clamour; whereto Tindaro offering
to reply, Licisca, who was well in years and somewhat overmasterful,
being heated with the outcry she had made, turned to him with an angry
air and said, "Mark this brute of a man who dareth to speak before me,
whereas I am! Let me speak." Then, turning again to the queen,
"Madam," quoth she, "this fellow would teach me, forsooth, to know
Sicofante's wife and neither more nor less than as if I had not been
familiar with her, would fain give me to believe that, the first night
her husband lay with her, Squire Maul[295] made his entry into Black
Hill[296] by force and with effusion of blood; and I say that it is
not true; nay, he entered there in peace and to the great contentment
of those within. Marry, this fellow is simple enough to believe
wenches to be such ninnies that they stand to lose their time, abiding
the commodity of their fathers and brothers, who six times out of
seven tarry three or four years more than they should to marry them.
Well would they fare, forsooth, were they to wait so long! By Christ
His faith (and I should know what I say, when I swear thus) I have not
a single gossip who went a maid to her husband; and as for the wives,
I know full well how many and what tricks they play their husbands;
and this blockhead would teach me to know women, as if I had been born
yesterday."

[Footnote 295: _Messer Mazza_, _i.e._ veretrum.]

[Footnote 296: _Monte Nero_, _i.e._ vas muliebre.]

What while Licisca spoke, the ladies kept up such a laughing that you
might have drawn all their teeth; and the queen imposed silence upon
her a good half dozen times, but to no purpose; she stinted not till
she had said her say. When she had at last made an end of her talk,
the queen turned to Dioneo and said, laughing, "Dioneo, this is a
matter for thy jurisdiction; wherefore, when we shall have made an end
of our stories, thou shalt proceed to give final judgment thereon."
Whereto he answered promptly, "Madam, the judgment is already given,
without hearing more of the matter; and I say that Licisca is in the
right and opine that it is even as she saith and that Tindaro is an
ass." Licisca, hearing this, fell a-laughing and turning to Tindaro,
said, "I told thee so; begone and God go with thee; thinkest thou thou
knowest better than I, thou whose eyes are not yet dry?[297] Gramercy,
I have not lived here below for nothing, no, not I!" And had not the
queen with an angry air imposed sile