7-8, woman, thread, toe

NOVEL VIII. 

A woman who had a very jealous husband, tied a thread to her great toe, by which she informed her lover whether he should come or not. The husband found it out, and whilst he was pursuing the lover, she put her maid in her place. He takes her to be his wife, beats her, cuts off her hair, and then fetches his wife's relations, who find nothing of what he had told them, and load him with reproaches. 

Beatrice seemed to them all to have been strangely spite, fui towards her husband; and every one agreed that Anichino's fright and confusion must have been very great, to be held in that manner, whilst she told her husband of his design upon her. The king seeing that Filomena had done, turned to Neifile, who smiled and said, - A great charge at present rests upon me, to relate something equal to what has been said already; but I shall endeavour to acquit myself as well as I can. 

Know, then, that in our city lived a certain rich merchant, named Arriguccio Berlinghieri, who, like many other trades- people now-a-days, foolishly thought to ennoble himself by marriage; and he took a wife, not at all suitable to himself, whose name was Sismonda. She (her husband, like other persons of business, being often abroad) fell in love with a young gentleman called Ruberto, who had long paid his addresses to her, and being not so discreet in that affair as she ought to have been, it happened, whether her husband had any notion of it, or for what other reason I cannot tell, that he became the most jealous creature in the world, and, laying aside all his other concerns, he applied his mind wholly to watching her; nor would he ever go to sleep without seeing her first in bed. This was the greatest torment to her, as it deprived her of all opportunity of being with her gallant; therefore, after much thinking about it, and being greatly importuned by him all the time, it came into her head at last to take the following method; namely, to have her lover come to the door in the middle of the night, and go and let him in whilst the husband was asleep; for her chamber was towards the street, and she knew that, though her husband was sometimes slow to fall asleep, yet when he was once fast he was not easily roused. And, that she might know when he was there, and nobody else perceive it, she resolved to put a thread out of the window, one end of which should go near to the ground, and the other end was to be brought low along the floor, and so under the clothes into the bed, where she would tie it to her great toe. Having acquainted Ruberto with this, she told him, that, as often as he came, he should pull the thread, when, if her husband was asleep, she would let it go: but, if he was not asleep, she would hold it fast, and then he was not to expect her. Ruberto liked this scheme very well; and he was frequently coming thither, when sometimes he could have her company, and sometimes not. 

At last it happened, whilst she was asleep, as the husband was stretching out his feet in the bed, that he met with this thread; when putting down his hand and finding it tied to her toe, he thought within himself there must be some trick here; perceiving afterwards that the other end went out of the window, he held the fact for certain: accordingly he took it off her toe and put it upon his own, waiting to see what the event would be. He had not been long waiting, before Ruberto came, and pulled the thread as usual: Arriguccio felt it, but not having tied the thread fast enough, and the other drawing pretty hard, it came off, which Ruberto took for a signal that he should stay, and so he did. Arriguccio upon this rose with all haste, and taking arms with him, went to the door, to see who it was, and to inflict vengeance upon him. Now, though he was a merchant, he was a stout, war-like man; and being come to the door, and not opening it in the manner the lady used to do, Ruberto began to have a suspicion how it was, and immediately took to his heels, and the other after him. At last Ruberto having run a great way, the other still pursuing him, he faced about (as he was armed likewise) and drew his sword, and to it they fell, the one continually thrusting, whilst the other stood upon his defence. 

The lady awoke the moment her husband opened the chamber-door, and finding the thread gone from her toe, concluded she was discovered. Perceiving that her husband had run after her lover, she rose, resolving what to do; and calling her maid (who was in the secret) she prevailed upon her to go into her bed; begging of her to receive all the blows patiently which her master should give, without making any discovery; and she would make her such a recompense, that she should have no cause to repent. Putting out the light, then, which was in the chamber, she went and hid herself in a corner of the house, waiting for the event. The fray between Arriguccio and Ruberto had alarmed all the neighbours, who rose and began to reprove them very severely: on which Arriguccio, without knowing who his antagonist was, or being able to do him any harm, left him (for fear of being known himself), and returned full of wrath to his own house. And coming into the chamber, "Where is this vile woman?" he said, "What! she has out the candle that I should not find her: but she is mistaken.” So he went to the bed-side, and began to beat and kick the maid (thinking it was his wife), till he was quite weary, and what with his hands and feet together, had bruised her face to a mummy. 

