The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE FIRST STORY

  [Day the First]

  MASTER CIAPPELLETTO DUPETH A HOLY FRIAR WITH A FALSE CONFESSION AND DIETH; AND HAVING BEEN IN HIS LIFETIME THE WORST OF MEN, HE IS, AFTER HIS DEATH, REPUTED A SAINT AND CALLED SAINT CIAPPELLETTO.

  "It is a seemly thing, dearest ladies, that whatsoever a man doth, hegive it beginning from the holy and admirable name of Him who is themaker of all things. Wherefore, it behoving me, as the first, to givecommencement to our story-telling, I purpose to begin with one of Hismarvels, to the end that, this being heard, our hope in Him, as in athing immutable, may be confirmed and His name be ever praised of us.It is manifest that, like as things temporal are all transitory andmortal, even so both within and without are they full of annoy andanguish and travail and subject to infinite perils, against which itis indubitable that we, who live enmingled therein and who are indeedpart and parcel thereof, might avail neither to endure nor to defendourselves, except God's especial grace lent us strength and foresight;which latter, it is not to be believed, descendeth unto us and upon usby any merit of our own, but of the proper motion of His own benignityand the efficacy of the prayers of those who were mortals even as weare and having diligently ensued His commandments, what while theywere on life, are now with Him become eternal and blessed and untowhom we,--belike not daring to address ourselves unto the properpresence of so august a judge,--proffer our petitions of the thingswhich we deem needful unto ourselves, as unto advocates[29] informedby experience of our frailty. And this more we discern in Him, full asHe is of compassionate liberality towards us, that, whereas itchanceth whiles (the keenness of mortal eyes availing not in any wiseto penetrate the secrets of the Divine intent), that we peradventure,beguiled by report, make such an one our advocate unto Hismajesty, who is outcast from His presence with an eternalbanishment,--nevertheless He, from whom nothing is hidden, havingregard rather to the purity of the suppliant's intent than to hisignorance or to the reprobate estate of him whose intercession beinvoketh, giveth ear unto those who pray unto the latter, as if hewere in very deed blessed in His aspect. The which will manifestlyappear from the story which I purpose to relate; I say manifestly,ensuing, not the judgment of God, but that of men.

  [Footnote 29: Or procurators.]

  It is told, then, that Musciatto Franzesi,[30] being from a very richand considerable merchant in France become a knight and it behovinghim thereupon go into Tuscany with Messire Charles Sansterre,[31]brother to the king of France,[32] who had been required and biddenthither by Pope Boniface,[33] found his affairs in one part andanother sore embroiled, (as those of merchants most times are,) andwas unable lightly or promptly to disentangle them; wherefore hebethought himself to commit them unto divers persons and made shiftfor all, save only he abode in doubt whom he might leave sufficient tothe recovery of the credits he had given to certain Burgundians. Thecause of his doubt was that he knew the Burgundians to be litigious,quarrelsome fellows, ill-conditioned and disloyal, and could not callone to mind, in whom he might put any trust, curst enough to cope withtheir perversity. After long consideration of the matter, there cameto his memory a certain Master Ciapperello da Prato, who came often tohis house in Paris and whom, for that he was little of person andmighty nice in his dress, the French, knowing not what Cepparello[34]meant and thinking it be the same with Cappello, to wit, in theirvernacular, Chaplet, called him, not Cappello, but Ciappelletto,[35]and accordingly as Ciappelletto he was known everywhere, whilst fewknew him for Master Ciapperello.

  [Footnote 30: A Florentine merchant settled in France; he had greatinfluence over Philippe le Bel and made use of the royal favour toenrich himself by means of monopolies granted at the expense of hiscompatriots.]

  [Footnote 31: Charles, Comte de Valois et d'Alencon.]

  [Footnote 32: Philippe le Bel, A.D. 1268-1314.]

  [Footnote 33: The Eighth.]

  [Footnote 34: Sic. _Cepparello_ means a log or stump. Ciapperello isapparently a dialectic variant of the same word.]

  [Footnote 35: Diminutive of Cappello. This passage is obscure and mostlikely corrupt. Boccaccio probably meant to write "hat" instead of"chaplet" (_ghirlanda_), as the meaning of _cappello_, chaplet(diminutive of Old English _chapel_, a hat,) being the meaning of_ciappelletto_ (properly _cappelletto_).]

