The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
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[Transcriber's Note: The original text does not observe the normal
convention of placing quotation marks at the beginnings of paragraphs
within a multiple-paragraph quotation. This idiosyncrasy has been
preserved in this e-text.
Archaic spellings have been preserved, but obvious printer errors have
been corrected.
In the untranslated Italian passage in Day 3, Story 10, the original is
missing the accents, which have been added using an Italian edition of
Decameron (Milan: Mursia, 1977) as a guide.
John Payne's translation of _The Decameron_ was originally published
in a private printing for The Villon Society, London, 1886. The
American edition from which this e-text was prepared is undated.]
_The_
_Decameron_
_of_
_Giovanni Boccaccio_
_Translated by_
_John Payne_
WALTER J. BLACK, INC.
171 Madison Avenue
NEW YORK, N.Y.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
_Contents_
PROEM.
DAY THE FIRST 1
THE FIRST STORY. _Master Ciappelletto dupeth a holy friar with a false
confession and dieth; and having been in his lifetime the worst of
men, he is, after his death, reputed a saint and called Saint
Ciappelletto_ 16
THE SECOND STORY. _Abraham the Jew, at the instigation of Jehannot de
Chevigné, goeth to the Court of Rome and seeing the depravity of the
clergy, returneth to Paris and there becometh a Christian_ 25
THE THIRD STORY. _Melchizedek the Jew, with a story of three rings,
escapeth a parlous snare set for him by Saladin_ 28
THE FOURTH STORY. _A monk, having fallen into a sin deserving of very
grievous punishment, adroitly reproaching the same fault to his abbot,
quitteth himself of the penalty_ 30
THE FIFTH STORY. _The Marchioness of Monferrato, with a dinner of hens
and certain sprightly words, curbeth the extravagant passion of the
King of France_ 33
THE SIXTH STORY. _An honest man, with a chance pleasantry, putteth to
shame the perverse hypocrisy of the religious orders_ 35
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Bergamino, with a story of Primasso and the Abbot
of Cluny, courteously rebuketh a fit of parsimony newly come to Messer
Cane della Scala_ 37
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Guglielmo Borsiere with some quaint words rebuketh
the niggardliness of Messer Ermino de' Grimaldi_ 40
THE NINTH STORY. _The King of Cyprus, touched to the quick by a Gascon
lady, from a mean-spirited prince becometh a man of worth and
valiance_ 42
THE TENTH STORY. _Master Alberto of Bologna civilly putteth a lady to
the blush who thought to have shamed him of being enamoured of her_ 43
DAY THE SECOND 48
THE FIRST STORY. _Martellino feigneth himself a cripple and maketh
believe to wax whole upon the body of St. Arrigo. His imposture being
discovered, he is beaten and being after taken [for a thief,] goeth in
peril of being hanged by the neck, but ultimately escapeth_ 49
THE SECOND STORY. _Rinaldo d'Asti, having been robbed, maketh his way
to Castel Guglielmo, where he is hospitably entertained by a widow
lady and having made good his loss, returneth to his own house, safe
and sound_ 52
THE THIRD STORY. _Three young men squander their substance and become
poor; but a nephew of theirs, returning home in desperation, falleth
in with an abbot and findeth him to be the king's daughter of England,
who taketh him to husband and maketh good all his uncles' losses,
restoring them to good estate_ 57
THE FOURTH STORY. _Landolfo Ruffolo, grown poor, turneth corsair and
being taken by the Genoese, is wrecked at sea, but saveth himself upon
a coffer full of jewels of price and being entertained in Corfu by a
woman, returneth home rich_ 63
THE FIFTH STORY. _Andreuccio of Perugia, coming to Naples to buy
horses, is in one night overtaken with three grievous accidents, but
escapeth them all and returneth home with a ruby_ 66
THE SIXTH STORY. _Madam Beritola, having lost her two sons, is found
on a desert island with two kids and goeth thence into Lunigiana,
where one of her sons, taking service with the lord of the country,
lieth with his daughter and is cast into prison. Sicily after
rebelling against King Charles and the youth being recognized by his
mother, he espouseth his lord's daughter, and his brother being
likewise found, they are all three restored to high estate_ 75
THE SEVENTH STORY. _The Soldan of Babylon sendeth a daughter of his to
be married to the King of Algarve, and she, by divers chances, in the
space of four years cometh to the hands of nine men in various places.
