THE TENTH STORY
[Day the Second]
PAGANINO OF MONACO STEALETH AWAY THE WIFE OF MESSER RICCIARDO DI CHINZICA, WHO, LEARNING WHERE SHE IS, GOETH THITHER AND MAKING FRIENDS WITH PAGANINO, DEMANDETH HER AGAIN OF HIM. THE LATTER CONCEDETH HER TO HIM, AN SHE WILL; BUT SHE REFUSETH TO RETURN WITH HIM AND MESSER RICCIARDO DYING, SHE BECOMETH THE WIFE OF PAGANINO
Each of the honourable company highly commended for goodly the storytold by their queen, especially Dioneo, with whom alone for thatpresent day it now rested to tell, and who, after many praisesbestowed upon the preceding tale, said, "Fair ladies, one part of thequeen's story hath caused me change counsel of telling you one thatwas in my mind, and determine to tell you another,--and that is thestupidity of Bernabo (albeit good betided him thereof) and of allothers who give themselves to believe that which he made a show ofbelieving and who, to wit, whilst going about the world, divertingthemselves now with this woman and now with that, imagine that theladies left at home abide with their hands in their girdles, as if weknew not, we who are born and reared among the latter, unto what theyare fain. In telling you this story, I shall at once show you howgreat is the folly of these folk and how greater yet is that of thosewho, deeming themselves more potent than nature herself, think by dintof sophistical inventions[140] to avail unto that which is beyondtheir power and study to bring others to that which they themselvesare, whenas the complexion of those on whom they practise brooketh itnot.
[Footnote 140: Lit. fabulous demonstrations (_dimostrazionifavolose_), casuistical arguments, founded upon premises of their owninvention.]
There was, then, in Pisa a judge, by name Messer Ricciardo diChinzica, more gifted with wit than with bodily strength, who,thinking belike to satisfy a wife by the same means which served himto despatch his studies and being very rich, sought with no littlediligence to have a fair and young lady to wife; whereas, had he butknown to counsel himself as he counselled others, he should haveshunned both the one and the other. The thing came to pass accordingto his wish, for Messer Lotto Gualandi gave him to wife a daughter ofhis, Bartolomea by name, one of the fairest and handsomest youngladies of Pisa, albeit there be few there that are not very lizards tolook upon. The judge accordingly brought her home with the utmost pompand having held a magnificent wedding, made shift the first night tohand her one venue for the consummation of the marriage, but camewithin an ace of making a stalemate of it, whereafter, lean and dryand scant of wind as he was, it behoved him on the morrow bringhimself back to life with malmsey and restorative confections andother remedies. Thenceforward, being now a better judge of his ownpowers than he was, he fell to teaching his wife a calendar fit forchildren learning to read and belike made aforetime at Ravenna,[141]for that, according to what he feigned to her, there was no day in theyear but was sacred not to one saint only, but to many, in reverenceof whom he showed by divers reasons that man and wife should abstainfrom carnal conversation; and to these be added, to boot, fast daysand Emberdays and the vigils of the Apostles and of a thousand othersaints and Fridays and Saturdays and Lord's Day and all Lent andcertain seasons of the moon and store of other exceptions, conceivingbelike that it behoved to keep holiday with women in bed like as hedid bytimes whilst pleading in the courts of civil law. This fashion(to the no small chagrin of the lady, whom he handled maybe once amonth, and hardly that) he followed a great while, still keepingstrait watch over her, lest peradventure some other should teach herto know working-days, even as he had taught her holidays. Thingsstanding thus, it chanced that, the heat being great and MesserRicciardo having a mind to go a-pleasuring to a very fair country-seathe had, near Monte Nero, and there abide some days to take the air, hebetook himself thither, carrying with him