THE NINTH STORY
[Day the Ninth]
TWO YOUNG MEN SEEK COUNSEL OF SOLOMON, ONE HOW HE MAY BE LOVED AND THE OTHER HOW HE MAY AMEND HIS FROWARD WIFE, AND IN ANSWER HE BIDDETH THE ONE LOVE AND THE OTHER GET HIM TO GOOSEBRIDGE
None other than the queen remaining to tell, so she would maintainDioneo his privilege, she, after the ladies had laughed at the unluckyBiondello, began blithely to speak thus: "Lovesome ladies, if theordinance of created things be considered with a whole mind, it willlightly enough be seen that the general multitude of women are bynature, by custom and by law subjected unto men and that it behoveththem order and govern themselves according to the discretion of theselatter; wherefore each woman, who would have quiet and ease and solacewith those men to whom she pertaineth, should be humble, patient andobedient, besides being virtuous, which latter is the supreme andespecial treasure of every wise woman. Nay, though the laws, which inall things regard the general weal, and usance or (let us say) custom,whose puissance is both great and worship-worth, taught us not this,nature very manifestly showeth it unto us, inasmuch as she hath madeus women tender and delicate of body and timid and fearful of spiritand hath given us little bodily strength, sweet voices and soft andgraceful movements, all things testifying that we have need of thegovernance of others. Now, those who have need to be helped andgoverned, all reason requireth that they be obedient and submissiveand reverent to their governors; and whom have we to governors andhelpers, if not men? To men, therefore, it behoveth us submitourselves, honouring them supremely; and whoso departeth from this, Ihold her deserving, not only of grave reprehension, but of severepunishment. To these considerations I was lead, though not for thefirst time, by that which Pampinea told us a while ago of Talano'sfroward wife, upon whom God sent that chastisement which her husbandhad not known to give her; wherefore, as I have already said, allthose women who depart from being loving, compliant and amenable, asnature, usance and law will it, are, in my judgment, worthy of sternand severe chastisement. It pleaseth me, therefore, to recount to youa counsel given by Solomon, as a salutary medicine for curing womenwho are thus made of that malady; which counsel let none, who meritethnot such treatment, repute to have been said for her, albeit men havea byword which saith, 'Good horse and bad horse both the spur needstill, And women need the stick, both good and ill.' Which words, anone seek to interpret them by way of pleasantry, all women willlightly allow to be true; nay, but considering them morally,[438] Isay that the same must be conceded of them; for that women are allnaturally unstable and prone [to frailty,] wherefore, to correct theiniquity of those who allow themselves too far to overpass the limitsappointed them, there needeth the stick which punisheth them, and tosupport the virtue of others who suffer not themselves to transgress,there needeth the stick which sustaineth and affeareth them. But, toleave be preaching for the nonce and come to that which I have it inmind to tell.
[Footnote 438: _i.e._ from a serious or moral point of view.]
You must know that, the high renown of Solomon's miraculous wisdombeing bruited abroad well nigh throughout the whole world, no lessthan the liberality with which he dispensed it unto whoso would fainbe certified thereof by experience, there flocked many to him fromdivers parts of the world for counsel in their straitest and mosturgent occasions. Amongst others who thus resorted to him was a youngman, Melisso by name, a gentleman of noble birth and great wealth, whoset out from the city of Lajazzo,[439] whence he was and where hedwelt; and as he journeyed towards Jerusalem, it chanced that, comingforth of Antioch, he rode for some distance with a young man calledGiosefo, who held the same course as himself. As the custom is ofwayfarers, he entered into discourse with him and having learned fromhim what and whence he was, he asked him whither he went and upon whatoccasion; to which Giosefo replied that he was on his way to Solomon,to have counsel of him what course he should take with a wife he had,the most froward and perverse woman alive, whom neither with prayersnor with blandishments nor on any other wise could he avail to correctof her waywardness. Then he in his turn questioned Melisso whence hewas and whither he went and on what errand, and he answered, 'I am ofLajazzo, and like as thou hast a grievance, even so have I one; I amyoung and rich and spend my substance in keeping open house andentertaining my fellow-townsmen, and yet, strange to say, I cannot forall that find one who wisheth me well; wherefore I go whither thougoest, to have counsel how I may win to be beloved.'
[Footnote 439: Apparently Laodicea (_hod._ Eskihissar) in Anatolia,from which a traveller, taking the direct land route, wouldnecessarily pass Antioch (_hod._ Antakhia) on his way to Jerusalem.]
