The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE FIFTH STORY

  [Day the Fifth]

  GUIDOTTO DA CREMONA LEAVETH TO GIACOMINO DA PAVIA A DAUGHTER OF HIS AND DIETH. GIANNOLE DI SEVERINO AND MINGHINO DI MINGOLE FALL IN LOVE WITH THE GIRL AT FAENZA AND COME TO BLOWS ON HER ACCOUNT. ULTIMATELY SHE IS PROVED TO BE GIANNOLE'S SISTER AND IS GIVEN TO MINGHINO TO WIFE

  All the ladies, hearkening to the story of the nightingale, hadlaughed so much that, though Filostrato had made an end of telling,they could not yet give over laughing. But, after they had laughedawhile, the queen said to Filostrato, "Assuredly, if thou afflictedestus ladies yesterday, thou hast so tickled us to-day that none of uscan deservedly complain of thee." Then, addressing herself to Neifile,she charged her tell, and she blithely began to speak thus: "SinceFilostrato, discoursing, hath entered into Romagna, it pleaseth me onlike wise to go ranging awhile therein with mine own story.

  I say, then, that there dwelt once in the city of Fano two Lombards,whereof the one was called Guidotto da Cremona and the other Giacominoda Pavia, both men advanced in years, who had in their youth been wellnigh always soldiers and engaged in deeds of arms. Guidotto, being atthe point of death and having nor son nor other kinsmen nor friend inwhom he trusted more than in Giacomino, left him a little daughter hehad, of maybe ten years of age, and all that he possessed in theworld, and after having bespoken him at length of his affairs, hedied. In those days it befell that the city of Faenza, which had beenlong in war and ill case, was restored to somewhat better estate andpermission to sojourn there was freely conceded to all who had a mindto return thither; wherefore Giacomino, who had abidden thereotherwhile and had a liking for the place, returned thither with allhis good and carried with him the girl left him by Guidotto, whom heloved and entreated as his own child.

  The latter grew up and became as fair a damsel as any in the city, ay,and as virtuous and well bred as she was fair; wherefore she began tobe courted of many, but especially two very agreeable young men ofequal worth and condition vowed her a very great love, insomuch thatfor jealousy they came to hold each other in hate out of measure. Theywere called, the one Giannole di Severino and the other Minghino diMingole; nor was there either of them but would gladly have taken theyoung lady, who was now fifteen years old, to wife, had it beensuffered of his kinsfolk; wherefore, seeing her denied to them onhonourable wise, each cast about to get her for himself as best hemight. Now Giacomino had in his house an old serving-wench and aserving-man, Crivello by name, a very merry and obliging person, withwhom Giannole clapped up a great acquaintance and to whom, whenashimseemed time, he discovered his passion, praying him to befavourable to him in his endeavour to obtain his desire and promisinghim great things an he did this; whereto quoth Crivello, 'Look you, Ican do nought for thee in this matter other than that, when nextGiacomino goeth abroad to supper, I will bring thee whereas she maybe; for that, an I offered to say a word to her in thy favour, shewould never stop to listen to me. If this like thee, I promise it tothee and will do it; and do thou after, an thou know how, that whichthou deemest shall best serve thy purpose.' Giannole answered that hedesired nothing more and they abode on this understanding. MeanwhileMinghino, on his part, had suborned the maidservant and so wroughtwith her that she had several times carried messages to the girl andhad well night inflamed her with love of him; besides which she hadpromised him to bring him in company with her, so soon as Giacominoshould chance to go abroad of an evening for whatever cause.

  Not long after this it chanced that, by Crivello's contrivance,Giacomino went to sup with a friend of his, whereupon Crivello gaveGiannole to know thereof and appointed with him that, whenas he made acertain signal, he should come and would find the door open. The maid,on her side, knowing nothing of all this, let Minghino know thatGiacomino was to sup abroad and bade him abide near the house, sothat, whenas he saw a signal which she should make he might come andenter therein. The evening come, the two lovers, knowing nothing ofeach other's designs, but each misdoubting of his rival, came, withsundry companions armed, to enter into possession. Minghino, with histroop took up his quarters in the house of a friend of his, aneighbour of the young lady's; whilst Giannole and his friendsstationed themselves at a little distance from the house. Meanwhile,Crivello and the maid, Giacomino being gone, studied each to send theother away. Quoth he to her, 'Why dost thou not get thee to bed? Whygoest thou still wandering about the house?' 'And thou,' retorted she,'why goest thou not for thy master? What awaitest thou here, now thatthou hast supped?' And so neither could make other avoid the place;but Crivello, seeing the hour come that he had appointed with Giannolesaid in himself, 'What reck I of her? An she abide not quiet, she islike to smart for it.'

  Accordingly, giving the appointed signal, he went to open the door,whereupon Giannole, coming up in haste with two companions, enteredand finding the young lady in the saloon, laid hands on her to carryher off. The girl began to struggle and make a great outcry, aslikewise did the maid, which Minghino hearing, he ran thither with hiscompanions and seeing the young lady being presently dragged out atthe door, they pulled out their swords and cried all, 'Ho, traitors,ye are dead men! The thing shall not go thus. What is this violence?'So saying, they fell to hewing at them, whilst the neighbors, issuingforth at the clamour with lights and arms, began to blame Giannole'sbehaviour and to second Minghino; wherefore, after long contention,the latter rescued the young lady from his rival and restored her toGiacomino's house. But, before the fray was over, up came thetown-captain's officers and arrested many of them; and amongst therest Minghino and Giannole and Crivello were taken and carried off toprison. After matters were grown quiet again, Giacomino returned homeand was sore chagrined at that which had happened; but, enquiring howit had come about and finding that the girl was nowise at fault, hewas somewhat appeased and determined in himself to marry her asquickliest he might, so the like should not again betide.

