e bethought himself, in her
presence, to view the dead body and the place and manner of the
mishap, as recounted to him by her, for that he apprehended it not
very well by her words.

Accordingly, he let bring her, without any stir, whereas Pasquino's
body lay yet, swollen as it were a tun, and himself following her
thither, marvelled at the dead man and asked her how it had been;
whereupon, going up to the sage-bush, she recounted to him all the
foregoing story and to give him more fully to understand how the thing
had befallen, she did even as Pasquino had done and rubbed one of the
sage-leaves against her teeth. Then,--whilst her words were, in the
judge's presence, flouted by Stramba and Atticciato and the other
friends and comrades of Pasquino as frivolous and vain and they all
denounced her wickedness with the more instance, demanding nothing
less than that the fire should be the punishment of such
perversity,--the wretched girl, who abode all confounded for dolour of
her lost lover and fear of the punishment demanded by Stramba fell,
for having rubbed the sage against her teeth, into that same
mischance, whereinto her lover had fallen [and dropped dead], to the
no small wonderment of as many as were present. O happy souls, to whom
it fell in one same day to terminate at once your fervent love and
your mortal life! Happier yet, an ye went together to one same place!
And most happy, if folk love in the other life and ye love there as
you loved here below! But happiest beyond compare,--at least in our
judgment who abide after her on life,--was Simona's soul, whose
innocence fortune suffered not to fall under the testimony of Stramba
and Atticciato and Malagevole, wool-carders belike or men of yet
meaner condition, finding her a more honourable way, with a death like
unto that of her lover, to deliver herself from their calumnies and to
follow the soul, so dearly loved of her, of her Pasquino.

The judge, in a manner astonied, as were likewise as many as were
there, at this mischance and unknowing what to say, abode long silent;
then, recollecting himself, he said, 'It seemeth this sage is
poisonous, the which is not wont to happen of sage. But, so it may not
avail to offend on this wise against any other, be it cut down even to
the roots and cast into the fire.' This the keeper of the garden
proceeded to do in the judge's presence, and no sooner had he levelled
the great bush with the ground than the cause of the