The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
great difficulty into the little harbour, to avoid that from which
himself had fled. The newcomers espied the little ship and hearing
that it pertained to Landolfo, whom they already knew by report to be
very rich, blocked against it the way by which it might depart and
addressed themselves, like men by nature rapacious and greedy of
gain,[92] to make prize of it. Accordingly, they landed part of their
men well harnessed and armed with crossbows and posted them on such
wise that none might come down from the bark, an he would not be shot;
whilst the rest, warping themselves in with small boats and aided by
the current, laid Landolfo's little ship aboard and took it out of
hand, crew and all, without missing a man. Landolfo they carried
aboard one of the carracks, leaving him but a sorry doublet; then,
taking everything out of the ship, they scuttled her.
[Footnote 92: The Genoese have the reputation in Italy of being
thieves by nature.]
On the morrow, the wind having shifted, the carracks made sail
westward and fared on their voyage prosperously all that day; but
towards evening there arose a tempestuous wind which made the waves
run mountains high and parted the two carracks one from the other.
Moreover, from stress of wind it befell that that wherein was the
wretched and unfortunate Landolfo smote with great violence upon a
shoal over against the island of Cephalonia and parting amidships,
broke all in sunder no otherwise than a glass dashed against a wall.
The sea was in a moment all full of bales of merchandise and chests
and planks, that floated on the surface, as is wont to happen in such
cases, and the poor wretches on board, swimming, those who knew how,
albeit it was a very dark night and the sea was exceeding great and
swollen, fell to laying hold of such things as came within their
reach. Among the rest the unfortunate Landolfo, albeit many a time
that day he had called for death, (choosing rather to die than return
home poor as he found himself,) seeing it near at hand, was fearful
thereof and like the others, laid hold of a plank that came to his
hand, so haply, an he put off drowning awhile, God might send him
some means of escape.
Bestriding this, he kept himself afloat as best he might, driven
hither and thither of the sea and the wind, till daylight, when he
looked about him and saw nothing but clouds and sea and a chest
floating on the waves, which bytimes, to his sore affright, drew nigh
unto him, for that he feared lest peradventure it should dash against
him on such wise as to do him a mischief; wherefore, as often as it
came near him, he put it away from him as best he might with his hand,
albeit he had little strength thereof. But presently there issued a
sudden flaw of wind out of the air and falling on the sea, smote upon
the chest and drove it with such violence against Landolfo's plank
that the latter was overset and he himself perforce went under water.
However, he struck out and rising to the surface, aided more by fear
than by strength, saw the plank far removed from him, wherefore,
fearing he might be unable to reach it again, he made for the chest,
which was pretty near him, and laying himself flat with his breast on
the lid thereof, guided it with his arms as best he might.[93]
[Footnote 93: It seems doubtful whether _la reggeva diritta_ should
not rather be rendered "kept it upright." Boccaccio has a knack, very
trying to the translator, of constantly using words in an obscure or
strained sense.]
On this wise, tossed about by the sea now hither and now thither,
without eating, as one indeed who had not the wherewithal, but
drinking more than he could have wished, he abode all that day and the
ensuing night, unknowing where he was and descrying nought but sea;
but, on the following day, whether it was God's pleasure or stress of
wind that wrought it, he came, grown well nigh a sponge and clinging
fast with both hands to the marges of the chest, even as we see those
do who are like to drown, to the coast of the island of Corfu, where a
poor woman chanced to be scouring her pots and pans and making them
bright with sand and salt water. Seeing Landolfo draw near and
discerning in him no [human] shape, she drew back, affrighted and
crying out. He could not speak and scarce saw, wherefore he said
nothing; but presently, the sea carrying him landward, the woman
descried the shape of the chest and looking straitlier, perceived
first the arms outspread upon it and then the face and guessed it for
that which it was.
Accordingly, moved with compassion, she entered somedele into the sea,
which was now calm, and seizing Landolfo by the hair, dragged him
ashore, chest and all. There having with difficulty unclasped his
hands from the chest, she set the latter on the head of a young
daughter of hers, who was with her, and carried him off, as he were a
little child, to her hut, where she put him in a bagnio and so chafed
and bathed him with warm water that the strayed heat returned to him,
together with somewhat of his lost strength. Then, taking him up out
of the bath, whenas it seemed good to her, she comforted him with
somewhat of good wine and confections and tended him some days, as
best she might, till he had recovered his strength and knew where he
was, when she judged it time to restore him his chest, which she had
kept safe for him, and to tell him that he might now prosecute his
fortune.