his fair lady. Theresojourning, to give her some diversion, he caused one day fish andthey went out to sea in two boats, he in one with the fishermen, andshe in another with other ladies. The sport luring them on, theydrifted some miles out to sea, well nigh without perceiving it, andwhilst they were intent upon their diversion, there came up of asudden a galliot belonging to Paganino da Mare, a famous corsair ofthose days. The latter, espying the boats, made for them, nor couldthey flee so fast but he overtook that in which were the women andseeing therein the judge's fair lady, he carried her aboard thegalliot, in full sight of Messer Ricciardo, who was now come to land,and made off without recking of aught else. When my lord judge, whowas so jealous that he misdoubted of the very air, saw this, itbooteth not to ask if he was chagrined; and in vain, both at Pisa andotherwhere, did he complain of the villainy of the corsairs, for thathe knew not who had taken his wife from him nor whither he had carriedher. As for Paganino, finding her so fair, he deemed himself in luckand having no wife, resolved to keep her for himself. Accordingly,seeing her weeping sore, he studied to comfort her with soft wordstill nightfall, when, his calendar having dropped from his girdle andsaints' days and holidays gone clean out of his head, he fell tocomforting her with deeds, himseeming that words had availed little byday; and after such a fashion did he console her that, ere they cameto Monaco, the judge and his ordinances had altogether escaped hermind and she began to lead the merriest of lives with Paganino. Thelatter carried her to Monaco and there, over and above theconsolations with which he plied her night and day, he entreated herhonourably as his wife. After awhile it came to Messer Ricciardo'sears where his wife was and he, being possessed with the most ardentdesire to have her again and bethinking himself that none other mightthoroughly suffice to do what was needful to that end, resolved to gothither himself, determined to spend any quantity of money for herransom. Accordingly he set out by sea and coming to Monaco, there bothsaw and was seen of the lady, who told it to Paganino that sameevening and acquainted him with her intent. Next morning MesserRicciardo, seeing Paganino, accosted him and quickly clapped up agreat familiarity and friendship with him, whilst the other feignednot to know him and waited to see at what he aimed. Accordingly,whenas it seemed to him time, Messer Ricciardo discovered to him, asbest and most civilly he knew, the occasion of his coming and prayedhim take what he pleased and restore him the lady. To which Paganinomade answer with a cheerful countenance, 'Sir, you are welcome, and toanswer you briefly, I say thus; it is true I have a young lady in myhouse, if she be your wife or another's I know not, for that I knowyou not nor indeed her, save in so much as she hath abidden awhilewith me. If you be, as you say, her husband, I will, since you seem tome a civil gentleman, carry you to her and I am assured that she willknow you right well. If she say it is as you avouch and be willing togo with you, you shall, for the sake of your civility, give me whatyou yourself will to her ransom; but, an it be not so, you would doill to seek to take her from me, for that I am a young man and canentertain a woman as well as another, and especially such an one asshe, who is the most pleasing I ever saw.' Quoth Messer Ricciardo,'For certain she is my wife, an thou bring me where she is, thou shaltsoon see it; for she will incontinent throw herself on my neck;wherefore I ask no better than that it be as thou proposest.' 