The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
thee before any other; wherefore that which in my ill fortune I have
still kept hidden, to thee, as to a father, I will discover. If, after
thou hast heard it, thou see any means of restoring me to my pristine
estate, prithee use it; but, if thou see none, I beseech thee never
tell any that thou hast seen me or heard aught of me.'
This said, she recounted to him, still weeping, that which had
befallen her from the time of her shipwreck on Majorca up to that
moment; whereupon he fell a-weeping for pity and after considering
awhile, 'Madam,' said he, 'since in your misfortunes it hath been
hidden who you are, I will, without fail, restore you, dearer than
ever, to your father and after to the King of Algarve to wife.' Being
questioned of her of the means, he showed her orderly that which was
to do, and lest any hindrance should betide through delay, he
presently returned to Famagosta and going in to the king, said to him,
'My lord, an it like you, you have it in your power at once to do
yourself exceeding honour and me, who am poor through you, a great
service, at no great cost of yours.' The king asked how and Antigonus
replied, 'There is come to Baffa the Soldan's fair young daughter, who
hath so long been reputed drowned and who, to save her honour, hath
long suffered very great unease and is presently in poor case and
would fain return to her father. An it pleased you send her to him
under my guard, it would be much to your honour and to my weal, nor do
I believe that such a service would ever be forgotten of the Soldan.'
The king, moved by a royal generosity of mind, answered forthright
that he would well and sending for Alatiel, brought her with all
honour and worship to Famagosta, where she was received by himself and
the queen with inexpressible rejoicing and entertained with
magnificent hospitality. Being presently questioned of the king and
queen of her adventures, she answered according to the instructions
given her by Antigonus and related everything;[119] and a few days
after, at her request, the king sent her, under the governance of
Antigonus, with a goodly and worshipful company of men and women, back
to the Soldan, of whom let none ask if she was received with
rejoicing, as also was Antigonus and all her company.
[Footnote 119: Sic (_contò tutto_); but this is an oversight of the
author's, as it is evident from what follows that she did _not_ relate
everything.]
As soon as she was somewhat rested, the Soldan desired to know how it
chanced that she was yet alive and where she had so long abidden,
without having ever let him know aught of her condition; whereupon the
lady, who had kept Antigonus his instructions perfectly in mind,
bespoke him thus, 'Father mine, belike the twentieth day after my
departure from you, our ship, having sprung a leak in a terrible
storm, struck in the night upon certain coasts yonder in the
West,[120] near a place called Aguamorta, and what became of the men
who were aboard I know not nor could ever learn; this much only do I
remember that, the day come and I arisen as it were from death to
life, the shattered vessel was espied of the country people, who ran
from all the parts around to plunder it. I and two of my women were
first set ashore and the latter were incontinent seized by certain of
the young men, who fled with them, one this way and the other that,
and what came of them I never knew.
[Footnote 120: Lit. Ponant (_Ponente_), _i.e._ the Western coasts of
the Mediterranean, as opposed to the Eastern or Levant.]
As for myself, I was taken, despite my resistance, by two young men,
and haled along by the hair, weeping sore the while; but, as they
crossed over a road, to enter a great wood, there passed by four men
on horseback, whom when my ravishers saw, they loosed me forthwith and
took to flight. The new comers, who seemed to me persons of great
authority, seeing this, ran where I was and asked me many questions;
whereto I answered much, but neither understood nor was understanded
of them. However, after long consultation they set me on one of their
horses and carried me to a convent of women vowed to religion,
according to their law, where, whatever they said, I was of all the
ladies kindly received and still entreated with honour, and there with
great devotion I joined them in serving Saint Waxeth-in-Deepdene, a
saint for whom the women of that country have a vast regard.
After I had abidden with them awhile and learned somewhat of their
language, they questioned me of who I was and fearing, an I told the
truth, to be expelled from amongst them, as an enemy of their faith, I
answered that I was the daughter of a great gentleman of Cyprus, who
was sending me to be married in Crete, when, as ill-luck would have
it, we had run thither and suffered shipwreck. Moreover, many a time
and in many things I observed their customs, for fear of worse, and
being asked by the chief of the ladies, her whom they call abbess, if
I wished to return thence to Cyprus, I answered that I desired nothing
so much; but she, tender of my honour, would never consent to trust me
to any person who was bound for Cyprus, till some two months agone,
when there came thither certain gentlemen of France with their ladies.
One of the latter being a kinswoman of the abbess and she hearing that
they were bound for Jerusalem, to visit the Sepulchre where He whom
they hold God was buried, after He had been slain by the Jews, she
commended me to their care and besought them to deliver me to my
father in Cyprus.
