THE SIXTH STORY
[Day the Second]
MADAM BERITOLA, HAVING LOST HER TWO SONS, IS FOUND ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH TWO KIDS AND GOETH THENCE INTO LUNIGIANA, WHERE ONE OF HER SONS, TAKING SERVICE WITH THE LORD OF THE COUNTRY, LIETH WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND IS CAST INTO PRISON. SICILY AFTER REBELLING AGAINST KING CHARLES AND THE YOUTH BEING RECOGNIZED BY HIS MOTHER, HE ESPOUSETH HIS LORD'S DAUGHTER, AND HIS BROTHER BEING LIKEWISE FOUND, THEY ARE ALL THREE RESTORED TO HIGH ESTATE
Ladies and young men alike laughed heartily at Andreuccio'sadventures, as related by Fiammetta, and Emilia, seeing the storyended, began, by the queen's commandment, to speak thus: "Grievousthings and woeful are the various shifts of Fortune, whereof,--forthat, whenassoever it is discoursed of them, it is an awakenment forour minds, which lightly fall asleep under her blandishments,--methinkethit should never be irksome either to the happy or the unhappy to heartell, inasmuch as it rendereth the former wary and consoleth thelatter. Wherefore, albeit great things have already been recountedupon this subject, I purpose to tell you thereanent a story no lesstrue than pitiful, whereof, for all it had a joyful ending, so greatand so longsome was the bitterness that I can scarce believe it tohave been assuaged by any subsequent gladness.
You must know, dearest ladies, that, after the death of the EmperorFrederick the Second, Manfred was crowned King of Sicily, in very highestate with whom was a gentleman of Naples called Arrighetto Capece,who had to wife a fair and noble lady, also of Naples, by name MadamBeritola Caracciola. The said Arrighetto, who had the governance ofthe island in his hands, hearing that King Charles the First[102] hadovercome and slain Manfred at Benevento and that all the realm hadrevolted to him and having scant assurance of the short-lived fidelityof the Sicilians, prepared for flight, misliking to become a subjectof his lord's enemy; but, his intent being known of the Sicilians, heand many other friends and servants of King Manfred were suddenly madeprisoners and delivered to King Charles, together with possession ofthe island.
[Footnote 102: Charles d'Anjou.]
Madam Beritola, in this grievous change of affairs, knowing not whatwas come of Arrighetto and sore adread of that which had befallen,abandoned all her possessions for fear of shame and poor and pregnantas she was, embarked, with a son of hers and maybe eight years of age,Giusfredi by name, in a little boat and fled to Lipari, where she gavebirth to another male child, whom she named Scacciato,[103] andgetting her a nurse, took ship with all three to return to herkinsfolk at Naples. But it befell otherwise than as she purposed; forthat the ship, which should have gone to Naples, was carried by stressof wind to the island of Ponza,[104] where they entered a little bightof the sea and there awaited an occasion for continuing their voyage.Madam Beritola, going up, like the rest, into the island and finding aremote and solitary place, addressed herself to make moan for herArrighetto, all alone there.
[Footnote 103: _i.e._ the Banished or the Expelled One.]
[Footnote 104: An island in the Gulf of Gaeta, about 70 miles fromNaples. It is now inhabited, but appears in Boccaccio's time to havebeen desert.]
This being her daily usance, it chanced one day that, as she wasoccupied in bewailing herself, there came up a pirate galley,unobserved of any, sailor or other, and taking them all at unawares,made off with her prize. Madam Beritola, having made an end of herdiurnal lamentation, returned to the sea-shore, as she was used to do,to visit her children, but found none there; whereat she firstmarvelled and after, suddenly misdoubting her of that which hadhappened, cast her eyes out to sea and saw the galley at no greatdistance, towing the little ship after it; whereby she knew but toowell that she had lost her children, as well as her husband, andseeing herself there poor and desolate and forsaken, unknowing whereshe should ever again find any of them, she fell down aswoon upon thestrand, calling upon her husband and her children. There was nonethere to recall her distracted spirits with cold water or otherremedy, wherefore they might at their leisure go wandering whither itpleased them; but, after awhile, the lost senses returning to herwretched body, in company with tears and lamentations, she called longupon her children and went a great while seeking them in every cavern.At last, finding all her labour in vain and seeing the night comingon, she began, hoping and knowing not what, to be careful for herselfand departing the sea-shore, returned to the cavern where she was wontto weep and bemoan herself.
