“I think,” said Ennasuite, “as far as the first is concerned, that there is no woman present but would do as much to save her husband’s life.”

“I think,” said Parlamente, “that some husbands are such brutes that the women who live with them should not find it strange to live among their fellows.”

Ennasuite, who took these words to herself, could not refrain from saying—­

“Provided the beasts did not bite me, their company would be more pleasant to me than that of men, who are choleric and intolerable.  But I abide by what I have said, that, if my husband were in a like danger, I should not leave him to die.”

“Beware,” said Nomerfide, “of loving too fondly, for excess of love will deceive both him and you.  There is a medium in all things, and through lack of knowledge love often gives birth to hate.”

“Methinks,” said Simontault, “you have not carried your discourse so far without having an instance to confirm it.  If, then, you know such a one, I give you my place that you may tell it to us.”

“Well,” said Nomerfide, “the tale shall, as is my wont, be a short and a merry one.”

[Illustration:  161.jpg Tailpiece]

[Illustration:  163a.  The Apothecary’s Wife giving the Dose of Cantharides to her Husband]

[The Apothecary’s Wife giving the Dose of Cantharides to her Husband]

[Illustration:  163.jpg Page Image]

TALE LXVIII.

An apothecary’s wife, finding that her husband made no great account of her, and wishing to be better loved by him, followed the advice that he had given to a “commere” (1) of his, whose sickness was of the same kind as her own; but she prospered not so well as the other, and instead of love reaped hate.

1 Mr W. Kelly has pointed out (Bohn’s Heptameron, p. 395) that in France the godfather and godmother of a child are called in reference to each other compere and commere, terms implying mutual relations of an extremely friendly kind.  “The same usage exists in all Catholic countries,” adds Mr Kelly, “and one of the novels of the Decameron is founded on a very general opinion in Italy that an amorous connection between a compadre and his commadre partook almost of the nature of incest.”

In the town of Pau in Beam there was an apothecary whom men called Master Stephen.  He had married a virtuous wife and a thrifty, with beauty enough to content him.  But just as he was wont to taste different drugs, so did he also with women, that he might be the better able to speak of all kinds.  His wife was greatly tormented by this, and at last lost all patience; for he made no account of her except by way of penance during Holy Week.

One day when the apothecary was in his shop, and his wife had hidden herself behind him to listen to what he might say, a woman, who was “commere” to the apothecary, and was stricken with the same sickness as his own wife, came in, and, sighing, said to him—­