The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE TENTH STORY

  [Day the Tenth]

  THE MARQUESS OF SALUZZO, CONSTRAINED BY THE PRAYERS OF HIS VASSALS TO MARRY, BUT DETERMINED TO DO IT AFTER HIS OWN FASHION, TAKETH TO WIFE THE DAUGHTER OF A PEASANT AND HATH OF HER TWO CHILDREN, WHOM HE MAKETH BELIEVE TO HER TO PUT TO DEATH; AFTER WHICH, FEIGNING TO BE GROWN WEARY OF HER AND TO HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER WIFE, HE LETTETH BRING HIS OWN DAUGHTER HOME TO HIS HOUSE, AS SHE WERE HIS NEW BRIDE, AND TURNETH HIS WIFE AWAY IN HER SHIFT; BUT, FINDING HER PATIENT UNDER EVERYTHING, HE FETCHETH HER HOME AGAIN, DEARER THAN EVER, AND SHOWING HER HER CHILDREN GROWN GREAT, HONOURETH AND LETTETH HONOUR HER AS MARCHIONESS

  The king's long story being ended and having, to all appearance, muchpleased all, Dioneo said, laughing, "The good man,[478] who lookedthat night to abase the phantom's tail upright,[479] had not given abrace of farthings of all the praises that you bestow on MesserTorello." Then, knowing that it rested with him alone to tell, heproceeded: "Gentle ladies mine, it appeareth to me that this day hathbeen given up to Kings and Soldans and the like folk; wherefore, thatI may not remove overfar from you, I purpose to relate to you of amarquess, not an act of magnificence, but a monstrous folly, which,albeit good ensued to him thereof in the end, I counsel not any toimitate, for it was a thousand pities that weal betided him thereof.

  [Footnote 478: _i.e._ he who was to have married Madam Adalieta.]

  [Footnote 479: See p. 325.]

  It is now a great while agone since the chief of the house among theMarquesses of Saluzzo was a youth called Gualtieri, who, havingneither wife nor children, spent his time in nought but hunting andhawking nor had any thought of taking a wife nor of having children;wherein he deserved to be reputed very wise. The thing, however, notpleasing his vassals, they besought him many times to take a wife, sohe might not abide without an heir nor they without a lord, andoffered themselves to find him one of such a fashion and born of suchparents that good hopes might be had of her and he be well contentwith her; whereto he answered, 'My friends, you constrain me unto thatwhich I was altogether resolved never to do, considering how hard athing it is to find a wife whose fashions sort well within one's ownhumour and how great an abundance there is of the contrary sort andhow dour a life is his who happeneth upon a woman not well suited untohim. To say that you think, by the manners and fashions of theparents, to know the daughters, wherefrom you argue to give me a wifesuch as will please me, is a folly, since I know not whence you mayavail to know their fathers nor yet the secrets of their mothers; andeven did you know them, daughters are often unlike their parents.However, since it e'en pleaseth you to bind me in these chains, I amcontent to do your desire; but, that I may not have occasion tocomplain of other than myself, if it prove ill done, I mean to find awife for myself, certifying you that, whomsoever I may take me, if shebe not honoured of you as your lady and mistress, you shall prove, toyour cost, how much it irketh me to have at your entreaty taken a wifeagainst mine own will.'

  The good honest men replied that they were content, so he would butbring himself to take a wife. Now the fashions of a poor girl, who wasof a village near to his house, had long pleased Gualtieri, andhimseeming she was fair enough, he judged that he might lead a verycomfortable life with her; wherefore, without seeking farther, hedetermined to marry her and sending for her father, who was a verypoor man, agreed with him to take her to wife. This done, he assembledall his friends of the country round and said to them, 'My friends, ithath pleased and pleaseth you that I should dispose me to take a wifeand I have resigned myself thereto, more to complease you than of anydesire I have for marriage. You know what you promised me, to wit,that you would be content with and honour as your lady and mistressher whom I should take, whosoever she might be; wherefore the time iscome when I am to keep my promise to you and when I would have youkeep yours to me. I have found a damsel after mine own heart andpurpose within some few days hence to marry her and bring her home tomy house; wherefore do you bethink yourselves how the bride-feast maybe a goodly one and how you may receive her with honour, on such wisethat I may avouch myself contented of your promise, even as you willhave cause to be of mine.' The good folk all answered joyfully thatthis liked them well and that, be she who he would, they would holdher for lady and mistress and honour her as such in all things; afterwhich they all addressed themselves to hold fair and high and gladfestival and on like wise did Gualtieri, who let make ready very greatand goodly nuptials and bade thereto many his friends and kinsfolk andgreat gentlemen and others of the neighbourhood. Moreover, he let cutand fashion store of rich and goodly apparel, after the measure of adamsel who seemed to him like of her person to the young woman he waspurposed to marry, and provided also rings and girdles and a rich andgoodly crown and all that behoveth unto a bride.

