The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
entered the church three young men,--yet not so young that the age of
the youngest of them was less than five-and-twenty years,--in whom
neither the perversity of the time nor loss of friends and kinsfolk,
no, nor fear for themselves had availed to cool, much less to quench,
the fire of love. Of these one was called Pamfilo,[19] another
Filostrato[20] and the third Dioneo,[21] all very agreeable and
well-bred, and they went seeking, for their supreme solace, in such a
perturbation of things, to see their mistresses, who, as it chanced,
were all three among the seven aforesaid; whilst certain of the other
ladies were near kinswomen of one or other of the young men.
[Footnote 19: See ante, p. 8, note.]
[Footnote 20: _Filostrato_, Greek [Greek: philos], loving, and [Greek:
stratos], army, _met._ strife, war, _i.e._ one who loves strife. This
name appears to be a reminiscence of Boccaccio's poem (_Il
Filostrato_, well known through its translation by Chaucer and the
Senechal d'Anjou) upon the subject of the loves of Troilus and
Cressida and to be in this instance used by him as a synonym for an
unhappy lover, whom no rebuffs, no treachery can divert from his
ill-starred passion. Such a lover may well be said to be in love with
strife, and that the Filostrato of the Decameron sufficiently answers
to this description we learn later on from his own lips.]
[Footnote 21: _Dioneo_, a name probably coined from the Greek [Greek:
Diônê], one of the _agnomina_ of Venus (properly her mother's name)
and intended to denote the amorous temperament of his personage, to
which, indeed, the erotic character of most of the stories told by him
bears sufficient witness.]
No sooner had their eyes fallen on the ladies than they were
themselves espied of them; whereupon quoth Pampinea, smiling, "See,
fortune is favourable to our beginnings and hath thrown in our way
young men of worth and discretion, who will gladly be to us both
guides and servitors, an we disdain not to accept of them in that
capacity." But Neifile, whose face was grown all vermeil for
shamefastness, for that it was she who was beloved of one of the young
men, said, "For God's sake, Pampinea, look what thou sayest! I
acknowledge most frankly that there can be nought but all good said of
which one soever of them and I hold them sufficient unto a much
greater thing than this, even as I opine that they would bear, not
only ourselves, but far fairer and nobler dames than we, good and
honourable company. But, for that it is a very manifest thing that
they are enamoured of certain of us who are here, I fear lest, without
our fault or theirs, scandal and blame ensue thereof, if we carry them
with us." Quoth Filomena, "That skilleth nought; so but I live
honestly and conscience prick me not of aught, let who will speak to
the contrary; God and the truth will take up arms for me. Wherefore,
if they be disposed to come, verily we may say with Pampinea that
fortune is favourable to our going."
The other ladies, hearing her speak thus absolutely, not only held
their peace, but all with one accord agreed that the young men should
be called and acquainted with their project and bidden to be pleased
bear them company in their expedition. Accordingly, without more
words, Pampinea, who was knit by kinship to one of them, rising to her
feet, made for the three young men, who stood fast, looking upon them,
and saluting them with a cheerful countenance, discovered to them
their intent and prayed them, on behalf of herself and her companions,
that they would be pleased to bear them company in a pure and
brotherly spirit. The young men at the first thought themselves
bantered, but, seeing that the lady spoke in good earnest, they made
answer joyfully that they were ready, and without losing time about
the matter, forthright took order for that which they had to do
against departure.
On the following morning, Wednesday to wit, towards break of day,
having let orderly make ready all things needful and despatched them
in advance whereas they purposed to go,[22] the ladies, with certain
of their waiting-women, and the three young men, with as many of their
serving-men, departing Florence, set out upon their way; nor had they
gone more than two short miles from the city, when they came to the
place fore-appointed of them, which was situate on a little hill,
somewhat withdrawn on every side from the high way and full of various
shrubs and plants, all green of leafage and pleasant to behold. On the
summit of this hill was a palace, with a goodly and great courtyard in
its midst and galleries[23] and saloons and bedchambers, each in
itself most fair and adorned and notable with jocund paintings, with
lawns and grassplots round about and wonder-goodly gardens and wells
of very cold water and cellars full of wines of price, things more apt
unto curious drinkers than unto sober and modest ladies. The new
comers, to their no little pleasure, found the place all swept and the
beds made in the chambers and every thing full of such flowers as
might be had at that season and strewn with rushes.
[Footnote 22: _e prima mandato là dove_, etc. This passage is obscure
and may be read to mean "and having first despatched [a messenger] (or
sent [word]) whereas," etc. I think, however, that _mandato_ is a
copyist's error for _mandata_, in which case the meaning would be as
in the text.]
[Footnote 23: Or balconies (_loggie_).]
