The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

vernaccia. Ofthe said pills they give him two, one after the other, made of dog-gingercompounded with aloes; and it then appearing as if he had had the pighimself, they constrain him to buy them off, if he would not have themtell his wife.

  NOVEL VII. - A scholar loves a widow lady, who, being enamoured ofanother, causes him to spend a winter's night awaiting her in the snow.He afterwards by a stratagem causes her to stand for a whole day in July,naked upon a tower, exposed to the flies, the gadflies, and the sun.

  NOVEL VIII. - Two men keep with one another: the one lies with theother's wife: the other, being ware thereof, manages with the aid of hiswife to have the one locked in a chest, upon which he then lies with thewife of him that is locked therein.

  NOVEL IX. - Bruno and Buffalmacco prevail upon Master Simone, aphysician, to betake him by night to a certain place, there to beenrolled in a company that go the course. Buffalmacco throws him into afoul ditch, and there they leave him.

  NOVEL X. - A Sicilian woman cunningly conveys from a merchant that whichhe has brought to Palermo; he, making a shew of being come back thitherwith far greater store of goods than before, borrows money of her, andleaves her in lieu thereof water and tow.

  - NINTH DAY -

  NOVEL I. - Madonna Francesca, having two lovers, the one Rinuccio, theother Alessandro, by name, and loving neither of them, induces the one tosimulate a corpse in a tomb, and the other to enter the tomb to fetch himout: whereby, neither satisfying her demands, she artfully rids herselfof both.

  NOVEL II. - An abbess rises in haste and in the dark, with intent tosurprise an accused nun abed with her lover: thinking to put on her veil,she puts on instead the breeches of a priest that she has with her: thenun, espying her headgear, and doing her to wit thereof, is acquitted,and thenceforth finds it easier to forgather with her lover.

  NOVEL III. - Master Simone, at the instance of Bruno and Buffalmacco andNello, makes Calandrino believe that he is with child. Calandrino,accordingly, gives them capons and money for medicines, and is curedwithout being delivered.

  NOVEL IV. - Cecco, son of Messer Fortarrigo, loses his all at play atBuonconvento, besides the money of Cecco, son of Messer Angiulieri, whom,running after him in his shirt and crying out that he has robbed him, hecauses to be taken by peasants: he then puts on his clothes, mounts hispalfrey, and leaves him to follow in his shirt.

  NOVEL V. - Calandrino being enamoured of a damsel, Bruno gives him ascroll, averring that, if he but touch her therewith, she will go withhim: he is found with her by his wife, who subjects him to a most severeand vexatious examination.

  NOVEL VI. - Two young men lodge at an inn, of whom the one lies with thehost's daughter, his wife by inadvertence lying with the other. He thatlay with the daughter afterwards gets into her father's bed and tells himall, taking him to be his comrade. They bandy words: whereupon the goodwoman, apprehending the circumstances, gets her to bed with her daughter,and by divers apt words re-establishes perfect accord.

  NOVEL VII. - Talano di Molese dreams that a wolf tears and rends all theneck and face of his wife: he gives her warning thereof, which she heedsnot, and the dream comes true.

  NOVEL VIII. - Biondello gulls Ciacco in the matter of a breakfast: forwhich prank Ciacco is cunningly avenged on Biondello, causing him to beshamefully beaten.

  NOVEL IX. - Two young men ask counsel of Solomon; the one, how he is tomake himself beloved, the other, how he is to reduce an unruly wife toorder. The King bids the one to love, and the other to go to the Bridgeof Geese.

  NOVEL X. - Dom Gianni at the instance of his gossip Pietro uses anenchantment to transform Pietro's wife into a mare; but, when he comes toattach the tail, Gossip Pietro, by saying that he will have none of thetail, makes the enchantment of no effect.

  - TENTH DAY -

  NOVEL I. - A knight in the service of the King of Spain deems himself illrequited. Wherefore the King, by most cogent proof, shews him that theblame rests not with him, but with the knight's own evil fortune; afterwhich, he bestows upon him a noble gift.

  NOVEL II. - Ghino di Tacco, captures the Abbot of Cluny, cures him of adisorder of the stomach, and releases him. The abbot, on his return tothe court of Rome, reconciles Ghino with Pope Boniface, and makes himprior of the Hospital.