She passed the night in great fear and inexpressible dolour and thenew day being come and the hour of tierce past, she was fain,constrained by hunger, for that she had not supped overnight, tobrowse upon herbs; and having fed as best she might, she gave herself,weeping, to various thoughts of her future life. Pondering thus, shesaw a she-goat enter a cavern hard by and presently issue thence andbetake herself into the wood; whereupon she arose and entering whereasthe goat had come forth, found there two little kidlings, born belikethat same day, which seemed to her the quaintest and prettiest thingsin the world. Her milk being yet undried from her recent delivery, shetenderly took up the kids and set them to her breast. They refused notthe service, but sucked her as if she had been their dam andthenceforth made no distinction between the one and the other.Wherefore, herseeming she had found some company in that desert place,and growing no less familiar with the old goat than with her littleones, she resigned herself to live and die there and abode eating ofherbs and drinking water and weeping as often as she remembered her ofher husband and children and of her past life.
The gentle lady, thus grown a wild creature, abiding on this wise, itbefell, after some months, that there came on like wise to the placewhither she had aforetime been driven by stress of weather, a littlevessel from Pisa and there abode some days. On broad this bark was agentleman named Currado [of the family] of the Marquises of Malespina,who, with his wife, a lady of worth and piety, was on his return homefrom a pilgrimage to all the holy places that be in the kingdom ofApulia. To pass away the time, Currado set out one day, with his ladyand certain of his servants and his dogs, to go about the island, andnot far from Madam Beritola's place of harbourage, the dogs startedthe two kids, which were now grown pretty big, as they went grazing.The latter, chased by the dogs, fled to no other place but into thecavern where was Madam Beritola, who, seeing this, started to her feetand catching up a staff, beat off the dogs. Currado and his wife, whocame after them, seeing the lady, who was grown swart and lean andhairy, marvelled, and she yet more at them. But after Currado had, ather instance, called off his dogs, they prevailed with her, by dint ofmuch entreaty, to tell them who she was and what she did there;whereupon she fully discovered to them her whole condition and allthat had befallen her, together with her firm resolution [to abidealone in the island].
Currado, who had know Arrighetto Capece very well, hearing this, weptfor pity, and did his utmost to divert her with words from sobarbarous a purpose, offering to carry her back to her own house or tokeep her with himself, holding her in such honour as his sister, untilGod should send her happier fortune. The lady not yielding to theseproffers, Currado left his wife with her, bidding the latter causebring thither to eat and clothe the lady, who was all in rags, withsome of her own apparel, and charging her contrive, by whatsoevermeans, to bring her away with her. Accordingly, the gentle lady, beingleft with Madam Beritola, after condoling with her amain of hermisfortunes, sent for raiment and victual and prevailed on her, withall the pains in the world, to don the one and eat the other.
Ultimately, after many prayers, Madam Beritola protesting that shewould never consent to go whereas she might be known, she persuadedher to go with her into Lunigiana, together with the two kids andtheir dam, which latter were meantime returned and had greeted herwith the utmost fondness, to the no small wonderment of thegentlewoman. Accordingly, as soon as fair weather was come, MadamBeritola embarked with Currado and his lady in their vessel, carryingwith her the two kids and the she-goat (on whose account, her namebeing everywhere unknown, she was styled Cavriuola[105]) and settingsail with a fair wind,
came speedily to the mouth of the Magra,[106]where they landed and went up to Currado's castle. There MadamBeritola abode, in a widow's habit, about the person of Currado'slady, as one of her waiting-women, humble, modest and obedient, stillcherishing her kids and letting nourish them.
[Footnote 105: _i.e._ wild she-goat.]
[Footnote 106: A river falling into the Gulf of Genoa between Carraraand Spezzia.]