'Then,'said Paganino, 'let us be going.' Accordingly they betook themselvesto the corsair's house, where he brought the judge into a saloon ofhis and let call the lady, who issued forth of a chamber, all dressedand tired, and came whereas they were, but accosted Messer Ricciardono otherwise than as she would any other stranger who might have comehome with Paganino. The judge, who looked to have been received by herwith the utmost joy, marvelled sore at this and fell a-saying inhimself, 'Belike the chagrin and long grief I have suffered, since Ilost her, have so changed me that she knoweth me not.' Wherefore hesaid to her, 'Wife, it hath cost me dear to carry thee a-fishing, forthat never was grief felt like that which I have suffered since I lostthee, and now meseemeth thou knowest me not, so distantly dost thougreet me. Seest thou not that I am thine own Messer Ricciardo, comehither to pay that which this gentleman, in whose house we are, shallrequire to thy ransom and to carry thee away? And he, of his favour,restoreth thee to me for what I will.' The lady turned to him an
dsaid, smiling somewhat, 'Speak you to me, sir? Look you mistake menot, for, for my part, I mind me not ever to have seen you.' QuothRicciardo, 'Look what thou sayest; consider me well; an thou wilt butrecollect thyself, thou wilt see that I am thine own Ricciardo diChinzica.' 'Sir,' answered the lady, 'you will pardon me; belike it isnot so seemly a thing as you imagine for me to look much on you.Nevertheless I have seen enough of you to know that I never before seteyes on you.' Ricciardo, concluding that she did this for fear ofPaganino and chose not to confess to knowing him in the latter'spresence, besought him of his favour that he might speak with her in aroom alone. Paganino replied that he would well, so but he would notkiss her against her will, and bade the lady go with him into achamber and there hear what he had to say and answer him as it shouldplease her. Accordingly the lady and Messer Ricciardo went into a roomapart and as soon as they were seated, the latter began to say,'Alack, heart of my body, sweet my soul and my hope, knowest thou notthy Ricciardo, who loveth thee more than himself? How can this be? AmI so changed? Prithee, fair mine eye, do but look on me a little.' Thelady began to laugh and without letting him say more, replied, 'Youmay be assured that I am not so scatterbrained but that I know wellenough you are Messer Ricciardo di Chinzica, my husband; but, whattime I was with you, you showed that you knew me very ill, for thatyou should have had the sense to see that I was young and lusty andgamesome and should consequently have known that which behoveth untoyoung ladies, over and above clothes and meat, albeit forshamefastness they name it not; the which how you performed, you know.If the study of the laws was more agreeable to you than your wife, youshould not have taken her, albeit it never appeared to me that youwere a judge; nay, you seemed to me rather a common crier of saints'days and sacraments and fasts and vigils, so well you knew them. And Itell you this, that, had you suffered the husbandmen who till yourlands keep as many holidays as you allowed him who had the tilling ofmy poor little field, you would never have reaped the least grain ofcorn. However, as God, having compassion on my youth, hath willed it,I have happened on yonder man, with whom I abide in this chamber,wherein it is unknown what manner of thing is a holiday (I speak ofthose holidays which you, more assiduous in the service of God than inthat of the ladies, did so diligently celebrate) nor ever yet enteredin at this door Saturday nor Friday nor vigil nor Emberday nor Lent,that is so long; nay, here swink we day and night and thump our wool;and this very night after matinsong, I know right well how the thingwent, once he was up. Wherefore I mean to abide with him and work;whilst I am young, and leave saints' days and jubilees and fasts formy keeping when I am old; so get you gone about your business asquickliest you may, good luck go with you, and keep as many holidaysas you please, without me.' Messer Ricciardo, hearing these words, wasdistressed beyond endurance and said, whenas he saw she had made anend of speaking. 