The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

pearls, and most rare preciousstones, insomuch that 'twas in after time accounted a priceless treasure,and furnished with two pillows to match it. Which done, he bade arrayMesser Torello, who was now quite recovered, in a robe after theSaracenic fashion, the richest and goodliest thing of the kind that wasever seen, and wrap about his head, according to their wont, one of theirhuge turbans. Then, at a late hour, Saladin, attended by certain of hislords, entered the chamber where Messer Torello was, and seating himselfbeside him, all but wept as thus he began:--"Messer Torello, the time isnigh at hand when you and I must part; wherefore, since I may neithergive you my own, nor others' company (the journey that you are about tomake not permitting it), I am come here, as 'tis fitting, in this chamberto take my leave of you. Wherefore, before I bid you adieu, I entreatyou, by that friendship, that love, which is between us, that you forgetme not, and that, if it be possible, when you have settled your affairsin Lombardy, you come at least once, before our days are ended, to visitme, that thereby I may both have the delight of seeing you again, andmake good that omission which, by reason of your haste, I must needs nowmake; and that in the meanwhile it irk thee not to visit me by letter,and to ask of me whatever you shall have a mind to, and be sure thatthere lives not the man whom I shall content more gladly than you."Messer Torello could not refrain his tears, and so, with words few, andbroken by his sobs, he answered that 'twas impossible that the Soldan'sgenerous deeds and chivalrous character should ever be forgotten by him,and that without fail he would do as he bade him, so soon as occasionshould serve him. Whereupon Saladin tenderly embraced and kissed him, andwith many a tear bade him adieu, and quitted the chamber. His lords thentook leave of Messer Torello, and followed Saladin into the hall, wherehe had had the bed made ready.

  'Twas now late, and the necromancer being intent to hasten MesserTorello's transit, a physician brought him a potion, and having firstshewn him what he was to give him by way of viaticum, caused him to drinkit; and not long after he fell asleep. In which state he was carried bySaladin's command, and laid on the goodly bed, whereon he set a large andfair and most sumptuous crown, marking it in such sort that there couldbe no mistake that it was sent by Saladin to Messer Torello's wife. Henext placed on Messer Torello's finger a ring, in which was set acarbuncle of such brilliance that it shewed as a lighted torch, and ofwell-nigh inestimable value. After which he girded on him a sword, theappointments of which might not readily be appraised. And therewithal headorned him in front with a pendant, wherein were pearls, the like ofwhich had never been seen, and not a few other rare jewels. And,moreover, on either side of him he set two vast basins of gold full ofpistoles; and strings of pearls not a few, and rings and girdles, andother things, which 'twere tedious to enumerate, he disposed around him.Which done, he kissed Messer Torello again, and bade the necromancerspeed him on his journey. Whereupon, forthwith, the bed, with MesserTorello thereon, was borne away from before Saladin's eyes, and he andhis barons remained conversing thereof.

  The bed, as Messer Torello had requested, had already been deposited inthe church of San Piero in Ciel d'Oro at Pavia, and Messer Torello, withall the aforesaid jewels and ornaments upon and about him, was lyingthereon, and still slept, when, upon the stroke of matins, the sacristancame into the church, light in hand, and presently setting eyes on thesumptuous bed, was not only amazed, but mightily terrified, insomuch thathe turned back, and took to flight. Which the abbot and monks observingwith no small surprise, asked wherefore he fled and he told them.Whereupon:--"Oh," quoth the abbot, "thou art no longer a child, nor yetso new to this church, that thou shouldst so lightly be appalled: go wenow, and see who it is that has given thee this childish fright." So,with a blaze of torches, the abbot, attended by his monks, entered thechurch, and espied this wondrous costly bed whereon the knight slept, andwhile, hesitant and fearful, daring not to approach the bed, they scannedthe rare and splendid jewels, it befell that, the efficacy of the potionbeing exhausted, Messer Torello awoke and heaved a great sigh. Whereatthe monks and the abbot quaking and crying out:--"Lord, help us!" one andall took to flight. Messer Torello, opening his eyes and looking abouthim, saw, to his no small satisfaction, that without a doubt he was inthe very place where he had craved of Saladin to be; so up he sate, andtaking particular note of the matters with which he was surrounded,accounted the magnificence of Saladin to exceed even the measure, greatthough it was, that he already knew. However, he still kept quiet, savethat, perceiving the monks in flight, and surmising the reason, he beganto call the abbot by name, bidding him be of good courage, for that hewas his nephew, Torello. Whereat the abbot did but wax more terrified,for that he deemed Torello had been many a month dead; but, after awhile, as he heard himself still called, sound judgment got the better ofhis fears, and making the sign of the cross, he drew nigh Torello; whosaid to him:--"Father, what is't you fear? By God's grace I live, andhither am come back from overseas." Whom, for all he had grown a longbeard and was dressed in the Saracenic fashion, the abbot after a whilerecognized, and now, quite reassured, took by the hand, saying:--"Son,welcome home:" then:--"No cause hast thou to marvel at our fears," hewent on, "seeing that there is never a soul in these parts but firmlybelieves thee to be dead, insomuch that I may tell thee that MadonnaAdalieta, thy wife, overborne by the entreaties and menaces of herkinsfolk, and against her will, is provided with another husband, to whomshe is this morning to go, and all is made ready for the nuptials and theattendant festivities."

