NOVEL VIII.
Fresco advises his niece, that if she could not endure to look at any disagreeable people, she should never behold herself.
Filostrato's novel had put the ladies into some confusion, as appeared by their blushes, when the queen turned immediately to Emilia, and desired her to begin. She, starting up as if she had been roused out of her sleep, spoke to this effect:
- I have been so long lost in thought, that I shall now obey the queen, by relating a much shorter novel than I should have done, probably, had I more time to recollect myself. This will be concerning the foolish affectation of a certain young lady, which was very wittily reproved by her uncle, if she had had but sense enough to have taken it.
A worthy man, named Fresco da Celatico, had a niece, called, out of fondness, Cesca, i. e, for Francesca, who, though her person was not amiss (she was no angel neither!) yet thought so highly of herself, that she was perpetually finding fault with men, women, and everything that she saw, without having the least regard to herself all the time; for by that means, she became such a disagreeable, fretful, and tiresome creature, that nothing was ever like her, and so proud withal, that, had she been of the blood royal of France, she could not have been more so. And if she walked along the street at any time, she did nothing but toss up her nose all the way, as if every one that she either saw or met was offensive to her. To omit the rest of her troublesome, ill-conditioned ways, it chanced one day that she came home, pouting extremely with pride and affectation, and sat down by her uncle; he said to her, "What is the reason, Cesca, that you come home so soon, this being a holiday? "When she, fit to die away with her airs, replied, "I have returned so early, because I could not have believed there had been such a number of frightful people, both men and women, in the country as I have met with today; there was not one that I could like. I don't believe there is any woman in the world who has such an aversion to disagreeable people as I have: it is to avoid them, therefore, that I have come so soon." Fresco, then, who could no longer brook her inordinate affectation, replied roughly to her: "Niece, if disagreeable persons displease you so much, and you are willing to be at ease, be sure you never look at yourself." She, however, as empty as a pithless cane, though she thought herself as wise as Solomon, understood her uncle's meaning no more than a goose; but said, " She would look at herself as well as other people." Thus she remained in her ignorance, and, for what I know, still continues in the same state.
