How we cite our quotes: (Day.Story.Page)
Quote #10
'I will grant you, however, that the things of this world have no stability, but are subject to constant change, and this may well have happened to my tongue. But not long ago, distrusting my own opinion (which in matters concerning myself I trust as little as possible), I was told by a lady, a neighbor of mine, that I had the finest and sweetest tongue in the world; and this, to tell the truth, was at a time when few of these tales remained to be written.' (Author's Epilogue, 802)
The "Author's Epilogue" appears to be a conciliatory endnote to a book filled with naughty stories, but don't be fooled. It's nothing of the sort. Boccaccio is gleefully and unapologetically bawdy even when he's supposedly defending himself from defamation of character. You can see that his neighbor-lady is not speaking of his words when she mentions his tongue. The author makes sure he gets the last word on the topic of sex.