hours has been a sore stumbling-block to the
ordinary English and French translator, who is generally terribly at
sea as to his meaning, inclining to render _tierce_ three, _sexte_ six
o'clock and _none_ noon and making shots of the same wild kind at the
other hours. The monasterial rule (which before the general
introduction of clocks was commonly followed by the mediaeval public in
the computation of time) divided the twenty-four hours of the day and
night into seven parts (six of three hours each and one of six), the
inception of which was denoted by the sound of the bells that summoned
the clergy to the performance of the seven canonical offices _i.e._
_Matins_ at 3 a.m., _Prime_ at 6 a.m., _Tierce_ at 9 a.m., _Sexte_ or
Noonsong at noon, _None_ at 3 p.m., _Vespers_ or Evensong at 6 p.m.
and _Complines_ or Nightsong at 9 p.m., and at the same time served
the laity as a clock.]

The merry company, being thus dismissed by the new queen, went
straying with slow steps, young men and fair ladies together, about a
garden, devising blithely and diverting themselves with weaving goodly
garlands of various leaves and carolling amorously. After they had
abidden there such time as had been appointed them of the queen, they
returned to the house, where they found that Parmeno had made a
diligent beginning with his office, for that, entering a saloon on the
ground floor, they saw there the tables laid with the whitest of
cloths and beakers that seemed of silver and everything covered with
the flowers of the broom; whereupon, having washed their hands, they
all, by command of the queen, seated themselves according to Parmeno's
ordinance. Then came viands delicately drest and choicest wines were
proffered and the three serving-men, without more, quietly tended the
tables. All, being gladdened by these things, for that they were fair
and orderly done, ate joyously and with store of merry talk, and the
tables being cleared away,[25] the queen bade bring instruments of
music, for that all the ladies knew how to dance, as also the young
men, and some of them could both play and sing excellent well.
Accordingly, by her commandment, Dioneo took a lute and Fiammetta a
viol and began softly to sound a dance; whereupon the queen and the
other ladies, together with the other two young men, having sent the
serving-men to eat, struck up a round and began with a slow pace to
dance a brawl; which ended, they fell to singing quaint and merry
di