The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE FIRST STORY

  [Day the Tenth]

  A KNIGHT IN THE KING'S SERVICE OF SPAIN THINKING HIMSELF ILL GUERDONED, THE KING BY VERY CERTAIN PROOF SHOWETH HIM THAT THIS IS NOT HIS FAULT, BUT THAT OF HIS OWN PERVERSE FORTUNE, AND AFTER LARGESSETH HIM MAGNIFICENTLY

  "Needs, honourable ladies, must I repute it a singular favour tomyself that our king hath preferred me unto such an honour as it is tobe the first to tell of magnificence, the which, even as the sun isthe glory and adornment of all the heaven, is the light and lustre ofevery other virtue. I will, therefore, tell you a little storythereof, quaint and pleasant enough to my thinking, which to recallcan certes be none other than useful.

  You must know, then, that, among the other gallant gentlemen who havefrom time immemorial graced our city, there was one (and maybe themost of worth) by name Messer Ruggieri de' Figiovanni, who, being bothrich and high-spirited and seeing that, in view of the way of livingand of the usages of Tuscany, he might, if he tarried there, avail todisplay little or nothing of his merit, resolved to seek serviceawhile with Alfonso, King of Spain, the renown of whose valiancetranscended that of every other prince of his time; wherefore hebetook himself, very honourably furnished with arms and horses andfollowers, to Alfonso in Spain and was by him graciously received.Accordingly, he took up his abode there and living splendidly anddoing marvellous deeds of arms, he very soon made himself known for aman of worth and valour.

  When he had sojourned there a pretty while and had taken particularnote of the king's fashions, himseemed he bestowed castles and citiesand baronies now upon one and now upon another with little enoughdiscretion, as giving them to those who were unworthy thereof, and forthat to him, who held himself for that which he was, nothing wasgiven, he conceived that his repute would be much abated by reasonthereof; wherefore he determined to depart and craved leave of theking. The latter granted him the leave he sought and gave him one ofthe best and finest mules that ever was ridden, the which, for thelong journey he had to make, was very acceptable to Messer Ruggieri.Moreover, he charged a discreet servant of his that he should study,by such means as seemed to him best, to ride with Messer Ruggieri onsuch wise that he should not appear to have been sent by the king, andnote everything he should say of him, so as he might avail to repeatit to him, and that on the ensuing morning he should command himreturn to the court. Accordingly, the servant, lying in wait forMesser Ruggieri's departure, accosted him, as he came forth the city,and very aptly joined company with him, giving him to understand thathe also was bound for Italy. Messer Ruggieri, then, fared on, ridingthe mule given him by the king and devising of one thing and anotherwith the latter's servant, till hard upon tierce, when he said,'Methinketh it were well done to let our beasts stale.' Accordingly,they put them up in a stable and they all staled, except the mule;then they rode on again, whilst the squire still took note of thegentleman's words, and came presently to a river, where, as theywatered their cattle, the mule staled in the stream; which MesserRuggieri seeing, 'Marry,' quoth he, 'God confound thee, beast, forthat thou art made after the same fashion as the prince who gave theeto me!' The squire noted these words and albeit he took store of manyothers, as he journeyed with him all that day, he heard him say noughtelse but what was to the highest praise of the king.

  Next morning, they being mounted and Ruggieri offering to ride towardsTuscany, the squire imparted to him the king's commandment, whereuponhe incontinent turned back. When he arrived at court, the king,learning what he had said of the mule, let call him to himself andreceiving him with a cheerful favour, asked him why he had likened himto his mule, or rather why he had likened the mule to him. 'My lord,'replied Ruggieri frankly, 'I likened her to you for that, like as yougive whereas it behoveth not and give not whereas it behoveth, even soshe staled not whereas it behoved, but staled whereas it behoved not.'Then said the king, 'Messer Ruggieri, if I have not given to you, as Ihave given unto many who are of no account in comparison with you, ithappened not because I knew you not for a most valiant cavalier andworthy of every great gift; nay, but it is your fortune, which hathnot suffered me guerdon you according to your deserts, that hathsinned in this, and not I; and that I may say sooth I will manifestlyprove to you.' 'My lord,' replied Ruggieri, 'I was not chagrinedbecause I have gotten no largesse of you, for that I desire not to bericher than I am, but because you have on no wise borne witness to mymerit. Natheless, I hold your excuse for good and honourable and amready to see that which it shall please you show me, albeit I believeyou without proof.' The king then carried him into a great hall ofhis, where, as he had ordered it beforehand, were two great lockedcoffers, and said to him, in presence of many, 'Messer Ruggieri, inone of these coffers is my crown, the royal sceptre and the orb,together with many goodly girdles and ouches and rings of mine, and infine every precious jewel I have; and the other is full of earth.Take, then, one and be that which you shall take yours; and you maythus see whether of the twain hath been ungrateful to your worth,myself of your ill fortune.'

  Messer Ruggieri, seeing that it was the king's pleasure, took one ofthe coffers, which, being opened by Alfonso's commandment, was foundto be that which was full of earth; whereupon quoth the king,laughing, 'Now can you see, Messer Ruggieri, that this that I tell youof your fortune is true; but certes your worth meriteth that I shouldoppose myself to her might. I know you have no mind to turn Spaniardand therefore I will bestow upon you neither castle nor city in theseparts; but this coffer, of which fortune deprived you, I will in herdespite shall be yours, so you may carry it off to your own countryand justly glorify yourself of your worth in the sight of yourcountrymen by the witness of my gifts.' Messer Ruggieri accordinglytook the coffer and having rendered the king those thanks which sortedwith such a gift, joyfully returned therewith to Tuscany."