sacchetti

full text at
https://archive.org/stream/talesfromsacchet00sacciala/talesfromsacchet00sacciala_djvu.txt

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ii8 TALES FROM SACCHETTI

his notary's reports. It happened by chance that certain
citizens, seeing how that the women wore whatever they
liked without any hindrance, and hearing of the law which
had been passed and also that the new officer had arrived,
went, some of them, to the Signori and said that the new
officer did his work so well that never before had the
women had so much liberty in their dress as at the present
time. Wherefore the Signori sent for the judge and told
him that they marvelled at the negligent manner in which
he carried out the orders concerning the women. Messer
Amerigo made answer as follows :

" My lords, I have studied all my life to learn law, and
now, when I thought that I knew something, I find that I
know nothing. For, when seeking for those ornaments
which are forbidden to your women according to the orders
which ye gave me, such arguments as they brought for-
ward in their defence I never before found in any law ; and
from among them I should like to mention to you a few.
There cometh a woman with the long peak of her hood
fringed and twisted round her head ; my notary saith :
' Tell me your name, because your peak is fringed.' The
good woman taketh down the peak, which is fastened to
the hood with a pin, and holding it in her hand she telleth
the notary that it is only a wreath. Then he goeth farther
and meeteth a woman wearing many buttons in front of her
dress ; he saith to her, ' Ye cannot wear those buttons,'
and she answereth, * Yes, Messere, I can, for these are
not buttons, they are beads, and if ye do not believe me,
look at them ; they have no hanks, neither have they any
button-holes.' The notary goeth to another who is wear-
ing ermine, and wondereth 'What will she have to say?'
' Ye are wearing ermine,' he saith, and is about to write
down her name, but the woman answereth, ' Do not put
down my name, for this is not ermine, this is the fur of a
suckling.' The notary asketh, 'What is this suckling?'
and the woman answereth, ' It is an animal.' And my
notary is stuck like an animal ! "

(Here some lines are missing.)