The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Madam Oretta's saying was greatly commended of all, ladies and men,
and the queen bidding Pampinea follow on, she began thus: "Fair
ladies, I know not of mine own motion to resolve me which is the more
at fault, whether nature in fitting to a noble soul a mean body or
fortune in imposing a mean condition upon a body endowed with a noble
soul, as in one our townsman Cisti and in many another we may have
seen it happen; which Cisti being gifted with a very lofty spirit,
fortune made him a baker. And for this, certes, I should curse both
nature and fortune like, did I not know the one to be most discreet
and the other to have a thousand eyes, albeit fools picture her blind;
and I imagine, therefore, that, being exceeding well-advised, they do
that which is oftentimes done of human beings, who, uncertain of
future events, bury their most precious things, against their
occasions, in the meanest places of their houses, as being the least
suspect, and thence bring them forth in their greatest needs, the mean
place having the while kept them more surely than would the goodly
chamber. And so, meseemeth, do the governors of the world hide
oftentimes their most precious things under the shadow of crafts and
conditions reputed most mean, to the end that, bringing them forth
therefrom in time of need, their lustre may show the brighter. Which
how Cisti the baker made manifest, though in but a trifling matter,
restoring to Messer Geri Spina (whom the story but now told of Madam
Oretta, who was his wife, hath recalled to my memory) the eyes of the
understanding, it pleaseth me to show you in a very short story.
I must tell you, then, that Pope Boniface, with whom Messer Geri
Spina was in very great favour, having despatched to Florence certain
of his gentlemen on an embassy concerning sundry important matters of
his, they lighted down at the house of Messer Geri and he treating the
pope's affairs in company with them, it chanced, whatever might have
been the occasion thereof, that he and they passed well nigh every
morning afoot before Santa Maria Ughi, where Cisti the baker had his
bakehouse and plied his craft in person. Now, albeit fortune had
appointed Cisti a humble enough condition, she had so far at the least
been kind to him therein that he was grown very rich and without ever
choosing to abandon it for any other, lived very splendidly, having,
amongst his other good things, the best wines, white and red, that
were to be found in Florence or in the neighbouring country. Seeing
Messer Geri and the pope's ambassadors pass every morning before his
door and the heat being great, he bethought himself that it were a
great courtesy to give them to drink of his good white wine; but,
having regard to his own condition and that of Messer Geri, he deemed
it not a seemly thing to presume to invite them, but determined to
bear himself on such wise as should lead Messer Geri to invite
himself.
Accordingly, having still on his body a very white doublet and an
apron fresh from the wash, which bespoke him rather a miller than a
baker, he let set before his door, every morning, towards the time
when he looked for Messer Geri and the ambassadors to pass, a new
tinned pail of fair water and a small pitcher of new Bolognese ware,
full of his good white wine, together with two beakers, which seemed
of silver, so bright they were, and seated himself there, against they
should pass, when, after clearing his throat once or twice, he fell to
drinking of that his wine with such a relish that he had made a dead
man's mouth water for it. Messer Geri, having seen him do thus one and
two mornings, said on the third, 'How now, Cisti? Is it good?'
Whereupon he started to his feet and said, 'Ay is it, Sir; but how
good I cannot give you to understand, except you taste thereof.'
Messer Geri, in whom either the nature of the weather or belike the
relish with which he saw Cisti drink had begotten a thirst, turned to
the ambassadors and said, smiling, 'Gentlemen, we shall do well to
taste this honest man's wine; belike it is such that we shall not
repent thereof.' Accordingly, he made with them towards Cisti, who let
bring a goodly settle out of his bakehouse and praying them sit, said
to their serving-men, who pressed forward to rinse the beakers, 'Stand
back, friends, and leave this office to me, for that I know no less
well how to skink than to wield the baking-peel; and look you not to
taste a drop thereof.' So saying, he with his own hands washed out
four new and goodly beakers and letting bring a little pitcher of his
good wine, busied himself with giving Messer Geri and his companions
to drink, to whom the wine seemed the best they had drunken that great
while; wherefore they commended it greatly, and well nigh every
morning, whilst the ambassadors abode there, Messer Geri went thither
to drink in company with them.
After awhile, their business being despatched and they about to
depart, Messer Geri made them a magnificent banquet, whereto he bade
a number of the most worshipful citizens and amongst the rest, Cisti,
who would, however, on no condition go thither; whereupon Messer Geri
bade one of his serving-men go fetch a flask of the baker's wine and
give each guest a half beaker thereof with the first course. The
servant, despiteful most like for that he had never availed to drink
of the wine, took a great flagon, which when Cisti saw, 'My son,' said
he, 'Messer Geri sent thee not to me.' The man avouched again and
again that he had, but, getting none other answer, returned to Messer
Geri and reported it to him. Quoth he, 'Go back to him and tell him
that I do indeed send thee to him; and if he still make thee the same
answer, ask him to whom I send thee, [an it be not to him.]'
Accordingly, the servant went back to the baker and said to him,
'Cisti, for certain Messer Geri sendeth me to thee and none other.'
'For certain, my son,' answered the baker, 'he doth it not.' 'Then,'
said the man, 'to whom doth he send me?' 'To the Arno,' replied Cisti;
which answer when the servant reported to Messer Geri, the eyes of his
understanding were of a sudden opened and he said to the man, 'Let me
see what flask thou carriedst thither.'
