The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Fortarrigo still stood to it, as it were not spoken to him and said,
'Ecod, why wilt thou not better me these three shillings? Thinkest
thou I shall not be able to oblige thee therewith another time?
Prithee, do it, an thou have any regard for me. Why all this haste? We
shall yet reach Torrenieri betimes this evening. Come, find the purse;
thou knowest I might ransack all Siena and not find a doublet to suit
me so well as this; and to think I should let yonder fellow have it
for eight-and-thirty shillings! It is worth yet forty shillings or
more, so that thou wouldst worsen me in two ways.'[430]
[Footnote 430: _i.e._ do me a double injury.]
Angiolieri, beyond measure exasperated to see himself first robbed and
now held in parley after this fashion, made him no further answer,
but, turning his palfrey's head, took the road to Torrenieri, whilst
Fortarrigo, bethinking himself of a subtle piece of knavery, proceeded
to trot after him in his shirt good two miles, still requiring him of
his doublet. Presently, Angiolieri pricking on amain, to rid his ears
of the annoy, Fortarrigo espied some husbandmen in a field, adjoining
the highway in advance of him, and cried out to them, saying, 'Stop
him, stop him!' Accordingly, they ran up, some with spades and others
with mattocks, and presenting themselves in the road before
Angiolieri, concluding that he had robbed him who came crying after
him in his shirt, stopped and took him. It availed him little to tell
them who he was and how the case stood, and Fortarrigo, coming up,
said with an angry air, 'I know not what hindereth me from slaying
thee, disloyal thief that thou wast to make off with my gear!' Then,
turning to the countrymen, 'See, gentlemen,' quoth he, 'in what a
plight he left me at the inn, having first gamed away all his own! I
may well say by God and by you have I gotten back this much, and
thereof I shall still be beholden to you.'
Angiolieri told them his own story, but his words were not heeded;
nay, Fortarrigo, with the aid of the countrymen, pulled him off his
palfrey and stripping him, clad himself in his clothes; then, mounting
to horse, he left him in his shirt and barefoot and returned to Siena,
avouching everywhere that he had won the horse and clothes of
Angiolieri, whilst the latter, who had thought to go, as a rich man,
to the cardinal in the Marches, returned to Buonconvento, poor and in
his shirt, nor dared for shamefastness go straight back to Siena, but,
some clothes being lent him, he mounted the rouncey that Fortarrigo
had ridden and betook himself to his kinsfolk at Corsignano, with whom
he abode till such time as he was furnished anew by his father. On
this wise Fortarrigo's knavery baffled Angiolieri's fair
advisement,[431] albeit his villainy was not left by the latter
unpunished in due time and place."
[Footnote 431: Syn. goodly design of foresight (_buono avviso_).]
THE FIFTH STORY
[Day the Ninth]
CALANDRINO FALLETH IN LOVE WITH A WENCH AND BRUNO WRITETH
HIM A TALISMAN, WHEREWITH WHEN HE TOUCHETH HER, SHE GOETH
WITH HIM; AND HIS WIFE FINDING THEM TOGETHER, THERE BETIDETH
HIM GRIEVOUS TROUBLE AND ANNOY
Neifile's short story being finished and the company having passed it
over without overmuch talk or laughter, the queen turned to Fiammetta
and bade her follow on, to which she replied all blithely that she
would well and began, "Gentlest ladies, there is, as methinketh you
may know, nothing, how much soever it may have been talked thereof,
but will still please, provided whoso is minded to speak of it know
duly to choose the time and the place that befit it. Wherefore, having
regard to our intent in being here (for that we are here to make merry
and divert ourselves and not for otherwhat), meseemeth that everything
which may afford mirth and pleasance hath here both due place and due
time; and albeit it may have been a thousand times discoursed thereof,
it should natheless be none the less pleasing, though one speak of it
as much again. Wherefore, notwithstanding it hath been many times
spoken among us of the sayings and doings of Calandrino, I will make
bold, considering, as Filostrato said awhile ago, that these are all
diverting, to tell you yet another story thereof, wherein were I
minded to swerve from the fact, I had very well known to disguise and
recount it under other names; but, for that, in the telling of a
story, to depart from the truth of things betided detracteth greatly
from the listener's pleasure, I will e'en tell it you in its true
shape, moved by the reason aforesaid.
Niccolo Cornacchini was a townsman of ours and a rich man and had,
among his other possessions, a fine estate at Camerata, whereon he let
build a magnificent mansion and agreed with Bruno and Buffalmacco to
paint it all for him; and they, for that the work was great, joined to
themselves Nello and Calandrino and fell to work. Thither, for that
there was none of the family in the house, although there were one or
two chambers furnished with beds and other things needful and an old
serving-woman abode there, as guardian of the place, a son of the said
Niccolo, by name Filippo, being young and without a wife, was wont
bytimes to bring some wench or other for his diversion and keep her
there a day or two and after send her away. It chanced once, among
other times, that he brought thither one called Niccolosa, whom a lewd
fellow, by name Mangione, kept at his disposal in a house at Camaldoli
and let out on hire. She was a woman of a fine person and well clad
and for her kind well enough mannered and spoken.
