Love, since ’twas not thy will me to accord
  Such boldness as that e’er unto my King
  I may discover my sad heart’s full hoard,
  Or any word or sign thereof him bring: 
  This all my prayer to thee, O sweet my Lord: 
  Hie thee to him, and so him whispering
  Mind of the day I saw him tourneying
  With all his paladins environed,
  And grew enamoured
  Ev’n to my very heart’s disrupturing.

Which words Minuccio forthwith set to music after a soft and plaintive fashion befitting their sense; and on the third day thereafter hied him to court, while King Pedro was yet at breakfast.  And being bidden by the King to sing something to the accompaniment of his viol, he gave them this song with such sweet concord of words and music that all the folk that were in the King’s hall seemed, as it were, entranced, so intent and absorbed stood they to listen, and the King rather more than the rest.  And when Minuccio had done singing, the King asked whence the song came, that, as far as he knew, he had never heard it before.  “Sire,” replied Minuccio, “’tis not yet three days since ’twas made, words and music alike.”  And being asked by the King in regard of whom ’twas made:—­“I dare not,” quoth he, “discover such a secret save to you alone.”  Bent on hearing the story, the King, when the tables were cleared, took Minuccio into his privy chamber; and there Minuccio told him everything exactly as he had heard it from Lisa’s lips.  Whereby the King was much gratified, and lauded the maiden not a little, and said that a girl of such high spirit merited considerate treatment, and bade Minuccio be his envoy to her, and comfort her, and tell her that without fail that very day at vespers he would come to visit her.  Overjoyed to bear the girl such gladsome tidings, Minuccio tarried not, but hied him back to the girl with his viol, and being closeted with her, told her all that had passed, and then sang the song to the accompaniment of his viol.  Whereby the girl was so cheered and delighted that forthwith there appeared most marked and manifest signs of the amendment of her health, while with passionate longing (albeit none in the house knew or divined it) she awaited the vesper hour, when she was to see her lord.

Knowing the girl very well, and how fair she was, and pondering divers times on what Minuccio had told him, the King, being a prince of a liberal and kindly disposition, grew ever more compassionate.  So, about vespers, he mounted his horse, and rode forth, as if for mere pleasure, and being come to the apothecary’s house, demanded access to a very goodly garden that the apothecary had, and having dismounted, after a while enquired of Bernardo touching his daughter, and whether he had yet bestowed her in marriage.  “Sire,” replied Bernardo, “she is not yet married; and indeed she has been and still is very ill howbeit since none she is wonderfully amended.”  The significance of which amendment