structed than himself, who should of right come first. Nevertheless,
since the lot had fallen upon himself, he would rather have done with it
at once, for the more numerous the good speakers before him, the worse
would his own tale appear.

[Illustration: 064.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration: 065a.jpg The Stags Head]

[The King Joking upon the Stag's Head being A fitting Decoration]

[Illustration: 065.jpg Page Image]

_TALE III._

_The Queen of Naples, being wronged by King Alfonso, her
husband, revenged herself with a gentleman whose wife was
the King's mistress; and this intercourse lasted all their
lives without the King at any time having suspicion of
it_.(1)

I have often desired, ladies, to be a sharer in the good fortune of the
man whose story I am about to relate to you. You must know that in the
time of King Alfonso,(2) whose lust was the sceptre of his kingdom,(3)
there lived in the town of Naples a gentleman, so honourable, comely,
and pleasant that his perfections induced an old gentleman to give him
his daughter in marriage.

1 This story is historical. The events occurred at Naples
cir. 1450.--L.

2 The King spoken of in this story must be Alfonso V., King
of Aragon, who was born in 1385, and succeeded his father,
Ferdinand the Just, in 1416. He had already made various
expeditions to Sardinia and Corsica, when, in 1421, Jane II.
of Naples begged of him to assist her in her contest against
Louis of Anjou. Alfonso set sail for Italy as requested, but
speedily quarrelled with Jane, on account of the manner in
which he treated her lover, the Grand Seneschal Caraccioli.
Jane, at her death in 1438, bequeathed her crown to Rene,
brother of Louis of Anjou, whose claims Alfonso immediately
opposed. Whilst blockading Gaeta he was defeated and
captured, but ultimately set at liberty, whereupon he
resumed the war. In 1442 he at last secured possession of
Naples, and compelled Rene to withdraw from Italy. From that
time Alfonso never returned to Spain, but settling himself
in his Italian dominions, assumed the title of King of the
Two Sicilies. He obtained the surname of the Magnanimous,
from his generous conduct towards some conspirators, a list
of whose names he tore to pieces unread, saying, "I will
show these noblemen that I have more concern for their lives