Meanwhile, the corsairs, who had taken the ship wherein Madam Beritolacame to Ponza, but had left herself, as being unseen of them, betookthemselves with all the other folk to Genoa, where, the booty comingto be shared among the owners of the galley, it chanced that the nurseand the two children fell, amongst other things, to the lot of acertain Messer Guasparrino d'Oria,[107] who sent them all three to hismansion, to be there employed as slaves about the service of thehouse. The nurse, afflicted beyond measure at the loss of her mistressand at the wretched condition where into she found herself and the twochildren fallen, wept long and sore; but, for that, albeit a poorwoman, she was discreet and well-advised, when she saw that tearsavailed nothing and that she was become a slave together with them,she first comforted herself as best she might and after, consideringwhither they were come, she bethought herself that, should the twochildren be known, they might lightly chance to suffer hindrance;wherefore, hoping withal that, sooner or later fortune might changeand they, an they lived, regain their lost estate, she resolved todiscover to no one who they were, until she should see occasiontherefor, and told all who asked her thereof that they were her sons.The elder she named, not Giusfredi, but Giannotto di Procida (the nameof the younger she cared not to change), and explained to him, withthe utmost diligence, why she had changed his name, showing him inwhat peril he might be, an he were known. This she set out to him notonce, but many and many a time, and the boy, who was quick of wit,punctually obeyed the enjoinment of his discreet nurse.
[Footnote 107: More familiar to modern ears as Doria.]
Accordingly, the two boys and their nurse abode patiently in MesserGuasparrino's house several years, ill-clad and worse shod andemployed about the meanest offices. But Giannotto, who was now sixteenyears of age, and had more spirit than pertained to a slave, scorningthe baseness of a menial condition, embarked on board certain galleysbound for Alexandria and taking leave of Messer Guasparrino's service,journeyed to divers parts, without any wise availing to advancehimself. At last some three or four years after his departure fromGenoa, being grown a handsome youth and tall of his person and hearingthat his father, whom he thought dead, was yet alive, but was kept byKing Charles in prison and duresse, he went wandering at a venture,well nigh despairing of fortune, till he came to Lunigiana and there,as chance would have it, took service with Currado Malespina, whom heserved with great aptitude and acceptance. And albeit he now and againsaw his mother, who was with Currado's lady, he never recognized hernor she him, so much had time changed the one and the other from thatwhich they were used to be, whenas they last set eyes on each other.
Giannotto being, then, in Currado's service, it befell that a daughterof the latter, by name Spina, being left the widow of one Niccolo daGrignano, returned to her father's house and being very fair andagreeable and a girl of little more than sixteen years of age, chancedto cast eyes on Giannotto and he on her, and they became passionatelyenamoured of each other. Their love was not long without effect andlasted several months ere any was ware thereof. Wherefore, takingovermuch assurance, they began to order themselves with lessdiscretion than behoveth unto matters of this kind, and one day, asthey went, the young lady and Giannotto together, through a fair andthickset wood, they pushed on among the trees, leaving the rest of thecompany behind. Presently, themseeming they had far foregone theothers, they laid themselves down to rest in a pleasant place, full ofgrass and flowers and shut in with trees, and there fell to takingamorous delight one of the other.
In this occupation, the greatness of their delight making the timeseem brief to them, albeit they had been there a great while, theywere surprised, first by the girl's mother and after by Currado, who,chagrined beyond measure at this sight, without saying aught of thecause, had them both seized by three of his serving-men and carried inbonds to a castle of his and went off, boiling with rage and despiteand resolved to put them both to a shameful death. The girl's mother,although sore incensed and holding her daughter worthy of the severestpunishment for her default, having by certain words of Curradoapprehended his intent towards the culprits and unable to brook this,hastened after her enraged husband and began to beseech him that itwould please him not run madly to make himself in his old age themurderer of his own daughter and to soil his hands with the blood ofone of his servants, but to find other means of satisfying his wrath,such as to clap them in prison and there let them pine and bewail thefault committed. With these and many other words the pious lady sowrought upon him that she turned his mind from putting them to deathand he bade imprison them, each in a place apart, where they should bewell guarded and kept with scant victual and much unease, till suchtime as he should determine farther of them. As he bade, so was itdone, and what their life was in duresse and continual tears and infasts longer than might have behoved unto them, each may picture tohimself.
