Introduction

1 A poor mariner of Gaeta

2 A mad-doctor

3 Bonaccio de Guasci, the late-riser

4 A Jew who had been persuaded to become a Christian

5 A dolt who believed his wife had duos cunnos

6 The widow whose lustful desires were kindled by the company of a pauper

7 A Prelate on horseback

8 A witticism of Zuccaro

9 A Magistrate

10 A woman who deceived her husband

11 A Priest who did non know when Palm-Sunday was

12 Rustics commissioned to buy a crucifix, and asked whether they wanted a dead or a live one

13 Reply of a cook to the most illustrious Duke of Milan

14 Another reply of the same cook to the same illustrious Prince

15 Request of the same cook to the aforesaid Prince

16 Gianozzo Visconti

17 One of Visconti's tailors, by way of comparison

18 A charge of robbery preferred before Facino Cane

19 A Cardinal exhorting the soldiers of the Pope

20 Reply to a Patriarch

21 Pope Urban the Sixth

22 A Priest who, in lieu of clerical vestments, brought capons to his Bishop

23 A friend of mine who grieved at seeing preferred to himself many who were his inferiors in learning and honesty

24 A frenetic woman

25 A woman who stood on the bank of the Po

26 The Abbot of Septimo

27 The sister of a citizen of Constance becomes pregnant

28 A reply of the Emperor Sigismund

29 Reply of the Roman Priest Lorenzo

30 Discourse of Niccolo of Agnani

31 A prodigy

32 A prodigy related by Hugh of Sienna

33 Another prodigy

34 Another prodigy

35 A fine jest of a wag upon Pope Boniface

36 A Parson who had buried a little dog

37 A Governor who unjustly arraigned a rich man

38 A Friar who delivered a very concise sermon

39 A jocular piece of advice given by Minaccio to a peasant

40 A reply of Minaccio the gamester

41 A one-eyed pauper going to buy wheat

42 A man who asked his wife's forgiveness when she was sick

43 A young woman who charged her husband with being short

44 A Preacher who preferred ten maids to one married woman

45 Paolo instigating to lewdness many who had no notion of it

46 A confessor

47 Humorous reply to a woman

48 A mendicant friar who, during the war, mentioned peace to Bernardo

49 Story of Francesco Filelfo

50 Story of a juggler related by the Cardinal of Bordeaux

51 Reply of Ridolfo to Barnabo

52 Another humorous answer by Ridolfo

53 How Ridolfo was pictured as a traitor by the Florentines

54 Ridolfo wounded by an arrow

55 Story of Mancini

56 A man who carried his plough on his shoulder

57 Clever reply by Dante, the Florentine poet

58 A jocular reply by the same poet

59 A headstrong woman who persisted in calling her husband a louse

60 A man who was searching for his wife drowned in the river

61 A plebeian who wanted to be ennobled

62 Guglielmo with the beautiful priapean tool

63 Reply by a woman of Pisa

64 A matron's remark on seeing a strumpet's garments in the windows

65 A good hunt

66 An inhabitant of Perugia to his wife

67 A young man's joke

68 A fool who mistook for himself someone that was imitating his voice

69 A peasant who had a goose for sale

70 A niggard who drank urine

71 A shepherd who delivered himself of a feigned confession

72 A gamester sent to gaol for having gambled

73 A father's rebuke to his drunken son

74 A young man of Perugia

75 The Duke of Anjou shewing Ridolfo a collection of valuables

76 The same Ridolfo

77 Jest of an inhabitant of Perugia

78 Altercation between two gay women about a piece of linen

79 The cock and the fox

80 A jocular reply

81 A dispute between a Florentine and a Venetian

82 A comparison by Antonio Lusco

83 The singer who announced he would recite "The Death of Hector"

84 A woman who persuaded her husband that she was half dead

85 A good joke of a Florentine Knight

86 A Knight afflicted with a cross-grained wife

87 A quack who attended asses

88 A comparison by Pietro De Eghis

89 A surgeon

90 A jest upon a Venetian who did not know his own horse

91 A good joke by Carlo of Bologna

92 An old usurer who gave up usury for fear of losing what he had acquired

93 An old prostitute who was begging

94 A doctor and a dunce

95 A joke of the Bishop of Aleth

96 Funny saying of an Abbot

97 A sharp reply

98 Marvels related by my amanuensis

99 Marvelous punishment for contempt of saints

100 Funny story of an old man who carried his own donkey

101 The reach of a man's ignorance

102 Another absurdity

103 A long-bearded old man

104 Silliness of a Notary, related by Carlo of Bologna

105 A Florentine Doctor who, being on an embassy to a Queen, asked to sleep with her

106 A man who had an intercourse with the Devil, in the shape of a woman

107 Another story related by Angelotto

108 A barrister who had received of a litigant a fig and a peach

