The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
honour that himself or others had done her; but, a little after,
having in general terms told her that his vassals could not brook this
girl that had been born of her, he sent to her a serving-man of his,
whom he had lessoned and who said to her with a very woeful
countenance, 'Madam, an I would not die, needs must I do that which my
lord commandeth me. He hath bidden me take this your daughter and....'
And said no more. The lady, hearing this and seeing the servant's
aspect and remembering her of her husband's words, concluded that he
had enjoined him put the child to death; whereupon, without changing
countenance, albeit she felt a sore anguish at heart, she straightway
took her from the cradle and having kissed and blessed her, laid her
in the servant's arms, saying, 'Take her and punctually do that which
thy lord hath enjoined thee; but leave her not to be devoured of the
beasts and the birds, except he command it thee.' The servant took the
child and reported that which the lady had said to Gualtieri, who
marvelled at her constancy and despatched him with the child to a
kinswoman of his at Bologna, praying her to bring her up and rear her
diligently, without ever saying whose daughter she was.
[Footnote 480: Or "strange" (_nuovo_); see ante, passim.]
[Footnote 481: _i.e._ his vassals.]
In course of time the lady again conceived and in due season bore a
male child, to her husband's great joy; but, that which he had already
done sufficing him not, he addressed himself to probe her to the quick
with a yet sorer stroke and accordingly said to her one day with a
troubled air, 'Wife, since thou hast borne this male child, I have
nowise been able to live in peace with these my people, so sore do
they murmur that a grandson of Giannucolo should become their lord
after me; wherefore I misdoubt me, an I would not be driven forth of
my domains, it will behove me do in this case that which I did
otherwhen and ultimately put thee away and take another wife.' The
lady gave ear to him with a patient mind nor answered otherwhat then,
'My lord, study to content thyself and to satisfy thy pleasure and
have no thought of me, for that nothing is dear to me save in so much
as I see it please thee.' Not many days after, Gualtieri sent for the
son, even as he had sent for the daughter, and making a like show of
having him put to death, despatched him to Bologna, there to be
brought up, even as he had done with the girl; but the lady made no
other countenance nor other words thereof than she had done of the
girl; whereat Gualtieri marvelled sore and affirmed in himself that no
other woman could have availed to do this that she did; and had he not
seen her tender her children with the utmost fondness, what while it
pleased him, he had believed that she did this because she recked no
more of them; whereas in effect he knew that she did it of her
discretion. His vassals, believing that he had caused put the children
to death, blamed him sore, accounting him a barbarous man, and had the
utmost compassion of his wife, who never answered otherwhat to the
ladies who condoled with her for her children thus slain, than that
that which pleased him thereof who had begotten them, pleased her
also.
At last, several years being passed since the birth of the girl,
Gualtieri, deeming it time to make the supreme trial of her endurance,
declared, in the presence of his people, that he could no longer
endure to have Griselda to wife and that he perceived that he had done
ill and boyishly in taking her, wherefore he purposed, as far as in
him lay, to make interest with the Pope to grant him a dispensation,
so he might put her away and take another wife. For this he was
roundly taken to task by many men of worth, but answered them nothing
save that needs must it be so. The lady, hearing these things and
herseeming she must look to return to her father's house and maybe
tend sheep again as she had done aforetime, what while she saw another
woman in possession of him to whom she willed all her weal, sorrowed
sore in herself; but yet, even as she had borne the other affronts of
fortune, so with a firm countenance she addressed herself to bear this
also. Gualtieri no great while after let come to him from Rome
counterfeit letters of dispensation and gave his vassals to believe
that the Pope had thereby licensed him to take another wife and leave
Griselda; then, sending for the latter, he said to her, in presence of
many, 'Wife, by concession made me of the Pope, I am free to take
another wife and put thee away, and accordingly, for that mine
ancestors have been great gentlemen and lords of this country, whilst
thine have still been husbandmen, I mean that thou be no more my wife,
but that thou return to Giannucolo his house with the dowry which thou
broughtest me, and I will after bring hither another wife, for that I
have found one more sorted to myself.'
The lady, hearing this, contained her tears, contrary to the nature of
woman, though not without great unease, and answered, 'My lord, I ever
knew my mean estate to be nowise sortable with your nobility, and for
that which I have been with you I have still confessed myself indebted
to you and to God, nor have I ever made nor held it mine, as given to
me, but have still accounted it but as a loan. It pleaseth you to
require it again and it must and doth please me to restore it to you.