  Next morning, the kinsfolk of the two young men, hearing the truth ofthe case and knowing the ill that might ensue thereof for theimprisoned youths, should Giacomino choose to do that which hereasonably might, repaired to him and prayed him with soft words tohave regard, not so much to the affront which he had suffered from thelittle sense of the young men as to the love and goodwill which theybelieved he bore to themselves who thus besought him, submittingthemselves and the young men who had done the mischief to any amendsit should please him take. Giacomino, who had in his time seen manythings and was a man of sense, answered briefly, 'Gentlemen, were I inmine own country, as I am in yours, I hold myself so much your friendthat neither in this nor in otherwhat would I do aught save insomuchas it should please you; besides, I am the more bounden to comply withyour wishes in this matter, inasmuch as you have therein offendedagainst yourselves, for that the girl in question is not, as belikemany suppose, of Cremona nor of Pavia; nay, she is a Faentine,[277]albeit neither I nor she nor he of whom I had her might ever learnwhose daughter she was; wherefore, concerning that whereof you prayme, so much shall be done by me as you yourselves shall enjoin me.'

  [Footnote 277: _i.e._ a native of Faenza (_Faentina_).]

  The gentlemen, hearing this, marvelled and returning thanks toGiacomino for his gracious answer, prayed him that it would please himtell them how she came to his hands and how he knew her to be aFaentine; whereto quoth he, 'Guidotto da Cremona, who was my friendand comrade, told me, on his deathbed, that, when this city was takenby the Emperor Frederick and everything given up to pillage, heentered with his companions into a house and found it full of booty,but deserted by its inhabitants, save only this girl, who was thensome two years old or thereabouts and who, seeing him mount thestairs, called him "father"; whereupon, taking compassion upon her, hecarried her off with him to Fano, together with all that was in thehouse, and dying there, left her to me with what he had, charging memarry her in due time and give her to her dowry that which had beenhers. Since she hath come to marriageable age, I have not yet found anoccasion of marrying her to my liking, though I w
ould gladly do it,rather than that another mischance like that of yesternight shouldbetide me on her account.'

  Now among the others there was a certain Guiglielmino da Medicina,who had been with Guidotto in that affair[278] and knew very wellwhose house it was that he had plundered, and he, seeing the person inquestion[279] there among the rest, accosted him, saying,'Bernabuccio, hearest thou what Giacomino saith?' 'Ay do I,' answeredBernabuccio, 'and I was presently in thought thereof, more by tokenthat I mind me to have lost a little daughter of the age whereofGiacomino speaketh in those very troubles.' Quoth Guiglielmino, 'Thisis she for certain, for that I was once in company with Guidotto, whenI heard him tell where he had done the plundering and knew it to bethy house that he had sacked; wherefore do thou bethink thee if thoumayst credibly recognize her by any token and let make searchtherefor; for thou wilt assuredly find that she is thy daughter.'

  [Footnote 278: _A questo fatto_, _i.e._ at the storm of Faenza.]

  [Footnote 279: _i.e._ the owner of the plundered house.]

  Accordingly, Bernabuccio bethought himself and remembered that sheshould have a little cross-shaped scar over her left ear, proceedingfrom a tumour, which he had caused cut for her no great while beforethat occurrence; whereupon, without further delay, he accostedGiacomino, who was still there, and besought him to carry him to hishouse and let him see the damsel. To this he readily consented andcarrying him thither, let bring the girl before him. When Bernabuccioset eyes on her, himseemed he saw the very face of her mother, who wasyet a handsome lady; nevertheless, not contenting himself with this,he told Giacomino that he would fain of his favour have leave to raiseher hair a little above her left ear, to which the other consented.Accordingly, going up to the girl, who stood shamefast, he lifted upher hair with his right hand and found the cross; whereupon, knowingher to be indeed his daughter, he fell to weeping tenderly andembracing her, notwithstanding her resistance; then, turning toGiacomino, 'Brother mine,' quoth he, 'this is my daughter; it was myhouse Guidotto plundered and this girl was, in the sudden alarm,forgotten there of my wife and her mother; and until now we believedthat she had perished with the house, which was burned me that sameday.'

  The girl, hearing this, and seeing him to be a man in years, gavecredence to his words and submitting herself to his embraces, as movedby some occult instinct, fell a-weeping tenderly with him. Bernabucciopresently sent for her mother and other her kinswomen and for hersisters and brothers and presented her to them all, recounting thematter to them; then, after a thousand embraces, he carried her hometo his house with the utmost rejoicing, to the great satisfaction ofGiacomino. The town-captain, who was a man of worth, learning this andknowing that Giannole, whom he had in prison, was Bernabuccio's sonand therefore the lady's own brother, determined indulgently tooverpass the offence committed by him and released with him Minghinoand Crivello and the others who were implicated in the affair.Moreover, he interceded with Bernabuccio and Giacomino concerningthese matters and making peace between the two young men, gave thegirl, whose name was Agnesa, to Minghino to wife, to the greatcontentment of all their kinsfolk; whereupon Minghino, mightilyrejoiced, made a great and goodly wedding and carrying her home, livedwith her many years after in peace and weal."