And bycause our purpose, cannot be plainely knowne unto other men: it shall not be good for us to use such parts, as bring men in doubt and suspicion, what our intent and meaning is in them: but rather let us eschewe them, then seeke to be counted Jesters. For, It many times chaunceth, in boording and Jesting, one tackes in sporte, the other strikes againe in earnest: & thus from playing, they come to fraying. So, he that is familiarly mockte in pastime, recons it, otherwhile, to be done to his shame & dishonour, and therat he takes a disdaine. Besides this, A mocke is no better, then a deceite. And naturally, it greveth every man to erre and be deceived. So that, many Reasons ther be to prove, That He that seekes to purchase goodwill, and be well thought of: must not make him selfe to cunning in mockes and Jestes.
It is very true, we are not able, in no wise, to leade this paineful life, altogether without some pleasure and solace: And bycause Jestes do geve us some sporte, and make us merry, and so consequently refreash our spirits: we love them that be pleasaunt, merry conceited, and full of solace. So that a body would thinke, I should rather persuade the contrarie: I meane, I shoulde say: It is convenient and meete in company, to use prety mockes, and otherwhile some Jestes and taunts. And without doubt, they that can stint after a friendly and gentle sort, be muche more made of, and better beloved then they that cannot skill or have no wit to doe it. Howbeit, it is needeful in this, to have a respect to many things.
And forasmuche as it is the intent of him that doth Jest: to make a sport and pastime at his faulte, whome he doth love and esteeme, and of whom he doth make more then a common account: it must be well lookte to, that the fault, wherin his friend hath fallen, be suche, as he may sustaine no slaunder or shame, or any harme by any talke or Jeste he makes uppon it: otherwise, his skil doth ill serve him, to make a good difference betweene a pleasaunt Jest, and a very plaine wronge.
And there be some men, so short & so testy, that you must, in no wise, be merry, nor use any jesting with them. And that can Biondello well tell, by Maister Philippo Argenti in the gallery of Caviccioli.
And moreover, It cannot be good to jeaste in matters of weite, and muche lesse in matters of shame. For, men will weene that wee have a good sporte (as the common saying is) to bragge and boast in our evill: as it is said, the Lady Philippe of Prato, took a singular pleasure and contentation in the pleasaunt & prety aunswer she made, to excuse her loose and wanton life. And therefore, I cannot thinke that Lupo of Uberti did any thing extenuat or lessen his shame: but rather increaste it greater, by the Jeste that hee made to excuse his faulte, and qualifye the opinion of his cowardly minde. For, where he might have kept him selfe safe without daunger in the castle of Laterin, wherein he was besieged round about, and shutte up: hee thought hee had plaide the man good inoughe, in that hee could say at the yealding it up: that "A wolfe doth not love to be besieged and shutte up." For, where it is out of time for to laughe, there to use any Jestes or daliaunce, it hath a very colde Grace.
And further, you shall understand, there be some Jestes yt bite, & some yt bite not at all. For the first sorte: let yt wise counsell that Lauretta gave for that point, suffice to teach you: That Jestes must bite the hearer like a sheepe, but not like a dogge. For if it pinche, as the bite of a dogge: it shalbe no more a Jeste but a wronge. And the lawes almost in all countries, will, that who saith any villanie unto a man, shalbe grevously punished for it. And, perchaunce, it were not amisse, to provide with all, some sharp correction for him, that should bite in way of jesting, beyond all honest measure. But gentlemen should make account, that the lawe that punisheth wronges, extendeth as farre to jestes, and that they should seldome or very easily nip or taunt any man.
And besides all this, you must understand, that a jest, whether it bite, or bite not, if it be not fine & full of wit, men take no pleasure at al to heare it, but rather are wearied with it: or at least wise, if they doe laughe, they laughe not at the jest, but at the jester him selfe, that brings it forthe so colde.
And bycause, Jestes be no other thing but deceites: and deceite (as a thing that is framed of subtilenes & craft) cannot be wrought but of men, that have fine and redy wittes, and very present: therefore they have no grace in men that be rude, and of grose understanding: not yet in them alwayes, that have the best and floweing wittes: as, peradventure, they did not altogether become Master John Boccaccio.
But tauntes and Jestes be a special redines and aptnes of wit, and quicken the motions of the minde: wherefore they that have discretion, doe not in this point, consider their will, but their disposition of nature: and after they have once or twise tried their wittes, and finde them unfit for suche purpose: they leave to labour them selves any further in that kind of exercise: that it may not chaunce unto them, that hapt to the knight of the lady Horetta. And if you looke in to the maners of many, you shall easily see, this that I tell you is true: I say, that To Jest or to taunt, is not currant with every man that will, but onely with them that can. And there be many that for every purpose, have in their mouth redy, many of these wordes, which wee call Bicticcichi: that have no maner of sense or meaning in them. And some, that use very foolishly and fondly to chaunge Sillables into woords. And some you shall heare speake and make answer, otherwise then a man would lightly looke for, without any wit or pleasure in the world in their talke. And if you doe aske them, "Doue e il signore?" they answer againe. "Doue egli ha i piedi:" and likewise "Et gli fece unguer le mani con le grascia di signore Giovan Boccadoro. Doue mi manda egli? Ad Arno. Io mi voglió radere, Sarebbe meglio rodere. Va chiama il Barbieri. Et perrhe non il Barbadomani." Al which be to grose, to rude and to stale: and such were almost, all the pleasaunt purposes and jestes of Dioneo.
But I will not take uppon me at this time, to discourse of the best and the worst kinde of jestes, what they be: aswel for that other men have written treatises thereof much more lernedly and better then I can: as also, bycause jestes and tauntes, have at first sight, a large and sure proofe of their grace or disgrace: such, as thou canst not do much amisse in this point, wtout thou stand to much in thy owne conceite, and think to well of thy selfe: for where the jest is prety and pleasaunt, there a man straite is merry, and shewes a liking by laughing, and makes a kinde of admiration of it. So that, where the company geves foorth no liking of thy sportes and conceites, by their mirthes and their laughing: hould thy selfe still then, and jest no more. For it is thy owne faulte thou must think, and not theirs that do heare the: forasmuch as the hearers, as it were allured, with the redie, pleasaunt, and subtile aunswers or questions (do what they can, will they or nill they) cannot forbeare their laughing, but laughe in spite of their teeth. From whom as from our right & lawfull Judges, wee must not appeale to our selves.