The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
On this wise consorting with her at one time and another, without its
costing him aught in the world, and growing every hour more entangled,
it befell that he sold his stuffs for ready money and made a good
profit thereby; of which the lady incontinent heard, not from him, but
from others, and Salabaetto being come one night to visit her, she
fell to prattling and wantoning with him, kissing and clipping him and
feigning herself so enamoured of him that it seemed she must die of
love in his arms. Moreover, she would fain have given him two very
fine hanaps of silver that she had; but he would not take them, for
that he had had of her, at one time and another, what was worth a good
thirty gold florins, without availing to have her take of him so much
as a groat's worth. At last, whenas she had well enkindled him by
showing herself so enamoured and freehanded, one of her slave-girls
called her, as she had ordained beforehand; whereupon she left the
chamber and coming back, after awhile, in tears cast herself face
downward on the bed and fell to making the woefullest lamentation ever
woman made. Salabaetto, marvelling at this, caught her in his arms and
fell a-weeping with her and saying, 'Alack, heart of my body, what
aileth thee thus suddenly? What is the cause of this grief? For God's
sake, tell it me, my soul.' The lady, after letting herself be long
entreated, answered, 'Woe's me, sweet my lord, I know not what to say
or to do; I have but now received letters from Messina and my brother
writeth me that, should I sell or pawn all that is here,[418] I must
without fail send him a thousand gold florins within eight days from
this time, else will his head be cut off; and I know not how I shall
do to get this sum so suddenly. Had I but fifteen days' grace, I would
find a means of procuring it from a certain quarter whence I am to
have much more, or I would sell one of our farms; but, as this may not
be, I had liefer be dead than that this ill news should have come to
me.'
[Footnote 418: Syn. that which belongeth to us (_ciò che ci è_,) _ci_,
as I have before noted, signifying both "here" and "us," dative and
accusative.]
So saying, she made a show of being sore afflicted and stinted not
from weeping; whereupon quoth Salabaetto, whom the flames of love had
bereft of great part of his wonted good sense, so that he believed
her tears to be true and her words truer yet, 'Madam, I cannot oblige
you with a thousand florins, but five hundred I can very well advance
you, since you believe you will be able to return them to me within a
fortnight from this time; and this is of your good fortune that I
chanced but yesterday to sell my stuffs; for, had it not been so, I
could not have lent you a groat.' 'Alack,' cried the lady, 'hast thou
then been straitened for lack of money? Marry, why didst thou not
require me thereof? Though I have not a thousand, I had an hundred and
even two hundred to give thee. Thou hast deprived me of all heart to
accept of thee the service thou profferest me.' Salabaetto was more
than ever taken with these words and said, 'Madam, I would not have
you refrain on that account, for, had I had such an occasion therefor
as you presently have, I would assuredly have asked you.' 'Alack,
Salabaetto mine,' replied the lady, 'now know I aright that thine is a
true and perfect love for me, since, without waiting to be required,
thou freely succoureth me, in such a strait, with so great a sum of
money. Certes, I was all thine without this, but with this I shall be
far more so; nor shall I ever forget that I owe thee my brother's
life. But God knoweth I take it sore unwillingly, seeing that thou art
a merchant and that with money merchants transact all their affairs;
however, since need constraineth me, and I have certain assurance of
speedily restoring it to thee, I will e'en take it; and for the rest,
an I find no readier means, I will pawn all these my possessions.' So
saying, she let herself fall, weeping, on Salabaetto's neck. He fell
to comforting her and after abiding the night with her, he, next
morning, to approve himself her most liberal servant, without waiting
to be asked by her, carried her five hundred right gold florins, which
she received with tears in her eyes, but laughter in her heart,
Salabaetto contenting himself with her simple promise.
As soon as the lady had the money, the signs began to change, and
whereas before he had free access to her whenassoever it pleased him,
reasons now began to crop up, whereby it betided him not to win
admission there once out of seven times, nor was he received with the
same countenance nor the same caresses and rejoicings as before. And
the term at which he was to have had his monies again being, not to
say come, but past by a month or two and he requiring them, words were
given him in payment. Thereupon his eyes were opened to the wicked
woman's arts and his own lack of wit, wherefore, feeling that he could
say nought of her beyond that which might please her concerning the
matter, since he had neither script nor other evidence thereof, and
being ashamed to complain to any, as well for that he had been
forewarned thereof as for fear of the scoffs which he might reasonably
expect for his folly, he was beyond measure woeful and inwardly
bewailed his credulity.
At last, having had divers letters from his masters, requiring him to
change[419] the monies in question and remit them to them, he
determined to depart, lest, an he did it not, his default should be
discovered there, and accordingly, going aboard a little ship, he
betook himself, not to Pisa, as he should have done, but to Naples.