  The day come that he had appointed for the nuptials, Gualtieri towardshalf tierce mounted to horse, he and all those who were come to do himhonour, and having ordered everything needful. 'Gentlemen,' quoth he,'it is time to go fetch the bride.' Then, setting out with all hiscompany, he rode to the village and betaking himself to the house ofthe girl's father, found her returning in great haste with water fromthe spring, so she might after go with other women to see Gualtieri'sbride come. When the marquess saw her, he called her by name, to wit,Griselda, and asked her where her father was; to which she answeredbashfully, 'My lord, he is within the house.' Thereupon Gualtieridismounted and bidding all await him, entered the poor house alone,where he found her father, whose name was Giannucolo, and said to him,'I am come to marry Griselda, but first I would fain know of hersomewhat in thy presence.' Accordingly, he asked her if, an he tookher to wife, she would still study to please him, nor take umbrage ataught that he should do or say, and if she would be obedient, and manyother like things, to all of which she answered ay; whereuponGualtieri, taking her by the hand, led her forth and in the presenceof all his company and of every one else, let strip her naked. Then,sending for the garments which he had let make, he caused forthrightclothe and shoe her and would have her set the crown on her hair, alltumbled as it was; after which, all marvelling at this, he said,'Gentlemen, this is she who I purpose shall be my wife, an she willhave me to husband.' Then, turning to her, where she stood, allshamefast and confounded, he said to her, 'Griselda, wilt thou have meto thy husband?' To which she answered, 'Ay, my lord.' Quoth he, 'AndI will have thee to my wife'; and espoused her in the presence of all.Then, mounting her on a palfrey, he carried her, honourablyaccompanied, to his mansion, where the nuptials were celebrated withthe utmost splendour and rejoicing, no otherwise than as he had takento wife the king's daughter of France.

  The young wife seemed to have, together with her clothes, changed hermind and her manners. She was, as we have already said, goodly ofperson and countenance, and even as she was fair, on like wise shebecame so engaging, so pleasant and so well-mannered that she seemedrather to have been the child of some noble gentleman than thedaughter of Giannucolo and a tender of sheep; whereof she made everyone marvel who had known her aforetime. Moreover, she was so obedientto her husband and so diligent in his service that he accountedhimself the happiest and best contented man in the world; and on likewise she bore herself with such graciousness and such loving kindnesstowards her husband's subjects that there was none of them but lovedand honoured her with his whole heart, praying all for her welfare andprosperity and advancement; and whereas they were used to say thatGualtieri had done as one of little wit to take her to wife, they nowwith one accord declared that he was the sagest and best-advised manalive, for that none other than he might ever have availed to know herhigh worth, hidden as it was under poor clothes and a rustic habit.Brief, it was no great while ere she knew so to do that, not only inher husband's marquisate, but everywhere else, she made folk talk ofher virtues and her well-doing and turned to the contrary whatsoeverhad been said against her husband on her account, whenas he marriedher.

