The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
reck little.
As for those who go railing anent mine age, it would seem they know
ill that, for all the leek hath a white head, the tail thereof is
green. But to these, laying aside pleasantry, I answer that never, no,
not to the extreme limit of my life, shall I repute it to myself for
shame to seek to please those whom Guido Cavalcanti and Dante
Alighieri, when already stricken in years, and Messer Cino da Pistoja,
when a very old man, held in honour and whose approof was dear to
them. And were it not to depart from the wonted usance of discourse, I
would cite history in support and show it to be all full of stories of
ancient and noble men who in their ripest years have still above all
studied to please the ladies, the which an they know not, let them go
learn. That I should abide with the Muses on Parnassus, I confess to
be good counsel; but, since we can neither abide for ever with the
Muses, nor they with us, it is nothing blameworthy if, whenas it
chanceth a man is parted from them, he take delight in seeing that
which is like unto them. The muses are women, and albeit women may not
avail to match with them, yet at first sight they have a semblance of
them; insomuch that, an they pleased me not for aught else, for this
they should please me; more by token that women have aforetime been to
me the occasion of composing a thousand verses, whereas the Muses
never were to me the occasion of making any. They aided me, indeed,
and showed me how to compose the verses in question; and peradventure,
in the writing of these present things, all lowly though they be, they
have come whiles to abide with me, in token maybe and honour of the
likeness that women bear to them; wherefore, in inditing these toys, I
stray not so far from Mount Parnassus nor from the Muses as many
belike conceive.
But what shall we say to those who have such compassion on my hunger
that they counsel me provide myself bread? Certes, I know not, save
that, whenas I seek to imagine in myself what would be their answer,
an I should of necessity beseech them thereof, to wit, of bread,
methinketh they would reply, "Go seek it among thy fables." Indeed,
aforetime poets have found more thereof among their fables than many a
rich man among his treasures, and many, following after their fables,
have caused their age to flourish; whereas, on the contrary, many, in
seeking to have more bread than they needed, have perished miserably.
What more [shall I say?] Let them drive me forth, whenas I ask it of
them, not that, Godamercy, I have yet need thereof; and even should
need betide, I know with the Apostle Paul both how to abound and
suffer need;[217] wherefore let none be more careful of me than I am
of myself. For those who say that these things have not been such as I
have here set them down, I would fain have them produce the originals,
and an these latter accord not with that of which I write, I will
confess their objection for just and will study to amend myself; but
till otherwhat than words appeareth, I will leave them to their
opinion and follow mine own, saying of them that which they say of me.
[Footnote 217: "I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound;
everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and suffer need."--_Philippians_ iv. 12.]
Wherefore, deeming that for the nonce I have answered enough, I say
that, armed, as I hope to be, with God's aid and yours, gentlest
ladies, and with fair patience, I will fare on with this that I have
begun, turning my back to the wind aforesaid and letting it blow, for
that I see not that aught can betide me other than that which betideth
thin dust, the which a whirlwind, whenas it bloweth, either stirreth
not from the earth, or, an it stir it, carrieth it aloft and leaveth
it oftentimes upon the heads of men and upon the crowns of kings and
emperors, nay, bytimes upon high palaces and lofty towers, whence an
it fall, it cannot go lower than the place wherefrom it was uplifted.
And if ever with all my might I vowed myself to seek to please you in
aught, now more than ever shall I address myself thereto; for that I
know none can with reason say otherwhat than that I and others who
love you do according to nature, whose laws to seek to gainstand
demandeth overgreat strength, and oftentimes not only in vain, but to
the exceeding hurt of whoso striveth to that end, is this strength
employed. Such strength I confess I have not nor ever desired in this
to have; and an I had it, I had liefer lend it to others than use it
for myself. Wherefore, let the carpers be silent and an they avail not
to warm themselves, let them live star-stricken[218] and abiding in
their delights--or rather their corrupt appetites,--leave me to abide
in mine for this brief life that is appointed me. But now, fair
ladies, for that we have strayed enough, needs must we return whence
we set out and ensue the ordinance commenced.
[Footnote 218: _i.e._ benumbed (_assiderati_).]
The sun had already banished every star from the sky and had driven
from the earth the humid vapours of the night, when Filostrato,
arising, caused all his company arise and with them betook himself to
the fair garden, where they all proceeded to disport themselves, and
the eating-hour come, they dined whereas they had supped on the
foregoing evening. Then, after having slept, what time the sun was at
its highest, they seated themselves, after the wonted fashion, hard by
the fair fountain, and Filostrato bade Fiammetta give beginning to the
story-telling; whereupon, without awaiting further commandment, she
began with womanly grace as follows:
THE FIRST STORY
[Day the Fourth]
TANCRED, PRINCE OF SALERNO, SLAYETH HIS DAUGHTER'S LOVER AND
SENDETH HER HIS HEART IN A BOWL OF GOLD; WHEREUPON, POURING
POISONED WATER OVER IT, SHE DRINKETH THEREOF AND DIETH
"Our king hath this day appointed us a woeful subject of discourse,
considering that, whereas we came hither to make merry, needs must we
tell of others' tears, the which may not be recounted without moving
both those who tell and those who hearken to compassion thereof. He
hath mayhap done this somedele to temper the mirth of the foregoing
days; but, whatsoever may have moved him thereto, since it pertaineth
not to me to change his pleasure, I will relate a piteous chance, nay,
an ill-fortuned and a worthy of your tears.