109 A sly physician

110 Two litigants in a money-matter

111 An ignorant physician who, from the inspection of urine, judged that a woman required sexual intercourse

112 A man who had to do with his sick wife, and thus restored her to health

113 An illiterate man who asked the Archbishop of Milan for the dignity of an Archpresbyter

114 A courtesan complaining of an injury inflicted by a barber

115 A Friar to whom a widow was confessing

116 A man pretending to be dead in the presence of his wife

117 A young simpleton in Bologna

118 Reply of a Confessor to Barnabo in reference to a woman

119 A forgetful servant saddled with a heavy load

120 A man who wanted to spend one thousand florins to make himself known, and the reply he got

121 A joke of the celebrated Dante

122 A woman's humorous answer to a man's enquiry whether his wife could be confined at the end of a twelve-month

123 An indiscreet question by a Priest

124 An amusing jeer upon a Perugian ambassador

125 Perugian Ambassadors to Pope Urban

126 Foolish words of Florentine Ambassadors

127 Humorous saying of Giovan-Pietro of Sienna

128 A man who made his wife a present of a costly dress

129 A pleasant story of a surgeon

130 A man who found gold during his sleep

131 A secretary to Emperor Frederic II

132 A Florentine who unconsciously ate a dead Jew

133 A Vision of Francesco Filelfo

134 A toper

135 A joke of Everardo, Apostolic Secretary, who let a fart at a Cardinal

136 Amusing joke of another Cardinal

137 A woman who, wishing to hide her head, exhibited her bottom

138 Funny story of a man who wrote to his wife and a merchant

139 Story of a certain Dante who frequently scolded his wife

140 An old man's will in favour of his wife

141 A narrative of Zuccaro's about a woman who asked a Priest for a recipe

142 A Hermit who had intercourse with a great number of women

143 A young Florentine who fornicated with his step-mother

144 A discussion between Minorites about a picture of S. Francis

145 A Florentine Priest who had gone to Hungary

146 A rustic's reply to his landlord

147 A ridiculous remark by a fool

148 Scoffing at a man who intended to kill a pig

149 A jest of Facino Cane

150 An inexperienced youth who did not make the acquaintance of his wife during their first wedding-night

151 A shepherd's wife who had a child by a Priest

152 A peasant who brought donkeys loaded with wheat

153 Funny reply of a pauper to a rich man who was cold

154 A mountaineer who thought of marrying a girl

155 A Priest who ordered a young woman to pay him the tithe

156 A Physician who ravished a tailor's sick wife

157 A Florentine betrothed to a widow's daughter

158 A usurer in Vicenza

159 Most amusing story of Giannino, the cook

160 A stupid Venetian, who, when riding, carried his spur in his breast-pocket

161 A doltish Venetian made a fool of by an itinerant quack

162 A Venetian, who, on his way to Treviso, got his back struck by a stone which his servant had thrown

163 A fox pursued by hounds, and hidden in straw by a peasant

164 A Florentine who had bought a horse

165 A joke of Gonnella the juggler

166 Another practical joke at the expense of a man who wished to become a diviner

167 Prodigies reported to Pope Eugene

168 Marvellous to behold

169 A deceitful Notary in Florence

170 A Friar who introduced per foramen tabulae Priapum

171 Shocking story of a boy who used to eat little children

172 A Florentine Knight, who made a pretence of going out, and hid himself in the bed-room unknown to his wife

173 A fellow who wanted to keep up appearances of extreme chastity, and was taken in the act of fornication

174 On the same subject

175 A poor fellow who got his living as a ferry-man

176 A foolish Milanese who wrote down his sins for a Priest

177 A man who, whilst on a visit to his bride's relations, had asked his friend to set him off

178 A certain Pasquino of Sienna's joke about a fart from a Body corporate

179 A stupid Doctor, who spoke Latin while bird-catching

180 A woman who took it for a compliment to be told she had a broad channel

181 Amusing remark by a young woman in labour

182 Someone who passed the highest eulogy on a young Roman

183 Several persons uttering varied wishes

184 A tradesman, who, praising his wife, asserted that she had never farted

185 Most sensible reply to a slanderer

186 A funny answer which applies to many Bishops

187 A joke on Francesco Filelfo

188 A jeer at the same

189 A Notary who had turned a Procurer

190 A joke by means of which a certain Petrillo rid a hospital of a filthy lot of inmates

191 A droll story of a young man who had to do with the whole household

192 The most acceptable sound

