behind us, we came at length to this place, where we found King Charles so grateful, that he has made up to us, in part, the losses we had sustained on his account, giving us lands and houses, and paying my husband, and your kinsman, a pension besides, as you will hereafter see: thus live I here, where, thanks be to Heaven, and not to you, my dearest brother, I now see you.' Which, when she had said, she wept and embraced him again.

Andreuccio hearing this fable so orderly, so artfully composed, and related without the least faltering or hesitation; remembering, also, that his father had lived at Palermo, and knowing, by his own experience, how prone young fellows are to love; beholding too her tears and affectionate caresses, he took all she had said for granted; and when she had done speaking, he made answer and said, Madam, it should not seem strange to you that I am surprised: for, in truth, (whether it was that my father, for reasons best known to himself, never mentioned you nor your mother at any time; or, if he did, that I have forgot it), I have no more knowledge of you, than if you had never been born. And it is the more pleasing to me to find a sister here, as I the less expected it, and am also alone: nor is there any man, of what quality soever, who would not value you; much more, therefore, shall 1, who am but a mean trader. But one thing I beg you would clear up to me, viz. How came you to know that I was here ?' When she replied in this manner: A poor woman, whom I often employ, told me so; for she lived, as she informed me, with our father a considerable time, both at Palermo and Perugia; and were it not that it appeared more reputable that you should come to me at my house, than I go to you at another person's, I had come directly to you.' She then inquired of him particularly, and by name, how all their relations did? To all which he answered her fully, believing more firmly, when there was the more reasons for suspicion. Their discourse lasting a long time, and the season being sultry, she ordered, in Greek, wine and sweetmeats for him; and he making an offer afterwards to depart, because it was suppertime, she would by no means suffer it; but seeming to be under great concern, she embraced him, and said, 'Alas! now I plainly see how little account you make of me; that, being with a sister whom you never saw before, and in her house, which you should always make your home, you should yet think of going to sup at an inn. Indeed you shall sup

with me; and though my husband be abroad, which I am much concerned at, I know, as a woman, how to pay you some little respect.' He, not knowing what answer to make, said, 'I love you as much as it is possible for me to love a sister; but it will be wrong not to go, because they will expect me to supper all the evening. She immediately replied, We have a present remedy for that; I will send one of my people to tell them not to expect you: but you would favour me more, and do as you ought, if you would send to invite your company hither to supper, and afterwards, if you chose to go, you might all of you depart together.' He said he should not trouble her that evening with his companions, but she might dispose of him as she pleased. She now made a pretence of sending to his inn, to tell them: not to expect him to supper; and, after much other discourse, they sat down, and were elegantly served with a variety of dishes, which she contrived to last till it was dark night, and rising then from table, he offered to go away; but she declared, that she would by no means suffer it, for Naples was not a place to walk in when it was dark, especially for a stranger; and, as she had sent to the inn concerning his sup ping with her, so had she done the like about his bed. He be lieving this to be true, and glad also of being with her, was easily prevailed upon. After supper, their discourse lasted a long time, being lengthened out on purpose; and, as it was now midnight, she left him in her own chamber to take his repose, with a boy to wait upon him; and she, with her companions, retired into another room. It was sultry hot, on which account Andreuccio, seeing himself alone, stripped into his doublet, and pulling off his breeches, he laid them under his bolster, and having occasion to retire, he was shown by the boy to a corner of the room where there was a door, and desired to enter it. He went in without the least suspicion, and setting his foot upon a board, the rafter on which it was laid straight flew up, and down he went headlong.

Heaven was so merciful to him, however, he got no harm, though it was a great height from which he fell, but was grievously daubed with the filth, of which the place was full. Finding himself at the bottom, he called in great distress to the boy; but he, the moment he heard him fall, ran to tell his mistress, who hastened to his chamber, to see if his clothes were there, and finding both them and the money, which he, out of a foolish mistrust, always carried about him (and for

the sake of which she had laid this snare, pretending to have been of Palermo, and the sister of this Perugian), she took no farther care, but made the door fast, out of which he passed, when he fell. Finding the boy made no answer, be called out louder, but to no purpose; and now perceiving the trick when it was too late, he climbed up the wall which parted that place from the street, and getting down from thence, he came again to the door, which he knew full well; there did he knock and call in vain for a long time; lamenting much, and seeing plainly his calamity; Alas! (quoth he) in how little a time have I lost five hundred florins, and a sister besides ! And using many other words, he now began to batter the door, and to call out aloud; and he continued doing so, till he raised many of the neighbours, and, among the rest, one of the women where he had been, pretending to be half asleep, opened the casement, and called out, Who makes that noise there ?'- Oh !' cried he, 'don't you know me; I am Andreuccio, brother to Madam Fiordaliso;' when she replied, Prithee, honest fellow, if thou hast had too much liquor, get thee to bed, and come to-morrow. I know nothing of Andreuccio, nor what thy idle tale means; but go about thy business (I say once again) and let us rest. What!' said he, 'don't you know what I say? You know well enough, if you will: but if our Sicilian relationship be so soon forgotten, give me my clothes which I left with you, and I'll go with all my heart.' She then replied, with a sneer, 'The man is in a dream;' and shut the window at the same time.

