espouse her[90] before a picture wherein our Lord was portrayed, after
which they embraced each other and solaced themselves with amorous
dalliance, to the exceeding pleasure of both parties, for so much as
remained of the night.

[Footnote 90: _i.e._ make her a solemn promise of marriage, formally
plight her his troth. The ceremony of betrothal was formerly (and
still is in certain countries) the most essential part of the marriage
rite.]

When the day came, after they had taken order together concerning
their affairs, Alessandro arose and departed the chamber by the way he
had entered, without any knowing where he had passed the night. Then,
glad beyond measure, he took to the road again with the abbot and his
company and came after many days to Rome. There they abode some days,
after which the abbot, with the two knights and Alessandro and no
more, went in to the Pope and having done him due reverence, bespoke
him thus, 'Holy Father, as you should know better than any other,
whoso is minded to live well and honestly should, inasmuch as he may,
eschew every occasion that may lead him to do otherwise; the which
that I, who would fain live honestly, may throughly do, having fled
privily with a great part of the treasures of the King of England my
father, (who would have given me to wife to the King of Scotland, a
very old prince, I being, as you see, a young maid), I set out,
habited as you see me, to come hither, so your Holiness might marry
me. Nor was it so much the age of the King of Scotland that made me
flee as the fear, if I were married to him, lest I should, for the
frailty of my youth, be led to do aught that might be contrary to the
Divine laws and the honour of the royal blood of my father. As I came,
thus disposed, God, who alone knoweth aright that which behoveth unto
every one, set before mine eyes (as I believe, of His mercy) him whom
it pleased Him should be my husband, to wit, this young man,' showing
Alessandro, 'whom you see here beside me and whose fashions and desert
are worthy of however great a lady, although belike the nobility of
his blood is not so illustrious as the blood-royal. Him, then, have I
taken and him I desire, nor will I ever have any other than he,
however it may seem to my father or to other folk. Thus, the principal
occasion of my coming is done away; but it pleased me to make an end
of my journey, at once that I might visit the holy and reverential
places, whereof this city i