Landolfo, who had no recollection of the chest, yet took it, when the
good woman presented it to him, thinking it could not be so little
worth but that it might defray his expenses for some days, but,
finding it very light, was sore abated of his hopes. Nevertheless,
what while his hostess was abroad, he broke it open, to see what it
contained, and found therein store of precious stones, both set and
unset. He had some knowledge of these matters and seeing them, knew
them to be of great value; wherefore he praised God, who had not yet
forsaken him, and was altogether comforted. However, as one who had in
brief space been twice cruelly baffled by fortune, fearing a third
misadventure, he bethought himself that it behoved him use great
wariness and he would bring those things home; wherefore, wrapping
them, as best he might, in some rags, he told the good woman that he
had no more occasion for the chest, but that, an it pleased her, she
should give him a bag and take the chest herself. This she willingly
did and he, having rendered her the best thanks in his power for the
kindness received from her, shouldered his bag and going aboard a
bark, passed over to Brindisi and thence made his way, along the
coast, to Trani.
Here he found certain townsmen of his, who were drapers and clad him
for the love of God,[94] after he had related to them all his
adventures, except that of the chest; nay more, they lent him a horse
and sent him, under escort, to Ravello, whither he said he would fain
return. There, deeming himself in safety and thanking God who had
conducted him thither, he opened his bag and examining everything more
diligently than he had yet done, found he had so many and such stones
that, supposing he sold them at a fair price or even less, he was
twice as rich again as when he departed thence. Then, finding means to
dispose of his jewels, he sent a good sum of money to Corfu to the
good woman who had brought him forth of the sea, in requital of the
service received, and the like to Trani to those who had reclothed
him. The rest he kept for himself and lived in honour and worship to
the end of his days, without seeking to trade any more."
[Footnote 94: _i.e._ for nothing.]
THE FIFTH STORY
[Day the Second]
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
"The stones found by Landolfo," began Fiammetta, to whose turn it came
to tell, "have brought to my mind a story scarce less full of perilous
scapes than that related by Lauretta, but differing therefrom inasmuch
as the adventures comprised in the latter befell in the course of
belike several years and these of which I have to tell in the space
of a single night, as you shall hear.
There was once in Perugia, as I have heard tell aforetime, a young
man, a horse-courser, by name Andreuccio di Pietro,[95] who, hearing
that horses were good cheap at Naples, put five hundred gold florins
in his purse and betook himself thither with other merchants, having
never before been away from home. He arrived there one Sunday evening,
towards vespers, and having taken counsel with his host, sallied forth
next morning to the market, where he saw great plenty of horses. Many
of them pleased him and he cheapened one and another, but could not
come to an accord concerning any. Meanwhile, to show that he was for
buying, he now and again, like a raw unwary clown as he was, pulled
out the purse of florins he had with him, in the presence of those who
came and went. As he was thus engaged, with his purse displayed, it
chanced that a Sicilian damsel, who was very handsome, but disposed
for a small matter to do any man's pleasure, passed near him, without
his seeing her, and catching sight of the purse, said straightway in
herself, 'Who would fare better than I, if yonder money were mine!'
And passed on.
[Footnote 95: _i.e._ son of Pietro, as they still say in Lancashire
and other northern provinces, "Tom o' Dick" for "Thomas, son of
Richard," etc.]
Now there was with her an old woman, likewise a Sicilian, who, seeing
Andreuccio, let her companion pass on and running to him, embraced him
affectionately, which when the damsel saw, she stepped aside to wait
for her, without saying aught. Andreuccio, turning to the old woman
and recognizing her, gave her a hearty greeting and she, having
promised to visit him at his inn, took leave, without holding overlong
parley there, whilst he fell again to chaffering, but bought nothing
that morning. The damsel, who had noted first Andreuccio's purse and
after her old woman's acquaintance with him, began cautiously to
enquire of the latter, by way of casting about for a means of coming
at the whole or part of the money, who and whence he was and what he
did there and how she came to know him. The old woman told her every
particular of Andreuccio's affairs well nigh as fully as he himself
could have done, having long abidden with his father, first in Sicily
and after at Perugia, and acquainted her, to boot, where he lodged and
wherefore he was come thither.
The damsel, being thus fully informed both of his name and parentage,
thereby with subtle craft laid her plans for giving effect to her
desire and returning home, set the old woman awork for the rest of the
day, so she might not avail to return to Andreuccio. Then, calling a
maid of hers, whom she had right well lessoned unto such offices, she
despatched her, towards evensong, to the inn where Andreuccio lodged.
As chance would have it, she found him alone at the door and enquired
at him of himself. He answered that he was the man she sought,
whereupon she drew him aside and said to him, 'Sir, an it please you,
a gentlewoman of this city would fain speak with you.' Andreuccio,
hearing this, considered himself from head to foot and himseeming he
was a handsome varlet of his person, he concluded (as if there were
no other well-looking young fellow to be found in Naples,) that the
lady in question must have fallen in love with him. Accordingly, he
answered without further deliberation that he was ready and asked the
girl when and where the lady would speak with him; whereto she
answered, 'Sir, whenas it pleaseth you to come, she awaiteth you in