Andreuccio, convinced of his loss, through his great grief became outrageous; and, resolving to recover by force, what he could not by fair words, took a great stone, and beat against the door harder than ever: which many of the neighbours hearing who had been awaked before, and supposing that he was some spiteful fellow, that he did this to annoy the woman, and provoked at the noise which he made; they called out, one and all (in like manner as dogs all join in barking at a stranger), It is a shameful thing to come to a woman's house at this time of night, with thy idle stories: get thee away, in God's name, and let us sleep; and if thou hast any business with her, come to-morrow, and do not disturb us now.' Encouraged, perhaps, by these last words, a bully in the house, whom he had neither seen nor heard of, came to the window, and with a most rough and terrible voice, called out, Who is that below?

An

dreuccio, raising up his head at this, beheld an ill-looking rascal, with a great black beard, yawning and rubbing his eyes, as if he was just risen from bed, and awaked out of his sleep. He made answer, therefore, not without a good deal of fear, I am brother to the lady within: but the other (never waiting to let him make an end of his speech) replied; I'll come down and beat thee, until thou canst not stand, for a troublesome drunken beast as thou art, disturbing every body's rest in this manner;' and he clapt to the window. Hereupon some of the neighbours, who knew more of the fellow's disposition and character, called out softly to Andreuccio, and said, For Heaven's sake, honest man, go away, unless thou hast a mind to lose thy life; it will be much the best for thee.' Terrified therefore with his voice and aspect, and persuaded also by these people, who seemed to speak out of mere good will, Andreuccio, quite cast down, and out of all hopes of receiving his money, now directed his course towards that part of the city, from whence he had been led by the girl the day before (without knowing whither he was going) in order to get to his inn. But being offensive to himself, on account of the scent he carried about him, and desirous of washing in the sea, he turned to the left, through a street called Catalana, and went towards the highest part of the city, where he saw two people coming with a lantern, and (fearing that they were the watch, or some ill-disposed persons) stepped into an old house that was near, to hide himself. It happened that these people were going into the very same place; and one of them having laid down some iron tools there, which he carried upon his neck, they had some discourse together about them. And as they were talking, said one to the other, There is the most confounded stink (whatever be the meaning of it) that ever I smelt in my life. When, holding up the lantern, they saw wretched Andreuccio, and, in a good deal of amaze, demanded who he was? He made no answer; and drawing nearer with the light they asked what he did there in that condition! He then related to them his whole adventure; and they, easily imagining the place where the thing had happened, said to one another, This must certainly have been in the house of Scarabon Firebrand; and then, turning towards him, proceeded thus: Honest man, you ought to be very thankful that you fell down, and could not return into the house, for otherwise you would certainly have been murdered as soon as ever you

went to sleep, and so have lost your life as well as your money. But what signifies lamenting? You may as soon pluck a star out of the firmament, as recover one farthing; nay, you may chance to be killed, should the man hear that you make any words about it.'

Having admonished him in this manner, they said, 'See, we have pity on you, and if you will engage in a certain affair with us, which we are now about, we are very sure that your share will amount to more than you have lost.' He, like a person in despair, told them he was willing.-That day was buried the Archbishop of Naples, whose name was Signor Phillippo Minutolo, in rich pontifical robes, and with a ruby on his finger worth upwards of five hundred florins of gold, whom they proposed to strip and rifle; and they acquainted him with their intention. He then, more covetous than wise, went along with them; and, as they were going towards the cathedral, he smelt so strong, that one said to the other, Can we contrive no way to wash this man a little, to make him sweeter?' And the other made answer, We are not far from a well, where there are usually a pulley and a great bucket; let us go thither, and we may make him clean in an instant.' Coming there, they found the rope, but the bucket was taken away; they therefore agreed to tie him to the rope, and to put him down into the well, and when he had well washed himself, he was to shake the rope, and they would draw him up. Now it happened that, after they had let him down, some of the watch, being thirsty with the heat of the weather, and having been in pursuit of some persons, came to that well to drink, and as soon as the two men saw them they took to their heels; the watch, however, saw nothing of them. Andreuccio now having washed himself at the bottom of the well, began to shake the rope; they therefore laid down their clothes and halberds upon the ground, and began to draw the rope, thinking the bucket was fastened thereto, and full of water: and when he found himself at the top, he let go the rope, and clung fast to the edge of the well. They immediately threw down the rope on seeing him, and ran away, frighted out of their wits; which greatly surprised him; and had he not held fast, he had fallen to the bottom, and perhaps lost his life. Getting out in this manner, and beholding their weapons, which he knew belonged not to his companions, he wondered the more; and being in doubt what the meaning of it could be, he went away without touching any thing, lamenting his fate,