The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
reasonably might, repaired to him and prayed him with soft words to
have regard, not so much to the affront which he had suffered from the
little sense of the young men as to the love and goodwill which they
believed he bore to themselves who thus besought him, submitting
themselves and the young men who had done the mischief to any amends
it should please him take. Giacomino, who had in his time seen many
things and was a man of sense, answered briefly, 'Gentlemen, were I in
mine own country, as I am in yours, I hold myself so much your friend
that neither in this nor in otherwhat would I do aught save insomuch
as it should please you; besides, I am the more bounden to comply with
your wishes in this matter, inasmuch as you have therein offended
against yourselves, for that the girl in question is not, as belike
many suppose, of Cremona nor of Pavia; nay, she is a Faentine,[277]
albeit neither I nor she nor he of whom I had her might ever learn
whose daughter she was; wherefore, concerning that whereof you pray
me, so much shall be done by me as you yourselves shall enjoin me.'
[Footnote 277: _i.e._ a native of Faenza (_Faentina_).]
The gentlemen, hearing this, marvelled and returning thanks to
Giacomino for his gracious answer, prayed him that it would please him
tell them how she came to his hands and how he knew her to be a
Faentine; whereto quoth he, 'Guidotto da Cremona, who was my friend
and comrade, told me, on his deathbed, that, when this city was taken
by the Emperor Frederick and everything given up to pillage, he
entered with his companions into a house and found it full of booty,
but deserted by its inhabitants, save only this girl, who was then
some two years old or thereabouts and who, seeing him mount the
stairs, called him "father"; whereupon, taking compassion upon her, he
carried her off with him to Fano, together with all that was in the
house, and dying there, left her to me with what he had, charging me
marry her in due time and give her to her dowry that which had been
hers. Since she hath come to marriageable age, I have not yet found an
occasion of marrying her to my liking, though I would gladly do it,
rather than that another mischance like that of yesternight should
betide me on her account.'
Now among the others there was a certain Guiglielmino da Medicina,
who had been with Guidotto in that affair[278] and knew very well
whose house it was that he had plundered, and he, seeing the person in
question[279] there among the rest, accosted him, saying,
'Bernabuccio, hearest thou what Giacomino saith?' 'Ay do I,' answered
Bernabuccio, 'and I was presently in thought thereof, more by token
that I mind me to have lost a little daughter of the age whereof
Giacomino speaketh in those very troubles.' Quoth Guiglielmino, 'This
is she for certain, for that I was once in company with Guidotto, when
I heard him tell where he had done the plundering and knew it to be
thy house that he had sacked; wherefore do thou bethink thee if thou
mayst credibly recognize her by any token and let make search
therefor; for thou wilt assuredly find that she is thy daughter.'
[Footnote 278: _A questo fatto_, _i.e._ at the storm of Faenza.]
[Footnote 279: _i.e._ the owner of the plundered house.]
Accordingly, Bernabuccio bethought himself and remembered that she
should have a little cross-shaped scar over her left ear, proceeding
from a tumour, which he had caused cut for her no great while before
that occurrence; whereupon, without further delay, he accosted
Giacomino, who was still there, and besought him to carry him to his
house and let him see the damsel. To this he readily consented and
carrying him thither, let bring the girl before him. When Bernabuccio
set eyes on her, himseemed he saw the very face of her mother, who was
yet a handsome lady; nevertheless, not contenting himself with this,
he told Giacomino that he would fain of his favour have leave to raise
her hair a little above her left ear, to which the other consented.
Accordingly, going up to the girl, who stood shamefast, he lifted up
her hair with his right hand and found the cross; whereupon, knowing
her to be indeed his daughter, he fell to weeping tenderly and
embracing her, notwithstanding her resistance; then, turning to
Giacomino, 'Brother mine,' quoth he, 'this is my daughter; it was my
house Guidotto plundered and this girl was, in the sudden alarm,
forgotten there of my wife and her mother; and until now we believed
that she had perished with the house, which was burned me that same
day.'
The girl, hearing this, and seeing him to be a man in years, gave
credence to his words and submitting herself to his embraces, as moved
by some occult instinct, fell a-weeping tenderly with him. Bernabuccio
presently sent for her mother and other her kinswomen and for her
sisters and brothers and presented her to them all, recounting the
matter to them; then, after a thousand embraces, he carried her home
to his house with the utmost rejoicing, to the great satisfaction of
Giacomino. The town-captain, who was a man of worth, learning this and
knowing that Giannole, whom he had in prison, was Bernabuccio's son
and therefore the lady's own brother, determined indulgently to
overpass the offence committed by him and released with him Minghino
and Crivello and the others who were implicated in the affair.
Moreover, he interceded with Bernabuccio and Giacomino concerning
these matters and making peace between the two young men, gave the
girl, whose name was Agnesa, to Minghino to wife, to the great
contentment of all their kinsfolk; whereupon Minghino, mightily
rejoiced, made a great and goodly wedding and carrying her home, lived
with her many years after in peace and weal."