  She had not long abidden with Gualtieri ere she conceiv
ed with childand in due time bore a daughter, whereat he rejoiced greatly. But, alittle after, a new[480] thought having entered his mind, to wit, toseek, by dint of long tribulation and things unendurable, to maketrial of her patience, he first goaded her with words, feigninghimself troubled and saying that his vassals were exceeding illcontent with her, by reason of her mean extraction, especially sincethey saw that she bore children, and that they did nothing butmurmur, being sore chagrined for the birth of her daughter. The lady,hearing this, replied, without anywise changing countenance or showingthe least distemperature, 'My lord, do with me that which thou deemestwill be most for thine honour and solace, for that I shall be contentwith all, knowing, as I do, that I am of less account than they[481]and that I was unworthy of this dignity to which thou hast advanced meof thy courtesy.' This reply was mighty agreeable to Gualtieri, forthat he saw she was not uplifted into aught of pridefulness for anyhonour that himself or others had done her; but, a little after,having in general terms told her that his vassals could not brook thisgirl that had been born of her, he sent to her a serving-man of his,whom he had lessoned and who said to her with a very woefulcountenance, 'Madam, an I would not die, needs must I do that which mylord commandeth me. He hath bidden me take this your daughter and....'And said no more. The lady, hearing this and seeing the servant'saspect and remembering her of her husband's words, concluded that hehad enjoined him put the child to death; whereupon, without changingcountenance, albeit she felt a sore anguish at heart, she straightwaytook her from the cradle and having kissed and blessed her, laid herin the servant's arms, saying, 'Take her and punctually do that whichthy lord hath enjoined thee; but leave her not to be devoured of thebeasts and the birds, except he command it thee.' The servant took thechild and reported that which the lady had said to Gualtieri, whomarvelled at her constancy and despatched him with the child to akinswoman of his at Bologna, praying her to bring her up and rear herdiligently, without ever saying whose daughter she was.

  [Footnote 480: Or "strange" (_nuovo_); see ante, passim.]

  [Footnote 481: _i.e._ his vassals.]

  In course of time the lady again conceived and in due season bore amale child, to her husband's great joy; but, that which he had alreadydone sufficing him not, he addressed himself to probe her to the quickwith a yet sorer stroke and accordingly said to her one day with atroubled air, 'Wife, since thou hast borne this male child, I havenowise been able to live in peace with these my people, so sore dothey murmur that a grandson of Giannucolo should become their lordafter me; wherefore I misdoubt me, an I would not be driven forth ofmy domains, it will behove me do in this case that which I didotherwhen and ultimately put thee away and take another wife.' Thelady gave ear to him with a patient mind nor answered otherwhat then,'My lord, study to content thyself and to satisfy thy pleasure andhave no thought of me, for that nothing is dear to me save in so muchas I see it please thee.' Not many days after, Gualtieri sent for theson, even as he had sent for the daughter, and making a like show ofhaving him put to death, despatched him to Bologna, there to bebrought up, even as he had done with the girl; but the lady made noother countenance nor other words thereof than she had done of thegirl; whereat Gualtieri marvelled sore and affirmed in himself that noother woman could have availed to do this that she did; and had he notseen her tender her children with the utmost fondness, what while itpleased him, he had believed that she did this because she recked nomore of them; whereas in effect he knew that she did it of herdiscretion. His vassals, believing that he had caused put the childrento death, blamed him sore, accounting him a barbarous man, and had theutmost compassion of his wife, who never answered otherwhat to theladies who condoled with her for her children thus slain, than thatthat which pleased him thereof who had begotten them, pleased heralso.

  At last, several years being passed since the birth of the girl,Gualtieri, deeming it time to make the supreme trial of her endurance,declared, in the presence of his people, that he could no longerendure to have Griselda to wife and that he perceived that he had doneill and boyishly in taking her, wherefore he purposed, as far as inhim lay, to make interest with the Pope to grant him a dispensation,so he might put her away and take another wife. For this he wasroundly taken to task by many men of worth, but answered them nothingsave that needs must it be so. The lady, hearing these things andherseeming she must look to return to her father's house and maybetend sheep again as she had done aforetime, what while she saw anotherwoman in possession of him to whom she willed all her weal, sorrowedsore in herself; but yet, even as she had borne the other affronts offortune, so with a firm countenance she addressed herself to bear thisalso. Gualtieri no great while after let come to him from Romecounterfeit letters of dispensation and gave his vassals to believethat the Pope had thereby licensed him to take another wife and leaveGriselda; then, sending for the latter, he said to her, in presence ofmany, 'Wife, by concession made me of the Pope, I am free to takeanother wife and put thee away, and accordingly, for that mineancestors have been great gentlemen and lords of this country, whilstthine have still been husbandmen, I mean that thou be no more my wife,but that thou return to Giannucolo his house with the dowry which thoubroughtest me, and I will after bring hither another wife, for that Ihave found one more sorted to myself.'