What while Giannotto and Spina abode in this doleful case and hadtherein already abidden a year's space, unremembered of Currado, itcame to pass that King Pedro of Arragon, by the procurement of MesserGian di Procida, raised the island of Sicily against King Charles andtook it from him, whereat Currado, being a Ghibelline,[108] rejoicedexceedingly, Giannotto, hearing of this from one of those who had himin guard, heaved a great sigh and said, 'Ah, woe is me! These fourteenyears have I gone ranging beggarlike about the world, looking fornought other than this, which, now that it is come, so I may neveragain hope for weal, hath found me in a prison whence I have no hopeever to come forth, save dead.' 'How so?' asked the gaoler. 'What doththat concern thee which great kings do to one another? What hast thouto do in Sicily?' Quoth Giannotto, 'My heart is like to burst when Iremember me of that which my father erst had to do there, whom, albeitI was but a little child, when I fled thence, yet do I mind me to havebeen lord thereof, in the lifetime of King Manfred.' 'And who was thyfather?' asked the gaoler. 'My father's name,' answered Giannotto, 'Imay now safely make known, since I find myself in the peril whereof Iwas in fear, an I discovered it. He was and is yet, an he live, calledArrighetto Capece, and my name is, not Giannotto, but Giusfredi, and Idoubt not a jot, an I were quit of this prison, but I might yet, byreturning to Sicily, have very high place there.'
[Footnote 108: The Ghibellines were the supporters of the Papalfaction against the Guelphs or adherents of the Emperor Frederick II.of Germany. The cardinal struggle between the two factions took placeover the succession to the throne of Naples and Sicily, to which thePope appointed Charles of Anjou, who overcame and killed the reigningsovereign Manfred, but was himself, through the machinations of theGhibellines, expelled from Sicily by the celebrated popular risingknown as the Sicilian Vespers.]
The honest man, without asking farther, reported Giannotto's words, asfirst he had occasion, to Currado, who, hearing this,--albeit hefeigned to the gaoler to make light of it,--betook himself to MadamBeritola and courteously asked her if she had had by Arrighetto a sonnamed Giusfredi. The lady answered, weeping, that, if the elder of hertwo sons were alive, he would so be called and would be two-and-twentyyears old. Currado, hearing this, concluded that this must be he andbethought himself that, were it so, he might at once do a great mercyand take away his own and his daughter's shame by giving her toGiannotto to wife; wherefore, sending privily for the latter, heparticularly examined him touching all his past life and finding, byvery manifest tokens, that he was indeed Giusfredi, son of ArrighettoCapece, he said to him, 'Giannotto, thou knowest what and how great isthe wrong thou hast done me in the person of my daughter, whereas, Ihaving ever well and friendly entreated thee, it behoved thee, as aservant should, still to study and do for my honou
r and interest; andmany there be who, hadst thou used them like as thou hast used me,would have put thee to a shameful death, the which my clemency brookednot. Now, if it be as thou tellest me, to wit, that thou art the sonof a man of condition and of a noble lady, I purpose, an thou thyselfbe willing, to put an end to thy tribulations and relieving thee fromthe misery and duresse wherein thou abidest, to reinstate at oncethine honour and mine own in their due stead. As thou knowest, Spina,whom thou hast, though after a fashion misbeseeming both thyself andher, taken with love-liking, is a widow and her dowry is both greatand good; as for her manners and her father and mother, thou knowestthem, and of thy present state I say nothing. Wherefore, an thou will,I purpose that, whereas she hath unlawfully been thy mistress, sheshall now lawfully become thy wife and that thou shalt abide here withme and with her, as my very son, so long as it shall please thee.'
Now prison had mortified Giannotto's flesh, but had nothing abated thegenerous spirit, which he derived from his noble birth, nor yet theentire affection he bore his mistress; and albeit he ardently desiredthat which Currado proffered him and saw himself in the latter'spower, yet no whit did he dissemble of that which the greatness of hissoul prompted him to say; wherefore he answered, 'Currado, neitherlust of lordship nor greed of gain nor other cause whatever hath evermade me lay snares, traitor-wise, for thy life or thy good. I lovedand love thy daughter and still shall love her, for that I hold herworthy of my love, and if I dealt with her less than honourably, inthe opinion of the vulgar, my sin was one which still goeth hand inhand with youth and which an you would do away, it behoveth you firstdo away with youth. Moreover, it is an offence which, would the oldbut remember them of having been young and measure the defaults ofothers by their own and their own by those of others, would show lessgrievous than thou and many others make it; and as a friend, and notas an enemy, I committed it. This that thou profferest me I have stilldesired and had I thought it should be vouchsafed me, I had long sincesought it; and so much the dearer will it now be to me, as my hopethereof was less. If, then, thou have not that intent which thy wordsdenote, feed me not with vain hope; but restore me to prison and theretorment me as thou wilt, for, so long as I love Spina, even so, forthe love of her, shall I still love thee, whatsoever thou dost withme, and have thee in reverence.'
