The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
together a pretty while; after which, herseeming he should not abide
longer, she caused him arise and dress himself and said to him,
'Sweetheart, do thou take a stout cudgel and get thee to the garden
and there, feigning to have solicited me to try me, rate Egano, as he
were I, and ring me a good peal of bells on his back with the cudgel,
for that thereof will ensue to us marvellous pleasance and delight.'
Anichino accordingly repaired to the garden, with a sallow-stick in
his hand, and Egano, seeing him draw near the pine, rose up and came
to meet him, as he would receive him with the utmost joy; whereupon
quoth Anichino, 'Ah, wicked woman, art thou then come hither, and
thinkest thou I would do my lord such a wrong? A thousand times ill
come to thee!' Then, raising the cudgel, he began to lay on to him.
Egano, hearing this and seeing the cudgel, took to his heels, without
saying a word, whilst Anichino still followed after him, saying, 'Go
to, God give thee an ill year, vile woman that thou art! I will
certainly tell it to Egano to-morrow morning.' Egano made his way back
to the chamber as quickliest he might, having gotten sundry good
clouts, and being questioned of the lady if Anichino had come to the
garden, 'Would God he had not!' answered he. 'For that, taking me for
thee, he hath cudgelled me to a mummy and given me the soundest rating
that was aye bestowed upon lewd woman. Certes, I marvelled sore at him
that he should have said these words to thee, with intent to do aught
that might be a shame to me; but, for that he saw thee so blithe and
gamesome, he had a mind to try thee.' Then said the lady, 'Praised be
God that he hath tried me with words and thee with deeds! Methinketh
he may say that I suffered his words more patiently than thou his
deeds. But, since he is so loyal to thee, it behoveth thee hold him
dear and do him honour.' 'Certes,' answered Egano, 'thou sayst sooth';
and reasoning by this, he concluded that he had the truest wife and
the trustiest servant that ever gentleman had; by reason whereof,
albeit both he and the lady made merry more than once with Anichino
over this adventure, the latter and his mistress had leisure enough of
that which belike, but for this, they would not have had, to wit, to
do that which afforded them pleasance and delight, that while it
pleased Anichino abide with Egano in Bologna."
THE EIGHTH STORY
[Day the Seventh]
A MAN WAXETH JEALOUS OF HIS WIFE, WHO BINDETH A PIECE OF
PACKTHREAD TO HER GREAT TOE ANIGHTS, SO SHE MAY HAVE NOTICE
OF HER LOVER'S COMING. ONE NIGHT HER HUSBAND BECOMETH AWARE
OF THIS DEVICE AND WHAT WHILE HE PURSUETH THE LOVER, THE
LADY PUTTETH ANOTHER WOMAN TO BED IN HER ROOM. THIS LATTER
THE HUSBAND BEATETH AND CUTTETH OFF HER HAIR, THEN FETCHETH
HIS WIFE'S BROTHERS, WHO, FINDING HIS STORY [SEEMINGLY]
UNTRUE, GIVE HIM HARD WORDS
It seemed to them all that Madam Beatrice had been extraordinarily
ingenious in cozening her husband and all agreed that Anichino's
fright must have been very great, whenas, being the while held fast by
the lady, he heard her say that he had required her of love. But the
king, seeing Filomena silent, turned to Neifile and said to her, "Do
you tell"; whereupon she, smiling first a little, began, "Fair ladies,
I have a hard task before me if I desire to pleasure you with a goodly
story, as those of you have done, who have already told; but, with
God's aid, I trust to discharge myself thereof well enough.
You must know, then, that there was once in our city a very rich
merchant called Arriguccio Berlinghieri, who, foolishly thinking, as
merchants yet do every day, to ennoble himself by marriage, took to
wife a young gentlewoman ill sorting with himself, by name Madam
Sismonda, who, for that he, merchant-like, was much abroad and
sojourned little with her, fell in love with a young man called
Ruberto, who had long courted her, and clapped up a lover's privacy
with him. Using belike over-little discretion in her dealings with her
lover, for that they were supremely delightsome to her, it chanced
that, whether Arriguccio scented aught of the matter or how else
soever it happened, the latter became the most jealous man alive and
leaving be his going about and all his other concerns, applied himself
well nigh altogether to the keeping good watch over his wife; nor
would he ever fall asleep, except he first felt her come into the bed;
by reason whereof the lady suffered the utmost chagrin, for that on no
wise might she avail to be with her Ruberto.
However, after pondering many devices for finding a means to
foregather with him and being to boot continually solicited thereof by
him, it presently occurred to her to do on this wise; to wit, having
many a time observed that Arriguccio tarried long to fall asleep, but
after slept very soundly, she determined to cause Ruberto come about
midnight to the door of the house and to go open to him and abide with
him what while her husband slept fast. And that she might know when he
should be come, she bethought herself to hang a twine out of the
window of her bedchamber, which looked upon the street, on such wise
that none might perceive it, one end whereof should well nigh reach
the ground, whilst she carried the other end along the floor of the
room to the bed and hid it under the clothes, meaning to make it fast
to her great toe, whenas she should be abed. Accordingly, she sent to
acquaint Ruberto with this and charged him, when he came, to pull the
twine, whereupon, if her husband slept, she would let it go and come
to open to him; but, if he slept not, she would hold it fast and draw
it to herself, so he should not wait. The device pleased Ruberto and
going thither frequently, he was whiles able to foregather with her
and whiles not.
