Now, notwithstanding all this admirable excellency in him: he was not (thereby) a jot the handsommer man (either in person or countenance) then was our fore-named Lawyer _Messer Forese_, and therefore my Novell concerneth them both. Understand then, (faire Assemblie) that the possessions and inheritances of _Messer Forese_ and _Giotto_, lay in _Mugello_; wherefore, when Holy-dayes were celebrated by Order of Court, and in the Sommer time, upon the admittance of so apt a vacation; _Forese_ rode thither upon a very unsightly Jade, such as a man can can seldome meet with worse. The like did _Giotto_ the Painter, as ill fitted every way as the other; and having dispatched their busines there, they both returned backe towards _Florence_, neither of them being able to boast, which was the best mounted. Riding on a faire and softly pace, because their Horses could goe no faster: and they being well entred into yeeres, it fortuned (as oftentimes the like befalleth in Sommer) that a sodaine showre of raine over-tooke them; for avoyding whereof, they made all possible haste to a poore Countrey-mans Cottage, familiarly knowne to them both. Having continued there an indifferent while, and the raine unlikely to cease: to prevent all further protraction of time, and to arrive at _Florence_ in due season: they borrowed two old cloakes of the poore man, of over-worn and ragged Country gray, as also two hoodes of the like Complexion, (because the poore man had no better) which did more mishape them, then their owne ugly deformity, and made them notoriously flouted and scorned, by all that met or overtooke them. After they had ridden some distance of ground, much moyled and bemyred with their shuffling Jades, flinging the dirt every way about them, that well they might be termed two filthy companions: the raine gave over, and the evening looking somwhat cleare, they began to confer familiarly together. _Messer Forese_, riding a lofty _French_ trot, everie step being ready to hoise him out of his saddle, hearing _Giottos_ discreete answers to every ydle question he made (for indeede he was a very elegant speaker) began to peruse and surveigh him, even from the foote to the head, as we use to say. And perceiving him to be so greatly deformed, as no man could be worse, in his opinion: without any consideration of his owne misshaping as bad, or rather more unsightly then hee; in a scoffing laughing humour, hee saide. _Giotto_, doest thou imagine, that a stranger, who had never seene thee before, and should now happen into our companie, would beleeve thee to bee the best Painter in the world, as indeede thou art? Presently _Giotto_ (without any further meditation) returned him this answere. Signior _Forese_, I think he might then beleeve it, when (beholding you) hee could imagine that you had learned your A. B. C. Which when _Forese_ heard, he knew his owne error, and saw his payment returned in such Coine, as he sold his Wares for.