Tancred, Lord of Salerno, was a humane prince and benign enough of
nature, (had he not in his old age imbrued his hands in lover's
blood,) who in all the course of his life had but one daughter, and
happier had he been if he had none. She was of him as tenderly loved
as ever daughter of father, and knowing not, by reason of this his
tender love for her, how to part with her, he married her not till she
had long overpassed the age when she should have had a husband. At
last, he gave her to wife to a son of the Duke of Capua, with whom
having abidden a little while, she was left a widow and returned to
her father. Now she was most fair of form and favour, as ever was
woman, and young and sprightly and learned perchance more than is
required of a lady. Abiding, then, with her father in all ease and
luxury, like a great lady as she was, and seeing that, for the love he
bore her, he recked little of marrying her again, nor did it seem to
her a seemly thing to require him thereof, she bethought herself to
seek, an it might be, to get her privily a worthy lover. She saw men
galore, gentle and simple, frequent her father's court, and
considering the manners and fashions of many, a young serving-man of
her father's, Guiscardo by name, a man of humble enough extraction,
but nobler of worth and manners than whatsoever other, pleased her
over all and of him, seeing him often, she became in secret ardently
enamoured, approving more and more his fashions every hour; whilst the
young man, who was no dullard, perceiving her liking for him, received
her into his heart, on such wise that his mind was thereby diverted
from well nigh everything other than the love of her.
Each, then, thus secretly tendering the other, the young lady, who
desired nothing so much as to foregather with him, but had no mind to
make any one a confidant of her passion, bethought herself of a rare
device to apprize him of the means; to wit, she wrote him a letter,
wherein she showed him how he should do to foregather with her on the
ensuing day, and placing it in the hollow of a cane, gave the letter
jestingly to Guiscardo, saying, 'Make thee a bellows thereof for thy
serving-maid, wherewith she may blow up the fire to-night.' Guiscardo
took the cane and bethinking himself that she would not have given it
him nor spoken thus, without some cause, took his leave and returned
therewith to his lodging. There he examined the cane and seeing it to
be cleft, opened it and found therein the letter, which having read
and well apprehended that which he had to do, he was the joyfullest
man alive and set about taking order how he might go to her, according
to the fashion appointed him of her.
There was, beside the prince's palace, a grotto hewn out of the rock
and made in days long agone, and to this grotto some little light was
given by a tunnel[219] by art wrought in the mountain, which latter,
for that the grotto was abandoned, was well nigh blocked at its mouth
with briers and weeds that had overgrown it. Into this grotto one
might go by a privy stair which was in one of the ground floor rooms
of the lady's apartment in the palace and which was shut in by a very
strong door. This stair was so out of all folk's minds, for that it
had been unused from time immemorial, that well nigh none remembered
it to be there; but Love, to whose eyes there is nothing so secret but
it winneth, had recalled it to the memory of the enamoured lady, who,
that none should get wind of the matter, had laboured sore many days
with such tools as she might command, ere she could make shift to open
the door; then, going down alone thereby into the grotto and seeing
the tunnel, she sent to bid Guiscardo study to come to her thereby and
acquainted him with the height which herseemed should be from the
mouth thereof to the ground.
[Footnote 219: Or airshaft (_spiraglio_).]
To this end Guiscardo promptly made ready a rope with certain knots
and loops, whereby he might avail to descend and ascend, and donning a
leathern suit, that might defend him from the briers, he on the
ensuing night repaired, without letting any know aught of the matter,
to the mouth of the tunnel. There making one end of the rope fast to a
stout tree-stump that had grown up in the mouth, he let himself down
thereby into the grotto and there awaited the lady, who, on the
morrow, feigning a desire to sleep, dismissed her women and shut
herself up alone in her chamber; then, opening the privy door, she
descended into the grotto, where she found Guiscardo. They greeted one
another with marvellous joy and betook themselves to her chamber,
where they abode great part of the day in the utmost delight; and
after they had taken order together for the discreet conduct of their
loves, so they might abide secret, Guiscardo returned to the grotto,
whilst she shut the privy door and went forth to her women. The night
come, Guiscardo climbed up by his rope to the mouth of the tunnel and
issuing forth whence he had entered in, returned to his lodging; and
having learned this road, he in process of time returned many times
thereafter.
But fortune, jealous of so long and so great a delight, with a woeful
chance changed the gladness of the two lovers into mourning and
sorrow; and it befell on this wise. Tancred was wont to come bytimes
all alone into his daughter's chamber and there abide with her and