re, being adread of the country people and of the
Count of Provence, he let saddle his horses and made off. On the
morrow it was known all over the country how the thing had passed;
whereupon the two bodies were, with the utmost grief and lamentation,
taken up by Guardestaing's people and those of the lady and laid in
one same sepulchre in the chapel of the latter's own castle; and
thereover were verses written, signifying who these were that were
buried therewithin and the manner and occasion of their death."[256]

[Footnote 256: This is the well-known story of the Troubadour Guillem
de Cabestanh or Cabestaing, whose name Boccaccio alters to
Guardastagno or Guardestaing.]

THE TENTH STORY

[Day the Fourth]

A PHYSICIAN'S WIFE PUTTETH HER LOVER FOR DEAD IN A CHEST,
WHICH TWO USURERS CARRY OFF TO THEIR OWN HOUSE, GALLANT AND
ALL. THE LATTER, WHO IS BUT DRUGGED, COMETH PRESENTLY TO
HIMSELF AND BEING DISCOVERED, IS TAKEN FOR A THIEF; BUT THE
LADY'S MAID AVOUCHETH TO THE SEIGNORY THAT SHE HERSELF HAD
PUT HIM INTO THE CHEST STOLEN BY THE TWO USURERS, WHEREBY HE
ESCAPETH THE GALLOWS AND THE THIEVES ARE AMERCED IN CERTAIN
MONIES

Filostrato having made an end of his telling, it rested only with
Dioneo to accomplish his task, who, knowing this and it being
presently commanded him of the king, began as follows: 'The sorrows
that have been this day related of ill fortuned loves have saddened
not only your eyes and hearts, ladies, but mine also; wherefore I have
ardently longed for an end to be made thereof. Now that, praised be
God, they are finished (except I should choose to make an ill addition
to such sorry ware, from which God keep me!), I will, without farther
ensuing so dolorous a theme, begin with something blither and better,
thereby perchance affording a good argument for that which is to be
related on the ensuing day.

You must know, then, fairest lasses, that there was in Salerno, no
great while since, a very famous doctor in surgery, by name Master
Mazzeo della Montagna, who, being already come to extreme old age,
took to wife a fair and gentle damsel of his city and kept better
furnished with sumptuous and rich apparel and jewels and all that can
pleasure a lady than any woman of the place. True it is she went
a-cold most of her time, being kept of her husband ill covered abed;
for, like as Messer Ricardo di Chinzica (of whom we already told)
taught his wife t