Ultimately, being restored to her father for a maid, she goeth to the
King of Algarve to wife, as first she did_ 85
THE EIGHTH STORY. _The Count of Antwerp, being falsely accused, goeth
into exile and leaveth his two children in different places in
England, whither, after awhile, returning in disguise and finding them
in good case, he taketh service as a horseboy in the service of the
King of France and being approved innocent, is restored to his former
estate_ 100
THE NINTH STORY. _Bernabo of Genoa, duped by Ambrogiuolo, loseth his
good and commandeth that his innocent wife be put to death. She
escapeth and serveth the Soldan in a man's habit. Here she lighteth
upon the deceiver of her husband and bringeth the latter to
Alexandria, where, her traducer being punished, she resumeth woman's
apparel and returneth to Genoa with her husband, rich_ 111
THE TENTH STORY. _Paganino of Monaco stealeth away the wife of Messer
Ricciardo di Chinzica, who, learning where she is, goeth thither and
making friends with Paganino, demandeth her again of him. The latter
concedeth her to him, an she will; but she refuseth to return with him
and Messer Ricciardo dying, she becometh the wife of Paganino_ 120
DAY THE THIRD 127
THE FIRST STORY. _Masetto of Lamporecchio feigneth himself dumb and
becometh gardener to a convent of women, who all flock to lie with
him_ 129
THE SECOND STORY. _A horsekeeper lieth with the wife of King Agilulf,
who, becoming aware thereof, without word said, findeth him out and
polleth him; but the polled man polleth all his fellows on like wise
and so escapeth ill hap_ 134
THE THIRD STORY. _Under colour of confession and of exceeding niceness
of conscience, a lady, being enamoured of a young man, bringeth a
grave friar, without his misdoubting him thereof, to afford a means of
giving entire effect to her pleasure_ 137
THE FOURTH STORY. _Dom Felice teacheth Fra Puccio how he may become
beatified by performing a certain penance of his fashion, which the
other doth, and Dom Felice meanwhile leadeth a merry life of it with
the good man's wife_ 143
THE FIFTH STORY. _Ricciardo, surnamed Il Zima, giveth Messer Francesco
Vergellesi a palfrey of his and hath therefor his leave to speak with
his wife. She keeping silence, he in her person replieth unto himself,
and the effect after ensueth in accordance with his answer_ 147
THE SIXTH STORY. _Ricciardo Minutolo, being enamoured of the wife of
Filippello Fighinolfi and knowing her jealousy of her husband,
contriveth, by representing that Filippello was on the ensuing day to
be with his own wife in a bagnio, to bring her to the latter place,
where, thinking to be with her husband, she findeth that she hath
abidden with Ricciardo_ 152
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Tedaldo Elisei, having fallen out with his
mistress, departeth Florence and returning thither, after awhile, in a
pilgrim's favour, speaketh with the lady and maketh her cognisant of
her error; after which he delivereth her husband, who had been
convicted of murdering him, from death and reconciling him with his
brethren, thenceforward discreetly enjoyeth himself with his mistress_
157
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Ferondo, having swallowed a certain powder, is
entombed for dead and being taken forth of the sepulchre by the abbot,
who enjoyeth his wife the while, is put in prison and given to believe
that he is in purgatory; after which, being raised up again, he
reareth for his own a child begotten of the abbot on his wife_ 169
THE NINTH STORY. _Gillette de Narbonne recovereth the King of France
of a fistula and demandeth for her husband Bertrand de Roussillon, who
marrieth her against his will and betaketh him for despite to
Florence, where, he paying court to a young lady, Gillette, in the
person of the latter, lieth with him and hath by him two sons;
wherefore after, holding her dear, he entertaineth her for his wife_
176
THE TENTH STORY. _Alibech, turning hermit, is taught by Rustico, a
monk, to put the devil in hell, and being after brought away thence,
becometh Neerbale his wife_ 182
DAY THE FOURTH 189
THE FIRST STORY. _Tancred, Prince of Salerno, slayeth his daughter's
lover and sendeth her his heart in a bowl of gold; whereupon, pouring
poisoned water over it, she drinketh thereof and dieth_ 194
THE SECOND STORY. _Fra Alberto giveth a lady to believe that the angel
Gabriel is enamoured of her and in his shape lieth with her sundry
times; after which, for fear of her kinsmen, he casteth himself forth
of her window into the canal and taketh refuge in the house of a poor
man, who on the morrow carrieth him, in the guise of a wild man of the
woods, to the Piazza, where, being recognized, he is taken by his
brethren and put in prison_ 201
THE THIRD STORY. _Three young men love three sisters and flee with
them into Crete, where the eldest sister for jealousy slayeth her
lover. The second, yielding herself to the Duke of Crete, saveth her
sister from death, whereupon her own lover slayeth her and fleeth with
the eldest sister. Meanwhile the third lover and the youngest sister
are accused of the new murder and being taken, confess it; then, for
fear of death, they corrupt their keepers with money and flee to
Rhodes, where they die in poverty_ 208
THE FOURTH STORY. _Gerbino, against the plighted faith of his
grandfather, King Guglielmo of Sicily, attacketh a ship of the King of
Tunis, to carry off a daughter of his, who being put to death of those
on board, he slayeth these latter and is after himself beheaded_ 213
THE FIFTH STORY. _Lisabetta's brothers slay her lover, who appeareth
to her in a dream and showeth her where he is buried, whereupon she
privily disinterreth his head and setteth it in a pot of basil.
Thereover making moan a great while every day, her brothers take it
from her and she for grief dieth a little thereafterward_ 216
THE SIXTH STORY. _Andrevuola loveth Gabriotto and recounteth to him a
dream she hath had, whereupon he telleth her one of his own and
presently dieth suddenly in her arms. What while she and a waiting
woman of hers bear him to his own house, they are taken by the
officers of justice and carried before the provost, to whom she
discovereth how the case standeth. The provost would fain force her,
but she suffereth it not and her father, coming to hear of the matter,
procureth her to be set at liberty, she being found innocent;
whereupon, altogether refusing to abide longer in the world, she
becometh a nun_ 220
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Simona loveth Pasquino and they being together in
a garden, the latter rubbeth a leaf of sage against his teeth and
dieth. She, being taken and thinking to show the judge how her lover
died, rubbeth one of the same leaves against her teeth and dieth on
like wise_ 225
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Girolamo loveth Salvestra and being constrained by
his mother's prayers to go to Paris, returneth and findeth his
mistress married; whereupon he entereth her house by stealth and dieth
by her side; and he being carried to a church, Salvestra dieth beside
him_ 228
THE NINTH STORY. _Sir Guillaume de Roussillon giveth his wife to eat
the heart of Sir Guillaume de Guardestaing by him slain and loved of
her, which she after coming to know, casteth herself from a high