On this wise they continued to do till, one night, the lady being
asleep, it chanced that her husband stretched out his foot in bed and
felt the twine, whereupon he put his hand to it and finding it made
fast to his wife's toe, said in himself, 'This should be some trick';
and presently perceiving that the twine led out of window, he held it
for certain. Accordingly, he cut it softly from the lady's toe and
making it fast to his own, abode on the watch to see what this might
mean. He had not waited long before up came Ruberto and pulled at the
twine, as of his wont; whereupon Arriguccio started up; but, he not
having made the twine well fast to his toe and Ruberto pulling hard,
it came loose in the latter's hand, whereby he understood that he was
to wait and did so. As for Arriguccio, he arose in haste and taking
his arms, ran to the door, to see who this might be and do him a
mischief, for, albeit a merchant, he was a stout fellow and a strong.
When he came to the door, he opened it not softly as the lady was used
to do, which when Ruberto, who was await, observed, he guessed how the
case stood, to wit, that it was Arriguccio who opened the door, and
accordingly made off in haste and the other after him. At last, having
fled a great way and Arriguccio stinting not from following him,
Ruberto, being also armed, drew his sword and turned upon his pursuer,
whereupon they fell to blows, the one attacking and the other
defending himself.
Meanwhile, the lady, awaking, as Arriguccio opened the chamber-door,
and finding the twine cut from her toe, knew incontinent that her
device was discovered, whereupon, perceiving that her husband had run
after her lover, she arose in haste and foreseeing what might happen,
called her maid, who knew all, and conjured her to such purpose that
she prevailed with her to take her own place in the bed, beseeching
her patiently to endure, without discovering herself, whatsoever
buffets Arriguccio might deal her, for that she would requite her
therefor on such wise that she should have no cause to complain; after
which she did out the light that burnt in the chamber and going forth
thereof, hid herself in another part of the house and there began to
await what should betide.
Meanwhile, the people of the quarter, aroused by the noise of the
affray between Arriguccio and Ruberto, arose and fell a-railing at
them; whereupon the husband, fearing to be known, let the youth go,
without having availed to learn who he was or to do him any hurt, and
returned to his house, full of rage and despite. There, coming into
the chamber, he cried out angrily, saying, 'Where art thou, vile
woman? Thou hast done out the light, so I may not find thee; but thou
art mistaken.' Then, coming to the bedside, he seized upon the maid,
thinking to take his wife, and laid on to her so lustily with cuffs
and kicks, as long as he could wag his hands and feet, that he bruised
all her face, ending by cutting off her hair, still giving her the
while the hardest words that were ever said to worthless woman. The
maid wept sore, as indeed she had good cause to do, and albeit she
said whiles, 'Alas, mercy, for God's sake!' and 'Oh, no more!' her
voice was so broken with sobs and Arriguccio was so hindered with his
rage that he never discerned it to be that of another woman than his
wife.
Having, then, as we have said, beaten her to good purpose and cut off
her hair, he said to her, 'Wicked woman that thou art, I mean not to
touch thee otherwise, but shall now go fetch thy brothers and acquaint
them with thy fine doings and after bid them come for thee and deal
with thee as they shall deem may do them honour and carry thee away;
for assuredly in this house thou shalt abide no longer.' So saying, he
departed the chamber and locking the door from without, went away all
alone. As soon as Madam Sismonda, who had heard all, was certified of
her husband's departure, she opened the door and rekindling the light,
found her maid all bruised and weeping sore; whereupon she comforted
her as best she might and carried her back to her own chamber, where
she after caused privily tend her and care for her and so rewarded her
of Arriguccio's own monies that she avouched herself content. No
sooner had she done this than she hastened to make the bed in her own
chamber and all restablished it and set it in such order as if none
had lain there that night; after which she dressed and tired herself,
as if she had not yet gone to bed; then, lighting a lamp, she took her
clothes and seated herself at the stairhead, where she proceeded to
sew and await the issue of the affair.
Meanwhile Arriguccio betook himself in all haste to the house of his
wife's brothers and there knocked so long and so loudly that he was
heard and it was opened to him. The lady's three brothers and her
mother, hearing that it was Arriguccio, rose all and letting kindle
lights, came to him and asked what he went seeking at that hour and
alone. Whereupon, beginning from the twine he had found tied to wife's
toe, he recounted to them all that he had discovered and done, and to
give them entire proof of the truth of his story, he put into their
hands the hair he thought to have cut from his wife's head, ending by
requiring them to come for her and do with her that which they should
judge pertinent to their honour, for that he meant to keep her no
longer in his house. The lady's brothers, hearing this and holding it
for certain, were sore incensed against her and letting kindle
torches, set out to accompany Arriguccio to his house, meaning to do
her a mischief; which their mother seeing, she followed after them,
weeping and entreating now the one, now the other not to be in such
haste to believe these things of their sister, without seeing or
knowing more of the matter, for that her husband might have been
angered with her for some other cause and have maltreated her and
might now allege this in his own excuse, adding that she marvelled