When he had done that, he cut off her hair, saying all the reproachful things that could be spoken to a woman. The girl roared lustily (as indeed she had reason); and though she frequently cried "For God's sake have mercy! "and nothing more, yet her words were so broken with lamentation, and he so crazed too with fury, that he never discovered her not to be his wife. Having beat her then to some purpose, and cut off her hair (as we observed) he said, "Thou vile prostitute, I shall meddle with thee no farther, but will go for thy brothers, to let them know of thy exploits, when they may do as they shall think most for their own credit, and take thee away with them; for here thou shalt no longer abide:” So he locked her in, and went away by himself. 

As soon as Sismonda (who had heard the whole transaction) perceived he was gone, she came into the chamber and struck a light, when she found the girl all bruised and in tears. Having comforted her in the best manner she was able, she removed her to her own apartment, where she was well taken care of: and rewarding her at Arriguccio's expense, to her own content, she went immediately and set her room to rights. She made the bed over again, as if nobody had lain in it that night, lighted up the lamp, dressed herself as if she had never been in bed, and then taking up her work, sat herself down at the top of the stairs, and began to sew. Arriguccio in the meantime went with all possible haste to her brother's house, and knocked there till he made them hear and open the door. The three brothers and the mother all rose, hearing who it was; and seeing him come alone, and at that time of night, they inquired the reason. Thereupon he related the whole affair, beginning with the thread, and going on to what he had done afterwards, and, at length, by way of conviction, showed them the hair, which he had cut off; adding, that in regard to their own honour they might take her away and dispose of her as they pleased, for that he would be no longer troubled with her. The brothers were greatly incensed at hearing this story, and in their fury ordered torches to be got ready, preparing to go back with him, that she might not want her due treatment, whilst the mother went heavily after, sometimes entreating one, and sometimes another of them, not to be too hasty in condemning their sister; alleging, that he might have quarrelled with her upon some other account, and now brought this charge by way of excuse; and declaring she could not imagine how it could be, seeing that she well knew her daughter, having brought her up herself, with more words to that effect. By this time they had reached the house, and were going up stairs, when Sismonda called out to them, "Who is there?" One of her brothers replied, "You shall soon know, you vile creature as you are! " - "Lord have mercy on me!”, said she, "what is all this for?" And rising up, she went to meet them, saying, "Brothers, you are welcome; but what is the meaning of your coming all three at this time of the night?" 

They, observing that she had been sitting at work, and without any such bruises or blows as the husband had talked of, began to wonder; and, abating a little of their former wrath, they inquired the meaning of this difference with her husband, threatening her severely if she spoke anything but the truth. The lady replied, "I know not what you would have me say, nor of any quarrel that I have had with him." Arriguccio, on beholding her, was quite confounded; remembering that he had scratched and beat her in a most outrageous manner, of which no sign now appeared; and her brothers then told her what they had heard from him. She now turned to him, and said, "Alas! my dear, what is this I hear? Why would you have me thought to be a wicked person, to your great disgrace, when I am not so, and yourself an ill-tempered sorry man, when it is quite otherwise? When were you here to-night before now? Or when did you beat me? For my part, I know nothing of the matter." Arriguccio replied, "You abominable wretch! what, did we not go to bed together? Did I not return hither again after pursuing your gallant? Did I not give you a thousand blows at the same time that I cut off your hair?" - "You never went to bed in this house to-night," she made answer, "but, letting this alone, for which you can have only my word, and to come to what you now talk of, namely, your beating me, and cutting off my hair, let any one see if I have such bruises upon me; nor should I advise you to attempt ever to serve me so; for, as I hope to be saved, I would return the like, if you did. And, as to cutting off my hair, I never knew anything of it, if it was so; but let us see whether it be as you say, or not." She then pulled her veil off, and shewed her hair all entire, and in order. 

