to admonish the
culprit and show him that he was ware of the matter; wherefore,
turning to all who were present, he said, 'Let him who did it do it no
more and get you gone in peace.' Another would have been for giving
them the strappado, for torturing, examining and questioning, and
doing this, would have published that which every one should go about
to conceal; and having thus discovered himself, though he should have
taken entire revenge for the affront suffered, his shame had not been
minished, nay, were rather much enhanced therefor and his lady's
honour sullied. Those who heard the king's words marvelled and long
debated amongst themselves what he meant by this speech; but none
understood it, save he whom it concerned, and he, like a wise man,
never, during Agilulf's lifetime, discovered the matter nor ever again
committed his life to the hazard of such a venture."

[Footnote 155: Boccaccio calls her _Teudelinga_; but I know of no
authority for this form of the name of the famous Longobardian queen.]

[Footnote 156: Referring apparently to the adventure related in the
present story.]

[Footnote 157: Lit. with high (_i.e._ worthy) cause (_con alta
cagione_).]

THE THIRD STORY

[Day the Third]

UNDER COLOUR OF CONFESSION AND OF EXCEEDING NICENESS OF
CONSCIENCE, A LADY, BEING ENAMOURED OF A YOUNG MAN, BRINGETH
A GRAVE FRIAR, WITHOUT HIS MISDOUBTING HIM THEREOF, TO
AFFORD A MEANS OF GIVING ENTIRE EFFECT TO HER PLEASURE

Pampinea being now silent and the daring and subtlety of the
horsekeeper having been extolled by several of the company, as also
the king's good sense, the queen, turning to Filomena, charged her
follow on; whereupon she blithely began to speak thus, "I purpose to
recount to you a cheat which was in very deed put by a fair lady upon
a grave friar and which should be so much the more pleasing to every
layman as these [--friars, to wit--], albeit for the most part very
dull fools and men of strange manners and usances, hold themselves to
be in everything both better worth and wiser than others, whereas they
are of far less account than the rest of mankind, being men who,
lacking, of the meanness of their spirit, the ability to provide
themselves, take refuge, like swine, whereas they may have what to
eat. And this story, charming ladies, I shall tell you, not only for
the ensuing of the order imposed, but to give you to know withal that
even the clergy, to whom we w