f, and she might aptly, to seek, before she died,
to make the king acquainted with her love and her intent, and
accordingly she prayed him bring her Minuccio d'Arezzo. Now this
Minuccio was in those days held a very quaint and subtle singer and
player and was gladly seen of the king; and Bernardo concluded that
Lisa had a mind to hear him sing and play awhile. Accordingly, he sent
to tell him, and Minuccio, who was a man of a debonair humour,
incontinent came to her and having somedele comforted her with kindly
speech, softly played her a fit or two on a viol he had with him and
after sang her sundry songs, the which were fire and flame unto the
damsel's passion, whereas he thought to solace her. Presently she told
him that she would fain speak some words with him alone, wherefore,
all else having withdrawn, she said to him, 'Minuccio, I have chosen
thee to keep me very faithfully a secret of mine, hoping in the first
place that thou wilt never discover it to any one, save to him of whom
I shall tell thee, and after that thou wilt help me in that which
lieth in thy power; and of this I pray thee Thou must know, then,
Minuccio mine, that the day our lord King Pedro held the great
festival in honour of his exaltation to the throne, it befell me, as
he tilted, to espy him at so dour a point[459] that for the love of
him there was kindled in my heart a fire that hath brought me to this
pass wherein thou seest me, and knowing how ill my love beseemeth to a
king, yet availing not, let alone to drive it away, but even to abate
it, and it being beyond measure grievous to me to bear, I have as a
lesser evil elected to die, as I shall do. True it is that I should
begone hence cruelly disconsolate, an he first knew it not; wherefore,
unknowing by whom I could more aptly acquaint him with this my
resolution than by thyself, I desire to commit it to thee and pray
thee that thou refuse not to do it, and whenas thou shalt have done
it, that thou give me to know thereof, so that, dying comforted, I may
be assoiled of these my pains.' And this said, she stinted, weeping.

[Footnote 459: _In si forte punto_, or, in modern parlance, at so
critical or ill-starred a moment.]

Minuccio marvelled at the greatness of the damsel's soul and at her
cruel resolve and was sore concerned for her; then, it suddenly
occurring to his mind how he might honourably oblige her, he said to
her, 'Lisa, I pledge thee my faith, whereof thou mayst live assured