The brothers and the mother seeing this, turned fiercely upon Arriguccio. "How now, sir!" they said. “Surely this can never be the thing that you came to acquaint us with; which way will you prove the rest?" Arriguccio was like one out of his wits. Gladly would he have said something, but seeing the thing appear differently from what he had undertaken to show them, he could not get out one word. She now said to her brothers, "I see he has a mind I should relate to you his vile proceedings, and my own unhappiness, and I will do it. I believe firmly that what he says may be true, and I'll tell you which way. This sorry fellow, to whom you gave me in an ill hour, who calls himself a merchant truly, and would be thought such, and who therefore should be as temperate as a hermit, and as modest as a maid: this man, I say, is drunk most nights in one tavern or other; one while with one prostitute, and then again with another, whilst I am forced to sit up for him, in the manner you have found me, till midnight for the most part, and very often till morning. And being very drunk, he might find a thread tied to the toe of one of those strumpets, and run after some person or other, and fight him, as he says; and returning back, he might beat her in that manner, and cut off her hair: and not being thoroughly sober again, he imagines it was done to me; if you observe, he appears now to be half fuddled; therefore I would have you consider him as a person in liquor, and forgive him even as I mean to do." 

The mother, at these words, made a great clamour, and said, "My dear child, it shall never be; he deserves hanging, for an ill-conditioned brute as he is. He is unworthy of such a woman as you are. What could he have done more, had he catched you in the open street? Things are come to a fine pass truly, if you must be set down by the words of a little paltry merchant. This sort of fellows, you must know, if they have but little money in their pockets, are all for a gentleman's daughter; when they pretend to some coat-of-arms, and say, " I am of such a family, and my ancestors did so and so." Would to heaven my sons had followed my advice! Count Guido would gladly have taken you without a penny of fortune; yet they chose to marry you to this jewel here; and though there is not a better gentlewoman, nor one more virtuous in all Florence, yet he was not ashamed to call you strumpet, as if we were strangers to your character. But, as I hope to live, were they ruled by me, they would beat him to a mummy." Turning now to her sons, she said, "I told you, as we came along, that it could never be true. You hear how this fine brother of yours uses your sister: a poor sorry fellow as he is! were I in your place, hearing what he has both said and done towards her, I would never leave him with life. Confound him! for a drunken, quarrelsome villain, to have no shame in him!" The brothers followed up this harangue with all the severe things they could think of; concluding, at last, with saying, "We forgive you this once, as you were drunk, but take care we hear no more such stories: if we do, we will pay off all your old scores," and so they left hira. Arriguccio stood like one who had lost his senses; scarcely knowing whether all this was real, or only a dream, and from that time quarrelled no more with his wife; whilst she not only escaped from the most imminent danger, but opened a way to obtain her desires, without the least fear of her husband for the time to come. 

[The Fabliau of "Les Cheveux Coupés" (Le Grand, ii, 280), is perhaps the immediate original of Boccaccio's story; but the incidents may be traced back to the tales of Bidpai, the oldest collection in the world. In one part of the fable of the "Dervise and Robbers,” at least as it appears in the version of Gallaud, a shoemaker's wife being detected in an intrigue, and tied to a pillar, persuades another woman to take her place. The husband rises during the night, and cuts off the nose of the substitute. After this catastrophe, the wife instantly resumes her position, and addresses a prayer to God to manifest her innocence by curing her of the wound. The fortieth story of the second part of Malespini is a similar tale to that of Bidpai; it also recurs in the "Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles;" and one or other of these imitations probably suggested the incident in Massinger's "Guardian," of Severino cutting off Calipso's nose, mistaking her in the dark for his wife Iolante.] 

7-7, Lodovico being in love with Beatrice

NOVEL VII. 

Lodovico being in love with Beatrice, she sends her husband into the garden, disguised like herself, so that her lover may be with her in the meantime and he afterwards goes into the garden and beats the husband. 

Isabella's quick and lucky thought was admired by the whole company, when Filomena began, by the king's command, to this effect: - You must understand, that at Paris dwelt a certain gentleman, a Florentine, who, being a little reduced, was forced to go into trade, by which he acquired a great deal of wealth. He had only one son, named Lodovico, who, haying regard to the nobility of his father, more than to anything of business, was, instead of being brought up in a warehouse, sent, with some other young noblemen, into the service of the king of France, where he acquired all the accomplishments that belonged to a fine gentleman. Being one day in company with certain knights, who were just returned from the Holy Land, and talking of beauties in England, France, and other countries, one of them declared, that, in all parts of the world, of all the women that ever he saw, he never met with any to come up to Beatrice, the wife of Egano de' Galluzzi, of Bologna; to which his companions, who had been with him there, agreed. 

