n, as well for the observance of his
promise as to pleasure all his liegemen and the ladies, who all
besought him thenceforth to receive and honour her as his lawful wife,
put off his obstinate despite and raising the countess to her feet,
embraced her and kissing her, acknowledged her for his lawful wife and
those for his children. Then, letting clothe her in apparel such as
beseemed her quality, to the exceeding joyance of as many as were
there and of all other his vassals who heard the news, he held high
festival, not only all that day, but sundry others, and from that day
forth still honoured her as his bride and his wife and loved and
tendered her over all."

THE TENTH STORY

[Day the Third]

ALIBECH, TURNING HERMIT, IS TAUGHT BY RUSTICO, A MONK, TO
PUT THE DEVIL IN HELL, AND BEING AFTER BROUGHT AWAY THENCE,
BECOMETH NEERBALE HIS WIFE

Dioneo, who had diligently hearkened to the queen's story, seeing that
it was ended and that it rested with him alone to tell, without
awaiting commandment, smilingly began to speak as follows: "Charming
ladies, maybe you have never heard tell how one putteth the devil in
hell; wherefore, without much departing from the tenor of that
whereof you have discoursed all this day, I will e'en tell it you.
Belike, having learned it, you may catch the spirit[202] thereof and
come to know that, albeit Love sojourneth liefer in jocund palaces and
luxurious chambers than in the hovels of the poor, yet none the less
doth he whiles make his power felt midmost thick forests and rugged
mountains and in desert caverns; whereby it may be understood that all
things are subject to his puissance.

[Footnote 202: _Guadagnare l'anima_, lit. gain the soul (syn. pith,
kernel, substance). This passage is ambiguous and should perhaps be
rendered "catch the knack or trick" or "acquire the wish."]

To come, then, to the fact, I say that in the city of Capsa in Barbary
there was aforetime a very rich man, who, among his other children,
had a fair and winsome young daughter, by name Alibech. She, not being
a Christian and hearing many Christians who abode in the town mightily
extol the Christian faith and the service of God, one day questioned
one of them in what manner one might avail to serve God with the least
hindrance. The other answered that they best served God who most
strictly eschewed the things of the world, as those did who had
betaken them into the solitudes of the dese