The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

How it begins

The First Story. Master Ciappelletto dupeth a holy friar with a false confession and dieth; and having been in his lifetime the worst of men, he is, after his death, reputed a saint and called Saint Ciappelletto 16 The Second Story. Abraham the Jew, at the instigation of Jehannot de Chevigné, goeth to the Court of Rome and seeing the depravity of the clergy, returneth to Paris and there becometh a Christian 25 The Third Story. Melchizedek the Jew, with a story of three rings, escapeth a parlous snare set for him by Saladin 28 The Fourth Story.