  The lady, hearing this, contained her tears, contrary to the nature ofwoman, though not without great unease, and answered, 'My lord, I everknew my mean estate to be nowise sortable with your nobility, and forthat which I have been with you I have still confessed myself indebtedto you and to God, nor have I ever made nor held it mine, as given tome, but have still accounted it but as a loan. It pleaseth you torequire it again and it must and doth please me to restore it to you.Here is your ring wherewith you espoused me; take it. You bid me carryaway with me that dowry which I brought hither, which to do you willneed no paymaster and I neither purse nor packhorse, for I have notforgotten that you had me naked, and if you account it seemly thatthis my body, wherein I have carried children begotten of you, be seenof all, I will begone naked; but I pray you, in requital of mymaidenhead, which I brought hither and bear not hence with me, that itplease you I may carry away at the least one sole shift over and abovemy dowry.' Gualtieri, who had more mind to weep than to otherwhat,natheless kept a stern countenance and said, 'So be it; carry away ashift.' As many as stood around besought him to give her a gown, sothat she who had been thirteen years and more his wife should not beseen go forth of his house on such mean and shameful wise as it was todepart in her shift; but their prayers all went for nothing; whereforethe lady, having commended them to God, went forth his house in hershift, barefoot and nothing on her head, and returned to her father,followed by the tears and lamentations of all who saw her. Giannucolo,who had never been able to believe it true that Gualtieri shouldentertain his daughter to wife and went in daily expectation of thisevent, had kept her the clothes which she had put off the morning thatGualtieri had married her and now brought them to her; whereupon shedonned them and addressed herself, as she had been wont to do, to thelittle offices of her father's house, enduring the cruel onslaught ofhostile fortune with a stout heart.

  Gualtieri, having done this, gave out to his people that he had chosena daughter of one of the Counts of Panago and letting make greatpreparations for the nuptials, sent for Griselda to come to him andsaid to her, 'I am about to bring home this lady, whom I have newlytaken to wife, and mean, at this her first coming, to do her honour.Thou knowest I have no women about me who know how to array me therooms nor to do a multitude of things that behove unto such afestival; wherefore do thou, who art better versed than any else inthese household matters, order that which is to do here and let bidsuch ladies as it seemeth good to thee and receive them as thou wertmistress here; then, when the nuptials are ended, thou mayst begoneback to thy house.' Albeit these words were all daggers to Griselda'sheart, who had been unable to lay down the love she bore him as shehad laid down her fair fortune, she replied, 'My lord, I am ready andwilling.'
Then, in her coarse homespun clothes, entering the house,whence she had a little before departed in her shift, she fell tosweeping and ordering the chambers and letting place hangings andcover-cloths about the saloons and make ready the viands, putting herhand to everything, as she were some paltry serving-wench of thehouse, nor ever gave over till she had arrayed and ordered everythingas it behoved. Thereafter, having let invite all the ladies of thecountry on Gualtieri's part, she awaited the day of the festival,which being come, with a cheerful countenance and the spirit andbearing of a lady of high degree, for all she had mean clothes on herback, she received all the ladies who came thither.

  Meanwhile, Gualtieri, who had caused the two children be diligentlyreared in Bologna by his kinswoman, (who was married to a gentleman ofthe Panago family,) the girl being now twelve years old and thefairest creature that ever was seen and the boy six, had sent to hiskinsman[482] at Bologna, praying him be pleased to come to Saluzzowith his son and daughter and take order to bring with him a goodlyand honourable company and bidding him tell every one that he wascarrying him the young lady to his wife, without otherwise discoveringto any aught of who she was. The gentleman did as the marquess prayedhim and setting out, with the girl and boy and a goodly company ofgentlefolk, after some days' journey, arrived, about dinner-time, atSaluzzo, where he found all the countryfolk and many others of theneighbourhood awaiting Gualtieri's new bride. The latter, beingreceived by the ladies and come into the saloon where the tables werelaid, Griselda came to meet her, clad as she was, and accosted herblithely, saying, 'Welcome and fair welcome to my lady.' Thereupon theladies (who had urgently, but in vain, besought Gualtieri to sufferGriselda to abide in a chamber or lend her one of the gowns that hadbeen hers, so that she might not go thus before his guests) wereseated at table and it was proceeded to serve them. The girl was eyedby every one and all declared that Gualtieri had made a good exchange;and among the rest Griselda commended her amain, both her and heryoung brother.