  Now this said Ciappelletto was of this manner life, that, being ascrivener, he thought very great shame whenas any of his instrumentwas found (and indeed he drew few such) other than false; whilst ofthe latter[36] he would have drawn as many as might be required of himand these with a better will by way of gift than any other for a greatwage. False witness he bore with especial delight, required or notrequired, and the greatest regard being in those times paid to oathsin France, as he recked nothing of forswearing himself, he knavishlygained all the suits concerning which he was called upon to tell thetruth upon his faith. He took inordinate pleasure and was mightydiligent in stirring up troubles and enmities and scandals betweenfriends and kinsfolk and whomsoever else, and the greater themischiefs he saw ensue thereof, the more he rejoiced. If bidden tomanslaughter or whatsoever other naughty deed, he went about it with awill, without ever saying nay thereto; and many a time of his properchoice he had been known to wound men and do them to death with hisown hand. He was a terrible blasphemer of God and the saints, and thatfor every trifle, being the most choleric man alive. To church he wentnever and all the sacraments thereof he flouted in abominable terms,as things of no account; whilst, on the other hand, he was still fainto haunt and use taverns and other lewd places. Of women he was asfond as dogs of the stick; but in the contrary he delighted more thanany filthy fellow alive. He robbed and pillaged with as muchconscience as a godly man would make oblation to God; he was a veryglutton and a great wine bibber, insomuch that bytimes it wrought himshameful mischief, and to boot, he was a notorious gamester and acaster of cogged dice. But why should I enlarge in so many words? Hewas belike the worst man that ever was born.[37] His wickedness hadlong been upheld by the power and interest of Messer Musciatto, whohad many a time safeguarded him as well from private persons, to whomhe often did a mischief, as from the law, against which he was aperpetual offender.

  [Footnote 36: _i.e._ false instruments.]

  [Footnote 37: A "twopence-coloured" sketch of an impossible villain,drawn with a crudeness unusual in Boccaccio.]

  This Master Ciappelletto then, coming to Musciatto's mind, the latter,who was very well acquainted with his way of life, bethought himselfthat he should be such an one as the perversity of the Burgundiansrequired and accordingly, sending for him, he bespoke him thus:'Master Ciappelletto, I am, as thou knowest, about altogether towithdraw hence, and having to do, amongst others, with certainBurgundians, men full of guile, I know none whom I may leave torecover my due from them more fitting than thyself, more by token thatthou dost nothing at this present; wherefore, an thou wilt undertakethis, I will e'en procure thee the favour of the Court and give theesuch part as shall be meet of that which thou shalt recover.'

  Don Ciappelletto, who was then out of employ and ill provided with thegoods of the world, seeing him who had long been his stay and hisrefuge about to depart thence, lost no time in deliberation, but, asof necessity constrained, replied that he would well. They being cometo an accord, Musciatto departed and Ciappelletto, having gotten hispatron's procuration and letters commendatory from the king, betookhimself into Burgundy, where well nigh none knew him, and there,contrary to his nature, began courteously and blandly to seek to getin his payments and do that wherefor he was come thither, as ifreserving choler and violence for a last resort. Dealing thus andlodging in the house of two Florentines, brothers, who there lent atusance and who entertained him with great honour for the love ofMesser Musciatto, it chanced that he fell sick, whereupon the twobrothers promptly fetched physicians and servants to tend him andfurnished him with all that behoved unto the recovery of his health.But every succour was in vain, for that, by the physicians' report,the good man, who was now
old and had lived disorderly, grew dailyworse, as one who had a mortal sickness; wherefore the two brotherswere sore concerned and one day, being pretty near the chamber wherehe lay sick, they began to take counsel together, saying one to theother, 'How shall we do with yonder fellow? We have a sorry bargain onour hands of his affair, for that to send him forth of our house, thussick, were a sore reproach to us and a manifest sign of little wit onour part, if the folk, who have seen us first receive him and afterlet tend and medicine him with such solicitude, should now see himsuddenly put out of our house, sick unto death as he is, without itbeing possible for him to have done aught that should displease us. Onthe other hand, he hath been so wicked a man that he will neverconsent to confess or take any sacrament of the church; and he dyingwithout confession, no church will receive his body; nay, he will becast into a ditch, like a dog. Again, even if he do confess, his sinsare so many and so horrible that the like will come of it, for thatthere is nor priest nor friar who can or will absolve him thereof;wherefore, being unshriven, he will still be cast into the ditches.Should it happen thus, the people of the city, as well on account ofour trade, which appeareth to them most iniquitous and of which theymissay all day, as of their itch to plunder us, seeing this, will riseup in riot and cry out, "These Lombard dogs, whom the church refusethto receive, are to be suffered here no longer";--and they will run toour houses and despoil us not only of our good, but may be of ourlives, to boot; wherefore in any case it will go ill with us, ifyonder fellow die.'

