneath to show that more is
possible, as I purpose to set out to you in a little story of mine.

In Friuli, a country, though cold, glad with goodly mountains and
store of rivers and clear springs, is a city called Udine, wherein was
aforetime a fair and noble lady called Madam Dianora, the wife of a
wealthy gentleman named Gilberto, who was very debonair and easy of
composition. The lady's charm procured her to be passionately loved of
a noble and great baron by name Messer Ansaldo Gradense, a man of high
condition and everywhere renowned for prowess and courtesy. He loved
her fervently and did all that lay in his power to be beloved of her,
to which end he frequently solicited her with messages, but wearied
himself in vain. At last, his importunities being irksome to the lady
and she seeing that, for all she denied him everything he sought of
her, he stinted not therefor to love and solicit her, she determined
to seek to rid herself of him by means of an extraordinary and