r of only one daughter, whom she
loved so dearly as to be at all pains to amass riches for her, and to
find her a good husband. Now, seeing that her daughter was grown up, she
was unceasingly anxious to find her a husband who might live with them
in peace and quiet, a man, that is, of a good conscience, such as she
deemed herself to possess. And since she had heard some foolish preacher
say that it were better to do evil by the counsel of theologians than
to do well through belief in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she
had recourse to her father confessor, a man already old, a doctor of
theology and one who was held to lead a holy life by the whole town,
for she felt sure that, with his counsel and good prayers, she could not
fail to find peace both for herself and for her daughter. After she had
earnestly begged him to choose for her daughter such a husband as he
knew a woman that loved God and her honour ought to desire, he replied
that first of all it was needful to implore the grace of the Holy Spirit
with prayer and fasting, and then, God guiding his judgment, he hoped to
find what she required.

So the Friar retired to think over the matter; and whereas he had heard
from the lady that she had got five hundred ducats together to give to
her daughter's husband, and that she would take upon herself the charge
of maintaining both husband and wife with lodgment, furniture and
clothes, he bethought himself that he had a young comrade of handsome
figure and pleasing countenance, to whom he might give the fair maiden,
the house, the furniture, maintenance and food, whilst he himself kept
the five hundred ducats to gratify his burning greed. And when he spoke
to his comrade of the matter, he found that they were both of one mind
upon it.

He therefore returned to the lady and said--"I verily believe that God
has sent his angel Raphael to me as he did to Tobit, to enable me to
find a perfect husband for your daughter. I have in my house the most
honourable gentleman in Italy, who has sometimes seen your daughter and
is deeply in love with her. And so to-day, whilst I was at prayer,
God sent him to me, and he told me of his desire for the marriage,
whereupon, knowing his lineage and kindred and notable descent, I
promised him to speak to you on the matter. There is, indeed, one defect
in him, of which I alone have knowledge, and it is this. Wishing to save
one of his friends whom another man was striving to slay, he dre