  Whereupon Messer Torello, being risen from the sumptuous bed, did theabbot and the monks wondrous cheer, and besought them, one and all, totell never a soul of his return, until he had completed something that hehad on hand. After which, having put the costly jewels in safe keeping,he recounted to the abbot all the story of his adventures to that veryhour. The abbot, rejoicing in his good fortune, joined with him inoffering thanks to God. Messer Torello then asked him who might be hiswife's new husband, and the abbot told him. Quoth then MesserTorello:--"Before my return be known, I purpose to see how my wife willcomport herself at the nuptials: wherefore, though 'tis not the wont ofmen of religion to go to such gatherings, I had lief that for love of meyou arranged for us to go thither together." The abbot answered that, hewould gladly do so, and as soon as 'twas day, he sent word to thebridegroom that he had thoughts of being present at his nuptials,accompanied by a friend; whereto the gentleman made answer that he wasmuch gratified. So, at the breakfast hour Messer Torello, dressed as hewas, hied him with the abbot to the bridegroom's house, as many as sawthem gazing on him with wonder, but none recognizing him, and the abbotgiving all to understand that he was a Saracen sent by the Soldan asambassador to the King of France. Messer Torello was accordingly seatedat a table directly opposite that of his lady, whom he eyed withexceeding great delight, the more so that he saw that in her face whichshewed him that she was chagrined by the nuptials. She in like mannerfrom time to time bent her regard on him; howbeit, what with his longbeard, and his foreign garb, and her firm persuasion that he was dead,she had still no sort of recollection of him. However, Messer Torello atlength deemed it time to make trial of her, whether she would rememberhim; wherefore he took the ring that the lady had given, him on hisdeparture, and keeping it close in the palm of his hand, he called to hima page that waited upon her, and said to him:--"Tell the bride from methat 'tis the custom in my country, that, when a stranger, such as I,eats with a bride, like herself, at her wedding-feast, she, in token thathe is welcome to her board, sends him the cup from which she herselfdrinks, full of wine; and when the stranger has drunk his fill, he closesthe cup, and the bride drinks what is left therein."

  The page carried the message to the lady, who, being of goodunderstanding and manners, and supposing him to be some very great man,by way of shewing that she was gratified by his presence, commanded thata gilt cup, that was on the table before her, should be rinsed, andfilled with wine, and borne to the gentleman. Which being done, MesserTorello, having privily conveyed her ring into his mouth, let it fall(wh
ile he drank) into the cup on such wise that none wist thereof; andleaving but a little wine at the bottom, closed the cup and returned itto the lady; who, having taken it, that she might do full honour to thecustom of her guest's country, lifted the lid, and set the cup to hermouth; whereby espying the ring, she thereon mutely gazed a while, andrecognizing it for that which she had given Messer Torello on hisdeparture, she steadfastly regarded the supposed stranger, whom now shealso recognized. Whereupon well-nigh distracted, oversetting the table infront of her, she exclaimed:--"'Tis my lord, 'tis verily Messer Torello;"and rushing to the table at which he sate, giving never a thought to herapparel, or aught that was on the table, she flung herself upon it; andreaching forward as far as