day, discoursing diversely of
divers things and ranging over various parts of the world, we have so
far departed.

There was, then, no great while ago, in Florence a damsel very
handsome and agreeable, according to her condition, who was the
daughter of a poor father and was called Simona; and although it
behoved her with her own hands earn the bread she would eat and
sustain her life by spinning wool, she was not therefor of so poor a
spirit but that she dared to admit into her heart Love, which,--by
means of the pleasing words and fashions of a youth of no greater
account than herself, who went giving wool to spin for a master of
his, a wool-monger,--had long made a show of wishing to enter there.
Having, then, received Him into her bosom with the pleasing aspect of
the youth who loved her whose name was Pasquino, she heaved a thousand
sighs, hotter than fire, at every hank of yarn she wound about the
spindle, bethinking her of him who had given it her to spin and
ardently desiring, but venturing not to do more. He, on his side,
grown exceeding anxious that his master's wool should be well spun,
overlooked Simona's spinning more diligently than that of any other,
as if the yarn spun by her alone and none other were to furnish forth
the whole cloth; wherefore, the one soliciting and the other
delighting to be solicited, it befell that, he growing bolder than of
his wont and she laying aside much of the timidity and shamefastness
she was used to feel, they gave themselves up with a common accord to
mutual pleasures, which were so pleasing to both that not only did
neither wait to be bidden thereto of the other, but each forewent
other in the matter of invitation.

Ensuing this their delight from day to day and waxing ever more
enkindled for continuance, it chanced one day that Pasquino told
Simona he would fain have her find means to come to a garden, whither
he wished to carry her so they might there foregather more at their
ease and with less suspect. Simona answered that she would well and
accordingly on Sunday, after eating, giving her father to believe that
she meant to go a-pardoning to San Gallo,[250] she betook herself,
with a friend of hers, called Lagina, to the garden appointed her of
Pasquino. There she found him with a comrade of his, whose name was
Puccino, but who was commonly called Stramba,[251] and an amorous
acquaintance being quickly clapped up between the latter and Lagina,
Simona and her lover