Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
The yong gentleman not onely promised all carefull secrecy, but gave him
harty thanks for his good counsell, promising to meete him there the
next day, and tell him what newes. Then hee left the old man, who was
almost mad for feare his wife any way should play false: he saw by
experience brave men came to beseige the castle, and seeing it was in a
woman’s custodie, and had so weeke a governor as himselfe, he doubted it
would in time be delivered up: which feare made him almost franticke,
yet he drivde of the time great torment, till he might heare from his
rival. Lionello he hastes him home and sutes him in his braverye, and
goes downe toward the house of Mutio, where he sees her at the windowe,
whome he courted with a passionate looke, with such humble salute as
shee might perceive how the gentleman was affectionate. Margaretta,
looking earnestlye upon him, and noting the perfection of his
proportion, accounted him in her eye the flower of all Pisa, thinkte
herselfe fortunate if shee might have him for her freend, to supply
those defaultes that she found in Mutio. Sundry times that afternoone he
past by her window, and he cast not up more loving lookes, then he
received gratious favours, which did so incourage him that the next daye
betweene three and sixe hee went to her house, and knocking at the
doore, desired to speake with the mistris of the house, who hearing by
her maid’s description what he was, commaunded him to come in, where she
intertained him with all courtesie.
The youth that never before had given the attempt to court a ladye,
began his _exordium_ with a blushe; and yet went forward so well, that
hee discourst unto her howe hee loved her, and that if it might please
her to accept of his service, as of a freende ever vowde in all dutye to
bee at her commaunde, the care of her honour should bee deerer to him
than his life, and hee would be ready to prise her discontent with his
bloud at all times. The gentlewoman was a little coye, but, before they
part, they concluded that the next day at foure of the clock hee should
come thither and eate a pound of cherries, which was resolved on with a
_succado des labras_, and so with a loath to depart they tooke their
leaves. Lionello as joyfull a man as might be, hyed him to the church to
meete his olde doctor, where he found him in his olde walke: What newes,
syr, quoth Mutio, how have you sped? Even as I can wishe, quoth
Lionello, for I have been with my mistrisse, and have found her so
tractable, that I hope to make the olde peasant, her husband, looke
broadheaded by a paire of browantlers. How deepe this strooke into
Mutio’s hart, let them imagine that can conjecture what jelousie is;
insomuch that the olde doctor askte when should be the time. Marry,
quoth Lionello, to-morrow, at foure of the clocke in the afternoone, and
then Maister Doctor, quoth hee, will I dub the old squire knight of the
forked order.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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