  Master Ciappelletto, who, as we have said, lay near the place wherethe two brothers were in discourse, being quick of hearing, as is mosttimes the case with the sick, heard what they said of him and callingthem to him, bespoke them thus: 'I will not have you anywise misdoubtof me nor fear to take any hurt by me. I have heard what you say of meand am well assured that it would happen even as you say, shouldmatters pass as you expect; but it shall go otherwise. I have in mylifetime done God the Lord so many an affront that it will makeneither more nor less, an I do Him yet another at the point of death;wherefore do you make shift to bring me the holiest and worthiestfriar you may avail to have, if any such there be,[38] and leave therest to me, for that I will assuredly order your affairs and mine ownon such wise that all shall go well and you shall have good cause tobe satisfied.'

  [Footnote 38: _i.e._ if there be such a thing as a holy and worthyfriar.]

  The two brothers, albeit they conceived no great hope of this,nevertheless betook themselves to a brotherhood of monks and demandedsome holy and learned man to hear the confession of a Lombard who laysick in their house. There was given them a venerable brother of holyand good life and a past master in Holy Writ, a very reverend man, forwhom all the townsfolk had a very great and special regard, and theycarried him to their house; where, coming to the chamber where MasterCiappelletto lay and seating himself by his side, he began firsttenderly to comfort him and after asked him how long it was since hehad confessed last; whereto Master Ciappelletto, who had neverconfessed in his life, answered, 'Father, it hath been my usance toconfess every week once at the least and often more; it is true that,since I fell sick, to wit, these eight days past, I have notconfessed, such is the annoy that my sickness hath given me.' Quoththe friar, 'My son, thou hast done well and so must thou dohenceforward. I see, since thou confessest so often, that I shall beat little pains either of hearing or questioning.' 'Sir,' answeredMaster Ciappelletto, 'say not so; I have never confessed so much norso often but I would still fain make a general confession of all mysins that I could call to mind from the day of my birth to that of myconfession; wherefore I pray you, good my father, question me aspunctually of everything, nay, everything, as if I had neverconfessed; and consider me not because I am sick, for that I had farliefer displease this my flesh than, in consulting its ease, do aughtthat might be the perdition of my soul, which my Saviour redeemed withHis precious blood.'

  These words much pleased the holy man and seemed to him to argue awell-disposed mind; wherefore, after he had much commended MasterCiappelletto for that his usance, he asked him if he had ever sinnedby way of lust with any woman. 'Father,' replied Master Ciappelletto,sighing, 'on this point I am ashamed to tell you the truth, fearing tosin by way of vainglory.' Quoth the friar, 'Speak in all security, fornever did one sin by telling the truth, whether in confession orotherwise.' 'Then,' said Master Ciappelletto, 'since you certify me ofthis, I will tell you; I am yet a virgin, even as I came forth of mymother's body.' 'O blessed be thou of God!' cried the monk. 'How wellhast thou done! And doing thus, thou hast the more deserved, inasmuchas, an thou wouldst, thou hadst more leisure to do the contrary thanwe and whatsoever others are limited by any rule.'

