a lean man, and shrunk in the buttocks.  The judge, being aware of the accident, but knowing not how it had come about, would have gathered his outer garments together in front, so as to cover the defect, but Maso on the one side, and Ribi on the other, held him fast, shouting amain and in chorus:—­“You do me a grievous wrong, Sir, thus to deny me justice, nay, even a hearing, and to think of quitting the court:  there needs no writ in this city for such a trifling matter as this.”  And thus they held him by the clothes and in parley, until all that were in the court perceived that he had lost his breeches.  However, after a while, Matteuzzo dropped the breeches, and slipped off, and out of the court, without being observed, and Ribi, deeming that the joke had gone far enough, exclaimed:—­“By God, I vow, I will appeal to the Syndics;” while Maso, on the other side, let go the robe, saying:—­“Nay, but for my part, I will come here again and again and again, until I find you less embarrassed than you seem to be to-day.”  And so the one this way, the other that way, they made off with all speed.  Whereupon Master Judge, disbreeched before all the world, was as one that awakens from sleep, albeit he was ware of his forlorn condition, and asked whither the parties in the case touching the jack boots and the valise were gone.  However, as they were not to be found, he fell a swearing by the bowels of God, that ’twas meet and proper that he should know and wit, whether ’twas the custom at Florence to disbreech judges sitting in the seat of justice.

When the affair reached the ears of the Podesta, he made no little stir about it; but, being informed by some of his friends, that ’twould not have happened, but that the Florentines were minded to shew him, that, in place of the judges he should have brought with him, he had brought but gowks, to save expense, he deemed it best to say no more about it, and so for that while the matter went no further.

(1) It was owing to their internal dissensions that the Florentines were from time to time fain to introduce these stranger Podestas.

NOVEL VI.

—­ Bruno and Buffalmacco steal a pig from Calandrino, and induce him to essay its recovery by means of pills of ginger and vernaccia.  Of the said pills they give him two, one after the other, made of dog-ginger compounded with aloes; and it then appearing as if he had had the pig himself, they constrain him to buy them off, if he would not have them tell his wife. —­

Filostrato’s story, which elicited not a little laughter, was no sooner ended, than the queen bade Filomena follow suit.  Wherefore thus Filomena began:—­As, gracious ladies, ’twas the name of Maso del Saggio that prompted Filostrato to tell the story that you have but now heard, even so ’tis with me in regard of Calandrino and his comrades, of whom I am minded to tell you another story, which you will, I think, find entertaining.