that I was persuaded by it, and after lying a night at the



Swan-and-Quiver Tavern I went back to London, and never again had

a desire to visit Lincolnshire.



But Fiammetta is still a pleasing memory --ay, and more than a

memory to me, for whenever I take down that precious book and



open it, what a host of friends do troop forth! Cavaliers,

princesses, courtiers, damoiselles, monks, nuns, equerries,



pages, maidens--humanity of every class and condition, and all

instinct with the color of the master magician, Boccaccio!



And before them all cometh a maiden with dark, glorious eyes, and

she beareth garlands of roses; the moonlight falleth like a



benediction upon the Florentine garden slope, and the night wind

seeketh its cradle in the laurel tree, and fain would sleep to



the song of the nightingale.

As for Judge Methuen, he loves his Boccaccio quite as much as I



do mine, and being somewhat of a versifier he has made a little

poem on the subject, a copy of which I have secured



surreptitiously and do now offer for your delectation:

One day upon a topmost shelf



I found a precious prize indeed,

Which father used to read himself,



But did not want us boys to read;

A brown old book of certain age



(As type and binding seemed to show),

While on the spotted title-page



Appeared the name ``Boccaccio.''

I'd never heard that name before,



But in due season it became

To him who fondly brooded o'er



Those pages a beloved name!

Adown the centuries I walked



Mid pastoral scenes and royal show;

With seigneurs and their dames I talked--



The crony of Boccaccio!

Those courtly knights and sprightly maids,



Who really seemed disposed to shine

In gallantries and escapades,



Anon became great friends of mine.

Yet was there sentiment with fun,



And oftentimes my tears would flow

At some quaint tale of valor done,



As told by my Boccaccio.

In boyish dreams I saw again



Bucolic belles and dames of court,

The princely youths and monkish men



Arrayed for sacrifice or sport.

Again I heard the nightingale



Sing as she sang those years ago

In his embowered Italian vale



To my revered Boccaccio.

And still I love that brown old book



I found upon the topmost shelf--

I love it so I let none look



Upon the treasure but myself!

And yet I have a strapping boy



Who (I have every cause to know)

Would to its full extent enjoy



The friendship of Boccaccio!

But boys are, oh! so different now



From what they were when I was one!

I fear my boy would not know how



To take that old raconteur's fun!

In your companionship" target="_blank" title="n.伴侣关系；友谊">companionship, O friend,



I think it wise alone to go

Plucking the gracious fruits that bend



Wheree'er you lead, Boccaccio.

So rest you there upon the shelf,



Clad in your garb of faded brown;

• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)


• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)


• phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• variety [və´raiəti] n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词)


• survey [´sə:vei] vt.&n.俯瞰；审视；测量 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• shakespeare [´ʃeikspiə] n.莎士比亚 (初中英语单词)


• immortal [i´mɔ:təl] a.不死的n.不朽的人物 (初中英语单词)


• romance [rəu´mæns] n.中世纪骑士小说 (初中英语单词)


• discussion [di´skʌʃən] n.讨论；辩论 (初中英语单词)


• frankly [´fræŋkli] ad.直率地；慷慨地 (初中英语单词)


• thereupon [,ðeərə´pɔn] ad.因此；于是 (初中英语单词)


• argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)


• effective [i´fektiv] a.有效的；有力的 (初中英语单词)


• flavor [´fleivə] n.滋味 vt.给….调味 (初中英语单词)


• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)


• encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇；冲突 (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• novelist [´nɔvəlist] n.小说家 (初中英语单词)


• constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)


• italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词)


• stupid [´stju:pid] a.愚蠢的；糊涂的 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• romantic [rəu´mæntik] a.传奇(式)的；浪漫的 (初中英语单词)


• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)


• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• errand [´erənd] n.差使，使命 (初中英语单词)


• misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)


• sympathetic [,simpə´θetik] a.同情的，有同情心的 (初中英语单词)


• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)


• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)


• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)