'Alack, sweet my soul, what is this thou sayest? Hastthou no regard for thy kinsfolk's honour and thine own? Wilt thourather abide here for this man's whore and in mortal sin than at Pisaas my wife? He, when he is weary of thee, will turn thee away to thineown exceeding reproach, whilst I will still hold thee dear and still(e'en though I willed it not) thou shalt be mistress of my house. Wiltthou for the sake of a lewd and disorderly appetite, forsake thinehonour and me, who love thee more than my life? For God's sake, dearmy hope, speak no more thus, but consent to come with me; henceforth,since I know thy desire, I will enforce myself [to content it;]wherefore, sweet my treasure, change counsel and come away with me,who have never known weal since thou wast taken from me.' Wheretoanswered the lady, 'I have no mind that any, now that it availeth not,should be more tender of my honour than I myself; would my kinsfolkhad had regard thereto, whenas they gave me to you! But, as they hadthen no care for my honour, I am under no present concern to becareful of theirs; and if I am herein _mortar_[142] sin, I shall abidethough it be in pestle[142] sin. And let me tell you that heremeseemeth I am Paganino's wife, whereas at Pisa meseemed I was yourwhore, seeing that there, by season of the moon and quadratures ofgeometry, needs must be planets concur to couple betwixt you and me,whereas here Paganino holdeth me all night in his arms and strainethme and biteth me, and how he serveth me, let God tell you for me. Yousay forsooth you will enforce yourself; to what? To do it in threecasts and cause it stand by dint of cudgelling? I warrant me you aregrown a doughty cavalier since I saw you last! Begone and enforceyourself to live, for methinketh indeed you do but sojourn here belowupon sufferance, so peaked and scant o' wind you show to me. And yetmore I tell you, that, should he leave me (albeit meseemeth he isnowise inclined thereto, so I choose to stay,) I purpose not thereforever to return to you, of whom squeeze you as I might, there were nomaking a porringer of sauce; for that I abode with you once to mygrievous hurt and loss, wherefore in such a case I should seek myvantage elsewhere. Nay, once again I tell you, here be neither saints'days nor vigils; wherefore here I mean to abide; so get you gone inGod's name as quickliest you may, or I will cry out that you wouldfain force me.' Messer Ricciardo, seeing himself in ill case and nowrecognizing his folly in taking a young wife, whenas he was himselfforspent, went forth the chamber tristful and woebegone, and bespokePaganino with many words, that skilled not a jot. Ultimately, leavingthe lady, he returned to Pisa, without having accomplished aught, andthere for chagrin fell into such dotage that, as he went about Pisa,to whoso greeted him or asked him of anywhat, he answered nought but'The ill hole[143] will have no holidays;'[144] and there, no greatwhile after, he died. Paganino, hearing this and knowing the love thelady bore himself, espoused her to his lawful wife and thereafter,without ever observing saints' day or vigil or keeping Lent, theywrought what while their legs would carry them and led a jolly life ofit. Wherefore, dear my ladies, meseemeth Bernabo, in his dispute withAmbrogiuolo, rode the she-goat down the steep."[145]
[Footnote 141: According to one of the commentators of the Decameron,there are as many churches at Ravenna as days in the year and each dayis there celebrated as that of some saint or other.]
[Footnote 142: A trifling jingle upon the similarity in sound of thewords _mortale_ (mortal), _mortaio_ (mortar), _pestello_ (pestle), and_pestilente_ (pestilential). The same word-play occurs at least oncemore in the Decameron.]
[Footnote 143: _Il mal foro_, a woman's commodity (Florio).]
[Footnote 144: _i.e._ _Cunnus nonvult feriari._ Some commentatorspropose to read _il mal furo_, the ill thief, supposing Ricciardo toallude to Paganino, but this seems far-fetched.]
[Footnote 145: _i.e. semble_ ran headlong to destruction. Thecommentators explain this proverbial expression by saying that ashe-goat is in any case a hazardous mount, and _a fortiori_ whenridden down a precipice; but this seems a somewhat "sporting" kind ofinterpretation.]