THE SIXTH STORY
[Day the Fifth]
GIANNI DI PROCIDA BEING FOUND WITH A YOUNG LADY, WHOM HE
LOVED AND WHO HAD BEEN GIVEN TO KING FREDERICK OF SICILY, IS
BOUND WITH HER TO A STAKE TO BE BURNT; BUT, BEING RECOGNIZED
BY RUGGIERI DELL' ORIA, ESCAPETH AND BECOMETH HER HUSBAND
Neifile's story, which had much pleased the ladies, being ended, the
queen bade Pampinea address herself to tell another, and she
accordingly, raising her bright face, began: "Exceeding great,
charming ladies, is the might of Love and exposeth lovers to sore
travails, ay, and to excessive and unforeseen perils, as may be
gathered from many a thing that hath been related both to-day and
otherwhiles; nevertheless, it pleaseth me yet again to demonstrate it
to you with a story of an enamoured youth.
Ischia is an island very near Naples, and therein, among others, was
once a very fair and sprightly damsel, by name Restituta, who was the
daughter of a gentleman of the island called Marino Bolgaro and whom a
youth named Gianni, a native of a little island near Ischia, called
Procida, loved more than his life, as she on like wise loved him. Not
only did he come by day from Procida to see her, but oftentimes
anights, not finding a boat, he had swum from Procida to Ischia, at
the least to look upon the walls of her house, an he might no
otherwise. During the continuance of this so ardent love, it befell
that the girl, being all alone one summer day on the sea-shore,
chanced, as she went from rock to rock, loosening shell-fish from the
stones with a knife, upon a place hidden among the cliffs, where, at
once for shade and for the commodity of a spring of very cool water
that was there, certain young men of Sicily, coming from Naples, had
taken up their quarters with a pinnace they had. They, seeing that she
was alone and very handsome and was yet unaware of them, took counsel
together to seize her and carry her off and put their resolve into
execution. Accordingly, they took her, for all she made a great
outcry, and carrying her aboard the pinnace, made the best of their
way to Calabria, where they fell to disputing of whose she should be.
Brief, each would fain have her; wherefore, being unable to agree
among themselves and fearing to come to worse and to mar their affairs
for her, they took counsel together to present her to Frederick, King
of Sicily, who was then a young man and delighted in such toys.
Accordingly, coming to Palermo, they made gift of the damsel to the
king, who, seeing her to be fair, held her dear; but, for that he was
presently somewhat infirm of his person, he commanded that, against he
should be stronger, she should be lodged in a very goodly pavilion,
belonging to a garden of his he called La Cuba, and there tended; and
so it was done.
Great was the outcry in Ischia for the ravishment of the damsel and
what most chagrined them was that they could not learn who they were
that had carried her off; but Gianni, whom the thing concerned more
than any other, not looking to get any news of this in Ischia and
learning in what direction the ravishers had gone, equipped another
pinnace and embarking therein, as quickliest as he might, scoured all
the coast from La Minerva to La Scalea in Calabria, enquiring
everywhere for news of the girl. Being told at La Scalea that she had
been carried off to Palermo by some Sicilian sailors, he betook
himself thither, as quickliest he might, and there, after much search,
finding that she had been presented to the king and was by him kept
under ward at La Cuba, he was sore chagrined and lost well nigh all
hope, not only of ever having her again, but even of seeing her.
Nevertheless, detained by love, having sent away his pinnace and
seeing that he was known of none there, he abode behind and passing
often by La Cuba, he chanced one day to catch sight of her at a window
and she saw him, to the great contentment of them both.
Gianni, seeing the place lonely, approached as most he might and
bespeaking her, was instructed by her how he must do, an he would
thereafterward have further speech of her. He then took leave of her,
having first particularly examined the ordinance of the place in every
part, and waited till a good part of the night was past, when he
returned thither and clambering up in places where a woodpecker had
scarce found a foothold, he made his way into the garden. There he
found a long pole and setting it against the window which his mistress
had shown him, climbed up thereby lightly enough. The damsel,
herseeming she had already lost her honour, for the preservation
whereof she had in times past been somewhat coy to him, thinking that
she could give herself to none more worthily than to him and doubting
not to be able to induce him to carry her off, had resolved in herself
to comply with him in every his desire; wherefore she had left the
window open, so he might enter forthright. Accordingly, Gianni,
finding it open, softly made his way into the chamber and laid himself
beside the girl, who slept not and who, before they came to otherwhat,
discovered to him all her intent, instantly beseeching him to take her
thence and carry her away. Gianni answered that nothing could be so
pleasing to him as this and promised that he would without fail, as
soon as he should have taken his leave of her, put the matter in train
on such wise that he might carry her away with him, the first time he
returned thither. Then, embracing each other with exceeding pleasure,
they took that delight beyond which Love can afford no greater, and
after reiterating it again and again, they fell asleep, without
perceiving it, in each other's arms.
Meanwhile, the king, who had at first sight been greatly taken with
the damsel, calling her to mind and feeling himself well of body,
determined, albeit it was nigh upon day, to go and abide with her
awhile. Accordingly, he betook himself privily to La Cuba with certain
of his servants and entering the pavilion, caused softly open the