  NOVEL III. - Mitridanes, holding Nathan in despite by reason of hiscourtesy, journey with intent to kill him, and falling in with himunawares, is advised by him how to compass his end. Following his advice,he finds him in a copse, and recognizing him, is shame-stricken, andbecomes his friend.

  NOVEL IV. - Messer Gentile de' Carisendi, being come from Modena,disinters a lady that he loves, who has been buried for dead. She, beingreanimated, gives birth to a male child; and Messer Gentile restores her,with her son, to Niccoluccio Caccianimico, her husband.

  NOVEL V. - Madonna Dianora craves of Messer Ansaldo a garden that shallbe as fair in January as in May. Messer Ansaldo binds himself to anecromancer, and thereby gives her the garden. Her husband gives herleave to do Messer Ansaldo's pleasure: he, being apprised of herhusband's liberality, releases her from her promise; and the necromancerreleases Messer Ansaldo from his bond, and will tale nought of his.

  NOVEL VI. - King Charles the Old, being conqueror, falls in love with ayoung maiden, and afterward growing ashamed of his folly bestows her andher sister honourably in marriage.

  NOVEL VII. - King Pedro, being apprised of the fervent love borne him byLisa, who thereof is sick, comforts her, and forthwith gives her inmarriage to a young gentleman, and having kissed her on the brow, everafter professes himself her knight.

  NOVEL VIII. - Sophronia, albeit she deems herself wife to Gisippus, iswife to Titus Quintius Fulvus, and goes with him to Rome, where Gisippusarrives in indigence, and deeming himself scorned by Titus, to compasshis own death, avers that he has slain a man. Titus recognizes him, andto save his life, alleges that 'twas he that slew the man: whereof hethat did the deed being witness, he discovers himself as the murderer.Whereby it comes to pass that they are all three liberated by Octavianus;and Titus gives Gisippus his sister to wife, and shares with him all hissubstance.

  NOVEL IX. - Saladin, in guise of a merchant, is honourably entreated byMesser Torello. The Crusade ensuing, Messer Torello appoints a date,after which his wife may marry again: he is taken prisoner, and bytraining hawks comes under the Soldan's notice. The Soldan recognizeshim, makes himself known to him, and entreats him with all honour. MesserTorello falls sick, and by magic arts is transported in a single night toPavia, where his wife's second marriage is then to be solemnized, andbeing present thereat, is recognized by her, and returns with her to hishouse.

  NOVEL X. - The Marquis of Saluzzo, overborne by the entreaties of hisvassals, consents to take a wife, but, being minded to please himself inthe choice of her, takes a husbandman's daughter. He has two children byher, both of whom he makes her believe that he has put to death.Afterward, feigning to be tired of her, and to have taken another wife,he turns her out of doors in her shift, and brings his daughter into thehouse in guise of his bride; but, finding her patient under it all, hebrings her home again, and shews her her children, now grown up, andhonours her, and causes her to be honoured, as Marchioness.

  ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE DECAMERON

  VOLUME II

  Pietro and Agnolella (fifth day, third story)

  Gianni and Restituta (fifth day, sixth story)

  Calandrino singing (ninth day, fifth story)

  Titus, Gisippus, and Sophronia (tenth day, eighth story)

  --Endeth here the fourth day of the Decameron, beginneth the fifth, inwhich under the rule of Fiammetta discourse is had of good fortunebefalling lovers after divers direful or disastrous adventures.--

  All the east was white, nor any part of our hemisphere unillumined by therising beams, when the carolling of the birds that in gay chorus salutedthe dawn among the boughs induced Fiammetta to rise and rouse the otherladies and the three gallants; with whom adown the hill and about thedewy meads of the broad champaign she sa
untered, talking gaily of diversmatters, until the sun had attained some height. Then, feeling his raysgrow somewhat scorching, they retraced their steps, and returned to thevilla; where, having repaired their slight fatigue with excellent winesand comfits, they took their pastime in the pleasant garden until thebreakfast hour; when, all things being made ready by the discreetseneschal, they, after singing a stampita,(1) and a balladette or two,gaily, at the queen's behest, sat them down to eat. Meetly ordered andgladsome was the meal, which done, heedful of their rule of dancing, theytrod a few short measures with accompaniment of music and song.Thereupon, being all dismissed by the queen until after the siesta, somehied them to rest, while others tarried taking their pleasure in the fairgarden. But shortly after none, all, at the queen's behest, reassembled,according to their wont, by the fountain; and the queen, having seatedherself on her throne, glanced towards Pamfilo, and bade him with a smilelead off with the stories of good fortune. Whereto Pamfilo gladlyaddressed himself, and thus began.