  [Footnote 482: _i.e._ the husband of his kinswoman aforesaid.]

  Gualtieri perceiving that the strangeness of the case in no wisechanged her and being assured that this proceeded not from lack ofunderstanding, for that he knew her to be very quick of wit, himseemedhe had now seen fully as much as he desired of his lady's patience andhe judged it time to deliver her from the bitterness which he doubtednot she kept hidden under her constant countenance; wherefore, callingher to himself, he said to her, smiling, in the presence of every one,'How deemest thou of our bride?' 'My lord,' answered she, 'I deemexceeding well of her, and if, as I believe, she is as discreet as sheis fair, I doubt not a whit but you will live the happiest gentlemanin the world with her; but I beseech you, as most I may, that youinflict not on her those pangs which you inflicted whilere on her whowas sometime yours; for methinketh she might scarce avail to endurethem, both because she is younger and because she hath been delicatelyreared, whereas the other had been in continual fatigues from a littlechild.' Thereupon, Gualtieri, seeing she firmly believed that theyoung lady was to be his wife nor therefore spoke anywise less thanwell, seated her by his side and said to her, 'Griselda, it is nowtime that thou reap the fruits of thy long patience and that those whohave reputed me cruel and unjust and brutish should know that thiswhich I have done I wrought to an end aforeseen, willing to teach theeto be a wife and to show them how to take and use one and at the sametime to beget myself perpetual quiet, what while I had to live withthee; the which, whenas I came to take a wife, I was sore afraid mightnot betide me, and therefore, to make proof thereof, I probed andafflicted thee after such kind as thou knowest. And meseeming, forthat I have never perceived that either in word or in deed hast thoudeparted from my pleasure, that I have of thee that solace which Idesired, I purpose presently to restore thee, at one stroke, thatwhich I took from thee at many and to requite thee with a supremedelight the pangs I have inflicted on thee. Wherefore with a joyfulheart take this whom thou deemest my bride and her brother for thychildren and mine; for these be they whom thou and many others havelong accounted me to have barbarously let put to death; and I am thyhusband, who loveth thee over all else, believing I may vaunt me thatthere is none else who can be so content of his wife as can I.'

  So saying, he embraced her and kissed her; then, rising up, he betookhimself with Griselda, who wept for joy, whereas the daughter, hearingthese things, sat all stupefied, and tenderly embracing her and herbrother, undeceived her and many others who were there. Thereupon theladies arose from table, overjoyed, and withdrew with Griselda into achamber, where, with happier augury, pulling off her mean attire, theyclad her anew in a magnificent dress of her own and brought her againto the saloon, as a gentlewoman, which indeed she appeared, even inrags. There she rejoiced in her children with wonder-great joy, andall being overjoyed at this happy issue, they redoubled in feastingand merrymaking and prolonged the festivities several days, accountingGualtieri a very wise man, albeit they held the trials which he hadmade of his lady overharsh, nay, intolerable; but over all they heldGriselda most sage. The Count of Panago returned, after some days, toBologna, and Gualtieri, taking Giannucolo from his labour, placed himin such estate as befitted his father-in-law, so that he lived inhonour and great solace and so ended his days; whilst he himself,having nobly married his daughter, lived long and happily withGriselda, honouring her as most might be. What more can here be saidsave that even in poor cottages there rain down divine spirits fromheaven, like as in princely palaces there be those who were worthierto tend swine than to have lordship over men? Who but Griselda could,with a countenance, not only dry,[483] but cheerful, have endured thebarbarous and unheard proofs made by Gualtieri? Which latter had notbelike been ill requited, had he happened upon one who, when he turnedher out of doors in her shift, had let jumble her furbelows of anotherto such purpose that a fine gown had come of it."

  [Footnote 483: _i.e._ unwetted with tears.]