With what honour these gentlemen entreated me and how cheerfully they
received me together with their ladies, it were a long story to tell;
suffice it to say that we took ship and came, after some days, to
Baffa, where finding myself arrived and knowing none in the place, I
knew not what to say to the gentlemen, who would fain have delivered
me to my father, according to that which had been enjoined them of the
reverend lady; but God, taking pity belike on my affliction, brought
me Antigonus upon the beach what time we disembarked at Baffa, whom I
straightway hailed and in our tongue, so as not to be understood of
the gentlemen and their ladies, bade him receive me as a daughter. He
promptly apprehended me and receiving me with a great show of joy,
entertained the gentlemen and their ladies with such honour as his
poverty permitted and carried me to the King of Cyprus, who received
me with such hospitality and hath sent me back to you [with such
courtesy] as might never be told of me. If aught remain to be said,
let Antigonus, who hath ofttimes heard from me these adventures,
recount it.'
Accordingly Antigonus, turning to the Soldan, said, 'My lord, even as
she hath many a time told me and as the gentlemen and ladies, with
whom she came, said to me, so hath she recounted unto you. Only one
part hath she forborne to tell you, the which methinketh she left
unsaid for that it beseemeth her not to tell it, to wit, how much the
gentlemen and ladies, with whom she came, said of the chaste and
modest life which she led with the religious ladies and of her virtue
and commendable manners and the tears and lamentations of her
companions, both men and women, when, having restored her to me, they
took leave of her. Of which things were I fain to tell in full that
which they said to me, not only this present day, but the ensuing
night would not suffice unto us; be it enough to say only that
(according to that which their words attested and that also which I
have been able to see thereof,) you may vaunt yourself of having the
fairest daughter and the chastest and most virtuous of any prince that
nowadays weareth a crown.'
The Soldan was beyond measure rejoiced at these things and besought
God again and again to vouchsafe him of His grace the power of
worthily requiting all who had succoured his daughter and especially
the King of Cyprus, by whom she had been sent back to him with honour.
After some days, having caused prepare great gifts for Antigonus, he
gave him leave to return to Cyprus and rendered, both by letters and
by special ambassadors, the utmost thanks to the king for that which
he had done with his daughter. Then desiring that that which was begun
should have effect, to wit, that she should be the wife of the King of
Algarve, he acquainted the latter with the whole matter and wrote to
him to boot, that, an it pleased him have her, he should send for her.
The King of Algarve was mightily rejoiced at this news and sending for
her in state, received her joyfully; and she, who had lain with eight
men belike ten thousand times, was put to bed to him for a maid and
making him believe that she was so, lived happily with him as his
queen awhile after; wherefore it was said, 'Lips for kissing forfeit
no favour; nay, they renew as the moon doth ever.'"
THE EIGHTH STORY
[Day the Second]
THE COUNT OF ANTWERP, BEING FALSELY ACCUSED, GOETH INTO
EXILE AND LEAVETH HIS TWO CHILDREN IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN
ENGLAND, WHITHER, AFTER AWHILE, RETURNING IN DISGUISE AND
FINDING THEM IN GOOD CASE, HE TAKETH SERVICE AS A HORSEBOY
IN THE SERVICE OF THE KING OF FRANCE AND BEING APPROVED
INNOCENT, IS RESTORED TO HIS FORMER ESTATE
The ladies sighed amain over the fortunes of the fair Saracen; but who
knoweth what gave rise to those sighs? Maybe there were some of them
who sighed no less for envy of such frequent nuptials than for pity of
Alatiel. But, leaving that be for the present, after they had laughed
at Pamfilo's last words, the queen, seeing his story ended, turned to
Elisa and bade her follow on with one of hers. Elisa cheerfully obeyed
and began as follows: "A most ample field is that wherein we go to-day
a-ranging, nor is there any of us but could lightly enough run, not
one, but half a score courses there, so abounding hath Fortune made it
in her strange and grievous chances; wherefore, to come to tell of one
of these latter, which are innumerable, I say that:
When the Roman Empire was transferred from the French to the
Germans,[121] there arose between the one and the other nation an
exceeding great enmity and a grievous and continual war, by reason
whereof, as well for the defence of their own country as for the
offence of that of others, the King of France and a son of his, with
all the power of their realm and of such friends and kinsfolk as they
could command, levied a mighty army to go forth upon the foe; and ere
they proceeded thereunto,--not to leave the realm without
governance,--knowing Gautier, Count of Antwerp,[122] for a noble and
discreet gentleman and their very faithful friend and servant, and for
that (albeit he was well versed in the art of war) he seemed to them
more apt unto things delicate than unto martial toils, they left him
vicar general in their stead over all the governance of the realm of
France and went on their way. Gautier accordingly addressed himself
with both order and discretion to the office committed unto him, still
conferring of everything with the queen and her daughter-in-law, whom,
for all they were left under his custody and jurisdiction, he honoured
none the less as his liege ladies and mistresses.
[Footnote 121: _i.e._ A.D. 912, when, upon the death of Louis III, the
last prince of the Carlovingian race, Conrad, Duke of Franconia, was
elected Emperor and the Empire, which had till then been hereditary in
the descendants of Charlemagne, became elective and remained
thenceforth in German hands.]
[Footnote 122: _Anguersa_, the old form of _Anversa_, Antwerp. All
versions that I have seen call Gautier Comte d'_Angers_ or _Angiers_,
the translators, who forgot or were unaware that Antwerp, as part of
Flanders, was then a fief of the French crown, apparently taking it