193 The son of a prince, whom, on account of his slanderous tongue, his father had ordered to remain speechless

194 A guardian

195 A Friar's facetious device for getting possession of a woman

196 Funny saying of Angelotto about a long-bearded Greek Cardinal

197 A corpulent horseman

198 Comical remark of a Judge to a Barrister who quoted the Clementina and the Novella

199 How to avoid the cold

200 A preacher

201 A young woman who had been parted from her husband

202 Two men quarreling becuse they had the same coat of arms

203 Joke of a physician, who used to prescribe medicines by lot

204 A word of comfort to a man who was sad because in debt

205 Penalty inflicted upon Greek and Genoese murderers

206 A jest at the Romans who eat Virtues

207 Someone who vowed a taper to the Virgin Mary

208 Another jest of someone who made a vow to Saint Cyriacus

209 A widow who wanted to marry an elderly man

210 A Friar who got an Abbess with child

211 Surprising reply of a child to Cardinal Angelotto

212 A cobbler's apprentice who had to do with his master's wife

213 A jolly story of a young woman who farted

214 Which is more acceptable to God, he who says, or he who does?

215 An Egyptian who was incited to convert

216 A Spanish Bishop who ate partridges as fish

217 A simpleton who, sleeping with the Archbishop of Cologne, taxed him with being a quadruped

218 Pope Martin jeering a troublesome Ambassador

219 A condemner of Cardinal Angelotto's life

220 A joker who used to jeer a Florentine Knight

221 A woman's plea with her father for being barren

222 Giovanni Andrea taken in the act of adultery

223 A Minorite Friar who made a child's nose

224 A Florentine who was a great liar

225 A jealous man who emasculated himself to test his wife's honesty

226 A reply to the Priest's words at the Offertory

227 A Priest, who, whilst preaching, made a mistake in his numbers, and said 'hundred' instead of 'thousand'

228 A sensible reply of the Cardinal of Avignon to the King of France

229 A horrible thing which took place in Saint John of Lateran

230 How was put to confusion a bawling Preacher

231 A young woman balked by an old husband

232 A Minorite's breeches made relics of

233 A brevet against the plague, to be carried around the neck

234 Cardinal Angelotto's mouth which was opened and should rather have been closed

235 Ridolfo's way of supplying an exquisite horse he was asked for

236 A quarrel between women, which elicited a most amusing sally

237 A Priest frustrating a layman who wanted to catch him at fault

238 A marvellous adventure which befell an English fuller with his wife

239 A Tuscan confession which became at last a candid one

240 A battle between magpies and jays

241 A good joke of Francesco about the children of Genoese

242 A significant, but coarse, gesture of a Florentine

243 Amusing application of an impotent old man

244 Witty saying of a whore about the Venetians

245 A good joke of an ignorant man who put doctors out of countenance

246 Smart rebuke of a merchant who charged others with insanity

247 Becoming reply of a lady to a young man who was ardently in love with her

248 A Nobleman in the time of the Emperor Frederic, who made a great show of pugnacity, but did not fight at all

249 A man who, during the space of two years, had neither meat nor drink

250 Clever saying of a man who promised to teach a donkey

251 A Priest who did not know whether the Epiphany was a man or a woman

252 A usurer who simulated repentance and aggravated his former ways

253 Birds who talked under a delusion

254 A man with many chains round his neck was merely thought more crazed for his pains

255 A good thrust of Ridolfo, Lord of Camerino, at an ambassador who had inveighed against all Lords in general

256 An Arbitrator in whose house a pig spilled some oil

257 A bald man's facetious retort to two young females

258 'Messer Perde il Piato'

259 A grateful song to inn-keepers

260 A jeer at a thin man

261 Witty reply of a lady whose inkstand was empty

262 A good joke on the limited number of God's friends

263 A Friar of S. Anthony, a layman and a wolf

264 Singular balance of compensation between confessor and penitent

265 Witty sallies of two young Florentines

266 Confusion of a young man who, during an entertainment, made water on the table

267 Artful trick of a Florentine woman taken in the fact

268 A living corpse, on the way to his grave, speaks and sets people laughing

269 A doubtful argument

270 A miller diddled by his wife, who gave him five eggs for breakfast

271 A pretty way of denying beauty

272 A woman's amusing, but rather improper, answer

273 A ribaldish comparison about loose teeth

Conclusion