  After this he asked him if he had ever offended against God in the sinof gluttony; whereto Master Ciappelletto answered, sighing, Ay had he,and that many a time; for that, albeit, over and above the Lentenfasts that are yearly observed of the devout, he had been wont to faston bread and water three days at the least in every week,--he hadoftentimes (and especially whenas he had endured any fatigue, eitherpraying or going a-pilgrimage) drunken the water with as much appetiteand as keen a relish as great drinkers do wine. And many a time he hadlonged to have such homely salads of potherbs as women make when theygo into the country; and whiles eating had given him more pleasurethan himseemed it should do to one who fasteth for devotion, as didhe. 'My son,' said the friar, 'these sins are natural and very slightand I would not therefore have thee burden thy conscience withal morethan behoveth. It happeneth to every man, how devout soever he be,that, after long fasting, meat seemeth good to him, and after travail,drink.'

  'Alack, father mine,' rejoined Ciappelletto, 'tell me not this tocomfort me; you must know I know that things done for the service ofGod should be done sincerely and with an ungrudging mind; and whosodoth otherwise sinneth.' Quoth the friar, exceeding well pleased, 'Iam content that thou shouldst thus apprehend it and thy pure and goodconscience therein pleaseth me exceedingly. But, tell me, hast thousinned by way of avarice, desiring more than befitted or withholdingthat which it behoved thee not to withhold?' 'Father mine,' repliedCiappelletto, 'I would not have you look to my being in the house ofthese usurers; I have nought to do here; nay, I came hither toadmonish and chasten them and turn them from this their abominable wayof gain; and methinketh I should have made shift to do so, had not Godthus visited me. But you must know that I was left a rich man by myfather, of whose good, when he was dead, I bestowed the most part inalms, and after, to sustain my life and that I might be able tosuccour Christ's poor, I have done my little traffickings, and inthese I have desired to gain; but still with God's poor have I sharedthat which I gained, converting my own half to my occasion and givingthem the other, and in this so well hath my Creator prospered me thatmy affairs have still gone from good to better.'

  'Well hast thou done,' said the friar; 'but hast thou often beenangered?' 'Oh,' cried Master Ciappelletto, 'that I must tell you Ihave very often been! And who could keep himself therefrom, seeing mendo unseemly things all day long, keeping not the commandments of Godneither fearing His judgment? Many times a day I had liefer been deadthan alive, seeing young men follow after vanities and hearing themcurse and forswear themselves, haunting the taverns, visiting not thechurches and ensuing rather the ways of the world than that of God.''My son,' said the friar, 'this is a righteous anger, nor for my partmight I enjoin thee any penance therefor. But hath anger at any timeavailed to move thee to do any manslaughter or to bespeak any oneunseemly or do any other unright?' 'Alack, sir,' answered the sickman, 'you, who seem to me a man of God, how can you say such words?Had I ever had the least thought of doing any one of the thingswhereof you speak, think you I believe that God would so long haveforborne me? These be the doings of outlaws and men of nought, whereofI never saw any but I said still, "Go, may God amend thee!"'

  Then said the friar, 'Now tell me, my son (blessed be thou of God),hast thou never borne false witness against any or missaid of another,or taken others'
good, without leave of him to whom it pertained?''Ay, indeed, sir,' replied Master Ciappelletto; 'I have missaid ofothers; for that I had a neighbour aforetime, who, with the greatestunright in the world, did nought but beat his wife, insomuch that Ionce spoke ill of him to her kinsfolk, so great was the compassionthat overcame me for the poor woman, whom he used as God alone cantell, whenassoever he had drunken overmuch.' Quoth the friar, 'Thoutellest me thou hast been a merchant. Hast thou never cheated any one,as merchants do whiles!' 'I' faith, yes, sir,' answered MasterCiappelletto; 'but I know not whom, except it were a certain man, whoonce brought me monies which he owed me for cloth I had sold him andwhich I threw into a chest, without counting. A good month after, Ifound that they were four farthings more than they should have been;wherefore, not seeing him again and having kept them by me a fullyear, that I might restore them to him, I gave them away in alms.'Quoth the friar, 'This was a small matter, and thou didst well to dealwith it as thou didst.'

