uld nowhere out of Pavia have
found any decent place of entertainment; wherefore, let it not irk you
to have gone somedele beside your way, to have a little less unease.'
Meanwhile, his servants came round about the travellers and helping
them to dismount, eased[472] their horses.

[Footnote 472: _Adagiarono_; see p. 447, note.]

Messer Torello then brought the three stranger gentlemen to the
chambers prepared for them, where he let unboot them and refresh them
somewhat with very cool wines and entertained them in agreeable
discourse till such time as they might sup. Saladin and his companions
and servants all knew Latin, wherefore they understood very well and
were understood, and it seemed to each of them that this gentleman was
the most pleasant and well-mannered man they had ever seen, ay, and
the best spoken. It appeared to Messer Torello, on the other hand,
that they were men of magnificent fashions and much more of account
than he had at first conceived, wherefore he was inwardly chagrined
that he could not honour them that evening with companions and with a
more considerable entertainment. But for this he bethought himself to
make them amends on the morrow, and accordingly, having instructed one
of his servants of that which he would have done, he despatched him to
Pavia, which was very near at hand and where no gate was ever locked,
to his lady, who was exceeding discreet and great-hearted. Then,
carrying the gentlemen into the garden, he courteously asked them who
they were, to which Saladin answered, 'We are merchants from Cyprus
and are bound to Paris on our occasions.' 'Would to God,' cried Messer
Torello, 'that this our country produced gentlemen of such a fashion
as I see Cyprus doth merchants!' In these and other discourses they
abode till it was time to sup, whereupon he left it to them to honour
themselves at table,[473] and there, for an improvised supper, they
were very well and orderly served; nor had they abidden long after the
tables were removed, when Messer Torello, judging them to be weary,
put them to sleep in very goodly beds and himself a little after in
like manner betook himself to rest.

[Footnote 473: _i.e._ to place themselves according to their several
ranks, which were unknown to Torello.]

Meanwhile the servant sent to Pavia did his errand to the lady, who,
with no womanly, but with a royal spirit, let call in haste a great
number of the friends and servants of Messer Torello and