re he was to be such as
should abound in game of various kinds and although he had, by
advising the lady in advance of his coming, given her time to send
a-hunting. However, much as he might marvel at this, he chose not to
take occasion of engaging her in parley thereof, otherwise than in the
matter of her hens, and accordingly, turning to her with a merry air,
'Madam,' quoth he, 'are hens only born in these parts, without ever a
cock?' The marchioness, who understood the king's question excellent
well, herseeming God had vouchsafed her, according to her wish, an
opportune occasion of discovering her mind, turned to him and answered
boldly, 'Nay, my lord; but women, albeit in apparel and dignities they
may differ somewhat from others, are natheless all of the same fashion
here as elsewhere.'

The King, hearing this, right well apprehended the meaning of the
banquet of hens and the virtue hidden in her speech and perceived that
words would be wasted upon such a lady and that violence was out of
the question; wherefore, even as he had ill-advisedly taken fire for
her, so now it behoved him sagely, for his own honour's sake, stifle
his ill-conceived passion. Accordingly, without making any more words
with her, for fear of her replies, he dined, out of all hope; and the
meal ended, thanking her for the honourable entertainment he had
received from her and commending her to God, he set out for Genoa, so
by his prompt departure he might make amends for his unseemly visit."

THE SIXTH STORY

[Day the First]

AN HONEST MAN, WITH A CHANCE PLEASANTRY, PUTTETH TO SHAME
THE PERVERSE HYPOCRISY OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS

Emilia, who sat next after Fiammetta,--the courage of the marchioness
and the quaint rebuke administered by her to the King of France having
been commended of all the ladies,--began, by the queen's pleasure,
boldly to speak as follows: "I also, I will not keep silence of a
biting reproof given by an honest layman to a covetous monk with a
speech no less laughable than commendable.

There was, then, dear lasses, no great while agone, in our city, a
Minor friar and inquisitor of heretical pravity, who, for all he
studied hard to appear a devout and tender lover of the Christian
religion, as do they all, was no less diligent in enquiring of who had
a well-filled purse than of whom he might find wanting in the things
of the Faith. Thanks to this his diligence, he lit by chance upon a
good simple m