  (1) A song accompanied by music, but without dancing.

  NOVEL I.

  --Cimon, by loving, waxes wise, wins his wife Iphigenia by capture on thehigh seas, and is imprisoned at Rhodes. He is delivered by Lysimachus;and the twain capture Cassandra and recapture Iphigenia in the hour oftheir marriage. They flee with their ladies to Crete, and having theremarried them, are brought back to their homes.--

  Many stories, sweet my ladies, occur to me as meet for me to tell by wayof ushering in a day so joyous as this will be: of which one does mostcommend itself to my mind, because not only has it, one of those happyendings of which to-day we are in quest, but 'twill enable you tounderstand how holy, how mighty and how salutary are the forces of Love,which not a few, witting not what they say, do most unjustly reprobateand revile: which, if I err not, should to you, for that I take you to beenamoured, be indeed welcome.

  Once upon a time, then, as we have read in the ancient histories of theCypriotes, there was in the island of Cyprus a very great noble namedAristippus, a man rich in all worldly goods beyond all other of hiscountrymen, and who might have deemed himself incomparably blessed, butfor a single sore affliction that Fortune had allotted him. Which wasthat among his sons he had one, the best grown and handsomest of themall, that was well-nigh a hopeless imbecile. His true name was Galesus;but, as neither his tutor's pains, nor his father's coaxing orchastisement, nor any other method had availed to imbue him with anytincture of letters or manners, but he still remained gruff and savage ofvoice, and in his bearing liker to a beast than to a man, all, as inderision, were wont to call him Cimon, which in their language signifiesthe same as "bestione" (brute)(1) in ours. The father, grieved beyondmeasure to see his son's life thus blighted, and having abandoned allhope of his recovery, nor caring to have the cause of his mortificationever before his eyes, bade him betake him to the farm, and there keepwith his husbandmen. To Cimon the change was very welcome, because themanners and habits of the uncouth hinds were more to his taste than thoseof the citizens. So to the farm Cimon hied him, and addressed himself tothe work thereof; and being thus employed, he chanced one afternoon as hepassed, staff on shoulder, from one domain to another, to enter aplantation, the like of which for beauty there was not in those parts,and which was then--for 'twas the month of May--a mass of greenery; and,as he traversed it, he came, as Fortune was pleased to guide him, to ameadow girt in with trees exceeding tall, and having in one of itscorners a fountain most fair and cool, beside which he espied a mostbeautiful girl lying asleep on the green grass, clad only in a vest ofsuch fine stuff that it scarce in any measure veiled the whiteness of herflesh, and below the waist nought but an apron most white and fine oftexture; and likewise at her feet there slept two women and a man, herslaves. No sooner did Cimon catch sight of her, than, as if he had neverbefore seen form of woman, he stopped short, and leaning on his cudgel,regarded her intently, saying never a word, and lost in admiration. Andin his rude soul, which, despite a thousand lessons, had hithertoremained impervious to every delight that belongs to urbane life, he feltthe awakening of an idea, that bade his gross and coarse mindacknowledge, that this girl was the fairest creature that had ever beenseen by mortal eye. And thereupon he began to distinguish her severalparts, praising her hair, which shewed to him as gold, her brow, her noseand mouth, her throat and arms, and above all her bosom, which was as yetbut in bud, and as he gazed, he changed of a sudden from a husbandmaninto a judge of beauty, and desired of all things to see her eyes, whichthe weight of her deep slumber kept close shut, and many a time he wouldfain have awakened her, that he might see them. But so much fairer seemedshe to him than any other woman that he had seen, that he doubted shemust be a goddess; and as he was not so devoid of sense but that hedeemed things divine more worthy of reverence than things mundane, heforbore, and waited until she should awake of her own accord; and thoughhe found the delay overlong, yet, enthralled by so unwonted a delight, heknew not how to be going. However, after he had tarried a long while, itso befell that Iphigenia--such was the girl's name--her slaves stillsleeping, awoke, and raised her head, and opened her eyes, and seeingCimon standing before her, leaning on his staff, was not a littlesurprised, and said:--"Cimon, what seekest thou in this wood at thishour?" For Cimon she knew well, as indeed did almost all thecountry-side, by reason alike of his uncouth appearance as of the rankand wealth of his father. To Iphigenia's question he answered never aword; but as soon as her eyes were open, nought could he do but intentlyregard them, for it seemed to him that a soft influence emanated fromthem, which filled his soul with a delight that he had never beforeknown. Which the girl marking began to misdoubt that by so fixed ascrutiny his boorish temper might be prompted to some act that shouldcause her dishonour: wherefore she roused her women, and got up,saying:--"Keep thy distance, Cimon, in God's name." Whereto Cimon madeanswer:--"I will come with thee." And, albeit the girl refused hisescort, being still in fear of him, she could not get quit of him; but heattended her home; after which he hied him straight to his father'shouse, and announced that he was minded on no account to go back to thefarm: which intelligence was far from welcome to his father and kinsmen;but nevertheless they suffered him to stay, and waited to see what mightbe the reason of his change of mind. So Cimon, whose heart, closed to allteaching, love's shaft, sped by the beauty of Iphigenia, had penetrated,did now graduate in wisdom with such celerity as to astonish his fatherand kinsmen, and all that knew him. He began by requesting his father tolet him go clad in the like apparel, and with, in all respects, the likepersonal equipment as his brothers: which his father very gladly did.Mixing thus with the gallants, and becoming familiar with the mannersproper to gentlemen, and especially to lovers, he very soon, to theexceeding great wonder of all, not only acquired the rudiments ofletters, but waxed most eminent among the philosophic wits. After which(for no other cause than the love he bore to Iphigenia) he not onlymodulated his gruff and boorish voice to a degree of smoothness suitableto urbane life, but made himself accomplished in singing and music; inriding also and in all matters belonging to war, as well by sea as byland, he waxed most expert and hardy. And in sum (that I go not about toenumerate each of his virtues in detail) he had not completed the fourthyear from the day of his first becoming enamoured before he was grown themost gallant, and courteous, ay, and the most perfect in particularaccomplishments, of the young cavaliers that were in the island ofCyprus. What then, gracious ladies, are we to say of Cimon? Verily noughtelse but that the high faculties, with which Heaven had endowed his noblesoul, invidious Fortune had bound with the strongest of cords, andcircumscribed within a very narrow region of his heart; all which cordsLove, more potent than Fortune, burst and brake in pieces; and then withthe might, wherewith he awakens dormant powers, he brought them forth ofthe cruel obfuscation, in which they lay, into clear light, plainlyshewing thereby, whence he may draw, and whither he may guide, by hisbeams the souls that are subject to his sway.

