OECONOMA

Astronomia has several suitors: Geographus (whom her mother dislikes), Geometres (whom her friends favour), and Poeta (who has recently jilted Historia to pursue her). Against her kinsman Polites’ advice, Historia still wants to marry Poeta, consummating the long-standing association between history and the poetic imagination. Poeta quarrels with Grammaticus, and Logicus becomes involved in the ensuing affray. Unsure whether to fight a duel with Poeta or sue him for assault, Logicus sets both courses in train. Hearing that Poeta has been hurt in the fight, Historia sends to Medicus for help, but Magus, who is helping Geometres, sees an opportunity to dispose of one of his client’s rivals, and persuades Medicus to send poison instead. Medicus’ man, Sanguis, delivers the poison, but spots that it isn’t medicine. Poeta infers Historia's treachery, but persuades himself out of absolute misogyny by thinking of Astronomia. To reconcile Poeta with Logicus and Grammaticus, Ethicus arranges a banquet. Several of the wooers use magical help in their suits. Poeta meets two gipsies, who pick his- pocket and foretell that he will marry Astronomia. Using sieve- divination, Magus predicts that Geometres will marry Astronomia, and will achieve this mainly through hypnotism, with a little pharmaceutical help. (Geometres finds the third option, conjuration, too frightening to try.) However, when Astronomia drinks the supposed love philtre at Ethicus’ feast, it poisons her. Meanwhile, Poeta seems reconciled to his former adversaries, but gets drunk and tries to pick fights with Geographus and Grammaticus; Magus charms him to sleep. Causidicus accepts fees from both Logicus and Poeta, so when the case comes to trial, Polites dismisses him and forces the parties to speak for themselves. The trial is adjourned when news arrives that Astronomia, burning up with the poison, has fallen into a coma. Medicus attends her, and cures her by administering an enema. Meanwhile the gipsies and servants indulge themselves in country pastimes: morris dancing, barley-break, and riddles. Polites takes up Geographus’ and Historia’s love- suits: he persuades Astronomia’s mother that Geographus will be a worthy son-in-law, so long as he gets rid of his servant Phantastes, and the couple are married. Polites tries the miscreants, and purges the body politic of dangerous corruption: the gipsies are branded, Magus sentenced to be broken on the wheel, and his wife Astrologia to imprisonment — but,…