at confusion, which they thought to cast upon
another, recoil upon themselves. Wherefore, so you may know how to
keep yourselves and that, to boot, you may not serve as a text for the
proverb which is current everywhere, to wit, that women in everything
still take the worst, I would have you learn a lesson from the last of
to-day's stories, which falleth to me to tell, to the intent that,
even as you are by nobility of mind distinguished from other women, so
likewise you may show yourselves no less removed from them by
excellence of manners.

It is not many years since there lived (and belike yet liveth) at
Bologna a very great and famous physician, known by manifest renown to
well nigh all the world. His name was Master Alberto and such was the
vivacity of his spirit that, albeit he was an old man of hard upon
seventy years of age and well nigh all natural heat had departed his
body, he scrupled not to expose himself to the flames of love; for
that, having seen at an entertainment a very beautiful widow lady,
called, as some say, Madam Malgherida[70] de' Ghisolieri, and being
vastly taken with her, he received into his mature bosom, no otherwise
than if he had been a young gallant, the amorous fire, insomuch that
himseemed he rested not well by night, except the day foregone he had
looked upon the delicate and lovesome countenance of the fair lady.
Wherefore he fell to passing continually before her house, now afoot
and now on horseback, as the occasion served him, insomuch that she
and many other ladies got wind of the cause of his constant passings
to and fro and oftentimes made merry among themselves to see a man
thus ripe of years and wit in love, as if they deemed that that most
pleasant passion of love took root and flourished only in the silly
minds of the young and not otherwhere.

[Footnote 70: Old form of Margherita.]

What while he continued to pass back and forth, it chanced one holiday
that, the lady being seated with many others before her door and
espying Master Alberto making towards them from afar, they one and
all took counsel together to entertain him and do him honour and after
to rally him on that his passion. Accordingly, they all rose to
receive him and inviting him [to enter,] carried him into a shady
courtyard, whither they let bring the choicest of wines and sweetmeats
and presently enquired of him, in very civil and pleasant terms, how
it might be that he was fallen enamoured of that fair