• cradle [´kreidl] n.摇篮；发源地 (初中英语单词)


• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)


• selection [si´lekʃən] n.选择；选拔；精选物 (高中英语单词)


• contemporary [kən´tempərəri] a.&n.同时代的(人) (高中英语单词)


• methinks [mi´θiŋks] vi.据我看来 (高中英语单词)


• quotation [kwəu´teiʃən] n.引用；引文；语录 (高中英语单词)


• patron [´peitrən] n.庇护人，保护人；赞助人 (高中英语单词)


• philosopher [fi´lɔsəfə] n.哲学家；思想家；哲人 (高中英语单词)


• innumerable [i´nju:mərəbəl] a.无数的，数不清的 (高中英语单词)


• companionship [kəm´pæniənʃip] n.伴侣关系；友谊 (高中英语单词)


• translation [træns´leiʃən, trænz-] n.翻译；译文；译本 (高中英语单词)


• competent [´kɔmpitənt] a.能干的，有资格的 (高中英语单词)


• tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)


• portrait [´pɔ:trit] n.肖像；相片；雕像 (高中英语单词)


• genuine [´dʒenjuin] a.真正的；真诚的 (高中英语单词)


• pageant [´pædʒənt] n.露天表演；虚饰 (高中英语单词)


• attire [ə´taiə] vt.装饰；穿 n.衣服 (高中英语单词)


• cherish [´tʃeriʃ] vt.珍爱；怀有(感情) (高中英语单词)


• pleasing [´pli:ziŋ] a.使人愉快的；合意的 (高中英语单词)


• boyhood [´bɔihud] n.少年时代(期) (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)


• shrine [ʃrain] n.神龛；神殿；圣地 (高中英语单词)


• tavern [´tævən] n.小酒馆；客栈 (高中英语单词)


• magician [mə´dʒiʃən] n.魔法师；妖道；术士 (高中英语单词)


• laurel [´lɔrəl] n.月桂树(叶)；桂冠 (高中英语单词)


• quaint [kweint] a.离奇的；奇妙的 (高中英语单词)


• garret [´gærit] n.阁楼，顶楼 (英语四级单词)


• devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身…的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)


• expend [ik´spend] vt.花费，耗费(金钱等) (英语四级单词)


• heroine [´herəuin] n.女英雄；女主人公 (英语四级单词)


• boyish [´bɔiiʃ] a.少年的；幼稚的 (英语四级单词)


• counterfeit [´kauntəfit] a.伪造的 v.&n.伪造 (英语四级单词)


• antique [æn´ti:k] a.古代的 n.古物(董) (英语四级单词)


• incapable [in´keipəbəl] a.无能力的；不能的 (英语四级单词)


• profane [prə´fein] a.亵渎的 vt.玷污 (英语四级单词)


• yeoman [´jəumən] n.自由民；自耕农 (英语四级单词)


• binding [´baindiŋ] a.捆绑的 n.捆绑(物) (英语四级单词)


• fondly [´fɔndli] ad.喜爱地；愚蠢地 (英语四级单词)


• pastoral [´pɑ:stərəl] a.牧(羊)人的 n.田园诗 (英语四级单词)


• princely [´prinsli] a.王候般的；高贵的 (英语四级单词)


• cheerfulness [´tʃiəfulnis] n.高兴，愉快 (英语六级单词)


• illiterate [i´litərit] a.文盲的 n.文盲 (英语六级单词)


• acquisition [,ækwi´ziʃən] n.获得；获得物 (英语六级单词)


• whereon [weər´ɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语六级单词)


• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)


• thames [temz] n.泰晤士河 (英语六级单词)


• poetic [pəu´etik] a.理想化了的 (英语六级单词)


• dispel [di´spel] vt.驱逐；驱散(乌云) (英语六级单词)


• sprightly [´spraitli] a.活泼的；轻快的 (英语六级单词)


• oftentimes [´ɔ:fəntaimz] ad.屡次，常常 (英语六级单词)