One day at noontide, she having come forth her chamber in a white
petticoat, with her hair twisted about her head, and being in act to
wash her hands and face at a well that was in the courtyard of the
mansion, it chanced that Calandrino came thither for water and saluted
her familiarly. She returned him his greeting and fell to eying him,
more because he seemed to her an odd sort of fellow than for any fancy
she had for him; whereupon he likewise fell a-considering her and
himseeming she was handsome, he began to find his occasions for
abiding there and returned not to his comrades with the water, but,
knowing her not, dared not say aught to her. She, who had noted his
looking, glanced at him from time to time, to make game of him,
heaving some small matter of sighs the while; wherefore Calandrino
fell suddenly over head and ears in love with her and left not the
courtyard till she was recalled by Filippo into the chamber.
Therewithal he returned to work, but did nought but sigh, which Bruno,
who had still an eye to his doings, for that he took great delight in
his fashions, remarking, 'What a devil aileth thee, friend
Calandrino?' quoth he. 'Thou dost nought but sigh.' 'Comrade,'
answered Calandrino, 'had I but some one to help me, I should fare
well.' 'How so?' enquired Bruno; and Calandrino replied, 'It must not
be told to any; but there is a lass down yonder, fairer than a fairy,
who hath fallen so mightily in love with me that 'twould seem to thee
a grave matter. I noted it but now, whenas I went for the water.'
'Ecod,' cried Bruno, 'look she be not Filippo's wife.' Quoth
Calandrino, 'Methinketh it is she, for that he called her and she went
to him in the chamber; but what of that? In matters of this kind I
would jockey Christ himself, let alone Filippo; and to tell thee the
truth, comrade, she pleaseth me more than I can tell thee.' 'Comrade,'
answered Bruno, 'I will spy thee out who she is, and if she be
Filippo's wife, I will order thine affairs for thee in a brace of
words, for she is a great friend of mine. But how shall we do, so
Buffalmacco may not know? I can never get a word with her, but he is
with me.' Quoth Calandrino, 'Of Buffalmacco I reck not; but we must
beware of Nello, for that he is Tessa's kinsman and would mar us
everything.' And Bruno said, 'True.'
Now he knew very well who the wench was, for that he had seen her come
and moreover Filippo had told him. Accordingly, Calandrino having left
work awhile and gone to get a sight of her, Bruno told Nello and
Buffalmacco everything and they took order together in secret what
they should do with him in the matter of this his enamourment. When he
came back, Bruno said to him softly, 'Hast seen her?' 'Alack, yes,'
replied Calandrino; 'she hath slain me.' Quoth Bruno, 'I must go see
an it be she I suppose; and if it be so, leave me do.' Accordingly, he
went down into the courtyard and finding Filippo and Niccolosa there,
told them precisely what manner of man Calandrino was and took order
with them of that which each of them should do and say, so they might
divert themselves with the lovesick gull and make merry over his
passion. Then, returning to Calandrino, he said, 'It is indeed she;
wherefore needs must the thing be very discreetly managed, for, should
Filippo get wind of it, all the water in the Arno would not wash us.
But what wouldst thou have me say to her on thy part, if I should
chance to get speech of her?' 'Faith,' answered Calandrino, 'thou
shalt tell her, to begin with, that I will her a thousand measures of
that good stuff that getteth with child, and after, that I am her
servant and if she would have aught.... Thou takest me?' 'Ay,' said
Bruno, 'leave me do.'
Presently, supper-time being come, the painters left work and went
down into the courtyard, where they found Filippo and Niccolosa and
tarried there awhile, to oblige Calandrino. The latter fell to ogling
Niccolosa and making the oddest grimaces in the world, such and so
many that a blind man would have remarked them. She on her side did
everything that she thought apt to inflame him, and Filippo, in
accordance with the instructions he had of Bruno, made believe to talk
with Buffalmacco and the others and to have no heed of this, whilst
taking the utmost diversion in Calandrino's fashions. However, after a
while, to the latter's exceeding chagrin, they took their leave and as
they returned to Florence, Bruno said to Calandrino, 'I can tell thee
thou makest her melt like ice in the sun. Cock's body, wert thou to
fetch thy rebeck and warble thereto some of those amorous ditties of
thine, thou wouldst cause her cast herself out of window to come to
thee.' Quoth Calandrino, 'Deemest thou, gossip? Deemest thou I should
do well to fetch it?' 'Ay, do I,' answered Bruno; and Calandrino went
on, 'Thou wouldst not credit me this morning, whenas I told it thee;
but, for certain, gossip, methinketh I know better than any man alive
to do what I will. Who, other than I, had known to make such a lady so
quickly in love with me? Not your trumpeting young braggarts,[432] I
warrant you, who are up and down all day long and could not make
shift, in a thousand years, to get together three handsful of cherry
stones. I would fain have thee see me with the rebeck; 'twould be fine
sport for thee. I will have thee to understand once for all that I am
no dotard, as thou deemest me, and this she hath right well perceived,
she; but I will make her feel it othergates fashion, so once I get my
claw into her back; by the very body of Christ, I will lead her such a
dance that she will run after me, as the madwoman after her child.'
'Ay,' rejoined Bruno, 'I warrant me thou wilt rummage her; methinketh
I see thee, with those teeth of thine that were made for virginal
jacks,[433] bite that little vermeil mouth of hers and those her
cheeks, that show like two roses, and after eat her all up.'
[Footnote 432: _Giovani di tromba marina._ The sense seems as above;
the commentators say that _giovani di tromba marina_ is a name given
to those youths who go trumpeting about everywhere the favours
accorded them by women; but the _tromba marina_ is a _stringed_ (not a