When he saw the great flagon aforesaid, he said, 'Cisti saith sooth,'
and giving the man a sharp reproof, made him take a sortable flask,
which when Cisti saw, 'Now,' quoth he, 'I know full well that he
sendeth thee to me,' and cheerfully filled it unto him. Then, that
same day, he let fill a little cask with the like wine and causing
carry it softly to Messer Geri's house, went presently thither and
finding him there, said to him, 'Sir. I would not have you think that
the great flagon of this morning frightened me; nay, but, meseeming
that which I have of these past days shown you with my little pitchers
had escaped your mind, to wit, that this is no household wine,[300] I
wished to recall it to you. But, now, for that I purpose no longer to
be your steward thereof, I have sent it all to you; henceforward do
with it as it pleaseth you.' Messer Geri set great store by Cisti's
present and rendering him such thanks as he deemed sortable, ever
after held him for a man of great worth and for friend."
[Footnote 300: Lit. Family wine (_vin da famiglia_), _i.e._ no wine
for servants' or general drinking, but a choice vintage, to be
reserved for special occasions.]
THE THIRD STORY
[Day the Sixth]
MADAM NONNA DE' PULCI, WITH A READY RETORT TO A NOT
ALTOGETHER SEEMLY PLEASANTRY, IMPOSETH SILENCE ON THE BISHOP
OF FLORENCE
Pampinea having made an end of her story and both Cisti's reply and
his liberality having been much commended of all, it pleased the queen
that the next story should be told by Lauretta, who blithely began as
follows, "Jocund ladies, first Pampinea and now Filomena have spoken
truly enough touching our little worth and the excellence of pithy
sayings, whereto that there may be no need now to return, I would
fain remind you, over and above that which hath been said on the
subject, that the nature of smart sayings is such that they should
bite upon the hearer, not as the dog, but as the sheep biteth; for
that, an a trait bit like a dog, it were not a trait, but an affront.
The right mean in this was excellently well hit both by Madam Oretta's
speech and Cisti's reply. It is true that, if a smart thing be said by
way of retort, and the answerer biteth like a dog, having been bitten
on like wise, meseemeth he is not to be blamed as he would have been,
had this not been the case; wherefore it behoveth us look how and with
whom, no less than when and where, we bandy jests; to which
considerations, a prelate of ours, taking too little heed, received at
least as sharp a bite as he thought to give, as I shall show you in a
little story.
Messer Antonio d'Orso, a learned and worthy prelate, being Bishop of
Florence, there came thither a Catalan gentleman, called Messer Dego
della Ratta, marshal for King Robert, who, being a man of a very fine
person and a great amorist, took a liking to one among other
Florentine ladies, a very fair lady and granddaughter to a brother of
the said bishop, and hearing that her husband, albeit a man of good
family, was very sordid and miserly, agreed with him to give him five
hundred gold florins, so he would suffer him lie a night with his
wife. Accordingly, he let gild so many silver poplins,[301] a coin
which was then current, and having lain with the lady, though against
her will, gave them to the husband. The thing after coming to be known
everywhere, the sordid wretch of a husband reaped both loss and scorn,
but the bishop, like a discreet man as he was, affected to know
nothing of the matter. Wherefore, he and the marshal consorting much
together, it chanced, as they rode side by side with each other, one
St. John's Day, viewing the ladies on either side of the way where the
mantle is run for,[302] the prelate espied a young lady,--of whom this
present pestilence hath bereft us and whom all you ladies must have
known, Madam Nonna de' Pulci by name, cousin to Messer Alessio
Rinucci, a fresh and fair young woman, both well-spoken and
high-spirited, then not long before married in Porta San Piero,--and
pointed her out to the marshal; then, being near her, he laid his hand
on the latter's shoulder and said to her, 'Nonna, how deemest thou of
this gallant? Thinkest thou thou couldst make a conquest of him?' It
seemed to the lady that those words somewhat trenched upon her honour
and were like to sully it in the eyes of those (and there were many
there) who heard them; wherefore, not thinking to purge away the soil,
but to return blow for blow, she promptly answered, 'Maybe, sir, he
would not make a conquest of me; but, in any case, I should want good
money.' The marshal and the bishop, hearing this, felt themselves
alike touched to the quick by her speech, the one as the author of
the cheat put upon the bishop's brother's granddaughter and the other
as having suffered the affront in the person of his kinswoman, and
made off, shamefast and silent, without looking at one another or
saying aught more to her that day. Thus, then, the young lady having
been bitten, it was not forbidden her to bite her biter with a
retort."
[Footnote 301: A silver coin of about the size and value of our silver
penny, which, when gilded, would pass muster well enough for a gold
florin, unless closely examined.]
[Footnote 302: _Il palio_, a race anciently run at Florence on St.
John's Day, as that of the Barberi at Rome during the Carnival.]
THE FOURTH STORY
[Day the Sixth]
CHICHIBIO, COOK TO CURRADO GIANFIGLIAZZI, WITH A READY WORD
SPOKEN TO SAVE HIMSELF, TURNETH HIS MASTER'S ANGER INTO