Here is your ring wherewith you espoused me; take it. You bid me carry
away with me that dowry which I brought hither, which to do you will
need no paymaster and I neither purse nor packhorse, for I have not
forgotten that you had me naked, and if you account it seemly that
this my body, wherein I have carried children begotten of you, be seen
of all, I will begone naked; but I pray you, in requital of my
maidenhead, which I brought hither and bear not hence with me, that it
please you I may carry away at the least one sole shift over and above
my dowry.' Gualtieri, who had more mind to weep than to otherwhat,
natheless kept a stern countenance and said, 'So be it; carry away a
shift.' As many as stood around besought him to give her a gown, so
that she who had been thirteen years and more his wife should not be
seen go forth of his house on such mean and shameful wise as it was to
depart in her shift; but their prayers all went for nothing; wherefore
the lady, having commended them to God, went forth his house in her
shift, barefoot and nothing on her head, and returned to her father,
followed by the tears and lamentations of all who saw her. Giannucolo,
who had never been able to believe it true that Gualtieri should
entertain his daughter to wife and went in daily expectation of this
event, had kept her the clothes which she had put off the morning that
Gualtieri had married her and now brought them to her; whereupon she
donned them and addressed herself, as she had been wont to do, to the
little offices of her father's house, enduring the cruel onslaught of
hostile fortune with a stout heart.
Gualtieri, having done this, gave out to his people that he had chosen
a daughter of one of the Counts of Panago and letting make great
preparations for the nuptials, sent for Griselda to come to him and
said to her, 'I am about to bring home this lady, whom I have newly
taken to wife, and mean, at this her first coming, to do her honour.
Thou knowest I have no women about me who know how to array me the
rooms nor to do a multitude of things that behove unto such a
festival; wherefore do thou, who art better versed than any else in
these household matters, order that which is to do here and let bid
such ladies as it seemeth good to thee and receive them as thou wert
mistress here; then, when the nuptials are ended, thou mayst begone
back to thy house.' Albeit these words were all daggers to Griselda's
heart, who had been unable to lay down the love she bore him as she
had laid down her fair fortune, she replied, 'My lord, I am ready and
willing.' Then, in her coarse homespun clothes, entering the house,
whence she had a little before departed in her shift, she fell to
sweeping and ordering the chambers and letting place hangings and
cover-cloths about the saloons and make ready the viands, putting her
hand to everything, as she were some paltry serving-wench of the
house, nor ever gave over till she had arrayed and ordered everything
as it behoved. Thereafter, having let invite all the ladies of the
country on Gualtieri's part, she awaited the day of the festival,
which being come, with a cheerful countenance and the spirit and
bearing of a lady of high degree, for all she had mean clothes on her
back, she received all the ladies who came thither.
Meanwhile, Gualtieri, who had caused the two children be diligently
reared in Bologna by his kinswoman, (who was married to a gentleman of
the Panago family,) the girl being now twelve years old and the
fairest creature that ever was seen and the boy six, had sent to his
kinsman[482] at Bologna, praying him be pleased to come to Saluzzo
with his son and daughter and take order to bring with him a goodly
and honourable company and bidding him tell every one that he was
carrying him the young lady to his wife, without otherwise discovering
to any aught of who she was. The gentleman did as the marquess prayed
him and setting out, with the girl and boy and a goodly company of
gentlefolk, after some days' journey, arrived, about dinner-time, at
Saluzzo, where he found all the countryfolk and many others of the
neighbourhood awaiting Gualtieri's new bride. The latter, being
received by the ladies and come into the saloon where the tables were
laid, Griselda came to meet her, clad as she was, and accosted her
blithely, saying, 'Welcome and fair welcome to my lady.' Thereupon the
ladies (who had urgently, but in vain, besought Gualtieri to suffer
Griselda to abide in a chamber or lend her one of the gowns that had
been hers, so that she might not go thus before his guests) were
seated at table and it was proceeded to serve them. The girl was eyed
by every one and all declared that Gualtieri had made a good exchange;
and among the rest Griselda commended her amain, both her and her
young brother.
[Footnote 482: _i.e._ the husband of his kinswoman aforesaid.]
Gualtieri perceiving that the strangeness of the case in no wise
changed her and being assured that this proceeded not from lack of
understanding, for that he knew her to be very quick of wit, himseemed
he had now seen fully as much as he desired of his lady's patience and
he judged it time to deliver her from the bitterness which he doubted
not she kept hidden under her constant countenance; wherefore, calling
her to himself, he said to her, smiling, in the presence of every one,
'How deemest thou of our bride?' 'My lord,' answered she, 'I deem
exceeding well of her, and if, as I believe, she is as discreet as she
is fair, I doubt not a whit but you will live the happiest gentleman
in the world with her; but I beseech you, as most I may, that you
inflict not on her those pangs which you inflicted whilere on her who
was sometime yours; for methinketh she might scarce avail to endure
them, both because she is younger and because she hath been delicately
reared, whereas the other had been in continual fatigues from a little
child.' Thereupon, Gualtieri, seeing she firmly believed that the
young lady was to be his wife nor therefore spoke anywise less than
well, seated her by his side and said to her, 'Griselda, it is now
time that thou reap the fruits of thy long patience and that those who
have reputed me cruel and unjust and brutish should know that this
which I have done I wrought to an end aforeseen, willing to teach thee
to be a wife and to show them how to take and use one and at the same