Lodovico, on hearing this, was possessed with such a desire to see her, that he could think of nothing else; and designing to go and make some stay there, if she proved to his liking, he pretended to his father that he had an inclination to go to the Holy Land, and obtained his very reluctant consent. Changing his name then to Anichino, he came to Bologna; and, as fortune would have it, saw Beatrice at her window the very next day, when he found her beauty to exceed even his warmest imagination, and, being quite enamoured, he resolved not to depart from Bologna till he had obtained his desire. Pondering, therefore, which was the most likely way to succeed, he supposed, that if he could but get to be a servant to the husband, he might probably carry his point. Accordingly, he sold his horses, and disposing of his servants, with orders never to take notice of him, he told his landlord, that he should be glad to get into the service of some person of distinction, if such a place could be met with. The landlord replied, "You are just such a person as would suit a gentleman here, called Egano, who has a great number of servants, and will always have well-looking, genteel people about him, like yourself: I will speak to him for you." This he did, and Anichino was immediately taken into the family, greatly to his satisfaction. Continuing then with Egano, where he had daily opportunities of seeing the lady, he gained so far upon him by his "good behaviour, that Egano could do nothing without him, and made him sole director of all his affairs. 

One day it happened, as Egano was gone out fowling, and left him behind, that Beatrice (who as yet knew nothing of his love, but had always commended his most engaging behaviour) made him sit down with her at chess, and Anichino, as it was his whole desire to please her, contrived to let her win, with which she was vastly delighted. - At length, all the women being gone out of the room, and they left by themselves, he heaved a deep sigh. She looked, and said, "What is the matter with you, Anichino? Are you uneasy because I win?" - "Madam," he replied, "it is a thing of more consequence which occasioned that sigh." - "Then, by the re- gard you have for me," quoth she, "I conjure you to tell it me." When Anichino saw himself entreated by his love for her, whom he valued beyond all the world, he gave a greater sigh than before. She desired again to know the reason. "Madam," he replied, "I am extremely afraid lest I should offend you by so doing; I doubt also if you would not speak of it to some other person." She made answer, " Be assured I shall not be offended; nor shall I ever speak of it again, unless you give me leave." - "Then," said he, "as I have your promise, I will reveal it." And he told her, with tears in his eyes, who he was; what he had heard of her, and where; and how he came to be a servant to her husband. He entreated her, in the most humble manner, to have pity on him, and accept of this secret offer of his love; or, if that was too great a favour for him to expect, that he might continue in the same condition as before; and that she would be pleased only to let him admire her. O! how singularly sweet are these Bolognian dispositions! In cases of this sort how worthy of praise! They delight not in people's tears and sighs; but, to soft and amorous entreaties, they are ever easy of access. Were I able to give them their due praise, my voice should never faint on so agreeable a subject. The lady had her eyes fixed upon him all the time he was speaking, and giving credit to his words, she began to conceive the same passion in her heart for him. "Anichino," she replied, "be of good cheer; you have effected in a moment (the small time only that you have been speaking), that which all the lords and gentlemen, who have been daily soliciting me, could never bring to pass: so that now I am more yours than my own. You have deserved my love, and you shall have it: come, therefore, to my chamber about midnight." Upon this they parted, and he waited with great impatience for night. 

Egano was now returned from fowling, and, being weary, went, as soon as he had supped, to bed, and the lady with him, leaving the door open, as she had promised. At the time appointed, Anichino went into the bed-chamber, and shutting the door again, he stepped gently to the lady's side of the bed, when, laying his hand upon her breast, he found she was awake. Instantly she seized it with both hers, and Keld him strongly, turning herself in bed at the same time, till she made her husband wake, when she said to him, "My dear, I would say nothing to you last night, because you seemed to be weary; but tell me, which of your servants do you believe to be the most faithful, and respect the most?"

Egano replied, "What a strange question this is! Do not you know that I never loved, and put such confidence in any servant, as I now do in Anichino? But why do you want to be informed?" Anichino, perceiving Egano to be awake, and hearing them talk together, endeavoured several times to draw his hand away, and get out of the room, imagining that she had put a trick upon him; but she held him so fast, that he could not. She then replied to Egano, saying, "I will tell you: I once thought as you do, and that he was the most trusty person about you, but I was mistaken; for he had the assurance, after you were gone out yesterday, to make an offer of his love to me; whilst I, to give you manifest proof of the fact, seemed to consent, and appointed to meet him this night under the pine-tree, in the garden. Now my intention was never to go thither; but if you have a mind to be convinced of his villainy, you need only slip on one of my petticoats, and put a veil over your head, and I am sure you will find him." - "Then," quoth he, "most certainly will I go." Rising, therefore, and disguising himself in that manner, as well as he could in the dark, he went into the garden to wait for Anichino. As soon as he was gone out, she rose also, and made fast the door. Anichino, who had been in the most horrible fear, and had endeavoured all he could to get from her, cursing both her and her love a thousand times over, and himself likewise, for giving credit to her, now at last finding out what was her design, was the happiest man imaginable. 

