der her dealings aright, remaineth to be said
thereof; and at this none should marvel, an he consider advisedly that
all the things, which we foolishly style ours, are in her hands and
are consequently, according to her hidden ordinance, transmuted by her
without cease from one to another and back again, without any method
known unto us. Wherefore, albeit this truth is conclusively
demonstrated in everything and all day long and hath already been
shown forth in divers of the foregoing stories, nevertheless, since it
is our queen's pleasure that we discourse upon this theme, I will, not
belike without profit for the listeners, add to the stories aforesaid
one of my own, which methinketh should please.

There was once in our city a gentleman, by name Messer Tedaldo, who,
as some will have it, was of the Lamberti family, albeit others avouch
that he was of the Agolanti, arguing more, belike, from the craft
after followed by his sons,[88] which was like unto that which the
Agolanti have ever practised and yet practise, than from aught else.
But, leaving be of which of these two houses he was, I say that he
was, in his time, a very rich gentleman and had three sons, whereof
the eldest was named Lamberto, the second Tedaldo and the third
Agolante, all handsome and sprightly youths, the eldest of whom had
not reached his eighteenth year when it befell that the aforesaid
Messer Tedaldo died very rich and left all his possessions, both
moveable and immoveable, to them, as his legitimate heirs. The young
men, seeing themselves left very rich both in lands and monies, began
to spend without check or reserve or other governance than that of
their own pleasure, keeping a vast household and many and goodly
horses and dogs and hawks, still holding open house and giving
largesse and making tilts and tournaments and doing not only that
which pertaineth unto men of condition, but all, to boot, that it
occurred to their youthful appetite to will.

[Footnote 88: _i.e._ usury? See post. One of the commentators
ridiculously suggests that they were needlemakers, from _ago_, a
needle.]

They had not long led this manner of life before the treasure left by
their father melted away and their revenues alone sufficing not unto
their current expenses, they proceeded to sell and mortgage their
estates, and selling one to-day and another to-morrow, they found
themselves well nigh to nought, without perceiving it, and poverty
opened their eyes, wh