  Then he questioned him of many other things, of all which he answeredafter the same fashion, and the holy father offering to proceed toabsolution, Master Ciappelletto said, 'Sir, I have yet sundry sinsthat I have not told you.' The friar asked him what they were, and heanswered, 'I mind me that one Saturday, after none, I caused myservant sweep out the house and had not that reverence for the Lord'sholy day which it behoved me have.' 'Oh,' said the friar, 'that is alight matter, my son.' 'Nay,' rejoined Master Ciappelletto, 'call itnot a light matter, for that the Lord's Day is greatly to be honoured,seeing that on such a day our Lord rose from the dead.' Then said thefriar, 'Well, hast thou done aught else?' 'Ay, sir,' answered MasterCiappelletto; 'once, unthinking what I did, I spat in the church ofGod.' Thereupon the friar fell a-smiling, and said, 'My son, that isno thing to be recked of; we who are of the clergy, we spit there allday long.' 'And you do very ill,' rejoined Master Ciappelletto; 'forthat there is nought which it so straitly behoveth to keep clean asthe holy temple wherein is rendered sacrifice to God.'

  Brief, he told him great plenty of such like things and presently fella-sighing and after weeping sore, as he knew full well to do, whenashe would. Quoth the holy friar, 'What aileth thee, my son?' 'Alas,sir,' replied Master Ciappelletto, 'I have one sin left, whereof Inever yet confessed me, such shame have I to tell it; and every time Icall it to mind, I weep, even as you see, and meseemeth very certainthat God will never pardon it me.' 'Go to, son,' rejoined the friar;'what is this thou sayest? If all the sins that were ever wrought orare yet to be wrought of all mankind, what while the world endureth,were all in one man and he repented him thereof and were contritetherefor, as I see thee, such is the mercy and loving-kindness of Godthat, upon confession, He would freely pardon them to him. Whereforedo thou tell it in all assurance.' Quoth Master Ciappelletto, stillweeping sore, 'Alack, father mine, mine is too great a sin, and I canscarce believe that it will ever be forgiven me of God, except yourprayers strive for me.' Then said the friar, 'Tell it me in allassurance, for I promise thee to pray God for thee.'

  Master Ciappelletto, however, still wept and said nought; but, afterhe had thus held the friar a great while in suspense, he heaved a deepsigh and said, 'Father mine, since you promise me to pray God for me,I will e'en tell it you. Know, then, that, when I was little, I oncecursed my mother.' So saying, he fell again to weeping sore. 'O myson,' quoth the friar, 'seemeth this to thee so heinous a sin? Why,men blaspheme God all day long and He freely pardoneth whoso repentethhim of having blasphemed Him; and deemest thou not He will pardon theethis? Weep not, but comfort thyself; for, certes, wert thou one ofthose who set Him on the cross, He would pardon thee, in favour ofsuch contrition as I see in thee.' 'Alack, father mine, what say you?'replied Ciappelletto. 'My kind mother, who bore me nine months in herbody, day and night, and carried me on her neck an hundred times andmore, I did passing ill to curse her and it was an exceeding greatsin; and except you pray God for me, it will not be forgiven me.'

  The friar, then, seeing that Master Ciappelletto had no more to say,gave him absolution and bestowed on him his benison, holding him avery holy man and devoutly believing all that he had told him to betrue. And who would not have believed it, hearing a man at the pointof death speak thus? Then, after all this, he said to him, 'MasterCiappelletto, with God's help you will speedily be whole; but, shouldit come to pass that God call your blessed and well-disposed soul toHimself, would it please you that your body be buried in our convent?''Ay, would it, sir,' replied Master Ciappelletto. 'Nay, I would fainno be buried otherwhere, since you have promised to pray God for me;more by token that I have ever had a special regard for your order.Wherefore I pray you that whenas you return to your lodging, you mustcause bring me that most veritable body of Christ, which youconsecrate a-mornings upon the altar, for that, with your leave, Ipurpose (all unworthy as I am) to take it and after, holy and extremeunction, to the intent that, if I have lived as a sinner, I may at theleast die like a Christian.' The good friar replied that it pleasedhim much and that he said well and promised to see it presentlybrought him; and so was it done.

  Meanwhile, the two brothers, misdoubting them sore lest MasterCiappelletto should play them false, had posted themselves behind awainscot, that divided the chamber where he lay from another, andlistening, easily heard and apprehended that which he said to thefriar and had whiles so great a mind to laugh, hearing the thingswhich he confessed to having done, that they were like to burst andsaid, one to other, 'What manner of man is this, whom neither old agenor sickness nor fear of death, whereunto he seeth himself near, noryet of God, before whose judgment-seat he looketh to be ere long, haveavailed to turn from his wickedness nor hinder him from choosing todie as he hath lived?' However, seeing that he had so spoken that heshould be admitted to burial in a church, they recked nought of therest.