At length, when she thought he had been as long with her as it was safe for him to stay, she said, "I beg of you to take a cudgel, and go into the garden; and, pretending as if this was done only to make trial of my virtue, give him some hard language, as though you meant it for myself, and cudgel him soundly." Accordingly he rose, took a good stick with him and went into the garden, where Egano, seeing him come towards the pine-tree, hastened with a great deal of seeming pleasure to meet him. Then said Anichino, "What! you wicked woman, are you come? and could you think I would do such a thing by my master? I will make you repent your baseness." And lifting up his cudgel, he laid on to some purpose. - Egano, at these words, and feeling the blows, took to his heels, without speaking a word, whilst Anichino was close after him, crying out, "Away, you vile creature! depend upon it, my master shall know all tomorrow." 

Egano having sustained all this drubbing, returned at last to his chamber, when the lady said to him, " Well! did Anichino come into the garden?"Egano replied, "Would to God he had stayed away! for, besides all the foul language that could be used to any woman, he has almost broken every bone in my skin. I wondered indeed that he of all men should have addressed you in the way you told me, with intent to dishonour me; but, as he saw you of such a free, cheerful temper, he had a mind, no doubt, to make a trial of you." - "Then, thank Heaven," quoth she, "he proved me with words, and you with deeds. But, I believe, he may say that I bore the words better than you did the deeds: as he has showed himself so faithful, therefore, to you, you will regard him accordingly." - "Most certainly," said Egano: and from that time he concluded he had the most virtuous wife and the honestest servant of any man in the world. On which account (though Anichino and she often laughed together at the thing) they had an opportunity of gratifying their desires with the less suspicion (which could not have been done so well without such a stratagem) all the time Anichino thought fìt to stay with Egano at Bologna. 

[The incidents of this novel are amusing enough, but it does not appear that there was any necessity for the lovers to have had recourse to such intricate and perilous expedients. This tale has been copied by Ser. Giovanni, in the second and third day of his "Pecorone," and has given rise to that part of an old English comedy of the 17th century, called the "City Night Cap,” by John Davenport, which relates to Francisco's intrigue with Dorothea, the wife of Ludovico. It is the "Mari cocu, battu et content," of La Fontaine.] 

7-6, Lambertuccio, Isabella, Leonetto

NOVEL VI. 

Isabella, being in company with her gallant, called Leonetto, and being visited at uie same time by one Lambertuccio, her husband returns, when she sends Lambertuccio away with a drawn sword in his hand, whilst the husband escorts Leonetto safely to his own house. 

They were all pleased with Fiammetta's story, declaring that the woman had served the brute exactly right. And it being concluded, the king ordered Pampinea to go on, who then said: - There are many people so" foolish as to affirm, that love deprives persons of their understanding, and that they who are in love are out of their wits. But how ridiculous this assertion is, will appear by what has been said before, and also by what I am now going to tell you. 

In our city, abounding with everything that is good, there was formerly a beautiful lady, wife to a certain worthy knight, who desiring a little variety, as will sometimes happen, began to grow indifferent towards her husband, casting her eyes upon a certain young spark, called Leonetto, one of no great family, but agreeable enough; he likewise began to show the same good will towards her; and it was not long before their wishes were accomplished. Now it happened, that another gentleman was in love with her also, called Lambertuccio, one by no means agreeable to her; but he ceased not to solicit her in all manner of ways, threatening at the same time, as he was a man of note and power, to lessen and expose her, unless she would comply with his desires. This terrified her so much, that she thought herself obliged to listen to him. 

