death of the two
unfortunate lovers appeared; for thereunder was a toad of marvellous
bigness, by whose pestiferous breath they concluded the sage to have
become venomous. None daring approach the beast, they made a great
hedge of brushwood about it and there burnt it, together with the
sage. So ended the judge's inquest upon the death of the unfortunate
Pasquino, who, together with his Simona, all swollen as they were, was
buried by Stramba and Atticciato and Guccio Imbratta and Malagevole in
the church of St. Paul, whereof it chanced they were parishioners."

THE EIGHTH STORY

[Day the Fourth]

GIROLAMO LOVETH SALVESTRA AND BEING CONSTRAINED BY HIS
MOTHER'S PRAYERS TO GO TO PARIS, RETURNETH AND FINDETH HIS
MISTRESS MARRIED; WHEREUPON HE ENTERETH HER HOUSE BY STEALTH
AND DIETH BY HER SIDE; AND HE BEING CARRIED TO A CHURCH,
SALVESTRA DIETH BESIDE HIM

Emilia's story come to an end, Neifile, by the king's commandment,
began thus: "There are some, noble ladies, who believe themselves to
know more than other folk, albeit, to my thinking, they know less, and
who, by reason thereof, presume to oppose their judgment not only to
the counsels of men, but even to set it up against the very nature of
things; of which presumption very grave ills have befallen aforetime,
nor ever was any good known to come thereof. And for that of all
natural things love is that which least brooketh contrary counsel or
opposition and whose nature is such that it may lightlier consume of
itself than be done away by advisement, it hath come to my mind to
narrate to you a story of a lady, who, seeking to be wiser than
pertained unto her and than she was, nay, than the matter comported in
which she studied to show her wit, thought to tear out from an
enamoured heart a love which had belike been set there of the stars,
and so doing, succeeded in expelling at once love and life from her
son's body.

There was, then, in our city, according to that which the ancients
relate, a very great and rich merchant, whose name was Lionardo
Sighieri and who had by his wife a son called Girolamo, after whose
birth, having duly set his affairs in order, he departed this life.
The guardians of the boy, together with his mother, well and loyally
ordered his affairs, and he, growing up with his neighbour's children,
became familiar with a girl of his own age, the daughter of the
tailor, more than with any other of the quarter. As he