young gentleman.  In the afternoon comes Lionello galloping, and as soon as he came within sight of the house, he sent back his horse by his boy, and went easily afoot, and there, at the very entry, was entertained by Margaret, who led him up the staires, and convaid him into her bedchamber, saying he was welcome into so mean a cottage.  But, quoth she, now I hope fortun shall not envy the purity of our loves.  Alas! alas! mistris, cried the maid, heer is my maister, and 100 men with him, with bils and staves.  We are betraid, quoth Lionel, and I am but a dead man.  Feare not, quoth she, but follow me:  and straight she carried him downe into a low parlor, where stoode an olde rotten chest full of writinges; she put him into that, and covered him with olde papers and evidences, and went to the gate to meet her husband.

Why, Signor Mutio, what meanes this hurly burly? quoth she.  Vile and shameless strumpet as thou art, thou shalt know by and by, quoth he.  Where is thy love?  All we have watcht him and seen him enter in.  Now, quoth he, shall neither thy tub of feathers or thy seeling serve, for perish he shall with fire, or els fall into my handes.  Doo thy worst, jealous foole, quoth she, I ask thee no favour.  With that, in a rage, he beset the house round, and then set fire on it.  Oh, in what perplexitie was poore Lionello in that he was shut in a chest, and the fire about his eares! and how was Margaret passionat, that knew her lover was in such danger!  Yet she made light of the matter, and, as one in a rage, called her maid to her and said:  Come on, wench, seeing thy maister, mad with jealousie, hath set the house and al my living on fire, I will be revenged on him:  help me heer to lift this old chest where all his writings and deeds are; let that burne first, and as soon as I see that on fire I will walke towards my freends, for the olde foole will be beggard, and I will refuse him.  Mutio, that knew al his obligations and statutes lay there, puld her back and had two of his men carry the chest into the field, and see it were safe, himselfe standing by and seeing his house burned downe sticke and stone.  Then, quieted in his mind, he went home with his wife and began to flatter her, thinking assuredly that he had burnt her paramour, causing his chest to be carried in a cart to his house in Pisa.  Margaret, impatient, went to her mother’s and complained to her and her brethren of the jealousie of her husband, who maintaned her it to be true, and desired but a daies respite to proove it.

Wel, hee was bidden to supper the next night at her mother’s, she thinking to make her daughter and him freends againe.  In the meane time he to his woonted walk in the church, and there, praeter expectationem, he found Lionello walking.  Wondring at this, he straight enquires what newes.  What newes, Maister Doctor, quoth he, and he fell in a great laughing; in faith yesterday, I scapt a scouring, for syrrha, I went to the grange-house, where I was