Accordingly, they joined company and journeyed till they came toJerusalem, where, by the introduction of one of Solomon's barons, theywere admitted to the presence of the king, to whom Melisso briefly setforth his occasion. Solomon answered him, 'Love'; and this said,Melisso was straightway put forth and Giosefo told that for which hewas there. Solomon made him no other answer than 'Get thee toGoosebridge'; which said, Giosefo was on like wise removed, withoutdelay, from the king's presence and finding Melisso awaiting himwithout, told him that which he had had for answer. Thereupon,pondering Solomon's words and availing to apprehend therefrom neithersignificance nor profit whatsoever for their occasions, they set outto return home, as deeming themselves flouted. After journeying forsome days, they came to a river, over which was a fine bridge, and acaravan of pack-mules and sumpter-horses being in act to pass, itbehoved them tarry till such time as these should be crossed over.Presently, the beasts having well nigh all crossed, it chanced thatone of the mules took umbrage, as oftentimes we see them do, andwould by no means pass on; whereupon a muleteer, taking a stick, beganto beat it at first moderately enough to make it go on; but the muleshied now to this and now to that side of the road and whiles turnedback altogether, but would on no wise pass on; whereupon the man,incensed beyond measure, fell to dealing it with the stick theheaviest blows in the world, now on the head, now on the flanks andanon on the crupper, but all to no purpose.
Melisso and Giosefo stood watching this and said often to themuleteer, 'Alack, wretch that thou art, what dost thou? Wilt thou killthe beast? Why studiest thou not to manage him by fair means andgentle dealing? He will come quicklier than for cudgeling him as thoudost.' To which the man answered, 'You know your horses and I know mymule; leave me do with him.' So saying, he fell again to cudgellinghim and belaboured him to such purpose on one side and on the other,that the mule passed on and the muleteer won the bout. Then, the twoyoung men being now about to depart, Giosefo asked a poor man, who satat the bridge-head, how the place was called, and he answered, 'Sir,this is called Goosebridge.' When Giosefo heard this, he straightwaycalled to mind Solomon's words and said to Melisso, 'Marry, I tellthee, comrade, that the counsel given me by Solomon may well provegood and true, for I perceive very plainly that I knew not how to beatmy wife; but this muleteer hath shown me what I have to do.'
Accordingly, they fared on and came, after some days, to Antioch,where Giosefo kept Melisso with him, that he might rest himself a dayor two, and being scurvily enough received of his wife, he bade herprepare supper according as Melisso should ordain; whereof the latter,seeing that it was his friend's pleasure, acquitted himself in a fewwords. The lady, as her usance had been in the past, did not asMelisso had ordained, but well nigh altogether the contrary; whichGiosefo seeing, he was vexed and said, 'Was it not told thee on whatwise thou shouldst prepare the supper?' The lady, turning roundhaughtily, answered, 'What meaneth this? Good lack, why dost thou notsup, an thou have a mind to sup? An if it were told me otherwise, itseemed good to me to do thus. If it please thee, so be it; if not,leave it be.' Melisso marvelled at the lady's answer and blamed herexceedingly; whilst Giosefo, hearing this, said, 'Wife, thou art stillwhat thou wast wont to be; but, trust me, I will make thee change thyfashion.' Then turning to Melisso, 'Friend,' said he, 'we shall soonsee what manner of counsel was Solomon's; but I prithee let it not irkthee to stand to s
ee it and hold that which I shall do for a sport.And that thou mayest not hinder me, bethink thee of the answer themuleteer made us, when we pitied his mule.' Quoth Melisso, 'I am inthy house, where I purpose not to depart from thy good pleasure.'
Giosefo then took a round stick, made of a young oak, and repaired achamber, whither the lady, having arisen from table for despite, hadbetaken herself, grumbling; then, laying hold of her by the hair, hethrew her down at his feet and proceeded to give her a sore beatingwith the stick. The lady at first cried out and after fell tothreats; but, seeing that Giosefo for all that stinted not and beingby this time all bruised, she began to cry him mercy for God's sakeand besought him not to kill her, declaring that she would never moredepart from his pleasure. Nevertheless, he held not his hand; nay, hecontinued to baste her more furiously than ever on all her seams,belabouring her amain now on the ribs, now on the haunches and nowabout the shoulder, nor stinted till he was weary and there was not aplace left unbruised on the good lady's back. This done, he returnedto his friend and said to him, 'To-morrow we shall see what will bethe issue of the counsel to go to Goosebridge.' Then, after he hadrested awhile and they had washed their hands, he supped with Melissoand in due season they betook themselves to bed.
Meanwhile the wretched lady arose with great pain from the ground andcasting herself on the bed, there rested as best she might until themorning, when she arose betimes and let ask Giosefo what he would havedressed for dinner. The latter, making merry over this with Melisso,appointed it in due course, and after, whenas it was time, returning,they found everything excellently well done and in accordance with theordinance given; wherefore they mightily commended the counsel atfirst so ill apprehended of them. After some days, Melisso took leaveof Giosefo and returning to his own house, told one, who was a man ofunderstanding, the answer he had had from Solomon; whereupon quoth theother, 'He could have given thee no truer nor better counsel. Thouknowest thou lovest no one, and the honours and services thourenderest others, thou dost not for love that thou bearest them, butfor pomp and ostentation. Love, then, as Solomon bade thee, and thoushalt be loved.' On this wise, then, was the froward wife correctedand the young man, loving, was beloved."
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 100