h of Ghismonda, with laughter and pleasance.

[Footnote 225: Lit. of those who _was_ held of the greatest casuists
(_di quelli che de' maggior cassesi era tenuto_). This is another very
obscure passage. The meaning of the word _cassesi_ is unknown and we
can only guess it to be a dialectic (probably Venetian) corruption of
the word _casisti_ (casuists). The Giunta edition separates the word
thus, _casse si_, making _si_ a mere corroborative prefix to _era_,
but I do not see how the alteration helps us, the word _casse_
(chests, boxes) being apparently meaningless in this connection.]

There was, then, noble ladies, in Imola, a man of wicked and corrupt
life, who was called Berto della Massa and whose lewd fashions, being
well known of the Imolese, had brought him into such ill savour with
them that there was none in the town who would credit him, even when
he said sooth; wherefore, seeing that his shifts might no longer stand
him in stead there, he removed in desperation to Venice, the
receptacle of every kind of trash, thinking to find there new means of
carrying on his wicked practices. There, as if conscience-stricken for
the evil deeds done by him in the past, feigning himself overcome with
the utmost humility and waxing devouter than any man alive, he went
and turned Minor Friar and styled himself Fra Alberta da Imola; in
which habit he proceeded to lead, to all appearance, a very austere
life, greatly commending abstinence and mortification and never eating
flesh nor drinking wine, whenas he had not thereof that which was to
his liking. In short, scarce was any ware of him when from a thief, a
pimp, a forger, a manslayer, he suddenly became a great preacher,
without having for all that forsworn the vices aforesaid, whenas he
might secretly put them in practice. Moreover, becoming a priest, he
would still, whenas he celebrated mass at the altar, an he were seen
of many, beweep our Saviour's passion, as one whom tears cost little,
whenas he willed it. Brief, what with his preachings and his tears, he
contrived on such wise to inveigle the Venetians that he was trustee
and depository of well nigh every will made in the town and guardian
of folk's monies, besides being confessor and counsellor of the most
part of the men and women of the place; and doing thus, from wolf he
was become shepherd and the fame of his sanctity was far greater in
those parts than ever was that of St. Francis at Assisi.

It chanced one day