  Now, albeit by his love for Iphigenia Cimon was betra
yed, as young loversvery frequently are, into some peccadillos, yet Aristippus, reflectingthat it had turned him from a booby into a man, not only bore patientlywith him, but exhorted him with all his heart to continue steadfast inhis love. And Cimon, who still refused to be called Galesus, because'twas as Cimon that Iphigenia had first addressed him, being desirous toaccomplish his desire by honourable means, did many a time urge his suitupon her father, Cipseus, that he would give her him to wife: wheretoCipseus always made the same answer, to wit, that he had promised her toPasimondas, a young Rhodian noble, and was not minded to break faith withhim. However, the time appointed for Iphigenia's wedding being come, andthe bridegroom having sent for her, Cimon said to himself:--'Tis now forme to shew thee, O Iphigenia, how great is my love for thee: 'tis by theethat I am grown a man, nor doubt I, if I shall have thee, that I shallwax more glorious than a god, and verily thee will I have, or die. Havingso said, he privily enlisted in his cause certain young nobles that werehis friends, and secretly fitted out a ship with all equipment meet forcombat, and put to sea on the look-out for the ship that was to bearIphigenia to Rhodes and her husband. And at length, when her father haddone lavishing honours upon her husband's friends, Iphigenia embarked,and, the mariners shaping their course for Rhodes, put to sea. Cimon wason the alert, and overhauled them the very next day, and standing on hisship's prow shouted amain to those that were aboard Iphigenia'sship:--"Bring to; strike sails, or look to be conquered and sunk in thesea." Then, seeing that the enemy had gotten their arms above deck, andwere making ready to make a fight of it, he followed up his words bycasting a grapnel upon the poop of the Rhodians, who were making greatway; and having thus made their poop fast to his prow, he sprang, fierceas a lion, reckless whether he were followed or no, on to the Rhodians'ship, making, as it