  * * * * *

  Dioneo's story being finished and the ladies having discoursed amainthereof, some inclining to one side and some to another, this blamingone thing and that commending it, the king, lifting his eyes to heavenand seeing that the sun was now low and the hour of vespers at hand,proceeded, without arising from session, to speak thus, "Charmingladies, as I doubt not you know, the understanding of mortalsconsisteth not only in having in memory things past and takingcognizance of things present; but in knowing, by means of the one andthe other of these, to forecast things future is reputed by men ofmark to consist the greatest wisdom. To-morrow, as you know, it willbe fifteen days since we departed Florence, to take some diversion forthe preservation of our health and of our lives, eschewing the woesand dolours and miseries which, since this pestilential season began,are continually to be seen about our city. This, to my judgment, wehave well and honourably done; for that, an I have known to seearight, albeit merry stories and belike incentive to concupiscencehave been told here and we have continually eaten and drunken well anddanced and sung and made music, all things apt to incite weak minds tothings less seemly, I have noted no act, no word, in fine nothingblameworthy, either on your part or on that of us men; nay, meseemethI have seen and felt here a continual decency, an unbroken concord anda constant fraternal familiarity; the which, at once for your honourand service and for mine own, is, certes, most pleasing to me. Lest,however, for overlong usance aught should grow thereof that mightissue in tediousness, and that none may avail to cavil at our overlongtarriance,--each of us, moreover, having had his or her share of thehonour that yet resideth in myself,--I hold it meet, an it be yourpleasure, that we now return whence we came; more by token that, ifyou consider aright, our company, already known to several others ofthe neighbourhood, may multiply after a fashion that will deprive usof our every commodity. Wherefore, if you approve my counsel, I willretain the crown conferred on me until our departure, which I purposeshall be to-morrow morning; but, should you determine otherwise, Ihave already in mind whom I shall invest withal for t
he ensuing day."

  Much was the debate between the ladies and the young men; butultimately they all took the king's counsel for useful and seemly anddetermined to do as he proposed; whereupon, calling the seneschal, hebespoke him of the manner which he should hold on the ensuing morningand after, having dismissed the company until supper-time, he rose tohis feet. The ladies and the young men, following his example, gavethemselves, this to one kind of diversion and that to another, nootherwise than of their wont; and supper-time come, they betookthemselves to table with the utmost pleasure and after fell to singingand carolling and making music. Presently, Lauretta leading up adance, the king bade Fiammetta sing a song, whereupon she veryblithely proceeded to sing thus:

  If love came but withouten jealousy, I know no lady born So blithe as I were, whosoe'er she be. If gladsome youthfulness In a fair lover might content a maid, Virtue and worth discreet, Valiance or gentilesse, Wit and sweet speech and fashions all arrayed In pleasantness complete, Certes, I'm she for whose behoof these meet In one; for, love-o'erborne, All these in him who is my hope I see.

  But for that I perceive That other women are as wise as I, I tremble for affright And tending to believe The worst, in others the desire espy Of him who steals my spright; Thus this that is my good and chief delight Enforceth me, forlorn, Sigh sore and live in dole and misery.

  If I knew fealty such In him my lord as I know merit there, I were not jealous, I; But here is seen so much Lovers to tempt, how true they be soe'er, I hold all false; whereby I'm all disconsolate and fain would die, Of each with doubting torn Who eyes him, lest she bear him off from me.

  Be, then, each lady prayed By God that she in this be not intent 'Gainst me to do amiss; For, sure, if any maid Should or with words or becks or blandishment My detriment in this Seek or procure and if I know't, ywis, Be all my charms forsworn But I will make her rue it bitterly.

  No sooner had Fiammetta made an end of her song than Dioneo, who wasbeside her, said, laughing, "Madam, you would do a great courtesy tolet all the ladies know who he is, lest you be ousted of hispossession through ignorance, since you would be so sore incensedthereat." After this divers other songs were sung and the night beingnow well nigh half spent, they all, by the king's commandment, betookthemselves to repose. As the new day appeared, they arose and theseneschal having already despatched all their gear in advance, theyreturned, under the guidance of their discreet king, to Florence,where the three young men took leave of the seven ladies and leavingthem in Santa Maria Novella, whence they had set out with them, wentabout their other pleasures, whilst the ladies, whenas it seemed tothem time, returned to their houses.

  HERE ENDETH THE TENTH AND LAST DAYOF THE DECAMERON