The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
casement to the ground and dying, is buried with her lover_ 232
THE TENTH STORY. _A physician's wife putteth her lover for dead in a
chest, which two usurers carry off to their own house, gallant and
all. The latter, who is but drugged, cometh presently to himself and
being discovered, is taken for a thief; but the lady's maid avoucheth
to the seignory that she herself had put him into the chest stolen by
the two usurers, whereby he escapeth the gallows and the thieves are
amerced in certain monies_ 235
DAY THE FIFTH 243
THE FIRST STORY. _Cimon, loving, waxeth wise and carrieth off to sea
Iphigenia his mistress. Being cast into prison at Rhodes, he is
delivered thence by Lysimachus and in concert with him carrieth off
Iphigenia and Cassandra on their wedding-day, with whom the twain flee
into Crete, where the two ladies become their wives and whence they
are presently all four recalled home_ 244
THE SECOND STORY. _Costanza loveth Martuccio Gomito and hearing that
he is dead, embarketh for despair alone in a boat, which is carried by
the wind to Susa. Finding her lover alive at Tunis, she discovereth
herself to him and he, being great in favour with the king for
counsels given, espouseth her and returneth rich with her to Lipari_
252
THE THIRD STORY. _Pietro Boccamazza, fleeing with Agnolella, falleth
among thieves; the girl escapeth through a wood and is led [by
fortune] to a castle, whilst Pietro is taken by the thieves, but
presently, escaping from their hands, winneth, after divers
adventures, to the castle where his mistress is and espousing her,
returneth with her to Rome_ 256
THE FOURTH STORY. _Ricciardo Manardi, being found by Messer Lizio da
Valbona with his daughter, espouseth her and abideth in peace with her
father_ 261
THE FIFTH STORY. _Guidotto da Cremona leaveth to Giacomino da Pavia a
daughter of his and dieth. Giannole di Severino and Minghino di
Mingole fall in love with the girl at Faenza and come to blows on her
account. Ultimately she is proved to be Giannole's sister and is given
to Minghino to wife_ 265
THE SIXTH STORY. _Gianni di Procida being found with a young lady,
whom he loved and who had been given to King Frederick of Sicily, is
bound with her to a stake to be burnt; but, being recognized by
Ruggieri dell' Oria, escapeth and becometh her husband_ 269
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Teodoro, being enamoured of Violante, daughter of
Messer Amerigo his lord, getteth her with child and is condemned to be
hanged; but, being recognized and delivered by his father, as they are
leading him to the gallows, scourging him the while, he taketh
Violante to wife_ 273
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Nastagio degli Onesti, falling in love with a lady
of the Traversari family, spendeth his substance, without being
beloved in return, and betaking himself, at the instance of his
kinsfolk, to Chiassi, he there seeth a horseman give chase to a damsel
and slay her and cause her to be devoured of two dogs. Therewithal he
biddeth his kinsfolk and the lady whom he loveth to a dinner, where
his mistress seeth the same damsel torn in pieces and fearing a like
fate, taketh Nastagio to husband_ 278
THE NINTH STORY. _Federigo degli Alberighi loveth and is not loved. He
wasteth his substance in prodigal hospitality till there is left him
but one sole falcon, which, having nought else, he giveth his mistress
to eat, on her coming to his house; and she, learning this, changeth
her mind and taking him to husband, maketh him rich again_ 282
THE TENTH STORY. _Pietro di Vinciolo goeth to sup abroad, whereupon
his wife letteth fetch her a youth to keep her company, and her
husband returning, unlooked for, she hideth her gallant under a
hen-coop. Pietro telleth her how there had been found in the house of
one Arcolano, with whom he was to have supped, a young man brought in
by his wife, and she blameth the latter. Presently, an ass, by
mischance, setteth foot on the fingers of him who is under the coop
and he roareth out, whereupon Pietro runneth thither and espying him,
discovereth his wife's unfaith, but ultimately cometh to an accord
with her for his own lewd ends_ 286
DAY THE SIXTH 294
THE FIRST STORY. _A gentleman engageth to Madam Oretta to carry her
a-horseback with a story, but, telling it disorderly, is prayed by her
to set her down again_ 296
THE SECOND STORY. _Cisti the baker with a word of his fashion maketh
Messer Geri Spina sensible of an indiscreet request of his_ 297
THE THIRD STORY. _Madam Nonna de' Pulci, with a ready retort to a not
altogether seemly pleasantry, imposeth silence on the Bishop of
Florence_ 299
THE FOURTH STORY. _Chichibio, cook to Currado Gianfigliazzi, with a
ready word spoken to save himself, turneth his master's anger into
laughter and escapeth the punishment threatened him by the latter_ 301
THE FIFTH STORY. _Messer Forese da Rabatta and Master Giotto the
painter coming from Mugello, each jestingly rallieth the other on his
scurvy favour_ 303
THE SIXTH STORY. _Michele Scalza proveth to certain young men that the
cadgers of Florence are the best gentlemen of the world or the Maremma
and winneth a supper_ 304
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Madam Filippa, being found by her husband with a
lover of hers and brought to justice, delivereth herself with a prompt
and pleasant answer and causeth modify the statute_ 306
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Fresco exhorteth his niece not to mirror herself in
the glass if, as she saith, it irketh her to see disagreeable folk_
308
THE NINTH STORY. _Guido Cavalcanti with a pithy speech courteously
flouteth certain Florentine gentlemen who had taken him by surprise_
309
THE TENTH STORY. _Fra Cipolla promiseth certain country folk to show
them one of the angel Gabriel's feathers and finding coals in place
thereof, avoucheth these latter to be of those which roasted St.