Currado, hearing this, marvelled and held him great of soul and hislove fervent and tendered him therefore the dearer; wherefore, risingto his feet, he embraced him and kissed him and without more delaybade privily bring Spina thither. Accordingly, the lady--who was grownlean and pale and weakly in prison and showed well nigh another thanshe was wont to be, as on like wise Giannotto another man--being come,the two lovers in Currado's presence with one consent contractedmarriage according to our usance. Then, after some days, during whichhe had let furnish the newly-married pair with all that was necessaryor agreeable to them, he deemed it time to gladden their mothers withthe good news and accordingly calling his lady and Cavriuola, he saidto the latter, 'What would you say, madam, an I should cause you haveagain your elder son as the husband of one of my daughters?' Wheretoshe answered, 'Of that I can say to you no otherwhat than that, couldI be more beholden to you than I am, I should be so much the more soas you would have restored to me that which is dearer to me than mineown self; and restoring it to me on such wise as you say, you would insome measure re-awaken in me my lost hope.' With this, she held herpeace, weeping, and Currado said to his lady, 'And thou, mistress, howwouldst thou take it, were I to present thee with such a son-in-law?'The lady replied, 'Even a common churl, so he pleased you, wouldplease me, let alone one of these,[109] who are men of gentle birth.''Then,' said Currado, 'I hope, ere many days, to make you happy womenin this.'
[Footnote 109: _i.e._ Beritola's sons.]
Accordingly, seeing the two young folk now restored to their formercheer, he clad them sumptuously and said to Giusfredi, 'Were it notdear to thee, over and above thy present joyance, an thou sawest thymother here?' Whereto he answered, 'I dare not flatter myself that thechagrin of her unhappy chances can have left her so long alive; but,were it indeed so, it were dear to me above all, more by token thatmethinketh I might yet, by her counsel, avail to recover great part ofmy estate in Sicily.' Thereupon Currado sent for both the ladies, whocame and made much of the newly-wedded wife, no little wondering whathappy inspiration it could have been that prompted Currado to suchexceeding complaisance as he had shown in joining Giannotto with herin marriage. Madam Beritola, by reason of the words she had heard fromCurrado, began to consider Giannotto and some remembrance of theboyish lineaments of her son's countenance being by occult virtueawakened in her, without awaiting farther explanation, she ran,open-armed, to cast herself upon his neck, nor did overaboundingemotion and maternal joy suffer her to say a word; nay, they so lockedup all her senses that she fell into her son's arms, as if dead.
The latter, albeit he was sore amazed, remembering to have many timesbefore seen her in that same castle and never recognized her,nevertheless knew incontinent the maternal odour and blaming himselffor his past heedlessness, received her, weeping, in his arms andkissed her tenderly. After awhile, Madam Beritola, beingaffectionately tended by Currado's lady and Spina and plied both withcold water and other remedies, recalled her strayed senses andembracing her son anew, full of maternal tenderness, with many tearsand many tender words, kissed him a thousand times, whilst he allreverently beheld and entreated her. After these joyful and honourablegreetings had been thrice or four times repeated, to the no smallcontentment of the bystanders, and they had related unto each otherall that had befallen them, Currado now, to the exceeding satisfactionof all, signified to his friends the new alliance made by him and gaveordinance for a goodly and magnificent entertainment.
Then said Giusfredi to him, 'Currado, you have made me glad of manythings and have long honourably entertained my mother; and now, thatno whit may remain undone of that which it is in your power to do, Ipray you gladden my mother and bride-feast and myself with thepresence of my brother, whom Messer Guasparrino d'Oria holdeth inservitude in his house and whom, as I have already told you, he tookwith me in one of his cruises. Moreover, I would have you send intoSicily one who shall thoroughly inform himself of the state andcondition of the country and study to learn what is come ofArrighetto, my father, an he be alive or dead, and if he be alive, inwhat estate; of all which having fully certified himself, let himreturn to us.' Giusfredi's request was pleasing to Currado, andwithout any delay he despatched very discreet persons both to Genoaand to Sicily.