* * * * *
This story gave such occasion for laughter to all the company thatthere was none whose jaws ached not therefor, and all the ladiesavouched with one accord that Dioneo spoke sooth and that Bernabo hadbeen an ass. But, after the story was ended and the laughter abated,the queen, observing that the hour was now late and that all had toldand seeing that the end of her seignory was come, according to theordinance commenced, took the wreath from her own head and set it onthat of Neifile, saying, with a blithe aspect, "Henceforth, companiondear, be thine the governance of this little people"; and reseatedherself. Neifile blushed a little at the honour received and became incountenance like as showeth a new-blown rose of April or of May in thebreaking of the day, with lovesome eyes some little downcast,sparkling no otherwise than the morning-star. But, after the courteousmurmur of the bystanders, whereby they gladsomely approved theirgoodwill towards the new-made queen, had abated and she had takenheart again, she seated herself somewhat higher than of wont and said,"Since I am to be your queen, I will, departing not from the mannerholden of those who have foregone me and whose governance you have byyour obedience commended, make manifest to you in few words myopinion, which, an it be approved by your counsel, we will ensue.To-morrow, as you know, is F
riday and the next day is Saturday, dayswhich, by reason of the viands that are used therein,[146] aresomewhat irksome to most folk, more by token that Friday, consideringthat He who died for our life on that day suffered passion, is worthyof reverence; wherefore I hold it a just thing and a seemly that, inhonour of the Divinity, we apply ourselves rather to orisons than tostory-telling. As for Saturday, it is the usance of ladies on that dayto wash their heads and do away all dust and all uncleanlinessbefallen them for the labours of the past week; and many, likewise,use, in reverence of the Virgin Mother of the Son of God, to fast andrest from all manner of work in honour of the ensuing Sunday.Wherefore, we being unable fully to ensue the order of living taken byus, on like wise methinketh we were well to rest from story-telling onthat day also; after which, for that we shall then have sojourned herefour days, I hold it opportune, an we would give no occasion fornewcomers to intrude upon us, that we remove hence and get us goneelsewhither; where I have already considered and provided. There whenwe shall be assembled together on Sunday, after sleeping,--we havingto-day had leisure enough for discoursing at large,[147]--I havebethought myself,--at once that you may have more time to consider andbecause it will be yet goodlier that the license of our story-tellingbe somewhat straitened and that we devise of one of the many fashionsof fortune,--that our discourse shall be OF SUCH AS HAVE, BY DINT OFDILIGENCE,[148] ACQUIRED SOME MUCH DESIRED THING OR RECOVERED SOMELOST GOOD. Whereupon let each think to tell somewhat that may beuseful or at least entertaining to the company, saving always Dioneohis privilege." All commended the speech and disposition of the queenand ordained that it should be as she had said. Then, calling for herseneschal, she particularly instructed him where he should set thetables that evening and after of what he should do during all the timeof her seignory; and this done, rising to her feet, she gave thecompany leave to do that which was most pleasing unto each.Accordingly, ladies and men betook themselves to a little garden andthere, after they had disported themselves awhile, the hour of supperbeing come, they supped with mirth and pleasance; then, all arisingthence and Emilia, by the queen's commandment, leading the round, theditty following was sung by Pampinea, whilst the other ladiesresponded:
What lady aye should sing, and if not I, Who'm blest with all for which a maid can sigh? Come then, O Love, thou source of all my weal, All hope and every issue glad and bright Sing ye awhile yfere Of sighs nor bitter pains I erst did feel, That now but sweeten to me thy delight, Nay, but of that fire clear, Wherein I, burning, live in joy and cheer, And as my God, thy name do magnify.
Thou settest, Love, before these eyes of mine Whenas thy fire I entered the first day, A youngling so beseen With valour, worth and loveliness divine, That never might one find a goodlier, nay, Nor yet his match, I ween. So sore I burnt for him I still must e'en Sing, blithe, of him with thee, my lord most high.
And that in him which crowneth my liesse Is that I please him, as he pleaseth me, Thanks to Love debonair; Thus in this world my wish I do possess And in the next I trust at peace to be, Through that fast faith I bear To him; sure God, who seeth this, will ne'er The kingdom of His bliss to us deny.
[Footnote 146: _i.e._ Friday being a fast day and Saturday a _jourmaigre_.]
[Footnote 147: _i.e._ generally upon the vicissitudes of Fortune andnot upon any particular feature.]
[Footnote 148: _Industria_, syn. address, skilful contrivance.]
After this they sang sundry other songs and danced sundry dances andplayed upon divers instruments of music. Then, the queen deeming ittime to go to rest, each betook himself, with torches before him, tohis chamber, and all on the two following days, whilst applyingthemselves to those things whereof the queen had spoken, lookedlongingly for Sunday.
HERE ENDETH THE SECOND DAYOF THE DECAMERON
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 24