The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Meanwhile, Ninetta, who well enough knew her sisters' mind, with soft
words inflamed them with such a liking for the venture that themseemed
they might not live to see the thing accomplished. Accordingly, the
night come when they were to go aboard the brigantine, the three
sisters opened a great coffer of their father's and taking thence a
vast quantity of money and jewels, stole out of the house, according
to the given order. They found their gallants awaiting them and going
straightway all aboard the brigantine, they thrust the oars into the
water and put out to sea nor rested till they came, on the following
evening, to Genoa, where the new lovers for the first time took ease
and joyance of their loves. There having refreshed themselves with
that whereof they had need, they set out again and sailing from port
to port, came, ere it was the eighth day, without any hindrance, to
Crete, where they bought great and goodly estates near Candia and made
them very handsome and delightsome dwelling-houses thereon. Here they
fell to living like lords and passed their days in banquets and
joyance and merrymaking, the happiest men in the world, they and their
mistresses, with great plenty of servants and hounds and hawks and
horses.
Abiding on this wise, it befell (even as we see it happen all day long
that, how much soever things may please, they grow irksome, an one
have overgreat plenty thereof) that Restagnone, who had much loved
Ninetta, being now able to have her at his every pleasure, without let
or hindrance, began to weary of her, and consequently his love for her
began to wane. Having seen at entertainment a damsel of the country, a
fair and noble young lady, who pleased him exceedingly, he fell to
courting her with all his might, giving marvellous entertainments in
her honor and plying her with all manner gallantries; which Ninetta
coming to know, she fell into such a jealousy that he could not go a
step but she heard of it and after harassed both him and herself with
words and reproaches on account thereof. But, like as overabundance of
aught begetteth weariness, even so doth the denial of a thing desired
redouble the appetite; accordingly, Ninetta's reproaches did but fan
the flame of Restagnone's new love and in process of time it came to
pass that, whether he had the favours of the lady he loved or not,
Ninetta held it for certain, whoever it was reported it to her;
wherefore she fell into such a passion of grief and thence passed into
such a fit of rage and despite that the love which she bore Restagnone
was changed to bitter hatred, and blinded by her wrath, she bethought
herself to avenge, by his death, the affront which herseemed she had
received.
Accordingly, betaking herself to an old Greek woman, a past mistress
in the art of compounding poisons, she induced her with gifts and
promises to make her a death-dealing water, which she, without
considering farther, gave Restagnone one evening to drink he being
heated and misdoubting him not thereof; and such was the potency of
the poison that, ere morning came, it had slain him. Folco and Ughetto
and their mistresses, hearing of his death and knowing not of what
poison he had died,[235] bewept him bitterly, together with Ninetta,
and caused bury him honourably. But not many days after it chanced
that the old woman, who had compounded the poisoned water for Ninetta,
was taken for some other misdeed and being put to the torture,
confessed to this amongst her other crimes, fully declaring that which
had betided by reason thereof; whereupon the Duke of Crete, without
saying aught of the matter, beset Folco's palace by surprise one night
and without any noise or gainsayal, carried off Ninetta prisoner, from
whom, without putting her to the torture, he readily got what he would
know of the death of Restagnone.
[Footnote 235: Sic (_di che veleno fosse morto_), but this is probably
a copyist's error for _che di veleno fosse morto_, _i.e._ that he had
died of poison.]
Folco and Ughetto (and from them their ladies) had privy notice from
the duke why Ninetta had been taken, the which was exceeding grievous
to them and they used their every endeavour to save her from the fire,
whereto they doubted not she would be condemned, as indeed she richly
deserved; but all seemed vain, for that the duke abode firm in willing
to do justice upon her. However, Maddalena, who was a beautiful young
woman and had long been courted by the duke, but had never yet
consented to do aught that might pleasure him, thinking that, by
complying with his wishes, she might avail to save her sister from the
fire, signified to him by a trusty messenger that she was at his
commandment in everything, provided two things should ensue thereof,
to wit, that she should have her sister again safe and sound and that
the thing should be secret. Her message pleased the duke, and after
long debate with himself if he should do as she proposed, he
ultimately agreed thereto and said that he was ready. Accordingly, one
night, having, with the lady's consent, caused detain Folco and
Ughetto, as he would fain examine them of the matter, he went secretly
to couch with Maddalena and having first made a show of putting
Ninetta in a sack and of purposing to let sink her that night in the
sea, he carried her with him to her sister, to whom on the morrow he
delivered her at parting, in payment of the night he had passed with
her, praying her that this,[236] which had been the first of their
loves, might not be the last and charging her send the guilty lady
away, lest blame betide himself and it behove him anew proceed against
her with rigour.
[Footnote 236: _i.e._ that night.]