He who went to Genoa there sought out Messer Guasparrino and instantlybesought him, on Currado's part, to send him Scacciato and his nurse,orderly recounting to him all his lord's dealings with Giusfredi andhis mother. Messer Guasparrino marvelled exceedingly to hear this andsaid, 'True is it I would do all I may to pleasure Currado, and Ihave, indeed, these fourteen years had in my house the boy thouseekest and one his mother, both of whom I will gladly send him; butdo thou bid him, on my part, beware of lending overmuch credence tothe fables of Giannotto, who nowadays styleth himself Giusfredi, forthat he is a far greater knave than he deemeth.' So saying, he causedhonourably entertain the gentleman and sending privily for the nurse,questioned her shrewdly touching the matter. Now she had heard of theSicilian revolt and understood Arrighetto to be alive, wherefore,casting off her former fears, she told him everything in order andshowed him the reasons that had moved her to do as she had done.
Messer Guasparrino, finding her tale to accord perfectly with that ofCurrado's messenger, began to give credit to the latter's words andhaving by one means and another, like a very astute man as he was,made enquiry of the matter and happening hourly upon things that gavehim more and more assurance of the fact, took shame to himself of hismean usage of the lad, in amends whereof, knowing what Arrighetto hadbeen and was, he gave him to wife a fair young daughter of his, elevenyears of age, with a great dowry. Then, after making a greatbride-feast thereon, he embarked with the boy and girl and
Currado'smessenger and the nurse in a well-armed galliot and betook himself toLerici, where he was received by Currado and went up, with all hiscompany, to one of the latter's castles, not far removed thence, wherethere was a great banquet toward.
The mother's joy at seeing her son again and that of the two brothersin each other and of all three in the faithful nurse, the honour doneof all to Messer Guasparrino and his daughter and of him to all andthe rejoicing of all together with Currado and his lady and childrenand friends, no words might avail to express; wherefore, ladies, Ileave it to you to imagine. Thereunto,[110] that it might be complete,it pleased God the Most High, a most abundant giver, whenas Hebeginneth, to add the glad news of the life and well-being ofArrighetto Capece; for that, the feast being at its height and theguests, both ladies and men, yet at table for the first service, therecame he who had been sent into Sicily and amongst other things,reported of Arrighetto that he, being kept in captivity by KingCharles, whenas the revolt against the latter broke out in the land,the folk ran in a fury to the prison and slaying his guards, deliveredhimself and as a capital enemy of King Charles, made him their captainand followed him to expel and slay the French: wherefore he was becomein especial favour with King Pedro,[111] who had reinstated him in allhis honours and possessions, and was now in great good case. Themessenger added that he had received himself with the utmost honourand had rejoiced with inexpressible joy in the recovery of his wifeand son, of whom he had heard nothing since his capture; moreover, hehad sent a brigantine for them, with divers gentlemen aboard, who cameafter him.
[Footnote 110: _i.e._ to which general joy.]
[Footnote 111: Pedro of Arragon, son-in-law of Manfred, who, inconsequence of the Sicilian Vespers, succeeded Charles d'Anjou as Kingof Sicily.]
The messenger was received and hearkened with great gladness andrejoicing, whilst Currado, with certain of his friends, set outincontinent to meet the gentlemen who came for Madam Beritola andGiusfredi and welcoming them joyously, introduced them into hisbanquet, which was not yet half ended. There both the lady andGiusfredi, no less than all the others, beheld them with such joyancethat never was heard the like; and the gentlemen, ere they sat down tomeat, saluted Currado and his lady on the part of Arrighetto, thankingthem, as best they knew and might, for the honour done both to hiswife and his son and offering himself to their pleasure,[112] in allthat lay in his power. Then, turning to Messer Guasparrino, whosekindness was unlooked for, they avouched themselves most certain that,whenas that which he had done for Scacciato should be known ofArrighetto, the like thanks and yet greater would be rendered him.
[Footnote 112: Or (in modern phrase) putting himself at theirdisposition.]
Thereafter they banqueted right joyously with the new-made bridegroomsat the bride-feast of the two newly-wedded wives; nor that day alonedid Currado entertain his son-in-law and other his kinsmen andfriends, but many others. As soon as the rejoicings were somewhatabated, it appearing to Madam Beritola and to Giusfredi and the othersthat it was time to depart, they took leave with many tears of Curradoand his lady and Messer Guasparrino and embarked on board thebrigantine, carrying Spina with them; then, setting sail with a fairwind, they came speedily to Sicily, where all alike, both sons anddaughters-in-law, were received by Arrighetto in Palermo with suchrejoicing as might never be told; and there it is believed that theyall lived happily a great while after, in love and thankfulness to Godthe Most High, as mindful of the benefits received."
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 20