As soon as they had seated themselves, Dioneo, who was the merriest
springald in the world and full of quips and cranks, said, "Ladies,
your wit, rather than our foresight, hath guided us hither, and I know
not what you purpose to do with your cares; as for my own, I left them
within the city gates, whenas I issued thence with you awhile agone;
wherefore, do you either address yourselves to make merry and laugh
and sing together with me (in so far, I mean, as pertaineth to your
dignity) or give me leave to go back for my cares and abide in the
afflicted city." Whereto Pampinea, no otherwise than as if in like
manner she had banished all her own cares, answered blithely, "Dioneo,
thou sayst well; it behoveth us live merrily, nor hath any other
occasion caused us flee from yonder miseries. But, for that things
which are without measure may not long endure, I, who began the
discourse wherethrough this so goodly company came to be made, taking
thought for the continuance of our gladness, hold it of necessity that
we appoint some one to be principal among us, whom we may honour and
obey as chief and whose especial care it shall be to dispose us to
live joyously. And in order that each in turn may prove the burden of
solicitude, together with the pleasure of headship; and that, the
chief being thus drawn, in turn, from one and the other sex, there may
be no cause for jealousy, as might happen, were any excluded from the
sovranty, I say that unto each be attributed the burden and the honour
for one day. Let who is to be our first chief be at the election of us
all. For who shall follow, be it he or she whom it shall please the
governor of the day to appoint, whenas the hour of vespers draweth
near, and let each in turn, at his or her discretion, order and
dispose of the place and manner wherein we are to live, for such time
as his or her seignory shall endure."
Pampinea's words pleased mightily, and with one voice they elected her
chief of the first day; whereupon Filomena, running nimbly to a
laurel-tree--for that she had many a time heard speak of the honour
due to the leaves of this plant and how worship-worth they made whoso
was deservedly crowned withal--and plucking divers sprays therefrom,
made her thereof a goodly and honourable wreath, which, being set upon
her head, was thenceforth, what while their company lasted, a manifest
sign unto every other of the royal office and seignory.
Pampinea, being made queen, commanded that every one should be silent;
then, calling the serving-men of the three young gentlemen and her own
and the other ladies' women, who were four in number, before herself
and all being silent, she spoke thus: "In order that I may set you a
first example, by which, proceeding from good to better, our company
may live and last in order and pleasance and without reproach so long
as it is agreeable to us, I constitute, firstly, Parmeno, Dioneo's
servant, my seneschal and commit unto him the care and ordinance of
all our household and [especially] that which pertaineth to the
service of the saloon. Sirisco, Pamfilo's servant, I will shall be
our purveyor and treasurer and ensue the commandments of Parmeno.
Tindaro shall look to the service of Filostrato and the other two
gentlemen in their bed chambers, what time the others, being occupied
about their respective offices, cannot attend thereto. Misia, my
woman, and Filomena's Licisca shall still abide in the kitchen and
there diligently prepare such viands as shall be appointed them of
Parmeno. Lauretta's Chimera and Fiammetta's Stratilia it is our
pleasure shall occupy themselves with the ordinance of the ladies'
chambers and the cleanliness of the places where we shall abide; and
we will and command all and several, as they hold our favour dear, to
have a care that, whithersoever they go or whencesoever they return
and whatsoever they hear or see, they bring us from without no news
other than joyous." These orders summarily given and commended of all,
Pampinea, rising blithely to her feet, said, "Here be gardens, here be
meadows, here be store of other delectable places, wherein let each go
a-pleasuring at will; and when tierce[24] soundeth, let all be here,
so we may eat in the cool."
[Footnote 24: _i.e._ Nine o'clock a.m. Boccaccio's habit of measuring
time by the canonical hours has been a sore stumbling-block to the
ordinary English and French translator, who is generally terribly at
sea as to his meaning, inclining to render _tierce_ three, _sexte_ six
o'clock and _none_ noon and making shots of the same wild kind at the
other hours. The monasterial rule (which before the general
introduction of clocks was commonly followed by the mediæval public in
the computation of time) divided the twenty-four hours of the day and
night into seven parts (six of three hours each and one of six), the
inception of which was denoted by the sound of the bells that summoned
the clergy to the performance of the seven canonical offices _i.e._
_Matins_ at 3 a.m., _Prime_ at 6 a.m., _Tierce_ at 9 a.m., _Sexte_ or
Noonsong at noon, _None_ at 3 p.m., _Vespers_ or Evensong at 6 p.m.
and _Complines_ or Nightsong at 9 p.m., and at the same time served
the laity as a clock.]
The merry company, being thus dismissed by the new queen, went
straying with slow steps, young men and fair ladies together, about a
garden, devising blithely and diverting themselves with weaving goodly
garlands of various leaves and carolling amorously. After they had
abidden there such time as had been appointed them of the queen, they
returned to the house, where they found that Parmeno had made a
diligent beginning with his office, for that, entering a saloon on the
ground floor, they saw there the tables laid with the whitest of
cloths and beakers that seemed of silver and everything covered with
the flowers of the broom; whereupon, having washed their hands, they
all, by command of the queen, seated themselves according to Parmeno's
ordinance. Then came viands delicately drest and choicest wines were
proffered and the three serving-men, without more, quietly tended the
tables. All, being gladdened by these things, for that they were fair
and orderly done, ate joyously and with store of merry talk, and the
tables being cleared away,[25] the queen bade bring instruments of