The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE SEVENTH STORY

  [Day the Seventh]

  LODOVICO DISCOVERETH TO MADAM BEATRICE THE LOVE HE BEARETH HER, WHEREUPON SHE SENDETH EGANO HER HUSBAND INTO THE GARDEN, IN HER OWN FAVOUR, AND LIETH MEANWHILE WITH LODOVICO, WHO, PRESENTLY ARISING, GOETH AND CUDGELLETH EGANO IN THE GARDEN

  Madam Isabella's presence of mind, as related by Pampinea, was heldadmirable by all the company; but, whilst they yet marvelled thereat,Filomena, whom the king had appointed to follow on, said, "Lovesomeladies, and I mistake not, methinketh I can tell you no less goodly astory on the same subject, and that forthright.

  You must know, then, that there was once in Paris a Florentinegentleman, who was for poverty turned merchant and had thriven so wellin commerce that he was grown thereby very rich. He had by his ladyone only son, whom he had named Lodovico, and for that he mightconcern himself with his father's nobility and not with trade, he hadwilled not to place him in any warehouse, but had sent him to be withother gentlemen in the service of the King of France, where he learnedstore of goodly manners and other fine things. During his sojournthere, it befell that certain gentlemen, who were returned fromvisiting the Holy Sepulchre, coming in upon a conversation betweencertain young men, of whom Lodovico was one, and hearing themdiscourse among themselves of the fair ladies of France and Englandand other parts of the world, one of them began to say that assuredly,in all the lands he had traversed and for all the ladies he had seen,he had never beheld the like for beauty of Madam Beatrice, the wife ofMesser Egano de' Gulluzzi of Bologna; to which all his companions, whohad with him seen her at Bologna, agreed.

  Lodovico, who had never yet been enamoured of any woman, hearkening tothis, was fired with such longing to see her that he could hold histhought to nothing else and being altogether resolved to journey toBologna for that purpose and there, if she pleased him, to abideawhile, he feigned to his father that he had a mind to go visit theHoly Sepulchre, the which with great difficulty he obtained of him.Accordingly, taking the name of Anichino, he set out for Bologna, andon the day following [his arrival,] as fortune would have it, he sawthe lady in question at an entertainment, where she seemed to himfairer far than he had imagined her; wherefore, falling most ardentlyenamoured of her, he resolved never to depart Bologna till he shouldhave gained her love. Then, devising in himself what course he shouldtake to this end, he bethought himself, leaving be all other means,that, an he might but avail to become one of her husband's servants,whereof he entertained many, he might peradventure compass that whichhe desired. Accordingly, having sold his horses and disposed as bestmight be of his servants, bidding them make a show of knowing him not,he entered into discourse with his host and told him that he wouldfain engage for a servant with some gentleman of condition, couldsuch an one be found. Quoth the host, 'Thou art the right serving-manto please a gentleman of this city, by name Egano, who keepeth manyand will have them all well looking, as thou art. I will bespeak himof the matter.' As he said, so he did, and ere he took leave of Egano,he had brought Anichino to an accord with him, to the exceedingsatisfaction of the latter, who, abiding with Egano and havingabundant opportunity of seeing his lady often, proceeded to serve himso well and so much to his liking that he set such store by him thathe could do nothing without him and committed to him the governance,not of himself alone, but of all his affairs.

  It chanced one day that, Egano being gone a-fowling and having leftAnichino at home, Madam Beatrice (who was not yet become aware of hislove for her, albeit, considering him and his fashions, she hadofttimes much commended him to herself and he pleased her,) fell toplaying chess with him and he, desiring to please her, very adroitlycontrived to let himself be beaten, whereat the lady was marvellouslyrejoiced. Presently, all her women having gone away from seeing themplay and left them playing alone, Anichino heaved a great sigh,whereupon she looked at him and said, 'What aileth thee, Anichino?Doth it irk thee that I should beat thee?' 'Madam,' answered he, 'afar greater thing than that was the cause of my sighing.' Quoth thelady, 'Prithee, as thou wishest me well, tell it me.' When Anichinoheard himself conjured, 'as thou wishest me well,' by her whom heloved over all else, he heaved a sigh yet heavier than the first;wherefore the lady besought him anew that it would please him tell herthe cause of his sighing. 'Madam,' replied Anichino, 'I am sorefearful lest it displease you, if I tell it you, and moreover Imisdoubt me you will tell it again to others.' Whereto rejoined she,'Certes, it will not displease me, and thou mayst be assured that,whatsoever thou sayest to me I will never tell to any, save whenas itshall please thee.' Quoth he, 'Since you promise me this, I will e'entell it you.' Then, with tears in his eyes, he told her who he was andwhat he had heard of her and when and how he was become enamoured ofher and why he had taken service with her husband and after humblybesought her that it would please her have compassion on him andcomply with him in that his secret and so fervent desire, and in caseshe willed not to do this, that she should suffer him to love her,leaving him be in that his then present guise.