There at that time was our gossip Pietro dello Canigiano, treasurer to
the Empress of Constantinople, a man of great understanding and subtle
wit and a fast friend of Salabaetto and his family; and to him, as to
a very discreet man, the disconsolate Florentine recounted that which
he had done and the mischance that had befallen him, requiring him of
aid and counsel, so he might contrive to gain his living there, and
avouching his intention nevermore to return to Florence. Canigiano was
concerned for this and said, 'Ill hast thou done and ill hast thou
carried thyself; thou hast disobeyed thy masters and hast, at one
cast, spent a great sum of money in wantonness; but, since it is done,
we must look for otherwhat.'[420] Accordingly, like a shrewd man as he
was, he speedily bethought himself what was to be done and told it to
Salabaetto, who was pleased with the device and set about putting it
in execution. He had some money and Canigiano having lent him other
some, he made up a number of bales well packed and corded; then,
buying a score of oil-casks and filling them, he embarked the whole
and returned to Palermo, where, having given the customhouse officers
the bill of lading and the value of the casks and let enter everything
to his account, he laid the whole up in the magazines, saying that he
meant not to touch them till such time as certain other merchandise
which he expected should be come.
[Footnote 419: _i.e._ procure bills of exchange for.]
[Footnote 420: _i.e._ we must see what is to be done.]
Biancofiore, getting wind of this and hearing that the merchandise he
had presently brought with him was worth good two thousand florins,
without reckoning what he looked for, which was valued at more than
three thousand, bethought herself that she had flown at too small game
and determined to restore him the five hundred florins, so she might
avail to have the greater part of the five thousand. Accordingly, she
sent for him and Salabaetto, grown cunning, went to her; whereupon,
making believe to know nothing of that which he had brought with him,
she received him with a great show of fondness and said to him,
'Harkye, if thou wast vexed with me, for that I repaid thee not thy
monies on the very day....' Salabaetto fell a-laughing and answered;
'In truth, madam, it did somewhat displease me, seeing I would have
torn out my very heart to give it you, an I thought to pleasure you
withal; but I will have you hear how I am vexed with you. Such and so
great is the love I bear you, that I have sold the most part of my
possessions and have presently brought hither merchandise to the value
of more than two thousand florins and expect from the westward as much
more as will be worth over three thousand, with which I mean to stock
me a warehouse in this city and take up my sojourn here, so I may
still be near you, meseeming I fare better of your love than ever
lover of his lady.'
'Look you, Salabaetto,' answered the lady, 'every commodity of thine
is mighty pleasing to me, as that of him whom I love more than my
life, and it pleaseth me amain that thou art returned hither with
intent to sojourn here, for that I hope yet to have good time galore
with thee; but I would fain excuse myself somedele to thee for that,
whenas thou wast about to depart, thou wouldst bytimes have come
hither and couldst not, and whiles thou camest and wast not so gladly
seen as thou wast used to be, more by token that I returned thee not
thy monies at the time promised. Thou must know that I was then in
very great concern and sore affliction, and whoso is in such case, how
much soever he may love another, cannot always show him so cheerful a
countenance or pay him such attention as he might wish. Moreover, thou
must know that it is mighty uneasy for a woman to avail to find a
thousand gold florins; all day long we are put off with lies and that
which is promised us is not performed unto us; wherefore needs must we
in our turn lie unto others. Hence cometh it, and not of my default,
that I gave thee not back thy monies. However, I had them a little
after thy departure, and had I known whither to send them, thou mayst
be assured that I would have remitted them to thee; but, not knowing
this, I kept them for thee.' Then, letting fetch a purse wherein were
the very monies he had brought her, she put it into his hand, saying,
'Count them if there be five hundred.' Never was Salabaetto so glad;
he counted them and finding them five hundred, put them up and said,
'Madam, I am assured that you say sooth; but you have done enough [to
convince me of your love for me,] and I tell you that, for this and
for the love I bear you, you could never require me, for any your
occasion, of whatsoever sum I might command, but I would oblige you
therewith; and whenas I am established here, you may put this to the
proof.'
Having again on this wise renewed his loves with her in words, he fell
again to using amically with her, whilst she made much of him and
showed him the greatest goodwill and honour in the world, feigning the
utmost love for him. But he, having a mind to return her cheat for
cheat, being one day sent for by her to sup and sleep with her, went
thither so chapfallen and so woebegone that it seemed as he would die.
Biancofiore, embracing him and kissing him, began to question him of
what ailed him to be thus melancholy, and he, after letting himself be
importuned a good while, answered, 'I am a ruined man, for that the
ship, wherein is the merchandise I expected, hath been taken by the
corsairs of Monaco and held to ransom in ten thousand gold florins,
whereof it falleth to me to pay a thousand, and I have not a farthing,
for that the five hundred pieces thou returnedst to me I sent
incontinent to Naples to lay out in cloths to be brought hither; and
should I go about at this present to sell the merchandise I have here,
I should scarce get a penny for two pennyworth, for that it is no time
for selling. Nor am I yet so well known that I could find any here to
help me to this, wherefore I know not what to do or to say; for, if I