Lawrence_ 311
DAY THE SEVENTH 322
THE FIRST STORY. _Gianni Lotteringhi heareth knock at his door by
night and awakeneth his wife, who giveth him to believe that it is a
phantom; whereupon they go to exorcise it with a certain orison and
the knocking ceaseth_ 323
THE SECOND STORY. _Peronella hideth a lover of hers in a vat, upon her
husband's unlooked for return, and hearing from the latter that he
hath sold the vat, avoucheth herself to have sold it to one who is
presently therewithin, to see if it be sound; whereupon the gallant,
jumping out of the vat, causeth the husband scrape it out for him and
after carry it home to his house_ 326
THE THIRD STORY. _Fra Rinaldo lieth with his gossip and being found of
her husband closeted with her in her chamber, they give him to believe
that he was in act to conjure worms from his godson_ 329
THE FOURTH STORY. _Tofano one night shutteth his wife out of doors,
who, availing not to re-enter by dint of entreaties, feigneth to cast
herself into a well and casteth therein a great stone. Tofano cometh
forth of the house and runneth thither, whereupon she slippeth in and
locking him out, bawleth reproaches at him from the window_ 333
THE FIFTH STORY. _A jealous husband, in the guise of a priest,
confesseth his wife, who giveth him to believe that she loveth a
priest, who cometh to her every night; and whilst the husband secretly
keepeth watch at the door for the latter, the lady bringeth in a lover
of hers by the roof and lieth with him_ 336
THE SIXTH STORY. _Madam Isabella, being in company with Leonetto her
lover, is visited by one Messer Lambertuccio, of whom she is beloved;
her husband returning, [unexpected,] she sendeth Lambertuccio forth of
the house, whinger in hand, and the husband after escorteth Leonetto
home_ 341
THE SEVENTH STORY. _Lodovico discovereth to Madam Beatrice the love he
beareth her, whereupon she sendeth Egano her husband into the garden,
in her own favour, and lieth meanwhile with Lodovico, who, presently
arising, goeth and cudgelleth Egano in the garden_ 344
THE EIGHTH STORY. _A man waxeth jealous of his wife, who bindeth a
piece of packthread to her great toe anights, so she may have notice
of her lover's coming. One night her husband becometh aware of this
device and what while he pursueth the lover, the lady putteth another
woman to bed in her room. This latter the husband beateth and cutteth
off her hair, then fetcheth his wife's brothers, who, finding his
story [seemingly] untrue, give him hard words_ 348
THE NINTH STORY. _Lydia, wife of Nicostratus, loveth Pyrrhus, who, so
he may believe it, requireth of her three things, all which she doth.
Moreover, she solaceth herself with him in the presence of Nicostratus
and maketh the latter believe that that which he hath seen is not
real_ 353
THE TENTH STORY. _Two Siennese love a lady, who is gossip to one of
them; the latter dieth and returning to his companion, according to
premise made him, relateth to him how folk fare in the other world_
360
DAY THE EIGHTH 365
THE FIRST STORY. _Gulfardo borroweth of Guasparruolo certain monies,
for which he hath agreed with his wife that he shall lie with her, and
accordingly giveth them to her; then, in her presence, he telleth
Guasparruolo that he gave them to her, and she confesseth it to be
true_ 365
THE SECOND STORY. _The parish priest of Varlungo lieth with Mistress
Belcolore and leaveth her a cloak of his in pledge; then, borrowing a
mortar of her, he sendeth it back to her, demanding in return the
cloak left by way of token, which the good woman grudgingly giveth him
back_ 367
THE THIRD STORY. _Calandrino, Bruno and Buffalmacco go coasting along
the Mugnone in search of the heliotrope and Calandrino thinketh to
have found it. Accordingly he returneth home, laden with stones, and
his wife chideth him; whereupon, flying out into a rage, he beateth
her and recounteth to his companions that which they know better than
he_ 371
THE FOURTH STORY. _The rector of Fiesole loveth a widow lady, but is
not loved by her and thinking to lie with her, lieth with a
serving-wench of hers, whilst the lady's brothers cause the bishop
find him in this case_ 377
THE FIFTH STORY. _Three young men pull the breeches off a Marchegan
judge in Florence, what while he is on the bench, administering
justice_ 380
THE SIXTH STORY. _Bruno and Buffalmacco, having stolen a pig from
Calandrino, make him try the ordeal with ginger boluses and sack and
give him (instead of the ginger) two dogballs compounded with aloes,
whereby it appeareth that he himself hath had the pig and they make
him pay blackmail, and he would not have them tell his wife_ 383
THE SEVENTH STORY. _A scholar loveth a widow lady, who, being
enamoured of another, causeth him spend one winter's night in the snow
awaiting her, and he after contriveth, by his sleight, to have her
abide naked, all one mid-July day, on the summit of a tower, exposed
to flies and gads and sun_ 387
THE EIGHTH STORY. _Two men consorting together, one lieth with the
wife of his comrade, who, becoming aware thereof, doth with her on
such wise that the other is shut up in a chest, upon which he lieth
with his wife, he being inside the while_ 403
THE NINTH STORY. _Master Simone the physician, having been induced by
Bruno and Buffalmacco to repair to a certain place by night, there to
be made a member of a company, that goeth a-roving, is cast by
Buffalmacco into a trench full of ordure and there left_ 406
THE TENTH STORY. _A certain woman of Sicily artfully despoileth a
merchant of that which he had brought to Palermo; but he, making
believe to have returned thither with much greater plenty of
merchandise than before, borroweth money of her and leaveth her water
and tow in payment_ 418
DAY THE NINTH 427
THE FIRST STORY. _Madam Francesca, being courted of one Rinuccio
Palermini and one Alessandro Chiarmontesi and loving neither the one