Being now, that it was summer time, at one of their country houses, and her husband gone from home to make some stay, she sent for Leonetto to come and be with her in the meantime. He obeyed her summons with great pleasure. Lambertuccio, knowing also that her husband was abroad, came all alone on horseback, and knocked at the gate. Her maid, seeing him there, ran up stairs to her mistress, who was in her chamber with Leonetto, and said, "Madam, Signor Lambertuccio is here below." The lady was in the greatest perplexity imaginable, and desired Leonetto not to mind stepping behind the curtain of the bed till the other was gone. Leonetto, who feared him as much as she did, went and hid himself there, whilst she ordered her maid to go and let Lambertuccio in. Accordingly he dismounted, hung his horse's bridle at the door, and was immediately shown up stairs; when she, meeting him at the top, asked, with a smile, how she came to be favored with the visit. "My life! "quoth he, "I understood your husband was abroad, and it was for that reason I came to see you." Thereupon they went to her room, and locked themselves in. 

While they were diverting themselves there, the lady's husband returned, quite unexpectedly. As soon as the maid saw him, she came suddenly into the chamber, and said to her mistress, "Madam, my master is returned, and now in the court." The lady was quite confounded at hearing this, and, considering that she had two men in the house, and that the knight could not be concealed, on account of his horse, she gave herself over for lost: yet, resolving at length what to do, she said to Lambertuccio, "sir, if you have any regard for me, and are willing to save me from destruction, pray do as I shall direct you. Go down stairs with an angry countenance, and your sword in your hand, saying, "I vow to Heaven, if ever I meet with him anywhere else -." 

And if my husband should offer to stop you, or ask any questions, say nothing more than that; but mount your horse directly, and ride away, nor offer to stay with him upon any account whatever." Accordingly, he obeyed her directions, and went down stairs with his naked sword in his hand, and his face all crimsoned, both by his recent exertions and his vexation at the knight's inopportune return. The latter, meanwhile, on entering the courtyard, had been surprised to see the horse there; and was still more so when he went to the door and met Lambertuccio coming out with such a fierce countenance, and heard him talk in that manner; "Pray what is the matter, sir?" he said to him. The other put his foot in the stirrup, muttered only these words, "If ever I meet the villain again," and rode away. The knight, going up stairs, found his wife at the stair-head, terrified out of her wits, and said to her, "What is the reason of Lambertuccio's going away in so much heat and fury?" When she, drawing nearer to her chamber, that Leonetto might hear, replied, "My dear, I never was so frightened in my whole life. A gentleman whom I never saw before, ran in here, and Lambertuccio after him with a drawn sword, and finding the chamber-door open, he came trembling into it, saying, "I entreat you. Madam, to protect me, otherwise I shall be murdered in your very presence." I stood up, and was going to ask him who he was, and what was the matter, when Lambertuccio was at the top of the stairs, roaring out, " Where is the villain?" Upon this, I ran to the chamber-door, and stopped him as he was just coming in, when he was so civil to me indeed, after he saw I was unwilling he should come into the chamber, that, after a few words, he went back again just as you met him." 

"My dear," said the husband, "you did quite right; it would have been a great discredit to us to have had anybody murdered in our house; and Lambertuccio was highly to blame to pursue a person hither. But where is the gentleman?"
"He is hid somewhere or other," she replied; "I know not where." - "Where are you?"cried the knight, "you may come out without any danger." Leonetto, who had heard all this, came out from where he was concealed, much terrified, as indeed he had reason; when the knight said to him, "Pray what affair is this that you have had with Lambertuccio?" - "Nothing," he replied, "in the world, that I know of; so that I am convinced he has either lost his senses, or else mistakes me for some other person; for, upon seeing me in the street, at a distance from your house, he drew his sword, and said, " Villain, thou art a dead man! " I stayed to ask no questions, but made the best of my way, and came hither, where, thanks be to heaven and this lady, I have found protection." - "Then," said the knight, "be under no fear; I will see you safe home, when you may make inquiry what the ground of his quarrel with you is." After supper, then, he mounted him upon one of his horses, and conducted him to Florence to his own house. And that night, by the lady's direction, Leonetto had a private conference with Lambertuccio, when they so planned it, that, though there was much talk afterwards about it, the husband never knew how he had been tricked by his wife. 

[The original of this story is a tale in the Greek Syntipas, the most ancient European form of the "Seven Wise Masters,” but it has been omitted in some of the more modem versions. There are corresponding stories in Petrus Alphonsus, Le Grand's "Fabliaux,” Bandello, and Parabosco. One or other of these tales suggested a part of Beaumont and Fletcher's comedy of "Woman pleased" (Act II, Scene 6), where Isabella in a similar manner conveys two lovers out of her chamber, when surprised by the coming of her husband.]