  Master Ciappelletto presently took the sacrament and, growing rapidlyworse, received extreme unction, and a little after evensong of theday he had made his fine confession, he died; whereupon the twobrothers, having, of his proper monies, taken order for his honourableburial, sent to the convent to acquaint the friars therewith, biddingthem come thither that night to hold vigil, according to usance, andfetch away the body in the morning, and meanwhile made ready all thatwas needful thereunto.

  The holy friar, who had shriven him, hearing that he had departed thislife, betook himself to the prior of the convent and, letting ring tochapter, gave out to the brethren therein assembled that MasterCiappelletto had been a holy man, according to that which he hadgathered from his confession, and persuaded them to receive his bodywith the utmost reverence and devotion, in the hope that God shouldshow forth many miracles through him. To this the prior and brethrencredulously consented and that same evening, coming all whereas MasterCiappelletto lay dead, they held high and solemn vigil over him and onthe morrow, clad all in albs and copes, book in hand and crossesbefore them, they went, chanting the while, for his body and broughtit with the utmost pomp and solemnity to their church, followed bywell nigh all the people of the city, men and women.

  As soon as they had set the body down in the church, the holy friar,who had confessed him, mounted the pulpit and fell a-preachingmarvellous things of the dead man and of his life, his fasts, hisvirginity, his simplicity and innocence and sanctity, recounting,amongst other things, that which he had confessed to him as hisgreatest sin and how he had hardly availed to persuade him that Godwould forgive it him; thence passing on to reprove the folk whohearkened, 'And you, accursed that you are,' quoth he, 'for every waifof straw that stirreth between your feet, you blaspheme God and theVirgin and all the host of heaven.' Moreover, he told them many otherthings of his loyalty and purity of heart; brief, with his speech,whereto entire faith was yielded of the people of the city, he soestablished the dead man in the reverent consideration of all who werepresent that, no sooner was the service at an end, than they all withthe utmost eagerness flocked to kiss his hands and feet and theclothes were torn off his back, he holding himself blessed who mightavail to hav
e never so little thereof; and needs must they leave himthus all that day, so he might be seen and visited of all.

  The following night he was honourably buried in a marble tomb in oneof the chapels of the church and on the morrow the folk beganincontinent to come and burn candles and offer up prayers and makevows to him and hang images of wax[39] at his shrine, according to thepromise made. Nay, on such wise waxed the frame of his sanctity andmen's devotion to him that there was scarce any who, being inadversity, would vow himself to another saint than him; and theystyled and yet style him Saint Ciappelletto and avouch that Godthrough him hath wrought many miracles and yet worketh, them every dayfor whoso devoutly commendeth himself unto him.

  [Footnote 39: _i.e._ ex voto.]

  Thus, then, lived and died Master Cepperello[40] da Prato and became asaint, as you have heard; nor would I deny it to be possible that heis beatified in God's presence, for that, albeit his life was wickedand perverse, he may at his last extremity have shown such contritionthat peradventure God had mercy on him and received him into Hiskingdom; but, for that this is hidden from us, I reason according tothat which, is apparent and say that he should rather be in the handsof the devil in perdition than in Paradise. And if so it be, we mayknow from this how great is God's loving-kindness towards us, which,having regard not to our error, but to the purity of our faith, whenaswe thus make an enemy (deeming him a friend) of His our intermediary,giveth ear unto us, even as if we had recourse unto one truly holy, asintercessor for His favour. Wherefore, to the end that by His grace wemay be preserved safe and sound in this present adversity and in thisso joyous company, let us, magnifying His name, in which we have begunour diversion, and holding Him in reverence, commend ourselves to Himin our necessities, well assured of being heard." And with this he wassilent.

  [Footnote 40: It will be noted that this is Boccaccio's third variantof his hero's name (the others being Ciapperello and Cepparello) andthe edition of 1527 furnishes us with a fourth and a fifth form _i.e._Ciepparello and Ciepperello.]