[Day the Sixth]
A GENTLEMAN ENGAGETH TO MADAM ORETTA TO CARRY HER
A-HORSEBACK WITH A STORY, BUT, TELLING IT DISORDERLY, IS
PRAYED BY HER TO SET HER DOWN AGAIN
"Young ladies, like as stars, in the clear nights, are the ornaments
of the heavens and the flowers and the leaf-clad shrubs, in the
Spring, of the green fields and the hillsides, even so are
praiseworthy manners and goodly discourse adorned by sprightly
sallies, the which, for that they are brief, beseem women yet better
than men, inasmuch as much speaking is more forbidden to the former
than to the latter. Yet, true it is, whatever the cause, whether it be
the meanness of our[298] understanding or some particular grudge borne
by heaven to our times, that there be nowadays few or no women left
who know how to say a witty word in due season or who, an it be said
to them, know how to apprehend it as it behoveth; the which is a
general reproach to our whole sex. However, for that enough hath been
said aforetime on the subject by Pampinea,[299] I purpose to say no
more thereof; but, to give you to understand how much goodliness there
is in witty sayings, when spoken in due season, it pleaseth me to
recount to you the courteous fashion in which a lady imposed silence
upon a gentleman.
[Footnote 298: _i.e._ women's.]
[Footnote 299: See ante, p. 43, Introduction to the last story of the
First Day.]
As many of you ladies may either know by sight or have heard tell,
there was not long since in our city a noble and well-bred and
well-spoken gentlewoman, whose worth merited not that her name be left
unsaid. She was called, then, Madam Oretta and was the wife of Messer
Geri Spina. She chanced to be, as we are, in the country, going from
place to place, by way of diversion, with a company of ladies and
gentlemen, whom she had that day entertained to dinner at her house,
and the way being belike somewhat long from the place whence they set
out to that whither they were all purposed to go afoot, one of the
gentlemen said to her, 'Madam Oretta, an you will, I will carry you
a-horseback great part of the way we have to go with one of the finest
stories in the world.' 'Nay, sir,' answered the lady, 'I pray you
instantly thereof; indeed, it will be most agreeable to me.' Master
cavalier, who maybe fared no better, sword at side than tale on
tongue, hearing this, began a story of his, which of itself was in
truth very goodly; but he, now thrice or four or even half a dozen
times repeating one same word, anon turning back and whiles saying, 'I
said not aright,' and often erring in the names and putting one for
another, marred it cruelly, more by token that he delivered himself
exceedingly ill, having regard to the quality of the persons and the
nature of the incidents of his tale. By reason whereof, Madam Oretta,
hearkening to him, was many a time taken with a sweat and failing of
the heart, as she were sick and near her end, and at last, being
unable to brook the thing any more and seeing the gentleman engaged in
an imbroglio from which he was not like to extricate himself, she said
to him pleasantly, 'Sir, this horse of yours hath too hard a trot;
wherefore I pray you be pleased to set me down.' The gentleman, who,
as it chanced, understood a hint better than he told a story, took the
jest in good part and turning it off with a laugh, fell to discoursing
of other matters and left unfinished the story that he had begun and
conducted so ill."