quoth another, 'do likewise, for that if I believe that my
wife pusheth her fortunes [in my absence,] she doth it, and if I
believe it not, still she doth it; wherefore tit for tat be it; an ass
still getteth as good as he giveth.'[132] A third, following on, came
well nigh to the same conclusion, and in brief all seemed agreed upon
this point, that the wives they left behind had no mind to lose time
in their husbands' absence. One only, who hight Bernabo Lomellini of
Genoa, maintained the contrary, avouching that he, by special grace of
God, had a lady to wife who was belike the most accomplished woman of
all Italy in all those qualities which a lady, nay, even (in great
part) in those which a knight or an esquire, should have; for that she
was fair of favour and yet in her first youth and adroit and robust of
her person; nor was there aught that pertaineth unto a woman, such as
works of broidery in silk and the like, but she did it better than any
other of her sex. Moreover, said he, there was no sewer, or in other
words, no serving-man, alive who served better or more deftly at a
nobleman's table than did she, for that she was very well bred and
exceeding wise and discreet. He after went on to extol her as knowing
better how to ride a horse and fly a hawk, to read and write and cast
a reckoning than if she were a merchant; and thence, after many other
commendations, coming to that whereof it had been discoursed among
them, he avouched with an oath that there could be found no honester
nor chaster woman than she; wherefore he firmly believed that, should
he abide half a score years, or even always, from home, she would
never incline to the least levity with another man. Among the
merchants who discoursed thus was a young man called Ambrogiuolo of
Piacenza, who fell to making the greatest mock in the world of this
last commendation bestowed by Bernabo upon his wife and asked him
scoffingly if the emperor had granted him that privilege over and
above all other men. Bernabo, some little nettled, replied that not
the emperor, but God, who could somewhat more than the emperor, had
vouchsafed him the favour in question. Whereupon quoth Ambrogiuolo,
'Bernabo, I doubt not a whit but that thou thinkest to say sooth; but
meseemeth thou hast paid little regard to the nature of things; for
that, hadst thou taken heed thereunto, I deem thee not so dull of wit
but thou wouldst have noted therein certain matters which had made
thee