Next morning, Folco and Ughetto, having heard that Ninetta had been
sacked overnight and believing it, were released and returned home to
comfort their mistresses for the death of their sister. However, for
all Maddalena could do to hide her, Folco soon became aware of
Ninetta's presence in the palace, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and
suddenly waxing suspicious,--for that he had heard of the duke's
passion for Maddalena,--asked the latter how her sister came to be
there. Maddalena began a long story, which she had devised to account
to him therefor, but was little believed of her lover, who was shrewd
and constrained her to confess the truth, which, after long parley,
she told him. Folco, overcome with chagrin and inflamed with rage,
pulled out a sword and slew her, whilst she in vain besought mercy;
then, fearing the wrath and justice of the duke, he left her dead in
the chamber and repairing whereas Ninetta was, said to her, with a
feigned air of cheerfulness, 'Quick, let us begone whither it hath
been appointed of thy sister that I shall carry thee, so thou mayst
not fall again into the hands of the duke.' Ninetta, believing this
and eager, in her fearfulness, to begone, set out with Folco, it being
now night, without seeking to take leave of her sister; whereupon he
and she, with such monies (which were but few) as he could lay hands
on, betook themselves to the sea-shore and embarked on board a vessel;
nor was it ever known whither they went.
On the morrow, Maddalena being found murdered, there were some who, of
the envy and hatred they bore to Ughetto, forthright gave notice
thereof to the duke, whereupon the latter, who loved Maddalena
exceedingly, ran furiously to the house and seizing Ughetto and his
lady, who as yet knew nothing of the matter,--to wit, of the departure
of Folco and Ninetta,--constrained them to confess themselves guilty,
together with Folco, of his mistress's death. They, apprehending with
reason death in consequence of this confession, with great pains
corrupted those who had them in keeping, giving them a certain sum of
money, which they kept hidden in their house against urgent
occasions, and embarking with their guards, without having leisure to
take any of their goods, fled by night to Rhodes, where they lived no
great while after in poverty and distress. To such a pass, then, did
Restagnone's mad love and Ninetta's rage bring themselves and others."
THE FOURTH STORY
[Day the Fourth]
GERBINO, AGAINST THE PLIGHTED FAITH OF HIS GRANDFATHER, KING
GUGLIELMO OF SICILY, ATTACKETH A SHIP OF THE KING OF TUNIS,
TO CARRY OFF A DAUGHTER OF HIS, WHO BEING PUT TO DEATH OF
THOSE ON BOARD, HE SLAYETH THESE LATTER AND IS AFTER HIMSELF
BEHEADED
Lauretta, having made an end of her story, was silent, whilst the
company bewailed the illhap of the lovers, some blaming Ninetta's
anger and one saying one thing and another another, till presently the
king, raising his head, as if aroused from deep thought, signed to
Elisa to follow on; whereupon she began modestly, "Charming ladies,
there are many who believe that Love launcheth his shafts only when
enkindled of the eyes and make mock of those who hold that one may
fall in love by hearsay; but that these are mistaken will very
manifestly appear in a story that I purpose to relate, wherein you
will see that report not only wrought this, without the lovers having
ever set eyes on each other, but it will be made manifest to you that
it brought both the one and the other to a miserable death.
Guglielmo, the Second, King of Sicily, had (as the Sicilians pretend)
two children, a son called Ruggieri and a daughter called Costanza.
The former, dying before his father, left a son named Gerbino, who was
diligently reared by his grandfather and became a very goodly youth
and a renowned for prowess and courtesy. Nor did his fame abide
confined within the limits of Sicily, but, resounding in various parts
of the world, was nowhere more glorious than in Barbary, which in
those days was tributary to the King of Sicily. Amongst the rest to
whose ears came the magnificent fame of Gerbino's valour and courtesy
was a daughter of the King of Tunis, who, according to the report of
all who had seen her, was one of the fairest creatures ever fashioned
by nature and the best bred and of a noble and great soul. She,
delighting to hear tell of men of valour, with such goodwill received
the tales recounted by one and another of the deeds valiantly done of
Gerbino and they so pleased her that, picturing to herself the
prince's fashion, she became ardently enamoured of him and discoursed
more willingly of him than of any other and hearkened to whoso spoke
of him.
On the other hand, the great renown of her beauty and worth had won to
Sicily, as elsewhither, and not without great delight nor in vain had
it reached the ears of Gerbino; nay, it had inflamed him with love of
her, no less than that which she herself had conceived for him.
Wherefore, desiring beyond measure to see her, against he should find
a colourable occasion of having his grandfather's leave to go to
Tunis, he charged his every friend who went thither to make known to
her, as best he might, his secret and great love and bring him news of
her. This was very dexterously done by one of them, who, under
pretence of carrying her women's trinkets to view, as do merchants,
throughly discovered Gerbino's passion to her and avouched the prince
and all that was his to be at her commandment. The princess received
the messenger and the message with a glad flavour and answering that
she burnt with like love for the prince, sent him one of her most
precious jewels in token thereof. This Gerbino received with the
utmost joy wherewith one can receive whatsoever precious thing and
wrote to her once and again by the same messenger, sending her the
most costly gifts and holding certain treaties[237] with her, whereby
they should have seen and touched one another, had fortune but allowed
it.
[Footnote 237: Or, in modern parlance, "laying certain plans."]