  O singular blandness of the Bolognese blood! How art thou still to becommended in such circumstance! Never wast thou desirous of tears orsighs; still wast thou compliant unto prayers and amenable untoamorous desires! Had I words worthy to commend thee, my voice shouldnever weary of singing thy praises. The gentle lady, what whileAnichino spoke, kept her eyes fixed on him and giving full credence tohis words, received, by the prevalence of his prayers, the love of himwith such might into her heart that she also fell a-sighing andpresently answered, 'Sweet my Anichino, be of good courage; neitherpresents nor promises nor solicitations of nobleman or gentleman orother (for I have been and am yet courted of many) have ever availedto move my heart to love any one of them; but thou, in this smallspace of time that thy words have lasted, hast made me far more thinethan mine own. Methinketh thou hast right well earned my love,wherefore I give it thee and promise thee that I will cause thee haveenjoyment thereof ere this next night be altogether spent. And thatthis may have effect, look thou come to my chamber about midnight. Iwill leave the door open; thou knowest which side the bed I lie; dothou come thither and if I sleep, touch me so I may awake, and I willease thee of this so long desire that thou hast had. And that thoumayst believe this that I say, I will e'en give thee a kiss by way ofarles.' Accordingly, throwing her arms about his neck, she kissed himamorously and he on like wise kissed her. These things said, he lefther and went to do certain occasions of his, awaiting with thegreatest gladness in the world the coming of the night.

  Presently, Egano returned from fowling and being weary, betook himselfto bed, as soon as he had supper, and after him the lady, who left thechamber-door open, as she had promised. Thither, at the appointedhour, came Anichino and softly entering the chamber, shut the dooragain from within; then, going up to the bed on the side where thelady lay, he put his hand to her breast and found her awake. As soonas she felt him come, she took his hand in both her own and held itfast; then, turning herself about in the bed, she did on such wisethat Egano, who was asleep, awoke; whereupon quoth she to him, 'Iwould not say aught to thee yestereve, for that meseemed thou wasweary; but tell me, Egano, so God save thee, whom holdest thou thybest and trustiest servant and him who most loveth thee of those whomthou hast in the house?' 'Wife,' answered Egano, 'what is this whereofthou askest me? Knowest thou it not? I have not nor had aye any inwhom I so trusted and whom I loved as I love and trust in Anichino.But why dost thou ask me thereof?'

  Anichino, seeing Egano awake and hearing talk of himself, was soreafraid lest the lady had a mind to cozen him and offered again andagain to draw his hand away, so he might begone; but she held it sofast that he could not win free. Then said she to Egano, 'I will tellthee. I also believed till to-day that he was even such as thou sayestand that he was more loyal to thee than any other, but he hathundeceived me; for that, what while thou wentest a-fowling to-day, heabode here, and whenas it seemed to him time, he was not ashamed tosolicit me to yield myself to his pleasures, and I, so I m
ight makethee touch and see this thing and that it might not behove me certifythee thereof with too many proofs, replied that I would well and thatthis very night, after midnight, I would go into our garden and thereawait him at the foot of the pine. Now for my part I mean not to gothither; but thou, an thou have a mind to know thy servant's fidelity,thou mayst lightly do it by donning a gown and a veil of mine andgoing down yonder to wait and see if he will come thither, as I amassured he will.' Egano hearing this, answered, 'Certes, needs must Igo see,' and rising, donned one of the lady's gowns, as best he knewin the dark; then, covering his head with a veil, he betook himself tothe garden and proceeded to await Anichino at the foot of the pine.

  As for the lady, as soon as she knew him gone forth of the chamber,she arose and locked the door from within, whilst Anichino, (who hadhad the greatest fright he had ever known and had enforced himself asmost he might to escape from the lady's hands, cursing her and herlove and himself who had trusted in her an hundred thousand times,)seeing this that she had done in the end, was the joyfullest man thatwas aye. Then, she having returned to bed, he, at her bidding, put offhis clothes and coming to bed to her, they took delight and pleasuretogether a pretty while; after which, herseeming he should not abidelonger, she caused him arise and dress himself and said to him,'Sweetheart, do thou take a stout cudgel and get thee to the gardenand there, feigning to have solicited me to try me, rate Egano, as hewere I, and ring me a good peal of bells on his back with the cudgel,for that thereof will ensue to us marvellous pleasance and delight.'Anichino accordingly repaired to the garden, with a sallow-stick inhis hand, and Egano, seeing him draw near the pine, rose up and cameto meet him, as he would receive him with the utmost joy; whereuponquoth Anichino, 'Ah, wicked woman, art thou then come hither, andthinkest thou I would do my lord such a wrong? A thousand times illcome to thee!' Then, raising the cudgel, he began to lay on to him.

  Egano, hearing this and seeing the cudgel, took to his heels, withoutsaying a word, whilst Anichino still followed after him, saying, 'Goto, God give thee an ill year, vile woman that thou art! I willcertainly tell it to Egano to-morrow morning.' Egano made his way backto the chamber as quickliest he might, having gotten sundry goodclouts, and being questioned of the lady if Anichino had come to thegarden, 'Would God he had not!' answered he. 'For that, taking me forthee, he hath cudgelled me to a mummy and given me the soundest ratingthat was aye bestowed upon lewd woman. Certes, I marvelled sore at himthat he should have said these words to thee, with intent to do aughtthat might be a shame to me; but, for that he saw thee so blithe andgamesome, he had a mind to try thee.' Then said the lady, 'Praised beGod that he hath tried me with words and thee with deeds! Methinkethhe may say that I suffered his words more patiently than thou hisdeeds. But, since he is so loyal to thee, it behoveth thee hold himdear and do him honour.' 'Certes,' answered Egano, 'thou sayst sooth';and reasoning by this, he concluded that he had the truest wife andthe trustiest servant that ever gentleman had; by reason whereof,albeit both he and the lady made merry more than once with Anichinoover this adventure, the latter and his mistress had leisure enough ofthat which belike, but for this, they would not have had, to wit, todo that which afforded them pleasance and delight, that while itpleased Anichino abide with Egano in Bologna."